Research behind the Best Evidence Synthesis

Item number
BES010

BES selection
Mathematics BES

Format
Journal article

Title
"Can any fraction be turned into a decimal?" A case study of the mathematical group discussion

Author
O'Connor, Mary Catherine

Publisher
Springer

Publishing Year
2001

Source
Educational studies in mathematics, v.46 p.143-185

ISSN
00131954

Subject
Curriculum

Descriptors
Curriculum ; Mathematics curriculum ; Mathematics education ; Primary education ; Classroom environment ; Mathematics teaching

Age Focus
Children (5 to 12 years)

Education level
Primary education

Language
English

How to obtain
Ask at your public or university library. If they don’t have it they can borrow it from another library for a small charge.

Abstract
This case study examines two days of teacher-led large group discussion in a fifth grade about a mathematical question intended to support student exploration of relationships among fraction and decimal representations and rational numbers. The purpose of the analysis is to illuminate the teacher's work in supporting student thinking through the use of a mathematical question embedded in a position-driven discussion. The focus is an examination of the ways that the emergence of mathematical ideas is partially shaped by complex interactions among the mathematical contents of the question, the inherent properties of the discourse format and participant structure, and the available computational methods. The teacher's work is conceptualised in terms of actions and practices that coordinate these diverse tools, in constant response to students' concurrent use of them.. (Author)

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The Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis programme (BES) : New Zealand Ministry of Education
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/themes/BES