Students’ Ability and Achievement in Recognizing Multiple Representations in Algebra
Keywords:
ability, recognize, multiple-representation, achievement, algebraAbstract
Secondary school students often demonstrate a degree of proficiency manipulating algebraic symbols, when learning linear relationships with one unknown. They, in some cases and when encouraged verbalize and explain the steps taken, thereby demonstrating awareness of the procedures with symbols according to fixed rules. It is well known that correct procedural skills are not always supported by conceptual understanding. Previous research suggests that one of the indicators of conceptual understanding is the ability to structurally recognize the same relationship posed through multiple representations. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between secondary school students’ achievement on standardized test and their ability to recognize structurally the same relationship presented in different forms and their ability to solve problems involving linear relationships with one unknown presented in different ways. The study was conducted with a large sample size (N=300), of senior secondary school class two(SS2) students from Bwari Area Council of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria, using questions drawn from past Educational Resource Center’s (ERC) past promotion examination questions. It was observed that there were positive but weak correlations (Ï=0.114) between, the students’ examination scores and their ability to identify the same relationship posed in different modalities, the students’ examination scores and their ability to solving problems in all problem sets, the students’ solved problems posed in different modalities and their ability to identify the same relationship posed in different modalities, using both Pearson and Spearman’s correlations. It is recommended that teachers should emphasize multiple-representation in algebra in the classes they teach.
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