Vee Diagrams as a Problem Solving Tool: Promoting Critical Thinking and Synthesis of Concepts and Applications in Mathematics

Title
Vee Diagrams as a Problem Solving Tool: Promoting Critical Thinking and Synthesis of Concepts and Applications in Mathematics
Publication Date
2008
Author(s)
Afamasaga-Fuata'i, Karoline
Editor
Editor(s): Peter L Jeffery
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE)
Place of publication
Melbourne, Australia
UNE publication id
une:10800
Abstract
Students often solve mathematics problems by executing known procedures to generate answers. As long as problems are familiar to those done in the classroom, then doing mathematics continues to be a matter of applying familiar formulas and procedures. However, difficulties often arise when students are challenged to justify their solutions or solve novel problems. This paper proposes vee diagrams as a means of facilitating students' critical thinking and reasoning to systematically analyse the mathematical content of problems as a means of identifying relevant principles and concepts that can inform the identification of plausible solutions. Constructing a vee diagram requires solvers, not only to show how they solved the problem (methods), but in addition, they make explicit why their methods worked (relevant theoretical principles). Doing so routinely encourages the view of mathematical problems as the application context and site for the critical synthesis of the conceptual structure of mathematics and its methods and procedures. The paper presents examples of vee diagrams constructed by mathematics teachers, student-teachers and school students from a number of studies conducted to investigate how mathematics learning could be made more meaningful for students. Implications for teaching school mathematics and teacher education are provided.
Link
Citation
AARE Conference Papers, v.2007, p. 1-19
ISSN
1324-9339
1324-9320
Start page
1
End page
19

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