0000000000857742
AUTHOR
Eva Arbona
Strategies exhibited by good and average solvers of geometric pattern problems as source of traits of mathematical giftedness in grades 4-6
International audience; We describe and analyse the strategies used by students in primary grades 4, 5 and 6 to solve linear and affine geometric pattern problems. Based on two problems posed in a teaching experiment, we have identified several profiles of strategies used by students to solve the problems. We consider the profiles of students who were good geometric pattern problem solvers as traits that may help identify mathematical giftedness. Our results show that average students used very often incorrect functional strategies and were consistent in using incorrect proportional strategies along the grades. On the other hand, good geometric pattern problem solvers tended to use correct …
The Cognitive Demand of a Gifted Student’s Answers to Geometric Pattern Problems
Mathematically gifted students require specific teaching methodologies to foster their interest in mathematics and their engagement in solving problems. Geometric pattern problems are an interesting context in which to introduce algebra to those students. We present the case of a nine-year-old student engaged in a teaching unit based on geometric pattern problems that was aimed at helping him start learning algebra, equations, and algebra word problems. To analyze and assess the cognitive effort the student made to solve the problems, we used a particularization to this context of the cognitive demand model. We analyzed answers typical of the different kinds of problems posed throughout the…