Teachers developing teaching: A comparative study on critical features for pupils’ perception of the number line

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what might be relevant to younger children’s understanding of a number line and how teaching can be designed according to variation theory to give pupils the opportunity to develop an understanding of the number line as a tool for mathematical thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

A Learning Study was conducted by mathematics teachers at Sjöstadsskolan in Stockholm. Variation theory was used as a theory of learning. In order to use the number line as a tool in mathematical thinking, pupils have to discern what is important for this form of representation of the numeral system. Critical aspects from other studies with similar learning objects have been taken into consideration for pre-test design. These aspects supplemented and enhanced the analysis of the results and the results were consistent with earlier learning studies’.

Findings

Four critical features, for younger pupils’ understanding of how the number line can be constructed, have been established in the study: the number line can have a different range (e.g. 0-20 or 30-60), correlation between the distance and value, two reference points are needed to place a third number and determine the scale, and the correlation between a part and whole.

Originality/value

Learning Study is emphasized as a powerful and structured model for teacher driven research aiming to develop the praxis. The use of experiences and results from other studies is recommended.

Citation

Björk, M. and Pettersson-Berggren, G. (2015), "Teachers developing teaching: A comparative study on critical features for pupils’ perception of the number line", International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol. 4 No. 4, pp. 383-400. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-12-2014-0045