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Process- and object-based thinking in arithmetic

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conference contribution
posted on 2011-07-07, 08:57 authored by Camilla GilmoreCamilla Gilmore, Matthew InglisMatthew Inglis
Many influential theorists have proposed that learners construct mathematical objects via the encapsulation (or reification) of processes into objects. These processto- object theories posit that object-based thinking comes later in the developmental path than process-based thinking. In this paper we directly test this hypothesis in the field of early arithmetic. An experiment is reported which studied 8 and 9 year-old children’s use of the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction. We demonstrate that a subset of children were unable to solve arithmetic problems using process-based thinking, but that, nevertheless, they were able to use the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction to solve problems where appropriate. The implications of these findings for process-to-object theories are discussed.

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  • Science

Department

  • Mathematics Education Centre

Citation

GILMORE, C. and INGLIS, M. (2008). Process- and object-based thinking in arithmetic. IN: Figueras, O. ... et al, (eds). Proceedings of the 32nd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Vol. 3. PME 32: International Conference on the Psychology of Mathematics, Morelia, Mexico, 17th-21st July, pp. 73-80.

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International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (© The author)

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  • VoR (Version of Record)

Publication date

2008

Notes

This is a conference paper.

Language

  • en

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