Mathematical Misconceptions
A Guide for Primary Teachers
1st Edition
Published on 1. December 2008
Book
Hardback
176 pages
978-1-84787-440-5 (ISBN)
Description
How do children relate to numbers and mathematics? How can they be helped to understand and make sense of them? People are rarely ambivalent towards mathematics, having either a love or hate relationship with the subject, and our approach to it is influenced by a variety of factors. How we are taught mathematics as children plays a big role in our feelings towards it. Numbers play a large part in our lives, and it is therefore beneficial to inspire a positive attitude towards them at a young age.
With contributors comprised of teachers, teacher educators, mathematicians and psychologists, Mathematical Misconceptions brings together information about pupils' work from four different countries, and looks at how children, from the ages of 3 - 11, think about numbers and use them. It explores the reasons for their successes, misunderstandings and misconceptions, while also broadening the reader's own mathematical knowledge. Chapters explore:
- the seemingly paradoxical number zero
- the concept of equality
- children's perceptions and misconceptions of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing
- the learning process
- the ways in which children acquire number concepts.
This unique book will transform the way in which primary school teachers think about mathematics. Fascinating reading for anyone working with children of this age, it will be of particular interest to teachers, trainee teachers and teaching assistants. It will show them how to engage children in the mysteries and delights of numbers.
With contributors comprised of teachers, teacher educators, mathematicians and psychologists, Mathematical Misconceptions brings together information about pupils' work from four different countries, and looks at how children, from the ages of 3 - 11, think about numbers and use them. It explores the reasons for their successes, misunderstandings and misconceptions, while also broadening the reader's own mathematical knowledge. Chapters explore:
- the seemingly paradoxical number zero
- the concept of equality
- children's perceptions and misconceptions of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing
- the learning process
- the ways in which children acquire number concepts.
This unique book will transform the way in which primary school teachers think about mathematics. Fascinating reading for anyone working with children of this age, it will be of particular interest to teachers, trainee teachers and teaching assistants. It will show them how to engage children in the mysteries and delights of numbers.
Reviews / Votes
'This book is a really interesting and useful volume...Each chapter has many questions, helpfully highlighted in boxes, so that the reader has the opportunity to pause and reflect. For me these questions turn this book from being good to excellent. Encouragingme to take the time to think about my own practice helps this book ask difficult but interesting questions. [It] is clearly aimed at primary teachers but I'm sure that secondary teachers would benefit hugely from this as well...I'm sure it will prompt useful and interesting discussions' -Association of Teachers of Mathematics
'As a secondary teacher of mathematics I've found this a remarkable insight into the student's thinking - giving me clear background information to help me think about my classes and their misconceptions and how I could help the children develop their thinking' -
Association of Teachers of Mathematics -- H.P. Koirala * CHOICE magazine * 'This book is a really interesting and useful volume...Each chapter has many questions, helpfully highlighted in boxes, so that the reader has the opportunity to pause and reflect. For me these questions turn this book from being good to excellent. Encouragingme to take the time to think about my own practice helps this book ask difficult but interesting questions. [It] is clearly aimed at primary teachers but I'm sure that secondary teachers would benefit hugely from this as well...I'm sure it will prompt useful and interesting discussions' -
Association of Teachers of Mathematics
'As a secondary teacher of mathematics I've found this a remarkable insight into the student's thinking - giving me clear background information to help me think about my classes and their misconceptions and how I could help the children develop their thinking' -
Association of Teachers of Mathematics
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 170 mm
Weight
447 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84787-440-5 (9781847874405)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2008
1st Edition
SAGE Publications Ltd
€76.49
Available for download
E-Book
11/2008
1st Edition
SAGE Publications Ltd
€72.19
Available for download
Book
11/2008
1st Edition
SAGE Publications Ltd
€84.60
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Persons
Anne D. Cockburn is a Professor Emeritus in Early Years Education at the University of East Anglia (UEA). She was educated in Edinburgh before reading Psychology at the University of St Andrews. Subsequently, she trained to be a primary teacher and taught in Scotland. In 1979, she became a Research Fellow at the University of Lancaster, working with Neville Bennett and Charles Desforges. Her PhD was completed in 1986 at the UEA. Following a period of working as a researcher, she took up her first lectureship at UEA in 1989. She became an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society in 1994. Initially Anne's teaching focused on pre-service teacher education (BA and PGCE), gradually extending to in-service courses (BPhil and MA) and research (PhD and EdD). Throughout, she continued with her own research, with many of the catalysts for her investigations stemming from the needs and interests of professional practitioners and those with whom they work. More recently, she also started working with MA counselling students. Anne has examined doctoral theses, undergraduate and postgraduate courses at universities across the United Kingdom, Australia and Norway. She was a member of the Economic and Social Research Council Board of Examiners for studentships (2002-2005).
Content
Zero: understanding an apparently paradoxical number - Anne d Cockburn and Paul Parslow-Williams
Equality: Getting the right balance - Paul Parslow-Williams and Anne D Cockburn
Beginning to unravel misconceptions - Sara Hershkovitz, Dina Tirosh and Pessia Tsamir
Insights into children's intuitions of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division - Dina Tirosh, Pessia Tsamir and Sara Hershkovitz
Right or Wrong? Exploring misconceptions in division - Pessia Tsamir, Sara Hershkovitz and Dina Tirosh
Developing an understanding of children's acquisition of number concepts - Anne D Cockburn
Highlighting the learning processes - Graham Littler and Darina Jirotkova
Everyday numbers under a mathematical magnifying glass - Carlo Marchini and Paoloa Vighi
Equality: Getting the right balance - Paul Parslow-Williams and Anne D Cockburn
Beginning to unravel misconceptions - Sara Hershkovitz, Dina Tirosh and Pessia Tsamir
Insights into children's intuitions of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division - Dina Tirosh, Pessia Tsamir and Sara Hershkovitz
Right or Wrong? Exploring misconceptions in division - Pessia Tsamir, Sara Hershkovitz and Dina Tirosh
Developing an understanding of children's acquisition of number concepts - Anne D Cockburn
Highlighting the learning processes - Graham Littler and Darina Jirotkova
Everyday numbers under a mathematical magnifying glass - Carlo Marchini and Paoloa Vighi