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Understanding of Teaching Strategies on Quadratic Functions in Chinese Mathematics Classrooms

  • Huang, Xingfeng (Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Changshu Institute of Technology) ;
  • Li, Shiqi (Department of Mathematics, East China Normal University) ;
  • An, Shuhua (College of Education, California State University)
  • Received : 2012.05.01
  • Accepted : 2012.09.29
  • Published : 2012.09.30

Abstract

What strategies are used to help students understand quadratic functions in mathematics classroom? In specific, how does Chinese teacher highlight a connection between algebraic representation and graphic representation? From October to November 2009, an experienced teacher classroom was observed. It was found that when students started learning a new type of quadratic function in lessons, the teacher used two different teaching strategies for their learning: (1) Eliciting students to plot the graphs of quadratic functions with pointwise approaches, and then construct the function image in their minds with global approaches; and (2) Presenting a specific mathematical problem, or introducing conception to elicit students to conjecture, and then encouraging them to verify it with appoint approaches.

Keywords

References

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