Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association
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Educational Research & Development Journal
Vol 16, No 1 (2013)
Middle School Students’ Steepness and Proportional Reasoning |
| Diana Cheng, Jon R Star, Suzanne Chapin |
Abstract |
| Steepness is a key developmental understanding for slope (Simon & Blume, 1994), and proportional reasoning is closely tied to steepness. Yet the relationship between steepness and proportional reasoning has not been well-studied. This study investigated the relationship between middle school students’ proportional reasoning and their solutions to problems involving steepness, which could be measured in a variety of ways including the slopes of inclines. Two tests were administered to students: an adapted version of the Ratio and Proportion Test (Brown et al., 1981) and a Steepness Test. Analysis of data from 413 middle school students showed that 25% of the variability in scores on the Steepness Test could be explained by performance on the Ratio and Proportion Test. The findings of this research contribute to literature on early algebraic reasoning exploring ways that steepness and slope can be made accessible to students. |
| Full Text: PDF |
ISSN: 1526-8659