Influence of Symbols on Basic Level Students' in Solving Algebraic Problem

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the symbol sense of basic level students' in algebra, to identify the students' error in an operating algebraic problems and investigate students’ uses and interpretations of mathematical symbols and the influences that symbols have on students’ activities when solving tasks of algebraic problems. The researcher conducted a case study of seven grade students with a focus on the goals and activities they selected and the anticipations and reflections they made as they worked on algebraic problems in different settings. Data were collected and analyzed under the conceptual lens of an activity effect relationship conceptual and a symbol sense framework. Seven different student (cases) were investigated, and data were analysis. The researcher found that some symbols and symbolic structures had strong influences on students’ choices in problem solving. The researcher firstly visit the sampled school and assessment test were taken among 26 students. The seven multiple cases were chosen from poor as well as high performance in assessment. The researcher found that students’ goals and activities are often influenced by the presence of inequality signs, fractions, absolute value symbols, and rational symbolic structures and tracheotomy sign, the equal sign influences students’ goals, but as an indication for operations to perform instead of as a representation of a relation, students’ goals and activities are often influenced by anticipations for particular symbols or symbolic forms to be contained in the result, activities and goals do not often include the symbol sense for making links between symbolic representations and graphical or numerical representations. The researcher concluded that symbol sense includes understand that there is a constant need to check symbol meaning and to compare meanings with one's own expectations and intuitions. Teachers can demonstrate such reflective habits in the ix classroom and help students learn the importance of constantly reflecting on the effect of an activity as simple as writing an equal sign. It might be helpful for teachers to ask students to read mathematical statements aloud from a textbook and to discuss the meanings of the symbols involved. Building symbol sense can help build students fluency with the complicated language of mathematics.