'It takes me longer, but I understand better' - student feedback on structured derivations

Ralph Johan Back, Linda Mannila, Solveig Wallin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

In this article, we present the results from a qualitative study on students' initial reactions to the use of structured derivations in mathematics education. Our findings suggest that the approach increases the clarity of solutions and facilitates debugging of proofs. It also has potential to increase students' self-perceived level of understanding. Our findings indicate that the main drawbacks experienced by the students are related to time and length. Nevertheless, the overall feedback on the approach was found to be positive, thus encouraging further use of structured derivations in mathematics education.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology
Volume41
Issue number5
Pages (from-to)575-593
Number of pages19
ISSN0020-739X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2010
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Fields of Science

  • Mathematics education
  • Structured derivations
  • Student feedback

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