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Nuances of Prospective Teachers’ Interpretations of Integer Word Problems

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Exploring the Integer Addition and Subtraction Landscape

Part of the book series: Research in Mathematics Education ((RME))

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Abstract

This chapter identifies the ways in which 15 prospective teachers engage the strands of mathematical proficiency as they solve word problems involving integer addition and subtraction. The prospective teachers, through think-aloud interviews, demonstrated a strong focus on solving problems using procedures, which some did not explain and others explained in detail. Number line representations were popular ways to illustrate solution methods, especially to highlight distances to and from zero. Further, some problems elicited a variety of strategies, while others mainly elicited procedures. The collective think-aloud data reveal strong, interconnected strands that could help individuals reflect on procedural versus conceptual knowledge and how best to explain and make connections among the ideas involved in the problems.

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Acknowledgment

Data collection was supported by a Purdue Research Foundation Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Laura Bofferding

  2. George Fox University, Newberg, OR, USA

    Nicole M. Wessman-Enzinger

Authors
  1. Laura Bofferding
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  2. Nicole M. Wessman-Enzinger
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Correspondence to Laura Bofferding .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

    Laura Bofferding

  2. School of Education, George Fox University, Newberg, Oregon, USA

    Nicole M. Wessman-Enzinger

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Bofferding, L., Wessman-Enzinger, N.M. (2018). Nuances of Prospective Teachers’ Interpretations of Integer Word Problems. In: Bofferding, L., Wessman-Enzinger, N. (eds) Exploring the Integer Addition and Subtraction Landscape. Research in Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90692-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90692-8_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-90691-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-90692-8

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