Formative Assessment for mathematics teaching and learning

This book aims at describing pathways and achievements of the LLP Comenius Project “FAMT&L – Formative Assessment in mathematics for teaching and learning”. The main purpose of this research project was to encourage the use of formative assessment in the teaching-learning process carried out by mathematics teachers in lower secondary school. Through the voices of the several actors involved in this project, the book wants to contribute to the international debate on issues regarding teachers’ professionalism in the European school systems: specifically, on the development of the professional skills of teachers in the field of assessment practices and on the use of formative assessment in the classroom

Teaching the concept of function: Definition and problem solving

International audienceThe present study investigates students' abilities to understand the concept of function. Secondary education students were asked to (i) define the concept of function and present examples of functions, (ii) translate between different representations of a function and (iii) solve function problems. Findings revealed students' great difficulties in proposing a definition of function, in solving tasks of conversions between different modes of representation, and in solving function problems. Based on the students' abilities and misconceptions about functions, teaching practices for improving the students' understanding of functions are discussed

Formative Assessment for mathematics teaching and learning

This book aims at describing pathways and achievements of the LLP Comenius Project “FAMT&L – Formative Assessment in mathematics for teaching and learning”. The main purpose of this research project was to encourage the use of formative assessment in the teaching-learning process carried out by mathematics teachers in lower secondary school. Through the voices of the several actors involved in this project, the book wants to contribute to the international debate on issues regarding teachers’ professionalism in the European school systems: specifically, on the development of the professional skills of teachers in the field of assessment practices and on the use of formative assessment in the classroom

Exploring teachers\u2019 beliefs for formative assessment in mathematics teaching and learning in Cyprus and Italy

This contribution concerns the description of some first results of a European research program (FAMT&L) about the use of formative assessment (F.A) in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The results are based on data collected though a questionnaire for tracing lower secondary teachers' beliefs regarding the purpose, the use and the results of F.A in mathematics teaching and learning. The discussion of results concerns 65 Cypriot and 39 Italian teachers. The relations between the teachers' beliefs for F.A reveal factors that influence the teachers' beliefs about the application of F.A in mathematics teaching and learning. Similarities and differences in the teachers' beliefs between the two countries are also discussed. Based on these concussions suggestions about developing a training model about the effective use of F.A in mathematics teaching will be provided

Fostering representational flexibility in the mathematical working space of rational numbers

The study focuses on the cognitive level of Mathematical Working Space (MWS) and the component of the epistemological level related to semiotic representations in two mathematical domains of rational numbers: fraction and decimal number addition. Within this scope, it aims to explore how representational flexibility develops over time. A similar developmental pattern of four distinct hierarchical levels of student representational flexibility in both domains is identified. The findings indicate that the genesis of the semiotic axis in fraction and decimal addition is not automatic, but a long process of developmental steps that could be referred to as MWS1, MWS2, MWS3, MWS4 (final). There is not a clear and stable correspondence between developmental levels of representational flexibility and school grades. Didactical implications in order to foster representational flexibility in the MWS of fraction and decimal addition are discussed