| Abstrakt: |
The research reported here has focussed on the language that young children use when asked, “What was in your head?” after they have performed a mental calculation. The metaphoric nature of the words they used gave an indication of the influences on their thinking. The language associated with classroom activities gave an indication of the experiences that might have shaped their conceptualisation. The children's use of explanatory expressions involving the pronoun ‘you’, given in the present tense and using causal connectives also indicated that they had been influenced by the speech style of the mathematics classroom. These indicators correlated with accuracy in calculations, suggesting confidence in, and familiarity with, procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] |
