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Evaluating Various Undergraduate Perspectives of Elementary-Level Mathematical Writing

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Abstract

Writing is recognized as a critical skill in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical fields, as it provides opportunities for individuals to think critically about learned information, integrate knowledge, communicate understanding, and contribute new information to the field. Requirements for applying mathematical knowledge to writing require a seamless blend of content-specific knowledge, domain-specific vocabulary, and an understanding of written expression. Relatively, little is known about how mathematics writing is currently being assessed in K-12 classrooms to promote the acquisition and growth of students’ writing. This exploratory survey research sought to evaluate how undergraduate students across various career majors, at a large university in the USA, perceive the writing quality of elementary mathematics writing samples. Research determined that respondents valued accuracy of the mathematics, logical explanation, effort of the response, as well as organization/mechanics of the writing. The extremes of mathematical writing had the most reliable scores, bringing attention to the need to develop quality assessments (e.g., rubrics) that address subjectivity of writing quality indicators and explicitly communicate expectations of mathematics writing. Implications for practice and future research are presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Pennsylvania State University, 212a CEDAR, University Park, State College, PA, 16801, USA

    Elizabeth M. Hughes

  2. Ball State University, Teachers College Room 705, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA

    Andrew M. Markelz

  3. The Pennsylvania State University, 220 CEDAR, University Park, State College, PA, 16801, USA

    Lauren E. Cozad

Authors
  1. Elizabeth M. Hughes
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  2. Andrew M. Markelz
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  3. Lauren E. Cozad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth M. Hughes.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Word Problems Used

Kelly and Nick each ordered a medium pizza. Kelly ate 3/8 of her pizza. Nick ate 3/4 of his pizza. They were wondering if they could combine both pizzas into one box to store in the fridge. Can they store all of the pizza in one box without any of the pizza overlapping? Explain your response.

You are on a road trip traveling from New York City to State College. You need to add 12.5 gallons of gas to your car to make it back to State College safely. Last time you filled up you used 15 gallons of gas. You pull into a gas station where gas costs $2.35. How much will it cost you to fill up your tank?

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Hughes, E.M., Markelz, A.M. & Cozad, L.E. Evaluating Various Undergraduate Perspectives of Elementary-Level Mathematical Writing. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 17, 1031–1048 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-018-9903-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-018-9903-1

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