The notion of compartmentalization: the case of Richard


Eraslan A.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL EDUCATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, cilt.38, sa.8, ss.1065-1073, 2007 (ESCI) identifier

Özet

One of the important phenomena observed in the learning of mathematics is compartmentalization. This phenomenon occurs when a learner has two different, potentially contradictory schemes in his or her cognitive structure; in a typical case, a student deals with the same mathematical concept in an inconsistent or incoherent way, or activates a less relevant scheme to the situation in his or her mind. This research reports a case of compartmentalization phenomenon in which Richard, a tenth-grade algebra honours student, was interviewed on quadratic tasks. Results show evidence for the existence of compartmentalization related to the vertex of a parabola. The article concludes with some suggested educational implications.