Symbol Sense Among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the aspects of symbol sense using qualitative approach. Twenty undergraduate students, specialized in mathematics participated in this study. To achieve the aim of the study, a symbol sense test and reflective interviews with audio recording were used to collect data. In addition, a symbol sense evidences framework was used to analyze the data. The results revealed the number of symbol sense aspects among the undergraduate students, in the form of the problems, in the algebraic expectations of the solution and in the ability to link representations in the solution, while the aspects in explaining and in checking the solution were rare. The common aspects of symbol sense among students were, recognition when symbols can be used, the ability to choose symbolic representations, recognition of the meanings of algebraic symbols, knowing the order of operations and its properties and identifying the form of the problem and linking it with the type of the solution. In the opposite, a number of the aspects of symbol sense were not productive and incorrect. Regarding the results of the study, priority should be given to the algebraic skills and symbol sense behaviors, where both should be integrated in teaching and learning algebra.