An investigation into the development of mathematical modelling competencies of grade 7 learners.

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mathematical modelling is becoming a popular teaching and learning approach inmathematics education. There is however a need within the modelling domain toidentify exactly what modelling competencies are and how these competenciesdevelop. This study examines how mathematical modelling competencies develop inGrade 7 students working in groups.Modelling is placed in the field of mathematics teaching and learning as a significantmeans of learning mathematics. Modelling competencies are identified andcharacterised from existing literature and explored through empirical generation andcollection of data. The study is qualitative in nature and uses a mixed approach ofdesign research and some aspects of grounded theory. Students' progress through amodelling program is documented while the modelling competencies of studentsstereotyped as weak and strong are also investigated. The findings firmly supportearlier research that competencies do develop in students who are exposed tomodelling. A comprehensive picture of the modelling situation is presented since thisstudy merges competencies from other studies into a detailed analysis of themodelling situation - it presents an authentic modelling situation of students workingin groups and furthers the discussion on modelling competencies.The analysis of the data suggests that the development of modelling competencies iscomplex and interrelated but that competencies do develop progressively in groupsinvolved in modelling tasks. Recommendations for additional studies include studiesof a longer duration and a full investigation into the link between modelling andlanguage ability.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University