The Impact of Early Algebra on Later Algebra Learning

这项研究的目的是为了帮助阐明小学代数的引入对学生的数学成绩和初中和高中的学习有什么影响。在他们的早期代数(EA)研究中，研究人员已经证明了教授小学生关于代数关系和表示的可行性。他们现在计划在55名学生进入初中和高中后进行跟踪调查。这个由55名学生组成的小组将由参加EA课程三年的26名学生和同一所学校的一组学生(29名学生)组成，他们由常规课堂老师教授早期代数。研究小组将收集有关当前学校的代数课程、录像带课程、采访学生的信息，收集学生在课堂上和学校、学区和州强制要求的评估中的表现数据，并收集自己的评估数据，以便将其表现与国家教育进步评估(NAEP)发布的结果进行比较。纵向分析有望让政策制定者和数学教育者了解及早引入代数的长期影响。

The goal of this research project is to help clarify what effect the introduction of algebra in elementary school has on students' mathematical performance and learning in middle and high school. In their Early Algebra (EA) study, the investigators had demonstrated the feasibility of teaching elementary school students about algebraic relations and representations. They now propose to follow a group of 55 students as they enter middle and high school. This group of 55 students will be formed by the 26 students who participated in the EA lessons for three years and a cohort of students, from the same school (29 students), who were taught early algebra by their regular classroom teachers. The research team will collect information about the current schools' algebra curricula, videotape lessons, interview students, collect data on students' performance in class and in assessments mandated by the school, the district, and the state, and collect its own assessment data that allows performance to be compared to results published by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The longitudinal analysis promises to inform policy-makers and mathematics educators about the long-term effects of introducing algebra early.