The Impact of Early Algebra on Later Algebra Learning

本研究项目的目的是帮助阐明在小学引入代数对学生在初中和高中的数学成绩和学习有什么影响。在他们的早期代数（EA）研究中，研究者已经证明了教小学生代数关系和代数表示的可行性。他们现在打算跟踪一组55名进入初中和高中的学生。这组55名学生将由26名参加了三年EA课程的学生和来自同一所学校（29名学生）的一组学生组成，这些学生由他们的正规课堂老师教授早期代数。研究小组将收集有关当前学校代数课程、录像带课程的信息，采访学生，收集学生在课堂上的表现以及学校、学区和州规定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）公布的结果进行比较。纵向分析有望告知政策制定者和数学教育者关于早期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.