Dotty triangles: Two different approaches to analysing young children’s responses to a pattern replication activity

Susan Gifford; Helen  Thouless

Dotty triangles: Two different approaches to analysing young children’s responses to a pattern replication activity

School of Education

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

This article presents results from an exploratory study into developing pattern awareness with children aged 3 to 5, following the work of Mulligan and Mitchelmore (2009) on Awareness of Mathematical Pattern and
Structure (AMPS). When the children copied a 6-dot triangular pattern, we
similarly found diverse responses, which we analysed using the AMPS
levels and then Biggs and Collis’ SOLO taxonomy. The latter approach
revealed that children responded to up to 5 elements in the pattern. This approach allowed us to identify positively the beginning stages of structural
understanding when children recognised 1 or 2 elements of the pattern. It also emphasised the challenge that the apparently simple task of copying an
image can present to young children.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Research Proceedings of the 9th British Congress on Mathematics Education
Subtitle of host publication	3-6 April 2018, University of Warwick, UK
Editors	Jennie Golding, Nicola Bretscher, Cosette Crisan, Eirini Geraniou, Jeremy Hodgen, Candia Morgan
Pages	175-182
Number of pages	8
Publication status	Published - 15 Nov 2018

Keywords

early years mathematics
SOLO taxonomy
patterns

Access to Document

http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/bcme-9/

Cite this

Gifford, S., & Thouless, H. (2018). Dotty triangles: Two different approaches to analysing young children’s responses to a pattern replication activity. In J. Golding, N. Bretscher, C. Crisan, E. Geraniou, J. Hodgen, & C. Morgan (Eds.), Research Proceedings of the 9th British Congress on Mathematics Education: 3-6 April 2018, University of Warwick, UK (pp. 175-182) http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/bcme-9/

Gifford, Susan ; Thouless, Helen . / Dotty triangles : Two different approaches to analysing young children’s responses to a pattern replication activity. Research Proceedings of the 9th British Congress on Mathematics Education: 3-6 April 2018, University of Warwick, UK. editor / Jennie Golding ; Nicola Bretscher ; Cosette Crisan ; Eirini Geraniou ; Jeremy Hodgen ; Candia Morgan. 2018. pp. 175-182

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abstract = "This article presents results from an exploratory study into developing pattern awareness with children aged 3 to 5, following the work of Mulligan and Mitchelmore (2009) on Awareness of Mathematical Pattern andStructure (AMPS). When the children copied a 6-dot triangular pattern, wesimilarly found diverse responses, which we analysed using the AMPSlevels and then Biggs and Collis{\textquoteright} SOLO taxonomy. The latter approachrevealed that children responded to up to 5 elements in the pattern. This approach allowed us to identify positively the beginning stages of structuralunderstanding when children recognised 1 or 2 elements of the pattern. It also emphasised the challenge that the apparently simple task of copying animage can present to young children.",

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Gifford, S & Thouless, H 2018, Dotty triangles: Two different approaches to analysing young children’s responses to a pattern replication activity. in J Golding, N Bretscher, C Crisan, E Geraniou, J Hodgen & C Morgan (eds), Research Proceedings of the 9th British Congress on Mathematics Education: 3-6 April 2018, University of Warwick, UK. pp. 175-182. <http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/bcme-9/>

Dotty triangles: Two different approaches to analysing young children’s responses to a pattern replication activity. / Gifford, Susan; Thouless, Helen .
Research Proceedings of the 9th British Congress on Mathematics Education: 3-6 April 2018, University of Warwick, UK. ed. / Jennie Golding; Nicola Bretscher; Cosette Crisan; Eirini Geraniou; Jeremy Hodgen; Candia Morgan. 2018. p. 175-182.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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N2 - This article presents results from an exploratory study into developing pattern awareness with children aged 3 to 5, following the work of Mulligan and Mitchelmore (2009) on Awareness of Mathematical Pattern andStructure (AMPS). When the children copied a 6-dot triangular pattern, wesimilarly found diverse responses, which we analysed using the AMPSlevels and then Biggs and Collis’ SOLO taxonomy. The latter approachrevealed that children responded to up to 5 elements in the pattern. This approach allowed us to identify positively the beginning stages of structuralunderstanding when children recognised 1 or 2 elements of the pattern. It also emphasised the challenge that the apparently simple task of copying animage can present to young children.

AB - This article presents results from an exploratory study into developing pattern awareness with children aged 3 to 5, following the work of Mulligan and Mitchelmore (2009) on Awareness of Mathematical Pattern andStructure (AMPS). When the children copied a 6-dot triangular pattern, wesimilarly found diverse responses, which we analysed using the AMPSlevels and then Biggs and Collis’ SOLO taxonomy. The latter approachrevealed that children responded to up to 5 elements in the pattern. This approach allowed us to identify positively the beginning stages of structuralunderstanding when children recognised 1 or 2 elements of the pattern. It also emphasised the challenge that the apparently simple task of copying animage can present to young children.

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Gifford S, Thouless H. Dotty triangles: Two different approaches to analysing young children’s responses to a pattern replication activity. In Golding J, Bretscher N, Crisan C, Geraniou E, Hodgen J, Morgan C, editors, Research Proceedings of the 9th British Congress on Mathematics Education: 3-6 April 2018, University of Warwick, UK. 2018. p. 175-182 Epub 2018 Nov 15.