Results
The understanding of the equality symbol
All subjects in this study were able to interpret the symbol ‘=’ as the equality symbol. They agreed that the equality symbol is important but some of them were unable to define meaning of the equality symbol clearly. From the clinical interview conducted, fourteen different meaning of the equality symbol were identified.
1. The equality symbol means that both sides of the ‘=’ symbol is the same
In answering question f) 3 + 5 = [] + 5, Kitty pointed to ‘3 + 5’ and ‘[] + 5’ and said that both are the same. However, Kitty didn’t elaborate further when asked what she meant by ‘both are the same’.
2. The equality symbol means that there should be an answer after the ‘=’ sign
Jin said that the equality symbol is an indicator to write the answer down. While explaining the number sentence 2 + 3 = 5 in Task 1, Jin said that the area before the equality symbol is where a mathematical operation is and after the symbol is the answer to 2 + 3. Richard’s response to question ‘2+3 = 5 + 0’ clearly shows the meaning of the equality symbol as a separator and there should be only one answer. He wrote ‘=5’ at the end indicating that there should only be one answer.
Figure 1: Richard’s response to Task (b) 2 + 3 = 5 + 0
3. There cannot be an ‘=’ sign alone
Lily said that the equality symbol cannot be on its own. She drew an X beside the ‘=’ symbol and said that there ‘shouldn’t be equal only’.
Figure 2: Lily’s response to “What is 2 plus 3?”
4. The meaning of the equality symbol depends on the mathematical operation before it
Excerpt 1 illustrates how Richard seems to identify the ‘=’ sign according to the mathematical operation given in a question. R in the excerpt refers to the researcher, while S refers to the subject.
Excerpt 1
R: What does equal sign means? (Researcher points to the number sentence 3 + 2 = 5 on the card)
S: This equal means plus, because there is a plus sign here (Subject points to the number sentence 3 + 2 = 5 on the card)
R: Then, what about the equal sign here (Researcher points to the number sentence 3 - 2 = 1 on the card)
S: Equal means minus (Subject points to the minus sign on the card)
5. The left side of the ‘=’ symbol is the question and the right side of the ‘=’ sign is the answer
Richard turned the question d) 8 = 3 + [] upside down, and read it backward. He said this number sentence should be written as 5 + 3 = 8, and not 8 = 3 + 5. Here Richard had to rearrange the question by rewriting it backwards.
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