Algebraic Thinking: Exploring Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions And Vertical Alignment In The K-8 Curriculum

The transition from arithmetic in elementary school to algebra in the middle grades often presents challenges to students as they encounter new experiences and content in mathematics classrooms which require them to think algebraically. It is widely agreed that students can benefit from early exposure to algebraic ideas within the context of mathematics already taught at the elementary level and that this exposure will aid them in their understanding of algebra in later grades. The opportunity to develop algebraic thinking skills at the elementary level relies heavily upon the ways in which teachers understand algebraic thinking and how they choose to develop these skills within their classrooms. This paper documents the design of a study which aimed to explore elementary teachers’ perceptions of algebraic thinking in terms of its presence in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades K-5, difficulties encountered during the implementation of the study, and an exploration of the vertical alignment of selected algebra concepts throughout the current North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades K-8.