Generalization of the Function f(n)=n-1 in Children from a Functional Approach to Algebra
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35763/aiem29.5685Keywords:
Early Childhood, Functional thinking, Generalization, StrategiesAbstract
This work is part of a research project on algebraic thinking in early childhood and primary education students. The research objective of this document is to analyze the relationships between variables, representations, and strategies that preschool students demonstrate when working with a generalization task. We implemented a teaching experiment of 4 to 5 sessions for preschool students. We analyzed the work in one of the sessions, where the number of children invited to a birthday party was related to the number of juices needed, considering that one child does not drink ( ). The session took place in three moments: (a) introduction, (b) individual work, and (c) assembly. In the students’ written productions, pictorial representation predominated, and we identified physical and cognitive strategies. There were children who generalized, noting that “we will not give this child juice because he does not like it” to reflect the “-1” implied in the function.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sandra Fuentes, María C. Cañadas

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Funding data
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Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Grant numbers PID2020-113601GB-I00 -
Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Grant numbers PID2024-157106NB-I00 -
Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo
Grant numbers 72210402


