Quantifying Solid Findings in Mathematics Education: Loss of Meaning for Algebraic Symbols

We report an example of a research approach aimed at gathering quantitative pieces of evidence of solid findings in mathematics education. The main goal of this project is to provide an additional perspective on solid findings in education, to be used by teachers and by researchers in their work. As a case study, we present a situation of “loss of meaning” in algebra, exploring it with data coming from a large-scale assessment interpreted by means of theoretical lenses. We are able to give information about the extent of the phenomenon and to highlight how the phenomenon is relevant also for high-level students. This approach can provide a link between large-scale assessment results, educational research, and teachers’ practices, and suggests further research issues. Introduction and Overview Overview of the problem Mathematics education has its solid findings. As defined by European Mathematical Society (EMS, 2011), solid findings are findings that: • result from trustworthy, disciplined inquiry, thus being sound and convincing in shedding light on the question(s) they set out to answer. • are generally recognised as important contributions that have significantly influenced and/or may significantly influence the research field. • can be applied to circumstances and/or domains beyond those involved in this particular