Register Now! JRME Talks April and May 2026

[Mathematics Education Researchers (MER) community]

Dear colleagues,

Please join us for the remaining JRME Talks for spring 2026. We hope to see you there!

April 13, 2026 @ 12pm EST — Register Here

Alison Olshefke-Clark and colleagues

“Continuous and Ordered-Discrete: A Distinction in How Students Construct Reference Frames"

Abstract: Prior to learning about graphs in mathematics, students are exposed to graphs through everyday experiences and other subjects. These experiences inform meanings students develop about graphs and their underlying structure, including coordinate systems and reference frames. We introduce a distinction in the way a student constructed reference frames related to precision and continuity: continuous and ordered-discrete reference frames. Using data from a teaching experiment, we illustrate how this student constructed continuous and ordered-discrete reference frames in spatial and quantitative situations. We also highlight how the distinction between these reference frames explained her graphing activity. We conclude with potential productivity of each reference frame for students’ mathematical thinking and implications for researchers, teachers, and curriculum developers.

May 11, 2026 @ 12pm EST — Register Here

Samet Okumus & Karen Hollebrands

"Shifts in Forming Solids of Revolution: Characterizing a Student’s Attention Using Paper-and-Pencil Tasks and Manipulatives” 

Abstract: In a task-based interview, we examined how a high school student with high spatial visualization ability, Andrea, generated three-dimensional objects by rotating two-dimensional shapes about an axis using paper and pencil and hands-on manipulatives. Initially, Andrea interpreted rotation as planar motion, without extending into three-dimensional space. With the use of hands-on manipulatives, she gradually shifted toward a more integrated understanding of spatial rotation, relying on metaphorical associations and visual cues to support her recognition of dimensional transitions. Afterward, she coordinated spatial elements (e.g., the line of rotation and radius) more precisely, constructing increasingly coherent representations of solids of revolution. Our study offers insights that inform future research and instructional design focused on supporting students’ understanding of dimensional transformations.

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