International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME)

Proceedings of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education · Volume 1

A Mathematics Teacher’s Functional Approaches and Levels of Decentering While Introducing Quadratic Functions

Mervenur Belin, Işıl İşler-Baykal, Gülseren Karagöz Akar

Boğaziçi University

49th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, PME 2026Helsinki27 July 2026 - 1 August 2026pp. 163–170ISSN 2790-36482026Scopus conference code 336559
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Abstract

As part of an intensive year-long multi-case study, in this paper, we investigated a mathematics teacher’s functional approaches and levels of decentering while teaching quadratic functions. We specifically report from the data of three hours of teaching on the introduction to quadratic functions. Results showed that the teacher used correspondence and covariation approaches at four levels of decentering. Importantly, at decentering levels 2 and 3, the covariation approach was the dominant approach in the discourse. In this regard, a relationship was observed between the teacher’s emphasis on functional approaches and the quality of interaction with students. Importantly, this study provided empirical evidence that covariational reasoning is a significant component of teachers’ quality of teaching quadratic functions.

Keywords

Functional approachesquadratic functionsdecentering

Recommended citation

Belin, M., İşler-Baykal, I., & Karagöz Akar, G. (2026). A Mathematics Teacher’s Functional Approaches and Levels of Decentering While Introducing Quadratic Functions. In Krzywacki H., Hähkiöniemi M., Haataja E., Hannula M.S., Hästö P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Volume 1 (pp. 163–170). Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME). ISSN 2790-3648.

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