An Aspect of Generalization Act from an Actor-Oriented Transfer Perspective

Abstract

Generalization is one of the most important algebraic actions. The development of students’ generalization skills is an important goal of mathematics curricula. Being aware of what happens in students’ minds during a generalization action is thought to increase teaching quality. The actor-oriented transfer perspective explains how students relate new knowledge with existing knowledge. Researchers focus on what happens in students’ minds during this process. Based on psychological models of knowledge and mental act of generalization process, a cognitive model on generalization from actor oriented transfer is provided in this study. According to the model, students relate similar situations and search whether the pattern is constant, then extend the rule beyond the given situation. These stages constitute the ways of thinking of the generalization act. The products obtained as a result of these processes are the ways of understanding of the generalization act. This paper investigates several approaches to students’ generalization processes and the relationship of the actor-oriented transfer with these approaches.