250330 VO Schoolmathematics 2 (Elementary Algebra) (2006S)

Elementary Algebra is in addition to calculating with fractions one of the most important fields which are content of mathematics education in arithmetics at secondary level one. The ability of "calculating with characters" is everywhere needed in mathematics indifferent at which level it is done. Simultaneously mathematics loses its "innocence", this means that the step from the concrete to the abstract point of view is done at this time and it will never be retracted. Far from it one of the characteristic features of mathematics gets so included in general education. This lecture will focus this essential step with all its difficulties which appear in mathematics education, in literature this phenomena is known as "pupil's mistakes in algebra". The cognition of term structures (and the consequent acting) is the key ability to successful manipulating algebraic formulas (besides a certain training but this is not a (primarily) specific point of this theme). In addition the use of computer algebra systems in mathematics education must be discussed. So the treated topics will also touch the contents in school mathematics at the secondary level two including leaving examinations. The basis of all our considerations will be always the current Austrian curriculum in mathematics, of course.