Exploring the complexity of students’ inconsistent relational understanding of the equal sign

Abstract

Abstract Students’ understanding of the equal sign is a well-researched topic. Recently, some new insights come to emerge. One is the phenomenon of students holding simultaneous operational and relational understanding (SOR). Researcher called for more investigation to this phenomenon as it is crucial to help in supporting students’ transition toward a robust relational understanding. This study utilised Rasch analysis and student interviews to delve deeper into the SOR level, involving 1008 Chinese Grade 1 students. This study provides empirical support for distinguishing SOR as a coherent level within the continuum of students’ understanding of the equal sign. It also reveals SOR students’ nuanced reasoning and contributing factors underlying their inconsistent thinking. Based on these insights, the study offered suggestions for refining the widely used number-sentence-based activities for teaching and learning the equal sign, as well as the assessment items used to examine students’ understanding.