Elementary students’ functional thinking: From recursive to correspondence

Abstract

This study aims to identify elementary students’ functional thinking processes in solving pattern problems. Previous studies showed that elementary students' functional thinking still often experience errors in solving pattern problems. The study of the functional thinking process in solving pattern problems is a fundamental key as a solution to find out the strengths and weaknesses of elementary school students, so that they are better prepared in generalizing relationships, representing and analyzing function behavior in advanced algebra classes. This study used a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study method. Participants of study was sixty-five elementary students who had not yet received generalization patterns material. The instruments were tasks and interview guidelines. Based on the task results, students who had correct answers were chosen using purposive sampling to be given an in-depth interview. The finding indicated that elementary students are able to think functionally in different ways. Students’ functional thinking begins with recursive thinking in the pre-finding formula in the entry stage. Students find the formula by corresponding thinking in the attack stage. Finally, students use the formula to get inverse in the review stage.