Teachers play a pivotal role in fostering the need for students to build a conceptual understanding of mathematics, which enables them to explore, create-meaning and problem solve with numbers in a variety of ways. The Mathematical Content Knowledge (MCK) needed to effectively teach key content areas across the curriculum, must be firmly understood in order for students to learn effectively. The key content areas of multiplicative thinking are essential within mathematics, as they underpin many other big ideas and concepts that need to be developed. Gaining a deeper insight into multiplicative thinking, how it should be taught, and what experiences are most effective, enables teachers to strengthen their Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and implement the fundamental areas to their students.
The Big Ideas of Numbers …show more content…
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (ACARA, 2015) highlights the pertinent need for students to make the strong connections between the mathematical areas, to help make sense of and appreciate mathematical learning. Hurst and Hurrell (2014) state that a teachers MCK, should include the awareness of the big ideas of mathematics, and how key concepts within each one can help to shape, strengthen and unravel the mathematics contained within another big idea. Understanding the many connections across the big ideas, enables mathematics to be seen as a unified set of concepts, rather than fragmented rules, strategies and facts (Randall, 2005). This also helps to take the confusion away from the plethora of strategies that are taught within the