Ms Wendy Huang and Professor Looi Chee Kit publish a journal article

Ms Wendy Huang, Senior Research Associate at the Office of Education Research and Emeritus Professor Looi Chee Kit co-published a journal article titled “A clash of epistemic tools: computer programming and paper-and-pencil in secondary school mathematics problem solving” in the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education.

The paper utilises a qualitative case study which compares how secondary level students appropriated computer programming (as a means of using CT) and paper-and-pencil instruments to solve mathematics textbook word problems, via the analysis of three cases. The results showed that each instrument privileged certain ways of thinking that, by extension, de-emphasised others. The finding implied that teachers seeking to introduce computational concepts should be aware of an epistemic clash arising from the long-term use of paper-and-pencil for solving mathematics problems.