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Supporting Mathematical Practices with Coding

Kara Styron
EDLD 5315
Lamar University
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Introduction

Technology in the classroom has transformed and upgraded over the years.  Where

overhead projectors once dwelled, now smartboards hang.  Computer labs are becoming obsolete

with the one-to-one initiative programs in schools.  Even a class lecture for first graders, which is

usually held at the front of the room on a colorful, round rug, can now be held over a Zoom

conference call to the students' homes. It can be difficult to find ways to incorporate technology

in the elementary school classroom, and it might even be out of your comfort zone. Oftentimes,

educators are presenting the curriculum in the same way it has always been presented, simply on

the smartboard rather than the overhead projector.  

This review will analyze literature to support the use of coding in the elementary

classroom and its impact on student’s mathematical achievement. There were multiple articles

regarding coding in the classroom that could be found, however most articles reviewed were

specifically in regard to the elementary classroom, which is what the focus will be on.

Technology can “[change] the ways we experience learning and teaching” (Wali &

Popal, 2020). While simply having coding skills at a young age is found to be beneficial for

students, students in turn also gain rich, problem-solving skill and mathematical thinking that are

favorable for 21st century learners.  This literature review will explore the ways that is

being done through the use of coding in the elementary school classroom.

Literature Review

Coding

Coding is defined as the process or activity of writing computer programs.  It is how

people communicate with computers, or machines.  Coding is writing a set of instructions that
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the computer understands so it will perform the task you want it to. In order to effectively

incorporate coding lessons in the classroom to improve math instruction and student’s

mathematical thinking, it is important to review the trends in the literature. What is coding

impact on math? Are students interested and engaged in coding? How can coding enhance math

instruction? These questions will be answered in order to understand the relationship between

coding and math in the classroom.

Math Skills

Often times, students are “trained to do mathematical calculations [rather] than to be

educated for mathematical thinking” (Adjie et al., 2021). Just to name a few, the basic math

skills at the elementary school level include using math strategies to add, subtract, multiply, and

divide, solving two-step problems, and solving problems with angles less than or equal to 180

degrees according to the TEKS. There are math TEKS from Pre-K to 12th grade, and of course

there are many jobs and trades where math skills are favorable.

Challenge. Math can be challenging for students, and there is even something called

mathematical anxiety that effects a lot of students. Math anxiety can start as early as first grade

according to a study by Dr. Eugene Geist. In this study, it also suggests that many early

childhood teachers have a phobia of math, which makes it challenging for them to incorporate in

their lessons. Without the ability to choose the correct mathematical method, students will

struggle to be successful in math.

Teaching math. A teacher’s attitude towards math can affect how their students receive

the information as well as their success. Teachers should create an environment that promotes

mathematical thinking and enhancing their problem-solving skills. Elementary school teachers
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at all levels should “have a deep conceptual understanding of the material… should believe that

mathematical intelligence can grow, [and] have positive beliefs about mathematics that [they]

will pass on to students” (Pair et al., 2019).

Coding Impact

According to Professor Niels Dohn, “the ability to code computer programs is an

important part of literacy in today’s society” (2019).  His research shows that coding promotes

logical thinking.  Many coding scratch program’s goals are to “foster creativity”, and it is said

that these programs have a “positive effect on students’ learning”.  In a similar study, Nigel

Calder states that coding “facilitates thinking in rich, problem-solving environments” (2018) and

“facilitate[s] thinking in other related areas”, not only in mathematical coding.  His study shows

a group of students who were engaged in their learning.  When participating in creating

mathematical games, it further advanced younger students’ understanding of number concepts.

Engaging in coding also fosters “computational thinking skills and higher-order thinking”

(Baroutsis et al., 2019), skills that are advantageous for students to possess.

Benefits. Children are engaged in problem-solving through “exploratory learning”

“conceptual thinking”, and “computational thinking” (Calder, 2018). Coding can be thought of

as a difficult puzzle, and solving that “puzzle” can be satisfying as well as improving the

student’s attitude towards problem-solving. There is a lot of trial and error in coding, and this is

a critical step in mathematics as well. Coding teaches students to keep trying until you find the

solution, and this is the exact thing we teach in math as well. Coding can help translate some of

those skills in ways that students can tackle hands-on.

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Challenges. There is a “lack of knowledge on the meaningful use of technology for their

instruction” (Wali and Popal, 2020) that hinders teachers from using coding to support and teach

math skills. Many teachers are unfamiliar with coding, which can affect the use of coding in

their classroom.

Summary

Educators today are preparing a new generation of students with a new set of needs. While

technology once created fear over job security and the future of our jobs, it is now viewed with a

new, optimistic perspective that technology is bringing “new types of jobs creating new types of

dollars that don’t [even] exist yet” (Cherry, 2020).  Students learning to code in the primary

grades are not only being prepared for their futures, but also gaining mathematical skills that will

positively impact their learning. 

Contributions of this Body of Literature

“The idea of computational thinking, and the need for all [students] to attain these skills,

has become increasingly relevant in today’s educational and workforce landscape”

(Bartholomew et al., 2018) which can be obtained by incorporating coding and robotics. While

many school are making the shift to incorporating technology in mathematic lessons, “many

teachers do not feel prepared, qualified, or capable of teaching advanced skills such as

programming and coding to their students”.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The strengths of incorporating coding in the mathematic curriculum allows the student to

practice math skills and perseverance that will increase their mathematical abilities. The
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challenge occurs when students and teachers are unclear about understanding the activities and

expectations.

Topics for Further Study

Further study is needed to correlate gaining math skills from coding and the increase in

math scores. We can assume that gaining these skills will in turn increase students grades in

math, however there would need to be information. The current study will continue with the

researcher exploring the correlation between students gaining characteristics and increasing

engagement and achievement in math.

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References

Adjie, N., Putri, S., & Dewi, F. (n.d.). Improvement of Basic Math Skills

Through Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) in Early Childhood ...

Jurnal Obsesi. Retrieved November 2022, from

https://obsesi.or.id/index.php/obsesi/article/download/1832/pdf

Baroutsis, A., White, S. L. J., Ferdinands, E., Lambert, E., & Goldsmith, W.

(2019). Computational thinking as a foundation for coding: Developing

student engagement and learning.  Australian Primary Mathematics

Classroom, 24(2), 10–15.

Bartholomew, S. R., Zhang, L., & Weitlauf, J. (2018, August 31). Engineering

design and coding through quadcopters. Technology and Engineering

Teacher. Retrieved November 2022, from https://eric.ed.gov/?

id=EJ1190262

Bauer, A., Mittelstet, T., Thomas, A., & Buchheister, K. (2019). kids code:

preparing elementary teachers to incorporate coding in math and science.

The Elementary STEM Journal, 24(2).

Calder, N. (2018). Using Scratch to facilitate mathematical thinking. Waikato

Journal of Education, 23(2), 43–58. https://doi.org/10.15663/wje.v23i2.615

Cherry, M. A. (2020). Back to the future: A continuity of dialogue on work and

technology at the ILO. International Labour Review, 159(1), 1–23.

https://doi.org/ 10.1111/ilr.12156
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Dohn, N. B. (2019). Students’ interest in Scratch coding in lower secondary

mathematics. British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(1), 71–83.

https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12759

Du, J., & Wimmer, H. (2019). Hour of Code: A Study of Gender Differences in

Computing. Information Systems Education Journal, 17(4), 91–100.

Geist, E. (2015). MATH ANXIETY AND THE “MATH GAP”: HOW ATTITUDES

TOWARD MATHEMATICS DISADVANTAGES STUDENTS AS EARLY AS

PRESCHOOL. Education, 135(3), 328–336. Retrieved November 2022.

Moye, J. J., & Reed, P. A. (2020, October 31). Standards for technological and

engineering literacy: Addressing trends and issues facing technology and

engineering education. Technology and Engineering Teacher. Retrieved

November 2022, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1276877

Özden, C., & Tezer, M. (2018). The Effect of Coding Teaching on Students’

Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Technology and Design Courses.

Sustainability, 10(10), 3822. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103822

Pair, J., Johnson, K., Lee, C. W., & Sawyer, A. G. (2019, November 30).

Enhancing mathematics learning in content courses for K-8 teachers:

Promoting growth mindset, challenging unproductive beliefs, and

addressing mathematics anxiety. Issues in the Undergraduate Mathematics

Preparation of School Teachers. Retrieved November 2022, from

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1237519
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Wali, A. Z., & Popal, A. W. (2020). The emerging issues and impacts of technology

in classroom learning. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in

Learning (IJET), 15(15), 237–245. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i15.14175