Fourth-grade students’ performance on graphical languages in mathematics

Abstract: This study investigated the performance of 217 fourth-grade students (9 or 10 years) on a 36-item test that comprised items from six distinct graphical languages (e.g., maps) that are commonly used to convey mathematical information. The results of the study revealed that: fourth graders have difficulty decoding a variety of graphics; some graphical languages are more difficult for students to access than others; only one of the graphic languages revealed gender differences; and there were positive correlations in performance between all pairings of graphic languages. The implications of this study include the need to support the development of students ’ ability to decode graphics beyond activities usually investigated in mathematics curricula. The importance of representation in teaching, learning and understanding mathematics is widely acknowledged (e.g., Cucuo & Curcio, 2001). However, although our society utilises a vast array of “information graphics ” (e.g., graphs, diagrams, charts, tables, maps) for the management, communication, and analysis of information (Harris, 1996), there has been scant attention to the interrelationship between numeracy and representation (Pugalee, 1999). This relationship involves the ability to decode mathematical information from graphics and encode mathematical information into graphics (Baker, Corbett, & Koedinger, 2001). This paper focuses on primary students ’ ability to decode the embedded mathematical information in graphics. These students need to become “code-breakers ” in order to access the mathematical information in graphics that are employed in tasks, texts, tests, software, and other everyday situations. INFORMATION GRAPHICS Information graphics convey quantitative, ordinal and nominal information through a range of perceptual elements (Mackinlay, 1999). These elements are position, length