Generalization across Domains: The Relating-Forming-Extending Generalization Framework

Generalization is a critical aspect of doing mathematics, with policy makers recommending that it be a central component of mathematics instruction at all levels. This recommendation poses serious challenges, however, given researchers consistently identifying students' difficulties in creating and expressing normative mathematical generalizations. We address these challenges by introducing a comprehensive framework characterizing students' generalizing, the Relating-Forming-Extending framework. Based on individual interviews with 90 students, we identify three major forms of generalizing and address relationships between forms of abstraction and forms of generalization. This paper presents the generalization framework and discusses the ways in which different forms of generalizing can play out in activity. [For complete proceedings, see ED581294.