Primary school students’ illusion of linearity: Visiting research and practice in Belgian mathematics education

This paper has two main components: educational practice and research. We start with a discussion on the practice of mathematics education in Belgian primary schools. Although our main focus will be the current situation, our perspective will be a historical one. We briefly describe how mathematics education in Belgium, coming from a mechanistic tradition in the fifties and after having participated in a short but intense New Math movement in the seventies, evolved towards a moderate realistic or eclectic approach. In the second part we exemplify mathematics education research in Belgium. A main line of research during the last decade focused on students’ illusion of linearity, i.e. their tendency to use linear methods in non-linear situations. This research will be exemplified with three empirical studies on primary school students’ solving of arithmetic word problems. The main results of that research and its relevance for educational practice will be discussed.no issnstatus: publishe