Assessing Elementary Students’ Functional Thinking Skills: the Case of Function Tables

Functional thinking is an appropriate way to introduce algebraic concepts in elementary school. We have developed a framework for assessing and interpreting students’ level of understanding of functional thinking using a construct modeling approach. An assessment was administered to 231 secondthrough sixth-grade students. We then developed a progression of functional thinking knowledge. This investigation elucidates the sequence of acquisition of functional thinking skills. This study also highlights the utility of a construct modeling approach, which was used to create criterion-referenced and ability-leveled assessment. This measure is particularly suited to measuring knowledge change and to evaluating instructional interventions.