Methods of Explicitly Teaching Generalization in the Mathematics Classroom and Indicators of Success: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Arguably, the ability to generalize is an essential characteristic of students who succeed in mathematics and computer science. Teachers should be aware of its presence in their classroom and have tools to encourage its existence. Thus, it is important to examine the successful ways that generalization is taught. This systematic review examined and synthesized literature regarding teaching generalization and looked for indicators of success when teaching it. The findings showed that the most common way generalization is taught is through patterning tasks, primarily in K-6. Successful generalization was most frequently assessed by “caught not taught” methods. The primary indicator of success was an algebraic expression which, unfortunately, does not guarantee that generalization has occurred in the mind of the student. In summary, very few methods of teaching generalization have actually been journaled, and there is a dearth of methods to evaluate or assess if generalization has occurred.