Young Students’ Mathematizing Through Visual Programming

Abstract Even though research shows growing interest in programming in mathematics education, a deeper understanding of how programming can serve as a source for developing mathematical concepts is still needed. For this reason, this study aims to provide insights into how young students develop mathematical concepts through programming. Through the lens of mathematizing, a close-up exploration of first-grade students’ visual programming was conducted. The data were generated through a classroom intervention, and the analysis, starting with sensitizing mathematical activities, revealed that students connect a wide range of mathematical concepts into what, for them, are meaningful structures. The students mathematized concepts connected to the spatial room, time in relation to order, and equality, both as countable and in relation to other quantities. The study also highlights that the choice of programming environment conditions the opportunities for mathematizing.