The Development of Educational Methods Using Manipulative Activities to Promote the Understanding of Positive and Negative Integers<教育科学>

In March 2008 a revision of the Course of Study for Lower Secondary Schools was announced, calling for more mathematical activities to be added to the traditional curriculum. These were designed to promote the fun and pleasure of mathematics though connecting mathematical activities to actual life. Going beyond traditional educational methods, this study discusses materials for teaching positive and negative integers to seventh grade students. It focuses on card games, a mathematical activity connected to actual life, that promote understanding of the principles underlying the manipulation of the signs of positive and negative in arithmetic. The card games are used in a series of practical lessons focusing on mathematical activities.Results of pre- and post-tests suggest that the games aid in discovering mathematical principles and promote fun and pleasure in learning, as well as meaningful understanding through formal comprehension.