Establishing profiles on the use of number sense

Abstract

Number sense includes the ability to use numbers and operations in a flexible and reasonable way. This work presents a case study on the use of number sense by eighth grade students (13-14 years old). We analyse individual interviews of eleven students that include number tasks that can be solved using strategies associated with number sense. By studying the strategies used by the students to answer the questions, we establish four profiles based on their preference for using number sense strategies, rules or algorithms, or on their lack of knowledge of basic number concepts.