A Thematic Review of Quadratic Equation Studies in The Field of Mathematics Education

Abstract

Quadratic equations are one of the fundamental topics of the secondary school curriculum. Current research in algebra education indicates an upswing in interest in quadratic equations research; however, the general trend of quadratic equation studies is not known. Research, which systematically analyzes quadratic equation studies in the field of mathematics education, will be a guide for the researchers who plan to research this subject matter. Furthermore, displaying the content of quadratic equation studies will be a guide for mathematics teachers in finding the resources to reach alternative teaching methods. This study aimed to review both descriptively and thematically the quadratic equation studies in the field of mathematics education conducted in the period of 2000 to 2021. For this aim, both descriptive and thematic content analysis were used. 42 articles and 9 theses conducted between 2000 and 2021 were examined and analyzed. The findings of this study displayed that although current research in algebra education showed interest in quadratic equation studies, the number of the studies was quite scarce, and the studies still lack sufficient scope. Particularly, more studies should be conducted by considering mathematics teachers’ and pre-service mathematics teachers’ knowledge for teaching quadratic equations from different perspectives. This study will provide a more collective understanding of quadratic equation studies in the field of mathematics education.