Second language students’ mathematics education history and their knowledge in linear expressions

The present study investigated how 259 grade 9 students solved two test items in algebra involving linear expressions. Some students were early and newly immigrated second language students in Sweden, The findings are based on a categorization of the students’ written responses. The results show that for the more advanced test item on linear expressions and unknowns, early arrived second language students achieved worse than newly arrived and other second language students with statistical significance, while there was a minor achievement difference when solving an elementary linear equation. This study suggests further research viewing newly and early arrived immigrants as possibly separate sub-categories of second language students and acknowledging especially newly arrived students’ mathematics educational history.