Featured Speaker: Sayonita Ghosh, Sacramento State University

The concept of area is one of the foundational tools widely used in the mathematics curriculum that supports mathematical thinking in elementary schools, such as the four basic operations, to algebraic and calculus concepts in later grades. Despite its importance in the K–16 curriculum, studies over the last four decades have shown that students of all ages struggle with the concept of area. To investigate, we examined 18 prospective teachers' written work on three area measurement tasks involving non-square and square units. In this presentation, we will discuss different ways prospective teachers use area-units in area measurement tasks, their challenges in relating area measurement with area-units, and the implications of this work in teacher preparation courses.