A strong foundation in math is crucial for critical thinking, future careers, and navigating our data-driven world. This Spotlight will help readers identify new initiatives to address gaps in students' math skills; catch up on the debate over the best way to teach math; learn how teachers can build on students' curiosity for math; explore how to…

Providing students with the appropriate math support can ensure they develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed. This Spotlight explores effective strategies for providing targeted math support, addressing math anxiety, and promoting student success. From combating math anxiety to leveraging in-school tutoring, these articles offer…

Concept-based teaching is presumably more effective than popular procedure-based instruction in helping students develop conceptual understanding, an important conceptual base for mathematics teaching reforms in many countries. This study examined the extent to which this assumption is true by controlling the influences of student socioeconomic…

Academic scholars face a difficult challenge when attempting to grasp the intricate world of mathematics. The complexity of mathematical concepts often lies hidden beneath layers of formulas and procedures, obscuring their true essence. Traditional educational resources often fall short in conveying the profound meaning behind these concepts,…

Problem solving has been the focus of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice. Helping students acquire critical-thinking and problem-solving skills has become the primary goal of mathematics education across all grade levels. However, research has found that many students struggle with word problems because of poor text…

The flipped classroom (FC) is becoming an increasingly popular teaching method in mathematics education. However, few studies have rigorously evaluated its effectiveness, and less so in countries where students' level of mathematics achievement is low. In this study, we evaluated the impact of an FC intervention in Saudi Arabia, the country with…

The Education Week Spotlight on Improving Math Fluency is a collection of articles hand-picked by editors for their insights on the importance of math fact fluency, the challenges students face with word problems, how teachers can optimize how they introduce math facts and better support students, how early math supports help vulnerable students,…

The aim of the study is to investigate and compare approaches to algebra in the Estonian, Finnish, and Swedish national core curricula (Grades 1-9). Despite the similarities in the school systems of these neighboring countries, the analysis reveals three quite different curricular approaches. The Estonian approach shows influences of the Russian…

Mathematics assessments should allow all students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills as problem solvers. Looking at textbook word problems, the authors share a process for revising them using Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Outlined in detail here are problems for kindergarten, grades 5 and 7, and high school (algebra).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender differences in students' attitude toward mathematics and how attitude impacts achievement in the course. The sample consisted of 172 undergraduate health science students (123 women, 49 men) enrolled in mathematics courses at a University in the Midwestern United States. Data were collected…

Background and Context: Integrating computer science (CS) and math in classrooms is an increasingly recognized way for schools to address national CS mandates. There is a need to understand how professional development (PD) can support teachers to integrate. Objective: We examined math teachers' interest, and confidence, in math, CS, and student…

Few high school students associate mathematics with playfulness. In this paper, we offer a series of lessons focused on the underlying algebraic structures of the Rubik's Cube. The Rubik's Cube offers students an interesting space to enjoy the playful side of mathematics, while appreciating mathematics otherwise lost in routine experiences.

Algebraic Thinking Skills (ATS) are one of the skills that students need to master in order to solve nonroutine problems. These skills are also necessary as a foundation for students preparing to enter university studies and fields of work that require logical and analytical thinking. However, Malaysian students' performance in solving algebraic…

For Freudenthal, the practice of mathematics in the curriculum is not a set of predetermined theories, goals and means. On the contrary, it is always associated with positively understood phenomenological processes in mathematics, as the curriculum is often used in conjunction with the transformation or development of practice. For Freudenthal…

The term engagement appears in teacher effectiveness models as well as state and federal legislation, including the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Schools Act of 1965 (ESEA), known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), enacted in 2015. Legislators and administrators have charged teachers with engaging all students…