This study addresses the need to better describe instructional strategies used by middle grades mathematics teachers. After coding 177 videos of grades 6-8 mathematics instruction for indications of effective instructional practices, we further analyzed 8 of the highly scored videos with specific attention to teachers' implementation of strategies…

In response to the challenge of geometry's abstract and less engaging nature for students, this study explored the potential of connecting geometry to cultural elements, specifically geometric ornaments found in various cultures worldwide. Geometric ornaments, laden with cultural and spiritual significance, serve as a bridge between mathematics…

This study aims to investigate the effect of history-of-mathematics activities on the development of mental computation of middle-grade students and to determine the students' views on the history of mathematics. This study was carried out as an action research project. The participants of the study consisted of 19 seventh-grade students studying…

We investigate the beliefs that influence middle and high school algebra teachers' appraisals of contextual problems having diverse mathematical and pedagogical features. We asked six teachers to analyze six contextual algebra tasks and indicate how they would apportion instructional time among the six tasks based on their structure, pedagogical…

Supporting students' in-the-moment perseverance is a vital objective in mathematics education because it promotes learning with understanding. Yet, little is written about if and how student perseverance can improve over time. I examine the specific ways in which secondary students improved their perseverance as they engaged with challenging…

Teachers' efforts to support students, both academically and socially, can play a role in how high school students productively engage with mathematics in the moment. To examine the connection between teacher support and student engagement, we conducted an exploratory mixed-methods study combining data from 20 high school classroom observations…

This paper examines the learning by students who were participating in a project designed to promote persistence while working on mathematical tasks. We examined their learning of mathematics concepts and learning about the processes of engaging in mathematical tasks. There were substantial increases in students' knowledge of angles and also…

As part of a project exploring various aspects of teachers' choice and use of challenging mathematics tasks, we sought some responses from students on their preferences for the difficulty of tasks on which they might work and also on the ways of working. Despite the common finding that teachers are reluctant to pose challenges to their students…

This naturalistic case study investigates the problem posing patterns that emerge as four small groups of 12 year old students in Western Canada work collectively on a structured mathematics task. A method of data analysis is introduced that blurs the data to create transcript "tapestries" providing visual evidence of collective patterns…

The study described herein is part of a larger, inclusive research study exploring the effects of model-eliciting activities (MEAs) of "real-life" situations on the development of students' mathematical creativity. This part aim at revealing students' cognitive abilities that are involved in the creative modeling processes using a…

Guided by the principles of lesson study as applied to microteaching, this paper discusses the results and conclusions of a series of activities done by some graduate students of De La Salle University, Philippines, in an attempt to test the applicability of the lesson--Sequence and Patterns--to facilitate the transition of seventh graders from…

In this article we examine intuitions as they emerge in groupwork activities. We provide a framework and a methodology to code various aspects of the activity, social and mathematical. Focusing mostly on students' gazes, we explore how affective moves give rise to, and determine, students' interactions and thoughts. We argue that intuition does…

Queensland rural and remote schools have difficulty in attracting experienced, in-field mathematics teachers. Thus, when such teachers arrive, much is expected of them to increase the mathematics knowledge of students. This paper looks at one such teacher who, against the high expectations placed upon him as an in-field teacher, experienced…

Emotions play an important part in learning and are known to influence human development. The positive emotions of enjoyment and interest are thought to contribute to learning in distinctive ways, yet this distinction tends to be blurred in some learning research. This paper explores the role these two emotions play in the development of…

This study aims to reveal the mathematics teachers' views about the 8th grade Mathematics Textbook (MTB) prepared according to the New Primary Education Mathematics Curriculum (NPEMC) which took effect in the 2005-2006 education period for the first time. The study uses a case study method. Convenience sampling was used in order to obtain more…