Is children's literature only beneficial to children? Or do the benefits of children's literature also extend to the knowledge and mathematical skills of the teachers who employ it and reflect on it? This study seeks to investigate the role of picturebooks on the mathematical knowledge of preschool teacher candidates. For this purpose, in-depth…

This article reports on a study of Kuwaiti college students' knowledge about the concept of functions. It also shows the connections these students make between different representations of functions. The results indicated that most students (96%) were unable to provide a definition of a function and only a third could provide examples of a…

This study diagnoses and explores year eight students' misconceptions and mistakes in algebra. An in-depth exploration of students' misconceptions were carried out by conducting interviews based on the students' work as outlined in a cognitive map. Based on the cognitive maps, it can be seen that the students emphasize procedural knowledge rather…

This action research study examined the effects of professional development on teaching for conceptual understanding in Algebra I. "Conceptual knowledge refers to knowledge of the underlying structure of mathematics-the relationships and interconnections of ideas that explain and give meaning to mathematical procedures" (Eisenhart et…

Prior research highlights a positive effect of incorrect worked examples on mathematics learning. Yet the mechanisms underlying these benefits are unclear. To investigate potential mechanisms of the benefits of various worked example types, we examined process data from a previously published classroom-based experiment. More specifically, we…

This research aims to investigate the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of prospective mathematics teachers on the subject of limits, based on the two components of PCK: the knowledge of student understanding and the knowledge of instructional strategies. The research sample comprises 33 fourth-year prospective Mathematics teachers (known…

Effective and data-driven math instruction can maximize student learning and achievement. This Spotlight will help analyze best practices for developing math word problems; explore how showing students both the correct and incorrect solutions can improve their understanding; investigate math 'fact fluency' and strategies for strengthening it;…

We explore student performance on True-False assessments with statements in the conditional form "If P then Q" in order to better understand how students process conditional logic and to see whether logical misconceptions impede students' ability to demonstrate mathematical knowledge. We administered an online assessment to a population…

The article presents one of the possible ways of overcoming the misconception that is one of the myths about mathematics, which says that teaching mathematics is based only on the transfer of mathematical knowledge in the finished form -- often in the form of certain algorithms. The newly proposed method of access to mathematics teaching is…

To shed light on the value of the area model as a tool to elicit pre-service teachers' (PSTs') understanding of fractions and area, we explored their understanding of the fractional knowledge and geometric measurement knowledge incorporated in the area model by providing PSTs area models in an "atypical" way. We administered a written…

Mathematical modeling has been recognized and highlighted in most standards and reports as an important concept to the teaching and learning of mathematics. The study investigated 208 PK-8 preservice teachers' (PSTs') familiarity and experiences with mathematical modeling. The study adopted a survey-design perspective to collect data from 10…

Some goals of mathematics teacher education include ensuring that pre-service teachers (PSTs) have strong content knowledge, the skill to anticipate and interpret student thinking, the ability to plan how to respond, and the ability to critically select resources for instruction. These goals are especially challenging for the topic of geometric…

Although trigonometry is an important section in secondary school mathematics curricula, many teachers find it challenging to teach as a result of insufficient pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Therefore, the aim of this article was to report on how PCK on trigonometry manifests itself in teachers' practice. This exploratory case study was…

The current study examined the effectiveness of self-explanation prompts, visual signaling cues, and a combination of the two features on middle school students' (N = 202) algebra learning. Also explored were the differential effects of features for students with faulty conceptual knowledge (evidenced by a higher prevalence of making errors during…

The study of mathematics at the university level requires logical thinking and strong mathematical skills. Contemporary first-year students are not prepared for these demands and end up failing their courses. This study aims to present an instrument for enhancing mathematics teaching and promoting learning with understanding in higher education by…