This literature review covers 42 years and has two main objectives: to identify the obstacles to learning the polar coordinate system and to explore the teaching proposals suggested to overcome them. These questions are answered by locating and analysing articles related to the topic published in research and practitioner journals specialising in…

The rapid development in the world of technology and communication has contributed directly to the teaching and learning process in schools. Therefore, a paradigm shift towards learning methods in the education system needs to be implemented to meet the educational aims of the 21st century. This is due to the current methods of delivery in…

The discrete Fourier series is a valuable tool developed and used by mathematicians and engineers alike. One of the most prominent applications is signal processing. Usually, it is important that the signals be transmitted fast, for example, when transmitting images over large distances such as between the moon and the earth or when generating…

Two decades ago, in an award-winning paper, Dan Kennedy (1995) likened learning mathematics to climbing a tree, for which there was only one way to climb: up a large and solid trunk. In the limited time that is available, many students give up the climb, impede others, fall off the trunk, or fail to climb the tree sufficiently well. In the case of…

The aim of the presented case study is to investigate how coherent analytical instruments may guide the a priori and a posteriori analyses of a didactical situation. In the a priori analysis we draw on the notion of affordances, as artefact-mediated opportunities for action, to construct hypothetical trajectories of goal-oriented actions that have…

In 1999, Richard Lee Colvin published an article in "The School Administrator" titled "Math Wars: Tradition vs. Real-World Applications" that described the pendulum swing of mathematics education reform. On one side are those who advocate for computational fluency, with a step-by-step emphasis on numbers and skills and the…

By selecting certain special triangles, students can learn about the laws of sines and cosines without wrestling with long decimal representations or irrational numbers. Since the law of cosines requires only one of the three angles of a triangle, there are many examples of triangles with integral sides and a cosine that can be represented exactly…

This paper was prepared in response to the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences recommendations for the preparation of secondary teachers. It shows how using trigonometry as a conceptual tool in spreadsheet-based applications enables one to develop mathematical understanding in the context of constructing geometric representations of unit…

An examination problem and solution gives rise to the question of whether there actually exists a theorem concerning the minimal period of the sum of certain periodic functions. The author discusses such a theorem and uses the situation to support mathematical education as opposed to the teaching of mathematics. (MN)

The author argues that sine, secant, and tangent should be taught as the three basic trigonometric functions rather than sine, cosine, and tangent. (SD)

The most important objective when starting a class on a previously unknown branch of mathematics is to ensure that the students enjoy and appreciate the significance of this new aspect of mathematics. Inundating them with a flood of technical terms and definitions without any reality experience is a fast way to send the students out of class…

We examine the behavior of the curvature function associated with most common families of functions and curves, with the focus on establishing where maximum curvature occurs. Many examples are included for student illustrations. (Contains 18 figures.)

Because of the extensiveness of the course outline for Math 301 (Manitoba Department of Education), schools would have had to purchase several different textbooks to cover the material adequately. Therefore, a set of materials to supplement the guide was developed. The exercises, projects, and reviews contained in this package are keyed to the 301…