This study examined seventh-grade students' emergent and progressive financial literacy in the context of risk and reward while working on two mathematical modelling tasks. The participants were six seventh-grade students identified as 'good at mathematics' by their teachers. The data sources comprised videotaped group discussions, group…

The Building Painted Cubes Task is a groupworthy algebraic task. Students build cubes using linking unit cubes, search for algebraic patterns, and report findings on posters. This task can create spaces for students to see themselves as doers of mathematics.

There is a growing reliance on plastic, even though it is a synthetic material that does not decompose. This article presents a series of six mathematics activities that use plastics as the context to teach environmental education to seventh-grade students. The activities can increase students' awareness of the plastic problem while also serving…

Integer operations are typically introduced in sixth grade, but they are a consistent area of struggle among these students. This struggle also inhibits their understanding of algebraic computations involving positive and negative terms. In this article, the author provides introductory tasks and models for adding and subtracting integers that can…

One of the greatest conceptual difficulties faced by middle level mathematics students is developing a rich understanding of irrational numbers that includes recognizing that irrational numbers are truly real numbers with an exact value and an exact place on the number line. Developing a deep conceptual understanding of irrational numbers is…

In this study, it was aimed to examine the argumentation structures of 5th-grade middle school students, while they were structuring geometric concepts in argumentation-based activities of geometric shapes. To this end, 7 fifth-grade students studying in a public middle school were included in the study. In the study, five geometry tasks involving…

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…

Statistics has been a content domain in the mathematics curriculum for decades. However, statistics is a distinct discipline from mathematics and there are important differences in how one should teach the two disciplines. In this article, the authors consider how these differences can inform an adaptation to the 5 Practices for Orchestrating…

Effective teaching requires enjoyable classroom tasks aimed at promoting students' learning of mathematics meaningfully, and previous research has demonstrated that the use of origami activities in mathematics classrooms can help achieve that goal. In this article, the authors describe their "LOVE MATH" one-straight-cut letter origami…

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…

In this article, the history of the golden ratio is discussed to demonstrate how exploring this ratio would be of value in a secondary mathematics classroom. Following this, a mathematical activity related to the golden ratio that is suitable for students from Year 7 to Year 12 is outlined.

Spirograph® is a classic drawing toy that has intriguing connections with mathematics. Inspired by earlier articles in "Mathematics Teacher" on the classic drawing toy that targeted higher grade levels, the authors adopt and create activities that make Spirograph mathematics accessible to middle-grade learners.

3D geometry is an essential concept in mathematics because it relates to real-world experiences and numerous mathematical topics. However, some students still have difficulty understanding this geometry. Therefore, this study aims to identify and describe students' epistemological obstacles to the dimensions of representation, spatial structure,…

This qualitative case study of four middle school and secondary school mathematics teachers examines how teachers' reflective practice supported their selection of strategies that align with the needs of current mathematics education according to the 10 dimensions of mathematics education. The findings suggest that teachers' reflection practice,…

Using their experience of working with the students as an example, the authors of this article aim to illustrate five student actions to which teachers can attend when implementing a social justice-oriented mathematical task. The example described is based on the work of 24 African American students in grades 6-8 who attended the authors'…