Presented is a report on four 45-minute sessions with a group of 17-year-old students in Poland. Sessions were the first of a series organized with aim of exploring the possibilities of elaborating didactical situations that would help students overcome epistemological obstacles related to limits. Students' attitudes pertinent to the development…

The chapters in this book reflect the work of science and mathematics educators who have worked for many years at the international level. As members of the International Consortium for Research in Science and Mathematics Education, their work provides readers with issues, models, practices, and research results that have applicability and…

Field tests were conducted to evaluate theory-based computer-video instructional modules designed to teach or review concepts and operations for factors, prime numbers, and fractions. (MNS)

The process of transition from a novice's state to that of an expert, in the domain of decimals, is described in terms of explicit, intermediate, and transitional rules which are consistent yet erroneous. Data from students in grades 6-9 are included. (MNS)

Reviewed is an integrated approach to teaching place-value concepts. A semi-integrated approach is proposed which may provide a more effective implementation of the technique. (CW)

This report describes an investigation in England of some of the problems children experience with fractions. In particular, the restricted view that some children have of fractions is investigated. The methodology involved a large number of interviews with secondary school children (aged 12-14). The results of these interviews led to the design…

The purpose of this study was to assess children's and adults' quantitative understanding of fractions in a new and potentially definitive way, and to determine whether this understanding was related to fraction computational skill. Thirty-seven seventh graders and 32 adults (college students) participated in the study. A computation task was used…

Children's responses to an alternative model over three lessons were described and their learning assessed in a posttest. Their responses and performances were compared to that of a similar group of children learning through a conventional number line model. The two models were compared from practical and theoretical viewpoints. (Author/CW)

Reports the third grade and seventh grade results of the fourth mathematics assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Summarizes the major results of the performance on number, operations, and word problem items. Some examples of data are given. (PK)

The papers presented in these proceedings are organized into seven categories: (1) number and number operations (13 papers); (2) spatial representation and geometrical understanding (10 papers); (3) developing and/or using models of mathematical learning (15 papers); (4) mathematical concept formation (17 papers); (5) the mathematical learning…

Suggests that secondary school students seem to have reasonably good procedural knowledge in areas of mathematics as rational numbers, probability, measurement, and data organization and interpretation. It appears, however, that students are lacking the conceptual knowledge enabling them to successfully do the assessment items on applications,…

This publication is an abstracted compilation of 15 investigations selected from other journals. The information includes purpose, rationale, research design and procedures, findings, interpretations, abstractor's comments, and references. This journal includes the following reports: (1) "A Constructivist Approach to Numeration in Primary…

This issue of the journal contains abstracts and critiques of ten research reports. They address such topics as: (1) characterizing the Van Hiele levels of development in geometry; (2) children's ideas about commutativity in the early elementary arithmetic program; (3) two children's anticipations, beliefs and motivations about mathematics; (4) a…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports on the status and progress of educational achievement in the United States. Based on its surveys, "The Nation's Report Card" provides comprehensive information about what students in the United States can do in various subject areas. The framework for the 1990 mathematics…

A conference proceedings on mathematics education research contained the following keynote addresses: "Doing and Constructing Mathematics in Screen-Space" (Mason); "Students' Understanding of Geometry: Theoretical Perspectives" (Pegg); "The Australian Research Council and its Role in Supporting Education Research"…