Research on learner's beliefs are summarized in the areas of beliefs about mathematics as a discipline, beliefs about learning mathematics, beliefs about mathematics teaching, and beliefs about self within a social context in which mathematics teaching and learning are occurring. (PK)

Describes Math Clinic, a remedial program to diagnose and remediate elementary school students' mathematical concepts. Provides details about the program's objectives; student recruitment; how to apply to the program; diagnosis and identification of participants' achievement, mathematical difficulties, and attitudes toward mathematics; and…

The study investigated which addition facts children and preservice teachers view as being difficult, whether it is possible to determine facts which are difficult for all children, and whether children and adults agree on which facts are difficult. Results indicated that children and adults disagree about the difficulty of facts. (PK)

Describes a general education course addressing the linguistic and logical aspects of the language of mathematics which is intended to develop students' abilities to read mathematics, express mathematical thoughts clearly, reason logically, and grasp the nature of proof. Students improved their algebraic procedural skills and attitudes toward…

Reports on research designed to systematically examine how the use of personalized word problems as practice examples would affect learning and attitudes. A computer program was used to generate the problems. It was concluded that presenting problems in familiar contexts made materials more interesting and understandable for students. (PK)

Contains a research based discussion of the importance of teacher expectations. Lists 20 suggestions from research that will help facilitate positive and realistic self-concepts in students. (PK)

Reports a study to examine careless errors fifth-grade students (n=58) make while solving mathematical word problems and explores the type of student who frequently makes such errors. Results indicated that frequency of these errors was significantly related to the noncognitive variables of the study. Discusses implications for remediation. (20…

Describes the Math, Science, and Computer Camp for girls ages 8-12. Includes vignettes that illustrate worthwhile mathematical tasks in which girls engage that expand their notion of mathematics. (MKR)

Presents a survey of 78 pre- and in-service elementary teachers in a midwestern region to examine the relationship between mathematics anxiety, perceptual preference, and previous mathematics instructional experiences with workbooks and manipulatives. Results indicate that the variables significant in predicting mathematics anxiety were…

Reported is a study examining the causes of development of mathematics anxiety in upper elementary students. Significant results indicate increased anxiety related to increased time spent on review and lower anxiety associated to small group work. The conjecture that mathematics anxiety is transmitted from teachers to students is not supported.…

Discusses diagnostic information which can be gained from students' writing and presents examples of each, including error patterns, insights into where instruction should begin, failure of students to make connections, difficulties with independent work, clarifying student understanding, and student beliefs and attitudes. (42 references) (MKR)

Questionnaires involving attitudes towards mathematics and achievement in mathematics given to (n=1,082) high school seniors found that the means of each attitudinal variable were not much different among the 3 groups, but that high- achieving students consistently showed a small deviation on each attitudinal variable. Includes mathematics…

Questionnaires given to (n=187) ninth-grade students about their beliefs on mathematics and language arts found that males and females hold different attitudes concerning themselves as learners of mathematics and English and about causal attributions for success and failure in these subjects. (MKR)

Investigated group, grade, and gender differences in attitudes toward mathematics and science of gifted middle grades students (n=256) from three ethnic backgrounds. All groups exhibited positive attitudes. Significant group differences were found in students' perceptions of teachers' attitudes, mathematics anxiety, effectance motivation, and…