This qualitative case study aims to address the ways that pre-service mathematics teachers (PSTs) used a rope in a daylong research meeting for cognitive development of children's understanding of counting numbers in Tanzanian elementary schools. Three university mathematics pre-service teachers volunteered participating in this study. Collective…

Young children must develop basic concepts of numeracy--one being that numbers have magnitudes that increase linearly--before they are able to succeed in mathematics. Children from low-income families have been found to be at a greater disadvantage in the development of numeracy, but this disadvantage can be overcome through the use of a simple…

Activities used in a British infant school are described, as well as methods for teaching mathematics to young children. The influence of the Nuffield Project on mathematics instruction is also discussed. (JP)

Describes a method of teaching the order of mathematical operations based upon the psychological theory of conceptual generalization. (MDH)

Discusses convergence between instructional practices suggested by research on achievement motivation and practices promoted in mathematics-instruction reform literature by focusing on fourth- through sixth-grade students (N=624) and their teachers (N=24). Concludes that the instructional practices suggested in the literature of both research…

In dynamical theory, mathematical understanding is considered to be that of a person (or group) of a topic (or problem) in a situation or setting. This paper compares the interactions between the situations and the mathematical understandings of two students by comparing the growth in understanding within a Fibonacci sequence setting in which…

To investigate the efficacy of a training procedure designed to facilitate the attainment of the mathematical concept of number conservation, 43 children from grades 1 and 2 were tested for their ability to conserve. Some of the pupils were found to be nonconservers; some, transitional conservers; and some, conservers. Pupils of the first two…

The author describes a Piaget based curriculum involving three main themes (classification, number measurement/space, and seriation) for young mentally retarded children. Students solve problems by doing something physically and mentally to the data, shuffling the facts about in their minds, so that they will come to a logical solution. Language…

The teacher of mathematics or science must be aware of the concepts, facts, and generalizations of his field, of psychological principles of learning, and of teaching methods. Methods appropriate to the teaching of concepts differ from methods for teaching generalizations. (SD)

The author argues on theoretical grounds that not all "logical" pre-number activities are equally relevant for numeracy, and concludes with a practical suggestion for the kind of activity which does have particular relevance. (MN)

Four-year-old (N=45) children were trained for eight weeks in one of three conditions: (1) logical foundations (classification and seriation); (2) number skills (counting); and (3) control. The experimental treatments were based on the logical foundations model of Piagetian theorists and a skill integration model. (Author/BS)

Eleven research reports in the area of models of learning mathematics are presented in this publication of the Mathematics Education Reports series. The papers represent a mixture of theories, viewpoints, and references to other areas. Content areas addressed range from preschool to college levels. All the papers are concerned with the learning of…

PIAGET HAS PROPOSED THAT THE CONCEPT OF NUMBER IS PREDICATED ON THE CONCEPT OF CONSERVATION OF SUBSTANCE--THAT IS, THE CONCEPT THAT THE AMOUNT OR NUMBER REMAINS THE SAME DESPITE SPATIAL REARRANGEMENTS. BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT EMPHASIS ON REVISION OF MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM AND OF THE APPARENT VALUE OF NUMBER TRAINING TO PRESCHOOL DISADVANTAGED…

Presents activities that have been used successfully in leading students from concrete experiences through pictorial and symbolic representations of important numeration concepts and patterns, including place value, multiples, and rounding. Each activity includes concept or skill fostered, list of materials needed, recommended grade level, and…

The development of the place value system and its universal use demonstrate the elegance and efficiency of mathematics. This paper examines the concept of place value by: (1) presenting the historical development of the concept of place value in the Hindu-Arabic system; (2) considering the evolution of the number zero and its role in place value;…