We report on the development of students' ideas of probability and probability density in a University of Maine laboratory-based general education physics course called "Intuitive Quantum Physics". Students in the course are generally math phobic with unfavorable expectations about the nature of physics and their ability to do it. We…

This paper is concerned with understanding how a scaffolding process is utilized in the natural setting of a middle-school mathematics class. Wood, Bruner, & Ross (1976) characterize scaffolding as a learning process of a novice which is assisted and dominated by the adult. Rogoff and Gardner (1984) also point out that "to make messages…

This Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) guide is divided into three major parts. The first, the Languages of Strings and Arrows, opens with a suggested lesson order. Major sections cover instructional approaches for: (1) Games with Strings, (2) Necklaces, and (3) The Table Game. A Series of appendices is included. Part 2, Geometry and…

This easy-to-navigate guide offers research-based teaching strategies for introducing prekindergarten and elementary school students to the content and skills recommended by the NCTM principles and standards for mathematics. Using the popular format of the "What Successful Teachers Do" books, the authors present 47 dynamic learning activities,…

This paper describes a classroom teaching experiment, concerning the concept of probability, with children aged 5 in a kindergarten school. The teaching experiment was based on constructivist and interactionist theories about the learning of school mathematics and lasted one month. The collection of the information was based on the tape-recorded…

During the last years, development of open learning environments that support effectively their users has been a challenge for the research community of educational technologies. The open interactive nature of these environments results in users experiencing difficulties in coping with the plethora of available functions, especially during their…

This report analyzes the relationship of Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) teacher practices and student performance on AP Biology and AP U.S. History Exams. Using a national survey of AP teachers, the study developed four models for each subject with public school teachers only and both public and nonpublic school teachers, using two standards of…

This book provides applications for use in the secondary school mathematics curriculum by selecting related articles appearing in the "Mathematics Teacher" during the last 15 years. The articles are grouped into chapters that reflect the main secondary school mathematics courses and categorized by the highest level of mathematics needed…

Traditional elementary statistics instruction for non-majors has focused on computation. Rarely have students had an opportunity to interact with real data sets or to use questioning to drive data analysis, common activities among professional statisticians. Inclusion of data gathering and analysis into whole class and small group activities…

Presented is an activity in which probability and percents are taught using a basketball computer simulation. Computer programs that replicate the free-throw accuracy of college and professional stars and allow students to compete with those stars are included. (KR)

Described are three activities designed to increase student participation in the classroom. The first uses earthquake reporting to study logarithms. The second discusses student-generated examples to introduce probability. In the third, prepared handouts and study groups are used to promote student interaction and involvement in calculus classes.…

The IMMEX (Interactive Multi-Media Exercises) Web-based problem set platform enables the online delivery of complex, multimedia simulations, the rapid collection of student performance data, and has already been used in several genetic simulations. The next step is the use of these data to understand and improve student learning in a formative…

Ten high-ability middle school students participated in a 13 week enrichment program on inferential statistics. Consistent with the NCTM Standards, classes emphasized problem solving in real world contexts and the communication of mathematical ideas. Students struggled with written assignments, yet worked effectively in pairs, small groups, and…

This Teacher Education and Mathematics (TEAM) content module focuses on probability. It consists of: (1) an instructor's text; (2) an instructor's guide and solutions to student exercises; (3) student materials and exercises; and (4) student summary and review. The instructor's text provides specific directions for guiding lessons and commentary…

This report examines and summarizes the needs in mathematics of the Fresno City school system. The study is one in a series of needs assessment reports for PROJECT DESIGN, an ESEA Title III project administered by the Fresno City Unified School District. Theoretical concepts, rather than computational drill, would be emphasized in the proposed…