Students and teachers affiliated with Spring 2009 online mathematics courses offered by the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) completed end-of-course surveys detailing the effectiveness of their courses. Several significant differences were noted when comparing results from math participants to results from participants in five other…

Can middle-grades students determine which of two rectangular prisms has a larger volume? Can they do so without using a formula? Geometry, and particularly the concept of volume, is important in many subjects, such as physics and chemistry. Students greatly enhance their mathematics knowledge when they make generalizations and construct arguments…

For many students, geometry is the first course in which mathematical proof takes center stage. To help ease students into writing proofs, the author tries to create lessons and activities throughout the year that challenge students to prove their own conjectures by using tools learned in previous mathematics courses. Teachers cannot get all…

The potential for digital technologies to enhance students' mathematics learning is widely recognised, and use of computers and graphics calculators is now encouraged or required by secondary school mathematics curriculum documents throughout Australia. However, previous research indicates that effective integration of technology into classroom…

To improve student success in mathematics, the use of research-based interventions is necessary to help secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) access the algebra curriculum. The authors provide an overview of the following research-based approaches: explicit instruction, graduated instructional sequence, technology, and graphic…

Graphing bivariate data in a scatter plot and drawing an approximate line of best fit for the data have become commonly recommended activities for middle school and high school students. The graphing calculator has provided a mechanism for students both to approximate a best-fit line and to calculate the best-fit line using a built-in option. Two…

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the errors made by 265 Form 2 male students in simplifying algebraic expressions. Method: A total of 265 Form 2 (Grade 7) male students were selected for this study. 10 high, medium and low ability students in each group were selected for the interviews. 40 items were administered to the respondents to…

Geometry is an area in which Australian students performed particularly poorly on the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). One innovative area of recreational geometry that has rich potential to engage and challenge a wide variety of students is "impossible geometry." An impossible geometric object is a…

In this work, an attempt is made to evaluate the errors that have to do with the interpretation and construction of graphic representations. Although the students are studying in the second year of technical high school (secondary education), i.e. in schools with an emphasis in technical subjects (post junior secondary), it is observed that they…

One of the most difficult topics to teach in geometry is the concept of proof. This article describes ProofBlocks as an innovative approach to helping students develop proficiency in proof. ProofBlocks is an intuitive approach to teaching proof that makes proof accessible to students without sacrificing the rigor of traditional approaches. When…

Activities that enable students to move between two and three dimensions will help them understand solid geometry. This knowledge is critical for teachers, and they need to learn this skill so that they can give their students the opportunity to experience hands-on geometry and benefit from the challenge of creating nets, building models, and…

This paper explores which classroom and teacher factors are associated with post-16 mathematics aspirations, mathematics intrinsic motivation, and mathematics self-concept. Few studies explore all three outcomes among the same set of students or make linkages across the factors that are important to these outcomes. The analysis is based on the…

This study explored how mathematics content and methods courses for preservice elementary and middle school teachers could be improved through the integration of a set of instructional materials based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). A set of eight instructional modules was developed and tested. The study involved 7…

Educational systems throughout the world serve students from diverse populations. Often students from minority populations (i.e. racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic) face unique challenges when learning in contexts based on the cultural traditions and learning theories of the majority population. These challenges often leave minority…

While the Common Core State Standards and state learning standards guide teachers in what mathematical content knowledge should be addressed as well as the processes and proficiencies necessary for developing mathematical competence, several student- and teacher-related factors may hinder student access to the general education curriculum for…