This paper describes the learning trajectory for Early Equations and Expressions (EELT), one of the 18 learning trajectories presented at www.TurnOnCCMath.net, developed to interpret the Common Core Standards for Mathematics based on research on student learning. The EELT is foundational for introducing concepts of early algebra and setting the…

This study investigated the recordings of fraction notation, when the number of fractional parts exceeded the whole study, made by 79 Year 4 students from two schools serving quite different communities. Approximately 30% of the Year 4 students changed the name of the denominator when the whole was exceeded by one unit-fraction, for example, the…

Everyday financial dilemmas require us to draw on social, interdisciplinary, and mathematical understandings simultaneously and in synergy if we are to make informed financial decisions. Financial literacy is enjoying an elevated status across the "Australian Curriculum." This paper reviews some of the literature on financial literacy,…

An understanding of conditional probability is essential for students of inferential statistics as it is used in Null Hypothesis Tests. Conditional probability is also used in Bayes' theorem, in the interpretation of medical screening tests and in quality control procedures. This study examines the understanding of conditional probability of…

An operational understanding of the equal sign can hinder learning its relational meaning. After providing examples that illustrate the folly of expecting students who know the operational meaning of the equal sign to intuit the sign's relational meaning, this article provides teachers with strategies that will help them effectively introduce…

We discuss the teachers' disciplinary knowledge of mathematics in this article, arguing two main points as we report on a 2-year study involving 22 practicing teachers. First we argue that teachers' knowledge of mathematics might be productively construed as a complex evolving form, a significant dimension of which is tacit knowledge. Second,…

The aim of this study was to propose a didactical situation for the confrontation of the epistemological obstacle of linearity (routine proportionality) and consequently for the enhancement of meta-analogical awareness. Errors caused by students' spontaneous tendency to apply linear functions in various situations are strong, persistent and do not…

The quadratic mean, geometric mean and harmonic mean of two numbers "a" and "b" are obtained as weighted averages by using segments parallel to the bases "a" and "b" of a trapezoid.

St. Olaf College recently added a Mathematical Biology concentration to its curriculum. The core course, Mathematics of Biology, was redesigned to include a wet laboratory. The lab classes required students to collect data and implement the essential modeling techniques of formulation, implementation, validation, and analysis. The four labs…

This "Math Snacks" intervention measured 741 fifth grade students' gains in conceptual understanding of core math concepts after game-based learning activities. Teachers integrated four "Math Snacks" games and related activities into instruction on ratios, coordinate plane, number systems, fractions and decimals. Using a…

Muralidharan and Sundararaman report a randomised controlled trial of a school voucher experiment in Andhra Pradesh, India. The headline findings are that there are no significant academic differences between voucher winners and losers in Telugu, mathematics, English, and science/social studies, although because the private schools appear to use…

Group work permits students to develop a range of critical thinking, analytical and communication skills; effective team work; appreciation and respect for other views, techniques and problem-solving methods, all of which promote active learning and enhance student learning. This paper presents an evaluation of employing the didactic and…

The purpose of this study was to examine and elaborate upon elementary prospective teachers' (PSTs) conceptions of partitive division with fractions. We examined the degree to which PSTs' conceptions were connected (i.e., capable of translating between representations correctly; aware that partitive division generates a unit rate for its quotient)…

"The Language of Mathematics in Science" is an ASE/Nuffield project aimed at supporting teachers of 11-16 science in the use of mathematical ideas in the science curriculum. Two publications have been produced. This article focuses on the first of these, "The Language of Mathematics in Science: A Guide for Teachers of 11-16…

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), many teachers are changing their classroom structure from teacher-directed to student-centered. When the author began designing and using problem-based tasks she saw a drastic improvement in student engagement and problem-solving skills. The author describes the Cake…