From a very young age, shoes for boys tend to be wider than shoes for girls. Is this because boys have wider feet, or because it is assumed that girls are willing to sacrifice comfort for fashion, even in elementary school? To assess the former, a statistician measures kids' feet. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Drawing conclusions from the comparison of datasets using informal statistical inference is a challenging task since the nature and type of reasoning expected is not fully understood. In this paper a secondary teacher's reasoning from the comparison of box plot distributions during the teaching of a Year 11 (15-year-old) class is analyzed. From…

While it has been suggested that patterning activities support early algebra learning, it is widely acknowledged that the shift from perceiving patterns to understanding algebraic functions--and correspondingly, from reporting empirical patterns to providing explanations--is difficult. This paper reports on the collaborations of grade 4 students…

Forty-two studies comparing students with access to graphing calculators during instruction to students who did not have access to graphing calculators during instruction are the subject of this meta-analysis. The results on the achievement and attitude levels of students are presented. The studies evaluated cover middle and high school…

This paper provides an overview of the Inquiry-Oriented Differential Equations (IO-DE) project and reports on the main results of a study that compared students' beliefs, skills, and understandings in IO-DE classes to more conventional approaches. The IO-DE project capitalizes on advances within mathematics and mathematics education, including the…

Math in a Cultural Context (MCC) is based in traditional Yup'ik cultural values and ways of knowing and representing the world, which provide access to math concepts through hands-on exploration and active problem solving. This case illustrates how a novice and outsider teacher successfully implemented MCC in a classroom with predominantly…

This case study examines a sixth-grade teacher and her students in an urban school district in Alaska, engaging in an activity from a module that is part of the Math in a Cultural Context (MCC) series. By analyzing the module, the teacher's practice, classroom discourse, and students' work, the case shows that the teacher and the MCC module…

This materials guide on mathematics instruction for limited-English-speaking students, contains sample instructional materials for teaching mathematical concepts and word problems, and sample lesson guides for lesson development. The emphasis is on adaptation of existing commercial and teacher-developed materials for use with this population. An…

This booklet examines the educational value of jigsaw puzzles and gives practical suggestions on how to select and make them for use by children ages 1 through 8. It asserts that jigsaw puzzles provide children with the opportunity to develop problem-solving strategies, and discusses a theory of adult-child interaction that encourages the…

EQUALS is a teacher education program that helps elementary and secondary educators acquire methods and materials to attract minority and female students to mathematics. It supports a problem-solving approach to mathematics which has students working in groups, uses active assessment methods, and incorporates a broad mathematics curriculum…

This study explores the combined use of concept maps and interpretive essays as a method of assessment in three mathematics courses. The primary objectives were to describe and document: (1) the use of concept maps and written essays to assess the connectedness of students' knowledge; (2) the correlation between students' scores on the concept…

This packet contains four products of a workplace literacy course on numbers and charts for hospital workers. The instructor's manual contains an answer key for the student activities, and a pre- and post-evaluation, along with a syllabus for the 13-week course that provides information on instructional goal, course description, objectives,…

Research conducted by the National Research Center on Student Learning (NRCSL) is reviewed as it moves toward a new understanding of learning and instruction. Research by the NRCSL into the kind of learning demanded by modern life has been shaped by the understanding, based on earlier research, that knowledge is actively constructed in the mind of…

Mathematics is usually seen as a field in which there is value-free. Such a situation causes only a few studies about values teaching to be done in mathematics education. But, mathematics is a field that has various values in it, and that must be considered seriously from this perspective. Values are taught implicitly rather than explicitly in…

This is the narrative report of a project (begun in 1985) undertaken to promote quality mathematics instruction in the nonpublic, religion-oriented elementary schools in New York City. The major goals of the project for the 1988-89 year were to involve nonpublic schools (NPS) teacher representatives in the planning and creation of staff…