In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on algebraic reasoning in primary school classrooms. This includes introducing students to the mathematical practices of making conjectures, justifying and generalising. Drawing on findings from a classroom-based study, this paper explores one teacher's journey in shifting her task design and…

A fundamental issue facing mathematics educators is developing rich, deep mathematical understanding in teacher candidates. Research suggests teachers need more than just a basic knowledge of the math they teach. They need mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT): the ability to unpack mathematical ideas, to interpret student errors, and to…

In this article, the author provides insight into the pedagogical processes for delegating mathematical authority to students, through the use of specific classroom structures, as a means to strive toward equity. Employing qualitative methods, the author analyzes transcripts of classroom video, along with field notes and teacher and student…

Solving mathematics story problems requires text comprehension skills. However, previous studies have found few connections between traditional measures of text readability and performance on story problems. We hypothesized that recently developed measures of readability and topic incidence measured by text-mining tools may illuminate associations…

Since the 1990s, computer algebra systems (CAS) have been available in Australia as hand-held devices designed for students with the expectation that they will be used in the mathematics classroom. The data discussed in this paper was collected as part of a pilot study that investigated first year university mathematics and statistics students'…

The goal of this study was to determine the mathematics achievement level in basic numeracy and algebra concepts of students in a two-year program in a technical vocational school of higher education and determine the errors that they make in these topics. The researcher developed a diagnostic mathematics achievement test related to numeracy and…

Jordanian 8th grade students revealed low achievement in mathematics through four periods (1999, 2003, 2007 & 2011) of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This study aimed to determine whether spatial visualization mediates the affect of Mathematics Learning Strategies (MLS) factors namely mathematics attitude,…

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in science dual enrollment courses influenced African American high school students' post-secondary aspirations that will lead to college attendance. The investigation examined the relationship between African American students' learning experiences and how their self-efficacy and outcome…

If students are going to develop reasoning and thinking skills, use their mathematical knowledge, and recognize the relevance of mathematics in their lives, they need to experience mathematics in meaningful ways. Only then will their mathematical skills be transferrable to all other parts of their lives. To promote such flexible mathematical…

This study examines the research on middle school students' understanding of variables and explores preservice elementary and middle school teachers' knowledge of variables. According to research studies, middle school students have limited understanding of variables. Many studies have examined the performance of middle school students and offered…

Mathematics is a particular stumbling block for community college students in developmental course work. The present study empirically investigated student-level and teacher-level factors that influence the success of community college students enrolled in developmental mathematics courses. Specifically, numerous variables in one statistical model…

Algebra I has long served as a gateway to higher-level math courses and science courses, such as physics, and has been required for high schoolgraduation as well as admission to most colleges. But taking algebra also can turn into a pathway for failure, from which some students never recover. In 2010, a national U.S. Department of Education study…

Faced with a chronic shortage of single-subject mathematics teachers and a directive from the federal legislation "No Child Left Behind" that all students are taught by highly qualified teachers, California instituted a new subject-matter competency exam, the California Subject Exam for Teachers for Mathematics (CSET), and created a new…

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) call for an in depth, integrated look at elementary school mathematical concepts. Some topics have been realigned to support an integration of topics leading to conceptual understanding. For example, the third-grade standards call for relating the concept of area (geometry) to multiplication…

When using time series accountability data to evaluate system-wide education policies, concurrent changes often pose threats to internal validity. The standard difference-in-differences (DID) method resorts to a non-equivalent comparison group whose average outcome change is due to such confounding. This strategy relies on the strong assumption…