The purpose of this study is to understand how a policy that provided college-prep coursework for low-skill students may affect instructional organization within schools, and how such effects on instructional organization may have unintended consequences on academic outcomes of high-skill students who were not targeted by the policy. The author…

Despite increasing accountability requirements and a national call for transparency in public policy, Mid-Atlantic Region state education agencies indicate that they have little information about what instructional materials districts adopt. This report describes first-year results of an ongoing project to generate and share information on core…

This book examines the five key elements (meaningful use of symbols, mindful manipulation, reasoned solving, connection algebra with geometry, and linking expressions and functions) identified in "Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making" in more detail and elaborates on the associated reasoning habits. This volume is one of a…

This paper presents the results obtained from a study comparing the strategies used by 1,070 Chinese students and 1,002 Singaporean students from primary grade 6 to secondary year 2 in solving three fraction-related problems. It is part of the author's Ph.D. study, which involves more word problems on speed. The Chinese students performed better…

The aim of this study is to identify the effects of formalism in teaching on primary and secondary school mathematics teacher trainees' algebraic and geometric interpretations of the notions of linear dependency/independency. Quantitative research methods are drawn in order to determine differences in success levels between algebraic and geometric…

Many students who struggle with basic mathematics courses benefit from digital instructional technologies, including additional visual and supplemental materials on difficult concepts and skills. Currently, the intelligent tutoring technology feature in the learning management system (LMS) should make it easier for students to deal with material…

In the present study, I examine a modelling strategy as employed by a teacher in the context of an algebra lesson. The actions of this teacher suggest that a modelling approach will have a greater impact on enriching student learning if we do not lose sight of the need to manage associated cognitive loads that could either aid or hinder the…

Today's classrooms pose many challenges for new mathematics teachers joining the teaching force. As they enter the teaching field, they bring a wide range of mathematical experiences that are often focused on calculations and memorization of concepts rather than problem solving and representation of ideas. Such experiences generally minimize what…

Overall scale scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicate that there was only minimal improvement in the mathematics performance of high school students between 1978 and 2004. Using recently released data from the Long-Term Trend (LTT) NAEP, this study describes the content covered on the LTT NAEP and the…

This article presents features of a qualitative research study concerning the teaching and learning of school algebra using a function-based approach in a grade 8 class, of 23 students, in 26 lessons, in a state school of Athens, in the school year 2003-2004. In this article, we are interested in the inequality concept and our aim is to…

This article describes the benefits and drawbacks of using Wolfram|Alpha as the platform for teaching calculus concepts in the lab setting. It is a result of our experiences designing and creating an entirely new set of labs using Wolfram|Alpha. We present the reasoning behind our transition from using a standard computer algebra system (CAS) to…

Superitem test based on the SOLO model (Structure of the Observing Learning Outcome) has become a powerful alternative assessment tool for monitoring the growth of students' cognitive ability in solving mathematics problems. This article focused on developing a superitem test to assess students' algebraic solving ability through interview method.…

This article reviews characteristics of high school students with learning disabilities and presents instructional modifications and study skills to help them succeed in algebra and geometry courses and on high stakes mathematics assessments.

This paper examines various cognitive strategies applied while CAS (Computer Algebra System) are used in undergraduate-level engineering mathematics teaching and learning. We posed some questions in relation to such CAS use: What kind of tools can CAS offer to enhance different cognitive strategies of students? How can the use of CAS widen the…

The aims of the project described in this paper are threefold. Firstly, the authors aim to examine how "GeoGebra", an open-source dynamic mathematics software application, can be used successfully for mathematics teaching in interactive whiteboard (IWB)-equipped teaching environments. Secondly, they intend to uncover how professional…