In this article, the author explores some examples in which mathematics has given people a better perspective on their lives. Mathematics gives people work purpose, pointing them in new directions, opening new avenues for exploration and understanding. The more they understand, the better they can compute and the more elegant their designs,…

In many elementary calculus textbooks in use today, the definition of a "smooth curve" is slightly ambiguous from the students' perspective. Even when smoothness is defined carefully, there is a shortage of relevant exercises that would serve to elaborate on related subtle points which many students may find confusing. In this article, the authors…

This article details an exploration of Baravelle spirals as visual representations of infinite geometric series, focusing on a variety of strategies used by preservice teachers in discovering patterns and investigating relationships of variables.

We describe the design of a sequence of spreadsheet-based pedagogic tasks for the introduction of algebra in the early years of secondary schooling within the Purposeful Algebraic Activity project. This design combines two relatively novel features to bring a different perspective to research in the use of spreadsheets for the learning and…

This article presents some wonderful books that reinforce math concepts with young children. In "I Spy Two Eyes: Numbers in Art," children see reproductions of the work of famous artists and count elements in the pictures. A list of math books that reinforce math concepts is included.

The theoretical frameworks presented in this Special Issue are appraised with respect to how they might enhance teachers' or researchers' work with "special needs" students learning mathematics. The notion of "special needs" is used in a broad sense, encompassing specific Special Educational Needs as well as students with low attainment. The…

The mathematics students are given a task to understand the fundamentals of liner functions by analyzing the height of the football stadium bleachers, as studying mathematical relationships in real-world contexts can enhance a student's knowledge of mathematics. The study of the stadium seating problem helps students to understand quadratic,…

This study explores the mathematical problem-solving process of trainee teachers in a teachers' training institute. This research adopts a constructivist perspective that views learning mathematics as a process of constructing meaningful representation and knowledge as being constructed by the individual. The research methodology employs the case…

The present study examines the effect of three different structured methods, traditional, independent and problem-solving, of teaching children arithmetic in the beginning of 7th grade in Sweden, age 13 years. The progress made by these students is presented by measures of their arithmetic ability, calculation and quantitative concept, as well as…

The present study aims to explore the use of assessment in mathematics content courses for future elementary school teachers. Analysis of self assessment data on mathematical understanding and peer assessment data on oral mathematical presentation showed that pre-service teachers had a balanced understanding of procedural knowledge and problem…

Assumptions: In mathematics learning, one of the considerations in the graphing calculator (GC) use is to understand students' attitude toward calculators. Rationale: This presentation describes design of an assessment instrument of students' attitude toward graphing calculator. Objectives: A pilot study that assessed the effectiveness of the…

This issue of "Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' role in the professional development of teachers. It contains the following articles: (1) An Excerpt from "Taking the Lead" (Joellen Killion and Cindy Harrison); (2) Be Like a Virus and Connect (Bill Ferriter); (3) No. 1 Resource Has a Human Face (Joellen Killion); (4) With This…

This study used two multiple regression analyses to develop an explanatory model to determine which model might best explain faculty salaries. The central purpose of the study was to determine if using a single market ratio variable was a stronger predictor for faculty salaries than the use of dummy variables representing various disciplines.…

Students who have particular difficulty in mathematics are a growing concern for educators. Graphic organizers have been shown to improve reading comprehension and may be applied to upper level secondary mathematics content. In two systematic replications, one randomly assigned group was taught to solve systems of linear equations through direct…

Two strands of research motivate this study. One is the interest in school students' development of understanding of the concept of average, historically part of the mathematics curriculum and prominent in the statistics curriculum introduced in the early 1990s. The other is the belief of some educators that students learn meaningfully when…