Senior secondary mathematics students could justifiably question the relevance of subject matter they are being required to understand. One response to this is to place the learning experience within a context that clearly demonstrates a non-trivial application of the material, and which thereby provides a definite purpose for the mathematical…

Using symbolic algebra to represent and solve linear equations is one of the expectations within the "Algebra" content standard for the 6-8-grade band in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (2000). Students' understanding of these concepts, even before a formal algebra course,…

This paper offers for discussion and critique a conceptual framework that applies a situative perspective on learning to the study of learning to teach mathematics. From this perspective, such learning occurs in many different situations--mathematics and teacher preparation courses, pre-service field experiences, and schools of employment. By…

Little is known about the provision of statistics teaching for PhD students in UK medical schools. A recent survey found that statistics courses were available to PhD students in 13 of 21 schools responding. The provision across these 13 schools was variable in terms of contact hours and content. At a meeting of 27 medical statistics teachers,…

While other research has begun to contribute to our understanding of how pre-college students reason about variation, little has been published regarding pre-service teachers' statistical conceptions. This paper summarizes a framework useful in examining elementary pre-service teachers' conceptions of variation, and investigates the question of…

Meeting the needs of mathematically talented elementary students has always been a real challenge due to the lack of appropriate curricular resources and training for teachers. Mathematics is not generally a strength area for elementary or gifted/talented teachers; rather, their talents and interests often lie in the language arts realm. This is…

As universities strive to produce the best mathematics teachers possible through both graduate and undergraduate programs, teacher educators must constantly work towards helping teacher candidates create their own conceptual understanding of mathematics. This pilot study examined the effect teaching in a constructivist manner had on teacher…

In this study, researchers evaluated the usability of game environments for teaching and learning about mathematical functions. A 3-Dimensional multi-user computer game called as "Quest Atlantis" has been used, and an educational game about mathematical functions has been developed in parallel to the Quest Atlantis' technical and…

Algebra is no longer just for college-bound students. After a widespread push by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and teachers across the country, algebra is now a required part of most curricula. However, students' standardized test scores are not at the level they should be. NCTM's seventieth yearbook takes a look at the…

"Differentiating Instruction With Menus Grades 3-5" offers teachers everything they need to create a student-centered learning environment based on choice. Addressing the four main subject areas (language arts, math, science, and social studies) and the major concepts taught within these areas, these books provide a number of different types of…

This study examined factors that teachers say determine whether they modify new information about mathematics, mathematics learning, and mathematics teaching to fit their existing conceptions or whether they restructure their existing conceptions. Three female teachers (two sixth grade and one fifth grade) from a rural, public school participated…

The focus in this report is the concept of what it means to "do mathematics" in the context of a group working committee of teachers and researchers committed to reforming mathematics teaching. During a regular meeting of this group of teachers and researchers, the participants explored the mathematical reasoning embedded in one…

The pre-algebra lexicon is a set of classroom exercises designed to teach the technical words and phrases of pre-algebra mathematics, and includes the terms most commonly found in related mathematics courses. The lexicon has three parts, each with its own introduction. The first introduces vocabulary items in three groups forming a learning…

This course guide for calculus offered at the high school level begins with an overview of the course. The overview includes a rationale for including calculus in the high school curriculum, a description and rationale of calculator and computer use in the calculus class, the desired qualifications and characteristics of calculus teachers,…

This document offers instructional materials for a 60-hour course on math operations involving decimals, fractions, proportions, statistics, probability, measurement, geometry, and linear algebra as applied in the workplace. The course was part of a workplace literacy project developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its…