This study aimed to investigate eighth-grade students' difficulties and misconceptions and their performance of translation between the different representation modes related to the slope of linear functions. The participants were 115 Turkish eighth-grade students in a city in the eastern part of the Black Sea region of Turkey. Data was collected…

This dissertation study describes the nature of the mathematical knowledge required to teach a unit on exponents at the secondary school level, and further explores the adequacy of extant theoretical models for characterizing that knowledge. Researchers agree that teacher content knowledge contributes to teaching quality, which in turn contributes…

Dot enumeration (DE) and number comparison (NC) abilities are considered markers of core number competence. Differences in DE/NC reaction time (RT) signatures are thought to distinguish between typical and atypical number development. Whether a child's DE and NC signatures change or remain stable over time, relative to other developmental…

Teachers are using technological innovations--including interactive whiteboards--in pre-K-grade 3 classrooms across the country. An IWB is a wall-mounted, touch-sensitive flat screen. When connected to a computer (or another electronic device) and a projector, it displays enlarged instructional content (such as a math word problem, pictures or…

When developing online classrooms it is necessary to ensure that all learners will be successful in the course regardless of the topic or discipline that is being discussed. This becomes especially important when the class involves numerical data. This paper outlines the difficulty of delivering online classes such as algebra, accounting, and…

A possible contributing factor to students' difficulty in learning advanced mathematics is the conflict between students' "natural" learning styles and the formal structure of mathematics, which is based on definitions, theorems, and proofs. Students' natural learning styles may be a function of their intuition and language skills. The purpose of…

USM piloted the Math Zone in Spring 2007, a computer-based program in teaching MAT 101 and MAT 099 in order to improve student performance. This research determined the effect of the re-design of MAT 101 on student achievements in comparison to a traditional approach to the same course. Meanwhile, the study investigated possible effects of the…

There are now strong arguments for building closer links between children's understanding of numbers and number operations and the beginning of algebraic (relational) thinking in the primary school years. Rarely, however, do Australian mathematics textbooks give enough guidance for teachers to use good activities in the classroom to promote…

In this paper we consider important factors influencing different curricular approaches to the study of numerically and geometrically defined pattern-type problems in the middle school curriculum. Our analysis involves the consideration of recommendations from national standards documents and their influences on state framework documents…

Algebra students may often demonstrate a certain degree of proficiency when manipulating algebraic expressions and verbalizing their behaviors. Do these abilities imply conceptual understanding? What is a reliable indicator that would provide educators with a relatively trustworthy and consistent measure to identify whether students learn…

Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) are equipped with rich facilities to show graphics, so the use of CAS to show 3D-graphics on screen is a popular tool for mathematics education. However, showing 3D-graphics in mass printed materials is a different story, since the clarity and preciseness of figures tend to be lost. To fill this gap, we developed…

The algebraic expertise that mathematics education is aiming for includes both procedural skills and conceptual understanding. To capture the latter, notions such as symbol sense, gestalt view and visual salience have been developed. We wonder if digital activities can be designed that not only require procedural algebraic skills, but also invite…

In a 1981 diagnostic test, the Ministry of Education in Singapore found its country facing a challenge: Only 46 percent of students in grades 2-4 could solve word problems that were presented without such key words as "altogether" or "left." Yet today, according to results from the Trends in International Mathematics and…

In response to research documenting the mathematical deficiencies of pre-service elementary teachers, many teacher preparation programs are requiring mathematical content courses specifically focusing on the mathematics taught at the elementary level. This study considers what impact two such courses (one course focusing on Arithmetic, and the…

In a previous issue of "The Physics Teacher", John Hubisz explained how a mathematics background check has been used at three different colleges to determine the appropriate physics sequence for incoming students. Based on their performance, students are placed into either calculus-based physics (CBP), algebra-trig physics (ATP), or a year of…