We tested whether mental rotation training improved math performance in 6- to 8-year-olds. Children were pretested on a range of number and math skills. Then one group received a single session of mental rotation training using an object completion task that had previously improved spatial ability in children this age (Ehrlich, Levine, &…

Despite an emphasis on manipulative algebraic techniques in secondary school algebra, many tertiary mathematics students have mastered these skills without conceptual understanding. A significant number of students with high tertiary entrance ranks enrolled in first semester university mathematics were found to have misconceptions relating to…

Accurate interpretations of large-scale assessment results and sound judgments about students' mathematical literacy depend on these assessments' validity and reliability. One important type of evidence towards this validation is the dimensionality analysis, which explores the conformity between the intended factorial structure (related closely to…

Recent psychological studies as well as research findings in mathematics education highlight the significance of early number skills for the child's achievement in mathematics at the end of primary school. In this context, first results from an ongoing four-year longitudinal study are reported. The study investigates the development of early…

This paper describes the mathematical journey of a mature aged nursing student as she struggles to become more academically numerate. Within the paper, academic numeracy is defined around three features: competence, confidence and critical awareness of both the context of mathematics and students' own relationship with mathematics. It then uses…

State-wide and national testing in areas such as literacy and numeracy produces reports containing graphs and tables illustrating school and individual performance. These are intended to inform teachers, principals, and education organisations about student and school outcomes, to guide change and improvement. Given the complexity of the…

This paper makes the case for adult literacy (including numeracy) practitioners to play a greater role in health literacy initiatives in Australia. The paper draws on data from a national research project that investigated adult literacy partnerships and pedagogy viewed from a social capital perspective. The primary purpose of the project was to…

The present study examined the relations between home numeracy experiences (i.e., parent-child numeracy activities and parents' numeracy expectations) and basic calculation skills (i.e., addition and subtraction) of children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and their peers with Normal Language Achievement (NLA), while taking into account…

This paper explores two foundation phase teachers' example spaces (a space in the mind where examples exist) when teaching number-related topics in relation to snapshots of their content knowledge (CK). Data was collected during a pilot primary maths for teaching course that included assessments of teacher content knowledge (CK). An analysis of a…

The development of numerical concepts is described from infancy to preschool age. Infants a few days old exhibit an early sensitivity for numerosities. In the course of development, nonverbal mental models allow for the exact representation of small quantities as well as changes in these quantities. Subitising, as the accurate recognition of small…

Recent research on fractions has broadened and deepened theories of numerical development. Learning about fractions requires children to recognize that many properties of whole numbers are not true of numbers in general and also to recognize that the one property that unites all real numbers is that they possess magnitudes that can be ordered on…

In this article, we present some mathematical tasks designed to support pre-service teachers (PSTs) in obtaining a broader, more connected understanding of decimal numbers and quantities. We describe classroom scenarios from a content course in which PSTs experienced these cognitively demanding decimal tasks, enacted in ways that maintain high…

This paper addresses data arising from initial discussion with school principals concerning the implementation of a doctoral project at their schools. The doctoral project involved the prep teacher working with the preschool teacher to support children's numeracy practices as they made the transition to school. The findings presented in this paper…

This paper explores how beliefs about mathematics may influence low-achieving adults' re-engagement with mathematics in the tertiary sector. Adult learners who have problematic mathematical histories often hold negative beliefs about the nature of mathematics and how it is learned. In New Zealand these adults are often required to re-engage in…

This paper examines socio-economic factors influencing parental involvement in homework at the Foundation Phase in eight Johannesburg public primary schools. The research was conducted among over 600 parents from schools in different geographical and socio-economic areas such as the inner city, suburban and township. Two primary schools were…