Suggests that the instructional methods used with the subjects in the study by E. Fennema and others may have allowed teachers' gender stereotypes to be activated more than traditional instructional methods do, resulting in differences in primary-grade students' problem-solving strategies. (SLD)

College mathematics and computer science students in two math courses (conventional lecture-based, and a multimedia variant of the Personalized System of Instruction) completed the Approaches to Studying Inventory. Students in the latter course obtained higher scores on meaning orientation. The effect was significant in computer-science students,…

A meta-analysis compared the academic achievement of students (grades 6-12) who received traditional instruction or traditional instruction supplemented with computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in science, reading, music, special education, social studies, math, vocational education, and English. The study determined that students receiving…

This case study profiled an experienced teacher as she used two problems from a problem-oriented unit developed in a middle school mathematics curriculum project. The curriculum offered the students opportunities to make substantive mathematical connections, but teacher goals may have prevented some connections from being made. (SLD)

Describes how the author, a third-grade teacher, deals with the challenges of teaching within a school-based reform package. Describes how she finds ways of satisfying the required number of minutes of reading, math, and science instruction without sacrificing what she knows about what works for her students and their learning. Discusses pros and…

In a collaborative project, two mathematics education professors, a third-grade teacher, and her students collected information from the students as they thought through how to ask, collect, and then answer their own data-driven questions. Findings indicated the students exhibited a growing understanding, sophistication, and comfort with the use…

Investigates the effects of personalized instruction on achievement and attitudes of Taiwanese elementary students on two-step mathematics and word problems. Students initially completed a survey on which they choice their favorite foods, sports, stores, classmates, and other selections. The most popular items were then used to create personalized…

A small-group mathematical problem-solving tutorial treatment with explicit instruction including transfer to novel problems was evaluated with 40 students. On word problems and transfer word problems, tutoring effected reliably stronger growth, although effects on real-world problem solving, while moderate to large, were not statistically…

Describes mathematics and science instruction in the Czech Republic and results from the performance assessment of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Czech performance on the written test was excellent, but performance assessment results show the low priority given hands-on tasks and performance assessment in the Czech…

Discusses the fairness of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) internationally and considers the results for Australia in more detail, focusing on samples of 516 and 583 students. For Australian students, there is some evidence that the TIMSS performance assessment is less prone to equity problems than the main assessment.…

Explores the difficulties students have in understanding the relationship between surface area and volume. Examines four cases where the ratio of surface area to volume varies, and makes recommendations for demonstrating each with models. (Contains 15 references.) (WRM)

Interviews with five Shoshoni elders during a 1-year study showed that mathematics was integral to daily life and reflective of their culture. Classroom activities are described that integrate traditional Shoshoni mathematical knowledge into mathematics instruction. This knowledge may help Shoshoni students develop a deeper understanding of…

Examines the use and effectiveness of software to help students pass the mathematics portion of the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test. Results indicated that administrative support, teachers' instructional style, teachers' perceived priority of learning about computers and software, computer availability and access, technical assistance, and…

"Options". "Opinions". "Challenges". These are the key words used by a group of gifted 3rd- and 4th-grade students when asked what they want out of math. Although not surprised by the desire for challenges, most of the author's colleagues are intrigued by the students' wishes for options and opinions in math. After…

In this article we describe a mathematical microworld for investigating car motion on a racing course and its use with a group of grade 12 students. The microworld is concerned with the mathematical construction of courses and functions which describe car motion. It is implemented in the computer algebra system, Maple[R], which provides the means…