To provide information to support school district considerations of changes in mathematics and science instruction, three issues were considered: (1) the adequacy of the California Basic Education Data System (CBEDS) for supporting an analysis of subject matter instruction; (2) the distribution of teaching effort and student enrollments among…

Utilizing data compiled from records of 33 students who had completed Algebra I in 1974 and 1976, the study examined the California Algebra Aptitude Test (CAAT) and other possible predictors of success for freshmen students entering Algebra I in a small rural high school. The CAAT and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) were taken by these…

Research on routine problem solving (e.g. the typical "story" problem) was reviewed to facilitate the identification and dissemination of promising practices for teaching routine problem solving, and to provide suggestions and directions for further research in the area. Promising teaching practices which were identified included giving attention…

Instructional techniques are outlined, as utilized in a remedial algebra course offered at the Community College of Allegheny County. The paper first provides background information concerning the college, the characteristics of its students, the content of the remedial course, and the testing procedures used to place students in the course. The…

THE EFFECTS OF TWO POSTULATED COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS ON GROUPS OF RELATIVELY SLOW LEARNERS WERE EXAMINED DURING THE REPORTED RESEARCH. THE TWO COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS WERE--(1) HOMOGENEOUS GROUPING, AS OPPOSED TO HETEROGENEOUS GROUPING AND (2) PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THE PERFORMANCE OF ALL MEMBERS OF A GROUP, AS OPPOSED TO INDIVIDUALIZED FEEDBACK. FOUR…

This document provides items to assess student competencies in the mathematics skills which need to be mastered as a requisite to passing the Test of General Educational Development (GED). The items are tailored to the skills outlined in the taxonomy; two items are given for each of the 74 topics. Two multiple-choice response sheets are included,…

A series of 10 teacher-prepared Learning Activity Packages (LAPs) in advanced algebra and trigonometry, these units cover absolute value, inequalities, exponents, radicals, and complex numbers; functions; higher degree equations and the derivative; the trigonometric functions; graphs and applications of the trigonometric functions; sequences and…

A three unit mathematics course entitled Introduction to Computing evaluated the effectiveness of programing as an aid to learning math concepts and to developing student self-reliance. Sixteen students enrolled in the course at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California; one terminal was available, connected to the Stanford Computation…

This self-study program for high-school level contains lessons on: Algebra, Powers and Roots, Geometry, and Number Series. Each of the lessons concludes with a Mastery Test to be completed by the student. (DB)

Argues that first-year algebra should be taught in eighth grade. Outlines an algebra course that could provide average students with a working kowledge of algebra. Proposes that this would require students to have experiences with variables, equations, formulas, and graphs during previous years of study. (TW)

It is argued that microcomputer technology has evolved to the stage that it should be routinely used by mathematics students at all levels. It is shown how the use of microcomputers can change the way problems are solved. Computer-generated graphics are highlighted. (PK)

Reports on the findings of an examination of 32 linear algebra textbooks. The examination, to determine existing approaches to teaching the topics, was in preparation for developing a linear algebra program for high school students. (PK)

Describes a research methodology known as the teaching experiment and details an example of a teaching experiment aimed at the development of a process-oriented algebra curriculum. Addresses other possible variations of the teaching experiment, emphasizing the cooperation of teachers and researchers. (TW)

How to find and classify positive integral solutions to 1/a + 1/b = 1/c in beginning and advanced algebra classes is described. The computer finds the solutions, but students practice algebraic manipulation as they analyze the solutions for patterns. Extensions to challenge more capable students are included. (MNS)

Included in this section are activities on checking with magic squares, general equations for a reflection in a line, little-known facts about the quadratic function, discovery involving volume, and conic sections. (MNS)