Observations of one teacher's approach to teaching second grade mathematics reveal a mixture of traditional and innovative techniques. The new teaching policy advocated by the revised California Mathematics Framework is not being implemented. The call for reform in education has increased the teacher's obligation without increasing resources to…

Presented is an activity that explores the relationship between the size of a rectangle and the number of squares intersected by a diagonal. Students incorporate pattern recognition and the concept of the greatest common divisor in solving the problem. A sample worksheet is provided. (MDH)

Described is the Educational Leaders in Mathematics (ELM) Project, a four-stage inservice teacher program designed to stimulate teachers' development of a constructivist view of learning. The impact of the intervention was studied, and results indicated that teachers' beliefs were affected, producing changes in teaching strategies. (MDH)

Associations between performance-oriented and structure-oriented tasks in elementary school mathematics instruction and achievement were studied for 33 third grade classrooms. A mathematics pretest and posttest were administered, and classroom observations were conducted. Results suggest that performance-oriented tasks promote automatization of…

This study examined the benefits to teachers who used impromptu writing prompts in first- and second-year algebra classes. Interpretive research methodology was used to collect and analyze data. Concluded that teachers' assessment of students' understanding was enhanced by reading their students' responses to impromptu writing prompts, thus…

Reports on a study of the influence of problem-solving computer software on the attitudes of secondary school students toward mathematics while using computer-assisted instruction. Student performance on pretests and posttests are compared, gender differences are discussed, and implications for mathematics instruction are suggested. (10…

Proposes and describes four teachers' beliefs necessary in creating constructivist classroom environments. Presents the background, description, and analysis of seven teaching episodes that examine the mathematical understanding actions of pupils in classrooms in which teachers exhibit these beliefs in an effort to verify the necessity of the…

Focuses on the language used in mathematics instruction and the ways in which teachers assist students in constructing the formal language of mathematics. Strategies to help students connect vocabulary with mathematical concepts include using teacher modeling, writing, cooperative learning, and having students define words in their own language.…

Questionnaire responses of 155 student teachers were analyzed to develop meaningful attitude scales and to refine the instrument. Attitude scales identified in the analysis and built into the final form of the questionnaire were (1) anxiety; (2) confidence and enjoyment, (3) desire for recognition; and (4) pressure to conform. Includes a copy of…

Videotaped interviews of 29 Australian students from grades 1-3 were analyzed to assess and compare the processing loads of mathematical representations and strategies used by teachers and children to learn the concept of place value. Results indicated that some representations and strategies impose an unnecessary processing load that can…

Children's (n=70) solution strategies to a variety of multiplication and division word problems were analyzed to determine performance levels and strategies used. Solution strategies were classified at three levels: direct modeling with counting; no direct modeling with counting, additive, or subtractive strategies; and use of known derived facts.…

This 2-year study involved 580 seventh- and eighth-grade students to determine the effects of a long-term professional development plan to integrate the Texas Instruments' Math Explorer calculators into mathematics teaching and learning and students', teachers', and parents' attitudes toward calculator use. Includes recommendations for practice…

Describes four activities to develop visualization skills and the concept of dimensionality in which students (1) visualize transforming figures between the second and third dimensions; (2) identify the three-dimensional objects from their two-dimensional projections; (3) conjecture about the vertices, edges, and faces of zero- to four-dimensional…

The effect of inservice teacher training on student perceptions of classroom environment was investigated. Teachers received training on lesson format, classroom management, and instruction in either September or January. Their students completed the Classroom Environment Scale. Student groups differed in perception of student affiliation but not…

Examines the effects of cooperative and individualistic computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programs on cognitive and affective variables in Israeli grade six mathematics classes. Analyses of the data indicate that students who used CAI for drill and practice in pairs performed better than students who used the same program individually. (30…