The focus on quantitative literacy has been increasingly outside the realm of mathematics. The social sciences are well suited to including quantitative elements throughout the curriculum but doing so can mean challenges in preparation and presentation of material for instructors and increased anxiety for students. This paper describes tools and…

An important social concern in mathematics education is that the educational attainment of pupils may be influenced by teachers' competence in the curricular area they are teaching. This paper provides some insight into the relationship between student primary teachers' mathematics subject knowledge and their reported confidence to teach that…

Numerous high school students, including many who are enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) courses, do not have the math skills necessary for today's high-skill workplace or college entrance requirements. This study tests a model for enhancing mathematics instruction in five high school CTE programs (agriculture, auto technology,…

The authors describe a hands-on program that they developed after their attendance at the NCTM Algebra Academy. The article explains how to use literature to capture youngsters' attention and engage them in interactive mathematical activities.

The abstract nature of mathematics requires the communication of mathematical ideas through multiple representations, such as words, symbols, pictures, objects, or actions. Building representational fluency involves using mathematical representations flexibly and being able to interpret and translate among these different models and mathematical…

In this article we discuss an approach to the critical problem of student retention and the high school-college transition. The context of the discussion is centered on science and engineering students for whom calculus in the first year in college is an essential requirement for on-time graduation. This transition/retention problem has become…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) struggle in the area of academics as well as behavior, and these academic difficulties manifest a great deal in mathematics. The number of children with EBD served in general education settings is increasing, and mathematics curriculum is expanding to include additional content areas and more…

This article presents findings from a pilot study that examined the effect of a school counselor-led intervention, using the "Skill-Builders" curriculum, on middle-school students' attitudes toward mathematics learning. Results from the current study demonstrated that students who received the Skill-Builders curriculum had significantly…

Most college algebra courses are offered in the spirit of preparing the students to move on toward calculus. In reality, only a vanishingly small fraction of the million students a year who take these courses ever get to calculus. This article builds a strong case for the need to change the focus in college algebra to one that better meets the…

Research indicates that a socioeconomic status-related gap in mathematical knowledge appears early and widens during early childhood. Young children from economically disadvantaged families receive less support for mathematical development both at home and in preschool. Consequently, children from different socioeconomic backgrounds enter…

In this commentary, the authors debate a number of issues associated with literacy and numeracy and with developing a "social" perspective on numeracy, particularly in relation to four points arising from Barwell's intervention: (1) the use of terms mathematics and numeracy; (2) the notion of text as it is applied to these domains; (3)…

A recent classroom revelation caused us to reconsider the adequacy of the instructions offered in our textbooks for one of our most elementary quantitative methods. Specifically, we found that many students were mystified concerning how to pick an initial objective function value when plotting an isoprofit line in order to graphically solve a…

Regardless of career choice, all students will need to be mathematically powerful to fully participate in daily living. How parents can ensure that schools adequately prepare children for the future is discussed. The need for parents to encourage success in mathematics is emphasized. (MT)

This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of the technologically literate generalist. Results indicated that the technologically literate individual has a broad understanding of technology in reference to its many and varied impacts on consumerism, politics, culture, values, work, and basic societal institutions. (CT)

Explains how adult basic education was funded to help the disadvantaged in four areas: achievement, employability, citizenship, and personal well-being. Recommends a combination of instruction in basic communication and computation skills supplemented by career development. (JOW)