The project's focus was to learn more about the ways to best assess and support the development of numeracy in the early grades. Project goals include involving teachers and researchers in: (1) the creation and use of performance-based tasks most appropriate for assessing numeracy in young learners; (2) the development and refinement of…

The status of mathematics education in schools in Samoa is a major concern to post-secondary mathematics educators. Incoming students from secondary schools are not adequately prepared for advanced studies in mathematics for lack of a solid understanding of basic mathematics principles which is essential for further studies in calculus and linear…

This study examined classes at a university within each of four disciplines that differed in the degree to which they emphasized mathematical/quantitative skills. The disciplines were: (1) Social/Behavioral Sciences; (2) Business; (3) Physical Sciences; and (4) Applied Mathematics. A number of distinctive characteristics were found for each…

Word problems can be especially difficult for elementary students. This resource provides busy teachers with a new problem for every day of the school year. Period quizzes assess how well the students are mastering the problems. Tips for working the problems are provided to the students. This is ideal for improving math skills while giving…

A Year 3 angles unit using the Teaching for Abstraction paradigm was developed on the basis of earlier empirical research and trailed by 12 New South Wales (NSW) teachers. Analysis of data submitted by the teachers showed that the unit was generally successful but a number of minor areas for improvement were identified. An analysis of independent…

To set goals and make informed choices, students need an array of thinking and problem-solving skills. Fundamental to this is an understanding of mathematical techniques and processes that will enable them to apply the basic skills necessary to address everyday mathematical situations, as well as acquire higher order skills in logical analysis and…

This study compared the ability of college students with deafness and typical college students to transfer and apply their math computation and problem-solving skills to similar problems presented under different conditions. Thirty-seven students with deafness and 12 hearing students were given 30 math problems to solve that were presented under…

For the safety of the public, it is essential that nurses are competent at least in the mathematics that enables them to calculate medications accurately. From a survey by G. Hek (1994), it is apparent that mathematics is not universally included in the nursing curricula, nor asked for as a pre-requisite to entry. Changes in the profile of the…

This Middle School Course of Study document is designed to be user friendly. Units can be used sequentially and each unit may need a different amount of time to complete. When using this document, consider the students' prior knowledge and their understanding of the concepts. The Idaho Mathematics Achievement Standards are consistently referenced…

Mathematical practices and knowledge are often in dispute for those race and class identities at the margins of social power. This talk will describe both the ways in which mathematics can be complicit with social domination, and the ways in which it can aid in resistance and reconfiguration. It will end with a presentation of Culturally…

The present study provides evidence that offering performance-contingent rewards promotes children's task accomplishments, percepts of efficacy, and skill development. These findings are consistent with predictions from Bandura's theory of self-efficacy. (Author/PN)

This critique discusses Gagne's position that students should understand how to mathematize a concrete situation and validate a solution but need not understand how a solution is derived. Reconciling his views with those of mathematics educators and raising questions are both included. (MNS)

Gagne's reply to critiques by Wachsmuth and by Steffe and Blake notes that their approaches are from different points of view. He urges that mathematics educators examine critically the view that understanding involves some aspects of the structure of mathematics. (MNS)

Presents results of an exploratory factor analysis of the mathematics self-efficacy scale. Results, based on 522 undergraduates from three different colleges, indicate that the scale is a multidimensional measure of math self-efficacy with reliable subscales. Four first-order factors were identified, suggesting that the scale taps different…

Testing of junior and senior business students on algebra, calculus, and statistics problems revealed they retained little of what was covered in basic quantitative courses. Emphasis on student evaluation of teachers may create incentives for instructors to avoid challenging students in these courses. (SK)