Examined relationships between kindergarten children's acquisition of metacognitive knowledge related to mathematics, subjects' general ability, and the role of metacognition and ability in facilitating word problem solutions. Found that subjects acquired a substantial metacognitive knowledge about mathematical word problems, which correlated…

A study with 29 preschoolers showed that a statistically significant number of them successfully reassigned tags in counting (ordinality) but failed to predict that differently ordered counts would produce the same outcome (cardinality). Results indicated that children may not entirely understand implications of their counting actions. (Contains…

Examines the hypothesis that problem comprehension and computational processes interact during the solving of arithmetic word problems. Results suggest the absence of any interaction between the two processes. Questions the notion that automatized retrieval facilitates problem solving, as well as assertions suggesting that increasing computational…

Describes three approaches teachers can use to help students understand multiplication and division: calculator explorations, problem solving, and discussion topics. Specific examples are provided for primary and upper grades. (MDM)

Asked 391 students to provide 3 types of mathematics self-efficacy judgments. Students' reported confidence to answer the problems they were later asked to solve proved a more powerful predictor of that performance than either their confidence to perform math-related tasks or to succeed in math-related courses. (RJM)

This article is the last keynote address of the Algebra Working Group of the Seventh International Conference on Mathematical Education held in Quebec City, Canada in August 1992. Attempts to integrate, and react to, the broad range of issues raised by the Algebra Working Group. (35 references) (MKR)

A total of 36 third, fifth, and seventh graders were interviewed about strategies they used to solve multiple-choice questions involving estimation of discrete quantities. Successful estimators tended to use decomposition/recomposition and multiple benchmark strategies, whereas less successful estimators generally used perceptually based…

Presented are the results of two pilot studies about multidigit addition and subtraction. The results are discussed in relation to possible alternative sequences in the teaching of addition and subtraction and the relationship between basic fact mastery and numeration concept attainment. (CW)

This paper theoretically characterizes number sense as a set of cognitive capabilities for constructing and reasoning within mental models. This perspective provides support for viewing various aspects of number sense as features of students' general condition of knowing about numbers and magnitude, rather than as skills needing specific…

The relationship between elementary operations underlying processing of numerical information and performance on psychometrically derived ability measures requiring processing of numbers but defining separate ability factors was studied for 102 Air Force recruits (54 males and 48 females). Patterns of convergent and discriminate relationships for…

Why children under 10 years do not use their mathematics knowledge to build a shortcut strategy to solve inversion problems was studied with 88 elementary school students in Munich (Germany). Most could use the shortcut but did so only when it did not compete with a more familiar strategy. (SLD)

Describes a study in which remedial mathematics students were assessed to measure beliefs about the nature of mathematics and themselves as mathematics learners. Students had a poor conception of mathematics and their ability to perform. Particularly for men, beliefs about mathematics were strongly related to course grade. (DMM)

Describes how the author and her kindergarten students created a cooking center and restaurant in which they participate in regular cooking projects to provide opportunities to apply newly acquired skills in reading, writing, and math. (MG)

Two elementary teachers present plans, procedures, and activities used in organizing a two-day, schoolwide estimation and measurement fair. This event inspired enthusiasm for math by offering 40 indoor and outdoor activities concentrating on estimation in capacity, length, area, duration, and weight. (SM)

Argues that the only reason to ask students to plot graphs manually should be to have them learn the skill of plotting graphs manually. For data-analysis purposes, the use of computer-generated graphs has several advantages and few disadvantages over manual plotting. (Author/WRM)