Examined the learning strategies of two children at the extremes of mathematical achievement to determine how those strategies facilitated or hindered their understanding of mathematics. Examined findings in relation to curriculums that often dictate the sequence of learning through which all children will pass without taking into consideration…

In this article, I explore the relation between the sociocultural and individual cognitive structuring as elementary school students, high school students, and adults play the strategic game of dominoes. I present data from a study in which players at each level were observed and video-recorded during domino tournament play. Findings reveal the…

Background: Research on the relationship between cognitive skills and mathematical problem solving is usually conducted on adults or on participants with acquired deficits associated with brain injury (e.g. Cipolotti, 1995; Cohen, Dehaene, & Verstichel, 1994; McCloskey, 1992). Aims: In these studies we wanted to make a contribution to the…

This article describes a study of learning when students used interactive spreadsheet-based computer tutorials in a mathematical literacy course. It foregrounds theories relating to the role of computer technology (and specifically spreadsheets) as a mediator for learning of mathematics. It outlines the application of quantitative methods…

Longitudinal studies can provide individual histories of educational attainment and are becoming widely used in educational research. Two national longitudinal studies, the National Child Development Study (NCDS) and the British Cohort Study of 1970 (BCS70), are used here to investigate changing trends in the educational attainment of children in…

In foundation biochemistry and biological chemistry courses, a major problem area that has been identified is students' lack of understanding of pH, acids, bases, and buffers and their inability to apply their knowledge in solving acid/base problems. The aim of this study was to explore students' conceptions of pH and their ability to solve…

This article provides the readers with a hands-on activity that incorporates measuring skills and Process Standards while investigating a linear function that is easily generated in any classroom. (Contains 6 figures.)

This research article examines math anxiety in pre-service teachers. The Mathematics Anxiety Scale-Revised (MARS-R) was administered to 481 university students. Significant results were found in areas of gender, educational level, and educational major. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

In this article, a group of five preservice teachers and a teacher arranged to try a few activities at their campus day care. Together, they created and tested a series of learning centers involving rocks and minerals. Since minerals occur in such a wonderful variety of colors, they formed the basis for an engaging lesson on color sorting. This…

Six African countries participated in an intercontinental professional development workshop developed by the science and math staff at the University of Iowa and supported by the Africa-America Institute. The 11-day workshop was designed to produce changes in goal setting, assessment practices, instruction, and curriculum structures for high…

In a future that is likely to be increasingly dominated by new technology, it is important to consider what mathematics is and how it might be taught. This article discusses these and related issues in the context of both universities and schools.

To engage in productive learning behaviors, students need to have a realistic understanding of their academic skills. The authors examined the perceived competence of students with different patterns of academic achievement. Four groups of 3rd graders were assessed at 2 time points: (a) children with difficulties in mathematics but not in reading…

During the 1990s, the teaching of mathematics became the subject of heated controversies known as the math wars. The immediate origins of the conflicts can be traced to the "reform" stimulated by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics." Traditionalists fear that reform-oriented,…

A qualitative case study in 15 community colleges across the country found that learning assistance centers and specialized skills labs are an important means of increasing students' academic preparedness for postsecondary study. Since these facilities provide instruction or support in reading, writing, and math skills, it appears that they play a…

This article explores the impact of pre-school experience on young children's cognitive attainments at entry to primary school and analyses data collected as part of a wider longitudinal study, the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project, which followed a large sample of young children attending 141 pre-school centres drawn from…