Reviews factors contributing to the low participation and negative attitudes of girls toward science and contends that science and math teachers play a major role. The author provides a sexism quiz and discussion that enables teachers to assess their classroom behaviors and attitudes toward girls. An extensive bibliography follows the article.…

Reports on a study of eighth-grade mathematical performance of 77,000 students in 19 countries, data from 1964 and 1982 studies in 9 countries, and data on gender stratification and its impact on mathematics performance. Finds that a cross-national variation exists and that it is related to gender stratification. (CFR)

Compares Asian and white eighth graders' performance on reading and math test scores and grades. Results indicate that the difference between these two groups can be explained by family background. Whites and Asians differed substantially in their grade performance, suggesting that cultural and behavioral differences may be an important influence.…

Examined sociocultural influences on mathematics achievement. First generation Chinese American and Caucasian American mother-father-daughter triads were audiotaped as the fifth- and sixth-grade girls solved a spatial puzzle. Chinese American triads were quieter, more respectful, more serious, and more orderly, whereas Caucasian American triads…

Infants' visual recognition memory (VRM) at seven months was associated with their general intelligence, language proficiency, reading and quantitative skills, and perceptual organization at six years. Infants' VRM, object permanence, and cross-modal transfer of perceptions at one year were related to their IQ and several outcomes at six years.…

Discusses computerphobia and its relationship to other anxiety literature, and describes a study of university students that explored the reasons for computerphobia. Retrospective computer and mechanical experiences are investigated, personality style and the effect of various media are examined, and comparisons are made between severe and milder…

Presents activities to teach the formula for the area of a rectangle that require students to determine the cost of refurbishing their school's tennis courts. Students collect their own data, organize information, and make decisions individually and as a group to solve the problem. Worksheets are provided. (MDH)

The validity of the assumptions under which the ordinal true score test theory was derived was examined using (1) simulation based on classical test theory; (2) a long empirical test with data from 321 sixth graders; and (3) an extensive simulation with 480 datasets based on the 3-parameter model. (SLD)

Some unresolved methodological and philosophical issues in the assessment of performance trends are discussed as they relate to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). How to measure performance change while remaining responsive to advances in curriculum and the technology of assessment is a central dilemma. (SLD)

Examines curriculum and achievement in the United States and Japan in seventh and eighth grade algebra and twelfth grade elementary functions and calculus using data from the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS). Results suggest that U.S. curricula do not match the SIMS as well as do Japanese curricula. (SLD)

The Microcomputer Adaptive Testing High-Risk-Urban Students (MATH-R-US) project made computerized assessment an integral part of remedial high school mathematics at an inner-city school with predominantly African-American students. Results suggest that the girls exhibited greater self-esteem toward using computers than did boys and that…

This study examined the representations that a 16-year-old student made using the flexible computer system, "Boxer," in learning the genetic code. Results indicated that programing made it easier to build and explore flexible and useful representations and encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration between mathematics and biology…

The difference between item bias and item impact and the way they relate to item validity are discussed from a multidimensional item response theory perspective. The Mantel-Haenszel procedure and the Simultaneous Item Bias strategy are used in a Monte Carlo study to illustrate detection of item bias. (SLD)

Describes a study conducted in Northern Ireland that investigated the impact of personal computers on pupils' cognitive and affective development. Topics addressed include attitudes toward English, math, or science; gender differences; process-based work versus content learning; and treatment of experimental and control groups. (Contains five…

This article extends the ideas of social support systems to giftedness and disadvantagement, and presents examples of two intervention programs for talented, economically disadvantaged children--the Epstein Fine Arts Fund, and SMART (Science and Mathematics Advocacy and Recruitment for Teaching), both in Chicago, Illinois. A research agenda is…