This study examined 361 Chinese and 345 Singaporean sixth-grade students' performance and problem-solving strategies for solving 14 problems about speed. By focusing on students from two distinct high-performing countries in East Asia, we provide a useful perspective on the differences that exist in the preparation and problem-solving strategies…

The purpose of the study reported in this article is to examine the impact of curriculum on instruction. Over a three-year period, we observed 579 algebra-related lessons in grades 6-8. Approximately half the lessons were taught in schools that had adopted a "Standards"-based mathematics curriculum called the Connected Mathematics Program (CMP),…

Assessed the effectiveness of instruction in promoting sixth-grade students' conceptual understanding of the concept of averages using a leveling model and an open-ended problem-solving approach. Found that students were more capable of using the leveling approach and applying formal averaging algorithm to solve problems than using the open-ended…

Examines 250 sixth-grade students' understanding of arithmetic average by assessing their understanding of the computational algorithm. Results indicate that the majority of the students knew the "add-them-all-up-and-divide" averaging algorithm, but only half of the students were able to correctly apply the algorithm to solve a…

Explores the mathematical problem posing and problem solving of U.S. (N=181) and Chinese (N=223) sixth-grade students. Reports that while Chinese students outperform U.S. students on computational tasks, there are many similarities and differences between U.S. and Chinese students in performing relatively novel tasks. Discusses the direct link…

Examines U.S. and Chinese 6th grade students' mathematical thinking and reasoning involved in solving six process-constrained and six process-open problems. Concludes that the Chinese sample had a significantly higher mean score than the U.S. sample on the process-constrained tasks, but the sample of U.S. students had a significantly higher mean…

Suggests ways researchers can use international comparisons to improve student learning, using math performance of U.S. and Chinese sixth-graders on four types of tasks. Chinese students did better on computation; U.S. students excelled at process (open performance) assessment tasks. U.S. kids need to develop symbolic and algebraic thinking. (MLH)

Only 25% of fifth- and sixth-grade Chinese students (n=186) correctly solved a division-with-remainder computation task, about the same success rate as with American students, and only one-sixth of the students could interpret the result. (MKR)

The contributions of open-ended tasks in examining students' mathematical performance were studied with 250 U.S. and 425 Chinese sixth graders. Open-ended tasks allow for analysis of student performance that cannot be assessed solely by percent correct or incorrect, but they pose many problems, such as those of translation. (SLD)