Prompted by international concerns about school and postschool participation in mathematics, the authors of the present study sought to investigate factors predicting "switching on" and "switching off" in mathematics, operationalized through measures of future intent and disengagement, respectively. They drew from…

This paper describes the experiences of two pre-service primary teachers in a teacher education subject focusing on mathematics and learning difficulties. It describes how bibliotherapy was a powerful reflective tool that provided them with the opportunity to respond cognitively and affectively to their own schooling. By analysing readings about…

Development of mathematical problem solving skills is an age old problem in mathematics. This paper details the design of a component of a first year university mathematics course in which group work and mathematical communication skills, especially writing skills, are used as a tool to develop non-routine problem solving skills. In this design…

Using the qualitative research method known as folknography, the authors led a research team to the heart of Illinois farm country to ask the question "What are the perceptions of the people of the Midwest concerning math and math education?" A review of the literature includes Canadian and Australian references on the topic, as well as…

An action research project investigated the features of critical theory that were useful for teaching everyday mathematics in an evening course for five Australian adults. The development of a positive, cooperative learning environment, as discussed by M. Frankenstein (1989) and O. Skovsmose (1994) proved to be key in increasing mathematical…

This article reports on a study that investigated the causes underlying a sample of eighteen third-year Australian pre-service primary teachers' negative beliefs and anxiety about mathematics. It was found that most of the participants' maths-anxiety could be attributed to their primary school experiences in learning mathematics. Situations such…

Describes an Australian distance education remedial mathematics course, which was designed to address issues associated with math anxiety and poor self-concept in regard to mathematics abilities. Concludes that online learning can offer improved opportunities for timid and male students, equal opportunity for others. (Contains 18 references.) (NB)

This Australian document is a guide to teaching mathematics as it relates to specific work situations. After a brief introduction, chapter 1 looks at problem solving, advises teachers to lower the reading level and thus raise the understandability of written math problems, and describes a four-step problem-solving process. Chapter 2 outlines a…

This study investigated the development of abstract mathematical thought and spatial relations of 13- and 14-year-old students who attended public schools in Australia, Japan, and the United States. Dependent variables included age, ability grouping, ethnicity, sex, mathematics attitudes, and mathematics classroom behaviors. Significant…

This document is a "methodological annex" to volume I of the Women in Science and Technology in Australia (WISTA) final research report. The 10 discussion papers that make up this document deal with the 10 core factors of influence that formed one main axis of the study's theoretical framework for inquiry. A diagram illustrates this…

The Zuckerman Affect Adjective Check List (AACL) is used to measure trait anxiety and situation-specific trait anxiety relating to peer interaction, vocational aspiration, and the learning of English, mathematics, science and social studies. The subjects were 262 grade 10 students attending an Australian metropolitan high school. Additional…

Critical reanalysis of a previous Australian study comparing the effects of single-sex mathematics and mixed-sex mathematics instruction on students in grades seven and eight suggests that the randomly assigned class-type intervention had relatively little effect on mathematics achievement or attitudes, and that at least some effects favored…

Presents the findings of a study done in Australia which sought to determine which factors influence students to take mathematics courses in the 12th grade. Results suggested that males were more likely to take math than females, and positive attitudes about math in early school years directly influenced participation in math at grade 12. (TW)

This book serves as a guide for Australian parents who want to take an active role in the mathematics learning of their children. It presents material so that families will learn, think, and talk about mathematics. Many family-life lessons, such as weighing out ingredients for a cake or choosing the best route to the zoo, are presented. The book…

This document contains the second volume of the proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Conference presentations are centered around the theme "Mathematics at the Centre." This volume features 60 research reports by presenters with last names beginning between Abr…