This dissertation describes the development and evaluation of course materials entitled "Confluent Math: A Multidisciplinary Thinking-Feeling Approach to Twentieth Century Mathematics." The goals of the materials were: (1) to develop understanding and appreciation of logical axiomatic structure; (2) to examine major philosophic ideas relating to…

This study involved the development, pilot testing, and evaluation of units for a college mathematics course for general education. The units emphasized a concrete approach to instruction and the manipulation of objects, images, and symbols. Three classes, all taught by the researcher, were involved in the study: a control group, a pilot test…

The objective of this study was the development of a model for curriculum design in small college mathematics departments. Initial work toward this model involved analysis of 1960's curriculum development work; this analysis led to the identification of three influential presses: institutional, disciplinary, and societal economic. The design…

This dissertation reports the results of a one-year pilot study conducted to determine the feasibility of a small group-discovery method with a class of college freshmen studying calculus. The class consisted of twelve volunteer students who had A or B grades in their high school mathematics courses. The pilot class scored slightly better on a…

Twenty Algebra-Packets (A-PAKS) were developed by the investigator for technical education students at the community college level. Each packet contained a statement of rationale, learning objectives, performance activities, performance test, and performance test answer key. The A-PAKS condensed the usual sixteen weeks of algebra into a six-week…

The basic question considered in this research practicum was did female students' participation in a special six-week mathematics clinic significantly reduce anxiety towards mathematics. Seventeen female participants completed both a pre and post Aiken-Dreger Math Attitude Scale. A t-test was used to compare the mean pretest and mean posttest…

Mathematics students at the community college level have continually experienced a relatively low achievement rate when compared to their performance in other subjects. Most of the instructional strategies encountered by these students consist of the lecture-discussion-demonstration format, with no allowances made for individual difference except…

A study involving 441 students enrolled in pre-calculus mathematics courses at Black Hawk College, Illinois, during Spring 1981 was conducted to measure the correlation between the level of students' math anxiety and four independent variables: sex, age, math background (as measured by the highest level of math course previously completed), and…

The author designed an instructional package including slides and tape cassettes for individual use by students learning to use a hand calculator to perform computations. Students (n=17) using the package were given pretests and posttests of ability and attitude. On the three sets of cognitive objectives, mastery was achieved by 96 percent, 76…

Two classes of Mathematics 111 students at Malcolm X College participated in a study to test and evaluate a holistic instructional delivery system intended to significantly increase students' achievement scores, retention rate, and positive attitudes toward instruction. The 29 member control group received traditional instruction, while 29…

For this study, nine mental factors were selected from Guilford's structure of intellect model, and eight interest factors identified from a factor analysis of the Thinking Interest Survey. These factors were then treated as dependent variables in the assessment of two methods of teaching algebra to 244 college students. Students were assigned to…