The ability to think critically in the presence of arguments with essential quantitative elements, most often graphical elements, will become an essential skill for educated citizens in the future. This paper takes one specific graphical display, a narrow series of observational and interpretational tasks related to a graph, and using a small set…

This paper discusses the results of two studies both dealing with spatial abilities and training. The first investigated the kinds of spatial strategies and personal experiences, both nonacademic and academic, that distinguish students preparing for high spatial careers from others. The second study focused on the effectiveness of spatial training…

This study compared the performances of college mathematics students on mathematics problems stated in three different contexts: in arithmetical form, in the form of algebraic expressions to be simplified, and in the form of practical situations stated in words. Both single-step and multi-step problems were used. For all three contexts, there were…

The study identified dimensions of college mathematics experiences and analyzed their effects on choice of college major. Structural equation modeling was used to: (1) assess the role of five precollege variables on both the college mathematics experiences and changes of majors; (2) assess the role of the college mathematics experience on changes…

Seventeen research reports are arranged under several broad topics of mathematics education. Section 1 concerns language and mathematics learning, with one paper on word problems and one on concept formation. Papers on university level mathematics in Section 2 explore problem solving, characteristics of school leavers, some mathematical aspects of…

This ex-post facto, quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine whether students taught nursing math in the classroom did better than students who did not take the nursing math course in the classroom. First-year students enrolled in the Long Beach City College Associate Degree Nursing Program were selected as the treatment sample. Thirty…

In Experiments 1 and 2 subjects read a series of standard algebra story problems, and were asked to recall each problem. In Experiment 3, subjects were asked to construct problems based on certain situations (such as "train leaving stations"). Results indicated that "relational propositions" (such as "the rate in still…

Sixty undergraduates were given one of five programmed mathematics texts. The texts were either completely programmed, programmed only for definitions, programmed only for calculations, programmed only for conceptual information, or not programmed at all. Time spent reading each section of the eight-unit text was recorded and a 24-question…

Investigated the behavior of college mathematics professors as they taught a basic course. It was found that all of the teachers typically taught the class as a unit using a teacher centered approach. Compared to less effective teachers, the more effective teachers asked more product questions and covered more content. (PK)

Two-hundred forty-seven students in AP Calculus BC classes in 15 schools were compared to 229 students in college calculus courses in nine colleges, using a testing instrument valid for both groups. The AP Calculus BC students achieved as well as, or better than, their college counterparts. (MNS)

Students in six advanced mathematics courses at the Open University were surveyed to identify and analyze reasons for withdrawal from the courses. Specific recommendations for preventing dropout advising and readily available counseling, clarifying course sequences, avoiding assumptions about student sophistication, and developing new curriculum.…

This study examined differences between men and women in intermediate and college algebra courses in an urban university's mathematics lab. Variables examined included grade, hours worked, semester course load, grade point average, time spent in mathematics lab, and age. Women had better course grades than men in intermediate and similar grades in…

Describes a study that examined three areas of student assessment in a college algebra classroom (i.e., oral interactions, observations, and problem-solving investigations) before and after the use of graphing calculators in class activities. Reports that the use of the calculators enhanced the teacher's assessment practices in all three areas.…

The production and application of images based on fractal geometry are described. Discussed are fractal language groups, fractal image coding, and fractal dialects. Implications for these applications of geometry to mathematics education are suggested. (CW)

The implementation of the first phase of a project involving the use of computer software in a course on the mathematics of finance is discussed. Results of a controlled experiment indicated that the techniques employed seemed to have positively impacted the performance of the students. (CW)