The two purposes of this study were: (1) to determine the extent to which previous knowledge, on-going motivation and current social support influence performance in a college introductory statistics courses; and (2) to identify the thought processes used in statistics learning by students who preform well and perform well and poorly,…

Although mathematics can be described as a formalized language, the signs and symbols of mathematical representation are subject to individual interpretation, which, if inaccurate, can lead to inhibitions about and interferences with the mathematical learning process. The purpose of this study was to explore communication in an intermediate-level…

The mathematical sciences, based largely in academia, are crucial not only for the development of new knowledge but also as a needed resource in the education of our technological work force. As with other scientific professions, the challenge of meeting the growing need for workers in the face of shrinking supplies will require a program of…

This study sought to describe and identify trends in teachers' affect toward, conceptions of, and understanding of mathematics as they proceeded through 30 hours of collegiate mathematics to receive a second certificate to teach secondary school mathematics. From the 24 teachers who began the program, 13 teachers were selected because they were…

Results of a study that compared the performance of students in high technology programs in engineering and computer science are presented, with emphasis on students' mathematical preparation. The study population involved 175 transfer students who completed their mathematical prerequisites at three community colleges and 188 students who…

The concept of probability is not an easy concept for high school and college students to understand. This paper identifies and analyzes the students' alternative frameworks from the viewpoint of constructivism. There are various interpretations of probability through mathematical history: classical, frequentist, and subjectivist interpretation.…

Students enrolled in four classes in mathematics at a predominantly black, urban community college were subjects of a research study designed to identify their attitudes toward mathematics, test these attitudes with various correlates, identify possible factors responsible for developing negative attitudes toward mathematics, and make…

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that mathematics-related self-efficacy mediates the effects of gender and mathematical preparation and achievement on mathematics-relatedness of college major. The responses of 117 undergraduates to a series of inventories and questionnaires yielded seven variables descriptive of the…

The hypothesis was tested that concrete operational subjects learn better from a laboratory-based concrete activity approach than would formal subjects. Four units of mathematics were studied over a 7-week period by 89 preservice elementary teachers divided into lecture and laboratory groups. A 2 by 2 design (treatment by cognitive level) was used…

This report was compiled from information supplied by instructors participating in the National Science Foundation's community college field test of PLATO IV--a computer-based system developed at the University of Illinois--during the fall semester of 1975. Represented here are the responses of instructors at five Illinois community colleges to…

Lists 20 articles summarizing research, one listing of research papers, 203 journal articles, and 342 doctoral dissertations on mathematics education, each with a short annotation. All are dated 1985. (JM)

In this paper we report on two complementary research results. In the first we describe a tool that allows different modes of synchronous distance teaching of mathematics. In the second we report the preliminary results of a pilot study conducted using this tool to teach geometry, both with school students aged 14-15 and with undergraduate…

This report reviews responses of students to the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS). Anxiety in English is contrasted with mathematics, and changes in teaching are suggested. (MP)

Compared are the survey responses on practices and perceptions on computer uses in classroom between a faculty group involved in changing 10 undergraduate courses in mathematics and science education (n=25) and a group of regular faculty (n=60). There were no significant differences between two groups except on the use of inquiry and guided…

Integrates research on mathematics anxiety, regarding its nature, effects, and relief by using meta-analysis. Concludes that mathematics anxiety depresses performance and that mathematics and test anxieties both relate to general anxiety. Discusses the sex difference of the anxiety and its effects on achievement. (Author/YP)