In order to increase women's representation among quantitative degrees, Berryman (1985) suggested two strategies: (1) increase women's share of the initial mathematical/scientific pool; or (2) reduce attrition from the pool. However, current research indicates that the decision to enter a quantitative field of study for women is the result of a…

To assess enrollment trends in Michigan colleges and universities, two surveys were conducted in 1976 and 1977. Community colleges reported either fairly constant enrollments in remedial courses or slight increases; many of their students had always needed remedial work. For four-year institutions, increases were often dramatic. This is paralleled…

The annual reports of five subcommittees of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges' Developmental Mathematics Curriculum Committee (AMATYC-DMC) are preceded by a statement of goals for a remedial mathematics curriculum. The Hand-Held Calculator Subcommittee reported the results of a 12-item questionnaire distributed to college…

This collection of nine papers, prepared for a conference held at Northwestern University in 1978, presents varied perspectives on applied problem solving. Assessing applied problem solving, planning for interest and motivation, developing a theory, reviewing research findings, considering learning disabilities, analyzing through information…

In 2004, the Lumina Foundation for Education approved a generous grant to support validation research to explore and document the validity of the Community College Student Report (CCSR), add to the higher education field's understanding of student engagement, and help to identify research or institutional practices that require further attention.…

In 1992, a study was conducted at Golden West College (California) to determine the predictive validity of the Math Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP) tests. A total of 1,137 students were tested in-class; 601 took the Algebra Readiness test, 376 took the Elementary Algebra test, and 160 took the Intermediate Algebra test. Two correlation…

This issue of the journal contains abstracts and critical comments for 13 published reports of research in mathematics education. Topics include: (1) effects of mathematics anxiety on preservice elementary teachers; (2) visualizing rectangular solids; (3) computer simulations and abstract thinking; (4) the association of foldout shapes with…

South Carolina requires that prospective teachers pass an Education Entrance Examination (EEE) consisting of three parts--writing, reading, and mathematics. Minorities are having difficulty passing the mathematics portion of this test. This study investigated the effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on basic skills mathematics…

To extend the analysis of mathematics as the "critical filter" into actual college experience, the influence of high school and college mathematics on choice of majors and progress in the major during college was studied using data from 745 freshmen at Arizona State University. Attention was also directed to an expanded mathematics…

A three-dimensional classification system of mathematical problems is given. A background philosophy is constructed through an analysis of different approaches to problem-solving research, leading to the statement of 5 theses and the objectives for the study. An exploratory study of mathematical problem-solving processes is conducted within this…

A study of 159 students assigned to remedial algebra courses was initiated at Queensborough Community College to determine levels of improvement in algebraic skills and the effects of regular, programmed, and modular teaching methods. All students studied the same material with the following differences: (1) regular instruction used no programmed…

In this paper, we draw on a 16-month study funded by the Learning and Teaching Support Network in the UK and entitled "Mathematicians as Educational Co-Researchers." The study's aims were two-fold. Primarily we intended to explore mathematicians' reflections on issues identified in the literature as highly topical in the area of teaching…

Understanding abstract concepts and ideas in mathematics, if instruction takes place in the first language of the student, is difficult. Yet worldwide students often have to master mathematics via a second or third language. The majority of students in South Africa--a country with eleven official languages--has to face this difficulty. In a…

This study examined mathematical self-concept of college students and how it may develop differently between men and women. The study used data from a 1985 Cooperative Institutional Research Programs Survey and a follow-up survey in 1989 which included information from over 27,000 college freshmen and incorporates information acquired directly…

This study sought to examine American College Test (ACT) and basic skills placement test score patterns; the use of these test scores in academic advising; student performance in freshman level reading, English, and mathematics courses; relationships among these factors and their power to predict or account for placement and performance; and…