This paper describes a case study in which one woman in a focus group of 11 women recounted her use of numerical and mathematical tools in her personal and work life. According to the researcher, the subject's experiences engendered strong feelings and revealed that aspects of her self-identity were bound up with her use of tools and feelings…

Evaluates the use of computerized tutorial support for elementary statistics instruction in five education and social work courses, both graduate and undergraduate. Pretests and posttests used to measure student attitudes toward statistics and toward computers are described, and preferred learning environments before and after the course are…

An editorial comment on the computer and the mathematics educator is included first. Then, abstracts and comments are presented for 11 articles. Studies included focus on mental addition, problem solving by sixth graders, mathematics anxiety, tutoring, direct instruction, a bilingual program, thinking strategies for multiplication basic facts,…

Mathematics anxiety and its relationship to other constructs was studied in 138 preservice elementary and special education teachers. The students, primarily women, were enrolled in a variety of professional courses and field experiences. Five instruments were administered, their factor structures were determined, and intercorrelations among the…

Describes a two-day program within a developmental mathematics course utilizing group-building exercises and initiative problems (problems with physical solutions) to foster communication, problem-solving skills, and math confidence. Presents results of student evaluations of program showing increased interest and confidence in mathematics, and…

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…

Provided are the papers presented at a conference which served as an international forum on diagnostic and prescriptive mathematics education. They are: (1) "The Evolution of the Research Council for Diagnostic and Prescriptive Mathematics" by Robert Underhill; (2) "The Interaction of Knowledge and Cognitive Processes in Diagnosis…

The papers presented in the strand on "Women and Mathematics" at the 1978 Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics form the core of this monograph. Two commentaries synthesizing the presentations and offering additional suggestions for action are also included. The papers consider sex-related differences in…

The Teacher Education and Mathematics (TEAM) Program has been developed to reduce mathematics anxiety and increase mathematics confidence and competence of teacher education students; to increase their perception of mathematics as female domain; and to develop their skills in identifying sex bias in curriculum materials and classroom practices.…

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)

A study of 21 experienced non-mathematics teachers reflections on learning two mathematical concepts was conducted to examine ways that students process teacher explanations. Notebook and transcript extracts of the lessons indicated that the participants made a continued effort to assign meaning to the new material, experienced anxiety, and that…

Four studies are reported that used a metacognitive evaluation procedure that can be group-administered and objectively scored. The procedure assesses the knowledge monitoring component of metacognition by evaluating the discrepancy between students' estimates of how well they are likely to perform on a task and their actual performance. The first…

Students who are anxious about mathematics elect to take fewer mathematics courses in high school and college. This math avoidance is also typical for many first-year elementary school teachers who show high levels of mathematics anxiety. These teachers schedule less time for mathematics instruction than their less anxious colleagues. This paper…

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…

A great number of students, and a particularly high proportion of females, do not study mathematics beyond minimum high school requirements. Research indicates that segregation of mathematics classes may help reduce the incidence of female students dropping out of that subject. In an attempt to redress this situation, A. Y. Jackson Secondary…