This report deals with 7th grade pupils' conceptions of mathematics, its learning and teaching. The report focuses on the identification and comparison of views expressed by pupil groups of different mathematical ability and achievement. The analysis is based on the results of the ability tests, subject tests and a questionnaire conducted among…

This study examined the interaction effect of teachers' mathematics preparation and the thinking level of mathematics problems on student performance. Achievement scores of students whose teachers differed on level of mathematics preparation indicated that students performed better on higher level thinking tasks when teachers had advanced…

IMPROVE, a method for teaching mathematics in heterogeneous classrooms based on social cognition theories, was developed and tested in studies involving 247 and 265 seventh graders. IMPROVE uses metacognitive activities, peer interaction, and feedback-corrective enrichment. Results of both studies showed that IMPROVE students significantly…

Background: Since the early 1980s, there has been a growing interest in the potentiality of computers as facilitators of students' learning. The importance of using technology effectively as a learning tool has been emphasized by many researchers. However, finding good software that encourages pupils to explore and express mathematical ideas is…

The tables presented in this document show the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) results for the past two years. Twenty-four tables show results as percent at each performance level and percent passing, as well as percent of students tested. The tables shown in this document include: (1) Mathematics Grade 3; (2) Reading Grade 3; (3)…

Of the 1,828 grade 6 students who received accelerated instruction outside of the regular classroom, 27% participated in both reading and math interventions. Of the 1,872 grade 7 students who participated in accelerated instruction outside of the classroom, 26% participated in both reading and math interventions. The overall state test results for…

This paper presents the research and methodology and analyses used for the "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades" research. This appendix contains the following sections: (1) Overview; (2) Constructing the Survey Data File; (3) Constructing Composite Independent Variables (Subdomains); (4) Constructing Longitudinal Outcome Variables; (5)…

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for kindergarten through grade 6. One of the most important questions in the evaluation of CSMP is…

Investigates whether 53 mothers' beliefs about achievement were related to their seventh grade children's sex differences, and the association between these beliefs and their children's performance in mathematics. (HOD)

This study examined the relationship between academic domain specific self-concept (specifically mathematical and verbal) and the academic achievement in mathematics and English of young adolescents. Middle school students in grades seven and eight ranging in age from 12 to 15 years completed three subscales of the Self-Description…

Analyzes a subsample of the study, "Learning Processes, Educational Careers, and Psychosocial Development in Adolescence and Young Adulthood," to examine the impact of homework. Focuses on German seventh-grade students (n=2123) in 132 classes. Reports that homework frequency had a positive effect on mathematics achievement. (CMK)

Discussed are trends in performance across the last three National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessments for students in grades 7 and 11, and reports on indicators of instructional activity. The results suggest that achievement in mathematics has taken a modest upturn in the 1980s. (MNS)

Combines item response theory (IRT) and statistical methods to analyze California Achievement Test-Mathematics (CAT-M) results for 4,135 seventh graders in northeast Ohio. Provides information to educational analysts about which IRT model fits CAT-M data for the target population, test accuracy in estimating students' abilities at different…

The purpose of this study was to assess children's and adults' quantitative understanding of fractions in a new and potentially definitive way, and to determine whether this understanding was related to fraction computational skill. Thirty-seven seventh graders and 32 adults (college students) participated in the study. A computation task was used…

The regression-discontinuity design was used to study the cumulative effect of ability grouping in mathematics in Israeli junior high schools. Results from a final sample of 1,169 seventh graders show that placement in ability groups increases the gap between students at different grade levels. (SLD)