We present a design for a junior level numerical methods course that focuses on a series of five open-ended projects in applied mathematics. These projects were deliberately designed to present many of the ambiguities and complexities that appear any time we use mathematics in the real world, and so they offered the students a variety of possible…

At some point between elementary and junior high school, something seems to occur that generates a rooted dislike toward the scientific disciplines in general and mathematics in particular. This results in most students in developmental education associating the word math with a series of illogical rules, totally disconnected from reality and…

From a very young age, shoes for boys tend to be wider than shoes for girls. Is this because boys have wider feet, or because it is assumed that girls are willing to sacrifice comfort for fashion, even in elementary school? To assess the former, a statistician measures kids' feet. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Forty-two studies comparing students with access to graphing calculators during instruction to students who did not have access to graphing calculators during instruction are the subject of this meta-analysis. The results on the achievement and attitude levels of students are presented. The studies evaluated cover middle and high school…

This report, prepared for and published by the Mathematical Association of America's Committee on the Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics, includes a description of the state of the art on problem solving, lists available resources, and makes recommendations regarding the place of problem solving in the college curriculum and ways to teach it.…

The effect on algebra achievement of college students of using a specific study method, algebra notecards, was examined. Whether achievement differed for adult learners and traditional college students, and the interaction between the study method and the status of the learner were also investigated. The research was conducted at the University of…

Drawing from literature on research, innovative programs, and association positions, this paper provides an overview of two-year college mathematics curricula, instruction, and faculty. Introductory material places the discussion in the context of changes that have taken place in the community college over the past 20 years, highlighting increases…

The study was designed to investigate: (1) the relative effectiveness of three techniques for teaching verbal problem solving to general education mathematics students in a junior college; and (2) the relationships between various student variables and problem-solving ability after treatment. Three classes (N=72) at Florida College were randomly…

This is the instructor's guide to a text designed for the contemporary business student who frequently questions the need for studying mathematics. The text material is presented in a "building-block" fashion, with skills learned in earlier chapters organized to provide a smooth transition into more difficult topics. This guide consists…

Thirty-six prospective elementary education teachers were randomly assigned to three instructional moves: a characterization-exemplification with declarative statements (CED), a characterization-exemplification with interrogative statements (CEI), and an exemplification (E). The purposes of the study were to: (1) examine the efforts of the three…

The authors place emphasis on the opportunity for active learning on the part of the student in a discussion of the advantages, conditions, and uses of small group instruction in contrast to the lecturing or tutoring methods of teaching mathematics. (MN)

In this theoretical essay the psychological aspects of genetic approach to teaching mathematics (mainly at universities) are discussed. Analysis of the history and modern state of genetic teaching shows that its psychological aspects may be explained using both Vygotskian and Piagetian frameworks. Experience of practice of mathematical education…

A dialog shows how student-teacher interaction on problems can help students learn. Fifty sample problems are provided as starting points for class discussions from grade three through college. Six purposes such problems can serve are identified. A method of classroom presentation, the mathematical scavenger hunt, is discussed. (MP)

This study compared a large class instruction procedure with conventional small class instruction for a mathematics course for prospective elementary teachers. (MP)

The Mathematics Teacher Education Project was established in 1974 at the Centre for Studies in Science Education, University of Leeds (England). The scope, objective, and structure of the project are described, and its activities are discussed. (FG)