The authors discuss the question, "What is mathematics education research at the university level?" They go on to consider "Making progress in tertiary mathematics education research: pushing the field forward." This includes a discussion of basic concepts and theoretical frameworks used. Further, they consider who does such research and how one…

This quantitative study compared two groups of community college students who were studying elementary statistics. The control group consisted of 38 students in two classes during the fall of 1998, and the treatment group contained 40 students in two classes during the spring of 1999. The treatment group participated in ten data collection and…

I present a theoretical distinction that may prove useful in conceptualizing mathematics teacher education (and graduate education) and research on mathematics teacher education. Further, the distinction can contribute to developing frameworks on the design of mathematics curricula. The distinction between empirical activity and…

A new interdisciplinary science and mathematics course for preservice elementary/special education teachers at LaSalle University (Pennsylvania) is examined. "Explorations in Science and Mathematics" was designed to develop core skills, critical thinking and communication, understanding of math and science as real-life activities,…

Women and mathematics have been thought of as two totally separate subjects for decades. In July, 1994 a group of mathematicians from around the country gathered in Berkeley, CA for three days to discuss ways to increase the representation of women in Ph.D. programs in the mathematical sciences. The primary goal of this conference was to broaden…

Mathematics software can be a great aid in understanding difficult mathematics concepts at all levels. This paper presents nine exercises on calculus concepts by using different software used in mathematics education. Each exercise includes instruction on how to use software in order to highlight a specific concept in mathematics. This paper also…

Aspects of a course in mathematics at the University of Cincinnati designed for undergraduates in the elementary education program are discussed. (MP)

Evidence is presented for the existence of two types of factors when semantic differential data are factor analyzed by treating each concept-scale combination as a variable: (1) factors defined by scales within given concepts; and (2) factors defined by scales across concepts. (Author/MH)

A California State University, Northridge mathematics professor divided a statistics class, teaching one group traditionally in class and another in an online version of the course, using a World Wide Web site, electronic mail, and an electronic chat room. On both midterm and final exams, the latter group performed significantly better. Despite a…

Explores how research on how people think, learn, and remember can be used as a guide in redesigning higher education, especially science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Asserts that such research suggests against lectures, "canned" laboratory work, and frequent testing. (EV)

Contrasted are two review lessons of two secondary mathematics student teachers with those of their high school cooperating teachers. Differences between the review lessons were analyzed by interpreting teaching as a complex cognitive skill and as improvisational performance. Expert-novice distinctions are discussed. (KR)

A critical curriculum promoting mathematical literacy can be effective in involving more people of color in mathematics and science fields. A program that conveys the relevance of mathematics and statistical knowledge can be politically and socially empowering. Describes how ethnomathematics challenges the Eurocentric dichotomy between practical…

Reports a project that incorporated mathematical modeling into a college course. Reports evaluation of the course in terms of criteria derived from the stated aims: modeling performance, modeling framework, pedagogy assessment, and personal growth. Included are two sample problems. (YP)

Discussed are the major historical developments of geometry. Euclid, Descartes, Klein's Erlanger Program, Gaus and Riemann, globalization, topology, Elie Cartan, and an application to molecular biology are included as topics. (KR)

Proposed are the responsibilities of mathematics education researchers for the implementation of the NCTM Standards. Six areas that offer opportunities for standards-related research are identified: assessment, changes in curriculum materials, mathematics as communication, policy-related issues, the effects of technology, and secondary core…