Discusses the organization and retrieval of information. Describes the tip-of-the-tongue state during mathematics problem solving. Provides five rules for a deep level of processing of new concepts. (YP)

Presented are mathematical games in six categories of mathematical objectives: learn the language of mathematics; use mathematical notation; know facts; develop skills; understand concepts; and devise strategies. Numbers of players, rules, and diagrams are provided for each problem. (YP)

This study investigated the relationship between mathematical performance and mathematics self-efficacy, attitudes toward mathematics, and the choice of mathematics-related majors by college women and men. Performance and self-efficacy correlate positively with attitudes, masculine sex-role orientation, and a mathematics-related major. (Author/DC)

In 3 isolated rural schools, 48 gifted girls in grades 4-6 participated in a semester-long intervention aimed at changing math attitudes. Intervention strategies, which focused on problem-solving activities, math-related career options, and self-esteem issues, produced significant positive changes in five of six categories of mathematics…

Students (n=1420) from Belgium and Quebec and students (n=614) of the Marne department were questioned to study the different defense mechanisms they employed against mathematics. Six main ways of grouping the responses were identified: (1) phobic avoidance; (2) repression; (3) projection; (4) reparation; (5) introjection; and (6) reversal into…

Stress inoculation training and systematic desensitization treatment provided to 45 college students resulted in significantly lower mathematics anxiety ratings and less subjective distress reported prior to a mathematics aptitude test, with no significant changes found in a delayed treatment control. No treatment group differences were found for…

Studies the role that math anxiety played in the poor performance of students, what promoted such feelings, and what teachers can do to lessen this anxiety. Students and adults sense the urgency to understand the mathematical material, and that urgency often leads to anxiety when they cannot arrive at a solution. (ASK)

Analyzes liberal arts students' attitudes and views towards mathematics and social responsibility as they tutored inner city at-risk youths as part of a mathematics course in which they kept journals. Indicates that students' ideas about what it means to be socially responsible tended to become less egocentric. (Author/ASK)

Explores possible individual differences effects on school mathematics performance and feelings of difficulty (FOD) of 243 subjects, ages 13 to 15 years. Considers cognitive ability, affect, age, and gender. Finds that ability directly influenced performance whereas both ability and affect influenced FOD. Discusses the results. (CMK)

Results are presented of a series of focus-group sessions held at Lancaster University during May 2002. Participants consisted of 12 undergraduate geography students chosen from amongst those identified as having strong antipathy towards quantitative material. The intention was to mine these students' perspectives on courses covering quantitative…

"The Price is Right" ("TPIR") is a rich source of examples of applied probability, combinatorics, and game theory. While some of the games played on stage by individual contestants stress a knowledge of pricing, many are also heavily based on probability. "TPIR" stage games are a treasury of interesting modules that can be effective learning tools…

"The Simpsons" is an ideal source of fun ways to introduce important mathematical concepts, motivate students, and reduce math anxiety. We discuss examples from "The Simpsons" related to calculus, geometry, and number theory that we have incorporated into the classroom. We explore student reactions and educational benefits and difficulties…

Using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY), we aimed to determine the causal ordering between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement. Results of structural equation modelling showed that, across the entire junior and senior high school, prior low mathematics achievement significantly related to later high mathematics…

This investigation traced changes in anxiety for teaching mathematics (ATM) among pre-service elementary school teachers (n=36) enrolled in a mathematics methods course by analyzing their weekly journal entries. Journal entries were coded for high level of ATM (ATM-high) or absence of ATM (ATM-absent) during the first class session, as well as…

An experience in attempting to transform research into practice is described, with questions raised about the relationship between research and practice. The author begins by describing the two research traditions which exerted the most force on the design of the program. How the philosophy and findings of those traditions were interpreted and…