This guidance report focuses on the teaching of mathematics to pupils in Key Stages 2 and 3. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive guide to mathematics teaching. We have made recommendations where there are research findings that schools can use to make a significant difference to pupils' learning, and have focused on the questions that…

How do children learn math--and why do some children struggle with it? The answers are in "Number Sense and Number Nonsense," a straightforward, reader-friendly book for education professionals and an invaluable multidisciplinary resource for researchers. More than a first-ever research synthesis, this highly accessible book brings math…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of two types of teacher inservice education programs upon fourth-grade students' achievement in solving mathematics story problems. Participating teachers attended two types of teacher inservice education programs; a traditional program, and a brief, narrowly focused special program (2.5 hours…

Investigated was the effect of presenting arithmetic word problems in the students' native language or in English on Nigerian students mathematics skills and strategies. Findings indicated that both private and public school students performed better when the word problems were presented in their native language. (CW)

Investigated is whether children would spontaneously model problems with superfluous information and whether their modeling would facilitate problem solving. Included are the addition/subtraction story problems used in this study, introduction, method, results, discussion, and conclusions. (KR)

Described are the conceptions held by United States and Israeli students about multiplication and division that may impede their work with decimals. Included are the introduction, method, division and multiplication task results, and the implications for education and textbook development. (KR)

Analysis of arithmetic problem-solving difficulties among secondary school learning disabled students (N=63) indicated students had the most difficulty with problems of the indirect type and problems that contained extraneous information. Teaching suggestions are offered. (Author/DB)

This study tested the effectiveness of an experimental instructional strategy for writing arithmetic sentences for simple multiplication and division story problems involving nonintegral factors. Significant effects in favor of the experimental group were found on an intermediate test and a posttest. (Author/CW)

This is a project in an emerging line of research investigating children's informed knowledge of mathematics questions. The purpose of this study was to analyze the ability of students who had not received multiplication or division instruction to solve multiplication and division word problems. The study consisted of videotaped interviews with 89…

This publication is a compilation of abstracts and critical comments for 12 published investigations in mathematics education. Information for each study includes: purpose; rationale; research design and procedures; findings; and interpretations. For each study abstractor's comments also provide a brief critique. Topics include: planning problem…

Previous studies indicate that many early elementary school children have the misconception that whole number subtraction is a commutative operation. The degree and character of this subtraction error was investigated in this longitudinal study. Results obtained from three groups of students with different number abilities provided further…

Determined effects of two task types on 12- and 13-year-olds' understanding of applications of multiplying and dividing positive numbers. Results indicate the persuasive nature of certain misconceptions and specific effects of context attributable to such aspects as relative familiarity. Implications of these and other results are discussed.…

Described in the context of a computer simulation are highlights of a program of research focusing on the storage of mathematics problem solving information in young children's memory and the development of such knowledge structures in older children. Specifically discussed are the problem size effect, the network nature of the memory…

The relation of knowledge for solving problems to understanding of general principles in a subject-matter domain is discussed. Theoretical representations, called "conceptual competence," are presented to represent principles that are believed to be understood implicitly by individuals. Implications for problem-solving procedures can be…

To investigate the development of function concepts and their relation to mathematical and logical abilities typically acquired during the age period of five to seven years, children were tested on nonnumerical function tasks, numerical tasks, and aspects of logical reasoning. (PCB)