Six mathematics problems are posed; details are given of the solutions for six other problems. (DT)

Analyzed are textbook word problems that are typically used as applications of mathematics and shows some of the difficulties in making these problems realistic. A discussion and examples of sources of genuine mathematical applications in real life follows. (MN)

Presented is a calculation for the probability of a athletic event. Assumptions, computations, and questions to be considered in the solution of this problem are discussed. (CW)

Investigated the effect of the choice of a model's medium (algebraic expression or computer program) on the performance of students. Student programers did not transfer the qualities of a computer program approach to their algebraic models. Provides items for five tests. (YP)

Described is a study in which elementary education students were asked to solve word problems by looking at the mathematical structure or the surface structure of the problems. Included are the methodology, data analysis, results, and discussion. The word problems used in the study are appended. (KR)

Presents examples of word problems that can be used to illustrate the distributive property for preservice teachers. Includes examples involving extended sums, volume, area, prealgebra, place value, long multiplication, fractions, decimals, and algebra. (MDH)

Explores the differences of problem-solving procedures and thinking structures between science and nonscience Chinese graduate students. Discusses differences in designing experiments, exploring new questions, planning, assumptions, and validity. Concludes that the reasoner's epistemology or academic experiences might strongly influence these…

Discusses how actual or planned travel experiences can form the basis for constructing realistic, challenging, and interesting problem-solving tasks for classroom use. Provides examples of how teachers and students can create travel problems for use in the classroom. The travel-problem concept is adaptable to any elementary, secondary, or…

The hypothesis examined suggests that prequestions should be more facilitating than postquestions in directing students to the information necessary for a problem's solution. Fourteen problems were designed for a criterion measure, and 52 students in community college intermediate algebra classes were the subjects. Results indicated question…

Teaching which does not in any significant way address the genesis of mathematical ideas hides the fact that mathematics is created by people; that it involves intuition, exploring, conjecturing, and reasoning; and that it is purposeful. Such teaching can give students appearance that much of mathematics is very arbitrary; it just falls from the…

Examples of the presentation and solution of variations on a common projectile trajectory problem are presented. (BB)

Examines principles which can be applied to determine how hints can be used effectively in problem-solving. Conscious and unconscious hints, timing of hints, expected functions, and teaching are discussed. Conscious hints are explained in detail with suggestions and references. Charts are included for types, timing, and expected functions. (DH)

Graphical solutions are illustrated for several algebra problems including finding roots of a quadratic equation, solving mixture and motion word problems, factoring the difference of two squares, and constructing the square root of a positive number. (MN)

Examines solutions presented by preservice teachers for solving graphical and numerical problems involving the arithmetic mean. Participants presented two methods: algorithmic computation and balancing deviations about the mean. A significant difference was found between science and mathematics preservice teachers in the use of balancing…

Discussed are three recent psychological experiments that demonstrate (1) how students can be instructed to falsify on two tasks that model scientific reasoning and (2) how the possibility of error in the data affects their attempts to falsify. Games were used in the treatments. (MNS)