This literature review covers 42 years and has two main objectives: to identify the obstacles to learning the polar coordinate system and to explore the teaching proposals suggested to overcome them. These questions are answered by locating and analysing articles related to the topic published in research and practitioner journals specialising in…

Many students persistently misinterpret histograms. This calls for closer inspection of students' strategies when interpreting histograms and case-value plots (which look similar but are different). Using students' gaze data, we ask: "How and how well do upper secondary pre-university school students estimate and compare arithmetic means of…

The research on the History of Mathematics and Mathematics Education has on textbook a useful tool to provide diverse types of information; this fact has led to the realization of many different studies focus on them. In this context, this work analyzes eight different sixteenth-century arithmetic books to know the different types of…

Two packages in computer graphics are described that can represent three-dimensional surfaces in two dimensions. (MP)

Two microcomputer-based laboratories, the motion detector and the sound detector, are discussed in terms of their affects upon the facilitation of an understanding of graphs and their ability to aid in the development of conceptual understanding from graphical analysis. The author relates experiences in using these labs with high school students…

Presents an overview and discussion of some results of research on the use of graphing calculators organized into the following categories: (1) achievement studies, (2) conceptual understanding, (3) problem solving, (4) classroom dynamics, and (5) future research needed. (29 references) (MKR)

The difficulties and misconceptions that many students experience when learning to visualize graphs of functions are discussed. Specifically, the inability to make accurate connections between symbolic and graphical representations, the lack of understanding about scale and scaling, and the confusion caused by transformations are examined with…

Reviewed are 11 studies reported in Dissertation Abstracts International for Social Sciences in 1989. Topics include problem solving, mathematics education, LOGO computer language, implementation of instructional computing, algebra, effects of differential grouping on learning science skills, simulations, and graphing as they relate to the use of…