This working group continues to develop a research program on the practice of launching mathematical tasks and its resulting impact on learners. Our research agenda contains two strands of inquiry exploring (1) theory and framework building concerning effective launches and (2) empirical examination of the link between launching and opportunities…

Everyday financial dilemmas require us to draw on social, interdisciplinary, and mathematical understandings simultaneously and in synergy if we are to make informed financial decisions. Financial literacy is enjoying an elevated status across the "Australian Curriculum." This paper reviews some of the literature on financial literacy,…

Mathematical engagement is a complex process of interaction between the person and the world. This interaction is strongly influenced by the concepts and structure of the mathematical field, by the practical and symbolic tools of mathematics and by the focus of investigation in the world. This paper reports on research that involves a detailed…

This paper describes the use of diagrams as self-explanatory tools. It considers the use of diagrams, in general, and more specifically, examines research that is currently being undertaken in the broad field of visualisation. The research participants referred to in this article were Advanced Certificate of Education students and the paper…

This article introduces a trigonometric field (TF) that extends the field of real numbers by adding two new elements: sin and cos--satisfying an axiom sin[superscript 2] + cos[superscript 2] = 1. It is shown that by assigning meaningful names to particular elements of the field, all known trigonometric identities may be introduced and proved. Two…

This study focused on how to help students translate word problems so that they understand how to solve them, and so they are successful with word problems. I have created three research questions to focus on during this research project. First, how will direct instruction of word meaning help clarify the operation needed, affect the achievement…

This document presents the proceedings of the 18th Annual Research Forum held June 26, 2013, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Included are the following 13 action research papers: (1) Developing Oral Language Ability in the Secondary Spanish Classroom Using the Interpersonal and Presentational Modes of Communication…

Developed by Dodge (1995), WebQuest is an inquiry-based teaching tool, in which students of all ages and levels participate in an authentic task that use pre-designed, pre-defined internet resources, though other print resources can also be used. Learners will put the focus on gathering, summarizing, synthesizing, and evaluating the information…

Writing is the ability to compose text effectively for different purposes and audiences. When many of us reflect on our own school experiences, we recall writing in English and history classes, but not in mathematics. Math classes previously relied on skill-building and conceptual understanding activities. Today, teachers are realizing that…

This is the sixth in a series of publications prepared by the U.S. Office of Education which are concerned with an analysis of research in mathematics education. This publication presents a summary analysis of research in mathematics education and includes reports of Cooperative Research Projects supported by the Cooperative Research Program of…

While helping high school students develop statistical thinking, teachers need to engage them in all phases of investigative cycle. Students should master some of the nonmathematical elements of the cycle involved in identifying a problem, creating a plan of attack and gathering necessary data.

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 590 Culminating…

Problems in mathematics instruction in Thailand that are related to language include the simultaneous use of both traditional Thai numerals and Hindu-Arabic numerals, misunderstanding of mathematics problems for cultural reasons, and/or difficulty in understanding problem context. Research has shown that elementary and secondary school children…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 5900 Culminating…

The National Institute of Education has supported new research and synthesized existing information to provide teachers and administrators with direction for cognitive instruction. Efforts have been made to identify kinds of thinking and learning conducive to success in particular subjects and to offer useful research-based ideas to teachers. (TE)