Secondary mathematics teachers participated in a problem-solving course in which technology became a means to develop as teachers and as problem solvers. Findings indicate a delineation between technical competence and metatechnology--thinking about how and when to apply technology to particular problems. (PVD)

Describes teaching strategies in which children are encouraged to develop computational procedures that are meaningful to them. Authors state that classroom observation reveals most primary students to be capable of developing their own accurate solution procedures for multi-digit addition and subtraction as well as for simple multiplication and…

Discussed is the effectiveness of using analogies in chemistry instruction. Students' mathematics anxiety, spatial visualization skill, and proportional reasoning ability were found to be important aptitudes for determining chemistry achievement. The relationship between analogs and algorithms is described. (KR)

Three studies involving 44 learning-disabled junior high students assessed the impact of strategy instruction in individual, small group, and whole class instruction in one knowledge domain: algebra. The three studies are contrasted, outcome data are compared, and the issue of generality-specificity in strategy instruction is examined. (JDD)

Higher-order thinking skills in science and mathematics were compared for high school students in large and small schools, controlling for SES, number of advanced courses offered, and enrollment rate in those courses. School size, number of advanced courses offered, and rurality had no effect on high-order thinking skills. (KS)

Performance assessment, a method that makes possible the assessment of multiple dimensions of students' progress, including dispositions, is described. Criteria for good performance tasks are given, and their structure is illustrated through an example. A list of 10 dispositions toward mathematics and a self-evaluation group-performance rating…

Early results from the Vermont Portfolio Project, which evaluated the progress of fourth and eighth graders in reading and mathematics using samples of student products, suggests that improvement is still needed in both subjects. Many factors will influence this pilot project's future direction, including availability of resources and development…

A paradigm that suggests the critical factor of quality rather than quantity of knowledge is proposed. The potential for retention and transfer in using a design and technology approach is discussed. Activities that generate relevant data for students are provided. (KR)

Presents a simple mathematical model in which resultant speed is the sum or difference between wind speed and runner speed and a more complex model that assumes that only a proportion of the wind's speed affects one's running speed to describe the time difference between running with and without wind. (MDH)

A summative evaluation of "Square One TV," an educational mathematics series produced by the Children's Television Workshop, shows that children who regularly viewed the program showed significant improvement in solving unfamiliar, complex mathematical problems, and viewers showed improvement in their mathematical problem-solving ability…

A conceptual framework is presented for the development of the Quantitative Understanding: Amplifying Student Achievement and Reasoning (QUASAR) Cognitive Assessment Instrument (QCAI) that focuses on the ability of middle-school students to problem solve, reason, and communicate mathematically. The instrument will provide programatic rather than…

A mathematics staff development program engaged kindergarten through twelfth grade Georgia teachers in a constructivist approach to learning for use in the classroom. The Problem-Solving and Thinking Project emphasized that teacher and student learning is not done passively and that teachers must be taught as it is hoped they will teach. (SM)

The effectiveness of instruction in word-problem solving for students with learning problems in 25 outcome studies was examined across student characteristics, instructional features, methodological features, skill maintenance, and generalization components. Computer-assisted instruction was found to be most effective for group-design studies;…

The problem-solving performance of high-achieving (HA) and low-achieving (LA) 11th-grade students was compared during solution of geometry problems using a think-aloud procedure. Detailed analysis of problem-solving protocols indicated that HA students not only accessed a greater body of geometrical knowledge but also used that knowledge more…

The aim of the present study was to investigate the performance in arithmetic related to achievement levels in reading and mathematics. Basic arithmetical facts and multi-step calculations were examined. The participants were 941 pupils aged 8 (N = 415), 10 (N = 274) and 13 (N = 252) years. The pupils were divided into four groups by standardized…