This issue contains abstracts and critical comments for published reports of research in mathematics education. The reports are concerned with: (1) relationships between class size, teaching practices, and student achievement; (2) sex differences related to attitudes; (3) comprehension of mathematical relationships expressed in graphs; (4) effect…

An editorial and abstracts for 12 research reports are contained in this issue. The editorial by Robert E. Reys focuses on the dangers of publishing poor research. The abstracts, each with a critique, concern research on a game for logical reasoning, wait-time and sex differences, vocabulary instruction on ratio and proportion, male-female…

This investigation capitalizes upon the information processing models that depend upon measurement of latency of response to a mathematical problem and the decomposition of reaction time (RT). Simple two term addition problems were presented with possible solutions for true-false verification, and accuracy and RT to response were recorded. Total…

Through the use of word problems relevant to the field of office occupations education, this workbook presents a concept-oriented approach to competency development in ten areas of basic mathematics: (1) the expression of numbers as figures and words; (2) the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, fractions, and…

This document contains both an instructor's guide and a reference manual. It was developed as part of a cooperative venture between Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), Wayne County (Michigan) Community College, and Great Lakes Steel (GLS). The instructor's guide has four sections: math for success in electronics, student materials, electronics…

This unit is 1 of 12 developed for the university classroom portion of the Mathematics-Methods Program (MMP), created by the Indiana University Mathematics Education Development Center (MEDC) as an innovative program for the mathematics training of prospective elementary school teachers (PSTs). Each unit is written in an activity format that…

Utilizing word problems relevant to automotive mechanics, this workbook presents a concept-oriented approach to competency development in 13 areas of basic mathematics: (1) the expression of numbers as figures and words; (2) the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, fractions, and decimals; (3) scientific notation;…

Suggests that children enter school with a great deal of informal intuitive knowledge of mathematics that can serve as the basis for developing much of the formal mathematics of the primary school curriculum. Describes a research-based model of children's thinking that teachers can use to interpret, transform, and reframe their informal or…

Utilizing word problems relevant to the field of environmental health, this workbook presents a concept-oriented approach to competency development in 14 areas of basic mathematics: (1) the expression of numbers as figures and words; (2) the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, fractions, and decimals; (3)…

This paper presents a research study of children using on-screen manipulatives (objects represented graphically on the computer screen) in learning mathematics. The paper begins by offering the rationale for the use of manipulatives in mathematics education, an assessment of why manipulatives are not more commonly used in schools, and a discussion…

Presents a study of 87 second graders to demonstrate that achievement tests in primary mathematics emphasize pupil's lower-order thinking by comparing answers to interview questions from constructivist and traditionally instructed groups. Results indicated that constructivist instructed students demonstrated superior higher-order thinking on tasks…

Proposes the use of literature to introduce new mathematical concepts. Presents a story to develop the concept of grouping, and follows with 11 activities related to the story in which students use dramatization and manipulative materials to develop new groupings, predict outcomes, validate their predictions, and discuss findings to develop the…

Recent research suggests that many middle school students approach mathematical story problems with strategies that are not based on possible meanings for the operations, yielding success for one-step problems, but providing a weak background for approaching algebra story problems. This document reports the findings and the materials developed by…

The Proceedings of PME-XI has been published in three separate volumes because of the large total of 161 individual conference papers reported. Volume I contains four plenary papers, all on the subject of "constructivism," and 44 commented papers arranged under 4 themes. Volume II contains 56 papers (39 commented; 17 uncommented)…

The National Science Foundation funded Calculators and Mathematics Project, Los Angeles (CAMP-LA) developed curriculum materials focused solely on the use of calculators. The project was developed in three stages. The first stage studied the mathematics curriculums from different states and identified topics that are not included but should be if…