Developed by the ABCs of Construction National Workplace Literacy Project, these curriculum materials for the occupational area of pipefitting contain a lesson that deals with reading charts and graphs. The lesson consists of an objective, instruction, and seven exercises. Three types of problems are provided in each exercise: "try…

This paper examines a range of studies done on the "Geometric Supposer" software and its use since the mid-1980s. It describes how the "Geometric Supposer" is a response to the call for reform by the mathematics community to create classroom environments that allow students to construct their own knowledge. This approach to…

The third volume of this proceedings contains more of the research reports begun in Volume 2. Papers include: (1) "A Semiotic Model for Analyzing the Relationships between Thought, Language and Context in Mathematics Education" (Juan D. Godino and Angel M. Recio); (2) "Conceptions as Articulated in Different Microworlds Exploring…

This two-volume document provides the proceedings of a conference on the psychology of mathematics education. Plenary session themes were "Diversity and Equity," (with papers by Gilah Leder; Walter Secada; and Ubiratan D'Ambrosio), "Teacher Education," (with a paper by Thomas Cooney), and "Technology" (with papers by…

Examines an intervention study of 23 students in an elementary teacher education program to determine the effects of three nontraditional mathematics courses on the teacher candidates' conceptual understanding of mathematics and the learning of mathematics. Results indicate that the intervention produced significant changes in prospective…

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…

In a four-year, longitudinal study conducted between 2000 and 2004, the author followed 700 students as they progressed through three high schools: a diverse, urban school as well as two suburban schools. Although incoming freshmen at the urban school scored significantly lower in mathematics than incoming students at the two suburban schools, by…

New software tools for data analysis provide rich opportunities for representing and understanding data. However, little research has been done on how learners use these tools to think about data, nor how that affects teaching. This paper describes several ways that learners use new software tools to deal with variability in analyzing data,…

The articles in this annotated bibliography represent holdings of the Test Center in the area of assessment alternatives in mathematics. Presence on the list does not imply endorsement of the practices by the Test Center; rather, articles are made available to stimulate thinking and provide ideas. Some entries present informal assessments intended…

This document highlights what is needed to ensure excellence in mathematics education as teachers and schools prepare students for the world beyond the classroom. One goal of this publication is to inform parent groups, school boards, business leaders, and local policy makers of the changes taking place in mathematics education. The purpose of a…

A fertile area for the improvement of mathematics achievement in the United States is in staff development for multicultural education. Multicultural mathematics is best defined by what it is not; it is not ethnomathematics, nor simply Afrocentrism or Eurocentrism. Multicultural mathematics furthers the multicultural goals of the school system…

In 1989 the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics published the "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" (Standards). This document provides benchmark statements about specific aspects of the curriculum and about evaluation against which school divisions can judge their own specific curricula. In the fall of…

This paper describes mathematical modeling activities from a secondary mathematics teacher education course taken by fourth-year university students. Experiences with mathematical modeling are viewed as important in helping teachers develop a more intuitive understanding of mathematics, generate and evaluate mathematical interpretations, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine if an intervention program improved gifted girls' attitudes toward mathematics. Forty-eight academically gifted girls in grades 4-7 were selected from an isolated, rural area of the Mid-South. In the pre-test, both experimental and control groups were administered the Mathematics Attitude Inventory (MAI).…

This qualitative assessment of tenth-grade students' (n=17) problem solving focused on the nature of students' thinking, their problem-solving strategies and heuristics, the mathematical approaches they selected, and the ways they monitored their own progress. The problem, presented orally and with photographs in a task-based interview, involved a…