Explores the experiences of a university lecturer with a group of primary teachers working together on a joint classroom-based ethnographic research project on problem solving. (Author/CCM)

Describes knowledge for teachers as curriculum designers and a framework for interdisciplinary unit development. Includes an example of the framework in action. (Author/MM)

Imagine--you must bring water to a hurricane-ravaged area. There is only one bridge and only one truck, and the bridge can only hold so much weight. Your calculations determine if the truck--and its load of water--can make it safely over the bridge. This is a typical challenge during two-week summer camps for third-through fourth-grade students…

This study investigated the differential effects of two problem-solving instructional approaches--schema-based instruction (SBI) and general strategy instruction (GSI)--on the mathematical word problem-solving performance of 22 middle school students who had learning disabilities or were at risk for mathematics failure. Results indicated that the…

We focus on a major difficulty in solving combinatorial problems, namely, on the verification of a solution. Our study aimed at identifying undergraduate students' tendencies to verify their solutions, and the verification strategies that they employ when solving these problems. In addition, an attempt was made to evaluate the level of efficiency…

Two experiments were conducted to understand the processes through which 5th graders discriminate relevant from irrelevant information when solving mathematical story problems. Visual scanning was recorded and coded as directed toward relevant information, irrelevant information, the question, workspace, and elsewhere. Experiment 1 focused on the…

Math-education reformers encourage the incorporation of mathematical modeling activities into K-12 curricula. Many of the purported educational benefits derive from the authenticity of the activities-how well they reflect the everyday and occupational mathematical practices of adults. But a paucity in the literature of observational descriptions…

This paper develops a mathematical model for the nonselective harvesting of a prey-predator system in which both the prey and the predator obey the Gompertz law of growth and some prey avoid predation by hiding. The steady states of the system are determined, and the dynamical behaviour of both species is examined. The possibility of existence of…

This article illustrates the fact that unless tempered by algebraic reasoning, a graphing calculator can lead one to erroneous conclusions. It also demonstrates that some problems can be solved by combining technology with algebra.

Developed by the ABCs of Construction National Workplace Literacy Project, these curriculum materials for the areas of electrical and instrumentation (E&I), pipefitter, and millwright contain a lesson that deals with reading charts and tables. The lesson consists of these components: objective, instruction, 10 exercises for E&I, 5 for…

This article introduces Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs) as a form of case study team problem-solving. MEA design focuses on eliciting from students conceptual models that they iteratively revise in problem-solving. Though developed by mathematics education researchers to study the evolution of mathematical problem-solving expertise in middle…

Developed by the ABCs of Construction National Workplace Literacy Project, these seven workbooks are designed to enhance the basic skills of pipefitters. Reading and Solving Basic Pipefitting Problems #1 defines and uses eight basic terms pipefitters need to know, reviews steps a pipefitter must take to identify and solve a simple pipefitting…

An item classification scheme developed by A. M. Gallagher (1990) was refined, resulting in a more accurate prediction of sex differences in the mathematical sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Differential Item Functioning (DIF) procedures for examinees scoring over 650 indicated that the majority of items favoring males required the…

Developed for use in teaching a two-semester, one-unit course, this course guide is intended to aid the high school instructor in teaching mathematical problem-solving and computational skills to vocational education students. The state-adopted textbook for general mathematics III, "Applied General Mathematics" serves as the major…

Describes study designed to investigate the effectiveness of personalizing verbal math problems on division of fractions for fifth and sixth grades using microcomputer-generated lessons. Treatment and control group results are analyzed, and results support the hypothesis that the personalized context group was superior in problem solving and had…