Differences in mathematics performance between boys and girls were investigated. Tests with content appropriate for boys or for girls were given randomly to 163 boys and 147 girls from ten high schools. Differences in performance favored the boys. Students' performance tended to be better on questions with sex-appropriate contextual settings. (DT)

Use of general mathematical strategies by Australian students in grades 8-10 was studied, with students required to describe their reasoning and articulate reasons for the choice of particular strategies. Main effects were found for cognitive level, year level, and sex. A taxonomy is also presented. (MNS)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Groups of Four" program, examining the impact of the cooperative learning strategy on students' achievement in mathematical problem solving. Effects of three specific independent variables in the program were examined in terms of gender, group assignment, and ability,…

Autonomous Learning Behavior (ALB) as mediators between internal and external influences and performance on high level cognitive tasks was proposed as a possible explanation for gender-related differences in mathematics. This study developed a measure of ALB by drawing on teachers' working knowledge and the literature on problem-solving, including…

This study explored the variance in mathematical problem-solving achievement accounted for by sex and ethnicity. Each of 316 adolescents in a rural school district in southeast Texas was administered the California Achievement Test and a set of five affective scales. Reading scores accounted for 49.5% of the variance; computation, 14.6%; affective…

Investigated qualitative features of proportional reasoning on dimensional intensive variables by sixth- (N=116) and eighth- (N=137) grade students. These features included types of comparison and types of strategies employed. Results based on the administration of four proportional problems, varying in numerical and referential content, are…

In the area of school mathematics, research has repeatedly indicated that males are far more likely than females to participate in and excel at the highest levels of achievement. Given the supposition of innate differences between the sexes in mathematical ability, as well as the existence of sociocultural differences, none of these variables…

Presented is the product of a curriculum project originated in the Mequon-Theinsville Sex Equity Committee, and focusing on mathematics anxiety and avoidance. The project's two major purposes were to: (1) have the district's mathematics instructors become aware of the problem, its implications, consequences, and suggested intervention strategies;…

Investigates patterns of sex differences for responses to problems across the countries involved in the Second International Mathematics Study. Reports no substantial gender effects on any of the content areas using the median polishing method. (YP)

This three-part volume addresses topics and issues related to the education of secondary school mathematics teachers. The first part focuses on six contemporary trends in secondary school mathematics which bear heavily upon initial training. They include: the current concern for problem-solving; the influences of environmental change on…

Sixty subjects, 30 males and 30 females, grades 7-9, were given an estimation and comparison mathematics test consisting of high and low difficulty level problems. Performances as measured by total error scores were compared as functions of sex and anxiety separately for high and low difficulty problems. There was a significant main effect of…

Investigates gender differences and the role of spatial visualization in problem solving in high school geometry. Reports that, whereas males and females differed in spatial visualization and in their performance, they did not differ in logical reasoning ability or in their use of geometric problem-solving strategies. (Author)

Examined are gender differences across the mathematics curriculum related to various topic areas and mathematical abilities. It was found that boys performed better than girls in geometry and excelled in comprehension, and solving routine and non-routine problems while girls were better at mathematical manipulation problems. (Author/MVL)

Results from the third national mathematics assessment indicate that the decline in performance of 17 year olds between 1973 and 1978 has leveled out over the last four years, and 13 year olds' performance improved significantly between 1978 and 1982. However, most gains were on lower-order skills. (MNS)

Reports on a study of the influence of problem-solving computer software on the attitudes of secondary school students toward mathematics while using computer-assisted instruction. Student performance on pretests and posttests are compared, gender differences are discussed, and implications for mathematics instruction are suggested. (10…