In the disciplines of dance and mathematics, binary identities commonly split individuals into either (non)dance and/or (non)math people. However, these shorthand assessments become dangerous because they constrain disciplinary knowledge, and limiting one's identity and capabilities remains antithetical to broad education goals. Capitalizing on…

High school geometry students were presented lessons with either a high degree of structure or a low degree of structure. Structure was defined in terms of the frequency with which concepts were repeated from one sentence to the next. After the lessons, students were tested for comprehension of the material covered and then they rated the lessons…

The effects of a mathematics lesson's complexity were studied, using 128 female and 122 male first-year algebra students in Georgia high schools. Achievement scores were slightly, but not significantly, higher with low complexity lessons, and students preferred the low-complexity lessons. Implications for teaching secondary mathematics are…