The "Report on the Condition of Education" is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Using the most recent data available (at the time this report was written) from NCES and other sources, the report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at…

With COVID-19 continuing to make meeting face-to-face impossible, the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group/Groupe Canadien d'Étude en Didactique des Mathématiques (CMESG/GCEDM) executive decided that, for the first time, the CMESG/GCEDM meeting would be held virtually. By necessity, the program had to be much compressed with no topic…

The objective of this action research study was to explore the use of formative assessment (daily quizzes), including identification of student weaknesses or lack of understanding, along with instructional correctives that are different from previous instruction, to help students attain the intended learning goals. Part of the exploration was to…

Proficiency in mathematics is a major advantage in industrialised nations. Here we discuss several emotional impediments to mathematics achievement, namely mathematics anxiety and stereotype threat. Synthesising findings from empirical studies in the fields of cognitive, social, and educational psychology, as well as neuroscience, we discuss some…

This paper presents findings from an ethnographic study of the role and meaning ofmathematics homework in the lives ofmiddle school students. The study conceptualizes and examines homework as a social practice, with a focus on how students make meaning out of their experiences and the role of identity development in meaning making. Specifically,…

Annual National Assessment (ANA) performance in Mathematics across the primary grades in South Africa indicates a decrease in mean performance across Grades 1-6. In this paper, we explore the apparently high performance in Grade 1 through a comparative investigation of learner responses on two assessments: the Grade 1 ANA taken in February 2011 by…

This study compared the relative impact of gender-, race-, and income-based stereotype threat and examined if individuals with multiple stigmatized aspects of identity experience a larger stereotype threat effect on math performance and working memory function than people with one stigmatized aspect of identity. Seventy-one college students of the…

Recent scientific evidence demonstrates both the incredible potential of the brain to grow and change and the powerful impact of growth mindset messages upon students' attainment. Schooling practices, however, particularly in England, are based upon notions of fixed ability thinking which limits students' attainment and increases inequality. This…

The central aim of this paper is to undertake a critical review of arguments which propose that chess should be taught in schools and other educational settings. In particular, I offer an answer to the question: "Should chess be taught in early childhood?" Many claims have been made about the educational benefits of chess instruction. In…

Compulsory mathematics service units for the life sciences present unique challenges: even students who learn some specific skills maintain a negative attitude to mathematics and do not see the relevance of the unit towards their degree. The focus on authentic content and the presentation and teaching of global or qualitative methods before…

Research has shown students can identify practices considered appropriate for achieving when learning mathematics (Kershner & Pointon, 2000; McCullum, Hargreaves & Gripps, 2000). Yet, if you listen to students talking about the practices they consider important to succeed, and then observe the same students working in their mathematics…

Counting abilities have been described as determinative precursors for a good development of later mathematical abilities. However, an important part of variance in mathematical achievement has also been associated with differences between instruction methods given in schools. In this study counting and instruction as predictors for mathematical…

The US portion of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 student questionnaire comprising of 4,733 observations was used in a multiple regression framework to predict math achievement from demographic variables, such as gender, race, and socioeconomic status, and two student-specific measures of perception, math anxiety and…

This study examined student indicators for success in entry-level college calculus. An attitude toward mathematics inventory, course performance, readiness assessment, and student interviews were used to determine characteristics and behaviors of students who succeeded in the course. In addition to student indicators, difficult topics and…

This research examines whether reading a text presenting scientific evidence concerning the phenomenon of stereotype threat improves or disrupts women's performance in a subsequent math task. In two experimental conditions participants (N=118 ) read a text summarizing an experiment in which stereotypes, and not biological differences, were shown…