Forty-three students (ages 16-17) gifted in physics/mathematics were compared with 34 typical students to investigate the cognitive experience of gifted individuals. Results found the gifted students had different representations of reality and the future, more complex and rich conceptual representations, and more developed intellectual control.…

Data from national samples from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 were used to study gender differences in mathematics achievement. Gender differences were not found when total group means were compared, but noteworthy differences favoring males were found at the high end of the score distributions. (SLD)

Provides an annotated list of resources to aid in teaching mathematics, including Web site addresses for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education, and the Association of Teachers of Mathematics, United Kingdom. (NB)

Explored the link between classroom practices and student academic performance by applying multilevel modeling to the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress in mathematics. Findings show that the effects of classroom practices, when added to other teacher characteristics, are comparable in size to those of student background, suggesting…

Examines the accuracy of parents' assessment of their children's mathematics performance and how this relates to the time parents spend on children's homework. Results reveal that the time parents spent helping their children with mathematics homework was unrelated to children's mathematics performance, parents' predictions of their children's…

Presents key 1988-89 school statistics and highlights major educational trends (like the school choice controversy). Topics include leadership profiles; U.S. students' poor showing on international math and science assessments; school facilities construction problems and issues; standard measures such as test scores and dropout rates; and state…

Discusses the place of math, mathematicians, and math education in society. Argues that the United States needs a better integration of numbers and sense, an active integration of math and semantics ("mathsemantics"), and a new outlook in which people ask and know what the numbers mean. (SR)

Fourth grade students participated in mental arithmetic activities for eight weeks. Posttests revealed that the experimental group performed significantly higher than the control group on arithmetic problem solving and arithmetic computation. Females appeared to benefit more from the instructional program than males. (KS)

Comparison of scores of 166 undergraduates on the Mathematics American College Test, Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, and an outcome expectation scale showed that self-efficacy mediated the effects of past achievement on interest in math. Achievement and self-efficacy predicted math grades; outcome expectation and self-efficacy predicted interest…

Kindergarten children whose mathematics curriculum included the use of children's literature scored higher on measures of mathematics achievement; used a larger mathematics vocabulary; and showed more interest in mathematics than did children whose curriculum did not include children's literature. (BC)

Summarizes results of a longitudinal study on the development of mathematics achievement and choice behavior of boys and girls aged 12 to 15 in (Dutch) secondary schools. Although gender differences in choosing mathematics as a final examination project do exist, they can only partially be explained by differences in math achievement. (Contains 18…

Presents high school students' responses to a yearly writing assessment which asked them to explain why there are discrepancies in the performances of males and females in reading and math. Finds that the largest category of responses was "the way things are," followed by the equally broad categories of work, society, school, and logic. (SR)

Reports the results of students' performance as measured by grades after the completion of the first three-quarters of calculus using the materials of the Calculus Consortium based at Harvard University. The results are presented in graphical form. The improvement is dramatic for the weaker students and moderate or none for the better students.…

A case study is presented of an eight-year-old girl who, despite very high intelligence in general, exhibited underachievement in math. By modifying her self-defeating definitions of task difficulty, educators and her parents were able to encourage her and improve her math achievement to be commensurate with her general intelligence. (Author/PB)

Reading and math testing in inner London of 112 Black, 182 White children at end of primary school and 79 and 119 from this sample at age 11 found girls, especially Black girls, progressed more in reading in primary school; and boys progressed more in math initially, girls tended to catch up later, and Black boys fell behind. (SK)