An evaluation of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools' summer-school program to help raise low-performing students' mathematics achievement showed that students received little benefit. Disappointing results arose from use of teacher-centered instructional techniques. Students had little opportunity for informal thinking, exploration,…

Investigated the relationship between measures of mathematics teacher skill and student achievement in 795 California high schools. Results support the hypothesis that there is a shortage of qualified mathematics teachers in California, and that this shortage is associated with low student scores. (SLD)

Examines the effects of classwide peer-assisted learning strategies (PALS) in mathematics incorporating the use of curriculum-based measurement on acquisition and transfer learning of three types of students (average-achieving student, low-achieving students, and students with a learning disability). Analysis of variance indicates superior…

Notes that students often find difficulty with the language used in the learning of and assessment of mathematics. Reports on a study that analyzes questions from a 1996 Higher School Certificate Mathematics in Society examination in New South Wales. Makes suggestions on changing the language of the assessment to make the mathematics in it more…

Outlines three bodies of knowledge reflected in the British National Numeracy Strategy that generally agree concerning characteristics of effective mathematics teaching. Discusses a fourth body of knowledge related to developing higher-order thinking skills. Whole-class interactive teaching and active teaching models yield highest test scores. (59…

TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study) is the largest, most ambitious study of comparative education ever attempted. Despite the TIMSS Subject Matter Advisory Committee's best efforts, not all test items truly reflect student math and science achievement. Some items have more than one correct response; some are not grounded in…

Two studies with college students investigated the generalizability of the previously found suppression effect of mathematical achievement (as shown by high school grades in mathematics) on gender differences in spatial ability. The suppression effect was found to generalize to mathematically talented students and to a computerized task. (DB)

Parents can help ensure that their children are well-equipped with the necessary mathematical skills and understanding for the future by: having high expectations for their children's learning; helping their children see mathematical connections and applications in the world; being curious about their children's thinking; and being enthusiastic…

Discussion of the development of mathematical talent in students identifies seven distinct levels of talent and suggests that Srinivasa Ramanujan, the Indian mathematician considered to be self-taught, actually received good schooling and studied a comprehensive advanced mathematical text. This suggests that good instruction is as necessary for…

Describes a study that explores secondary school students' conceptions of division by zero. Examines whether students identify expressions involving division by zero as undefined or tend to assign them numerical values. Studies students' justifications and analyzes the effects of age and level of achievement in mathematics on students' responses…

Studied homework characteristics and effectiveness in mathematics education for secondary school students using a sample of 1,394 Dutch students in 28 schools. Results show a lack of policy directed at coordination and increase of homework. Amount of homework was the only homework variable related to achievement. (SLD)

Discusses the national option mathematics test developed by Dutch educators because of doubts that the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) mathematics test was appropriate for Dutch students. Discusses test results that indicate that the TIMSS was, in fact, appropriate for use in the Netherlands. (SLD)

Analyzes questionnaire data from 52 third- and fourth-grade teachers. Asks teachers to consider boys' and girls' achievement in mathematics, stating their views on the reasons for students' successes and failures and describing their learning characteristics. Discusses stereotypical teacher beliefs that might help explain gender differences in…

The cyclical nature of mathematics grades was studied for a cohort of elementary school students from a large metropolitan school district in Texas over six years (average cohort size of 8495). The study used an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. Results indicate that grades do exhibit a significant cyclical pattern. (SLD)

Suggests that the differences existing between the view of algebra as a mandated course at a specified grade level and the view of algebra as a way of mathematical thinking and reasoning developed gradually over time must be positively integrated to help students develop a genuine capacity for algebraic thinking and reasoning. (AIM)