In general, studies on gender and mathematics show that the advantage held by boys over girls in mathematics achievement has diminished markedly over the last 40 years. Some researchers even argue that gender differences in mathematics achievement are no longer a relevant issue. However, the results of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study…

At the University of Southwestern Louisiana, an innovative course in college mathematics, Math 107, was designed to place mathematics into the context of everyday life and to use concepts from several disciplines within mathematics including algebra, geometry, statistics, probability, and data analysis. Inherent within the teaching of Math 107 was…

This volume is concerned with the alignment between the way the mathematical performance of students is assessed and the reform agenda in school mathematics. The chapters in this book have been prepared to raise a set of issues that scholars are addressing during this period of transition from traditional schooling practices toward the reform…

Mandler's (1984) model of emotion is summarized in this paper and is operatonalized analytically and statistically using Thom's (1975) catastrophe theory. Data were collected from (n=15) mathematics majors in a pilot study to test Mandler's model and the nonlinear effects of emotions in solving mathematical problems. The data were found to fit…

This study used a structural equation paradigm to investigate the effects of self-regulated learning, self-efficacy, learning goal orientation, and worry on high-stakes mathematics achievement in a sample of (n=144) mathematically gifted high school students in southern California. Sex and prior math achievement (the Mathematics-Scholastic…

Multi-line-multi-operation calculators such as the TI-80 provide eighth-grade prealgebra and algebra students with significantly better computational tools for basic order-of-operation problems involving integers and signed rational numbers than do calculators offering only last-entry-or-result displays. Effects are more apparent for weaker…

The aim of the third National Education Goal is for all U.S. students to be competent in academic subject matter. The aim of the fifth National Education Goal is for U.S. students to perform at world-class levels in mathematics and science. The purpose of this report is to summarize the amount of progress that each state has made in raising…

This report addresses two related issues. First, it summarizes the past international studies of mathematics and science, describing each study and its primary results. In place of country by country performance rankings, the report presents the average performance for each country accompanied by an estimate of the statistical error circumscribing…

This document discusses an academic achievement study of selected Garvey School District students (N=179) as reflected on the CTBS (Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills) scores of first-grade students at elementary school sites and covering a period of 6 school years starting with 1980-81. Findings compare (1) achievement in reading scale scores…

Reported are results of a study of a sample of 259 students at the University of Massachusetts who scored low on a math placement test and later took precalculus math classes. Several possible conclusions are presented to explain the test results. A significantly higher percentage (p<.05) of a remedial sample (compared to a non-remedial sample)…

The potential for school improvement in schools and districts that score well above state and national averages was explored. Based on elementary reading and mathematics data from a collaborating district, it appears that a three-step school improvement logic can effect improvements in "good" schools. The first step is to collect…

The second year of operation of the Transition Program for Refugee Children (T.P.R.C.) is evaluated in this report. The program provides classes in English as a Second Language (E.S.L.) or content area instruction with an E.S.L. approach specifically designed to improve students' English language listening, speaking, reading, and writing…

The Daviess County, Kentucky, PREPS research project focused on evaluating the county's 1979 summer school program. This program invited children to attend if they were functioning at least one year below their grade placement level. Learning activities were structured around specific behavioral objectives; the emphasis was on reading and…

The purpose of this paper was to determine the effects of calculators in mathematics classes and to assess proposed curriculum revisions related to calculators. Twenty-six calculator studies and other selected sources were reviewed and annotated. Major conclusions of the study include: (1) calculator use has produced significant gains in…

Many telephone and video homework hotlines have sprung up during the 1980s, partly due to the educational reform movement. This study, which examined junior high student and teacher attitudes toward homework and an experimental homework hotline in Iowa, provides empirical data for other interested school districts. Includes four tables. (MLH)