Piaget has suggested formal operations, as measured by his tasks, may be related specifically to physics-type problem solving and that other hypothetico-deductive thinking processes develop in adults in other specializations. The present follow-up study examined the relationship between formal versus concrete operational thinking as measured by…

This study investigated whether Koreans and Americans differ in proficiency in informal mathematics, if Korean children start off with an advantage in this area, and if their informal mathematics is different from that of Americans. The study also examined: possible cultural differences in the understanding of and performance in formal mathematics…

Investigating the relationship between students' daily attendance and mathematics classroom performance, the study was conducted using 23 American Indian adult students enrolled in Remedial Mathematics 100 at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute from September 1981 through November 1981. Classroom attendance was recorded on a daily basis…

Grade, sex, and race information of 1,391 students registered in Introduction to Business Statistics at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga were gathered to investigate sex and race differences in achieving quantitative competencies. Results indicated that females scored significantly higher than males, whereas blacks scored significantly…

Results of 120 studies were combined by meta-analysis to determine effects on mathematics test performance of factors other than knowledge of content. Conditions that enhanced performance included testwiseness training, praise, word problem pictures, and frequent testing. Conditions depressing or not affecting performance were also noted. (MNS)

Examined (1) whether Korean children exhibit superior levels of mathematics achievement, compared to U.S. children; (2) whether an early advantage in informal mathematical thinking contributes to superiority in mathematical achievement; and (3) whether the superior achievement of Korean children is qualitatively different from that of U.S.…

A study of fourth and fifth grade classes suggests that competitive math activities give boys an advantage where cooperative math activities generally give girls an advantage. Suggestions to help teachers balance their teaching methods to decrease disparities between boys and girls are made. (MT)

Examined the potential of using repeated rate-of-response measures to identify students exhibiting difficulties in arithmetic. Second-grade students (N=30) were followed over two years. Pearson product-moment correlations were computed to determine the ability of rate-of-response measures to predict arithmetic achievement. Results indicate that…

Students' reported inner speech during mathematics problem solving was studied. Subjects from grades three to six were assigned to low-task or high-task difficulty groups. Between problems, students reported their inner speech. Both groups maintained an adaptive task-oriented problem-solving stance, with positive affect toward self. (Author/GDC)

Investigated factors associated with mathematics anxiety in 63 undergraduates who completed four anxiety measures prior to completing three math tasks. Results indicated math anxiety measures were more related to each other than to test anxiety. Ability, physiological and avoidance measures showed little relation to math anxiety. (JAC)

Outlines one teacher's questioning of the understanding of computational processes by her students in mathematics class. Points out the importance of teaching the context of meaning and its application in mathematics. (MD)

A latent-construct causal model of the process of mathematics achievement is presented. When the model was compared between men and women, it was found that mathematics ability and attitudes toward mathematics had stronger effects on mathematics achievement for men than for women. (Author/LMO)

Compared the cognitions of high and low math anxious undergraduates (N=71) who were asked to think aloud while solving mathematical problems. Results showed no anxiety-related differences for either performance or 11 categories of cognitions, and no sex differences in performance or for a linear combination of cognitions. (JAC)

This study investigated whether the constant decline in Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) mathematics scores since 1963 reflected a decrease in student mathematical ability or the SAT's inadequacy in measuring mathematical ability. Findings indicated a very low correlation between SAT math scores and overall college math grades of six graduating…

Data collected in Britain on 15,000 children aged seven, 11, and 16 over a 26-year period were examined to determine mathematical attainment of geographically mobile children. Discussed are reasons why a literature review indicated that research evidence on the effects of school changes are contradictory and inconclusive. (MNS)