Compared performance of Malaysian children with that of English children on a test into the understanding of number concepts. Findings indicate that difficulties of Malaysian children may be quite different from those of English children. Among the difficulties identified were misconceptions about the order of operation in division and…

Examined whether mathematics-related self-efficacy mediated the effects of gender and mathematical preparation and achievement on math relatedness of college major choice in 117 undergraduates. Results showed that math self-efficacy predicts both math anxiety and math-related major choices. Gender alone appeared insufficient to explain…

Statistical analyses were performed on data containing demographic, handicapping, and achievement information for 1,465 hearing-impaired students. Results showed that the integrated students and the nonintegrated students differed with respect to their age, ethnic status, hearing loss, age at onset, additional handicapping characteristics, and…

A study conducted with kindergarten and elementary school children showed that Piagetian tasks which measured seriation, conservation, and multiple classification were equal or superior to traditional intelligence tests in predicting number language, number line comprehension, and verbal arithmetic. (GC)

In a real sense, PISA 2003 has touched the mathematics education community by stealth rather than by storm. Although PISA brings "baggage" commonly associated with international assessments, it takes some refreshing perspectives especially in the way that it envisions and assesses mathematical literacy. In this panel discussion we focus…

Primary school data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were analyzed in this study to examine performance difference between third and fourth grades. The score comparison was conducted across all TIMSS items in each of the 26 participating countries. The empirical findings indicate that not all TIMSS items have…

Mathematics and science achievements have been assessed in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and its repetition (TIMSS-R). The released TIMSS and TIMSS-R reports are largely divided into subject domains. To merge the research outcomes, this study focused on an examination of the relationship between mathematics and…

This report describes a program for increasing math achievement through the use of musical interventions including repeated exposure to Mozart classical music and School House Rock, and introduction to teacher-made songs that introduce mathematical concepts in the music classroom. The students of the targeted second and fourth grade classes…

This report presents results of the NAEP 2003 fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics assessments for the nation, for regions of the country, for participating states and other jurisdictions, and for participating urban districts. Assessment results are described in terms of students' average mathematics score on a 0-500 scale and in terms of the…

Quality instruction and student engagement in mathematics are strategies that are becoming more vital as the new century unfolds. To prepare for living and working in a technically intensive world, high school students need a culture of high expectations, quality college-preparatory-level courses and numeracy across the curriculum. The following…

We are researching actions that teachers can take to improve mathematics learning for all students. Structural elements of the lessons being trialled include making aspects of pedagogy explicit to seek to overcome differences in familiarity with schooling processes, and sequencing tasks with the potential to engage students. This article reports…

Charter schools have become a very popular instrument for reforming public schools, because they expand choices, facilitate local innovation, and provide incentives for the regular public schools while remaining under public control. Despite their conceptual appeal, evaluating their performance has been hindered by the selective nature of their…

"The Achiever" is published monthly during the school year for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) President Establishes National Advisory Panel on Math: Experts to Advise on "Best Available…

With the goal of academic excellence for all students in mind, The College Board's EQUITY 2000 educational reform program was designed to test the hypothesis that enrollment and success in the gatekeeper courses of algebra and geometry will bridge the gap of achievement and college-going rates between minority/nonminority students and economically…

This study examines whether changes in teacher compensation, specifically increases in salary, could improve student performance. Studies show that performance based award systems for teachers can increase their motivation to improve instruction. Data were collected from nine randomly chosen states. Each state's average teacher salary was compared…