The purpose of this study was to examine the use of socially relevant mathematics applications in high school mathematics classrooms and students' views of mathematics in light of their experiences with these applications. Also, the study sought to determine whether inquiries afforded by these applications incorporated features that promoted…

The goal of this paper is to introduce the curriculum strategy framework as a way to characterize teachers' interactions with curriculum materials. The framework focuses on three key interpretive activities: reading, evaluating, and adapting curriculum materials. Describing an individual teacher's curriculum strategy involves identifying the…

This article describes the goals of a capstone course for secondary preservice mathematics teachers and how those goals are achieved. Moreover, student reaction to the course will be examined.

This paper looks at the design process of an inquiry-based mathematics and science unit in two urban grade nine classes. Three teachers who teach in an urban, all-girls' junior high school collaborated with math/science and educational experts to design and implement the unit. Results showed the following: teachers needed to be flexible regarding…

Since 1973, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has gathered information about student achievement in mathematics. Results of these periodic assessments, produced in print and web-based formats, provide valuable information to a wide variety of audiences. The NAEP Assessment in mathematics has two components that differ in…

One dimension of mathematics learning is developing an identity as a mathematics learner. The social learning theories of Gee (2001) and Wenger (1998) serve as a basis for the discussion of four "faces" of identity: engagement, imagination, alignment, and nature. A study conducted with 54 rural high school students, with half enrolled in a…

Even though there is much research related to the teaching and learning of K-12 mathematics, there are few studies in the literature related to university professors' teaching. In this research report, I investigated how three professors of mathematics education structure their graduate level curriculum courses. The results show that three factors…

When the Adams 12 school district introduced a new mathematics curriculum to elementary schools several years ago, leaders have turned to an idea both old and new to make the change a success. They created a position dubbed "student-achievement coach" that gives each school a skilled teacher ready to urge her colleagues forward in three areas:…

The Scale-Up Pre-K Mathematics project, was conducted at a customary program-wide level of scale in Head Start and state-funded preschool programs in California and Kentucky/Indiana. The objectives of this randomized field trial were twofold: (1) to determine whether the intervention, the Pre-K Mathematics curriculum, continues to be effective…

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of mathematics programs for middle and high schools. Study inclusion requirements include use of a randomized or matched control group, a study duration of at least 12 weeks, and equality at pretest. There were 100 qualifying studies, 26 of which used random assignment to treatments. Effect…

Planning is an important phase of teaching, during which teachers make decisions about various aspects of instruction that ultimately shape students' opportunities to learn. Prior research on teacher planning, however, fails to adequately describe experienced teachers' planning decisions, and is unclear about the extent to which teachers use…

In this article we present a review of the state of the art in mathematical e-learning and some personal experiences on this area developed during the last eleven years at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), a completely online university located in Spain. The article discusses important aspects related to online mathematics courses offered in…

Information and communication technologies hold much promise for use in education in developing countries. This study reports on an evaluation conducted on the introduction of computers in the delivery of the mathematics curriculum in one of the provinces of South Africa. Although the request was for an outcome evaluation very early in the…

Proportionality should be a central focus of the middle-grades science and mathematics curricula and concepts such as density can be introduced and taught in both disciplines, highlighting for students the connections between science and mathematics. This month's column describes how teachers can utilize the "The Atlas of Science Literacy" and…

The release of the "Australian curriculum: Mathematics" has generated considerable debate in the education community. Some educators warn that this debate has centred on mathematical content and skills, setting the conditions for a "back to basics" movement in line with the political rhetoric that accompanied the national…