Few would argue that students struggle with understanding and representing functions. There are many theories on why the abstraction of mathematical processes poses such cognitive difficulty, but so far functional programming is most often taught in a manner that discourages the use of visual intuition. The paper, by contrast, describes a…

The under-representation of females in mathematical careers persists despite the fact that in recent years, gender differences in mathematics achievement and participation in mathematics coursework at the high school level have virtually disappeared. This bulletin presents research findings and discusses gender differences in mathematics…

This study examined the role and development of applied problem solving in mathematics education in the Finnish comprehensive school. The development during the 1980s of applied problem solving in schools was positive in many ways: the changes were cautious and took place more slowly than had been planned; and many obstacles related to the…

This paper suggests that the mathematics teacher needs to do much reading and studying of important trends in improving the mathematics curriculum. Recommendations are made for what teachers need to look for in research studies in mathematics in order to help them recognize what would make for a quality study. Collaborative and individualized…

As part of the school reform legislation of 1985, the Illinois State Board of Education established State Goals for Learning in six fundamental learning areas: language arts, mathematics, science, social science, fine arts, and physical development and health. The next step is to develop standards that will more clearly define the knowledge and…

While 1990 was the year of reform recommendations in mathematics education, 1991 may become the year of assessment in mathematics education. The growth of assessment activities stems from the belief that the primary purpose of assessment is the improvement of teaching. The digest reviews trends in mathematics assessment. Discussed are the sudden…

College admissions requirements can be a powerful force toward improved student achievement in high schools and colleges. In January of 1982, California State University adopted more rigorous admission requirements, to become effective in the fall of 1984. Since that decision, morale of high school teachers has improved, and expectations and…

This updated bibliography was prepared to provide a source of current information on general aspects of instructional computing, and to give particular attention to computing in mathematics education. The general information it contains will provide a starting point for educators who are beginning their work in instructional computing. The…

This review guide, prepared as an aid to teachers of Course III, starts with a pre-test review of Course II topics found again in Course III. The five units of Course III, as outlined in the New York State Syllabus, are then separated into nine smaller units. These include: real numbers; complex numbers; functions; logarithms; trigonometry;…

Assessment of Baseline Curriculum (ABC Tests) is a locally developed objectives-referenced assessment system that matches the Dallas Independent School System's Baseline Curriculum. Designed for instructional use and not for accountability, a major purpose of the ABC Test is to measure student attainment of objectives in the Mathematics and…

This publication provides a basic list of mathematical standards for the State of Louisiana, and indicates at which point each skill should be introduced and mastered in grades 1 through 10. At designated mastery points, students will be expected to respond satisfactorily to criterion-referenced test items designed to assess performance on the…

This report, prepared for and published by the Mathematical Association of America's Committee on the Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics, includes a description of the state of the art on problem solving, lists available resources, and makes recommendations regarding the place of problem solving in the college curriculum and ways to teach it.…

This book is a methods book to help teachers guide children to develop ideas and relationships about mathematics. The methods and activities are designed to get children mentally involved in the construction of those ideas and relationships. Chapter 1 discusses what it means to teach mathematics and suggests some of the important variables shaping…

This book was written to help teachers to plan and implement an effective multiplication-division basic fact program. When it is determined that children have gained an adequate concept for an operation, the next long-range goal is fact memorization. Children need to respond quickly and correctly to number facts and retain this learning over time.…

This digest reviews the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics'"Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics." Topics summarized are: (1) rationale; (2) underlying assumptions; (3) five goals for students; (4) framework for curriculum; (5) standards for each grade cluster; (6) standards for general assessment, student…