Describes the typical eighth-grade geometry curriculum (with regard to teacher emphasis on content, time allocations, instructional methodologies, the use of manipulatives, and compared to current research models) of typical (n=109) and enriched (n=23) mathematics classrooms in the United States based on data from the IEA Second International…

Presents a team-oriented student activity designed to introduce trigonometric ratios and applications of selected trigonometric functions by constructing tables of values. Can be used at the middle school level. (MKR)

Reported are the results of the Second International Mathematics Study describing U.S. eighth (n=235) and twelfth grade (n=156) teachers' reasons for deciding what teaching methods to employ and topics to cover in the classroom. Teacher knowledge and textbook inclusion or exclusion are the most frequently cited reasons. Implications for curricular…

Reviews chapters of this book on probability in mathematics education. Topics discussed in the chapters include a historical perspective of probability, an epistemological perspective of probability, an overview of the psychological research on probability learning, computers in probability education, and an analysis of the probability curriculum.…

Discusses a pedagogical approach to calculus based on the question: What kinds of problems should students be able to solve? Includes a discussion of types of problems and curriculum threads for such a course. Describes a projects-based calculus with examples of projects and classroom activities. (Author/MDH)

Recommendations are made for introduction into mathematics undergraduate degree program of a course that focuses on issues relating to the cultural perspective of the discipline and for the allowance of more time and formal analysis about the history and philosophy underlying the topics examined within all mathematics courses. A list of 15…

Examined is the extent to which the current trend favoring full integration of LOGO into the mathematics curriculum responds to the current extensions of the LOGO environment, beyond its original applications within the authentic mathematics curriculum, proceeding into the domains of visual arts, physics, and composition, for example. (JJK)

Presents a lesson in which students communicate verbally and in writing to create and describe geometric transformations, develop vocabulary, demonstrate ability to give unambiguous instructions to translate a triangle, form and test conjectures, and create extensions of problems. Includes reproducible student worksheets and questions for…

Discusses the issue of deciding what is or what should be taking place in mathematics classrooms. Concludes that it is necessary to prepare the students in today's classrooms to live and work in tomorrow's world. Contains 16 references. (ASK)

Presents a history of undergraduate math-education programs and provides results of an action-research experience in a college-algebra course setting. Argues that historical record emphasizes interdisciplinary connections and applications of mathematics, and that present-day instructors should communicate the historical and practical reasons…

Redesigned curriculum materials support curricular and pedagogical change in mathematics education in uncommon ways. Observation of two fourth-grade teachers using a new mathematics textbook focused on the learning that occurred and the pertinent characteristics of the text, the teachers, and the teaching context. Activities such as analyzing…

Reviews constructivist and sociocultural approaches to child development and early education. Outlines a neo-Piagetian systems approach to early learning and development which examines development as the result of coactions between multiple levels of hierarchical individual-environment systems. Discusses a neo-Piagetian curriculum, Rightstart, for…

In April 2000, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics will release "Principles and Standards in School Mathematics," a revised document stressing conceptual understanding and reasoning. NCTM standards specify that curricula should emphasize five mathematical processes: problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication,…

Examined the effects of a dyadic peer-mediated treatment on kindergarten children's mathematics development. Found that treatment implementation was strong for most teachers; teachers judged the treatment to be effective and feasible for implementation on their own; and students with and without disabilities, at all points along the achievement…

What do pre-service teachers learn from their observation stint during school experience attachment? This paper will present insights into the cognitive contents of the pre-service teachers' reflection log. Preliminary analyses revealed that different cultures and pedagogical practices were observed to be in operation in different school contexts.…