The initial formation of number concept represents one of the essential aspects of learning mathematics at the primary school. Children commonly show strong difficulties and absence of comprehension of symbolic and abstract nature of concept of number. The objective of the present study was to show the effectiveness of original method for…

In this study, we test an information-processing model (IPM) of problem solving in science education, namely the working memory overload model, by applying catastrophe theory. Changes in students' achievement were modeled as discontinuities within a cusp catastrophe model, where working memory capacity was implemented as asymmetry and the degree…

In this article, the author clarifies the distinction between numeracy and mathematics and the implications of this distinction for teachers of mathematics. In doing so she has, of necessity, focused on one--albeit significant--high stakes assessment genre used on Australian students that purports to measure numeracy. It is essential that teachers…

The association between the observable physical world and the mathematical models used in theoretical physics to describe this world is examined. Such models will frequently exhibit solutions that are "unexpected," in the sense that they describe physical situations which are different from that which the physicist may initially have had in mind…

The teaching of mathematics in Singapore continues, in most cases, to follow a traditional model. While this traditional approach has many advantages, it does not always adequately prepare students for University-level mathematics, especially applied mathematics. In particular, it does not cultivate the ability to deal with "non-routine…

The relationship between complexity and usefulness can be captured by a U-shaped curve. This comment explores that relationship. Complexity may be useful for one of the main aims of developmental psychology (causal inference) but not for another (description of developmental phenomena). Currently, developmentalists conduct complex analyses that…

Many educators believe that mathematical investigation involves both problem posing and problem solving, but some teachers have taught their students to investigate during problem solving. The confusion about the relationship between investigation and problem solving may affect how teachers teach their students and how researchers conduct their…

Upper primary school children often routinely apply proportional methods to missing-value problems, even when it is inappropriate. We tested whether this tendency could be weakened if children were not required to produce computational answers to such problems. A total of 75 sixth graders were asked to classify 9 word problems of three types (3…

To explore student mathematical self-efficacy and understanding of graphical data, this dissertation examines students solving real-world problems in their neighborhood, mediated by professional urban planning technologies. As states and schools are working on the alignment of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), traditional…

In this paper, a course on applied superconductivity is described. The course structure is outlined and the learning objectives and the learning activities are described. The teaching was multidisciplinary given by four departments each contributing with their expertise. Being applied superconductivity, the focus was on an application, which could…

Previous research shows that speed is one of the most difficult in the upper grades of primary school. It is because students must take into consideration two variables; distance and time. Nevertheless, Indonesian students usually learn this concept as a transmission subject and teacher more emphasizes on formal mathematics in which the concept of…

The vision for science education set forth in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012) makes it clear that for today's students to become the scientifically literate citizens of tomorrow their educational experiences must help them become mathematically proficient. "The focus here is on important practices, such as modeling, developing…

This paper seeks to compare the reflective writings of two cohorts of students (Year 4/5 and Year 8/9) participating in mathematical modelling challenges. Whilst the reflections of the younger cohort were results oriented, the older cohort's reflections spoke more to the affective domain, group processes, the use of technology and the acquisition…

Combinatorial scientific computing plays an important enabling role in computational science, particularly in high performance scientific computing. In this thesis, we will describe our work on optimizing matrix-vector multiplication using combinatorial techniques. Our research has focused on two different problems in combinatorial scientific…

The topic of this article is the interpretation of structural equation modeling (SEM) solutions. Its purpose is to augment structural modeling's metatheoretic resources while enhancing awareness of how problematic is the causal significance of SEM-parameter solutions. Part I focuses on the nonuniqueness and consequent dubious interpretability of…