Although English Language Learners (ELLs) quickly acquire basic interpersonal communication skills, most struggle for several years with reading and writing academic content in English. In particular, in English-only mathematics classes, children are likely to have difficulty reading and comprehending text, reading word problems, and giving…

A project adapted an existing problem-solving curriculum to help unemployed or underemployed displaced homemakers and single parents qualify for job placement and training. Forty-five adult learners from the New Choice program participated. Handouts adapted from a prior Math Employment project and instructor-created materials were used. Handouts…

Fifty-five college students participated in a study investigating the effect of field dependence and time limitations on the solution of mathematics word problems and visual interpretation problems. Field-independent (n=25) and field-dependent (n=30) subjects represented the upper and lower thirds on the Hidden Figures Test. Field-independent…

This paper analyses students' written work from an activity based on two well known games in the UK: Chinese Whispers and Consequences. Within this activity students were asked to translate formal algebraic equations into word statements and vice versa. Using the framework of affordances and constraints to offer an account for what the students'…

Second graders (n=60) and adults (n=60 college students) solved word problems containing relevant information, irrelevant numeric information, and nonrelevant linguistic information. Recall and recognition tasks, along with cued and uncued word stem completion were used to test subjects' memory for relevant versus nonrelevant information. Recall…

Ancient times comes to life when a student can hold in his/her hand or read about an artifact, such as a coin of the Greek or Roman era. Students are familiar with coins, and this commonality helps them understand the similarities and differences between their lives and times in ancient Greece or Rome. Many symbols on the ancient coins can be…

This report analyzes the discursive interactions of four students to understand what heuristic methods they develop as well as how and why they build isomorphisms to resolve a combinatorial problem set in a non-Euclidian context. The findings suggest that results of their heuristic actions lead them to build isomorphisms that in turn allow them to…

Primary students solve "oversized" story problems using drawings, equations, and written responses, helping them understand the links between the language of story problems and the numerical representations of matching equations. The activity also includes oral language and reflective writing, thus bringing together a variety of language…

This document is concerned with developing an understanding of problem solving by providing tasks to help students with their problem solving strategies. These tasks were used by Vermont teachers during the pilot years of the High School Mathematics Assessment and were selected by attendees of the June, 1995 Research Scoring meeting. Tasks are…

Presents 12 questions related to a given real-life situation about a man shaving and the number of hairs in his beard in order to help students see the connection between mathematics and the world around them. (ASK)

Differential item functioning for female-male and black-white groups and two samples of white males who differed in mathematical training were studied using data from 104 items from the Graduate Record Examination. Verbal properties of items were associated with differential performance of men and women but not of blacks and whites. (SLD)

Examined eighth graders' approaches to contextual word problems. Subjects were observed in two situations: open-inquiry field studies that included production of convincing representations (inscriptions) to support students' findings and; word problems with stories and student-produced data based on field studies. Analysis of mathematical…

Describes a classroom activity designed to give students hands-on experience using technology and geometric visualization, as well as to explore fractal geometry in a cooperative classroom environment. Natural phenomena is the context of these activities. Enriches understanding of Euclidean geometry and infinite sequences. Lists materials,…

Presents a quilting problem that engages students at many levels, has multiple possible solution paths, lends itself to a variety of representations, and connects many mathematical ideas. (KHR)

Presents student solutions to real-world problems that allow students to develop and defend their mathematical models of the situations. Elicits proofs and offers recommendations for the potential of real-world problems as contexts for proof. (KHR)