Examined children's performance in the first two years of school so as to determine effects of parent configuration on reading and math scores. Found that children whose families had more economic resources and whose parents had higher expectations for their school performance consistently outperformed other children in reading and math. (RJM)

This article discusses the paucity of gifted females taking advanced math and science courses and the widening gender gap in computer science courses and the information and technology (IT) field. A list of Internet resources that examine this issue is provided, along with resources for fostering IT skills in girls. (CR)

Examined changes in students' beliefs about learning mathematics from first to fourth grade. Found that students had a narrow conception of the usefulness of mathematics, fairly accurate conceptions of their achievement by third grade, a tendency to like mathematics more as the subject became harder, and that students' opinion of group versus…

Mathematics teaching and subject matter acquisition were studied with 66 linguistic minority children and 104 dominant language speaking students in a monolingual second-language class and a traditional bilingual education model in Oslo (Norway). Results indicate that linguistic minority students benefit from bilingual mathematics teaching. (SLD)

This study examined the associations between the use of after-school care arrangements and adolescent competencies in 60 young Canadian adolescents. Findings revealed that, compared to those not participating, early adolescents participating in after-school care between 5 and 13 years obtained higher academic and social competency scores based on…

Using a structural equation model, this study investigated the mathematics achievement of eighth graders in Cyprus enrolled in the year 1994-1995. The model considered two exogenous constructs related to student background and five endogenous constructs. Although attitudes, teaching, and beliefs had direct effect on mathematics outcomes, these…

Questions whether educational research concerned with children's abilities to learn science concepts has taken into account the effects of race, class, and gender on children's understanding. Contends that these factors are important variables to consider in cognitive research, and that their omission from this body of research has negative…

Investigates test anxiety, mathematics anxiety, and teacher feedback among university students enrolled in remedial mathematics classes to explore student motivation within an instructional framework. Results indicate that text anxiety has a significant effect on remedial mathematics students' mathematics achievement, and that informative feedback…

Describes the Algebra Project, which teaches algebra to middle school students and prepares them for college preparatory mathematics. The project includes some of the following elements: (1) a curriculum addressing the conceptual leap from arithmetic to algebra; (2) an experientially based curricular process; (3) high achievement expectations; and…

Described is an alternative way for classroom teachers to assess students' performance in mathematics. The interview process is presented in stages: initiating the interview, the questioning stage, formulating and testing hypotheses, and intervention. (KR)

Examines reliability of seven mathematical abilities tests among Spanish- and English-speaking pre-algebra Hispanic students. Students tested in divergent thinking, general reasoning, field-dependence, math achievement, math prose reading, syllogistic reasoning, and word problems. All tests reliable for Spanish speakers; only four for…

Analyzes the relationships among mathematics achievement levels, income potential, high school aspirations, and the gender segregation of bachelor's degrees. Investigates how gender segregation changed between 1973 and 1983. Concludes that gender segregation is present at the high school and bachelor's levels. Maintains that psychological barriers…

Discusses components of success for students, such as self-confidence, understanding, competence, communication, enthusiasm, significance, and persistence. Discusses components of success for teachers, such as student-centeredness, urgency, commitment, creativity, expectations, surprise, and self-direction. (YP)

Discusses the development of early attitudes to mathematics and how these may account for the differences in the numbers of boys and girls achieving success with mathematics in the secondary school and electing to study mathematics at the senior level. (YP)

The study of the performance of 55 learning-disabled college students on the Raven's Progressive Matrices and other tasks found: (1) a negative correlation between visual-motor skills and written language, (2) a positive correlation between visual organization/memory and mathematics, and (3) a positive correlation between auditory memory and…