Rhetoric about the importance of students being equipped to apply mathematics to relevant problems arising in their lives, individually, as citizens, and in the workplace has never been matched by serious policy or curricular support. This paper identifies and elaborates authenticity implications for addressing this issue, and describes aspects of…

In this paper, we propose and describe in some detail a framework for helping low achievers in mathematics that attends to the following areas: Mathematical content resources, Problem Solving disposition, Feelings towards the learning of mathematics, and Study habits.

This paper examines possible improvement to problem solving skills as a function of playing the video game "Portal 2." Stealth assessment is used in the game to evaluate students' problem solving abilities--specifically basic and flexible rule application. The stealth assessment measures will be validated against commonly accepted…

Society is faced with more complex problems than in the past because of rapid advancements in technology. These complex problems require multi-dimensional problem-solving abilities that are consistent with higher-order thinking skills. Bok (2006) posits that over 90% of U.S. faculty members consider critical thinking skills as essential for…

Computational estimation is an important skill necessary for students' mathematical development. Students who can estimate well for computations rely on an understanding of many mathematical topics, including a strong number sense, which facilitates understanding the mathematical operations and contextual evidence within a problem. In turn, good…

This study examined the use of collaborative interdisciplinary authentic tasks as a context in which learners develop and use self-regulated learning (SRL) processes. Participants included sixty-four students from a U.S. middle school whose residents are largely from low-income families. Students worked in groups to design and carry out an…

The problem-posing process represents one of the forms of authentic mathematical inquiry which, if suitably implemented in classroom activities, could move well beyond the limitations of word problems, at least as they are typically utilized. The two exploratory studies presented sought to investigate the impact of "problem-posing" activities when…

Simulations are of growing interest within the social studies in terms of research and practice. Although the findings of early research were unfavorable to simulations in terms of student learning, recent research has revealed new and interesting findings related to different domains of student learning that earlier research did not. In light of…

This paper presents a simplified approach for the application of material efficiency metrics to linear and convergent synthesis plans encountered in organic synthesis courses. Computations are facilitated and automated using intuitively designed Microsoft Excel spreadsheets without invoking abstract mathematical formulas. The merits of this…

Although developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) has strong merits, there are considerations pertaining to its development and implementation which must be raised. In order for educators to include diverse voices of young children, the time has come for a new conversation to unfold introducing developmentally universal practice (DUP). With this…

Many rules taught in mathematics classrooms "expire" when students develop knowledge that is more sophisticated, such as using new number systems. For example, in elementary grades, students are sometimes taught that "addition makes bigger" or "subtraction makes smaller" when learning to compute with whole numbers,…

This paper reports on the reflective practice of a group of nine secondary mathematics pre-service teachers. The pre-service teachers participated in a year-long, school-based professional experience program which focussed on observing, co-teaching and reflecting on a series of problem-solving lessons in two junior secondary school mathematics…

This study reports on the statistical content of five U.S. textbook series written for elementary students in grades 1-5. The researchers examined 17,688 pages and coded 7445 statistical tasks to determine (1) the distribution of statistical topics within textbooks, and (2) the relative emphasis on the phases of the statistical problem solving…

Many students enter high school with some science knowledge and experience doing investigations but often know little about the nature of science (NOS) or how the knowledge is developed (i.e., science practices). As science teachers, we need to get students excited about science as quickly as possible with activities that introduce the practices…

The article discussed the issue of the diagnosis with the use of task-support-task procedure. A theoretical model of diagnosis based on the concepts by L. S. Vygotski, R. Case, and A. Bandura was described and developed. The model was tested on a group of non-disabled preschool children, and children with mild and moderate intellectual disability…