Explains why one orientation of an asymmetric spring-and-mass system leads to a higher frequency of 0000000000 than another orientation. (WRM)

Presents the physical assumptions and mathematical expressions necessary to derive a fourth-order differential equation that describes the vibration of a particular car antenna. Contends that while students may not be able to derive or use the equation, they should be able to appreciate a guided derivation as an example of how physics is done.…

Examined the performance of a recently available full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimator in a multiple regression model with missing data using Monte Carlo simulation and considering the effects of four independent variables. Results indicate that FIML estimation was superior to that of three ad hoc techniques, with less bias and less…

Molecular modeling by computer is used to display stereochemistry, molecular orbitals, structure of transition states, and progress of reactions. Describes new ideas for teaching 1H NMR spectroscopy using computer modeling. (Contains 12 references.) (ASK)

Examines the likely effect of grade retention on high-school dropout rate and post-high-school labor-market earnings. Uses High School and Beyond data set. Reports different estimated coefficients using ordinary least-squares versus using instrumental variables that account for endogeneity. (Contains 36 references.) (PKP)

Develops a simple model of student choice to explain why some teaching innovations have only a negligible effect on mean student performance. If students set grade targets, some students choose to learn less (despite innovations), and the change in mean student achievement will tend to be small. (Contains 20 references.) (MLH)

In this paper we present three cases of instructional design that illustrates both horizontal didactising, the activity of using already established principles to design instruction, and vertical didactising the activity of developing new tools and principles for instructional design. The first case illustrates horizontal didactising by…

In this paper, we examine the use of an ordinary differential equation in modelling the SARS outbreak in Singapore. The model provides an excellent example of using mathematics in a real life situation. The mathematical concepts involved are accessible to students with A level Mathematics backgrounds. Data for the SARS epidemic in Singapore are…

Nowadays, mathematics has come to be increasingly put into practical use in various fields in society. However, Japanese students dislike mathematics. The purpose of this study is to consider the significance of teaching modelling. In this paper, I take up "Fuzzy modelling" as teaching material for senior high school students. As a…

The purpose of this article is to describe findings from a study of teachers' social interaction during discussions about students' thinking. The goal of the discussions was for the teachers to interpret their students' thinking as revealed from work on non-routine, thought-revealing mathematical tasks, known as "model-eliciting…

This paper deals with a teaching approach aimed to help students become aware of targeted techniques of significance in problem solving. The teaching approach is to present a series of tasks that all can be solved by applying the same technique. Two levels of prompting are used; first for the students to realize solutions without necessarily being…

A laboratory experiment reinforces the concept of acid-base equilibria while introducing a common application of spectrophotometry and can easily be completed within a standard four-hour laboratory period. It provides students with an opportunity to use advanced data analysis techniques like data smoothing and spectral deconvolution to…

This paper explores the idea of thinking skills approaches as tools for pedagogical inquiry and in so doing seeks to develop the link between the promotion of inquiry-based learning, which is a central tenet of thinking skills, and inquiry-based teaching as an approach to professional development and school improvement. The first part of the paper…

This paper examines the development of student functional thinking during a teaching experiment that was conducted in two classrooms with a total of 45 children whose average age was nine years and six months. The teaching comprised four lessons taught by a researcher, with a second researcher and classroom teacher acting as participant observers.…

This article presents a constructivist approach for teaching mathematics to prospective elementary school teachers in USA. This approach employs a model of a "mathematical situation," a set of physical operations and a physical language to reason about students' mathematical doings. One of the primary goals of this approach is to promote a…