This study examined how mathematical modeling activities within a collaborative group impact on students' perceived 'value' of mathematics. With a unified framework of Makiguchi's theory of 'value', mathematical disposition, and identity, the study identified the elements of the value--beauty, gains, and social good--with the observable evidences…

This study is part of a larger research program aimed at studying mental mathematics with objects other than numbers. It concerns operations on functions in a graphical environment with Grade-11 students. Grounded in the enactivist theory of cognition, particularly in problem-posing, the study aims to characterize students' mathematical activity…

This study analyzed the problem-posing tasks in Chinese and U.S. elementary mathematics textbooks. Significant differences were found between the Chinese and U.S. textbooks in the presentation of problem posing activities. By analyzing problem posing in textbooks, we gain insight into how reform ideas are reflected in the mathematics curriculum.…

While representations of 3D shapes are used in the teaching of geometry in lower secondary school, it is known that such representations can provide difficulties for students. In this paper, we report findings from a classroom experiment in which Grade 7 students (aged 12-13) tackled a problem in 3D geometry that was, for them, quite challenging.…

Part I: Students' participation in inquiry-based chemistry laboratory curricula, and, in particular, engagement with key thinking processes in conjunction with these experiences, is linked with success at the difficult task of "transfer"--applying their knowledge in new contexts to solve unfamiliar types of problems. We investigate…

Mathematical learning and teaching are increasingly seen as a multimodal experience involved in cultural and social semiotic registers and means, and as such social-cultural semiotic analysis is expected to shed light on learning and teaching processes occurring in the mathematics classroom. In this research, three social-cultural semiotic…

Promoting and sustaining effective discussion--that which contributes to learning--is a skill that eludes many instructors (Darling-Hammond, 2008; Ge, Yamashiro, & Lee, 2000). This study explored the role and strategies of an expert instructor in an online advanced instructional design (ID) course that utilized a case-based learning (CBL)…

Background: The results of international studies have concluded the low level of science literacy in natural science subjects of Slovak students. These studies also showed that this state can be positively influenced by various innovations, which are implemented into the teaching process of above-mentioned subjects. Purpose: The aim of this study…

Children using robotics for engineering, science, technology, and mathematics (CREST-M) is an ongoing curriculum creation and evaluation project developing math-focused science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum units that incorporate storytelling with math and are designed to be engaging for students from backgrounds…

The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) was grappling with several issues including: (1) A respectable rate of growth in student achievement for both fourth- and eighth-grade math in the state of Alabama, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), but below the national average; and (2) A growing concern about…

Background: Working effectively in a collaborative team is not only an outcome required by ABET but also one that scholars and practitioners recognize as necessary for being a successful professional engineer. Technology-based solutions hold promise for supporting collaboration; however, research has shown that technology alone is not sufficient…

In this research, we considered the different impact two methods of teaching had on pupils' ability to solve complex math problems. The methods considered were: self-regulated study and traditional teaching. We also examined the pedagogical consequences the differences made among the population of pupils with learning disabilities in special…

Although feedback is often seen as a critical component of the learning process, many open questions about how specific feedback features contribute to the effectiveness of feedback remain--especially in regards to peer feedback of writing. Nelson and Schunn (2009) identified several important features of peer feedback in their nature of feedback…

This is a quasi-experimental study that explored the effects of reflective learning on prospective teachers' conceptual understanding, critical thinking, problem solving, and mathematical communication skills and the relationship of these variables. It involved 60 prospective teachers from two basic mathematics classes of an institution of higher…

The purpose of mathematics competitions, and in our case the South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO), is to promote problem solving skills and strategies, to generate interest and enthusiasm for mathematics and to identify the most talented mathematical minds. SAMO is organised in two divisions--a junior and a senior division--over three rounds.…