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Eric.ed.gov – Finding the Maths: Helping Students Connect Their Mathematical Knowledge to Other Contexts

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The plethora of data that confronts teachers on a daily basis requires that they know more than simply being able to calculate. It demands that they understand the context in which the mathematical ideas are embedded and what those ideas are telling them in relation to that context. Also, it necessitates that they are prepared to question how data, and the associated claims, are presented. For primary teachers, the implication is that they must be prepared to help their students to develop these skills. The “Finding the Maths” strategy described in this article has been shown to be successful in helping students achieve this outcome. The aim of using this strategy is to encourage students to develop the three types of thinking referred to in the numeracy… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Impact of Overcoming Fixation and Gender on Divergent Thinking in Solving Maths Problems

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The impact of fixation in solving math problems and that of gender on divergent thinking has been studied in this paper. The study was made in the academic year of 2006-2007, Fall Semester, at Necatibey Faculty of Education, Balikesir University. 229 first and second-year students at the Dept of Primary Math Teaching have been participated in the study. 70% of the prospective mathematics teachers have been found to be fixed in problem solving. There is no meaningful difference between the scores of those with fixation and those without fixation but the scores of those who have fixation in solving problems are slightly higher than the others. The impact of gender has been studied as a factor on divergent thinking but it has not been found to have… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – A Comparative Study on Math’s Education Rendered in the Two Communities on the Island of Cyprus

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The island of Cyprus embodies two distinct communities having their own systems of education. On the road to EU certain parallelisms need to be set as it is the goal of this study on math’s education. This paper will concentrate on K1-K12 math’s education. The topics to be dealt with will cover math’s curriculum at all levels; weekly distribution of math classes, as well as their proportion to the other courses offered. Students are expected to be more creative in class rather than resorting to rote learning even in math education. The study will also try to shed light on class size. Finally the math teachers and their educational background will be looked into so as to check into their prior math knowledge. The main goal is… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Development of Metacognitive and Discursive Activities in Indonesian Maths Teaching: A Theory Based Design and Test of a Learning Environment

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: We report on a German-Indonesian design research project, which aims to significantly increase the mathematical skills of secondary school students. Since results of international comparative studies have shown that there exists a relationship between metacognition and learning success, a learning environment for the beginning with secondary school mathematics in class seven has been developed, in order to significantly enhance metacognitive and discursive activities of students and teachers. The effectiveness of the approach has been tested in a secondary school several times. In this paper the theoretical background for the design of the learning environment is described, some sample exercises are presented and student productions from the project lessons analysed. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Evaluation of “Maths by Email.” Final Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: “Maths by Email” (MbE) is a free fortnightly email newsletter produced through a partnership between CSIRO Education and the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI), with funding from the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). The principal aim of MbE has been “to communicate that mathematics is making a valuable contribution to the community, is relevant, beautiful, interesting and enjoyable and provides many employment opportunities.” This evaluation study was commissioned by CSIRO Education to provide independent feedback to the editors and publisher of the “Maths by Email” (MbE) initiative to potentially improve the service and to inform decision making regarding future plans for the service. In detail, the study was concerned with (i) who is using MbE and how it is being used; (ii)… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Games for Enhancing Sustainability of Year 7 Maths Classes in Indonesia: Theory-Driven Development, Testing and Analyses of Lessons, and of Students’ Outcomes

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The results of international comparative studies have shown that relationships exist between metacognition and cognitive activation and learning success. Since 2007 we have been carrying out projects in Indonesia to improve cognitive and metacognitive activities of pupils of year 7 and their teachers. These activities are to contribute to the construction and sensible use of sustainable mental models for mathematical concepts and methods by learners. This paper shows how games are used for the enhancement of metacognitive and discursive activities in class. Their effectiveness is documented exemplary by means of students’ outcomes and transcripts of lessons from project classes. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – “Being Good” at Maths: Fabricating Gender Subjectivity

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Current research in mathematics education places emphasis on the analysis of men and women’s accounts about their life trajectories and choices for studying, working and developing a career that involves the learning and teaching of mathematics. Within this realm, the present study aims to highlight how mathematics, gender and subjectivity become interwoven by focusing the analysis on a single case study, that of Irene–a teacher in her early 40s. Based on how she articulates hegemonic discourses and narrates her relation to mathematics from the time she was a schoolgirl up till her recent work as teacher and her endeavours as participant in a professional development teacher training course, we argue how “mathematics” becomes a mythical object for her subjectification. Irene as a female subject appropriates through her… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Training in Influencing Skills from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (Modelled from Hypnosis and Family Therapy), in Combination with Innovative Maths Pedagogy, Raises Maths Attainment in Adult Numeracy Learners

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Case study research suggests that NLP [neuro-linguistic programming] influencing strategies benefit teacher effectiveness. Maths pedagogy involving higher-order questioning, challenge, problem solving and collaborative working may be a way of improving attainment in adult numeracy learning, however, such strategies may be less effective if the relationship between teacher and learner does not reflect sensitivity to attitudes, beliefs and emotions (areas in which advocates of NLP claim effectiveness). The present study investigated these claims and the combined effect of such approaches using a pre- and post-treatment test design with 173 adult numeracy learners. Teachers were randomly allocated to three conditions, these were: (1) teachers given no training (control condition); (2) teachers trained in innovative maths pedagogy (including more frequent higher-order questioning, challenge, problem solving and collaborative learning); and (3)… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – No More “What Are We Doing in Maths Today?” Affordances of the Flipped Classroom Approach

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Teachers of senior secondary mathematics are required to contend with a number of challenges including covering the prescribed curriculum, differentiating the content for a range of learners, and preparing students for externally imposed assessment tasks. The flipped classroom is gaining in popularity as an approach that can be used to address these challenges. This paper provides a framework that can be used to interpret the affordances of a flipped classroom within the context of teaching secondary mathematics and the motivational factors that influence the uptake of the approach. Data analysed through the framework showed that students believed that the approach enabled them to have autonomy over their learning and achieve their goals. The study has implications for senior secondary teachers and students, particularly in terms of meeting… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Enabling Learners Starts with Knowing Them: Student Attitudes, Aspiration and Anxiety towards Science and Maths Learning in an Australian Pre-University Enabling Program

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Pre-university enabling programs provide an important pathway to university for underprepared and disadvantaged students. In order to adequately prepare students for their university journey, enabling educators need to understand and respond to the evolving needs of their learners; not only their academic disparity, but also their past learning experiences and perceptions towards particular subjects. In the current study, students entering an Australian enabling program, ‘OnTrack’, were surveyed on their attitudes, emotions and aspirations towards the study of science and mathematics. Responses were associated with student perceptions of their past science and maths learning experiences. There was incongruity between student expectations of what future study would entail and the realities of their degree choices and career aspirations. This study suggests the need for social and emotional learning and… Continue Reading