Math Ed Research Blog Book

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Contents
1 2008 23
1.1 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Welcome (2008-02-05 11:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
ICME - 11 (2008-02-05 12:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Mathematics education research 02/05/2008 (2008-02-05 14:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
JRME - issue 1, January 2008 (2008-02-05 14:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
TMME - January 2008 (2008-02-05 14:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
IJMEST, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-06 10:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
ZDM, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-06 10:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
JMTE, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-06 10:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
ESM - issue 3, 2008 (2008-02-06 10:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
IJSME - Number 1, 2008 (2008-02-06 11:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Mathematics education research links 02/07/2008 (2008-02-07 14:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Mathematics Teacher, February issue (2008-02-07 15:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
JMTE-article about prospective teachers beliefs (2008-02-08 12:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
EJMSTE, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-08 14:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
SSM, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-08 14:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Mathematics Teaching, January 2008 (2008-02-08 15:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Teaching Children Mathematics, February 2008 (2008-02-08 15:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
MES5 (2008-02-11 08:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Prominent researcher #1: Hans Freudenthal (2008-02-13 22:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
"Algebra in the Early Grades" (2008-02-13 23:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
ICMI Study 19: Proof and proving in mathematics education (2008-02-14 11:35) . . . . . . . . 38
Report on mathematics coursetaking and achievement (2008-02-14 14:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The roles of punctuation marks (ESM) (2008-02-15 09:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Educational Researcher Table of Contents (January/February 2008, 37 [1]) (2008-02-17 20:52) 41
Math growth from kindergarten through third grade (2008-02-19 08:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Closing of MES-5 (2008-02-20 14:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
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ZDM - online rst article (2008-02-21 08:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
IJSME - online rst article (2008-02-21 08:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
JRME, issue 2, 2008 (2008-02-24 21:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-24 21:16) . . . . . . . . . . 44
IEJME, number 1, 2008 (2008-02-24 21:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
CMEG-5 (2008-02-25 14:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Mathematics Teaching - March, 2008 (2008-02-26 11:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, February 2008 (2008-02-26 11:29) . . . . . . . . 47
Some interesting new articles (2008-02-27 08:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Social norms in problem-solving (2008-02-27 12:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Analyzing students difculties in vector space theory (2008-02-28 08:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
SIGMAA conference starts today (2008-02-28 08:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
1.2 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Some new (online rst) articles (2008-03-03 09:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Symposium in Rome (2008-03-04 08:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Mental representations of inferential statistics (2008-03-05 13:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
RCML Annual conference (2008-03-05 21:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
New articles from JMTE and ZDM (2008-03-06 08:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Appropriating mathematical tools through problem solving in collaborative small-group settings
(2008-03-06 09:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Sketchpad in Topogeometry (2008-03-07 08:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
What counts as algebra? (2008-03-07 12:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Mathematics Teacher, March 2008 (2008-03-10 09:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Articles at IEJME are nally there! (2008-03-11 09:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
RME, issue 1, 2008 (2008-03-13 09:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Mathematical knowledge constituted in the classroom (2008-03-17 20:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Mathematical knowledge for teaching (2008-03-17 20:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
NORMA 08 - online publications (2008-03-18 08:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
The inuence of theory (2008-03-20 14:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
New doctoral thesis from Sweden (2008-03-20 22:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Proofs as bearers of mathematical knowledge (2008-03-22 23:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Two didactic approaches (2008-03-23 10:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
AERA 2008 - Annual meeting (2008-03-24 15:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
NCME Annual Meeting (2008-03-24 20:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Useless arithmetic (2008-03-25 09:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Mathematics Teacher, April 2008 (2008-03-25 10:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
CONTENTS BlogBook
National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008-03-26 14:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
JMTE, April 2008 (2008-03-27 09:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Norma 08 - nal program (2008-03-27 14:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Promoting student collaboration (2008-03-28 08:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
When, how, and why prove theorems? (2008-03-28 08:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The role of scaling up research (2008-03-29 20:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Essential skills for a math teacher (2008-03-29 21:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
1.3 April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Excellent math blog (2008-04-01 08:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
IJMEST, vol. 39, issue 3 (2008-04-02 11:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
"Joined Up Mathematics" (2008-04-02 12:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Testing, testing and comparing test results... (2008-04-02 20:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Implementing Kaputs research programme (2008-04-03 06:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Aztec math (2008-04-04 09:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Awards and medals (2008-04-04 11:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
From static to dynamic mathematics (2008-04-07 11:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
After the Math Panel (2008-04-08 07:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, April 2008 (2008-04-08 08:13) . . . . . . . . . . 72
Teaching Children Mathematics, April 2008 (2008-04-08 08:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Analyticity without differentiability (2008-04-09 20:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Student presentations in the classroom (2008-04-09 20:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Stability of teachers classroom activity (2008-04-09 20:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
NCTM Annual Meeting (2008-04-09 20:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Rounded fractals (2008-04-10 08:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Studying new forms of participation (2008-04-13 19:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
NOMAD, March 2008 (2008-04-14 11:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
JRME, May 2008 (2008-04-14 11:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Argumentation and algebraic proof (2008-04-15 07:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Teaching Statistics, May 2008 (2008-04-15 07:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
New ZDM-articles (2008-04-18 08:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Learning from group discussions (2008-04-18 08:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Norma08 - Day 1 (2008-04-22 11:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Norma 08 - Day 2 (2008-04-22 11:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Video-based curriculum (2008-04-22 21:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Norma 08 - Day 3 (2008-04-25 10:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Norma 08 - Day 4 (2008-04-25 10:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
New articles (2008-04-26 15:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
BlogBook CONTENTS
New ESM-articles (2008-04-28 07:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Students encounter with proof (2008-04-28 07:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
ESM, May 2008 (2008-04-28 07:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
MTL, Issue 2, 2008 (2008-04-28 19:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, May 2008 (2008-04-30 07:51) . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Teaching Children Mathematics, May 2008 (2008-04-30 07:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Mathematics Teacher, May 2008 (2008-04-30 08:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
1.4 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
New ZDM-articles (2008-05-02 06:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Animating an equation (2008-05-02 06:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Is There a Role for Executive Functions in the Development of Mathematics Ability?
(2008-05-02 08:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Fibonacci numbers (2008-05-02 13:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Real-world examples and transfer of learning (2008-05-05 07:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
School mathematics - everyday mathematics (2008-05-05 07:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Mathematics Teaching - pdf archive (2008-05-06 07:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Some interesting reading (2008-05-07 13:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
BSHM Bulletin, Issue 2, 2008 (2008-05-10 19:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
IJSME - New online articles (2008-05-13 07:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Two new ZDM articles (2008-05-13 07:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Mathematical language in early childhood settings (2008-05-15 22:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
New IJSME articles (2008-05-19 07:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Everyday Mathematics and cognition in practice (2008-05-19 07:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Attrition of mathematics teachers (2008-05-20 10:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
ESM, June 2008 (2008-05-21 12:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Several new articles (2008-05-23 07:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
The system of coordinates and the concept of dimension (2008-05-23 07:58) . . . . . . . . . . 97
NCTM and the development of mathematics education in the US (2008-05-27 07:25) . . . . . . 97
Open-ended problems (2008-05-27 07:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
ESM, July 2008 (2008-05-27 07:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
How is subjectivity understood? (2008-05-31 20:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
1.5 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Structures of argumentation (2008-06-01 07:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Two IJSME articles (2008-06-01 08:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The particular and the general (2008-06-01 08:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
The effects of designing Webquests (2008-06-02 12:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Childrens arithmetical thinking (2008-06-03 09:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
The Pirie-Kieren theory (2008-06-03 09:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
CONTENTS BlogBook
Learning beginning algebra with spreadsheets (2008-06-03 09:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
How hints help speed up math performance (2008-06-03 09:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
The instructional triangle (2008-06-05 08:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
JMTE, Number 3, 2008 (2008-06-06 10:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
IJMEST, new articles (2008-06-06 10:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
What makes a problem mathematically interesting? (2008-06-09 07:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Teaching and learning proof (2008-06-10 08:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
IJMEST, June 2008 (2008-06-16 08:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Review of mathematics teaching in early years (2008-06-18 20:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Does Mathematics Remediation Work? (2008-06-19 12:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
TMME, July 2008 (2008-06-23 06:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Students problem solving behaviours (2008-06-25 11:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Mathematics teaching during the early years in Hong Kong (2008-06-25 11:39) . . . . . . . . . 109
Effectiveness of teacher education (2008-06-26 14:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Pythagorean approximations (2008-06-27 06:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Triangles as intuitive non-examples (2008-06-27 06:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Preparation of math teachers (2008-06-27 06:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Math history on the internet (2008-06-29 10:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
ICMI newsletter (2008-06-29 19:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
JRME, July 2008 (2008-06-30 10:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
1.6 July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
How much math does a teacher need to know to teach math? (2008-07-01 08:15) . . . . . . . . 112
NOMAD, June 2008 (2008-07-01 10:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
CERME 6 (2008-07-01 19:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
From lessons to lectures (2008-07-01 20:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Abstraction and consolidation of the limit procept (2008-07-02 07:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Algebra beginners in computer intensive environment (2008-07-02 07:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Integrating history and philosophy (2008-07-03 07:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Project organised science studies (2008-07-03 07:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Dynamic geometry meets variation theory (2008-07-04 07:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Numerical problems on energy (2008-07-04 07:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
New ZDM articles (2008-07-05 09:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
ICME 11 (2008-07-06 11:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
ICME 11 - Day 1 (2008-07-07 11:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
ICME 11 - Day 2 (2008-07-08 09:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
ICME 11 - Day 3 (2008-07-09 10:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
ICME 11 - Day 5 (2008-07-11 11:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
ICME 11 - Day 6 (2008-07-12 11:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
BlogBook CONTENTS
ICME 11 - Day 7 (2008-07-13 11:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
HPM 2008 (2008-07-14 11:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
PME 32 (2008-07-17 11:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Real-life connections in Japan and the Netherlands (2008-07-17 20:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Norwegian thesis: Tone Bulien (2008-07-18 11:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Limits of a sequence (2008-07-26 20:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
How to stay up to date during the summer holidays (2008-07-26 20:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
TMME monograph (2008-07-26 20:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
IEJME, July 2008 (2008-07-26 20:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
1.7 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Mathematical paradoxes (2008-08-04 07:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Exemplifying denitions (2008-08-04 07:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Equity in mathematics education (2008-08-04 07:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
ESM, September 2008 (2008-08-04 07:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
ZDM, August 2008 (2008-08-04 07:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
New IJMEST articles (2008-08-05 07:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
IJSME, September 2008 (2008-08-06 08:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Construction of mathematical meaning of motion graphs (2008-08-07 07:16) . . . . . . . . . . 129
A mathematicians lament (2008-08-07 07:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Supporting mathematical literacy (2008-08-08 07:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Stepping beyond high school mathematics (2008-08-08 07:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Semiotics and subjectivity (2008-08-08 07:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
MTL, new issue (2008-08-09 11:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
RME, September 2008 (2008-08-11 12:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Construction of moral discourses (2008-08-11 12:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Gestures and conceptual integration (2008-08-12 07:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Exploring gender factors (2008-08-14 07:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Why do gestures matter? (2008-08-14 07:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Learning mathematics for teaching (2008-08-14 07:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Mathematical belief change (2008-08-14 07:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Showing youre working (2008-08-15 10:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
JMTE, August 2008 (2008-08-18 09:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
YERME Summer School (2008-08-18 09:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Use of examples in elementary mathematics (2008-08-19 06:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
YESS-4, Day 2 (2008-08-19 09:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
New book from Springer (2008-08-19 10:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
YESS-4, Day 3 (2008-08-20 09:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
YESS-4, Day 4 (2008-08-21 09:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
CONTENTS BlogBook
YESS-4, Day 5 (2008-08-22 10:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
YESS-4, Day 7 (2008-08-24 10:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
New roles for mathematics (2008-08-25 07:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Teachers perspectives on authentic mathematics (2008-08-25 07:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Embodied design (2008-08-25 07:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Cognitive styles (2008-08-25 07:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Future teachers competence to plan a lesson (2008-08-25 07:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Realistic Mathematics Education in Indonesia (2008-08-27 07:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Women of mathematics (2008-08-27 07:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
New TMME monograph (2008-08-27 08:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Review of Math Investigations (2008-08-29 08:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Proceedings from ICME-10 (2008-08-29 13:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
1.8 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Gender differences in Germany (2008-09-01 07:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
What really matters? (2008-09-01 07:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Bodily experience and mathematical conceptions (2008-09-01 07:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
The array representation (2008-09-01 07:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Research reports (2008-09-03 09:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Doctoral students use of examples (2008-09-03 09:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Some interesting news ashlights (2008-09-03 09:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
EECERA - day 1 (2008-09-04 08:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
EECERA - symposium session (2008-09-04 13:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Learning community of problem solvers (2008-09-05 08:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Distinguishing between mathematics classrooms (2008-09-05 08:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Progress and stagnation of gender equity (2008-09-05 08:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Constructing competence (2008-09-05 08:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
EECERA - Using powerful mathematical ideas (2008-09-05 15:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Online geometry resources (2008-09-08 12:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
JMTE, September 2008 (2008-09-10 06:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Social constructivism and the Believing Game (2008-09-10 12:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Acquisition and use of shortcut strategies (2008-09-10 13:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Towards a feminist epistemology (2008-09-12 08:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Investigating imagination (2008-09-12 08:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Opportunity to learn in the preparation of teachers (2008-09-12 08:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Beliefs seminar with Jeppe Skott (2008-09-16 11:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Navigating Numeracies (2008-09-18 07:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Relation between students behaviors and their mathematical ideas (2008-09-18 07:34) . . . . . 160
BlogBook CONTENTS
Lesson study in Asia Pacic classrooms (2008-09-19 07:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Gendering of mathematics among Israel Jewish and Arab students (2008-09-19 07:28) . . . . . 161
Performance and language prociency (2008-09-19 07:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Mathematical imagination and embodied cognition (2008-09-22 08:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Aesthetics as a liberating force (2008-09-23 07:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
The fragility of group ow (2008-09-24 12:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Multiplication as original sin (2008-09-24 12:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Learning about innity (2008-09-25 11:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Reversibility of thought (2008-09-25 11:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
The work of teaching and the challenge for teacher education (2008-09-26 09:46) . . . . . . . . 165
10 remarkable female mathematicians (2008-09-29 07:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
1.9 October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
An analytic conception of equation (2008-10-01 10:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Confucian heritage culture learners phenomenon (2008-10-02 07:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Combining theories (2008-10-02 07:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
The fairness of probabilistic games (2008-10-03 07:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Embracing arts and sciences (2008-10-03 07:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Emergent modeling (2008-10-03 07:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Chinese teachers knowledge (2008-10-03 07:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Attention to meaning by algebra teachers (2008-10-03 07:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Where has all the knowledge gone? (2008-10-06 09:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Documentation systems (2008-10-07 07:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
YESS-4 revisited (2008-10-07 07:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Updates on the major journals (2008-10-09 10:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
BSHM Bulletin (2008-10-13 08:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
The emergence of women (2008-10-13 08:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Secondary mathematics teachers pedagogical content knowledge (2008-10-13 08:17) . . . . . 174
Do we all have multicreative potential? (2008-10-13 08:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Is there a crisis in maths education (2008-10-14 07:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Rationals and decimals (2008-10-15 08:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
A DNR perspective on mathematics curriculum and instruction (2008-10-16 09:15) . . . . . . . 176
Mathematics learning and aesthetic production (2008-10-16 09:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Teachers perceptions of assessments (2008-10-16 09:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Mathematical knowledge for teaching (2008-10-16 09:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Teachers goals in spreadsheet-based lessons (2008-10-16 09:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
From arithmetical thought to algebraic thought (2008-10-20 08:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Seminar with Sean Delaney (2008-10-20 10:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
IEJME, October 2008 (2008-10-22 14:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
CONTENTS BlogBook
MTL, Volume 10 Issue 4 2008 (2008-10-23 07:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Knowledge and condence of pre-service mathematics teachers (2008-10-23 14:11) . . . . . . . 180
Estimating Iraqi deaths (2008-10-23 14:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
ESM, November issue (2008-10-27 15:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
JMTE, November 2008 (2008-10-27 15:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
ZDM, November 2008 (2008-10-27 15:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Measuring quality of mathematics teaching in early childhood (2008-10-28 08:37) . . . . . . . 184
Whats all the fuss about gestures? (2008-10-28 08:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Empirical research on mathematics teachers (2008-10-28 08:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Working with artefacts (2008-10-30 09:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Semi-virtual seminar in mathematics education (2008-10-30 09:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Mathematics assessment in East Asia (2008-10-30 09:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
1.10 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Creating optimal mathematics learning environments (2008-11-03 08:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Using SmartBoard (2008-11-03 08:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
JRME, November 2008 (2008-11-03 14:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Exploring Japanese teachers conception of mathematics lesson structure (2008-11-05 07:50) . . 188
Creativity and interdisciplinarity (2008-11-06 09:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
The decorative impulse (2008-11-06 09:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Interdisciplinarity in mathematics education (2008-11-06 09:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
PME 33 (2008-11-07 08:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Content and pedagogical content knowledge in Germany and Hong Kong (2008-11-10 12:55) . 190
Future teachers professional knowledge on argumentation and proof (2008-11-10 12:58) . . . . 190
Diagnostic competentces of future teachers (2008-11-10 13:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Interdisciplinary instruction (2008-11-11 09:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
ICMI newsletter, No 6, 2008 (2008-11-12 10:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
New journal: Educational Designer (2008-11-12 10:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Playing with representations (2008-11-13 10:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
IJSME, December 2008 (2008-11-14 09:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Embodied multi-modal communication (2008-11-17 08:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
ZDM, December 2008 (2008-11-17 20:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Mathematical enculturation (2008-11-22 20:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Mathematics teachers observable learning objectives (2008-11-22 20:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
NOMAD, No 3, 2008 (2008-11-22 20:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
ZDM, No 5, 2008 (2008-11-24 09:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Research fellow at University of Agder! (2008-11-24 20:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Gestures as semiotic resources (2008-11-25 09:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Prospective elementary teachers motivation (2008-11-25 09:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
BlogBook CONTENTS
Activating mathematical competencies (2008-11-25 09:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Book review: "Algebra in the Early Grades" (2008-11-25 20:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Pearsons correlation between three variables (2008-11-26 09:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
New IJMTL articles (2008-11-27 09:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Method, certainty and trust (2008-11-30 11:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Belief enactment (2008-11-30 12:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Elementary prospective teachers mathematical beliefs (2008-11-30 12:03) . . . . . . . . . . . 202
1.11 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Where am I, and where do I want to go? (2008-12-04 13:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
IEJME, October issue revisited (2008-12-04 14:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Building intellectual infrastructure (2008-12-08 09:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Science & Education, January 2009 (2008-12-08 09:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Terence Tao in Norway (2008-12-08 11:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Conference calendar updated (2008-12-08 15:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
TIMSS 2007 (2008-12-09 23:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Educational Researcher, December 2008 (2008-12-10 20:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
The professional education of mathematics teachers (2008-12-10 20:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Reasons for change in enrolments (2008-12-11 08:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Using history of mathematics (2008-12-12 21:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
The development of beliefs and practice (2008-12-12 21:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
A cultural-historical approach to teaching geometry (2008-12-12 21:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
A comparison of curricular effect (2008-12-15 09:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
A brief history of mathematics (book) (2008-12-15 20:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
ZDM, No 1-2, 2009 (2008-12-15 20:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Working for learning (2008-12-16 09:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
ATM eNews (2008-12-16 09:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Reading tips: Branford (1908) (2008-12-17 09:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
NCTM E-workshops (2008-12-18 22:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Holidays are approaching... (2008-12-19 11:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Mathematics in everyday life - a PhD thesis lives on! (2008-12-19 13:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
TMME, No 1/2, 2009 (2008-12-20 17:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
ESM, January 2009 (2008-12-22 17:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
IJSME, February 2009 (2008-12-22 18:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
TMME, No 1/2 2009 is here! (2008-12-23 00:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Blog tips: "Wild about math!" (2008-12-30 17:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
CONTENTS BlogBook
2 2009 219
2.1 January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Gem #1: Euclids Elements (2009-01-02 12:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Gem #2: Hilberts "The Foundations of Geometry" (2009-01-05 09:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
The cost of poor math skills (2009-01-05 15:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
epiSTEME 3 (2009-01-07 19:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Gem #3: Newtons Principia (2009-01-07 19:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Mathematics in Early Childhood (book) (2009-01-08 20:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Measuring teachers beliefs about mathematics (2009-01-13 08:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Using graphing software in algebra teaching (2009-01-13 12:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Intuitive vs analytical thinking (2009-01-13 12:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Preservice teachers subject matter knowledge of mathematics (2009-01-15 08:29) . . . . . . . 223
Students perceptions (2009-01-15 08:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
JRME, January 2009 (2009-01-15 15:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Students use of technological tools (2009-01-16 17:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Gem #4: Hardys Apology (2009-01-19 15:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Re-mythologizing mathematics (2009-01-22 11:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Pursuing excellence (2009-01-26 08:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Using history in mathematics education (2009-01-26 08:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Problem-solving and cryptography (2009-01-26 08:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
In search of an exemplary mathematics lesson in Hong Kong (2009-01-26 08:47) . . . . . . . . 227
CERME 6 (2009-01-27 08:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Science & Education, February 2009 (2009-01-28 21:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Tools of American Mathematics Teaching, 1800-2000 (2009-01-28 21:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
2.2 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Gem #5: Russels Principles of Mathematics (2009-02-03 11:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Overcoming Algebra (2009-02-03 20:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Why East Asians do well in math (2009-02-03 20:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
AMTE Annual Conference (2009-02-05 15:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
JMTE, February 2009 (2009-02-08 00:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Assessing science students attitudes (2009-02-09 20:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Math Wrath (2009-02-09 20:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Gem #6: Napiers logarithms (2009-02-09 20:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Journal of Curriculum Studies (2009-02-12 09:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Gem #7: Deweys "Democracy and education" (2009-02-13 09:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Teachers motivation for fractions (2009-02-13 16:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Diagrams in problem solving (2009-02-13 16:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Four-digit numbers which are squared sums (2009-02-14 10:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
BlogBook CONTENTS
Algebra: Use it or lose it? (2009-02-16 09:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Do you use math in your everyday life? (2009-02-17 11:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
IJMEST, issue 1, 2009 (2009-02-17 11:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Hidden lessons (2009-02-17 12:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Free journal article (2009-02-18 09:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
BSHM Bulletin (2009-02-18 12:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Khayyam with Cabri (2009-02-19 08:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Exemplary mathematics lessons (2009-02-20 15:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
IJMEST, volume 40, issue 2, 2009 (2009-02-20 15:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Anniversary!!! (2009-02-20 15:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Teachers reective thinking skills (2009-02-23 08:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Mathematical interaction in different social settings (2009-02-23 08:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Ethiopian students in Israel (2009-02-23 08:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Geometric and algebraic approaches (2009-02-23 08:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
ESM, March 2009 (2009-02-24 07:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Changing practice, changing minds (2009-02-25 08:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Transition between different coordinate systems (2009-02-25 08:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
IJSME, Vol 7, Number 2 (2009-02-25 08:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Mathematics classrooms with immigrant students (2009-02-26 08:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Supervision of mathematics student teachers (2009-02-26 08:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Online resources in mathematics (2009-02-26 08:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
2.3 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
IJCML, volume 13, issue 3 (2009-03-01 09:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, issue 1, 2009 (2009-03-01 09:15) . . . . . . . . . . 250
Good mathematics instruction in South Korea (2009-03-01 09:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Black-white gap in mathematics course taking (2009-03-01 10:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Teaching research groups in China (2009-03-01 10:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Didactical designs (2009-03-03 09:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
HPM newsletter, March 2009 (2009-03-04 11:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Teaching contests (2009-03-05 09:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Conditional inference and advanced mathematical study (2009-03-05 09:06) . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Exemplary mathematics instruction in Japanese classrooms (2009-03-06 08:31) . . . . . . . . . 254
Sociocultural complexity in mathematics teaching (2009-03-06 08:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Free access to special issue of ESM! (2009-03-06 11:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Proof constructions and evaluations (2009-03-08 19:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Working with schools (2009-03-09 10:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
The emergence of "speaking with meaning" (2009-03-10 15:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Obama on Math (2009-03-11 20:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
CONTENTS BlogBook
Knowledge and beliefs (2009-03-13 08:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
An innovative system of lecture notes (2009-03-16 21:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
GeoGebra - freedom to explore and learn (2009-03-16 21:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
NOMAD, December 2008 (2009-03-17 13:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Catwalk problems (2009-03-18 12:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Epistemological beliefs (2009-03-22 09:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Histograms in teacher training (2009-03-25 08:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Dynamic graphs and student reasoning (2009-03-25 08:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
The Abel Prize 2009 - Mikhail Gromov (2009-03-26 15:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Modes of reasoning (2009-03-28 10:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
More about the Abel Prize winner (2009-03-29 20:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
ESM, April 2009 (2009-03-30 07:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Challenging Mathematics in and Beyond the Classroom (2009-03-30 07:41) . . . . . . . . . . . 264
The Language of Mathematics (2009-03-30 07:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
2.4 April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
When two circles determine a triangle (2009-04-01 07:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Students experiences with mathematics teaching and learning (2009-04-02 14:34) . . . . . . . 266
Performance of undergraduate students in the limit concept (2009-04-02 14:36) . . . . . . . . . 266
Students discovering spherical geometry (2009-04-02 14:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
The problem of the pyramid (2009-04-02 14:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Effect of personalization (2009-04-02 14:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
6 out of 10 university students have math anxiety (2009-04-08 08:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Learning math by thinking (2009-04-09 08:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Supervision of teachers (2009-04-09 09:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Solutions of linear equations (2009-04-10 08:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Sexy maths (2009-04-10 08:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Preparations for AERA (2009-04-11 09:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
AERA 2009 Annual Meeting (2009-04-13 10:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Preparation for our symposium session (2009-04-14 00:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
My AERA presentation (2009-04-14 09:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Tuesday sessions at AERA (2009-04-15 01:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Drag with a worn-out mouse (2009-04-16 00:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
In-service teacher training in Botswana (2009-04-17 00:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Mathematics teachers practices and thinking (2009-04-17 02:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Why do I blog? (2009-04-17 16:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Instructional beliefs (2009-04-18 00:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Concept mapping in mathematics (2009-04-18 03:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
ESM, May 2009 (2009-04-20 09:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
BlogBook CONTENTS
Instructional Science, May 2009 (2009-04-20 09:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Productive failure in mathematical problem solving (2009-04-20 09:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Conceptualizing and organizing content for teaching and learning (2009-04-20 09:51) . . . . . . 278
Searching for good mathematics (2009-04-20 09:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
New TMME monographs (2009-04-22 08:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
How learning and teaching of mathematics can be made interesting (2009-04-22 08:49) . . . . . 280
Interpreting motion graphs (2009-04-23 09:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Sample space partitions (2009-04-23 09:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Improving mathematics instruction through lesson study (2009-04-23 09:37) . . . . . . . . . . 281
Is it worth using CAS (2009-04-26 21:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Mathematics in early childhood education (2009-04-30 08:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
The struggle to "x" math education (2009-04-30 22:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
2.5 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Multiple representations (2009-05-03 17:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Does policy inuence math teachers? (2009-05-06 19:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
"Gender games" (2009-05-07 19:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Euler and structural steel design (2009-05-08 09:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
IJCML, April 2009 (2009-05-08 09:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
March issue of NOMAD (2009-05-11 20:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
ICMI-News, May 2009 (2009-05-12 08:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Mathematical modelling and medical students (2009-05-13 15:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Teaching mathematics for understanding (2009-05-15 07:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Mathematical problem solving and students belief systems (2009-05-18 09:19) . . . . . . . . . 288
Social justice and mathematics teacher education (2009-05-18 09:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Slidecast from our AERA-symposium (2009-05-18 09:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
IJSME, June 2009 (2009-05-19 08:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
The role of prior knowledge (2009-05-19 11:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Exemplary math instruction in East Asia (2009-05-19 11:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Hands-on mathematics (2009-05-20 09:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Non-routine problem solving (2009-05-21 16:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Mathematics in and through social justice (2009-05-21 16:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, June 2009 (2009-05-27 15:24) . . . . . . . . . . . 292
2.6 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
ESM, June 2009 (2009-06-02 09:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
JMTE, June 2009 (2009-06-02 09:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
ZDM, June 2009 (2009-06-02 09:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Constructing mathematics in an interactive classroom context (2009-06-02 10:13) . . . . . . . . 295
Free articles from Educational Studies in Mathematics (2009-06-03 07:14) . . . . . . . . . . . 295
CONTENTS BlogBook
ESM, July 2009 (2009-06-08 10:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Mathematics education in the early years (2009-06-08 19:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Professional development + coaching = enhanced teaching (2009-06-10 08:05) . . . . . . . . . 297
Experts strategy exibility for solving equations (2009-06-10 08:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Jump or compensate? (2009-06-10 08:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
The effects of cooperative learning (2009-06-12 08:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Understanding rigid geometric transformations (2009-06-13 08:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Students whole number multiplicative concepts (2009-06-14 08:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Students fraction comparison strategies (2009-06-15 11:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
PhD student at UiS? (2009-06-16 08:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Preview of TMME, July 2009 (2009-06-16 08:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Whats math got to do with it? (2009-06-17 07:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Great article revisited (2009-06-17 08:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
New articles in JMTE (2009-06-17 08:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Whats the problem? (2009-06-23 08:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Emotionality in mathematics teacher education (2009-06-23 08:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
What works in early childhood education? (2009-06-24 07:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Internet use in the mathematics classroom (2009-06-24 08:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
BSHM Bulletin, Issue 2, 2009 (2009-06-25 08:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Students` perceptions of institutional practices (2009-06-25 08:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Geometrical representations (2009-06-26 08:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
2.7 July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Charting the microworld territory over time (2009-07-04 09:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Iterating between lessons and concepts (2009-07-06 09:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Flexible use of symbolic tools (2009-07-07 10:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Summer is here... (2009-07-08 21:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
2.8 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
ZDM, August 2009 (2009-08-10 08:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Transitional stages and students motivation (2009-08-10 11:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Interesting AERJ articles (2009-08-13 08:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Childrens strategies for division by fractions (2009-08-14 08:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Mathematically and practically based explanations (2009-08-14 09:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
New issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics (2009-08-17 07:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
International Handbook of Research on Teachers and Teaching (2009-08-20 11:43) . . . . . . . 313
Interdisciplinary mathematics-physics approaches (2009-08-21 08:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
An integrative learning experience (2009-08-21 08:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Tutored problem solving (2009-08-24 09:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Blog reading tips - Poincars prize (2009-08-27 08:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
BlogBook CONTENTS
Alignment, cohesion, and change (2009-08-31 13:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
2.9 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
"The conference was awesome" (2009-09-01 07:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
How to develop mathematics for teaching and understanding (2009-09-01 07:35) . . . . . . . . 316
Understanding the complexities of student motivations (2009-09-01 10:03) . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Algebra - the birthplace and graveyard for many (2009-09-04 08:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
ICMI News (2009-09-04 09:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
School mathematics curriculum materials for teachers` (2009-09-07 10:06) . . . . . . . . . . . 319
IJSME, August 2009 (2009-09-08 07:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Theories of Mathematics Education (2009-09-09 07:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Exploration of technologies (2009-09-09 07:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Working like real mathematicians (2009-09-10 07:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Students understanding of a logical structure in the denition of limit (2009-09-11 07:58) . . . 322
What the eyes already know (2009-09-16 12:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Honoring Paul Ernest (2009-09-17 08:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
A study on the teaching of the concept of negative numbers (2009-09-17 09:25) . . . . . . . . . 323
Three new ZDM articles (2009-09-20 19:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Self-efcacy beliefs regarding mathematics and science teaching (2009-09-21 13:45) . . . . . . 325
Teachers conceptions of creativity (2009-09-21 13:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Finnish pre-service teachers` and upper secondary students` understanding of division and reason-
ing strategies used (2009-09-24 21:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
How Do Parents Support Preschoolers` Numeracy Learning Experiences at Home?
(2009-09-24 21:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Flexible and adaptive use of strategies and representations (2009-09-26 10:18) . . . . . . . . . . 327
Addition and subtraction of three-digit numbers (2009-09-26 10:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
IJSME, October 2009 (2009-09-26 10:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
2.10 October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
The productive notion of mathematics laboratories (2009-10-01 07:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Developing school mathematics textbooks in China (2009-10-01 07:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Whats sophisticated about elementary mathematics? (2009-10-01 08:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
How syntactic reasoners can develop understanding (2009-10-02 08:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Multiple solution methods and multiple outcomes (2009-10-02 08:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Mathematics instruction for students with learning disabilities (2009-10-03 08:23) . . . . . . . 331
Curriculum research to improve teaching and learning (2009-10-06 07:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Teachers difculties during problem-solving instruction (2009-10-13 09:49) . . . . . . . . . . 332
Sudoku: Strategy versus structure (2009-10-13 09:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Maths week in Ireland (2009-10-13 10:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
ESM - November issue (2009-10-14 09:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
CONTENTS BlogBook
Students` perceived sociomathematical norms (2009-10-18 19:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Teachers use of representation (2009-10-19 07:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
A case study in Rwanda (2009-10-19 17:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Teachers perceptions about the purpose of student teaching (2009-10-20 07:26) . . . . . . . . . 335
100 open lectures (2009-10-20 07:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
MTL, Volume 11, Issue 4 (2009-10-20 08:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
CAS calculators in algebra instruction (2009-10-21 08:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Mathematics curriculum: a vehicle for school improvement (2009-10-21 08:39) . . . . . . . . . 337
Seminar with Bharath Sriraman (2009-10-25 19:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
ZDM, November 2009 (2009-10-28 08:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
JMTE - October 2009 (2009-10-28 08:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
2.11 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Insight into the fractional calculus via a spreadsheet (2009-11-02 11:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
New journal in mathematics education! (2009-11-06 10:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Instructional Science, November 2009 (2009-11-09 11:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
December issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics (2009-11-09 15:16) . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Mathematics and positive sciences (2009-11-11 08:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
JMTE, December 2009 (2009-11-11 13:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Teachers metacognitive and heuristic approaches to word problem solving (2009-11-12 13:11) . 345
Developing exibility for teaching algebra (2009-11-15 19:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Mathematical thinking of kindergarten boys and girls (2009-11-16 10:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Learning from video (2009-11-23 10:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Conceptions of effective mathematics ... (2009-11-23 11:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Graphic calculators and connectivity software (2009-11-24 12:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
NOMAD, October 2009 (2009-11-24 14:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Pre-service teachers teaching anxiety (2009-11-24 16:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Using live, online tutoring (2009-11-25 12:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Graphics calculators in examination (2009-11-27 09:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
2.12 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
"Me and maths" (2009-12-01 16:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Developing a leading identity (2009-12-01 16:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Visual templates in pattern generalization activity (2009-12-08 10:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
The increasing role of metacognitive skills in math (2009-12-10 14:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Math tutoring for low-achieving students (2009-12-14 08:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
TIMSS Advanced 2008 (2009-12-14 08:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Learning to teach mathematics through inquiry (2009-12-23 11:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Teacher lust (2009-12-23 12:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Merry Christmas (2009-12-25 10:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
BlogBook CONTENTS
3 2010 357
3.1 January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Happy new year! (2010-01-01 12:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
January issue of Science & Education (2010-01-04 11:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Using history as a goal (2010-01-08 22:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Integrating technology into mathematics teaching (2010-01-12 10:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
TMME, No 1, 2010 (2010-01-14 20:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
TMME, January 2010 revisited (2010-01-15 21:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Engaging in problem posing activities (2010-01-19 09:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Feeling number (2010-01-22 08:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Mathematics education and democracy (2010-01-22 09:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Online distance mathematics education in Brazil (2010-01-27 08:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Combining constructions of knowledge (2010-01-27 08:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
3.2 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
ZDM, February, 2010 (2010-02-03 08:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Mathematically based and practically based explanations (2010-02-09 08:44) . . . . . . . . . . 363
Busy days... (2010-02-16 22:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Teachers attending to students reasoning (2010-02-24 08:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Exploring kindergarten teachers pedagogical content knowledge of mathematics
(2010-02-26 10:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
3.3 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Appropriating geometric series as a cultural tool (2010-03-01 13:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Review of my blog (2010-03-29 06:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
New issue of IJMEST, vol 41, issue 3, 2010 (2010-03-29 07:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
3.4 April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
JMTE, April 2010 (2010-04-12 13:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
3.5 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Theories of Mathematics Education - Recommendations from Reuben Hersh (2010-05-19 10:25) 368
New issue of Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education (2010-05-19 10:33) . . . . . . . . . . 368
First Sourcebook on Nordic Research in Mathematics Education (2010-05-21 20:50) . . . . . . 369
3.6 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Teachers metacognitive behavior in problem solving (2010-06-09 07:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Preservice teachers conceptions of multidigit wholenumbers (2010-06-11 13:57) . . . . . . . . 370
A day of co-writing with Google Docs (2010-06-14 19:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Mathematics education in Brazil (2010-06-14 20:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Collaborative mathematical problem-solving processes (2010-06-14 21:41) . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Great, great and great! (2010-06-17 08:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Next issue of TMME (2010-06-21 08:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
CONTENTS BlogBook
"Who reads all this stuff, Dad?" (2010-06-24 07:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
3.7 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Summer updates on the major journals (2010-08-04 07:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Truth and the renewal of knowledge (2010-08-15 12:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Educational Studies in Mathematics, September issue (2010-08-23 12:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
3.8 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Pre-service teachers mathematics anxiety (2010-09-01 09:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Kindergarten mathematics with Pepe the Rabbit (2010-09-06 08:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
5 Signs Why Mathematics Should be Chosen as a Career Option (2010-09-07 10:30) . . . . . . 377
The role of pictures in picture books (2010-09-07 11:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
5 interesting articles that almost missed me (2010-09-13 10:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Making mathematics more mobile (2010-09-16 08:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Teachers and researchers collaboration (2010-09-21 22:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
The signicance of mathematical knowledge in teaching elementary methods courses
(2010-09-21 23:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Relationship between teacher knowledge, teacher practice and student achievement
(2010-09-27 11:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
October issue of JMTE (2010-09-27 12:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
3.9 October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Methods of instructional improvement in algebra (2010-10-01 08:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Childrens gestures and the embodied knowledge of geometry (2010-10-08 10:32) . . . . . . . 383
Cognitive neuroscience and mathematics learning (2010-10-11 09:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
The Sourcebook revisited (2010-10-18 13:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
November issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics (2010-10-18 13:29) . . . . . . . . . . . 385
3.10 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Using video in teacher education (2010-11-02 10:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
New issue of ZDM - handheld technology (2010-11-02 11:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
December issue of JMTE (2010-11-03 11:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Critical Mathematics Education - Special issue of Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal
(2010-11-05 11:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Global education conference (2010-11-11 07:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
December issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics (2010-11-12 07:34) . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Mathematical Thinking and Learning, issue 4 (2010-11-16 10:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Preschoolers notion of chance and probability (2010-11-24 13:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Two interesting articles on teachers knowledge (2010-11-25 11:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Imagining mathematics teaching practice (2010-11-29 09:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Argumentation and proofs in elementary calculus (2010-11-30 09:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
3.11 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
2011 is already here (at least in Educational Studies in Mathematics) (2010-12-13 13:02) . . . . 393
New issue of TMME soon to appear (2010-12-20 14:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
BlogBook CONTENTS
4 2011 395
4.1 January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
... and it has appeared! (2011-01-11 06:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
4.2 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Creating and using representations, ZDM theme issue (2011-02-08 10:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Research on affect at CERME7 (2011-02-10 13:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
4.3 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Video-based assessment (2011-03-16 18:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
How beliefs inuence professional development (2011-03-29 13:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
4.4 April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Early Algebraization (2011-04-05 10:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
2011 Annual Meeting of AERA (2011-04-08 13:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
4.5 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
ICMI is on facebook (and so am I by the way...) (2011-05-11 10:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
The 2011 NORMA conferernce (2011-05-13 10:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
4.6 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
MKT seminar in Stavanger (2011-06-26 20:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
4.7 July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
New issue of The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast (2011-07-09 19:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
4.8 October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
New issue of The Mathematics Enthusiast is approaching (2011-10-13 10:18) . . . . . . . . . . 404
June issue of The Mathematics Enthusiast (2011-10-17 11:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
New monography on the history of mathematics and mathematics education (2011-10-20 11:14) 404
4.9 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
The Mathematics Enthusiast to feature NSF Math Science Partnership Projects (2011-11-02 09:46) 405
Chapter 1
2008
1.1 February
Welcome (2008-02-05 11:43)
There are so many journals, so many conferences, so many web-sites that cover research in mathematics education.
This blog will be my humble attempt to cover the most important ones. In the sidebar, you can nd feeds from
the most important scientic journals in mathematics education research. In this blog, I will comment on new and
interesting (to me at least) articles in these and other journals. I will also try to follow some of the most important
conferences in mathematics education, as well as sharing interesting bookmarks regarding mathematics education.
I know, this sounds like a huge challenge, and it is! I will, however, do my best to follow up on it, and if anyone
else is interested in joining this attempt, I would like to invite you to contribute. This starts off as something I nd
interesting for myself, but I hope that several colleague researchers and educators will nd this attempt interesting
as well.
ICME - 11 (2008-02-05 12:12)
This years big event in mathematics education research is undoubtedly the [1]ICME-11 conference in Mexico. I
attended the last ICME conference ([2]ICME-10 in Denmark, 2004), and it was a great event. This year, unfortu-
nately, I am not able to come, but I will try and follow the conference on this blog. Mark the dates already: July
6th to 13th in Monterrey, Mexico.
1. http://www.icme11.org/
2. http://www.icme10.dk/
Mathematics education research 02/05/2008 (2008-02-05 14:31)
[1]The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction
tags: [2]education, [3]mathematics, [4]research
[5]British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics
[9]Math Forum - Math Education Research
tags: [10]education, [11]mathematics, [12]research, [13]resources
1. http://www.mathunion.org/ICMI
2. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/education
BlogBook 1.1. February
3. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/mathematics
4. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/research
5. http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/
9. http://mathforum.org/mathed/mathed.research.html
13. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/resources
JRME - issue 1, January 2008 (2008-02-05 14:43)
Here is a list of contents for this years rst issue of JRME:
[1]A BRIEF REPORT: An Existence Proof: Successful Joint Implementation of the IMP Curriculum and a
4 x 4 Block Schedule at a Suburban U.S. High School Steven L. Kramer and Regina Keller
[2]What Students Notice as Different Between Reform and Traditional Mathematics Programs Jon R. Star,
John P. Smith III and Amanda Jansen
[3]Teaching and Learning Fraction Addition on Number Lines Andrew Izsk, Erik Tillema and Zelha Tun-
Pekkan
[4]Curriculum Use While Learning to Teach: One Student Teacher`s Appropriation of Mathematics Cur-
riculum Materials Gwendolyn M. Lloyd
[5]BOOK REVIEW: The Three Rs of Social Justice: A Review of Reading and Writing the World with
Mathematics: Toward a Pedagogy for Social Justice Tonya Gau Bartell and Thomas P. Carpenter
1. http://my.nctm.org/eresources/article_summary.asp?URI=JRME2008-01-2a&from=B
TMME - January 2008 (2008-02-05 14:51)
The rst issue of [1]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast this year includes a forum for "ethics and values in
mathematics, teaching and learning". There are also a number of interesting feature articles:
FEATURE ARTICLES
9. Murad Jurdak (Lebanon)
[2]The Action Map as a Tool for Assessing Situated Mathematical
Problem Solving Performance pp.67-78
10. M.K Akinsola (Botswana)
[3]Relationship of some psychological variables in predicting problem
solving ability of in-service mathematics teachers pp.79-100
11. Kristin Umland (New Mexico, USA)
1.1. February BlogBook
[4]A reflection on mathematical cognition: how far have we come and
where are we going? pp.101-116
12. Yuichi Handa (California, USA)
[5]Reflections upon Teaching a Poorly-Conceived Lesson pp.117-124
13. Jaehoon Yim, Sanghun Song, Jiwon Kim (South Korea)
[6]Mathematically gifted elementary students revisiting of Eulers
polyhedron theorem pp.125-142
MONTANA FEATURE ARTICLE
14. David M. Davison and Johanna E. Mitchell (Montana, USA)
[7]How is Mathematics Education Philosophy Reflected in the Math Wars?
pp.143-154
1. http://www.montanamath.org/TMME/
2. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol5no1/Jurdak_article9_pp.67_78.pdf
3. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol5no1/Akinsola_article10_pp.79_100.pdf
4. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol5no1/Umland_article11_pp.101_116.pdf
5. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol5no1/Handa_article12_pp.117_124.pdf
6. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol5no1/Jiwon_article13_pp.125_142.pdf
7. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol5no1/DavisonMitchell%20_article14_pp.143_154.pdf
IJMEST, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-06 10:32)
[1]International Journal of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology has published their rst issue this
year, and it has the following original articles:
[2]Upper secondary students task reasoning
[3]pp. 1 12
Authors: T. Bergqvist; J. Lithner; L. Sumpter
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701464675
[4]A survey of advanced mathematics topics: a new high school
mathematics class
[5]pp. 13 22
Authors: Carryn Bellomo; Remy Strapp
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701368561
[6]Enhancing Mathematics for Informatics and its correlation with
student pass rates
[7]pp. 23 33
Authors: B. Divjak; Z. Erjavec
DOI: 10.1080/00207390601002732
[8]A simple yet accurate method for students to determine asteroid
rotation periods from fragmented light curve data
[9]pp. 35 59
Author: R. A. Beare
DOI: 10.1080/00207390601115120
[10]Justifying differential derivations when setting up definite
integrals
[11]pp. 61 68
Author: K. Tarvainen
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701497774
[12]The evaluation of the error term in some Gauss-type formulae for
the approximation of Cauchy Principal Value integrals
[13]pp. 69 76
Author: H. V. Smith
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701582203
[14]Some problems and conjectures in number theory
[15]pp. 77 82
Author: H. K. Pathak
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701607240
1. http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/tf/0020739X.html
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Econtent=a782064647%7Edb=all%7Eorder=page
ZDM, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-06 10:39)
[1]ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education (formerly known as [2]Zentralblatt fr Didaktik
der Mathematik) has released their rst issue of this year, with the theme: "From Patterns to Generalization: De-
velopment of Algebraic Thinking". The issue has the following contents (only the titles are displayed here - click
on the links to investigate further!):
[3]Generalization in algebra: the foundation of algebraic thinking and reasoning across the grades
[4]Early algebra and mathematical generalization
[5]The effect of different representations on Years 3 to 5 students` ability to generalise
[6]Algebraic thinking with and without algebraic representation: a three-year longitudinal study
[7]Elementary school students engaging in making generalisation: a glimpse from a Singapore classroom
[8]Middle school children`s cognitive perceptions of constructive and deconstructive generalizations involv-
ing linear gural patterns
[9]Iconicity and contraction: a semiotic investigation of forms of algebraic generalizations of patterns in
different contexts
[10]Seventh-grade students` representations for pictorial growth and change problems
[11]'Rising to the challenge: using generalization in pattern problems to unearth the algebraic skills of
talented pre-algebra students
[12]The role of examples in forming and refuting generalizations
[13]En route from patterns to algebra: comments and reections
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/1863-9690
2. http://hamlet.dnlb.dk/EMIS/journals/ZDM/zdmcont.html
3. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/f229063427275861/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=0
4. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/v80337243839588m/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=1
5. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/n75200xrmqt22346/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=2
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/p324j162k0m108k6/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=3
7. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/cm13512214h74140/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=4
8. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/m7386r7h7m665255/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=5
9. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/w0g18un1g6v242mg/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=6
10. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/d1v5x503k605t1p8/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=7
11. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/7570v6283u604613/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=8
12. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/65570t71u8217460/?p=99e9c29353834ff8980d8ae7f23b13d4&pi=9
13. http://www.springerlink.com/content/h6519625x370175t/?p=d7357c3ac245422bb5195be3fc544213&pi=
10
JMTE, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-06 10:49)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education is arguably one of the most prestigious journals within our eld, and
it has just published the rst issue of this year. There are ve interesting articles in this issue:
[2]Academic mathematics and mathematical knowledge needed in school teaching practice: some conicting
elements
Authors [3]Plinio C. Moreira and [4]Maria M. David
Text [5]PDF (257 kb) [6]HTML
[7]Challenges in deepening prospective teachers` understanding of multiplication through justication
Authors [8]Jane-Jane Lo, [9]Theresa J. Grant and [10]Judith Flowers
[13]Developing a communal identity as beginning teachers of mathematics: Emergence of an online community
of practice
Authors [14]Merrilyn E. Goos and [15]Anne Bennison
[18]Preparing Vietnamese student teachers for teaching with a student-centered approach
Authors [19]Thuy Nguyen Thanh, [20]Rijkje Dekker and [21]Martin J.
Goedhart
[24]Publishing research on mathematics teacher education
Author [25]Peter Sullivan
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/1573-1820/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w4h4482x6v465348/?p=
fe566c107d454db2a0261511ece0ec79&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Plinio+C.+Moreira
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Maria+M.+David
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w4h4482x6v465348/fulltext.pdf
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w4h4482x6v465348/fulltext.html
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m665x1373g855536/?p=
fe566c107d454db2a0261511ece0ec79&pi=1
8. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Jane-Jane+Lo
9. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Theresa+J.+Grant
10. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Judith+Flowers
11. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m665x1373g855536/fulltext.pdf
12. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m665x1373g855536/fulltext.html
13. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/wu77l5g5816268u3/?p=
fe566c107d454db2a0261511ece0ec79&pi=2
14. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Merrilyn+E.+Goos
15. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Anne+Bennison
16. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/wu77l5g5816268u3/fulltext.pdf
17. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/wu77l5g5816268u3/fulltext.html
18. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w86g7h051v066665/?p=
fe566c107d454db2a0261511ece0ec79&pi=3
19. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Thuy+Nguyen+Thanh
20. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Rijkje+Dekker
21. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Martin+J.+Goedhart
22. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w86g7h051v066665/fulltext.pdf
23. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w86g7h051v066665/fulltext.html
24. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/758039r37301273n/?p=
fe566c107d454db2a0261511ece0ec79&pi=4
25. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/?Author=Peter+Sullivan
26. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/758039r37301273n/fulltext.pdf
27. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/758039r37301273n/fulltext.html
ESM - issue 3, 2008 (2008-02-06 10:55)
[1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has already published the March issue of this year, with the following arti-
cles:
[2]A research framework for creative and imitative reasoning
Author [3]Johan Lithner
[6]Conditional inference and advanced mathematical study
Authors [7]Matthew Inglis and [8]Adrian Simpson
[11]Investigating the secondarytertiary transition
Author [12]Ghislaine Gueudet
[15]Proofs and refutations in the undergraduate mathematics classroom
Authors [16]Sean Larsen and [17]Michelle Zandieh
[20]The completeness property of the set of real numbers in the transition from calculus to analysis
Author [21]Anala Berg
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102875/
2. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/d143l47w1108333q/?p=1d03efb09118410d8d48d1d752990967&pi=0
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Johan+Lithner
4. http://www.springerlink.com/content/d143l47w1108333q/fulltext.pdf
5. http://www.springerlink.com/content/d143l47w1108333q/fulltext.html
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/y211t765n38n4584/?p=1d03efb09118410d8d48d1d752990967&pi=1
7. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Matthew+Inglis
8. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Adrian+Simpson
9. http://www.springerlink.com/content/y211t765n38n4584/fulltext.pdf
10. http://www.springerlink.com/content/y211t765n38n4584/fulltext.html
11. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/16116544228j6124/?p=1d03efb09118410d8d48d1d752990967&pi=2
12. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Ghislaine+Gueudet
13. http://www.springerlink.com/content/16116544228j6124/fulltext.pdf
14. http://www.springerlink.com/content/16116544228j6124/fulltext.html
15. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/6283k2qxu23mr6w8/?p=1d03efb09118410d8d48d1d752990967&pi=3
16. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Sean+Larsen
17. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Michelle+Zandieh
18. http://www.springerlink.com/content/6283k2qxu23mr6w8/fulltext.pdf
19. http://www.springerlink.com/content/6283k2qxu23mr6w8/fulltext.html
20. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/g3lk3577n7971126/?p=1d03efb09118410d8d48d1d752990967&pi=4
21. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Anal%c3%ada+Berg%c3%a9
22. http://www.springerlink.com/content/g3lk3577n7971126/fulltext.pdf
23. http://www.springerlink.com/content/g3lk3577n7971126/fulltext.html
IJSME - Number 1, 2008 (2008-02-06 11:02)
The March issue of [1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education is out, and it displays nine
articles:
[2]A Mathematics Teachers` Perspective and its Relationship to Practice
Authors [3]Isabel Escudero and [4]Victoria Snchez
Text [5]PDF (272 kb)
[6]Engaging Pre-Service Teachers in Multinational, Multi-Campus Scientic and Mathematical Inquiry
Authors [7]Jennifer Anne Wilhelm, [8]Walter S. Smith, [9]Kendra L.
Walters, [10]Sonya E. Sherrod and [11]Judith Mulholland
[13]Facilitating Chemistry Teachers to Implement Inquiry-based Laboratory Work
Author [14]Derek Cheung
[16]Factors Affecting Teachers` Adoption of Technology in Classrooms: Does School Size Matter?
Authors [17]Hsin-Kai Wu, [18]Ying-Shao Hsu and [19]Fu-Kwun Hwang
[21]Investigating the Guidance Offered to Teachers in Curriculum Materials: The Case of Proof in Mathematics
Author [22]Gabriel J. Stylianides
[25]Learning Environment and Attitudes Associated with an Innovative Science Course Designed for Prospective
Elementary Teachers
Authors [26]Catherine Martin-Dunlop and [27]Barry J. Fraser
[29]Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Bridge the Gap Between Research and Practice
Authors [30]Susan A. Everett, [31]Gail R. Luera and [32]Charlotte A.
Otto
[34]Taiwan Elementary Teachers` Views of Science Teaching Self-Efcacy and Outcome Expectations
Authors [35]Chia-Ju Liu, [36]Brady Michael Jack and [37]Houn-Lin Chiu
[39]The Classroom Practice of a Prospective Secondary Biology Teacher and His Conceptions of the Nature of
Science and of Teaching and Learning Science
Authors [40]Vicente Mellado, [41]Mara Luisa Bermejo, [42]Lorenzo J.
Blanco and [43]Constantino Ruiz
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/111141/?p=ced49f1d8d6b4b85a746082ab8d21c25&pi=0
2. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/776884pug6651865/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=0
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Isabel+Escudero
4. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Victoria+S%c3%81nchez
5. http://www.springerlink.com/content/776884pug6651865/fulltext.pdf
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/l436m526208333w3/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=1
7. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Jennifer+Anne+Wilhelm
8. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Walter+S.+Smith
9. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Kendra+L.+Walters
10. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Sonya+E.+Sherrod
11. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Judith+Mulholland
12. http://www.springerlink.com/content/l436m526208333w3/fulltext.pdf
13. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/358240k387481003/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=2
14. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Derek+Cheung
15. http://www.springerlink.com/content/358240k387481003/fulltext.pdf
16. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/72r95003r14lh1x6/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=3
17. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Hsin-Kai+Wu
18. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Ying-Shao+Hsu
19. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Fu-Kwun+Hwang
20. http://www.springerlink.com/content/72r95003r14lh1x6/fulltext.pdf
21. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/v13370500765506u/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=4
22. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Gabriel+J.+Stylianides
23. http://www.springerlink.com/content/v13370500765506u/fulltext.pdf
24. http://www.springerlink.com/content/v13370500765506u/fulltext.html
25. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/2u77346741575423/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=5
26. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Catherine+Martin-Dunlop
27. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Barry+J.+Fraser
28. http://www.springerlink.com/content/2u77346741575423/fulltext.pdf
29. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/fwq8278v3124350x/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=6
30. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Susan+A.+Everett
31. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Gail+R.+Luera
32. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Charlotte+A.+Otto
33. http://www.springerlink.com/content/fwq8278v3124350x/fulltext.pdf
34. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/jpl74w8g4xk82622/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=7
35. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Chia-Ju+Liu
36. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Brady+Michael+Jack
37. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Houn-Lin+Chiu
38. http://www.springerlink.com/content/jpl74w8g4xk82622/fulltext.pdf
39. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/a5446024228n2722/?p=da5267f0fc94492ab830ecd4bdba6ee3&pi=8
40. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Vicente+Mellado
41. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Mar%c3%ada+Luisa+Bermejo
42. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Lorenzo+J.+Blanco
43. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Constantino+Ruiz
44. http://www.springerlink.com/content/a5446024228n2722/fulltext.pdf
Mathematics education research links 02/07/2008 (2008-02-07 14:31)
[1]Forum for Matematikkens Didaktik
tags: [2]denmark, [3]education, [4]mathematics, [5]research
[6]Center for Forskning i Matematiklring
tags: [7]denmark, [8]education, [9]mathematics, [10]research
[11]SMDF - Svensk frening fr MatematikDidaktisk Forskning
tags: [12]education, [13]mathematics, [14]research, [15]sweden
[16]cmeg-5 The 5th International conference on Creativity in Mathematics
tags: [17]conference, [18]education, [19]mathematics, [20]research
[21]MES5 - Introduction
[26]mathematics+education+research - Google Booksearch
tags: [27]books, [28]education, [29]mathematics, [30]research
1. http://www.matematikdidaktik.dk/index.html
2. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/denmark
6. http://mmf.ruc.dk/~bds/123.htm
7. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/denmark
11. http://matematikdidaktik.org/
15. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/sweden
16. http://www.cmeg-5.edu.haifa.ac.il/
17. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/conference
21. http://www.mes5.learning.aau.dk/
26. http://books.google.com/books?lr=&hl=no&q=mathematics%2Beducation%2Bresearch&btnG=S%C3%
B8k+i+b%C3%B8ker
27. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/books
Mathematics Teacher, February issue (2008-02-07 15:46)
[1]Mathematics Teacher has released their February issue, with the following headlines:
[2]Optimization of Cubic Polynomial Functions without Calculus
Ronald D. Taylor Jr. and Ryan Hansen
<![3] Are You Connected? Fostering Exploration with Unexpected Graphs
Michael Todd Edwards and Jeffrey A. Reinhardt > [4]Are You Connected? Fostering Exploration with Unex-
pected Graphs
Michael Todd Edwards and Jeffrey A. Reinhardt
<![5] Explorations with 142857: Connecting the Elementary with the Advanced
Randall E. Groth > [6]Explorations with 142857: Connecting the Elementary with the Advanced
Randall E. Groth
[7]Analyzing Online Discourse to Assess Students` Thinking
Randall E. Groth
<![8] Connecting Students` Informal Language to More Formal Denitions
Jon D. Davis > [9]Connecting Students` Informal Language to More Formal Denitions
Jon D. Davis
<![10] Reading Texts and Writing Problems to Improve Problem Solving
Ariana Stanca P. Vacaretu > [11]Reading Texts and Writing Problems to Improve Problem Solving
Ariana Stanca P. Vacaretu
[12]Poverty: Teaching Mathematics and Social Justice
Leah P. McCoy
<![13] Building Intuitive Arguments for the Triangle Congruence Conditions
Katrina Piatek-Jimenez > [14]Building Intuitive Arguments for the Triangle Congruence Conditions
Katrina Piatek-Jimenez
[15]Beyond Teachers` Sight Lines: Using Video Modeling to Examine Peer Discourse
Donna Kotsopoulos
The last article is a Free preview article. This is an interesting article on discourse analysis and video models.
Check it out!
1. http://my.nctm.org/eresources/journal_home.asp?journal_id=2
2. http://my.nctm.org/eresources/article_summary.asp?URI=MT2008-02-408a&from=B
3. file://localhost/mnt/ext/blogbooker/tmp/bw96gvtk/article_summary.asp?article_id=8220&from=
B
B
B
10.
file://localhost/mnt/ext/blogbooker/tmp/bw96gvtk/article_summary.asp?article_id=8227&from=B
13.
file://localhost/mnt/ext/blogbooker/tmp/bw96gvtk/article_summary.asp?article_id=8230&from=B
JMTE-article about prospective teachers beliefs (2008-02-08 12:43)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has published a new (online rst) [2]interesting article. The title is:
"Investigating changes in prospective teachers` views of a 'good teacher` while engaging in computerized project-
based learning", and the article is written by Ilana Lavy and Atara Shriki (both from Israel).
The article is about prospective teachers beliefs and views about teaching and learning, and the way these beliefs
and views affect their teaching once they have nished their studies. The aim of this particular project is to explore
the effects of learning via computerised project-based learning. In order to assess the prospective teachers change
in views, the following data was gathered: two open questionnaires, written portfolios, and transcripts of class
discussions.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=9707eaf9a0744508aac86835fcc567b3&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c024n42251705744/
EJMSTE, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-08 14:35)
The [1]Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education has published their [2]rst issue this
year. The following articles are related to mathematics education:
Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers` Learning Styles and Attitudes towards Mathematics
Murat Peker and Seref Mirasyedioglu
[[3]Full Text in PDF] (Size: 244 KB)
The Effects of Mathematics Anxiety on Matriculation Students as Related to Motivation and Achievement
Effandi Zakaria and Norazah Mohd Nordin
Science and Mathematics Teachers` Experiences, Needs, and Expectations Regarding Professional Development
Kathryn Chval, Sandra Abell, Enrique Pareja, Kusalin Musikul and Gerard Ritzka
1. http://www.ejmste.com/
2. http://www.ejmste.com/v4n1/main.html
3. http://www.ejmste.com/v4n1/Eurasia_v4n1_Peker_Mirasyedioglu.pdf
4. http://www.ejmste.com/v4n1/Eurasia_v4n1_Zakaria_Nordin.pdf
5. http://www.ejmste.com/v4n1/Eurasia_v4n1_Chval_etal.pdf
SSM, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-08 14:58)
[1]School Science and Mathematics has the following contents in their rst issue this year:
[2]Learning and Assessing Mathematics through Reading and Writing
[3]Michael J. Boss and Johna Faulconer
[4]Focusing on Units to Support Prospective Elementary Teachers Understanding of
Division in Fractional Contexts
[5]Hyung Sook Lee & Paola Sztajn
[6]
Davids Understanding of Functions and Periodicity
[7]Hope Gerson
[8]
1. http://ssmj.tamu.edu/
2. http://ssmj.tamu.edu/abstract/abstract_january_2008.php#article_1
Mathematics Teaching, January 2008 (2008-02-08 15:03)
The January issue of [1]Mathematics Teaching has the following articles under the research section:
[2]A model for multiplication - Heather McLeay
Heather McLeay discusses a visual representation to aid the multiplication of fractions.
[3]Deconstructing calculation methods, part 3: Multiplication - Ian Thompson[4]Buy MT2063436 for 3
In the third of a series of four articles, Ian Thompson deconstructs the primary national strategy`s approach to
written multiplication. The rst two articles in this series were published in [5]MT202 and [6]MT204.
[7]Representing multiplication - Tony Harries and Patrick Barmby[8]Buy MT2063741 for 3
Tony Harries and Patrick Barmby explore the use of visual representations, in particular the array, in the teaching
of multiplication in the primary school.
1. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/index.html
2. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/archive/mt206files/ATM-MT206-32-33.pdf
3. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/archive/mt206files/ATM-MT206-34-36-mo.pdf
4. http://www.atm.org.uk/buyonline/order.cgi?add=mt2063436
5. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/archive/mt202.html
6. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/archive/mt204.html
7. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/archive/mt206files/ATM-MT206-37-41-mo.pdf
8. http://www.atm.org.uk/buyonline/order.cgi?add=mt2063741
Teaching Children Mathematics, February 2008 (2008-02-08 15:08)
The February issue of [1]Teaching Children Mathematics presents the following articles:
[2]Tiering and Scaffolding: Two Strategies for Providing Access to Important Mathematics
Lori Williams
[3]Why Math Blogs?
Shirley M. Pyon
[4]Design of Activities on Numerical Representations Based on Cognitive Research
Eleftheria R. Kalifatidou
2. http://my.nctm.org/eresources/article_summary.asp?URI=TCM2008-02-324a&from=B
MES5 (2008-02-11 08:59)
Saturday February 16th, [1]the 5th International Conference on Mathematics Education and Society (a.k.a. MES5)
starts in Albufeira, Portugal. The conference will address issues like:
The politics of mathematics education
Cultural and social aspects of mathematics teaching and learning
The sociology of mathematics and mathematics education
Alternative research methodologies in mathematics education
These are interesting questions for all researchers within the eld. If you are interested in learning more about
the contents of the conference, you should take a look at the [2]programme. Most of the material (articles from
plenary lectures, paper/project discussions etc.) are available for download in pdf format!
The plenary lectures are:
1. "Reinventing" Freire: Mathematics Education for Social Transformation (Eric Gutstein, University of
Illinois-Chicago, USA)
2. Describing teacher change: Interactions between teacher moves and learner contributions (Karin Brodie,
University of Witswatersrand, South Africa)
3. Equity-in-Quality: Towards a Theoretical Framework (Murad Jurdak, American University of Beirut,
Lebanon)
4. Order of the World or Order of the Social. Conceptions of Mathematics and Their Importance to Mathemat-
ics Education (Ole Ravn Christensen, Aalborg University, Denmark)
2. http://www.mes5.learning.aau.dk/Programme.htm
Prominent researcher #1: Hans Freudenthal (2008-02-13 22:32)
I have decided to also use this blog to present some of the most prominent researchers in the eld of mathematics
education, and what would be more appropriate than to start with one of the giants of the past: Hans Freudenthal.
[1]
Hans Freudenthal was born into a Jewish family, September 17, 1905. He was born in Germany (Luckenwalde),
and in 1930 he defended a thesis on topological groups at the University of Berlin. The same year, he was invited
to Amsterdam as the assistant of LEJ Brouwer.
Early in his career, Freudenthal was involved with topology and algebra, and he also worked on Lie groups for a
few years. In his later years, though, he became more and more interested in mathematics education. He wrote
several important books and numerous scientic articles in this eld.
[2]The Freudenthal Institute in Utrecht, Netherlands, is named after him, and his theories have strongly inuenced
the Dutch tradition called [3]Realistic Mathematics Edcuation.
Sources
[4]The Wikipedia article about Hans Freudenthal (feel free to contribute to this - it might use some improve-
ment!)
The [5]biography at the [6]MacTutor History of Mathematics archive
Some of Freudenthals books (mathematics education):
Mathematics as an educational task (1973)
[7]Weeding and Sowing: Preface to a Science of Mathematical Education (1977)
[8]Didactical Phenomenology of Mathematical Structures (1983)
[9]Revisiting Mathematics Education: China Lectures (1991)
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hansfreudenthal.jpg
2. http://www.fi.uu.nl/en
3. http://www.fi.uu.nl/en/rme/
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_freudenthal
5. http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Freudenthal.html
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacTutor_History_of_Mathematics_archive
7. http://books.google.com/books?hl=no&lr=&id=U0JAirs4F-UC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=forfatter:
H+forfatter:Freudenthal&ots=HgVXPCF9Sj&sig=Xm4jGZ_fhRfutWwj-g7CRCDLQ38
8. http://books.google.com/books?hl=no&lr=&id=Ow3KrKYnZLwC&oi=fnd&pg=PT9&dq=forfatter:
H+forfatter:Freudenthal&ots=VlSY-Xl826&sig=7q0QMFEdsKKFHHk7kiuScIUta50
9. http://books.google.com/books?hl=no&lr=&id=pmkhm0NHK9YC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=forfatter:
H+forfatter:Freudenthal&ots=0sq7nHDga1&sig=P5pBxowve7IjIVbMNkQ5DNdTCrI
"Algebra in the Early Grades" (2008-02-13 23:44)
This book was published in 2007, but is one of the most interesting new books in mathematics education. The book
is edited by James J. Kaput, David W. Carraher and Maria L. Blanton, and it offers a "comprehensive, research
based, multi-faceted look at issues in early algebra" (according to [1]the description provided by Google Books).
Also check out the [2]description in the [3]NCTM product catalog!
1. http://books.google.com/books?id=vrF2AAAACAAJ&dq=%22algebra+in+the+early+grades%22&ei=
c2OzR8moHJjWyAS1jITQBQ&hl=no
2. http://my.nctm.org/ebusiness/ProductCatalog/product.aspx?ID=13213
3. http://nctm.org/
ICMI Study 19: Proof and proving in mathematics education (2008-02-14 11:35)
[1]ZDM published a (online rst) discussion document a few days ago, called [2]ICMI Study 19: Proof and prov-
ing in mathematics education. It is written by Gila Hanna and Michael de Villiers on behalf of the International
Program Committee. The article/discussion document points at the interesting discussion about proofs and proving
in mathematics education. At [3]ICME 11, there is going to be a [4]Topic Study Group ([5]TSG-18) on this theme
(Perhaps there is a slight mix of numbers here?).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=5511fc76372447c4b92621d8eba01194&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/352hwx5664450178/
3. http://icme11.org/
4. http://tsg.icme11.org/
5. http://tsg.icme11.org/tsg/show/19
Report on mathematics coursetaking and achievement (2008-02-14 14:21)
Robert Bozick and Steven J. Ingels recently published a report called: [1]Mathematics Coursetaking and Achieve-
ment at the End of High School: Evidence from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002).
The report is available as [2]downloadable pdf. I have copied the description of the report below:
This report documents and examines the relationship between the number
and types of math courses taken in the 11th and 12th grade and growth
in mathematics prociency over the same time period. Using data from
the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), the analysis
identies the coursetaking sequences most prevalent among contemporary
high school students in their junior and senior years, sociodemographic
characteristics of the students who follow these course sequences, and
the association between specic courses and course sequences and
mathematics gains over the last two years of high school. Because most
students (94 percent) entered the second half of high school with a
mastery of basic mathematics skills such as simple arithmetic and
operations, most learning during this time was in intermediate-level
mathematics skills and concepts. For example, the percentage of
students with an understanding of simple problem solving skills grew
from 53 to 65 percentage points over the two year period. In terms of
learning in specic content areas, the largest gains in intermediate
skills such as simple operations and problem solving were made by those
who followed the geometryalgebra II sequence. The largest gains in
advanced skills such as derivations and making inferences from
algebraic expressions were made by students who took precalculus paired
with another course. The smallest gains were made by students who took
one mathematics course or no mathematics courses during their last 2
years.
1. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008319
2. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008319.pdf
The roles of punctuation marks (ESM) (2008-02-15 09:32)
A new online rst article has been published by [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics. The article is written by
B.M. Brizuela and G.A. Cayton, and it has been called: "[2]The roles of punctuation marks while learning about
written numbers". The researchers investigated how children in kindergarten and rst grade articulate the meaning
of and need for punctuation marks in price lists. Based on their ndings, they claim:
These ndings provide evidence that children are, in fact, creating
and recreating ideas about different aspects of written numbers such as
the role of punctuation marks before necessarily being able to fully
articulate how written numbers work and before being formally taught,
though they have obviously been exposed from an early age to these
particular aspects of written numbers.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=8bf22a279daf449289fcd50f0764d59b&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/wl3371502516735h/
[1]Ten Myths About Mathematics Education And Why You Shouldnt Believe Them
tags: [2]education, [3]mathematics
[4]TERC
tags: [5]education, [6]mathematics, [7]research, [8]science
[9]Home of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics
tags: [10]education, [11]mathematics, [12]organization, [13]teacher
[14]Math Blog Directory
tags: [15]blog, [16]list, [17]mathematics
[18]NYC HOLD National on Mathematics Education Reform
[21]Mathematics Education Resources on the Internet
tags: [22]education, [23]links, [24]mathematics, [25]resources
[26]Mathematical Sciences Education Board
tags: [27]education, [28]mathematics, [29]organization, [30]science
[31]American Mathematical Society
tags: [32]mathematics, [33]organization
[34]2 plus 2: The Home of Mathematically Correct
1. http://www.nychold.com/myths-050504.html
4. http://www.terc.edu/
8. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/science
9. http://www.atm.org.uk/
12. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/organization
13. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/teacher
14. http://www.blogged.com/directory/education/math
15. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/blog
16. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/list
18. http://www.nychold.com/
21. http://www.istl.org/03-summer/internet.html
23. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/links
25. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/resources
26. http://www7.nationalacademies.org/mseb
30. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/science
31. http://www.ams.org/
34. http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/
[1]Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) - Overview
tags: [2]education, [3]mathematics, [4]research, [5]timss
[6]CSME - Centre for the Study of Mathematics Education
tags: [7]center, [8]education, [9]mathematics, [10]research
1. http://nces.ed.gov/timss
5. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/timss
6. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/csme
7. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/center
Educational Researcher Table of Contents (January/February 2008, 37 [1]) (2008-02-17 20:52)
[1]Educational Researcher has released their rst issue of the year, and the [2]list of contents can be found online.
Although not a journal within our eld precisely, the articles herein focus on issues that are at least indirectly
related to research in mathematics education. The feature article in this issue is:
Robert E. Slavin
Perspectives on Evidence-Based Research in EducationWhat Works? Issues in Synthesizing Educational Pro-
gram Evaluations
Educational Researcher 2008 37: 5-1
1. http://edr.sagepub.com/
2. http://edr.sagepub.com/current.dtl
Math growth from kindergarten through third grade (2008-02-19 08:24)
The rst number of [1]Sociology of Education this year included an article by J.E. Cheadle, called: [2]Educational
Investment, Family Context, and Childrens Math and Reading Growth from Kindergarten Through the Third
Grade. The article draws on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, and (quoting the abstract):
The results indicate that educational investments are an important mediator of socioeconomic and
racial/ethnic disparaties, completely explaining the black-white reading gap at kindergarten entry and
consistently explaining 20 percent to 60 percent and 30 percent to 50 percent of the black-white and
Hispanic-white disparities in the growth parameters, respectively, and approximately 20 percent of the
socioeconomic gradients.
The assessments in the study included mathematics areas such as number sense, properties, operations, measure-
ment, geometry and spatial sense, data analysis, statistics, probability, patterns, algebra, and functions (p. 7).
Reference:
Cheadle, Jacob, E. (2008). Educational investment, family context, and childrens math and reading growth from
kindergarten through the third grade. Sociology of Education, 81(1):1-31.
1. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asoca/soe;jsessionid=110pl51jqjh74.victoria
2. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asoca/soe/2008/00000081/00000001/art00001
Closing of MES-5 (2008-02-20 14:53)
Tomorrow is the nal day of the [1]MES-5 conference, but the ordinary lectures end today. The plenary lecture to-
day is held by Ole Ravn Christensen of Aalborg University (see [2]his article). In his presentation, he is discussing
a connection between the philosophy of mathematics and mathematics education research. His theoretical point of
departure, when it comes to the philosophy of mathematics, is Wittgenstein. He presents us with an argument:
(...) that the later Wittgenstein presents us with an unreservedly social interpretation of mathe-
matics that favours a certain direction for our research on mathematics education. According to this
interpretation, mathematics could be considered to be constituted exclusively in complex social pro-
cesses, in which case any conception of it mirroring a pre-existing world of mathematical objects is
rejected. To contrast with the Wittgensteinian position, a Platonist position is presented and the two
philosophical positions are discussed in relation to their signicance for mathematics education (from
the abstract).
2. http://www.mes5.learning.aau.dk/Plenaries/Christensen.pdf
ZDM - online rst article (2008-02-21 08:24)
[1]ZDM recently published another (online rst) article, called:
[2]Comparing theoretical frameworks enacted in experimental research: TELMA experience. The article is written
by M. Cerulli, J. Trgalova, M. Maracci, G. Psycharis and J.-P. Georget. In the article, they present a methodology
developed by six European research teams. The methodology is:
based on a cross-experimentation, showing how it gave insight to the
understanding of each team`s research and on the relationship between
theoretical frameworks and experimental research (from the abstract).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=9c2c986b78754d2c83a6401561ce6262&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/lum7149752750g20/
IJSME - online rst article (2008-02-21 08:30)
A new (online rst) article has been published by [1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education,
called [2]Number Sense Strategies Used by Pre-Service Teachers in Taiwan. The article was written by Der-Ching
Yang, R.E. Reys and B.J. Reys.
In this interesting article, the researchers describe an examination of strategies and misconceptions regarding num-
ber sense with 280 pre-service elementary teachers from Taiwan. In the test, these pre-service teachers responded
to a series of real-life problems. In the following, I quote the abstract:
About one-fth of the pre-service teachers applied number sense-based
strategies (such as using benchmarks appropriately or recognizing the
number magnitude) while a majority of pre-service teachers relied on
rule-based methods. This nding is consistent with earlier studies in
Taiwan that fth, sixth, and eighth grade students tended to rely
heavily on written methods rather than using number sense-based
strategies. This study documents that the performance of pre-service
elementary teachers on number sense is low. If we want to improve
elementary students` knowledge and use of number sense, then action
should be taken to improve the level of their future teachers` number
sense.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=90b4070185d34c2b94da82a2213f2fee&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f3v31v4gw7368280/
[1]JEM - Joining Educational Mathematics | eContentPlus Thematic Network
1. http://jem-thematic.net/
JRME, issue 2, 2008 (2008-02-24 21:05)
[1]Journal of Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) has published its second issue of this year. The list of
contents contains the following research articles:[2]
[3]Studying the Effects of Professional Development: The Case of the NSFs Local Systemic Change Through
Teacher Enhancement Initiative
Daniel J. Heck, Eric R. Banilower, Iris R. Weiss and Sharyn L. Rosenberg
[4]
First-Grade Basic Facts: An Investigation Into Teaching and Learning of an Accelerated, High-Demand Memo-
rization Standard
Valerie J. Henry and Richard S. Brown
[5]
Standards-based Mathematics Curricula and Middle-Grades Students Performance on Standardized Achievement
Tests
Thomas R. Post, Michael R. Harwell, Jon D. Davis, Yukiko Maeda, Arnie Cutler, Edwin Andersen, Jeremy A.
Kahan and Ke Wu Norman
[6]
BOOK REVIEW: Looking Inside Chinese Mathematics Education: A Review of How Chinese Learn Mathemat-
ics: Perspectives from Insiders
Jon R. Star and Kuo-Liang Chang
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, issue 1, 2008 (2008-02-24 21:16)
[1]Teaching Mathematics and its Applications has just published their rst issue this year. The issue presents the
following articles:
Chun-Yi Lee and Ming-Puu Chen Bridging the gap between mathematical conjecture and proof through computer-
supported cognitive conicts
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on October 1, 2007
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2008 27: 1-10; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrm014 [2][Abstract] [3][PDF] [4][Re-
quest Permissions]
Kris Green and Allen Emerson Reorganizing freshman business mathematics I: background and philosophy
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on November 21, 2007
quest Permissions]
Bulent Guven Using dynamic geometry software to convey real-world situations into the classroom: the experi-
ence of student mathematics teachers with a minimum network problem
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on December 11, 2007
quest Permissions]
Billy J. Duke, Jerry F. Dwyer, Jennifer Wilhelm, and Barbara Moskal Complex variables in junior high school: the
role and potential impact of an outreach mathematician
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on December 3, 2007
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2008 27: 38-47; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrm019 [11][Abstract] [12][PDF]
[13][Request Permissions]
Chris Heys
Getting the best out of Excel
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on August 6, 2007
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2008 27: 48-52; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrm013
[14][Abstract] [15][PDF] [16][Request Permissions]
1. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/
2. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/27/1/1
3. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/27/1/1
4. https://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?publisherName=oup&publication=teamat&title=
Bridging+the+gap+between+mathematical+conjecture+and+proof+through+computer-supported+
cognitive+conflicts&publicationDate=March+2008&author=Chun-Yi+Lee,+et.+al.&copyright=
Copyright+%28c%29+2008+by+the+Institute+of+Mathematics+and+its+Applications.&contentID=
10.1093/teamat/hrm014&volumeNum=27&issueNum=1&startPage=1&endPage=10&issn=0268-3679&eissn=
1471-6976&orderBeanReset=true
Reorganizing+freshman+business+mathematics+I%3A+background+and+philosophy&publicationDate=
March+2008&author=Kris+Green,+et.+al.&copyright=Copyright+%28c%29+2008+by+the+Institute+
of+Mathematics+and+its+Applications.&contentID=10.1093/teamat/hrm017&volumeNum=27&issueNum=
1&startPage=11&endPage=23&issn=0268-3679&eissn=1471-6976&orderBeanReset=true
Using+dynamic+geometry+software+to+convey+real-world+situations+into+the+classroom%3A+the+
experience+of+student+mathematics+teachers+with+a+minimum+network+problem&publicationDate=
March+2008&author=Bulent+Guven&copyright=Copyright+%28c%29+2008+by+the+Institute+of+
Mathematics+and+its+Applications.&contentID=10.1093/teamat/hrm018&volumeNum=27&issueNum=
Complex+variables+in+junior+high+school%3A+the+role+and+potential+impact+of+an+outreach+
mathematician&publicationDate=March+2008&author=Billy+J.+Duke,+et.+al.&copyright=Copyright+
%28c%29+2008+by+the+Institute+of+Mathematics+and+its+Applications.&contentID=10.1093/
teamat/hrm019&volumeNum=27&issueNum=1&startPage=38&endPage=47&issn=0268-3679&eissn=
Getting+the+best+out+of+Excel&publicationDate=March+2008&author=Chris+Heys&copyright=
10.1093/teamat/hrm013&volumeNum=27&issueNum=1&startPage=48&endPage=52&issn=0268-3679&eissn=
IEJME, number 1, 2008 (2008-02-24 21:26)
[1]International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education has delivered its rst of three issues this year. The
list of contents displays the following articles:
Examining 'Mathematics For Teaching Through An Analysis Of Teachers` Perceptions Of Student 'Learning
Paths
Donna Kotsopoulos and Susan Lavigne, Canada
Revisiting the Inuence of Numerical Language Characteristics on Mathematics Achievement: Comparison
among China, Romania, and U.S.
Jian Wang, Emily Lin, Madalina Tanase, and Midena Sas, USA
The Effects Of Grade Level, Gender, And Ethnicity On Attitude And Learning Environment In Mathematics In
High School
Thienhuong N. Hoang , USA
Teacher Instructional Methods and Student Attitudes towards Mathematics
M. K. Akinsola, Botswana and F.b. Olowojaiye, Nigeria
The download links dont appear to work at the time of writing this, but that will hopefully be xed soon!
1. http://www.iejme.com/
CMEG-5 (2008-02-25 14:27)
Yesterday, the [1]CMEG-5 conference started. The 5th International Conference on Creativity in Mathematics and
the Education of Gifted Students is held in Israel, and it closes on Thursday. One of the interesting plenary lectures
is held by [2]Gerald Goldin of Rutgers University, USA. The title of his presentation is "The Affective Dimension
of Mathematical Inventiveness", and here is the abstract with references:
The affective domain includes emotional feelings, attitudes, beliefs, and values, as well as many complex psycho-
logical and social constructs in which these occur.
Recent research points to the fundamental importance of affect in mathematical learning and problem solving.
Some aspects of the structure of mathematics, as a disciplined way of generating knowledge and as a traditional
school subject, can raise high affective barriers to students` curiosity and inventiveness.
In this talk I shall rst highlight some theoretical ideas important in current research, including: affect as an in-
ternal, interactive representational system; affective pathways; meta-affect; mathematical intimacy, integrity, and
personal identity; and archetypal affective structures. I shall then discuss how we can develop affective processes
and structures in our students and in ourselves that foster mathematical ability and mathematical creativity.
References:
DeBellis, V. A. & Goldin, G. A. (2006). Affect and meta-affect in mathematical problem solving: A representa-
tional perspective. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 63 (2), 131-147.
Epstein, Y., Schorr, R. Y., Goldin, G. A., Warner, L., Arias, C., Sanchez, L., Dunn, M., & Cain, T. R. (in press).
Studying the affective/social dimension of an inner-city mathematics class. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Con-
ference of PME-NA (Lake Tahoe, Nevada, November 2007).
Goldin, G. A. (2000). Affective pathways and representation in mathematical problem solving. Mathematical
Thinking and Learning, 2, 209-219.
Goldin, G. A. (2002). Affect, meta-affect, and mathematical belief structures. InLeder, G., Pehkonen, E., &
Trner, G. (Eds.), Beliefs: A Hidden Variable in Mathematics Education? Dordrecht: Kluwer (pp. 59-72).
P.S. Goldins article can be read in its entirety in the [3]conference proceedings, which is freely available as a
[4]downloadable PDF!
1. http://www.cmeg-5.edu.haifa.ac.il/
2. http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/people/pips/Goldin.html
3. http://www.cmeg-5.edu.haifa.ac.il/conference_proceedings.htm
4. http://www.cmeg-5.edu.haifa.ac.il/Part%201%20-%20Plenary%20-Cmeg5%20proceedings.pdf
Mathematics Teaching - March, 2008 (2008-02-26 11:21)
The March issue of [1]Mathematics Teaching has been published, and it presents the following feature articles:
A congruence challenge, by Francis Lopez-Real
Farewell coursework! by Loraine Rigglesford
[2]Learning about primes, by Alec McEachran (this is the centre feature, and is freely available!)
Other articles that are freely available in this issue:
[3]The city of mathematics, by Adrian Watts and Class 4A
[4]Functioning with geometry and fractions, by Dereck Ball and Barbara Ball
The issue also presents four research articles, but none of them are freely available for download.
1. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/index.html
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, February 2008 (2008-02-26 11:29)
The February issue of [1]Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School has several interesting articles. The free
preview article in this issue is "[2]Teaching Algebra without Algebra", by Richard S. Kalman. He is executive
director of the [3]Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools. The abstract presents the contents
of the article as follows:
Article discusses the value of problem solving in setting the stage for future math studies and
thoroughly discusses three problems that can be solved verbally and algebraically.
2. http://my.nctm.org/eresources/article_summary.asp?URI=MTMS2008-02-334a&from=B
3. http://www.moems.org/
Some interesting new articles (2008-02-27 08:38)
Some of the main journals have published new (online rst) articles that might be interesting to some:
Heinz Steinbring wrote an article in [1]ZDM, called: "[2]Changed views on mathematical knowledge in
the course of didactical theory developmentindependent corpus of scientic knowledge or result of social
constructions?" In this article he shows how the didactical tradition in Germany has evolved in order to
respond to new ideas and approaches in mathematics education.
Jeff C. Marshall et al. wrote an article in [3]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education,
called "[4]K-12 Science and Mathematics Teachers` Beliefs About and Use of Inquiry in the Classroom".
Here they describe howthey made and used a survey instrument in order to measure mathematics and science
teachers beliefs about and use of inquiry in the classroom.
Vanessa Ramos-Christian et al. wrote an article in [5]Early Childhood Education Journal, called "[6]Math
Fluency: Accuracy Versus Speed in Preoperational and Concrete Operational First and Second Grade Chil-
dren". They present a study that aims to investigate the relationship between cognitive ability and math
uency with 38 rst and second grade elementary aged children.
Ana Isabel Sacristn and Richard Noss wrote an article in [7]International Journal of Computers for Math-
ematical Learning, called "[8]Computational Construction as a Means to Coordinate Representations of
Innity". They describe a design experiment aimed at helping students to explore and develop concepts of
innite processes and objects.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=e1fb156a524c4ddba81f156cd27f911d&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/6q41196494x22550/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=8b63561a4fbd40f0a4d2e6c076a1d89f&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/288464x416n77468/
5. http://www.springerlink.com/content/105549/?p=2a1c335411a149c8a4c8da3745a713fb&pi=0
6. http://www.springerlink.com/content/f120970936m4vt27/
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102910/?p=2d657f32ca1947bdb41d4384f9422d87&pi=0
8. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b821l68u078rg473/
Social norms in problem-solving (2008-02-27 12:47)
Konstantinos Tatsis and Eugenia Koleza published an article called "[1]Social and socio-mathematical norms in
collaborative problem-solving" in the latest issue of [2]European Journal of Teacher Education. Here is a copy of
the abstract:
Based on the notions of social and socio-mathematical norms we
investigate how these are established during the interactions of
pre-service teachers who solve mathematical problems. Norms identied
in relevant studies are found in our case too; moreover, we have found
norms related to particular aspects of the problems posed. Our results
show that most of these norms, once established, enhance the
problem-solving process. However, exceptions do exist, but they have a
local orientation and a relatively small inuence.
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Econtent=a790941899%7Edb=all%7Ejumptype=rss
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Econtent=t713421837%7Edb=all
Analyzing students difculties in vector space theory (2008-02-28 08:25)
Mirko Maracci has written an article that has recently been published (online rst) by [1]ZDM. The article is called
"[2]Combining different theoretical perspectives for analyzing students` difculties in vector spaces theory", and it
originates in a doctorate research project investigating the errors and difculties in vector space theory of graduate
and undergraduate students. The data was analyzed with two different theoretical frameworks:
Efraim Fischbeins (founder of PME) [3]theory of tacit models
[4]Anna Sfards process/object duality theory
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=c7947121091f48218d1d89b177648a77&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n8u464n43282v0h3/
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/kx751c595h34jrwb/
4. http://www.msu.edu/%7Esfard/
SIGMAA conference starts today (2008-02-28 08:39)
Another conference starts today - [1]SIGMA on RUME 2008. The acronym(s) translate(s): Special Interest Group
of the Mathematical Association of America (SIGMA) on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education
(RUME). The plenary speaker on this opening day is [2]John Mason from The Open University & Oxford Univer-
sity. Masons talk is entitled "[3]Phenomenal Mathematics at University Level". The other plenary speakers and
their subjects are:
[4]Judith Grabiner, "[5]Why should historical truth matter to math teachers?"
[6]David Hammer, "[7]Attending and responding to students epistemologies in physics instruction"
[8]Anna Sierpinska, "[9]Institutional perspective in research in mathematics education"
1.2. March BlogBook
An impressive gathering of keynote speakers, and a very interesting program indeed. Watch out for the proceed-
ings, they are going to be electronic!
1. http://cresmet.asu.edu/crume2008/
2. http://www.mcs.open.ac.uk/People/j.h.mason
3. http://cresmet.asu.edu/crume2008/Mason-Abstract.html
4. http://www.pitzer.edu/academics/faculty/grabiner/index.asp
5. http://cresmet.asu.edu/crume2008/Grabiner-Abstract.html
6. http://www2.physics.umd.edu/%7Edavidham/
7. http://cresmet.asu.edu/crume2008/Hammer-Abstract.html
8. http://www.asjdomain.ca/
9. http://cresmet.asu.edu/crume2008/Sierpinska-Abstract.html
1.2 March
Some new (online rst) articles (2008-03-03 09:06)
Three of the big Springer journals have published new (online rst) articles:
Bingolbali, E. & Monaghan, J. (2008). [1]Concept image revisited. [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics.
Published online 29 February 2008.
Norton, A.H. & McCloskey, A. (2008). [3] Teaching experiments and professional development. [4]Journal
of Mathematics Teacher Education. Published online 29 February 2008.
Schur, Y. & Galili, I. (2008). [5] Thinking Journey - a New Mode of Teaching Science. [6]International
Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. Published online 29 February 2008.
Bleicher, R.E. (2008). [7] Variable Relationships among Different Science Learners in Elementary Science-
Methods Courses. [8]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. Published online 29
February 2008.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/ru70010251r23550/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=dd0f8144dc3f444db0e3b7c750da9010&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/t685q5jj6725w7r7/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=4ad0c3b3b04946fdb3eaefb802589590&pi=0
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u8uhj156546p7072/
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=52dd84b809804fcd9581c5e845896580&pi=0
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l218714271541784/
8. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=52dd84b809804fcd9581c5e845896580&pi=0
Symposium in Rome (2008-03-04 08:50)
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of [1]ICMI, a [2]symposium will be held in Rome under the title: "The First
Century of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (1908-2008) Reecting and Shaping the
World of Mathematics Education". This symposium is addressed to a selected group of participants, including
many of the "big" names in our eld. The International Programme Committee is chaired by Ferdinando Arzarello
(Italy), and also includes names like Michle Artigue, Hyman Bass, Jo Boaler, Fulvia Furinghetti, Jeremy Kilpa-
trik, Mogens Niss and Gert Schubring, to mention some.
A core component of the program of the symposium is ve work groups, where several of the participants have
posted interesting articles for download. The themes of the working groups are:
BlogBook 1.2. March
WG1 - [3]Disciplinary mathematics and school mathematics
WG2 - [4]The professional formation of teachers
WG3 - [5]Mathematics education and society
WG4 - [6]Resources and technology throughout the history of ICMI
WG5 - [7]Mathematics education: an ICMI perspective
The symposium also includes nine plenary sessions:
[8]PL0: Moments of the life of ICMI [Opening Plenary]
[9]PL1: The development of mathematics education as an academic eld
[10]PL2: Intuition and rigor in mathematics education
[11]PL3: Perspectives on the balance between application & modelling and pure mathematics in the teach-
ing and learning of mathematics
[12]PL4: The relationship between research and practice in mathematics education: international examples
of good practice
[13]PL5: The origins and early incarnations of ICMI
[14]PL6: ICMI Renaissance: the emergence of new issues in mathematics education
[15]PL7: Centres and peripheries in mathematics education
[16]PL8 (Closing Plenary): ICMI: One century at the interface between mathematics and mathematics edu-
cation Reections and perspectives
The conference starts tomorrow, and it is closing on Saturday. So if you dont have the opportunity to be there,
take a look at the webpage! There are lots of interesting material there.
1. http://www.mathunion.org/ICMI/
2. http://www.unige.ch/math/EnsMath/Rome2008/
3. http://www.unige.ch/math/EnsMath/Rome2008/WG1/WG1.html
8. http://www.unige.ch/math/EnsMath/Rome2008/PL0/PL0.html
1.2. March BlogBook
Mental representations of inferential statistics (2008-03-05 13:12)
[1]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior has published an online article called "[2]Exploring college students
mental representations of inferential statistics". The article is written by N.C. Lavigne, S.J. Salkind and J. Yan,
and it reports a case study of how three college students made mental representations of their knowledge about
inferential statistics. In the article, they discuss how this knowledge was connected and how it was applied in two
problem solving situations. The researchers found that the representations of the students were based on incom-
plete statistical understanding, and their ndings suggest that it could be useful as a diagnostic tool to modify the
task format in certain ways.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/07323123
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4S044JP-1&_user=1460901&_
rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000052797&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=
1460901&md5=2950659f376bb8797b4f638f3aa4b200
RCML Annual conference (2008-03-05 21:19)
[1]
The [2]annual conference of [3]Research Council on Mathematics Learning (RCML) starts tomorrow in Okla-
homa. The keynote speaker tomorrow is [4]Anne Reynolds from K[5]ent State University, and the theme for her
lecture is "Meaningful mathematics for all students: The place of imagery". See the [6]program (pdf) for more
information about the conference. The overall theme of the conference is "Math for all", and the conference de-
scription links this to the slogan "[7]No child left behind".
1. http://www.unlv.edu/RCML/Oklahoma%20City1.gif
2. http://www.unlv.edu/RCML/conference2008
3. http://www.unlv.edu/RCML/index.html
4. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ehhs.kent.edu%2Fvita.cfm%
3Fid%3D236&ei=4PHOR8CdN6e-0QTDm8zxDw&usg=AFQjCNE1RfP4S-BtlHkIiFzvc-cRNNJWTA&sig2=
UusRWTh2RiFtZWShlWEEpQ
5. http://www.kent.edu/index.cfm
6. http://www.unlv.edu/RCML/08Program.pdf
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind
New articles from JMTE and ZDM (2008-03-06 08:39)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education (JMTE) and [2]ZDM have published some new and interesting on-
line articles:
BlogBook 1.2. March
"[3]Recruiting and retaining secondary mathematics teachers: lessons learned from an innovative four-year
undergraduate program", is a JMTE-article written by A.F. Artzt and F.R. Curcio. They describe some of
the innovative aspects of a NSF funded program (TIME 2000), that was started as a response to the critical
shortage of qualied mathematics teachers in the U.S.
"[4]Imagination as a tool in mathematics teacher education" was written by O. Chapman for JMTE. Chap-
man describes some of the theory within this eld, and he also makes a description of some of his own
experiences with a class of prospective mathematics teachers, before he makes connections between other
related articles in this forthcoming issue.
"[5]How are theoretical approaches expressed in research practices? A report on an experience in comparing
theoretical approaches with respect to the construction of research problems" is an article written for ZDM
by S. Prediger. She explores the idea that theoretical approaches might be usefully compared in terms of the
ways in which they lead researchers to construe commonsense classroom problems (quote from the abstract).
"[6]Toward networking three theoretical approaches: the case of social interactions" was written by I. Kidron
et al. and published online (in ZDM) Tuesday, March 4 (all four articles were published at the same date).
The discussions in this article was initiated at [7]CERME4 and continued at [8]CERME5, and the focus is
on comparing, contrasting and combining different theoretical frameworks that are currently used in mathe-
matics education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=431df927aff74694a283c571f11b5afb&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=77209fb0a9d748168a232429c5cc94b4&pi=1
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f63665875gh7010r/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/7h172656hj33v436/
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/e1835727qh739362/
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w24763x187876151/
7. http://ermeweb.free.fr/CERME4/
8. http://ermeweb.free.fr/Cerme5.pdf
Appropriating mathematical tools through problem solving in collaborative small-group settings
(2008-03-06 09:27)
This is the title of a new [1]PhD thesis in mathematics education, written by Martin Carlsen, [2]University of
Agder. Carlsen defended his thesis last Friday (February 29).
A main element in this thesis is the perspectives on learning mathematics through collaborative problem solving.
This perspective has received attention by several of Carlsens colleagues in Agder in the past (see e.g. Bjuland,
2004; Borgersen, 1994; Borgersen, 2004). Carlsen presents an analysis of how upper secondary students engage in
problem-solving processes in order to achieve mathematical understanding, and he presents four separate studies
within this eld.
References:
Bjuland, R. (2004). Student teachers reections on their learning process through collaborative problem solving
in geometry. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 55(1):199-225.
Borgersen, H. E. (1994). Open ended problem solving in geometry. Nordisk Matematikkdidaktikk, 2(2): 6-35.
Borgersen, H. E. (2004). Open ended problem solving in geometry re-visited. Nordisk Matematikkdidaktikk, 9(3),
35-65.
Carlsen, M. (2008). Appropriating mathematical tools through problem solving in collaborative small-group set-
tings. PhD thesis, University of Agder, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Kristiansand, Norway.
1. http://no.citeulike.org/user/rmosvold/article/2477453
2. http://www.uia.no/
1.2. March BlogBook
Sketchpad in Topogeometry (2008-03-07 08:53)
A. Hawkins and N. Sinclair have written an article that has been published (online rst) by [1]International Journal
of Computers for Mathematical Learning. The article is entitled "[2]Explorations with Sketchpad in Topogeome-
try", and the authors describe how they created several microworlds of topological surfaces using [3]The Geome-
ters Sketchpad. Among the surfaces described are: [4]the Moebius strip, [5]the torus and [6]the Klein bottle. The
article contain lots of interesting examples and information about topological geometry, as well as about using this
particular software.
(See also this [7]list of interactive geometry software!)
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102910/?p=f0d69aabf31d4b958ee987d343cf8293&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/qg377240078565rm/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geometer%27s_Sketchpad
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torus
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_geometry_software
What counts as algebra? (2008-03-07 12:59)
"[1]What counts as algebra in the eyes of preservice elementary teachers?" is the title of an article written by Ana
C. Stephens for [2]the Journal of Mathematical Behavior. The abstract describes an interesting article, and is en-
closed below:
This study examined conceptions of algebra held by 30 preservice
elementary teachers. In addition to exploring participants` general
'denitions of algebra, this study examined, in particular, their
analyses of tasks designed to engage students in relational thinking or
a deep understanding of the equal sign as well as student work on these tasks. Findings from this study
suggest that preservice elementary
teachers` conceptions of algebra as subject matter are rather narrow.
Most preservice teachers equated algebra with the manipulation of
symbols. Very few identied other forms of reasoning in particular,
relational thinking with the algebra label. Several participants made comments implying that student
strategies that demonstrate traditional
symbol manipulation might be valued more than those that demonstrate
relational thinking, suggesting that what is viewed as algebra is what
will be valued in the classroom. This possibility, along with
implications for mathematics teacher education, will be discussed.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4S0HBY4-1&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=38fa7d52552b3f2b498cbc1e4c9ff3f5
Mathematics Teacher, March 2008 (2008-03-10 09:08)
The March issue of [1]Mathematics Teacher is out, with several interesting articles:
[2] Teaching Algebra and Geometry Concepts by Modeling Telescope Optics by Lauren M. Siegel, Gail
Dickinson, Eric J. Hooper and Mark Daniels
BlogBook 1.2. March
[3] Tangent Lines without Calculus by Jeffrey M. Rabin
[4]The Dreaded "Work" Problems Revisited: Connections through Problem Solving from Basic Fractions to
Calculus by Felice S. Shore and Matthew Pascal (Free preview)
<![5] Developing Knowledge of Teaching Mathematics through Cooperation and Inquiry Maria Lorelei
Fernndez > [6] Developing Knowledge of Teaching Mathematics through Cooperation and Inquiry by
Maria Lorelei Fernndez
B
Articles at IEJME are nally there! (2008-03-11 09:18)
[1]International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education published their rst issue this year a while ago (see
[2]my post about it). Now, the articles and abstracts are nally available as well! The abstracts are available in
plain HTML format, whereas the articles can be freely downloaded in PDF format. I nd one of the articles partic-
ularly interesting, as it concerns the same area of research as I am involved in myself (teacher thinking and teacher
knowledge). The article was written by Donna Kotsopoulos and Susan Lavigne, and it is entitled: [3]Examining
'Mathematics For Teaching Through An Analysis Of Teachers` Perceptions Of Student 'Learning Paths
I enclose a copy of the abstract here:
Abstract: How teachers think about student thinking informs the ways in which teachers teach. By examining
teachers` anticipation of student thinking we can begin to unpack the assumptions teachers make about teaching
and learning. Using a 'mathematics for teaching framework, this research examines and compares the sorts of
assumptions teachers make in relation to 'student content knowledge versus actual 'learning paths taken by
students. Groups of teachers, who have advanced degrees in mathematics, education, and mathematics education,
and tenth grade students engaged in a common mathematical task. Teachers were asked to model, in their com-
pletion of the task, possible learning paths students might take. Our ndings suggest that teachers, in general, had
difculty anticipating student learning paths. Furthermore, this difculty might be attributed to their signicant
'specialized content knowledge of mathematics. We propose, through this work, that examining student learning
paths may be a fruitful locus of inquiry for developing both pre-service and in-service teachers` knowledge about
mathematics for teaching.
2. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2008/02/iejme-number-1-2008.html
3. http://www.iejme.com/012008/ab1.htm
RME, issue 1, 2008 (2008-03-13 09:24)
[1]Research in Mathematics Education is the ofcial journal of the [2]British Society for Research into Learning
Mathematics. As of this year, the journal is included in the Routledge system, and it is quite easy to track the latest
news from the journal. It has now published the rst issue of 2008, which includes several interesting papers. Here
is a list of the research papers in issue 1, 2008:
[3]"I would rather die": reasons given by 16-year-olds for not continuing their study of mathematics by M.
Brown, P. Brown and T. Bibby
1.2. March BlogBook
[4]The capacity of two Australian eighth-grade textbooks for promoting proportional reasoning by S. Dole
and M. Shield
[5]"If you can count to ten you can count to innity really": fostering conceptual mathematical thinking in
the rst year of primary school by P. Iannone and A.D. Cockburn
[6]Student perspectives on the relationship between a curve and its tangent in the transition from Euclidean
Geometry to Analysis by I. Biza, C. Christou and T. Zachariades
[7]The role of affect in learning Real Analysis: a case study by K. Weber
1. http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/14794802.asp
2. http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/
[1]CORMEA
tags: [2]adults, [3]education, [4]mathematics, [5]research
1. http://www.cormea.org/index.html
2. http://www.diigo.com/user/rmosvold/adults
Mathematical knowledge constituted in the classroom (2008-03-17 20:48)
M. Kaldrimidou, H. Sakonidis and M. Tzekaki have written an article that has recently been published online in
[1]ZDM. The article is entitled "[2]Comparative readings of the nature of the mathematical knowledge under con-
struction in the classroom", and it makes an attempt to:
(...) empirically identify the epistemological status of mathematical knowledge interactively con-
stituted in the classroom. To this purpose, three relevant theoretical constructs are employed in order
to analyze two lessons provided by two secondary school teachers. The aim of these analyses was to
enable a comparative reading of the nature of the mathematical knowledge under construction. The
results show that each of these three perspectives allows access to specic features of this knowledge,
which do not coincide. Moreover, when considered simultaneously, the three perspectives offer a
rather informed view of the status of the knowledge at hand (from the abstract).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=15e14ff938d64b64b73a261a474337cc&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/0u1k273974157620/
Mathematical knowledge for teaching (2008-03-17 20:53)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education (JMTE) recently published an (online rst) article by A.J. Stylianides
and Deborah L. Ball entitled "[2]Understanding and describing mathematical knowledge for teaching: knowledge
about proof for engaging students in the activity of proving". The article has a particular focus on knowledge about
proof:
BlogBook 1.2. March
This article is situated in the research domain that investigates what mathematical knowledge is
useful for, and usable in, mathematics teaching. Specically, the article contributes to the issue of
understanding and describing what knowledge about proof is likely to be important for teachers to
have as they engage students in the activity of proving. We explain that existing research informs the
knowledge about the logico-linguistic aspects of proof that teachers might need, and we argue that this
knowledge should be complemented by what we call knowledge of situations for proving. This form
of knowledge is essential as teachers mobilize proving opportunities for their students in mathematics
classrooms. We identify two sub-components of the knowledge of situations for proving: knowledge
of different kinds of proving tasks and knowledge of the relationship between proving tasks and prov-
ing activity. In order to promote understanding of the former type of knowledge, we develop and
illustrate a classication of proving tasks based on two mathematical criteria: (1) the number of cases
involved in a task (a single case, multiple but nitely many cases, or innitely many cases), and (2)
the purpose of the task (to verify or to refute statements). In order to promote understanding of the
latter type of knowledge, we develop a framework for the relationship between different proving tasks
and anticipated proving activity when these tasks are implemented in classrooms, and we exemplify
the components of the framework using data from third grade. We also discuss possible directions for
future research into teachers` knowledge about proof (quoted from the abstract).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=9a6e286097ff4cd3abcd9de6a6a8a405&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a4211k627j105856/
NORMA 08 - online publications (2008-03-18 08:45)
The [1]Norma-08 conference is approaching, and all accepted papers are now [2]published online. Below is an
overview of the regular papers in theme B. The reason for displaying the papers in this particular group is a selsh
one of course, as it contains an article a colleague and I have written:
Regular papers theme B: Education and identity of mathematics teachers
IS THERE ALWAYS TRUTH IN EQUATION[3]? Iiris Attorps and Timo Tossavainen
[4]THE CONSTITUTION OF MATHEMATICS TEACHER IDENTITY Raymond Bjuland
[5]IDENTITY AND GENRE LITERACY IN STUDENT TEACHERS? MATHEMATICAL TEXTS. Hans Jrgen
Braathe
[6]TEACHERS BELIEFS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PLACE VALUE SYSTEM Janne Fauskanger and
Reidar Mosvold
[7]TEACHING DEVELOPMENT THROUGH DISCUSSION: A CULTURAL-HISTORICAL ACTIVITY THE-
ORY PERSPECTIVE Simon Goodchild and Espen Daland
[8]MATHEMATICS TEACHERS: BELIEFS ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING MATHEMATICS AND
CONSTRAINTS INFLUENCING THEIR TEACHING PRACTICE. Bodil Kleve
[9]STUDYING FRENCH PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS RELATION TO GEOMETRY
THROUGH THEIR DISCOURSE Bernard Parzysz
[10]EXAMINING PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS REASONING OF FUNCTIONS: A FEEDBACK PERSPEC-
TIVE rjan Hansson
[11]COLLABORATION AND INQUIRY IN MATHEMATICS PRACTICE, Marit Johnsen Hines
[12]LEARNING ANALYSIS: STUDENTS STARTING POINT, Kristina Juter
1. http://www.dpu.dk/site.aspx?p=10797
1.2. March BlogBook
3. http://www.dpu.dk/Everest/Publications/Medarbejdere/mmi/norma/regular%20papers/
20080211105518/CurrentVersion/Attorps
20080211115412/CurrentVersion/Bjuland%28B%29.rtf
20080211130120/CurrentVersion/Braathe%28B%29.doc
20080211132252/CurrentVersion/Fauskanger
20080211135233/CurrentVersion/Goodchild
8. http://www.dpu.dk/Everest/Publications/Medarbejdere/mmi/norma/reg%20papaer/20080306154145/
CurrentVersion/Kleve%28B%29.rtf
9. http://www.dpu.dk/Everest/Publications/Medarbejdere/mmi/norma/reg%20papaer/20080306154215/
CurrentVersion/Parzysz_Jore%28B%29.doc
10. http://www.dpu.dk/Everest/Publications/Medarbejdere/mmi/norma/reg%20papaer/
20080213153253/CurrentVersion/Hansson%28B%29.doc
20080213153312/CurrentVersion/H%C3%83%C2%B8iness%28none.B%29.doc
20080213153354/CurrentVersion/Juter%28B%29.doc
The inuence of theory (2008-03-20 14:54)
Christer Bergsten has wrote an article called "[1]On the inuence of theory on research in mathematics education:
the case of teaching and learning limits of functions", which was recently published (online rst) by [2]ZDM. Here
is the abstract of the article:
After an introduction on approaches, research frameworks and theories in mathematics education research, three
didactical research studies on limits of functions with different research frameworks are analysed and compared
with respect to their theoretical perspectives. It is shown how a chosen research framework denes the world in
which the research lives, pointing to the difcult but necessary task to compare research results within a common
eld of study but conducted within different frameworks.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/cltq464811271v7g/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=62ca3192148944ef81027914ee66775c&pi=0
New doctoral thesis from Sweden (2008-03-20 22:49)
Eva Riesbeck from [1]Linkping University is defending her thesis on April 11. The thesis is written in Swedish,
with an English summary, and the title is "[2]P tal om matematik: matematiken, vardagen och den matematik-
didaktiska diskursen". The main aim of the thesis is to analyze how discourse can be used as a theoretical and
didactical concept to help advance knowledge about the teaching of mathematics. Riesbeck has used a socio-
cultural perspective, and discourse analysis has been a theoretical point of departure. The thesis is freely available
in PDF format. Here is the abstract in its entirety:
The aim of this dissertation is to describe and analyze how discourse as a theoretical and didactical
concept can help in advancing knowledge about the teaching of mathematics in school. The disserta-
tion has been written within a socio-cultural perspective where active participation and support from
artefacts and mediation are viewed as important contributions to the development of understanding.
Discourse analysis was used as a theoretical point of departure to grasp language use, knowledge con-
struction and mathematical content in the teaching practises. The collection of empirical data was
BlogBook 1.2. March
made up of video and audio tape recordings of the interaction of teachers and pupils in mathematics
classrooms when they deal with problem-solving tasks, as well as discussions between student teach-
ers as they engage in planning a teaching situation in mathematics. Discourse analysis was used as a
tool to shed light upon how pupils learn and develop understanding of mathematics.
The results of my studies demonstrate that discussions very often are located in either a mathematical
or in an every-day discourse. Furthermore, the results demonstrate how change between every-day
and mathematical language often takes place unknowingly. Also the results underline that a specic
and precise dialogue can contribute towards teachers` and pupils` conscious participation in the learn-
ing process. Translated into common vocabulary such as speak, think, write, listen and read teachers
and pupils would be able to interact over concepts, signs, words, symbols, situations and phenomena
in every-day discourse and its mathematical counterpart. When teachers and pupils become aware of
discursive boundary crossing in mathematics an understanding of mathematical phenomena can start
to develop. Teachers and pupils can construct a meta-language leading to new knowledge and new
learning in mathematics.
1. http://www.liu.se/en/
2. http://www.ep.liu.se/abstract.xsql?dbid=11337
Proofs as bearers of mathematical knowledge (2008-03-22 23:25)
[1]This article by Gila Hanna and Ed Barbeau was published online two days ago in [2]ZDM. The article examines
a main idea from [3]an article by Yehuda Rav in [4]Philosophia Mathematica, that it is 'proofs rather than theo-
rems that are the bearers of mathematical knowledge. An interesting theme of an article, with strong implications.
Here is the entire abstract:
Yehuda Rav`s inspiring paper 'Why do we prove theorems? published in Philosophia Mathematica (1999, 7, pp.
541) has interesting implications for mathematics education. We examine Rav`s central ideas on proofthat
proofs convey important elements of mathematics such as strategies and methods, that it is 'proofs rather than
theorems that are the bearers of mathematical knowledgeand thus that proofs should be the primary focus of
mathematical interestand then discuss their signicance for mathematics education in general and for the teach-
ing of proof in particular.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l811525732721706/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=e789ff43a19f4fe98bdee9fbaca3e9d5&pi=0
3. http://philmat.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/7/1/5?ck=nck
4. http://philmat.oxfordjournals.org/
Two didactic approaches (2008-03-23 10:06)
Ferdinando Arzarello, Marianna Bosch, Josep Gascn and Cristina Sabena have written an article called "[1]The
ostensive dimension through the lenses of two didactical approaches", that has recently been published (online
rst) in [2]ZDM. Here is the abstract.
The paper presents how two different theoriesthe APC-space and the ATDcan frame in a complementary way
the semiotic (or ostensive) dimension of mathematical activity in the way they approach teaching and learning
phenomena. The two perspectives coincide in the same subject: the importance given to ostensive objects (ges-
tures, discourses, written symbols, etc.) not only as signs but also as essential tools of mathematical practices.
On the one hand, APC-space starts from a general semiotic analysis in terms of 'semiotic bundles that is to be
integrated into a more specic epistemological analysis of mathematical activity. On the other hand, ATD proposes
a general model of mathematical knowledge and practice in terms of 'praxeologies that has to include a more
1.2. March BlogBook
specic analysis of the role of ostensive objects in the development of mathematical activities in the classroom.
The articulation of both theoretical perspectives is proposed as a contribution to the development of suitable frames
for Networking Theories in mathematics education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/940084469h811j22/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=e41a02926383472e86f7f0a6fa985d41&pi=0
AERA 2008 - Annual meeting (2008-03-24 15:30)
Yesterday, [1]the 2008 annual meeting of [2]AERA started. Although this is not only a mathematics education
conference, it has a lot of interesting presentations for our eld as well. A brief search through the searchable pro-
gram gave [3]353 hits on individual presentations with the word "math" in the title. There are also several paper
sessions with themes related to mathematics education. Today, for instance, there is a session entitled "[4]Address-
ing Mathematics Education in Special Education", which has the following participants:
[5]Beyond Either/Or: Enhancing the Computation and Problem-Solving Skills of Low-Achieving Adoles-
cents
*[6]Brian A. Bottge (University of Kentucky), [7]Jorge Enrique Rueda-Sarmiento (University of
Wisconsin - Madison), [8]Ana C. Stephens (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
[9]Calculators, Friend or Foe? Calculators as Assessment Accommodations for Students With Disabilities
*[10]Emily C. Bouck (Purdue University)
[11]Interventions to Enhance Math Problem Solving and Number Combinations Fluency for Third-Grade
Students With Math Difculties: A Field-Based Randomized Control Trial
*[12]Lynn S. Fuchs (Vanderbilt University), *[13]Sarah Rannells Powell (Vanderbilt University),
*[14]Pamela M. Seethaler (Vanderbilt University), *[15]Rebecca ORand Zumeta (Vanderbilt Univer-
sity), [16]Douglas Fuchs (Vanderbilt University)
[17]The Effects of Conceptual Model-Based Instruction on Solving Word-Problems With Various Contexts:
'Transfer in Pieces
*[18]Yanping Xin (Purdue University), *[19]Dake Zhang (Perdue University)
[20]The Effects of Two Manipulative Devices on Hundreds Place-Value Instruction
*[21]Amy Scheuermann (Bowling Green State Univeristy)
1. http://www.aera.net/meetings/Default.aspx?menu_id=342&id=2936
2. http://www.aera.net/
3. http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera08/index.php?click_key=3
4. http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera08/index.php?click_key=1&cmd=Multi+Search+
Search+Load+Session&session_id=45664&PHPSESSID=a803f73b7eab799522c6526cddd38359
5. http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera08/index.php?click_key=1&cmd=
Multi+Search+Search+Load+Publication+For+Extra&publication_id=213175&PHPSESSID=
a803f73b7eab799522c6526cddd38359
Load+Person&people_id=994233&PHPSESSID=a803f73b7eab799522c6526cddd38359
BlogBook 1.2. March
a803f73b7eab799522c6526cddd38359
10. http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera08/index.php?click_key=1&cmd=Multi+
Search+Load+Person&people_id=975249&PHPSESSID=a803f73b7eab799522c6526cddd38359
a803f73b7eab799522c6526cddd38359
a803f73b7eab799522c6526cddd38359
a803f73b7eab799522c6526cddd38359
NCME Annual Meeting (2008-03-24 20:37)
Yesterday, [1]NCME (National Council on Measurement in Education) started their [2]annual meeting. NCMEs
mission is among other things to "Advance the science of measurement in the eld of education", so the focus is
not on mathematics education solely. There are, however several presentations that deal with mathematics in the
program. Here are the ones that I could nd:
Shelley Ragland, James Madison University, Christina Schneider, CTB/McGraw- Hill, Ching Ching Yap,
University of South Carolina, Pamela Kaliski, James Madison University: The Effect of Classroom Assess-
ment Professional Development on English Language Arts and Mathematics Student Achievement: Year 2
Results
Carol Parke, Duquesne University, Gibbs Kanyongo, Duquesne University, Steven Kachmar, Duquesne Uni-
versity: Examining Relationships among Large-Scale Mathematics Assessment Performance, Grade Point
Average, and Coursework in Urban High Schools
Michelle Boyer, CTB/McGraw-Hill, Enrique Froemel, Ofce of Student Assessment, Evaluation Institute,
Supreme Education Council, State of Qatar, Richard Schwarz, CTB/McGraw-Hill: Obtaining Comparable
Scores for Arabic and English Tests of Mathematics and Science Administered under the Qatar Comprehen-
sive Educational Assessment Program
1.2. March BlogBook
Catherine Taylor, University of Washington, Yoonsun Lee, Washington State Department of Education:
Analyses of Gender DIF in Reading and Mathematics Items from Tests with Mixed Item Formats
Saw Lan Ong, Universiti Sains Malaysia: Effects of Test Language on Students` Mathematics Performance
Bryce Pride, University of South Florida, Yi-Hsin Chen, University of South Florida, Teresa Chavez, Univer-
sity of South Florida, Corina Owens, University of South Florida, Yuh-Chyn Leu, National Taipei University
of Education: An Exploration of Cognitive Skills and Knowledge underlying the TIMSS-2003 Fourth Grade
Mathematics Items
Richard Sudweeks, Brigham Young University, Maria Assunta Forgione, Brigham Young University, Robert
Bullough, Brigham Young University, Damon Bahr, Brigham Young University, Eula Monroe, Brigham
Young University, Scott Thayn, Brigham Young University: Constructing Vertically Scaled Mathematics
Tests for Tracking Student Growth in Value-Added Studies of Teacher Effectiveness
Samantha Burg, Metametrics, Inc.: An Investigation of Dimensionality across Grade Levels for Grades 3-8
Mathematics Achievement Tests
1. http://www.ncme.org/
2. http://www.ncme.org/meeting/index.cfm
Useless arithmetic (2008-03-25 09:13)
Linda Pilkey-Jarvis and Orrin H. Pilkey have written [1]an article in [2]Public Administration Review about the
use of mathematical models in environmental decision making. Mathematical models are used extensively in the
context of environmental issues and natural resources, and when these methods were rst used, they were thought
to represent a bridge to a better and more foreseeable future. There has also been much controversy in this respect,
and the authors pose the question whether the optimism about the use of these models were ever realistic. In this
article, they review the two main types of such models: quantitative and qualitative.
Although both present us with a generalized perspective on a natural problem, they are not equal in terms of
predictive power. The rst typequantitative modelscan be used as a surrogate for nature, whereas the sec-
ondqualitative modelsdo the same but with less accuracy.
After a review of these types of models, they provide a list of ten lessons that policy makers should learn when it
comes to quantitative mathematical modeling:
1. The outcome of natural processes on the earth`s surface cannot be absolutely predicted.
2. Examine the excuses for predictive model failures with great care and skepticism.
3. Did the model really work? Examine claims of past "successes" with the same level of care and skepticism
that "excuses" are given.
4. Calibration of models doesn`t work either.
5. Constants in the equations may be coefcients or fudge factors.
6. Describing nature mathematically is linking a natural exible, dynamic system with a wooden, inexible
one.
7. Models may be used as "g leaves" for politicians, refuges for scoundrels, and ways for consultants to nd
the truth according to their clients` needs.
8. The only show in town may not be a good one.
BlogBook 1.2. March
9. The mathematically challenged need not fear models and can learn how to talk with a modeler.
10. When humans interact with the natural system, accurate predictive mathematical modeling is even more
impossible.
These points are directed at policy makers, but I think several of them are also relevant for students at university
level (and perhaps also upper secondary). In a simplied form, I think some of these points might even be relevant
for younger pupils.
In the wrapping up of the article, they clarify their main argument:
Our argument in this article has been that mathematical models are wooden and inexible next to the beautifully
complex and dynamic nature of our earth. Quantitative models can condense large amounts of difcult data into
simple representations, but they cannot give an accurate answer, predict correct scenario consequences, or accom-
modate all possible confounding variables, especially human behavior.
Reference:
Pilkey-Jarvis, L. & Pilkey, O.H. (2008). Useless Arithmetic: Ten Points to Ponder When Using Mathematical
Models in Environmental Decision Making. Public Administration Review 68 (3) , 470479 doi:10.1111/j.1540-
6210.2008.00883 _2.x
1. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2008.00883_2.x?cookieSet=1
2. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/puar/68/3
Mathematics Teacher, April 2008 (2008-03-25 10:01)
The [1]April issue of [2]Mathematics Teacher has arrived, and it contains the following three articles:
[3]Digital Images + Interactive Software = Enjoyable, Real Mathematics Modeling by Andy Ventress
<![4] Investigating the Mathematical Process with Nonlinear Asymptotes Michael J. Boss, Karen A.
DeUrquidi, David L. Edwards and N. R. Nandakumar > [5]Investigating the Mathematical Process with
Nonlinear Asymptotes by Michael J. Boss, Karen A. DeUrquidi, David L. Edwards and N.R. Nandakumar
[6]Using Technology to Promote Mathematical Discourse Concerning Women in Mathematics by Lyn Phy
The last article is a free preview article, and is downloadable for everyone. The author has a focus on women
in mathematics, and she discusses her use of cooperative groups, Blackboard (a course managment system) and
the internet as means to facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse. The venue for examining these types of
mathematical discourse is a course called "Women in Mathematics", which the author developed in her university.
They studied the following women mathematicians in the course:
[7]Hypatia
[8]Maria Agnesi
[9]Sophie Germain
[10]Sonia Kovalevsky
[11]Emmy Noether
[12]Irene Hueter
1.2. March BlogBook
All in all, this is an interesting description of an interesting university course. At a meta-level, this article also
address issues of how to use history of mathematics in your teaching. At the end of the article, the writer proposes
that anecdotes and activities about women mathematicians can be used in "ordinary" mathematics courses, and
this indicates a certain "direct" use of history.
1. http://my.nctm.org/eresources/toc.asp?journal_id=2
B
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypatia_of_Alexandria
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Agnesi
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_germain
10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Kovalevsky
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_noether
12. http://www.scottlan.edu/Lriddle/WOMEN/hueter.htm
National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008-03-26 14:51)
In the U.S., [1]the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (on request from the President himself) has delivered a
report to the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education. This nal report was delivered on March 13, and is
freely available for anyone to download ([2]pdf or [3]Word document). I know this is old news already, but I will
still present some of the highlights from the report here. Be also aware that there will be a [4]live video webcast of
a discussion of the key ndings and principle messages in the report. The webcast will be held tomorrow, Thursday
March 26, 10-11.30 a.m. Eastern Time. This discussion will be lead by Larry R. Faulkner (Chair of the Panel) and
Raymond Simon (U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education).
A key element of the report is a set of "Principal Messages" for mathematics education. This set of messages
consists of six main elements (quoted from pp. xiii-xiv):
The mathematics curriculum in Grades PreK-8 should be streamlined and should emphasize a well-dened
set of the most critical topics in the early grades.
Use should be made of what is clearly known from rigorous research about how children learn, especially
by recognizing a) the advantages for children in having a strong start; b) the mutually reinforcing benets of
conceptual understanding, procedural uency, and automatic (i.e., quick and effortless) recall of facts; and
c) that effort, not just inherent talent, counts in mathematical achievement.
Our citizens and their educational leadership should recognize mathematically knowledgeable classroom
teachers as having a central role in mathematics education and should encourage rigorously evaluated ini-
tiatives for attracting and appropriately preparing prospective teachers, and for evaluating and retaining
effective teachers.
Instructional practice should be informed by high-quality research, when available, and by the best profes-
sional judgment and experience of accomplished classroom teachers. High-quality research does not support
the contention that instruction should be either entirely "student centered" or "teacher directed." Research
indicates that some forms of particular instructional practices can have a positive impact under specied
conditions.
NAEP and state assessments should be improved in quality and should carry increased emphasis on the most
critical knowledge and skills leading to Algebra.
The nation must continue to build capacity for more rigorous research in education so that it can inform
policy and practice more effectively.
BlogBook 1.2. March
During their 20 month long work, the Panel split in ve task groups, where they analyzed the available evidence in
the following areas:
Conceptual knowledge and skills
Learning processes
Instructional practices
Teachers and teacher education
Assessment
These groups are visible in the main chapter headings of the report.
After having presented their principle messages, the panel present 45 main ndings and recommendations for the
further development of mathematics education in the U.S. These 45 ndings and recommendations are split in the
following main groups (strongly resembling the list of task groups above):
Curricular content
Lesson processes
Teachers and teacher education
Instructional practices
Instructional materials
Assessment
Research policies and mechanisms
These are the main issues in the forthcoming video webcast. All in all, it is an interesting report, so go ahead and
read it!
1. http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/index.html
2. http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.pdf
3. http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.doc
4. http://www.connectlive.com/events/deptedumathpanel0308/
JMTE, April 2008 (2008-03-27 09:00)
The [1]April issue of [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has been published. The following articles are
enclosed:
[3]Imagination as a tool in mathematics teacher education
[4]Olive Chapman
[5]Investigating teachers` images of mathematics [6]Gladys Sterenberg
[7]Learning to observe: using video to improve preservice mathematics teachers` ability to notice
[8]Jon R. Star and [9]Sharon K. Strickland
[10]Development of a performance assessment task and rubric to measure prospective secondary
school mathematics teachers` pedagogical content knowledge and skills [11]Hari P. Koirala, [12]Mar-
sha Davis and [13]Peter Johnson
[14]The relationship among elementary teachers` content knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices
[15]Jesse L. M. Wilkins
1.2. March BlogBook
[16]This is an interesting collection of articles, addressing a multitude of perspectives from the use of video in
teacher education in the article by Jon R. Star and Sharon K. Strickland to Jesse L.M. Wilkins focus on the rela-
tionship between content knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices by elementary teachers. I nd the latter article
especially interesting, since it aims at analyzing relationships between knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and practices
at the same time. All four are large elds of research, and this is therefore a brave attempt. I would like to question
the choice of investigating the teachers practice through self-reporting in a survey though.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/w41507h5pw5n/?p=9f0f9f3208644ed49916c667614adb4a&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=29ce612903ac481ab6093f95057b64c1&pi=0
3. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/7h172656hj33v436/?p=091a31554f7f43d8bb6d716b8f85253a&pi=0
4. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Olive+Chapman
5. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/a82404551k752471/?p=091a31554f7f43d8bb6d716b8f85253a&pi=1
6. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Gladys+Sterenberg
7. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/7g5331kk174t5324/?p=091a31554f7f43d8bb6d716b8f85253a&pi=2
8. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Jon+R.+Star
9. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Sharon+K.+Strickland
10. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/2651647h8q02493t/?p=091a31554f7f43d8bb6d716b8f85253a&pi=3
11. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Hari+P.+Koirala
12. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Marsha+Davis
13. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Peter+Johnson
14. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/q82x8x08747851l1/?p=091a31554f7f43d8bb6d716b8f85253a&pi=4
15. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Jesse+L.+M.+Wilkins
16. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Jesse+L.+M.+Wilkins
Norma 08 - nal program (2008-03-27 14:42)
The nal program of the [1]Norma 08 conference has arrived ([2]download as pdf). I am not going to repeat the
entire program here, but I will point at the plenary lectures that will be presented at the conference:
1. Monday, April 21, 16:30-17:30 - Jeppe Skott (Theme B)
2. Tuesday, April 22, 11:00-12:00 - Paul Drijvers (Theme C)
3. Wednesday, April 23, 11:00-12:00 - Eva Jablonka (Theme D)
4. Thursday, April 24, 11:00-12.00 - Michle Artigue (Theme A)
2. http://www.dpu.dk/Everest/Publications/Medarbejdere/mmi/norma/20080327122847/
CurrentVersion/NORMA08-programme.pdf
Promoting student collaboration (2008-03-28 08:20)
Megan E. Staples wrote an article called: "[1]Promoting student collaboration in a detracked, heterogeneous sec-
ondary mathematics classroom". The article was published online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education
on Wednesday. Here is the abstract of the article:
BlogBook 1.2. March
Detracking and heterogeneous groupwork are two educational practices that have been shown to have promise
for affording all students needed learning opportunities to develop mathematical prociency. However, teachers
face signicant pedagogical challenges in organizing productive groupwork in these settings. This study offers an
analysis of one teacher`s role in creating a classroom system that supported student collaboration within groups
in a detracked, heterogeneous geometry classroom. The analysis focuses on four categories of the teacher`s work
that created a set of affordances to support within group collaborative practices and links the teacher`s work with
principles of complex systems.
Several researchers have addressed the issue of collaboration and group work, and Staples analyzes the role of
one teacher in this respect. Staples observed 39 lessons in the study, and data was collected through eld notes,
reective memos, and 26 lessons were also video-taped. She also conducted interviews with most of the students
and the teacher, and she collected curriculum documents, etc. During the data analysis, four categories emerged
that were critical for understanding the teachers role (p. 8):
1. Promoting individual and group accountability
2. Promoting positive sentiment among group members
3. Supporting studentstudent exchanges with tools and resources
4. Supporting student mathematical inquiry in direct interaction with groups
These categories are used as point of departure for the organization and presentations of the results in the article.
The classroom is a complex system, and this is something Staples discuss a lot in the article. Understanding this
complexity and being able to analyze it, is something she emphasizes as being important for both future and current
teachers.
And interesting article. In the theoretical foundations, she refers (among others) to the works of researchers like
E. Cohen and J. Boaler.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/810420rx00780882/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=77141a3894d14ef4a6323ff7d44f26e4&pi=0
When, how, and why prove theorems? (2008-03-28 08:27)
The full title of this new [1]ZDM article is: "[2]When, how, and why prove theorems? A methodology for studying
the perspective of geometry", and it is written by P. Herbst and T. Miyakawa.
Every theorem has a proof, but not every theorem presented in schools (not only in the U.S., although this is the
focus of the article). Why is that? Here is the abstract of the article, which truly raises some important questions:
While every theorem has a proof in mathematics, in US geometry classrooms not every theorem is proved. How
can one explain the practitioner`s perspective on which theorems deserve proof? Toward providing an account of
the practical rationality with which practitioners handle the norm that every theorem has a proof we have designed
a methodology that relies on representing classroom instruction using animations. We use those animations to trig-
ger commentary from experienced practitioners. In this article we illustrate how we model instructional situations
as systems of norms and how we create animated stories that represent a situation. We show how the study of those
stories as prototypes of a basic model can help anticipate the response from practitioners as well as suggest issues
to be considered in improving a model.
Blogged with the [3]Flock Browser
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=3bdf3b9bf2e6444498370510c1dc1609&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/wu329522420726h1/
3. http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock
1.2. March BlogBook
The role of scaling up research (2008-03-29 20:53)
A new article has been published online at [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics. The article is entitled: "[2]The
role of scaling up research in designing for and evaluating robustness", and it is written by J. Roschelle, D. Tatar,
N. Shechtman and J. Knudsen. Here is the abstract of the article:
One of the great strengths of Jim Kaput`s research program was his relentless drive towards scaling up his innova-
tive approach to teaching the mathematics of change and variation. The SimCalc mission, 'democratizing access
to the mathematics of change, was enacted by deliberate efforts to reach an increasing number of teachers and
students each year. Further, Kaput asked: What can we learn from research at the next level of scale (e.g., beyond
a few classrooms at a time) that we cannot learn from other sources? In this article, we develop an argument that
scaling up research can contribute important new knowledge by focusing researchers` attention on the robustness of
an innovation when used by varied students, teachers, classrooms, schools, and regions. The concept of robustness
requires additional discipline both in the design process and in the conduct of valid research. By examining a pro-
gression of three studies in the Scaling Up SimCalc program, we articulate how scaling up research can contribute
to designing for and evaluating robustness.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=283f44aa38844f9cb6ec8f352deff6b1&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/5j32g5u436724054/
Essential skills for a math teacher (2008-03-29 21:23)
[1]Education Week has [2]an interesting article about the uncertainties about the skills that are needed to be a
successful mathematics teacher. The point of departure for the article is the [3]recent report by the National Math-
ematics Advisory Panel in the U.S. The report has several suggestions about the curriculum, cognition, instruction,
etc. When it comes to the skills that are needed to become a good mathematics teacher, though, the answers were
fewer:
Research does not show conclusively which professional credentials demonstrate whether math teachers are ef-
fective in the classroom, the report found. It does not show what college math content and coursework are most
essential for teachers. Nor does it show what kinds of preservice, professional-development, or alternative educa-
tion programs best prepare them to teach.
One of the panel members, Deborah Loewenberg Ball, was interviewed in the article, and she believed that it was
in the area of improving teaching that the emphasis should be set in the years to come:
'We should put a lot of careful effort over the next decade into this issue so that we can be in a much different
place 10 years from now.
There appears to be a lot of work and research to do within this area. There is much agreement that the teacher is
important, and the quality of the math teacher has an impact on the students results.
But the 90-page report also says it is hard to determine what credentials and training have the strongest effect on
preparing math teachers to teach, and teach well. Research has not provided 'consistent or convincing evidence,
for instance, that students of certied math teachers benet more than those whose teachers do not have that licen-
sure, it found.
So, the question that Ball and her team has focused a lot on in their research still remains important for researchers
in the future: What kind of knowledge is it that teachers need?
1. http://www.edweek.org/
2. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/04/02/31math_ep.h27.html
BlogBook 1.3. April
[1]ATM Conference 2008 - Keele University
1. http://www.atm.org.uk/conferences/conference2008.html
1.3 April
Excellent math blog (2008-04-01 08:26)
There are many academic journals in our eld, and there are many articles to read if you want to keep up. On
some occasions though, a couple of days might pass by without any new publications from the major journals. On
instances like that, you might want to take a look at some of the mathematics related blogs on the internet. One
of my favorites is [1]Wild About Math! by Sol Lederman. This blog presents [2]several interesting articles about
mathematics and how to learn "[3]to get wild about Math", and a regular feature of the blog is the "Monday Math
Madness contest" (Sol loves mathematical problems and puzzles). You can also nd a [4]list of links to other web
pages with mathematical problems and puzzles.
1. http://wildaboutmath.com/
2. http://wildaboutmath.com/articles/
3. http://wildaboutmath.com/2007/10/15/10-ways-to-get-wild-about-math/
4. http://wildaboutmath.com/math-contest-problem-web-links/
IJMEST, vol. 39, issue 3 (2008-04-02 11:30)
[1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology has published their [2]third issue
(of 8) this year. In the table of contents, we nd the following original articles:
[3]Mathematics instruction and the tablet PC
[4]285 292
Authors: K. Renee Fister; Maeve L. McCarthy
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701690303
[5]Predicting mathematical aptitude for higher education
[6]293 299
Author: Betty McDonald
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701688141
[7]Comparison among different patterns of priority vectors estimation
methods
[8]301 311
Author: Stan Lipovetsky
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701639532
[9]Behind the scenes of pseudo-proportionality
[10]313 324
Authors: Modestina Modestou; Iliada Elia; Athanasios Gagatsis; Giorgos
Spanoudis
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701691541
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[11]How does one assess the accuracy of academic success predictors?
ROC analysis applied to university entrance factors
[12]325 340
Authors: Juana-Maria Vivo; Manuel Franco
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701691566
[13]Computer-aided assessment questions in engineering mathematics
using MapleTA
[14]341 356
Author: I. S. Jones
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701734523
[15]Estimation of return values of wave height: consequences of
missing observations
[16]357 363
Author: Jesper Rydn
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701639508
1. http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/tf/0020739X.html
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Econtent=g791766918%7Edb=all
"Joined Up Mathematics" (2008-04-02 12:03)
The Annual Conference 2008 of the [1]MA/[2]ATM, entitled "[3]Joined Up Mathematics" starts today at [4]Keele
University, UK. The conference is closing on Saturday. The opening speaker of todays program is Anne Watson.
Her presentation has been given the title: "Fragments and Coherence". Other keynote speakers are John Mason,
Rob Eastaway and Mike Askew.
1. http://www.m-a.org.uk/
3. http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=20&module=cpd&mode=100&cpdid=3661
4. http://www.keele.ac.uk/
Testing, testing and comparing test results... (2008-04-02 20:13)
In 2003 (in the U.S.), the [1]National Assessment of Educational Progress ([2]NAEP) administered assessments
in reading and mathematics for grades 4 and 8. Representative samples of students were made from about 100
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public schools in each state. A research report called "[3]Comparison Between NAEP and State Mathematics
Assessment Results: 2003" now focus on the question whether these results are comparable to the results published
by individual state testing programs. The entire report is available online (only!), and can be downloaded in PDF
format ([4]Vol I and [5]II).
The introduction contains some interesting historical remarks about achievement testing in the U.S., and this might
be interesting to non-Americans (like myself).
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assessment_of_Educational_Progress
2. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
4. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008475_1.pdf
5. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008475_2.pdf
Implementing Kaputs research programme (2008-04-03 06:41)
[1]Celia Hoyles and [2]Richard Noss recently published an article called "[3]Next steps in implementing Kaputs
research programme" in [4]Educational Studies in Mathematics. These two distinguished professors have written
a multitude of books and articles together in the past, so you might have come across something written by "Hoyles
and Noss" before. In this particular article, they explore and discuss some key ideas from Jim Kaput and connect
them to their own research. Here is the abstract of the article:
We explore some key constructs and research themes initiated by Jim
Kaput, and attempt to illuminate them further with reference to our own
research. These 'design principles` focus on the evolution of digital
representations since the early 1990s, and we attempt to take forward
our collective understanding of the cognitive and cultural affordances
they offer. There are two main organising ideas for the paper. The
rst centres around Kaput`s notion of outsourcing of processing power,
and explores the implications of this for mathematical learning. We
argue that a key component for design is to create visible, transparent
views of outsourcing, a transparency without which there may be as many
pitfalls as opportunities for mathematical learning. The second
organising idea is Kaput`s notion of communication and the importance
of designing for communication in ways that recognise the mutual
inuence of tools for communication and for mathematical expression.
1. http://ioewebserver.ioe.ac.uk/ioe/cms/get.asp?cid=4381&4381_0=5196
2. http://www.lkl.ac.uk/rnoss/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/e7q1v48138232250/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=2e6c2d5aab20499e882a51fd837927be&pi=0
Aztec math (2008-04-04 09:45)
Both [1]National Geographic and [2]Scientic American published articles about Aztec mathematics yesterday.
The article in National Geographic focused on a specialized arithmetic that Aztec mathematicians developed to
measure tracts of taxable land. In this arithmetic they used symbols like hearts, hands and arrows, which probably
had a relation to the human body. The article refers to a study that was reported in this weeks issue of [3]Science.
Science covers the topic in a [4]news story as well as the [5]research article. The Scientic American article also
focus on the hearts and arrows, and they also refer to [6]another article (in Science) about the [7]Aztec number
system. So, for those interested in [8]Aztec mathematics in particular, and history of mathematics in general, there
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are lots of interesting and up to date articles to read here!
1. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080403-aztec-math.html
2. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=aztec-math-uses-hearts-and-arrows&sc=rss
3. http://www.sciencemag.org/
4. http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/403/2
5. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/320/5872/72
6. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/210/4469/499?ck=nck
7. http://www.math.temple.edu/%7Ezit/Native%20American/9%20Aztecs_num.pdf
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec
Awards and medals (2008-04-04 11:20)
According to [1]the Math Forum, the following people have been given awards in our eld recently:
Anna Sfard has received the Hans Freudenthal Medal for 2007 ([2]see this post for more information)
Jeremy Kilpatrick has received the Felix Klein Medal for 2007 ([3]see this post for more information)
Both news were posted at the request of Mogens Niss, who is Chair of the ICMI Awards Committee. The posts
linked above give a nice overview of the research efforts of these two distinguished scholars.
1. http://mathforum.org/
2. http://mathforum.org/kb/thread.jspa?messageID=6163237&tstart=0#6163237
3. http://mathforum.org/kb/thread.jspa?messageID=6163236&tstart=0#6163236
From static to dynamic mathematics (2008-04-07 11:50)
[1]Educational Studies in Mathematics recently published an article called: "[2]From static to dynamic mathe-
matics: historical and representational perspectives". The article is written by Luis Moreno-Armella, Stephen J.
Hegedus and James J. Kaput. The point of departure for this article is the issue of new digital technologies, their
capacities, issues concerning design and use of them, etc. They build upon one of Kaputs works on notations and
representations, in order to:
(...) present new theoretical perspectives on the design and use of digital technologies, especially dynamic mathe-
matics software and 'classroom networks.
In the article they present some interesting perspectives on the historical development on media, from static to
dynamic, and they discuss some dynamical perspectives related to variation and geometry (dynamic geometry, like
[3]Cabri, [4]Geometers Sketchpad, etc.). Here is the abstract of this interesting article:
The nature of mathematical reference elds has substantially evolved with the advent of new types of digital
technologies enabling students greater access to understanding the use and application of mathematical ideas and
procedures. We analyze the evolution of symbolic thinking over time, from static notations to dynamic inscriptions
in new technologies. We conclude with new perspectives on Kaput`s theory of notations and representations as
mediators of constructive processes.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=10c7da59cf544ee887e7660fecbd8979&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/673574370n380675/
3. http://www.cabri.com/
4. http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/
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After the Math Panel (2008-04-08 07:39)
A little less than a month ago, [1]the National Mathematics Advisory Panel published their [2]nal report on the
future of mathematics education in the U.S. The report has raised much discussion in the U.S., and today I came
across an interesting blog called [3]After the Math Panel. In this blog, an educator and mom gives us her opinions
and analyses of the report. The blog contains some interesting and readable summaries of the report, and I think it
is worth reading!
3. http://afterthemathpanel.blogspot.com/
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, April 2008 (2008-04-08 08:13)
The April issue of [1]Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School has arrived, and it presents the following arti-
cles:
[2]
By Way of Introduction: Developing Mathematical Understanding through Representations
[3]
Developing Mathematical Understanding through Multiple Representations by Preety N. Tripathi (free preview
article)
[4]
Promoting Mathematics Accessibility through Multiple Representations Jigsaws by Wendy Pelletier Cleaves
[5]
Oranges, Posters, Ribbons, and Lemonade: Concrete Computational Strategies for Dividing Fractions by Christo-
pher M. Kribs-Zaleta[6]
[7]Student Representations at the Center: Promoting Classroom Equity by Kara Louise Imm, Despina A. Stylianou
and Nabin Chae
[8]
Analyzing Students Use of Graphic Representations: Determining Misconceptions and Error Patterns for Instruc-
tion by Amy Scheuermann and Delinda van Garderen
[9]
Developing Meaning for Algebraic Symbols: Possibilities and Pitfalls by John K. Lannin, Brian E. Townsend,
Nathan Armer, Savanna Green and Jessica Schneider
[10]
Sense-able Combinatorics: Students Use of Personal Representations by Lynn D. Tarlow
[11]
The Role of Representations in Fraction Addition and Subtraction by Kathleen Cramer, Terry Wyberg and Seth
Leavitt
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Teaching Children Mathematics, April 2008 (2008-04-08 08:16)
NCTM journal: [1]Teaching Children Mathematics has published the April issue of this year, and it has the fol-
lowing contents (articles):
<![2] Alice in Numberland: Through the Standards in Wonderland
Donna Christy, Karen Lambe, Christine Payson, Patricia Carnevale and Debra Scarpelli > [3]Alice in Number-
land: Through the Standards in Wonderland by Donna Christy, Karen Lambe, Christine Payson, Patricia Carnevale
and Debra Scarpelli
<![4] Learning Our Way to One Million
David J. Whitin > [5]Learning Our Way to One Million by David J. Whitin
<![6] Problem-Solving Support for English Language Learners
Lynda R. Wiest > [7]Problem-Solving Support for English Language Learners by Lynda R. Wiest (free preview
article)
B
B
B
Analyticity without differentiability (2008-04-09 20:00)
A new article has appeared in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. The
article is written by E. Kirillova and K. Spindler, and it is entitled: [2]Analyticity without differentiability. Her is
the abstract of the article:
In this article we derive all salient properties of analytic functions,
including the analytic version of the inverse function theorem, using
only the most elementary convergence properties of series. Not even the
notion of differentiability is required to do so. Instead, analytical
arguments are replaced by combinatorial arguments exhibiting properties
of formal power series. Along the way, we show how formal power series
can be used to solve combinatorial problems and also derive some
results in calculus with a minimum of analytical machinery.
Student presentations in the classroom (2008-04-09 20:02)
David L. Farnsworth has written an article called [1]Student presentations in the classroom. The article was pub-
lished in [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology today. Here is the abstract:
For many years, the author has been involving his students in classroom
teaching of their own classes. The day-to-day practice is described,
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and the advantages and disadvantages for both the instructor and the
students are discussed. Comparisons with the Moore Method of teaching
are made.
Stability of teachers classroom activity (2008-04-09 20:06)
M. Paris, A. Robert and J. Rogalski recently published an article called "[1]Analyses de sances en classe et
stabilit des pratiques dènseignants de mathmatiques expriments du second degr" in [2]Educational Studies
in Mathematics. The article is in French, but here is the abstract in English:
In this paper we tackle the issue of an eventual stability of teachers`
activity in the classroom. First we explain what kind of stability is
searched and how we look for the chosen characteristics: we analyse the
mathematical activity the teacher organises for students during
classroom sessions and the way he manages the relationship between
students and mathematical tasks. We analyse three one-hour sessions for
different groups of 11 year old students on the same content and with
the same teacher, and two other sessions for 14 year old and 15 year
old students, on analogous contents, with the same teacher (another
one). Actually it appears in these two examples that the main
stabilities are tied with the precise management of the tasks, at a
scale of some minutes, and with some subtle characteristic touches of
the teacher`s discourse. We present then a discussion and suggest some
inferences of these results.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/93149p81502m6428/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=7960ae7179ee42ae9ec20692d1377943&pi=0
NCTM Annual Meeting (2008-04-09 20:19)
The [1]NCTM [2]Annual Meeting started today in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme for the conference is "Becom-
ing Certain About Uncertainty". The conference has lots of interesting sessions and exhibitions. The program is
[3]downloadable as a pdf, but if you want the [4]full program, it is 17,3 MB! You might also want to take a look at
the rather impressive list of [5]featured speakers.
1. http://www.nctm.org/
2. http://www.nctm.org/conferences/content.aspx?id=11662
4. http://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Conferences/Annual_Meetings/Salt_Lake_City/slc_
FullProgrambook.pdf
Rounded fractals (2008-04-10 08:34)
[1]International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning has a column called "Computational Diver-
sions". Michael Eisenberg recently wrote an article/entry in this column called "[2]Rounded Fractals". The article
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is both practical and interesting, and it provides several examples concerning the generation of fractal designs. In
the beginning of the article, he mentions turtle geometry ([3]Logo), but the examples are made by making use of
the method of [4]iterated function systems. The article also contains a challenge, so anyone interested in fractals
might want to take a look.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102910/?p=8ec0f95cea534070b88d662e1704510a&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/4401003262l01885/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo_%28programming_language%29
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterated_function_system
Studying new forms of participation (2008-04-13 19:58)
Stephen J. Hegedus and William R. Penuel wrote an article that was recently published online in [1]Educational
Studies in Mathematics. The article is called "[2]Studying new forms of participation and identity in mathematics
classrooms with integrated communication and representational infrastructures", and here is the abstract of the
article:
Wireless networks are fast becoming ubiquitous in all aspects of
society and the world economy. We describe a method for studying the
impacts of combining such technology with dynamic,
representationally-rich mathematics software, particularly on
participation, expression and projection of identity from a local to a
public, shared workspace. We describe the types of mathematical
activities that can utilize such unique combinations of technologies.
We outline specic discourse analytic methods for measuring
participation and methodologies for incorporating measures of identity
and participation into impact studies.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=d6884157f28f4b9dace9b38f87f24b2c&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a12300h373003225/
NOMAD, March 2008 (2008-04-14 11:11)
The rst issue of [1]NOMAD this year has nally arrived, at least the web page has nally been updated to indi-
cate that. Unfortunately, the articles are not available online, but you can read the abstracts (and the editorial in its
entirety). The issue contains the following articles:
[2]The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction: a centenary of history and a future to con-
struct by M. Blomhj and P. Valero (editorial)
[3]Word problems in upper secondary algebra in Sweden over the years 19602000 by T. Jakobsson-hl
[4]Vxelverkan mellan intuitiva ider och formella resonemang en fallstudie av universitetsstudenters
arbete med en analysuppgift by K. Pettersson
[5]Classroom settings, self-regulated learning skills and grades in mathematics by J. Samuelsson
[6]The fth year of the Nordic Graduate School by B. Grevholm (available in its entirety)
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1. http://ncm.gu.se/node/959
JRME, May 2008 (2008-04-14 11:14)
The May issue of [1]Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) has already arrived, and it contains
the following articles:
[2]
ZPC and ZPD: Zones of Teaching and Learning
Anderson Norton and Beatriz S. DAmbrosio
[3]
The Impact of Middle-Grades Mathematics Curricula and the Classroom Learning Environment on Student
Achievement
James E. Tarr, Robert E. Reys, Barbara J. Reys, scar Chvez, Jeffrey Shih and Steven J. Osterlind
[4]
[5]Learning to Use Fractions: Examining Middle School Students Emerging Fraction Literacy
Debra I. Johanning
[6]
[7]The Linear Imperative: An Inventory and Conceptual Analysis of Students Overuse of Linearity
Wim Van Dooren, Dirk De Bock, Dirk Janssens and Lieven Verschaffel
[8]
[9]Teaching With Games of Chance: A Review of The Mathematics of Games and Gambling
Laurie Rubel
Argumentation and algebraic proof (2008-04-15 07:29)
B. Pedemonte has written an article that has recently been published (online rst) in [1]ZDM. The article has a
focus on a "core activity" in mathematics, and it is called: "[2]Argumentation and algebraic proof". Here is the
abstract of the article:
This paper concerns a study analysing cognitive continuities and distances between argumentation
supporting a conjecture and its algebraic proof, when solving open problems involving properties of
numbers. The aim of this paper is to show that, unlike the geometrical case, the structural distance
between argumentation and proof (from an abductive argumentation to a deductive proof) is not one
of the possible difculties met by students in solving such problems. On the contrary, since algebraic
proof is characterized by a strong deductive structure, abductive steps in the argumentation activity
can be useful in linking the meaning of the letters used in the algebraic proof with numbers used in the
argumentation. The analysis of continuities and distances between argumentation and proof is based
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on the use of Toulmin`s model combined with ck model.
Algebra is used in several different domains in mathematics, but this article has a focus on the algebra that is taught
and learned in secondary school (Grade 12 and 13). After having elaborated and presented a theoretical framework
for her analysis of proofs, Pedemonte presents some data that has been collected from prospective primary school
teachers. These students were attending a course at the University, and their solutions to two open problems were
analyzed according to the theoretical framework (the solutions of 7 students solutions to each of the two problems
were analyzed).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=68a83562a62d4470a17cef2455b5fb61&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f44t829343745575/
Teaching Statistics, May 2008 (2008-04-15 07:47)
The [1]May issue of [2]Teaching Statistics has arrived. This is not a journal I have followed in the past, I must
admit, but there are some interesting articles in this issue. One article is entitled: "[3]Inspired by Statistics?" The
introduction to the article at least made me think:
What do you think of when you hear the word 'statistics`?
Before
reading any further, give an instant view on how statistics makes you
feel and how your learners may feel. Why do you think the way you do
about statistics?
The article goes on to discuss views on statistics, before the author describes one of her favorite tasks about Mi-
nards map (a famous combined map, graph and chart that documents the losses suffered
by Napoleons army in his disastrous Russian campaign of 1812). She describes the way she planned and worked
with this task in her teaching, and then nishes off with a discussion about inspiration for future tasks.
1. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/test/30/2
2. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/test
3. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9639.2008.00312.x?mi=0&af=
R&prevSearch=allfield%253A%2528mathematics%2529&filter=all
New ZDM-articles (2008-04-18 08:15)
Two new articles has recently been published (online rst) by [1]ZDM. The rst article is written by Man-Keung
Siu, and it is entitled "[2]Proof as a practice of mathematical pursuit in a cultural, socio-political and intellectual
context". Here is the abstract of the article:
Through examples we explore the practice of mathematical pursuit, in particular on the notion of
proof, in a cultural, socio-political and intellectual context. One objective of the discussion is to show
how mathematics constitutes a part of human endeavour rather than standing on its own as a technical
subject, as it is commonly taught in the classroom. As a 'bonus, we also look at the pedagogical
aspect on ways to enhance understanding of specic topics in the classroom.
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The other article is called "[3]Networking strategies and methods for connecting theoretical approaches: rst steps
towards a conceptual framework", and it is written by Susanne Prediger, Angelika Bikner-Ahsbahs and Ferdinando
Arzarello. The article has a focus on the diversity of theories in mathematics education research, and how we can
deal with that. Here is the abstract:
The article contributes to the ongoing discussion on ways to deal with the diversity of theories
in mathematics education research. It introduces and systematizes a collection of case studies using
different strategies and methods for networking theoretical approaches which all frame (qualitative)
empirical research. The term 'networking strategies` is used to conceptualize those connecting strate-
gies, which aim at reducing the number of unconnected theoretical approaches while respecting their
specicity. The article starts with some clarications on the character and role of theories in general,
before proposing rst steps towards a conceptual framework for networking strategies. Their applica-
tion by different methods as well as their contribution to the development of theories in mathematics
education are discussed with respect to the case studies in the ZDM-issue.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=8dddf732314542b29e3cd6a9b04b87ee&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/0617128626848j20/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y060584750817876/
Learning from group discussions (2008-04-18 08:26)
Keith Weber, Carolyn Maher, Arthur Powell and Hollylynne Stohl Lee has written an article called "[1]Learning
opportunities from group discussions: warrants become the objects of debate" that has recently been published on-
line by [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. The article deals with the interesting issues concerning discourse
and learning opportunities in group discussions. Here is the abstract of the article:
In the mathematics education literature, there is currently a debate about the mechanisms by which
group discussion can contribute to mathematical learning and under what conditions this learning is
likely to occur. In this paper, we contribute to this debate by illustrating three learning opportunities
that group discussions can create. In analyzing a videotaped episode of eight middle school students
discussing a statistical problem, we observed that these students frequently challenged the arguments
that their colleagues presented. These challenges invited students to be explicit about what mathe-
matical principles, or warrants, they were implicitly using as a basis for their mathematical claims,
in some cases recognize the modes of reasoning they were using were invalid and reject these modes
of reasoning, and in other cases, attempt to provide deductive support to justify why their modes of
reasoning were appropriate. We then describe what social and environmental conditions allowed the
discussion analyzed in this paper to occur.
Interestingly enough, they use [3]Toulmins [4]model of argumentation as a part of the theoretical framework for
their analyses. The research that they report and discuss in this article occurred in the context of a research project
called "Informal Mathematics Learning", which is a project supported by the [5]NSF.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/36734r5k21312054/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=2c70247117714c369d4f955a8898789b&pi=0
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Toulmin
4. http://changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/making_argument/toulmin.htm
5. http://www.nsf.gov/
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Norma08 - Day 1 (2008-04-22 11:04)
Plenary - J. Skott
The [1]Norma 08 Conference takes place in Copenhagen this week, and I am attending. I will therefore have a
focus on this conference this week. The rst plenary lecture was presented by Danish researcher Jeppe Skott,
and here are my notes from the presentation (which was very interesting by the way). I also plan on covering the
conference on [2]twitter, so take a look there as well for live reports!
Title: "The education and identity of mathematics teachers"
Research on mathematics teachers has grown tremendously during the past 20-30 years. Skott starts with a pre-
sentation about publications, journals, monographs, etc.
Two main concerns:
Teachers knowledge
Teachers beliefs
In the 1980s - a shift in the view of learning, mathematics, etc. changed the whole eld of school mathematics
(fallibilism, social constructivism). Teachers placed in a new role, as opposed to before. Teachers supposed to
understand what students are doing, and to guide their learning. New role: planned unpredictability (interesting
concept!)
Teachers knowledge
Displays a couple of examples from the literature that displays teachers (lack of) knowledge about mathematics
(for teaching). Perhaps pre-service education is not what it should have been?
The importance of Shulmans work. The article "Those who understand..." A main idea: content matters! Two of
Shulmans concepts important:
Content knowledge
Pedagogical content knowledge
What is it that teachers should know about? (content knowledge)
What is it that makes a topic difcult? (pedagogical content knowledge)
The mathematics of the classroom - the mathematics of the mathematician.
Liping Ma - asked teachers in China and the US lots of questions concerning basic mathematics. Many teach-
ers (esp. the US teachers) werent able to solve the problems. A basic question for her - What is the relevant
knowledge needed by teachers? American teachers - list of disconnected procedures. Chinese teachers - alle these
procedures were related. "Understanding with bredth."
D. Ball, H. Bass et al. Classroom based approach. Mathematical challenges from the classroom. (Elements from
the LMT measurements) D. Ball calls it "unpacking mathematical knowledge" - digging deeply into the conceptual
issues.
A shift in the area of developing a knowledge base for teaching:
From - number of courses
to - knowledge of school mathematics (L. Ma)
to - knowing in action (D. Ball)
Beliefs research in math education
In order for any reform to have an impact there needs to be a change in the teachers beliefs.
Developing and changing beliefs. Several suggestions and attempts (see points in slide).
Relationship between beliefs and practice.
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A moral so far: There is a need for contextualizing mathematics education to the act of teaching.
Discussion of the relationship (or expected relationship) between development of curriculum and curriculum ma-
terial and teaching practice.
As researchers, a main issue is the one of theorizing practice.
Poses an interesting question: In what sense is mathematics education an applied eld?
Points at an interesting quote by P. Cobb about the issue of mathematics education (research).
Interesting model about the dimensions of research (by Stokes).
A main issue for research in math education is maybe not about theorizing, but about having impact on practice.
The end of the talk lled with intriguing questions and interesting metaphors. (Thaetetus ship - if you replace a
plank, and then another plank, when is it no longer Thaetetus ship, but a new one?)
All in all a very interesting presentation! Hopefully these notes could be deciphered by others as well...
2. http://www.twitter.com/rmosvold
Norma 08 - Day 2 (2008-04-22 11:49)
Plenary lecture - P. Drijvers
Title: "Tools and tests"
Drijvers starts off giving some introductory notes about [1]the Freudenthal Institute.
"Tools" = technological tools in this connection.
Why use tools and tests? The teaching and learning should be reected in the assessment, and assessment should
be driven by teaching and learning.
What are we actually assessing? Tools skills or mathematical skills?
Tests with tools, why would we do it?
Prepare students
Allows for different types of questions
Assessments should reect learning
etc.
Drijvers goes on to present some examples from other countries (France, Germany, etc.) of tasks where techno-
logical tools are involved. The use of tools in the tasks is often questionable (or non-existent). In some examples,
graphing calculators are allowed, but the tasks do not indicate any usage of these tools. Drijvers also presents some
examples that are interesting to discuss from the point of view of "realism" and "authenticity", and he takes up this
discussion in a few cases. Ends the section of examples with an example from the Netherlands, and he makes a
humorous comment about this being the perfect example of a really good task. In discussing this example, Dri-
jvers continually come back to the issue that this is something that you can imagine. And in the Dutch vocabulary,
"realism" means something that you can imagine. Within a Dutch context, a realistic task is therefore a task that
the students can imagine.
He then brings the discussion to a meta-level, introducing concepts like artifacts and instruments, and goes on with
a presentation of what is called instrumental genesis.
Conclusions so far:
Assessment with technology is an issue in many countries
Reasoning, interpretation and explanation is also asked about (not just ICT-output)
Different ways of dealing with technology (discusses some trends)
1.3. April BlogBook
Tools for digital assessments. Why digital assessment?
Discusses some of the limitations of software, types of feedback, etc.
All in all, an interesting presentation with several important issues being raised.
1. http://www.fi.uu.nl/en/
Video-based curriculum (2008-04-22 21:27)
S.L. Stockero has written an article that has recently been published in [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Ed-
ucation. The article is entitled: [2]Using a video-based curriculum to develop a reective stance in prospective
mathematics teachers. Here is the abstract of the article:
Although video cases are increasingly being used in teacher education as a means of situating learning and de-
veloping habits of reection, there has been little evidence of the outcomes of such use. This study investigates
the effects of using a coherent video-case curriculum in a university mathematics methods course by addressing
two issues: (1) how the use of a video-case curriculum affects the reective stance of prospective teachers (PTs);
and (2) the extent to which a reective stance developed while reecting on other teachers` practice transfers for
reecting on one`s own practice. Data sources include videotapes of course sessions and PTs` written work from a
middle school mathematics methods course that used a video-case curriculum as a major instructional tool. Both
qualitative and quantitative analytical methods were used, including comparative and chi-square contingency table
analyses. The PTs in this study showed changes in their level of reection, their tendency to ground their analyses
in evidence, and their focus on student thinking. In particular, they began to analyze teaching in terms of how it
affects student thinking, to consider multiple interpretations of student thinking, and to develop a more tentative
stance of inquiry. More signicantly, the reective stance developed via the video curriculum transferred to the
PTs` self-reection in a course eld experience. The results of this study speak to the power of using a video-case
curriculum as a means of developing a reective stance in prospective mathematics teachers.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=aa8d68eb7de94964b1f9767bead224f4&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/0ut1m74001u1754h/
Norma 08 - Day 3 (2008-04-25 10:42)
A bit late, but here are my notes from the plenary lecture from the third day at Norma08:
Plenary lecture - Eva Jablonka
PART 1 - "Mathematics for all. Why? What? When?"
Math as a core subject in compulsory education (empirical fact). Industrialised countries provide basic maths for
all (in school). BUT - many children dont go to school in several countries around the world. It varies between
countries when children can stop taking mathematics courses.
Mathematics for all, beyond primary level - why?
Goals as an apologetic discourse.
Common list of justications:
Skills for everyday life and activities for workplaces (useful)
Sharing cultural heritage
Learning to think critically (formative goal)
Examples of critical thinking in classrooms (Harols Fawcett, 1938)
Selecting signicant words and phrases, careful denition
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Require evidence to support conclusions
Analyzing evidence
Recognize hidden assumptions
Evaluate the argument itself
etc.
"Everybody counts" (National Academy of Sciences, 1989)
Help develop critical habits of mind, understand chance, value proof etc. (p. 8).
The notion of "thinking critically" - what is it?
Fawcett - precision of language
Swedish example - relation to environment, etc. (global view, more vague)
Is there an epistemic quality of mathematics that is linked to thinking critically? (interesting question!)
Recent descriptions - renaissance of formative and methodological goals
- Communicating mathematically (discuss, advantages, disadvantages, etc.)
Communicating freely and critical thinking takes place in some sort of an ideal democratic environment.
Are mathematics classrooms ideal speech communities?
- Learning to model and solve problems mathematically
Danger of overemphasizing utility (connections with engineering, social science departments, etc.)
- Recruitment into the mathematics, science and engineering pipeline as justication (economic development in a
country, etc.)
There has to be a "critical mass" from which to select future mathematicians. (similar argument to sports, being
successful in sports)
How successful are the students in compulsory mathematics courses for all?
International tests (PISA, TIMSS, etc.) - only a small percentage will reach the highest level. Discussions of
"average achievements", comparisons between countries.
Conclusions
Compulsory mathematics, not for all. Global failure of math education?
Which groups of students are successful/less successful? (interesting question)
PART 2 - "Mathematics for all!" (mission statement)
Challenges:
Demographic development (declining number of students, in many industrialised countries)
"Learning to leave?" - Successful students often end up moving away (from their country, local area, etc.) -
How can a mathematics curriculum serve the local needs of local communities?
Organization of participation - students choices. Why do so many students choose not to pursue further
studies in mathematics after the compulsory course? To what extent should we "force" them to choose
mathematics?
Changes in social contexts
Increased stress on instrumental knowledge and of the marketability of skills. Danger of oppositions between
rationales for mathematics and liberal arts for instance.
Professional groups ghting against the "contamination of mathematical knowledge". Consequence of shift
towards process skills in the curricula. (Back to basics movement, math wars, etc.)
A widening gap of mathematical knowledge between constructors and consumers of mathematics (Skovs-
mose, 2006) - threat to democracy (you have to rely on the experts).
The "de-mathematizing" and restricting effects of mathematical technology. Use of technology liberates us
from the details of mathematics.
1.3. April BlogBook
Confrontations of local knowledge and mathematical knowledge acquired at school. (Students dont appear
to use the mathematics they learned in school outside the classroom)
Research is addressing some of these challenges:
Classroom research looking into these speech communities
Concern about "mathematical literacy"
Empirical studies of local mathematical practices at work-places (and local communities)
Students goals and motives
Consequences of changes in students backgrounds
Problem of transition between different tracks of mathematics education
Jablonka doesnt think there will be a universal curriculum for all.
Norma 08 - Day 4 (2008-04-25 10:47)
Plenary lecture: Michle Artigue
Title: Didactical Design in Mathematics Education
Current context
Increasing interest in design issues. Reection on the value of the outcomes of didactical research, and impact of
research on educational practices.
Motivation: external and internal
math education is a sensitive domain for our societies
increasing pressure of international evaluations, tests, etc.
increasing debates about curriculum reforms and the supposed inuence of didactical research on these
External side (Burkhardt and Schoenfeld, 2003)
Start from evidence that educational research does not often lead directly to practical advances
Development of "engineering research"
Design experiments - promising model of interaction
Internal side (Cobb, 2007)
Multiplicity of theoretical frame
Two criteria proposed
Multi-level vision of design
Experimental design has to be its unique methodology
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Didactical design - mathematics education
Diversity of perspectives
Didactical design as research tool
Didactical design as development tool
Math education as design experiment
Didactical engineering (emerge in the early eighties)
Initial distinction between phenomenotechnique and didactical engineering
Didactical engineering as a research tool, shaped by theoretical foundations
- Inuence of the theory of didactical situations (Brousseau)
Learning processes as adaptation processes (Piaget)
Focus on situation and milieu
Distinction between different functionalities of mathematics knowledge (acting, expressing and communicating,
proving)
The teacher role
Didactical engineering - the predominant research methodology in the French didactic culture (esp. in the eighties)
Relationships between research and practice
Relationship that is not under theoretical control
Products communicated in different arenas (publications, teacher formation, etc.)
Relationships between research and practice
Relationship that is not under theoretical control
Products communicated in different arenas (publications, teacher formation, etc.)
Results reproduced, used in textbooks, etc.
Subsequent evolution
Better understanding of teachers practices
Development of less invasive research methodologies
New theoretical constructions
Substantial body of research that impacts the vision of didactical design
Didactical design today
Still a tool widely used
Same epistemological sensitivity
Importance of interaction with the milieu, more sophisticated vision of the teacher role
Same importance to the a priori analysis
1.3. April BlogBook
(Differences on the view of the teacher in France and Italy, for instance)
Didactical engineering still a research tool
Praxeology
Practical part - type of task (technique)
Theoretical part - technicological discourse (theory)
New articles (2008-04-26 15:55)
A couple of new articles have been published online in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Sci-
ence and Technology:
"[2]Improving senior secondary school students attitude towards mathematics through self and cooperative-
instructional strategies" by S. A. Ifamuyiwa and M. K. Akinsola. Abstract: This study investigated the effects
of self and cooperative-instructional strategies on senior secondary school students attitude towards Math-
ematics. The moderating effects of locus of control and gender were also investigated. The study adopted
pre-test and post-test, control group quasi-experimental design using a 3 2 2 factorial matrix with two
experimental groups and one control group. Three hundred and fty SSS II students from six purposively
selected secondary schools in Ijebu-North Local Government Area of Ogun State were the subjects. Three
instruments were developed, validated and used for data collection. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)
and Scheff post hoc analysis were the statistics used for data analysis. Findings showed that the treat-
ments had signicant main effect on students attitude towards Mathematics. The participants exposed to
self-instructional strategy had the highest post-test mean attitude score. The study found no signicant main
effects of locus of control and gender on the participants attitude towards Mathematics. It was concluded
that Mathematics teachers should be trained to use self and cooperative learning packages in the classroom,
since the strategies are more effective in improving students attitude towards Mathematics than the conven-
tional method.
"[3]Algorithmic contexts and learning potentiality: a case study of students understanding of calculus" by
Kerstin Pettersson and Max Scheja. Abstract: The study explores the nature of students conceptual under-
standing of calculus. Twenty students of engineering were asked to reect in writing on the meaning of the
concepts of limit and integral. A sub-sample of four students was selected for subsequent interviews, which
explored in detail the students understandings of the two concepts. Intentional analysis of the students
written and oral accounts revealed that the students were expressing their understanding of limit and integral
within an algorithmic context, in which the very operations of these concepts were seen as crucial. The
students also displayed great condence in their ability to deal with these concepts. Implications for the
development of a conceptual understanding of calculus are discussed, and it is argued that developing under-
standing within an algorithmic context can be seen as a stepping stone towards a more complete conceptual
understanding of calculus.
New ESM-articles (2008-04-28 07:20)
A couple of new (online rst) articles have been published by [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics:
BlogBook 1.3. April
David Tall has written an obituary of Jim Kaput: "[2]James J. Kaput (19422005) imagineer and futurologist
of mathematics education". Abstract: Jim Kaput lived a full life in mathematics education and we have
many reasons to be grateful to him, not only for his vision of the use of technology in mathematics, but also
for his fundamental humanity. This paper considers the origins of his 'big ideas` as he lived through the most
amazing innovations in technology that have changed our lives more in a generation than in many centuries
before. His vision continues as is exemplied by the collected papers in this tribute to his life and work.
Roberta Y. Schorr and Gerald A. Goldin have written an article called "[3]Students` expression of affect in
an inner-city simcalc classroom". Abstract: This research focuses on some of the affordances provided by
SimCalc software, suggesting that its use can have important consequences for students` mathematical affect
and motivation. We describe an episode in an inner-city SimCalc environment illustrating our approach to
the study of affect in the mathematics classroom. We infer students` development of new, effective affective
pathways and structures as they participate in conceptually challenging mathematical activities. Our work
highlights the roles of dignity and respect in creating an emotionally safe environment for mathematical
engagement, and makes explicit some of the complexity of studying affect.
Richard Lesh, James A. Middleton, Elizabeth Caylor and Shweta Gupta have written an article entitled:
"[4]A science need: Designing tasks to engage students in modeling complex data". Abstract: In this in-
formation age, the capacity to perceive structure in data, model that structure, and make decisions regarding
its implications is rapidly becoming the most important of the quantitative literacy skills. We build on Ka-
put`s belief in a Science of Need to motivate and direct the development of tasks and tools for engaging
students in reasoning about data. A Science of Need embodies the utility value of mathematics, and engages
students in seeing the importance of mathematics in both their current and their future lives. An extended
example of the design of tasks that require students to generate, test, and revise models of complex data is
used to illustrate the ways in which attention to the contributions of students can aid in the development of
both useful and theoretically coherent models of mathematical understanding by researchers. Tools such as
Fathom are shown as democratizing agents in making data modeling more expressive and intimate, aiding
in the development of deeper and more applicable mathematical understanding.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=543e8514b56140d0beb8b02e1405977b&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a56ux4237r2nk68v/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/2nj6j289770llq71/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/h808n1l2226x7218/
Students encounter with proof (2008-04-28 07:23)
Kirsti Hemmi from Stockholm University has written an article that was recently published (online rst) in
[1]ZDM. The article is entitled: "[2]Students` encounter with proof: the condition of transparency". Here is
The condition of transparency refers to the intricate dilemma in the teaching of mathematics about
how and how much to focus on various aspects of proof and how and how much to work with proof
without a focus on it. This dilemma is illuminated from a theoretical point of view as well as from
teacher and student perspectives. The data consist of university students` survey responses, transcripts
of interviews with mathematicians and students as well as protocols of the observations of lectures,
textbooks and other instructional material. The article shows that the combination of a socio-cultural
perspective, Lave and Wenger`s and Wenger`s social practice theories and theories about proof offers
a fresh framework for studies concerning the teaching and learning of proof.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=c75eb5d7e1374415ae329a71edca367d&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/2527r1k346329401/
1.3. April BlogBook
ESM, May 2008 (2008-04-28 07:34)
The May issue of [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has appeared, with the following articles:
[2]Deep intuition as a level in the development of the concept image
[3]Concept image revisited
[4]The power of Colombian mathematics teachers` conceptions of social/institutional factors of teaching
[5]Analyses de sances en classe et stabilit des pratiques dènseignants de mathmatiques expriments du
second degr
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=10d352e162d048c79c4b50f34531fcc0&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/e4tn5018724g1616/?p=
3e5fc7d767b04223a183c055801e091b&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/ru70010251r23550/?p=
3e5fc7d767b04223a183c055801e091b&pi=1
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c171q848668580p6/?p=
3e5fc7d767b04223a183c055801e091b&pi=2
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/93149p81502m6428/?p=
3e5fc7d767b04223a183c055801e091b&pi=3
MTL, Issue 2, 2008 (2008-04-28 19:42)
[1]Issue 2 of [2]Mathematical Thinking and Learning has appeared with the following articles:
[3]Proof in School Mathematics: Insights from Psychological Research into Students Ability for Deductive
Reasoning by Gabriel J. Stylianides and Andreas J. Stylianides
[4]Revoicing in a Multilingual Classroom by Noel Enyedy, Laurie Rubel, Viviana Castelln, Shiuli
Mukhopadhyay, Indigo Esmonde and Walter Secada
[5]Teaching Mathematics with a New Curriculum: Changes to Classroom Organization and Interactions by
Gwendolyn M. Lloyd
The issue also includes an editorial and a [6]book review of the new book on the KappAbel mathematics competi-
tion by Tine Wedege and Jeppe Skott.
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Econtent=g792672547?jumptype=alert&alerttype=new_
issue_alert,email
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, May 2008 (2008-04-30 07:51)
The May issue of [1]Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School has arrived, and it contains the following articles:
[2]
Teaching and Learning Mathematics through Hurricane Tracking
Maria L. Fernandez and Robert C. Schoen
BlogBook 1.3. April
[3]
The Importance of Equal Sign Understanding in the Middle Grades
Eric J. Knuth, Martha W. Alibali, Shanta Hattikudur, Nicole M. McNeil and Ana C. Stephens
[4]
Exploring Segment Lengths on the Geoboard
Mark W. Ellis and David Pagni
[5]
What Do Students Need to Learn about Division of Fractions?
Yeping Li
Teaching Children Mathematics, May 2008 (2008-04-30 07:54)
The May issue of [1]Teaching Children Mathematics has also appeared, and it contains the following articles:
[2]
Instructional Strategies for Teaching Algebra in Elementary School: Findings from a Research-Practice Collabo-
ration
Darrell Earnest and Aadina A. Balti
[3]
Insights into Our Understandings of Large Numbers
Signe E. Kastberg and Vicki Walker
The rst article is a free preview article.
Mathematics Teacher, May 2008 (2008-04-30 08:00)
The May issue of Mathematics Teacher has also arrived. The list of contents presents the following articles,
whereas the last one is a free preview article:
[1]Deep Thoughts on the River Crossing Game
Dan Canada and Dave Goering
[2]The Power of Investigative Calculus Projects
John Robert Perrin and Robert J. Quinn
[3]Why Arent They Called Probability Intervals?
Thomas F. Devlin
1.4. May BlogBook
1.4 May
New ZDM-articles (2008-05-02 06:14)
Four new articles has been published online in [1]ZDM recently:
[2]Strategies to foster students` competencies in constructing multi-steps geometric proofs: teaching exper-
iments in Taiwan and Germany by Aiso Heinze, Ying-Hao Cheng, Stefan Ufer, Fou-Lai Lin and Kristina
Reiss. Abstract: In this article, we discuss the complexity of geometric proofs with respect to a theoret-
ical analysis and empirical results from studies in Taiwan and Germany. Based on these ndings in both
countries, specic teachings experiments with junior high school students were developed, conducted, and
evaluated. According to the different classroom and learning culture in East Asia and Western Europe, the
interventions differed in their way of organizing the learning activities during regular mathematics lessons.
The statistical analysis of the prepost-test data indicated that both interventions were successful in fostering
students` proof competence.
[3]Connecting theories in mathematics education: challenges and possibilities by Luis Radford. Abstract:
This paper is a commentary on the problem of networking theories. My commentary draws on the papers
contained in this ZDM issue and is divided into three parts. In the rst part, following semiotician Yuri
Lotman, I suggest that a network of theories can be conceived of as a semiosphere, i.e., a space of encounter
of various languages and intellectual traditions. I argue that such a networking space revolves around two
different and complementary 'themesintegration and differentiation. In the second part, I advocate con-
ceptualizing theories in mathematics education as triplets formed by a system of theoretical principles, a
methodology, and templates of research questions, and attempt to show that this tripartite view of theories
provides us with a morphology of theories for investigating differences and potential connections. In the
third part of the article, I discuss some examples of networking theories. The investigation of limits of con-
nectivity leads me to talk about the boundary of a theory, which I suggest dening as the 'limit of what a
theory can legitimately predicate about its objects of discourse; beyond such an edge, the theory conicts
with its own principles. I conclude with some implications of networking theories for the advancement of
mathematics education.
[4]A networking method to compare theories: metacognition in problem solving reformulated within the
Anthropological Theory of the Didactic by Esther Rodrguez, Marianna Bosch and Josep Gascn. Ab-
stract: An important role of theory in research is to provide new ways of conceptualizing practical ques-
tions, essentially by transforming them into scientic problems that can be more easily delimited, typied
and approached. In mathematics education, theoretical developments around 'metacognition` initially ap-
peared in the research domain of Problem Solving closely related to the practical question of how to learn
(and teach) to solve non-routine problems. This paper presents a networking method to approach a notion as
'metacognition` within a different theoretical perspective, as the one provided by the Anthropological The-
ory of the Didactic. Instead of trying to directly 'translate` this notion from one perspective to another, the
strategy used consists in going back to the practical question that is at the origin of 'metacognition` and show
how the new perspective relates this initial question to a very different kind of phenomena. The analysis
is supported by an empirical study focused on a teaching proposal in grade 10 concerning the problem of
comparing mobile phone tariffs.
[5]Comparing, combining, coordinating-networking strategies for connecting theoretical approaches by Su-
sanne Prediger, Ferdinando Arzarello, Marianna Bosch and Agns Lenfant. This is the editorial for the next
issue, and it does not have an abstract.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=7740671b8334467da6ef1e582ea8b4f3&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/4776x71346723546/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l462p151l25t05x3/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/ck320m61704357t2/
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/uv043147t0310513/
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Animating an equation (2008-05-02 06:25)
A new article called "[1]Animating an equation: a guide to using FLASH in mathematics education" has recently
been published in [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. The article is
written by Ezzat G. Bakhoum. Here is the abstract of the article:
Macromedias FLASH development system can be a great tool for mathematics education. This
article presents detailed Flash tutorials that were developed and taught by the author to a group of
mathematics professors in a summer course in 2005. The objective was to educate the teachers in the
techniques of animating equations and mathematical concepts in Flash. The course was followed by a
2-year study to assess the acceptance of the technology by the teachers and to gauge its effectiveness
in improving the quality of mathematics education. The results of that 2-year study are also reported
here.
Is There a Role for Executive Functions in the Development of Mathematics Ability?
(2008-05-02 08:57)
[1]Blackwell Synergy - Mind Brain Education, Volume 2 Issue 2 Page 80-89, June 2008 (Article Abstract):
This article examines the role of working memory, attention shifting, and inhibitory control ex-
ecutive cognitive functions in the development of mathematics knowledge and ability in children. It
suggests that an examination of the executive cognitive demand of mathematical thinking can com-
plement procedural and conceptual knowledge-based approaches to understanding the ways in which
children become procient in mathematics. Task analysis indicates that executive cognitive functions
likely operate in concert with procedural and conceptual knowledge and in some instances might act
as a unique inuence on mathematics problem-solving ability. It is concluded that consideration of
the executive cognitive demand of mathematics can contribute to research on best practices in mathe-
matics education.
1. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1751-228X.2008.00036.x?mi=0&af=
R&prevSearch=allfield%253A%2528mathematics%2529&filter=all
Fibonacci numbers (2008-05-02 13:06)
Sergei Abramovich and Gennady A. Leonov have written an article called "[1]Fibonacci numbers revisited:
technology-motivated inquiry into a two-parametric difference equation", which was recently published in [2]In-
ternational Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. Here is the abstract:
This article demonstrates how within an educational context, supported by the notion of hidden
mathematics curriculum and enhanced by the use of technology, new mathematical knowledge can be
discovered. More specically, proceeding from the well-known representation of Fibonacci numbers
through a second-order difference equation, this article explores its two-parametric generalization us-
ing computer algebra software and a spreadsheet. Combined with the use of calculus, matrix theory
and continued fractions, this technology-motivated approach allows for the comprehensive investiga-
tion of the qualitative behaviour of the orbits produced by the so generalized difference equation. In
1.4. May BlogBook
particular, loci in the plane of parameters where different types of behaviour of the cycles of arbi-
trary integer period formed by generalized Golden Ratios realize have been constructed. Unexpected
connections among the analytical properties of the loci, Fibonacci numbers and binomial coefcients
have been revealed. Pedagogical, mathematical and epistemological issues associated with the pro-
posed approach to the teaching of mathematics are discussed.
Real-world examples and transfer of learning (2008-05-05 07:24)
Jennifer A. Kaminski, Vladimir M. Sloutsky and Andrew F. Heckler wrote an article that was published in [1]Sci-
ence last week. The article is called: "[2]Learning theory: The advantage of abstract examples in learning math".
A main issue discussed in the article is whether students who learn mathematics through real-world examples are
able to apply this knowledge to other situations or not (the old problem about transfer of knowledge from one
context to another). The article claims that their ndings:
(...) cast doubt on a long-standing belief in education. The belief in using concrete examples is
very deeply ingrained, and hasnt been questioned or tested.
They also discuss the issue of word problems, and they claim that:
[Word] problems could be an incredible instrument for testing what was learned. But they are bad
instruments for teaching.
If, like me, you dont have full access to the articles in Science magazine, you could read a [3]nice summary of the
article with comments on Nobel Intent.
1. http://www.sciencemag.org/
2. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/320/5875/454
3. http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/04/30/
when-teaching-math-the-real-world-doesnt-help
School mathematics - everyday mathematics (2008-05-05 07:29)
Christian Greiffenhagen and Wes Sharrock have written an article that was published in [1]Educational Studies in
Mathematics on Friday. The article is entitled "[2]School mathematics and its everyday other? Revisiting Lave`s
'Cognition in Practice`". Here is the abstract of the article:
In the last three decades there have been a variety of studies of what is often referred to as 'ev-
eryday` or 'street` mathematics. These studies have documented a rich variety of arithmetic practices
involved in activities such as tailoring, carpet laying, dieting, or grocery shopping. More importantly,
these studies have helped to rectify outmoded models of rationality, cognition, and (school) instruc-
tion. Despite these important achievements, doubts can be raised about the ways in which theoretical
conclusions have been drawn from empirical materials. Furthermore, while these studies rightly criti-
cised prevalent theories of rationality and cognition as too simplistic to account for everyday activities,
BlogBook 1.4. May
it seems that some of the proposed alternatives suffer from similar aws (i.e., are straightforward in-
versions of the to-be-opposed theories, rather than more nuanced views on complicated issues). In
this article we illustrate our sceptical view by discussing four case studies in Jean Lave`s pioneering
and inuential 'Cognition in Practice` (1988). By looking at the case studies in detail, we investigate
how Lave`s conclusions relate to the empirical materials and offer alternative characterisations. In
particular, we question whether the empirical studies demonstrate the existence of two different kinds
of mathematics ('everyday` and 'school,` or 'formal` and 'informal`) and whether school instruction
tries to replace the former with the latter.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=9ec26e2b55474d5b9bf74fd6ce4fe0b2&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/3v443ul5j3405860/
Mathematics Teaching - pdf archive (2008-05-06 07:23)
The [1]ATM journal [2]Mathematics Teaching has a very nice (and growing) [3]archive where several back issues
are available in PDF format. Some articles/issues are only available to ATM members, while others (quite a few,
actually!) are available to all, for free. In the archive, you can even take a closer look at the [4]rst issue (ever) of
the journal, from 1955.
So, if you are interested in mathematics teaching in general (and in the UK in particular), you should denitely
take a look! Hopefully, the archive will continue growing, and I wish other journals would follow up and do the
same thing (preferably with a large collection of freely available back issues)!
2. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/
3. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/archive.html
4. http://www.atm.org.uk/mt/archive/mt001files/mt001.pdf
Some interesting reading (2008-05-07 13:36)
[1]Education Week has a couple of interesting articles relating to mathematics education this week:
[2]Why the Best Math Curriculum Won`t Be a Textbook is an article that takes up discussions about mathe-
matics curriculum standards and textbooks. One of the recommendations from the [3]report of the National
Mathematics Advisory Panel was shorter, more focused and more coherent textbooks, and this is discussed
in the article.
[4]Math Group Tries to Help Young Teachers Stay the Course takes up the problem of young teachers that
quit from the teaching profession, and an effort made by [5]NCTM to help in that respect.
Both these articles are unfortunately only available to subscribers of Education Week, but they address interesting
issues related to mathematics education.
The third and last reading tips in this connection, is a post from the "[6]Lets play math!" blog. The post is entitled
"[7]How to teach math to a struggling student", and it starts off this important discussion with a practical example.
If you dont agree with the advice given in the post, you might consider dropping a comment in the blog, because
this is an important and interesting discussion!
2. http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Freader%2Fview%
2F&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org%2Few%2Farticles%2F2008%2F05%2F07%2F36patton.h27.
html&levelId=2100&baddebt=false
1.4. May BlogBook
4. http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Freader%2Fview%
2F&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org%2Few%2Farticles%2F2008%2F05%2F07%
2F36mathteachers_ep.h27.html&levelId=1000&baddebt=false
6. http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/
7. http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/struggling-math-student/
BSHM Bulletin, Issue 2, 2008 (2008-05-10 19:35)
[1]Journal of the British Society for the History of Mathematics has published the [2]second issue of this year.
It contains several interesting features, and an original article called "[3]Mistakes concerning a chance encounter
between Francis Galton and John Venn". Here is the abstract of this article:
A chance encounter at Bournemouth between Francis Galton and John Venn has lain in some ob-
scurity because of a slip by Galton himself and a second mistake by Karl Pearson. The contact with
Venn provides insight into the development of Galtons perception of statistical dispersion, his disen-
chantment with the notion of probable error and adoption of population variability.
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Econtent=g793006829?jumptype=alert&alerttype=new_
issue_alert,email
IJSME - New online articles (2008-05-13 07:25)
Two interesting new articles have recently been published online in [1]International Journal of Science and Math-
ematics Education:
[2]HISTORY AS A PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPING COLLEGE STUDENTS` EPISTEMOLOGICAL
BELIEFS OF MATHEMATICS by Po-Hung Liu combines two of my own main research interests: use
of the history of mathematics and (epistemological) beliefs. Abstract: The present study observed how
Taiwanese college students` epistemological beliefs about mathematics evolved during a year-long historical
approach calculus course. On the basis of the characteristics of initial accounts, seven students were invited
to participate in this study and were divided into two groups. An open-ended questionnaire, mathematics
biographies, in-class reports, and follow-up semi-structured interviews served as instruments for identifying
their epistemological beliefs. Furthermore, four randomly selected students from another calculus class
constituted the control group. Results indicated that most of the students receiving this course exhibited
relatively signicant changes in their epistemological beliefs of mathematics, but trends and extents in their
epistemological development varied across groups as well as individuals. This study identies the potential
relationships among the course features, initial beliefs, and the tendency of belief development, followed by
a discussion of the mechanism of belief change and an afterthought on HPM approach.
[3]METASYNTHESES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDIES IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
EDUCATION by Larry D. Yore and Stephen Lerman. This article is without abstract.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=1845ced760af4f448c9bce6065903105&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/d202g3754256m527/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m2201uq34245670g/
BlogBook 1.4. May
Two new ZDM articles (2008-05-13 07:29)
Last week, two new articles were published online in [1]ZDM as well:
[2]Building a local conceptual framework for epistemic actions in a modelling environment with experiments
by Stefan Halverscheid. Abstract: A local conceptual framework for the construction of mathematical
knowledge in learning environments with experiments is developed. For this purpose, the mathematical
modelling framework and the epistemic action model for abstraction in context are used simultaneously.
In a case study, experiments of pre-service teachers with the motion of a ball on a circular billiard table
are analysed within the local conceptual framework. The role of the experiments for epistemic actions of
mathematical abstractions is described. In the case study, two different types of students` approaches to the
role of experiments can be distinguished.
[3]Indirect proof: what is specic to this way of proving? by Samuele Antonini and Maria Alessandra Mar-
iotti. Abstract: The study presented in this paper is part of a wide research project concerning indirect
proofs. Starting from the notion of mathematical theorem as the unity of a statement, a proof and a the-
ory, a structural analysis of indirect proofs has been carried out. Such analysis leads to the production of
a model to be used in the observation, analysis and interpretation of cognitive and didactical issues related
to indirect proofs and indirect argumentations. Through the analysis of exemplar protocols, the paper dis-
cusses cognitive processes, outlining cognitive and didactical aspects of students` difculties with this way
of proving.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=e3798eb78b7b4c399b521e4b1c9742d1&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w58348421483v455/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/mn70j2r6m4865k50/
Mathematical language in early childhood settings (2008-05-15 22:03)
Loretta C. Rudd, Matthew c. Lambert, Macy Satterwhite and Amani Zaier have written an article that has recently
been published (online rst) in [1]Early Childhood Education Journal. The article is entitled: "[2]Mathematical
Language in Early Childhood Settings: What Really Counts?" and it presents a study of what kinds of mathemati-
cal language that was used in six kindergarten classrooms (ages 0-6). Here is the abstract of the article.
Previous research indicates that, prior to entering kindergarten, most children are exposed to some
type of formal or direct mathematics instruction. However, the type of mathematical language and the
frequency of its use vary greatly in terms of its emphasis on academic content. This study investigated
the types and frequency of mathematical language used in six classrooms for children ranging in age
from birth to ve years. The study site was a quality early childhood setting at a state university in
Southwest. Results indicated that utterances pertaining to spatial relations exceeded any other type
of mathematical concepts by approximately twice the frequency. In addition, there was a paucity of
higher level mathematical concepts observed. These data suggest a need for enhanced attention to
higher level mathematical concepts explored in early childhood settings.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/105549/?p=ab90bfaa72bc4ddbaecc447c491df4b8&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/w3484107172112r1/
New IJSME articles (2008-05-19 07:16)
Two more articles have been published online in the [1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Educa-
tion:
1.4. May BlogBook
[2]The Factors Related to Preschool Children and Their Mothers on Children`s Intuitional Mathematics
Abilities is written by Yildiz Gven. Abstract: The aim of this study is to assess the factors that are
related to preschool children and their mothers on children`s` intuitional mathematics abilities. Results of
the study showed that there were signicant differences in children`s intuitional mathematics abilities when
children are given the opportunity to think intuitionally and to make estimations, and when their mothers
believe in the importance of providing such opportunities in the home setting. Children who tended to think
fast and to examine details of objects had signicantly higher scores. Also, the working mothers aimed
to give opportunities to their children more often than non-working mothers. The mothers whose children
received preschool education tended to give more opportunities to their children to think intuitionally and to
make estimations. When incorrect intuitional answers or estimations were made by children, lower-educated
mothers tended to scold their children much more than higher educated mothers. Mothers having at least
a university degree explained more often to the children why they were in error than did the less-educated
mothers.
[3]The Power of Learning Goal Orientation in Predicting Student Mathematics Achievement is written by
Chuan-Ju Lin et al. Abstract: The teaching and learning of mathematics in schools has drawn tremen-
dous attention since the education reform in Taiwan. In addition to assessing cognitive abilities, Taiwan
Assessment of Student Achievement in Mathematics (TASA-MAT) collects background information to help
depict average student achievement in schools in an educational context. The purpose of this study was to
investigate the relationships between student achievement in mathematics and student background charac-
teristics. The data for this study was derived from the sample for the 2005 TASA-MAT Sixth-Grade Main
Survey in Taiwan. The average age of the sixth-grade students in Taiwan is 11 years old, as was the sample
for the 2005 TASA-MAT. Student socioeconomic status (SES) and student learning-goal orientation were
specied as predictor variables of student performance in mathematics. The results indicate that the better
performance in mathematics tended to be associated with a higher SES and stronger mastery goal orienta-
tion. The SES factor accounted for 4.98 % of the variance, and student learning-goal orientation accounted
for an additional 10.61 % of the variance. The major implication obtained from this study was that goal
orientation was much more signicant than SES in predicting student performance in mathematics. In ad-
dition, the Rasch model treatment of the ordinal response-category data is a novel approach to scoring the
goal-orientation items, with the corresponding results in this study being satisfactory.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=cb7c038a0a3e488f94135e0a9a9bfd48&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/p2465017287m233r/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/fw12516770454053/
Everyday Mathematics and cognition in practice (2008-05-19 07:19)
David W. Carraher has written an article that was recently published (online rst) in [1]Educational Studies in
Mathematics. The article is entitled: [2]Beyond 'blaming the victim` and 'standing in awe of noble savages`: a
response to 'Revisiting Lave`s 'cognition in practice`. Here is the abstract:
Everyday Mathematics has contributed in important ways to long-standing debates about mathe-
matical concepts, symbolic representation, and the role of contexts in thinkingthe latter topic reach-
ing back at least as far as Kant`s notion of scheme. The descriptive work plays a role, of course. But
it is only by making sense of the observations that science moves forward. If over time the expression
Everyday Mathematics drops from usage, I would be neither surprised nor disappointed. Eventually
the eld needs to become absorbed into the mainstream traditions of research in mathematics educa-
tion. However it would be disappointing if it is remembered only for its descriptive and proscriptive
aspects, without recognizing the contributions to research, theory, and the cultural context of learning
and thinking.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=82d881326ef14cc8868ffbbfcc31b462&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c502u2m725814056/
BlogBook 1.4. May
Attrition of mathematics teachers (2008-05-20 10:42)
Gillian Hampden-Thompson, William L. Herring and Gregory Kienzl have written a report called [1]Attrition of
Public School Mathematics and Science Teachers. A 4-page abstract of the report is available as [2]downloadable
PDF. Here is the abstract:
Using data from the Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), this Issue Brief reports on trends in the
attrition of public school mathematics and science teachers over a 16-year period and examines the
reasons given by mathematics and science teachers for leaving teaching employment. Findings from
the analysis indicate that the percentage of public school mathematics and science teachers who left
teaching employment did not change measurably between 198889 and 200405. However, the per-
centage of other public school teachers who left teaching employment did increase over the same
period. Differences were found between mathematics and science leavers and other leavers. For ex-
ample, of those teachers with a regular or standard certication, a smaller percentage of mathematics
and science teachers than other teachers left teaching employment. In addition, when asked to rate
various reasons for leaving the teaching profession, greater percentages of mathematics and science
leavers than other leavers rated better salary or benets as very important or extremely important.
2. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008077.pdf
ESM, June 2008 (2008-05-21 12:21)
[1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has published the [2]June issue. This issue is in memory of Jim Kaput, and
has a title: Democratizing Access to Mathematics through Technology: Issues of Design, Theory and Implemen-
tation In Memory of Jim Kaput`s Work.
There are several interesting articles in this issue. Here are the headlines:
[3]Introduction: Building on the vision of Jim Kaput (19422005) by Richard Lesh and Stephen Hegedus
[4]Next steps in implementing Kaput`s research programme by Celia Hoyles and Richard Noss
[5]From static to dynamic mathematics: historical and representational perspectives by Luis Moreno-
Armella, Stephen J. Hegedus and James J. Kaput
[6]A science need: Designing tasks to engage students in modeling complex data by Richard Lesh et al.
[7]Students` expression of affect in an inner-city simcalc classroom by Roberta Y. Schorr and Gerald A.
Goldin
[8]The role of scaling up research in designing for and evaluating robustness by J. Roschelle et al.
[9]Studying new forms of participation and identity in mathematics classrooms with integrated communica-
tion and representational infrastructures by Stephen J. Hegedus and William R. Penuel
[10]James J. Kaput (19422005) imagineer and futurologist of mathematics education by David Tall
1.4. May BlogBook
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=602b522ea73d4a5d9502d5bdf09d2ab9&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/x2l643m14h16/?p=94381a1eef50478cadf5649283e821a7&
pi=0
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Richard+Lesh
4. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/e7q1v48138232250/?p=44f33e253c10477f8f7b96e534b2f21f&pi=1
5. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/673574370n380675/?p=44f33e253c10477f8f7b96e534b2f21f&pi=2
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/h808n1l2226x7218/?p=44f33e253c10477f8f7b96e534b2f21f&pi=3
7. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/2nj6j289770llq71/?p=44f33e253c10477f8f7b96e534b2f21f&pi=4
8. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/5j32g5u436724054/?p=44f33e253c10477f8f7b96e534b2f21f&pi=5
9. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/a12300h373003225/?p=44f33e253c10477f8f7b96e534b2f21f&pi=6
10. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/a56ux4237r2nk68v/?p=44f33e253c10477f8f7b96e534b2f21f&pi=7
Several new articles (2008-05-23 07:53)
[1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology (IJMEST) has published several
new articles online. Unfortunately, I have been to busy to cover them all, but you can take a look [2]here!
[3]Teaching Mathematics and its Applications has published a new issue (the June issue of 2008), and you can
view these articles and abstracts by following [4]this link.
4. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/current.dtl
The system of coordinates and the concept of dimension (2008-05-23 07:58)
Constantine Skordoulis et al. have written an article called "[1]The system of coordinates as an obstacle in under-
standing the concept of dimension". This article has recently been published online in [2]International Journal of
Science and Mathematics Education. Here is the abstract of the article:
The concept of dimension, one of the most fundamental ideas in mathematics, is rmly rooted
in the basis of the school geometry in such a way that mathematics teachers rarely feel the need to
mention anything about it. However, the concept of dimension is far from being fully understood
by students, even at the college level. In this paper, we examine whether the Cartesian x-y plane
is responsible for student difculty in estimating the value of the dimension of an object, or is it
only students misconceptions about dimension that lead them to a false estimation of the value of the
dimension of various objects. A second question discussed in this paper examines whether the system
of coordinates acts as an epistemological obstacle or whether it has only a didactical character.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u1u0twgk2406t532/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=91920ee8492b4eec9e1e111590319f19&pi=0
NCTM and the development of mathematics education in the US (2008-05-27 07:25)
[1]NCTM is a huge organization for teachers of mathematics in the US, and it has certainly had a strong impact
through the years. Michael Paul Goldenberg - author of the blog: [2]Rational Mathematics Education - has written
BlogBook 1.4. May
a very long and [3]interesting article where he criticize this grand organization. For me - a Norwegian researcher
with both legs planted rmly in Europe - this provides an interesting insight into the US discourse. I recommend
reading the article, whether you agree with his views or not!
1. http://nctm.org/
2. http://rationalmathed.blogspot.com/
3. http://rationalmathed.blogspot.com/2008/05/nctm-blows-big-ones-technology-position.html
Open-ended problems (2008-05-27 07:53)
The [1]International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning has recently published an article called:
"[2]Teaching and Evaluating Open-Ended Problems". The article is written by Rama Klavir and Sarah Her-
shkovitz, and it is freely available in pdf format. Here is the abstract:
This paper focuses on an open-ended problem. The problem comprises a group of four numbers
from which the students are asked to nd the one that does not belong. Each of the numbers can be
selected as not belonging, each one for different reasons. The problem was given to 164 fth-grade
students. The paper suggests tools for teachers to analyze and evaluate the work of their students when
dealing with problems of this kind.
1. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/default.htm
2. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/klavir.pdf
ESM, July 2008 (2008-05-27 07:58)
[1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has released the [2]July Issue (Volume 68, Number 3). It contains 5 arti-
cles:
[3]What makes a counterexample exemplary? by Rina Zazkis and Egan J. Chernoff
[4]The roles of punctuation marks while learning about written numbers by Barbara M. Brizuela and
Gabrielle A. Cayton
[5]Lacan, subjectivity and the task of mathematics education research by Tony Brown
[6]Learning opportunities from group discussions: warrants become the objects of debate by Keith Weber et
al.
[7]An international comparison using a diagnostic testing model: Turkish students` prole of mathematical
skills on TIMSS-R by Enis Dogan and Kikumi Tatsuoka
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=da0bae8dd7d643e4b7a363354573883b&
pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/r64282171570/?p=
9c6223e07da14288aadd4a8203540b85&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/lh626777872168g7/?p=
ba90ffa7dc1b499dacf6bd1be4e0b60f&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/wl3371502516735h/?p=
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/4370815780gtg37w/?p=
1.5. June BlogBook
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/36734r5k21312054/?p=
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/exw46v2667x73413/?p=
How is subjectivity understood? (2008-05-31 20:14)
Tony Brown has written an article that was recently published online in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics.
The article is entitled "[2]Signifying 'students, 'teachers and 'mathematics: a reading of a special issue", and
here is the abstract:
This paper examines a Special Issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics comprising research
reports centred on Peircian semiotics in mathematics education, written by some of the major authors
in the area. The paper is targeted at inspecting how subjectivity is understood, or implied, in those
reports. It seeks to delineate how the conceptions of subjectivity suggested are dened as a result
of their being a function of the domain within which the authors reexively situate themselves. The
paper rst considers how such understandings shape concepts of mathematics, students and teachers.
It then explores how the research domain is understood by the authors as suggested through their im-
plied positioning in relation to teachers, teacher educators, researchers and other potential readers.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=0e33ec5c032242799185ebfd80e28658&
pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x51838k6367w416g/
1.5 June
Structures of argumentation (2008-06-01 07:57)
Christine Knipping wrote an article that was recently published online in [1]ZDM. The article is entitled: [2]A
method for revealing structures of argumentations in classroom proving processes. Here is the abstract:
Proving processes in classrooms follow their own peculiar rationale. Reconstructing structures of argumentations
in these processes reveals elements of this rationale. This article provides theoretical and methodological tools to
reconstruct argumentation structures in proving processes and to shed light to their rationale. Toulmin`s functional
model of argumentation is used for reconstructing local arguments, and it is extended to provide a 'global` model
of argumentation for reconstructing proving processes in the classroom.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=8aa366d8f2aa47a5ada7d52c0123a3ce&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/gw5355938644vh42/
Two IJSME articles (2008-06-01 08:13)
Two articles has recently been published online in [1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education.
Here are the titles and abstracts:
BlogBook 1.5. June
Lene Mller Madsen and Carl Winslw have written an article called "[2]RELATIONS BETWEEN
TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND MATHEMATICS AT RESEARCH-
INTENSIVE UNIVERSITIES". Abstract: We examine the relationship between research and teaching
practices as they are enacted by university professors in a research-intensive university. First we propose a
theoretical model for the study of this relationship based on Chevallard`s anthropological theory. This model
is used to design and analyze an interview study with physical geographers and mathematicians at the Uni-
versity of Copenhagen. We found signicant differences in how the respondents from the two disciplines
assessed the relationship between research and teaching. Above all, while geography research practices are
often and smoothly integrated into geography teaching even at the undergraduate level, teaching in mathe-
matics may at best be 'similar` to mathematical research practice, at least at the undergraduate level. Finally,
we discuss the educational implications of these ndings.
Muammer alik, Alipa_a Ayas and Richard K. Coll wrote an article called "[3]INVESTIGATING THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ANALOGY ACTIVITY IN IMPROVING STUDENTS` CONCEPTUAL
CHANGE FOR SOLUTION CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS". Abstract: This paper reports on an investiga-
tion on the use of an analogy activity and seeks to provide evidence of whether the activity enables students
to change alternative conceptions towards views more in accord with scientic views for aspects of solution
chemistry. We were also interested in how robust any change was and whether these changes in conceptual
thinking became embedded in the students` long-term memory. The study has its theoretical basis in an inter-
pretive paradigm, and used multiple methods to probe the issues in depth. Data collection consisted of two
concept test items, one-on-one interviews, and student self-assessment. The sample consisted of 44 Grade 9
students selected from two intact classes (22 each), from Trabzon, Turkey. The interviews were conducted
with six students selected because of evidence as to their signicant conceptual change in solution chem-
istry. The research ndings revealed statistically signicant differences in pre-test and post-test scores, and
pre-test and delayed post-test scores (p<0.05), but no differences between post-test and delayed test scores
(p>0.05). This suggests that the analogy activity is helpful in enhancing students` conceptual understanding
of solution chemistry, and that these changes may be stored in the students` long-term memory.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=01207f0e88034610ae196872d17f65e6&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w18jn251740x562u/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/dp3w53077258k670/
The particular and the general (2008-06-01 08:45)
Vicen Font and ngel Contreras wrote an article that was recently published in [1]Educational Studies in Math-
ematics. The article is entitled "[2]The problem of the particular and its relation to the general in mathematics
education", and here is the abstract:
Research in the didactics of mathematics has shown the importance of the problem of the particular and its relation
to the general in teaching and learning mathematics as well as the complexity of factors related to them. In par-
ticular, one of the central open questions is the nature and diversity of objects that carry out the role of particular
or general and the diversity of paths that lead from the particular to the general. The objective of this article is to
show how the notion of semiotic function and mathematics ontology, elaborated by the onto-semiotic approach to
mathematics knowledge, enables us to face such a problem.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=a421c38bb26f4b2ea3ea8cf51a0ca68c&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u8441071121170p1/
The effects of designing Webquests (2008-06-02 12:47)
Erdogan Halat has written an article that has recently been published in [1]International Journal of Mathematical
Education in Science and Technology (IJMEST). The article is entitled: "[2]The effects of designing Webquests
1.5. June BlogBook
on the motivation of pre-service elementary school teachers", and here is the abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of webquest-based applications on the pre-
service elementary school teachers motivation in mathematics. There were a total of 202 pre-service
elementary school teachers, 125 in a treatment group and 77 in a control group. The researcher used
a Likert-type questionnaire consisting of 34 negative and positive statements. This questionnaire was
designed to evaluate a situational measure of the pre-service teachers motivation. This questionnaire
was used as pre- and post-tests in the study that took place in two semesters. It was administered to
the participants by the researcher before and after the instruction during a single class period. The
paired-samples t-test, the independent-samples t-test and analysis of covariance with = 0.05
were used to analyse the quantitative data. The study showed that there was a statistically signicant
difference found in participants motivation between treatment and control groups favouring the treat-
ment group. In other words, the participants who designed the webquest-based applications indicated
positive attitudes towards mathematics course than the others who did the regular course work.
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Econtent=a793530769%7Edb=all%7Eorder=pubdate
Childrens arithmetical thinking (2008-06-03 09:17)
Gta Eriksson from Stockholm University has written an article in The Journal of Mathematical Behavior. The
article is entitled: [1]Arithmetical thinking in children attending special schools for the intellectually disabled, and
it was available online yesterday. The entire article is available at the above link, but here is the abstract:
This article focuses on spontaneous and progressive knowledge building in 'the arithmetic of the
child. The aim is to investigate variations in the behavior patterns of eight pupils attending a school
for the intellectually disabled. The study is based on the epistemology of radical constructivism and
the methodology of multiple clinical interviews. Theoretical models elucidate behavior patterns and
the corresponding mental structures underlying them. The individual interviews of the pupils were
video recorded. The results show that the activated behavior patterns, which are responses to well-
adapted contexts presented by the researcher, are compatible with ndings in Swedish compulsory
schools. Six of the pupils` mental structures in the study are numerical. A substantial implication
for special education is the harmonization of the content in teaching with the childrens own ways of
operating, which implies a triadic teaching process.
1. http:
//www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4SN9675-1&_user=1460901&
_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000052797&_version=
1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1460901&md5=9306f22669e9c882f67a192c20e4a9bd
The Pirie-Kieren theory (2008-06-03 09:21)
Lyndon C. Martin has written an article called [1]Folding back and the dynamical growth of mathematical under-
standing: Elaborating the PirieKieren Theory. The article is going to be published in The Journal of Mathematical
Behavior, and it was available online yesterday at [2]ScienceDirect. Here is the abstract:
The study reported here extends the work of Pirie and Kieren on the nature and growth of math-
ematical understanding. The research examines in detail a key aspect of their theory, the process of
BlogBook 1.5. June
'folding back`, and develops a theoretical framework of categories and sub-categories that more fully
describe the phenomenon. This paper presents an overview of this 'framework for folding back`, il-
lustrates it with extracts of video data and elaborates on its key features. The paper also considers the
implications of the study for the teaching and learning of mathematics, and for future research in the
eld.
For another article discussing the Pirie-Kieren theory and related theories, you might want to take a look at [3]this
article by Droujkova et al. from PME29.
1. http:
//www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4SN8V59-1&_user=1460901&
_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000052797&_version=
1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1460901&md5=40ac223f529653f535e835abeb9e7b4e
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/
3. http://www.emis.de/proceedings/PME29/PME29RRPapers/PME29Vol2DroujkovaEtAl.pdf
Learning beginning algebra with spreadsheets (2008-06-03 09:25)
Michal Tabach, Rina Hershkowitza and Abraham Arcavi have written an article that was published online by The
Journal of Mathematical Behavior yesterday. The article is entitled [1]Learning beginning algebra with spread-
sheets in a computer intensive environment. Here is the abstract:
This study is part of a large research and development project aimed at observing, describing and
analyzing the learning processes of two seventh grade classes during a yearlong beginning algebra
course in a computer intensive environment (CIE). The environment includes carefully designed alge-
bra learning materials with a functional approach, and provides students with unconstrained freedom
to use (or not use) computerized tools during the learning process at all times. This paper focuses
on the qualitative and quantitative analyses of students` work on one problem, which serves as a win-
dow through which we learn about the ways students worked on problems throughout the year. The
analyses reveal the nature of students` mathematical activity, and how such activity is related to both
the instrumental views of the computerized tools that students develop and their freedom to use them.
We describe and analyze the variety of approaches to symbolic generalizations, syntactic rules and
[2]equation solving and the many solution strategies pursued successfully by the students. On that
basis, we discuss the strengths of the learning environment and the [3]open questions and dilemmas it
poses.
[4]
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4SN8V59-2&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=c3882618f295f3bbeacd0337f41c239c
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equation_solving
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_problem
4. http://www.zemanta.com/
How hints help speed up math performance (2008-06-03 09:39)
[1]Cognitive Daily is an interesting blog that presents articles and posts within the eld of cognitive psychology.
Yesterday, Dave Munger wrote an interesting post called: [2]How hints help speed up math performance and
what this says about memory. The post is about the following article:
Campbell, J.I., Fuchs-Lacelle, S., Phenix, T.L. (2006). Identical elements model of arithmetic memory: Extension
1.5. June BlogBook
to addition and subtraction. Memory & Cognition, 34(3), 633-647.
1. http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/
2. http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/06/how_hints_help_speed_up_math_p.php
The instructional triangle (2008-06-05 08:50)
Kelli Nipper and Paola Sztajn have written an article that was recently published in [1]Journal of Mathematics
Teacher Education. The article is entitled: [2]Expanding the instructional triangle: conceptualizing mathematics
teacher development.
Abstract As mathematics educators think about teaching that
promotes students` opportunities to learn, attention must be given to
the conceptualization of the professional development of teachers and
those who teach teachers. In this article, we generalize and expand the
instructional triangle to consider different interactions in a variety
of teacher development contexts. We have done so by addressing issues
of language for models of teachers` professional development at
different levels and by providing examples of situations in which these
models can be applied. Through the expansion of our understanding and
use of the instructional triangle we can further develop the concept of
mathematics teacher development.
Teachers are professionals with a rich knowledge that is both content specic and general. They shape instruction
by the way they interpret and respond to students and materials (p. 2). The notion of "the instructional triangle"
is based on the denition of instruction as (they refer to Cohen and Ball, 1999, p. 5 here): the interaction between
teachers and students around educational material. These ideas are also shared by other researchers. One of
them, Barbara Jaworski, created the teaching triad, consisting of:
management of student learning
sensitivity to students
engagement in challenging mathematics
Nipper and Sztajn describe how they have tried to expand this instructional triangle to teacher education, and as
a response to language issues, they suggest to replace the ordinary triangle: teacher - student - mathematics with
the more general: organizer - participants - content. For a further elaboration of their analysis and theoretical
suggestions, you should dig deeper into the article!
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=62a7ad28942047cc8d32f389689b495c&
pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/8rg313w48q44n371/
JMTE, Number 3, 2008 (2008-06-06 10:00)
The [1]June issue of [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has arrived, with lots of interesting articles.
Here is an overview of the 5 main articles in the issue:
BlogBook 1.5. June
[3]The tension between the general and the specic in an international mathematics teacher education by
Dina Tirosh
[4]'Mathematical knowledge for teaching: adapting U.S. measures for use in Ireland by Sen Delaney et
al.
[5]Real-world connections in secondary mathematics teaching by Julie Gainsburg
[6]Sixth grade mathematics teachers` intentions and use of probing, guiding, and factual questions by Al-
paslan Sahin and Gerald Kulm
[7]Recruiting and retaining secondary mathematics teachers: lessons learned from an innovative four-year
undergraduate program by Alice F. Artzt and Frances R. Curcio
Lots of interesting reading here, I think! The rst three articles are closely related to what I am working with now
(Delaneys article) and what I have been focusing a lot on in the past (the articles by Gainsburg and Tirosh).
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/x07t85863x83/?p=33d13a4e5a404eca83fee35db5e27b14&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=5530e0a93fa84c85983a4b670afabdae&pi=0
3. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/7042n6433357686m/?p=baf0b33556974037925e9e18a24918b2&pi=0
4. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/t46066428r673730/?p=baf0b33556974037925e9e18a24918b2&pi=1
5. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/lx36jh65500033l4/?p=baf0b33556974037925e9e18a24918b2&pi=2
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/4753170lh7h43238/?p=baf0b33556974037925e9e18a24918b2&pi=3
7. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/f63665875gh7010r/?p=baf0b33556974037925e9e18a24918b2&pi=4
IJMEST, new articles (2008-06-06 10:35)
Some new (iFirst) articles have been published in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science
and Technology:
The mean as the balance point: thought experiments with measuring sticks
Author: A. Flores
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701871655
Link: [2]http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article &doi=10.1080/00207390701871655 &uno _jump-
type=alert &uno _alerttype=irst _alert,email
An evaluation of the Supplemental Instruction programme in a rst year calculus course
Authors: V. Fayowski; P. D. MacMillan
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802054433
The classical version of Stokes theorem revisited
Author: Steen Markvorsen
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802091146
Unication and innite series
Authors: J. V. Leyendekkers; A. G. Shannon
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802054474
1.5. June BlogBook
2. http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&doi=10.1080/00207390701871655&uno_
jumptype=alert&uno_alerttype=ifirst_alert,email
What makes a problem mathematically interesting? (2008-06-09 07:26)
Sandra Crespo and Nathalie Sinclair poses this very interesting question in an article that has recently been pub-
lished in [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. The entire title of the article is: [2]What makes a problem
mathematically interesting? Inviting prospective teachers to pose better problems.
Mathematical problems are an integral part of mathematical learning, and although most pupils encounter math-
ematical problems as they are posed in textbooks, the teachers have an important role in assigning appropriate
problems for the students to solve. Prospective teachers have had few opportunities to focus on problem posing in
their studies, and their experience with mathematical problems are mostly in connection with the solving of prob-
lems that are posed by the teacher or a textbook. The authors of this article "consider the practice of problem posing
to be especially important for prospective teachers because a great deal of the work of teaching entails the posing
and generation of what the mathematics education community often refers to as 'good questionsquestions that
aim to support students` mathematical work".
The main research questions in the study described in this article are:
1. What is the role of exploration in the problem-posing process? (What happens when prospective teachers
pose problems with and without rst exploring the situation that could motivate their questions? What kinds
of questions do they pose in each of these two kinds of structured problem-posing setting?)
2. How do prospective elementary teachers decide on the quality of the questions they pose? (What rationale do
they provide when asked to justify what makes their questions mathematically interesting? What is the effect
of making explicit some of the qualities that make mathematics problems interesting and worth solving?)
The questions were investigated in a course that Sandra Crespo taught herself, and the course was offered in the
fourth year of a 5-year teacher preparation program. A central theme in the course was a "pedagogy of inquiry"
rather than one of presentation, and the students were given the opportunity to investigate different forms of math-
ematics teaching. There were 22 students in the course, and the researchers used four tasks and two classroom
interventions in the study. The data consisted of written work from the students as well as eld notes from obser-
vations of the students work with the given tasks, and from discussions in class.
Here is the abstract:
School students of all ages, including those who subsequently become teachers, have limited expe-
rience posing their own mathematical problems. Yet problem posing, both as an act of mathematical
inquiry and of mathematics teaching, is part of the mathematics education reform vision that seeks
to promote mathematics as an worthy intellectual activity. In this study, the authors explored the
problem-posing behavior of elementary prospective teachers, which entailed analyzing the kinds of
problems they posed as a result of two interventions. The interventions were designed to probe the
effects of (a) exploration of a mathematical situation as a precursor to mathematical problem posing,
and (b) development of aesthetic criteria to judge the mathematical quality of the problems posed.
Results show that both interventions led to improved problem posing and mathematically richer un-
derstandings of what makes a problem 'good.`
BlogBook 1.5. June
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=8f10de7c042441938d2b69a91cfb1776&
pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c404x37187h1811w/
Teaching and learning proof (2008-06-10 08:55)
Yesterday, [1]NCETM (the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics) hosted an online
[2]panel discussion concerning the teaching and learning of proof. The main issues of the debate was:
How do you teach proof?
What place do you think proof has in the mathematics curriculum?
At what age should proof be introduced to learners and how?
The following three articles are available online to accompany the discussion:
Article 1: Students Views of Proof, Celia Hoyles and Lulu Healy, Mathematics in School Issue 3 May 1999,
published by The Mathematical Association;
Article 2: Interpreting the Mathematics Curriculum: Developing reasoning through algebra and geometry,
published by the Qualications and Curriculum Authority, 2004;
Article 3: Teaching Pythagoras Theorem, Paul Chambers, Mathematics in Schools Issue 4 1999, published
by The Mathematical Association.
1. http://www.ncetm.org.uk/
2. http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=12&module=news&mode=100&newsid=9288
IJMEST, June 2008 (2008-06-16 08:15)
The [1]June issue of [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology is published
(Volume 39, Issue 4, 2008). It has the following original articles in the list of contents:
[3]Integrating supplementary application-based tutorials in the multivariable calculus course by I. M. Verner;
S. Aroshas; A. Berman
[4]If not, what yes? by Boris Koichu
[5]Mathematical e-learning: state of the art and experiences at the Open University of Catalonia by A. Juan;
A. Huertas; C. Steegmann; C. Corcoles; C. Serrat
[6]Unique factorization in cyclotomic integers of degree seven by W. Ethan Duckworth
[7]A college lesson study in calculus, preliminary report by Joy Becker; Petre Ghenciu; Matt Horak; Helen
Schroeder[8][9]
1.5. June BlogBook
Review of mathematics teaching in early years (2008-06-18 20:22)
A [1]report has been published in the UK about "educational best practice to enable young learners in primary
schools and early years settings to acquire an understanding and appreciation of mathematics and of its importance
to their lives". This report is freely available as a [2]pdf download.
1. http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=
publications&ProductId=DCSF-00433-2008
2. http:
//publications.teachernet.gov.uk//DownloadHandler.aspx?ProductId=DCSF-00433-2008&VariantID=
Independent+Review+of+Mathematics+Teaching+in+Early+Years+Settings+and+Primary+Schools+PDF&
Does Mathematics Remediation Work? (2008-06-19 12:09)
Peter Riley Bahr has written an article that was published in the [1]August issue of [2]Research in Higher Edu-
cation. The article is entitled: [3]Does Mathematics Remediation Work?: A Comparative Analysis of Academic
Attainment among Community College Students. Here is the abstract:
Postsecondary remediation is a controversial topic. On one hand, it lls an important and size-
able niche in higher education. On the other hand, critics argue that it wastes tax dollars, diminishes
academic standards, and demoralizes faculty. Yet, despite the ongoing debate, few comprehensive,
large-scale, multi-institutional evaluations of remedial programs have been published in recent mem-
ory. The study presented here constitutes a step forward in rectifying this decit in the literature,
with particular attention to testing the efcacy of remedial math programs. In this study, I use hierar-
chical multinomial logistic regression to analyze data that address a population of 85,894 freshmen,
enrolled in 107 community colleges, for the purpose of comparing the long-term academic outcomes
of students who remediate successfully (achieve college-level math skill) with those of students who
achieve college-level math skill without remedial assistance. I nd that these two groups of students
experience comparable outcomes, which indicates that remedial math programs are highly effective at
resolving skill deciencies.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/wt4nh7vh3g78/?p=ad8ccb3b0a75482883acb3c74863d98d&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/101599/?p=ad8ccb3b0a75482883acb3c74863d98d&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/n84015k838170836/?p=8d102414cb2e481189d2a9133a6541ad&pi=2
TMME, July 2008 (2008-06-23 06:26)
[1]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast has just published a combined [2]number 2 &3. This large issue is lled
with content. Here is the list of featured articles:
1. Jeff Babb & James Currie(Canada)
[3]The Brachistochrone Problem: Mathematics for a Broad Audience via a Large Context
2. Michael Fried (Israel)
[4]History of Mathematics in Mathematics Education: a Saussurean Perspective
3. Spyros Glenis (Greece)
[5]Comparison of Geometric Figures
4. Giorgio T. Bagni (Italy)
[6]'Obeying a rule: Ludwig Wittgenstein and the foundations of Set Theory
5. Arnaud Mayrargue (France)
[7]How can science history contribute to the development of new proposals in the teaching of the notion of deriva-
tives?
BlogBook 1.5. June
6. Antti Viholainen (Finland)
[8]Incoherence of a concept image and erroneous conclusions in the case of differentiability
7. Dores Ferreira & Pedro Palhares (Portugal)
[9]Chess and problem solving involving patterns
8. Fririk Diego & Kristn Halla Jnsdttir (Iceland)
[10]Associative Operations on a Three-Element Set
9. Jon Warwick (UK)
[11]A Case Study Using Soft Systems Methodology in the Evolution of a Mathematics Module
10. Barbara Garii & Lillian Okumu (New York, USA)
[12]Mathematics and the World: What do Teachers Recognize as Mathematics in Real World Practice?
11. Linda Martin & Kristin Umland (New Mexico, USA)
[13]Mathematics for Middle School Teachers: Choices, Successes, and Challenges
12. Woong Lim (Texas, USA)
[14]Inverses why we teach and why we need talk more about it more often!
13. Steve Humble (UK)
[15]Magic Math Cards
The issue also contains a couple of articles on logarithms in a historical perspective, a large section of articles with
reactions on the report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, etc.
1. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/
2. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol5no2and3/
3. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol5no2and3/TMME_vol5nos2and3_a1_pp.169_184.pdf
Students problem solving behaviours (2008-06-25 11:35)
Tracey Muir, Kim Beswick and John Williamson have written an article that was recently published in the [1]Jour-
nal of Mathematical Behavior. The article is entitled [2]'I`m not very good at solving problems: An exploration
of students` problem solving behaviours.
Abstract:
This paper reports one aspect of a larger study which looked at the strategies used by a selec-
tion of grade 6 students to solve six non-routine mathematical problems. The data revealed that the
students exhibited many of the behaviours identied in the literature as being associated with novice
and expert problem solvers. However, the categories of 'novice` and 'expert` were not fully adequate
to describe the range of behaviours observed and instead three categories that were characteristic of
behaviours associated with 'nave`, 'routine` and 'sophisticated` approaches to solving problems were
identied. Furthermore, examination of individual cases revealed that each students problem solving
performance was consistent across a range of problems, indicating a particular orientation towards
nave, routine or sophisticated problem solving behaviours. This paper describes common problem
1.5. June BlogBook
solving behaviours and details three individual cases involving nave, routine and sophisticated prob-
lem solvers.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4SV0YW3-1&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=b28a3c01e17163b8caee831c83a52c3b
Mathematics teaching during the early years in Hong Kong (2008-06-25 11:39)
Sharon S. N. Ng and Nirmala Rao have written an article for the journal [1]Early Years. The article concerns
teaching of mathematics in Hong Kong, and it is entitled: [2]Mathematics teaching during the early years in Hong
Kong: a reection of constructivism with Chinese characteristics? Here is the abstract:
This paper characterizes early mathematics instruction in Hong Kong. The teaching of addition in
three pre-primary and three lower primary schools was observed and nine teachers were interviewed
about their beliefs about early mathematics teaching. A child-centered, play-based approach was evi-
dent but teachers emphasized discipline, diligence and academic success. Observations also revealed
practices reective of both constructivist and instructivist pedagogies. Results from interviews sug-
gest that teachers traditional cultural beliefs about instruction were challenged by western ideologies
introduced in continuing professional development courses and by notions promulgated by the edu-
cational reforms. Both consistencies and inconsistencies between teachers beliefs and practices were
identied. Implications of the ndings are discussed.
Effectiveness of teacher education (2008-06-26 14:53)
Sigrid Blmeke, Anja Felbrich, Christiane Mller, Gabriele Kaiser and Rainer Lehmann have written an article
that was recently published online in [1]ZDM. The article is entitled "[2]Effectiveness of teacher education", and
Teacher-education research lacks a common theoretical basis, which prevents a convincing devel-
opment of instruments and makes it difcult to connect studies to each other. Our paper models how
to measure effective teacher education in the context of the current state of knowledge in the eld.
First, we conceptualize the central criterion of effective teacher education: 'professional competence
of future teachers. Second, individual, institutional, and systemic factors are modeled that may in-
uence the acquisition of this competence during teacher education. In doing this, we turn round
the perspective taken by Cochran-Smith and Zeichner (Studying teacher education. The report of the
AERA panel on research and teacher education. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah 2005), who mainly
take an educational-sociological perspective by focusing on characteristics of teacher education and
looking for their effects. In contrast, we take an educational-psychological perspective by focusing
on professional competence of teachers and examining inuences on this. Challenges connected to an
assessment of teacher-education outcomes are discussed as well.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=adc3810432a44c01b78fda3871ceaddc&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/8582971201uv3t25/
BlogBook 1.5. June
Pythagorean approximations (2008-06-27 06:26)
Javier Peralta from Madrid, Spain wrote an article that was recently published online in [1]Teaching Mathematics
and its Applications. The article is entitled [2]Pythagorean approximations and continued fractions, and it relates
to the Fibonacci sequence, sequences of rational numbers, etc. Here is the abstract of the article:
In this article, we will show that the Pythagorean approximations of Formula coincide with those
achieved in the 16th century by means of continued fractions. Assuming this fact and the known re-
lation that connects the Fibonacci sequence with the golden section, we shall establish a procedure to
obtain sequences of rational numbers converging to different algebraic irrationals. We will see how
approximations to some irrational numbers, using known facts from the history of mathematics, may
perhaps help to acquire a better comprehension of the real numbers and their properties at further
mathematics level.
2. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/hrn009v1?rss=1
Triangles as intuitive non-examples (2008-06-27 06:29)
Pessia Tsamir, Dina Tirosh and Esther Levenson (all from Tel Aviv University, Israel) have written an article about
concept formation in kindergarten children in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics. The article is entitled: [2]In-
tuitive nonexamples: the case of triangles. Here is the abstract:
In this paper we examine the possibility of differentiating between two types of nonexamples. The
rst type, intuitive nonexamples, consists of nonexamples which are intuitively accepted as such. That
is, children immediately identify them as nonexamples. The second type, non-intuitive nonexamples,
consists of nonexamples that bear a signicant similarity to valid examples of the concept, and conse-
quently are more often mistakenly identied as examples. We describe and discuss these notions and
present a study regarding kindergarten children`s grasp of nonexamples of triangles.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=422f340f80ef4fc38efa5bc7736d3006&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k1v42u65733162j5/
Preparation of math teachers (2008-06-27 06:39)
The [1]National Council on Teacher Quality has released a report about preparation of math teachers in the US.
Here is a copy from the press release:
No Common Denominator: The Preparation of Elementary Teachers in Mathematics by Amer-
icas Education Schools, June 2008
American students chronically poor performance in mathematics on international tests may begin
in the earliest grades, handicapped by the weak knowledge of mathematics of their own elementary
teachers. NCTQ looks at the quality of preparation provided by a representative sampling of institu-
tions in nearly every state. We also provide a test developed by leading mathematicians which assesses
for the knowledge that elementary teachers should acquire during their preparation. Imagine the im-
plications of an elementary teaching force being able to pass this test.
1.5. June BlogBook
On the web site of NCTQ, you can download an [2]executive summary, the [3]test and answer key, or the [4]full
report.
1. http://www.nctq.org/p/
2. http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_ttmath_exec_summ_20080626115937.pdf
3. http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_ttmath_testandanswerkey_20080626115952.
pdfhttp://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_ttmath_testandanswerkey_20080626115952.pdf
4. http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_ttmath_fullreport_20080626115953.pdfhttp://
www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_ttmath_fullreport_20080626115953.pdf
Math history on the internet (2008-06-29 10:15)
The excellent blog: [1]Lets Play Math! presents a post about history of mathematics on the internet. The [2]blog
post features an extensive list of links for further reading about the history of mathematics.
1. http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/
2. http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/math-history-on-the-internet/
ICMI newsletter (2008-06-29 19:53)
A new issue of the [1]ICMI [2]newsletter is out. If you are not subscribing, you can read the entire newsletter in
[3]text format here.
One of the many interesting news in this newsletter is concerning a [4]new website about the history of ICMI.
The website is edited by Fulvia Furinghetti and Livia Giacardi, and this site provides you with en excellent set of
resources for information about the history of ICMI and, in many ways, the history of our eld of research.
Another interesting information is concerning the so-called "[5]ICMI Reading Room" at [6]SpringerLink.
Up to December 31, 2008, members of the international community of
mathematics educators will have open access, via SpringerLink.com, to
selected works published in Springer journals of the four most recent
ICMI medallists (Paul Cobb, Ubiratan DAmbrosio, Jeremy Kilpatrick and
Anna Sfard).
These sholars represent some of the most important milestones in our eld, and this is a very nice opportunity to
learn more about the work of these four medallists.
The newsletter also announces the launcing of a new journal in mathematics education: [7]Sutra - The International
Journal of Mathematics Education. Sutra is the ofcial journal of the [8]Technomathematics Research Foundation,
and the rst issue will be published online in August this year.
You can read about this and much more in the lates issue of the ICMI newsletter. If you want to subscribe to the
newsletter, there are two ways of doing that:
1. Click on [9]http://www.mathunion.org/ICMI/Mailinglist with a Web browser and go to the "Subscribe" but-
ton to subscribe to ICMI News online.
2. Send an e-mail to icmi-news-request at mathunion.org with the Subject-line: Subject: subscribe
2. http://www.mathunion.org/mailman/listinfo/icmi-news
3. http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news/2008-June.txt
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4. http://www.icmihistory.unito.it/
5. http://www.springer.com/education/mathematics+education/icmi+reading+room+welcome?SGWID=
0-163202-0-0-0
6. http://www.springer.com/
7. http://www.tmrfindia.org/sutra.html
8. http://www.tmrfindia.org/
9. http://www.mathunion.org/ICMI/Mailinglist
JRME, July 2008 (2008-06-30 10:53)
Issue 4 of [1]JRME is out, and it contains lots of interesting articles:
[2]RESEARCH COMMENTARY: On "Gap Gazing" in Mathematics Education: The Need for Gaps Anal-
yses, by Sarah Theule Lubienski
[3]RESEARCH COMMENTARY: A "Gap-Gazing" Fetish in Mathematics Education? Problematizing Re-
search on the Achievement Gap, by Rochelle Gutirrez
[4]RESEARCH COMMENTARY: Bridging the Gaps in Perspectives on Equity in Mathematics Education,
by Sarah Theule Lubienski and Rochelle Gutirrez
[5]Unpacking Pedagogical Content Knowledge: Conceptualizing and Measuring Teachers Topic-Specic
Knowledge of Students, by Heather C. Hill, Deborah Loewenberg Ball and Stephen G. Schilling
[6]Joshs Operational Conjectures: Abductions of a Splitting Operation and the Construction of New Frac-
tional Schemes, by Anderson Norton
[7]How Mathematicians Determine if an Argument Is a Valid Proof, by Keith Weber
1.6 July
How much math does a teacher need to know to teach math? (2008-07-01 08:15)
An [1]interesting blog post in the [2]Education Week blogs yesterday raised this question. This takes up the dis-
cussion that has been going since the [3]National Council on Teacher Quality released its [4]report concerning the
(lack of) mathematics preparation of teachers. The post also brings up the forthcoming [5]TEDS-M study, which
will probably add to this discussion.
So, how much should a teacher know? The following quote from the blog post touches this:
It seems obvious that teachers must have knowledge of the subject matter they will actually teach.
But how much more knowledge should a teacher have than what she or he is seeking to assist students
in learning? The case of secondary school mathematics is instructive. Is it enough for a high school
trigonometry teacher to know trigonometry cold but not, say, real analysis, or ordinary differential
equations?
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This issue was exactly the one that was raised in the [6]LMT project (Learning Mathematics for Teaching) at
University of Michigan. This was also the main issue in [7]an article written by [8]Heather Hill, [9]Deborah Ball
and Stephen Schilling in the last issue of [10]Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. (The LMT team has
also written [11]several other scientic articles about the issue.)
1. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/eduwonkette/2008/06/how_much_math_does_a_teacher_n.html
2. http://edweek.org/
3. http://www.nctq.org/
4. http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_ttmath_exec_summ.pdf
5. http://teds.educ.msu.edu/
6. http://sitemaker.umich.edu/lmt/home
8. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/faculty_research/profiles/profile.shtml?vperson_id=79317
9. http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Edball/
11. http://sitemaker.umich.edu/lmt/research
NOMAD, June 2008 (2008-07-01 10:00)
As we are about to shift from June to July, it is time to point your attention to the June issue of [1]NOMAD (Nordic
Studies in Mathematics Education). The issue contains an [2]interesting editorial concerning the development of
the journal, some [3]information from Barbro Grevholm about the Nordic graduate school in mathematics educa-
tion, and three research articles:
[4]Matematikopfattelser hos 2gère: fokus p de 'tre aspekter' by Uffe Thomas Jankvist. Abstract: Based
on the so-called 'three aspects' from the 1987-regulations for the Danish upper secondary mathematics pro-
gramme this article discusses second-year upper secondary students` beliefs about the nature of mathematics.
That is to say, it investigates the students` beliefs concerning the historical evolution of mathematics, the ap-
plication of mathematics in society, and the inner structures of mathematics as a scientic discipline. Firstly,
the article examines the origin of the 'three aspects' as well as the role they play in both the KOM-project of
2002 and the new regulations for the Danish upper secondary mathematics programme of 2007. Secondly,
it discusses how the students in a concrete second-year class of upper secondary level seem to full the
goals of the 'three aspects`. Thirdly, the results of this study are compared to a similar study from 1980
and differences and similarities between the two are discussed. It is concluded that there still is room for
improvement concerning the fullment of the three aspects, and that the students` beliefs in the 1980-study
and in the 2007-study are very similar. In the end, the article speculates upon why the 'three aspects` do
not seem to have had a larger impact on the mathematics teaching on upper secondary level when they have
been in the regulations for twenty years now.
[5]Interrater reliability in a national assessment of oral mathematical communication by Torulf Palm. Ab-
stract: Mathematical communication, oral and written, is generally regarded as an important aspect of math-
ematics and mathematics education. This implies that oral mathematical communication also should play
a part in various kinds of assessments. But oral assessments of subject matter knowledge or communica-
tion abilities, in education and elsewhere, often display reliability problems, which render difculties with
their use. In mathematics education, research about the reliability of oral assessments is comparably un-
common and this lack of research is particularly striking when it comes to the assessment of mathematical
communication abilities. This study analyses the interrater reliability of the assessment of oral mathematical
communication in a Swedish national test for upper secondary level. The results show that the assessment
does suffer from interrater reliability problems. In addition, the difculties to assess this construct reliably
do not seem to mainly come from the communication aspect in itself, but from insufciencies in the model
employed to assess the construct.
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[6]Finnish mathematics teacher students` informal and formal arguing skills in the case of derivative by Antti
Viholainen. Abstract: In this study, formal and informal reasoning skills of 146 Finnish subject-teacher
students in mathematics are investigated. The students participated in a test in which they were asked to
argue two claims concerning derivative both informally and formally. The results show that the success in
the formal tasks and the success in the informal tasks were dependent. However, there were several students
who did well in the formal tasks despite succeeding poorly in the informal tasks. The success both in the
formal tasks and in the informal tasks was dependent also on the amount of passed studies in mathematics
and on the success in these studies. Moreover, these factors could have a stronger effect on the formal than
on the informal reasoning skills.
CERME 6 (2008-07-01 19:52)
The sixth Conference of European Research in Mathematical Education ([1]CERME 6) is going to be held in Lyon
(France) January 28 to February 1, 2009. Researchers who wish to contribute to the conference, can submit a paper
to one of 15 thematic groups. The papers for the different working groups can be submitted (electronically) until
September 15. For more information, view the [2]conference website, or the website of [3]ERME. Registration
online is possible from July 15.
1. http://cerme6.univ-lyon1.fr/
3. http://ermeweb.free.fr/
From lessons to lectures (2008-07-01 20:06)
Alex James, Clemency Montelle and Phillipa Williams have written an article that was recently published online
in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. The article is entitled [2]From
lessons to lectures: NCEA mathematics results and rst-year mathematics performance, and here is the abstract:
Given the recent radical overhaul of secondary school qualications in New Zealand, similar in
style to those in the UK, there has been a distinct change in the tertiary entrant prole. In order to
gain insight into this new situation that university institutions are faced with, we investigate some
of the ways in which these recent changes have impacted upon tertiary level mathematics in New
Zealand. To this end, we analyse the relationship between the nal secondary school qualications in
Mathematics with calculus of incoming students and their results in the core rst-year mathematics
papers at Canterbury since 2005, when students entered the University of Canterbury with these new
reformed school qualications for the rst time. These ndings are used to investigate the suitability
of this new qualication as a preparation for tertiary mathematics and to revise and update entrance
recommendations for students wishing to succeed in their rst-year mathematics study.
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Abstraction and consolidation of the limit procept (2008-07-02 07:52)
Ivy Kidron from [1]Jerusalem College of Technology has written an article that was published online by [2]Ed-
ucational Studies in Mathematics recently. The article is entitled: [3]Abstraction and consolidation of the limit
procept by means of instrumented schemes: the complementary role of three different frameworks. Abstract:
I investigate the contributions of three theoretical frameworks to a research process and the com-
plementary role played by each. First, I describe the essence of each theory and then follow the analy-
sis of their specic inuence on the research process. The research process is on the conceptualization
of the notion of limit by means of the discrete continuous interplay. I investigate the inuence of
the different perspectives on the research process and realize that the different theoretical approaches
intertwine. Moreover, I realize that the research study demanded the contribution of more than one
theoretical approach to the research process and that the differences between the frameworks could
serve as a basis for complementarities.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_College_of_Technology
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=bffd11bdd2c24984b279156c51307a9f&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/76438302241740q8/
Algebra beginners in computer intensive environment (2008-07-02 07:55)
Michael Tabach, Abraham Arcavi and rina Hershkowitz (all from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel) have
written an article called [1]Transitions among different symbolic generalizations by algebra beginners in a com-
puter intensive environment. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Satur-
day. Here is the articles abstract:
The transition from arithmetic to algebra in general, and the use of symbolic generalizations in par-
ticular, are a major challenge for beginning algebra students. In this article, we describe and analyze
students` learning in a 'computer intensive environment designed ad hoc and implemented in two
seventh grade classrooms throughout two consecutive school years. In particular, this article focuses
on the description and analysis of how students initial generalizations (which relied on computerized
tools that enabled different students` to work with different strategies) shifted to recursive and explicit
symbolic generalizations.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n767035u57121201/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=84b7c484892f4d72beb9a792e3809451&pi=0
Integrating history and philosophy (2008-07-03 07:40)
Tinne Hoff Kjeldsen and Morten Blomhj (both Roskilde University, Denmark) have written an article that was
recently published online in [1]ZDM. The article is entitled [2]Integrating history and philosophy in mathematics
education at university level through problem-oriented project work, and here is the abstract:
Through the last three decades several hundred problem-oriented student-directed projects con-
cerning meta-aspects of mathematics and science have been performed in the 2-year interdisciplinary
introductory science programme at Roskilde University. Three selected reports from this cohort of
project reports are used to investigate and present empirical evidence for learning potentials of inte-
grating history and philosophy in mathematics education. The three projects are: (1) a history project
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about the use of mathematics in biology that exhibits different epistemic cultures in mathematics and
biology. (2) An educational project about the difculties of learning mathematics that connects to
the philosophy of mathematics. (3) A history of mathematics project that connects to the sociology
of multiple discoveries. It is analyzed and discussed in what sense students gain rst hand experi-
ences with and learn about meta-aspects of mathematics and their mathematical foundation through
the problem-oriented student-directed project work.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=a16cb0b3b27a49e1999da514b241198e&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k84h965427070070/
Project organised science studies (2008-07-03 07:43)
Morten Blomhj and Tinne Hoff Kjeldsen (Roskilde University, Denmark) also wrote an article called [1]Project
organised science studies at university level: exemplarity and interdisciplinarity, that was published in [2]ZDM.
Here is the abstract of their second article:
The 2-year introductory study programme in the natural sciences (Nat-Bas) at Roskilde Univer-
sity is an example of a project organised, participant directed, problem oriented, and interdisciplinary
science study programme. The paper gives an account of the organisational framework around the
project work, and discusses in particular, the thematic organisation of project work, the notion of ex-
emplarity, the problem orientation, the interdisciplinary nature of the problems, the assessment of the
project work, and the students` individual learning. Based on descriptions and analyses of six selected
project reports from the Nat-Bas in 2005-2007, we illustrate the multiple perspectives of science and
mathematics and the learning potentials found in the project work. The paper is concluded with a
general discussion of the quality of the project work and its educational function in the Nat-Bas pro-
gramme.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b288750621kv8180/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=9c55a642ab7a4b1dad4cbd8ebb58bbc8&pi=0
Dynamic geometry meets variation theory (2008-07-04 07:11)
Allen Leung (The University of Hong Kong) has written an article that was recently published in [1]International
Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning. The article is entitled [2]Dragging in a Dynamic Geometry
Environment Through the Lens of Variation, and Leung draws upon Martons variation theory as a theoretical
framework in the article. Here is the abstract of the article:
What makes Dynamic Geometry Environment (DGE) a powerful mathematical knowledge ac-
quisition microworld is its ability to visually make explicit the implicit dynamism of thinking about
mathematical geometrical concepts. One of DGE`s powers is to equip us with the ability to retain
the background of a geometrical conguration while we can selectively bring to the fore dynamically
those parts of the whole conguration that interest us. That is, we can visually study the variation of
an aspect of a DGE gure while keeping other aspects constant, hence anticipating the emergence of
invariant patterns. The aim of this paper is to expound the epistemic value of variation of the Dragging
tool in DGE in mathematical discovery. Functions of variation (contrast, separation, generalization,
fusion) proposed in Marton`s theory of learning and awareness will be used as a framework to develop
a discernment structure which can act as a lens to organize and interpret dragging explorations in
DGE. Such a lens focuses very strongly on mathematical aspects of dragging in DGE and is used to
1.6. July BlogBook
re-interpret known dragging modalities (e.g., Arzarello et al.) in a potentially more mathematically-
relevant way. The exposition will centre about a specic geometrical problem in which two dragging
trajectories are mapped out, consequently resulting in a DGE theorem and a visual theorem. In doing
so, a new spectral dragging strategy will be introduced that literally allows one to see the drag mode
in action. A model for the lens of variation in the form of a discernment nest structure is proposed as a
meta-tool to interpret dragging experiences or as a meta-language to relate different dragging analyses
which consequently might give rise to pedagogical and epistemological implications.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102910/?p=8a53b8aaf681424a8d437f138e7c2a90&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/mmk6516103kt7w46/
Numerical problems on energy (2008-07-04 07:14)
Nicholas Emepue and Kola Soyibo have written an article that was recently published in [1]International Journal of
Science and Mathematics Education. The article is entitled [2]Correlations Among Five Demographic Variables
and the Performance of Selected Jamaican 11th-graders on Some Numerical Problems on Energy. Here is the
abstract:
This study was designed to assess whether the level of performance of selected Jamaican 11th-
grade physics students on some numerical problems on the energy concept was satisfactory and if
there were signicant differences in their performance linked to their gender, socioeconomic back-
ground (SEB), school location, English language and mathematical abilities. The 331 sampled stu-
dents consisted of 213 boys and 118 girls; 197 students were from a high SEB and 134 students from
a low SEB; 296 students were from seven urban schools and 35 students from three rural schools;
112, 153 and 66 of the students had high, average and low English language abilities, respectively,
while 144, 81 and 106 of the students had high, average and low mathematical abilities, respectively.
An Energy Concept Test (ECT) consisting of six structured numerical questions was employed for
data collection. The results indicated that although the students` level of performance was regarded as
fairly satisfactory, there was a lot of room for improvement. There were statistically signicant dif-
ferences in the students` performance on the ECT linked to SEB, and mathematical abilities in favour
of students from a high SEB, and high mathematical abilities, respectively. There was a positive,
statistically signicant but weak correlation between the students` (a) mathematical abilities, and (b)
English language abilities and their performance on the ECT, while there were no correlations among
their gender, school location, and SEB and their performance on the ECT.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=32d99154f1bb4a3da2463c9b45e15a02&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/p1rp108088661tp7/
New ZDM articles (2008-07-05 09:37)
[1]ZDM has published a number of [2]new online rst articles. Check them out!
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=2eced27cb8c24d01a54b1abeb96324d3&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?Content+Status=Accepted
ICME 11 (2008-07-06 11:00)
The International Congress on Mathematical Education - ICME - is arguably the largest and most important con-
ference/congress in mathematics education research. The congress is arranged every four years, and [1]ICME-11
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is arranged in Monterrey, Mexico (July 6-13). Around 4000 participants are expected from 100 countries!
These are the ofcial goals of ICME-11:
1. To provide a forum for mathematics education professionals from all over the world, where they can ex-
change ideas, information and viewpoints and develop productive dialog with their peers. By M.E. pro-
fessionals we mean to include teachers, teacher assistants, researchers, curriculum designers, textbook and
materials authors, academic administrators, and others whose work and interests are strongly related to
mathematics education.
2. To provide M.E. professionals with opportunities for professional development by presenting their work and
receiving immediate feedback and to establish or strengthen working relationships with their peers.
3. To promote collaboration between educators from different countries, in a wide and inclusive manner, re-
gardless of gender, ethnic origin, religion, political ideology, citizenship, or any other difference between
groups or individuals.
4. To improve the practice and research of mathematics education in all the countries represented at the
congress, inasmuch as we believe that this is an expected outcome of the type of study, learning, dialog,
and collaboration that the work developed prior to and at the congress promotes.
Todays program includes a welcome gathering, and the scientic program starts tomorrow, Monday. The program
is too overwhelming to describe here, but be sure to check the [2]description online! If interested, you might also
consider visiting the [3]Wikipedia page about ICME (feel free to participate in making it better).
If you plan on following the conference online, all plenary activities are [4]broadcasted online.
2. http://icme11.org/activities.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Congress_on_Mathematical_Education
4. http://eventos.uanl.mx/icme/
ICME 11 - Day 1 (2008-07-07 11:14)
The rst plenary lecture of [1]ICME 11 is held by two distinguished scholars in our eld: Michle Artigue and
Jeremy Kilpatrick. Their lecture is entitled: "What do we know? And how do we know it?" Here is the description
of their presentation:
The International Program Committee of ICME-11 proposed that we launch the academic activi-
ties of this congress through a dialogue on issues of crucial interest for mathematics education today,
such as the following: What do we know that we did not know ten years ago in mathematics education,
and how have we come to know it? What kind of evidence is needed and available in mathematics
education? What are societys expectations regarding our eld, and how do we respond to them? How
far can visions of teaching and learning mathematics and evidence in the eld transcend the diversity
of educational contexts and cultures? In the plenary, we will engage in such a dialogue, presenting
our respective views of the dynamics of the eld and its outcomes in the last ten or fteen years, the
main challenges we have to face today, and how we can address them.
This plenary presentation is followed up by a panel debate after lunch. The debate is chaired by David Clarke
(Australia), and the panel consists of: Paul Cobb (USA), Mariolina Bartolini Bussi (Italy), Teresa Rojano (Mexico)
and Shiqi Li (China).
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ICME 11 - Day 2 (2008-07-08 09:00)
The second day of [1]ICME 11 includes several activities, and one plenary lecture. Celia Hoyles (UK) is going to
make a presentation about technology and mathematics education. Her talk is entitled "Transforming the mathe-
matical practices of learners and teachers through digital technology", and here is the online description of it:
My presentation takes inspiration from the work of Seymour Papert, Jim Kaput, Richard Noss and
all the colleagues with whom I have been fortunate enough to collaborate in the area of mathematics
education and technology over many years, in the U.K and beyond.
Drawing on the mass of evidence from research and practice, I will rst set out what I see as the vision
of the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to transform the teaching and
learning of mathematics. I suggest it can offer:
dynamic & visual tools that allow mathematics to be explored in a shared space - changing how
mathematics is learned and taught;
tools that outsource processing power that previously could only be undertaken by humans -
changing the collective focus of attention during mathematics learning;
new representational infrastructures for mathematics - changing what can be learned and for
whom;
connectivity - opening new opportunities for shared knowledge construction and for student
autonomy over their mathematical work;
connections between school mathematics and learners` agendas and culture - bridging the gap
between school mathematics and problem solving 'in the real world`;
some intelligent support to the teacher while learners are engaged in an exploratory environment;
Under each of the six headings, I will present research evidence and examples that illustrate their
transformative potential. I will also identify: rst, the costs and challenges at least partly to explain
why in so many cases, impact has not reached expectations; and, second, actions that can be under-
taken as contingencies against these risks. In this part of the talk, I will draw on some the outcomes of
the recent ICMI Study 17, Technology Revisited that considered these questions from the important
and under-represented vantage point of the situation of developing countries: how technology could
be used for the benet of these countries rather than serve as yet another source of disadvantage.
Taken together, the overriding evidence suggests that in order for ICT to move from the periphery to
centre stage in mathematics teaching and learning and for its potential for transforming mathematical
practice for the benet of all learners to be realised, teachers must be part of the transformative pro-
cess:
i) to do mathematics for themselves with the digital tools (before and alongside thinking about peda-
gogy and embedding in practice) thus allowing teachers, regardless of experience, the time and space
to take on the role of learner,
ii) to co-design activity sequences that embed the ICT tools and make explicit appropriate didactic
strategies,
iii) to try out iteratively in classrooms as a collective effort and debug together.
This design process is challenging, not least because at every phase the dialectical inuence of tools
on mathematical expression and communication must be taken into account.
A further challenge facing innovations using ICT is scaling up, since, all too often, design experiments
while reporting positive results wither away soon after any funding ends. One way we are working
in England to break this cycle is through the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Math-
ematics. The National Centre was set up in England in 2006 (see www.ncetm.org.uk, and I have
been its director since June 2007. Its major aim is to develop a sustainable national infrastructure for
subject-specic professional development of teachers of mathematics that will enable the mathemat-
ical potential of learners to be fully realised. The NCETM offers a blend of approaches to effective
Continuing Professional development (CPD): national and regional face-to-face meetings, and tools
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and resources on its portal designed to promote and sustain collaborative CPD among teachers of
mathematics (for example through on-line communities). These networks and communities include
the use of ICT in classrooms.
A major challenge faced by the NCETM is to reach out to all teachers of mathematics across all the
phases of education in ways that develop ownership of NCETM`s CPD offer and, in particular, own-
ership of and uency with the tools available on the portal. If this ownership is achieved, the tools
will grow with use, as teachers contribute to the content and to the on-line communities and in so
doing support each other in transforming their practice. It is my contention that it is only through this
process of mutual support that the potential of ICT will be realised - not only the potential already on
offer, but also through new technological innovations such as personal and mobile technology, and all
that will become available in the future.
ICME 11 - Day 3 (2008-07-09 10:00)
The day before excursion day at [1]ICME 11 contains two plenary activities: a plenary lecture and a panel debate.
The plenary lecture is held by Jos Antonio de la Pea (Mexico), who will talk about current trends in mathematics.
The panel debate is entitled "History of the development of mathematics education in Latin American countries",
and is lead by Fidel Oteiza (Chile). Members of the panel are: Eugenio Filloy (Mexico), Ubiratan DAmbrosio
(Brazil), Luis Campistrous (Cuba) and Carlos Vasco (Colombia).
ICME 11 - Day 5 (2008-07-11 11:30)
The 5th day of [1]ICME 11 starts with a panel debate. The topic being discussed is "Equal access to quality math-
ematics education". Here is the further description of the topic:
All students, regardless of age, race, ethnic group, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, geo-
graphic location, language, disability, or prior mathematics achievement, deserve equitable access to
challenging and meaningful mathematics learning and achievement. This concept has profound im-
plications for teaching and learning mathematics throughout the educational community. It suggests
that ensuring equity and excellence must be at the core of systemic reform efforts in mathematics
education.
A necessary component for quality mathematics education is that all students receive an education that
takes into account each student`s background, including prior learning, characteristics, and abilities in
a way that maximizes his/her learning and does not diminish in any way the goals s/he is expected to
achieve. This pertains to both high-achieving and low-achieving students.
The panel debate is lead by Bill Atweh (Australia), and the other members are: Olimpia Figueras (Mexico), Murad
Jurdak (Lebanon) and Catherine Vistro-Yu (The Philippines).
In the afternoon, there is a plenary lecture which is held by two speakers: Toshiakira Fujii (Japan) and Ruhama
Even (Israel). Their topic is: "Knowledge for teaching mathematics". Here is a short abstract:
Recent presentations at PME and elsewhere suggest that knowledge of mathematics teaching has
been the focus of much activity in a variety of countries. The title was considered broad enough
to allow the presenters to refer to current research into pedagogical content knowledge as well as
to content knowledge. This also led us to consider two presenters who could ensure an extensive
viewpoint.
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ICME 11 - Day 6 (2008-07-12 11:35)
The penultimate day of [1]ICME 11 starts with a plenary presentation. This presentation includes a report from
Survey Team 3: "The impact of research ndings in mathematics education on students learning of mathematics".
The presentation is held by Angel Gutirrez (Spain).
ICME 11 - Day 7 (2008-07-13 11:39)
The last day of ICME 11 includes one plenary lecture and the nal [1]regular lectures. The plenary lecture, a report
of [2]Survey Team 4: "Representations of mathematical concepts, objects and processes in mathematics teaching
and learning" is held by Gerald Goldin (USA).
If you know of anyone who has written about ICME 11 in their blogs, twitter accounts, etc., please let me know
by posting a comment to this post!
1. http://icme11.org/approved/rl
2. http://icme11.org/node/1517
HPM 2008 (2008-07-14 11:57)
International Study Group on the Relations between History and Pedagogy of Mathematics ([1]HPM) is arranging
their[2] annual satellite meeting of 2008 in Mexico, and it starts the day after [3]ICME 11 has nished. The meet-
ing is held from July 14-18, in Mexico City.
These are the main themes of HPM 2008:
1. Integrating the History of Mathematics in Mathematics Education.
2. Topics in the History of Mathematics Education.
3. Mathematics and its relation to science, technology and the arts: historical issues and educational implica-
tions.
4. Cultures and Mathematics.
5. Historical, philosophical and epistemological issues in Mathematics Education.
6. Mathematics from the Americas
Take a look at the [4]program for further information!
1. http://www.clab.edc.uoc.gr/HPM/about%20HPM.htm
2. http://www.red-cimates.org.mx/hpm_english.htm
4. http://www.red-cimates.org.mx/hpm_activities.htm
PME 32 (2008-07-17 11:45)
The [1]PME conference this year is the 32. version of this annual research conference, and it is a joint meeting
between the [2]International Group and the [3]North American Chapter of PME. The conference is held in Mexico.
It starts today, and will nish on July 21. The program is [4]downloadable as a pdf, and is voluminous. Take a
look at the website, which contains lots of information, and feel free to tell me if you know about people who write
about the conference in their blogs, twitter accounts, etc.
1. http://www.pme32-na30.org.mx/annou.htm
2. http://igpme.org/
3. http://www.pmena.org/
4. http://www.pme32-na30.org.mx/program.pdf
BlogBook 1.6. July
Real-life connections in Japan and the Netherlands (2008-07-17 20:54)
One of my own articles have nally appeared in [1]International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning.
The article is entitled "[2]Real-life Connections in Japan and the Netherlands: National Teaching Patterns and
Cultural Beliefs". The article is freely available online, and here is the abstract:
The TIMSS 1999 Video Study revealed that Japan had the lowest (of the seven participating coun-
tries) amount of real-life connections in the eighth grade mathematics classrooms, whereas the Nether-
lands had the highest amount of connections with real life. This article examines more closely how
these ideas were actually implemented by teachers in these two countries.
2. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/mosvold.pdf
Norwegian thesis: Tone Bulien (2008-07-18 11:13)
Tone Bulien has defended her thesis (dr. polit): [1]Matematikkopplevelser i lrerutdanningen : en fenomenolo-
gisk orientert narrativ analyse av studenttekster (in Norwegian). The thesis is freely available as a pdf, and here is
the abstract:
The thesis is a study of texts from and interviews with six Norwegian teacher students enrolled in
a compulsory course in mathematics. It is a critical constructive descriptive investigation where the
aim has been to listen to the students sharing their experiences studying mathematics. The thesis is
not intended as an evaluation of the teacher education program, the students` work or methodology,
but rather as a contribution towards dening the didactic challenges teacher training is faced with.
The thesis proceeds from a phenomenological perspective, using narratives as an important feature
in both the analysis itself and the presentation of the results. Using phenomenologically oriented
knowledge sociology and theories of narrative analysis, a description of the students` perceptions
of teaching and learning mathematics, both prior to and in the course of the compulsory course, is
made visible through narratives. The methodology employed is narrative analysis. The students`
experiences are divided into four main areas of beliefs: beliefs about mathematics in general, beliefs
about themselves as practitioners of mathematics, beliefs about teaching mathematics, and beliefs
about how mathematics are learnt. One of the results indicated that the students` experience of the
compulsory course in mathematics did not depend on their previously held beliefs on mathematics
education or their attitudes towards mathematics in general. Another result was that about 50 % of
all the students had higher expectations about their grade at the beginning of the semester than what
they actually ended up with at the end. The reason for this remains to be conclusively demonstrated,
but it seems likely that the way mathematics is taught in a teacher training program differs from the
students` previous experiences in how to learn mathematics. This should be taken into consideration
in prospective mathematics programs, for instance by supervising the students about their own beliefs
in a meta-perspective by analyzing their own narratives and how they are subject to alterations during
the course.
1. http://www.ub.uit.no/munin/handle/10037/1419
Limits of a sequence (2008-07-26 20:23)
Kyeong Hah Roh has written an article that was recently published online in [1]Educational Studies in Mathemat-
ics. The article is entitled [2]Students` images and their understanding of denitions of the limit of a sequence, and
1.6. July BlogBook
There are many studies on the role of images in understanding the concept of limit. However,
relatively few studies have been conducted on how students` understanding of the rigorous denition
of limit is inuenced by the images of limit that the students have constructed through their previous
learning. This study explored how calculus students` images of the limit of a sequence inuence their
understanding of denitions of the limit of a sequence. In a series of task-based interviews, students
evaluated the propriety of statements describing the convergence of sequences through a specially
designed hands-on activity, called the [strip activity. This paper illustrates how these students`
understanding of denitions of the limit of a sequence was inuenced by their images of limits as
asymptotes, cluster points, or true limit points. The implications of this study for teaching and learn-
ing the concept of limit, as well as on research in mathematics education, are also discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=d011b6f5ccf44b0caf48868a5b6cd0dd&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/r08p62229u377k24/
How to stay up to date during the summer holidays (2008-07-26 20:26)
In Norway, we are now in the middle of our summer holidays, and I too have some lazy days with my family.
Because of this, I dont have the opportunity to keep this blog as frequently updated as I normally do. If you want
to keep more up to date the last week of my holidays, you should check out [1]this automatically updated site of
all the journals I follow!
1. https://www.google.com/reader/shared/user/07716708065977899712/label/faglig
TMME monograph (2008-07-26 20:39)
[1]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast and editor Bharath Sriraman has released a new monograph. This time it
is about [2]Creativity, Giftedness, and Talent Development in Mathematics. Here is a copy of the web presentation
of the monograph:
Our innovative spirit and creativity lies beneath the comforts and security of todays technolog-
ically evolved society. Scientists, inventors, investors, artists and leaders play a vital role in the ad-
vancement and transmission of knowledge. Mathematics, in particular, plays a central role in nu-
merous professions and has historically served as the gatekeeper to numerous other areas of study,
particularly the hard sciences, engineering and business. Mathematics is also a major component in
standardized tests in the U.S., and in university entrance exams in numerous parts of world.
Creativity and imagination is often evident when young children begin to develop numeric and spatial
concepts, and explore mathematical tasks that capture their interest. Creativity is also an essential
ingredient in the work of professional mathematicians. Yet, the bulk of mathematical thinking en-
couraged in the institutionalized setting of schools is focused on rote learning, memorization, and the
mastery of numerous skills to solve specic problems prescribed by the curricula or aimed at stan-
dardized testing. Given the lack of research based perspectives on talent development in mathematics
education, this monograph is specically focused on contributions towards the constructs of creativity
and giftedness in mathematics. This monograph presents new perspectives for talent development in
the mathematics classroom and gives insights into the psychology of creativity and giftedness. The
book is aimed at classroom teachers, coordinators of gifted programs, math contest coaches, graduate
students and researchers interested in creativity, giftedness, and talent development in mathematics.
2. http://www.infoagepub.com/products/content/p480e823eb49ec.php
BlogBook 1.7. August
IEJME, July 2008 (2008-07-26 20:45)
[1]International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education has released Issue 2 of this year. The issue contains
three research articles:
1. [2]Critical Mathematics Education: Recognizing the Ethical Dimension of Problem Solving, by Elizabeth
de Freitas, USA
2. [3]Mathematics Teachers` Interpretation of Higher-Order Thinking in Bloom`s Taxonomy, by Tony Thomp-
son, USA
3. [4]Development of a Computerized Number Sense Scale for 3-rd Graders: Reliability and Validity Analysis,
by Der-Ching Yang, Mao-neng Fred Li and Wei-Jin Li, Taiwan
1.7 August
Mathematical paradoxes (2008-08-04 07:20)
Bharath Sriraman, editor of [1]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast, has written an article that was published in
[2]ZDM last week. The article is entitled [3]Mathematical paradoxes as pathways into beliefs and polymathy: an
experimental inquiry. Here is the abstract of the article:
This paper addresses the role of mathematical paradoxes in fostering polymathy among pre-service
elementary teachers. The results of a 3-year study with 120 students are reported with implica-
tions for mathematics pre-service education as well as interdisciplinary education. A hermeneutic-
phenomenological approach is used to recreate the emotions, voices and struggles of students as they
tried to unravel Russell`s paradox presented in its linguistic form. Based on the gathered evidence
some arguments are made for the benets and dangers in the use of paradoxes in mathematics pre-
service education to foster polymathy, change beliefs, discover structures and open new avenues for
interdisciplinary pedagogy.
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=895e7a069d544609953679f887faa13a&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b25r45k2421v3061/
Exemplifying denitions (2008-08-04 07:23)
Rina Zazkis and Roza Leikin have written an article that was published online in [1]Educational Studies in Math-
ematics last week. The article is entitled [2]Exemplifying denitions: a case of a square, and here is the abstract:
In this study we utilize the notion of learner-generated examples, suggesting that examples gen-
erated by students mirror their understanding of particular mathematical concepts. In particular, we
explore examples generated by a group of prospective secondary school teachers for a denition of a
1.7. August BlogBook
square. Our framework for analysis includes the categories of accessibility and correctness, richness,
and generality. Results shed light on participants` understanding of what a mathematical denition
should entail and, moreover, contrast their pedagogical preferences with mathematical considerations.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=3173865872f747c4b249659959d5265b&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/p74j3nn8g7j53037/
Equity in mathematics education (2008-08-04 07:26)
Laura Jacobsen Spielman, Radford University, has written an article called [1]Equity in mathematics education:
unions and intersections of feminist and social justice literature. The article was published online in [2]ZDM last
week, and it takes up the discussion concerning gender equity. As a theoretical background, the author integrates
theoretical perspectives from feminist and social justice literature. Here is the abstract of the article:
Traditional models of gender equity incorporating decit frameworks and creating norms based
on male experiences have been challenged by models emphasizing the social construction of gender
and positing that women may come to know things in different ways from men. This paper draws
on the latter form of feminist theory while treating gender equity in mathematics as intimately in-
terconnected with equity issues by social class and ethnicity. I integrate feminist and social justice
literature in mathematics education and argue that to secure a transformative, sustainable impact on
equity, we must treat mathematics as an integral component of a larger system producing educated
citizens. I argue the need for a mathematics education with tri-fold support for mathematical literacy,
critical literacy, and community literacy. Respectively, emphases are on mathematics, social critique,
and community relations and actions. Currently, the integration of these three literacies is extremely
limited in mathematics.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y2581831112645w5/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=b708ee45ec5d49d3bf5fd78076173223&pi=0
ESM, September 2008 (2008-08-04 07:32)
The [1]September issue of [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics is available. The issue contains ve interesting
articles:
[3]School mathematics and its everyday other? Revisiting Lave`s 'Cognition in Practice`, by Christian Greif-
fenhagen and Wes Sharrock
[4]Beyond 'blaming the victim` and 'standing in awe of noble savages`: a response to 'Revisiting Lave`s
'cognition in practice`, by David W. Carraher
[5]The problem of the particular and its relation to the general in mathematics education, by Vicen Font
and ngel Contreras
[6]Transitions among different symbolic generalizations by algebra beginners in a computer intensive envi-
ronment, by Michal Tabach, Abraham Arcavi and Rina Hershkowitz
[7]Centenary birth anniversary of E. W. Beth (19081964), by Giorgio T. Bagni
1. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/k221146122w0/?p=9254009072f2499f8e0869e39c22b3d6&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=4f92b4438f6e4a85af31164939bf6e09&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/3v443ul5j3405860/?p=
6208c26bf42149448bb2b0ed45f9d3d5&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c502u2m725814056/?p=
6208c26bf42149448bb2b0ed45f9d3d5&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u8441071121170p1/?p=
6208c26bf42149448bb2b0ed45f9d3d5&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n767035u57121201/?p=
6208c26bf42149448bb2b0ed45f9d3d5&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x1162354t884p270/?p=
6208c26bf42149448bb2b0ed45f9d3d5&pi=4
ZDM, August 2008 (2008-08-04 07:40)
The [1]August issue of [2]ZDM is available, and it has a special focus on "Didactical and Epistemological Per-
spectives on Mathematical Proof". This issue contains 14 articles:
1. [3]Introduction to the special issue on didactical and epistemological perspectives on mathematical proof,
by Maria Alessandra Mariotti and Nicolas Balacheff
2. [4]Proofs as bearers of mathematical knowledge, by Gila Hanna and Ed Barbeau
3. [5]Proof as a practice of mathematical pursuit in a cultural, socio-political and intellectual context, Man-
Keung Siu
4. [6]Theorems that admit exceptions, including a remark on Toulmin, by Hans Niels Jahnke
5. [7]Truth versus validity in mathematical proof, by Viviane Durand-Guerrier
6. [8]Argumentation and algebraic proof, by Bettina Pedemonte
7. [9]Indirect proof: what is specic to this way of proving?, by Samuele Antonini and Maria Alessandra
Mariotti
8. [10]Students` encounter with proof: the condition of transparency, by Kirsti Hemmi
9. [11]A method for revealing structures of argumentations in classroom proving processes, by Christine Knip-
ping
10. [12]Strategies to foster students` competencies in constructing multi-steps geometric proofs: teaching ex-
periments in Taiwan and Germany, by Aiso Heinze, Ying-Hao Cheng, Stefan Ufer, Fou-Lai Lin and Kristina
Reiss
11. [13]Reasoning and proof in geometry: effects of a learning environment based on heuristic worked-out
examples, by Kristina Maria Reiss, Aiso Heinze, Alexander Renkl and Christian Gro
12. [14]When, how, and why prove theorems? Amethodology for studying the perspective of geometry teachers,
by Patricio Herbst and Takeshi Miyakawa
13. [15]DNR perspective on mathematics curriculum and instruction, Part I: focus on proving, by Guershon
Harel
14. [16]The role of the researcher`s epistemology in mathematics education: an essay on the case of proof, by
Nicolas Balacheff
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/u70q747h0857/?p=e69c5368ddab489ba4940c1461909575&pi=0
3. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/u7301545611404vg/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=0
4. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/l811525732721706/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=1
5. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/0617128626848j20/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=2
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/6w3013k817h63067/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=3
7. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/b6xm110wn918g338/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=4
8. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/f44t829343745575/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=5
9. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/mn70j2r6m4865k50/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=6
10. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/2527r1k346329401/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=7
11. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/gw5355938644vh42/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=8
12. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/4776x71346723546/?p=a0bbb5ee9b2449cb83a7a36c5ec2cddb&pi=9
13. http://www.springerlink.com/content/d6j6t657n35134g0/?p=bc10a335693d4f568786f58743278570&pi=
10
14. http://www.springerlink.com/content/wu329522420726h1/?p=bc10a335693d4f568786f58743278570&pi=
11
15. http://www.springerlink.com/content/m86052p76152k7n4/?p=bc10a335693d4f568786f58743278570&pi=
12
16. http://www.springerlink.com/content/wp741844wn683g88/?p=bc10a335693d4f568786f58743278570&pi=
13
New IJMEST articles (2008-08-05 07:03)
Three new articles have been published by [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and
Technology:
[2]A note on variance components model, by Anant M. Kshirsagar and R. Radhakrishnan
[3]An elementary proof of a converse mean-value theorem, by Ricardo Almeida
[4]Bionomic exploitation of a ratio-dependent predator-prey system, by Alakes Maiti, Bibek Patra and G.P.
Samanta
IJSME, September 2008 (2008-08-06 08:38)
[1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education has already published the [2]September issue. This
issue contains the following 8 articles:
1. [3]Effects of advance organiser strategy during instruction on secondary school students` mathematics
achievement in Kenya`s Nakuru district, by Bernard N. Githua and Rachel Angela Nyabwa.
2. [4]Examining Reective Thinking: A Study of Changes in Methods Students` Conceptions and Understand-
ings of Inquiry Teaching, by Jing-Ru Wang and Sheau-Wen Lin
3. [5]Following Young Students` Understanding of Three Phenomena in which Transformations of Matter Oc-
cur, by Lena Lfgren and Gustav Helldn
4. [6]Secondary School Students` Construction and Use of Mathematical Models in Solving Word Problems,
by Salvador Llinares and Ana Isabel Roig
5. [7]Cognitive Incoherence of Students Regarding the Establishment of Universality of Propositions through
Experimentation/Measurement, by Mikio Miyazaki
6. [8]Differentials in Mathematics Achievement among Eighth-Grade Students in Malaysia, by Noor Azina
Ismail and Halimah Awang
7. [9]Thai Grade 10 and 11 Students Understanding of Stoichiometry and Related Concepts, by Chanyah
Dahsah and Richard Kevin Coll
8. [10]The Inquiry Laboratory as a Source for Development of Metacognitive Skills, by Mira Kipnis and Avi
Hofstein
It might be dangerous to pick only a few articles for further comment, as all these articles raise interesting issues,
but I will still make a few comments about some of them.
The article by Llinares and Roig has a focus on students problem solving, with a particular focus on word prob-
lems. Connections are made with research on mathematical modelling (e.g. the research of Danish colleague and
editor of NOMAD, Morten Blomhj), and the article gives a nice overview of research concerning problem solving
and mathematical modelling. The study that is reported in the article is a survey/test where students were faced
with ve questions/problems. Llinares and Roig discuss the problem-solving strategies that were used to solve the
three word problems in this test.
The article by Githua and Nyabwa provides insight into mathematics teaching in Kenya, and the article builds
heavily on [11]Ausubels theory of [12]advance organisers. The objectives of the reported study were to inves-
tigate whether or not there were statistical signicant differences in mathematics achievement between students
who had been taught using advance organisers or not, and they also wanted to investigate whether gender affected
achievement when advance organisers were used.
Another interesting article was the one by Ismail and Awang, which provides more insight into factors that inu-
enced the achievement of Malaysian students in the TIMSS 1999 student assessment.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=c0257dfc7311428897cfea98ed6939d3&pi=0
2. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/p5642572287j/?p=1045523566a648fd9eb42679c53b9ed0&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/337474762640r124/?p=
95f7e92210b7451b9b463f06358c52ee&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j0868x67t216n24k/?p=
95f7e92210b7451b9b463f06358c52ee&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/642135m0688225p5/?p=
95f7e92210b7451b9b463f06358c52ee&pi=2
95f7e92210b7451b9b463f06358c52ee&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y5v212456r344117/?p=
95f7e92210b7451b9b463f06358c52ee&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/087930541h73u111/?p=
95f7e92210b7451b9b463f06358c52ee&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/35281870u068w20k/?p=
95f7e92210b7451b9b463f06358c52ee&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l707572213313k11/?p=
95f7e92210b7451b9b463f06358c52ee&pi=7
11. http://www.davidausubel.org/
12. http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Advance_organizers
Construction of mathematical meaning of motion graphs (2008-08-07 07:16)
Gallit Botzer and Michael Yerushalmy have written an article that was recently published in [1]International Jour-
nal of Computers for Mathematical Learning. The article is entitled [2]Embodied Semiotic Activities and Their
Role in the Construction of Mathematical Meaning of Motion Graphs. Here is the abstract:
This paper examines the relation between bodily actions, artifact-mediated activities, and semiotic
processes that students experience while producing and interpreting graphs of two-dimensional mo-
tion in the plane. We designed a technology-based setting that enabled students to engage in embodied
semiotic activities and experience two modes of interaction: 2D freehand motion and 2D synthesized
motion, designed by the composition of single variable function graphs. Our theoretical framework
combines two perspectives: the embodied approach to the nature of mathematical thinking and the
Vygotskian notion of semiotic mediation. The article describes in detail the actions, gestures, graph
drawings, and verbal discourse of one pair of high school students and analyzes the social semiotic
processes they experienced. Our analysis shows how the computerized artifacts and the students` ges-
tures served as means of semiotic mediation. Specically, they supported the interpretation and the
production of motion graphs; they mediated the transition between an individual`s meaning of math-
ematical signs and culturally accepted mathematical meaning; and they enable linking bodily actions
with formal signs.
The article gives a nice introduction to the theoretical foundations concerning the connections between bodily
movement and semiotics. The study being described in the article was a learning experiment, and the use of il-
lustrative photos and gures in the article makes it easy to understand the discussion of the different motions and
pointing gestures that were used.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102910/?p=e372e85825d64413979a3d38c4899647&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k1345065t753l518/
A mathematicians lament (2008-08-07 07:48)
[1]This article was written by Paul Lockhart and published by [2]MAA. I quote part of their introduction to the
article:
This months column is devoted to an article called A Mathematicians Lament, written by Paul
Lockhart in 2002. Paul is a mathematics teacher at Saint Anns School in Brooklyn, New York. His
article has been circulating through parts of the mathematics and math ed communities ever since, but
he never published it. I came across it by accident a few months ago, and decided at once I wanted
to give it wider exposure. I contacted Paul, and he agreed to have me publish his "lament" on MAA
Online. It is, quite frankly, one of the best critiques of current K-12 mathematics education I have
ever seen. Written by a rst-class research mathematician who elected to devote his teaching career
to K-!2 education.
1. http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_03_08.html
2. http://www.maa.org/
Supporting mathematical literacy (2008-08-08 07:10)
Thilo Hfer and Astrid Beckmann have written an article that was recently published in [1]ZDM. The article is
entitled [2]Supporting mathematical literacy: examples from a cross-curricular project. Here is the abstract:
Mathematical literacy implies the capacity to apply mathematical knowledge to various and
context-related problems in a functional, exible and practical way. Improving mathematical liter-
acy requires a learning environment that stimulates students cognitively as well as allowing them to
collect practical experiences through connections with the real world. In order to achieve this, students
should be confronted with many different facets of reality. They should be given the opportunity to
participate in carrying out experiments, to be exposed to verbal argumentative discussions and to be
involved in model-building activities.
This leads to the idea of integrating science into maths education. Two sequences of lessons were de-
veloped and tried out at the University of Education Schwbisch Gmnd integrating scientic topics
and methods into maths lessons at German secondary schools. The results show that the scientic
activities and their connection with reality led to well-based discussions. The connection between the
phenomenon and the model remained remarkably close during the entire series of lessons. At present
the sequences of lessons are integrated in the European ScienceMath project, a joint project between
universities and schools in Denmark, Finland, Slovenia and Germany (see [3]www.sciencemath.ph-
gmuend.de).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=c1980cae531044b38f7b530670a18e34&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a168n1124m271pw1/
3. http://www.sciencemath.ph-gmuend.de/
Stepping beyond high school mathematics (2008-08-08 07:13)
Charlene Morrow and Inga Schowengerdt have written an article in [1]ZDM where they report on a case-study
of high school women. The article is entitled [2]Stepping beyond high school mathematics: a case study of high
school women, and here is a copy of the abstract:
The Summer Explorations and Research Collaborations for High School Girls (SEARCH) Pro-
gram, held annually since 2004 at Mount Holyoke College in the US, was created for talented high
school girls to explore mathematics beyond that taught in high school. Our study, which focuses on
factors that facilitate or inhibit the pursuit of higher level mathematics by girls, is centered on the 2006
SEARCH Program. We present a combination of qualitative and quantitative data drawn from student
journals written during SEARCH, program evaluations written at the end of SEARCH, post-program
interviews, and comparisons with two peer group samples. From this data we point to important fac-
tors, such as developing a mathematical voice, gaining a broader view of advanced mathematics, being
challenged in a supportive atmosphere, and having a positive stance toward risk-taking, that may help
to maintain the interest of talented girls in advanced mathematical studies.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=bf77a5cc02744faf9d1398a3996a73df&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/22k24236701un010/
Semiotics and subjectivity (2008-08-08 07:16)
A new article has appeared in Educational Studies in Mathematics with the long and interesting title: [1]On semi-
otics and subjectivity: a response to Tony Brown`s 'signifying 'students`, 'teachers`, and 'mathematics`: a reading
of a special issue. The article is written by two celebrated researchers within the eld of mathematics education
research: Norma Presmeg and Luis Radford. Here is the abstract of their article:
In this response we address some of the signicant issues that Tony Brown raised in his analysis
and critique of the Special Issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics on 'Semiotic perspectives
in mathematics education (Senz-Ludlow & Presmeg, Educational Studies in Mathematics 61(12),
2006). Among these issues are conceptualizations of subjectivity and the notion that particular read-
ings of Peircean and Vygotskian semiotics may limit the ways that authors dene key actors or ele-
ments in mathematics education, namely students, teachers and the nature of mathematics. To deepen
the conversation, we comment on Brown`s approach and explore the theoretical apparatus of Jacques
Lacan that informs Brown`s discourse. We show some of the intrinsic limitations of the Lacanian idea
of subjectivity that permeates Brown`s insightful analysis and conclude with a suggestion about some
possible lines of research in mathematics education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/81747812kh107356/
MTL, new issue (2008-08-09 11:39)
A new issue of Mathematical Thinking and Learning has been published:
> Mathematical Thinking and Learning: Volume 10 Issue 3 ([1]http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?gen-
re=issue &issn=1098-6065 &volume=10 &issue=3 &uno _jumptype=alert &uno _alerttype=new _issue
_alert,email
> ) is now available online at informaworld (http://
> [2]www.informaworld.com).
>
> This new issue contains the following articles:
>
> Turnaround Students in High School Mathematics: Constructing
> Identities of Competence Through Mathematical Worlds, Pages 201 - 239
> Author: Ilana Seidel Horn
> DOI: 10.1080/10986060802216177
> Link: [3]http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article &issn=1098-6065 &volume=10 &issue=3
&spage=201 &uno _jumptype=alert &uno _alerttype=new _issue _alert,email
>
> Toddlers Spontaneous Attention to Number, Pages 240 - 270
> Authors: Arthur J. Baroody; Xia Li; Meng-lung Lai
> DOI: 10.1080/10986060802216151
>
> The Interplay Between Gesture and Discourse as Mediating Devices in
> Collaborative Mathematical Reasoning:A Multimodal Approach, Pages
> 271 - 292
> Authors: Raymond Bjuland; Maria Luiza Cestari; Hans Erik Borgersen
> DOI: 10.1080/10986060802216169
>
> A Modeling Perspective on the Teaching and Learning of Mathematical
> Problem Solving, Pages 293 - 304
> Authors: Nicholas G. Mousoulides; Constantinos Christou; Bharath
> Sriraman
> DOI: 10.1080/10986060802218132
>
> A Critique on the Role of Social Justice Perspectives in Mathematics > Education, Pages 305 - 312
> Author: Bettina Dahl
> DOI: 10.1080/10986060802216185
#ens
1. http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=issue&issn=1098-6065&volume=10&issue=3&uno_
jumptype=alert&uno_alerttype=new_issue_alert,email
2. http://www.informaworld.com/
3. http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=1098-6065&volume=10&issue=3&spage=
201&uno_jumptype=alert&uno_alerttype=new_issue_alert,email
305&uno_jumptype=alert&uno_alerttype=new_issue_alert,email#ens
RME, September 2008 (2008-08-11 12:21)
[1]Research in Mathematics Education has released its [2]September issue (Volume 10, Issue 2), and the issue
includes a number of interesting articles. Here are the headlines:
[3]How persuaded are you? A typology of responsesAuthors: Matthew Inglis; Juan Pablo Mejia-Ramos
[4]To be or to become: how dynamic geometry changes discourseAuthors: Nathalie Sinclair; Violeta Yurita
[5]A diagrammatic view of the equals sign: arithmetical equivalence as a means, not an endAuthor: Ian
Jones
[6]Paradoxes as a window to innityAuthors: Ami Mamolo; Rina Zazkis
[7]The effect of graphic calculators on Negev Arab pupils learning of the concept of families of func-
tionsAuthor:Muhammad Abu-Naja
[8]The mathematical competence of adults returning to learning on a university foundation programme: a
selective comparison of performance with the CSMS studyAuthor: Mary Dodd[9]
[10]Mathematics and dyslexics: classroommanagement skills and childrens response to noiseAuthor: Mari
Palmer
[11]A synthesis of existing frameworks used to analyse mathematics curriculaAuthor: Nusrat Fatima Rizvi
[12]Beginning elementary teachers use of representations in mathematics teachingAuthor: Fay Turner
[13]Observing students use of images through their gestures and gazesAuthor: Tracy Wylie
Construction of moral discourses (2008-08-11 12:26)
Jae Hoon Lim has written an article called [1]Adolescent girls` construction of moral discourses and appropriation
of primary identity in a mathematics classroom, which was recently published in [2]ZDM. Here is the abstract of
the article:
This qualitative study examines the way three American young adolescent girls who come from
different class and racial backgrounds construct their social and academic identities in the context of
their traditional mathematics classroom. The overall analysis shows an interesting dynamic among
each participant`s class and racial background, their social/academic identity and its collective foun-
dation, the types of ideologies they repudiate and subscribe to, the implicit and explicit strategies they
adopt in order to support the legitimacy of their own position, and the ways they manifest their posi-
tion and identity in their use of language referring to their mathematics classroom. Detailed analysis
of their use of particular terms, such as 'I, 'we, 'they, and 'should/shouldn`t elucidates that each
participant has a unique view of her mathematics classroom, developing a different type of collective
identity associated with a particular group of students. Most importantly, this study reveals that the
girls actively construct a social and ideological web that helps them articulate their ethical and moral
standpoint to support their positions. Throughout the complicated appropriation process of their own
identity and ideological standpoint, the three girls made different choices of actions in mathematics
learning, which in turn led them to a different math track the following year largely constraining their
possibility of access to higher level mathematical knowledge in the subsequent schooling process.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/pl71327410457783/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=ed953c3a9b8f4b2a81110a0296ea678e&pi=0
Gestures and conceptual integration (2008-08-12 07:16)
Laurie D. Edwards has written an article that was recently published in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics.
The article is entitled [2]Gestures and conceptual integration in mathematical talk. Here is the abstract:
Spontaneous gesture produced in conjunction with speech is considered as both a source of data
about mathematical thinking, and as an integral modality in communication and cognition. The anal-
ysis draws on a corpus of more than 200 gestures collected during 3 h of interviews with prospective
elementary school teachers on the topic of fractions. The analysis examines how gestures express
meaning, utilizing the framework of cognitive linguistics to argue that gestures are both composed of,
and provide inputs to, conceptual blends for mathematical ideas, and a standard typology drawn from
gesture studies is extended to address the function of gestures within mathematics more appropriately.
A key idea in the article is that mathematics is seen as "an embodied, socially constructed human product", and
gestures therefore might provide a relevant contribution to the mathematical thinking and communication. Ed-
wards provides a nice explanation for the role of research on gestures:
(...) gesture constitutes a particular modality of embodied cognition, and, along with oral speech,
written inscriptions, drawings and graphing, it can serve as a window on how learners think and talk
about mathematics.
The article provides a good overview of the theoretical framework for this area of research, and the study itself
is also interesting. The participants (all women) were twelve volunteers from a course for prospective elementary
school teachers, and the course was taught by Edwards herself. The participants were interviewed in pair, and the
interview sessions were videotaped. The gestures that were caught on videotape were classied by [3]McNeills
scheme.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=ee77f15e7bae464082bc581f29e26dd7&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/9144685573627741/
3. http://mcneilllab.uchicago.edu/
Exploring gender factors (2008-08-14 07:21)
Olof Bjort Steinthorsdottir and Bharath Sriraman have written an article that was published in [1]ZDM recently.
The article is entitled: [2]Exploring gender factors related to PISA 2003 results in Iceland: a youth interview study.
Here is the abstract of the article:
Students` mathematical achievement in Iceland, as reported in PISA 2003, showed signicant and
(by comparison) unusual gender differences in mathematics: Iceland was the only country in which
the mathematics gender gap favored girls. When data were broken down and analyzed, the Icelandic
gender gap appeared statistically signicant only in the rural areas of Iceland, suggesting a question
about differences in rural and urban educational communities. In the 2007 qualitative research study
reported in this paper, the authors interviewed 19 students from rural and urban Iceland who partic-
ipated in PISA 2003 in order to investigate these differences and to identify factors that contributed
to gender differences in mathematics learning. Students were asked to talk about their mathematical
experiences, their thoughts about the PISA results, and their ideas about the reasons behind the PISA
2003 results. The data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using techniques from analytic induc-
tion in order to build themes and to present both male and female student perspectives on the Icelandic
anomaly. Strikingly, youth in the interviews focused on social and societal factors concerning educa-
tion in general rather then on their mathematics education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=2fecb2caec054987bdd76d62f84ff9b9&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n5154646268l4874/
Why do gestures matter? (2008-08-14 07:31)
Luis Radford has written an article that was recently published online in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics.
The article is concerned with aspects related to" the role of gestures and bodily actions in the learning of mathemat-
ics", and the article provides some interesting theoretical perspectives together with some practical examples. The
article is entitled: [2]Why do gestures matter? Sensuous cognition and the palpability of mathematical meaning,
and here is the abstract:
The goal of this article is to present a sketch of what, following the German social theorist Arnold
Gehlen, may be termed 'sensuous cognition. The starting point of this alternative approach to clas-
sical mental-oriented views of cognition is a multimodal 'material conception of thinking. The very
texture of thinking, it is suggested, cannot be reduced to that of impalpable ideas; it is instead made up
of speech, gestures, and our actual actions with cultural artifacts (signs, objects, etc.). As illustrated
through an example from a Grade 10 mathematics lesson, thinking does not occur solely in the head
but also in and through a sophisticated semiotic coordination of speech, body, gestures, symbols and
tools.
Luis Radford is a distinguished scholar, and he has published a large number of important articles over the years.
If you want to read more about his work, you should visit his [3]list of publications. Most of his articles are freely
available in pdf-format!
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=4763ab3d76804093bb79e3e8f4d42708&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y82307h467653t3t/
3. http://qa.laurentienne.ca/Laurentian/Home/Departments/School+of+Education+French/Faculty+
and+Staff/Luis+Radford/Publications/
Learning mathematics for teaching (2008-08-14 07:39)
Blake E. Peterson and Steven R. Williams (both from [1]Brigham Young University) have written an interesting
article about [2]Learning mathematics for teaching in the student teaching experience: two contrasting cases. This
article was published two days ago in [3]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. In their article, they deal
with important topics like learning and knowing mathematics, pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman), math-
ematical knowledge for teaching (Ball and others), and they also discuss the inuence of beliefs on teaching. All
in all, this is very much in line with my own research interest, and I think the article gives a nice overview of the
relevant literature in the eld. The study presented is also interesting. So, if you are interested in any of the above
mentioned topics, you should denitely take a closer look at this article!
Student teaching (guided teaching by a prospective teacher under the supervision of an experi-
enced 'cooperating teacher) provides an important opportunity for prospective teachers to increase
their understanding of mathematics in and for teaching. The interactions between a student teacher
and cooperating teacher provide an obvious mechanism for such learning to occur. We report here
on data that is part of a larger study of eight student teacher/cooperating teacher pairs, and the core
themes that emerged from their conversations. We focus on two pairs for whom the core conversa-
tional themes represent disparate approaches to mathematics in and for teaching. One pair, Blake and
Mr. B., focused on controlling student behavior and rarely talked about mathematics for teaching.
The other pair, Tara and Mr. T., focused on having students actively participating in the lesson and
on mathematics from the students` point of view. These contrasting experiences suggest that student
teaching can have a profound effect on prospective teachers` understanding of mathematics in and for
teaching.
1. http://www.byu.edu/webapp/home/index.jsp
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m12t03504w284359/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=c8d754dffa434c75bebc39767163a61d&pi=0
Mathematical belief change (2008-08-14 07:58)
Teachers beliefs arguably have an impact on their teaching practice (see for instance [1]Leder et al., 2002), but
often, beliefs appear to be resistant to change. It is therefore an interesting topic that is being raised by Peter
Grootenboer in his article: [2]Mathematical belief change in prospective primary teachers. The article was re-
cently published online in [3]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education.
Grootenboer provides a nice overview of previous research in this area, and that alone is reason enough to read
this article. In addition, the study he reports is very interesting. Unlike many other studies of teachers be-
liefs, Grootenboer has conducted a naturalistic study (in his own classroom), and he collected data from different
sources: observation, interviews and assignments. If, like me, you are interested in teachers beliefs in mathemat-
ics education, you should denitely read this article! Here is the abstract:
The development and inuence of beliefs in teacher education has been a topic of increasing inter-
est for researchers in recent years. This study explores the responses of a group of prospective primary
teachers to attempts to facilitate belief change as part of their initial teacher education programme in
mathematics. The students` responses seemed to fall into three categories: non-engagement; build-
ing a new set of beliefs and; reforming existing beliefs. In this article the participants` responses are
outlined and illustrated with stories from three individuals. This study suggests that belief reform is
complex and fraught with ethical dilemmas. Certainly there is a need for further research in this area,
particularly given the pervasive inuence of beliefs on teaching practice.
1. http://books.google.com/books?id=i9ifLxX3avEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=beliefs+hidden+
variable&ei=SMmjSJzfGpykjgHJ3bz6BA&hl=no&sig=ACfU3U0uZQOh05q08Axdfa3toMT3HX0wgw
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/64107p4823u8760q/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=e1fa0baefa65442aa5a63d00ecc77205&pi=0
Showing youre working (2008-08-15 10:56)
Garrod Musto has written an article that was recently published in [1]Teaching Mathematics and its Applications.
The article is entitled [2]Showing you`re working: a project using former pupils` experiences to engage current
mathematics students, and here is the abstract:
To help students view mathematics in a more favourable light, a number of former pupils were
contacted and asked to give details of how they use mathematics in their daily lives. This information
was gathered through an online questionnaire or visits to the school to talk to pupilsa booklet of
responses was also given to students. Attitudinally pre- and post-testing students suggested that this
initiative helped address pupils` concerns regarding the purpose of classroom mathematics. The diver-
sity of professions also helped dispel many myths about the usefulness of mathematics. Subsequently,
the project has proven to be a catalyst for a range of cross-curricular projects and events inspired by
the former pupils` case studies, all of which serve to continue to address the initial aims of the project
regarding pupil perception of the subject, in the light of both workplace and everyday life.
2. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/hrn014v1?rss=1
JMTE, August 2008 (2008-08-18 09:14)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has released the [2]August Issue (Number 4, Volume 11). This issue
contains ve interesting articles:
1. [3]Researchers and their roles in teacher education, by Konrad Krainer
2. [4]Investigating changes in prospective teachers` views of a 'good teacher` while engaging in computerized
project-based learning, by Ilana Lavy and Atara Shriki
3. [5]Teaching experiments and professional development, by Anderson Hassel Norton and Andrea McCloskey
4. [6]Understanding and describing mathematical knowledge for teaching: knowledge about proof for engag-
ing students in the activity of proving, by Andreas J. Stylianides and Deborah L. Ball
5. [7]Expanding the instructional triangle: conceptualizing mathematics teacher development, by Kelli Nipper
and Paola Sztajn
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=c5692a7b5d144dea9c87347565b05531&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/t31814p3m318/?p=6d8571e27c6b447cb052edebbe60b410&pi=0
3. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/b10g43020124mp7h/?p=e8d82f4982c54cf8a7d8f45b11435768&pi=0
4. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/c024n42251705744/?p=e8d82f4982c54cf8a7d8f45b11435768&pi=1
5. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/t685q5jj6725w7r7/?p=e8d82f4982c54cf8a7d8f45b11435768&pi=2
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/a4211k627j105856/?p=e8d82f4982c54cf8a7d8f45b11435768&pi=3
7. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/8rg313w48q44n371/?p=e8d82f4982c54cf8a7d8f45b11435768&pi=4
YERME Summer School (2008-08-18 09:18)
This week, the 4th version of YERME Summer School ([1]YESS-4) is organized in Turkey. The venue for the
summer school is Karadeniz Technical University in [2]Trabzon, near the [3]Black Sea. [4]KTU is a public re-
search university with 30.000 students. There are about 40 master and PhD-students in mathematics education.
The summer school has a very interesting [5]program, and although I am not able to attend it myself, I will try and
cover it in my blog.
YESS-4 features a panel of distinguished experts, who will deliver the main lectures:
Prof.Dr. Guershon Harel, University of California (USA)
Prof.Dr. Linda Brown, University of Bristol (England)
Prof.Dr. Jean-Baptiste Lagrange, IUFM De Reims Paris VII University (France)
Prof.Dr. Gnter Trner, Universitt Duisburg-Essen Standort (Germany)
Prof.Dr. Ferdinando Arzarello, Universit di Torino (Italy)
These experts will be leading the ve [6]working groups throughout the week.
The opening talk will be held this afternoon by Barbara Jaworski.
Links:
[7]YESS-4 website
[8]ERME website
1. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/index.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabzon
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea
4. http://www.ktu.edu.tr/ing/
5. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/Program%20of%20YERME%20IV.pdf
6. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/working_gropus.html
8. http://ermeweb.free.fr/index.php
Use of examples in elementary mathematics (2008-08-19 06:52)
Tim Rowland has written an article about [1]The purpose, design and use of examples in the teaching of elementary
mathematics. This article was recently published (online) in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. The article
describes an interesting study that featured video recordings of 24 lessons that were taught by prospective teachers.
This empirical paper considers the different purposes for which teachers use examples in elemen-
tary mathematics teaching, and how well the actual examples used t these intended purposes. For
this study, 24 mathematics lessons taught by prospective elementary school teachers were videotaped.
In the spirit of grounded theory, the purpose of the analysis of these lessons was to discover, and
to construct theories around, the ways that these novice teachers could be seen to draw upon their
mathematics teaching knowledge-base in their lesson preparation and in their observed classroom
instruction. A highly-pervasive dimension of the ndings was these teachers` choice and use of exam-
ples. Four categories of uses of examples are identied and exemplied: these are related to different
kinds of teacher awareness.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j8726k100554g5n0/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=bff90286069d4c57b6fcdc37eacafd95&pi=0
YESS-4, Day 2 (2008-08-19 09:40)
The main lecture at day 2 of the [1]YERME Summer School will be held by [2]Guershon Harel from [3]University
of California, San Diego. [4]Harels talk will address two main issues in mathematics education:
1. What is the mathematics that we should teach in school?
2. How should we teach it?
To learn more about these issues, and the contents of Harels talk, you should read the articles that are published
on the YESS-4 website [5](part I and [6]part II).
1. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/
2. http://math.ucsd.edu/%7Eharel/
3. http://www.ucsd.edu/portal/site/ucsd
4. http:
//yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/Abstract%20for%20YESS4%20Guershon%20Harel.pdf
5. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/DNRpart%201%20Guershon%20Harel.pdf
6. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/DNRpart%202%20Guershon%20Harel.pdf
New book from Springer (2008-08-19 10:21)
Springer has published a new book on [1]Internationalisation and Globalisation in Mathematics and Science Edu-
cation. The book was edited by Bill Atweh and others, and it is written for researchers and academics in mathe-
matics and science education. Here is a copy of the publishers description of the book:
In the new times of globalisation, international academic contacts and collaborations are ever in-
creasing. They are taking many forms, from international conferences and publications, student and
academic exchange, cross cultural research projects, curriculum development to professional develop-
ment activities and affect every aspect of academic life from teaching, research to service. This book
aims to:
Develop theoretical frameworks of the phenomena of internationalisation and globalisation and
identify related ethical, moral, political and economic issues facing mathematics and science
educators.
Provide a venue for the publication of results of international comparisons on cultural differences
and similarities rather than merely on achievement and outcomes.
Provide a forum for critical discussion of the various models and forms of international projects
and collaborations.
Provide a representation of the different voices and interests from around the world rather than
consensus on issues.
1. http://www.springer.com/education/mathematics+education/book/978-1-4020-8790-5?cm_mmc=
NBA-_-Aug-08_EAST_2154447-_-product-_-978-1-4020-8790-5
YESS-4, Day 3 (2008-08-20 09:50)
The main lecture at Day 3 of the [1]YERME Summer School is held by Jean-Baptiste Lagrange. His [2]talk will
be concerning research about technology in mathematics education. Lagrange is going to look at different tech-
nologies with certain theoretical concerns:
programming with the reication theories,
microworlds with situated cognition,
spreadsheets and computer symbolic systems with the instrumental and anthropological approaches,
today fast developing web based technologies with the need for new approaches.
You can learn more if you read his [3]ICME-paper or the [4]other paper that is published on the YESS-4 website.
2. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/JBL%20Abstract.pdf
3. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/ICME11regularJBL.pdf
4. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/JBL%20Part%201.pdf
YESS-4, Day 4 (2008-08-21 09:56)
The main lecture today at [1]YESS-4 is held by [2]Laurinda Brown. The theme of her [3]main paper is: "Observing
systems - how do we see what we see?". She aims at discussing issues concerning observations, and she points at
the necessity of including discussions of theoretical, methodological and philosophical issues.
For more information, you should read her [4]CERME-4 article and an article from [5]Educational Studies in
Mathematics. Both are published on the YESS-4 website.
2. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/education/people/academicStaff/edlcb
3. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/Laurinda%20Brown.PDF
4. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/BrownCERME4.doc
5. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/ESMarticleBrownandReid.pdf
YESS-4, Day 5 (2008-08-22 10:03)
At the 5th day of the [1]YERME Summer School, [2]Gnter Trner is going to deliver the main lecture. His topic
is "theory versus practice", and you can learn more from the [3]paper that is published on the YESS-4 website.
Trner has published a multitude of papers and books in mathematics ([4]algebra, [5]geometry and [6]discrete
mathematics) as well as [7]mathematics [8]education. Several of them are available on his website, so take a look
at the links I just gave you!
2. http://www.uni-duisburg.de/FB11/STAFF/Toerner.html
3. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/G_torner.pdf
4. http://www.uni-duisburg.de/FB11/STAFF/TOERNER/publ-algebra.shtml
5. http://www.uni-duisburg.de/FB11/STAFF/TOERNER/publ-geometrie.shtml
6. http://www.uni-duisburg.de/FB11/STAFF/TOERNER/publ-diskrete.shtml
7. http://www.uni-duisburg.de/FB11/STAFF/TOERNER/publ-paper.shtml
8. http://www.uni-duisburg.de/FB11/STAFF/TOERNER/publ-didaktikmono.shtml
YESS-4, Day 7 (2008-08-24 10:10)
At the last day of [1]YESS-4, Ferdinando Arzarello is going to deliver the main lecture. The topic for his talk is
"[2]Tools for analyzing learning processes in mathematics". He starts off with a discussion of problems concerning
What, Why, How and Goals:
What is necessary to observe in the classroom? (What)
Which theoretical frames are suitable to answer the What-problem? (Why)
How to observe all that is necessary? and How to interpret the observed data according to the assumed
frame? (How)
How to improve consequent didactical practices in the classroom? (Goal)
2. http://yess4.ktu.edu.tr/YermePappers/expert%20paper/Ferdinando%20Arzerollo.PDF
New roles for mathematics (2008-08-25 07:06)
Mette Andresen and Lena Lindenskov have written an article that was published in [1]ZDM just before the week-
end. The article is entitled [2]New roles for mathematics in multi-disciplinary, upper secondary school projects,
A new concept, compulsory multi-disciplinary courses, was introduced in upper secondary school
curriculum as a central part of a recent reform. This paper reports from a case study of such a
triple/four-disciplinary project in mathematics, physics, chemistry and 'general study preparation` per-
formed under the reform by a team of experienced teachers. The aim of the case study was to inquire
how the teachers met the demands of the introduction of this new concept and, to look for signs of
new relations established by the students between mathematics and other subjects, as a result of the
multi-disciplinary teaching. The study revealed examples of good practice in planning and teaching.
In addition, it served to illuminate interesting aspects of how students perceived the school subject
mathematics and its relations to other subjects and to common sense.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=9f05f319f2a7470e8ebf7f8f28cd63fa&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/g0654881n8g17142/
Teachers perspectives on authentic mathematics (2008-08-25 07:09)
Michael Weiss, Patricio Herbst and Chialing Chen (all from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) have written an
interesting article about [1]Teachers` perspectives on 'authentic mathematics and the two-column proof form.
The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Friday. Here is the abstract:
We investigate experienced high school geometry teachers` perspectives on 'authentic mathemat-
ics and the much-criticized two-column proof form. A videotaped episode was shown to 26 teachers
gathered in ve focus groups. In the episode, a teacher allows a student doing a proof to assume a
statement is true without immediately justifying it, provided he return to complete the argument later.
Prompted by this episode, the teachers in our focus groups revealed two apparently contradictory dis-
positions regarding the use of the two-column proof form in the classroom. For some, the two-column
form is understood to prohibit a move like that shown in the video. But for others, the form is seen
as a resource enabling such a move. These contradictory responses are warranted in competing but
complementary notions, grounded on the corpus of teacher responses, that teachers hold about the
nature of authentic mathematical activity when proving.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a82184716r530031/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=f04325be55234409aa4d1cce2007a21b&pi=0
Embodied design (2008-08-25 07:11)
Dor Abrahamson has written an article in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics about [2]Embodied design: con-
structing means for constructing meaning:
Design-based research studies are conducted as iterative implementation-analysis-modication cy-
cles, in which emerging theoretical models and pedagogically plausible activities are reciprocally
tuned toward each other as a means of investigating conjectures pertaining to mechanisms underlying
content teaching and learning. Yet this approach, even when resulting in empirically effective edu-
cational products, remains under-conceptualized as long as researchers cannot be explicit about their
craft and specically how data analyses inform design decisions. Consequentially, design decisions
may appear arbitrary, design methodology is insufciently documented for broad dissemination, and
design practice is inadequately conversant with learning-sciences perspectives. One reason for this
apparent under-theorizing, I propose, is that designers do not have appropriate constructs to formulate
and reect on their own intuitive responses to students` observed interactions with the media under
development. Recent socio-cultural explication of epistemic artifacts as semiotic means for mathe-
matical learners to objectify presymbolic notions (e.g., Radford, Mathematical Thinking and Learn-
ing 5(1): 3770, 2003) may offer design-based researchers intellectual perspectives and analytic tools
for theorizing design improvements as responses to participants` compromised attempts to build and
communicate meaning with available media. By explaining these media as potential semiotic means
for students to objectify their emerging understandings of mathematical ideas, designers, reciprocally,
create semiotic means to objectify their own intuitive design decisions, as they build and improve these
media. Examining three case studies of undergraduate students reasoning about a simple probability
situation (binomial), I demonstrate how the semiotic approach illuminates the process and content of
student reasoning and, so doing, explicates and possibly enhances design-based research methodol-
ogy.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=383a40dbbce04790808bd894c46c23f1&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j54720v17x646llu/
Cognitive styles (2008-08-25 07:13)
Demetra Pitta-Pantazi and Constantinos Christou have written an article called [1]Cognitive styles, dynamic ge-
ometry and measurement performance. The article was recently published online in [2]Educational Studies in
Mathematics. Here is the abstract of the article:
This paper reports the outcomes of an empirical study undertaken to investigate the effect of stu-
dents` cognitive styles on achievement in measurement tasks in a dynamic geometry learning environ-
ment, and to explore the ability of dynamic geometry learning in accommodating different cognitive
styles and enhancing students` learning. A total of 49 6th grade students were tested using the VICS
and the extended CSA-WA tests (Peterson, Verbal imagery cognitive styles and extended cognitive
style analysis-wholistic analytic testAdministration guide. New Zealand: Peterson, 2005) for cog-
nitive styles. The same students were also administered a pre-test and a post-test involving 20 mea-
surement tasks. All students were taught a unit in measurement (area of triangles and parallelograms)
with the use of dynamic geometry, after a pre-test. As expected, the dynamic geometry software seems
to accommodate different cognitive styles and enhances students` learning. However, contrary to ex-
pectations, verbalisers and wholist/verbalisers gained more in their measurement achievement in the
environment of dynamic geometry than students who had a tendency towards other cognitive styles.
The results are discussed in terms of the nature of the measurement tasks administered to the students.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/21k6872302n43572/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=611bf23ac11344ce9b9251f0afdf8e62&pi=0
Future teachers competence to plan a lesson (2008-08-25 07:19)
Sigrid Blmeke, Lynn Paine, Richard T. Houang, Feng-Jui Hsieh, William H. Schmidt, M. Teresa Tatto, Kiril
Bankov, Tenoch Cedilll, Leland Cogan, Shin Il Han, Marcella Santillan and John Schwille have written an article
entitled [1]Future teachers` competence to plan a lesson: rst results of a six-country study on the efciency of
teacher education. The article was published online in ZDM last week. The paper presents data from four countries
in relation to the study called: "Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century (MT21)" (see [2]webpage!). The entire
[3]MT21 report is available for free download at the project webpage. Here is a copy of the abstract:
The study "Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century (MT21)" focuses beyond others on the mea-
surement of teachers` general pedagogical knowledge (GPK). GPK is regarded as a latent construct
embedded in a larger theory of teachers` professional competence. It is laid out how GPK was dened
and operationalized. As part of an international comparison GPK was measured with several complex
vignettes. In the present paper, the results of future mathematics teachers` knowledge from four coun-
tries (Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, and the US) with very different teacher-education systems are
presented. Signicant and relevant differences between the four countries as well as between future
teachers at the beginning and at the end of teacher education were found. The results are discussed
with reference to cultural discourses about teacher education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x2h73w784367w738/
2. http://usteds.msu.edu/related_research.asp
3. http://usteds.msu.edu/MT21Report.pdf
Realistic Mathematics Education in Indonesia (2008-08-27 07:53)
Robert K. Sembiring, Sutarto Hadi and Maarten Dolk have written an article about an interesting experimental
study related to the current reform movement in Indonesia, where the theory of Realistic Mathematics Education
(RME) is being adopted. The article is entitled [1]Reforming mathematics learning in Indonesian classrooms
through RME, and it was published online in [2]ZDM on Sunday, August 24. Here is the abstract of the article:
This paper reports an experimental study on the development of exemplary curriculum materials
for the teaching of fractions in Indonesian primary schools. The study`s context is the current reform
movement adopting realistic mathematics education (RME) theory, known as Pendidikan Matematika
Realistik Indonesia (PMRI), and it looked at the role of design research in supporting the dissem-
ination of PMRI. The study was carried out in two cycles of teaching experiments in two primary
schools. The ndings of the design research signied the importance of collaboration between math-
ematics educators and teachers in developing RME curriculum materials. The availability of RME
curriculum materials is an important component in the success of the PMRI movement, particularly
in supporting students and teachers in activity-based mathematics learning. Most of the students and
teachers in the two schools positively appraised teaching and learning with the developed materials.
Since the teachers were actively involved in developing the materials, they felt a sense of ownership
and recognised that their students` classroom experiences of the materials helped them avoid standard
difculties. That appears to be a particular benet of the bottom-up approach characteristic of the
PMRI movement.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/t3771084x264vm27/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=3e8c1d82a02c4f9bada768fbf1fc4bf0&pi=0
Women of mathematics (2008-08-27 07:56)
Katrina Piatek-Jimenez has written an article called: [1]Images of mathematicians: a new perspective on the short-
age of women in mathematical careers, which was recently published in [2]ZDM. Here is the abstract:
Though women earn nearly half of the mathematics baccalaureate degrees in the United States,
they make up a much smaller percentage of those pursuing advanced degrees in mathematics and those
entering mathematics-related careers. Through semi-structured interviews, this study took a qualita-
tive look at the beliefs held by ve undergraduate women mathematics students about themselves
and about mathematicians. The ndings of this study suggest that these women held stereotypical
beliefs about mathematicians, describing them to be exceptionally intelligent, obsessed with mathe-
matics, and socially inept. Furthermore, each of these women held the rm belief that they do not
exhibit at least one of these traits, the rst one being unattainable and the latter two being undesirable.
The results of this study suggest that although many women are earning undergraduate degrees in
mathematics, their beliefs about mathematicians may be preventing them from identifying as one and
choosing to pursue mathematical careers.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j480476u75rk8683/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=e18439b9f9264808913dbe5eb5eace71&pi=0
New TMME monograph (2008-08-27 08:01)
[1]TMME - The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast - has published a new monograph. This time around, the topic
for the monograph is concerning [2]Interdisciplinary Educational Research In Mathematics and Its Connections
to The Arts and Sciences. The book is based on a symposium that was held in Denmark last year, and the major
themes of the papers in the monograph are:
1. How can modelling activities be used to foster interdisciplinary projects in the school and university setting?
2. How can the intricate connections between mathematics and physics be used to design and research inter-
disciplinary activities in schools and the university?
3. How can research within the ethnomathematics domain of mathematics education be linked to critical math-
ematics education and interdisciplinary projects involving mathematics, art and culture?
4. How can the push for mathematical and statistical literacy be connected to other subjects in the school
curricula and emphasized via interdisciplinary activities?
5. What are concrete examples of classroom experiments with empirical data that demonstrate new and unusual
connections/relations between mathematics, arts and the sciences with implications for pedagogy?
6. What is the role of technology and new ICT interfaces in linking communities of learners in interdisciplinary
activities involving problem solving? The book is an important contribution to the literature on educational
initiatives in interdisciplinary education increasing vital for emerging professions of the 21st century.
Chief editor of TMME, Bharath Sriraman, has edited the book in cooperation with Claus Michelsen, Astrid Beck-
mann, and Viktor Freiman.
2. http://www.infoagepub.com/products/content/p489b492feef45.php
Review of Math Investigations (2008-08-29 08:00)
Mathematics in school is a major issue in the US. Yesterday, [1]Washington Post printed [2]an article about a
review of the mathematics curriculum in [3]Loudoun County (Virginia). This county has introduced a curriculum
for elementary school that is called [4]Math Investigations, and there appears to be lots of critics who claim the
curriculum fails to teach basic math skills. So, in the eyes of someone from outside the US context, this appears to
be related to the so-called [5]Math Wars. I am not trying to make any judgments in this debate, but it is interesting
to be a spectator!
After reading about the curriculum on the web, I nd it quite interesting. The curriculum was developed in the
1990s, and it was developed with support from the [6]National Science Foundation. From their website, I learn
that the Investigations in Number, Data, and Space (which is the ofcial name of the curriculum, it appears) was
designed to:
Support students to make sense of mathematics and learn that they can be mathematical thinkers.
Focus on computational uency with whole numbers as a major goal of the elementary grades.
Provide substantive work in important areas of mathematicsrational numbers, geometry, measurement,
data, and early algebraand connections among them.
Emphasize reasoning about mathematical ideas.
Communicate mathematics content and pedagogy to teachers.
Engage the range of learners in understanding mathematics.
The guiding principles underlying these goals are thatstudents have mathematical ideas, (...) teachers are engaged
in ongoing learning about mathematics content, pedagogy, and student learning (...) and that teachers collaborate
with the students and curriculum materials to create the curriculum as enacted in the classroom (quoted from
[7]their website). In many ways, the Investigations curriculum appears to have some common underlying ideas
with the [8]Everyday Math curriculum (which has also been strongly criticized by some). According to [9]several
impact studies, the Investigations curriculum appears to have a positive impact on the achievement of students, and
Everyday Math is also a curriculum that is [10]strongly based on research. As someone standing outside of this
debackle, I am therefore somewhat amazed by the criticism these curricula has raised. Somewhat, but maybe not
all that amazed after all. Our previous Norwegian curriculum (called L97) featured some of the same ideas about
teaching and learning of mathematics, with a focus on letting the students discover and reinvent the mathematical
ideas, having "mathematics in everyday life" as a main area of the curriculum, etc. After less than 10 years of
implementations (evaluation reports showing that the curriculum had not really been implemented in the class-
rooms), it was replaced by a new curriculum called "Kunnskapslftet" (Knowledge Promotion). This curriculum
has a much stronger emphasis on basic skills, little or no mention of discovery and reinvention, little emphasis on
connections with everyday life, etc. So, I guess this debate is not only typical for the US and in this case Loudoun
county.
For me as a researcher, I think it is interesting to see how much resistance these "reform curriculum" efforts en-
counter, and it reminds me of something I read in [11]The teaching gap. Teaching of mathematics appears to
be some kind of cultural entity, and I think Stigler and Hiebert used the notion: "cultural scripts". In order to
implement a new curriculum, it is often necessary to change some of these cultural scripts, and that appears to be
a rather cumbersome endeavor...
P.S. If any of you has some references to research, articles, etc. that relates to the above mentioned curriculum
papers, please let me know!
1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/27/AR2008082700229.html?nav=
rss_education
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudoun_County,_Virginia
4. http://investigations.terc.edu/
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Math_Wars
7. http://investigations.terc.edu/developing/goals-principles/
8. http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/
9. http://investigations.terc.edu/impact/impact-studies/
10. http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/about.shtml
11. http://books.google.com/books?id=LMfLxeHXzpAC&q=the+teaching+gap&dq=the+teaching+gap&ei=
go-3SNSCDIHaygSZ_pzHBA&hl=no&pgis=1
Proceedings from ICME-10 (2008-08-29 13:26)
It has been four years since [1]ICME-10 was arranged in Copenhagen. For different reasons, the publication of the
proceedings has delayed. A while ago, though, the proceedings were nally published. Participants at ICME-10
BlogBook 1.8. September
can order a printed book (for free), but those who did not attend can download the proceedings as a (large!) pdf-
document. To read the proceedings from this important conference, [2]click here!
2. http://www.icme10.dk/proceedings/pages/ICME_pdf-files/icme_completebook.pdf
1.8 September
Gender differences in Germany (2008-09-01 07:40)
Henrik Winkelmann, Marja van den Heuvel-Panhuizen and Alexander Robitzsch have written an article called
[1]Gender differences in the mathematics achievements of German primary school students: results from a Ger-
man large-scale study. The article was recently published in [2]ZDM. Here is the article abstract:
In Germany, national standards for mathematics for the end of primary school were established
in 2004. In the present study, data were collected to evaluate these standards, and were used to com-
pare the mathematical skills of girls and boys. Many studies have shown that gender differences
are strongest at the highest levels of education. The ndings from primary school are less consis-
tent. Thus, in our study we analyzed achievement differences in a sample of approximately 10,000
third and fourth graders, representative of the German elementary school population. Gender-specic
competencies were compared in the different content domains, both for the general mathematical
competence, and for the cognitive levels of the tasks. Overall, boys outperformed girls, but substantial
variation was found between the content domains and general mathematical achievement. Differences
were higher in grade three than in grade four. The proportion of boys in the classroom did not appear
to affect the individual level of performance. Analysis of the items on which boys or girls clearly
outperformed each other reproduced a pattern of specic item characteristics predicting gender bias
consistent with those reported in previous studies in other countries.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u177240657544832/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=ab378c33dd754af1b154112468f0dccf&pi=0
What really matters? (2008-09-01 07:51)
Berinderjeet Kaur from the National Institute of Education in Singapore has written an article with the interesting
title: [1]Teaching and learning of mathematics: what really matters to teachers and students? This article was
recently published in [2]ZDM. In some previous articles, Kaur has reported on studies concerning the expectations
that Singapore students have of their "best" mathematics teacher. In this article, Kaur draws upon data from [3]The
learners perspective study (LPS), and in particular data from the interviews of students and teachers in Singapore,
and the main research questions are related to what students and teachers attach importance to in a mathematics
lesson. The Singapore study used a similar research design as that of the LPS. This paper reports on the analysis
of data from a part of the study that involved interviews of from the classrooms of three competent teachers.
The learner`s perspective study, motivated by a strong belief that the characterization of the prac-
tices of mathematics classrooms must attend to learner practice with at least the same priority as that
accorded to teacher practice, is a comprehensive study that adopts a complementary accounts method-
ology to negotiate meanings in classrooms. In Singapore, three mathematics teachers recognized for
their locally dened 'teaching competence` participated in the study. The comprehensive sets of data
1.8. September BlogBook
from the three classrooms have been used to explore several premises related to the teaching and
learning of mathematics. In this paper the student interview data and the teacher interview data were
examined to ascertain what do students attach importance to and what do teachers attach importance
to in a mathematics lesson? The ndings of the student interview data showed that they attached im-
portance to several sub-aspects of the three main aspects, i.e., exposition, seatwork and review and
feedback of their teachers` pedagogical practices. The ndings of the teacher interview data showed
that they attached importance to student`s self assessment, teacher`s demonstration of procedures, re-
view of prior knowledge and close monitoring of their student`s progress in learning and detailed
feedback of their work. It was also found that teachers and students did attach importance to some
common lesson events.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/tj62w71q69417up1/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=5cc9d89ca8e84e40a5f1962f2fa5bd24&pi=0
3. http://extranet.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/DSME/lps/
Bodily experience and mathematical conceptions (2008-09-01 07:52)
Wolff-Michael Roth and Jennifer S. Thom have written an article entitled [1]Bodily experience and mathematical
conceptions: from classical views to a phenomenological reconceptualization. This article was recently published
in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. Here is the abstract of the article:
Mathematical concepts and conceptions have been theorized as abstractions fromand therefore
transcendingbodily and embodied experience. In this contribution, we re-theorize mathematical
conceptions by building on recent philosophical work in dialectical phenomenology. Accordingly, a
conception exists only in, through, and as of the experiences that the individual realizes it. To exem-
plify our reconceptualization of mathematical conceptions, we draw on an episode from a study in a
second-grade classroom where the students learned about three-dimensional geometrical objects.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/7742742g23p1ul8v/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=b57eb6e4df6d4bc984c4126452e6db47&pi=0
The array representation (2008-09-01 07:54)
Patrick Barmby, Tony Harries, Steve Higgins and Jennifer Suggate have written an article that was recently pub-
lished online in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics. The article is entitled [2]The array representation and
primary children`s understanding and reasoning in multiplication, and here is a copy of the abstract:
We examine whether the array representation can support children`s understanding and reasoning
in multiplication. To begin, we dene what we mean by understanding and reasoning. We adopt a
'representational-reasoning` model of understanding, where understanding is seen as connections be-
ing made between mental representations of concepts, with reasoning linking together the different
parts of the understanding. We examine in detail the implications of this model, drawing upon the
wider literature on assessing understanding, multiple representations, self explanations and key devel-
opmental understandings. Having also established theoretically why the array representation might
support children`s understanding and reasoning, we describe the results of a study which looked at
children using the array for multiplication calculations. Children worked in pairs on laptop com-
puters, using Flash Macromedia programs with the array representation to carry out multiplication
calculations. In using this approach, we were able to record all the actions carried out by children on
the computer, using a recording program called Camtasia. The analysis of the obtained audiovisual
data identied ways in which the array representation helped children, and also problems that children
had with using the array. Based on these results, implications for using the array in the classroom are
considered.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=acfa6e05506a4987be7e54b4e59b7508&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/43w7451777g8t841/
Research reports (2008-09-03 09:47)
A couple of research reports have recently been published on the [1]IES (Institute of Education Sciences) web
page that might be of interest to some:
[2]Math education practices for students with disabilities and other struggling learners: case studies of six
schools in two Northeast and Islands Region states
[3]Performance patterns for students with disabilities in grade 4 mathematics education in Massachusetts
1. http://ies.ed.gov/
2. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=161&productID=110
3. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=160&productID=109
Doctoral students use of examples (2008-09-03 09:49)
Lara Alcock and Matthew Inglis have written an article entitled [1]Doctoral students` use of examples in evaluating
and proving conjectures. This article was published in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Saturday. Here
This paper discusses variation in reasoning strategies among expert mathematicians, with a par-
ticular focus on the degree to which they use examples to reason about general conjectures. We rst
discuss literature on the use of examples in understanding and reasoning about abstract mathematics,
relating this to a conceptualisation of syntactic and semantic reasoning strategies relative to a repre-
sentation system of proof. We then use this conceptualisation as a basis for contrasting the behaviour
of two successful mathematics research students whilst they evaluated and proved number theory con-
jectures. We observe that the students exhibited strikingly different degrees of example use, and argue
that previously observed individual differences in reasoning strategies may exist at the expert level.
We conclude by discussing implications for pedagogy and for future research.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b087p3576641u33t/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=13dfdf81ab804a1b81177065139141a0&pi=0
Some interesting news ashlights (2008-09-03 09:58)
There are a couple of interesting articles from regular news sites that have been published lately that you might be
interested in reading. [1]ABC News published an article about math tests for kindergartners on August 28, and this
article raises several important issues. The article is entitled [2]NYC Schools Eye Math Tests for Kindergartners.
The issue is that "New York City is asking public school principals to consider giving math tests to kindergartners,
a proposal that comes amid debate over the growing use of standardized tests nationwide."
[3]The other article was published in [4]Washington Post on Monday, and it aims at giving an overview of issues
related to mathematics education. Some of the main issues in the article are:
How is math taught?
How much math is taught?
Whats the fuss over math?
When should kids learn algebra?
At the end of the article, they give a sample of some mathematics textbooks that are used in school (in the US).
The article is, of course, very much headed towards issues in the US, but I nd it interesting even though.
1. http://abcnews.go.com/
2. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=5674249
3. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/31/AR2008083101861.html
EECERA - day 1 (2008-09-04 08:19)
Yesterday, the [1]18th annual EECERA conference was opened in Stavanger, Norway. The conference is held at
the University of Stavanger, where I work, and I will naturally attend. Although it is a conference for research in
early childhood education, there are several presentations with a focus on mathematics. I plan to go to all of them,
and I will give you a review of my impressions and notes here. I also plan to follow the conference on [2]twitter,
so pay attention there as well!
The programme book for the conference can be found [3]here, and the [4]abstract book here.
1. http://www.uis.no/samfunn/naeringsliv/konferanser/18th_european_early_childhood_education_
research_association_%28eecera%29_annual_conference/
2. http://twitter.com/rmosvold
3. http://www.uis.no/getfile.php/Konferanser/programme.pdf
4. http://www.uis.no/getfile.php/Konferanser/abstract%20book%20final%20MTIxOTkzMTU3OTEzMj.pdf
EECERA - symposium session (2008-09-04 13:54)
We have just nished the rst symposium session at the [1]EECERA conference in Stavanger, and I attended a
session with focus on mathematics and natural science. All three presentations focused on mathematics, so I guess
they could have taken away the last part of the title.
Elizabeth Dunphy from St. Patricks College in Ireland did an excellent job to chair the session, and since I took
part in one of the presentations myself, I can say that on behalf of the presenters as well as the audience.
The rst presenter, [2]Oliver Thiel from Germany, had an interesting presentation about a research project con-
cerning teachers attitudes towards mathematics in early childhood. He had used interviews with children, based
on already developed questionaires and scales. One part, for instance, was related to mathematical beliefs, and
he had taken some scales developed by Grigutsch, Raatz and Trner as a starting point. Here is the abstract of
Olivers paper:
Over the past few years the nursery school in Germany is increasingly perceived as an educational
establishment instead of a child care centre. This can be seen in establishing curricula for young chil-
dren, including mathematics as a domain of learning skills. In the past mathematics has not been part
of the curriculum for training young childrens teachers. Therefore it is not clear, what actually their
understanding is concerning mathematics. Van Oers (2004) has proven that teachers would support
the mathematical development of the children only on the basis of their mathematical epistemology.
The study reported here investigated teachers` attitudes towards mathematics. The questions risen are:
Do nursery school teachers feel open or reluctant towards mathematics?
Is mathematics seen as an abstract system of terms, rules and formulas?
Or do the teachers see mathematics reected in the collection and sequencing of experiences and
in problem solving?
And what activities are expected to further the development of the child`s mathematical ideas?
A questionnaire has been developed, which included four scales, suggested by Grigutsch, Raatz and
Toerner (1998). This form has been lled in by 100 teachers in Germany. For the evaluation of the
questionnaires conrmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used.
The most important result of this survey is that the teachers show an ambivalent behavior towards
mathematics, but in general they underline the benet for the daily living. Concerning the activities
of children, only those are seen as mathematical experiences, which include numbers and shapes.
The second presentation was held by Janne Fauskanger and myself. You can see our presentation below:
Here is our abstract:
In 2006, Norwegian schools and kindergartens were faced with new curriculum reforms. For the
rst time in Norway the curriculum for kindergartens has a chapter on mathematics. As these reforms
are now being put into action, teachers, schools, kindergartens and local governments are asking for
in-service education. Evaluation of the previous curriculum reform in compulsory school indicates
that there has been little change in the way teachers teach. Our aim is to investigate and try to identify
features of 'the best` in-service education. A natural point of departure for such a project is to analyse
teachers` knowledge (MKT;mathematical knowledge for teaching) and beliefs to be able to adjust the
in-service education to the participants` needs. Our project is therefore divided into two parts. In
the rst part, we are researching teachers knowledge and beliefs, and in the second part we plan
on using this knowledge to design a working model for in-service education. This presentation will
focus on the research regarding teachers knowledge, and we would like the discussion to focus on
pre-school teachers knowledge. The rst step in our project will be to participate in the translation,
adjustment and use of an American measuring system developed at the University of Michigan. It is
important to knowmore about teachers` knowledge when planning and evaluating in-service education
and the measures would allow professional developers to measure teacher learning rather than just
teachers` level of satisfaction with professional workshops and in-service mathematics education can
be improved. What about pre-school teachers knowledge?
The third and last presenter was [3]Marc Wantz from Luxembourg, who talked about "Gender differences in math-
ematical competencies". Here is the abstract of his paper:
In the present paper we use theories from research on the structure of cognitive abilities to conceive
a comprehensive measurement conception of mathematical competencies. Specically, our measure-
ment conception allows disentangling specic arithmetical knowledge as well as the analysis of gender
differences in these competencies. Data were obtained from 151 children who participated in a longi-
tudinal study spanning the age range from kindergarten (5 years olds) to second grade (8 years olds).
Our results revealed that gender differences in the competencies under investigation were not distinct
concerning their static aspects as well as their developmental dynamics.
His entire presentation can be found on [4]this link.
1. http://www.uis.no/samfunn/naeringsliv/konferanser/18th_european_early_childhood_education_
research_association_%28eecera%29_annual_conference/
2. http://amor.cms.hu-berlin.de/~h1745bua/
3. http://www.emacs.lu/~Marc.Wantz/published.html
4. http://www.emacs.lu/%7Emarc/EECERA/gender.pdf
Learning community of problem solvers (2008-09-05 08:16)
Viktor Freiman and Nicole Lirette-Pitre have written an article entitled [1]Building a virtual learning community
of problem solvers: example of CASMI community that was recently published online in [2]ZDM. Here is the
article abstract:
Virtual multidisciplinary learning communities can become an important resource helping school
teachers and students to foster a culture of communication, problem solving, and technology integra-
tion. Not only does the community concept virtually enlarge the mathematical learning space, it also
opens several innovative ways to connect mathematics to other subjects, namely science and language
arts. This article reects on theoretical foundations of the new interactive virtual science and math-
ematics learning community, CASMI, as well as the rst results of its implementation. The process
of designing, enacting, and analyzing virtual problem solving communities, their technological, ped-
agogical and social aspects as a common ground for integrating mathematical, science and reading
literacy into classroom practice and pre-service teacher training in an innovative and efcient way
will be discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f4445r43w214xlw3/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=181750811ab64b6d846b8890530625cc&pi=0
Distinguishing between mathematics classrooms (2008-09-05 08:21)
David Clarke and Li Hua Xu has written an article with a very interesting focus, and a very long title: [1]Dis-
tinguishing between mathematics classrooms in Australia, China, Japan, Korea and the USA through the lens of
the distribution of responsibility for knowledge generation: public oral interactivity and mathematical orality. The
research reported in this article appears to be connected with both the Learners Perspective Study (which Clarke
has been involved with for a long time), and the TIMSS Video Study. The article was recently published online in
[2]ZDM. Here is the abstract:
The research reported in this paper examined spoken mathematics in particular well-taught class-
rooms in Australia, China (both Shanghai and Hong Kong), Japan, Korea and the USA from the per-
spective of the distribution of responsibility for knowledge generation in order to identify similarities
and differences in classroom practice and the implicit pedagogical principles that underlie those prac-
tices. The methodology of the Learner`s Perspective Study documented the voicing of mathematical
ideas in public discussion and in teacherstudent conversations and the relative priority accorded by
different teachers to student oral contributions to classroom activity. Signicant differences were iden-
tied among the classrooms studied, challenging simplistic characterisations of 'the Asian classroom`
as enacting a single pedagogy, and suggesting that, irrespective of cultural similarities, local peda-
gogies reect very different assumptions about learning and instruction. We have employed spoken
mathematical terms as a form of surrogate variable, possibly indicative of the location of the agency
for knowledge generation in the various classrooms studied (but also of interest in itself). The analysis
distinguished one classroom from another on the basis of 'public oral interactivity (the number of
utterances in whole class and teacherstudent interactions in each lesson) and 'mathematical orality
(the frequency of occurrence of key mathematical terms in each lesson). Classrooms characterized by
high public oral interactivity were not necessarily sites of high mathematical orality. In particular, the
results suggest that one characteristic that might be identied with a national norm of practice could be
the level of mathematical orality: relatively high mathematical orality characterising the mathematics
classes in Shanghai with some consistency, while lessons studied in Seoul and Hong Kong consis-
tently involved much less frequent spoken mathematical terms. The relative contributions of teacher
and students to this spoken mathematics provided an indication of how the responsibility for knowl-
edge generation was shared between teacher and student in those classrooms. Specic analysis of the
patterns of interaction by which key mathematical terms were introduced or solicited revealed signi-
cant differences. It is suggested that the empirical investigation of mathematical orality and its likely
connection to the distribution of the responsibility for knowledge generation and to student learning
ourcomes are central to the development of any theory of mathematics instruction and learning.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/742qn11288727322/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=807ded09eacc4f1cbfc918ac02bfbf4a&pi=0
Progress and stagnation of gender equity (2008-09-05 08:24)
Gerd Brandell from Sweden has written an article that was published in [1]ZDM on Wednesday. The article is
entitled [2]Progress and stagnation of gender equity: contradictory trends within mathematics research and educa-
tion in Sweden, and here is the abstract:
During the last decade women in Sweden have reduced men`s lead in participation in mathematics
education and in professional careers as mathematicians. However, the development is uneven and
slow overall. In some areas and at the highest levels women have increased their participation only
marginally. Why, one may ask, is progress so slow after almost 20 years of active work from the
Women and Mathematics movement in Sweden and within a society in which gender equity is highly
valued at the societal and political levels? The development is described in quantitative measures
going back 20 years. Several concrete and successful initiatives from the last decade intended to 'de-
gender mathematics and to involve women and men alike in mathematics are described. In contrast
a gender-blind position or a view of women as problems in mathematics seems to reign within some
inuential bodies.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=468262b1d75748199264f9a11fdc39ff&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x5012434227r00ux/
Constructing competence (2008-09-05 08:26)
Melissa Gresal, Taylor Martin, Victoria Hand and James Greeno have written an article called:
[1]Constructing competence: an analysis of student participation in the activity systems of mathematics class-
rooms. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics a couple of days ago. Here is
This paper investigates the construction of systems of competence in two middle school mathe-
matics classrooms. Drawing on analyses of discourse from videotaped classroom sessions, this paper
documents the ways that agency and accountability were distributed in the classrooms through inter-
actions between the teachers and students as they worked on mathematical content. In doing so, we
problematize the assumption that competencies are simply attributes of individuals that can be exter-
nally dened. Instead, we propose a concept of individual competence as an attribute of a persons
participation in an activity system such as a classroom. In this perspective, what counts as 'compe-
tent gets constructed in particular classrooms, and can therefore look very different from setting to
setting. The implications of the ways that competence can be dened are discussed in terms of future
research and equitable learning outcomes.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/17685jl641327p28/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=e2a23298b11a43b5a0c9eed519297349&pi=0
EECERA - Using powerful mathematical ideas (2008-09-05 15:47)
I have just been to a very interesting presentation at the EECERA conference. The presentation was held by Bob
Perry from Australia, and he talked about "Using powerful mathematical ideas and developmental outcomes to
enhance young childrens mathematical learning: An Australian experience". The project he described had started
off as a development study with 7 pre-school teachers in 3 pre-schools in South Australia. The project was so
successful, it has now expanded to 350 pre-schools (all pre-schools in the state)! The aim of the project was not to
change the teachers practice, but rather getting the teachers reect on their practice and change the way they think
about mathematics. (And thereby, they would also change their practice...)
An important practical technique in the project was the use of so-called "learning stories", which I personally found
very fascinating! These learning stories have three important elements:
1. Descriptions of what the child/children had done
2. Evaluation of what the child/children had done
3. Reections concerning: What next?
Another important concept was related to what Perry referred to as "powerful mathematical ideas". These might
be mathematisation, connections, argumentation, etc.
Here is the abstract of Perrys presentation:
Young children can be powerful mathematical learners. This paper reports work done with
preschool educators in South Australia in which powerful ideas in mathematics were identied, linked
to the Developmental Learning Outcomes in the mandated South Australian curriculum, and cele-
brated and extended through narrative assessment.. It emphasises the processes involved in building
the educators` condence and competence in the observation, development, implementation and as-
sessment of meaningful mathematical learning for young children and suggests ways in which this
approach can improve the mathematics education of these children without weakening the strongly
held traditional principles of sound early childhood practice.
The key construct in this project is a numeracy matrixa 56-cell table linking the powerful math-
ematical ideas with the Developmental Learning Outcomes through pedagogical inquiry questions.
These questions are designed to ask preschool educators about their practice and how it relates to their
children`s mathematics learning. Using this matrix, preschool and rst year of school educators have
devised and begun to trial a detailed assessment process through which they can access children`s
powerful mathematical ideas, show progress as these ideas grow, and answer planning questions for
each child as to what would be the most appropriate next instructional step.
The value of the paper is that it illustrates how work undertaken at the preschool level can inform
similar work undertaken in the rst year of school and it provides educators at both levels with an
innovative way for considering the mathematics education of young children in both preschool and
school.
Online geometry resources (2008-09-08 12:09)
This is not something di-
rectly related to research in mathematics education, but it is surely related to mathematics education, and I nd it
so interesting that I wanted to post it anyway!
[1]Dan Meyer is a high-school mathematics teacher from Santa Cruz, California. He [2]recently decided to put
his [3]entire Geometry curriculum online. This includes every lesson plan, every handout, more than 2000 slides
(in Keynote, Powerpoint and PDF) ... everything from an entire year of geometry teaching! Everything is nicely
ordered for the web, so that you can follow his plans from week 1 to week 38.
In my view, as a researcher and mathematics educator, this is an exemplary action! I know, there might be several
teachers out there who are going to copy his ideas, and that is okay. On the other side, this provides a very nice
insight into one teachers ideas and thinking, and being able to follow a course for an entire year like this is an
excellent opportunity for a researcher as well. I only wish more teachers would follow up what Dan has done,
because I think this provides an excellent example of how our "new" technologies can be used to improve our
teaching profession!
I am still thinking about how I could make use of this as a researcher, and if you have ideas concerning this, please
post a comment below!
1. http://blog.mrmeyer.com/
2. http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=923
3. http://geometry.mrmeyer.com/
Two new articles have been published online in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and
Technology:
[2]Extraction of roots of quintics by division method. Author: Raghavendra G. Kulkarni
[3]Modelling and inverse-modelling: experiences with O.D.E. linear systems in engineering courses. Au-
thor: Victor Martinez-Luaces
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Econtent=t713736815%7Edb=all?jumptype=
alert&alerttype=ifirst_alert,email
JMTE, September 2008 (2008-09-10 06:57)
The [1]September issue of [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has been released. The issue contains a
number of interesting articles:
[3]How can research be used to inform and improve mathematics teaching pr[4]actice? by Anne D. Cockburn
[5]Promoting student collaboration in a detracked, heterogeneous secondary mathematics classroom, by Megan E.
Staples
[6]Using a video-based curriculum to develop a reective stance in prospective mathematics teachers, by Shari L.
Stockero
[7]What makes a problem mathematically interesting? Inviting prospective teachers to pose better problems, by
Sandra Crespo and Nathalie Sinclair
[8]Mathematical preparation of elementary teachers in China: changes and issues, by Yeping Li, Dongchen Zhao,
Rongjin Huang and Yunpeng Ma
1. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/r0274427625g/?p=9fb65a9b29434dd6b4ccd3ba3f3661a4&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=9d4aae8d8611492fbad3cf5c67360f10&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f58w053v476412t6/?p=
3e7556ee790847e09490301b2924445a&pi=0
3e7556ee790847e09490301b2924445a&pi=0
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/810420rx00780882/?p=
3e7556ee790847e09490301b2924445a&pi=1
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/0ut1m74001u1754h/?p=
3e7556ee790847e09490301b2924445a&pi=2
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c404x37187h1811w/?p=
3e7556ee790847e09490301b2924445a&pi=3
8. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m5567889470521mh/?p=
3e7556ee790847e09490301b2924445a&pi=4
Social constructivism and the Believing Game (2008-09-10 12:51)
Shelly Sheats Harkness has written an article called [1]Social constructivism and the Believing Game : a mathe-
matics teacher`s practice and its implications. This article was published in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics
on Monday. Here is the abstract of the article:
The study reported here is the third in a series of research articles (Harkness, S. S., DÀmbrosio,
B., & Morrone, A. S.,in Educational Studies in Mathematics 65:235254, 2007; Morrone, A. S., Hark-
ness, S. S., DÀmbrosio, B., & Cauleld, R. in Educational Studies in Mathematics 56:1938, 2004)
about the teaching practices of the same university professor and the mathematics course, Problem
Solving, she taught for preservice elementary teachers. The preservice teachers in Problem Solving
reported that they were motivated and that Sheila made learning goals salient. For the present study,
additional data were collected and analyzed within a qualitative methodology and emergent conceptual
framework, not within a motivation goal theory framework as in the two previous studies. This paper
explores how Sheila`s 'trying to believe, rather than a focus on 'doubting (Elbow, P., Embracing
contraries, Oxford University Press, New York, 1986), played out in her practice and the implications
it had for both classroom conversations about mathematics and her own mathematical thinking.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f468tx1630810384/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=39a153027a4b43758207a6e0286d4ba8&pi=0
Acquisition and use of shortcut strategies (2008-09-10 13:00)
Joke Torbeyns, Bert De Smedt, Pol Ghesquire and Lieven Verschaffel have written an article entitled [1]Ac-
quisition and use of shortcut strategies by traditionally schooled children. The article was published online in
[2]Educational Studies in Mathematics this week. The development of strategies among children is an important
aspect of mathematics education, and this article has a particular focus on the shortcut strategies children develop
within the number domain 20-100. Here is the abstract of the article:
This study aimed at analysing traditionally taught children`s acquisition and use of shortcut strate-
gies in the number domain 20100. One-hundred-ninety-ve second, third, and fourth graders of
different mathematical achievement levels participated in the study. They were administered two
tasks, both consisting of a series of two-digit additions and subtractions that maximally elicit the use
of the compensation (45 + 29 = _; 45 + 30 - 1 = 75 - 1 = 74) and indirect addition strategy (71 -
68 = _; 68 + 2 = 70, 70 + 1 = 71, so the answer is 2 + 1 or 3). In the rst task, children were
instructed to solve all items as accurately and as fast as possible with their preferred strategy. The
second task was to generate at least two different strategies for each item. Results demonstrated that
children of all grades and all achievement levels hardly applied the compensation and indirect addition
strategy in the rst task. Children`s strategy reports in the second task revealed that younger and lower
achieving children did not apply these strategies because they did not (yet) discover these strategies.
By contrast, older and higher achieving children appeared to have acquired these strategies by them-
selves. Results are interpreted in relation to cognitive psychological and socio-cultural perspectives
on children`s mathematics learning.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/7t21x8g428435424/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=bdcb06c6fe2d45b497031a148c9ce9ef&pi=0
Towards a feminist epistemology (2008-09-12 08:21)
Leone Burton has written an article that was recently published in [1]ZDM. The article is entitled [2]Moving to-
wards a feminist epistemology of mathematics. Here is the article abstract:
There is, now, an extensive critical literature on gender and the nature of science, three aspects of
which, philosophy, pedagogy and epistemology, seem to be pertinent to a discussion of gender and
mathematics. Although untangling the inter-relationships between these three is no simple matter,
they make effective starting points in order to ask similar questions of mathematics to those asked
by our colleagues in science. In the process of asking such questions, a major difference between
the empirical approach of the sciences, and the analytic nature of mathematics, is exposed and leads
towards the denition of a new epistemological position in mathematics.
This is a version of a paper rst presented at the ICME7 theme group of the International Organisation
on Women and Mathematics Education, Quebec, 1992. Its present content owes much to discussion
with and comments from members of that network. In addition, I would particularly like to thank
Mary Barnes, Leonie Daws, Stephen Lerman and the anonymous reviewers for challenging and pro-
voking re-working of the ideas.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=a94e5004b70f44e992ac0e5e46c15114&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/pn6300306jj766m1/
Investigating imagination (2008-09-12 08:23)
Donna Kotsopoulos and Michelle Cordy have written an article with an interesting angle: [1]Investigating imagi-
nation as a cognitive space for learning mathematics. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies
in Mathematics on Monday. Abstract:
Our work is inspired by the book Imagining Numbers (particularly the square root of minus f-
teen), by Harvard University mathematics professor Barry Mazur (Imagining numbers (particularly
the square root of minus fteen), Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2003). The work of Mazur
led us to question whether the features and steps of Mazur`s re-enactment of the imaginative work of
mathematicians could be appropriated pedagogically in a middle-school setting. Our research objec-
tives were to develop the framework of teaching mathematics as a way of imagining and to explore
the pedagogical implications of the framework by engaging in an application of it in middle school
setting. Findings from our application of the model suggest that the framework presents a novel and
important approach to developing mathematical understanding. The model demonstrates in particular
the importance of shared visualizations and problem-posing in learning mathematics, as well as imag-
ination as a cognitive space for learning.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u6618131k817748w/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=ab053633723a48169eff12de9a0c7da7&pi=0
Opportunity to learn in the preparation of teachers (2008-09-12 08:26)
William H. Schmidt et al. have written an article entitled [1]Opportunity to learn in the preparation of mathematics
teachers: its structure and how it varies across six countries. The article was recently published online in [2]ZDM.
Cross-national research studies such as the Program for International Student Assessment and
the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) have contributed much to our un-
derstandings regarding country differences in student achievement in mathematics, especially at the
primary (elementary) and lower secondary (middle school) levels. TIMSS, especially, has demon-
strated the central role that the concept of opportunity to learn plays in understanding cross-national
differences in achievement Schmidt et al., (Why schools matter: A cross-national comparison of cur-
riculum and learning 2001). The curricular expectations of a nation and the actual content exposure
that is delivered to students by teachers were found to be among the most salient features of schooling
related to academic performance. The other feature that emerges in these studies is the importance
of the teacher. The professional competence of the teacher which includes substantive knowledge
regarding formal mathematics, mathematics pedagogy and general pedagogy is suggested as being
signicantnot just in understanding cross-national differences but also in other studies as well (Hill
et al. in Am Educ Res J 42(2):371406, 2005). Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century (MT21) is
a small, six-country study that collected data on future lower secondary teachers in their last year of
preparation. One of the ndings noted in the rst report of that study was that the opportunities future
teachers experienced as part of their formal education varied across the six countries (Schmidt et al.
in The preparation gap: Teacher education for middle school mathematics in six countries, 2007).
This variation in opportunity to learn (OTL) existed in course work related to formal mathematics,
mathematics pedagogy and general pedagogy. It appears from these initial results that OTL not only
is important in understanding K-12 student learning but it is also likely important in understanding
the knowledge base of the teachers who teach them which then has the potential to inuence student
learning as well. This study using the same MT21 data examines in greater detail the conguration of
the educational opportunities future teachers had during their teacher education in some 34 institutions
across the six countries.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/v293l3n614603972/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/v293l3n614603972/
Beliefs seminar with Jeppe Skott (2008-09-16 11:43)
Thursday and Friday last week, we had the pleasure of arranging a seminar with Danish colleague [1]Jeppe Skott
here in Stavanger. The focus of the seminar was on research concerning teachers beliefs and their impact on their
teaching of mathematics. About 20 people attended the seminar, and I enjoyed it very much!
Skott started off with a session on the historical background of research on beliefs in mathematics education re-
search. He talked about the development of teacher training in the Scandinavian countries, and he pointed to some
of the major international studies in recent years. Then he lead us back to the OEEC study from the early sixties,
and in this connection, he introduced Bauersfelds three levels:
Matter meant
Matter taught
Matter learnt
The problems of implementation were then brought up, and he referred to the ICMI Study of 1986 as an important
source. This study claimed that:
Signicant changes in school mathematics will only be achieved if there are marked changes in
the perceptions and attitudes of these teachers and if they are assisted to develop necessary new skills.
A strong focus was thereby put on the teachers perceptions and attitudes. The focus on the teacher as the main
problem in the implementation process was thereby presented, and much of the research did (and still do) refer to
Ernests model of the relationship between the espoused and enacted beliefs of the mathematics teacher. A main
issue here, according to Skott, is that the premise for this research is taken for granted, and it is not based on
analysis of data!
As a further theoretical background for the discussion, he introduced theories concerning constructivism (radical
and social) and other.
Skott then introduced us with some of his own research in this eld, and he introduced the case of Christopher as
an example. (See his [2]2001 article for more on this!) In relation to this example, Skott introduced some of his
own concepts: school mathematics images (SMI) and critical incidents of practice (CIP).
On Friday, Skott brought up the difcult and interesting discussion about the nature and existence of beliefs, and
how we investigate them. His initial claim was that "traditional beliefs research" had made it impossible to give a
reasonable answer to the question about the
relationship between a teachers conceptions about a subject on the one hand, and the teaching practice on the
other hand. The main reason for that is that the answer has already been given as a premise for the research: there
is a strong relationship between the two. This has not
been based on empirical evidence, Skott claims.
He then introduced a discussion about methods in beliefs research, and he pointed to the study he and Tine Wedege
made of the Nordic KappAbel contest as an example ([3]PDF version of the report). In a discussion of data analy-
sis, Skott introduced the constructivist version of grounded theory presented by [4]Charmaz (2006) as an example.
In the nal round, Skott made a strong emphasis on the importance of context in beliefs research, and the implica-
tions this has on choice of research methods, etc. Some of his main points were:
Inconsistency between beliefs and practice is from the point of view of the observer
Consistency is situated in practice
It is NOT the teachers practice
This short summary does not cover all the interesting issues that Jeppe Skott brought up, but it is an attempt to
point at some of the main issues that were discussed in a very interesting seminar. So, thanks a lot to Jeppe Skott
for a great seminar, and welcome back to Stavanger :-)
1. http://www.dpu.dk/site.aspx?p=6604&init=skott&lang=eng
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/qqu358001t63451t/
3. http://www.matematikksenteret.no/attachment.ap?id=407
4. http://books.google.com/books?id=v1qP1KbXz1AC&printsec=frontcover&dq=constructing+
grounded+theory&ei=f37PSL-HB4m6zAS_z6GSDw&hl=no&sig=ACfU3U2nmEuJFI_ahf_b85abmq3n-_xlKw
Navigating Numeracies (2008-09-18 07:10)
[1]Springer has published a new book with a focus on low achieving pupils in numeracy in a school context. The
book is written by Brian Street, Dave Baker and Alison Tomlin, and it is entitled [2]Navigating
Numeracies. Here is a copy of the publishers description of the book:
The book aims to further understanding of why some pupils have low achievement in numeracy in
the school context. The authors aim to achieve this by a relatively original view that focuses on numer-
acy as a social practice. They report on their investigations into the meanings and uses of numeracy
in school and home and community contexts, using ethnographic-style approaches, including formal
and informal interviews and observations. The book will be useful for policy, practice and further
research into the teaching and learning of mathematics in schools. It will therefore be of interest to
policy makers, teachers and practitioners, academics and practitioners in teacher education, education
researchers, and parents and community leaders.
2. http://www.springer.com/education/mathematics+education/book/978-1-4020-5706-9
Relation between students behaviors and their mathematical ideas (2008-09-18 07:34)
Lisa B. Warner has written an article that was published online in [1]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior yes-
terday. The article is entitled [2]How do students` behaviors relate to the growth of their mathematical ideas? Here
is the article abstract:
The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between student behaviors and the growth
of mathematical ideas (using the PirieKieren model). This analysis was accomplished through a se-
ries of case studies, involving middle school students of varying ability levels, who were investigating
a combinatorics problem in after-school problem-solving sessions. The results suggest that certain
types of student behaviors appear to be associated with the growth of ideas and emerge in specic
patterns. More specically, as understanding grows, there is a general shift from behaviors such as
students questioning each other, explaining and using their own and others` ideas toward behaviors
involving the setting up of hypothetical situations, linking of representations and connecting of con-
texts. Recognizing that certain types of student behaviors tend to emerge in specic layers of the
PirieKieren model can be important in helping us to understand the development of mathematical
ideas in children.
Warner focus a lot on the Pirie-Kieren model in her theoretical framework (see the [3]article of Susan Pirie and
Thomas Kieren from 1994). The main focus of Warners article is to address the following questions:
Are different types of student behaviors associated with the growth of mathematical ideas in spe-
cic ways? If so, how?
In her conclusions, Lisa Warner suggests that for the students in her study, "certain types of behaviors appeared to
be associated with the growth of mathematical ideas in certain ways". She also suggests that further research is
needed in order to investigate whether these ndings correspond with ndings in similar studies of other students,
different types of tasks, etc.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4TG28YH-1&_user=1460901&_
rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1460901&md5=
a095258c416322a5194584baaa95d17d
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/u2342r7ggl64245q/
Lesson study in Asia Pacic classrooms (2008-09-19 07:24)
Allan Leslie White and Chap Sam Lim have written an article about the use of the Japanese Lesson Study model
in Australian and Malaysian classrooms. The article is entitle [1]Lesson study in Asia Pacic classrooms: local
responses to a global movement, and it was published online in [2]ZDM on Wednesday.
If you are interested in the topic, this article gives a nice overview of the history and theoretical background of the
Japanese Lesson Study approach, and there is also a nice list of references to dig into. In the conclusions of the
article, they claim:
However, the signicant features of Japanese Lesson Study, such as the use of collaborative work,
working on common goals, sharing of ideas, teamteaching, lesson observation and cooperation among
peers seemed to exert similar impacts on all groups of participants. Participants from all glocal pro-
grams reported an improvement in their lesson planning, better pedagogical content knowledge and
closer collegial relationship as a result of experiencing the Lesson Study process.
Japanese Lesson Study is a model for teacher professional learning that has recently attracted
world attention particularly within the mathematics education community. It is a highly structured
process of teacher collaboration, observation, reection and practice. The world focus has been mainly
due to the work of American researchers such as Stigler and Hiebert (Am Educ Winter:110, 1998;
The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world`s teachers for improving education in the classroom. Free
Press, New York 1999), Lewis and Tsuchida (Am Educ Winter:1417; 5052, 1998) and Fernandez
[J Teach Educ 53(5):395405, 2002]. These researchers have documented Lesson Study from the per-
spective of their social, cultural and educational contexts. In order to develop a deeper understanding
of Lesson Study in a post-modern global world, there is a need to seek views beyond those presented
from an American perspective. This paper will provide further additional perspectives from an Aus-
tralian state view and a Malaysian state district view and a university view. The aim is to develop an
understanding of how the different contexts have inuenced the structure and implementation of the
Japanese Lesson Study model.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/6460110642142rv1/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=03864526b0c94d40958a3ade9ea68279&pi=0
Gendering of mathematics among Israel Jewish and Arab students (2008-09-19 07:28)
Helen J. Forgasz and David Mittelberg have written an article called [1]Israeli Jewish and Arab students` gendering
of mathematics. The article was recently published online in [2]ZDM. Here is a copy of their article abstract:
In English-speaking, Western countries, mathematics has traditionally been viewed as a 'male do-
main, a discipline more suited to males than to females. Recent data from Australian and American
students who had been administered two instruments [Leder & Forgasz, in Two new instruments to
probe attitudes about gender and mathematics. ERIC, Resources in Education (RIE), ERIC docu-
ment number: ED463312, 2002] tapping their beliefs about the gendering of mathematics appeared
to challenge this traditional, gender-stereotyped view of the discipline. The two instruments were
translated into Hebrew and Arabic and administered to large samples of grade 9 students attending
Jewish and Arab schools in northern Israel. The aims of this study were to determine if the views of
these two culturally different groups of students differed and whether within group gender differences
were apparent. The quantitative data alone could not provide explanations for any differences found.
However, in conjunction with other sociological data on the differences between the two groups in
Israeli society more generally, possible explanations for any differences found were explored. The
ndings for the Jewish Israeli students were generally consistent with prevailing Western gendered
views on mathematics; the Arab Israeli students held different views that appeared to parallel cultural
beliefs and the realities of life for this cultural group.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/987576r357362528/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=72f639381d5a442fbbcb1c47211ec89b&pi=0
Performance and language prociency (2008-09-19 07:30)
Mire N Rordin and John ODonoghue have written an article about [1]The relationship between performance
on mathematical word problems and language prociency for students learning through the medium of Irish. The
article was published in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics two days ago. Here is the abstract of their article:
Ireland has two ofcial languagesGaeilge (Irish) and English. Similarly, primary- and second-
level education can be mediated through the medium of Gaeilge or through the medium of English.
This research is primarily focused on students (Gaeilgeoir) in the transition from Gaeilge-medium
mathematics education to English-medium mathematics education. Language is an essential element
of learning, of thinking, of understanding and of communicating and is essential for mathematics
learning. The content of mathematics is not taught without language and educational objectives advo-
cate the development of uency in the mathematics register. The theoretical framework underpinning
the research design is Cummins` (1976). Thresholds Hypothesis. This hypothesis infers that there
might be a threshold level of language prociency that bilingual students must achieve both in order
to avoid cognitive decits and to allow the potential benets of being bilingual to come to the fore. The
ndings emerging from this study provide strong support for Cummins` Thresholds Hypothesis at the
key transitionsprimary- to second-level and second-level to third-level mathematics educationin
Ireland. Some implications and applications for mathematics teaching and learning are presented.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/158547k16j81r163/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=b0a30a0ff0474fa98c7c9863372f00ed&pi=0
Mathematical imagination and embodied cognition (2008-09-22 08:44)
Ricardo Nemirovsky and Francesca Ferrara have written an article called "[1]Mathematical imagination and em-
bodied cognition" that was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Friday. Here is the
abstract of their article:
The goal of this paper is to explore qualities of mathematical imagination in light of a classroom
episode. It is based on the analysis of a classroom interaction in a high school Algebra class. We
examine a sequence of nine utterances enacted by one of the students whom we call Carlene. Through
these utterances Carlene illustrates, in our view, two phenomena: (1) juxtaposing displacements, and
(2) articulating necessary cases. The discussion elaborates on the signicance of these phenomena
and draws relationships with the perspectives of embodied cognition and intersubjectivity.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k827840347406g12/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=c167013fd9bd4625b439f0d8f12727f3&pi=0
Aesthetics as a liberating force (2008-09-23 07:49)
Nathalie Sinclair has written an article with the interesting title: [1]Aesthetics as a liberating force in mathematics
education? The article was published in [2]ZDM a couple of days ago. Here is the article abstract:
This article investigates different meanings associated with contemporary scholarship on the aes-
thetic dimension of inquiry and experience, and uses them to suggest possibilities for challenging
widely held beliefs about the elitist and/or frivolous nature of aesthetic concerns in mathematics ed-
ucation. By relating aesthetics to emerging areas of interest in mathematics education such as affect,
embodiment and enculturation, as well as to issues of power and discourse, this article argues for aes-
thetic awareness as a liberating, and also connective force in mathematics education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/q074457243142635/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=f422c14d914e4aa592f7a80e36bf665a&pi=0
The fragility of group ow (2008-09-24 12:05)
Alayne C. Armstrong has written an article that was published online in [1]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior
yesterday. The article is entitled [2]The fragility of group ow: The experiences of two small groups in a middle
school mathematics classroom. Here is the abstract of the article:
This article considers two small groups of students in the same Grade 8 mathematics classroom
whose approaches to the same mathematical problem result in very different experiences. Using
videotapes and written transcripts, an analysis of the groups` working processes was undertaken us-
ing Sawyers pre-existing structures required for the presence of group ow, and Davis and Simmts
conditions for complex systems. It is suggested that although both groups had the prerequisite struc-
tures in place to experience group ow, the second group was not decentralized enough to enable all
members to establish a working collaborative proximal zone of development in which they could de-
velop their ideas as a collective, while the rst group was sufciently decentralized and appeared to
demonstrate episodes of experiencing group ow. If teachers are aware of conditions that encourage
the experience of group ow, this may help them in forming productive small groups within the class-
room and developing successful group-oriented learning tasks.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4THB4DM-2&_user=1460901&_
62c0b585abda06c3b5ec234462b98031
Multiplication as original sin (2008-09-24 12:09)
Shelly Sheats Harkness and Jonathan Thomas have written an article that is entitled: [1]Reections on 'Multiplica-
tion as Original Sin: The implications of using a case to help preservice teachers understand invented algorithms.
This article takes a case report called "Multiplication as original sin" as point of departure. The article was pub-
lished online yesterday in [2]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior. Here is the abstract of the article:
This article describes the use of a case report, Multiplication as original sin (Corwin, R. B. (1989).
Multiplication as original sin. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 8, 223225), as an assignment in
a mathematics course for preservice elementary teachers. In this case study, Corwin described her
experience as a 6th grader when she revealed an invented algorithm. Preservice teachers were asked
to write reections and describe why Corwin`s invented algorithm worked. The research purpose was:
to learn about the preservice teachers` understanding of Corwin`s invented multiplication algorithm
(its validity); and, to identify thought-provoking issues raised by the preservice teachers. Rather than
using mathematical properties to describe the validity of Corwin`s invented algorithm, a majority of
themrelied on procedural and memorized explanations. About 31 %of the preservice teachers demon-
strated some degree of conceptual understanding of mathematical properties. Preservice teachers also
made personal connections to the case report, described Corwin using superlative adjectives, and were
critical of her teacher.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4THB4DM-1&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=310e1a5db83ade5a9fc229f776b8a105
Learning about innity (2008-09-25 11:56)
Florence M. Singer and Cristian Voica wrote an interesting article that was recently published in [1]The Journal of
Mathematical Behaviour: [2]Between perception and intuition: Learning about innity. Here is the article abstract:
Based on an empirical study, we explore children`s primary and secondary perceptions on innity.
When discussing innity, children seem to highlight three categories of primary perceptions: pro-
cessional, topological, and spiritual. Based on their processional perception, children see the set of
natural numbers as being innite and endow Q with a discrete structure by making transfers from N to
Q. In a continuous context, children are more likely to mobilize a topological perception. Evidence for
a secondary perception of arises from students` propensities to develop innite sequences of natural
numbers, and from their ability to prove that N is innite. Children`s perceptions on innity change
along the school years. In general, the perceptual dominance moves from sequential (processional) to
topological across development. However, we found that around 1113 years old, processional and
topological perceptions interfere with each other, while before and after this age they seem to coexist
and collaborate, one or the other being specically activated by the nature of different tasks.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4THJ6CS-1&_user=1460901&_
0cfe6bf088fb0896b9c8ac4fec79d2eb
Reversibility of thought (2008-09-25 11:57)
Ajay Ramful and John Olive wrote an article entitled [1]Reversibility of thought: An instance in multiplicative
tasks, which was published online in [2]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior yesterday. Here is the abstract of
the article:
In line with current efforts to understand the piece-by-piece structure and articulation of chil-
dren`s mathematical concepts, this case study compares the reversibility schemes of two eighth-grade
students. The aim of the study was to identify the mechanism through which students reverse their
thought processes in a multiplicative situation. Data collected through clinical interviews depict the
precise strategies that the participants used to work back to nd the missing values in an inverse
proportional task. This study also illustrates how a conceptual template generated by one of the par-
ticipants afforded him considerable exibility in the multiplicative task. Another outcome of the study
is that it shows how the numerical characteristics of the parameters in the problem affected the stu-
dents` ability to reverse their thought processes. We infer that there is a need for further research on
how students might represent their reversibility schemes in the form of algebraic equations.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4THJ6CS-2&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=afaf0788ba1e22cae22ef2fe24465425
1.9. October BlogBook
The work of teaching and the challenge for teacher education (2008-09-26 09:46)
Here is a very interesting presentation held by [1]Deborah L. Ball on a visit to Vanderbilt University. Ball has been
in charge of several major projects concerning the teachers knowledge of mathematics, e.g. the [2]LMT (Learning
Mathematics for Teaching) project, and she was also a member of the [3]National Mathematics Advisory Panel,
which delivered an important report earlier this year. (See [4]one of my previous posts about this!)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyPk8PocVL4 &hl=en &fs=1]
1. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~dball/
4. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2008/03/national-mathematics-advisory-panel.html
10 remarkable female mathematicians (2008-09-29 07:49)
The [1]Math-Blog presents a nice overview of [2]some of the greatest female mathematicians ever. No doubt, most
of the mathematicians we ever hear of are men, but there still are several female mathematicians that have made
signicant contributions to the eld. Here is part of the introduction to this list of mini-biographies:
These women were often groundbreakers, highly determined and very dedicated. They are shining
examples of the fact that mathematics is not a 'boys only club, even if at many points in time it`s
appeared that way on the surface. Today their work is recognized and appreciated, and they stand as
fantastic sources of inspiration for a new generation of students and math enthusiasts both female
and male.
1. http://math-blog.com/
2. http://math-blog.com/2008/09/28/10-remarkable-female-mathematicians/
1.9 October
An analytic conception of equation (2008-10-01 10:24)
Daniel Chazan, Michael Yerushalmy and Roza Leikin have written an article that was published online in [1]The
Journal of Mathematical Behavior yesterday. The article is entitled [2]An analytic conception of equation and
teachers` views of school algebra, and here is the abstract:
This interview study takes place in the context of a single small district in the United States. In the
algebra curriculum of this district, there was a shift in the conception of equation, from a statement
about unknown numbers to a question about the comparison of two functions over the domain of the
real numbers. Using two of Shulman`s [Shulman, L. S. (1986). Paradigms and research programs in
the study of teaching: A contemporary perspective. In Wittrock, M. C. (Ed.), Handbook of research in
teaching (3rd ed., pp. 336). New York: Macmillan] categories of teachers` knowledge pedagogical
content knowledge and curricular content knowledge we explore whether in this context teachers`
content knowledge give signs of being reorganized. Our ndings suggest that the teachers see this
conception of equation as useful for equations in one variable. They struggle with its ramications
for equations in two variables. Nonetheless, this conception of equation leads them to reect on the
algebra curriculum in substantial ways; two of the three teachers explicitly spoke about their curric-
ular ideas as being associated with this conception of an equation or with their earlier views. The
third teacher seems so taken with these curricular ideas that he explored their ramications throughout
BlogBook 1.9. October
the interview. We argue that the consideration of this new conception of equation was an important
resource that the teachers used to construct their understandings of alternative curricular approaches
to school algebra. As they work with this new conception of an equation, we nd an analogy to their
situation in Kuhn`s description of the individual scientist in the process of adopting a new paradigm.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4TJTTJY-1&_user=1460901&_
878e0f7b17a5e18550a3bc841c4164a1
Confucian heritage culture learners phenomenon (2008-10-02 07:25)
Ngai-Ying Wong from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, has written an article with the interesting title:
[1]Confucian heritage culture learner`s phenomenon: from 'exploring the middle zone to 'constructing a bridge.
The article was published online in [2]ZDM on Tuesday. The article gives some interesting insight into aspects
of the Chinese culture, and it did represent several new issues and aspects to me. Besides, it is the rst scientic
article that I have ever seen (within our eld, at least) that includes martial-art pictures. In the article, Wong also
draws upon variation theory (which derives from the work of Swedish scholar Ference Marton and colleagues).
In the past decades, the CHC (Confucian heritage culture) learner`s phenomenon has spawned
one of the most fruitful elds in educational research. Despite the impression that CHC learners are
brought up in an environment not conducive to learning, their academic performances have been ex-
celling their Western counterparts (Fan et al. in How Chinese learn mathematics: perspectives from
insiders, 2004). Numerous explanations were offered to reveal the paradox (Morrison in Educ J,
2006), and there were challenges of whether there is 'over-Confucianisation in all these discussions
(Chang in J Psychol Chin Soc, 2000; Wong and Wong in Asian Psychol, 2002). It has been sug-
gested that the East and the West should come and discuss at the 'middle zone so that one can get
the best from the two worlds. On the other hand, at the turn of the new millennium, discussions on
mathematics curriculum reform proliferate in many places. One of the foci of the debate is the basic
skillshigher-order thinking 'dichotomy. Viewing from the perspective of the process of mathema-
tisation, teaching mathematics is more than striking a balance between the two, but to bridge basic
skills to higher-order thinking competences. Such an attempt was explored in recent years and the
ideas behind will be shared in this paper.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/vjl13327p0q7v432/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=ca93795412a7415d8a1939dde9dbb13b&pi=0
Combining theories (2008-10-02 07:29)
Pessia Tsamir and Dina Tirosh have written an article about [1]Combining theories in research in mathematics
teacher education. This article was published in [2]ZDM two days ago. In this interesting article, they examine
how the combination of the theories of Shulman and Fischbein "may contribute to the evaluation of mathematics
teachers (prospective and inservice) knowledge". Here is the article abstract:
In this paper, we describe how the combination of two theories, each embedded in a different
realm, may contribute to evaluating teachers` knowledge. One is Shulman`s theory, embedded in
general, teacher education, and the other is Fischbein`s theory, addressing learners` mathematical con-
ceptions and misconceptions. We rst briey describe each of the two theories and our suggestions
for combining them, formulating the ShulmanFischbein framework. Then, we present two research
segments that illustrate the potential of the implementation of the ShulmanFischbein framework to
the study of mathematics teachers` ways of thinking. We conclude with general comments on pos-
sible contributions of combining theories that were developed in mathematics education and in other
domains to mathematics teacher education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l3111110450t0h36/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=6791cf597ed349b5b6fc5f3895a9b2a4&pi=0
The fairness of probabilistic games (2008-10-03 07:30)
Konstantinos Tatsis, Sonia Kafoussi and Chrysanthi Skoumpourdi have written an article called [1]Kindergarten
Children Discussing the Fairness of Probabilistic Games: The Creation of a Primary Discursive Community. The
article was recently published in [2]Early Childhood Education Journal. Here is the abstract of the article:
In this paper we analyse the language used by kindergarten children and their teacher while they
discuss the fairness of two games that involved the concept of chance. Their discussions show that
the children are able to overcome their primary intuitions concerning the fairness of a game and to
comprehend the important role of materials. The children mostly used counting strategies in order to
justify their opinion; this reveals the establishment of a primary discursive community based on the
premise that each opinion should be justied in order to be accepted by the other children and the
teacher.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/ng434423m20351xu/
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/105549/?p=dec6183c68634b5590edcc637580e106&pi=0
Embracing arts and sciences (2008-10-03 07:34)
Norma Presmeg has written an article with the interesting perspective: [1]Mathematics education research em-
bracing arts and sciences. The article was published in [2]ZDM on Wednesday.Here is the article abstract:
As a young eld in its own right (unlike the ancient discipline of mathematics), mathematics edu-
cation research has been eclectic in drawing upon the established knowledge bases and methodologies
of other elds. Psychology served as an early model for a paradigm that valorized psychometric
research, largely based in the theoretical frameworks of cognitive science. More recently, with the
recognition of the need for sociocultural theories, because mathematics is generally learned in social
groups, sociology and anthropology have contributed to methodologies that gradually moved away
from psychometrics towards qualitative methods that sought a deeper understanding of issues in-
volved. The emergent perspective struck a balance between research on individual learning (including
learners` beliefs and affect) and the dynamics of classroom mathematical practices. Now, as the eld
matures, the value of both quantitative
and qualitative methods is acknowledged, and these are frequently combined in research that uses
mixed methods, sometimes taking the form of design experiments or multi-tiered teaching experi-
ments. Creativity and rigor are required in all mathematics education research, thus it
is argued in this paper, using examples, that characteristics of both the arts and the sciences are impli-
cated in this work.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l8m510v62hh12373/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=8315c0b4c86e4b46804f103f202ad277&pi=0
Emergent modeling (2008-10-03 07:39)
L.M. Doorman and K.P.E. Gravemeijer have written an article entitled [1]Emergent modeling: discrete graphs to
support the understanding of change and velocity. The article was recently published online in [2]ZDM. This arti-
cle was published as an [3]Open Access article, so it should be freely available to all! Here is the article abstract:
In this paper we focus on an instructional sequence that aims at supporting students in their learn-
ing of the basic principles of rate of change and velocity. The conjectured process of teaching and
learning is supposed to ensure that the mathematical and physical concepts will be rooted in students`
understanding of everyday-life situations. Students` inventions are supported by carefully planned ac-
tivities and tools that t their reasoning. The central design heuristic of the instructional sequence is
emergent modeling. We created an educational setting in three tenth grade classrooms to investigate
students` learning with this sequence. The design research is carried out in order to contribute to a
local instruction theory on calculus. Classroom events and computer activities are video-taped, group
work is audio-taped and student materials are collected. Qualitative analyses show that with the emer-
gent modeling approach, the basic principles of calculus can be developed from students` reasoning
on motion, when they are supported by discrete graphs.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/vm2053101l701352/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=80d16794af9d40a9a209faa3e9d53f0c&pi=0
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_access
Chinese teachers knowledge (2008-10-03 07:43)
Yeping Li and Rongjin Huang have written an article called [1]Chinese elementary mathematics teachers` knowl-
edge in mathematics and pedagogy for teaching: the case of fraction division. The article was published online in
[2]ZDM on Wednesday. Here is the abstract of the article:
In this study, we investigated the extent of knowledge in mathematics and pedagogy that Chinese
practicing elementary mathematics teachers have and what changes teaching experience may bring to
their knowledge. With a sample of 18 mathematics teachers from two elementary schools, we focused
on both practicing teachers` beliefs and perceptions about their own knowledge in mathematics and
pedagogy and the extent of their knowledge on the topic of fraction division. The results revealed a
gap between these teachers` limited knowledge about the curriculum they teach and their solid math-
ematics knowledge for teaching, as an example, fraction division. Moreover, senior teachers used
more diverse strategies that are concrete in nature than junior teachers in providing procedural justi-
cations. The results suggested that Chinese practicing teachers benet from teaching and in-service
professional development for the improvement of their mathematics knowledge for teaching but not
their knowledge about mathematics
curriculum.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/kk89n38014865265/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=0394e5dc5ae346889c33b5e83543c169&pi=0
Attention to meaning by algebra teachers (2008-10-03 07:48)
Guershon Harel, Evan Fuller and Jeffrey M. Rabin have written an article that was published online in [1]The Jour-
nal of Mathematical Behavior on Wednesday. The article is entitled [2]Attention to meaning by algebra teachers.
Here is the article abstract:
Non-attendance to meaning by students is a prevalent phenomenon in school mathematics. Our
goal is to investigate features of instruction that might account for this phenomenon. Drawing on
a case study of two high school algebra teachers, we cite episodes from the classroom to illustrate
particular teaching actions that de-emphasize meaning. We categorize these actions as pertaining to
(a) purpose of new concepts, (b) distinctions in mathematics, (c) mathematical terminology, and (d)
mathematical symbols. The specicity of the actions that we identify allows us to suggest several
conjectures as to the impact of the teaching practices observed on student learning: that students will
develop the belief that mathematics involves executing standard procedures much more than meaning
and reasoning, that students will come to see mathematical denitions and results as coincidental or
arbitrary, and that students` treatment of symbols will be largely non-referential.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4TK2PDJ-1&_user=1460901&_
950adf11175d8ef03e9322b7a49e3a00
Where has all the knowledge gone? (2008-10-06 09:18)
[1]
[2]Jo Boaler wrote an interesting article in [3]Education Week, which was published online on Friday. The article
is entitled [4]Where Has All the Knowledge Gone? The Movement to Keep Americans at the Bottom of the Class
in Math. In the article she gives some interesting reections concerning the [5]report of the National Math Panel,
about the "anti-knowledge movement" in the U.S., about the Math Wars, and about the development of mathemat-
ics education in the U.S. in general. Boaler claims that:
There is a movement at work across America that smothers research knowledge, gives misleading
data to parents, and substantially undermines our ability to improve American children`s mathematical
understanding.
And she claims that this movement has had a strong impact - even into the White House...
1. http://mathedresearch.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/boaler.jpeg
2. http://www.stanford.edu/%7Ejoboaler/career.html
4. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/10/08/07boaler_ep.h28.html?utm_source=fb&utm_
medium=rss&utm_campaign=mrss
5. http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/reports.html
Documentation systems (2008-10-07 07:11)
Ghislaine Gueudet and Luc Trouche have written an article about mathematics teachers documentation work. The
article is called [1]Towards new documentation systems for mathematics teachers? In my Master thesis, I wrote
about genesis principles - in particular historical genesis (the use of history of mathematics in an indirect approach)
- and Gueudet and Trouche introduce the concept of "documentational genesis" which I nd interesting! The ar-
ticle was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics a couple of days ago. Here is the abstract of
their article:
We study in this article mathematics teachers` documentation work: looking for resources, select-
ing/designing mathematical tasks, planning their succession, managing available artifacts, etc. We
consider that this documentation work is at the core of teachers` professional activity and professional
development. We introduce a distinction between available resources and documents developed by
teachers through a documentational genesis process, in a perspective inspired by the instrumental
approach. Throughout their documentation work, teachers develop documentation systems, and the
digitizing of resources entails evolutions of these systems. The approach we propose aims at seizing
these evolutions, and more generally at studying teachers` professional change.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/6600hx1254664n74/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=9658a188db284147ab06852e01000d4b&pi=0
YESS-4 revisited (2008-10-07 07:40)
In August, the 4th version of the YERME Summer School ([1]YESS-4) was organized in Turkey. I [2]wrote
[3]about [4]this [5]event [6]in [7]several [8]blogposts. (Click on all the marked words for links to the various
articles!)
Today, I discovered in [9]Carlos Torres blog that the keynote presentations are actually available online, on
Slideshare! (Take a look at [10]Cartoni21s slideshows!) These were the main presentations:
1. Barbara Jaworskis opening talk:
[11]Yess4 Barbara Jaworski ViewSlideShare [12]presentation or [13]Upload your own. (tags: [14]yerme [15]yess)
2. Guershon Harels presentation
[16]Guershon HAREL View SlideShare [17]presentation or [18]Upload your own. (tags: [19]yerme [20]yess) 3.
The presentation of Jean-Baptiste Lagrange
[21]Yess4 Jean-baptiste Lagrange View SlideShare [22]presentation or [23]Upload your own. (tags: [24]yerme
[25]yess) 4. Laurinda Browns talk
[26]Yess 4 Laurinda Brown View SlideShare [27]presentation or [28]Upload your own. (tags: [29]yerme [30]yess)
5. Gnther Trners presentation
[31]Yess 4 Gnter Trner View SlideShare [32]presentation or [33]Upload your own. (tags: [34]edumate
[35]yerme)
2. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2008/08/yerme-summer-school.html
3. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2008/08/yess-4-day-2.html
8. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/search?q=YESS
9. http://edumate.wordpress.com/
10. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/slideshows
11. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/yess4-barbara-jaworski-presentation?type=powerpoint
12. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/yess4-barbara-jaworski-presentation?type=powerpoint
13. http://www.slideshare.net/upload?type=powerpoint
14. http://slideshare.net/tag/yerme
15. http://slideshare.net/tag/yess
16. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/guershon-harel-presentation?type=powerpoint
17. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/guershon-harel-presentation?type=powerpoint
21. http:
//www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/yess4-jeanbaptiste-lagrange-presentation?type=powerpoint
22. http:
//www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/yess4-jeanbaptiste-lagrange-presentation?type=powerpoint
26. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/yess-4-laurinda-brown-presentation?type=powerpoint
27. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/yess-4-laurinda-brown-presentation?type=powerpoint
31. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/yess-4-gnter-trner-presentation?type=powerpoint
32. http://www.slideshare.net/cartoni21/yess-4-gnter-trner-presentation?type=powerpoint
34. http://slideshare.net/tag/edumate
Updates on the major journals (2008-10-09 10:55)
I have written a lot about new articles that have been published in the major journals lately, but not so much about
updates on new issues of these journals. Here is an overview of some of the latest news from the major journals:
[1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has released the October issue of this year, with a special focus on "The
role and use of examples in mathematics education". The articles in the issue include:
[2]Intuitive nonexamples: the case of triangles, by Pessia Tsamir, Dina Tirosh and Esther Levenson
[3]Using learner generated examples to introduce new concepts, by Anne Watson and Steve Shipman
[4]Doctoral students` use of examples in evaluating and proving conjectures, by Lara Alcock and Matthew
Inglis
[5]Exemplifying denitions: a case of a square, by Rina Zazkis and Roza Leikin
[6]The purpose, design and use of examples in the teaching of elementary mathematics, by Tim Rowland
[7]Characteristics of teachers` choice of examples in and for the mathematics classroom, by Iris Zodik and
Orit Zaslavsky
[8]Shedding light on and with example spaces, by Paul Goldenberg and John Mason
[9]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has released the [10]September issue with the following highlights:
[11]How can research be used to inform and improve mathematics teaching practice? by Anne D. Cockburn
[12]Promoting student collaboration in a detracked, heterogeneous secondary mathematics classroom, by
Megan E. Staples
[13]Using a video-based curriculum to develop a reective stance in prospective mathematics teachers, by
Shari L. Stockero
[14]What makes a problem mathematically interesting? Inviting prospective teachers to pose better prob-
lems, by Sandra Crespo and Nathalie Sinclair
[15]Mathematical preparation of elementary teachers in China: changes and issues, by Yeping Li, Dongchen
Zhao, Rongjin Huang and Yunpeng Ma
[16]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education has released the [17]September issue of this year
with the following articles:
[18]Effects of advance organiser strategy during instruction on secondary school students` mathematics
achievement in Kenya`s Nakuru district, by Bernard N. Githua and Rachel Angela Nyabwa
[19]Examining Reective Thinking: A Study of Changes in Methods Students` Conceptions and Under-
standings of Inquiry Teaching, by Jing-Ru Wang and Sheau-Wen Lin
[20]Following Young Students` Understanding of Three Phenomena in which Transformations of Matter
Occur, by Lena Lfgren and Gustav Helldn
[21]Secondary School Students` Construction and Use of Mathematical Models in Solving Word Problems,
by Salvador Llinares and Ana Isabel Roig
[22]Cognitive Incoherence of Students Regarding the Establishment of Universality of Propositions through
Experimentation/Measurement, by Mikio Miyazaki
[23]Differentials in Mathematics Achievement among Eighth-Grade Students in Malaysia, by Noor Azina
Ismail and Halimah Awang
[24]THAI GRADE 10 AND 11 STUDENTS` UNDERSTANDING OF STOICHIOMETRY AND RE-
LATED CONCEPTS, by Chanyah Dahsah and Richard Kevin Coll
[25]The Inquiry Laboratory as a Source for Development of Metacognitive Skills, by Mira Kipnis and Avi
Hofstein
Otherwise, [26]For the learning of mathematics has released issue 2 of this year.
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k1v42u65733162j5/?p=
2636a4aeac95439cb2da466eaccd6832&pi=1
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/t7141073pv78678q/?p=
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b087p3576641u33t/?p=
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/p74j3nn8g7j53037/?p=
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j8726k100554g5n0/?p=
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/e380734g7t8v84r2/?p=
8. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f38271072t9n4104/?p=
9. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=c8c92f732da84dd390929b0bb5ac0de8&pi=0
10. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/r0274427625g/?p=93d5e78c37be40ddbfd85cc3c7925f98&pi=0
832435d863284837b62b3564bc4a99dc&pi=0
12. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/810420rx00780882/?p=
832435d863284837b62b3564bc4a99dc&pi=1
13. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/0ut1m74001u1754h/?p=
832435d863284837b62b3564bc4a99dc&pi=2
14. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c404x37187h1811w/?p=
832435d863284837b62b3564bc4a99dc&pi=3
15. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m5567889470521mh/?p=
832435d863284837b62b3564bc4a99dc&pi=4
16. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=483e44a63c424445a1a0b3144bca728a&pi=0
17. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/p5642572287j/?p=3948301a2d5043258998a987a04ca1bf&pi=0
2d128118cf544e1fa18924f60d402b04&pi=0
19. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j0868x67t216n24k/?p=
2d128118cf544e1fa18924f60d402b04&pi=1
20. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/642135m0688225p5/?p=
2d128118cf544e1fa18924f60d402b04&pi=2
2d128118cf544e1fa18924f60d402b04&pi=3
22. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y5v212456r344117/?p=
2d128118cf544e1fa18924f60d402b04&pi=4
23. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/087930541h73u111/?p=
2d128118cf544e1fa18924f60d402b04&pi=5
24. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/35281870u068w20k/?p=2d128118cf544e1fa18924f60d402b04&pi=
6
25. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l707572213313k11/?p=2d128118cf544e1fa18924f60d402b04&pi=
7
26. http://flm.educ.ualberta.ca/
BSHM Bulletin (2008-10-13 08:08)
The [1]third issue of [2]BSHM Bulletin: Journal of the British Society for the History of Mathematics has been
published. It contains several interesting articles:
[3]Ancient accounting in the modern mathematics classroom, by Kathleen Clark and Eleanor Robson
[4]The inuence of Amatino Manucci and Luca Pacioli, by Fenny Smith
[5]A teaching module on the history of public-key cryptography and RSA, by Uffe Thomas Jankvist
[6]The history of symmetry and the asymmetry of history, by Peter M. Neumann
[7]A mathematical walk in Surrey, by Simon R. Blackburn
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Econtent=g903561292%7Edb=all?jumptype=
alert&alerttype=new_issue_alert,email
The emergence of women (2008-10-13 08:10)
Fulvia Furinghetti has written an article about [1]The emergence of women on the international stage of mathe-
matics education. This article was published online in [2]ZDM last week. The article has a particular focus on
women in the history of ICMI. Here is the article abstract:
In this article, I consider the history of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction
(ICMI) from its inception until the International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME) held
in 1969. In this period, mathematics education developed as a scientic discipline. My aim is to
study the presence and the contribution of women (if any) in this development. ICMI was founded in
1908, but my history starts before then, at the end of the nineteenth century, when the process of in-
ternationalization of mathematics began, thanks to the rst International Congress of Mathematicians.
Already in those years, the need for internationalizing the debate on mathematics teaching was spread-
ing throughout the mathematical community. I use as my main sources of information the didactics
sections in the proceedings of the International Congresses of Mathematicians and the proceedings of
the rst ICME. The data collected are complemented with information from the editorial board of two
journals that for different reasons are linked to ICMI: LÈnseignement Mathmatique and Educational
Studies in Mathematics. In particular, as a result of my analyses, I have identied four women who
may be considered as pioneer women in mathematics education. Some biographical notes on their
professional life are included in the paper.
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=bd7d08c9c258431ab07f9c8017130192&pi=0
Secondary mathematics teachers pedagogical content knowledge (2008-10-13 08:17)
Stefan Krauss, Jrgen Baumert and Werner Blum have written an article entitled [1]Secondary mathematics teach-
ers` pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge: validation of the COACTIV constructs. The article
(which is an Open Access article!) was published online in [2]ZDM last week. This is a very interesting article,
which gives a nice contribution to the eld of research related to teachers knowledge. It builds upon the framework
of Shulman, and it gives a nice overview of these theories, as well as an overview of some of the other research
projects that have been contributing to this eld (like the study of Ball, Hill, Schilling et al. in Michigan). Here is
Research interest in the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers has grown considerably
in recent years. In the COACTIV project, tests of secondary mathematics teachers` pedagogical con-
tent knowledge (PCK) and content knowledge (CK) were developed and implemented in a sample of
teachers whose classes participated in the PISA 2003/04 longitudinal assessment in Germany. The
present article investigates the validity of the COACTIV constructs of PCK and CK. To this end, the
COACTIV tests of PCK and CK were administered to various 'contrast populations, namely, can-
didate mathematics teachers, mathematics students, teachers of biology and chemistry, and advanced
school students. The hypotheses for each population`s performance in the PCK and CK tests were
formulated and empirically tested. In addition, the article compares the COACTIV approach with
related conceptualizations and ndings of two other research groups.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/t86vvlh11481tv82/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=247ac3accc1045c88b7c1edffd7a0b53&pi=0
Do we all have multicreative potential? (2008-10-13 08:20)
Ronald A. Beghetto and James C. Kaufman have written an article in [1]ZDM that was published on Friday. The
article is entitled [2]Do we all have multicreative potential? and it deals with the issue of creativity and multicre-
ativity. Here is the abstract of the article:
Are only certain people destined to be multicreativecapable of unique and meaningful contribu-
tions across unrelated domains? In this article, we argue that all students have multicreative potential.
We discuss this argument in light of different conceptions of creativity and assert that the likelihood
of expressing multicreative potential varies across levels of creativity (most likely at smaller-c levels
of creativity; least likely at professional and eminent levels of creativity). We close by offering con-
siderations for how math educators might nurture the multicreative potential of their students.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=b904c35011be4cf78fa6d0b4ddab2f42&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c10u766xk147770h/
Is there a crisis in maths education (2008-10-14 07:11)
Brendan Goldsmith, Professor at [1]Dublin Institute of Technology has written an interesting article about [2]the
crisis in maths education in Ireland. This article was published under the "Opinion" section of [3]Trinity News.ie.
The introduction deals with what a Dublin paper referred to as a crisis, where more than 20 percent of the students
had failed mathematics when the "Leaving Certicate" results were published. A quick review of Professor Gold-
smith revealed that the crisis was more severe on the newspapers side:
A quick read revealed that it wasn`t. The correct failure rate was 10.2 percent, but the error made
by the journalist, and presumably approved by the editor, was perhaps more revealing about the true
position of mathematics nationally. They reasoned that since 4.5 percent of students had failed the
higher level paper, 5.7 percent had failed the foundation level and 12.3 percent had failed the ordinary
level paper, it must follow that 4.5 + 5.7 + 12.3 = 22.5 percent of students had failed mathematics.
The enormity of such an error and its ability to reach the front page illustrates clearly that many of us
are functionally innumerate.
The article further gives a nice insight into the situation for mathematics education in Ireland, and although it is
more of a news article than a scientic paper, it might be worth reading.
1. http://www.dit.ie/index.html
2. http://www.trinitynews.ie/index.php/opinion/editorial/
201-is-there-a-crisis-in-maths-education-or-not
3. http://www.trinitynews.ie/
Rationals and decimals (2008-10-15 08:05)
Guy Brousseau, Nadine Brousseau and Virginia Wareld have written an article called [1]Rationals and decimals
as required in the school curriculum Part 3. Rationals and decimals as linear functions. The article was published
in [2]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior a few days ago. Here is the abstract of the article:
In the late seventies, Guy Brousseau set himself the goal of verifying experimentally a theory he
had been building up for a number of years. The theory, consistent with what was later named (non-
radical) constructivism, was that children, in suitable carefully arranged circumstances, can build their
own knowledge of mathematics. The experiment, carried out by a team of researchers and teachers
that included his wife, Nadine, in classrooms at the cole Jules Michelet, was to teach all of the mate-
rial on rational and decimal numbers required by the national programme with a carefully structured,
tightly woven and interdependent sequence of 'situations. This article describes and discusses the
third portion of that experiment.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4TN5MH1-1&_user=1460901&_
66060d1d0706283caa079c888716999a
A DNR perspective on mathematics curriculum and instruction (2008-10-16 09:15)
Guershon Harel has written an article called [1]A DNR perspective on mathematics curriculum and instruction.
Part II: with reference to teacher`s knowledge base, which was published online in [2]ZDM on Tuesday this week.
In this article, Harel touches upon many interesting issues concerning the teaching and learning of mathematics.
Two questions are on the mind of many mathematics educators; namely: What is the mathematics
that we should teach in school? and how should we teach it? This is the second in a series of two
papers addressing these fundamental questions. The rst paper (Harel, 2008a) focuses on the rst
question and this paper on the second. Collectively, the two papers articulate a pedagogical stance
oriented within a theoretical framework called DNR-based instruction in mathematics. The relation
of this paper to the topic of this Special Issue is that it denes the concept of teacher`s knowledge
base and illustrates with authentic teaching episodes an approach to its development with mathemat-
ics teachers. This approach is entailed from DNR`s premises, concepts, and instructional principles,
which are also discussed in this paper.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/jkk11glq8x820571/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=284ffb5ca53347e780506ef1eca6b3ab&pi=0
Mathematics learning and aesthetic production (2008-10-16 09:18)
Herbert Gerstberger has written an interesting article about the connection between [1]Mathematics learning and
aesthetic production. In the article, he introduces several interesting aspects concerning aesthetics, arts, metaphor,
semiotics, etc. The article was published online in [2]ZDM, two days ago. Here is the article abstract:
Some teaching projects in which the learning of mathematics was combined with mainly theatrical
productions are reported on. They are related and opposed to an approach of drama in education by
Pesci and the proposals of Sinclair for mathematics teaching and beauty. The analysis is based on the
distinction between aesthetics as related to beauty or as related to sensual perception. The usefulness
of concepts of model and metaphor for the understanding of aesthetic representations of mathematical
subject matter is examined. It is claimed that the Peircean concept of the interpretant contributes to
a concise analytical approach. The pedagogical attitude is committed to a balanced relationship of
scientic and aesthetic values.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/2n355w170tl3101n/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=30b1ab0daced4555b38b8102f1ca9101&pi=0
Teachers perceptions of assessments (2008-10-16 09:22)
Michelle T. Chamberlin, Jeff D. Farmer and Jodie D. Novak have written an article called [1]Teachers` perceptions
of assessments of their mathematical knowledge in a professional development course. The article was published
online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education a couple of days ago. Here is the abstract:
The purpose of the project reported in this article was to evaluate how assessing teachers` mathe-
matical knowledge within a professional development course impacted from the teachers` perspective
their learning and their experience with the course. The professional development course consisted
of a 2-week summer institute and the content focus was geometry. We had decided to assess the
mathematical learning of the teachers during this professional development course for various ac-
countability reasons, but were concerned about possible negative by-products of this decision on the
teachers and their participation. Thus, we worked to design assessment in ways that we hoped would
minimize negative impacts and maintain a supportive learning environment. In addition, we undertook
this evaluation to examine the impacts of the assessment, which included homework, quizzes, various
projects, and an examination for program evaluation. Seventeen grade 59 teachers enrolled in the
course participated in the study by completing written reections and by describing their experiences
in interviews. We learned that while our original intent was 'to do no harm, the teachers reported
that their learning was enhanced by the assessment. The article concludes by describing the various
properties of the assessments that the teachers identied as contributing to their learning of the geom-
etry content, many of which align with current recommendations for assessing and evaluating grade
K-16 mathematics students.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/e3188631j55t1843/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=db290ccb8b1942eba712b4400de41bd6&pi=0
Mathematical knowledge for teaching (2008-10-16 09:31)
Jason Silverman and Patrick W. Thompson have written an interesting article entitled [1]Toward a framework
for the development of mathematical knowledge for teaching. This article was published online in [2]Journal of
Mathematics Teacher Education on October 14. In the article, they draw upon the research that has been done in
the area of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT), and they try to navigate towards a framework for this.
Silverman and Thompson present a framework that is "not only informed by the work of mathematics teaching,
but also a developmental trajectory for mathematics learning and the learning sciences" (from their concluding
comments).
Here is the abstract of their article:
Shulman (1986, 1987) coined the term pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to address what at
that time had become increasingly evidentthat content knowledge itself was not sufcient for teach-
ers to be successful. Throughout the past two decades, researchers within the eld of mathematics
teacher education have been expanding the notion of PCK and developing more ne-grained con-
ceptualizations of this knowledge for teaching mathematics. One such conceptualization that shows
promise is mathematical knowledge for teachingmathematical knowledge that is specically useful
in teaching mathematics. While mathematical knowledge for teaching has started to gain attention as
an important concept in the mathematics teacher education research community, there is limited under-
standing of what it is, how one might recognize it, and how it might develop in the minds of teachers.
In this article, we propose a framework for studying the development of mathematical knowledge for
teaching that is grounded in research in both mathematics education and the learning sciences.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/604p402lw2567373/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=6519f5e6f1184333883f99136fcf4d5f&pi=0
Teachers goals in spreadsheet-based lessons (2008-10-16 09:34)
Jean-Baptiste Lagrange and Emel Ozdemir Erdogan have written an article called [1]Teachers` emergent goals in
spreadsheet-based lessons: analyzing the complexity of technology integration, which was published in [2]Educa-
tional Studies in Mathematics on Tuesday. Here is the abstract of the article:
We examine teachers` classroom activities with the spreadsheet, focusing especially on episodes
marked by improvisation and uncertainty. The framework is based on Saxe`s cultural approach to
cognitive development. The study considers two teachers, one positively disposed towards classroom
use of technology, and the other not, both of them experienced and in a context in which spreadsheet
use was compulsory: a new curriculum in France for upper secondary non-scientic classes. The
paper presents and contrasts the two teachers in view of Saxe`s parameters, and analyzes their activity
in two similar lessons. Goals emerging in these lessons show how teachers deal with instrumented
techniques and the milieu under the inuence of cultural representations. The conclusion examines
the contribution that the approach and the ndings can bring to understanding technology integration
in other contexts, especially teacher education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/5380854g85002684/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=f4508de2804241979423190c9816679f&pi=0
From arithmetical thought to algebraic thought (2008-10-20 08:32)
Elsa Malisani and Filippo Spagnolo have written an article called [1]From arithmetical thought to algebraic
thought: The role of the 'variable. This article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathemat-
ics last week. Here is the article abstract:
The introduction of the concept of the variable represents a critical point in the arith-
meticalgebraic transition. This concept is complex because it is used with different meanings in
different situations. Its management depends on the particular way of using it in problem-solving.
The aim of this paper was to analyse whether the notion of 'unknown interferes with the inter-
pretation of the variable 'in functional relation and the kinds of languages used by the students in
problem-solving. We also wanted to study the concept of the variable in the process of translation
from algebraic language into natural language. We present two experimental studies. In the rst one,
we administered a questionnaire to 111 students aged 1619 years. Drawing on the conclusions of
this research we carried out the second study with two pairs of students aged 1617 years.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/4m4h3269438552v6/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=00e7ff7e306742b5aefcf11cc3a42240&pi=0
Seminar with Sean Delaney (2008-10-20 10:52)
Thursday and Friday last week, we had an interesting seminar at [1]University of Stavanger with [2]Sen Delaney
from [3]Marino Institute of Education, Ireland. The seminar had four themes, all within the topic of mathematical
knowledge for teaching (MKT):
1. Overview of research on teacher knowledge, with reference to pupil attainment
2. Studying the mathematical work of teaching in order to evaluate construct equivalence of the teacher knowl-
edge measures in new settings
3. Using the mathematical quality of instruction to validate the multiple-choice measures of teacher knowledge
4. Issues related to translation and cultural adaptation of measures
Sen Delaney has been part of the Learning Mathematics for Teaching ([4]LMT) Project at [5]University of Michi-
gan, and he nished his PhD earlier this year. His thesis was entitled Adapting and using U.S. measures to study
Irish teachers mathematical knowledge for teaching, and he had [6]Deborah Ball as his main supervisor. In the
June issue of [7]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, an article about the pilot phase of Delaneys study was
published:
Delaney, S., Ball, D., Hill, H., Schilling, S., and Zopf, D. (2008). [8]'Mathematical knowledge for teaching:
adapting U.S. measures for use in Ireland. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 1(3):171-197.
1. http://www.uis.no/
2. http://www.mie.ie/staff/sdelaney/
3. http://www.mie.ie/
5. http://www.umich.edu/
6. http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Edball/
7. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=477f318360634ecb8ac269af6e3b1683&pi=0
8. http://www.springerlink.com/content/t46066428r673730/
IEJME, October 2008 (2008-10-22 14:30)
The October issue of [1]International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education has been published. It has the
following articles (links to the article abstracts):
[2]Do You Want Me to Do It with Probability or with My Normal Thinking? Horizontal and Vertical Views
on the Formation of Stochastic Conceptions, by Susanne Prediger, Germany
[3]Teachers` Perceptions of Mathematics Content Knowledge Assessments in Professional Development
Courses, by Michelle T. Chamberlin, Robert A. Powers and Jodie D. Novak, USA
[4]Mathematics Anxiety Among 4th And 5th Grade Turkish Elementary School Students, by Fulya Yksel-
âhin, Trkiye
[5]A Comparison of Placement in First-Year University Mathematics Courses Using Paper and Online Ad-
ministration of a Placement Test, by Phyllis A. Schumacher and Richard M. Smith, USA
[6]Senior Student Teachers` Understanding of Relations Between Function, Equation, and Polynomial Con-
cepts as Conceptual Knowledge, Danyal Soybas, Y1lmaz Aksoy and Hayri Akay, Trkiye
MTL, Volume 10 Issue 4 2008 (2008-10-23 07:19)
[1]Issue 4 of [2]Mathematical Thinking and Learning has been published with the following main articles:
[3]Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions: Five Practices for Helping Teachers Move Beyond
Show and Tell, by Mary Kay Stein, Randi A. Engle, Margaret S. Smith and Elizabeth K. Hughes
[4]Picture Books as an Impetus for Kindergartners Mathematical Thinking, Marja van den Heuvel-
Panhuizen and Sylvia van den Boogaard
[5]Mathematics Teaching and Learning as a Mediating Process: The Case of Tape Diagrams, by Aki Murata
Knowledge and condence of pre-service mathematics teachers (2008-10-23 14:11)
Yeping Li and Gerald Kulm have written an interesting article that was published in [1]ZDM on Tuesday. The
article is entitled [2]Knowledge and condence of pre-service mathematics teachers: the case of fraction division.
To make teacher preparation and professional development effective, it is important to nd out
possible deciencies in teachers` knowledge as well as teachers` own perceptions about their needs.
By focusing on pre-service teachers` knowledge of fraction division in this article, we conceptualize
the notion of pre-service teachers` knowledge in mathematics and pedagogy for teaching as containing
both teachers` perceptions of their preparation and their mathematics knowledge needed for teaching.
With specic assessment instruments developed for pre-service middle school teachers, we focus on
both pre-service teachers` own perceptions about their knowledge preparation and the extent of their
mathematics knowledge on the topic of fraction division. The results reveal a wide gap between
sampled pre-service middle school teachers` general perceptions/condence and their limited mathe-
matics knowledge needed for teaching fraction division conceptually. The results suggest that these
pre-service teachers need to develop a sound and deep understanding of mathematics knowledge for
teaching in order to build their condence for classroom instruction. The study`s ndings indicate
the feasibility and importance of conceptualizing the notion of teachers` knowledge in mathematics
and pedagogy for teaching to include teachers` perceptions. The applicability and implications of this
expanded notion of teachers` knowledge is then discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=b843c1451b8a4add9e70bbc652e105cb&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/gj273775xhq242j8/
Estimating Iraqi deaths (2008-10-23 14:16)
Brian Greers article, which was published in [1]ZDM two days ago, surely has an interesting title: [2]Estimating
Iraqi deaths: a case study with implications for mathematics education. The focus of this article is also interesting:
In this paper, I present an account of attempts to quantify deaths of Iraqis during the occupation
by US and other forces since the invasion of March 2003, and of the reactions to these attempts. This
story illuminates many aspects of current socio-political reality, particularly, but by no means exclu-
sively, in the United States. Here, these aspects are selectively discussed in relation to the overarching
themes of what the story illuminates about the uses of statistical information in society and about
shortcomings in mathematics education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=3c28e2fc229f4f279cf57ac79e22b15f&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/05u68441n42u4u4g/
ESM, November issue (2008-10-27 15:26)
The [1]November issue of [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics has arrived. It contains the following articles:
[3]Abstraction and consolidation of the limit procept by means of instrumented schemes: the complementary
role of three different frameworks, by Ivy Kidron
[4]Students` images and their understanding of denitions of the limit of a sequence, by Kyeong Hah Roh
[5]Deductive reasoning: in the eye of the beholder, by Michal Ayalon and Ruhama Even
[6]Signifying 'students, 'teachers and 'mathematics: a reading of a special issue, by Tony Brown
[7]On semiotics and subjectivity: a response to Tony Brown`s 'signifying 'students`, 'teachers`, and 'mathe-
matics`: a reading of a special issue, by Norma Presmeg and Luis Radford
[8]Review of the proceedings of the 2001, 2003 and 2005 French summer schools in Didactics of Mathe-
matics, by Rudolf Strer
[9]Brian Grifths (19272008) his pioneering contributions to mathematics and education, by Keith Jones
and Joanna Mamona-Downs
1. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/h1k01313778l/?p=09c5f866c4e742e88fcfd2538e0f5685&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/76438302241740q8/?p=
e69b691740424a638e93b9f14b0e3a09&pi=1
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/r08p62229u377k24/?p=
e69b691740424a638e93b9f14b0e3a09&pi=2
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/upp71l6g53564625/?p=
e69b691740424a638e93b9f14b0e3a09&pi=3
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x51838k6367w416g/?p=
e69b691740424a638e93b9f14b0e3a09&pi=4
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/81747812kh107356/?p=
e69b691740424a638e93b9f14b0e3a09&pi=5
8. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/t3813327gkg01hlt/?p=
e69b691740424a638e93b9f14b0e3a09&pi=6
9. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/ar4l61l229443264/?p=
e69b691740424a638e93b9f14b0e3a09&pi=7
JMTE, November 2008 (2008-10-27 15:34)
The [1]November issue of [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has been published, and it contains the
following set of articles:
[3]Education for the knowledge to teach mathematics: it all has to come together, by Peter Sullivan
[4]Teachers` perceptions of assessments of their mathematical knowledge in a professional development
course, by Michelle T. Chamberlin, Jeff D. Farmer and Jodie D. Novak
[5]Learning mathematics for teaching in the student teaching experience: two contrasting cases, by Blake E.
Peterson and Steven R. Williams
[6]Mathematical belief change in prospective primary teachers, by Peter Grootenboer
[7]Toward a framework for the development of mathematical knowledge for teaching, by Jason Silverman
and Patrick W. Thompson
Personally, I nd this issue particularly interesting, as it has a strong focus on mathematical content knowledge as
well as beliefs. These are the main focus areas of my own research as well. I especially nd the article by Silver-
man and Thompson interesting, and their attempt to approach a framework for the development of mathematical
knowledge for teaching provides a nice overview of the research that has been done after Lee Shulman presented
his ideas about Pedagogical Content Knowledge.
1. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/m51r107v6423/?p=5003c35cce534243a442c4149e51d2d7&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=231440c1c0bb488b9e1e3400f20b73f4&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x4462h04u5451667/?p=
a6913602980644bb859418d34e138647&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/e3188631j55t1843/?p=
a6913602980644bb859418d34e138647&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m12t03504w284359/?p=
a6913602980644bb859418d34e138647&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/64107p4823u8760q/?p=
a6913602980644bb859418d34e138647&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/604p402lw2567373/?p=
a6913602980644bb859418d34e138647&pi=4
ZDM, November 2008 (2008-10-27 15:44)
Along with Educational Studies in Mathematics and Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, [1]ZDM has also
recently published their [2]November issue of this year. This issue contains a long list of interesting articles:
[3]Mathematics education: new perspectives on gender, by Gilah Leder and Helen Forgasz
[4]Moving towards a feminist epistemology of mathematics, by Leone Burtonf
[5]The emergence of women on the international stage of mathematics education, by Fulvia Furinghetti
[6]Israeli Jewish and Arab students` gendering of mathematics, by Helen J. Forgasz and David Mittelberg
[7]Gender, technology and attitude towards mathematics: a comparative longitudinal study with Mexican
students, by Sonia Ursini and Gabriel Snchez
[8]On the role of computers and complementary situations for gendering in mathematics classrooms, by
Helga Jungwirth
[9]Exploring gender factors related to PISA 2003 results in Iceland: a youth interview study, by Olof Bjorg
Steinthorsdottir and Bharath Sriraman
[10]Gender differences in the mathematics achievements of German primary school students: results from
a German large-scale study, by Henrik Winkelmann, Marja van den Heuvel-Panhuizen and Alexander Rob-
itzsch
[11]Adolescent girls` construction of moral discourses and appropriation of primary identity in a mathemat-
ics classroom, by Jae Hoon Lim
[12]Images of mathematicians: a new perspective on the shortage of women in mathematical careers, by
Katrina Piatek-Jimenez
[13]Equity in mathematics education: unions and intersections of feminist and social justice literature, by
Laura Jacobsen Spielman
[14]Progress and stagnation of gender equity: contradictory trends within mathematics research and educa-
tion in Sweden, by Gerd Brandell
[15]Gender in mathematics relationality: counseling underprepared college students, by Jillian M. Knowles
[16]Stepping beyond high school mathematics: a case study of high school women, by Charlene Morrow
and Inga Schowengerdt
[17]Goos, Stillman and Vale: teaching secondary mathematics: research and practice for the 21st century,
by Gaye Williams
The theme of this issue is: Mathematics Education: New Perspectives on Gender.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=08cdf90b6147422cb25f3bc502c9aafc&pi=0
2. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/j5824x8m7420/?p=920f39c927f641e9b362082d9308f237&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/4446r1067qv4m388/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/pn6300306jj766m1/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/2521683637810817/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=2
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n1w677x51226762j/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w75642722102h144/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n5154646268l4874/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u177240657544832/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=7
11. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/pl71327410457783/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=8
12. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j480476u75rk8683/?p=
1d197e2216934b13bfb590a5787d6afb&pi=9
13. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y2581831112645w5/?p=
48b6588ba8d943e8925924581e80edcd&pi=10
14. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x5012434227r00ux/?p=
48b6588ba8d943e8925924581e80edcd&pi=11
15. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/8135383138g2n024/?p=
48b6588ba8d943e8925924581e80edcd&pi=12
16. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/22k24236701un010/?p=
48b6588ba8d943e8925924581e80edcd&pi=13
17. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/d210190001334551/?p=
48b6588ba8d943e8925924581e80edcd&pi=14
Measuring quality of mathematics teaching in early childhood (2008-10-28 08:37)
Carolyn R. Kilday and Mable B. Kinzie have written an article called [1]An Analysis of Instruments that Measure
the Quality of Mathematics Teaching in Early Childhood. This article was published online in [2]Early Childhood
Education Journal on Friday. A starting point for this article (both authors work at the University of Virginia, in the
U.S.) is that "the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008) has recently called for more research to determine
the skills and practices underlying teacher effectiveness, and on methods for developing this capacity". The article
gives an interesting overview of some of the major instruments for evaluating and measuring teaching quality in
the U.S. Here is the abstract of the article:
The evaluation of teaching quality in mathematics has become increasingly important following re-
search reports indicating that preschoolers are developmentally able to engage in mathematic thought
and that child performance in mathematics at this level is a strong predictor of later school achieve-
ment. As attention turns to early mathematics education, so too does the focus on teaching quality.
This paper reviews nine instruments designed to measure mathematics teaching qualitytheir theo-
retical bases, foci, and psychometricsand examines their appropriateness for administration in early
childhood settings. Three of the nine measures are identied as having highly desirable characteris-
tics, with one of them specically designed for early childhood administration. The measures, our
review process, and our recommendations for practice are presented. As school divisions and teacher
educators examine teaching quality, they will be better able to support their teachers` practice, and
better able to reap the benets in improved child outcomes.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/5n771l50062v334l/
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/105549/?p=7dd1fd942795469cbc0b2b2e33a99c90&pi=0
Whats all the fuss about gestures? (2008-10-28 08:41)
Over the last years, the focus on gestures in mathematics education research has been growing. Anna Sfard has
now written an article that was published in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics a couple of days ago. The
article has a focus on this particular eld of research, and it is entitled: [2]What`s all the fuss about gestures? A
commentary. Here is the abstract:
While reading the articles assembled in this volume, one cannot help asking Why gestures? What`s
all the fuss about them? In the last few years, the fuss is, indeed, considerable, and not just here, in
this special issue, but also in research on learning and teaching at large. What changed? After all,
gestures have been around ever since the birth of humanity, if not much longer, but until recently, not
many students of human cognition seemed to care. In this commentary, while reporting on what I saw
while scrutinizing this volume for an answer, I will share some thoughts on the relationship between
gesturing and speaking and about their relative roles in mathematical thinking.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=a00bb24778b24131b34cc43f509184e2&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k8v883836245p743/
Empirical research on mathematics teachers (2008-10-28 08:46)
Sigrid Blmeke, Gabriele Kaiser, Rainer Lehmann and William H. Schmidt have written an article that has been
entitled: [1]Introduction to the issue on Empirical research on mathematics teachers and their education. The arti-
cle was published in [2]ZDM some days ago. The article is without an abstract, and it appears to be the editorial
of the forthcoming issue of ZDM. This issue will have a main focus on results from the international comparative
study: "Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century (MT21)". So, it appears as if those of us who are interested
in the preparation of teachers, teacher education, teacher knowledge, etc. are up for an interesting next issue of
ZDM!
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/670n107h1x3r50qn/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=6e8d8df00ac14194a2ddfb5dbb11fa60&pi=0
Working with artefacts (2008-10-30 09:38)
Michela Maschietto and Maria G. Bartolini Bussi have written an article entitled [1]Working with artefacts: ges-
tures, drawings and speech in the construction of the mathematical meaning of the visual pyramid. The article was
published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics two days ago. Here is a copy of the abstract:
This paper reports a part of a study on the construction of mathematical meanings in terms of de-
velopment of semiotic systems (gestures, speech in oral and written form, drawings) in a Vygotskian
framework, where artefacts are used as tools of semiotic mediation. It describes a teaching experi-
ment on perspective drawing at primary school (fourth to fth grade classes), starting from a concrete
experience with a Drer`s glass to the interpretation of a new artefact. We analyse the long term pro-
cess of appropriation of the mathematical model of perspective drawing (visual pyramid) through the
development of gestures, speech and drawings under the teacher`s guidance.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/h027506142j37n0w/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=1807947e59df4e8abe81d0bf93150ee2&pi=0
Semi-virtual seminar in mathematics education (2008-10-30 09:40)
Matthias Ludwig, Wolfgang Mller and Binyan Xu have written an article about [1]A Sino-German semi-virtual
seminar in mathematics education. The article was recently published in [2]ZDM. Here is the abstract of their
article:
In summer 2006 the University of Education in Weingarten, Germany, and East China Normal
University, Shanghai, performed a semi-virtual seminar with mathematics students on 'Mathematics
and Architecture. The goal was the joint development of teaching materials for German or Chinese
school, based on different buildings such as 'Nanpu Bridge, or the 'Eiffel Tower. The purpose of
the seminar was to provide a learning environment for students supported by using information and
communication technology (ICT) to understand how the hidden mathematics in buildings should be
related to school mathematics; to experience the multicultural potential of the international language
'Mathematics; to develop 'media competence while communicating with others and using tech-
nologies in mathematics education; and to recognize the differences in teaching mathematics between
the two cultures. In this paper we will present our ideas, experiences and results from the seminar.
BlogBook 1.10. November
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/nn2660042q873g62/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=b1024bb70a6d47b1ac84e18ce443e111&pi=0
Mathematics assessment in East Asia (2008-10-30 09:45)
Frederick K.S. Leung from [1]The University of Hong Kong has written an article in [2]ZDM about assessment in
East Asia. [3]The article is entitled In the books there are golden houses: mathematics assessment in East Asia,
and it was published online on Tuesday. The paper is an adaption of a plenary lecture that Leung presented at the
[4]Third East Asian Regional Conference on Mathematics Education in Shanghai, August 2005. Here is the article
abstract:
In this paper, some fundamental issues on mathematics assessment and how they are related to the
underlying cultural values in East Asia are discussed. Features of the East Asian culture that impact
on mathematics assessment include the pragmatic nature of the culture, the social orientation of East
Asian people, and the lop-sided stress on the utilitarian function of education. East Asians stress the
algorithmic side of mathematics, and mathematics is viewed more as a set of techniques for calcu-
lation and problem solving. The notion of fairness in assessment is of paramount importance, and
there is a great trust in examination as a fair method of differentiating between the able and the less
able. The selection function of education and assessment has great impact on how mathematics is
taught, and assessment constitutes an extrinsic motivation which directs student learning. Finally, the
strengths and weaknesses of these East Asian values are discussed.
1. http://www.hku.hk/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=7f608080172b4077bfdca29b699bb6ba&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/7h84r00j76r71748/
4. http://math.ecnu.edu.cn/earcome3/
1.10 November
Creating optimal mathematics learning environments (2008-11-03 08:20)
Dionne I. Cross has written an article entitled [1]Creating optimal mathematics learning environments: Combining
argumentation and writing to enhance achievement. The article was recently published online in [2]International
Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. Here is a copy of the articles abstract:
The issue of mathematics underachievement among students has been an increasing international
concern over the last few decades. Research suggests that academic success can be achieved by focus-
ing on both the individual and social aspects of learning. Within the area of mathematics education,
the development of metacognitive skills and the incorporation of discourse in classroom instruction
has resulted in students having deeper conceptual understandings of the content and increased math-
ematical achievement. However, studies in this eld tend to focus on the effects of these practices
separately, making research that seeks to harness the potential of both quite rare. This paper reports
on a study that was aimed at addressing this gap in the literature by examining the effects of writing
and argumentation on achievement. Two hundred and eleven students and ve teachers participated
in this multimethod study that investigated the effects of three treatment conditions on mathematical
achievement. These conditions were writing alone, argumentation alone, and writing and argumenta-
tion combined. Analysis of covariance revealed signicant differences between the groups, and tests
of the contrasts showed that students who engaged in both argumentation and writing had greater
knowledge gains than students who engaged in argumentation alone or neither activity.
1.10. November BlogBook
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/8r4154x712r74165/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=214a9b4d160444289ffee739dba5fb93&pi=0
Using SmartBoard (2008-11-03 08:28)
Issic K.C. Leung has written an article about using SmartBoard. The article is entitled [1]Teaching and learning of
inclusive and transitive properties among quadrilaterals by deductive reasoning with the aid of SmartBoard, and it
was published online in [2]ZDM on Friday. Here is the abstract of the article:
Learning to identify Euclidean gures is an essential content of many elementary school geome-
try curricula. Students often learn to distinguish among quadrilaterals, for example, by categorizing
their geometric properties according to two attributes, namely the length of the edges and the size of
the interior angles. But knowing how to differentiate them based on their geometric properties does
not necessarily help students to develop the abstract concepts of the inclusive and transitive properties
among the quadrilaterals. With the aid of dynamic geometry multimedia software in SmartBoard (SB),
a kind of digital whiteboard (DWB), we enhanced the teaching and learning effectiveness by the effect
of 'animation-on-demand in classrooms. This is basically a dual delivery of geometric concepts by
texts, narrations and words accompanied by pictures, illustrations and animations. The preliminary
results of our study on 9-year-old students` performance in tests given after three such lessons show
that those students could differentiate with reasons why a square is a rhombus (inclusion) as well as a
parallelogram (transitivity).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/bx702642k31j47t1/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=29d528522a574b70aa73b014941dd62e&pi=0
JRME, November 2008 (2008-11-03 14:40)
The [1]November issue of [2]Journal for Research in Mathematics Education has been published, with the follow-
ing main articles:
[3]Access to Upper-Level Mathematics: The Stories of Successful African American Middle School Boys,
by Robert Q. Berry III
[4]Mapping Mathematics Classroom Discourse and Its Implications for Models of Teaching, by Mary P.
Truxaw and Thomas C. DeFranco
[5]The Effect of Schema-Based Instruction in Solving Mathematics Word Problems: An Emphasis on Pre-
algebraic Conceptualization of Multiplicative Relations, by Yan Ping Xin
[6]Review: A Trio of Strategies for Success: A Review of Mathematics Education at Highly Effective
Schools That Serve the Poor: Strategies for Change, by Joanne Rossi Becker
1. http://my.nctm.org/eresources/toc.asp?journal_id=1&Issue_id=886
Exploring Japanese teachers conception of mathematics lesson structure (2008-11-05 07:50)
Yoshinori Shimizu has written an article called [1]Exploring Japanese teachers` conception of mathematics lesson
structure: similarities and differences between pre-service and in-service teachers` lesson plans. The article was
published online in [2]ZDM on Saturday, and it will be one of the articles in a forthcoming issue on [3]An Asia Pa-
cic focus on mathematics classrooms. Japanese [4]Lesson Study has been known in the Western world for years.
It is normally recognized that the book of Jim Stigler and James Hiebert: [5]The teaching gap, rst introduced the
idea of lesson study to the West.
In this article, Shimizu analyzes the teachers conception of structure in mathematics lessons by focusing on their
lesson plans. Here is the abstract of the article:
The research reported in this paper explores teachers` conception of what mathematics lesson
structure is like by analyzing the lesson plans they wrote. Japanese in-service and pre-service teach-
ers (n = 246) were asked to produce a lesson plan for teaching the formula for nding the area of
a parallelogram. Organizations of planned lessons were analyzed in terms of the form and content
of steps/phases descriptions of them. Also, the multiplicity was analyzed of anticipated students` re-
sponses to the problem posed in the plans. The analysis revealed both similarities and differences
between lesson plans produced by the two groups of teachers. In particular, it was found that in-
service teachers tended to retain the description of the problem to be posed and the anticipation of
student responses in their lesson plans, while they abandoned other elements that they were trained
to write when they were pre-service teachers. The results suggest that these two elements constitute
the 'core of Japanese teachers` conception of lesson structure. Origins of these core elements are
discussed with a focus on the role of lesson plans as vehicles for examining and improving lessons in
Lesson Study.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/d83t5222p3711481/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=4b83a9937cd145d89c1198c3e195cec2&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m2650369r07723t7/
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesson_study
5. http://books.google.no/books?id=LMfLxeHXzpAC&q=the+teaching+gap&dq=the+teaching+gap&ei=
NDMRSbu7GJWszATx3ZWeDQ&pgis=1
Creativity and interdisciplinarity (2008-11-06 09:41)
Johathan Plucker and Dasha Zabelina have written an article in [1]ZDM called: [2]Creativity and interdisciplinar-
ity: one creativity or many creativities? The article was published online on Tuesday. Here is the abstract of the
article:
Psychologists and educators frequently debate whether creativity and problem solving are domain-
generalapplicable to all disciplines and tasksor domain-specictailored to specic disciplines
and tasks. In this paper, we briey review the major arguments for both positions, identify concep-
tual and empirical weaknesses of both perspectives, and describe two relatively new hybrid models
that attempt to address ways in which creativity and innovation are both domain-general and domain-
specic.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=7323e5ec1f5b4b5c94d5c32f70d3613e&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m7607j3722ww5014/
The decorative impulse (2008-11-06 09:44)
Swapna Mukhopadhyay has written an article entitled [1]The decorative impulse: ethnomathematics and Tlingit
basketry. The article was published online in [2]ZDM earlier this week. Here is the article abstract:
Pattern is a key element in both the esthetics of design and mathematics, one denition of which
is 'the study of all possible patterns. Thus, the geometric patterns that adorn cultural artifacts mani-
fest mathematical thinking in the artisans who create them, albeit their lack of 'formal mathematics
learning. In describing human constructions, Franz Boas afrmed that people, regardless of their eco-
nomic conditions, always have been engaged in activities that reveal their deeply held esthetic sense.
The Tlingit Indians from Sitka, Alaska, are known for their artistic endeavors. Art acionados and
museum collectors revere their baskets and other artifacts. Taking the approach of ethnomathematics,
I report my analysis of the complex geometrical patterns in Tlingit basketry.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c5g4x64q72312npk/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=b69f1684f2e44170b1a2bf8343d9b585&pi=0
Interdisciplinarity in mathematics education (2008-11-06 09:49)
Bharath Sriraman (the editor of The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast) has written the editorial to a forthcoming
issue of [1]ZDM. The leading idea of this special issue is that of interdisciplinarity, and Sriramans editorial is
entitled: [2]Interdisciplinarity in mathematics education: psychology, philosophy, aesthetics, modelling and cur-
riculum. This special issue (ZDM, vol. 41, nos 1 and 2) will be a double issue with 22 articles! Sriraman presents
some interesting numbers about the issue in his editorial, indicating that this is a somewhat special issue:
ZDM, vol 41, nos 1 and 2 = 3 International Symposia + 5 years of collaboration + 22 months of
planning + 44 reviewers + 3 rounds of reviews, revisions, commentaries, re-revisions + 24 authors +
1 idiosyncratic guest editor + 1,123 e-mail communications = 22 articles.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=f773dae4a42c46c3bd9321d4c9f31d19&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/vg6772846pgv8136/
PME 33 (2008-11-07 08:29)
[1]The next annual conference for the [2]International Group of Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME) is
going to be held in Thessaloniki, Greece. The conference will take place between July 19-24, 2009. The confer-
ence venues will be the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Macedonia. The theme of the
conference has been chosen to be: "In search for theories in Mathematics Education". Be sure to check the [3]list
of important dates, if you plan to attend. The next deadline to look out for is January 12, for those who plan to
submit research reports.
1. http://www.pme33.eu/pme33/index.php
2. http://www.igpme.org/
3. http://www.pme33.eu/pme33/index.php?page=dates
Content and pedagogical content knowledge in Germany and Hong Kong (2008-11-10 12:55)
Alexandra Corleis, Bjrn Schwarz, Gabriele Kaiser and Issic K.C. Leung have written an article called [1]Content
and pedagogical content knowledge in argumentation and proof of future teachers: a comparative case study in
Germany and Hong Kong. The article was published in [2]ZDM last week, and it provides an interesting compar-
ison between teachers in Germany and Hong Kong. Here is the article abstract:
The results of a comparative case study on mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge in
the area of argumentation and proof of future teachers in Germany and Hong Kong are reported in this
article. The study forms part of a qualitatively oriented comparative study on future teachers in Aus-
tralia, Germany, and Hong Kong. Six case studies based on interviews and written questionnaires are
described. These case studies show the strengths of the Hong Kong future teachers in mathematical
knowledge in the area of argumentation and proof, whereas the three German future teachers perform
stronger in the related pedagogical content domain. Furthermore, regarding the German future teach-
ers, it seems that the two domains of knowledge are more strongly connected to each other. The results
are interpreted in the light of related research, such as the MT21 study.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w256467701q1jtv7/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=cbcd8cbd615d4ea784a401300442872a&pi=0
Future teachers professional knowledge on argumentation and proof (2008-11-10 12:58)
Bjrn Schwarz, Issic K.C. Leung, Nils Buchholtz, Gabriele Kaiser, Gloria Stillman, Jill Brown and Colleen Vale
have written an article about [1]Future teachers` professional knowledge on argumentation and proof: a case
study from universities in three countries, which was also published online in [2]ZDM last week. It appears that
a forthcoming issue of ZDM will have a strong focus on teacher education and teachers mathematical content
knowledge!
In this paper, qualitative results of a case study about the professional knowledge in the area of
argumentation and proof of future teachers from universities in three countries are described. Based
on results of open questionnaires, data about the competencies these future teachers have in the ar-
eas of mathematical knowledge and knowledge of mathematics pedagogy are presented. The study
shows that the majority of the future teachers at the participating universities situated in Germany,
Hong Kong and Australia, were not able to execute formal proofs, requiring only lower secondary
mathematical content, in an adequate and mathematically correct way. In contrast, in all samples
there was evidence of at least average competencies of pedagogical content reection about formal
and pre-formal proving in mathematics teaching. However, it appears that possessing a mathematical
background as mandated for teaching and having a high afnity with proving in mathematics teaching
at the lower secondary level are not a sufcient preparation for teaching proof.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/d877417l2748h474/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=b2fc20daa8bd4270a9770294c1f10320&pi=0
Diagnostic competentces of future teachers (2008-11-10 13:00)
Bjrn Schwarz, Bjrn Wissmach and Gabriele Kaiser have written an article entitled [1]'Last curves not quite
correct: diagnostic competences of future teachers with regard to modelling and graphical representations. The
article was published online in [2]ZDM last week. Here is the abstract of their article:
The article describes the results of a national enrichment to the six-country study Mathemat-
ics Teaching in the 21st century (MT21)an international comparative study about the efciency
of teacher education. The enrichment focuses on the diagnostic competence of future mathematics
teachers as sub-component of teachers` professional competence for which the evaluation of students`
solutions of a modelling task about the course of a racetrack is demanded. In connection with two
sub-facets of the diagnostic competence, namely the competence to recognise students` misconcep-
tions and the competence of criteria-guided assessment of students` solutions, typical answer patterns
are distinguished as well as the frequency of their occurrence with regard to future teachers` phase of
teacher education and the level of school teaching they are going to teach in.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l5g383n08p669443/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=33707da3afc942fcb7802d2dcb4105df&pi=0
Interdisciplinary instruction (2008-11-11 09:52)
Claus Michelsen and Bharath Sriraman have written an article called [1]Does interdisciplinary instruction raise
students` interest in mathematics and the subjects of the natural sciences? The article was published online in
[2]ZDM on Sunday. Here is the abstract of their article:
This article presents the research project IFUN (the acronym IFUN refers to Interesse og Fagov-
erskrindende Undervisning i Naturvidenskab and Interesse und Fcherbergreifender Unterricht in
den Naturwisseschaften which is Danish and German, respectively, for Interest and Interdisciplinary
Instruction in Science and Mathematics)Interest and Interdisciplinary Instruction in Science (we
use the term science as a common denominator for the subjects of physics, chemistry and biology)
and Mathematics. The aim of the project was to investigate on how upper secondary students` inter-
est in the subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology might be improved by increased
instructional interplay and integration between the subjects. The individual student`s interests in inter-
disciplinary domains of mathematics and science are studied within a three-dimensional framework:
(1) the student`s interest in a particular interdisciplinary domain of mathematics and science. (2) The
characteristics of a specic learning setting that causes a situational interest in the topic and promotes
and supports a shift from catching interest to holding interest. (3) The student`s afliation with and
valuation of mathematics and science. We present the main results from an interest study conducted
with a 147 item Likert questionnaire administered to 255 grade 11 students. The results of the study
show that students have a high interest in mathematics and are positive towards interdisciplinary in-
struction. When it comes to the individual student`s afliation with and valuation of mathematics and
science, the study shows that future studies and careers play an important role. We conclude that the
results indicate it is possible to expand interest in one subject to another subject through interdisci-
plinary instruction.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/rm51303782085n61/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=65a4fd46f3b14c79aee7485b0d268aeb&pi=0
ICMI newsletter, No 6, 2008 (2008-11-12 10:48)
The [1]October version of the ICMI newsletter has been sent to the subscribers mailboxes. If you do not subscribe
to the newsletter, you can nd a [2]complete archive here. Here is a copy of the table of contents:
CONTENTS
1. Editorial: About the ICMI Studies and a Call For Proposals
2. Symposium Celebrating the Centennial of the ICMI
3. Proceedings of the Symposium Celebrating the Centennial of the ICMI
4. ICTMA 14
5. New e-journal: Educational Designer
6. Calendar of Events of Interest to the ICMI Community
7. Subscribing to ICMI News
1. http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news/2008-November.txt
2. http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news/
New journal: Educational Designer (2008-11-12 10:55)
A new journal for educational research has seen the light of day: [1]Educational Designer! The journal is an online
journal, and it was established by the [2]International Society for Design and Development in Education. One of
the articles in the rst issue is written by Malcolm Swan, mathematics education researcher from the [3]University
of Nottingham. The article is concerned with [4]Designing a Multiple Representation Learning Experience in
Secondary Algebra. Here is the abstract of Swans article (but the entire article is available online!):
This paper describes some of the research-based principles that I use when designing learning ex-
periences to foster conceptual understanding. These principles are illustrated through the discussion
of one type of experience: that of sorting multiple representations. I refer to learning experiences
rather than tasks, because tasks are only one component of the design. Close attention is also paid to
the role of the teacher in creating an appropriate climate for learning to take place.
After a brief excursion into my own theoretical framework, I describe the educational objectives be-
hind my design and provide a detailed explanation of it in one topic, that of algebraic notation. This is
followed with an explanation of the principles that informed the design and the evolution of the task.
Finally, I briey indicate how the design might be generalised to include other topics.
1. http://www.educationaldesigner.org/
2. http://www.isdde.org/
3. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/
4. http://www.educationaldesigner.org/ed/volume1/issue1/article3/index.htm
Playing with representations (2008-11-13 10:19)
Tom Satwicz and Reed Stevens have written an article called [1]Playing with Representations: How Do Kids Make
Use of Quantitative Representations in Video Games? The article was published online in [2]International Journal
of Computers for Mathematical Learning on Tuesday. Here is a copy of the abstract of their article:
This paper describes the use of quantities in video games by young people as part of a broader ef-
fort to understand thinking and learning across naturally occurring contexts of activity. Our approach
to investigating the use of quantities in game play is ethnographic; we have followed eight children
over a six-month period as they play their own games at home. The data set is composed of video
recordings and artifact-based interviews. The concept of disciplined perception is used to understand
how quantities are coordinated during game play. The current study shows young people using quan-
tities in games to make predictions and organize their actions based on those predictions. Some ideas
based on the study`s ndings for using video games in school are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/nvl53u2328r34616/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102910/?p=7c86d6f6a7314029ac8669e55cf1307a&pi=0
IJSME, December 2008 (2008-11-14 09:20)
The [1]December issue of [2]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education has been published.
This peer-reviewed journal is sponsored by the National Science Council in Taiwan, and has a particular emphasis
on articles "that explore science and mathematics education from different cultural perspectives". The journal also
encourages articles written by authors who do not have English as their rst language. This is, in my opinion, a
very nice focus from a scientic journal! The issue contains the following articles:
[3]Two Dimensions of Student Ownership of Learning During Small-Group Work in Physics, by Margareta
Enghag and Hans Niedderer
[4]Issues in Implementing a Structured Problem-based Learning Strategy in a Volcano Unit: A Case Study,
by Hyunju Lee and Sungah Bae
[5]Gender and Performance in Mathematical Tasks: Does the Context Make a Difference? by Anat Zohar
and Anna Gershikov
[6]Exploring the phase space of a system of differential equations: different mathematical registers, by
Thierry Dana-Picard and Ivy Kidron
[7]The Force Concept Inventory as a Measure of Students Conceptual Coherence, by Antti Savinainen and
Jouni Viiri
[8]Sample, Random and Variation: The Vocabulary of Statistical Literacy, by Jane M. Watson and Ben A.
Kelly
[9]Chinese High-School Students in Physics Classroom as Active, Self-Regulated Learners: Cognitive, Mo-
tivational and Environmental Aspects, by Heinz Neber, Jing He, Bang-Xiang Liu and Neville Schoeld
[10]A Study of the Performance of 5th Graders in Number Sense and its Relationship to Achievement in
Mathematics, by Der-Ching Yang, Mao-neng Li and Chih-I Lin
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/n55084481162/?p=d543d24a78c14913b9ea138b722561f9&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/111141/?p=c2a131cab8c647ffaa85b8336abf5ef3&pi=0
3. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/w6h812mp26862502/?p=58dad6d08d1e4325b8c799d74ccc7df5&pi=0
4. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/e07416226l611778/?p=58dad6d08d1e4325b8c799d74ccc7df5&pi=1
5. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/a02m531083143518/?p=58dad6d08d1e4325b8c799d74ccc7df5&pi=2
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/t0m1530h15200263/?p=58dad6d08d1e4325b8c799d74ccc7df5&pi=3
7. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/qk577076585v2884/?p=58dad6d08d1e4325b8c799d74ccc7df5&pi=4
8. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/w81t082lu724p234/?p=58dad6d08d1e4325b8c799d74ccc7df5&pi=5
9. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/j437544v1x72h7q5/?p=58dad6d08d1e4325b8c799d74ccc7df5&pi=6
10. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/j31w6j628777841k/?p=58dad6d08d1e4325b8c799d74ccc7df5&pi=7
Embodied multi-modal communication (2008-11-17 08:00)
Julian Williams from University of Manchester (UK) has written an article entitled [1]Embodied multi-modal com-
munication from the perspective of activity theory. This article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in
Mathematics last week. Here is the abstract of the article:
I begin by appreciating the contributions in the volume that indirectly and directly address the
questions: Why do gestures and embodiment matter to mathematics education, what has understand-
ing of these achieved and what might they achieve? I argue, however, that understanding gestures can
in general only play an important role in 'grasping` the meaning of mathematics if the whole object-
orientated 'activity` is taken into account in our perspective, and give examples from my own work and
from this Special Issue. Finally, I put forward the notion of a 'threshold` moment, where seeing and
grasping at the nexus of two or more activities often seem to be critical to breakthroughs in learning.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u6247451u5228p62/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=7bea946c7307453aaa92d3929fd73dd1&pi=0
ZDM, December 2008 (2008-11-17 20:15)
The [1]December issue of [2]ZDM is out, and it contains 12 interesting articles. The theme of the issue is "An
Asia Pacic focus on Mathematics Classrooms:
[3]Editorial to the issue 'An Asia Pacic focus on mathematics classrooms, by Chap Sam Lim, Allan White
and Berinderjeet Kaur
[4]Lesson study in Asia Pacic classrooms: local responses to a global movement, by Allan Leslie White
and Chap Sam Lim
[5]Reforming mathematics learning in Indonesian classrooms through RME, by Robert K. Sembiring, Su-
tarto Hadi and Maarten Dolk (Freely available Open Access article!)
[6]Exploring Japanese teachers` conception of mathematics lesson structure: similarities and differences
between pre-service and in-service teachers` lesson plans, by Yoshinori Shimizu
[7]Teaching and learning of mathematics: what really matters to teachers and students?, by Berinderjeet
Kaur
[8]Distinguishing between mathematics classrooms in Australia, China, Japan, Korea and the USA through
the lens of the distribution of responsibility for knowledge generation: public oral interactivity and mathe-
matical orality, by David Clarke and Li Hua Xu
[9]Confucian heritage culture learner`s phenomenon: from 'exploring the middle zone to 'constructing a
bridge, by Ngai-Ying Wong
[10]In the books there are golden houses: mathematics assessment in East Asia, by Frederick K. S. Leung
[11]An overview of the gender factor in mathematics in TIMSS-2003 for the Asia-Pacic region, by Jaguths-
ing Dindyal
[12]Teaching and learning of inclusive and transitive properties among quadrilaterals by deductive reasoning
with the aid of SmartBoard, by Issic K. C. Leung
[13]A Sino-German semi-virtual seminar in mathematics education, by Matthias Ludwig, Wolfgang Mller
and Binyan Xu
[14]U. DÀmbrosio (2006). Ethnomathematics: Link between traditions and modernity (A. Kepple, Trans.),
by Hugh Burkhardt (Book review)
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/nhv42u474851/?p=2b2dc79f6aad466095a0bc862638956c&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/120453/?p=2be17be5069d4b19ae48df3705910015&pi=0
3. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/m2650369r07723t7/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=0
4. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/6460110642142rv1/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=1
5. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/t3771084x264vm27/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=2
6. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/d83t5222p3711481/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=3
7. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/tj62w71q69417up1/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=4
8. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/742qn11288727322/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=5
9. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/vjl13327p0q7v432/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=6
10. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/7h84r00j76r71748/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=7
11. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/r7751425r1w76jn7/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=8
12. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/bx702642k31j47t1/?p=432bc04515b74791b1b7e23cad76533b&pi=9
13. http://www.springerlink.com/content/nn2660042q873g62/?p=806aa30e322c4bb3bd64a3e84c94a680&pi=
10
14. http://www.springerlink.com/content/3136mvv2up516167/?p=806aa30e322c4bb3bd64a3e84c94a680&pi=
11
Mathematical enculturation (2008-11-22 20:12)
Jacob Perrenet and Ruurd Taconis have written an article called [1]Mathematical enculturation from the students`
perspective: shifts in problem-solving beliefs and behaviour during the bachelor programme. The article was pub-
lished online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Tuesday, and it is an Open Access article, so it is freely
available to anyone! Here is the article abstract:
This study investigates the changes in mathematical problem-solving beliefs and behaviour of
mathematics students during the years after entering university. Novice bachelor students ll in a
questionnaire about their problem-solving beliefs and behaviour. At the end of their bachelor pro-
gramme, as experienced bachelor students, they again ll in the questionnaire. As an educational
exercise in academic reection, they have to explain their individual shifts in beliefs, if any. Signif-
icant shifts for the group as a whole are reported, such as the growth of attention to metacognitive
aspects in problem-solving or the growth of the belief that problem-solving is not only routine but has
many productive aspects. On the one hand, the changes in beliefs and behaviour are mostly towards
their teachers` beliefs and behaviour, which were measured using the same questionnaire. On the other
hand, students show aspects of the development of an individual problem-solving style. The students
explain the shifts mainly by the specic nature of the mathematics problems encountered at university
compared to secondary school mathematics problems. This study was carried out in the theoretical
framework of learning as enculturation. Apparently, secondary mathematics education does not quite
succeed in showing an authentic image of the culture of mathematics concerning problem-solving.
This aspect partly explains the low number of students choosing to study mathematics.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y0x51104422v14n8/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=2cceb2fa8c124cb9b0e1a445b8933da6&pi=0
Mathematics teachers observable learning objectives (2008-11-22 20:15)
Paul Andrews has written an article entitled [1]Comparative studies of mathematics teachers` observable learning
objectives: validating low inference codes. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathe-
matics on Wednesday. Here is a copy of the article abstract:
Videotape is an increasingly used tool in cross-national studies of mathematics teaching. However,
the means by which videotaped lessons are coded and analysed remains an underdeveloped area with
scholars adopting substantially different approaches to the task. In this paper we present an approach
based on generic descriptors of mathematics learning objectives. Exploiting live observations in ve
European countries, the descriptors were developed in a bottom-up recursive manner for application
to videotaped lessons from four of these countries, Belgium (Flanders), England, Hungary and Spain.
The analyses showed not only that the descriptors were consistently operationalised but also that they
facilitated the identication of both similarities and differences in the ways in which teachers con-
ceptualise and present mathematics that resonated with the available literature. In so doing we make
both methodological and theoretical contributions to comparative mathematics research in general and
debates concerning the national mathematics teaching script in particular.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/0208128r30703421/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=85995e28e5ec46dca25d6a14760c0469&pi=0
NOMAD, No 3, 2008 (2008-11-22 20:37)
Finally, the October issue of [1]NOMAD is available! It contains the following articles:
[2]Nordic mathematics education research in the world and in the region (Editorial)
[3]Analyzing mathematical classroom discourse initiating elaborations on the usefulness of the dialogical
approach, by Andreas Ryve
[4]Learning mathematics through inquiry, by Ole Skovsmose and Roger Slj
[5]Do students need to learn how to use their mathematics textbooks? The case of reading comprehension,
by Magnus sterholm
ZDM, No 5, 2008 (2008-11-24 09:43)
For some reason, [1]ZDM has published two December issues this year. I have [2]already covered one of them,
which is actually [3]No 6, but I have not covered [4]No 5 (both are December issues). ZDM, No 5 has a focus
on Empirical Research on Mathematics Teachers and their Education, and it is a very interesting issue (for me at
least), with 14 articles:
[5]Introduction to the issue on Empirical research on mathematics teachers and their education, by Sigrid
Blmeke, Gabriele Kaiser, Rainer Lehmann and William H. Schmidt
[6]Effectiveness of teacher education - State of research, measurement issues and consequences for future
studies, by Sigrid Blmeke, Anja Felbrich, Christiane Mller, Gabriele Kaiser and Rainer Lehmann
[7]Opportunity to learn in the preparation of mathematics teachers: its structure and how it varies across six
countries, by William H. Schmidt, Richard T. Houang, Leland Cogan, Sigrid Blmeke, Maria Teresa Tatto,
Feng Jui Hsieh, Marcella Santillan, Kiril Bankov, Shin Il Han, Tenoch Cedillo, John Schwille and Lynn
Paine
[8]Future teachers` competence to plan a lesson: rst results of a six-country study on the efciency of
teacher education, by Sigrid Blmeke, Lynn Paine, Richard T. Houang, Feng-Jui Hsieh, William H. Schmidt,
M. Teresa Tatto, Kiril Bankov, Tenoch Cedilllo, Leland Cogan, Shin Il Han, Marcella Santillan and John
Schwille
[9]Epistemological beliefs concerning the nature of mathematics among teacher educators and teacher edu-
cation students in mathematics, by Anja Felbrich, Christiane Mller and Sigrid Blmeke
[10]'Last curves not quite correct: diagnostic competences of future teachers with regard to modelling and
graphical representations, by Bjrn Schwarz, Bjrn Wissmach and Gabriele Kaiser
[11]Future teachers` professional knowledge on argumentation and proof: a case study from universities in
three countries, by Bjrn Schwarz, Issic K. C. Leung, Nils Buchholtz, Gabriele Kaiser, Gloria Stillman, Jill
Brown and Colleen Vale
[12]Content and pedagogical content knowledge in argumentation and proof of future teachers: a compar-
ative case study in Germany and Hong Kong, by Alexandra Corleis, Bjrn Schwarz, Gabriele Kaiser and
Issic K. C. Leung
[13]Knowledge and condence of pre-service mathematics teachers: the case of fraction division, by Yeping
Li and Gerald Kulm
[14]Chinese elementary mathematics teachers` knowledge in mathematics and pedagogy for teaching: the
case of fraction division, by Yeping Li and Rongjin Huang
[15]Combining theories in research in mathematics teacher education, by Pessia Tsamir and Dina Tirosh
[16]Secondary mathematics teachers` pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge: validation of
the COACTIV constructs, by Stefan Krauss, Jrgen Baumert and Werner Blum
[17]A DNR perspective on mathematics curriculum and instruction. Part II: with reference to teacher`s
knowledge base, by Guershon Harel
[18]Theories, context and values to understand learning with digital media: book review of 'humans-with-
media and the reorganization of mathematical thinking`, by M. Borba and M. Villareal, by Chronis Kynigos
So, if you (like me) you are interested in research related to mathematics teachers and/or mathematics teacher
education, this would certainly be an issue to take a closer look at!
A large part of the articles in this issue are related to the international comparative study: "Mathematics Teaching
in the 21st Century (MT21)". This study, according to the editorial, is the rst study that has a focus on "how
teachers are trained and how they perform at the end of their education".
1. http://springerlink.com/content/120453/?p=cb2bd4b8a4384b3f87e00be593288396&pi=0
2. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2008/11/zdm-december-2008.html
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/nhv42u474851/?p=2b2dc79f6aad466095a0bc862638956c&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/k22x7r336h38/?p=744b0e2cf0374d9fa8945f38a1d97e37&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/670n107h1x3r50qn/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=0
6. http://springerlink.com/content/8582971201uv3t25/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=1
7. http://springerlink.com/content/v293l3n614603972/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=2
8. http://springerlink.com/content/x2h73w784367w738/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=3
9. http://springerlink.com/content/j30k4p21580850ph/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=4
10. http://springerlink.com/content/l5g383n08p669443/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=5
11. http://springerlink.com/content/d877417l2748h474/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=6
12. http://springerlink.com/content/w256467701q1jtv7/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=7
13. http://springerlink.com/content/gj273775xhq242j8/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=8
14. http://springerlink.com/content/kk89n38014865265/?p=3788ca31dbbb49289d54be02fb1062dc&pi=9
15. http://springerlink.com/content/l3111110450t0h36/?p=044f065ef6124bb180ed2c09d52647a4&pi=
10
16. http://springerlink.com/content/t86vvlh11481tv82/?p=044f065ef6124bb180ed2c09d52647a4&pi=
11
17. http://springerlink.com/content/jkk11glq8x820571/?p=044f065ef6124bb180ed2c09d52647a4&pi=
12
18. http://springerlink.com/content/ah2xl3277131343p/?p=044f065ef6124bb180ed2c09d52647a4&pi=
13
Research fellow at University of Agder! (2008-11-24 20:50)
[1]University of Agder, Norway, arguably has one of the strongest research groups in mathematics education. They
have a strong Master programme, a PhD programme, and ve international professors in mathematics education.
Now, they have announced a free [2]position/appointment as research fellow for a period of three years. So, if you
want to become a PhD student in Norway, this might be your lucky day :-)
Some of the research areas within the eld of mathematics education in Agder include:
Developmental research in the teaching and learning of mathematics (from day-care centres to the university
level)
Mathematics classroom research
Pupils and students understanding, attitudes and motivation for mathematics
Problem solving and modelling in mathematics
History of mathematics
Mathematics teacher education and professional development
If you are interested, you can read the entire announcement from the link above, or you can contact Professor
Simon Goodchild (simon.goodchild@uia.no).
2. http://uia.easycruit.com/vacancy/251972/35071?iso=gb
Gestures as semiotic resources (2008-11-25 09:37)
Ferdinando Arzarello, Domingo Paola, Ornella Robutti and Cristina Sabena have written an article called [1]Ges-
tures as semiotic resources in the mathematics classroom. The article was published online in [2]Educational
Studies in Mathematics a while ago. Here is the abstract of their paper:
In this paper, we consider gestures as part of the resources activated in the mathematics class-
room: speech, inscriptions, artifacts, etc. As such, gestures are seen as one of the semiotic tools used
by students and teacher in mathematics teachinglearning. To analyze them, we introduce a suitable
model, the semiotic bundle. It allows focusing on the relationships of gestures with the other semiotic
resources within a multimodal approach. It also enables framing the mediating action of the teacher
in the classroom: in this respect, we introduce the notion of semiotic game where gestures are one of
the major ingredients.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b237nh8150301613/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=90e8a3ef1f8144a1a4c62078b544d5ea&pi=0
Prospective elementary teachers motivation (2008-11-25 09:39)
Amanda Jansen has written an article entitled [1]Prospective elementary teachers` motivation to participate in
whole-class discussions during mathematics content courses for teachers. This article was published on Sunday in
[2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. Here is the abstract of her article:
Prospective elementary teachers` (N = 148) motivation to participate in whole-class discus-
sions during mathematics content courses for teachers, as expressed in their own words on an open-
ended questionnaire, were studied. Results indicated that prospective teachers were motivated by posi-
tive utility values for participating (to achieve a short-term goal of learning mathematics or a long-term
goal of becoming a teacher), to demonstrate competence (to achieve performance-approach goals), or
to help others (to achieve social goals). Negative utility values for participating were expressed by
those who preferred to learn through actively listening. Five motivational proles, as composed of
interactions among motivational values, beliefs, goals and self-reported participation practices, were
prevalent in this sample. Self-reported variations among participants` utility values and participation
practices suggested that prospective teachers engaged differentially in opportunities to learn to com-
municate mathematically. Results provide pedagogical learner knowledge for mathematics teacher
educators.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n62k9582627m3n53/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=bbe652b854224104b405c4d4a36fbb90&pi=0
Activating mathematical competencies (2008-11-25 09:50)
Csar Senz from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain, has written an article called [1]The role of contex-
tual, conceptual and procedural knowledge in activating mathematical competencies (PISA). This article describes
and analyzes the difculties that Spanish student teachers had when attempting to solve the released items from
[2]PISA 2003. The student teachers (n=140) were rst-year students, and they had not taken any mathematics
courses in their teacher training at the time of the study. They didnt have any experience with the PISA tests, and
they had no more than secondary-level mathematics studies before they started their teacher education. The test
they took was made from a collection of 39 [3]released items from PISA 2003.
The article was published in [4]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Sunday. Here is the article abstract:
This paper analyses the difculties which Spanish student teachers have in solving the PISA 2003
released items. It studies the role played by the type and organisation of mathematical knowledge in
the activation of competencies identied by PISA with particular attention to the function of contex-
tual knowledge. The results of the research lead us to conclude that the assessment of the partici-
pant`s mathematical competencies must include an assessment of the extent to which they have school
mathematical knowledge (contextual, conceptual and procedural) that can be productively applied to
problem situations. In this way, the school knowledge variable becomes a variable associated with the
PISA competence variable.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/e55477336t20393p/
2. http://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_32252351_32236173_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
3. http://www.pisa.oecd.org/document/38/0,3343,en_32252351_32236173_34993126_1_1_1_1,00.html
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=952d686ed5f947ebacfe4ea0b5796712&pi=0
Book review: "Algebra in the Early Grades" (2008-11-25 20:25)
The latest issue of [1]Teachers College Record includes a [2]book review of "Algebra in the Early Grades". This
important book was edited by late James J. Kaput together with David W. Carraher and Maria L. Blanton, and it
was published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates in 2007. David Slavit provides a thorough review, which gives a
nice insight into the main parts of the book.
If you are interested, you might want to check out [3]the information about the book in Google Books (which
includes links to where you can buy the book), and you might also be interested in taking a look at [4]this page
about Early Algebra.
1. http://www.tcrecord.org/
2. http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=15443
3. http://books.google.com/books?id=vbF2AAAACAAJ&dq=algebra+in+the+early+grades&hl=no&source=
gbs_book_other_versions_r&cad=0_1
4. http://www.earlyalgebra.terc.edu/index.html
Pearsons correlation between three variables (2008-11-26 09:27)
Pauline Vos has written an article called [1]Pearsons correlation between three variables; using students basic
knowledge of geometry for an exercise in mathematical statistics. The article was recently published in [2]Inter-
national Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. Here is a copy of the article abstract:
When studying correlations, how do the three bivariate correlation coefcients between three vari-
ables relate? After transforming Pearsons correlation coefcient r into a Euclidean distance, un-
dergraduate students can tackle this problem using their secondary school knowledge of geometry
(Pythagoras theorem and similarity of triangles). Through a geometric interpretation, we start from
two correlation coefcients rAB and rBC and then estimate a range for the third correlation rAC. In
the case of three records (n = 3), the third correlation rAC can only attain two possible values. Cross-
ing borders between mathematical disciplines, such as statistics and geometry, can assist students in
deepening their conceptual knowledge.
New IJMTL articles (2008-11-27 09:34)
Five new articles were published in [1]International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning on Tuesday:
[2]How Does the Problem Based Learning Approach Compare to the Model-Eliciting Activity Approach in Math-
ematics? by Scott A. Chamberlin and Sidney M. Moon. Abstract: The purpose of this article is to discuss the
similarities and differences in the two approaches referred to in the article title with an emphasis on implementa-
tion and outcomes.
[3]Seeds of Professional Growth Nurture Students` Deeper Mathematical Understanding, by Ji-Eun Lee and
Dyanne Tracy. Abstract: This manuscript describes a group of middle school age students exploration of vir-
tual mathematics manipulatives and the authors professional development process. In the manuscript, the authors
share the experiences they had with middle school students and the process that they, as mathematics teachers,
used to rene their own learning and teaching alongside the middle school students.
[4]The State of Balance Between Procedural Knowledge and Conceptual Understanding in Mathematics Teacher
Education, By Michael J. Boss and Damon L. Bahr. Abstract: In this paper, we present the results of a survey-
based study of the perspectives of mathematics teacher educators in the United States regarding the effects of the
conceptual/procedural balance upon four concerns: the type of mathematics that should be learned in school, pre-
service teacher preparation, instructional conceptualization and design, and assessment.
[5]An Exploration of the Effects of a Practicum-Based Mathematics Methods Course on the Beliefs of Elemen-
tary Preservice Teachers, by Damon L. Bahr and Eula Ewing Monroe. Abstract: Effects of a practicum-based
elementary mathematics methods course on the beliefs of preservice teachers regarding conceptual knowledge in
school mathematics were explored using a pre-post design. The intensity of those beliefs was assessed before and
after the methods course using the IMAP Web-Based Beliefs Survey, an instrument constructed by the 'Integrating
Mathematics and Pedagogy (IMAP) research group at San Diego State University.
[6]What is Good College Mathematics Teaching? by Carmen M. Latterell. Abstract: This article attempts to
answer the question 'What is good college mathematics teaching? by examining three sources of information:
research, student course evaluations, and responses on the website RateMyProfessors.com.
This is the journal where I published my own article about [7]Real-life Connections in Japan and the Netherlands:
National Teaching Patterns and Cultural Beliefs, in July, and as always, all articles are freely available in pdf for-
mat.
2. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/chamberlin.pdf
3. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/jieunlee.pdf
4. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/bossebahr.pdf
5. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/bahrmonroe.pdf
6. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/latterell2.pdf
7. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/mosvold.pdf
Method, certainty and trust (2008-11-30 11:57)
David Pimm has written an article called [1]Method, certainty and trust across disciplinary boundaries. This article
was published online in [2]ZDM earlier this week. Here is the abstract of his article:
This paper starts from some observations about Presmeg`s paper 'Mathematics education research
embracing arts and sciences` also published in this issue. The main topics discussed here are disci-
plinary boundaries, method and, briey, certainty and trust. Specic interdisciplinary examples of
work come from the history of mathematics (Diophantus`s Arithmetica), from linguistics (hedging, in
relation to Toulmin`s argumentation scheme and Peirce`s notion of abduction) and from contemporary
poetry and poetics.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/3737v7017470mq16/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=5054074e648346afb908b6e0ef095a90&pi=0
Belief enactment (2008-11-30 12:01)
Danish colleague Jeppe Skott has written an interesting article about research concerning teachers beliefs. The
article is entitled [1]Contextualising the notion of 'belief enactment`, and it was published online in [2]Journal of
Mathematics Teacher Education on Wednesday. Skott is a prominent researcher within the eld of mathematics
BlogBook 1.11. December
education research in the Nordic countries, and he has a critical view on the notion of research on teachers beliefs,
as well as the approach to this area of research. Here is the abstract of his article:
For more than 20 years, belief research has been based on the premise that teachers` beliefs may
serve as an explanatory principle for classroom practice. This is a highly individual perspective on
beliefpractice relationships, one that does not seem to have been inuenced by the increasingly social
emphases in other parts of mathematics education research. In this article, I use the notions of context
and practice to develop a locally social approach to understanding the beliefpractice relationships. It
is a corollary of the approach taken that the high hopes for belief research with regard to its potential
impact on mathematics instruction need to be modied.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/pu45048u71775618/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=7336d275428d4838b38fbf604f0c45ef&pi=0
Elementary prospective teachers mathematical beliefs (2008-11-30 12:03)
Susan L. Swars, Stephanie Z. Smith, Marvin E. Smith and Lynn C. Hart have written an article called [1]A lon-
gitudinal study of effects of a developmental teacher preparation program on elementary prospective teachers`
mathematics beliefs. The article was published online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education on Thurs-
day. Here is the abstract of their article:
The universal emphasis in mathematics education on teaching and learning for understanding can
require substantial paradigmatic shifts for many elementary school teachers. Consequently, a pressing
goal of teacher preparation programs should be the facilitation of these changes during program ex-
periences. This longitudinal, mixed methods study presents a thorough investigation of the effects of
a distinctive teacher preparation program on important constructs related to prospective teacher pre-
paredness to teach mathematics for understanding, including mathematics pedagogical and teaching
efcacy beliefs, mathematics anxiety, and specialized content knowledge for teaching mathematics.
The results indicate that the programmatic features experienced by the prospective teachers in this
study, including a developmental two-course mathematics methods sequence and coordinated devel-
opmental eld placements, provided a context supporting teacher change. These shifts are interpreted
through the nature and timing of the experiences in the program and a model of teacher change pro-
cesses. The ndings provide insights for mathematics educators as to the outcomes of these program-
matic features.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j6j7x5w1g6764687/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=e0c869ca08d645b9865ae94abb39fbc8&pi=0
1.11 December
Where am I, and where do I want to go? (2008-12-04 13:31)
I have started the countdown to Christmas, and 2008 is approaching the end. Since the major journals in mathe-
matics education are having a few slow days at the moment, I found it useful to start reecting about the year that
is soon behind us, and the one which lies ahead.
I started this blog in February this year, and in [1]the welcome post on February 5, I wrote:
1.11. December BlogBook
There are so many journals, so many conferences, so many web-sites that cover research in math-
ematics education. This blog will be my humble attempt to cover the most important ones. In the
sidebar, you can nd feeds from the most important scientic journals in mathematics education re-
search. In this blog, I will comment on new and interesting (to me at least) articles in these and other
journals. I will also try to follow some of the most important conferences in mathematics education,
as well as sharing interesting bookmarks regarding mathematics education.
Now, ten months later, I think its appropriate to look back and see where I have come. The blog started out as a
personal wish to get to know my own eld of research better, and I personally feel that I have been extremely suc-
cessful in this realm! I never advertised much for this blog, but when I started tracking the statistics with [2]Google
Analytics in late June, I realized that lots of people from all over the world actually read the blog!
Between July 1 and December 1, the blog had 5423 unique visitors, from 114 countries. I know this doesnt sound
like a lot, but for a niche blog like this, I think it is actually quite good. For me, it is also interesting to note that
my own country - Norway - is only in the third spot when it comes to number of visitors.
Most of my time has been spent on covering articles from peer-reviewed journals in mathematics education, and
I have also covered some conferences. This is something I intend to continue doing, but I have been thinking
about different possible ways of doing this. First, I have thought about the possibility of writing more about some
main articles in a way that people who are not researchers can relate to. I think it is important for researchers to
communicate their results not only to fellow researchers. Unfortunately, but understandably, most teachers do not
read our research journals! So, I have started thinking about writing some abstracts or impressions of research
articles that teachers, parents and others who are interested but not researchers might relate to. I have also started
thinking about making a stronger effort into providing an even better overview of the eld (indexing journal arti-
cles, updating the conference calendar more, etc.). These are some of my own thoughts. But I am also interested
in learning about your ideas! So, if you read this blog frequently, or if this is the rst time you drop by ... What do
you think? What would be more useful to you? Please write comments to this post, or send me an e-mail to let me
know!
I already know what an incredible learning experience this blog has been for me, but now I want to know how I
can make it a better experience for you - the readers - as well!
1. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2008/02/welcome.html
2. http://www.google.com/analytics
IEJME, October issue revisited (2008-12-04 14:16)
I have written about the October issue of [1]International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education in [2]an
earlier post. For some reason, the full-text version of the articles in this journal dont appear as a new issue of the
journal appears - at least for me they dont! The articles are available now however, and you can freely download
them in PDF format. This provides a nice occasion of referring to the articles again, and writing more about one
of them:
[3]Do You Want Me to Do It with Probability or with My Normal Thinking? Horizontal and Vertical Views
on the Formation of Stochastic Conceptions, by Susanne Prediger, Germany
[4]Teachers` Perceptions of Mathematics Content Knowledge Assessments in Professional Development
Courses, by Michelle T. Chamberlin, Robert A. Powers and Jodie D. Novak, USA
[5]Mathematics Anxiety Among 4th And 5th Grade Turkish Elementary School Students, by Fulya Yksel-
âhin, Trkiye
[6]A Comparison of Placement in First-Year University Mathematics Courses Using Paper and Online Ad-
ministration of a Placement Test, by Phyllis A. Schumacher and Richard M. Smith, USA
[7]Senior Student Teachers` Understanding of Relations Between Function, Equation, and Polynomial Con-
cepts as Conceptual Knowledge, Danyal Soybas, Y1lmaz Aksoy and Hayri Akay, Trkiye
In this collection, I found the article by Chamberlin, Powers and Novak particularly interesting, so I will provide
you with some more details about it. The study reported in this article is related to the No Child Left Behind ini-
tiative in the U.S. In relation to this initiative, several professional development courses in the U.S. are required to
assess the teachers content knowledge. This article reports on the evaluation of the impact of these assessments.
Although the article does not provide a very thorough theoretical background, it gives a good overview of the
survey that were made to investigate the teachers perceptions about these assessments.
One of the results of this survey was that the teachers appeared to learn more because of the assessments. They
explain it like this:
We surmise that these positive effects may be due to an important aspect of theassessment process
in these PD courses the assessment and learning of mathematical topics and material was on-going
and demonstrating mastery of those ideas was expected.
Many teachers appear to be reluctant to be tested, and this study apparently describes a study which had positive
experiences with assessing the teachers after a course, and this might be interesting for other teacher educators or
providers of in-service courses to take a closer look at.
2. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2008/10/iejme-october-2008.html
Building intellectual infrastructure (2008-12-08 09:46)
James Kaput wrote an article that was published online in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Friday. The
article is entitled: [2]Building intellectual infrastructure to expose and understand ever-increasing complexity.
This paper comments on the expanded repertoire of techniques, conceptual frameworks, and per-
spectives developed to study the phenomena of gesture, bodily action and other modalities as related to
thinking, learning, acting, and speaking. Certain broad issues are considered, including (1) the distinc-
tion between 'contextual generalization of instances across context (of virtually any kindnumeric,
situational, etc.) and the generalization of structured actions on symbols, (2) fundamental distinctions
between the use of semiotic means to describe specic situations versus semiosis serving the process
of generalization, and (3) the challenges of building generalizable research ndings at such an early
stage in infrastructure building.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=b173c44b45e84fb399785c0479a55afc&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/d8138785137ul82x/
Science & Education, January 2009 (2008-12-08 09:52)
[1]Science & Education is a journal that is devoted to publishing articles related to improving the teaching and
learning of science and mathematics. The [2]January issue of 2009 has recently been published. None of the
articles in this issue are directly related to mathematics education, but if you are interested in science education in
general, you might want to have a closer look at the issue anyway!
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102992/?p=7a6e132a0e5640bfa91cb89f9dec58c1&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/q730m233181v/?p=d9acfdd34b9f4165ae6e7d5505c1b752&pi=0
Terence Tao in Norway (2008-12-08 11:14)
[1]Terence Tao is by many said to be the best mathematician in the world today, and for two days this week (to-
day and tomorrow) he is [2]visiting Trondheim, Norway. Unfortunately, I dont have the opportunity to travel to
Trondheim and listen to him, but it sure would have been interesting.
Tao - born in 1975 (like myself) - is professor of mathematics at UCLA, winner of the Fields medal and lots of
other prizes. He is working within many different elds of mathematics, and he frequently reports his work on his
[3]web page and [4]his blog. Below is a small video presenting Tao:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Tao
2. http://www.ntnu.no/imf/_media/onsager/2008_lecture-invitation.pdf?id=onsager%
3Asidebar&cache=cache
3. http://ftp.math.ucla.edu/%7Etao/
4. http://terrytao.wordpress.com/
Conference calendar updated (2008-12-08 15:45)
I have now updated the [1]conference calendar to include relevant conferences in 2009. If there are any conferences
that I have missed, please let me knowby sending me an e-mail or writing in the comment eld below this message!
You can always nd a quick link to the conference calendar in the column to the right.
1. http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=tj8dd9mkjvseeclsn0g5q8gjsc%40group.calendar.
google.com&ctz=Europe/Oslo
TIMSS 2007 (2008-12-09 23:23)
The [1]results from TIMSS 2007 were released today, and the media appears to be full of reports about how the
students in each of our countries are doing. Overall, countries from Asia are on top as usual. If you want to
learn more, there is a webcast to watch ([2].rm and [3].mov formats), [4]international reports to read as well as a
[5]Technical Report and a very interesting set of [6]Encyclopedias, which offer a nice overview of the mathematics
(and science) teaching in each of the participating countries. That means: lots of interesting reading to do!
1. http://timss.bc.edu/TIMSS2007/release.html
2. http://timss.bc.edu/video/20081209TIMSS.rm
3. http://timss.bc.edu/video/20081209TIMSS.mov
4. http://timss.bc.edu/TIMSS2007/intl_reports.html
5. http://timss.bc.edu/TIMSS2007/techreport.html
6. http://timss.bc.edu/TIMSS2007/encyclopedia.html
Educational Researcher, December 2008 (2008-12-10 20:14)
The [1]December issue of [2]Educational Researcher has been published, and it is a special issue on Foundations
for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. The issue contains 13 interesting
articles with a focus on the Math Panel Report:
Anthony E. Kelly: [3]Reections on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Final Report
Hilda Borko and Jennifer A. Whitcomb: [4]Teachers, Teaching, and Teacher Education: Comments on the
National Mathematics Advisory Panel`s Report
Paul Cobb and Kara Jackson: [5]The Consequences of Experimentalism in Formulating Recommendations
for Policy and Practice in Mathematics Education
Patrick W. Thompson: [6]On Professional Judgment and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report:
Curricular Content
Jo Boaler: [7]When Politics Took the Place of Inquiry: A Response to the National Mathematics Advisory
Panel`s Review of Instructional Practices
Joanne Lobato: [8]On Learning Processes and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report
Lorrie A. Shepard: [9]Commentary on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Recommendations on
Assessment
Jeremy Roschelle, Corinne Singleton, Nora Sabelli, Roy Pea, and John D. Bransford: [10]Mathematics
Worth Knowing, Resources Worth Growing, Research Worth Noting: A Response to the National Mathe-
matics Advisory Panel Report
James G. Greeno and Allan Collins: [11]Commentary on the Final Report of the National Mathematics
Advisory Panel
Finbarr C. Sloane: [12]Randomized Trials in Mathematics Education: Recalibrating the Proposed High
Watermark
Jere Confrey, Alan P. Maloney, and Kenny H. Nguyen: [13]Breaching the Conditions for Success for a
National Advisory Panel
James P. Spillane: [14]Policy, Politics, and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report: Topology,
Functions, and Limits
Camilla Persson Benbow and Larry R. Faulkner: [15]Rejoinder to the Critiques of the National Mathematics
Advisory Panel Final Report
1. http://edr.sagepub.com/content/vol37/issue9/
2. http://edr.sagepub.com/
3. http://edr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/37/9/561
The professional education of mathematics teachers (2008-12-10 20:38)
[1]Springer has recently published a new book on mathematics education. The book is entitled [2]The Profes-
sional Education and Development of Teachers of Mathematics, and it is edited by Ruhama Even and Deborah
Loewenberg Ball. Here are some of the highlights of the book, as presented by the publisher:
Focuses specically on mathematics teacher education development
Provides practical strategies for learning
Addresses the balance between pedagogy and mathematical content
Edited by the worlds leading scholars on mathematics teacher education, teacher knowledge, and teacher
education
NBA-_-Dec-08_EAST_2661739-_-product-_-978-0-387-09600-1
Reasons for change in enrolments (2008-12-11 08:01)
Derek Holton, Eric Muller, Juha Oikkonen, Oscar Adolfo Sanches Valenzuela, and Ren Zizhao have written an ar-
ticle called Some reasons for change in undergraduate mathematics enrolments. This article article was published
online in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology yesterday. Here is the
Here, we look at the enrolments of students in undergraduate mathematics courses in a number of
countries. The data show various increases and decreases and we suggest some common reasons for
the uctuations. These include students goals of a secure and well-paid job, government actions and
the state of the economy in the country concerned. We consider several ways in which departments
have successfully approached downturns in numbers by their interactions with students by introducing
new teaching approaches, using technology and establishing mathematics centres.
Using history of mathematics (2008-12-12 21:45)
Charalambos Y. Charalambous, Areti Panaoura and George Philippou have written an article called [1]Using the
history of mathematics to induce changes in preservice teachers` beliefs and attitudes: insights from evaluating a
teacher education program. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Tuesday.
Scholars and teacher educators alike agree that teachers` beliefs and attitudes toward mathemat-
ics are key informants of teachers` instructional approaches. Therefore, it has become clear that, in
addition to enriching preservice teachers` (PSTs) knowledge, teacher education programs should also
create opportunities for prospective teachers to develop productive beliefs and attitudes toward teach-
ing and learning mathematics. This study explored the effectiveness of a mathematics preparatory
program based on the history of mathematics that aimed at enhancing PSTs` epistemological and ef-
cacy beliefs and their attitudes toward mathematics. Using data froma questionnaire administered four
times, the study traced the development of 94 PSTs` beliefs and attitudes over a period of 2 years. The
analysis of these data showed changes in certain dimensions of the PSTs` beliefs and attitudes; how-
ever, other dimensions were found to change in the opposite direction to that expected. Differences
were also found in the development of the PSTs` beliefs and attitudes according to their mathematical
background. The data yielded from semi-structured follow-up interviews conducted with a conve-
nience sample of PSTs largely corroborated the quantitative data and helped explain some of these
changes. We discuss the effectiveness of the program considered herein and draw implications for the
design of teacher education programs grounded in the history of mathematics.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k5823p778178x235/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=05f5af70b18a40239c4d05ac918b75af&pi=0
The development of beliefs and practice (2008-12-12 21:51)
Despina Potari and Barbara GeorgiadouKabouridis have written an article called [1]A primary teacher`s math-
ematics teaching: the development of beliefs and practice in different 'supportive contexts. The article was
recently published online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. Here is the article abstract:
This article refers to a longitudinal case study of a primary school teacher over a period of 4 years.
The focus is on the development of the teacher`s beliefs regarding mathematics teaching and learning
from the last year of her university studies up to the third year of teaching mathematics in school. This
development has been investigated within three different contexts, which have been distinguished in
terms of the kind of support provided to this teacher. Two dominant beliefs emerged which have been
traced through the period of the study from both the teacher`s reections and actions. The rst belief
drew on the idea that what was considered an easy mathematical task by an adult could also be easily
understood by children, while the second was that children learn mathematics through their actual
involvement in a variety of teaching activities. The results indicate the way that teacher`s experiences
from her university studies, actual classroom practice and inservice education interact and inuence
her beliefs and professional development.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x7r0861m623800l5/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=619c7dcd09e048a7b901430398dcc967&pi=0
A cultural-historical approach to teaching geometry (2008-12-12 21:56)
Stuart Rowlands has recently written an article called [1]A Pilot Study of a Cultural-Historical Approach to Teach-
ing Geometry, which was published in [2]Science & Education on Wednesday. Here is the abstract of the article:
There appears to be a widespread assumption that deductive geometry is inappropriate for most
learners and that they are incapable of engaging with the abstract and rule-governed intellectual pro-
cesses that became the world`s rst fully developed and comprehensive formalised system of thought.
This article discusses a curriculum initiative that aims to 'bring to life` the major transformative (pri-
mary) events in the history of Greek geometry, aims to encourage a meta-discourse that can develop
a reective consciousness and aims to provide an opportunity for the induction into the formalities
of proof and to engage with the abstract. The results of a pilot study to see whether 1415 year old
'mixed ability` and 1516 year old 'gifted and talented` students can be meaningfully engaged with
two such transformative events are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/71m58563122774hm/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102992/?p=feb8313a6ebf4407a4f9d048f53e330e&pi=0
A comparison of curricular effect (2008-12-15 09:29)
The new issue of [1]Instructional Science ([2]January, 2009) has an article related to mathematics education: [3]A
comparison of curricular effects on the integration of arithmetic and algebraic schemata in pre-algebra students,
by Bryan Moseley and Mary E. ("Betsy") Brenner. Here is their article abstract:
This research examines students` ability to integrate algebraic variables with arithmetic operations
and symbols as a result of the type of instruction they received, and places their work on scales that
illustrate its location on the continuum from arithmetic to algebraic reasoning. It presents data from
pre and post instruction clinical interviews administered to a sample of middle school students experi-
encing their rst exposure to formal pre-algebra. Roughly half of the sample (n = 15) was taught with
a standards-based curriculum emphasizing representation skills, while a comparable group (n = 12) of
students received traditional instruction. Analysis of the pre and post interviews indicated that partic-
ipants receiving a standards-based curriculum demonstrated more frequent and sophisticated usage of
variables when writing equations to model word problems of varying complexity. This advantage was
attenuated on problems that provided more representational support in which a diagram with a vari-
able was presented with the request that an expression be written to represent the perimeter and area.
Differences in strategies used by the two groups suggest that the traditional curriculum encouraged
students to continue using arithmetic conventions, such as focusing on nding specic values, when
asked to model relations with algebraic notation.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102905/?p=336157f69fec4f088c80c98e0bb6bcda&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/m411l44351kp/?p=336157f69fec4f088c80c98e0bb6bcda&pi=0
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/n28n57172227755x/
A brief history of mathematics (book) (2008-12-15 20:35)
For those of you who havent already discover it, here is a tip for Christmas: [1]Scribd! You can nd lots of
interesting books and papers here, and some are true gems. Here is one of them: A brief history of mathematics,
by Karl Fink. This ofcial translation was published in 1900, and therefore is in the public domain. You can read
the book in its entirety here:
[2]A brief history of mathematics
[3]Publish at Scribd or [4]explore others: [5]Mathematics [6]Science [7]Mathematics [8]History
If you want to read the book in fullscreen, you can [9]go here. To download the book as pdf, click on [10]this link.
1. http://www.scribd.com/
2. http://www.scribd.com/doc/4149485/A-brief-history-of-mathematics
3. http://www.scribd.com/upload
4. http://www.scribd.com/browse
5. http://www.scribd.com/browse?c=27-mathematics
6. http://www.scribd.com/browse?c=21-science
7. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Mathematics
8. http://www.scribd.com/tag/History
9. http://www.scribd.com/full/4149485?access_key=key-10yzhrouafxyx5o0g8i
10. http://www.scribd.com/document_downloads/4149485?extension=pdf&secret_password=
ZDM, No 1-2, 2009 (2008-12-15 20:43)
A [1]new issue of [2]ZDM was published on Friday. It is a double issue, with the following theme: Interdisci-
plinarity in Mathematics Education: Psychology, Philosophy, Aesthetics, Modelling and Curriculum. Guest editor
of this issue is Bharath Sriraman, the editor of [3]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast. The issue contains not
less than 22 articles:
[4]Interdisciplinarity in mathematics education: psychology, philosophy, aesthetics, modelling and curricu-
lum, by Bharath Sriraman
[5]Creativity and interdisciplinarity: one creativity or many creativities? by Jonathan Plucker and Dasha
Zabelina
[6]The characteristics of mathematical creativity, by Bharath Sriraman
[7]Mathematical paradoxes as pathways into beliefs and polymathy: an experimental inquiry, by Bharath
Sriraman
[8]Do we all have multicreative potential? by Ronald A. Beghetto and James C. Kaufman
[9]Aesthetics as a liberating force in mathematics education? by Nathalie Sinclair
[10]Mathematics learning and aesthetic production, by Herbert Gerstberger
[11]A historic overview of the interplay of theology and philosophy in the arts, mathematics and sciences,
by Bharath Sriraman
[12]Integrating history and philosophy in mathematics education at university level through problem-
oriented project work, by Tinne Hoff Kjeldsen and Morten Blomhj
[13]Estimating Iraqi deaths: a case study with implications for mathematics education, by Brian Greer
[14]The decorative impulse: ethnomathematics and Tlingit basketry, by Swapna Mukhopadhyay
[15]Mathematics education research embracing arts and sciences, by Norma Presmeg
[16]Dialogue on mathematics education: two points of view on the state of the art, by Theodore Eisenberg
and Michael N. Fried
[17]The harmony of opposites: a response to a response, by Norma Presmeg
[18]Method, certainty and trust across disciplinary boundaries, by David Pimm
[19]Promoting interdisciplinarity through mathematical modelling, by Lyn D. English
[20]Project organised science studies at university level: exemplarity and interdisciplinarity, by Morten
Blomhj and Tinne Hoff Kjeldsen
[21]Emergent modeling: discrete graphs to support the understanding of change and velocity, by L. M.
Doorman and K. P. E. Gravemeijer
[22]New roles for mathematics in multi-disciplinary, upper secondary school projects, by Mette Andresen
and Lena Lindenskov
[23]Supporting mathematical literacy: examples from a cross-curricular project, by Thilo Hfer and Astrid
Beckmann
[24]Does interdisciplinary instruction raise students` interest in mathematics and the subjects of the natural
sciences? by Claus Michelsen and Bharath Sriraman
[25]Building a virtual learning community of problem solvers: example of CASMI community, by Viktor
Freiman and Nicole Lirette-Pitre
If you dont have full access to Springer (so that you can read these articles), you might want to pay attention to
the article by Doorman and Gravemeijer, which is an Open Access article (i.e. freely available for all to read).
1. http://springerlink.com/content/g71m25052028/?p=b2e9f77854f34be1a64755f7fa16fd10&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/120453/?p=d72cfee1e99b4e2cb30f0d4b004c1e85&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/vg6772846pgv8136/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=0
5. http://springerlink.com/content/m7607j3722ww5014/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=1
6. http://springerlink.com/content/u50461562q3ghgx1/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=2
7. http://springerlink.com/content/b25r45k2421v3061/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=3
8. http://springerlink.com/content/c10u766xk147770h/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=4
9. http://springerlink.com/content/q074457243142635/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=5
10. http://springerlink.com/content/2n355w170tl3101n/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=6
11. http://springerlink.com/content/k66vt322u1331274/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=7
12. http://springerlink.com/content/k84h965427070070/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=8
13. http://springerlink.com/content/05u68441n42u4u4g/?p=d641b94575034ca79c006223b1251386&pi=9
14. http://springerlink.com/content/c5g4x64q72312npk/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
10
15. http://springerlink.com/content/l8m510v62hh12373/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
11
16. http://springerlink.com/content/a352062431478p43/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
12
17. http://springerlink.com/content/rg01172251374283/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
13
18. http://springerlink.com/content/3737v7017470mq16/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
14
19. http://springerlink.com/content/f71w1624761655v6/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
15
20. http://springerlink.com/content/b288750621kv8180/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
16
21. http://springerlink.com/content/vm2053101l701352/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
17
22. http://springerlink.com/content/g0654881n8g17142/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
18
23. http://springerlink.com/content/a168n1124m271pw1/?p=e775ba79a1ca4bdd88cf26d077e8cd8d&pi=
19
24. http://springerlink.com/content/rm51303782085n61/?p=565016954251429192dcaeff943b9f91&pi=
20
25. http://springerlink.com/content/f4445r43w214xlw3/?p=565016954251429192dcaeff943b9f91&pi=
21
Working for learning (2008-12-16 09:42)
Pat Drake has written an article that was recently published online in [1]Journal of Mathematics
Teacher Education. The article is entitled [2]Working for learning: [3]teaching assistants developing
mathematics for teaching. Here is the abstract of the article:
This article derives from a case study of 10 secondary school teaching assistants (TAs)
who did not have conventional pre-qualications in mathematics but who undertook an
honours degree in mathematics education studies at a Higher Education Institution in Eng-
land whilst continuing to work as TAs in school. Work-based learning was thus undertaken
in parallel with advancement through the hierarchical undergraduate mathematics curricu-
lum. Lave and Wenger`s work on communities of practice is used as a framework to ex-
plore the TAs` learning of mathematics alongside their professional work in schools. This
case illustrates how and where institution-based undergraduate teaching relates to work in
school, and where it does not, thus signalling the importance of the TAs` informal learning
strategies in bringing together these experiences.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=78174aeedb044f3b810d9546cf43ebee&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/601q24672622783v/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/601q24672622783v/
ATM eNews (2008-12-16 09:57)
[1] [2]ATM eNews is available, and it was published yesterday. Those who subscribe
to the newsletter have probably got an email about it already, and those who dont can read the entire [3]newsletter
online. The eNews contains lots of useful information about new publications, conferences, etc. If you dont know,
ATM is the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (in UK), and it has about 4000 members. ATM has an annual
conference, which might be worth paying attention to. Online registration is now open.
1. http://www.atm.org.uk/news/enews/general/enews-2008-12-15.html
2. http://www.atm.org/
3. http://www.atm.org.uk/news/enews/general/enews-2008-12-15.html
Reading tips: Branford (1908) (2008-12-17 09:05)
Many great books have been written, and an increasing number are becoming part of the public domain. One of
them, which I would like to point your attention to, is a classical book written by Benchara Branford in 1908!
The title of the book is: "A Study of Mathematical Education, including The Teaching of Arithmetic". Besides
being an important book in the history of mathematics education, it also provides a nice insight into the teaching
of mathematics as it was 100 years ago!
Personally, I think his very direct connection between the historical development of mathematics and the childs
development of mathematical thinking (often referred to as "the genetic approach" in mathematics education) is
interesting.
[1]A Study of Mathematical Education
[2]Publish at Scribd or [3]explore others: [4]Teaching [5]Education [6]Mathematics [7]Education
If you want to read the book in [8]fullscreen format, click here. For [9]download (pdf), click here.
1. http://www.scribd.com/doc/7755396/A-Study-of-Mathematical-Education
4. http://www.scribd.com/browse?c=157-teaching
5. http://www.scribd.com/browse?c=156-education
6. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Mathematics
7. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Education
8. http://www.scribd.com/full/7755396?access_key=key-f1zegcbsiu1rd7np2d
NCTM E-workshops (2008-12-18 22:27)
If you would like to learn more about teaching mathematics, a good idea might be to participate in an e-workshop!
[1]NCTM are going to organize several such workshops in 2009. If you want to learn more you might want to
check out [2]their website.
2. http://www.nctm.org/eworkshops.aspx
Holidays are approaching... (2008-12-19 11:49)
The holidays are approaching, and the Christmas bells have almost started ringing in my house. In that connection,
I am going to inform the readers of Mathematics Education Research Blog that the next two weeks are probably
going to be a bit slower than usual here. Most of the main journals have also entered a slow period it seems, so this
might work out ne.
I am planning to write something during Christmas break, but the pace will be slower. If you want to make sure
that you dont miss all the important new articles that appear in the next two weeks, you might want to take a
[1]look at this page! This is a shared page from my [2]Google Reader account, which is automatically updated
with news from most of the journals I follow (those that have an RSS feed). No matter how slow my own pace is,
this page will always be updated.
If you still need something more to read during Christmas break, you might want to take a look at the 630+
references that I have stored in [3]my CiteULike account, or the 275+ bookmarks related to mathematics in my
[4]Delicious account. You might also be interested in taking a look at the [5]list of academic journals in mathe-
matics education, that I created over at Wikipedia the other day (and possibly contributing to the expansion of the
list)!
Merry Christmas to all!
1. http://www.google.no/reader/shared/user/07716708065977899712/label/faglig
2. http://www.google.com/reader/
3. http://no.citeulike.org/user/rmosvold
4. http://delicious.com/rmosvold/mathematics
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scientific_journals_in_mathematics_education
Mathematics in everyday life - a PhD thesis lives on! (2008-12-19 13:04)
Normally, a PhD thesis is seldom read by many people, and years of work often end up in a drawer. My own thesis
was published in a very limited number, and most of these disappeared during the day of my defense. About a year
ago, I decided to [1]publish my PhD thesis on Scribd, because - well mainly because I wanted more people to read
it, of course!
Since then, my thesis - a 300 page long thesis in mathematics education - has been viewed 2779 times (as of
writing), downloaded 4 times, liked by 4 people and 18 people have added the thesis to their favorites. It has also
been awarded to the hot-list on Scribd. Although these numbers are not fantastic, I think it is pretty good for such
a thesis. If you are interested in taking a look for yourself, you can either click on the link above, or you can read
the embedded document below. If you rather want to read in fullscreen, [2]click here. If you want to download it,
[3]click here (pdf).
[4]Mathematics in everyday life - A study of beliefs and actions
[5]Publish at Scribd or [6]explore others: [7]Mathematics [8]Science [9]education [10]mathematics
1. http:
//www.scribd.com/doc/506952/Mathematics-in-everyday-life-A-study-of-beliefs-and-actions
2. http://www.scribd.com/full/506952?access_key=33k7fubui5jpe
4. http:
9. http://www.scribd.com/tag/education
10. http://www.scribd.com/tag/mathematics
TMME, No 1/2, 2009 (2008-12-20 17:42)
[1]
The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast is about to publish issues 1 and 2 of 2009. You can nd them [2]in print
or [3]in electronic format quite soon. Before they arrive at these web sites, you can take a look at [4]the table of
contents, or you can read the editorial below:
[5]TMME 2 Article 0 Editorial Pp.1 2 [6]Publish at Scribd or [7]explore others:
1. http://www.infoagepub.com/products/journals/TMME/tmme_cover.gif
2. http://www.infoagepub.com/products/journals/TMME/
4. http://www.scribd.com/full/9235850?access_key=key-25iachotc96hofzx9dxh
5. http://www.scribd.com/doc/9235849/TMME-2-Article-0-Editorial-Pp1-2
ESM, January 2009 (2008-12-22 17:48)
[1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has already released the [2]rst issue of 2009. In addition to [3]Norma
Presmegs editorial, the issue contains the following articles:
[4]Cognitive styles, dynamic geometry and measurement performance, by Demetra Pitta-Pantazi and Con-
stantinos Christou
[5]Embodied design: constructing means for constructing meaning, by Dor Abrahamson
[6]Constructing competence: an analysis of student participation in the activity systems of mathematics
classrooms, by Melissa Gresal, Taylor Martin, Victoria Hand and James Greeno
[7]Every unsuccessful problem solver is unsuccessful in his or her own way: affective and cognitive factors
in proving, by Fulvia Furinghetti and Francesca Morselli
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=2ccef56b4ed0413abddba89c03aee2a2&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/r714h55u0331/?p=80ebec978b874a3ea5dbf75ce5bf476d&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/n8267714q553v781/?p=5f006a8051254165af53e7333daa7cb5&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/21k6872302n43572/?p=5f006a8051254165af53e7333daa7cb5&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/j54720v17x646llu/?p=5f006a8051254165af53e7333daa7cb5&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/17685jl641327p28/?p=5f006a8051254165af53e7333daa7cb5&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/3r62042183578748/?p=5f006a8051254165af53e7333daa7cb5&pi=4
IJSME, February 2009 (2008-12-22 18:01)
[1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education has already released the [2]February issue (Num-
ber 1) of 2009. The issue contains the following articles:
[3]A comparative study of the effects of a concept mapping enhanced laboratory experience on Turkish
high school students` understanding of acid-base chemistry, by Haluk zmen, Gkhan Dem0rc0olu and
Richard K. Coll
[4]Development of Student Understanding of Outcomes Involving Two or More Dice, by Jane M. Watson
and Ben A. Kelly
[5]Approaches to the Teaching of Creative and Non-Creative Mathematical Problems, by Mei-Shiu Chiu
[6]Teaching Deductive Reasoning to Pre-service Teachers: Promises and Constraints, by Kostas Hatzikiri-
akou and Panayiota Metallidou
[7]Students` Alternative Conceptions about Electricity and Effect of Inquiry-Based Teaching Strategies, by
Nada Chatila Afra, Iman Osta and Wassim Zoubeir
[8]Student-teachers` Dialectically Developed Motivation for Promoting Student-led Science Projects, by J.
Lawrence Bencze and G. Michael Bowen
[9]An Exploratory Study of Mathematics Test Results: What is the Gender Effect? by Simon Goodchild and
Barbro Grevholm
[10]The Numeracies of Boatbuilding: New Numeracies Shaped by Workplace Technologies, by Robyn
Zevenbergen and Kelly Zevenbergen
[11]The Development of an Instrument for a Technology-integrated Science Learning Environment, by
Weishen Wu, Huey-Por Chang and Chorng-Jee Guo
1. http://springerlink.com/content/111141/?p=091262ee130c40008e63fd88c9419a84&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/l3017u4u4xn1/?p=feb74035071d41a18eb05b79f1adfab2&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/x65h373125r306w0/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/t52q137454538350/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/63657ll82214k600/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/w2v70r6j54833482/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/8j5uu3q7htv8g031/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/6l51031378x52vxp/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/6857410r7684n727/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.com/content/119774r33pj765n6/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=7
11. http://springerlink.com/content/56m276vj41800113/?p=9ad6af3a6ebd4f03b339397a30fb4305&pi=8
TMME, No 1/2 2009 is here! (2008-12-23 00:17)
I gave a [1]pre-announcement of this two days ago, but now the [2]rst number of [3]The Montana Mathematics
Enthusiast for 2009 is ready for everyone to read. The feature themes in this double-issue is statistics education,
and mathematics education research in the southern hemisphere. The rst section of the issue has a number on
articles on this:
[4]TEACHER KNOWLEDGE AND STATISTICS: WHAT TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE ARE USED IN
THE PRIMARY CLASSROOM? by Tim Burgess (New Zealand)
[5]WHAT MAKES A 'GOOD STATISTICS STUDENT AND A 'GOOD STATISTICS TEACHER IN
SERVICE COURSES? by Sue Gordon, Peter Petocz and Anna Reid (Australia)
[6]STUDENTS` CONCEPTIONS ABOUT PROBABILITY AND ACCURACY, by Ignacio Nemirovsky,
Mnica Giuliano, Silvia Prez, Sonia Concari , Aldo Sacerdoti and Marcelo Alvarez (Argentina)
[7]UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT DIFFICULTIES WITH INDEPENDENT AND MUTUALLY EX-
CLUSIVE EVENTS CONCEPTS, by Adriana DAmelio (Argentina)
[8]ENHANCING STATISTICS INSTRUCTION IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: INTEGRATING TECH-
NOLOGY IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, by Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris (Cyprus), E Paparis-
todemou (Cyprus) & Despina Stylianou(USA)
[9]TEACHING STATISTICS MUST BE ADAPTED TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES: A Case Study
from Hungarian Higher Education, by Andras Komaromi (Hungary)
[10]STATISTICS TEACHING IN AN AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY: A Motivation Problem, by Klara
Lokos Toth (Hungary)
[11]CALCULATING DEPENDENT PROBABILITIES, by Mike Fletcher (UK)
[12]FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, by Mike Fletcher (UK)
[13]LEARNING, PARTICIPATION AND LOCAL SCHOOL MATHEMATICS PRACTICE, by Cristina
Frade (Brazil) & Konstantinos Tatsis (Greece)
[14]IF A.B = 0 THEN A = 0 or B = 0? by Cristina Ochoviet(Uruguay) & Asuman Okta (Mexico)
Other feature articles in this double-issue include:
[15]THE ORIGINS OF THE GENUS CONCEPT IN QUADRATIC FORMS, by Mark Beintema & Azar
Khosravani (Illinois, USA)
[16]THE IMPACT OF UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS COURSES ON COLLEGE STUDENT`S
GEOMETRIC REASONING STAGES, by Nuh Aydin (Ohio, USA) & Erdogan Halat (Turkey)
[17]A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF STUDENT`S REPRESENTATIONS FOR DIVISION OF FRAC-
TIONS, by Sylvia Bulgar (USA)
[18]ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS` UNDERSTANDINGS OF ALGEBRAIC
GENERALIZATIONS, by Jean E. Hallagan, Audrey C. Rule & Lynn F. Carlson (Oswego, New York)
[19]COMPARISION OF HIGH ACHIEVERS WITH LOW ACHIEVERS: Discussion of Juter`s (2007) ar-
ticle, by T. P. Hutchinson (Australia)
[20]FOSTERING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE VERBAL, ALGEBRAIC, AND GEOMETRIC REP-
RESENTATIONS OF BASIC PLANAR CURVES FOR STUDENT`S SUCCESS IN THE STUDY OF
MATHEMATICS, by Margo F. Kondratieva & Oana G. Radu (New Foundland, Canada)
[21]KOREAN TEACHERS` PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENT SUCCESS IN MATHEMATICS: Concept
versus procedure, by Insook Chung (Notre Dame, USA)
[22]HOW TO INCREASE MATHEMATICAL CREATIVITY- AN EXPERIMENT, by Kai Brunkalla
(Ohio, USA)
[23]CATCH ME IF YOU CAN! by Steve Humble (UK)
[24]A TRAILER, A SHOTGUN, AND A THEOREM OF PYTHAGORAS, by William H. Kazez (Georgia,
USA)
1. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2008/12/tmme-no-12-2009.html
2. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol6no1and2/
4. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol6no1and2/TMME_vol6nos1and2_article1_pp.3_24.pdf
Blog tips: "Wild about math!" (2008-12-30 17:35)
Sol Lederman has a very
nice blog about mathematics, and the focus is on "making math fun and accessible". The blog itself is called
"[1]Wild About Math!", and it is denitely worth checking out!
Sol has written much about learning mathematics by doing mathematics, and he appears to have a special interest
in solving mathematical problems. One of the things Sol often writes about is the so called Monday Math Madness
problem from the Blinkdagger blog. Lots of people already subscribe to the blog, and you can too! Its easy!
A good idea for starters would be to read some of Sols [2]featured articles. The rst ve are:
[3]10 ways to get wild about Math
[4]11 tips for building a strong Math foundation for kids
[5]EFT clears Math phobia[6]
[7]How kinesthetic folks learn Math
[8]How to get past 'stupid Math mistakes
1. http://wildaboutmath.com/
2. http://wildaboutmath.com/articles/
4. http:
//wildaboutmath.com/2007/11/02/building-blocks-that-lead-to-math-success-and-enjoyment/
5. http://wildaboutmath.com/2007/11/07/eft-clears-math-phobia/
7. http://wildaboutmath.com/2007/11/06/how-kinesthetic-folks-learn-math/
8. http://wildaboutmath.com/2007/11/09/how-to-get-past-stupid-math-mistakes/
Chapter 2
2009
2.1 January
Gem #1: Euclids Elements (2009-01-02 12:03)
When I was a student, I was lucky enough to study in a school which had a very good library of books related
to mathematics and mathematics education. Nowadays, you can study many of the great classical texts online.
In 2009, I am going to share with you several gems that I have found online. In my quest for these texts on
mathematics/mathematics education, a natural rst stop is with one of the greatest mathematical texts of all times:
The Elements, by Euclid.
Here is the text:
[1]Euclid Elements
[2]Publish at Scribd or [3]explore others: [4]Engineering [5]Mathematics [6]platonic [7]Euclid
You can also download (or read online) this great book in Google Books. See [8]these two [9]links for two versions
of the text. Happy new year, and happy reading!
1. http://www.scribd.com/doc/3170895/Euclid-Elements
4. http://www.scribd.com/browse?c=25-engineering
6. http://www.scribd.com/tag/platonic
7. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Euclid
8. http://books.google.com/books?id=Qa42AAAAMAAJ
9. http://books.google.com/books?id=P_BJAAAAMAAJ&oe=UTF-8
Gem #2: Hilberts "The Foundations of Geometry" (2009-01-05 09:24)
[1]David Hilbert (1862-1943) was one of the most important mathematicians of last century. He worked most
of his life in Gttingen, which had a very important mathematics center at the time. Here, Hilbert was surrounded
by excellent mathematicians like [2]Felix Klein, [3]John von Neumann, [4]Ernst Zermelo, [5]Emmy Noether and
more.
One of Hilberts achievements was to initiate a shift towards a more modern axiomatic method in mathematics,
and in particular in geometry. In relation to this, he proposed a research project, called "Hilberts program", which
aimed at formulating a solid and complete logical foundation for mathematics. Hilberts "The Foundations of
Geometry" is therefore one of the most important modern works in mathematics, although his program did not
succeed. The book is therefore a natural follow-up for [6]Gem #1: Euclids "The Elements" (which is regarded as
one of the most important mathematics texts ever, and in particular related to geometry). If you want to download
BlogBook 2.1. January
the book in pdf format, you can [7]go to the Gutenberg Project. Otherwise, you can read it here:
[8]David Hilbert - The Foundations of Geometry [9]Publish at Scribd or [10]explore others: [11]Science
[12]Course Material [13]foundation [14]Rockefeller
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_hilbert
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Klein
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Zermelo
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether
6. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/01/gem-1-euclids-elements.html
7. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17384/17384-pdf.pdf
8. http://www.scribd.com/doc/6779286/David-Hilbert-The-Foundations-of-Geometry
12. http://www.scribd.com/browse?c=161-course-material
13. http://www.scribd.com/tag/foundation
14. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Rockefeller
The cost of poor math skills (2009-01-05 15:25)
[1]The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (UK) presents the news of a new report
about "[2]The long term cost of numeracy difculties". The report concludes that poor skills in mathematics ends
up costing the society an enormous amount of money. [3]BBC reports:
Children who are bad at maths at school end up costing the taxpayer up to 2.4bn a year, a report
suggests.
Head of distrubution and product at Barclays, Mike Amato said to BBC:
We are very conscious that every child needs basic numeracy skills for survival.
This is also [4]discussed in The Times and other sources. A key message is that spending money on mathematics
education will save us a lot of money in the future.
If you have more information on this, links to other sources, similar studies in other countries, etc., feel free to
leave a comment!
1. http://www.ncetm.org.uk/
2. http:
//www.everychildachancetrust.org/pubs/ECC_long_term_costs_numeracy_difficulties_final.pdf
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7810938.stm
4. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article5446919.ece
epiSTEME 3 (2009-01-07 19:04)
A little more than a month ago, Mumbai (India) was the venue for a three-day massacre that caught the worlds
attention (see for instance [1]this Newsweek article). This week, a far more peaceful event takes place in Mumbai,
namely the 3rd International conference to review research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education
2.1. January BlogBook
([2]epiSTEME 3). The conference presents a number of interesting [3]main speakers, but unfortunately there
appears to be little or no live coverage. As far as I can tell, none of the presentations are put online, but you can
still get an impression by reading the extensive [4]list of abstracts.
1. http://www.newsweek.com/id/171366
2. http://cvs.gnowledge.org/episteme3/index.php
3. http://cvs.gnowledge.org/episteme3/speakers.php
4. http://cvs.gnowledge.org/episteme3/abstracts.php
Gem #3: Newtons Principia (2009-01-07 19:25)
[1]Isaac Newton is arguably one of the greatest scientists (and mathematicians) of all times, and his Principia is one
of the great works from the history of mathematics. Together with [2]Leibniz, Newton is normally acknowledged
as the founder of differential and integral [3]calculus. If you want to download Principia to your computer, you
can head over to [4]the Internet Archive. The original was in Latin, but you can read an English translation below:
[5]Newtons Principia
[6]Publish at Scribd or [7]explore others: [8]Mathematics [9]Science [10]literature [11]math
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Leibniz
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinitesimal_calculus
4. http://www.archive.org/details/newtonspmathema00newtrich
5. http://www.scribd.com/doc/5103380/Newtons-Principia
10. http://www.scribd.com/tag/literature
11. http://www.scribd.com/tag/math
Mathematics in Early Childhood (book) (2009-01-08 20:15)
A new and interesting book has been published (or is about to be published) by the [1]National Academies Press:
"[2]Mathematics in Early Childhood: Learning Paths Toward Excellence and Equity". The book has 560 pages,
and it costs $51.26 when ordered online. So far, the book appears to be available for pre-order only.
1. http://www.nap.edu/
2. http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12519
Measuring teachers beliefs about mathematics (2009-01-13 08:20)
M.A. Lazim and M.T. Abu Osman have written an article called [1]Measuring Teachers Beliefs about Mathemat-
ics: A Fuzzy Set Approach. The article was published in [2]the current issue of [3]International Journal of Social
Sciences. Here is the abstract of their article:
This paper deals with the application of a fuzzy set in measuring teachers beliefs about mathe-
matics. The vagueness of beliefs was transformed into standard mathematical values using a fuzzy
preferences model. The study employed a fuzzy approach questionnaire which consists of six at-
tributes for measuring mathematics teachers beliefs about mathematics. The fuzzy conjoint analysis
approach based on fuzzy set theory was used to analyze the data from twenty three mathematics teach-
ers from four secondary schools in Terengganu, Malaysia. Teachers beliefs were recorded in form
of degrees of similarity and its level of agreement. The attribute Drills and practice is one of the
best ways of learning mathematics scored the highest degree of similarity at 0.79860 with level of
strongly agree. The results showed that the teachers beliefs about mathematics were varied. This is
shown by different levels of agreement and degrees of similarity of the measured attributes.
1. http://www.waset.org/ijss/v4/v4-1-6.pdf
2. http://www.waset.org/ijss/current.html
3. http://www.waset.org/ijss/index.php
Using graphing software in algebra teaching (2009-01-13 12:08)
Kenneth Ruthven, Rosemary Deaney and Sara Hennesy have written an article that was published online in [1]Ed-
ucational Studies in Mathematics on Saturday. It is entitled: [2]Using graphing software to teach about algebraic
forms: a study of technology-supported practice in secondary-school mathematics. Besides having a focus on the
use of graphing software, the article also discusses issues related to classroom teaching practice, teacher knowl-
edge and teacher thinking. Here is the abstract of their article:
From preliminary analysis of teacher-nominated examples of successful technology-supported
practice in secondary-school mathematics, the use of graphing software to teach about algebraic
forms was identied as being an important archetype. Employing evidence from lesson observa-
tion and teacher interview, such practice was investigated in greater depth through case study of
two teachers each teaching two lessons of this type. The practitioner model developed in earlier
research (Ruthven & Hennessy, Educational Studies in Mathematics 49(1):4788, 2002; Micromath
19(2):2024, 2003) provided a framework for synthesising teacher thinking about the contribution
of graphing software. Further analysis highlighted the crucial part played by teacher prestructuring
and shaping of technology-and-task-mediated student activity in realising the ideals of the practitioner
model. Although teachers consider graphing software very accessible, successful classroom use still
depends on their inducting students into using it for mathematical purposes, providing suitably pre-
structured lesson tasks, prompting strategic use of the software by students and supporting mathemat-
ical interpretation of the results. Accordingly, this study has illustrated how, in the course of appro-
priating the technology, teachers adapt their classroom practice and develop their craft knowledge:
particularly by establishing a coherent resource system that effectively incorporates the software; by
adapting activity formats to exploit new interactive possibilities; by extending curriculum scripts to
provide for proactive structuring and responsive shaping of activity; and by reworking lesson agendas
to take advantage of the new time economy.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=0eb5f49052654a70ae60f90c71804284&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/73431511826781jg/
Intuitive vs analytical thinking (2009-01-13 12:10)
Uri Leron and Orit Hazzan have written an article called [1]Intuitive vs analytical thinking: four perspectives. The
article was recently published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. Here is the abstract of their article:
This article is an attempt to place mathematical thinking in the context of more general theories of
human cognition. We describe and compare four perspectivesmathematics, mathematics education,
cognitive psychology, and evolutionary psychologyeach offering a different view on mathematical
thinking and learning and, in particular, on the source of mathematical errors and on ways of dealing
with them in the classroom. The four perspectives represent four levels of explanation, and we see
them not as competing but as complementing each other. In the classroom or in research data, all four
perspectives may be observed. They may differentially account for the behavior of different students
on the same task, the same student in different stages of development, or even the same student in
different stages of working on a complex task. We rst introduce each of the perspectives by review-
ing its basic ideas and research base. We then show each perspective at work, by applying it to the
analysis of typical mathematical misconceptions. Our illustrations are based on two tasks: one from
statistics (taken from the psychological research literature) and one from abstract algebra (based on
our own research).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x228466318825631/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=99d51257abaf491988a46df27af55a2b&pi=0
Preservice teachers subject matter knowledge of mathematics (2009-01-15 08:29)
Ramakrishnan Menon has written an article entitled [1]Preservice teachers subject matter knowledge of mathe-
matics. The article has been published in [2]International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Here
Sixty four preservice teachers taking a mathematics methods class for middle schools were given
3 math problems: multiply a three digit number by a two digit number; divide a whole number by a
fraction; and compare the volume of two cylinders made in different ways from the same rectangular
sheet. They were to a) solve them, explaining their solution, b) classify them as easy, of medium
difculty, or difcult, explaining the rationale for their classication, and c) explain how they would
teach/help children to solve them. Responses were classied under three categories of subject matter
knowledge, namely traditional, pedagogical, and reective. Implications of these categories to effec-
tive math teaching are then discussed.
1. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/menon.pdf
Students perceptions (2009-01-15 08:32)
Mashooque Ali Samo has written an article called [1]Students Perceptions Abouth the Symbols, Letters and Signs
in Algebra and How Do These Affect Their Learning of Algebra: A Case Study in a Govenrment Girls Secondary
School, Karachi. This article pays attention to misconceptions that arise in Algebra, and it has been published in
[2]International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Here is the article abstract:
Algebra uses symbols for generalizing arithmetic. These symbols have different meanings and
interpretations in different situations. Students have different perceptions about these symbols, let-
ters and signs. Despite the vast research by on the students difculties in understanding letters in
Algebra, the overall image that emerges from the literature is that students have misconceptions of
the use of letters and signs in Algebra. My empirical research done through this study has revealed
that the students have many misconceptions in the use of symbols in Algebra which have bearings
on their learning of Algebra. It appears that the problems encountered by the students appeared to
have connection with their lack of conceptual knowledge and might have been result of teaching they
experience in learning Algebra at the secondary schooling level. Some of the ndings also suggest
that teachers appeared to have difculties with their own content knowledge. Here one can also see
that textbooks are also not presenting content in such an elaborate way that these could have provided
sufcient room for students to develop their relational knowledge and conceptual understanding of Al-
gebra. Moreover, this study investigates students difculty in translating word problems in algebraic
and symbolic form. They usually follow phrase- to- phrase strategy in translating word problem from
English to Urdu. This process of translating the word problem from English to their own language
appears to have hindered in the correct use of symbols in Algebra. The ndings have some important
implications for the teaching of Algebra that might help to develop symbol sense in both students
and teachers. By the help of symbol sense, they can use symbols properly; understand the nature of
symbols in different situations, like, in functions, in variables and in relationships between algebraic
representations. This study will contribute to future research on similar topics.
1. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/journal/samo.pdf
JRME, January 2009 (2009-01-15 15:51)
[1]Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) has released the [2]January issue of 2009 (vol. 40,
issue 1). It contains the following list of articles:
[3]Editorial: It Takes a Community..., by M. Kathleen Heid
[4]RESEARCH COMMENTARY: The Effects of Spacing and Mixing Practice Problems, by Doug Rohrer
[5]The Slippery Road From Actions on Objects to Functions and Variables, by Tamar Paz and Uri Leron
[6]An Interpretive Scheme for Analyzing the Identities That Students Develop in Mathematics Classrooms,
by Paul Cobb, Melissa Gresal and Lynn Liao Hodge
[7]BOOK REVIEW: A Trio of Strategies for Success: A Review of Mathematics Education at Highly
Effective Schools That Serve the Poor: Strategies for Change, by Joanne Rossi Becker
Unfortunately, only the editorial is freely available for all to read. You might also be interested in looking up the
issue [8]as listed in the ProQuest database.
2. http://my.nctm.org/eresources/toc.asp?journal_id=1&Issue_id=891
8. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=572&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD&pmid=23908&pcid=
41593801&SrchMode=3
Students use of technological tools (2009-01-16 17:36)
Ioannis Papadopoulosa and Vassilios Dagdilelis have written an article that was published online in [1]the Journal
of Mathematical Behavior yesterday. The article is entitled [2]Students` use of technological tools for verication
purposes in geometry problem solving. Here is a copy of the article abstract:
Despite its importance in mathematical problem solving, verication receives rather little attention
by the students in classrooms, especially at the primary school level. Under the hypotheses that (a)
non-standard tasks create a feeling of uncertainty that stimulates the students to proceed to verication
processes and (b) computational environments by providing more available tools compared to the
traditional environment might offer opportunities for more frequent usage of verication techniques,
we posed to 5th and 6th graders non-routine problems dealing with area of plane irregular gures. The
data collected gave us evidence that computational environments allowthe development of verication
processes in a wider variety compared to the traditional paper-and-pencil environment and at the same
time we had the chance to propose a preliminary categorization of the students` verication processes
under certain conditions.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4VCNF02-1&_user=10&_rdoc=
1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=
10&md5=6e2aa501b129af741a757af3b204cb6e
Gem #4: Hardys Apology (2009-01-19 15:13)
This gem from the history of mathematics is more recent. It was published in 1940 by British mathematician
[1]G.H. Hardy. The book/essay was written when Hardy (then 62) felt that he no longer had the ability to contribute
to the eld of mathematics. A main theme in the book is concerning mathematical beauty, and he believed that the
most beautiful mathematics was that, which had no application! Luckily, this book is also in the public domain,
and you can read it in below (or [2]download the pdf):
[3]A Mathematicians Apology
[4]Publish at Scribd or [5]explore others: [6]math [7]Science-Mathematics
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._H._Hardy
2. http://www.math.ualberta.ca/%7Emss/misc/A%20Mathematician%27s%20Apology.pdf
3. http://www.scribd.com/doc/2867/A-Mathematicians-Apology
6. http://www.scribd.com/tag/math
7. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Science-Mathematics
Re-mythologizing mathematics (2009-01-22 11:40)
David Wagner and Beth Herbel-Eisenmann have written an article entitled [1]Re-mythologizing mathematics
through attention to classroom positioning. the article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathe-
matics on Tuesday. Here is their article abstract:
With our conceptualization of Harr and van Langenhove`s (1999) positioning theory, we draw
attention to immanent experience and read transcendent discursive practices through the moment of
interaction. We use a series of spatial images as metaphors to analyze the way positioning is conceptu-
alized in current mathematics education literature and the way it may be alternatively conceptualized.
This leads us to claim that changing the way mathematics is talked about and changing the stories (or
myths) told about mathematics is necessary for efforts to change the way mathematics is done and the
way it is taught.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/82v750722jlx62k4/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=c85edef7ac534b4bb5b36fff8548cb61&pi=0
Pursuing excellence (2009-01-26 08:23)
Rongjin Huang and Yeping Li have written an article called [1]Pursuing excellence in mathematics classroom
instruction through exemplary lesson development in China: a case study. The article was published online in
[2]ZDM on Friday. To me, this article is interesting for a few reasons:
It has a focus on teaching mathematics
It has a focus on how to develop exemplary lessons
It has a focus on learning from "master teachers"
It provides a nice insight into chinese mathematics teaching
Several aspects in this study remind me of the Lesson Study approach and theories related to Mathematical Knowl-
edge for Teaching (MKT), both of which are among my main research interests. Here is an abstract of their article:
In this article, we aim to examine the features of mathematics classroom instruction excellence
valued in China. The popular approach to pursuing mathematics classroom instruction excellence
through exemplary lesson development is also investigated to demonstrate the nature of teaching cul-
ture that has been advocated and nurtured in China. Features of an exemplary lesson are analyzed
in detail, and the practicing teacher`s experience through participating in the development of the ex-
emplary lesson is examined as well. Finally, the implications of developing exemplary lessons for
pursuing excellence in mathematics classroom instruction as a culturally valued approach in China
are also discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j271g68518161338/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=6615f7f7182c4e31b2dc408e1090c44a&pi=0
Using history in mathematics education (2009-01-26 08:32)
Uffe Thomas Jankvist has written an article about using history in mathematics education. The article was pub-
lished in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics last week, and it is entitled: [2]A categorization of the 'whys
and 'hows of using history in mathematics education. Here is the abstract of his article:
This is a theoretical article proposing a way of organizing and structuring the discussion of why
and how to use the history of mathematics in the teaching and learning of mathematics, as well as the
interrelations between the arguments for using history and the approaches to doing so. The way of
going about this is to propose two sets of categories in which to place the arguments for using history
(the 'whys) and the different approaches to doing this (the 'hows). The arguments for using history
are divided into two categories; history as a tool and history as a goal. The ways of using history
are placed into three categories of approaches: the illumination, the modules, and the history-based
approaches. This categorization, along with a discussion of the motivation for using history being
one concerned with either the inner issues (in-issues) or the metaperspective issues (meta-issues) of
mathematics, provides a means of ordering the discussion of 'whys and 'hows.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=8db6071c2cbc4d768ddbc30a59d99f6d&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j31j79273u7q5576/
Problem-solving and cryptography (2009-01-26 08:38)
Tobin White has written an interesting article about cryptography and problem solving. The article is entitled
[1]Encrypted objects and decryption processes: problem-solving with functions in a learning environment based
on cryptography, and the article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Thursday.
Those of you who dont have a subscription to this journal will be interested to know that the article is an Open
Access article, and it is therefore available to all! ([3]Direct link to pdf download) Here is the abstract of the article:
This paper introduces an applied problem-solving task, set in the context of cryptography and em-
bedded in a network of computer-based tools. This designed learning environment engaged students
in a series of collaborative problem-solving activities intended to introduce the topic of functions
through a set of linked representations. In a classroom-based study, students were asked to imag-
ine themselves as cryptanalysts, and to collaborate with the other members of their small group on
a series of increasingly difcult problem-solving tasks over several sessions. These tasks involved
decrypting text messages that had been encrypted using polynomial functions as substitution ciphers.
Drawing on the distinction between viewing functions as processes and as objects, the paper presents
a detailed analysis of two groups` developing uency with regard to these tasks, and of the aspects
of the function concept underlying their problem-solving approaches. Results of this study indicated
that different levels of expertise with regard to the task environment reected and required different
aspects of functions, and thus represented distinct opportunities to engage those different aspects of
the function concept.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/br4gr48338117482/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=f3a5fe5ecffe4b1abb85b5a331800a8e&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/br4gr48338117482/fulltext.pdf
In search of an exemplary mathematics lesson in Hong Kong (2009-01-26 08:47)
Ida Ah Chee Mok has written an article that was published in [1]ZDM on Thursday. The article is entitled [2]In
search of an exemplary mathematics lesson in Hong Kong: an algebra lesson on factorization of polynomials. The
theoretical perspectives for this article are mathematical enculturation and the theory of learning through variation
(variation theory). The study which is described in the article is part of the Learners Perspective Study (LPS).
This study
(...) has engaged researchers in the investigation of mathematics classrooms of teachers in Aus-
tralia, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, South
Africa, Sweden and the USA.
The author here describes an exemplary grade-8 algebra lesson in Hong Kong, taken from the data
of the learners` perspective study. The analysis presents a juxtaposition of the researcher`s analysis
of the lesson with the teacher and students` perspectives of the lesson. The researcher`s perspective
applies the theory of variation for which the main concern of learning is the discernment of the key
aspects of the object of learning and that the description of variations delineates the potential of the
learning space. Some persistent features were illustrated, namely, the teacher talk was a major input
in teaching; the technique of variation was used in the design of the mathematical problems and the
dimensions of variation created in the class interaction provided a potential learning environment;
the teacher taking seriously the student factor into account in his philosophy and practice. From the
standpoint of enculturation, the teacher`s inuence as an enculturator is intentional, signicant and
inuential.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=5a74aca1bd734d9bb725a12d2fa1ec71&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/417263084126p063/
CERME 6 (2009-01-27 08:42)
The [1]CERME 6 conference starts today in Lyon, France. The conference is organized by [2]ERME, which is the
European society for Research in Mathematics Education. The main aims of ERME are to:
(...)to promote communication, cooperation and collaboration in research in mathematics educa-
tion in Europe
Unfortunately, I am not attending the conference myself, so I am not going to report from it. If you want to learn
more about the scientic program for the conference, you can nd it [3]here. Below is the location of the confer-
ence venue:
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q &source=s _q &hl=en &geocode=
&q=Avenue+Gaston+Berger,+69100+Villeurbanne,+France
&sll=45.755253,4.861584 &sspn=0.084918,0.170975 &ie=UTF8 &z=14 &iwloc=addr &ll=45.789133,4.875612
&output=embed &s=AARTsJowAXqoDP69nx4UIWYlPv-xCGv4xg &w=425 &h=350]
2. http://www.erme-soc.eu/
3. http://cerme6.univ-lyon1.fr/program.php
Science & Education, February 2009 (2009-01-28 21:16)
The [1]February issue of [2]Science & Education has been published. None of the articles in this issue are directly
related to mathematics education, and the theme of the issue is "Politics and philosophy of science". Still, the issue
might be worth checking out, especially if you are interested in the above mentioned theme.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/h782x35r3p85/?p=d456a5068351445cb0197a26ac30785c&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102992/?p=3a2c096cb2794cd79aed324301916b29&pi=0
Tools of American Mathematics Teaching, 1800-2000 (2009-01-28 21:27)
The last issue of [1]TCRecord includes a [2]review of a book that I wasnt aware of before, but that certainly
looks interesting: "[3]Tools of American Mathematics Teaching, 1800-2000", by Peggy Aldrich Kidwell, Amy
Ackerberg-Hastings, and David Lindsay Roberts. The book was published last year. Here is a taster of Alexander
P. Karps excellent review of the book:
In today`s classrooms graphing calculators have become routine, yet thousands of teachers can
easily recall a time when they did not exist. Not so with the blackboard, which seems to us something
that is almost as old as the idea of education itself. This, however, is by no means the case. Two
hundred years ago, and for several decades afterwards, blackboards were a novelty in American class-
rooms and their use was regarded as a particular feature of teaching style. And indeed, the transition
from small tablets made of slate to a large blackboard for the whole class went along with a transition
to working simultaneously with a large group of studentsa transition that can hardly be viewed as
anything other than fundamental.
2. http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentId=15486
3. http://www.amazon.com/American-Mathematics-Teaching-1800-2000-Hopkins/dp/080188814X
2.2 February
Gem #5: Russels Principles of Mathematics (2009-02-03 11:37)
[1]
The gem that I have decided to share with you today, is [2]Bertrand Russels book from 1903: "The Principles of
Mathematics".
You can [3]download the pdf, or you can read it below. You can also [4]check out this site, for another online
version of the book. Enjoy!
[5]The Principles of Mathematics (1903) - Bertrand Russell
[6]Publish at Scribd or [7]explore others: [8]Science & Engineerin [9]Culture-Philosophy [10]Science-
Mathematics
1. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Russell1907-2.jpg/
150px-Russell1907-2.jpg
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell
4. http://fair-use.org/bertrand-russell/the-principles-of-mathematics/
5. http://www.scribd.com/doc/8300456/The-Principles-of-Mathematics-1903-Bertrand-Russell
8. http:
//www.scribd.com/browse/eBooks/Science-Engineering?style=text-decoration%3A+underline%3B
9. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Culture-Philosophy
10. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Science-Mathematics
Overcoming Algebra (2009-02-03 20:01)
Next Tuesday, there is going to be a free live "webinar" over at [1]http://edweek.org/go/algebra. Presenters in
this web-based seminar are [2]Jon R. Star and Mary Jo Tavormina. Star is educational psychologist and assistant
professor of education at [3]Harvard University, whereas Tavormina is elementary mathematics manager in the
Chicago Public Schools. Here is a description of the webinar:
One of the biggest challenges in K-12 education today is how to help students overcome their
struggles in introductory algebra. Many students fail or are barely able to keep up in their rst algebra
course, typically taught in 8th or 9th grade. In response, state and school district ofcials are trying
to solve this problem in several ways, such as by encouraging better teacher preparation, including
an emphasis on algebra, and by revamping courses and curricula to help struggling students, such as
through the creation of "algebra readiness" classes aimed at girding students for the challenges of that
class. In addition, policymakers at all levels have called for an improved, more streamlined approach
to teaching elementary and middle-grades math as a way of preparing students for algebra.
This webinar will bring together a number of experts who have examined students experiences with
algebra. One of the goals is to explore the fundamental question: Why do so many students nd alge-
bra so difcult? The webinar will then examine efforts by districts and private curriculum-developers
to help these students. It will also touch on major developments at the national level in this area,
such as the release last year of a report of the National Math Advisory Panel, which called for more
coherent math curricula at early grades as a foundation for algebra.
1. http://edweek.org/go/algebra
2. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/faculty_research/profiles/profile.shtml?vperson_id=79295
3. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/
Why East Asians do well in math (2009-02-03 20:12)
Yesterday, an interesting article was published in the [1]Philippine Daily Inquirer. The article was entitled "[2]Why
East Asians do well in math". This was the second part of an article that was [3]published last week - with the
same name. Of course, this is a news article and not a scientic paper, but I think the articles alltogether provide
some interesting information about some issues with these cultures that might very well inuence their students
achievement in mathematics. The nal claim is that:
The secret to math success is not genetic or innate talent, but environment, family, culture.
1. http://www.inquirer.net/
2. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/learning/view/20090202-186899/
Why-East-Asians-do-well-in-math
3. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/learning/view/20090126-185538/
Why-East-Asians-do-well-in-math
AMTE Annual Conference (2009-02-05 15:16)
Today, the [1]13th Annual Conference of [2]the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) started
in Orlando, Florida. Unfortunately, I am not there, so I cannot report from the conference. If anyone is, please tell
me! And if you are blogging from the conference (or know about someone who does), please leave a note in the
comment eld :-)
The conference program looks very interesting indeed, so I would love to get information about whether some
papers are published somewhere, etc.
1. http://www.amte.net/conf_index_2009.shtml
2. http://www.amte.net/
JMTE, February 2009 (2009-02-08 00:07)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has published their rst issue this year. The issue contains some
interesting articles:
No access to content
Article
[2]Bringing enthusiasm into the mathematics classroom
[3]Anne D. Cockburn
[4]Full Text PDF (94.6 KB)[5] Full Text HTML
1-5
Article
[6]A primary teacher`s mathematics teaching: the development of
beliefs and practice in different 'supportive contexts
[7]Despina Potari and [8]Barbara GeorgiadouKabouridis
7-25
Article
[11]Contextualising the notion of 'belief enactment`
[12]Jeppe Skott
27-46
Article
[15]A longitudinal study of effects of a developmental teacher
preparation program on elementary prospective teachers` mathematics
beliefs
[16]Susan L. Swars, [17]Stephanie Z. Smith, [18]Marvin E. Smith and
[19]Lynn C. Hart
47-66
Article
[22]Working for learning: teaching assistants developing mathematics
for teaching
[23]Pat Drake
67-82
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=937a6df3022146a3a927003524125b61&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/b334237635j45512/?p=6e5e529f8c304ca184847c0d3c6cd8c9&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Anne+D.+Cockburn
4. http://springerlink.com/content/b334237635j45512/fulltext.pdf
5. http://springerlink.com/content/b334237635j45512/fulltext.html
6. http://springerlink.com/content/x7r0861m623800l5/?p=6e5e529f8c304ca184847c0d3c6cd8c9&pi=1
7. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Despina+Potari
8. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Barbara+Georgiadou%e2%80%93Kabouridis
9. http://springerlink.com/content/x7r0861m623800l5/fulltext.pdf
10. http://springerlink.com/content/x7r0861m623800l5/fulltext.html
11. http://springerlink.com/content/pu45048u71775618/?p=6e5e529f8c304ca184847c0d3c6cd8c9&pi=2
12. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Jeppe+Skott
13. http://springerlink.com/content/pu45048u71775618/fulltext.pdf
14. http://springerlink.com/content/pu45048u71775618/fulltext.html
15. http://springerlink.com/content/j6j7x5w1g6764687/?p=6e5e529f8c304ca184847c0d3c6cd8c9&pi=3
16. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Susan+L.+Swars
17. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Stephanie+Z.+Smith
18. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Marvin+E.+Smith
19. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Lynn+C.+Hart
20. http://springerlink.com/content/j6j7x5w1g6764687/fulltext.pdf
21. http://springerlink.com/content/j6j7x5w1g6764687/fulltext.html
22. http://springerlink.com/content/601q24672622783v/?p=6e5e529f8c304ca184847c0d3c6cd8c9&pi=4
23. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Pat+Drake
24. http://springerlink.com/content/601q24672622783v/fulltext.pdf
25. http://springerlink.com/content/601q24672622783v/fulltext.html
Assessing science students attitudes (2009-02-09 20:28)
A new article has recently been published in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and
Technology. The article is entitled [2]Assessing science students attitudes to mathematics: A case study on a
modelling project with mathematical software, and it is written by L. L. Lim, T. -Y. Tso and F. L. Lin. Here is the
This article reports the attitudes of students towards mathematics after they had participated in an
applied mathematical modelling project that was part of an Applied Mathematics course. The students
were majoring in Earth Science at the National Taiwan Normal University. Twenty-six students took
part in the project. It was the rst time a mathematical modelling project had been incorporated into
the Applied Mathematics course for such students at this University. This was also the rst time
the students experienced applied mathematical modelling and used the mathematical software. The
main aim of this modelling project was to assess whether the students attitudes toward mathematics
changed after participating in the project. We used two questionnaires and interviews to assess the
students. The results were encouraging especially the attitude of enjoyment. Hence the approach of
the modelling project seems to be an effective method for Earth Science students.
Math Wrath (2009-02-09 20:34)
[1]Forbes published a [2]nice commentary with a focus on mathematics on Saturday. Here is a taster:
At the tender age of 8, I concluded that, among the varied destinies shimmering before me, being
a profound mathematical genius was not one of them. I wont have a number named after me, like
Signor Fibonacci, or propose a problem to perplex the generations, like Monsieur Fermat. Chances
are I wont even get a dinner tip right.
The article is interesting in many ways. Among other things, it includes several thought provoking questions
related to mathematics education. For instance: Why do we teach mathematics in the age of the calculator? The
article also includes some historical anecdotes that might be of interest to some. In my opinion, it would have
been even more interesting to go beyond these anecdotes, but thats a different story, I guess. (If you want a good
resource on the history of mathematics that goes far beyond anecdotes, you should check out [3]MacTutor History
of Mathematics Archive!)
1. http://www.forbes.com/
2. http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/06/math-archimedes-churchill-opinions-contributors_0207_
joseph_tartakovsky.html
3. http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/
Gem #6: Napiers logarithms (2009-02-09 20:54)
[1] John Napier (1550-1617) was a Scottish mathematician. He is most
famous for having invented logarithms, and todays featured book is precisely about that. Napiers book is entitled
"The construction of the wonderful canon of logarithms", and it is an English translation of the original Latin book.
The book is available as [2]Flip Book, or you could download the [3]PDF. You could also start reading it below,
without leaving this blog :-)
[4]Napiers wonderful world of logarithms
[5]Publish at Scribd or [6]explore others:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_napier
2. http://www.archive.org/stream/constructionofwo00napiuoft
3. http://www.archive.org/download/constructionofwo00napiuoft/constructionofwo00napiuoft.pdf
4. http://www.scribd.com/doc/11990774/Napiers-wonderful-world-of-logarithms
Journal of Curriculum Studies (2009-02-12 09:43)
There are lots of scientic journals related to education out there, and not all of them include articles related to
mathematics education (at least not in all issues). [1]Journal of Curriculum Studies is a very interesting journal, and
it has now released the [2]rst issue of 2009. No articles in this issue are directly related to mathematics education,
but there are several interesting articles about teaching and education in general. The issue also includes [3]an
essay that was written by [4]John Dewey, and rst published in 1922! (If youre interested in more of Deweys
writings, you should take a look at [5]this link!)
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713741620~db=all
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=g908662271~db=all
3. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a908656146~db=all~order=page
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey
5. http://books.google.no/books?as_q=&num=10&btnG=Google-s%C3%B8k&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_
brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&lr=&as_vt=&as_auth=john+dewey&as_pub=&as_drrb=c&as_miny=&as_maxy=&as_
isbn=&as_issn=
Gem #7: Deweys "Democracy and education" (2009-02-13 09:55)
Yesterday, I mentioned John Dewey in [1]my post about the latest issue of Journal of Curriculum Studies. This
gave me an idea, and as a result I gured out that it would have been nice to add a work by Dewey in my gem-
series. I know, it is not a famous book of mathematics or mathematics education, but Deweys theories have had
great inuence in educational research in general, and also in research in mathematics education. Therefore, I am
happy to present todays gem: "Democracy and Education", by John Dewey. As usual, you can read it below, or
[2]download the pdf. Happy reading!
[3]John Dewey - Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education
[4]Publish at Scribd or [5]explore others: [6]eBooks [7]democracy [8]Philosophy
1. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/02/journal-of-curriculum-studies.html
3. http://www.scribd.com/doc/12009324/
John-Dewey-Democracy-and-Education-An-Introduction-to-the-Philosophy-of-Education
6. http://www.scribd.com/browse/eBooks/?style=text-decoration%3A+underline%3B
7. http://www.scribd.com/tag/democracy
8. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Philosophy
Teachers motivation for fractions (2009-02-13 16:45)
Kristie Jones Newton has written an article that was published in [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education
on Wednesday. The article is entitled [2]Instructional practices related to prospective elementary school teachers`
motivation for fractions. Here is Newtons article abstract:
This study was undertaken in order to better understand prospective elementary school teachers`
motivations for working with fractions before and after taking a course designed to deepen their un-
derstanding of mathematics, as well as what instructional practices might be related to any changes
detected in their motivations. Eighty-ve education students were given a motivation questionnaire at
the beginning and end of the semester, and observations were made of the 9 days when fractions were
taught. Three levels of teacher data were collected to understand instructional practices. Students`
ratings of the importance and usefulness of fractions (value), self-concept of ability, and anxiety were
near the center of the scale at pre-test, with only value in the desired direction. At posttest, value
and self-concept of ability increased while anxiety decreased, but these changes differed somewhat by
instructor. In particular, reform-oriented practices, such as engaging students in high-level discourse,
seemed to be associated with lowered anxiety.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=770b532aeef04ca18db49115ff8715a2&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/v25p1746142jx13n/
Diagrams in problem solving (2009-02-13 16:48)
Marilena Pantziara, Athanasios Gagatsis and Iliada Elia have written an article entitled [1]Using diagrams as tools
for the solution of non-routine mathematical problems. The article has recently been published online in [2]Edu-
cational Studies in Mathematics. Here is the abstract of their article:
The Mathematics education community has long recognized the importance of diagrams in the
solution of mathematical problems. Particularly, it is stated that diagrams facilitate the solution of
mathematical problems because they represent problems` structure and information (Novick & Hur-
ley, 2001; Diezmann, 2005). Novick and Hurley were the rst to introduce three well-dened types of
diagrams, that is, network, hierarchy, and matrix, which represent different problematic situations. In
the present study, we investigated the effects of these types of diagrams in non-routine mathematical
problem solving by contrasting students` abilities to solve problems with and without the presence
of diagrams. Structural equation modeling afrmed the existence of two rst-order factors indicating
the differential effects of the problems` representation, i.e., text with diagrams and without diagrams,
and a second-order factor representing general non-routine problem solving ability in mathematics.
Implicative analysis showed the inuence of the presence of diagrams in the problems` hierarchical
ordering. Furthermore, results provided support for other studies (e.g. Diezman & English, 2001)
which documented some students` difculties to use diagrams efciently for the solution of problems.
We discuss the ndings and provide suggestions for the efcient use of diagrams in the problem solv-
ing situation.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/p426785u64020146/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=fffd7b8b4dc74ff69843072cde7296ae&pi=0
Four-digit numbers which are squared sums (2009-02-14 10:17)
Heather Coughlin and Brian Jue have written an article called [1]Four-digit numbers which are squared sums.
The article was recently published online in [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and
Technology. Here is the article abstract:
There is a very natural way to divide a four-digit number into 2 two-digit numbers. Applying an
algorithm to this pair of numbers, determine how often the original four-digit number reappears.
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Edb=all?content=10.1080/
00207390802566956&jumptype=alert&alerttype=ifirst_alert,email
Algebra: Use it or lose it? (2009-02-16 09:12)
Yesterday, there was an interesting article in [1]The Spectrum. The title of the article is "[2]Algebra: Use it or lose
it?", and the claim that is put forth by author Sarah Clark was that algebra teachers all over the world are lying
when they tell students that algebra is important because theyll use it in their daily life.
Clark (32) describes herself as a non-traditional student:
(...) who hasnt taken an algebra class in 15 years. If, for the past 15 years, I had been using alge-
bra in my everyday life, I would be blowing through my algebra homework with ease, thinking, "Hey!
I just did this yesterday while I was washing laundry," or, "Im so glad Ive known this all along. Id
never be able to drive anywhere without it!" or "Wow! I just used this formula last week to calculate
the ratio of jazz to classical music on my iPod.
Apparently, this is not what she has experienced. On the contrary, she has never experienced using algebra in her
daily life, and she now nds herself uncapable of doing it. She also proposes an algebra revolution, where we
should share the truth with every student who is struggling with algebra: these skills will not be crucial for you in
adult life.
There are lots of things to comment on these statements, for sure. And lots of people did comment on it already
(so be sure to read the comments below the article as well!). Deb Peterson at About.com made an [3]interesting
(external) comment to the article, that might be worth reading.
Myself, I think all these claims about how mathematics is/can be useful in your everyday life is a mixed bag. I
think Clarks article illustrates a common issue as well: when teachers claim that mathematics is useful in everyday
life, it might be their own everyday life they think of rather than their students. (Lots of people have written about
the connections with everyday life, and if you are interested, you might want to take a look at my own PhD thesis:
[4]Mathematics in everyday life: a study of beliefs and actions.)
1. http://www.thespectrum.com/
2. http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090215/LIFESTYLE/902150327
3. http://adulted.about.com/b/2009/02/15/
is-algebra-math-you-can-use-or-a-path-to-critical-thinking.htm
4. http:
Do you use math in your everyday life? (2009-02-17 11:53)
I am thrilled to see that the post I made yesterday about Sarah Clarks [1]article in The Spectrum, and [2]Deb
Petersons comments in her blog at About.com, actually resulted in Deb nding out about [3]my work. She has
followed this up with [4]another nice post about the issue. Be sure to check out the last part of the title of her post
:-)
I am not sure that I would totally agree that I have actually proven Sarah right, though. My study was a qualitative
study of a small sample of teachers, and I dont think it can be generalized like that. What I do think is interesting
with the results of my work is that even these skilled teachers, who were actually chosen in order to provide good
examples on how teachers connect mathematics with everyday life, did not do this so much!
There was another teacher in my study, called Harry, who also made a lot of connections with everyday life in his
teaching, though. I wrote an article with some examples from his teaching for the Norma 05 conference (Mosvold,
2007). You can nd a [5]pre-print of this article here. (See full reference below!)
References:
Mosvold, R. (2007). [6]Teaching "Mathematics in everyday life". In C. Bergsten et al. (Eds.): Relating Practice
and Research in Mathematics Education. Proceedings of Norma 05, Fourth Nordic Conference on Mathematics
Education, 389-399, Trondheim: Tapir Academic Press.
1. http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090215/LIFESTYLE/902150327
2. http://adulted.about.com/b/2009/02/15/
is-algebra-math-you-can-use-or-a-path-to-critical-thinking.htm
3. http:
4. http://adulted.about.com/b/2009/02/16/reidar-proves-sarah-right.htm
5. http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcxdkf5g_49hknz9n
6. http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcxdkf5g_49hknz9n
IJMEST, issue 1, 2009 (2009-02-17 11:59)
[1]Issue 1 of [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology has been published.
The issue contains several articles that I nd really interesting! Here is a list of all the articles in this issue:
Original Articles
[3]Some reasons for change in undergraduate mathematics enrolments
[4]3 15
Authors: Derek Holton; Eric Muller; Juha Oikkonen; Oscar Adolfo
Sanchez Valenzuela; Ren Zizhao
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802597621
[5]Mathematical sciences in Australia
[6]17 26
Authors: Jan Thomas; Michelle Muchatuta; Leigh Wood
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802597654
[7]Recruitment and retention of mathematics students in Canadian
universities
[8]27 41
Authors: Laura Fenwick-Sehl; Marcella Fioroni; Miroslav Lovric
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802568192
[9]The rise and fall of mathematical enrolments in the French
educational system: a case study
[10]43 57
Authors: Pierre Arnoux; Daniel Duverney; Derek Holton
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802586145
[11]Status of mathematics teaching and learning in Malaysia
[12]59 72
Authors: Hong Kian Sam; Ting Lang Ngiik; Hasbee Hj Usop
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802514519
[13]New numbers in mathematics in South Africa
[14]73 86
Authors: Johann Engelbrecht; Ansie Harding
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802597738
[15]Mathematics education in Argentina
[16]87 100
Authors: Cristina Varsavsky; Marta Anaya
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802514543
[17]The mathematical needs of secondary teachers: data from three
countries
[18]101 108
Authors: B. Barton; L. Sheryn
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802576807
[19]Recruitment and retention of students-an integrated and holistic
vision of mathematics support
[20]109 125
Authors: A. C. Croft; M. C. Harrison; C. L. Robinson
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802542395
[21]Ideas and results in teaching beginning maths students
[22]127 138
Author: Juha Oikkonen
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802582961
[23]Systemic integration of evolving technologies in undergraduate
mathematics education and its impact on student retention
[24]139 155
Authors: Eric Muller; Chantal Buteau; Mih aacute ly Klincsik; Ildik
oacute Perj eacute si-H aacute mori; Csaba S aacute rv aacute ri
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802551602
[25]The professional development of graduate mathematics teaching
assistants
[26]157 172
Authors: Gary Harris; Jason Froman; James Surles
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802514493
Hidden lessons (2009-02-17 12:03)
Amy B. Ellis and Paul Grinstead have written an article that was published in [1]The Journal of Mathematical
Behavior last week. The article is entitled [2]Hidden lessons: How a focus on slope-like properties of quadratic
functions encouraged unexpected generalizations. Here is a copy of their article abstract:
This article presents secondary students` generalizations about the connections between algebraic
and graphical representations of quadratic functions, focusing specically on the roles of the parame-
ters a, b, and c in the general form of a quadratic function, y = ax
2
+ bx + c. Students` generalizations
about these connections led to a surprising nding: two-thirds of the students interviewed identied
the parameter a as the 'slope of the parabola. Analysis of qualitative data from interviews and class-
room observations led to the development of three focusing phenomena in the classroom environment
that inadvertently supported a focus on slope-like properties of quadratic functions: (a) the use of
linear analogies, (b) the rise over run method, and (c) viewing a as dynamic rather than static.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4VKMW5N-1&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=a5a09f21abc4c58d20d8690271400ac8
Free journal article (2009-02-18 09:19)
[1]Springer has decided to make several articles in [2]Early Childhood Education Journal available for free (till
March 31, 2009). One of these articles is a very interesting article about mathematics education: [3]Educating the
Young Mathematician: The Twentieth Century and Beyond, by Olivia N. Saracho and Bernard Spodek. Here is
the abstract of this article:
Educational programs for young children emerged reasonably early in the history of the United
States of America. The movements of Child-Centered Education, the Nursery School, the Project
Method, Curriculum Reform, and contemporary research have all inuenced mathematics in early
childhood education. The Froebelian kindergarten and the Montessori Casa die Bambini (Children`s
House) included approaches to teaching mathematics. This article reviews the history of mathematics
education in relation to the history of early childhood education from the turn of the twentieth century.
It also discusses how research in mathematics education attempted to gain its own identity. Through-
out history, researchers have identied mathematics issues and addressed them, dening the eld, and
generating a cadre of mathematics researchers.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/
3. http:
//www.springerlink.com/content/44r3679t6q15j613/?p=963fcfc62cc64b7fa5b91581563b42ea&pi=2
BSHM Bulletin (2009-02-18 12:25)
[1]Journal of the British Society for the History of Mathematics has published [2]issue 1 of 2009. The issue con-
tains several articles that might be of interest, if you are interested in the history of mathematics. Here is a list of
the feature articles in this issue of the BSHM Bulletin:
[3]The hunt for the lost cities of Ptolemy, by Daniel Mintz
[4]A puzzle rhyme from 1782, by Kristin Bjarnadottir
[5]International mathematical journals published in Poland between the Wars, by Malgorzata Przenioslo
[6]The contribution of M H A Newman and his mathematicians to the creation of the Manchester Baby,
by David Anderson
Khayyam with Cabri (2009-02-19 08:42)
Adnan Baki and Bulent Guven have written an article about the interesting link between Persian mathematician,
philosopher, astronomer and poet [1]Omar Khayyam (1048-1122) and the dynamic geometry application [2]Cabri.
The article was recently published in [3]Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, and it is entitled [4]Khayyam
with Cabri: experiences of pre-service mathematics teachers with Khayyams solution of cubic equations in dy-
namic geometry environment. Here is the abstract of their article:
The study reported in this article deals with the observed actions of Turkish pre-service mathe-
matics teachers in dynamic geometry environment (DGE) as they were learning Khayyams method
for solving cubic equations formed as x
3
+ ax = b. Having learned the method, modelled it in DGE
and veried the correctness of the solution, students generated their own methods for solving different
types of cubic equations such as x
3
+ ax
2
= b and x
3
+ a = bx in the light of Khayyams method. With
the presented teaching experiment, students realized that Khayyams mathematics is different from
theirs. We consider that this gave them an opportunity to have an insight about the cultural and social
aspects of mathematics. In addition, the teaching experiment showed that dynamic geometry software
is an excellent tool for doing mathematics because of their dynamic nature and accurate constructions.
And, it can be easily concluded that the history of mathematics is useful resource for enriching math-
ematics learning environment.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_khayam
2. http://www.cabri.com/
4. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/hrp001v1?rss=1
Exemplary mathematics lessons (2009-02-20 15:26)
What can we learn from exemplary math lessons? This is a question asked by Ngai-Ying Wong in the article:
[1]Exemplary mathematics lessons: what lessons we can learn from them? The article was published in [2]ZDM
two days ago. Sadly it does not include an abstract, but the [3]free preview looks interesting!
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w75506052gv5lr76/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=fa2297e403fa46d99e1db6adfb09860a&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w75506052gv5lr76/fulltext.pdf?page=1
IJMEST, volume 40, issue 2, 2009 (2009-02-20 15:31)
[1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology has just released issue 2 of 2009.
Here is a list of the original articles included in the issue:
[2]Mathematics textbooks and their potential role in supporting
misconceptions
[3]173 181
Authors: Ann Kajander; Miroslav Lovric
DOI: 10.1080/00207390701691558
[4]Using components of mathematical ability for initial development
and identification of mathematically promising students
[5]183 199
Authors: T. Vilkomir; J. ODonoghue
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802276200
[6]Conceptual and procedural performance of undergraduate students in
integration
[7]201 211
Author: Nevin Mahir
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802213591
[8]Mathematically gifted and talented learners: theory and practice
[9]213 228
Authors: Valsa Koshy; Paul Ernest; Ron Casey
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802566907
[10]An investigation of the mathematical literacy of first year
third-level students in the Republic of Ireland
[11]229 246
Authors: Sinead Breen; Joan Cleary; Ann OShea
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802566915
[12]Developing science and math integrated activities for middle
school students
[13]247 257
Authors: Sonya Ellouise Sherrod; Jerry Dwyer; Ratna Narayan
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802566923
[14]Modelling and inverse-modelling: experiences with O.D.E. linear
systems in engineering courses
[15]259 268
Author: Victor Martinez-Luaces
DOI: 10.1080/00207390802276291
Anniversary!!! (2009-02-20 15:35)
I can hardly believe that it is only a little more than a year since I started this blog! It has been a great learning
experience for me, and hopefully for someone else as well. I just found out that I have actually reached my 400
th
post, which is quite an anniversary! So, happy 400 :-)
Teachers reective thinking skills (2009-02-23 08:31)
Amanda Jansen and Sandy M. Spitzer have written an article entitled [1]Prospective middle school mathematics
teachers` reective thinking skills: descriptions of their students` thinking and interpretations of their teaching.
The article was published online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education on Friday. Jansen and Spitzer
takes the belief "that mathematics teacher educators should foster reective thinking among prospective teachers"
as point of departure, and they ask how teacher educators can help students prepare for this. In their article, which
I think is very interesting by the way, they present Lesson study as an approach that can be used in order to learn
from practice. Their study is also described as a "modied lesson study experience".
In this study, we examined prospective middle school mathematics teachers` reective thinking
skills to understand how they learned from their own teaching practice when engaging in a modied
lesson study experience. Our goal was to identify variations among prospective teachers` descriptions
of students` thinking and frequency of their interpretations about how teaching affected their students`
learning. Thirty-three participants responded to open-ended questionnaires or interviews that elicited
reections on their own teaching practice. Prospective teachers used two forms of nuance when de-
scribing their students` thinking: (1) identifying students` specic mathematical understandings rather
than general claims and (2) differentiating between individual students` thinking rather than character-
izing students as a collective group. Participants who described their students` thinking with nuance
were more likely to interpret their teaching by posing multiple hypotheses with regard to how their
instruction affected their students` learning. Implications for supporting continued growth in reective
thinking skills are discussed in relation to these results.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y0v55n8506571829/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=5a3ae6f6f4064ca1a7263036b092c083&pi=0
Mathematical interaction in different social settings (2009-02-23 08:34)
Marcus Nhrenbrger and Heinz Steinbring have written an article called [1]Forms of mathematical interaction
in different social settings: examples from students`, teachers` and teacherstudents` communication about mathe-
matics. The article was published on Friday in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. This article is related
to teachers reection and the construction of mathematical knowledge. Here is the abstract:
The study presented in this article investigates forms of mathematical interaction in different social
settings. One major interest is to better understand mathematics teachers` joint professional discourse
while observing and analysing young students mathematical interaction followed by teacher`s inter-
vention. The teachers` joint professional discourse is about a combined learning and talking between
two students before an intervention by their teacher (setting 1) and then it is about the students learning
together with the teacher during their mathematical work (setting 2). The joint professional teachers`
discourse constitutes setting 3. This combination of social settings 1 and 2 is taken as an opportu-
nity for mathematics teachers` professionalisation process when interpreting the students` mathemat-
ical interactions in a more and more professional and sensible way. The epistemological analysis of
mathematical sign-systems in communication and interaction in these three settings gives evidence of
different types of mathematical talk, which are explained depending on the according social setting.
Whereas the interaction between students or between teachers is affected by phases of a process-
oriented and investigated talk, the interaction between students and teachers is mainly closed and
structured by the ideas of the teacher and by the expectations of the students.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y43272k8gr2r1843/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=ca4c18ddd43847b489ec79d0dc46a03a&pi=0
Ethiopian students in Israel (2009-02-23 08:36)
Tiruwork Mulat and Abraham Arcavi have written an article about [1]Success in mathematics within a challenged
minority: the case of students of Ethiopian origin in Israel (SEO). The article was published on Friday in [2]Edu-
cational Studies in Mathematics. Here is an abstract of their article:
Many studies have reported on the economical, social, and educational difculties encountered by
Ethiopian Jews since their immigration to Israel. Furthermore, the overall academic underachievement
and poor representation of students of Ethiopian origin (SEO) in the advanced mathematics and sci-
ence classes were highlighted and described. Yet, studies focusing on differential achievements within
SEO and on students who succeed against all odds are scarce. In this study, we explored success sto-
ries of ve SEO studying in a pre-academic program at a prestigious technological university in Israel.
Our goal was to understand how these students frame and interpret their success in mathematics and
to identify elements perceived as fostering their mathematics and academic trajectories. Using qual-
itative methodology, we identied perceived personal motivational variables, effective learning and
coping strategies, and students` immediate environment as key elements contributing to achieving and
maintaining success. We discuss possible theoretical contributions and practical implications of the
ndings.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c727337554um7n2l/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=47a0da55f5584a55b39efed972ef418c&pi=0
Geometric and algebraic approaches (2009-02-23 08:38)
Iliada Elia, Athanasios Gagatsis, Areti Panaoura, Theodosis Zachariades and Fotini Zoulinaki have written an
article entitled [1]Geometric and algebraic approaches in the concept of "limit" and the impact of the "didactic
contract". The article was published in [2]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education on Friday.
Here is a copy of their article abstract:
The present study explores students` abilities in conversions between geometric and algebraic rep-
resentations, in problem- solving situations involving the concept of 'limit and the interrelation of
these abilities with students` constructed understanding of this concept. An attempt is also made to
examine the impact of the 'didactic contract on students` performance through the processes they
employ in tackling specic tasks on the concept of limit. Data were collected from 222 12th-grade
high school students in Greece. The results indicated that students who had constructed a conceptual
understanding of limit were the ones most probable to accomplish the conversions of limits from the
algebraic to the geometric representations and the reverse. The ndings revealed the compartmen-
talized way of students` thinking in non-routine problems by means of their performance in simpler
conversion tasks. Students who did not perform under the conditions of the didactic contract were
found to be more consistent in their responses for various conversion tasks and complex problems on
limits, compared to students who, as a consequence of the didactic contract, used only algorithmic
processes.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l31240n077556756/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=a092e8a004574467b451e7766e3bbca9&pi=0
ESM, March 2009 (2009-02-24 07:23)
[1]Educational Studies in Mathematics - one of the most important journals within our eld - has just released their
[2]Volume 70, Number 2/March, 2009. This is a special issue with a focus on Gestures and Multimodality in the
Construction of Mathematical Meaning. It contains 10 interesting articles:
10 Articles
Article
[3]Introduction: beyond words
[4]L. Radford, [5]L. Edwards and [6]F. Arzarello
91-95
Article
[9]Gestures as semiotic resources in the mathematics classroom
[10]Ferdinando Arzarello, [11]Domingo Paola, [12]Ornella
Robutti and [13]Cristina Sabena
[14]Full Text PDF (319.4 KB)[15] Full Text HTML[16] Supplemental
Material Supplemental HTML
97-109
Article
[17]Why do gestures matter? Sensuous cognition and the palpability of
mathematical meanings
[18]Luis Radford
111-126
Article
[21]Gestures and conceptual integration in mathematical talk
[22]Laurie D. Edwards
[23]Full Text PDF (312.8 KB)[24] Full Text HTML[25] Supplemental
Material Supplemental HTML
127-141
Article
[26]Working with artefacts: gestures, drawings and speech in the
construction of the mathematical meaning of the visual pyramid
[27]Michela Maschietto and [28]Maria G. Bartolini Bussi
143-157
Article
[31]Mathematical imagination and embodied cognition
[32]Ricardo Nemirovsky and [33]Francesca Ferrara
159-174
Article
[36]Bodily experience and mathematical conceptions: from classical
views to a phenomenological reconceptualization
[37]Wolff-Michael Roth and [38]Jennifer S. Thom
175-189
Article
[41]What`s all the fuss about gestures? A commentary
[42]Anna Sfard
191-200
Article
[45]Embodied multi-modal communication from the perspective of
activity theory
[46]Julian Williams
201-210
Article
[49]Building intellectual infrastructure to expose and understand
ever-increasing complexity
[50]James Kaput
211-215
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=147ab678a3af49398c479ed8f89630f5&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/g02777583l54/?p=9507d75babc04e6abfe179a7142570d4&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/27p33m6rvhr6j225/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=L.+Radford
5. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=L.+Edwards
6. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=F.+Arzarello
7. http://springerlink.com/content/27p33m6rvhr6j225/fulltext.pdf
8. http://springerlink.com/content/27p33m6rvhr6j225/fulltext.html
9. http://springerlink.com/content/b237nh8150301613/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=1
10. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Ferdinando+Arzarello
11. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Domingo+Paola
12. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Ornella+Robutti
13. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Cristina+Sabena
14. http://springerlink.com/content/b237nh8150301613/fulltext.pdf
15. http://springerlink.com/content/b237nh8150301613/fulltext.html
16. http://springerlink.com/content/b237nh8150301613/10649_2008_Article_9163_ESM.html
17. http://springerlink.com/content/y82307h467653t3t/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=2
18. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Luis+Radford
19. http://springerlink.com/content/y82307h467653t3t/fulltext.pdf
20. http://springerlink.com/content/y82307h467653t3t/fulltext.html
21. http://springerlink.com/content/9144685573627741/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=3
22. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Laurie+D.+Edwards
23. http://springerlink.com/content/9144685573627741/fulltext.pdf
24. http://springerlink.com/content/9144685573627741/fulltext.html
25. http://springerlink.com/content/9144685573627741/10649_2008_Article_9124_ESM.html
26. http://springerlink.com/content/h027506142j37n0w/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=4
27. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Michela+Maschietto
28. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Maria+G.+Bartolini+Bussi
29. http://springerlink.com/content/h027506142j37n0w/fulltext.pdf
30. http://springerlink.com/content/h027506142j37n0w/fulltext.html
31. http://springerlink.com/content/k827840347406g12/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=5
32. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Ricardo+Nemirovsky
33. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Francesca+Ferrara
34. http://springerlink.com/content/k827840347406g12/fulltext.pdf
35. http://springerlink.com/content/k827840347406g12/fulltext.html
36. http://springerlink.com/content/7742742g23p1ul8v/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=6
37. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Wolff-Michael+Roth
38. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Jennifer+S.+Thom
39. http://springerlink.com/content/7742742g23p1ul8v/fulltext.pdf
40. http://springerlink.com/content/7742742g23p1ul8v/fulltext.html
41. http://springerlink.com/content/k8v883836245p743/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=7
42. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Anna+Sfard
43. http://springerlink.com/content/k8v883836245p743/fulltext.pdf
44. http://springerlink.com/content/k8v883836245p743/fulltext.html
45. http://springerlink.com/content/u6247451u5228p62/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=8
46. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=Julian+Williams
47. http://springerlink.com/content/u6247451u5228p62/fulltext.pdf
48. http://springerlink.com/content/u6247451u5228p62/fulltext.html
49. http://springerlink.com/content/d8138785137ul82x/?p=e2340256c3034e6c90c3e8d9cf1de81d&pi=9
50. http://springerlink.com/content/?Author=James+Kaput
51. http://springerlink.com/content/d8138785137ul82x/fulltext.pdf
52. http://springerlink.com/content/d8138785137ul82x/fulltext.html
Changing practice, changing minds (2009-02-25 08:29)
I like the title of a new article written by Jeanne Tunks and Kirk Weller, especially the rst part of it! Here is the
entire title: [1]Changing practice, changing minds, from arithmetical to algebraic thinking: an application of the
concerns-based adoption model (CBAM). This article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathe-
matics on Saturday, and it discusses the results of a yearlong innovation program called "Teacher Quality Grant".
And, just to avoid any misunderstandings: it is not only the title of the article I nd interesting. The article itself is
very interesting, and the program described also appears to be quite interesting. Here is the abstract of the article:
This study examines the process of change among grade 4 teachers (students aged 910 years) who
participated in a yearlong Teacher Quality Grant innovation program. The concerns-based adoption
model (CBAM), which informed the design and implementation of the program, was used to examine
the process of change. Two questions guided the investigation: (1) How did teachers` concerns about
and levels of use of the innovation evolve during the course of the project? (2) What changes in teach-
ers` perceptions and practices arose as a result of the innovation? Results showed that several of the
teachers` concerns evolved from self/task toward impact. With continued support, several participants
achieved routine levels of use, which they sustained beyond the project.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l104254j43572738/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=b233d05ad30e41c3a84244a9841ce74d&pi=0
Transition between different coordinate systems (2009-02-25 08:32)
Mariana Montiel, Biguel R. Wilhelmi, Draga Vidakovic and Iwan Elstak have written an article called [1]Using the
onto-semiotic approach to identify and analyze mathematical meaning when transiting between different coordi-
nate systems in a multivariate context. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics
on Saturday. Here is the abstract of their article:
The main objective of this paper is to apply the onto-semiotic approach to analyze the mathemati-
cal concept of different coordinate systems, as well as some situations and university students` actions
related to these coordinate systems. The identication of objects that emerge from the mathematical
activity and a rst intent to describe an epistemic network that relates to this activity were carried out.
Multivariate calculus students` responses to questions involving single and multivariate functions in
polar, cylindrical, and spherical coordinates were used to classify semiotic functions that relate the
different mathematical objects.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c8191045063072p7/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=6cb52b4d754f4269beaf00179adba4fc&pi=0
IJSME, Vol 7, Number 2 (2009-02-25 08:44)
[1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education has just released their [2]second issue this year,
the April issue (!). The issue contains 9 interesting articles:
[3]Language and Student Performance in Junior Secondary Science Examinations: The Case of Second
Language Learners in Botswana, by Robert B. Prophet and Nandkishor B. Badede
[4]The system of coordinates as an obstacle in understanding the concept of dimension, by Constantine
Skordoulis, Theodore Vitsas, Vassilis Dafermos and Eugenia Koleza
[5]Misconceptions of Turkish Pre-Service Teachers about Force and Motion, by Sule Bayraktar
[6]Variable Relationships among Different Science Learners in Elementary Science-Methods Courses, by
Robert E. Bleicher
[7]Efcacy of Two Different Instructional Methods Involving Complex Ecological Content, by Christoph
Randler and Franz X. Bogner
[8]Correlations Among Five Demographic Variables and the Performance of Selected Jamaican 11th-graders
on Some Numerical Problems on Energy, by Nicholas Emepue and Kola Soyibo
[9]From "exploring the middle zone" to "constructing a bridge": Experimenting in the Spiral Bianshi math-
ematics curriculum, by Ngai-Ying Wong, Chi-Chung Lam, XuHua Sun and Anna Mei Yan Chan
[10]Number Sense Strategies Used by Pre-Service Teachers in Taiwan, by Der-Ching Yang, Robert E. Reys
and Barbara J. Reys
[11]Listen to the silence: The left-behind phenomenon as seen through classroom videos and teachers
reections, by Hagar Gal, Fou-Lai Lin and Jia-Ming Ying
1. http://springerlink.com/content/111141/?p=8aab24159e1341d5a0b321c7230c8504&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/gw7j27084707/?p=b81dc9b59c4f4a489cf0ed67548a0040&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/w0uw05323k76v644/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/u1u0twgk2406t532/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/l021787r461270t3/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/l218714271541784/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/60571142142458w0/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/p1rp108088661tp7/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/r4585phq28418707/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.com/content/f3v31v4gw7368280/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=7
11. http://springerlink.com/content/f464071pwwkm8471/?p=7f083628fd5b489bba17389508a7204c&pi=8
Mathematics classrooms with immigrant students (2009-02-26 08:35)
Nria Gorgori and Guida de Abreu have written an article that was published in [1]Educational Studies in Math-
ematics on Tuesday. The article is entitled [2]Social representations as mediators of practice in mathematics
classrooms with immigrant students. Here is a copy of their abstract:
This article suggests that a critical perspective of the notion of social representations can offer
useful insights into understanding practices of teaching and learning in mathematics classrooms with
immigrant students. Drawing on literature using social representations, previous empirical studies are
revisited to examine three specic questions: what are the dominant social representations that perme-
ate the mathematics classroom with immigrant students? What impact do these social representations
have on classroom practices? What are the spaces for changing these practices through becoming re-
ective and critically aware of these representations? These questions are addressed mostly in relation
to teachers` representations, though the article also draws on data from research with students and par-
ents to illustrate the diversity of representations and to argue for a critical and reective perspective.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=18c6ee6d455443d088dc0d18a53c7b2c&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/3ut10436j1520jx6/
Supervision of mathematics student teachers (2009-02-26 08:37)
Maria Lorelei Fernandez and Evrim Erbilgin have written an article about [1]Examining the supervision of math-
ematics student teachers through analysis of conference communications. The article was published online in
[2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Tuesday. Here is the abstract of their article:
Student teaching is often a capstone experience in the preparation of mathematics teachers. Thus,
it is essential to better understand key aspects of the experience. We conducted a qualitative study
of post-lesson conferences led by supervisors (classroom cooperating teachers and a university super-
visor) working with mathematics student teachers. Analysis of conference communications revealed
differences in the types and content of communications in conferences led by the cooperating teach-
ers and by the university supervisor. Cooperating teachers tended toward evaluative supervision that
2.3. March BlogBook
lacked a focus on the mathematics of the lessons while the university supervisor tended toward educa-
tive supervision, guiding student teachers to reect on and learn from their own classroom experiences
including the mathematics of their lessons. Differences are discussed, and suggestions concerning the
supervision of student teachers are made along with recommendations for further research.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b24x820712806432/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=67806aee66634acabad3b317538bae7f&pi=0
Online resources in mathematics (2009-02-26 08:42)
Laetitia Bueno-Ravel and Ghislaine Gueudet have written an article that was recently published in [1]International
Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning. The article provides some interesting perspectives on issues that
should be relevant to most mathematics teachers: [2]Online Resources in Mathematics, Teachers` Geneses and
Didactical Techniques. The examples provided in their article is related to a particular electronic resource called
(in French) "[3]Mathenpoche" (or "Maths in the pocket"). Here is the abstract of their article:
The study we present here concerns the consequences of integrating online resources into the
teaching of mathematics. We focus on the interaction between teachers and specic online resources
they draw on: e-exercise bases. We propose a theoretical approach to study the associated phenom-
ena, combining instrumental and anthropological perspectives. For given didactical tasks, we observe
teachers` instrumental geneses, and the didactical techniques they develop. We exemplify our ap-
proach with the analysis of a case study of trigonometry in grade 9.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102910/?p=0d6b3e53229d4bd9b133786a3cd80a56&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j254x2815000710r/
3. http://mathenpoche.sesamath.net/
2.3 March
IJCML, volume 13, issue 3 (2009-03-01 09:12)
The [1]December issue (2008) of [2]International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning has recently
been made available - obviously a bit late. These are the ve articles included:
[3]Playing with Representations: How Do Kids Make Use of Quantitative Representations in Video Games?
by Tom Satwicz and Reed Stevens
[4]Graphic Calculators and Micro-Straightness: Analysis of a Didactic Engineering, by Michela Maschietto
[5]An 'Emergent Model` for Rate of Change, by Sandra Herbert and Robyn Pierce
[6]Using Dynamic Geometry Software to Gain Insight into a Proof, by Bulent Guven
[7]Computational Diversions: Julia Variations, by Michael Eisenberg
BlogBook 2.3. March
1. http://springerlink.com/content/pgt58mu03867/?p=9bc97ad8818444249eca6ae90700a074&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102910/?p=5ffd4c7c0bab4640893a503b2b0aa127&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/nvl53u2328r34616/?p=9b0df40afc1f468b84e6c4894f28a058&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/9358q9821758736q/?p=9b0df40afc1f468b84e6c4894f28a058&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/q52h63tx441057rk/?p=9b0df40afc1f468b84e6c4894f28a058&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/q544434u148j6j90/?p=9b0df40afc1f468b84e6c4894f28a058&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/u275x66t4741220t/?p=9b0df40afc1f468b84e6c4894f28a058&pi=4
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, issue 1, 2009 (2009-03-01 09:15)
The rst issue (of 2009) of Teaching Mathematics and its Applications has been published. Here is an overview of
the contents:
Section A [1]
Get checked abstract Adnan Baki and Bulent Guven Khayyam with Cabri: experiences of pre-service mathematics
teachers with Khayyams solution of cubic equations in dynamic geometry environment
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on February 17, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 1-9; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp001 [2][Abstract] [3][PDF] [4][Request
Permissions]
Get checked abstract Paul Glaister and Elizabeth M. Glaister HMSharmonic motion by shadows
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 10-15; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn022 [5][Abstract] [6][PDF] [7][Re-
quest Permissions]
Get checked abstract Yiu-Kwong Man On Feynmans Triangle problem and the Routh Theorem
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on January 30, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 16-20; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn024 [8][Abstract] [9][PDF] [10][Re-
quest Permissions]
Get checked abstract John Monaghan, Peter Pool, Tom Roper, and John Threlfall Open-start mathematics prob-
lems: an approach to assessing problem solving
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on January 30, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 21-31; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn023 [11][Abstract] [12][PDF]
Get checked abstract Keith Parramore Enlisting excelagain
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 32-37; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp004 [14][Abstract] [15][PDF]
Get checked abstract Tanja Van Hecke Minimizing the delay at trafc lights
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on February 17, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 38-42; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp002 [17][Abstract] [18][PDF]
Section B [20]
Get checked abstract Yiu-Kwong Man A study of two-term unit fraction expansions via geometric approach
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on October 19, 2008
Get checked abstract Chris Sangwin The wonky trammel of Archimedes
2.3. March BlogBook
1. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/content/vol28/issue1/index.dtl?etoc#top
Khayyam+with+Cabri%3A+experiences+of+pre-service+mathematics+teachers+with+Khayyam%
27s+solution+of+cubic+equations+in+dynamic+geometry+environment&publicationDate=March+
2009&author=Adnan+Baki,+et.+al.&copyright=Copyright+%28c%29+2009+by+the+Institute+of+
Mathematics+and+its+Applications.&contentID=10.1093/teamat/hrp001&volumeNum=28&issueNum=
HMS--harmonic+motion+by+shadows&publicationDate=March+2009&author=Paul+Glaister,+et.+al.
&copyright=Copyright+%28c%29+2009+by+the+Institute+of+Mathematics+and+its+Applications.
&contentID=10.1093/teamat/hrn022&volumeNum=28&issueNum=1&startPage=10&endPage=15&issn=
0268-3679&eissn=1471-6976&orderBeanReset=true
On+Feynman%27s+Triangle+problem+and+the+Routh+Theorem&publicationDate=March+2009&author=
Yiu-Kwong+Man&copyright=Copyright+%28c%29+2009+by+the+Institute+of+Mathematics+and+its+
Applications.&contentID=10.1093/teamat/hrn024&volumeNum=28&issueNum=1&startPage=16&endPage=
20&issn=0268-3679&eissn=1471-6976&orderBeanReset=true
Open-start+mathematics+problems%3A+an+approach+to+assessing+problem+solving&publicationDate=
March+2009&author=John+Monaghan,+et.+al.&copyright=Copyright+%28c%29+2009+by+the+Institute+
of+Mathematics+and+its+Applications.&contentID=10.1093/teamat/hrn023&volumeNum=28&issueNum=
Enlisting+excel--again&publicationDate=March+2009&author=Keith+Parramore&copyright=
10.1093/teamat/hrp004&volumeNum=28&issueNum=1&startPage=32&endPage=37&issn=0268-3679&eissn=
Minimizing+the+delay+at+traffic+lights&publicationDate=March+2009&author=Tanja+Van+
Hecke&copyright=Copyright+%28c%29+2009+by+the+Institute+of+Mathematics+and+its+Applications.
&contentID=10.1093/teamat/hrp002&volumeNum=28&issueNum=1&startPage=38&endPage=42&issn=
0268-3679&eissn=1471-6976&orderBeanReset=true
20. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/content/vol28/issue1/index.dtl?etoc#top
A+study+of+two-term+unit+fraction+expansions+via+geometric+approach&publicationDate=March+
2009&author=Yiu-Kwong+Man&copyright=Copyright+%28c%29+2009+by+the+Institute+of+Mathematics+
BlogBook 2.3. March
and+its+Applications.&contentID=10.1093/teamat/hrn020&volumeNum=28&issueNum=1&startPage=
43&endPage=47&issn=0268-3679&eissn=1471-6976&orderBeanReset=true
The+wonky+trammel+of+Archimedes&publicationDate=March+2009&author=Chris+Sangwin&copyright=
Copyright+%28c%29+2009+by+the+Institute+of+Mathematics+and+its+Applications.&contentID=10.
1093/teamat/hrn019&volumeNum=28&issueNum=1&startPage=48&endPage=52&issn=0268-3679&eissn=
Good mathematics instruction in South Korea (2009-03-01 09:57)
JeongSuk Pang has written an article called [1]Good mathematics instruction in South Korea. The article has re-
cently been published online in [2]ZDM. Here is the article abstract:
There have been only a few studies of Korean mathematics instruction in international contexts.
Given this, this paper describes in detail a sixth grade teacher`s mathematics instruction in order to in-
vestigate closely what may be counted as high-quality teaching and learning in Korea. This paper then
discusses several key characteristics of good mathematics instruction along with some background in-
formation on Korean educational practice. This paper concludes with remarks that good mathematics
instruction may be perceived differently with regard to underlying social and cultural norms.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c12x018k4q707457/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=c4d63cbd16f64b0aa64ae1db849f6c19&pi=0
Black-white gap in mathematics course taking (2009-03-01 10:01)
Sean Kelly has written an article about [1]The Black-White Gap in Mathematics Course Taking. This article has
been published in a recent issue of the journal [2]Sociology of Education. Here is the abstract of Kellys article:
Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, this study investigated differences in
the mathematics course taking of white and black students. Because of lower levels of achievement,
prior course taking, and lower socioeconomic status, black students are much more likely than are
white students to be enrolled in low-track mathematics courses by the 10th grade. Using multilevel
models for categorical outcomes, the study found that the black-white gap in mathematics course
taking is the greatest in integrated schools where black students are in the minority and cannot be
entirely accounted for by individual-level differences in the course-taking qualications or family
backgrounds of white and black students. This nding was obscured in prior research by the failure to
model course taking adequately between and within schools. Course placement policies and enroll-
ment patterns should be monitored to ensure effective schooling for all students.
1. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asoca/soe/2009/00000082/00000001/art00003
2. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asoca/soe;jsessionid=4i5jqdmul1ks4.alice
2.3. March BlogBook
Teaching research groups in China (2009-03-01 10:04)
Yudong Yang has written an interesting article that was recently published online in [1]ZDM. The article has been
entitled [2]How a Chinese teacher improved classroom teaching in Teaching Research Group: a case study on
Pythagoras theorem teaching in Shanghai. The Teaching Research Group system seems to be somewhat similar to
the Japanese Lesson Study approach, and I nd this very interesting. Here is the article abstract:
In China, a school-based teaching research system was built since 1952 and Teaching Research
Group (TRG) exists in every school. In the paper, a teacher`s three lessons and the changes in each
lesson were described, which might show a track of how lessons were continuously developed in
TRG. The Mathematical Tasks Framework, The Task Analysis Guide, and Factors Associated with
the Maintenance and the Decline of High-level Cognitive Demands developed in the Quantitative
Understanding: Amplifying Student Achievement and Reasoning project (Stein and Smith in Math
Teach Middle School 3(4):268275, 1998; Stein et al. in Implementing stardards-based mathematics
instruction. Teachers College Press, NY, pp. 133, 2000), were employed in this study. Based on the
perspective of Mathematical Task Analysis, changes of three lessons were described and the author
provided a snapshot for understanding how a Chinese teacher gradually improved his/her lessons in
TRG activities.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=4198b5ad68d44705afce2de47e14d378&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/t06314r45330g88r/
Didactical designs (2009-03-03 09:38)
Takeshi Miyakawa and Carl Winslw have written an article called [1]Didactical designs for students` proportional
reasoning: an 'open approach lesson and a 'fundamental situation. The article was published online in [2]Edu-
cational Studies in Mathematics on Saturday. Here is their abstrac:
In this paper, we analyze and compare two didactical designs for introducing primary school pupils
to proportional reasoning in the context of plane polygons. One of them is well-documented in the
literature; the other one is based on our own data and is accordingly presented and discussed in more
detail in this paper. The two designs come from different cultural and intellectual environments: les-
son study in Japan (implicitly based on the 'open approach method) and 'didactical engineering in
France (based on the theory of didactical situations). The general aim of our paper is to compare these
two environments and their approaches to didactical design, basing our discussion on the concrete
designs mentioned above. Clear differences among them are presented, while we also identify links
which hold potential for integrating research and practice.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f730280n6562730q/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=f36b85bf9e5042c4a443a4f6c4d2af09&pi=0
HPM newsletter, March 2009 (2009-03-04 11:25)
[1]HPM is a study group afliated to ICMI, and it has a focus on the relations between the History and Pedagogy
of Mathematics. HPM has now published their n[2]ewsletter No. 70. The newsletter is freely available as PDF
BlogBook 2.3. March
download, and it contains lost of useful information for those interested in the relationship between history and
teaching/learning of mathematics.
1. http://www.clab.edc.uoc.gr/HPM/
2. http://www.clab.edc.uoc.gr/HPM/HPM%20News%2070.pdf
Teaching contests (2009-03-05 09:02)
Yeping Li and Jun Li have written an interesting article called [1]Mathematics classroom instruction excellence
through the platform of teaching contests. The article was published online in [2]ZDM on Tuesday. Here is a copy
of their abstract:
In this study, we aimed to examine features of mathematics classroom instruction excellence iden-
tied and valued through teaching contests in the Chinese mainland. By taking a case study approach,
we focused on a prize-winning lesson as an exemplary lesson that was awarded the top prize in teach-
ing contests at both the district and the city level. The analyses of the exemplary lesson itself revealed
important features on the lesson`s content treatment, students` engagement, and the use of multiple
methods to facilitate students` learning. These features are consistent with what the contest evalua-
tion committees valued and what seven other mathematics expert teachers focused in their comments.
The Chinese teaching culture in identifying and promoting classroom instruction excellence is then
discussed in a broader context.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f30hr840040686h7/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=30da719189c04c1189dd67fac2c3b3fb&pi=0
Conditional inference and advanced mathematical study (2009-03-05 09:06)
Matthew Inglis and Adrian Simpson have written an article that was recently published online in [1]Educational
Studies in Mathematics. The article is entitled [2]Conditional inference and advanced mathematical study: further
evidence. Here is the article abstract:
In this paper, we examine the support given for the 'theory of formal discipline` by Inglis and
Simpson (Educational Studies Mathematics 67:187204, 2008). This theory, which is widely accepted
by mathematicians and curriculum bodies, suggests that the study of advanced mathematics develops
general thinking skills and, in particular, conditional reasoning skills. We further examine the idea that
the differences between the conditional reasoning behaviour of mathematics and arts undergraduates
reported by Inglis and Simpson may be put down to different levels of general intelligence in the two
groups. The studies reported in this paper call into question this suggestion, but they also cast doubt
on a straightforward version of the theory of formal discipline itself (at least with respect to university
study). The paper concludes by suggesting that either a pre-university formal discipline effect or a
ltering effect on 'thinking dispositions` may give a better account for the ndings.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=9e051dd1b0f2484d83f467fbb338769e&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/g776607640j78671/
Exemplary mathematics instruction in Japanese classrooms (2009-03-06 08:31)
Yoshinori Shimizu has written an article that I think will be of great interest to many: [1]Characterizing exemplary
mathematics instruction in Japanese classrooms from the learner`s perspective. For more than a decade, researchers
have had a focus on teaching practice in East-Asia, and in particular in Japan. Shimizu aims at examining some
2.3. March BlogBook
key characteristics of exemplary mathematics instruction in Japanese eigth-grade classrooms. The article was pub-
lished online in [2]ZDM on Wednesday. Here is the abstract:
This paper aims to examine key characteristics of exemplary mathematics instruction in Japanese
classrooms. The selected ndings of large-scale international studies of classroom practices in math-
ematics are reviewed for discussing the uniqueness of how Japanese teachers structure and deliver
their lessons and what Japanese teachers value in their instruction from a teacher`s perspective. Then
an analysis of post-lesson video-stimulated interviews with 60 students in three 'well-taught eighth-
grade mathematics classrooms in Tokyo is reported to explore the learners` views on what constitutes
a 'good mathematics lesson. The co-constructed nature of quality mathematics instruction that focus
on the role of students` thinking in the classroom is discussed by recasting the characteristics of how
lessons are structured and delivered and what experienced teachers tend to value in their instruction
from the learner`s perspective. Valuing students` thinking as necessary elements to be incorporated
into the development of a lesson is the key to the approach taken by Japanese teachers to develop and
maintain quality mathematics instruction.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/t647181j63672429/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=277bb3b39ca8487d80a1bca997fd3990&pi=0
Sociocultural complexity in mathematics teaching (2009-03-06 08:34)
Barbara Jaworski and Despina Potari have written an article called [1]Bridging the macro- and micro-divide: using
an activity theory model to capture sociocultural complexity in mathematics teaching and its development. The
article was published in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics a few days ago. Here is a copy of their abstract:
This paper is methodologically based, addressing the study of mathematics teaching by linking
micro- and macro-perspectives. Considering teaching as activity, it uses Activity Theory and, in par-
ticular, the Expanded Mediational Triangle (EMT) to consider the role of the broader social frame
in which classroom teaching is situated. Theoretical and methodological approaches are illustrated
through episodes from a study of the mathematics teaching and learning in a Year-10 class in a UK
secondary school where students were considered as 'lower achievers in their year group. We show
how a number of questions about mathematics teaching and learning emerging from microanalysis
were investigated by the use of the EMT. This framework provided a way to address complexity in the
activity of teaching and its development based on recognition of central social factors in mathematics
teachinglearning.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/g12j0638k1626j71/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=ba01a37ee4cf4c7fa5f127df235c25e5&pi=0
Free access to special issue of ESM! (2009-03-06 11:39)
SpringerLink has announced that the recent [1]special issue of [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics will be freely
available to all. The special issue has a focus on Gestures and Multimodality in the Construction of Mathematical
Meaning, and it contains 10 interesting articles. All are freely available to anyone before April 30, 2009.
See also [3]my earlier post about the contents of this issue!
BlogBook 2.3. March
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/g02777583l54/?p=fc62e44480614ad192af1646a6aea341&pi=
0&sa_campaign=email/PROM/HSS10836_V1
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=de6360d154694edf92d159133b3d553a&pi=0
3. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/02/esm-march-2009.html
Proof constructions and evaluations (2009-03-08 19:14)
Andreas J. Stylianides and Gabriel J. Stylianides have written an article called [1]Proof construction and evalua-
tions. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Friday. Here is a copy of their
article abstract:
In this article, we focus on a group of 39 prospective elementary (grades K-6) teachers who had
rich experiences with proof, and we examine their ability to construct proofs and evaluate their own
constructions. We claim that the combined 'constructionevaluation activity helps illuminate certain
aspects of prospective teachers` and presumably other individuals` understanding of proof that tend to
defy scrutiny when individuals are asked to evaluate given arguments. For example, some prospective
teachers in our study provided empirical arguments to mathematical statements, while being aware
that their constructions were invalid. Thus, although these constructions considered alone could have
been taken as evidence of an empirical conception of proof, the additional consideration of prospec-
tive teachers` evaluations of their own constructions overruled this interpretation and suggested a good
understanding of the distinction between proofs and empirical arguments. We offer a possible account
of our ndings, and we discuss implications for research and instruction.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/v2611945638x1763/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=f9f266259cde4af899a78d174a7ee361&pi=0
Working with schools (2009-03-09 10:52)
Alan H. Schoenfeld has written an article that was published in the March issue of [1]American Mathematical
Monthly. The article has been entitled: [2]Working with Schools: The Story of a Mathematics Education Collab-
oration. Here is a copy of the article abstract:
Working for meaningful mathematical change in the schools isnt easy. There are issues of poli-
tics, turf, and sometimes unreasonable expectations on the part of the school district and the volunteers
who work with it. But with good intentions, goodwill, and tenacity, there are ways to make a differ-
ence. This paper describes some of the ups, the downs, and the ultimate progress in a collaboration
between U.C. Berkeley and the Berkeley Unied School district. It offers lessons to mathematicians
who want to understand and/or work with their local schools.
1. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maa/amm;jsessionid=djiqw90r02fn.alice
2. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maa/amm/2009/00000116/00000003/art00002
2.3. March BlogBook
The emergence of "speaking with meaning" (2009-03-10 15:31)
Phillip G. Clark, Kevin C. Moore and Marilyn P. Carlson have written an article that was recently published online
in [1]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior. The article is entitled [2]Documenting the emergence of 'speaking
with meaning as a sociomathematical norm in professional learning community discourse. Here is the abstract of
their article:
We introduce the sociomathematical norm of speaking with meaning and describe its emergence
in a professional learning community (PLC) of secondary mathematics and science teachers. We use
speaking with meaning to reference specic attributes of individual communication that have been
revealed to improve the quality of discourse among individuals engaged in discourse in a PLC. An
individual who is speaking with meaning provides conceptually based descriptions when communi-
cating with others about solution approaches. The quantities and relationships between quantities in
the problem context are described rather than only stating procedures or numerical calculations used
to obtain an answer to a problem. Solution approaches are justied with logical and coherent argu-
ments that have a conceptual rather than procedural basis. The data for this research was collected
during a year-long study that investigated a PLC whose members were secondary mathematics and
science teachers. Analysis of the data revealed that after one semester of participating in a PLC where
speaking with meaning was emphasized, the PLC members began to establish their own criteria for
an acceptable mathematical argument and what constituted speaking with meaning. The group also
emerged with common expectations that answers be accompanied by explanations and mathematical
operations be explained conceptually (not just procedurally). The course and PLC design that sup-
ported the emergence of speaking with meaning by individuals participating in a PLC are described.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4VT17PG-1&_user=10&_rdoc=
10&md5=92138cc39cbfcdcc8ad873617f56deee
Obama on Math (2009-03-11 20:05)
Yesterday, president Obama held a speech relating to education. The speech also mentioned math education a
couple of times. Michael Alison Chandler gives a nice overview of this in an [1]interesting blog post over at
[2]The Washington Post.
1. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/x-equals-why/2009/03/obama_on_math_education.html?wprss=
rss_blog
Knowledge and beliefs (2009-03-13 08:57)
Much of my own research the last years has been related to knowledge and beliefs concerning mathematics, teach-
ing and learning of mathematics. In the [1]most recent issue of [2]Instructional Science, Angela Boldrin and Lucia
Mason have written an article that caught my attention: [3]Distinguishing between knowledge and beliefs: stu-
dents` epistemic criteria for differentiating. Here is the abstract of this highly interesting article:
BlogBook 2.3. March
'I believe that he/she is telling the truth, 'I know about the solar system: what epistemic criteria
do students use to distinguish between knowledge and beliefs? If knowing and believing are concep-
tually distinguishable, do students of different grade levels use the same criteria to differentiate the
two constructs? How do students understand the relationship between the two constructs? This study
involved 219 students (116 girls and 103 boys); 114 were in 8th grade and 105 in 13th grade. Students
had to (a) choose which of 5 graphic representations outlined better the relationship between the two
constructs and to justify their choice; (b) rate a list of factual/validated, non-factual/non-validated and
ambiguous statements as either knowledge or belief, and indicate for each statement their degree of
truthfulness, acceptance and on which sources their views were based. Qualitative and quantitative
analysis were performed. The data showed how students distinguish knowledge from belief concep-
tually and justify their understanding of the relationship between the two constructs. Although most
students assigned a higher epistemic status to knowledge, school grade signicantly differentiated the
epistemic criteria used to distinguish the two constructs. The study indicates the educational impor-
tance of considering the notions of knowledge and belief that students bring into the learning situation.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/m15578850236/?p=37939689220a4690b6eb97ebc6a2090f&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102905/?p=37939689220a4690b6eb97ebc6a2090f&pi=0
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/t847280tj37276u0/
An innovative system of lecture notes (2009-03-16 21:32)
E.J. Tonkes, P.S. Isaac and V. Scharaschkin have written an article entitled "[1]Assessment of an innovative system
of lecture notes in rst-year mathematics". The article was recently published online in [2]International Journal of
Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. Here is the abstract of their article:
Lectures are a familiar component in the delivery of mathematical content. Lecturers are often
challenged with presenting material in a manner that aligns with the various learning styles and abili-
ties within a large class. Students complain that the old-fashioned lecture style of copying notes from
a board hinders the learning process, as they simply concentrate on writing. In recent times, distribut-
ing elaborate lecture notes has become a widespread alternative, but has its own problems, alienating
the audience with lack of participation. The authors have developed a system of lecture notes, we call
partially populated lecture notes, that have enjoyed success with students and addressed these difcul-
ties.
GeoGebra - freedom to explore and learn (2009-03-16 21:37)
Linda Fahlberg-Stojanovska and Vitomir Stojanovski have written an article called [1]GeoGebra - freedom to ex-
plore and learn. The article was recently published in [2]Teaching Mathematics and its Applications. GeoGebra is
a very interesting piece of software, and if you are interested in more, the authors point you to [3]this wiki. Here
is the abstract of their article:
We start by visiting the maths section of the web site answers.yahoo.com. Here, anybody can ask
a question from anywhere in the world at every possible level. Answers are given by anyone who
2.3. March BlogBook
wants to contribute and then askers/readers rate the responses. A brief look here and it is starkly clear
that our young people are struggling and their ability to think logicallythat is understand a problem,
organize data into knowns and unknowns, explore possibilities and assess solutions is denitely on
the decline. In our opinion, this is more insidious than the actual decline in their overall mathemat-
ics skills. Further, one is struck by the fact that technology seems to be contributing to this decline
when in fact it should be the opposite. We then examine two question/answer cycles in detail and
show how the freeware GeoGebra (www.geogebra.org GeoGebraWiki: www.geogebra.org/wiki Ge-
oGebraForum: www.geogebra.org/forum)which gives the freedomto explore and learn to everyone,
everywhere and at any timecan be of tremendous value to pupils and students in their understanding
of mathematics from the smallest ages on up.
3. http://math247.pbwiki.com/GeoGebra
NOMAD, December 2008 (2009-03-17 13:57)
The December issue of [1]Nordic Studies in Mathematics Education (NOMAD) has already reached the sub-
scribers (in the paper format). Now, it has also appeared online - or at least the abstracts. Here is the list of
contents:
Morten Blomhj and Paola Valero: [2]Bringing focus to mathematics education in multicultural and multi-
lingual settings (Editorial)
Kay Owens: [3]Culturality in mathematics education: a comparative study
Eva Norn: [4]Bilingual students` mother tongue: a resource for teaching and learning mathematics
Troels Lange: [5]Homework and minority students in difculty with learning mathematics: the inuence of
public discourse
Paola Valero, Tamsin Meaney, Helle Alr, Uenuku Fairhall, Ole Skovsmose and Tony Trinick: [6]School
mathematical discourse in a learning landscape: understanding mathematics education in multicultural set-
tings
Barbro Grevholm: [7]Activities for 2009 in the Nordic Graduate School in Mathematics Education
Catwalk problems (2009-03-18 12:24)
Three articles have been published in [1]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior recently that are all related to "the
catwalk task".
BlogBook 2.3. March
1. Steven Case: [2]The catwalk task: Reections and synthesis: Part 1
Abstract: In this article I recount my experiences with a series of encounters with the catwalk task and reect
on the professional growth that these opportunities afforded. First, I reect on my own mathematical work on the
catwalk task, including my efforts to t various algebraic models to the data. Second, I reect on my experiences
working with a group of high school students on the catwalk task and my interpretations of their mathematical
thinking. Finally, I reect on the entire experience with the catwalk problem, as a mathematics learner, as a
teacher, and as a professional.
2. Emiliano Vega and Shawn Hicks: [3]The catwalk task: Reections and synthesis: Part 2
Abstract: In this article we recount our experiences with a series of encounters with the catwalk task and reect on
the professional growth that these opportunities afforded. First, we individually reect on our own mathematical
work on the catwalk task. Second, we reect on our experiences working with a group of community college
students on the catwalk task and our interpretations of their mathematical thinking. In so doing we also detail a
number of innovative and novel student-generated representations of the catwalk photos. Finally, we each indi-
vidually reect on the entire experience with the catwalk problem, as mathematics learners, as teachers, and as
professionals.
3. Chris Rasmussen: [4]Multipurpose Professional Growth Sequence: The catwalk problem as a paradigmatic
example
Abstract: An important concern in mathematics teacher education is how to create learning opportunities for
prospective and practicing teachers that make a difference in their professional growth as educators. The rst
purpose of this article is to describe one way of working with prospective and practicing teachers in a graduate
mathematics education course that holds promise for positively inuencing the way teachers think about mathemat-
ics, about student learning, and about mathematics teaching. Specically, I use the 'catwalk task as an example
of how a single problem can serve as the basis for a coherent sequence of professional learning experiences. A
second purpose of this article is to provide background information that contextualizes the subsequent two articles,
each of which details the positive inuence of the catwalk task sequence on the authors` professional growth.
So, you may ask, what is this catwalk problem really about then? The problem is originated in a set of 24 time-
lapse photographs of a running cat. The question is simply: How fast is the cat moving at frame 10? Frame 20?
(See [5]this pdf for a presentation of the problem!)
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4VVRCND-3&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=84b48f807e5446acaf6dc218e708f85c
1460901&md5=97bdacb078b93c7d181580aea0a32b49
1460901&md5=983f66b76543ea278edffabbb93b41b8
5. http://www.google.no/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gse.rutgers.edu%
2FContentScripts%2FgenFile%7EFileFieldName%7EAcrobatFormat%7EContentItemID%7Eres_1123%
7ETableName%7EvwResources%7EMimeType%7Eapplication%252Fpdf%7EVersionNumber%7E2.asp&ei=
kcvASY6WCsiosAbZqKGqDQ&usg=AFQjCNGzBjJvanJnpw--JE0Lo7tPHkp2XQ&sig2=rWDsc616neoLIxvpfnbJnQ
Epistemological beliefs (2009-03-22 09:14)
Dena L. Wheeler and Diane Montgomery have written an article about college students epistemological beliefs.
The article that is entitled [1]Community college students` views on learning mathematics in terms of their episte-
mological beliefs: a Q method study was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Tuesday.
The purpose of this study was to explore the views of students enrolled at a small United States
2.3. March BlogBook
Midwestern community college toward learning mathematics, and to examine the relationship be-
tween student beliefs about mathematic learning and educational experiences with mathematics using
Q methodology and open-ended response prompts. Schommer`s (Journal of Educational Psychol-
ogy, 82, 495504, 1990) multidimensional theory of personal epistemology provided the structural
framework for the development of 36 domain specic Q sort statements. Analysis of the data re-
vealed three distinct but related views of learning mathematic which were labeled Active Learners,
Skeptical Learners, and Condent Learners. Chi-square tests of independence revealed no signi-
cant differences based on gender. Additionally, there was no evidence for differences based on level
of mathematics completed, age, or college hours accumulated. Student`s previous experiences in
instructional environments, however, were closely associated with beliefs. Results are discussed in
view of the implications for establishing learning environments and considerations in implementing
Standards-based curricula in higher education.
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=b976cc772d9344ca86fa2ea46d2354b0&pi=0
Histograms in teacher training (2009-03-25 08:22)
A. Bruno and M.C. Espinel have written an article called [1]Construction and evaluation of histograms in teacher
training. The article was published in [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Tech-
nology a couple of days ago. Their study shows, among other things, that students confuse histograms with bar
diagrams. Here is their abstract:
This article details the results of a written test designed to reveal how education majors construct
and evaluate histograms and frequency polygons. Included is a description of the mistakes made by
the students which shows how they tend to confuse histograms with bar diagrams, incorrectly assign
data along the Cartesian axes and experience difculties in constructing the frequency polygon.
Dynamic graphs and student reasoning (2009-03-25 08:25)
Marshall Lassak has written an article about [1]Using dynamic graphs to reveal student reasoning. This article was
published earlier this month in [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology.
Here is the (rather short) abstract of the article:
Using dynamic graphs, future secondary mathematics teachers were able to represent and com-
municate their understanding of a brief mathematical investigation in a way that a symbolic proof of
the problem could not. Four different student work samples are discussed.
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The Abel Prize 2009 - Mikhail Gromov (2009-03-26 15:08)
Russian mathematician Mikhail Gromov has been awarded the [1]2009 Abel Prize. The announcement of the rst
Abel Prize was made in 2002, in connection with the 200th anniversary of Norwegian mathematician [2]Niels
Henrik Abels birth. Although the prize has a fairly recent history, it is already called "[3]The Mathematicians
Nobel". The idea of having an annual mathe matics prize like this was proposed as early as in 1899 by Nor-
wegian mathematician [4]Sophus Lie, when it was made clear that there would be no Nobel prize in mathematics.
These early attempts ended for several reasons, amongst others because Sophus Lie himself died in this same year
(1899), and the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway in 1905 also made it difcult to create such
a prize.
[5]Mikhail Gromov (born 1943) was announced as this years winner today, by the President of the Norwegian
Academy of Science and Letters, yvind sterud. Gromov will receive the prize from His Majesty King Harald
in a ceremony in Oslo, May 19. The prize carries a cash award of NOK 6,000,000 (about USD 950,000). Gromov
was given the prize because of his revolutionary contributions to the eld of geometry.
My guess is by the way, that the rather small Wikipedia article about Gromov will increase in the next couple of
days :-)
Sources:
[6]http://www.abelprisen.no/en/
[7]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail _Gromov
[8]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel _prize
1. http://www.abelprisen.no/en/
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Henrik_Abel
3. http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_04_04.html
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophus_Lie
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Gromov
6. http://www.abelprisen.no/en/
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Gromov
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel_prize
Modes of reasoning (2009-03-28 10:12)
Kaye Stacey and Jill Vincent has written an article about [1]Modes of reasoning in explanations in Australian
eighth-grade mathematics textbooks. This article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics
a few days ago. Here is the abstract of their article:
Understanding that mathematics is founded on reasoning and is not just a collection of rules to ap-
ply is an important message to convey to students. Here we examined the reasoning presented in seven
topics in nine Australian eighth-grade textbooks. Focusing on explanatory text that introduced new
mathematical rules or relationships, we classied explanations according to the mode of reasoning
used. Seven modes were identied, making a classication scheme which both rened and extended
previous schemes. Most textbooks provided explanations for most topics rather than presenting 'rules
without reasons but the main purpose appeared to be rule derivation or justication in preparation
for practise exercises, rather than using explanations as thinking tools. Textbooks generally did not
distinguish between the legitimacies of deductive and other modes of reasoning.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u080115215h78q15/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=82a50f9a2d014f9f8a3e4576b81b2f5c&pi=0
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More about the Abel Prize winner (2009-03-29 20:56)
A few days ago, [1]I wrote about the winner of this years Abel Prize: Mikail Gromov. Since then, a couple of other
posts or articles have been published about this. [2]The Chronicle of Higher Education published [3]a small article
about it. Today, [4]a very interesting article was posted by someone who would be able to understand Gromovs
achievements better than most of us: [5]Terence Tao. Professor Tao points to earlier articles he has written about
Gromovs theories, and he presents one of Gromovs results along with a sketch of the original proof. So, if your
mathematical skills are somewhat above average, you might be interested in taking a closer look at this :-)
1. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/03/abel-prize-2009-mikhail-gromov.html
2. http://chronicle.com/
3.
http://chronicle.com/news/article/6199/franco-russian-mathematician-wins-950000-abel-prize
4. http://terrytao.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/mikhail-gromov-wins-2009-abel-prize/
5. http://terrytao.wordpress.com/
ESM, April 2009 (2009-03-30 07:30)
The [1]April issue of [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics has been published, and it contains ve articles (in-
cluding a book review):
[3]The array representation and primary children`s understanding and reasoning in multiplication, by Patrick
Barmby, Tony Harries, Steve Higgins and Jennifer Suggate. Abstract: We examine whether the array rep-
resentation can support children`s understanding and reasoning in multiplication. To begin, we dene what
we mean by understanding and reasoning. We adopt a 'representational-reasoning` model of understanding,
where understanding is seen as connections being made between mental representations of concepts, with
reasoning linking together the different parts of the understanding. We examine in detail the implications
of this model, drawing upon the wider literature on assessing understanding, multiple representations, self
explanations and key developmental understandings. Having also established theoretically why the array
representation might support children`s understanding and reasoning, we describe the results of a study
which looked at children using the array for multiplication calculations. Children worked in pairs on lap-
top computers, using Flash Macromedia programs with the array representation to carry out multiplication
calculations. In using this approach, we were able to record all the actions carried out by children on the
computer, using a recording program called Camtasia. The analysis of the obtained audiovisual data identi-
ed ways in which the array representation helped children, and also problems that children had with using
the array. Based on these results, implications for using the array in the classroom are considered.
[4]Social constructivism and the Believing Game : a mathematics teacher`s practice and its implications,
by Shelly Sheats Harkness. Abstract: The study reported here is the third in a series of research articles
(Harkness, S. S., DÀmbrosio, B., & Morrone, A. S.,in Educational Studies in Mathematics 65:235254,
2007; Morrone, A. S., Harkness, S. S., DÀmbrosio, B., & Cauleld, R. in Educational Studies in Mathe-
matics 56:1938, 2004) about the teaching practices of the same university professor and the mathematics
course, Problem Solving, she taught for preservice elementary teachers. The preservice teachers in Prob-
lem Solving reported that they were motivated and that Sheila made learning goals salient. For the present
study, additional data were collected and analyzed within a qualitative methodology and emergent concep-
tual framework, not within a motivation goal theory framework as in the two previous studies. This paper
explores how Sheila`s 'trying to believe, rather than a focus on 'doubting (Elbow, P., Embracing con-
traries, Oxford University Press, New York, 1986), played out in her practice and the implications it had for
both classroom conversations about mathematics and her own mathematical thinking.
[5]Investigating imagination as a cognitive space for learning mathematics, by Donna Kotsopoulos and
Michelle Cordy. Abstract: Our work is inspired by the book Imagining Numbers (particularly the square
BlogBook 2.3. March
root of minus fteen), by Harvard University mathematics professor Barry Mazur (Imagining numbers (par-
ticularly the square root of minus fteen), Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2003). The work of Mazur
led us to question whether the features and steps of Mazur`s re-enactment of the imaginative work of math-
ematicians could be appropriated pedagogically in a middle-school setting. Our research objectives were to
develop the framework of teaching mathematics as a way of imagining and to explore the pedagogical im-
plications of the framework by engaging in an application of it in middle school setting. Findings from our
application of the model suggest that the framework presents a novel and important approach to developing
mathematical understanding. The model demonstrates in particular the importance of shared visualizations
and problem-posing in learning mathematics, as well as imagination as a cognitive space for learning.
[6]Teachers` perspectives on 'authentic mathematics and the two-column proof form, by Michael Weiss,
Patricio Herbst and Chialing Chen. Abstract: We investigate experienced high school geometry teachers`
perspectives on 'authentic mathematics and the much-criticized two-column proof form. A videotaped
episode was shown to 26 teachers gathered in ve focus groups. In the episode, a teacher allows a student
doing a proof to assume a statement is true without immediately justifying it, provided he return to complete
the argument later. Prompted by this episode, the teachers in our focus groups revealed two apparently
contradictory dispositions regarding the use of the two-column proof form in the classroom. For some, the
two-column form is understood to prohibit a move like that shown in the video. But for others, the form
is seen as a resource enabling such a move. These contradictory responses are warranted in competing but
complementary notions, grounded on the corpus of teacher responses, that teachers hold about the nature of
authentic mathematical activity when proving.
[7]Book Review: The beautiful Monster by Mark Ronan (2006), Symmetry and the Monster, one of the
greatest quests of mathematics. New York: Oxford University Press, 255 pp. ISBN 978-0-19-280723-6
8.99 RRP
1. http://springerlink.com/content/m57t6067l7n0/?p=c2291e93adf843df8968fcbb2f22a434&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=cc03b34d409c4b9b81cdc0ffab8eb93a&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/43w7451777g8t841/?p=916cfb71f8d34afaa4a3882a71a53acf&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/f468tx1630810384/?p=916cfb71f8d34afaa4a3882a71a53acf&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/u6618131k817748w/?p=916cfb71f8d34afaa4a3882a71a53acf&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/a82184716r530031/?p=916cfb71f8d34afaa4a3882a71a53acf&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/p7232v0236x00116/?p=916cfb71f8d34afaa4a3882a71a53acf&pi=4
Challenging Mathematics in and Beyond the Classroom (2009-03-30 07:41)
[1]Springer has published a new book related to mathematics education. The book has been entitled [2]Challeng-
ing Mathematics In and Beyond the Classroom, and it is edited by Edward J. Barbeau and Peter J. Taylor. Here is
a copy of the publishers description of the book:
The last two decades have seen signicant innovation both in classroom teaching and in the public
presentation of mathematics. Much of this has centered on the use of games, puzzles and investiga-
tions designed to capture interest, challenge the intellect and encourage a more robust understanding
of mathematical ideas and processes. ICMI Study 16 was commissioned to review these develop-
ments and describe experiences around the globe in different contexts, systematize the area, examine
the effectiveness of the use of challenges and set the stage for future study and development. A pres-
tigious group of international researchers, with collective experience with national and international
contests, classroom and general contests and in nding a place for mathematics in the public arena,
contributed to this effort. The result, Challenging Mathematics In and Beyond the Classroom, deals
with challenges for both gifted as regular students, and with building public interest in appreciation of
mathematics.
2.4. April BlogBook
NBA-_-Mar-09_EAST_3144182-_-product-_-978-0-387-09602-5
The Language of Mathematics (2009-03-30 07:45)
Bill Barton has written a book called [1]The Language of Mathematics, which has been published by [2]Springer
recently. The connection between mathematics and language has been discussed a lot by others before, and this
appears to be a nice contribution to this discussion. The book is written for researchers, graduate students and
teachers of mathematics education. Unfortunately, I havent got this book myself (yet), so I can only provide you
with a copy of the publishers description of it:
The Language of Mathematics: Telling Mathematical Tales emerges from several contemporary
concerns in mathematics, language, and mathematics education, but takes a different stance with re-
spect to language. Rather than investigating the way language or culture impacts mathematics and
how it is learned, this book begins by examining different languages and how they express mathe-
matical ideas. The picture of mathematics that emerges is of a subject that is much more contingent,
relative, and subject to human experience than is usually accepted. Barton`s thesis takes the idea of
mathematics as a human creation, and, using the evidence from language, comes to more radical con-
clusions than usual.
Everyday mathematical ideas are expressed quite differently in different languages. Variety occurs in
the way languages express numbers, describe position, categorise patterns, as well as in the grammar
of mathematical discourse. The rst part of The Language of Mathematics: Telling Mathematical
Tales explores these differences and thus illustrates the possibility of different mathematical worlds.
This section both provides evidence of language difference with respect to mathematic talk and also
demonstrates the congruence between mathematics as we know it and the English language. Other
languages are not so congruent.
Part II discusses what this means for mathematics and argues for alternative answers to conventional
questions about mathematics: where it comes from, how it develops, what it does and what it means.
The notion that mathematics is the same for everyone, that it is an expression of universal human
thought, is challenged. In addition, the relationship between language and mathematical thought is
used to argue that the mathematical creativity embedded in minority languages should continue to be
explored
The nal section explores implications for mathematics education, discussing the consequences for
the ways in which we learn and teach mathematics. The Language of Mathematics: Telling Math-
ematical Tales will appeal to those interested in exploring the nature of mathematics, mathematics
educators, researchers and graduate students of mathematics education.
1. http://www.springer.com/education/language+education/book/978-0-387-92937-8?cm_mmc=NBA-_
-Mar-09_EAST_3144182-_-product-_-978-0-387-92937-8
2.4 April
When two circles determine a triangle (2009-04-01 07:22)
Nikolaos Metaxas and Andromachi Karagiannidou have written an article called [1]When Two Circles Determine
a Triangle. Discovering and Proving a Geometrical Condition in a Computer Environment. This article was pub-
BlogBook 2.4. April
lished online in the [2]International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning on Sunday. Here is the
Visualization of mathematical relationships enables students to formulate conjectures as well as
to search for mathematical arguments to support these conjectures. In this project students are asked
to discover the sufcient and necessary condition so that two circles form the circumscribed and in-
scribed circle of a triangle and investigate how this condition effects the type of triangle in general and
its perimeter in particular. Its open-ended form of the task is a departure from the usual phrasing of
textbook`s exercises 'show that..
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/vx077gj6775432k1/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102910/?p=e935aa3d77ab42169aa7700b9673a90f&pi=0
Students experiences with mathematics teaching and learning (2009-04-02 14:34)
Dumma C. Mapolelo from University of Botswana has written an article that was recently published in the [1]In-
ternational Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. [2]The article is entitled Students
experiences with mathematics teaching and learning: listening to unheard voices. Here is the abstract of the arti-
cle:
This study documents students views about the nature of mathematics, the mathematics learning
process and factors within the classroom that are perceived to impact upon the learning of mathemat-
ics. The participants were senior secondary school students. Qualitative and quantitative methods
were used to understand the students views about their experiences with mathematics learning and
mathematics classroom environment. Interviews of students and mathematics lesson observations
were analysed to understand how students view their mathematics classes. A questionnaire was used
to solicit students views with regards to teaching approaches in mathematics classes. The results
suggest that students consider learning and understanding mathematics to mean being successful in
getting the correct answers. Students reported that in the majority of cases, the teaching of mathemat-
ics was lecture-oriented. Mathematics language was considered a barrier in learning some topics in
mathematics. The use of informal language was also evident during mathematics class lessons.
Performance of undergraduate students in the limit concept (2009-04-02 14:36)
Nezahat Cetin has written an article called [1]The performance of undergraduate students in the limit concept.
The article was published in the last issue of [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and
Technology. Here is the article abstract:
In this work, we investigated rst-year university students skills in using the limit concept. They
were expected to understand the relationship between the limit-value of a function at a point and the
values of the function at nearby points. To this end, rst-year students of a Turkish university were
given two tests. The results showed that the students were able to compute the limit values by applying
standard procedures but were unable to use the limit concept in solving related problems.
2.4. April BlogBook
Students discovering spherical geometry (2009-04-02 14:38)
Bulent Guven and Ilhan Karatas have written an article called Students discovering spherical geometry using dy-
namic geometry software. The article was published in the last issue of [1]International Journal of Mathematical
Education in Science and Technology. Here is the abstract of their article:
Dynamic geometry software (DGS) such as Cabri and Geometers Sketchpad has been regularly
used worldwide for teaching and learning Euclidean geometry for a long time. The DGS with its
inductive nature allows students to learn Euclidean geometry via explorations. However, with respect
to non-Euclidean geometries, do we need to introduce them to students in a deductive manner? Do
students have quite different experiences in non-Euclidean environment? This study addresses these
questions by illustrating the student mathematics teachers actions in dynamic spherical geometry
environment. We describe how student mathematics teachers explore new conjectures in spherical
geometry and how their conjectures lead them to nd proofs in DGS.
The problem of the pyramid (2009-04-02 14:40)
Paul M.E. Shutler has written an article called [1]The problem of the pyramid or Egyptian mathematics from a
postmodern perspective. The article was published in the latest issue of [2]International Journal of Mathematical
Education in Science and Technology. Here is the abstract of Shutlers article:
We consider Egyptian mathematics from a postmodern perspective, by which we mean suspend-
ing judgement as to strict correctness in order to appreciate the genuine mathematical insights which
they did have in the context in which they were working. In particular we show that the skill which
the Egyptians possessed of obtaining the general case from a specic numerical example suggests a
complete solution to the well-known, but hitherto not completely resolved, question of how the vol-
ume of the truncated pyramid given in Problem 14 of the Moscow papyrus was derived. We also point
out some details in Problem 48 of the Rhind papyrus, on the area of the circle, which have previously
gone unnoticed. Finally, since many of their mathematical insights have long been forgotten, and fall
within the modern school syllabus, we draw some important lessons for contemporary mathematics
education.
BlogBook 2.4. April
Effect of personalization (2009-04-02 14:42)
Mojeed K. Akinsola and Adeneye O.A. Awofala have written an article about the [1]Effect of personalization of
instruction on students achievement and self-efcacy in mathematics word problems. This article was published
in the last issue of [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. Here is their
abstract:
This study investigated the effect of personalized print-based instruction on the achievement and
self-efcacy regarding mathematics word problems of 320 senior secondary students in Nigeria. The
moderator effect of gender was also examined on independent variable (personalization) and depen-
dent variables (mathematics word problem achievement and self-efcacy). The t-test statistic was
used to analyse the data collected for the study. The results showed that signicant differences ex-
isted in the mathematics word problem achievement and self-efcacy beliefs of personalized and non-
personalized groups, male and female personalized groups and male and female non-personalized
groups.
6 out of 10 university students have math anxiety (2009-04-08 08:09)
I learned about [1]this through Deb Russels blog over at About.com. [2]A Spanish study reveals that:
Six out of every 10 university students, regardless their eld of study, present symptoms of anxiety
when it comes to dealing with mathematics
Some details about the study reveals that:
The researchers assessed the students using the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales,
a questionnaire validated by experts from all over the world which has been used since the 70s. The
students took the questionnaire at the beginning of the second four-month period of school.
These are interesting results. Math anxiety should denitely be taken seriously, and a persons attitudes towards
mathematics are important, regardless if they are related to anxiety or not. I have done a much more informal
study of my own students in early childhood education over the last couple of years, and almost half of them nd
mathematics boring and/or difcult. If some of them even have math anxiety, I think this will strongly impact their
work as future teachers, kindergarten teachers or whatever they will end up doing!
1. http://math.about.com/b/2009/04/02/
did-you-know-that-six-out-of-10-university-students-have-math-anxiety.htm
2. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401103123.htm
Learning math by thinking (2009-04-09 08:52)
Michael Paul Goldenberg over at the Rational Mathematics Education blog has written an interesting post about
[1]LEARNING MATH BY THINKING - Hassler Whitney, Louis P. Benezet, and how many more wasted lives
and decades will it take?
I am not going to quote anything from his post, only recommend it as an excellent read for the holidays!
1. http://rationalmathed.blogspot.com/2009/04/learning-math-by-thinking-hassler.html
2.4. April BlogBook
Supervision of teachers (2009-04-09 09:22)
Gta Eriksson has written an article that was recently published online in [1]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior.
The article is entitled [2]Supervision of teachers based on adjusted arithmetic learning in special education. Here
is the abstract:
This article reports on 20 childrens learning in arithmetic after teaching was adjusted to their con-
ceptual development. The report covers periods from three months up to three terms in an ongoing
intervention study of teachers and children in schools for the intellectually disabled and of remedial
teaching in regular schools. The researcher classied each childs current counting scheme before and
after each term. Recurrent supervision, aiming to facilitate the teachers` modelling of their childrens
various conceptual levels and needs of learning, was conducted by the researcher. The teaching con-
tent in harmony with each childs ability was discussed with the teachers. This approach gives the
teachers the opportunity to experience the childrens own operational ways of solving problems. At
the supervision meetings, the teachers theorized their practice together with the researcher, ending up
with consistent models of the arithmetic of the child. So far, the childrens and the teachers` learning
patterns are promising.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4W0R3DT-1&_user=10&_rdoc=
10&md5=d68601876da164f86fe3be5b2897d393
Solutions of linear equations (2009-04-10 08:29)
D.G. Mallet and S.W. McCue have written an article called [1]Constructive development of the solutions of linear
equations in introductory ordinary differential equations. The article has been published online in [2]International
Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. Here is the abstract of their article:
The solution of linear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is commonly taught in rst-year un-
dergraduate mathematics classrooms, but the understanding of the concept of a solution is not always
grasped by students until much later. Recognizing what it is to be a solution of a linear ODE and how
to postulate such solutions, without resorting to tables of solutions, is an important skill for students
to carry with them to advanced courses in mathematics. In this study, we describe a teaching and
learning strategy that replaces the traditional algorithmic, transmission presentation style for solving
ODEs with a constructive, discovery-based approach where students employ their existing skills as a
framework for constructing the solutions of rst and second-order linear ODEs. We elaborate on how
the strategy was implemented and discuss the resulting impact on a rst-year undergraduate class. Fi-
nally, we propose further improvements to the strategy as well as suggesting other topics which could
be taught in a similar manner.
Sexy maths (2009-04-10 08:40)
I have already written about [1]this years Abel Prize winner, Mikhail Gromov in [2]earlier posts, but [3]an article
by Marcus du Sautoy in Times Online motivated an addition to the earlier posts. The article is called "Sexy maths:
Drawing parallels in geometry". In this article, du Sautoy claims that Gromov has made
BlogBook 2.4. April
(...) some of the most revolutionary contributtions to geometry since those of Euclid.
The article gives an interesting insight into some of the most important aspects of the historical development
of geometry, with Euclids parallel postulate as a pivotal point. An excellent article by du Sautoy, who is a
mathematician himself.
1. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/03/abel-prize-2009-mikhail-gromov.html
2. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/03/more-about-abel-prize-winner.html
3. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article6053197.ece
Preparations for AERA (2009-04-11 09:00)
I am spending the last few days at home before I leave for the AERA conference in San Diego. This is the rst
time I go to this conference, and I am really looking forward to it!
I am going to present on Tuesday, April 14, in a symposium session called: [1]Adapting and using U.S. measures
of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching in other countries: Lessons and challenges. The session will take place
in the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, the Santa Rosa room, between 10:35am and 12:05pm. I am presenting
on behalf of my research group at the University of Stavanger, Norway. Our paper is ready, and the presentation is
also more or less nished. I will post them both here my blog on Tuesday.
Preparing for the AERA, I was just reading a post by fellow blogger and twitterer, [2]Bud Talbot, about his
preparations for the conference. I think Bud is making some interesting points about the "game" of attending
conferences, making presentations etc. Worth reading!
Hopefully, I will be able to cover the conference quite well through this blog and my [3]twitter account.
View+Program+Load+Box+To+View&program_box_id=60956&PHPSESSID=
1ee76f17391a35f87e68e8a81e0b8fd7
2. http://budtalbot.blogspot.com/2009/04/preparing-for-conferences-aera-and.html
AERA 2009 Annual Meeting (2009-04-13 10:03)
This week, the 90th annual meeting of the [1]American Educational Research Association (AERA) takes place
in San Diego, California. The theme for this years conference is Disciplined Inquiry: Education Research in the
Circle of Knowledge and I am attending for the rst time! According to a [2]news release, it is going to be a really
big thing too:
When the American Educational Research Association (AERA) hosts the AERA Annual Meeting
next month, more than 14,000 education research scholars will convene in San Diego, California
where 2,000 peer-reviewed sessions are scheduled from April 13 to17.
AERA was founded in 1916, and it is:
(...) the most prominent international professional organization, with the primary goal of advanc-
ing educational research and its practical application ([3]Source).
As of today, it has more than 26,000 members worldwide, and the membership represents a broad range of disci-
plines like:
2.4. April BlogBook
education
psychology
statistics
sociology
history
economics
philosophy
anthropology
political science
I will do my best to cover the event here on my blog, and with such a broad range of disciplines, vast amount of
members and presenters, I am absolutely sure that this conference is going to be great!
2. https://www.aera.net/newsmedia/Default.aspx?menu_id=60&id=7382
3. https://www.aera.net/AboutAERA/Default.aspx?menu_id=90&ID=177
Preparation for our symposium session (2009-04-14 00:28)
I have just been to a preparation meeting for our symposium session at AERA tomorrow. The session is called
[1]Adapting and Using U.S. Measures of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching in Other Countries: Lessons and
Challenges. The session is going to be chaired by Deborah L. Ball, and there are going to be ve presentations of
papers:
I am going to make the rst presentation after the chairs introductoin, and I am going to present a paper
that I have written in collaboration with my colleague, Janne Fauskanger: Challenges of Translating and
Adapting the MKT Measures for Norway
The next presentation is going to be held by Minsung Kwon from South Korea. She is going to present her
paper: Validating the Adapted MKT Measures in Korea
Dicky Ng is following up with a presentation of his study in Indonesia. The title of his paper is: Translating
and Adapting the Geometry Measures for Indonesia
Yaa Cole unfortunately couldnt make it, but there has been prepared a video presentation of her paper:
Studying the Work of Teaching Mathematics in Ghana
The nal presentation is made by Sean Delaney from Ireland. He was the one who invited us all to participate
in this symposium, and he has been in charge of the entire process. He is presenting his paper: Using
Qualitative and Quantitative Methods to Study Construct Equivalence of a Teacher Knowledge Construct
After our presentations there has been allocated some time for the two scholars who has been invited to be dis-
cussants in the session: Kathryn M. Anderson-Levitt and William H. Schmidt. The entire session will take place
between 10:35am and 12:05pm (tomorrow, Tuesday, April 14) in the Santa Rosa room at the San Diego Marriott
Hotel & Marina. I will report further from the session tomorrow.
96a9d02b1596b70cc49461c95d2000ad
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My AERA presentation (2009-04-14 09:43)
I am giving my presentation on Tuesday, April 14, in a symposium session from 10:35am to 12:05pm. Here is the
slideshow for my presentation:
[1]AERA _Mosvold-Fauskanger
[2]Publish at Scribd or [3]explore others: [4]School Work [5]Uncategorizable-Unca [6]Government-US-Federa
([7]Direct link to paper)
Here is the article I am presenting:
[8]Mosvold-Fauskanger, AERA 2009 paper
[9]Publish at Scribd or [10]explore others: [11]School Work [12]Business & Economics [13]2008 [14]software
([15]Direct link to the article)
1. http://www.scribd.com/doc/14066976/AERAMosvoldFauskanger
4. http://www.scribd.com/explore/School-Work/
5. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Uncategorizable-Uncategorizable
6. http://www.scribd.com/tag/Government-US-Federal
7. http://www.scribd.com/full/14066976?access_key=key-mqnpa1f5jpna08c6hhc
8. http://www.scribd.com/doc/14066975/MosvoldFauskanger-AERA-2009-paper
11. http://www.scribd.com/explore/School-Work/
12. http://www.scribd.com/explore/Research/Business-Economics
13. http://www.scribd.com/tag/2008
14. http://www.scribd.com/tag/software
15. http://www.scribd.com/full/14066975?access_key=key-kyw8s0rzzij8ifwmyan
Tuesday sessions at AERA (2009-04-15 01:19)
Today, I have attended three sessions at AERA, including the symposium session [1]where I made my own pre-
sentation.
The other two sessions I attended where both within the Special Interest Group (SIG) for research in mathematics
education. The rst was called [2]Mathematics Content and Pedagogical Knowledge of Preservice and Inservice
Teachers. The session consisted of ve individual paper presentations, and a very interesting contribution in the
end by discussant Michael D. Steele from Michigan State University. One of the issues he pointed at was the
very important question: How does teacher knowledge and beliefs operationalize into practice? This is a very
interesting question, but also very hard to give an answer to.
The second session (ours was in between) had four presentations followed by some comments from Edward A.
Silver. the session was entitled: [3]Knowledge for Teaching mathematics - A Structured Inquiry. As Silver
commented, the papers in this presentation were rather different, from the ones attempting to approach a grand
theory of teacher knowledge, to the ones who tried to contribute to a more distinct area of this eld. Silver also
pointed to some important questions here. One was related to this phrase: "Teachers need to know..." What does
this mean? And what is the warrant? He also made some comments about the cultural issues that are involved in
this, and he said some very nice things about the symposium I was in as well, which is of course attering to hear
from someone like him!
In conclusion, it has been an interesting day, and there have been lots of interesting presentations concerning
teacher knowledge, which happens to be the eld that I am most interested in.
1. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-aera-presentation.html
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de9859adea3c29b8494eca015127cfcd
Search+Load+Session&session_id=63762&PHPSESSID=de9859adea3c29b8494eca015127cfcd
Drag with a worn-out mouse (2009-04-16 00:29)
Miriam Godoy Penteado and Ole Skovsmose have written an article called [1]How to drag with a worn-out mouse?
Searching for social justice through collaboration. This article was recently published online in [2]Journal of
Mathematics Teacher Education. Here is the article abstract:
We consider what a concern for social justice in terms of social inclusion might mean for teacher
education, both practising and prospective, with particular reference to the use of information and
communication technology (ICT) in mathematics education taking place at a borderland school. Our
discussion proceeds through the following steps: (1) We explore what a borderland position might
denote to address what social inclusion might mean. (2) We consider the signicance of mathematics
education and the use of ICT for processes of social inclusion. (3) We briey refer to the Interlink
Network, as many of our observations emerge as reections on this project. (4) We present different
issues that will be of particular importance with respect to teacher education if we want to establish
a mathematics education for social inclusion. These issues concern moving away from the comfort
zone, establishing networks, identifying new approaches, moving beyond prototypical research, and
getting in contact. This brings us to (5) nal considerations, where we return to the notion of social
justice.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/r5422q2r32642478/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=2971fd1cbd7f4b3bae340a989450169c&pi=0
In-service teacher training in Botswana (2009-04-17 00:33)
Kim Agatha Ramatlapana has written an article that was recently published online in [1]Journal of Mathematics
Teacher Education. The article is entitled [2]Provision of in-service training of mathematics and science teachers
in Botswana: teachers` perspectives. Here is the abstract:
Teaching is a eld that is dynamic, with innovations necessitating upgrading of skills and educa-
tion of teachers for the successful implementation of reforms. The behaviour and attitudes of teachers
towards teaching and learning and their knowledge banks are the result of the impact of in-service
training. This study investigated the perceptions of mathematics and science teachers in Botswana
towards in-service provision by the Department of Mathematics and Science Education In-service
Training unit (DMSE-INSET), whose mandate is to improve the quality of teaching by supporting
teachers through training programmes that enable them to take ownership of their professional devel-
opment. Data were collected from a sample of 42 senior Mathematics and Science secondary school
teachers, using structured interviews with open-ended questions, which were analyzed qualitatively.
The ndings show that teachers` concerns included the lack of impact of current in-service training
programmes on the education system, no regular follow-up activities to support the one-off work-
shops and insufcient skills acquired to sustain the implementation of the strategies solicited by the
workshops.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=ac1196fcbfdd4840acbda39163c0ae2a&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m01j56r442t9q2v6/
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Mathematics teachers practices and thinking (2009-04-17 02:04)
Yeping Li, Xi Chen and Gerald Kulm have written an article called [1]Mathematics teachers` practices and thinking
in lesson plan development: a case of teaching fraction division. The article was recently published online in
[2]ZDM. Here is their article abstract:
In this study, we aimed to examine mathematics teachers` daily lesson plans and associated prac-
tices and thinking in lesson plan development. By focusing on teachers` preparation for teaching
fraction division, we collected and analyzed a sequence of four lesson plans from each of six mathe-
matics teachers in six different elementary schools in China. Interviews with these teachers were also
analyzed to support the lesson plan analysis and reveal teachers` thinking behind their practices. The
results show that Chinese teachers placed a great consideration on several aspects of lesson planning,
including content, process, and their students` learning. Teachers` lesson plans were similar in terms
of some broad features, but differed in details and specic approaches used. While the textbook`s
inuence was clearly evident in these teachers` lesson plans, lesson planning itself was an important
process for Chinese teachers to transform textbook content into a script unique to different teachers
and their students. Implications obtained from Chinese teachers` lesson planning practices and their
thinking are then discussed in a broad context.
On a side note, I should also mention that Douglas L. Corey made an interesting presentation about [3]Japanese
Conceptions of High-Quality Mathematics Instruction at [4]AERA today, and his focus was very much on the
Japanese teachers use of lesson plan.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/mn65571k2774x675/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=444c5f76b6a54ddca9e8563c38c2a9df&pi=0
Search+Load+Publication+For+Extra&publication_id=290803&PHPSESSID=
9258ba8697674e45d6312656ddc8fb9c
4. http://aera.net/
Why do I blog? (2009-04-17 16:48)
Today, I am giving a presentation at AERA, in a Public Communication Workshop. I have been invited to partici-
pate in this session because I am an education researcher who blog about the eld that I am in. I have been asked
to focus on six questions, and I thought it might be nice to share my thoughts about this with all my readers.
1. Why do you blog?
This is actually a rather complex question to answer, but I think the easy version is that I am using my blog to
learn more about my eld. I spend quite a lot of time searching for new articles and books, and I use an amount of
(mostly web-based) tools in this process. When I write about the articles and books I nd, it helps me to remember
it, and my blog has also become part of my continuous process of organizing my own knowledge about the eld
that I am in. I think it is fair to add that this could easily have been done in a more private notebook or something
like that, but I have experienced several benets of presenting this in my blog rather than keeping it private. One of
the benets is that people from all over the world can learn about the work that I do, and they can take advantage of
the efforts I have made to keep up with everything that happens within the eld of mathematics education research.
Some of my readers make comments on the things I write. Sometimes, the comments challenge my own thinking,
which is good. Other times, their comments make me aware of aspects that I did not think about in the rst place,
or they introduce me to people with similar or different views than I have myself. Sometimes, I have written about
an article, and the author of the article has sent me an e-mail and attached some more articles that (s)he has written.
I like that!
Last, but not least, my blog forces me to write. As a researcher, it is important for me to always be in some kind of
a writing process. English is only my second language, but it is still the language I publish most of my papers in.
My blog is therefore a tool to help me practice my writing skills (in English) as well.
2.4. April BlogBook
2. Does it help you profesionally?
The short answer is YES! The somewhat more extended answer is that I believe my blog helps me profesionally
on many levels. First, my motivation to start writing this blog was - as I have already said - to keep up to date with
my eld. Whenever one of the large journals publish a new article or issue, I try to write about it. As a result, I feel
much more at home in my eld, simply because I know more about what is happening. Personally, I also want to
write and publish articles. Because of my blog, I feel more condent about the theory - I know that I have made an
effort to stay up to date, and I believe that my blog writing has given me a very good overview of the eld that I am
in. My blog also forces me to read more scientic articles, and this has helped me in my own process of writing
scientic articles.
Another thing that I have gained from my blog is of course that more and more people from all over the world
know who I am, which helps me on a professional level too. One of the most recent examples of this is of course
that I was invited to present in this workshop as a direct result of my blog!
3) Are math colleagues skeptical?
Overall, I would say no! Most of my colleagues appreciate the work that I am doing with my blog, and some of
them use it as a tool to stay up to date themselves. Some have been skeptical towards the entire idea of sharing too
much of your work and ideas online, because they fear that someone might "steal" your ideas. I dont see this as
problematic at all! I share a lot online, and I think the benets of that far outweigh the possible disadvantages.
4) What are you trying to accomplish with it?
As I have already said, the main reason I had for starting to write this blog was to learn more about my own eld
of research! I did not do this to become famous or something, and I didnt even think a blog like this would attract
many readers at all. It looks quite boring, there are very few images or illustrations in it, and many posts are quite
similar. If I were trying to gather lots of readers, I would denitely make it different! Still, every month I have
about 2,000 readers from 70-100 countries all over the world. This is not a lot, and it is not very important, but I
still think it is quite good. After all, we are talking about a blog that focus on research in mathematics education. I
wouldnt expect something like that to attract the masses anyway!
5) As a practical matter, how do you nd time to do it, given the teaching/research/committee assignments work
of a professor?
Short answer: I wake up early :-)
On a normal day, I am in my ofce at 7:00am. I spend the rst hour checking for new articles in the main journals (I
use Google Reader for this, so the news come to me rather than the other way around). If there has been published
a new article, I read the abstract (sometimes thats all), copy the entire article to Evernote (if it is available online),
index it, and write a blog post about it. On average, I use 3-4 hours every week on my blog. On busy days, I might
do this in the evening instead of in the morning.
6) Is this something youd recommend that young scholars do?
When I started writing my blog, I couldnt nd anything like this on the web. I still havent found many other blogs
like this, and I think this is quite sad. I believe that a blog is a great way of communicating with people, and I believe
that a blog would be more accessible to most people than a scientic journal. I also think a blog is a great tool for
gathering and sharing information from different sources, and in that respect it can be a great tool for researchers
as well as for "ordinary people". I wish more scholars - young and old - would do this, so this is something I would
denitely recommend! I have been thinking about making a new blog, where I communicate research results from
my eld in a way that is more accessible to teachers and people outside the research community. Unfortunately,
I havent found time to do this, so this might be a challenge for someone else. I think it would have been great if
someone took the challenge!
Instructional beliefs (2009-04-18 00:38)
Feral Ogan-Bekiroglu and Hatice Akko have written an article called [1]PRESERVICE TEACHERS` INSTRUC-
TIONAL BELIEFS AND EXAMINATION OF CONSISTENCY BETWEEN BELIEFS AND PRACTICES. The
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article was published online in [2]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education last week. Here is
their article abstract:
The purposes of this study were to determine preservice physics teachers` instructional beliefs
and to investigate the relationship between their beliefs and practices. The theoretical framework was
based on the combination Haney & McArthur`s (Science Education, 86(6):783802, 2002) research
and Ford`s (1992) motivation systems theory. A multicase study design was utilized for the research
in order to focus on a beliefpractice relationship within several examples. Semistructured interviews,
observations, and preservice teachers` written documents were used to collect data. Results showed
that most preservice teachers held instructional beliefs aligned with constructivist philosophy. Some
of the preservice teachers` beliefs were consistent with their practices while some of them presented
different practices from their beliefs in different placements.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j115401v61542uw5/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=a362ef0ee1e44157b6845fd72917b38d&pi=0
Concept mapping in mathematics (2009-04-18 03:31)
Springer has published a new book about [1]Concept Mapping in Mathematics. The book has been edited by
Karoline Afamasaga-Fuatai. A [2]concept map is simply a kind of diagram that displays the relationships be-
tween concepts. The idea was originally developed by [3]Joseph Novak in the 1970s, and Novak, in turn, based
hihs work on the theories of [4]David Ausubel. I havent read the book yet, but it sure sounds like an interesting
book! Here is the publishers description of the book:
Concept Mapping in Mathematics: Research into Practice is the rst comprehensive book on con-
cept mapping in mathematics. It provides the reader with an understanding of how the meta-cognitive
tool, namely, hierarchical concept maps, and the process of concept mapping can be used innovatively
and strategically to improve planning, teaching, learning, and assessment at different educational lev-
els. This collection of research articles examines the usefulness of concept maps in the educational
setting, with applications and examples ranging from primary grade classrooms through secondary
mathematics to pre-service teacher education, undergraduate mathematics and post-graduate mathe-
matics education. A second meta-cognitive tool, called vee diagrams, is also critically examined by
two authors, particularly its value in improving mathematical problem solving.
The theoretical underpinnings of concept mapping and of the studies in the book include Ausubel`s
cognitive theory of meaningful learning, constructivist and Vygotskian psychology to name a few.
There is evidence which suggests that students` mathematical literacy and problem solving skills can
be enhanced through students collaborating and interacting as they work, discuss and communicate
mathematically. This book proposes the meta-cognitive strategy of concept mapping as one viable
means of promoting, communicating and explicating students` mathematical thinking and reasoning
publicly in a social setting as they engage in mathematical dialogues and discussions.
Concept Mapping in Mathematics: Research into Practice is of interest to researchers, graduate stu-
dents, teacher educators and professionals in mathematics education.
NBA-_-Apr-09_EAST_3230653-_-product-_-978-0-387-89193-4
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_map
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_D._Novak
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ausubel
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ESM, May 2009 (2009-04-20 09:36)
[1]The May issue of [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics has been published. This issue contains four scientic
articles and a book review:
[3]Acquisition and use of shortcut strategies by traditionally schooled children, by Joke Torbeyns, Bert De
Smedt, Pol Ghesquire and Lieven Verschaffel
[4]From arithmetical thought to algebraic thought: The role of the 'variable, by Elsa Malisani and Filippo
Spagnolo
[5]The relationship between performance on mathematical word problems and language prociency for
students learning through the medium of Irish, by Mire N Rordin and John O`Donoghue
[6]Teachers` emergent goals in spreadsheet-based lessons: analyzing the complexity of technology integra-
tion, by Jean-Baptiste Lagrange and Emel Ozdemir Erdogan
[7]Book review: mathematics classrooms in twelve countries, Clarke, D., Keitel, C., & Shimizu, Y. (Eds.).
(2006). Mathematics classrooms in twelve countries: The insider`s perspective. Rotterdam, The Nether-
lands: Sense Publishers.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/r2752870651w/?p=b092153a15bb4440913447ceca5d0019&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=5a42e7d5731647b38a1d9c683a4232ac&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/7t21x8g428435424/?p=456b9c0562b64194917f4a2ee1bb66bb&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/4m4h3269438552v6/?p=456b9c0562b64194917f4a2ee1bb66bb&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/158547k16j81r163/?p=456b9c0562b64194917f4a2ee1bb66bb&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/5380854g85002684/?p=456b9c0562b64194917f4a2ee1bb66bb&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/n1j42626p6615727/?p=456b9c0562b64194917f4a2ee1bb66bb&pi=4
Instructional Science, May 2009 (2009-04-20 09:42)
The May issue of Instructional Science has recently been published. This issue contains ve articles, and at least
one of them is directly related to mathematics education. Here is the list of articles in the issue:
[1]The use of language in understanding subject matter, by Lennart Svensson, Elsie Anderberg, Christer
Alvegrd and Thorsten Johansson
[2]Online but off-topic: negotiating common ground in small learning groups, by Trena M. Paulus
[3]The building of pre-service primary teachers` knowledge of mathematics teaching: interaction and online
video case studies, by Salvador Llinares and Julia Valls
[4]The learners` experience of variation: following students` threads of learning physics in computer simu-
lation sessions, by ke Ingerman, Cedric Linder and Delia Marshall
[5]The development of science activities via on-line peer assessment: the role of scientic epistemological
views, by Chin-Chung Tsai and Jyh-Chong Liang
1. http://springerlink.com/content/48641w75657t1tk0/?p=058b6588aeb348178a2451f8db3391d2&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/c324427770n50418/?p=058b6588aeb348178a2451f8db3391d2&pi=1
3. http://springerlink.com/content/vt1r4037m5212k26/?p=058b6588aeb348178a2451f8db3391d2&pi=2
4. http://springerlink.com/content/l0312128566u3830/?p=058b6588aeb348178a2451f8db3391d2&pi=3
5. http://springerlink.com/content/4u576t6214863w13/?p=058b6588aeb348178a2451f8db3391d2&pi=4
BlogBook 2.4. April
Productive failure in mathematical problem solving (2009-04-20 09:47)
Manu Kapur has written an article that was published in [1]Instructional Science on Thursday. The article is enti-
tled [2]Productive failure in mathematical problem solving. Here is the abstract of Kapurs article:
This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study comparing a 'productive failure instructional
design (Kapur in Cognition and Instruction 26(3):379424, 2008) with a traditional 'lecture and prac-
tice instructional design for a 2-week curricular unit on rate and speed. Seventy-ve, 7th-grade
mathematics students from a mainstream secondary school in Singapore participated in the study.
Students experienced either a traditional lecture and practice teaching cycle or a productive failure
cycle, where they solved complex problems in small groups without the provision of any support or
scaffolds up until a consolidation lecture by their teacher during the last lesson for the unit. Findings
suggest that students from the productive failure condition produced a diversity of linked problem rep-
resentations and methods for solving the problems but were ultimately unsuccessful in their efforts, be
it in groups or individually. Expectedly, they reported low condence in their solutions. Despite seem-
ingly failing in their collective and individual problem-solving efforts, students from the productive
failure condition signicantly outperformed their counterparts from the lecture and practice condition
on both well-structured and higher-order application problems on the post-tests. After the post-test,
they also demonstrated signicantly better performance in using structured-response scaffolds to solve
problems on relative speeda higher-level concept not even covered during instruction. Findings and
implications of productive failure for instructional design and future research are discussed.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102905/?p=0448d3e2ec47448297a0d3ff99040574&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/p2j3314002125388/
Conceptualizing and organizing content for teaching and learning (2009-04-20 09:51)
Yeping Li, Xi Chen and Song An have written an article that was recently published online in [1]ZDM. Their ar-
ticle is entitled [2]Conceptualizing and organizing content for teaching and learning in selected Chinese, Japanese
and US mathematics textbooks: the case of fraction division, and here is a copy of the abstract:
In this study, selected Chinese, Japanese and US mathematics textbooks were examined in terms
of their ways of conceptualizing and organizing content for the teaching and learning of fraction di-
vision. Three Chinese mathematics textbook series, three Japanese textbook series, and four US text-
book series were selected and examined to locate the content instruction of fraction division. Textbook
organization of fraction division and other content topics were described. Further analyses were then
conducted to specify how the content topic of fraction division was conceptualized and introduced.
Specic attention was also given to the textbooks` uses of content constructs including examples, rep-
resentations, and exercise problems in order to show their approaches for the teaching and learning
of fraction division. The results provide a glimpse of the metaphors of mathematics teaching and
learning that have been employed in Chinese, Japanese, and US textbooks. In particular, the results
from the textbook analyses demonstrate how conceptual underpinnings were developed while target-
ing procedures and operations. Implications of the study are then discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=26ed770dde9446d3a4fff7304465579a&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n650736712135321/
2.4. April BlogBook
Searching for good mathematics (2009-04-20 09:55)
Pi-Jen Li and Yeping Li have written an article that was published online in [1]ZDM on Thursday. The article
is entitled [2]Searching for good mathematics instruction at primary school level valued in Taiwan. Here is the
abstract:
In this article, we aim to provide a glimpse of what is counted as good mathematics instruction
from Taiwanese perspectives and of various approaches developed and used for achieving high-quality
mathematics instruction. The characteristics of good mathematics instruction from Taiwanese per-
spectives were rst collected and discussed from three types of information sources. Although the
number of characteristics of good mathematics instruction may vary from one source to another, they
can be generally organized in three phases including lesson design before instruction, classroom in-
struction during the lesson and activities after lesson. In addition to the general overview of mathemat-
ics classroom instruction valued in Taiwan, we also analyzed 92 lessons from six experienced teachers
whose instructional practices were generally valued in local schools and counties. We identied and
discussed the characteristics of their instructional practices in three themes: features of problems and
their uses in classroom instruction, aspects of problemsolution discussion and reporting, and the
discussion of solution methods. To identify and promote high-quality mathematics instruction, vari-
ous approaches have been developed and used in Taiwan including the development and use of new
textbooks and teachers` guides, teaching contests, master teacher training program, and teacher pro-
fessional development programs.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=1451c64ce459489baf0c7f45848f1337&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/6114m54148l64405/
New TMME monographs (2009-04-22 08:21)
Two new monographs have been published from [1]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast:
[2]TMME Monograph 7 (May 2009) Interdisciplinarity, Creativity & Learning: Mathematics with literature,
paradoxes, history, technology and modeling
[3]TMME Monograph 6 (June 2009) Critical Issues in Mathematics Education
The editor of TMME, Bharath Sriraman, has been kind enough to send me previews of these two monographs for
publishing on my blog.
[4]Mono6 Preview
[5]Publish at Scribd or [6]explore others: [7]Magazines & Newspape [8]Puzzles & Games [9]viaje [10]preview
[11]Mono7 Preview
[12]Publish at Scribd or [13]explore others: [14]Magazines & Newspape [15]Puzzles & Games [16]viaje [17]pre-
view
2. http://www.infoagepub.com/index.php?id=9&p=p49dbb09bd3f58
3. http://www.infoagepub.com/index.php?id=9&p=p490a29296b4d1
4. http://www.scribd.com/doc/14519509/Mono6-Preview
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7. http://www.scribd.com/explore/Magazines-Newspapers/
8. http://www.scribd.com/explore/Puzzles-Games/
9. http://www.scribd.com/tag/viaje
10. http://www.scribd.com/tag/preview
11. http://www.scribd.com/doc/14519513/Mono7-Preview
14. http://www.scribd.com/explore/Magazines-Newspapers/
15. http://www.scribd.com/explore/Puzzles-Games/
16. http://www.scribd.com/tag/viaje
17. http://www.scribd.com/tag/preview
How learning and teaching of mathematics can be made interesting (2009-04-22 08:49)
Sarwar J. Abbasi and Kahkashan Iqbal have written an article with a very interesting title: [1]How learning and
teaching of mathematics can be made interesting: a study based on statistical analysis. The article was published
online recently in [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. Here is the
In this article, we evaluate the true proportion of mathematics educators and teachers at under/post
graduate levels in Karachi, Pakistan in making math courses lively to students. We use a random
sample of 75 students of engineering and commerce studying in three different universities namely
University of Karachi, Usman Institute of Technology (UIT) and Karachi Institute of Economics &
Technology (PAF-KIET). A 95 % condence interval based on sample results reveals that the said
proportion of math educators is in between 63 and 83 %. Furthermore, we investigate with the help
of students responses how mathematics teachers at under/post graduate levels make their courses
interesting-by showing their dedication in their subject, by giving logical reasoning and concrete ex-
amples or by making complex mathematical methods accessible to students giving them know-how of
mathematical softwares. We nd that the second technique is the most dominant and has a very strong
impact (positive linear relationship) in achieving the said goal of a math-teacher. The linear correlation
coefcient between students opinion that math-teachers make their courses interesting and achieving
this goal by giving logical reasoning and concrete examples is 0.989. Whereas the technique of using
math softwares in attempt to make a math course lively has also a very strong but a cubic relationship
and its multiple correlation coefcient is 0.984. Therefore, using technology in math classroom is
also helpful in making math learning and teaching interesting but under some conditions that become
apparent from our study made on the real data hence obtained.
Interpreting motion graphs (2009-04-23 09:31)
Luis Radford has written an article called [1]'No! He starts walking backwards!: interpreting motion graphs and
the question of space, place and distance. The article was recently published online in [2]ZDM. Here is the abstract
of the article:
This article deals with the interpretation of motion Cartesian graphs by Grade 8 students. Draw-
ing on a sociocultural theoretical framework, it pays attention to the discursive and semiotic process
2.4. April BlogBook
through which the students attempt to make sense of graphs. The students` interpretative processes
are investigated through the theoretical construct of knowledge objectication and the conguration
of mathematical signs, gestures, and words they resort to in order to achieve higher levels of concep-
tualization. Fine-grained video and discourse analyses offer an overview of the manner in which the
students` interpretations evolve into more condensed versions through the effect of what is called in
the article 'semiotic contractions and 'iconic orchestrations.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/22605423u312n2g8/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=619931f5567249e4807f0c7c00c090ab&pi=0
Sample space partitions (2009-04-23 09:33)
Egan J. Chernoff has written an article about [1]Sample space partitions: An investigative lens. The article has
recently been published in [2]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior. Here is the abstract of Chernoffs article:
In this study subjects are presented with sequences of heads and tails, derived from ipping a
fair coin, and asked to consider their chances of occurrence. In this new iteration of the comparative
likelihood task, the ratio of heads to tails in all of the sequences is maintained. In order to help sit-
uate participants` responses within conventional probability, this article employs unconventional set
descriptions of the sample space organized according to: switches, longest run, and switches and
longest run, which are all based upon subjects` verbal descriptions of the sample space. Results show
that normatively incorrect responses to the task are not devoid of correct probabilistic reasoning. The
notion of alternative set descriptions is further developed, and the article contends that sample space
partitions can act as an investigative lens for research on the comparative likelihood task, and proba-
bility education in general.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4W4BMHS-1&_user=10&_rdoc=
10&md5=948cadf8e510d8292bacfbe8b4516e6c
Improving mathematics instruction through lesson study (2009-04-23 09:37)
Catherine C. Lewis, Rebecca R. Perry and Jacqueline Hurd have written an interesting article called [1]Improving
mathematics instruction through lesson study: a theoretical model and North American case. The article was pub-
lished online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education on Monday. Here is the abstract of their article:
This article presents a theoretical model of lesson study, an approach to instructional improvement
that originated in Japan. The theoretical model includes four lesson study features (investigation, plan-
ning, research lesson, and reection) and three pathways through which lesson study improves instruc-
tion: changes in teachers` knowledge and beliefs; changes in professional community; and changes in
teachinglearning resources. The model thus suggests that development of teachers` knowledge and
professional community (not just improved lesson plans) are instructional improvement mechanisms
within lesson study. The theoretical model is used to examine the 'auditable trail of data from a
North American lesson study case, yielding evidence that the lesson study work affected each of the
BlogBook 2.4. April
three pathways. We argue that the case provides an 'existence proof of the potential effectiveness
of lesson study outside Japan. Limitations of the case are discussed, including (1) the nature of data
available from the 'auditable trail and (2) generalizability to other lesson study efforts.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/p5p3008873t7l2x4/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=524c318db1184c6493621d0fee5c2b28&pi=0
Is it worth using CAS (2009-04-26 21:04)
Robyn Pierce, Lynda Ball and Kaye Stacey have written an article called [1]Is it worth using CAS for symbolic
algebra manipulation in the middle secondary years? Some teachers views. The article was published online in
[2]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education on Thursday. Here is the abstract of their article:
The use of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) in years 9 and 10 classrooms as a tool to support
learning or in preparation for senior secondary mathematics is controversial. This paper presents an
analysis of the positive and negative aspects of using CAS identied in the literature related to these
year levels, along with the perceptions of 12 experienced secondary teachers who were working with
years 9 and 10 students. The literature review shows that CAS is valued for calculation and manipula-
tion capabilities, the option of alternative representations, the opportunity for systematic exploration
and for prompting rich discussion. However, the technical overhead, initial workload for the teacher
and unresolved questions about the perceived relative contribution of machine and by-hand work to
learning currently pose obstacles to teaching with CAS in the middle secondary years. The teachers
who contributed data to this study perceived that using CAS in their teaching is, on balance, worth
the effort. However, they believed that CAS is of most benet to their high ability students and may
present an obstacle to their low ability students` learning of mathematics.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/blq7j11420752333/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=757730556bd249cf9c55c36f1b51cfd8&pi=0
Mathematics in early childhood education (2009-04-30 08:03)
The [1]March issue of [2]International Journal of Early Years Education contains several articles that are related
to mathematics education:
Elizabeth Dunphy has written an article called [3]Early childhood mathematics teaching: challenges, dif-
culties and priorities of teachers of young children in primary schools in Ireland. Abstract: Issues of peda-
gogy are critical in all aspects of early childhood education. Early childhood mathematics is no exception.
There is now a great deal of guidance available to teachers in terms of high-quality early childhood math-
ematics teaching. Consequently, the characteristics of high-quality early childhood mathematics education
are clearly identiable. Issues such as building on young childrens prior-to-school knowledge; engaging
children in general mathematical processes; and assessing and documenting childrens learning are some of
the key aspects of high-quality early childhood mathematics education. The extent to which teachers of four-
and ve-year-old children in primary schools in Ireland incorporate current pedagogical guidance in early
childhood mathematics education was explored in 2007 in a nationally representative questionnaire survey
of teachers of four- and ve-year-old children attending primary schools. This paper presents some of the
2.4. April BlogBook
ndings of the study in relation to teachers self-reported challenges, difculties and priorities in teaching
early childhood mathematics. Implications are drawn for professional development, curriculum guidance
and educational policy.
Sally Howell and Coral Kemp have written an article called [4]A participatory approach to the identication
of measures of number sense in children prior to school entry. Abstract: The research reported in this paper
used a modied Delphi procedure in an attempt to establish a consensus on tasks proposed to assess compo-
nents of number sense identied as essential for early mathematics success by a broad range of academics
with expertise in the area of early mathematics. Tasks included as measures of these components were based
on assessment tasks developed by early mathematics researchers. Eighteen questionnaires were returned by
academics from Australia, the UK, New Zealand, The Netherlands and the USA, all with published work
in the areas of early mathematics and/or number sense. Both the proposed components and tasks in the
questionnaires were limited to the number domain. The study revealed considerable agreement with a num-
ber of the proposed tasks and thus provided a way forward for the development of an early number sense
assessment to be trialled with young children prior to their rst year of formal schooling.
A third article, entitled [5]Numeracy-related exchanges in joint storybook reading and play, was written by
Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, Jackie Nelson, Charity Bumpass annd Bianca Sassine. Abstract: Studies of
the processes by which parents encourage early numerical development in the context of parent-child inter-
actions during routine, culturally relevant activities at home are scarce. The present study was designed to
investigate spontaneous exchanges related to numeracy during parent-child interactions in reading and play
activities at home. Thirty-seven families with a four-year-old child (13 low-income) were observed. Two
types of numeracy interactions were of interest: socio-cultural numeracy exchanges, explaining the use and
value of money or numbers in routine activities such as shopping or cooking, and mathematical exchanges,
including counting, quantity or size comparisons. Results indicated that high-income parents engaged in
more mathematical exchanges during both reading and play than did low-income parents, though there were
no differences in the initiation of socio-cultural numeracy exchanges. The focus of parental guidance related
to numeracy was conceptual and embedded in the activity context, with few dyads focusing on counting or
numbers per se. The ndings suggest the importance of parent education efforts that incorporate numeracy-
related discourse in the context of daily routines to augment young childrens numeracy development.
The struggle to "x" math education (2009-04-30 22:29)
It is not entirely new, but I just discovered it: a very nice little video from the [1]National Science Foundation
about "The struggle to x math education in the US". The video is interesting from many perspectives, but for
me it is particularly interesting because two of the three people that are featured in this lm played an important
role in the symposium where I gave my own presentation at this years [2]AERA conference. Bill Schmidt was
one of our two discussants, and Deborah Ball was chair of our session. Along with Joan Ferrini-Mundi from NSF,
they raise some important issues for mathematics education research in this video:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtGlPOp-96M &hl=en &fs=1]
The video was created in relation to the NSF special report, [3]Math: Whats the problem?
2. http://aera.net/
3. http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/math/index.jsp
BlogBook 2.5. May
2.5 May
Multiple representations (2009-05-03 17:26)
Amy E. Ryken has written an article that was published online in [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education on
Friday. The article is entitled [2]Multiple representations as sites for teacher reection about mathematics learning,
This documentary account situates teacher educator, prospective teacher, and elementary students`
mathematical thinking in relation to one another, demonstrating shared challenges to learning math-
ematics. It highlights an important mathematics reasoning skillcreating and analyzing representa-
tions. The author examines responses of prospective teachers to a visual representation task and, in
turn, their examination of school children`s responses to mathematical tasks. The analysis revealed
the initial tendency of prospective teachers to create pictorial representations and highlights the im-
portance of looking beyond the pictures created to how prospective teachers use mathematical models.
In addition, the challenges prospective teachers face in moving beyond a ruled-based conception of
mathematics and a right/wrong framework for assessing student work are documented. Findings sug-
gest that analyzing representations helps prospective teachers (and teacher educators) rethink their
teaching practices by engaging with a culture of teaching focused on reading for multiple meanings
and posing questions about student thinking and curriculum materials.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=c747483799e743a19aa1269d83c48181&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x17212u4j0lx333u/
Does policy inuence math teachers? (2009-05-06 19:33)
[1]Teachers College Record features an interesting article related to mathematics education this week (the article
is freely available): [2]Does Policy Inuence Mathematics and Science Teachers Participation in Professional
Development, by Laura Desimone, Thomas M. Smith and Kristie J.R. Phillips. Here is an abstract of the article:
Using a national sample of high school mathematics and science teachers from the Schools and
Stafng Survey (SASS), we nd that authority (teacher leadership and control over school and class-
room policy), not power (frequency of evaluation of teachers and professional development, and ease
of dismissal of teachers), is associated with teachers taking the kind of professional development that
we know improves teaching and learning-activities focused on subject matter content and instructional
strategies, as well as active interactions with other teachers around curriculum and instruction. Simi-
larly, we nd that stability (measured by reduced teacher turnover), not the consistency of professional
development with other reforms, is associated with taking effective professional development.
2. http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=12896
"Gender games" (2009-05-07 19:54)
Anna Llewellyn has written an article called [1]'Gender games`: a post-structural exploration of the prospective
teacher, mathematics and identity. The article was published online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Educa-
tion on Tuesday this week. Here is the abstract of Llewellyns article:
2.5. May BlogBook
In this article, I draw on post-structural and feminist epistemologies to analyse interview data
from two prospective teachers on a primary education degree. Specically I use Foucauldian critical
discourse analysis to discuss the competing discourses of the masculine mathematician and the femi-
nine primary school teacher. The initial purpose of the article is to deconstruct the themes of control,
choice and condence, which I argue are prevalent within mathematical discourses within our current
neoliberal society. A further aim of the article is to explore the representation of discourse and data
within educational texts, which I do by experimenting with the language used throughout.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/e777v881709n3453/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=1ac1a508fadd4168a79454cb1820ae24&pi=0
Euler and structural steel design (2009-05-08 09:14)
David M. Boyajian has written an article that was published in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education
in Science and Technology a couple of days ago. The article is entitled [2]Euler teaches a class in structural steel
design. Here is the abstract of the article:
Even before steel was a topic of formal study for structural engineers, the brilliant eighteenth cen-
tury Swiss mathematician and physicist, Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), investigated the theory govern-
ing the elastic behaviour of columns, the results of which are incorporated into the American Institute
of Steel Constructions (AISCs) Bible: the Steel Construction Manual. Each semester as the author
teaches the introductory undergraduate Structural Steel Design course, when arriving at the subject
of compression members, he insists on rst explaining in detail the mathematical contributions of
Euler to the theory of elastic buckling, based on the subject of differential equations-the contents of
which constitute this article-before commencing with issues pertaining to engineering design.
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Edb=all?content=10.1080/
00207390902759634&jumptype=alert&alerttype=ifirst_alert,email
IJCML, April 2009 (2009-05-08 09:17)
[1]International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning has released their [2]Volume 14, Number 1 - the
April issue of 2009. The issue contains four articles:
[3]Online Resources in Mathematics, Teachers` Geneses and Didactical Techniques, by Laetitia Bueno-
Ravel and Ghislaine Gueudet
[4]Learning Electricity with NIELS: Thinking with Electrons and Thinking in Levels, by Pratim Sengupta
and Uri Wilensky
[5]Agents with Attitude: Exploring Coombs Unfolding Technique with Agent-Based Models, by Michelle
Hoda Wilkerson
[6]Computational Diversions: Web Fame, Web Games, by Michael Eisenberg
BlogBook 2.5. May
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102910/?p=4b19d40f9ae74a50993400500a17c37e&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/k3103k676243/?p=0004a301aaa24d14ae8ea3445bec3d6d&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/j254x2815000710r/?p=372023fb7d5c484fb77747ec8fef4978&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/97728l0163tu1066/?p=372023fb7d5c484fb77747ec8fef4978&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/708610865n4k3764/?p=372023fb7d5c484fb77747ec8fef4978&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/g24x41j05683j14q/?p=372023fb7d5c484fb77747ec8fef4978&pi=3
March issue of NOMAD (2009-05-11 20:53)
The March issue of [1]NOMAD has been published. The issue is introduced by a very interesting editorial about
[2]Quality criteria in mathematics education research. This editorial is followed by three articles:
Lisen Hggblom: [3]Lrarstuderandes syn p lrande i matematik.
Marit Johnsen-Hines: [4]Dialogical inquiry in practice teaching.
Per Nilsson: [5]Operationalizing the analytical construct of contextualization.
By following the links above, you can read the abstracts of the articles. Unfortunately, the entire articles are only
available in the printed version of the journal.
1. http://ncm.gu.se/nomad
ICMI-News, May 2009 (2009-05-12 08:58)
A new newsletter has arrived from [1]ICMI (International Commission on Mathematical Instruction), and it con-
tains lots of interesting news! Here is the table of contents:
1. Editorial: The Relevance of Mathematics Education in India
2. ICMI Study 20: Educational Interfaces between Mathematics and the Industry (EIMI)
3. ICMI Study 20: Discussion document (short version)
4. ICMI has a new website!
5. Exhibition "Experiencing Mathematics" in southern countries
7. Historical vignettes: David Eugene Smith, the proponent of ICMI
The [2]entire newsletter is freely available online, and you can also read previous newsletters from the [3]archive.
2. http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news/2009-May.txt
2.5. May BlogBook
Mathematical modelling and medical students (2009-05-13 15:44)
[1]Teaching Mathematics and its Applications has published an article by Zvi H. Perry about [2]Change in senior
medical students` attitudes towards the use of mathematical modelling as a means to improve research skills. Here
A PUBMED search for 'mathematical models in medicine` shows more than 15,000 articles cov-
ering almost every eld of medicine. We designed a course with the goal of developing the students`
skills in computerized data analysis and mathematical modelling, as well as enhancing their ability to
read and interpret mathematical data analysis. The study evaluated the acquisition of research skills
and how to understand such data, as well evaluating the students` feeling of competence. The course
was structured as a 1-week (30-h) workshop for nal year medical students. The study population
consisted of 23 medical students who took the course in the 2005 academic year. Course evaluation
used questionnaires that assessed the students` satisfaction and mathematical knowledge. We found a
signicant change in the attitudes of our subjects, comparing their before and after attitudes towards
their competence in the use of mathematical modelling, academically (i.e. their ability to read and
understand articles using math models) as well as medically (i.e. their ability to implement theory that
arises from math models to medical applications). We believe that the use of math modelling training
in medical education signicantly improved the students` condence in reading and applying math
models in medicine; there is a tendency (albeit insignicant) towards superior results in attitudes of
students towards math usage in medicine at large.
Teaching mathematics for understanding (2009-05-15 07:38)
Edward A. Silver, Vilma M. Mesa, Katherine A. Morris, Jon R. Star and Babette M. Benken have written an article
that was published in the most recent issue of [1]American Educational Research Journal. The article is called
[2]Teaching Mathematics for Understanding: An Analysis of Lessons Submitted by Teachers Seeking NBPTS
Certication. Here is the abstract of their article:
The authors present an analysis of portfolio entries submitted by candidates seeking certi-
cation by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the area of Early Adoles-
cence/Mathematics. Analyses of mathematical features revealed that the tasks used in instruction
included a range of mathematics topics but were not consistently intellectually challenging. Analyses
of key pedagogical features of the lesson materials showed that tasks involved hands-on activities or
real-world contexts and technology but rarely required students to provide explanations or demon-
strate mathematical reasoning. The ndings suggest that, even in lessons that teachers selected for
display as best practice examples of teaching for understanding, innovative pedagogical approaches
were not systematically used in ways that supported students` engagement with cognitively demand-
ing mathematical tasks.
1. http://aer.sagepub.com/
2. http://aer.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/46/2/501?rss=1
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Mathematical problem solving and students belief systems (2009-05-18 09:19)
Mara Luz Callejo and Antoni Vila have written an article that was published in [1]Educational Studies in Mathe-
matics last week. The article is entitled [2]Approach to mathematical problem solving and students` belief systems:
two case studies. Most studies that focus on the role of beliefs in relation to problem solving are to some degree
based on the works of Alan Schoenfeld, Gnther Trner, Liewen Verschaffel, Erkki Pehkonen and several others.
So does this. The theoretical part of the paper gives a nice overview of some of the most important earlier studies
within this eld. Personally, I would have included reference to some more critical perspectives, like [3]Jeppe
Skott, and when discussing belief systems, I also think the work of [4]Keith Leatham provides an important con-
tribution to the eld. In their discussion, they consider inconsistencies between beliefs and actions, and in this
connection, I think a reference to Leathams work and his proposed framework of viewing beliefs as sensible sys-
tems would have been worthwhile.
Still, I think it is an interesting article to read if you are interested in problem solving or research on beliefs. Here
The goal of the study reported here is to gain a better understanding of the role of belief systems
in the approach phase to mathematical problem solving. Two students of high academic performance
were selected based on a previous exploratory study of 61 students 1213 years old. In this study
we identied different types of approaches to problems that determine the behavior of students in the
problem-solving process. The research found two aspects that explain the students` approaches to
problem solving: (1) the presence of a dualistic belief system originating in the student`s school ex-
perience; and (2) motivation linked to beliefs regarding the difculty of the task. Our results indicate
that there is a complex relationship between students` belief systems and approaches to problem solv-
ing, if we consider a wide variety of beliefs about the nature of mathematics and problem solving and
motivational beliefs, but that it is not possible to establish relationships of causality between specic
beliefs and problem-solving activity (or vice versa).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=a086d6dfb64c4c72919b7655dbecf9cf&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w350v53336803717/
3. http://www.citeulike.org/user/rmosvold/article/3724545
4. http://www.citeulike.org/user/rmosvold/article/1419148
Social justice and mathematics teacher education (2009-05-18 09:31)
The next issue of [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education is apparently going to focus on social justice and
mathematics teacher education. In what appears to be an [2]editorial, Peter Gates and Robyn Jorgensen presents
the topic and talks about dening the term:
Reading the articles in this and the next Special Issue will very quickly show that social justice is
difcult to dene, in part because it not only depends on one`s own world view, but also it depends
somewhat on the situation being analysed. Social justice is a relative concept; what is unjust to some,
is not unjust to others; whether we consider something is socially unjust or relationally unjust will
likewise differ.
In relation to this topic, three articles have been published online the last couple of days:
Elizabeth de Freitas and Betina Zolkower have written an article called [3]Using social semiotics to prepare
mathematics teachers to teach for social justice.
2.5. May BlogBook
Raymond Brown has written an article called [4]Teaching for social justice: exploring the development of
student agency through participation in the literacy practices of a mathematics classroom.
Amal Hussain Alajmi has written an article called [5]Addressing computational estimation in the Kuwaiti
curriculum: teachers` views.
You can go to the links above to read more about these articles.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=6e4459fdbf7a42a594e558ffe8bbb6ec&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w4763155068t7lw3/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/5584805750570q60/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/uw74458122361224/
5. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/87q6r03n68m2302l/
Slidecast from our AERA-symposium (2009-05-18 09:41)
It is hard to believe that a month has already passed by since [1]the 2009 AERA Annual Meeting. I have already
written about [2]my presentation and the [3]preparations for our symposium before, but I am now happy to nally
be able to present the slidecast from our entire symposium session! Below, you nd the embedded version of the
slidecast (powerpoint slides with synchronized audio - just press the play button!):
[4]AERA 2009, Delaney symposium View more [5]presentations from [6]rmosvold.
2. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-aera-presentation.html
3. http://mathedresearch.blogspot.com/2009/04/preparation-for-our-symposium-session.html
4. http://www.slideshare.net/rmosvold/aera-2009-delaney-symposium?type=powerpoint
5. http://www.slideshare.net/
6. http://www.slideshare.net/rmosvold
IJSME, June 2009 (2009-05-19 08:44)
The [1]June issue of [2]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education has been published. The issue
contains nine articles, several of which are related to mathematics education:
[3]EPISTEMOLOGICAL OBSTACLES IN COMING TO UNDERSTAND THE LIMIT OF A FUNCTION
AT UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL: A CASE FROM THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO, by
Eunice Kolitsoe Moru
[4]Talking Physics during Small-Group Work with Context-Rich Problems - Analysed from an Ownership
Perspective, by Margareta Enghag, Peter Gustafsson and Gunnar Jonsson
[5]HISTORY AS A PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPING COLLEGE STUDENTS` EPISTEMOLOGICAL
BELIEFS OF MATHEMATICS, by Po-Hung Liu
[6]USING COMBINATORIAL APPROACH TO IMPROVE STUDENTS` LEARNING OF THE DIS-
TRIBUTIVE LAW AND MULTIPLICATIVE IDENTITIES, by Yu-Ling Tsai and Ching-Kuch Chang
[7]The Factors Related to Preschool Children and Their Mothers on Children`s Intuitional Mathematics
Abilities, by Y1ld1z Gven
[8]THE POWER OF LEARNING GOAL ORIENTATION IN PREDICTING STUDENT MATHEMATICS
ACHIEVEMENT, by Chuan-Ju Lin, Pi-Hsia Hung, Su-Wei Lin, Bor-Hung Lin and Fou-Lai Lin
BlogBook 2.5. May
[9]K-12 Science and Mathematics Teachers` Beliefs About and Use of Inquiry in the Classroom, by Jeff C.
Marshall, Robert Horton, Brent L. Igo and Deborah M. Switzer
[10]Question Posing, Inquiry, and Modeling Skills of Chemistry Students in the Case-Based Computerized
Laboratory Environment, by Zvia Kaberman and Yehudit Judy Dori
[11]Thinking Journey - a New Mode of Teaching Science, by Yaron Schur and Igal Galili
1. http://springerlink.com/content/p46380x65u17/?p=89d0fbddc222489091104c0b397a39d1&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/111141/?p=b37548b418924b25be4c739b139e737d&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/em0u0264402wq74p/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/m1x221v721w20051/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/d202g3754256m527/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/a545783228314702/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/p2465017287m233r/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/fw12516770454053/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/288464x416n77468/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.com/content/78803714871r16n4/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=7
11. http://springerlink.com/content/u8uhj156546p7072/?p=6dde5728e8794b86a0cdae7db2517f0f&pi=8
The role of prior knowledge (2009-05-19 11:42)
Jon R. Star, Bethany Rittle-Johnson, Kathleen Lynch and Natasha Perova have written an article called [1]The role
of prior knowledge in the development of strategy exibility: the case of computational estimation. The article
was published in [2]ZDM on Saturday. Here is the abstract of their article:
The ability to estimate is a fundamental real-world skill; it allows students to check the reasonable-
ness of answers found through other means, and it can help students develop a better understanding
of place value, mathematical operations, and general number sense. Flexibility in the use of strategies
is particularly critical in computational estimation. The ability to perform complex calculations men-
tally is cognitively challenging for many students; thus, it is important to have a broad repertoire of
estimation strategies and to select the most appropriate strategy for a given problem. In this paper, we
consider the role of students` prior knowledge of estimation strategies in the effectiveness of interven-
tions designed to promote strategy exibility across two recent studies. In the rst, 65 fth graders
began the study as uent users of one strategy for computing mental estimates to multi-digit multi-
plication problems such as 17 41. In the second, 157 fth and sixth graders began the study with
moderate to low prior knowledge of strategies for computing mental estimates. Results indicated that
students` uency with estimation strategies had an impact on which strategies they adopted. Students
who exhibited high uency at pretest were more likely to increase use of estimation strategies that
led to more accurate estimates, while students with less uency adopted strategies that were easiest
to implement. Our results suggest that both the ease and accuracy of strategies as well as students`
uency with strategies are all important factors in the development of strategy exibility.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/d509627583831264/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=9a344a3bc40b4702a4a71ba3e187ab06&pi=0
Exemplary math instruction in East Asia (2009-05-19 11:49)
Yeping Li and Yoshinori Shimizu have written an interesting article about [1]Exemplary mathematics instruction
and its development in selected education systems in East Asia. The article was published online in [2]ZDM on
2.5. May BlogBook
Saturday. In the article they enter into the discussion about teaching as a cultural activity, and they provide a struc-
turing overview of several articles that are going to appear in a themed issue of ZDM. This themed issue denitely
looks interesting, and it is something to look out for!
What may teachers do in developing and carrying out exemplary or high-quality mathematics
classroom instruction? What can we learn from teachers` instructional practices that are often cultur-
ally valued in different education systems? In this article, we aim to highlight relevant issues that have
long been interests of mathematics educators worldwide in identifying and examining teachers` prac-
tices in high-quality mathematics classroom instruction, and outline what articles published herein can
help further our understanding of such issues with cases of exemplary mathematics instruction valued
in the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/5144u9140t062974/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=ea67369b017b4b30a43e30db97220b98&pi=0
Hands-on mathematics (2009-05-20 09:08)
The[1] May issue of [2]Science & Education contains an interesting article that is related to mathe-
matics education. The article is written by Youjun Wang, and it is entitled: [3]Hands-on mathematics:
two cases from ancient Chinese mathematics. Here is the abstract of Wangs article:
In modern mathematical teaching, it has become increasingly emphasized that mathematical
knowledge should be taught by problem-solving, hands-on activities, and interactive learning expe-
riences. Comparing the ideas of modern mathematical education with the development of ancient
Chinese mathematics, we nd that the history of mathematics in ancient China is an abundant re-
source for materials to demonstrate mathematics by hands-on manipulation. In this article I shall
present two cases that embody this idea of a hands-on approach in ancient Chinese mathematics, at
the same time offering an opportunity to show how to utilize materials from the history of Chinese
math in modern mathematical education.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/w5908640062q/?p=dd7fa8ae20e34cb18237fd19cddb23e7&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102992/?p=dd7fa8ae20e34cb18237fd19cddb23e7&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/qu7646080851g342/?p=bf11c248903d4609af695cf52b13209c&pi=6
Non-routine problem solving (2009-05-21 16:39)
Iliada Elia, Marja van den Heuvel-Panhuizen and Angeliki Kolovou have written an article called [1]Exploring
strategy use and strategy exibility in non-routine problem solving by primary school high achievers in mathemat-
ics. The article was published online in [2]ZDM on Tuesday. Here is the abstract of their article:
Many researchers have investigated exibility of strategies in various mathematical domains. This
study investigates strategy use and strategy exibility, as well as their relations with performance
in non-routine problem solving. In this context, we propose and investigate two types of strategy
exibility, namely inter-task exibility (changing strategies across problems) and intra-task exibility
BlogBook 2.5. May
(changing strategies within problems). Data were collected on three non-routine problems from 152
Dutch students in grade 4 (age 910) with high mathematics scores. Findings showed that students
rarely applied heuristic strategies in solving the problems. Among these strategies, the trial-and-error
strategy was found to have a general potential to lead to success. The two types of exibility were
not displayed to a large extent in students` strategic behavior. However, on the one hand, students
who showed inter-task strategy exibility were more successful than students who persevered with
the same strategy. On the other hand, contrary to our expectations, intra-task strategy exibility did
not support the students in reaching the correct answer. This stemmed from the construction of an
incomplete mental representation of the problems by the students. Findings are discussed and sugges-
tions for further research are made.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/590qt31822828j67/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=33012505384145c0b94786cb4223c8f3&pi=0
Mathematics in and through social justice (2009-05-21 16:42)
Kathleen Nolan has written an article called [1]Mathematics in and through social justice: another misunderstood
marriage? This article was published in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education on Tuesday. Here is the
abstract of Nolans article:
The current push to marry off mathematics with social justice compels one to ask such critical
questions as 'What is social justice? and 'How does (or can) mathematics look and act when viewed
in/through the lenses of social justice? Taking a critically reective approach, this article draws the
reader into a discussion of what is amiss in the currently promoted picture-perfect marriage of math-
ematics and social justice, presenting perspectives on both the content and context of mathematics
teaching and learning. In this article, the author`s account of her experience in teaching a mathematics
curriculum course for prospective middle years teachers highlights a call to re-imagine the relation-
ship between mathematics and social justice as more than a perfunctory integration of a 'statistics
and gures approach. The author`s reections acknowledge the complexity and potentiality of the
relationship while challenging current status quo practices and paradigms in mathematics education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/92557125171v49h5/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=aa81cae2d6114b659baeb48bef0dc5a5&pi=0
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, June 2009 (2009-05-27 15:24)
The [1]June issue of [2]Teaching Mathematics and its Applications has appeared, and it contains a number of
[3]Does students` condence in their ability in mathematics matter? by Sarah Parsons, Tony Croft, and
Martin Harrison
[4]GeoGebra freedom to explore and learn, by Linda Fahlberg-Stojanovska and Vitomir Stojanovski
[5]Factors inuencing the transition to university service mathematics: part 1 a quantitative study, by Miriam
Liston and John O`Donoghue
[6]Change in senior medical students` attitudes towards the use of mathematical modelling as a means to
improve research skills, by Zvi H. Perry and Doron Todder
2.6. June BlogBook
[7]Solving second-order ordinary differential equations without using complex numbers, by Ioannis E.
Kougias
1. http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/content/vol28/issue2/index.dtl?etoc
2.6 June
ESM, June 2009 (2009-06-02 09:00)
[1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has released the [2]June issue. This issue - Volume 71, Number 2 - contains
6 articles, including Gail FitzSimons "[3]Call for book reviewers". The other articles in this issue are:
[4]Comparative studies of mathematics teachers` observable learning objectives: validating low inference
codes, by Paul Andrews
[5]The role of contextual, conceptual and procedural knowledge in activating mathematical competencies
(PISA), by Csar Senz
[6]Prospective elementary teachers` motivation to participate in whole-class discussions during mathematics
content courses for teachers, by Amanda Jansen
[7]Using the history of mathematics to induce changes in preservice teachers` beliefs and attitudes: insights
from evaluating a teacher education program, by Charalambos Y. Charalambous, Areti Panaoura and George
Philippou
[8]Mathematical enculturation from the students` perspective: shifts in problem-solving beliefs and be-
haviour during the bachelor programme, by Jacob Perrenet and Ruurd Taconis
The article by Perrenet and Taconis is an Open Access article, meaning that it is freely available to everyone,
regardless of whether you are a subscriber or not.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=e73c07753cfd443d901dc61eb9e21af7&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/n7484033201q/?p=9d2e737593db4b52b4b9205850e6d153&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/92278501348mnw80/?p=86a3029904174f489eca0fb3d35d87ba&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/0208128r30703421/?p=86a3029904174f489eca0fb3d35d87ba&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/e55477336t20393p/?p=86a3029904174f489eca0fb3d35d87ba&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/n62k9582627m3n53/?p=86a3029904174f489eca0fb3d35d87ba&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/k5823p778178x235/?p=86a3029904174f489eca0fb3d35d87ba&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/y0x51104422v14n8/?p=86a3029904174f489eca0fb3d35d87ba&pi=5
JMTE, June 2009 (2009-06-02 09:05)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has released the [2]June issue of 2009. As Peter Gates and Robyn
Jorgensen reveals in their [3]editorial, this issue is the rst of two special issues on social justice and mathematics
teacher education. The issue has the subtitle: Theoretical Studies in Social Justice. The other four articles in this
issue are:
BlogBook 2.6. June
[4]Teaching for social justice: exploring the development of student agency through participation in the
literacy practices of a mathematics classroom, by Raymond Brown
[5]Using social semiotics to prepare mathematics teachers to teach for social justice, by Elizabeth de Freitas
and Betina Zolkower
[6]Mathematics in and through social justice: another misunderstood marriage? by Kathleen Nolan
[7]How to drag with a worn-out mouse? Searching for social justice through collaboration, by Miriam
Godoy Penteado and Ole Skovsmose
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=4cca23406e3f490885c9c7988b6f3cae&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/g527h08jt585/?p=94bf5218152a4d279a052717cf14147c&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/w4763155068t7lw3/?p=5d443b45898f4313bee70086fc13a8e7&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/uw74458122361224/?p=5d443b45898f4313bee70086fc13a8e7&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/5584805750570q60/?p=5d443b45898f4313bee70086fc13a8e7&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/92557125171v49h5/?p=5d443b45898f4313bee70086fc13a8e7&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/r5422q2r32642478/?p=5d443b45898f4313bee70086fc13a8e7&pi=4
ZDM, June 2009 (2009-06-02 09:24)
Along with [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics and [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, [3]ZDM
has also released the [4]June issue of 2009. This issue is a very interesting (I think) special issue on Exemplary
Mathematics Instruction and Its Development in East Asia. Here is a list of the 12 articles contained in this issue:
[5]Exemplary mathematics instruction and its development in selected education systems in East Asia, by
Yeping Li and Yoshinori Shimizu
[6]Mathematics classroom instruction excellence through the platform of teaching contests, by Yeping Li
and Jun Li
[7]How a Chinese teacher improved classroom teaching in Teaching Research Group: a case study on
Pythagoras theorem teaching in Shanghai, by Yudong Yang
[8]Pursuing excellence in mathematics classroom instruction through exemplary lesson development in
China: a case study, by Rongjin Huang and Yeping Li
[9]Characterizing exemplary mathematics instruction in Japanese classrooms from the learner`s perspective,
by Yoshinori Shimizu
[10]In search of an exemplary mathematics lesson in Hong Kong: an algebra lesson on factorization of
polynomials, by Ida Ah Chee Mok
[11]Characteristics of good mathematics teaching in Singapore grade 8 classrooms: a juxtaposition of teach-
ers` practice and students` perception, by Berinderjeet Kaur
[12]Good mathematics instruction in South Korea, by JeongSuk Pang
[13]Searching for good mathematics instruction at primary school level valued in Taiwan, by Pi-Jen Lin and
Yeping Li
[14]Exemplary mathematics lessons: what lessons we can learn from them? by Ngai-Ying Wong
[15]Exemplary mathematics lessons: a view from the West, by Susie Groves
Book review: [16]Joan B. Gareld and Dani Ben-Zvi: Developing students` statistical reasoning: connecting
research and teaching practice, by Jane Watson
2.6. June BlogBook
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=e73c07753cfd443d901dc61eb9e21af7&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=4cca23406e3f490885c9c7988b6f3cae&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/120453/?p=92ec1876571642dcbeb9b128580ddaea&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/m3062h8951pq/?p=c49438622ae54d2981afe46b4596f440&pi=0
5. http://springerlink.com/content/5144u9140t062974/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=0
6. http://springerlink.com/content/f30hr840040686h7/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=1
7. http://springerlink.com/content/t06314r45330g88r/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=2
8. http://springerlink.com/content/j271g68518161338/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=3
9. http://springerlink.com/content/t647181j63672429/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=4
10. http://springerlink.com/content/417263084126p063/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=5
11. http://springerlink.com/content/e1701457t753233j/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=6
12. http://springerlink.com/content/c12x018k4q707457/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=7
13. http://springerlink.com/content/6114m54148l64405/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=8
14. http://springerlink.com/content/w75506052gv5lr76/?p=e3b4012cfbd24dea8850b926feef3480&pi=9
15. http://springerlink.com/content/8516251qg11u4222/?p=acab6ca9f03f4fc5bd9d3fac0900bd14&pi=
10
16. http://springerlink.com/content/d9257q688621v5lt/?p=acab6ca9f03f4fc5bd9d3fac0900bd14&pi=
11
Constructing mathematics in an interactive classroom context (2009-06-02 10:13)
Paul Ngee-Kiong Lau, Parmjit Singh and Tee-Yong Hwa have written an article called [1]Constructing mathemat-
ics in an interactive classroom context. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics
on Friday. Here is the abstract of their article:
This paper investigates the nature of the interaction between the teacher and students as they
worked on different mathematics activities in a single classroom over a 10-month period. Socio-
cultural theories and the Vygotskian zone of proximal development provide the main framework for
examining the teaching and learning processes and explaining the incorporation of a four-phase les-
son plan as increasing participation of the teacher and students in the teaching and learning process.
Drawing on the analyses of discourse from videotaped lessons and the interviews with the teacher and
students, ve different types of interactions that emphasized mathematical sense-making and justi-
cation of ideas and arguments were identied. Excerpts from transcriptions of such interactions are
provided to illustrate the learning practices, either academic or non-academic, that students developed
in response to these interactions.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/r326216766124066/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=ba641a02204e47b28c43957ece01df8c&pi=0
Free articles from Educational Studies in Mathematics (2009-06-03 07:14)
Editor-in-chief of Educational Studies in Mathematics, Norma Presmeg, has made a selection of several articles
that have recently been published in the journal and made them free for all to read, download and save. The fol-
lowing articles are freely available until July 31, 2009:
[1]Learning opportunities from group discussions: Warrants become the objects of debate K. Weber, C.
Maher, A. Powell, & H. Lee
[2]Transitions among different symbolic generalizations by algebra beginners in a computer intensive envi-
ronment M. Tabach, A. Arcavi, & R. Hershkowitz
BlogBook 2.6. June
[3]Abstraction and consolidation of the limit precept by means of instrumented schemes: The complemen-
tary role of three different frameworks I. Kidron
[4]Signifying 'students, 'teachers and 'mathematics: A reading of a special issue T. Brown
[5]On semiotics and subjectivity: A response to Tony Brown`s 'signifying 'students`, 'teachers` and 'mathe-
matics`: a reading of a special issue.
[6]Cognitive styles, dynamic geometry and measurement performance. D. Pitta-Pantazi & C. Christou
[7]Embodied design: Constructing means for constructing meaning D. Abrahamson
[8]Constructing competence: An analysis of student participation in the activity system of mathematics
classrooms M. Gresal, T. Martin, V. Hand, & J. Greeno
[9]Teachers` perspectives on 'authentic mathematics and the two-column proof form M. Weiss, P. Herbst,
& C. Chen
[10]From arithmetical thought to algebraic thought: The role of the 'variable E. Malisani & F. Spagnolo
1. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.HieS.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCWEWFNB0
2. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.HieU.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCWLKFND0
3. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.HieW.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCWReFNF0
4. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.HieY.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCWYSFNH0
5. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.Hiea.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCXTCFNP0
6. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.Hiec.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCXZWFNR0
7. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.Hiee.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCYAKFNT0
8. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.Hieg.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCYGeFNV0
9. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.Hiei.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCYNSFNX0
10. http:
//springer.r.delivery.net/r/r?2.1.Ee.2Tp.1iO%2aKv.ByCd88..N.Hiek.3BA4.bW89MQ%5f%5fCYUGFNZ0
ESM, July 2009 (2009-06-08 10:36)
The [1]July issue of [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics has been published. The issue contains six articles:
[3]Towards new documentation systems for mathematics teachers? by Ghislaine Gueudet and Luc Trouche
[4]Experiencing equivalence but organizing order, by Amir H. Asghari
[5]A categorization of the 'whys and 'hows of using history in mathematics education, by Uffe Thomas
Jankvist
[6]Intuitive vs analytical thinking: four perspectives, by Uri Leron and Orit Hazzan
[7]Using graphing software to teach about algebraic forms: a study of technology-supported practice in
secondary-school mathematics, by Kenneth Ruthven, Rosemary Deaney and Sara Hennessy
2.6. June BlogBook
[8]Perceptions that may affect teachers` intention to use technology in secondary mathematics classes, by
Robyn Pierce and Lynda Ball
1. http://springerlink.com/content/q76138365511/?p=71b288cf5d9b4fa9adb2b59d100b7708&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=a88fe014751c4363a2ab84d527ca3f81&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/6600hx1254664n74/?p=c56b47e5cabe4a988a93ef149ac30b8f&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/l1m548155848q721/?p=c56b47e5cabe4a988a93ef149ac30b8f&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/j31j79273u7q5576/?p=c56b47e5cabe4a988a93ef149ac30b8f&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/x228466318825631/?p=c56b47e5cabe4a988a93ef149ac30b8f&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/73431511826781jg/?p=c56b47e5cabe4a988a93ef149ac30b8f&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/pw1168j63406m987/?p=c56b47e5cabe4a988a93ef149ac30b8f&pi=5
Mathematics education in the early years (2009-06-08 19:28)
Glenda Anthony and Margaret Walshaw (both from New Zealand) have written an article entitled [1]Mathematics
Education in the Early Years: building bridges. This article was published in the latest issue of [2]Contemporary
Issues in Early Childhood. Here is the abstract of their article:
Aligned with the enhanced international commitment to early childhood education, recognition of
the importance of providing young children with opportunities to develop mathematical understand-
ings and skills is increasing. While there is much research about effective mathematics pedagogy in
the school sector, less research activity is evident within the early childhood sector. Focused on people,
relationships and the learning environment, this article draws on a synthesis of research on effective
pedagogical practices to describe effective learning communities that can enhance the development of
young childrens mathematical identities and competencies. Concerned that the wider synthesis noted
limited cross-sector collaboration within the mathematics education community, this article aims to
act as a bridge for researchers currently working within the preschool and school sectors. The authors
argue that understandings of effective pedagogies that enhance young childrens mathematics learning
will benet from more cross-sector research studies.
1. http://www.wwwords.co.uk/rss/abstract.asp?j=ciec&aid=3594
2. http://www.wwwords.co.uk/ciec/
Professional development + coaching = enhanced teaching (2009-06-10 08:05)
Loretta C. Rudd, Matthew C. Lambert, Macy Satterwhite and Cinda H. Smith have written an article entitled:
[1]Professional Development + Coaching = Enhanced Teaching: Increasing Usage of Math Mediated Language in
Preschool Classrooms. The article was published online in [2]Early Childhood Education Journal last Thursday.
In an effort to determine the most efcacious manner to deliver professional development train-
ing to early childhood educators, this study investigated the effect of a 2-h workshop followed by
side-by-side classroom coaching. Twelve early childhood educators with 4-year degrees teaching in
a university child development center participated in the study. The twice weekly classroom observa-
tions were analyzed for the use of math mediated language. Results indicate a 56 % increase of math
mediated language following the professional development; however, the greatest increase (39 % in-
crease over professional development condition) occurred during the side-by-side coaching phase of
the treatment. These results corroborate previous ndings that implementation of teaching strategies
presented in professional development trainings can be enhanced by coaching teachers on the use of
the strategies.
BlogBook 2.6. June
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/g572087250p513m5/
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/105549/?p=b41de7db1ab745b2b7ad86878f6e04ff&pi=0
Experts strategy exibility for solving equations (2009-06-10 08:14)
Jon R. Star and Kristie J. Newton have written an article about [1]The nature and development of experts` strategy
exibility for solving equations. The article was published online in [2]ZDM last week. Algebra is an area of
mathematics in which many pupils struggle. There is also an agreement among many researchers that prociency
in algebra includes understanding as well as skills. This study aims at investigating the exibility of experts
strategies when solving algebraic equations. Eight experts in school algebra were participating in the study, and
their exibility was measured using a researcher-designed algebra test as well as semi-structured interviews. These
interviews were conducted immediately after the participants had completed the test.
Largely absent from the emerging literature on exibility is a consideration of experts` exibility.
Do experts exhibit strategy exibility, as one might assume? If so, how do experts perceive that this
capacity developed in themselves? Do experts feel that exibility is an important instructional out-
come in school mathematics? In this paper, we describe results from several interviews with experts
to explore strategy exibility for solving equations. We conducted interviews with eight content ex-
perts, where we asked a number of questions about exibility and also engaged the experts in problem
solving. Our analysis indicates that the experts that were interviewed did exhibit strategy exibility in
the domain of linear equation solving, but they did not consistently select the most efcient method
for solving a given equation. However, regardless of whether these experts used the best method on a
given problem, they nevertheless showed an awareness of and an appreciation of efcient and elegant
problem solutions. The experts that we spoke to were capable of making subtle judgments about the
most appropriate strategy for a given problem, based on factors including mental and rapid testing of
strategies, the problem solver`s goals (e.g., efciency, error-free execution, elegance) and familiarity
with a given problem type. Implications for future research on exibility and on mathematics instruc-
tion are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k06p487313wp406r/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=bfe1d0a82c99490fb4066596ac608e4c&pi=0
Jump or compensate? (2009-06-10 08:17)
Joke Torbeyns, Bert De Smedt, Pol Ghesquire and Lieven Verschaffel have written an article entitled [1]Jump or
compensate? Strategy exibility in the number domain up to 100. This article was published online in [2]ZDM on
Friday. Here is the abstract of their article:
This study investigates elementary school children`s exible use of mental calculation strategies
on additions and subtractions in the number domain 20100. Sixty third-graders of three different
mathematical achievement levels individually solved a series of 2-digit additions and subtractions in
one choice and two no-choice conditions. In the choice condition, children could choose between the
compensation (56 + 29 = ?; 56 + 30 = 86, 86 1 = 85) and jump strategy (56 + 29 = ?; 56 + 20 = 76,
76 + 9 = 85) on each item. In the two no-choice conditions, children had to solve each item with ei-
ther the compensation or the jump strategy. The results demonstrated that children of all achievement
levels spontaneously applied both the compensation and the jump strategy to solve the items from the
choice condition. Furthermore, they all executed the compensation strategy equally accurately, but
faster than the jump strategy in the no-choice conditions. Finally, children neither took into account
2.6. June BlogBook
the expected task nor individual strategy efciency characteristics during the strategy choice process.
Results are discussed in terms of recent models of adaptive strategy choices and instructional practices
in the number domain 20100.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a548m6261v109516/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=d049840e98a54749810008f04403e4be&pi=0
The effects of cooperative learning (2009-06-12 08:08)
Kamuran Tarim has written an article entitled [1]The effects of cooperative learning on preschoolers` mathematics
problem-solving ability. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Tuesday.
The aim of this study is to investigate the efciency of cooperative learning on preschoolers` ver-
bal mathematics problem-solving abilities and to present the observational ndings of the related pro-
cesses and the teachers` perspectives about the application of the program. Two experimental groups
and one control group participated in the study. Results found that preschoolers in the experimental
groups experienced larger improvements in their problem-solving abilities than those in the control
group. Findings also revealed that the cooperative learning method can be successfully applied in
teaching verbal mathematics problem-solving skills during the preschool period. The preschoolers`
skills regarding cooperation, sharing, listening to the speaker and fullling individual responsibilities
in group work improved. The teachers` points of view also supported these ndings.
Tarim, K. (2009). The effects of cooperative learning on preschoolers` mathematics problem-solving ability. Edu-
cational Studies in Mathematics. doi: [3]10.1007/s10649-009-9197-x.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/48m00n0718012741/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=7e60f4f32b404001a7f89f0fb945160c&pi=0
3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-009-9197
Understanding rigid geometric transformations (2009-06-13 08:10)
Huseyin Bahadir Yanika and Alnio Flores have written an article called [1]Understanding rigid geometric trans-
formations: Jeffs learning path for translation. The article has recently been publishedin [2]The Journal of Math-
ematical Behavior. Here is the abstract of their article:
This article describes the development of knowledge and understanding of translations of Jeff, a
prospective elementary teacher, during a teaching experiment that also included other rigid transfor-
mations. His initial conceptions of translations and other rigid transformations were characterized as
undened motions of a single object. He conceived of transformations as movement and showed no
indication about what denes a transformation. The results of the study indicate that the development
of his thinking about translations and other rigid transformations followed an order of (1) transforma-
tions as undened motions of a single object, (2) transformations as dened motions of a single object,
and (3) transformations as dened motions of all points on the plane. The case of Jeff is part of a big-
ger study that included four prospective teachers and analyzed their development in understanding of
rigid transformations. The other participants also showed a similar evolution.
BlogBook 2.6. June
Yanik, H. B., & Flores, A. (n.d.). Understanding rigid geometric transformations: Jeffs learning path for transla-
tion. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, In Press, Corrected Proof. doi: [3]10.1016/j.jmathb.2009.04.003.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4WH0JRG-1&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=693dea83792976072b5c84cfbd07b360
3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2009.04.003
Students whole number multiplicative concepts (2009-06-14 08:15)
Amy J. Hackenberga and Erik S. Tillema have written an article entitled [1]Students` whole number multiplicative
concepts: A critical constructive resource for fraction composition schemes. The article was published online in
[2]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior on Thursday. Here is the abstract of their article:
This article reports on the activity of two pairs of sixth grade students who participated in an
8-month teaching experiment that investigated the students` construction of fraction composition
schemes. A fraction composition scheme consists of the operations and concepts used to determine,
for example, the size of 1/3 of 1/5 of a whole in relation to the whole. Students` whole number multi-
plicative concepts were found to be critical constructive resources for students` fraction composition
schemes. Specically, the interiorization of two levels of units, a particular multiplicative concept,
was found to be necessary for the construction of a unit fraction composition scheme, while the interi-
orization of three levels of units was necessary for the construction of a general fraction composition
scheme. These ndings contribute to previous research on students` construction of fraction multi-
plication that has emphasized partitioning and conceptualizing quantitative units. Implications of the
ndings for teaching are considered.
Hackenberg, A. J., & Tillema, E. S. (n.d.). Students whole number multiplicative concepts: A critical constructive
resource for fraction composition schemes. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, In Press, Corrected Proof. doi:
[3]10.1016/j.jmathb.2009.04.004.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4WH0JRG-2&_user=1460901&_
1460901&md5=d8664d31481dbd930fe8776c036e506d
3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2009.04.004
Students fraction comparison strategies (2009-06-15 11:15)
Doug M. Clarke and Anne Roche have written an article entitled [1]Students` fraction comparison strategies as a
window into robust understanding and possible pointers for instruction. The article was published online in [2]Ed-
ucational Studies in Mathematics on Friday. Here is a copy of the articles abstract:
As part of individual interviews incorporating whole number and rational number tasks, 323 grade
6 children in Victoria, Australia were asked to nominate the larger of two fractions for eight pairs, giv-
ing reasons for their choice. All tasks were expected to be undertaken mentally. The relative difculty
of the pairs was found to be close to that predicted, with the exception of fractions with the same nu-
merators and different denominators, which proved surprisingly difcult. Students who demonstrated
the greatest success were likely to use benchmark (transitive) and residual thinking. It is hypothesised
2.6. June BlogBook
that the methods of these successful students could form the basis of instructional approaches which
may yield the kind of connected understanding promoted in various curriculum documents and re-
quired for the development of proportional reasoning in later years.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/bn8863024369665l/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=1e0f54666739419092d30ed209ab95bb&pi=0
PhD student at UiS? (2009-06-16 08:18)
My university - [1]University of Stavanger, Norway - has now announced a vacant position/stipend for a PhD
student in mathematics education. The position is related to our project "Teachers knowledge of mathematics"
(which represents an attempt to adapt and use the MKT measures in Norway).
For [2]more information (the website is in Norwegian only) you can contact [3]me (reidar.mosvold _AT _uis.no) or
my colleague [4]Raymond Bjuland (raymond.bjuland _AT _uis.no). Please note that the deadline for application
is June 29, 2009!
1. http://www.uis.no/
2. http://www.uis.no/om_uis/ledige_stillingar/article15495-100.html
3. http://ansatt.uis.no/organisasjon/finn_ansatt/?sok_navn=mosvold&sok_tlf=&sok_still=&sok_
avd=ALL&Button_soknavn=S%C3%B8k&ans_nr=20559
4. http://ansatt.uis.no/organisasjon/finn_ansatt/?sok_navn=bjuland&sok_tlf=&sok_still=&sok_
avd=ALL&Button_soknavn=S%C3%B8k&ans_nr=2901767
Preview of TMME, July 2009 (2009-06-16 08:45)
The July issue of [1]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast will soon be published. Editor Bharath Sriraman has
provided me with a preview of what appears to be a very interesting issue:
THE MONTANA MATHEMATICS ENTHUSIAST
ISSN 1551-3440
Vol.6, No.3, July 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editorial Information
0. THE JOURNAL (WHEEL) KEEPS ON TURNING
Bharath Sriraman (USA)
FEATURE ARTICLES
1. TWO APPLICATIONS OF ART TO GEOMETRY
Viktor Blsj (Sweden/USA)
2. INTUITIONS OF "INFINITE NUMBERS": INFINITE MAGNITUDE VS. INFINITE REPRESENTATION
Ami Mamolo (Canada)
3. ON THE USE OF REALISTIC FERMI PROBLEMS FOR INTRODUCING MATHEMATICAL MOD-
ELLING IN SCHOOL
Jonas Bergman rlebck (Sweden)
4. MATHEMATICAL BEAUTY AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS- A STUDY ON THE STUDENTS POINT OF
VIEW
Astrid Brinkmann (Germany)
5. AN APPLICATION OF GRBNER BASES
Shengxiang Xia and Gaoxiang Xia (China)
6. SMALL CHANGE - BIG DIFFERENCE
Ilana Lavy and Atara Shriki (Israel)
7. MATHEMATICAL CURIOSITIES ABOUT DIVISION OF INTEGERS
Jrme Proulx and Mary Beisiegel (Canada)
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8. HELPING TEACHERS UN-STRUCTURE: A PROMISING APPROACH
Eric Hsu, Judy Kysh, Katherine Ramage, and Diane Resek (USA)
9. WHO CAN SOLVE 2x=1? AN ANALYSIS OF COGNITIVE LOAD RELATED TO LEARNING LINEAR
EQUATION SOLVING
Timo Tossavainen (Finland)
10. IF MATHEMATICS IS A LANGUAGE, HOW DO YOU SWEAR IN IT?
Dave Wagner (Canada)
11. FROM TRAPEZOIDS TO THE FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF CALCULUS
William Gratzer and Srilal Krishnan (USA)
12. GRAPH ISOMORPHISMS AND MATRIX SIMILARITY: SWITCHING BETWEEN REPRESENTATIONS
Thierry Dana-Picard (Israel)
13. SUM OF "N" CONSECUTIVE INTEGERS
Steve Humble (UK)
14. THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COMPREHENSION TESTS TO COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE DEVELOP-
MENT OF PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS: A CASE STUDY
Yksel Dede (Turkey)
MONTANA FEATURE
15. CUBISM AND THE FOURTH DIMENSION
Elijah Bodish (Missoula, Montana)
BOOK REVIEW
16. WHATS ALL THE COMMOTION OVER COMMOGNITION? A REVIEW OF ANNA SFARDS THINK-
ING AS COMMUNICATING
Whats math got to do with it? (2009-06-17 07:10)
[1]Jo Boaler is a well known scholar within the eld of mathematics education research, and she has written
several [2]books and [3]articles related to the teaching and learning of mathematics. On June 30, a book called
"[4]Whats Math Got to Do with It?: How Parents and Teachers Can Help Children Learn to Love Their Least
Favorite Subject" will be released. I have read previous books and articles that Boaler has written, and I have even
had the privilege of attending one of her lectures (at [5]ICME-10 in Copenhagen), so I am sure this book will also
be worth reading! Here is a copy of the product description from Amazon:
A recent assessment of mathematics performance around the world ranked the United States
twenty-eighth out of forty countries in the study. When the level of spending was taken into ac-
count, we sank to the very bottom of the list. We are falling rapidly behind the rest of the developed
world when it comes to math educationand the consequences are dire.
In this straightforward and inspiring book, Jo Boaler, a professor of mathematics education at Stanford
for nine years, outlines concrete solutions that can change things for the better, including classroom
approaches, essential strategies for students, and advice for parents. This is a must-read for anyone
who is interested in the mathematical and scientic future of our country.
1. http://www.sussex.ac.uk/education/profile205572.html
2. http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=10&hl=no&btnG=Google-s%C3%B8k&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_
eq=&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&lr=&as_vt=&as_auth=Jo+Boaler&as_pub=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=
0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_isbn=&as_issn=
3. http://scholar.google.no/scholar?as_q=&num=10&btnG=S%C3%B8k+i+Scholar&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_
eq=&as_occt=any&as_sauthors=Jo+Boaler&as_publication=&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&as_allsubj=all&hl=
no&lr=
4. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143115715/ref=pe_5050_12293820_snp_dp
2.6. June BlogBook
Great article revisited (2009-06-17 08:11)
In 2007, Rosella Santagata, Claudia Zannoni and James W. (Jim) Stigler wrote an article that was published in
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. The article was entitled [2]The role of lesson analysis in pre-service
teacher education: an empirical investigation of teacher learning from a virtual video-based eld experience, and
the authors raised some very important questions in that article, questions that are still highly relevant. I rediscov-
ered this article today, and I am going to share some of my discoveries with you now.
In most teacher-preparation programs, the preservice students are faced with some sort of eld experiences (in
Norway we call this "practice", or "praksis" in Norwegian). A focus on the quality of eld experiences received a
lot of attention when U.S. teacher education was reformed in the 1980s, and there were several recommendations
indicating that preservice teachers should have more "authentic experiences to prepare them to handle the com-
plexity and challenges of the school context" (p. 124). Several teacher education programs, including ours at the
University of Stavanger (Norway) have strong emphasis on eld experiences. According to Santagata et al., two
assumptions are underlying:
1. "exposure to examples of teaching creates learning opportunities for prospective teachers"
2. "through eld experiences preservice teachers meld theory into practice" (ibid.).
Both these assumptions are questioned in the introductory part of this article. A problem is that preservice teachers
often focus on irrelevant features when observing practice, and their classroom observations might thereby be of
little use. Another issue is that teaching practices appear to be stable, and "It is thus not likely that preservice
teachers will encounter reform-minded practices in the lessons they observe. On the contrary, eld experiences
may expose student teachers to a limited repertoire of strategies and to a narrow and unrepresentative sample of
students" (ibid.).
The authors of this article propose the use of videos of classroom instruction as an alternative approach. Videos
can be studied over and over, and this allows for a deeper and more reected analysis than during ordinary "live
observations". The authors argue: "Teaching is a cultural activity, and cultural routines are more easily unveiled
when the teaching process is slowed down and critically analyzed" (p. 125).
The use of video is not only "a means to expose preservice teachers to specic behaviors to be imitated" but it is
also (or is becoming) "a tool for the development of teachers professional judgment" (p. 126). In the article they
report from two studies in Italy, where videos from the [3]TIMSS 1999 Video Study ([4]report) have been used in
preservice teacher education. I will not go into the results from these studies here, but I recommend reading the
entire article for further information!
Reference:
Santagata, R., Zannoni, C., and Stigler, J. (2007). The role of lesson analysis in pre-service teacher education:
an empirical investigation of teacher learning from a virtual video-based eld experience.Journal of Mathematics
Teacher Education, 10(2):123-140.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=318e7425aaca409c8d5da7b5dfef4a55&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/t0173p0w4r6274n8/
3. http://www.lessonlab.com/TIMMS/index.htm
4. http://lsc-net.terc.edu/do.cfm/paper/11239/show/use_set-math_ref
New articles in JMTE (2009-06-17 08:16)
Three articles were published online in [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education on Monday:
[2]Prospective teachers` reasoning and response to a student`s non-traditional strategy when dividing frac-
tions, by Ji-Won Son and Sandra Crespo. Abstract: Recognizing meaning in students` mathematical ideas
is challenging, especially when such ideas are different from standard mathematics. This study examined,
BlogBook 2.6. June
through a teaching-scenario task, the reasoning and responses of prospective elementary and secondary
teachers to a student`s non-traditional strategy for dividing fractions. Six categories of reasoning were con-
structed, making a distinction between deep and surface layers. The connections between the participants`
reasoning, their teaching response, and their beliefs about mathematics teaching were investigated. We found
that there were not only differences but also similarities between the prospective elementary and secondary
teachers` reasoning and responses. We also found that those who unpacked the mathematical underpinning
of the student`s non-traditional strategy tended to use what we call 'teacher-focused responses, whereas
those doing less analysis work tended to construct 'student-focused responses. These results and their im-
plications are discussed in relation to the inuential factors the participants themselves identied to explain
their approach to the given teaching-scenario task.
[3]Working with mathematics teachers and immigrant students: an empowerment perspective, by Nria
Planas and Marta Civil. Abstract: This article centers on a professional development project with a group
of high school mathematics teachers in Barcelona. The eight participating teachers taught in low-income
schools with a high percentage of immigrant students. Our model of professional development is based on
the involvement of the teachers as co-researchers of their local contexts and practices. In this approach,
our concept of social justice is tied to the notion of empowerment, both for teachers and for their immi-
grant students. Our analysis of data from twelve sessions with the teachers shows the development of a
shared awareness of their local situation that leads to their questioning of their practices followed by a re-
construction of those. Teachers worked together to move from talking to action. Our analysis of data from
the implementation of one lesson in a classroom shows that action, and illustrates signs of empowerment
in the teacher and the students, such as students` challenging of aspects of the task and taking on a more
participatory role and the teacher`s reection on the overall experience.
[4]Understanding the inuence of two mathematics textbooks on prospective secondary teachers` knowl-
edge, by Jon D. Davis. Abstract: This study examines the inuence of reading and planning from two
differently organized mathematics textbooks on prospective high school mathematics teachers` pedagogical
content knowledge and content knowledge of exponential functions. The teachers completed a pretest and
two posttests. On the pretest, the teachers possessed an incomplete understanding of content and pedagogi-
cal content knowledge related to exponential functions. The teachers` understanding of how to translate from
table to closed-form and recursive equations grew as a result of their use of the Mathematics: Modeling Our
World textbook, while the Discovering Algebra textbook appeared to be more benecial in terms of peda-
gogical content knowledge. Teachers read from the student lessons in both textbooks, but read differently
from the sections of both textbooks intended for the teacher. They focused more on the purpose of the Math-
ematics: Modeling Our World lesson and more on the places where students might experience difculties in
the margins of the Discovering Algebra lesson. The teachers` learning was inuenced by their own personal
characteristics (e.g., previous textbook experiences) as well as textbook qualities (e.g., organization).
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=359f00e02bee413ca4eae8101a549cb7&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c3w750382861n1k7/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/36555v20h776834p/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/3177tw678263011u/
Whats the problem? (2009-06-23 08:35)
A [1]new issue of [2]Instructional Science has been published, and it contains an interesting article by Annika
Lantz-Andersson, Jonas Linderoth and Roger Slj: [3]What`s the problem? Meaning making and learning to do
mathematical word problems in the context of digital tools. A major presumption in their article is that problems
which are given in a mathematics classroom will be interpreted differently by the students than problems which
are given in social studies class, or outside of school. Theoretically, they thereby build upon the theories of Lave,
Wenger and others concerning the situated nature of learning and human reasoning. In this article, their focus is
on the mathematical reasoning of students when using digital tools in a mathematics classroom context. Here is
the abstract of their article:
2.6. June BlogBook
The general background of this study is an interest in how digital tools contribute to structuring
learning activities. The specic interest is to explore how such tools co-determine students` reasoning
when solving word problems in mathematics, and what kind of learning that follows. Theoretically
the research takes its point of departure in a sociocultural perspective on the role of cultural tools in
thinking, and in a complementary interest in the role of the communicative framing of cognitive ac-
tivities. Data have been collected through video documentation of classroom activities in secondary
schools where multimedia tools are integrated into mathematics teaching. The focus of the analysis
is on cases where the students encounter some kind of difculty. The results show how the tool to a
signicant degree co-determines the meaning making practices of students. Thus, it is not a passive
element in the situation; rather it invites certain types of activities, for instance iterative computations
that do not necessarily rely on an analysis of the problems to be solved. For long periods of time the
students` activities are framed within the context of the tool, and they do not engage in discussing
mathematics at all when solving the problems. It is argued that both from a practical and theoretical
point of view it is important to scrutinize what competences students develop when using tools of this
kind.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/q5t283l02047/?p=ed1a64de01dd45268fd7f5e7c133c730&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102905/?p=ed1a64de01dd45268fd7f5e7c133c730&pi=0
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/r7p415g1g3717865/
Emotionality in mathematics teacher education (2009-06-23 08:49)
Mark Boyland at Shefeld Hallam University (UK) has written an article about [1]Engaging with issues of emo-
tionality in mathematics teacher education for social justice. The article was recently published online in [2]Journal
of Mathematics Teacher Education. In the article, Boyland reports on a study where student teachers are encour-
aged to reect on relationships and practices in the classroom that can promote social justice. In the article he
relates to affective issues like emotions, beliefs and values, and he refers to some interesting literature on this. The
interventions that were used in the study are referred to as "creative action methods", and they were originally
developed by psychotherapist [3]Jacob Moreno. This is a very interesting approach to research on affective issues,
and to me it is a new approach that I hadnt heard of before.
Here is the abstract of Boylands article:
This article focuses on the relationship between social justice, emotionality and mathematics
teaching in the context of the education of prospective teachers of mathematics. A relational ap-
proach to social justice calls for giving attention to enacting socially just relationships in mathematics
classrooms. Emotionality and social justice in teaching mathematics variously intersect, interrelate
or interweave. An intervention, using creative action methods, with a cohort of prospective teach-
ers addressing these issues is described to illustrate the connection between emotionality and social
justice in the context of mathematics teacher education. Creative action methods involve a variety
of dramatic, interactive and experiential tools that can promote personal and group engagement and
embodied reection. The intervention aimed to engage the prospective teachers with some key issues
for social justice in mathematics education through dialogue about the emotionality of teaching and
learning mathematics. Some of the possibilities and limits of using such methods are considered.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j1m80136hqtg1806/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=e47efbe117ec48b8954b4bdb4d4ec5dd&pi=0
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_L._Moreno
BlogBook 2.6. June
What works in early childhood education? (2009-06-24 07:16)
I came across an interesting post about a project related to mathematics in early childhood education today. This
project is described as "an innovative, district-wide early childhood education initiative", and it is conducted in
Bremerton, Washington (U.S.). Apparently, the project was initially focused on early literacy skills, but they have
now started to focus on mathematical skills as well. A goal is to "decrease the number of children (...) with learn-
ing disabilities". An [1]interesting interview with the director of the program: Linda Sullivan-Dudzic has been
postend on the [2]Public School Insigths website. They have also [3]written about this program earlier, and the
story was [4]originally published on the website of [5]The Center for Public Education.
Thanks to Alexander G. Rivadeneira for pointing me to this story :-)
1. http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/what-works-early-childhood-education-view-field
2. http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/
3. http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/bremerton
4. http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/site/c.kjJXJ5MPIwE/b.4771455/k.E165/Bridging_the_
gap_between_preschool_and_kindergarten.htm
5. http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/
Internet use in the mathematics classroom (2009-06-24 08:37)
Yesterday, I presented an article by three Swedish scholars about mathematical reasoning when using digital tools
in the mathematics classroom, and today I follow up with an article about the [1]Potential scenarios for Internet use
in the mathematics classroom. The article is written by Marcelo C. Borba, and it was published online in [2]ZDM
on Friday. Here is the abstract of Borbas article:
Research on the inuence of multiple representations in mathematics education gained new mo-
mentum when personal computers and software started to become available in the mid-1980s. It
became much easier for students who were not fond of algebraic representations to work with con-
cepts such as function using graphs or tables. Research on how students use such software showed
that they shaped the tools to their own needs, resulting in an intershaping relationship in which tools
shape the way students know at the same time the students shape the tools and inuence the design of
the next generation of tools. This kind of research led to the theoretical perspective presented in this
paper: knowledge is constructed by collectives of humans-with-media. In this paper, I will discuss
how media have shaped the notions of problem and knowledge, and a parallel will be developed be-
tween the way that software has brought new possibilities to mathematics education and the changes
that the Internet may bring to mathematics education. This paper is, therefore, a discussion about the
future of mathematics education. Potential scenarios for the future of mathematics education, if the
Internet becomes accepted in the classroom, will be discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b76154078x4j323x/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=bca8896ec8f74e5a9b5ac9004004fe48&pi=0
BSHM Bulletin, Issue 2, 2009 (2009-06-25 08:43)
The British Society for the HIstory of Mathematics has published [1]issue 2 of their [2]bulletin this year. This
issue contains four interesting articles:
[3]Mathematics of currency and exchange: arithmetic at the end of the thirteenth century, by Norman Biggs
[4]Formulating gurate numbers, by Janet L. Beery
2.6. June BlogBook
[5]Mathematics goes ballistic: Benjamin Robins, Leonhard Euler, and the mathematical education of mili-
tary engineers, by Janet Heine Barnett
[6]Bernt Michael Holmboe (17951850) and his mathematics textbooks, by Andreas Christiansen
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Edb=all%7Econtent=t741771156
3. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Edb=all%7Econtent=a912617255
Students` perceptions of institutional practices (2009-06-25 08:55)
Nadia Hardy has written an article called [1]Students` perceptions of institutional practices: the case of limits of
functions in college level Calculus courses. The article has recently been published online in [2]Educational Stud-
ies in Mathematics. Here is the abstract of her article:
This paper presents a study of instructors` and students` perceptions of the knowledge to be learned
about limits of functions in a college level Calculus course, taught in a North American college in-
stitution. I modeled these perceptions using a theoretical framework that combines elements of the
Anthropological Theory of the Didactic, developed in mathematics education, with a framework for
the study of institutions developed in political science. While a model of the instructors` perceptions
could be formulated mostly in mathematical terms, a model of the students` perceptions included an
eclectic mixture of mathematical, social, cognitive, and didactic norms. I describe the models and
illustrate them with examples from the empirical data on which they have been built.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f47010n178431447/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=9a2feb3fd0284ee98701fee3dbfcb958&pi=0
Geometrical representations (2009-06-26 08:28)
Maria Trigueros and Rafael Martinez-Planell have written an article entitled [1]Geometrical representations in the
learning of two-variable functions. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on
Wednesday. Here is the abstract of their article:
This study is part of a project concerned with the analysis of how students work with two-variable
functions. This is of fundamental importance given the role of multivariable functions in mathematics
and its applications. The portion of the project we report here concentrates on investigating the rela-
tionship between students` notion of subsets of Cartesian three-dimensional space and the understand-
ing of graphs of two-variable functions. APOS theory and Duval`s theory of semiotic representations
are used as theoretical framework. Nine students, who had taken a multivariable calculus course, were
interviewed. Results show that students` understanding can be related to the structure of their schema
for R and to their exibility in the use of different representations.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/784541g000883420/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=5087e5437ea04a0fb2c0697a599d3373&pi=0
BlogBook 2.7. July
2.7 July
Charting the microworld territory over time (2009-07-04 09:55)
Lulu Healy and Chronis Kynigos have written an article called [1]Charting the microworld territory over time:
design and construction in mathematics education. The article was published online in [2]ZDM recently. Here is
the abstract of their article:
The study discusses the development of theoretical ideas and constructs related to digital mi-
croworlds within the mathematics education community and their implications for interpretations of
mathematics learning. Starting from Papert`s introduction of the concept during ICME 2 in 1972, we
trace the evolution of theoretical approaches concerning the essence of the idea in an attempt to situate
the notion of constructionism in the light of contemporary frameworks. We argue that microworlds,
and the search for a learnable mathematics, have a continued relevance to mathematics education,
but that the lens research attention has shifted over time, with the current foci on communal design,
situated and embodied approaches and artefacts whose use crosses boundaries between different prac-
tices. To illustrate these shifts and the challenges that still remain, we present examples from our
current work involving the use of microworlds for learning and teaching through communication,
design and construction.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/dv63250778507145/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=006dea45a64c4b06955f1608b8e9439b&pi=0
Iterating between lessons and concepts (2009-07-06 09:58)
Bethany Rittle-Johnson and Kenneth Koedinger have written an article entitled [1]Iterating between lessons on
concepts and procedures can improve mathematics knowledge. This article was published in the latest issue of
[2]British Journal of Educational Psychology. Here is the abstract of their article:
Background
Knowledge of concepts and procedures seems to develop in an iterative fashion, with increases in one
type of knowledge leading to increases in the other type of knowledge. This suggests that iterating
between lessons on concepts and procedures may improve learning.
Aims
The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the instructional benets of an iterative lesson se-
quence compared to a concepts-before-procedures sequence for students learning decimal place-value
concepts and arithmetic procedures.
Samples
In two classroom experiments, sixth-grade students from two schools participated (N=77 and 26).
Method
Students completed six decimal lessons on an intelligent-tutoring systems. In the iterative condition,
lessons cycled between concept and procedure lessons. In the concepts-rst condition, all concept
lessons were presented before introducing the procedure lessons.
Results
In both experiments, students in the iterative condition gained more knowledge of arithmetic proce-
dures, including ability to transfer the procedures to problems with novel features. Knowledge of
concepts was fairly comparable across conditions. Finally, pre-test knowledge of one type predicted
gains in knowledge of the other type across experiments.
Conclusions
An iterative sequencing of lessons seems to facilitate learning and transfer, particularly of mathemat-
ical procedures. The ndings support an iterative perspective for the development of knowledge of
concepts and procedures.
1. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpsoc/bjep/2009/00000079/00000003/art00005
2. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpsoc/bjep;jsessionid=7q61jp3eqj41i.alice
Flexible use of symbolic tools (2009-07-07 10:02)
Lisa B. Warner , Roberta Y. Schorr and Gary E. Davis have written an article called [1]Flexible use of symbolic
tools for problem solving, generalization, and explanation. The article was published online in [2]ZDM last week.
We provide evidence that student representations can serve different purposes in the context of
classroom problem solving. A strategy used expressly to solve a problem might be represented in
one way, and in another way when the problem is generalized or extended, and yet in another way
when the solution strategy is explained to peers or a teacher. We discuss the apparent long-term
memory implications this has regarding the preferences that students have for their original versus later
developed representations, and how these preferences relate to the use of representational exibility
in classroom settings.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w22625314pl667hq/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=8d99100c8d7c401f9edefdb70dcbd41f&pi=0
Summer is here... (2009-07-08 21:17)
Summer is here, and it is vacation time. This year, I even plan on taking a break from the blog writing! If you want
to stay up-to-date during the summer, you can always [1]go here to read the RSS feed of some of my preferred
journals. Otherwise, you will have to wait until August 10, which is when Ill be back at work.
I wish all of my readers a wonderful summer :-)
1. http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user/07716708065977899712/label/faglig
2.8 August
ZDM, August 2009 (2009-08-10 08:42)
Summer is over, and I am back at work (and blogging)! I am not going to try and catch up with everything that has
been published and done during my vacation, but rather start with what is new now.
One of the major journals - [1]ZDM - has recently released a new issue: [2]Volume 41, Number 4. This issue
contains 11 articles, in addition to the [3]introduction by Stephen J. Hegedus and Luis Moreno-Armella.
[4]Intersecting representation and communication infrastructures, by Stephen J. Hegedus and Luis Moreno-
Armella
[5]Sounds and pictures: dynamism and dualism in Dynamic Geometry, by Nicholas Jackiw and Nathalie
Sinclair
[6]Artifacts and signs after a Vygotskian perspective: the role of the teacher, by Maria Alessandra Mariotti
[7]Time for telling stories: narrative thinking with dynamic geometry, by Nathalie Sinclair, Lulu Healy and
Cassia Osorio Reis Sales
[8]Potential scenarios for Internet use in the mathematics classroom, by Marcelo C. Borba
[9]'No! He starts walking backwards!: interpreting motion graphs and the question of space, place and
distance, by Luis Radford
[10]Dynamic mathematics and the blending of knowledge structures in the calculus, by David O. Tall
[11]Broadening the sense of 'dynamic`: a microworld to support students` mathematical generalisation, by
Richard Noss, Celia Hoyles, Manolis Mavrikis, Eirini Geraniou, Sergio Gutierrez-Santos and Darren Pearce
[12]Co-action with digital technologies, by Luis Moreno-Armella and Stephen J. Hegedus
Book review: [13]Menghini, M., Furinghetti, F., Giacardi, L. and Azarello, F. (eds.): The rst century of
the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (19082008): reecting and shaping the world
of mathematics education, by Michael N. Fried
[14]ICMI Study 20: educational interfaces between mathematics and industry, by Alain Damlamian and
Rudolf Strer
1. http://springerlink.com/content/120453/?p=c12d90c21fc14ce7ab91c22a64ab6cca&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/w0w046xq9n06/?p=834ed08215c94e9ca86e5fe8885cfddf&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/qnt92m006w072516/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/466641225884gt27/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/0573624h08863588/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/b349864q0136586x/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/x03878218j163678/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/b76154078x4j323x/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/22605423u312n2g8/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.com/content/f742u63511210783/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=7
11. http://springerlink.com/content/x348720268613172/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=8
12. http://springerlink.com/content/6w448v24q06584g3/?p=cde5999581fb4fa89fcaffe03cc02f9d&pi=9
13. http://springerlink.com/content/8n3003uk37375624/?p=fda88106811f43ed97f7c873a2baf0b7&pi=
10
14. http://springerlink.com/content/p483t069186616l2/?p=fda88106811f43ed97f7c873a2baf0b7&pi=
11
Transitional stages and students motivation (2009-08-10 11:02)
Eirini Geraniou has written an article called [1]The transitional stages in the PhD degree in mathematics in terms
of students` motivation. This article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Friday.
Here is the abstract of Geranious article:
This paper presents results of a longitudinal study in the transition to independent graduate studies
in mathematics. The analysis of the data collected from 24 students doing a PhD in mathematics re-
vealed the existence of three transitional stages within the PhD degree, namely Adjustment, Expertise
and Articulation. The focus is on the rst two transitional stages, since the data collection focused
mainly on these. Based on the rst two transitional stages and the students` ways of dealing with
them, which were called 'survival strategies`, three types of students were identied. The importance
of motivation for each transitional stage and the successful transition overall are considered as well.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a8220641tj7076t5/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=c9dd41fa1c6e4e8ebf7cba08e1a8c632&pi=0
Interesting AERJ articles (2009-08-13 08:01)
The latest issue of [1]American Educational Research Journal contains several articles that are interesting for the
mathematics education research community. Here are three that I nd particularly interesting:
[2]National Income, Income Inequality, and the Importance of Schools: AHierarchical Cross-National Com-
parison, by Amita Chudgar and Thomas F. Luschei. Abstract: The international and comparative education
literature is not in agreement over the role of schools in student learning. The authors reexamine this debate
across 25 diverse countries participating in the fourth-grade application of the 2003 Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study. The authors nd the following: (a) In most cases, family background is
more important than schools in understanding variations in student performance; (b) schools are nonetheless
a signicant source of variation in student performance, especially in poor and unequal countries; (c) in
some cases, schools may bridge the achievement gap between high and low socioeconomic status children.
However, schools` ability to do so is not systematically related to a country`s economic or inequality status.
[3]Assessing the Contribution of Distributed Leadership to School Improvement and Growth in Math
Achievement, by Ronald H. Heck and Philip Hallinger. Abstract: Although there has been sizable growth in
the number of empirical studies of shared forms of leadership over the past decade, the bulk of this research
has been descriptive. Relatively few published studies have investigated the impact of shared leadership
on school improvement. This longitudinal study examines the effects of distributed leadership on school
improvement and growth in student math achievement in 195 elementary schools in one state over a 4-year
period. Using multilevel latent change analysis, the research found signicant direct effects of distributed
leadership on change in the schools` academic capacity and indirect effects on student growth rates in math.
The study supports a perspective on distributed leadership that aims at building the academic capacity of
schools as a means of improving student learning outcomes.
[4]The Hispanic-White Achievement Gap in Math and Reading in the Elementary Grades, by Sean F. Rear-
don and Claudia Galindo. Abstract: This article describes the developmental patterns of Hispanic-White
math and reading achievement gaps in elementary school, paying attention to variation in these patterns
among Hispanic subgroups. Compared to non-Hispanic White students, Hispanic students enter kinder-
garten with much lower average math and reading skills. The gaps narrow by roughly a third in the rst
2 years of schooling but remain relatively stable for the next 4 years. The development of achievement
gaps varies considerably among Hispanic subgroups. Students with Mexican and Central American ori-
ginsparticularly rst- and second-generation immigrantsand those from homes where English is not
spoken have the lowest math and reading skill levels at kindergarten entry but show the greatest achievement
gains in the early years of schooling.
1. http://aer.sagepub.com/
Childrens strategies for division by fractions (2009-08-14 08:53)
Jaehoon Yim (South Korea) has written an article entitled [1]Children`s strategies for division by fractions in the
context of the area of a rectangle. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on
Tuesday. Here is the abstract of the article:
This study investigated how children tackled a task on division by fractions, and how they for-
mulated numerical algorithms from their strategies. The task assigned to the students was to nd the
length of a rectangle given its area and width. The investigation was carried out as follows: First, the
strategies invented by eight 10- or 11-year-old students, all identied as capable and having positive
attitudes towards mathematics, were categorised. Second, the formulation of numerical algorithms
from the strategies constructed by nine students with similar abilities and attitudes towards mathemat-
ics was investigated. The participants developed three types of strategies (making the width equal to
1, making the area equal to 1, and changing both area and width to natural numbers) and showed the
possibility of formulating numerical algorithms for division by fractions referring to their strategies.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/4w67217818868jnp/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=4d7e22caf5df467fb22ecf5cb1500827&pi=0
Mathematically and practically based explanations (2009-08-14 09:05)
Esther Levenson has written an article called [1]Fifth-grade students` use and preferences for mathematically and
practically based explanations. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics a few
days ago. What Levenson refers to as "practice based explanations" are related to what others refer to as real-life
connections, students informal knowledge, etc. Practice based explanations do not rely on mathematical notions
only, and include explanations that use manipulatives and explanations that are based on real-life contexts. Ob-
viously, this implies that there is a variety of explanations to consider, and Levenson provides a nice overview of
some relevant literature within this eld. She also discusses students evaluations of explanations, and she thereby
enters a discussion of the different types of knowledge you need to have.
The study she reports from is a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis of data from a total of 105
students in 5th grade (in Israel). Data were collected from two questionnaires, in addition to follow-up interviews
with some of the students.
Here is the abstract of Levensons article:
This paper focuses on fth-grade students` use and preference for mathematically (MB) and prac-
tically based (PB) explanations within two mathematical contexts: parity and equivalent fractions.
Preference was evaluated based on three parameters: the explanation (1) was convincing, (2) would
be used by the student in class, and (3) was one that the student wanted the teacher to use. Results
showed that students generated more MB explanations than PB explanations for both contexts. How-
ever, when given a choice between various explanations, PB explanations were preferred in the context
of parity, and no preference was shown for either type of explanation in the context of equivalent frac-
tions. Possible bases for students` preferences are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u2jj106756t84528/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=378de577f4db4ab8b4e842ec15edd08b&pi=0
New issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics (2009-08-17 07:39)
The [1]September issue of [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics was published last week, and - as always - it
contains a number of interesting articles.
[3]Re-mythologizing mathematics through attention to classroom positioning, by David Wagner and Beth
Herbel-Eisenmann
[4]Encrypted objects and decryption processes: problem-solving with functions in a learning environment
based on cryptography, by Tobin White
[5]Using diagrams as tools for the solution of non-routine mathematical problems, by Marilena Pantziara,
Athanasios Gagatsis and Iliada Elia
[6]Social representations as mediators of practice in mathematics classrooms with immigrant students, by
Nria Gorgori and Guida de Abreu
[7]Success in mathematics within a challenged minority: the case of students of Ethiopian origin in Israel
(SEO), by Tiruwork Mulat and Abraham Arcavi
[8]Examining the supervision of mathematics student teachers through analysis of conference communica-
tions, by Maria Lorelei Fernandez and Evrim Erbilgin
[9]Approach to mathematical problem solving and students` belief systems: two case studies, by Mara Luz
Callejo and Antoni Vila
[10]Students` fraction comparison strategies as a window into robust understanding and possible pointers
for instruction, by Doug M. Clarke and Anne Roche
I would like to point your interest to Tobin Whites article in particular, since this is an [11]Open Access article.
So, regardless of whether you are a subscriber or not, this article is freely available to all!
1. http://springerlink.com/content/q7181258m021/?p=0dfe24c4b0684ee5bf5929685798af11&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=a9e9d5d481694e9fa51f38567f9f799d&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/82v750722jlx62k4/?p=be32a92a01744b89b7daae49aba42925&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/br4gr48338117482/?p=be32a92a01744b89b7daae49aba42925&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/p426785u64020146/?p=be32a92a01744b89b7daae49aba42925&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/3ut10436j1520jx6/?p=be32a92a01744b89b7daae49aba42925&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/c727337554um7n2l/?p=be32a92a01744b89b7daae49aba42925&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/b24x820712806432/?p=be32a92a01744b89b7daae49aba42925&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/w350v53336803717/?p=be32a92a01744b89b7daae49aba42925&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.com/content/bn8863024369665l/?p=be32a92a01744b89b7daae49aba42925&pi=7
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_access_%28publishing%29
International Handbook of Research on Teachers and Teaching (2009-08-20 11:43)
[1]Springer has published a new and interesting book: [2]International Handbook of Research on Teachers and
Teaching. This handbook has been edited by Lawrence J. Saha and A. Gary Dworkin, and it is a huge book of
1200 pages. Although the book is concerned with research on teachers and teaching in general, it should be inter-
esting to researchers within the eld of mathematics education as well. It also contains a chapter that is concerned
with mathematics teaching in particular. Here is a copy of the publishers info about the book:
This book takes into account new research on both teachers and the nature of teaching
Includes over 70 completely new and original articles covering many aspects of what we know
about the teaching profession and about classroom teaching
Treats teachers and teaching from a comparative perspective, highlighting similarities and dif-
ferences across countries
Addresses the role of culture in understanding variations in teaching practices
Discusses both the changing levels of accountability for teachers and its effects
The International Handbook of Research on Teachers and Teaching provides a fresh look at the
ever changing nature of the teaching profession throughout the world. This collection of over 70 origi-
nal articles addresses a wide range of issues that are relevant for understanding the present educational
climate in which the accountability of teachers and the standardized testing of students have become
dominant.
The international collection of authors brings to the handbook a breadth of knowledge and experience
about the teaching profession and a wealth of material across a number of comparative dimensions,
such as between developed and developing countries and between Eastern and Western cultures. In
addition, many articles address the emerging challenges to education and to the lives of teachers which
are brought about by the globalization trends of the 21st Century.
2. http://www.springer.com/education/teachers+%26+teaching/book/978-0-387-73316-6
Interdisciplinary mathematics-physics approaches (2009-08-21 08:06)
Valrie Munier and Helene Merle have written an article that was published in the [1]September issue of [2]Inter-
national Journal of Science Education. The article is entitled [3]Interdisciplinary Mathematics-Physics Approaches
to Teaching the Concept of Angle in Elementary School. Unfortunately, I dont have access to this article, but I
nd the topic interesting! Here is a copy of the abstract of their article:
The present study takes an interdisciplinary mathematics-physics approach to the acquisition of
the concept of angle by children in Grades 3-5. This paper rst presents the theoretical framework we
developed, then we analyse the concept of angle and the difculties pupils have with it. Finally, we
report three experimental physics-based teaching sequences tested in three classrooms. We showed
that at the end of each teaching sequence the pupils had a good grasp of the concept of angle, they had
truly appropriated the physics knowledge at play, and many pupils are enable to successfully grasp
new physics situations in which the angle plays a highly meaningful role. Using a physics framework
to introduce angles in problem situations is then pertinent: by interrelating different spaces, pupils
were able to acquire skills in the domains of mathematics, physics, and modelling. In conclusion, we
discuss the respective merits of each problem situation proposed.
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Edb=all%7Econtent=g914077994
An integrative learning experience (2009-08-21 08:09)
Barbra Melendez, Silas Bowman, Keith Erickson and Edward Swim have written an article called [1]An integrative
learning experience within a mathematics curriculum. The article was recently published online in [2]Teaching
Mathematics and its Applications. Here is the abstract of their article:
We developed four separate scenarios focusing on the connections between mathematics, biology,
and social sciences. This structure facilitated the coordination of faculty from seven academic de-
partments on campus. Each scenario had students from different majors build mathematical models,
gather information from their respective disciplines, and develop a nal presentation that included a
committee consensus on how to approach the problem in a practical way. As a result, students learned
how mathematics plays a role in other disciplines and how insight from different points of view affects
the approach taken to a complex problem.
Tutored problem solving (2009-08-24 09:41)
Ron J.C.M. Salden, Vincent Aleven, Rolf Schwonke and Alexander Renki have written an article entitled [1]The
expertise reversal effect and worked examples in tutored problem solving. The article was printed online in [2]In-
structional Science on Thursday. Here is the abstract of their article:
Prior research has shown that tutored problem solving with intelligent software tutors is an ef-
fective instructional method, and that worked examples are an effective complement to this kind of
tutored problem solving. The work on the expertise reversal effect suggests that it is desirable to tai-
lor the fading of worked examples to individual students` growing expertise levels. One lab and one
classroom experiment were conducted to investigate whether adaptively fading worked examples in a
tutored problem-solving environment can lead to higher learning gains. Both studies compared a stan-
dard Cognitive Tutor with two example-enhanced versions, in which the fading of worked examples
occurred either in a xed manner or in a manner adaptive to individual students` understanding of the
examples. Both experiments provide evidence of improved learning results from adaptive fading over
xed fading over problem solving. We discuss how to further optimize the fading procedure matching
each individual student`s changing knowledge level.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/r7582501251686l6/
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102905/?p=6aa98c8f1d5e486f89e4bd999c36d469&pi=0
Blog reading tips - Poincars prize (2009-08-27 08:04)
[1]Peter Ash has a nice blog about mathematics and education, and he has given a nice review of what appears
to be an interesting book in a blog post about "[2]Poincares Prize". Here is the intro of his post, to tickle your
interest:
I recently read Poincars Prize: The Hundred-Year Quest to Solve One of Maths Greatest Puzzles
by George C. Szpiro. I recommend it highly. Some time back I recommended another book on the
same topic, The Poincar Conjecture: In Search of the Shape of the Universe by Donal OShea. If
you can only read one book on the topic, I recommend the Szpiro book.
1. http://peterashmathedblog.blogspot.com/
2. http://peterashmathedblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/poincares-prize.html
Alignment, cohesion, and change (2009-08-31 13:53)
Dionne I. Cross has written an article called [1]Alignment, cohesion, and change: Examining mathematics teach-
ers` belief structures and their inuence on instructional practices. This article was recently published online in
[2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. Here is the abstract of the article:
This collective case study reports on an investigation into the relationship between mathematics
teachers` beliefs and their classroom practices, namely, how they organized their classroom activities,
interacted with their students, and assessed their students` learning. Additionally, the study exam-
ined the pervasiveness of their beliefs in the face of efforts to incorporate reform-oriented classroom
materials and instructional strategies. The participants were ve high school teachers of ninth-grade
algebra at different stages in their teaching career. The qualitative analysis of the data revealed that in
general beliefs were very inuential on the teachers` daily pedagogical decisions and that their beliefs
about the nature of mathematics served as a primary source of their beliefs about pedagogy and stu-
dent learning. Findings from the analysis concur with previous studies in this area that reveal a clear
relationship between these constructs. In addition, the results provide useful insights for the mathe-
matics education community as it shows the diversity among the inservice teachers` beliefs (presented
as hypothesized belief models), the role and inuence of beliefs about the nature of mathematics on
the belief structure and how the teachers designed their instructional practices to reect these beliefs.
The article concludes with a discussion of implications of teacher education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/p737k62x4w8u8t66/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=a4e6f80159164b678bce8feac0cea96e&pi=0
2.9 September
"The conference was awesome" (2009-09-01 07:26)
Tamsin Meaney, Tony Trinick and Uenuku Fairhall have written an article with an interesting focus on professional
development and mathematics teacher conferences. The title of their article is [1]'The conference was awesome`:
social justice and a mathematics teacher conference. The article was recently published online in [2]Journal of
Mathematics Teacher Education. Here is the abstract of their article:
Professional development comes in many forms, some of which are deemed more useful than
others. However, when groups of teachers are excluded, or exclude themselves, from professional
development opportunities, then there is an issue of social justice. This article examines the expe-
riences of a group of teachers from a Mori-medium school who attended a mathematics teacher
conference. By analysing the teachers` sense of belonging through their ideas about engagement,
alignment and imagination, we are able to describe how different kinds of relationships inuence the
inclusion/exclusion process. This leads to a discussion about what can be done by the teachers as well
as conference organisers to increase these teachers` likelihood of attending further conferences in the
future.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/hj08p87uw7q64318/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=3e273ec81b414b23bc4b59f0be5a7719&pi=0
How to develop mathematics for teaching and understanding (2009-09-01 07:35)
Susanne Prediger has written an article about [1]How to develop mathematics-for-teaching and for understanding:
the case of meanings of the equal sign. The article was published online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher
Education on Thursday last week. Point of departure in her article is the very important question about what math-
ematical (content) knowledge prospective teachers need. A main claim which is raised already in the introduction
is: "Listen to your students!" In the theoretical background, Prediger takes Shulmans classic conceptualization of
three main categories of content knowledge in teaching as point of departure:
1. Subject-matter knowledge
2. Pedagogical-content knowledge
3. Curricular knowledge
She continues to build heavily on the work done by Hyman Bass and Deborah Ball (e.g. Ball & Bass, 2004), and
she goes on to place her own study in relation to the work of Bass and Ball:
Whereas Bass and Ball (2004) concentrate on the rst part of their program, namely, identifying
important competences, this article deals with both parts, the analytical study of identifying, and the
developmental study of constructing a sequence for teacher education, exemplied by a sequence in
the course entitled school algebra and its teaching and learning for second-year, prospective middle-
school teachers.
Here is the abstract of Predigers article:
What kind of mathematical knowledge do prospective teachers need for teaching and for under-
standing student thinking? And how can its construction be enhanced? This article contributes to the
ongoing discussion on mathematics-for-teaching by investigating the case of understanding students`
perspectives on equations and equalities and on meanings of the equal sign. It is shown that diagnos-
tic competence comprises didactically sensitive mathematical knowledge, especially about different
meanings of mathematical objects. The theoretical claims are substantiated by a report on a teacher
education course, which draws on the analysis of student thinking as an opportunity to construct di-
dactically sensitive mathematical knowledge for teaching for pre-service middle-school mathematics
teachers.
References:
Bass, H., & Ball, D. L. (2004). A practice-based theory of mathematical knowledge for teaching: The case of
mathematical reasoning. In W. Jianpan & X. Binyan (Eds.), [3]Trends and challenges in mathematics education
(pp. 107123). Shanghai: East China Normal University Press.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/r5217518pg015241/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=fd0da256fdec4afa807120805efd9342&pi=0
3. http://books.google.com/books?id=6WcrAAAACAAJ&dq=Trends+and+challenges+in+mathematics+
education&ei=ULScSvv6E6S6zATF5f3gDg&hl=no
Understanding the complexities of student motivations (2009-09-01 10:03)
Janet G. Walter and Janelle Hart have written an article about the interesting issue of [1]Understanding the com-
plexities of student motivations in mathematics learning. The article was recently published in [2]The Journal of
Mathematical Behavior. Here is the abstract of their article:
Student motivation has long been a concern of mathematics educators. However, commonly
held distinctions between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations may be insufcient to inform our un-
derstandings of student motivations in learning mathematics or to appropriately shape pedagogical
decisions. Here, motivation is dened, in general, as an individuals desire, power, and tendency to
act in particular ways. We characterize details of motivation in mathematical learning through qual-
itative analysis of honors calculus students` extended, collaborative problem solving efforts within a
longitudinal research project in learning and teaching. Contextual Motivation Theory emerges as an
interpretive means for understanding the complexities of student motivations. Students chose to act
upon intellectual-mathematical motivations and social-personal motivations that manifested simulta-
neously. Students exhibited intellectual passion in persisting beyond obtaining correct answers to
build understandings of mathematical ideas. Conceptually driven conditions that encourage mathe-
matical necessity are shown to support the growth of intellectual passion in mathematics learning.
1. http:
//www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6W5B-4X49MXV-1/2/4b08117fdb183f11fc5e55311e94711d
Algebra - the birthplace and graveyard for many (2009-09-04 08:13)
Eleanor Chute has written an [1]interesting article about the importance of algebra in school mathematics. It is not
a scientic article, but I think it is worth reading even though! (It was published on September 1st in the [2]Pitts-
burgh Post-Gazette.) The article is part of a series related to school mathematics, and the two previous articles in
the series raise interesting questions about [3]early math and [4]fractions.
Although algebra to many represents a hurdle, or even the graveyard in their mathematical careers, the article
claims that:
Algebraic thinking is done even by people who dont realize theyre using algebra.
After a series of examples, Chute goes on to quote Michele Burgess, who claims that students should not be
confronted with algebra for the rst time in the Algebra 1 course. This leads me to think about the debate (and
research) concerning early algebra, although this is not referred to in this article in particular. If you are interested,
I recommend the chapter on early algebra by David Carraher and Analucia Schliemann in [5]NCTMs [6]Second
Handbook of Research on Mathematics Teaching and Learning (Lester, 2007), or even Carolyn Kierans chapter
on algebra in the same handbook.
Reference:
Lester, F. K. (Ed.) (2007). Second handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning. Charlotte, NC:
Information Age Pub.
1. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09244/994558-298.stm
2. http://www.post-gazette.com/
5. http://nctm.org/
6. http:
//books.google.com/books?id=Q8AKHgAACAAJ&dq=second+handbook&ei=y6-gStSMKqCGygSlj_TDBA&hl=no
ICMI News (2009-09-04 09:48)
A new newsletter has been published from [1]ICMI, and, as usual, it contains lots of interesting information. I
would have liked to post the entire newsletter here, but since it is [2]freely available online, I am only going to
point to the table of contents:
1. Editorial: Continuing Professional Development and Effective integration of Digital Technologies in Teach-
ing and Learning Mathematics: Two Challenges for ICMI
2. A XXIst century Felix Kleins follow up workshop
3. Deadline Extended: ICMI / ICIAM STUDY
4. EARCOME5: First Announcement
5. Chilean Journal of Statistics (ChJS)
7. ICMI encounters: Hassler Whitney, Laurence C. Young and Dirk J. Struik: Personal recollections
You can also check out the [3]archive for a complete listing of previous (and current) newsletters!
2. http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news/2009-September.txt
School mathematics curriculum materials for teachers` (2009-09-07 10:06)
Gwendolyn M. Lloyd has written an article that was recently published online in [1]ZDM. The article is entitled
[2]School mathematics curriculum materials for teachers` learning: future elementary teachers` interactions with
curriculum materials in a mathematics course in the United States. Here is the abstract of her article:
This report describes ways that ve preservice teachers in the United States viewed and interacted
with the rhetorical components (Valverde et al. in According to the book: using TIMSS to investigate
the translation of policy into practice through the world of textbooks, Kluwer, 2002) of the innovative
school mathematics curriculum materials used in a mathematics course for future elementary teachers.
The preservice teachers` comments reected general agreement that the innovative curriculum materi-
als contained fewer narrative elements and worked examples, as well as more (and different) exercises
and question sets and activity elements, than the mathematics textbooks to which the teachers were
accustomed. However, variation emerged when considering the ways in which the teachers interacted
with the materials for their learning of mathematics. Whereas some teachers accepted and even em-
braced changes to the teachinglearning process that accompanied use of the curriculum materials,
other teachers experienced discomfort and frustration at times. Nonetheless, each teacher considered
that use of the curriculum materials improved her mathematical understandings in signicant ways.
Implications of these results for mathematics teacher education are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=51933674b29740e8be46f689ace21236&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/44368200g58v1g55/
IJSME, August 2009 (2009-09-08 07:41)
The [1]August issue (Volume 7, Number 4) of [2]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education has
been published. This issue contains 9 articles:
[3]INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ANALOGY ACTIVITY IN IMPROVING STU-
DENTS` CONCEPTUAL CHANGE FOR SOLUTION CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS, by Muammer alik,
Alipa_a Ayas and Richard K. Coll
[4]INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND GROUP WORK IN THE US INCLUSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
CO-TAUGHT SCIENCE CLASS, by Laura J. Moin, Kathleen Magiera and Naomi Zigmond
[5]DESIGNING AND EVALUATING RESEARCH-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCES FOR IN-
TRODUCING MAGNETIC FIELDS, by Jenaro Guisasola, Jose Manuel Almudi, Mikel Ceberio and Jose
Luis Zubimendi
[6]ENGINEERING IN CHILDREN`S FICTION - NOT A GOOD STORY? by Allyson Holbrook, Lisa
Panozza and Elena Prieto
[7]RELATIONS BETWEEN TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND
MATHEMATICS AT RESEARCH-INTENSIVE UNIVERSITIES, by Lene Mller Madsen and Carl
Winslw
[8]GEOMETRIC AND ALGEBRAIC APPROACHES IN THE CONCEPT OF 'LIMIT AND THE IM-
PACT OF THE 'DIDACTIC CONTRACT, by Iliada Elia, Athanasios Gagatsis, Areti Panaoura, Theodosis
Zachariades and Fotini Zoulinaki
[9]IDENTIFYING SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS` MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT STATISTICAL
CORRELATION, AND THEIR POSSIBLE CAUSES: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY USING CONCEPT
MAPPING WITH INTERVIEWS, by Tzu-Chien Liu, Yi-Chun Lin and Chin-Chung Tsai
[10]PROMOTING EFFECTIVE SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION AND SCIENCE TEACHING: A
FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHER DECISION-MAKING, by Michael P. Clough, Craig A. Berg and Joanne
K. Olson
[11]VARIABLE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DIFFERENT SCIENCE LEARNERS IN ELEMENTARY
SCIENCE-METHODS COURSES, by Robert E. Bleicher and Joan S. Lindgren
1. http://springerlink.com/content/k60g20r74656/?p=7766fa64cc3a4b189de7e33a6e29f9e3&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/111141/?p=bea774b405e14b3ba22a600ebbc0d422&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/dp3w53077258k670/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/g724185081534334/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/r1421134155v1292/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/3w29k79t58800077/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/w18jn251740x562u/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/l31240n077556756/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/yj52608201427008/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.com/content/37571ku87w167851/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=7
11. http://springerlink.com/content/uk2j17q23474830x/?p=8f23a4c48b7648dfa137d31387a974dd&pi=8
Theories of Mathematics Education (2009-09-09 07:14)
A new book, entitled [1]Theories of Mathematics Education, is about to be published by [2]Springer (due October
2009). One of the editors, Bharath Sriraman (also editor of The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast) has been kind
enough to give me permission to post the book cover and the table of contents here on my blog. Thanks, Bharath!
Looking at the table of contents is enough to make me believe that this is denitely going to be an important book,
and it will make an impact on our eld of research! If you wont take my word for it, please take the time to read
through the [3]table of contents yourself:
[4]Theories of Mathematics Education - TOC
I especially like the way it is built up, with introductions and commentaries to all the parts of the book. This will
give the reader a feeling of how the eld has evolved, and how it is still in a process of evolving.
The publisher has given the following description of the book:
This inaugural book in the new series Advances in Mathematics Education is the most up to
date, comprehensive and avant garde treatment of Theories of Mathematics Education which use two
highly acclaimed ZDM special issues on theories of mathematics education (issue 6/2005 and issue
1/2006), as a point of departure. Historically grounded in the Theories of Mathematics Education
(TME group) revived by the book editors at the 29th Annual PME meeting in Melbourne and using
the unique style of preface-chapter-commentary, this volume consist of contributions from leading
thinkers in mathematics education who have worked on theory building.
This book is as much summative and synthetic as well as forward-looking by highlighting theories
frompsychology, philosophy and social sciences that continue to inuence theory building. In addition
a signicant portion of the book includes newer developments in areas within mathematics education
such as complexity theory, neurosciences, modeling, critical theory, feminist theory, social justice
theory and networking theories. The 19 parts, 17 prefaces and 23 commentaries synergize the efforts
of over 50 contributing authors scattered across the globe that are active in the ongoing work on theory
development in mathematics education.
You might also be interested in taking a look at [5]the cover of the book
[6]Theories of Mathematics Education - Cover
To me, at least, this is denitely a book I am looking forward to read. And after all, October is not that far away :-)
3. http://www.scribd.com/doc/19556411/Theories-of-Mathematics-Education-TOC
4. http://www.scribd.com/doc/19556411/Theories-of-Mathematics-Education-TOC
5. http://www.scribd.com/full/19556412?access_key=key-1e0f6tvx6ytucrlwya1e
6. http://www.scribd.com/doc/19556412/Theories-of-Mathematics-Education-Cover
Exploration of technologies (2009-09-09 07:45)
Paulus Gerdes has written an article called [1]Exploration of technologies, emerging from African cultural prac-
tices, in mathematics (teacher) education. This article was recently published online in [2]ZDM. In this article,
Gerdes provides an interesting overview of how the cultural practices of African mathematics (teacher) education
has developed, and he makes a seemingly (to me) impossible connection between traditional basket weaving and
exploration of technologies.
The study at teacher education institutions in Africa of mathematical ideas, from African history
and cultures, may broaden the horizon of (future) mathematics teachers and increase their socio-
cultural self-condence and awareness. Exploring educationally mathematical ideas embedded in,
and derived from, technologies of various African cultural practices may contribute to bridge the gap
between 'home` and 'school` culture. Examples of the study and exploration of these technologies
and cultural practices will be presented. The examples come from cultural practices as varied as story
telling, basket making, salt production, and mat, trap and hat weaving.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/u9w4521k2753861u/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=03a0a6c6493c41309033d8b95f0a658e&pi=0
Working like real mathematicians (2009-09-10 07:54)
Atara Shriki has written an interesting article called [1]Working like real mathematicians: developing prospec-
tive teachers` awareness of mathematical creativity through generating new concepts. This article was recently
published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. The author reports from a study related to a methods
course, where a strong focus is on creativity in mathematics. The article has a particular focus on prospective
teachers awarenes of creativity in mathematics.
Here is the abstract of Shrikis article.
This paper describes the experience of a group of 17 prospective mathematics teachers who were
engaged in a series of activities aimed at developing their awareness of creativity in mathematics. This
experience was initiated on the basis of ideas proposed by the participants regarding ways creativity
of school students might be developed. Over a period of 6 weeks, they were engaged in inventing
geometrical concepts and in the examination of their properties. The prospective teachers` reections
upon the process they underwent indicate that they developed awareness of various aspects of creativ-
ity while deepening their mathematical and didactical knowledge.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/542644v72233517t/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=ab3f3e4f884c425dbb8128f21feadd2e&pi=0
Students understanding of a logical structure in the denition of limit (2009-09-11 07:58)
Kyeong Hah Roh has written an article entitled [1]An empirical study of students` understanding of a logical struc-
ture in the denition of limit via the -strip activity. This article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in
Mathematics last Thursday. Here is the abstract of the article:
This study explored students` understanding of a logical structure in dening the limit of a se-
quence, focusing on the relationship between and N. The subjects of this study were college students
who had already encountered the concept of limit but did not have any experience with rigorous proofs
using the N denition. This study suggested two statements, each of which is written by using a re-
lationship between and N, similar to the N denition. By analyzing the students` responses to the
validity of the statements as denitions of the limit of a sequence, students` understanding of such a
relationship was classied into ve major categories. This paper discusses some essential components
that students must conceptualize in order properly to understand the relationship between and N in
dening the limit of a sequence.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/t105078687hg15v2/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=ca996de75ad24b16a5b7f42839c7dd7b&pi=0
What the eyes already know (2009-09-16 12:22)
Angela Heine and colleagues have written an article called: [1]What the eyes already know: using eye move-
ment measurement to tap into childrens implicit numerical magnitude representations. The article has recently
been published in [2]Infant and Child Development. The authors make interesting links between eye movements
and childrens understanding of numbers. Here is the abstract of their article:
To date, a number of studies have demonstrated the existence of mismatches between childrens implicit and ex-
plicit knowledge at certain points in development that become manifest by their gestures and gaze orientation
in different problem solving contexts. Stimulated by this research, we used eye movement measurement to in-
vestigate the development of basic knowledge about numerical magnitude in primary school children. Sixty-six
children from grades one to three (i.e. 6-9 years) were presented with two parallel versions of a number line esti-
mation task of which one was restricted to behavioural measures, whereas the other included the recording of eye
movement data. The results of the eye movement experiment indicate a quantitative increase as well as a qualita-
tive change in childrens implicit knowledge about numerical magnitudes in this age group that precedes the overt,
that is, behavioural, demonstration of explicit numerical knowledge. The nding that childrens eye movements
reveal substantially more about the presence of implicit precursors of later explicit knowledge in the numerical
domain than classical approaches suggests further exploration of eye movement measurement as a potential early
assessment tool of individual achievement levels in numerical processing.
1. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122596800/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
2. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/10009397/home
Honoring Paul Ernest (2009-09-17 08:57)
[1]Information Age Publishing is about to publish a "[2]Festschrift in honor of Paul Ernests 65th Birthday". This
is a volume in the monograph series of [3]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast, and it is edited by Bharath Srira-
man and Simon Goodchild. [4]Paul Ernest has a big name in the community of mathematics education researchers,
and his main eld of interest is within the area of philosophy of mathematics and philosophy of mathematics edu-
cation. Here is a copy of the publishers description of the book:
Paul Ernest`s name is synonymous with social constructivism as a philosophy of mathematics.
His contributions to mathematics education have occurred at a very fundamental level and to a extent
shaped theory development in this eld. His research addresses fundamental questions about the na-
ture of mathematics and how it relates to teaching, learning and society. For the last three decades
Paul has been a prolic scholar who has published in a wide array of topics such as the relationship
between the philosophy of mathematics and mathematics education, and more generally the philos-
ophy of mathematics education, ethics and values in mathematics education, and the philosophy of
research methodology.
The title of this Festschrift is meant to be a pun to convey the sometimes relativistic dimension to
mathematical certainty that Paul argued for in developing his philosophy, and also a play on words for
the fact that absolute 'earnestness may perhaps be a Platonic construct, and not possible in the realm
of language and human discourse! Paul Ernest`s scholarly evolution and life can best be summarized
in the words of Walt Whitman 'Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself (I am
large, I contain multitudes). Indeed his presence has been large and multitudinous and this Festschrift
celebrates his 65th Birthday with numerous contributions coming from the mathematics, philosophy
and mathematics education communities around the world.
1. http://www.infoagepub.com/
2. http://www.infoagepub.com/products/Relatively-and-Philosophically-Earnest
4. http://people.exeter.ac.uk/PErnest/
A study on the teaching of the concept of negative numbers (2009-09-17 09:25)
Kemal Altiparmak and Ece zdogan have written an article that was recently published online in [1]International
Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. The article is entitled [2]A study on the teaching
of the concept of negative numbers. Here is the abstract of their article.
This study mainly aims to develop an effective strategy to overcome the known difculties in
teaching negative numbers. Another aim is to measure the success of this teaching strategy among
a group of elementary level pupils in Idotzmir, Turkey. Learning negative concepts are supported by
computer animations. The academic achievement test developed by the researchers was administered
to 150 sixth-grade pupils at the beginning of and following the learning period. The teaching strategy
was applied to the experiment group (n = 75) as stated above, while the traditional teaching model
most frequently used in Turkey was applied to the control group (n = 75). At the end of the study, a
signicant difference was found in favour of the experiment group (t = 17.51, df = 148, p = 0.000 <
0.05).
Three new ZDM articles (2009-09-20 19:54)
Three new articles have been published online in [1]ZDM lately. One of these articles is entitled [2]The role of
uency in a mathematics item with an embedded graphic: interpreting a pie chart, and it is written by Carmel Mary
Diezmann and Tom Lowrie. Here is the abstract of their article:
The purpose of this study was to identify the pedagogical knowledge relevant to the successful
completion of a pie chart item. This purpose was achieved through the identication of the essential
uencies that 1213-year-olds required for the successful solution of a pie chart item. Fluency relates
to ease of solution and is particularly important in mathematics because it impacts on performance.
Although the majority of students were successful on this multiple choice item, there was consider-
able divergence in the strategies they employed. Approximately two-thirds of the students employed
efcient multiplicative strategies, which recognised and capitalised on the pie chart as a proportional
representation. In contrast, the remaining one-third of students used a less efcient additive strat-
egy that failed to capitalise on the representation of the pie chart. The results of our investigation
of students` performance on the pie chart item during individual interviews revealed that ve distinct
uencies were involved in the solution process: conceptual (understanding the question), linguistic
(keywords), retrieval (strategy selection), perceptual (orientation of a segment of the pie chart) and
graphical (recognising the pie chart as a proportional representation). In addition, some students ex-
hibited mild disuencies corresponding to the ve uencies identied above. Three major outcomes
emerged from the study. First, a model of knowledge of content and students for pie charts was devel-
oped. This model can be used to inform instruction about the pie chart and guide strategic support for
students. Second, perceptual and graphical uency were identied as two aspects of the curriculum,
which should receive a greater emphasis in the primary years, due to their importance in interpret-
ing pie charts. Finally, a working denition of uency in mathematics was derived from students`
responses to the pie chart item.
The other is written by Alan T. Graham, Maxine Pfannkuch and Michael O.J. Thomas. [3]Their article is called
Versatile thinking and the learning of statistical concepts. In the abstract you learn more about the main ideas in
this article:
Statistics was for a long time a domain where calculation dominated to the detriment of statistical
thinking. In recent years, the latter concept has come much more to the fore, and is now being both
researched and promoted in school and tertiary courses. In this study, we consider the application
of the concept of exible or versatile thinking to statistical inference, as a key attribute of statistical
thinking. Whilst this versatility comprises process/object, visuo/analytic and representational versatil-
ity, we concentrate here on the last aspect, which includes the ability to work within a representation
system (or semiotic register) and to transform seamlessly between the systems for given concepts, as
well as to engage in procedural and conceptual interactions with specic representations. To exem-
plify the theoretical ideas, we consider two examples based on the concepts of relative comparison
and sampling variability as cases where representational versatility may be crucial to understanding.
We outline the qualitative thinking involved in representations of relative density and sample and pop-
ulation distributions, including mathematical models and their precursor, diagrammatic forms.
Finally, George Gadanidis and Vince Geiger have written an article about [4]A social perspective on technology-
enhanced mathematical learning: from collaboration to performance. Here is the abstract of their article:
This paper documents both developments in the technologies used to promote learning mathemat-
ics and the inuence on research of social theories of learning, through reference to the activities of
the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI), and argues that these changes pro-
vide opportunity for the reconceptualization of our understanding of mathematical learning. Firstly,
changes in technology are traced from discipline-specic computer-based software through to Web
2.0-based learning tools. Secondly, the increasing inuence of social theories of learning on mathe-
matics education research is reviewed by examining the prevalence of papers and presentations, which
acknowledge the role of social interaction in learning, at ICMI conferences over the past 20 years. Fi-
nally, it is argued that the conuence of these developments means that it is necessary to re-examine
what it means to learn and do mathematics and proposes that it is now possible to view learning math-
ematics as an activity that is performed rather than passively acquired.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=a6f49845111a450b8133c5318f2d0a28&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f040r2756714w27v/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/778842w47068v110/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/xl65116k227045k2/
Self-efcacy beliefs regarding mathematics and science teaching (2009-09-21 13:45)
Murat Bursal has written an article about [1]Turkish preservice elementary teachers self-efcacy beliefs regard-
ing mathematics and science teaching. This article was published online in [2]International Journal of Science and
Mathematics Education on Thursday. A key nding is that the preservice teachers in this study had "adequate"
self-efcacy beliefs when they graduated. These ndings are linked with a recent reform in Turkish teacher edu-
cation. Here is the abstract of the article:
This study investigated Turkish preservice, elementary teachers` personal mathematics teaching
efcacy (PMTE), and science teaching efcacy (PSTE) beliefs at the end of their teacher education
program. A majority of the participants believed they were well prepared to teach both elementary
mathematics and science, but their PSTE scores were signicantly lower than their PMTE scores.
However, a signicant correlation was found between the PMTE and PSTE scores. No signicant
gender effect on PMTE and PSTE scores was observed, but unlike the results from other countries,
Turkish female preservice elementary teachers were found to have slightly higher PMTE and PSTE
scores than their male peers. High school major area was found to be a signicant predictor of partici-
pants` PMTE and PSTE scores. Participants with mathematics/science high school majors were found
to have signicantly higher PMTE and PSTE scores than those with other high school majors.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w318747r75218l35/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/111141/?p=8dd17ac8b0cc4d6eb773277f9648eff9&pi=0
Teachers conceptions of creativity (2009-09-21 13:56)
David S. Bolden, Tony V. Harries and Douglas P. Newton have written an article entitled [1]Pre-service primary
teachers conceptions of creativity in mathematics. This article was recently published online in [2]Educational
Studies in Mathematics. The issues concerning creativity that are raised in this article are interesting. I also nd it
interesting to observe how the authors make use of concepts like "beliefs" and "conceptions". As far as I can tell,
they dont make a distinction between these concepts, and they also talk about teachers "views" without making a
clear distinction between this concept in relation to the two former. Although attempts have been made in the past
by researchers to dene and distinguish between these concepts, I think we still have a challenge here!
Teachers in the UK and elsewhere are now expected to foster creativity in young children (NAC-
CCE, 1999; Ofsted, 2003; DfES, 2003; DfES/DCMS, 2006). Creativity, however, is more often
associated with the arts than with mathematics. The aim of the study was to explore and document
pre-service (in the UK, pre-service teachers are referred to as 'trainee` teachers) primary teachers` con-
ceptions of creativity in mathematics teaching in the UK. A questionnaire probed their conceptions
early in their course, and these were supplemented with data from semi-structured interviews. Anal-
ysis of the responses indicated that pre-service teachers` conceptions were narrow, predominantly
associated with the use of resources and technology and bound up with the idea of 'teaching cre-
atively` rather than 'teaching for creativity`. Conceptions became less narrow as pre-service teachers
were preparing to enter schools as newly qualied, but they still had difculty in identifying ways
of encouraging and assessing creativity in the classroom. This difculty suggests that conceptions of
creativity need to be addressed and developed directly during pre-service education if teachers are to
meet the expectations of government as set out in the above documents.
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=0f642c2a99fa4b0e92ae19caff98cee7&pi=0
Finnish pre-service teachers` and upper secondary students` understanding of division and reason-
ing strategies used (2009-09-24 21:54)
New article in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics, written by Raimo Kaasila, Erkki Pehkonen and Anu Helli-
nen: [2]Finnish pre-service teachers` and upper secondary students` understanding of division and reasoning strate-
gies used
Abstract
In this paper, we focus on Finnish pre-service elementary teachers` (N = 269) and upper sec-
ondary students` (N = 1,434) understanding of division. In the questionnaire, we used the follow-
ing non-standard division problem: 'We know that 498:6 = 83. How could you conclude from this
relationship (without using long-division algorithm) what 491:6 = ? is? This problem especially
measures conceptual understanding, adaptive reasoning, and procedural uency. Based on the results,
we can conclude that division seems not to be fully understood: 45 % of the pre-service teachers and
37 % of upper secondary students were able to produce complete or mainly correct solutions. The
reasoning strategies used by these two groups did not differ very much. We identied four main rea-
sons for problems in understanding this task: (1) staying on the integer level, (2) an inability to handle
the remainder, (3) difculties in understanding the relationships between different operations, and (4)
insufcient reasoning strategies. It seems that learners` reasoning strategies in particular play a central
role when teachers try to improve learners` prociency.
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j2104218847lu124/
How Do Parents Support Preschoolers` Numeracy Learning Experiences at Home?
(2009-09-24 21:59)
A new and interesting article has been published in [1]Early Childhood Education Journal: [2]How Do Parents
Support Preschoolers` Numeracy Learning Experiences at Home? The article is written by Sheri-Lynn Skwarchuk.
Abstract
This study described the kinds of early numeracy experiences that parents provide for their
preschoolers, and determined the extent to which parental experiences and involvement in home ac-
tivities enhanced preschoolers` numeracy knowledge. Twenty-ve parents completed a home activity
questionnaire, a 2-week diary study, and a videotaped play session where they were asked to draw out
numerical content. Preschoolers` numeracy scores were predicted by: (1) parental reports of positive
personal experiences with mathematics and (2) involvement in activities with complex (versus basic)
numeracy goals. Parents felt that most activities had important or essential mathematical value, but
focused on number sense goals. Finally, parents who reportedly spent more time on numeracy tasks
received high quality interaction ratings in the videotaped sessions; but these variables did not pre-
dict numeracy scores. The ndings are discussed in terms of educating parents about incorporating
numeracy concepts.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/105549/
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/ex25x284p64k8705/
Flexible and adaptive use of strategies and representations (2009-09-26 10:18)
Aiso Heinze, Jon R. Star and Lieven Verschaffel have written an article entitled [1]Flexible and adaptive use of
strategies and representations in mathematics education. The article was published in [2]ZDM, [3]Volume 41,
Number 5 on Wednesday. Here is the abstract of their article:
The exible and adaptive use of strategies and representations is part of a cognitive variability,
which enables individuals to solve problems quickly and accurately. The development of these abili-
ties is not simply based on growing experience; instead, we can assume that their acquisition is based
on complex cognitive processes. How these processes can be described and how these can be fostered
through instructional environments are research questions, which are yet to be answered satisfacto-
rily. This special issue on exible and adaptive use of strategies and representations in mathematics
education encompasses contributions of several authors working in this particular eld. They present
recent research on exible and adaptive use of strategies or representations based on theoretical and
empirical perspectives. Two commentary articles discuss the presented results against the background
of existing theories.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/r0454565l1263438/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=6dd636168a1f4a9ab9aeb1102689831c&pi=0
3. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/k78166478545/?p=6dd636168a1f4a9ab9aeb1102689831c&pi=0
Addition and subtraction of three-digit numbers (2009-09-26 10:29)
Aiso Heinze, Franziska Marschick and Frank Lipowsky have written an article that was published in the [1]recent
issue of [2]ZDM. The article is entitled [3]Addition and subtraction of three-digit numbers: adaptive strategy use
and the inuence of instruction in German third grade. Here is the abstract of their article:
Empirical ndings show that many students do not achieve the level of a exible and adaptive use
of arithmetic computation strategies during the primary school years. Accordingly, educators suggest
a reform-based instruction to improve students` learning opportunities. In a study with 245 German
third graders learning by textbooks with different instructional approaches, we investigate accuracy
and adaptivity of students` strategy use when adding and subtracting three-digit numbers. The ndings
indicate that students often choose efcient strategies provided they know any appropriate strategies
for a given problem. The proportion of appropriate and efcient strategies students use differs with re-
spect to the instructional approach of their textbooks. Learning with an investigative approach, more
students use appropriate strategies, whereas children following a problem-solving approach show a
higher competence in adaptive strategy choice. Based on these results, we hypothesize that differ-
ent instructional approaches have different advantages and disadvantages regarding the teaching and
learning of adaptive strategy use.
1. http:
//springerlink.metapress.com/content/k78166478545/?p=238ba6b1ab314bc9a3e621631541413e&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=238ba6b1ab314bc9a3e621631541413e&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/h442671010qp3m25/
IJSME, October 2009 (2009-09-26 10:36)
A new issue of [1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education has been published, [2]Volume 7,
Number 5, October 2009. The issue contains nine articles, several of which are related to mathematics education:
[3]CREATING OPTIMAL MATHEMATICS LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: COMBINING ARGU-
MENTATION AND WRITING TO ENHANCE ACHIEVEMENT, by Dionne I. Cross
[4]APPROACHES TO TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN LOWER-ACHIEVING CLASSES, by Ruhama
Even and Tova Kvatinsky
[5]ANALYSIS OF THE LEARNING EXPECTATIONS RELATED TO GRADE 18 MEASUREMENT
IN SOME COUNTRIES, by Jung Chih Chen, Barbara J. Reys and Robert E. Reys
[6]EPISTEMOLOGICAL OBSTACLES IN COMING TO UNDERSTAND THE LIMIT OF A FUNCTION
AT UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL: A CASE FROM THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO, by
Eunice Kolitsoe Moru
1. http://springerlink.com/content/111141/?p=750e4d58aacc434c8ca6c63edfbf2ecb&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/ml24ljtx3723/?p=caf333bb1bcc406596df9c37db051cf9&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/8r4154x712r74165/?p=1788c8450cab48809f4ea14df222acca&pi=2
4. http://springerlink.com/content/65rl412536406281/?p=1788c8450cab48809f4ea14df222acca&pi=4
5. http://springerlink.com/content/rh33p19v2750j1n4/?p=1788c8450cab48809f4ea14df222acca&pi=6
6. http://springerlink.com/content/h037ljx571r68864/?p=1788c8450cab48809f4ea14df222acca&pi=8
2.10 October
The productive notion of mathematics laboratories (2009-10-01 07:36)
Michela Maschietto and Luc Trouche have written an article called [1]Mathematics learning and tools from theo-
retical, historical and practical points of view: the productive notion of mathematics laboratories. The article was
published online in [2]ZDM on Monday. Although they start with a glimpse from a babylonian clay tablet, their
main focus is on the development of tools and use of tools in the last century. In the main part of their article, they
have a strong focus on the so-called mathematics laboratories. Here is the abstract of their article:
In our research work, we have looked at the way in which artefacts become, for teachers as well
as for students, instruments of their mathematical activity. The issues related to the use of tools
and technologies in mathematical education are now widely considered. A look to history highlights
the different ways in which the same questions have been studied at different times and in different
places. This suggests that the contribution of artefacts to mathematics learning should be considered
in terms of various contexts. Our 'visits to these contexts will be guided by the coordination of two
main theoretical frameworks, the instrumental approach and the semiotic mediation approach from
the perspective of mathematics laboratory. This journey through history and schooling represents a
good occasion to address some questions: Are there 'good contexts in which to develop mathemati-
cal instruments? Are there 'good teaching practices which assist students` instrumental geneses and
construct mathematical meanings? How is it possible to promote such teaching practices? Some study
cases are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/48045470220u4073/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=3448030ea624419b885a4cf04fd9128e&pi=0
Developing school mathematics textbooks in China (2009-10-01 07:41)
Yeping li, Jianyue Zhang and Tingting Ma have written an article entitled [1]Approaches and practices in devel-
oping school mathematics textbooks in China. This article was published online in [2]ZDM a couple of days ago.
This article gives a very interesting overview of how Chinese textbooks are developed, but it also provides nice
insights into how mathematics teaching has developed (or is developing) in China. Here is the abstract of this
article:
In this study, we aim to examine and discuss approaches and practices in developing mathemat-
ics textbooks in China, with a special focus on the development of secondary school mathematics
textbook in the context of recent school mathematics reform. Textbook development in China has
its own history. This study reveals some common practices and approaches developed and used in
selecting, presenting and organizing content in mathematics textbooks over the years. With the recent
curriculum reform taking place in China, we also discuss some new developments in compiling and
publishing high school mathematics textbooks. Implications obtained from Chinese practices in text-
book development are then discussed in a broad context.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/ul58r1575023650k/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=9c99d4194f7d404790a69fa6c5fe9a6a&pi=0
Whats sophisticated about elementary mathematics? (2009-10-01 08:02)
The [1]current issue of [2]American Educator includes a very interesting article about mathematics teaching in the
elementary grades. The article is entitled [3]Whats Sophisticated about Elementary Mathematics? PlentyThats
Why Elementary Schools Need Math Teachers, and it is written by Hung-Hsi Wu, who is professor emeritus of
mathematics at UC Berkeley. I should probably say a lot more about him, because his list of merits is impressive,
but I will leave it to you to [4]nd out more.
It appears to be a rather common impression that teaching elementary mathematics is ... well, rather elementary. I
mean, the mathematics is quite simple, so how hard can it be? In this article, Wu provides a very nice introduction
to how challenging it can actually be. In the introductory part of the article, he claims: "The fact is, theres a lot
more to teaching math than teaching how to do calculations." In the article, he provides examples of how hard it
can actually be to teach something as "elementary" as place value and fractions.
I am tempted to quote more or less the entire article, because so many interesting issues are presented here, but
I will not. I am, however, going to recommend that you take the time and read this excellent article. If you are
somewhat interested in teaching mathematics, I am sure you will nd this interesting!
Thanks a lot to Assistant Editor Jennifer Dubin for telling me about this article, by the way! I appreciate it :-)
1. http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/fall2009/index.htm
2. http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/index.htm
3. http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/fall2009/wu.pdf
4. http://math.berkeley.edu/%7Ewu/
How syntactic reasoners can develop understanding (2009-10-02 08:15)
Keith Weber has written an article that was recently published in [1]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior. The
article is entitled [2]How syntactic reasoners can develop understanding, evaluate conjectures, and generate coun-
terexamples in advanced mathematics. Here is the abstract of Webers article:
This paper presents a case study of a highly successful student whose exploration of an advanced
mathematical concept relies predominantly on syntactic reasoning, such as developing formal rep-
resentations of mathematical ideas and making logical deductions. This student is observed as he
learns a new mathematical concept and then completes exercises about it. The paper focuses on how
Isaac developed an understanding of this concept, how he evaluated whether a mathematical asser-
tion is true or false, how he generated counterexamples to disprove a statement, and the general role
examples play for him in concept development and understanding.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4X9NCB2-1&_user=1460901&_
rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000052797&_version=1&_
urlVersion=0&_userid=1460901&md5=45fc506043b14423ff357b85c4b7d206
Multiple solution methods and multiple outcomes (2009-10-02 08:19)
Pessia Tsamir, Dina Tirosh, Michal Tabach and Esther Levenson have written an article about [1]Multiple solution
methods and multiple outcomesis it a task for kindergarten children? This article was recently published online
in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. Here is a copy of their article abstract:
Engaging students with multiple solution problems is considered good practice. Solutions to prob-
lems consist of the outcomes of the problem as well as the methods employed to reach these outcomes.
In this study we analyze the results obtained from two groups of kindergarten children who engaged
in one task, the Create an Equal Number Task. This task had ve possible outcomes and ve different
methods which may be employed in reaching these outcomes. Children, whose teachers had attended
the program Starting Right: Mathematics in Kindergartens, found more outcomes and employed more
methods than children whose teachers did not attend this program. Results suggest that the habit of
mind of searching for more than one outcome and employing more than one method may be promoted
in kindergarten.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/g808267242566305/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=c013a8e8421941af833a60731ac4263c&pi=0
Mathematics instruction for students with learning disabilities (2009-10-03 08:23)
Russel Gersten and colleagues have written an article called [1]Mathematics Instruction for Students With Learn-
ing Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis of Instructional Components. This article was published in the recent issue of
[2]Review of Educational Research. Here is the abstract of their article:
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize ndings from 42 interventions (randomized
control trials and quasi-experimental studies) on instructional approaches that enhance the mathemat-
ics prociency of students with learning disabilities. We examined the impact of four categories of
instructional components: (a) approaches to instruction and/or curriculum design, (b) formative as-
sessment data and feedback to teachers on students mathematics performance, (c) formative data and
feedback to students with LD on their performance, and (d) peer-assisted mathematics instruction.
All instructional components except for student feedback with goal-setting and peer-assisted learning
within a class resulted in signicant mean effects ranging from 0.21 to 1.56. We also examined the
effectiveness of these components conditionally, using hierarchical multiple regressions. Two instruc-
tional components provided practically and statistically important increases in effect sizeteaching
students to use heuristics and explicit instruction. Limitations of the study, suggestions for future
research, and applications for improvement of current practice are discussed.
1. http://rer.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/79/3/1202?rss=1
2. http://rer.sagepub.com/
Curriculum research to improve teaching and learning (2009-10-06 07:33)
Gerald Kulm and Yeping Li have written an article entitled [1]Curriculum research to improve teaching and learn-
ing: national and cross-national studies. The article was recently published online in [2]ZDM. Here is the abstract
of their article:
Curriculum, as a cultural and system-specic artifact, outlines mathematics teaching and learn-
ing activities in school education. Studies of curriculum and its changes are thus important to reveal
the expectations, processes and outcomes of students` school learning experiences that are situated in
different cultural and system contexts. In this article, we aim to propose a framework that can help
readers to develop a better understanding of curriculum practices and changes in China and/or the
USA that have been reported and discussed in articles published in this themed issue. Going beyond
the selected education systems, further studies of curriculum practices and changes are much needed
to help ensure the success of educational reforms in the different cultural and system contexts.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/vt27r655497650w3/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=06d66cfdf4bc45088225e0b847e7522a&pi=0
Teachers difculties during problem-solving instruction (2009-10-13 09:49)
Alexander Karp has written an article that was published online in [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education
on Saturday. The article is called [2]Analyzing and attempting to overcome prospective teachers` difculties dur-
ing problem-solving instruction. Here is the abstract of Karps article:
This article analyzes the experiences of prospective secondary mathematics teachers during a
teaching methods course, offered prior to their student teaching, but involving actual teaching and
reexive analysis of this teaching. The study focuses on the pedagogical difculties that arose during
their teaching, in which prospective teachers lacked pedagogical content knowledge and skills. It also
analyzes the experience of the course itself, which was aimed at scaffolding the work of prospective
teachers on developing their pedagogical content knowledge and skills.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=313443314a9c4b1e93809b13639f2842&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/l76221670782wk03/
Sudoku: Strategy versus structure (2009-10-13 09:54)
"You dont have to know any mathematics to solve a Sudoku puzzle," one of the major Norwegian newspaper
claimed when the Sudoku wave started a couple of years ago. I have always disagreed strongly with this, and
it seems that Provan J. Scott, who has written an article about this in [1]American Mathematical Monthly, has a
similar opinion. The article is entitled [2]Sudoku: strategy versus structure. Here is the article abstract:
Sudoku puzzles, and their variants, have become extremely popular in the last decade. They can
now be found in major U.S. newspapers, puzzle books, and web sites; almost as pervasive are the
many guides to Sudoku strategy and logic. We give a class of solution strategies-encompassing a
dozen or so differently named solution rules found in these guides-that is at once simple, popular, and
powerful. We then show the relationship of this class to the modeling of Sudoku puzzles as assign-
ment problems and as unique nonnegative solutions to linear equations. The results provide excellent
applications of principles commonly presented in introductory classes in nite mathematics and com-
binatorial optimization, and point as well to some interesting open research problems in the area.
1. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maa/amm;jsessionid=1t2wf44umy93s.alice
2. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maa/amm/2009/00000116/00000008/art00004
Maths week in Ireland (2009-10-13 10:05)
The 4th annual Maths Week Ireland takes place this week, and it is presented as an "all island celebration of math-
ematics" at the [1]ofcial website. The Irish Times published an [2]interesting article about this yesterday. There
are several activities going on during the week, and it is all "timed to coincide with the annual Hamilton Day" on
October 16th. [3]William [4]Rowan [5]Hamilton (1805-1865) was one of Irelands most famous mathematicians,
and he was also a physicist and astronomer.
Make sure to check out the ofcial website for a [6]list of events!
1. http://www.mathsweek.ie/
2. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1012/1224256437692.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rowan_Hamilton
4. http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/%7Ehistory/Mathematicians/Hamilton.html
5. http://www.hamilton2005.ie/
6. http://www.mathsweek.ie/events/
ESM - November issue (2009-10-14 09:26)
A new issue of [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has been released, [2]Volume 72, Number 2 / November,
2009. This issue contains seven interesting articles:
[3]Using the onto-semiotic approach to identify and analyze mathematical meaning when transiting between
different coordinate systems in a multivariate context, by Mariana Montiel, Miguel R. Wilhelmi, Draga
Vidakovic and Iwan Elstak
[4]Changing practice, changing minds, from arithmetical to algebraic thinking: an application of the
concerns-based adoption model (CBAM), by Jeanne Tunks and Kirk Weller
[5]Conditional inference and advanced mathematical study: further evidence, by Matthew Inglis and Adrian
Simpson
[6]Didactical designs for students` proportional reasoning: an 'open approach lesson and a 'fundamental
situation, by Takeshi Miyakawa and Carl Winslw
[7]Bridging the macro- and micro-divide: using an activity theory model to capture sociocultural complexity
in mathematics teaching and its development, by Barbara Jaworski and Despina Potari
[8]Proof constructions and evaluations, by Andreas J. Stylianides and Gabriel J. Stylianides
[9]Researchers` descriptions and the construction of mathematical thinking, by Richard Barwell
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=7549c5604fa84098b86819fa19be0a90&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/r86nu6lk30q0/?p=d1931b7289c046b184e8e193765539ce&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/c8191045063072p7/?p=99ebb8b0661340729d32e3cf785e6d1f&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/l104254j43572738/?p=99ebb8b0661340729d32e3cf785e6d1f&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/g776607640j78671/?p=99ebb8b0661340729d32e3cf785e6d1f&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/f730280n6562730q/?p=99ebb8b0661340729d32e3cf785e6d1f&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/g12j0638k1626j71/?p=99ebb8b0661340729d32e3cf785e6d1f&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/v2611945638x1763/?p=99ebb8b0661340729d32e3cf785e6d1f&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/w3621241r6528449/?p=99ebb8b0661340729d32e3cf785e6d1f&pi=6
Students` perceived sociomathematical norms (2009-10-18 19:16)
Esther Levenson, Dina Tirosh and Pessia Tsamir (all from Tel Aviv University in Israel) have written an article that
was recently published in [1]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior. The article is entitled [2]Students` perceived
sociomathematical norms: The missing paradigm. Here is the article abstract:
This study proposes a framework for research which takes into account three aspects of sociomath-
ematical norms: teachers` endorsed norms, teachers` and students` enacted norms, and students` per-
ceived norms. We investigate these aspects of sociomathematical norms in two elementary school
classrooms in relation to mathematically based and practically based explanations. Results indicate
that even when the observed enacted norms are in agreement with the teachers` endorsed norms, the
students may not perceive these same norms. These results highlight the need to consider the students`
perspective when investigating sociomathematical norms.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4XG3D8X-1&_user=10&_rdoc=
1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_
userid=10&md5=607518918f4dfb148080619d9102010f
Teachers use of representation (2009-10-19 07:16)
An article called [1]Prospective elementary teachers use of representation to reason algebraically has recently been
published online in [2]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior. The article was written by Kerri Richardson, Sarah
Berenson and Katrina Staley. Here is the abstract of their article:
We used a teaching experiment to evaluate the preparation of preservice teachers to teach early
algebra concepts in the elementary school with the goal of improving their ability to generalize and
justify algebraic rules when using pattern-nding tasks. Nearly all of the elementary preservice teach-
ers generalized explicit rules using symbolic notation but had trouble with justications early in the
experiment. The use of isomorphic tasks promoted their ability to justify their generalizations and to
understand the relationship of the coefcient and y-intercept to the models constructed with pattern
blocks. Based on critical events in the teaching experiment, we developed a scale to map changes in
preservice teachers` understanding. Features of the tasks emerged that contributed to this understand-
ing.
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4XG3D8X-2&_user=10&_rdoc=
1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_
userid=10&md5=e4dc1ab5c59f985310d0fff462694cad
A case study in Rwanda (2009-10-19 17:20)
I havent read many scientic articles in mathematics education from or about Rwanda, but here is one! Alphonse
Uworwabayeho from Kigali Institute of Education in Rwanda, and University of Bristol, UK, has written an arti-
cle entitled [1]Teachers` innovative change within countrywide reform: a case study in Rwanda. The article was
published online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education on Wednesday. This is even an Open Access
article, so everyone should have full access to it! Here is the abstract of the article:
This article presents practical perspectives on mathematics teacher change through results of col-
laborative research with two mathematics secondary school teachers in order to improve the teaching
and learning of mathematics in Rwanda. The 2006 national mathematics curriculum reform stresses
pedagogies that enhance problem-solving, critical thinking and argumentation. Teachers need to use
new teaching strategies. This article is a case study looking at issues around developing teachers`
use of interactions in mathematics classrooms independently of the national programme. Outputs of
the study include teachers` awareness of the need for change and their increased exibility to accept
learners` autonomy in shifting from teacher-centred to learner-centred pedagogy. Geometer`s Sketch-
pad challenged teachers` practice and then provoked reection to improve student learning.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/3053v21h41821nt2/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=0da99406f6f54b8ab47092a38814b7d5&pi=0
Teachers perceptions about the purpose of student teaching (2009-10-20 07:26)
Keith Leatham from Brigham Young University in Utah, U.S., is one of the scholars who have made important
contribution to research of teachers beliefs in mathematics education research in the last couple of years. I very
much like his proposed framework for viewing teachers beliefs as sensible systems (from [1]his 2006 article in
Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education). Now he has written a new article with focus on beliefs (or this time it
is referred to as perceptions), and he has co-written this article with a colleague from Brigham Young University:
Blake E. Peterson. Their article is entitled [2]Secondary mathematics cooperating teachers` perceptions of the pur-
pose of student teaching, and it was published online in [3]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education last week.
Here is their article abstract:
This article reports on the results of a survey of 45 secondary mathematics cooperating teachers`
perceptions of the primary purposes of student teaching and their roles in accomplishing those pur-
poses. The most common purposes were interacting with an experienced, practising teacher, having
a real classroom experience, and experiencing and learning about classroom management. The most
common roles were providing the space for experience, modeling, facilitating reection, and shar-
ing knowledge. The ndings provided insights into the cooperating teachers` perceptions about both
what should be learned through student teaching and how it should be learned. These ndings paint a
picture of cooperating teachers who do not see themselves as teacher educatorsteachers of student
teachers. Implications for mathematics teacher educators are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a58638658w166775/?p=
83a8733a717a4075a21277513003b8d1&pi=4
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/8758l3k3k7847073/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=015713de7bbc47e4bb36e9f4482e1988&pi=0
100 open lectures (2009-10-20 07:37)
Yesterday, a very nice blogpost appeared over at [1]onlinecollege.org: [2]100 Incredible Open Lectures for Math
Geeks. In this post, they have collected and organized 100 sets of lectures within several elds of mathematics, like
Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, etc. Towards the very end of the list, there is even a collection of lectures related to
teaching! The lectures are from some of the best universities in the world, like Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Harvard,
Berkeley, UCLA, etc. The lecturers are of course also extremely good. For instance, youll nd a lecture that
includes [3]Professor Terrence Tao from UCLA. Professor Tao is arguably one of the best mathematicians of our
days, and he has received numerous awards, like the Fields Medal (in 2006). I also recommend the [4]lectures of
[5]Professor Gilbert Strang (MIT) in Linear Algebra. Several of the lectures from the list are from [6]Academic
Earth, so you might want to check out that site as well.
This is a very useful list, and as it is said in the original post:
You can indulge your love of mathematics in these great lectures and lecture series. Some are
meant to review the basics and others will keep you on the cutting edge of what renowned researchers
are doing in the eld, but all will help you expand your knowledge and spend a few hours enjoying a
topic you love.
1. http://www.onlinecollege.org/
2. http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/19/100-incredible-open-lectures-for-math-geeks/
3. http://www.math.ucla.edu/%7Etao/
4. http://academicearth.org/courses/linear-algebra
5. http://www-math.mit.edu/%7Egs/
6. http://academicearth.org/
MTL, Volume 11, Issue 4 (2009-10-20 08:11)
A new issue of [1]Mathematical Thinking and Learning has appeared: [2]Volume 11, Issue 4, 2009. The issue
contains three research articles (along with an [3]editorial by Lyn D. English and a [4]book review):
[5]Learning Mathematics via a Problem-Centered Approach: A Two-Year Study, by Candice L. Ridlon
[6]Efcacy of Different Concrete Models for Teaching the Part-Whole Construct for Fractions, by Kathleen
Cramer; Terry Wyberg
[7]Reasoning-and-Proving in School Mathematics Textbooks, by Gabriel J. Stylianides
CAS calculators in algebra instruction (2009-10-21 08:34)
S. Asl zgn-Koca has written an article called [1]Prospective teachers` views on the use of calculators with
Computer Algebra System in algebra instruction. This article has recently been published online in [2]Journal of
Mathematics Teacher Education. Here is the abstract of the article:
Although growing numbers of secondary school mathematics teachers and students use calcu-
lators to study graphs, they mainly rely on paper-and-pencil when manipulating algebraic symbols.
However, the Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) on computers or handheld calculators create new
possibilities for teaching and learning algebraic manipulation. This study investigated the views of
Turkish prospective secondary mathematics teachers on the use of advanced calculators with CAS in
algebra instruction. An open-ended questionnaire and group interviews revealed prospective teach-
ers` views and beliefs about when and why they prefer three possible uses of CASblack box, white
box, or Symbolic Math Guide (SMG). The results showed that participants mainly preferred the white
box methods and especially SMG to the black box method. They suggested that while the black box
method could be used after students mastered the skills, the general white box method and SMG could
be used to teach symbolic manipulation.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y1t83j6g4p61t756/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=255db41bb3614e7bb4c7db5d808f73b2&pi=0
Mathematics curriculum: a vehicle for school improvement (2009-10-21 08:39)
Christian R. Hirsch and Barbara J. Reys have written an article entitled [1]Mathematics curriculum: a vehicle for
school improvement. This article was recently published online in [2]ZDM. Here is a copy of their article abstract:
Different forms of curriculum determine what is taught and learned in US classrooms and have
been used to stimulate school improvement and to hold school systems accountable for progress. For
example, the intended curriculum reected in standards or learning expectations increasingly inu-
ences how instructional time is spent in classrooms. Curriculum materials such as textbooks, instruc-
tional units, and computer software constitute the textbook curriculum, which continues to play a
dominant role in teachers` instructional decisions. These decisions inuence the actual implemented
curriculum in classrooms. Various curriculum policies, including mandated end-of-course assess-
ments (the assessed curriculum) and requirements for all students to complete particular courses (e.g.,
year-long courses in algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra or equivalent integrated mathematics
courses) are also being implemented in increasing numbers of states. The wide variation across states
in their intended curriculum documents and requirements has led to a historic and precedent-setting
effort by the Council of Chief State School Ofcers and the National Governors Association Council
for Best Practices to assist states in the development and adoption of common College and Career
Readiness Standards for Mathematics. Also under development by this coalition is a set of common
core state mathematics standards for grades K-12. These sets of standards, together with advances
in information technologies, may have a signicant inuence on the textbook curriculum, the imple-
mented curriculum, and the assessed curriculum in US classrooms in the near future.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/bm8714x30881m835/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=f2a1708fe6bf4f8798259b0104bb2ca4&pi=0
Seminar with Bharath Sriraman (2009-10-25 19:02)
On Thursday, we had a very nice seminar with [1]Bharath Sriraman, or rather we had him as a visitor at University
of Stavanger for the whole day! Bharath is professor of mathematical sciences at the [2]University of Montana.
He is also founder and editor of [3]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast, a great online journal within the eld of
mathematics education research, and editor of numerous other journals, book series, etc.
When he visited us on Thursday, he held a lecture with a focus on gifted students, one of his specialties. Here are
my notes from the lecture:
Gifted students - presentation by Bharath Sriraman
How do we gure out if a student is gifted? Nature versus nurture - is it genetic, or is it due to upbringing. Why is
it okay for a child to be talented in sports and not so much so in a subject like mathematics?
When it comes to funding, little money is spent on gifted education. (Less than 1 % of the funding for special
needs education - giftedness is viewed as a special need!)
In the U.S. there is an east versus west debate. Why are they doing so much better in the eastern systems? The
western system is viewed as fostering creativity and freedom, but why is it that so many of the prodigies are from
the eastern part of the world?
In the U.S., public schools are poorly funded, teachers are not held in high regard or paid well, etc.
Interesting fact: U.S. has the highest prison population proportion in the western, developed world - 30 % of the
prisoners are high school dropouts.
In the Asian countries, there is a lot of focus on moral, hard work, perseverance, etc. Exams are very competitive!
In the East, the point of an exam is to stratify the society. Late bloomers do not have a chance within the Eastern
system! The U.S. (and Western) system, however, allows for a second chance.
As a teacher, there is always the potential conict between equity and excellence! This could be seen as a false
dichotomy! Alternative perspectives:
The Hamilton tradition stressed elitism,
whereas the Jacksonian tradition suggests that everyone is equal no matter what
The Jeffersonian tradition stresses that you should give people equal opportunities, and then it is up to them
to use these opportunities
Mathematical intelligence is considered as:
a strong indicator of general intelligence
numerical and spatial reasoning is part of the IQ score
...
The construct of intelligence is controversial in many ways since the psychometric testing. History of IQ-test:
Binet-Simon tests > Stanford-Binet tests, etc. The modern Stanford-Binet test is very much like a mathematical
test, and you dont take into account socio-cultural and environmental variables. Still, it is very much used as a
test for giftedness.
There are, however, some alternative views when it comes to discussing giftedness. Usiskin (Uni. Chicago) tried
to classify the mathematical talent in the world in a hierarchy of Level 0 to Level 7.
Level 0 - no talent. Adults who know very little mathematics
Level 1 - culture level. Adults who have some number sense (comparable to grades 6-9), and they have
learned it through usage
Level 2 - represent the honors high school student
Level 3 - the "terric" student, those who score 750-800 on the SAT.
Level 4 - the "exceptional" students, those who excel in math competitions
Level 5 - represents the productive mathematician
Level 6 - the exceptional mathematician
Level 7 - the all-time greats, Fields medal winners in mathematics
Krutetskiis book is very nice - about gifted students!
Problem: a pole is 15 meters tall, another one is 10 meters tall. You have a rope from the top of one to the bottom
of the other, and vice versa. How tall is the crossing point of the ropes from the ground?
There is a difference between Creativity and creativity (everyone has the latter, the former is related to being
creative within a certain eld).
There are lots of way to adapt the curriculum so that the gifted students get what they need.
Research shows that there are no harmful effect on early college admission - the students manage well, and they
adapt well.
In the U.S. there is a lot of emphasis on the modeling-based curricula nowadays, and this gets a lot of funding.
Several programs are made which are based on real-world situations. (one from Montana!)
After this interesting lecture, he gave a presentation of a new book that he has been editing together with Lyn
English: [4]Theories of Mathematics Education: Seeking new frontiers. The book is published by Springer, and
has just been released. Bharath told that the book took him ve years to nish, and it is denitely going to become
an important contribution to our eld!
Thanks a lot for the visit, Bharath, and for sharing this day with us! Hopefully, this is only going to be the rst in
a series of visits to Stavanger!
1. http://www.umt.edu/math/people/sriraman.html
2. http://www.umt.edu/
3. http://www.math.umt.edu/tmme/
ZDM, November 2009 (2009-10-28 08:45)
[1]ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education - has published the November issue of 2009
([2]Volume 41, Number 6). The issue contains the following nine articles:
[3]Curriculum research to improve teaching and learning: national and cross-national studies, by Gerald
Kulm and Yeping Li
[4]Mathematics teachers` practices and thinking in lesson plan development: a case of teaching fraction
division, by Yeping Li, Xi Chen and Gerald Kulm
[5]Approaches and practices in developing school mathematics textbooks in China, by Yeping Li, Jianyue
Zhang and Tingting Ma
[6]Mathematics curriculum: a vehicle for school improvement, by Christian R. Hirsch and Barbara J. Reys
[7]School mathematics curriculum materials for teachers` learning: future elementary teachers` interactions
with curriculum materials in a mathematics course in the United States, by Gwendolyn Monica Lloyd
[8]How a standards-based mathematics curriculum differs from a traditional curriculum: with a focus on
intended treatments of the ideas of variable, by Bikai Nie, Jinfa Cai and John C. Moyer
[9]Cross-cultural issues in linguistic, visual-quantitative, and written-numeric supports for mathematical
thinking, by Karen C. Fuson and Yeping Li
[10]Conceptualizing and organizing content for teaching and learning in selected Chinese, Japanese and US
mathematics textbooks: the case of fraction division, by Yeping Li, Xi Chen and Song An
[11]Cross-national comparisons of mathematics curriculum materials: what might we learn? by Edward A.
Silver
The article by Karen C. Fuson and Yeping Li is an Open Access article, so that one should be available to all, even
non-subscribers :-)
1. http://springerlink.com/content/120453/?p=6da34966813b44de91327c04e30e99d4&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/xj6570513125/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/vt27r655497650w3/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/mn65571k2774x675/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/ul58r1575023650k/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/bm8714x30881m835/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/44368200g58v1g55/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/e80192g776610895/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/p6030540r5p56466/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.com/content/n650736712135321/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=7
11. http://springerlink.com/content/h3815k57q1q73u15/?p=19ec7784e71e4a9ab101455327ca31ea&pi=8
JMTE - October 2009 (2009-10-28 08:50)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has just released the October issue ([2]Volume 12, Number 5). This
issue contains 5 interesting articles:
[3]Conditions of progress in mathematics teacher education, by Joo Pedro da Ponte
[4]Teachers` innovative change within countrywide reform: a case study in Rwanda, by Alphonse Uwor-
wabayeho
[5]Alignment, cohesion, and change: Examining mathematics teachers` belief structures and their inuence
on instructional practices, by Dionne I. Cross
[6]Multiple representations as sites for teacher reection about mathematics learning, by Amy E. Ryken
[7]Understanding the inuence of two mathematics textbooks on prospective secondary teachers` knowl-
edge, by Jon D. Davis
Alphonse Uworwabayehos article abat the Rwandan case study is an [8]Open Access article.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=fae81b183d584422959f44ff0852c0ef&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/j542358600j0/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/14g7g401j733120j/?p=088eda247f3c43c6b1e167293c1078ca&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/3053v21h41821nt2/?p=088eda247f3c43c6b1e167293c1078ca&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/p737k62x4w8u8t66/?p=088eda247f3c43c6b1e167293c1078ca&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/x17212u4j0lx333u/?p=088eda247f3c43c6b1e167293c1078ca&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/3177tw678263011u/?p=088eda247f3c43c6b1e167293c1078ca&pi=4
2.11 November
Insight into the fractional calculus via a spreadsheet (2009-11-02 11:13)
David A. Miller and Stephen J. Sugden have written an article called [1]Insight into the Fractional Calculus via a
Spreadsheet. The article was published in the most recent issue of electronic journal [2]Spreadsheets in Education.
The article is freely available as a [3]pdf download, but here is a copy of the abstract:
Many students of calculus are not aware that the calculus they have learned is a special case (in-
teger order) of fractional calculus. Fractional calculus is the study of arbitrary order derivatives and
integrals and their applications. The article begins by stating a naive question from a student in a
paper by Larson (1974) and establishes, for polynomials and exponential functions, that they can be
deformed into their derivative using the -th order fractional derivatives for 0<<1. Through the power
of Excel we illustrate the continuous deformations dynamically through conditional formatting. Some
applications are discussed and a connection made to mathematics education.
1. http://epublications.bond.edu.au/ejsie/vol3/iss2/4/
2. http://epublications.bond.edu.au/ejsie/
3. http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1061&context=ejsie
A couple of new articles have been published online in [1]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Sci-
ence and Technology. Several are so-called classroom notes (see [2]this link for full list), and then there are these
two original articles:
[3]Pilot study on algebra learning among junior secondary students, by Kin-Keung Poon and Chi-Keung
Leung. Abstract: The purpose of the study reported herein was to identify the common mistakes made
by junior secondary students in Hong Kong when learning algebra and to compare teachers perceptions of
students ability with the results of an algebra test. An algebra test was developed and administered to a
sample of students (aged between 13 and 14 years). From the responses of the participating students (N =
815), it was found that students in schools with a higher level of academic achievement had better algebra
test results than did those in schools with a lower level of such achievement. Moreover, it was found that a
teachers perception of a students ability has a correlation with that students level of achievement. Based on
this nding, an instrument that measures teaching effectiveness is discussed. Last but not least, typical errors
in algebra are identied, and some ideas for an instructional design based on these ndings are discussed.
[4]Student connections of linear algebra concepts: an analysis of concept maps, by Douglas A. Lapp, Melvin
A. Nyman and John S. Berry. Abstract: This article examines the connections of linear algebra concepts
in a rst course at the undergraduate level. The theoretical underpinnings of this study are grounded in the
constructivist perspective (including social constructivism), Vernauds theory of conceptual elds and Pirie
and Kierens model for the growth of mathematical understanding. In addition to the existing techniques for
analysing concept maps, two new techniques are developed for analysing qualitative data based on student-
constructed concept maps: (1) temporal clumping of concepts and (2) the use of adjacency matrices of an
undirected graph representation of the concept map. Findings suggest that students may nd it more difcult
to make connections between concepts like eigenvalues and eigenvectors and concepts from other parts of
the conceptual eld such as basis and dimension. In fact, eigenvalues and eigenvectors seemed to be the
most disconnected concepts within all of the students concept maps. In addition, the relationships between
link types and certain clumps are suggested as well as directions for future study and curriculum design.
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Econtent=t713736815%7Elink=cover
alert&alerttype=ifirst_alert,email
New journal in mathematics education! (2009-11-06 10:57)
[1]International Journal of Studies in Mathematics Education is a new international peer-reviewed journal within
the eld of mathematics education. The editors of the journal are from Brazil, and the journal web-site is in both
Portuguese and English. The journal also accepts submission of articles in Portuguese, English, French and Span-
ish. According to their own description of the journal:
The journal aims to stimulate reection on mathematics education at all levels: to generate pro-
ductive discussion; to encourage enquiry and research; to promote criticism and evaluation of ideas
and procedures current in the eld
It is intended for the mathematics educator who is aware that the learning and teaching of mathematics
are complex enterprises about which much remains to be revealed and understood
It reects both the variety of research concerns within the eld and the range of methods used to study
them. We accept for submission articles in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. The journal
emphasizes high-level articles that go beyond local or national interest.
The journal has an online submission system, and the [2]Open Journal Systems is being used. The journal is an
online journal, and it appears to have an Open Access philosophy, so that the articles will be freely available for
everyone to read/download. The aims of the journal are:
to stimulate reection on mathematics education at all levels;
to generate productive discussion;
to encourage enquiry and research;
to promote criticism and evaluation of ideas and procedures current in the eld
Unfortunately, I cannot nd an RSS feed yet, but I am denitely going to keep an eye on this journal even though!
The [3]rst issue of the journal is already available, and it contains several interesting articles. The following
articles are in English:
[4]Gesture, conceptual integration and mathematical talk, by Laurie Edwards
[5]Learning in virtual environments: a methodology for the analysis of teacher discourse, by Marcello Bair-
ral
[6]Teachers semiotic games in mathematics laboratory, by Ornella Robutti
1. http://periodicos.uniban.br/index.php/JIEEM/index
2. http://pkp.sfu.ca/ojs/
3. http://periodicos.uniban.br/index.php/JIEEM/issue/view/1
4. http://periodicos.uniban.br/index.php/JIEEM/article/view/2/Edwards
5. http://periodicos.uniban.br/index.php/JIEEM/article/view/1/Bairral
6. http://periodicos.uniban.br/index.php/JIEEM/article/view/30/Robutti.pdf
Instructional Science, November 2009 (2009-11-09 11:11)
The [1]November issue of [2]Instructional Science has been released (Volume 37, Number 6, 2009). Here is a list
of articles that is published in this issue:
[3]The effects of representational format on learning combinatorics from an interactive computer simulation,
by Bas Kolloffel, Tessa H. S. Eysink, Ton de Jong and Pascal Wilhelm
[4]Uncertainty and engagement with learning games, by Paul A. Howard-Jones and Skevi Demetriou
[5]Are instructional explanations more effective in the context of an impasse? by Emilio Snchez, Hctor
Garca-Rodicio and Santiago R. Acua
[6]Teacher and student intrinsic motivation in project-based learning, by Shui-fong Lam, Rebecca Wing-yi
Cheng and William Y. K. Ma
[7]Graduate students` conceptions of university teaching and learning: formation for change, by Alenoush
Saroyan, Joyce Dagenais and Yanfei Zhou
1. http://springerlink.com/content/j2q222168ln3/
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102905/?p=04dfa04c46104f9b8be430893ec063ab&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/x73216257p10h121/?p=8700daee399a47a2aaa955dbf1948c47&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/f14956367637k5qm/?p=8700daee399a47a2aaa955dbf1948c47&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/5u7r8546518l3271/?p=8700daee399a47a2aaa955dbf1948c47&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/yh8248n431201551/?p=8700daee399a47a2aaa955dbf1948c47&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/4364lt868v4215w6/?p=8700daee399a47a2aaa955dbf1948c47&pi=4
December issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics (2009-11-09 15:16)
The December issue of [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics has just been published ([2]volume 72, number 3),
and it contains the following articles:
[3]Modes of reasoning in explanations in Australian eighth-grade mathematics textbooks, by Kaye Stacey
and Jill Vincent
[4]Community college students` views on learning mathematics in terms of their epistemological beliefs: a
Q method study, by Denna L. Wheeler and Diane Montgomery
[5]Constructing mathematics in an interactive classroom context, by Paul Ngee-Kiong Lau, Parmjit Singh
and Tee-Yong Hwa
[6]The effects of cooperative learning on preschoolers` mathematics problem-solving ability, by Kamuran
Tarim
[7]Students` perceptions of institutional practices: the case of limits of functions in college level Calculus
courses, by Nadia Hardy
[8]Mathmatiques de la vie quotidienne au Burkina Faso: une analyse de la pratique sociale de comptage et
de vente de mangues, by Kalifa Traor and Nadine Bednarz
[9]The challenge of self-regulated learning in mathematics teachers professional training, by Bracha Kra-
marski and Tali Revach
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=3e11c6d68d1e4fafa437af2bdbf7579d&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/t18x67h60770/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/u080115215h78q15/?p=fcc2affe3a594563967c33c2adebd3b0&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/8566691802784843/?p=fcc2affe3a594563967c33c2adebd3b0&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/r326216766124066/?p=fcc2affe3a594563967c33c2adebd3b0&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/48m00n0718012741/?p=fcc2affe3a594563967c33c2adebd3b0&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/f47010n178431447/?p=fcc2affe3a594563967c33c2adebd3b0&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/e4786vg6147jw373/?p=fcc2affe3a594563967c33c2adebd3b0&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/n42uu18m73157711/?p=fcc2affe3a594563967c33c2adebd3b0&pi=6
Mathematics and positive sciences (2009-11-11 08:32)
On Friday, a new article by Giorgio T. Bagni was released from [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics. The arti-
cle is entitled [2]Mathematics and positive sciences: a reection following Heidegger. Bagni takes [3]Heideggers
[4]Being and Time as a starting point in an examination of Heideggers ideas about sciences in general and mathe-
matics in particular. Here is the abstract of Bagnis article:
In this article, I make a case for the inputs that Martin Heideggers theoretical perspective of-
fers to current concerns about the nature of mathematics, its teaching and learning, and the problem
of subjectivity. In particular, I consider Heideggers notion of positive science and discuss both its
applicability to mathematics and its importance to mathematics education. I argue that Heideggers
ontological position is consonant with some sociocultural approaches in mathematics education and
that Heideggers work can shed some light on the problem of knowing and being. Finally, I raise some
questions concerning subjectivity and the link between language and mathematical objects.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=93ba4115e13f456d8a09f9335dc7144b&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/316w41n813696275/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Heidegger
4. http://www.google.com.au/books?id=S57m5gW0L-MC&dq=isbn:0631197702&as_brr=0&hl=en&source=
gbs_navlinks_s
JMTE, December 2009 (2009-11-11 13:16)
The December issue of [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has been published ([2]volume 12, number
6). This issue is a special issue with focus on social justice perspectives in matheamtics teacher education, and it
contains the following articles:
[3]Working with mathematics teachers and immigrant students: an empowerment perspective, by Nria
Planas and Marta Civil
[4]'Gender games`: a post-structural exploration of the prospective teacher, mathematics and identity, by
Anna Llewellyn
[5]Engaging with issues of emotionality in mathematics teacher education for social justice, by Mark Boylan
[6]'The conference was awesome`: social justice and a mathematics teacher conference, by Tamsin Meaney,
Tony Trinick and Uenuku Fairhall
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=6f4004bbf5a44769b596234eabbd7387&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/w54483k320l8/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/36555v20h776834p/?p=82da89539d244cb5b58f7a531aaa72d9&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/e777v881709n3453/?p=82da89539d244cb5b58f7a531aaa72d9&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/j1m80136hqtg1806/?p=82da89539d244cb5b58f7a531aaa72d9&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/hj08p87uw7q64318/?p=82da89539d244cb5b58f7a531aaa72d9&pi=3
Teachers metacognitive and heuristic approaches to word problem solving (2009-11-12 13:11)
Fien Depaepe, Erik De Corte and Lieven Verschaffel have written an interesting article about [1]Teachers` metacog-
nitive and heuristic approaches to word problem solving: analysis and impact on students` beliefs and performance.
The article was published online in [2]ZDM last Friday. Here is the abstract of their article:
We conducted a 7-month video-based study in two sixth-grade classrooms focusing on teachers`
metacognitive and heuristic approaches to problem solving. All problem-solving lessons were anal-
ysed regarding the extent to which teachers implemented a metacognitive model and addressed a set
of eight heuristics. We observed clear differences between both teachers` instructional approaches.
Besides, we examined teachers` and students` beliefs about the degree to which metacognitive and
heuristic skills were addressed in their classrooms and observed that participants` beliefs were overall
in line with our observations of teachers` instructional approaches. In addition, we investigated how
students` problem-solving skills developed as a result of teachers` instructional approaches. A positive
relationship between students` spontaneous application of heuristics to solve non-routine word prob-
lems and teachers` references to these skills in their problem-solving lessons was found. However,
this increase in the application of heuristics did not result in students` better performance on these
non-routine word problems.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/h75744w80vt49872/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=a56a60f512d74f16ac6abdc735c89a3a&pi=0
Developing exibility for teaching algebra (2009-11-15 19:35)
Christopher Yakes and Jon R. Star have written an article that was recently published online in [1]Journal of Math-
ematics Teacher Education. The article is entitled [2]Using comparison to develop exibility for teaching algebra.
In this paper, we describe a one-day professional development activity for mathematics teachers
that promoted the use of comparison as an instructional tool to develop students` exibility in algebra.
Effective use of comparison in mathematics instruction involves using side-by-side presentation of
problems and solution methods and subsequent student discussion of these multiple solution methods
to highlight the similarities and differences among problem-solving techniques. The goals of the pro-
fessional development activity were to make teachers aware of how to use comparison effectively in
their instruction, as well as to impact teachers` own exibility in algebra by using comparison instruc-
tionally during the professional development. Our analysis of teachers` experiences in the professional
development activity suggests that when teachers were presented with techniques for effective use of
comparison, their own understanding of multiple solution methods was reinforced. In addition, teach-
ers began to question why they relied exclusively on one familiar method over others that are equally
effective and perhaps more efcient and started to draw new connections between problem-solving
methods. Finally, as a result of experiencing instructional use of comparison, teachers began to see
value in teaching for exibility and reported changing their own teaching practices.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=ca10e5bae62745febfce91f22d851064&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/v21k817n9168x842/
Mathematical thinking of kindergarten boys and girls (2009-11-16 10:54)
Pnina S. Klein, Esther Adi-Japha and Simcha Hakak-Benizri have written an article called [1]Mathematical think-
ing of kindergarten boys and girls: similar achievement, different contributing processes. This article was recently
published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. Here is the abstract of their article:
The objective of this study was to examine gender differences in the relations between verbal,
spatial, mathematics, and teacherchild mathematics interaction variables. Kindergarten children
(N = 80) were videotaped playing games that require mathematical reasoning in the presence of
their teachers. The children`s mathematics, spatial, and verbal skills and the teachers` mathematical
communication were assessed. No gender differences were found between the mathematical achieve-
ments of the boys and girls, or between their verbal and spatial skills. However, mathematics per-
formance was related to boys` spatial reasoning and to girls` verbal skills, suggesting that they use
different processes for solving mathematical problems. Furthermore, the boys` levels of spatial and
verbal skills were not found to be related, whereas they were signicantly related for girls. The math-
ematical communication level provided in teacherchild interactions was found to be related to girls`
but not to boys` mathematics performance, suggesting that boys may need other forms of mathematics
communication and teaching.
Several studies have focused on gender differences in mathematics education, but few have focused on gender
differences with small children. The study of Klein and colleagues focus on gender differences in relation to "ver-
bal skills, variables of spatial skills, and variables related to environmental factors, including teaching methods,
quality of teaching, and mathematical communication". Four research questions are posed in the study:
1. "Do kindergarten boys and girls differ mathematically?
2. Are language and spatial skills related differently to mathematics achievements of boys and girls?
3. Do boys and girls receive different mathematical communication by their teachers?
4. Are the patterns of correlation between instructional behavior (mediation) and mathematics achievements
different for boys and girls?"
A test called KeyMath was used to measure the mathematical thinking of a selection of children (n=80), half of
the children were boys/girls. The test is supposed to cover an age range of 4.6-21 years. There are several subtests
within this set of measures. Three tests were used to evaluate the verbal ability of the children, and two were used
to evaluate their spatial skills. Observations of mathematical communications in teacher-child interactions were
also made in the kindergartens. The actual testing was carried out by the authors of the paper.
The results of the study are quite interesting. They did not nd any differences in mathematical achievements
between the boys and girls in the study. There was, however, signicant gender differences in some of the factors
that were related to these results. As they state: "The boys` mathematical achievement was signicantly related to
their spatial reasoning, whereas the girls` mathematical achievement was related to their verbal skills."
I nd this study interesting in many ways, but there are a few issues that I would have liked to learn more about
(and that the article does not address):
Were the measures translated fromEnglish into Hebrew? (If so, I would like to learn more about this process)
What are the reasons for deciding on this particular method, and using these particular measures, in the
study?
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/260634642h08n55t/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=246c295066074e4fb988255ad5021a34&pi=0
Learning from video (2009-11-23 10:28)
The last couple of days, two articles with a focus on using video as a tool for teacher learning and development
have been published in Journal of Mathematics Teaching Education. The [1]rst articleinvestigates how prospec-
tive primary mathematics teachers might learn from on-line discussions.
Prospective primary mathematics teachers` learning from on-line discussions in a virtual video-based envi-
ronment
Journal [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education
Publisher Springer Netherlands
ISSN 1386-4416 (Print) 1573-1820 (Online)
DOI 10.1007/s10857-009-9133-0
SpringerLink Date Wednesday, November 18, 2009
By Salvador Llinares and Julia Valls
Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate how participation and reication of ideas about mathematics
teaching are constituted in on-line discussions when prospective primary mathematics teachers analysed video-
cases about mathematics teaching. Prospective teachers enrolled in a mathematics methodology course participated
for 4 weeks in two virtual learning environments that integrated the analysis of video-clips, on-line discussions and
writing essays about key aspects of mathematics teaching. Three aspects were considered relevant to explain the
prospective teachers` learning: the way in which the theoretical information was used to frame and to interpret the
events from mathematics teaching; the characteristics of engagement with others participating in the on-line dis-
cussions and the role played by prospective teachers` beliefs. Possible reasons for the importance of these features
include the specic questions posed in on-line discussions and the use of video-clips of mathematics teaching.
These ndings are considered useful in designing virtual learning environments and the kinds of tasks through
which the understanding of mathematics teaching and learning-to-notice skills can be developed.
The [3]other article also has a focus on using videos, by the use of so called "video clubs".
The inuence of video clubs on teachers` thinking and practice
DOI 10.1007/s10857-009-9130-3
SpringerLink Date Saturday, November 14, 2009
By Elizabeth A. van Es and Miriam Gamoran Sherin
Abstract This article examines a model of professional development called 'video clubs in which teachers watch
and discuss excerpts of videos from their classrooms. We investigate how participation in a video club inuences
teachers` thinking and practice by exploring three related contexts: (a) teachers` comments during video-club meet-
ings, (b) teachers` self-reports of the effects of the video club, and (c) teachers` instruction across the year. Data
analysis revealed changes in all three contexts. In the video-club meetings, teachers paid increased attention to
student mathematical thinking over the course of the year. In interviews, teachers reported having learned about
students` mathematical thinking, about the importance of attending to student ideas during instruction, and about
their school`s mathematics curriculum. Finally, shifts were also uncovered in the teachers` instruction. By the end
of the year, teachers increasingly made space for student thinking to emerge in the classroom, probed students`
underlying understandings, and learned from their students while teaching.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/y6034p2g1546561g/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=857a778bcfa94caaa841f1fb84f62a72&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/21088m5670588040/
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=79d66b12c35d49ff9f2fafb02fd7bb16&pi=0
Conceptions of effective mathematics ... (2009-11-23 11:57)
A new article about teachers conception of effective mathematics teaching. The article investigates the perspec-
tives of teachers from China and the U.S., and I nd it particularly interesting because it focus on the issue of
cultural beliefs. I think this is an interesting concept, and Ive used it before in one of my own articles. The idea of
cultural beliefs comes from results of cross-national studies where researchers have identied clear differences in
the teaching practices of teachers from East-Asian and Western countries.
In the study referred to in the article below, 9 Chinese teachers and 11 U.S. teachers were interviewed. The semi-
structured interviews that were used in the study were constructed according to Ernests traditional framework of
three aspects of mathematics teachers beliefs. The study showed that the teachers from these two countries held
quite different beliefs about good mathematics teaching. These views were also closely connected with their views
on the nature of mathematics.
Conceptions of effective mathematics teaching within a cultural context: perspectives of teachers from
China and the United States
DOI 10.1007/s10857-009-9132-1
Subject Collection Humanities, Social Sciences and Law
SpringerLink Date Tuesday, November 17, 2009
By Jinfa Cai and Tao Wang
Abstract This study investigates Chinese and U.S. teachers` cultural beliefs concerning effective mathematics
teaching from the teachers` perspectives. Although sharing some common beliefs, the two groups of teachers think
differently about both mathematics understanding and the features of effective teaching. The sample of U.S. teach-
ers put more emphasis on student understanding with concrete examples, and the sample of Chinese teachers put
more emphasis on abstract reasoning after using concrete examples. The U.S. teachers highlight a teacher`s abili-
ties to facilitate student participation, manage the classroom and have a sense of humor, while the Chinese teachers
emphasize a teacher`s solid mathematics knowledge and careful study of textbooks. Both groups of teachers agree
that memorization and understanding cannot be separated. However, for the U.S. teachers, memorization comes
after understanding, but for Chinese teachers, memorization can come before understanding. These differences of
teachers` beliefs are discussed in a cultural context.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=7024c04466a942f69839c320ce7574e6&pi=0
Graphic calculators and connectivity software (2009-11-24 12:31)
Ornella Robutti has written an article called [1]Graphic calculators and connectivity software to be a community
of mathematics practitioners. This article was recently published online in [2]ZDM. Here is the abstract of the
article:
In a teaching experiment carried out at the secondary school level, we observe the students` pro-
cesses in modelling activities, where the use of graphic calculators and connectivity software gives
a common working space in the class. The study shows results in continuity with others emerged
in the previous ICMEs and some new ones, and offers an analysis of the novelty of the software in
introducing new ways to support learning communities in the construction of mathematical meanings.
The study is conducted in a semiotic-cultural framework that considers the introduction and the evo-
lution of signs, such as words, gestures and interaction with technologies, to understand how students
construct mathematical meanings, working as a community of practice. The novelty of the results
consists in the presence of two technologies for students: the 'private graphic calculators and the
'public screen of the connectivity software. Signs for the construction of knowledge are mediated
by both of them, but the second does it in a social way, strongly supporting the work of the learning
community.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/c44u7733h423wg1g/
NOMAD, October 2009 (2009-11-24 14:10)
The Nordic Journal of Research in Mathematics Education (NOMAD) has recently released the October issue.
This issue contains three research articles:
Leif Bjrn Skorpen: [1]Nokre spesielle trekk ved arbeidet med matematikkfaget i begynnaropplringa (in
Norwegian)
Frode Olav Haara and Kari Smith: [2]Practical activities in mathematics teaching mathematics teachers`
knowledge based reasons
Diana Stentoft and Paola Valero: [3]Identities-in-action. Exploring the fragility of discourse and identity in
learning mathematics
Pre-service teachers teaching anxiety (2009-11-24 16:36)
Murat Peker has written an article about [1]Pre-Service Teachers` Teaching Anxiety about Mathematics and Their
Learning Styles. This article was published in the [2]last issue of [3]Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science &
Technology Education. A main issue in the article is the combination of focus on mathematics (teaching) anxiety
and learning styles. When it comes to learning styles, Peker very much builds upon the theories of Kolb (see p.
337). The theoretical overview is quite interesting, and in many respects new to me.
The study included 506 pre-service teachers from Turkey, and two instruments were used in the study: the Learn-
ing Style Inventory and the Mathematics Teaching Anxiety Scale (both questionnaires). The rst questionnaire
is derived from Kolbs works, whereas the anxiety scale was developed by the researcher. I miss a discussion
of the rationale behind the choice of methods/instruments in the study, and I think this is an important aspect of
such a research article. I also think there are a couple of issues about the Learning Style Inventory that should be
discussed somewhat. My main critique towards the statements from this questionnaire (as they are presented in
the article) is that they appear very general. Being faced with a statement like "When I learn, I like to watch and
listen", my response would vary according to the subject and teaching/learning context I had in mind. As with
research on beliefs, I think it would make more sense to investigate views that teachers (pre-service or in-service)
have on teaching and learning algebra, geometry, functions etc., rather than their views on teaching and learning
in general. My response to a statement like "I learn best when I am practical" would also vary a lot according to
what I had in mind when giving the response. I therefore think that the questionnaire has some severe weaknesses
that need to be addressed. Other than that, I think the article is interesting, and Peker obviously points to some
important issues!
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in the teaching anxiety of pre-service teachers in math-
ematics according to their learning style preferences. There were a total of 506 pre-service teachers involved in this
study. Of the total, 205 were pre-service elementary school teachers, 173 were pre-service elementary mathematics
teachers, and 128 were pre-service secondary mathematics teachers. In the collection of the data, the researcher
employed two types of instruments: the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) and the Mathematics Teaching Anxiety
Scale (MATAS). The LSI determined the participants` learning style preference: divergent, assimilator, convergent,
and accommodator. The MATAS found the participants` mathematics teaching anxiety level. The researcher used
the one-way ANOVA with = 0.05 in the analysis of the data. The study revealed that there were statistically
signicant differences in mathematics teaching anxiety between
convergent and the other three types of learners: divergent, accommodator, and assimilator. The difference was
in favour of convergent learners. In other words, convergent learners had less mathematics teaching anxiety than
the other types of learners. The study also found that divergent learners showed the highest level of mathematics
teaching anxiety.
Reference:
Peker, M. (2009). Pre-Service Teachers Teaching Anxiety about Mathematics and Their Learning Styles. Eurasia
Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 5(4), 335-345
1. http://www.ejmste.com/v5n4/EURASIA_v5n4_Peker.pdf
2. http://www.ejmste.com/v5n4/main.html
3. http://www.ejmste.com/
Using live, online tutoring (2009-11-25 12:22)
Richard Lissaman, Sue de Pomerai and Sharon Tripconey have written an article that was recently published online
in [1]Teaching Mathematics and its Applications. The article is entitled [2]Using live, online tutoring to inspire
post 16 students to engage with higher level mathematics, and here is a copy of the articles abstract:
In recent years, there has been a decline in the number of students aged 1618 studying and be-
ing able to access higher level mathematics in schools in the UK. The Further Mathematics Network
(FMN) was set up to enable access to such mathematics to all students and to promote and encour-
age students to study at this level. The FMN has pioneered the use of Elluminate, a well established
web-based package, for live mathematics tutoring. Small groups of students meet online with an ex-
perienced tutor to learn new aspects of mathematics and to look at ways to solve complex problems.
There are also extensive online resources to support the students` learning. The ndings are discussed
in the following article.
Graphics calculators in examination (2009-11-27 09:22)
Roger G. Brown from the University of Leeds (UK) has written an article entitled [1]Does the introduction of the
graphics calculator into system-wide examinations lead to change in the types of mathematical skills tested? This
article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics earlier this week. Here is the abstract of his
article:
The paper reports on the introduction of the graphics calculator into three centralised examination
systems, which were located in Denmark, Victoria (Australia) and the International Baccalaureate.
The introduction of the graphics calculator required those responsible for writing examination ques-
tions to consider how to assess mathematical skills within this new environment. This paper illustrates
the types of mathematics skills that have been assessed within the graphics-calculator-assumed envi-
ronment. The analysis of the examination questions indicated that only two out of the six mathematics
examinations considered demonstrated any signicant change in the types of skills assessed in con-
junction with the introduction of the graphics calculator. The results suggest that it is possible to
reduce the use of questions assessing routine procedures (mechanical skills) with a graphics calcula-
tor, but it is also evident that there have not been major changes in the way that examination questions
are written nor the mathematics skills which the questions are intended to assess.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j763471138k22921/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=dc9d328578b847ce9f73b3fcae9fdac8&pi=0
2.12 December
"Me and maths" (2009-12-01 16:06)
Pietro Di Martino and Rosetta Zan have written an article entitled [1]'Me and maths`: towards a denition of at-
titude grounded on students` narratives. The article was published online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher
Education on Friday. Here is a copy of the abstract of their article:
The attitude construct is widely used by teachers and researchers in mathematics education. Often,
however, teachers` diagnosis of 'negative attitude` is a causal attribution of students` failure, perceived
as global and uncontrollable, rather than an accurate interpretation of students` behaviour, capable of
steering future action. In order to make this diagnosis useful for dealing with students` difculties
in mathematics, it is necessary to clarify the construct attitude from a theoretical viewpoint, while
keeping in touch with the practice that motivates its use. With this aim, we investigated how students
tell their own relationship with mathematics, proposing the essay 'Me and maths to more than 1,600
students (1st to 13th grade). A multidimensional characterisation of a student`s attitude towards math-
ematics emerges from this study. This characterisation and the study of the evolution of attitude have
many important consequences for teachers` practice and education. For example, the study shows how
the relationship with mathematics is rarely told as stable, even by older students: this result suggests
that it is never too late to change students` attitude towards mathematics.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/79v72218ppx4u263/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=3902220c755841d1a5c370f4d1c67a98&pi=0
Developing a leading identity (2009-12-01 16:09)
Laura Black, Julian Williams, Paul Hernandez-Martinez, Pauline Davis, Maria Pampaka and geoff Wake have
written an article called [1]Developing a 'leading identity`: the relationship between students` mathematical identi-
ties and their career and higher education aspirations. This article was published online in [2]Educational Studies
in Mathematics last Wednesday. Here is the abstract of their article:
The construct of identity has been used widely in mathematics education in order to under-
stand how students (and teachers) relate to and engage with the subject (Kaasila, 2007; Sfard &
Prusak, 2005; Boaler, 2002). Drawing on cultural historical activity theory (CHAT), this paper adopts
Leontèv`s notion of leading activity in order to explore the key 'signicant` activities that are impli-
cated in the development of students` reexive understanding of self and how this may offer differing
relations with mathematics. According to Leontèv (1981), leading activities are those which are
signicant to the development of the individual`s psyche through the emergence of new motives for
engagement. We suggest that alongside new motives for engagement comes a new understanding of
selfa leading identitywhich reects a hierarchy of our motives. Narrative analysis of interviews
with two students (aged 1617 years old) in post-compulsory education, Mary and Lee, are presented.
Mary holds a stable 'vocational` leading identity throughout her narrative and, thus, her motive for
studying mathematics is dened by its 'use value` in terms of pursuing this vocation. In contrast, Lee
develops a leading identity which is focused on the activity of studying and becoming a university
student. As such, his motive for study is framed in terms of the exchange value of the qualications he
hopes to obtain. We argue that this empirical grounding of leading activity and leading identity offers
new insights into students` identity development.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/06567723284417qj/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=d984f76b40a744f6919a6a154f9e7445&pi=0
Visual templates in pattern generalization activity (2009-12-08 10:00)
F.D. Rivera has written an article called [1]Visual templates in pattern generalization activity. The article was
published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics last Thursday. The study, which is described in the
article, was carried out in an eighth-grade Algebra 1 class in California. Four and a half months after a teaching
experiment on pattern generalization, 11 students were interviewed (clinical interviews). Clinical interviews were
also made with these students directly before and after the teaching experiment. The article reports on results from
the analyses of these clinical interviews.
In this research article, I present evidence of the existence of visual templates in pattern gener-
alization activity. Such templates initially emerged from a 3-week design-driven classroom teaching
experiment on pattern generalization involving linear gural patterns and were assessed for existence
in a clinical interview that was conducted four and a half months after the teaching experiment using
three tasks (one ambiguous, two well dened). Drawing on the clinical interviews conducted with
11 seventh- and eighth-grade students, I discuss how their visual templates have spawned at least six
types of algebraic generalizations. A visual template model is also presented that illustrates the dis-
tributed and a dynamically embedded nature of pattern generalization involving the following factors:
pattern goodness effect; knowledge/action effects; and the triad of stage-driven grouping, structural
unit, and analogy.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/9334jk77x5320477/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=0b3937b1438844ef9a15044521f81846&pi=0
The increasing role of metacognitive skills in math (2009-12-10 14:28)
Manita Van der Stel, Marcel Veenman, Kim Deelen and Janine Haenen have written an article entitled [1]The
increasing role of metacognitive skills in math: a cross-sectional study from a developmental perspective. This
article was published online in [2]ZDM last week. The article is an Open Access article, so it is freely available
for all to read, but here is a copy of the abstract to tickle your interest:
Both intelligence and metacognitive skillfulness have been regarded as important predictors of
math performance. The role that metacognitive skills play in math, however, seems to be subjected to
change over the early years of secondary education. Metacognitive skills seem to become more gen-
eral (i.e., less domain-specic) by nature (Veenman and Spaans in Learn Individ Differ 15:159176,
2005). Moreover, according to the monotonic development hypothesis (Alexander et al. in Dev Rev
15:137, 1995), metacognitive skills increase with age, independent of intellectual development. This
hypothesis was tested in a study with 29 second-year students (1314 years) and 30 third-year stu-
dents (1415 years) in secondary education. A standardized intelligence test was administered to all
students. Participants solved math word problems with a difculty level adapted to their age group.
Thinking-aloud protocols were collected and analyzed on the frequency and quality of metacognitive
activities. Another series of math word problems served as post-test. Results show that the frequency
of metacognitive activity, especially those of planning and evaluation, increased with age. Intelligence
was a strong predictor of math performance in 13- to 14-year-olds, but it was less prominent in 14- to
15-year-olds. Although the quality of metacognitive skills appeared to predict math performance in
both age groups, its predictive power was stronger in 14- to 15-year-olds, even on top of intelligence.
It bears relevance to math education, as it shows the increasing relevance of metacognitive skills to
math learning with age.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/a7033g8661p71367/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=d61088afcb824b2da46efa5899f4df37&pi=0
Math tutoring for low-achieving students (2009-12-14 08:11)
Ronnie Karsenty has written an article entitled [1]Nonprofessional mathematics tutoring for low-achieving stu-
dents in secondary schools: A case study. This article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathe-
matics last week. The project that is reported in the article is part of a larger project (SHLAV - Hebrew acronym
for Improving Mathematics Learning). The research questions in the study are:
1. Will nonprofessional tutoring be effective, in terms of improving students achievements in mathematics,
and if so, to what extent?
2. Which factors will be identied by tutors as having the greatest impact on the success or failure of tutoring?
This article discusses the possibility of using nonprofessional tutoring as means for advancing low
achievers in secondary school mathematics. In comparison with professional, paraprofessional, and
peer tutoring, nonprofessional tutoring may seem less benecial and, at rst glance, inadequate. The
described case study shows that nonprofessional tutors may contribute to students understanding and
achievements, and thus, they can serve as an important assisting resource for mathematics teachers, es-
pecially in disadvantaged communities. In the study, young adults volunteered to tutor low-achieving
students in an urban secondary school. Results showed a considerable mean gain in students grades.
It is suggested that affective factors, as well as the instruction given to tutors by a specialized coun-
selor, have played a major role in maintaining successful tutoring.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/233053x6th485370/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=871df1bf751f4e268fde81a68738c2a8&pi=0
TIMSS Advanced 2008 (2009-12-14 08:25)
Last week, the [1]results from the TIMSS Advanced 2008 were released. The TIMSS assessment is probably
well known to most, and the TIMSS video studies might also be familiar to some, but what exactly is TIMSS
Advanced? The following description from the ofcial website might explain some of the confusion:
TIMSS Advanced 2008 assesses student achievement in advanced mathematics and physics in the
nal year of secondary schoolthe twelfth grade in many countries. TIMSS Advanced is part of
IEA`s series of TIMSS international assessments designed to provide comparative information about
educational achievement across countries. Because TIMSS Advanced assesses students in their last
year of secondary school who have studied advanced mathematics or physics to prepare them for fur-
ther study of mathematics and science at the tertiary level, the results are of particular importance for
educational decision making. (Source: [2]http://timss.bc.edu/timss _advanced/index.html)
If you want to take a closer look at the full report from this study, you can check out [3]this link (this is a direct
link to a 33MB pdf le!). In case you want to dig even deeper into all the details and documentation of this study,
you might want to take a look at [4]The TIMSS Advanced 2008 Technical Report (14MB).
References
Arora, A., Foy, P., Martin, M.O., & Mullis, I.V.S. (Eds.). (2009). TIMSS Advanced 2008 Technical Report. Chest-
nut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College.
Mullis, I.V.S., Martin, M.O., Robitaille, D.F., & Foy, P. (2009). TIMSS Advanced 2008 International Report:
Findings from IEAs Study of Achievement in Advanced Mathematics and Physics in the Final Year of Secondary
School. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College.
1. http://timss.bc.edu/timss_advanced/ir-release.html
2. http://timss.bc.edu/timss_advanced/index.html
3. http://timss.bc.edu/timss_advanced/downloads/TIMSS_Advanced_2008_IntlReport.pdf
4. http://timss.bc.edu/timss_advanced/downloads/TIMSS_Advanced_2008_TechnicalReport.pdf
Learning to teach mathematics through inquiry (2009-12-23 11:57)
Jo Towers has written an article entitled [1]Learning to teach mathematics through inquiry: a focus on the relation-
ship between describing and enacting inquiry-oriented teaching. The article was published online in [2]Journal of
Mathematics Teacher Education last week. Here is the abstract of the article:
This article is based on one of the several case studies of recent graduates of a teacher education
programme that is founded upon inquiry-based, eld-oriented and learner-focussed principles and
practices and that is centrally concerned with shaping teachers who can enact strong inquiry-based
practices in Kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms. The analysis draws on interviews with one gradu-
ate, and on video data collected in his multi-aged Grade 1/2 classroom, to explore some of the ways in
which this new teacher enacted inquiry-based teaching approaches in his rst year of teaching and to
consider his capacity to communicate his understanding of inquiry. This article presents implications
for beginning teachers` collaborative practices, for the assessment of new teachers and for practices in
preservice teacher education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/n2624u85mr423377/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=66831f5eb94d4c5cb77b6cbc1c1b4a00&pi=0
Teacher lust (2009-12-23 12:00)
AndrewM. Tyminski has written an article that was recently published online in [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher
Education. The article is entitled [2]Teacher lust: reconstructing the construct for mathematics instruction. Here
is the abstract of Tyminskis article:
Two collegiate mathematics courses for prospective elementary and middle grades teachers pro-
vide the context for the examination of Mary Boole`s construct of teacher lust. Through the use of
classroom observations and instructor interviews, the author presents a rened conception of teacher
lust. Two working aspects of the construct were identied: (1) enacted teacher lust; an observable
action that may remove an opportunity for students to think about or engage in mathematics for them-
selves; and (2) experienced teacher lust; an internal impulse to act in the manner described. Empirical
examples of each facet, differences between conscious and unconscious interactions with teacher lust,
along with potential antecedents are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=d0c8b885321f4bed9cee5ca328187968&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/75524737044m574k/
Merry Christmas (2009-12-25 10:41)
I wish all of my readers a merry Christmas! Things are going to be somewhat slow here on the blog for a few days,
but I promise to be back in early January with more news about mathematics education research!
If you want to stay up to date, you might consider checking my [1]shared articles on Google Reader, or you can
go directly to the [2]automatically updated articles within the eld of mathematics education. Articles related to
[3]education research in general can be found here, and articles related to [4]early childhood education can be
found here. You might also consider [5]following me on twitter, where I will also provide news and updates about
mathematics education and other things of interest.
1. http://www.google.no/reader/shared/reidarmosvold?hl=no
2. http://www.google.no/reader/shared/user%2F07716708065977899712%2Flabel%2FMathedresearch?
hl=no
3. http://www.google.no/reader/shared/user%2F07716708065977899712%2Flabel%2FEducation?hl=no
4. http://www.google.no/reader/shared/user%2F07716708065977899712%2Flabel%2FEarly%
20Childhood%20Education?hl=no
Chapter 3
2010
3.1 January
Happy new year! (2010-01-01 12:09)
I want to wish all readers of the Mathematics Education Research Blog a happy new year!
2009 was a nice year in many ways, and I am certain that 2010 will be a great year too! No matter what lies ahead,
I will do my best to keep you up to date on what happens in the world of mathematics education research, with a
particular emphasis on journals and scientic articles. Best of wishes to all of you, and I hope that 2010 will be a
productive year for each and everyone of you!
January issue of Science & Education (2010-01-04 11:50)
The [1]January issue of [2]Science & Education has been published. One of the articles contained in the issue is
of relevance to mathematics education: [3]A Pilot Study of a Cultural-Historical Approach to Teaching Geometry.
The article is written by [4]Stuart Rowlands from the [5]University of Plymouth. Here is the abstract of his article:
There appears to be a widespread assumption that deductive geometry is inappropriate for most
learners and that they are incapable of engaging with the abstract and rule-governed intellectual pro-
cesses that became the world`s rst fully developed and comprehensive formalised system of thought.
This article discusses a curriculum initiative that aims to 'bring to life` the major transformative (pri-
mary) events in the history of Greek geometry, aims to encourage a meta-discourse that can develop
a reective consciousness and aims to provide an opportunity for the induction into the formalities
of proof and to engage with the abstract. The results of a pilot study to see whether 1415 year old
'mixed ability` and 1516 year old 'gifted and talented` students can be meaningfully engaged with
two such transformative events are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/h0746h6459k3/
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102992/?p=475fc28f51584a358d667a685c3a8356&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/71m58563122774hm/?p=579d76d871a14ec185e1e1800e790d12&pi=3
4. http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/dynamic.asp?page=staffdetails&id=srowlands
5. http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/
Using history as a goal (2010-01-08 22:27)
Uffe Thomas Jankvist has written an article called [1]An empirical study of using history as a 'goal`. The article
was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics two days ago. Here is the abstract of his article:
This article discusses an empirical study on the use of history as a goal. A historical module is
designed and implemented in a Danish upper secondary class in order to study the students` capabil-
ities at engaging in meta-issue discussions and reections on mathematics and its history. Based on
videos of the implementation, students` hand-in essay assignments, questionnaires, and follow-up in-
terviews, the conditions, sense, and extent to which the students are able to perform such discussions
and reections are analyzed using a described theoretical framework.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j605615t135k333p/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=f147b72c404b460a92fac19803f9c6d4&pi=0
Integrating technology into mathematics teaching (2010-01-12 10:13)
Zsolt Lavicza has written an article entitled [1]Integrating technology into mathematics teaching at the university
level. This article was published online in [2]ZDM on Friday. Here is the abstract of the article:
The emergence of new computing technologies in the second half of the twentieth century brought
about new potentials and promised the rapid transformation of the teaching and learning of mathemat-
ics. However, despite the vast investments in technology resources for schools and universities, the
realities of schooling and the complexities of technology-equipped environments resulted in a much
slower integration process than was predicted in the 1980s. Hence researchers, together with teach-
ers and mathematicians, began examining and reecting on various aspects of technology-assisted
teaching and learning and on the causes of slow technology integration. Studies highlighted that as
technology becomes increasingly available in schools, teachers` beliefs and conceptions about tech-
nology use in teaching are key factors for understanding the slowness of technology integration. In
this paper, I outline the shift of research focus from learning and technology environment-related
issues to teachers` beliefs and conceptions. In addition, I highlight that over the past two decades
a considerable imbalance has developed in favour of school-level research against university-level
research. However, several changes in universities, such as students declining mathematical prepared-
ness and demands from other sciences and employers, necessitate closer attention to university-level
research. Thus, I outline some results of my study that aimed to reect on the paucity of research
and examined the current extend of technology use, particularly Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) at
universities, mathematicians` views about the role of CAS in tertiary mathematics teaching, and the
factors inuencing technology integration. I argue that due to mathematicians` extensive use of CAS
in their research and teaching, documenting their teaching practices and carrying out research at this
level would not only be benecial at the university level but also contribute to our understanding of
technology integration at all levels.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/1188k58kh5562t32/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=201f604df02843cdbed28e61e51d0be9&pi=0
TMME, No 1, 2010 (2010-01-14 20:43)
The next issue of THE MONTANA MATHEMATICS ENTHUSIAST is soon to appear, and it is going to be Vol.7,
No.1, January 2010. This issue is particularly exciting for me, since I am introduced as one of the new members
of the editorial board! As usual, it is also going to be an interesting issue. The entire issue will be available soon
on [1]the journal website.
Here is a list of the feature articles in the forthcoming issue of TMME:
1. When is .999... Less Than 1? by Karin Usadi Katz and Mikhail G. Katz (Israel)
2. High School Teachers use of Dynamic Software to generate serendipitous mathematical relations, by Manuel
Santos-Trigo and Hugo Espinosa-Prez (Mexico)
3. Gender and Mathematics Education in Pakistan: A situation analysis, by Anjum Halai (Pakistan/Tanzania)
4. Early Intervention in College Mathematics Courses: A Component of the STEM RRG Program Funded by
the US Department of Education, by Rohitha Goonatilake and Eduardo Chappa (USA)
5. "What Was Really Accomplished Today?" Mathematics Content Specialists Observe a Class for Prospective
K-8 Teachers, by Andrew M. Tyminski, Sarah Ledford, Dennis Hembree (USA)
6. Leading Learning within a PLC: Implementing New Mathematics Content, by Ann Heirdseld, Janeen
Lamb, Gayle Spry (Australia)
7. Mathematical Reasoning in Service Courses: Why Students Need Mathematical Modeling Problems, by
Kris H. Green & Allen Emerson (USA)
8. Randomness: Developing an understanding of mathematical order, by Steve Humble (UK)
9. The Constructs of PhD Students about Innity: An Application of Repertory Grids, by Serdar Aztekin,
Ahmet Arikan (Turkey) & Bharath Sriraman (USA)
Below, youll nd Professor Bharath Sriramans editorial, and the updated editorial board info:
[2]TMME, vol7, no1, 2010, Editorial
[3]Edboardlistandjournalinfo _vol7no1 _2010
2. http://www.scribd.com/doc/25225325/TMME-vol7-no1-2010-Editorial
3. http://www.scribd.com/doc/25225447/Edboardlistandjournalinfo-vol7no1-2010
TMME, January 2010 revisited (2010-01-15 21:41)
[1]The January issue of The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast has now been released on the [2]journal website.
The entire issue is freely available as always!
[3]0. New Year Tidings Bharath Sriraman (USA) pp. 1-2
FEATURE ARTICLES
[4]1. When is .999... Less Than 1? Karin Usadi Katz and Mikhail G. Katz (Israel) pp. 3-30
[5]2. High School Teachers use of Dynamic Software to generate serendipitous mathematical relations Manuel
Santos-Trigo and Hugo Espinosa-Prez (Mexico) pp. 31-46
[6]3. Gender and Mathematics Education in Pakistan: A situation analysis Anjum Halai (Pakistan/Tanzania) pp.
47-62
[7]4. Early Intervention in College Mathematics Courses: A Component of the STEM RRG Program Funded by
the US Department of Education Rohitha Goonatilake and Eduardo Chappa (USA) pp. 63-74
[8]5. 'What Was Really Accomplished Today?
Mathematics Content Specialists Observe a Class for Prospective K8 Teachers Andrew M. Tyminski, Sarah Led-
ford, Dennis Hembree (USA) pp. 75-92
[9]6. Leading Learning within a PLC: Implementing New Mathematics Content Ann Heirdseld, Janeen Lamb,
Gayle Spry (Australia) pp. 93-112
[10]7. Mathematical Reasoning in Service Courses: Why Students Need Mathematical Modeling Problems Kris
H. Green & Allen Emerson (USA) pp. 113-140
[11]8. Randomness: Developing an understanding of mathematical order. Steve Humble (UK) pp. 141-148
[12]9. The Constructs of PhD Students about Innity: An Application of Repertory Grids Serdar Aztekin, Ahmet
Arikan (Turkey) & Bharath Sriraman (USA) pp. 149-174
1. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol7no1/
2. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME
3. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol7no1/TMMEvol7no1_2010_article0Editorial_pp.1_2.pdf
4. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol7no1/TMME_vol7no1_2010_article1_pp.3_30.pdf
5. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol7no1/TMMEvol7no1_2010_article2_pp.31_46.pdf
12. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol7no1/TMMEvol7no1_article9_pp.149_174.pdf
Engaging in problem posing activities (2010-01-19 09:30)
Ilana Lavya and Atara Shrikib have written an article that was recently published online in [1]The Journal of
Mathematical Behavior. The full title of their article is: [2]Engaging in problem posing activities in a dynamic
geometry setting and the development of prospective teachers` mathematical knowledge. Here is the abstract of
their article:
In the present study we explore changes in perceptions of our class of prospective mathematics
teachers (PTs) regarding their mathematical knowledge. The PTs engaged in problem posing activities
in geometry, using the 'What If Not? (WIN) strategy, as part of their work on computerized inquiry-
based activities. Data received from the PTs` portfolios reveals that they believe that engaging in
the inquiry-based activity enhanced both their mathematical and meta-mathematical knowledge. As
to the mathematical knowledge, they deepened their knowledge regarding the geometrical concepts
and shapes involved, and during the process of creating the problem and checking its validity and its
solution, they deepened their understanding of the interconnections among the concepts and shapes
involved. As to meta-mathematical knowledge, the PTs refer to aspects such as the meaning of the
givens and their relations, validity of an argument, the importance and usefulness of the denitions of
concepts and objects, and the importance of providing a formal proof.
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5B-4Y648DK-1&_user=1460901&_
rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000052797&_version=1&_
urlVersion=0&_userid=1460901&md5=4bc5eb2150a91025097f72ab26e4a7ad
Feeling number (2010-01-22 08:36)
David Wagner and Brent Davis have written an article called [1]Feeling number: grounding number sense in a
sense of quantity. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics on Monday. In this
interesting article, they draw upon different theories and ideas from psychology as well as cultural and linguistic
studies. Here is the abstract of their article:
Drawing on results from psychology and from cultural and linguistic studies, we argue for an in-
creased focus on developing quantity sense in school mathematics. We explore the notion of 'feeling
number, a phrase that we offer in a twofold senseresisting tendencies to feel numb-er (more numb)
by developing a feeling for numbers and the quantities they represent. First, we distinguish between
quantity sense and the relatively vague notion of number sense. Second, we consider the human ca-
pacity for quantity sense and place that in the context of related cultural issues, including verbal and
symbolic representations of number. Third and more pragmatically, we offer teaching strategies that
seem helpful in the development of quantity sense coupled with number sense. Finally, we argue that
there is a moral imperative to connect number sense with such a quantity sense that allows students to
feel the weight of numbers. It is important that learners develop a feeling for number, which includes
a sense of what numbers are and what they can do.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/454q6716722p4375/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=77e1242fbbf7449790de295648f769a2&pi=0
Mathematics education and democracy (2010-01-22 09:56)
Adriana Cesar de Mattos and Marcelo Salles Batarce have written an article that was published online in [1]ZDM
on Wednesday. This article is about [2]Mathematics education and democracy, and here is a copy of the abstract:
In this paper, we investigate the relationship between mathematics education and the notions of
education for all/democracy. In order to proceed with our analysis, we present Marx`s concept of
commodity and Jean Baudrillard`s concept of sign value as a theoretical reference in the discussion
of how knowledge has become a universal need in today`s society and ideology. After, we engage in
showing mathematics education`s historical and epistemological grip to this ideology. We claim that
mathematics education appears in the time period that English becomes an international language and
the notion of international seems to be a key constructor in the constitution of that ideology. Here,
we draw from Derrida`s famous saying that 'there is nothing beyond the text. We conclude that a
critique to modern society and education has been developed from an idealistic concept of democracy.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m873228584277u77/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/m873228584277u77/
Online distance mathematics education in Brazil (2010-01-27 08:51)
Marcus Vinicius Maltempi and Ana Paula dos Santos Malheiros have written an article about [1]Online distance
mathematics education in Brazil: research, practice and policy. The article was recently published online in
[2]ZDM. Here is the abstract of their article:
In this article, we address online distance mathematics education research and practice in Brazil,
which are relative newcomers to the educational scene. We present the national context of education
in Brazil, highlighting the organization of the educational system, and also a summary of national
legislation on distance education and an overview of digital inclusion in the country. We outline the
potential and relevance of distance education for the Brazilian educational system and show how it
could intervene in the system. With respect to research and practice in online mathematics education,
we present support for research, examples of studies and highlight different aspects being addressed,
including its essential components. In addition, we discuss the synergy between distance education
and teacher education, and mathematics distance education and modeling, as well as other initiatives
in the national scenario.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b42743718057x013/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=4f3292163d88491589bbb34fe013e459&pi=0
Combining constructions of knowledge (2010-01-27 08:53)
Ivy Kidron and Tommy Dreyfus have written an article entitled [1]Justication enlightenment and combining con-
structions of knowledge. The article was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics last week.
Here is a copy of the abstract of their article:
This case study deals with a solitary learner`s process of mathematical justication during her in-
vestigation of bifurcation points in dynamic systems. Her motivation to justify the bifurcation points
drove the learning process. Methodologically, our analysis used the nested epistemic actions model
for abstraction in context. In previous work, we have shown that the learner`s attempts at justication
gave rise to several processes of knowledge construction, which develop in parallel and interact. In
this paper, we analyze the interaction pattern of combining constructions and show that combining
constructions indicate an enlightenment of the learner. This adds an analytic dimension to the nested
epistemic actions model of abstraction in context.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/0q30165616080l30/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=f01f043e4ea741dca24af7ecc9ec04cd&pi=0
3.2 February
ZDM, February, 2010 (2010-02-03 08:15)
A new issue of [1]ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education has been published. This issue has
a special focus on [2]Historical aspects of the use of technology and devices in ICMEs and ICMI, and guest edi-
tors have been Maria G. Bartolini Bussi and Marcelo C. Borba. The issue contains 15 articles which covers many
aspects of the theme, from historical perspectives on the use of technology to a social perspective on technology
enhanced learning. Here is an overview of the contents of this issue:
[3]The role of resources and technology in mathematics education, by Maria G. Bartolini Bussi and Marcelo
C. Borba
[4]Historical comments on the use of technology and devices in ICMEs and ICMI, by Gert Schubring
[5]Exploration of technologies, emerging from African cultural practices, in mathematics (teacher) educa-
tion, by Paulus Gerdes
[6]Concrete models and dynamic instruments as early technology tools in classrooms at the dawn of ICMI:
from Felix Klein to present applications in mathematics classrooms in different parts of the world, by Maria
G. Bartolini Bussi, Daina Taimina and Masami Isoda
[7]Mathematics learning and tools from theoretical, historical and practical points of view: the productive
notion of mathematics laboratories, by Michela Maschietto and Luc Trouche
[8]Collectives of humans-with-media in mathematics education: notebooks, blackboards, calculators, com-
puters and . notebooks throughout 100 years of ICMI, by Mnica E. Villarreal and Marcelo C. Borba
[9]Charting the microworld territory over time: design and construction in mathematics education, by Lulu
Healy and Chronis Kynigos
[10]Graphic calculators and connectivity software to be a community of mathematics practitioners, by Or-
nella Robutti
[11]A social perspective on technology-enhanced mathematical learning: from collaboration to perfor-
mance, by George Gadanidis and Vince Geiger
[12]Integrating technology into mathematics teaching at the university level, by Zsolt Lavicza
[13]Place and use of new technology in the teaching of mathematics: ICMI activities in the past 25 years,
by Colette Laborde and Rudolf Strer
[14]Clarkson, P., Presmeg, N. (eds) (2008): Critical Issues in Mathematics Education: Major Contributions
of Alan Bishop, Springer, New York, 257 pp., ISBN 978-0-387-09672-8, by Irit Peled
[15]Acknowledgements to reviewers 2009, by Gabriele Kaiser
[16]Acknowledgments to the members of the Editorial Board, by Gabriele Kaiser
[17]Advances in mathematics education: new book series connected to ZDMThe International Journal on
Mathematics Education, by Gabriele Kaiser and Bharath Sriraman
1. http://springerlink.com/content/120453/?p=f83957ee85c543ada9e048afbe8628c4&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/tg0p335l0863/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/d6v1426372623842/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/5876853517518646/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/u9w4521k2753861u/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/e584461160453656/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/48045470220u4073/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/k83m060857524483/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=5
9. http://springerlink.com/content/dv63250778507145/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=6
10. http://springerlink.com/content/c44u7733h423wg1g/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=7
11. http://springerlink.com/content/xl65116k227045k2/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=8
12. http://springerlink.com/content/1188k58kh5562t32/?p=b6aa968db196484fa458ef2cdace5454&pi=9
13. http://springerlink.com/content/u68g117872145752/?p=1de81b6eaeac4990beb820b2ce991ce7&pi=
10
14. http://springerlink.com/content/v86217l607lg2m75/?p=1de81b6eaeac4990beb820b2ce991ce7&pi=
11
15. http://springerlink.com/content/k37311605v081511/?p=1de81b6eaeac4990beb820b2ce991ce7&pi=
12
16. http://springerlink.com/content/a880h46t3628r237/?p=1de81b6eaeac4990beb820b2ce991ce7&pi=
13
17. http://springerlink.com/content/07137233245n7175/?p=1de81b6eaeac4990beb820b2ce991ce7&pi=
14
Mathematically based and practically based explanations (2010-02-09 08:44)
Esther Levenson, Pessia Tsamir and Dina Tirosh have written an interesting article about [1]Mathematically based
and practically based explanations in the elementary school: teachers` preferences. Their article was published
online in [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education on Friday. In this article, the authors make interesting
connnections between research on teachers knowledge and beliefs. Although their focus is on knowledge and
beliefs in relation to the use of explanations (and they distinguish between mathematically and practically based
explanations) in the classroom, the article makes a nice contribution to extending our understanding of the way
these concepts are related. The part of teachers knowledge (and beliefs) that the authors discuss is related to stu-
dents thinking, or even a sub-category of that. In this respect, they make valuable contributions to what Deborah
Ball and her colleagues refer to as Knowledge of Content and Students, but their focus is also in the borderline
of what is referred to as Knowledge of Content and Teaching. The links to research concerning teachers beliefs
is also interesting, althought the authors dont go into great detail here. They are, of course, aware of this, and
explain that they have only given "a glimpse into the complexity of the relationship between teachers knowledge
and beliefs", in particular with focus on teachers use of explanations.
This article focuses on elementary school teachers` preferences for mathematically based (MB)
and practically based (PB) explanations. Using the context of even and odd numbers, it explores the
types of explanations teachers generate on their own as well as the types of explanations they prefer
after reviewing various explanations. It also investigates the basis for these preferences. Results show
that teacher-generated explanations include more MB explanations than PB explanations. However,
many still choose to use mostly PB explanations in their classrooms, believing that these explanations
will be most convincing to their students. The implications for teacher education are discussed.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b331815x4u84250w/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=874c2cd6d35c46e39b5277d3db330c30&pi=0
Busy days... (2010-02-16 22:12)
The last couple of weeks have been extremely busy - for many reasons - and I havent been able to follow up on all
the latest articles and news in the eld. I apologize for this, and I hope that all the readers of the blog have patience
with me! I promise that I will catch up :-)
In the meantime, you always have a couple of good options in order to stay really up-to-date:
Pay attention to my [1]Google Reader blog (shared items)
Follow me on [2]twitter
These two sites are a bit easier for me to update, and when I dont manage to update my blog as often as I would, I
will probably continue to push new updates to these two other services. Still, as soon as I get my head above water
again, I will keep providing you with information here as well :-)
1. http://www.google.com/reader/shared/reidarmosvold
Teachers attending to students reasoning (2010-02-24 08:09)
John M. Francisco and Carolyn A. Maher have written an article about [1]Teachers attending to students` mathe-
matical reasoning: lessons from an after-school research program. This article was published online in [2]Journal
of Mathematics Teacher Education last Thursday. This article is interesting in several respects, amongst others
because awareness of and knowledge about students mathematical reasoning is something teachers need, and it
should be part of every mathematics teachers professional knowledge. Theoretically, it builds upon Shulmans
classic framework, but they also make interesting links to a focus on practitioner-researcher collaboration. The
article reports on a study that was made of "elementary and middle school teachers who participated as interns in
the 1-year NSF-funded Informal Mathematical Learning Project (IML)". Here is a copy of the abstract of their
article:
There is a documented need for more opportunities for teachers to learn about students` math-
ematical reasoning. This article reports on the experiences of a group of elementary and middle
school mathematics teachers who participated as interns in an after-school, classroom-based research
project on the development of mathematical ideas involving middle-grade students from an urban,
low-income, minority community in the United States. For 1 year, the teachers observed the stu-
dents working on well-dened mathematical investigations that provided a context for the students`
formation of particular mathematical ideas and different forms of reasoning in several mathematical
content strands. The article describes insights into students` mathematical reasoning that the teachers
were able to gain from their observations of the students` mathematical activity. The purpose is to
show that teachers` observations of students` mathematical activity in research sessions on students`
development of mathematical ideas can provide opportunities for teachers to learn about students`
mathematical reasoning.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/h4427425w5214r78/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102941/?p=f543d3ae5bb84194a1542f6429e160aa&pi=0
Exploring kindergarten teachers pedagogical content knowledge of mathematics (2010-02-26 10:08)
Last week, an interesting article was published online in the [1]International Journal of Early Childhood. The
article is entitled [2]Exploring Kindergarten Teachers` Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Mathematics, and it
has been written by Joohl Lee. The combination of teachers knowledge of mathematics and kindergarten is very
interesting, and while a lot of research has been done to learn more about the type of knowledge mathematics
teachers need in school, little has been done to learn more about this in kindergarten. This is also mentioned by
Lee in the article. As the title of the article reveals, Lee builds upon Shulmans traditional framework of teachers
professional knowledge. What I dont understand, however, is how it is possible to write an article about teachers
pedagogical content knowledge of mathematics without making any reference to the MKT (Mathematical Knowl-
edge for Teaching) framework, or any of the work done by Deborah Ball and her colleagues at the University of
Michigan. I understand that this article has a focus on kindergarten, but still... I also think there should be some
mention of how the teachers in the study were selected. 81 kindergarten teachers were assessed in the study, and
55 % of these had a masters degree. I would like to know more about how representative this sample was. Still, I
think it is an interesting article, and I think it is a good thing that the issue of kindergarten teachers knowledge of
mathematics is addressed.
The purpose of this study was to assess 81 kindergarten teachers` pedagogical content knowl-
edge of mathematics on six subcategory areas such as number sense, pattern, ordering, shapes, spatial
sense, and comparison. The data showed participants possessed a higher level of pedagogical content
knowledge of 'number sense (M = 89.12) compared to other mathematics pedagogical content areas.
The second highest scores among six subcategories of pedagogical content knowledge of mathemat-
ics was for the pedagogical content area of 'pattern (M = 82.33). The lowest scores among those
six subcategories of kindergarten teachers` pedagogical content knowledge were obtained from the
subcategory of 'spatial sense (M = 44.23), which involved the means to introduce children to spa-
tial relationships. The second lowest score was obtained for the subcategory of 'comparison (M =
50.40) which involved the means to introduce the concept of graphing and the use of a balance scale
for measurement.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/121569/?p=0b96e5634d3b48b583d1875646d29fce&pi=0
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/d814315236r7n4n5/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=
twitter
BlogBook 3.3. March
3.3 March
Appropriating geometric series as a cultural tool (2010-03-01 13:13)
A couple of new articles have been published online in [1]Educational Studies in Mathematics lately, amongst
those a very interesting one by my good colleague Martin Carlsen from the University of Agder, Norway. His
article is entitled: [2]Appropriating geometric series as a cultural tool: a study of student collaborative learning.
Carlsen, along with other colleagues in Agder, have been inuenced by the focus on small-group problem solving
that was advocated by Neil Davidson and others some years ago. The Agder group is also strongly inuenced by
theories related to sociocultural perspectives of teaching and learning mathematics, and this article provides a nice
overview of some of these theoretical foundations. The research reported in this article can be placed within a
qualitative, naturalistic paradigm, and the data were analyzed using a dialogical approach (Carlsen here makes use
of a framework developed by two other colleagues: Maria-Luiza Cestari and Raymond Bjuland). So, if you are
interested in any of the perspectives referred to above, this article should be highly relevant for you! Here is the
abstract of the article:
The aim of this article is to illustrate how students, through collaborative small-group problem
solving, appropriate the concept of geometric series. Student appropriation of cultural tools is de-
pendent on ve sociocultural aspects: involvement in joint activity, shared focus of attention, shared
meanings for utterances, transforming actions and utterances and use of pre-existing cultural knowl-
edge from the classroom in small-group problem solving. As an analytical point of departure, four
mathematical theoretical components are identied when appropriating the cultural tool of geometric
series: (1) estimating of parameters, (2) establishing of the general term, (3) composing of the sum
and (4) deciding on convergence. Analyses of ve excerpts focused on the students` social processes
of knowledge objectication and the corresponding semiotic means, i.e., lecture notes, linguistic de-
vices, gestures, head movements and gaze, to obtain shared foci and meanings. The investigation of
these processes unveils the manner in which the students established links to pre-existing mathematical
knowledge in the classroom and how they simultaneously combined the various mathematical theoret-
ical components that go into appropriating the cultural tool of geometric series. From the excerpts, it
is evident that the students` participation changes throughout their involvement in the problem-solving
process. The students are gaining mathematical knowing through a process of transforming and by
establishing shared meanings for the concept and its theoretical components.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=fa4acae582634d05b3b1a31750f9244f&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/r22t766215563538/
Review of my blog (2010-03-29 06:51)
After a slow month (on the blog - not at work!), it is great to see someone writing a nice review of this blog. This
time it is Jerry Johnson from MathNEXUS who has written a [1]very kind review. [2]MathNEXUS is a web site
particularly geared towards teachers of mathematics, and it presents itself as a mathematics portal with "news and
ideas for teachers and learners of mathematics. So, if youre into teaching and/or learning of mathematics it might
be worthwhile to check it out!
Thanks for the kind words, Jerry :-)
1. http://www.mathnexus.wwu.edu/website.asp?ID=181
2. http://mathnexus.wwu.edu/default.asp
3.4. April BlogBook
New issue of IJMEST, vol 41, issue 3, 2010 (2010-03-29 07:02)
A [1]new issue of [2]International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology has been re-
leased, and it contains a whole host of interesting articles and classroom notes. This issue appears to have a
particular focus on the use of technology in mathematics teaching, and here is a list of the original articles that are
contained in the issue:
[3]Sustainable student retention and gender issues in mathematics for ICT study, by Blazenka Divjak, Mirela
Ostroski and Violeta Vidacek Hains
[4]A proposal for a variation on the axioms of classical geometry, by Bjorn Schellenberg
[5]Trends in performance of science and technology students (19972008) in Ireland, by Olivia Gill, John
O`Donoghue, Fiona Faulkner and Ailish Hannigan
[6]Relational understanding and paths of reasoning through a Boolean lattice classication of quadrilaterals,
by J. Karakonstantis and T. Patronis
[7]Using dynamic geometry to explore non-traditional theorems, by Arsalan Wares
[8]A new approach for proving or generating combinatorial identities, by Luis Gonzlez
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Edb=all%7Econtent=g920258631
3.4 April
JMTE, April 2010 (2010-04-12 13:07)
The [1]April issue of [2]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has recently been published. This issue con-
tains 6 interesting articles:
[3]Crossing the divide: reecting on the benets of international collaboration, by Anne D. Cockburn
[4]Secondary mathematics cooperating teachers` perceptions of the purpose of student teaching, by Keith R.
Leatham and Blake E. Peterson
[5]Analyzing and attempting to overcome prospective teachers` difculties during problem-solving instruc-
tion, by Alexander Karp
[6]Developing teachers` knowledge of students as learners of mathematics through structured interviews, by
Oliver F. Jenkins
[7]The inuence of video clubs on teachers` thinking and practice, by Elizabeth A. van Es and Miriam
Gamoran Sherin
BlogBook 3.5. May
[8]Prospective primary mathematics teachers` learning from on-line discussions in a virtual video-based
environment, by Salvador Llinares and Julia Valls
The article by van Es and Sherin is an Open Access article, so that one should be available even for non-subscribers!
1. http://springerlink.com/content/v32289m03401/
2. http://springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=f25820b38034480b9eb6632b54aec1e3&pi=0
3. http://springerlink.com/content/d3261ww84k53528k/?p=6147f092083046afaea625cca8f63760&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/8758l3k3k7847073/?p=6147f092083046afaea625cca8f63760&pi=1
5. http://springerlink.com/content/l76221670782wk03/?p=6147f092083046afaea625cca8f63760&pi=2
6. http://springerlink.com/content/jl38838771j27205/?p=6147f092083046afaea625cca8f63760&pi=3
7. http://springerlink.com/content/21088m5670588040/?p=6147f092083046afaea625cca8f63760&pi=4
8. http://springerlink.com/content/y6034p2g1546561g/?p=6147f092083046afaea625cca8f63760&pi=5
3.5 May
Theories of Mathematics Education - Recommendations from Reuben Hersh (2010-05-19 10:25)
"Theories of Mathematics Education: Seeking new frontiers" is the rst book in the series: [1]Advances in Math-
ematics Education. The book was published a while ago, and it has already received good reviews and recommen-
dations. The last in line to recommend the book is [2]Reuben Hersh, and he has some very positive things to say
about it:
A very impressive new book, "Theories of Mathematics Education" (Springer) edited by Sriraman
and English is meant to inaugurate a new series, "Advances in Mathematics Education" . This rst
book in the series is a massive and ambitious undertaking, a very wide-ranging survey written in a
dialogic format. (See [3]this link for more!)
1. http://www.springer.com/series/8392
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_Hersh
3. http://www.math.umt.edu/tmme/TME/
New issue of Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education (2010-05-19 10:33)
A new issue of [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has been published (See [2]SpringerLink - Journal
Issue). The issue contains ve interesting articles, all of them with a strong focus on inquiry:
[3]
[4]The challenge in developing in mathematics teachers an inquiry stance to teaching, by Peter
Sullivan.
[5]Collaborative teacher inquiry as a tool for building theory on the development and use of rich
mathematical tasks, by David Slavit and Tamara Holmlund Nelson.
[6]The effect of video-based approach on prospective teachers ability to analyze mathematics
teaching, by Othman N. Alsawaie and Iman M. Alghazo.
[7]Learning to teach mathematics through inquiry: a focus on the relationship between describing
and enacting inquiry-oriented teaching, by Jo Towers.
[8]Conceptions of effective mathematics teaching within a cultural context: perspectives of teach-
ers from China and the United States, by Jinfa Cai and Tao Wang.
3.5. May BlogBook
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=e6e11bc24661460d9b09a0a25037ffdc&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/m12q4162412p/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/44070131570m6481/?p=b98db7561cec4d78ba97b8fb72b4d62d&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.com/content/44070131570m6481/?p=b98db7561cec4d78ba97b8fb72b4d62d&pi=0
5. http://springerlink.com/content/v26635q24032n8jm/?p=b98db7561cec4d78ba97b8fb72b4d62d&pi=1
6. http://springerlink.com/content/m730w5518t3q365v/?p=b98db7561cec4d78ba97b8fb72b4d62d&pi=2
7. http://springerlink.com/content/n2624u85mr423377/?p=b98db7561cec4d78ba97b8fb72b4d62d&pi=3
8. http://springerlink.com/content/x0964j3834153546/?p=b98db7561cec4d78ba97b8fb72b4d62d&pi=4
First Sourcebook on Nordic Research in Mathematics Education (2010-05-21 20:50)
[1] The First Sourcebook on Nordic Research in Mathematics Education
is going to be released in July this year, and I have been given the opportunity by the main editor, Professor Bharath
Sriraman, to publish the cover photo and the table of contents rst, here on this blog!
Being the rst one to provide this news is of course great, and I guess that I am also enthusiastic about the book
because I am one of the authors. The main reason why I am really enthusiastic about this book, however, is that
it is going to be a monumental documentation of Nordic research and contributions to the eld of mathematics
education research. Putting together a book like this is a feature in itself, and I tip my hat to Bharath and the
co-editors for this effort! I am happy that I have been able to be a part of it, and I am looking forward to digging
into it! And I am quite certain that the hopes, which are expressed by the main editor in the foreword, are going
to become true when it comes to this book. It will be "of use to many generations of mathematics education
researchers inside and outside the Nordic world" (p. xii).
So, keep an eye on the publishers website at [2]http://www.infoagepub.com/products/First-Sourcebook-Nordic-
Re search-Mathematics-Education to make sure you dont miss the release date! And, in the meantime you can
build your expectations by reading the table of contents as well as the foreword below:
[3]TheFirstNordicSourcebook _TOC
1. http://mathedresearch.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/sriramancase5b15d.jpg
2. http://www.infoagepub.com/products/First-Sourcebook-Nordic-Research-Mathematics-Education
3. http://www.scribd.com/doc/31742097/TheFirstNordicSourcebook-TOC
BlogBook 3.6. June
3.6 June
Teachers metacognitive behavior in problem solving (2010-06-09 07:15)
Mathematics education research appears to be blooming in Turkey, at least this is my personal impression about
the seemingly increasing number of articles that are published by Turkish researchers. Handan Demirciolu ,
Ziya Argn and Safure Bulut have written an article about [1]A case study: assessment of preservice secondary
mathematics teachers` metacognitive behaviour in the problem-solving process, and this article was recently pub-
lished online in [2]ZDM. The article reports from one of many studies on problem solving in Turkey, but when the
other studies have focused on issues related to beliefs, problem solving strategies, etc., this one has a focus on the
teachers metacognition. Here is the abstract of their article:
The purpose of the present study was to investigate preservice secondary mathematics teachers`
metacognitive behaviour in the mathematical problem-solving process. The case study methodology
was employed with six preservice mathematics teachers, enrolled at one university in Ankara, Turkey.
We collected data by using the think aloud method, which lasted for two sessions. It was found that
there was no relationship between academic achievement and frequencies of metacognitive behaviour.
However, the types of problems could affect these frequencies. Furthermore, there was no pattern in
metacognitive behaviour with respect to achievement and type of problem.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/52750n22xn441u20/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=9338ab9db1b240e29396cf28f720d252&pi=0
Preservice teachers conceptions of multidigit wholenumbers (2010-06-11 13:57)
[1]Eva Thanheiser ([2]Portland State University) has written an interesting article that was published online in
[3]Educational Studies in Mathematics this week. The article is entitled [4]Investigating further preservice teach-
ers` conceptions of multidigit whole numbers: rening a framework, and in the article, Thanheiser digs into the
domain of (preservice) teachers content knowledge of mathematics. Here is the abstract of Thanheisers article:
This study was designed to investigate preservice elementary school teachers` (PSTs`) responses to
written standard place-value-operation tasks (addition and subtraction). Previous research established
that PSTs can often perform but not explain algorithms and provided a four-category framework for
PSTs` conceptions, two correct and two incorrect. Previous ndings are replicated for PSTs toward
the end of their college careers, and two conceptions are further analyzed to yield three categories
of incorrect views of regrouped digits: (a) consistently as 1 value (all as 1 or all as 10), (b) consis-
tently within but not across contexts (i.e., all as 10 in addition but all as 1 in subtraction), and (c)
inconsistently (depending on the task).
1. http://www.directory.pdx.edu/index.php?getinfo=1&uid=evat&preferredcn_e=
2. http://www.pdx.edu/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/102875/?p=1f2380533275498b9e9158a76cf09f54&pi=0
4. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/v210063082w7q336/
A day of co-writing with Google Docs (2010-06-14 19:43)
Today has been one of those great days at work! I spent it together with two colleagues, with which I arranged a
working seminar in a local hotel. Three researchers, each with his/her own laptop, and [1]Google Docs. For quite
some time now, we have used Googles online ofce suite for all our collaborative writing projects. Since all the
writing we do in connection with our project (focus of our project is on mathematical knowledge for teaching) is
collaborative, it implies that we use it a lot. And most of the time we are quite happy about it! The latest update
3.6. June BlogBook
to Google Docs has some ups and downs though. On the positive side, real-time collaboration has become much
more real-time. Not quite Gobby-real-time, but not bad! On the negative side, however, the new version is rather
slow when using some browsers, and the new way of writing comments in the text is not an improvement in our
view! Comments are too much disconnected with the text, and if you forget to reply in the proper way it soon
becomes messy. We tend to use the old version for that reason. This is not perfect though, because the old version
of Docs does not exactly provide real-time collaboration...
Perhaps it is time to start exploring Wave more seriously, or even set up [2]Etherpad on our own server... Real-time
collaboration is great, and easy access to your documents (with sharing) is great, but I still havent found the perfect
solution it seems. Anyone wants to share their ideas about collaborative writing tools for academic writing?
1. http://docs.google.com/
2. http://etherpad.com/
Mathematics education in Brazil (2010-06-14 20:31)
A while ago, mathematics education in Brazil used to mean [1]Ubiratan DAmbrosio to many. To me, the combi-
nation of mathematics education + Brazil also makes me think about my dear colleague, [2]Professor Maria Luiza
Cestari, [3]University of Agder. If this is in any way close to your own level of knowledge about mathematics
education in Brazil, you might want to check out the latest issue of [4]ZDM. Some of the articles in [5]this theme
issue are related to the Brazilian context by content, and all of the articles are written by Brazilian scholars it
seems. If you have no interest in Brazil besides football, you still might be interested in taking a look, because the
thirteen articles that this issue includes cover a variety of issues that should be of interest to anyone within the eld
of mathematics education research. Take a look at the list of contents:
Dynamics of change of mathematics education in Brazil and a scenario of current research, by Ubiratan
DÀmbrosio and Marcelo C. Borba
Mathematics education and democracy, by Adriana Cesar de Mattos and Marcelo Salles Batarce
Online distance mathematics education in Brazil: research, practice and policy, by Marcus Vinicius Mal-
tempi and Ana Paula dos Santos Malheiros
The encounter of non-indigenous teacher educator and indigenous teacher: the invisibility of the challenges,
by Maria do Carmo Santos Domite
Trends of the history of mathematics education in Brazil, by Wagner Rodrigues Valente
Research on mathematics education, by Maria Aparecida Viggiani Bicudo
Brazilian research on modelling in mathematics education, by Jussara de Loiola Arajo
Mathematics education and differential inclusion: a study about two Brazilian timespace forms of life, by
Gelsa Knijnik and Fernanda Wanderer
Adult Education and Ethnomathematics: appropriating results, methods, and principles, by Maria da Con-
ceio Ferreira Reis Fonseca
Philosophical reections prompted by the principles of ethnomathematics, by Rogrio Ferreira
Mobilizing histories in mathematics teacher education: memories, social practices, and discursive games,
by Antonio Miguel and Iran Abreu Mendes
Digital technologies and the challenge of constructing an inclusive school mathematics, by Lulu Healy, Ana
Paula Jahn and Janete Bolite Frant
BlogBook 3.6. June
Modeling empowered by information and communication technologies, by Mnica E. Villarreal, Cristina B.
Esteley and Mara V. Mina
1. http://vello.sites.uol.com.br/ubi.htm
2. http://www.uia.no/kk/profil/marialc
4. http://springerlink.com/content/120453/?p=8377a8881664438baefbb7f7dca80db8&pi=0
5. http://springerlink.com/content/g22u051g0115/
Collaborative mathematical problem-solving processes (2010-06-14 21:41)
In addition to all the journals I subscribe to in Google Reader, I try to keep track of the [1]excellent aggregation
of articles related to educational research that my colleague [2]Doug Holton has set up. Going through the latest
updates from his shared items, I discovered an interesting article that was published in the journal [3]Learning and
Instruction. This particular article is entitled [4]Socially shared metacognition of dyads of pupils in collaborative
mathematical problem-solving processes, and it was written by Finish scholars Tuike Iiskala, Marja Vauras, Erno
Lehtinen and Pekka Salonen. Here is a copy of the abstract of their article:
This study investigated how metacognition appears as a socially shared phenomenon within col-
laborative mathematical word-problem solving processes of dyads of high-achieving pupils. Four
dyads solved problems of different difculty levels. The pupils were 10 years old. The problem-
solving activities were videotaped and transcribed in terms of verbal and nonverbal behaviours as well
as of turns taken in communication (N= 14 675). Episodes of socially shared metacognition were
identied and their function and focus analysed. There were signicantly more and longer episodes
of socially shared metacognition in difcult as compared to moderately difcult and easy problems.
Their function was to facilitate or inhibit activities and their focus was on the situation model of the
problem or on mathematical operations. Metacognitive experiences were found to trigger socially
shared metacognition.
1. http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user/03047188778299729825/label/journals
2. http://www.google.com/profiles/doug.holton
4. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VFW-50867J6-1&_user=10&_
coverDate=06/08/2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=
C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=efff85a089f9ec7c89dc4efb3b8b2c46
Great, great and great! (2010-06-17 08:14)
This winter, I started writing a book review of the recent book "Theories of Mathematics Education - Seeking New
Frontiers", by Bharath Sriraman and Lyn English (Eds.). Unfortunately, I had to let the journal down by telling
them that I wasnt able to nish the review at the time, because of an overall stressful situation. Given this, I have
been especially interested to read other reviews that have been made by this book. Most recently, Alan Schoenfeld
has written a great review of this book, and the review was published online in [1]ZDM recently. This makes a
great review, of a great book, by a great scholar in our eld - thus the title "Great, great and great!" What also
makes this review great is that it has been published as Open Access, and I am therefore able to share it with all of
you directly here in my blog:
[scribd id=33158276 key=key-21cupb67dz3xqx2o9l5 mode=list]
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/120453/?p=39c789250c2440b38b628d05158d66f8&pi=0
Next issue of TMME (2010-06-21 08:45)
The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast is about to release a new issue, which is a double issue this time. All the
articles will be available at the [1]journal website once the issue is released, but in the meantime you can check
out the table of contents below:
[scribd id=33394841 key=key-278jb8y1o44htt07n9 mode=list]
"Who reads all this stuff, Dad?" (2010-06-24 07:24)
A couple of days ago, I [1]shared with you news about the forthcoming issue of [2]The Montana Mathematics
Enthusiast. The main editor of this journal, my good friend Professor Bharath Sriraman, has been kind enough to
allow me to share the editorial of this next issue with you all here on my blog. In this editorial, he brings up an
interesting, important, and thought provoking discussion about scientic publishing. Enjoy reading it!
[scribd id=33484343 key=key-1wuzrddzjp808tqb058j mode=list]
1. http://mathedresearch.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/next-issue-of-tmme/
3.7 August
Summer updates on the major journals (2010-08-04 07:04)
The summer holidays are denitely over, and it is time to provide an update on what has happened in some of the
major journals in the eld during summer!
First in line is the [1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. They have released an [2]August issue, and
this issue contains ve articles:
Mathematically based and practically based explanations in the elementary school: teachers` preferences, by
Esther Levenson, Pessia Tsamir and Dina Tirosh
Teacher lust: reconstructing the construct for mathematics instruction, by Andrew M. Tyminski
Teachers` conceptions of representation in middle school mathematics, by Despina A. Stylianou
Teachers` self-representations in teaching mathematics, by O. Chapman
The organization of the mathematics preparation and development of teachers: a report from the ICMI Study
15, by Maria Teresa Tatto, Stephen Lerman and, by Jarmila Novotna
[3]Educational Studies in Mathematics does not have an August issue (next issue is the September issue), but the
[4]July issue is out, and this one also contains ve interesting articles:
What mathematics do teachers with contrasting teaching approaches address in probability lessons? by
Ruhama Even and Tova Kvatinsky
Drawing space: mathematicians` kinetic conceptions of eigenvectors, by Nathalie Sinclair and Shiva Gol
Tabaghi
Focal event, contextualization, and effective communication in the mathematics classroom, by Per Nilsson
and Andreas Ryve
Zooming in on innitesimal 1.9.. in a post-triumvirate era, by Karin Usadi Katz and Mikhail G. Katz
Mathematical practices in a technological workplace: the role of tools, by Chrissavgi Triantallou and
Despina Potari
Next in line is [5]Mathematical Thinking and Learning. Their [6]issue 3 (of 4 annual issues) is out, containing two
articles and two book reviews:
Teaching for Abstraction: A Model, by Paul White and Michael C. Mitchelmore
A Local Instruction Theory for the Development of Number Sense, by Susan D. Nickerson and Ian Whitacre
NCTMs [7]Journal for Research in Mathematics Education has also released a [8]July issue, and this issue con-
tains the following articles (along with a book review):
RESEARCH COMMENTARY: Toward Clarifying the Meanings of Gender in Mathematics Education Re-
search, by Suzanne Damarin and Diana B. Erchick
The Nature of Arguments Provided by College Geometry Students With Access to Technology While Solv-
ing Problems, by Karen F. Hollebrands, AnnaMarie Conner and Ryan C. Smith
Enacting Proof-Related Tasks in Middle School Mathematics: Challenges and Opportunities, by Kristen N.
Bieda
One Hundred Years of Elementary School Mathematics in the United States: A Content Analysis and Cog-
nitive Assessment of Textbooks From 1900 to 2000, by David Baker, Hilary Knipe, John Collins, Juan Leon,
Eric Cummings, Clancy Blair and David Gamson
Last but not least, [9]The Journal of Mathematical Behavior has released a June issue containing the following
articles:
Dening as a mathematical activity: A framework for characterizing progress from informal to more formal
ways of reasoning, by Michelle Zandieh, Chris Rasmussen
A task that elicits reasoning: A dual analysis, by Dina Yankelewitz, Mary Mueller, Carolyn A. Maher
Are beliefs believable? An investigation of college students` epistemological beliefs and behavior in mathe-
matics, by Po-Hung Liu
Collegiate mathematics teaching: An unexamined practice, by Natasha M. Speer, John P. Smith III, Aladar
Horvath
So, this should give you enough ideas for articles to catch up with before I start giving more updates on all the new
articles that continuously get published within the eld of mathematics education research :-)
1. http://springerlink.com/content/102941/?p=e6e11bc24661460d9b09a0a25037ffdc&pi=0
2. http://springerlink.com/content/x18700pn3051/?p=9dac6f3a31d74ed1bcc770134d4305ce&pi=0
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/102875/?p=bee08a171e29410fbee9ece3ed864b8b&pi=0
4. http://www.springerlink.com/content/l137084802p8/?p=ba3868c80daf47799d48d02c7433bbb3&pi=0
5. http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/10986065.asp
6. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g923248026
7. http://www.nctm.org/eresources/journal_home.asp?journal_id=1
8. http://www.nctm.org/eresources/toc.asp?journal_id=1&Issue_id=946
9.
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620200/description#description
Truth and the renewal of knowledge (2010-08-15 12:52)
Tony Brown has written an article called "[1]Truth and the renewal of knowledge: the case of mathematics educa-
tion". This article was recently published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. Here is the abstract of
the article:
Mathematics education research must enable adjustment to new conditions. Yet such research is
often conducted within familiar conceptualisations of teaching, of learning and of mathematics. It
may be necessary to express ourselves in new ways if we are to change our practices successfully,
and potential changes can be understood in many alternative, sometimes conicting, ways. The paper
argues that our entrapment in specic pedagogic forms of mathematical knowledge and the styles of
teaching that go with them can constrain students` engagement with processes of cultural renewal and
changes in the ways in which mathematics may be framed for new purposes, but there are some math-
ematical truths that survive the changing circumstances that require us to update our understandings
of teaching and learning the subject. In meeting this challenge, Radford encountered a difculty in
framing notions of mathematical objectivity and truth commensurate with a culturalhistorical per-
spective. Following Badiou, this paper distinguishes between objectivity, which is seen necessarily as
a product of culturally generated knowledge, and truth, as glimpsed beyond the on-going attempt to t
a new language that never nally settles. Through this route, it is shown how Badiou`s differentiation
of knowledge and truth enables us to conjure more futuristic conceptions of mathematics education.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/16m8r3u443394886/
Educational Studies in Mathematics, September issue (2010-08-23 12:38)
The [1]September issue (Volume 75, Number 1) of Educational Studies in Mathematics has been published. This
issue contains 6 interesting articles:
[2]Teachers` concerns and efcacy beliefs about implementing a mathematics curriculumreform: integrating
two lines of inquiry, by Charalambos Y. Charalambous and George N. Philippou
[3]Lexical bundle analysis in mathematics classroom discourse: the signicance of stance, by Beth Herbel-
Eisenmann, David Wagner and Viviana Cortes
[4]Appraising lexical bundles in mathematics classroom discourse: obligation and choice, by Beth Herbel-
Eisenmann and David Wagner
[5]Partially correct constructs illuminate students` inconsistent answers, by Gila Ron, Tommy Dreyfus and
Rina Hershkowitz
[6]The relation between types of assessment tasks and the mathematical reasoning students use, by Jesper
Boesen, Johan Lithner and Torulf Palm
[7]The role of intuition in the solving of optimization problems, by Uldarico Malaspina and Vicen Font
Being interested in affective issues, and beliefs in particular, I found the article by Charalambous and Philippou
very interesting. They make a very interesting point by discussing the relationship between teachers concerns
and efcacy beliefs. Although their study was made in a Cypriot context, their discussions and arguments are of
general interest. Here is the abstract of their article:
This study brings together two lines of research on teachers` affective responses toward mathemat-
ics curriculum reforms: their concerns and their efcacy beliefs. Using structural equation modeling
to analyze data on 151 elementary mathematics teachers` concerns and efcacy beliefs 5 years into
a mandated curriculum reform on problem solving, the study provides empirical support to a model
integrating teachers` concerns and efcacy beliefs. This model suggests that teachers` concerns of
preceding stages inform their concerns of succeeding stages; that teachers` efcacy beliefs about us-
ing the reform affect their task and impact concerns and are, in turn, informed by their self concerns;
and that efcacy beliefs about employing pre-reform instructional approaches inuence all types of
teacher concerns. A qualitative analysis of data from 53 teacher logs provided additional insights into
teachers` concerns about the reform. We discuss the policy and methodological implications of these
ndings and offer directions for future studies.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/j224720x1823/
2. http://springerlink.com/content/478x733331p41787/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/a65073721n72l818/
4. http://springerlink.com/content/04233555gu52025u/
5. http://springerlink.com/content/v3987466336r5g85/
6. http://springerlink.com/content/r506381163224565/
7. http://springerlink.com/content/y41061wnxh3u5rp3/
3.8 September
Pre-service teachers mathematics anxiety (2010-09-01 09:07)
Mathematics is a troublesome subject for many pupils, but even more disturbing is the fact that several pre-service
teachers have math anxiety. Mehmet Bekdemir discusses whether or not pre-service teachers math anxiety relates
to their own negative experiences as students. Bekdemir points to teacher behavior as a major factor, and he claims
that teacher education programs "should be designed and implemented so as to prevent student anxiety from be-
coming a barrier to mathematics achievement and a cycle of anxiety". The title of Bekdemirs article is [1]The
pre-service teachers` mathematics anxiety related to depth of negative experiences in mathematics classroom while
they were students, and it was published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics a couple of days ago.
One of the aims of this study is to examine whether the worst experiences and most trouble-
some mathematics classroom experience affect mathematics anxiety in pre-service elementary teach-
ers. Another goal is to nd out how the causes of their anxiety relate to these negative experiences.
The participants were 167 senior elementary pre-service teachers. Three different instruments were
used to collect data; Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale, Worst Experience and Most Troublesome
Mathematics Classroom Experience Reection Test, and Interview Protocol. The ndings show that
many pre-service teachers have mathematics anxiety and that the worst experience and the most trou-
blesome mathematics classroom experience have a direct inuence on mathematics anxiety in pre-
service teachers. Also, the majority of instances of participants` mathematics anxiety are caused by
the teachers, their behavior or teaching approaches in their past.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/3184p457l8207m46/
Kindergarten mathematics with Pepe the Rabbit (2010-09-06 08:22)
Chrysanthi Skoumpourdi has written an article that was published in the last issue of [1]European Early Childhood
Education Research Journal. The article is entitled [2]Kindergarten mathematics with Pepe the Rabbit: how
kindergartners use auxiliary means to solve problems. Here is the abstract of the article:
The aim of this paper is to investigate the role that auxiliary means (manipulatives such as cubes
and representations such as number line) play for kindergartners in working out mathematical tasks.
Our assumption was that manipulatives such as cubes would be used by kindergartners easily and suc-
cessfully whereas the number line would be used by kindergartners rarely and usually unsuccessfully.
Through analysis of the 20 childrens (5-years-old) answers which concerned the number sequence
as well as simple addition and subtraction problems it appears that although the children mostly used
cubes they did not always use them systematically or successfully. The effective use of the number
line was limited to dening the number sequence.
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=t776628938
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a926571975~db=all~jumptype=rss
5 Signs Why Mathematics Should be Chosen as a Career Option (2010-09-07 10:30)
When the recession hit, some experts hopefully broadcast that by second or third quarter 2010, wed be back on
track to a healthier economy. But with unemployment and jobless claims still hitting record marks and the housing
market tumbling further into chaos, personal nance and career stability are still obsessions for many Americans.
If youre looking for a career change or are college students trying to decide on a major, consider mathematics. A
math major plus a higher degree in the eld can reward you with many lucrative opportunities in the private sector
or with government, and across many industries. Keep reading for 5 signs why mathematics should be chosen as
a career option.
1. Its an expansive eld: Math isnt just about solving problems from your textbook. Its an integral part
of disciplines and industries like economics, statistics, engineering, computers, business, and of course,
education and academia. If you double major in math and another eld like information technology, data
networks, statistics, or nance, for example, youll have an even better chance at building a solid, in-demand
career for yourself.
2. Wholly satisfying: Mathematics can satisfy two types of people, or two different sides of one person. The-
oretical mathematics is more philosophical, abstract and even creative, while applied mathematics is more
computational, practical, and solution-oriented. Theres something for everybody, so to speak.
3. Compete globally: American students are [1]falling behind the rest of the world, especially Asia, when it
comes to math skills. If youre a strong math student, you can help businesses, the government, or schools
compete globally in the mathematical sciences.
4. Great job growth: The Bureau of Labor Statistics [2]estimates that job growth for mathematicians is expected
to grow at a faster than average rate over the next eight years, primarily due to advancements in technology
and a need for teachers. Its still a competitive eld, but those with Ph.D.s and other specialties will have
great potential for securing the best jobs.
5. High salary: Those working in the mathematical sciences can command lucrative salaries. The median
annual earnings for mathematicians in May 2008, according to the BLS, was $95,150. And salaries in
computer sciences, economics and related elds also tend to be higher on the earnings scale, too.
If you have an interest in and natural skill for mathematics, seriously consider what a career in the eld can do for
you and in terms of reaching your professional goals. From academia and education to technology and computer
science to business, math is an expansive discipline that holds real promise for those with talent.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Kate Cunningham, who writes on the topics of [3]online university rankings.
She welcomes your questions and comments at her email Id: cn.kate1 @[4]gmail.com.
1. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/08/25/students.science.math/index.html
2. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos043.htm#outlook
3. http://www.onlineuniversityrankings.com/
4. http://gmail.com/
The role of pictures in picture books (2010-09-07 11:13)
Iliada Elia, Marja van den Heuvel-Panhuizen and Alexia Georgiou have written an article about [1]The role of
pictures in picture books on childrens cognitive engagement with mathematics. This article was published in the
last issue of [2]European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. Here is the abstract of their article:
The present study examines the cognitive activity that is evoked in young children when they are
read a picture book that is written for the purpose of teaching mathematics. The focus of this study
is to explore the effects of pictures on childrens spontaneous mathematical cognitive engagement.
The study is based on the assumption that the pictures in a picture book that is aimed at supporting
childrens learning of mathematics can have story-related components and mathematics-related com-
ponents. The story-related components of the pictures contribute to grasp the global story context
of the text and the mathematics-related components help to understand the mathematical content of
the story. All of the pictures of the book under investigation, Six brave little monkeys in the jungle,
have both story-related and mathematics-related components included. The pictures have a represen-
tational or an informational function. Four 5-year-old children were read individually the book by
one of the authors without any probing. A detailed coding framework was used for analyzing the
childrens utterances that provided an in-depth picture of the childrens cognitive activity. The results
show that the picture book as a whole has the potential for cognitively engaging children. However,
the pictures with a representational function were found to elicit mathematical thinking to a greater
extent than the pictures with an informational function. Moreover, this was found for both types of
components included in the pictures. Findings are discussed, practical implications for using picture
books in kindergarten are drawn and suggestions for further research are made.
1. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a926573125~db=all~jumptype=rss
2. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=t776628938
5 interesting articles that almost missed me (2010-09-13 10:26)
[1]Educational Psychology - An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology has published a
number of articles related to mathematics in their most recent issues. I only recently received the RSS updates in
Google Reader, so I have missed some of these articles. Here is a list of some of the most interesting articles that
have appeared in the last couple of issues:
[2]Assessing preschool number sense: skills demonstrated by children prior to school entry, by Sally Clare
Howell and Coral Rae Kemp. This article appeared in [3]issue 4.
[4]Prior mathematics achievement, cognitive appraisals and anxiety as predictors of Finnish students later
mathematics performance and career orientation, by Minna Kyttl and Piia Maria Bjrn. This article
appeared in [5]issue 4.
[6]Assessment of subtraction scene understanding using a story-generation task, by Shigehiro Kinda. This
article also appeared in [7]issue 4.
[8]Re-examining factor structure of the attitudinal items from TIMSS 2003 in cross-cultural study of math-
ematics self-concept, by Shujie Liu and Lingqi Meng. This article appeared in [9]issue 6.
[10]A model of the cognitive and affective factors for the use of representations at the learning of decimals,
by Areti Panaoura, Athanasios Gagatsis, Eleni Deliyianni and Iliada Elia. This article also appeared in
[11]issue 6.
1. http://prod.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Edb=all%7Econtent=t713415498
2. http://prod.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Edb=all%7Econtent=a922209713%7Efrm=titlelink
3. http://prod.informaworld.com/smpp/title%7Edb=all%7Econtent=g924594118
Making mathematics more mobile (2010-09-16 08:08)
Since personal computers became mainstream, a couple of decades ago, different kinds of computer games and
(more or less) educational software have been developed. The proponents of these software and games often
claimed that their particular software would revolutionize education. [1]Seymour Papert was one of the true pio-
neers, and when he invented the [2]Logo programming language, the intention was to improve childrens thinking
and problem solving skills. Technology has developed rapidly over the last couple of years, and computers as well
as computer games and software have become more and more mobile. Enter [3]MobileMath! This is a computer
game which has been developed by the [4]Freudenthal Institute, and it appears to be strongly connected with their
ideas concerning [5]Realistic Mathematics Education (RME).
Three colleagues at the Freudenthal Institute - Monica Wijers, Vincent Jonker and Paul Drijvers - have written an
article where they discuss how MobileMath can be used with secondary school students. The article is entitled
[6]MobileMath: exploring mathematics outside the classroom, and it was recently published online in [7]ZDM
- The International Journal of Mathematics Education. Luckily, it is an [8]Open Access article, so it should be
available to everyone for free! To sharpen your interest, here is a copy of the article abstract:
Computer games seem to have a potential for engaging students in meaningful learning, inside
as well as outside of school. With the growing availability of mobile handheld technology (HHT),
a number of location-based games for handheld mobile phones with GPS have been designed for
educational use. The exploitation of this potential for engaging students into meaningful learning,
however, so far remains unexplored. In an explorative design research, we investigated whether a
location-based game with HHT provides opportunities for engaging in mathematical activities through
the design of a geometry game called MobileMath. Its usability and opportunities for learning were
tested in a pilot on three different secondary schools with 60 1214-year-old students. Data were
gathered by means of participatory observation, online storage of game data, an online survey and
interviews with students and teachers. The results suggest that students were highly motivated, and
enjoyed playing the game. Students indicated they learned to use the GPS, to read a map and to
construct quadrilaterals. The study suggests learning opportunities that MobileMath provides and that
need further investigation.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Papert
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo_%28programming_language%29
3. http://www.mobilemath.nl/mob_math/index
4. http://www.fi.uu.nl/fisme/en/
5. http://www.fi.uu.nl/en/rme/
Teachers and researchers collaboration (2010-09-21 22:13)
Despina Potari, Haralambos Sakonidis, Roula Chatzigoula and Alexandros Manaridis have written an article that
was recently published in Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. The article is entitled [1]Teachers` and re-
searchers` collaboration in analysing mathematics teaching: A context for professional reection and development.
The study reported here concerns 4 years of collaboration between secondary school teachers and
academic researchers, constituting an emerging community of inquiry into mathematics teaching. In
the article, the process of the forming of his community is discussed, focusing on the reective activity
developed by its members as well as the tensions and conicts that emerged in the shaping of an
inquiry identity by them. Furthermore, shifts in the mode of participation in the community and thus
learning gains of all members are identied, with the teachers gradually developing an awareness of
teaching practice in general, and the researchers becoming progressively acquainted with the reexive
relationship between inquiring into teaching practice and teachers` professional development.
Author: Reidar Mosvold
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/f4422843n825g46n/
The signicance of mathematical knowledge in teaching elementary methods courses
(2010-09-21 23:06)
Rina Zazkis and Dov Zazkis have written an article that was recently published online in Educational Studies in
Mathematics. The article is entitled [1]The signicance of mathematical knowledge in teaching elementary meth-
ods courses: perspectives of mathematics teacher educators. Their article has an interesting and unusual prologue,
which explains some of the issues discussed in the article:
Consider two candidates, Maria and Elena, who applied for the same positioninstructor for a
'Methods of Teaching Elementary Mathematics course. Maria holds a Master`s Degree in Mathe-
matics; she taught Mathematics for 5 years in secondary school and then for 3 years in college. She is
a Ph.D. student in Mathematics Education. Elena, in contrast, holds Bachelor`s and Master`s Degrees
in Education, and she has 15 years of teaching experience in elementary school at various grade levels.
She is a Ph.D. student in Curriculum and Instruction. Which one should be hired?
In their article, they provide an overview of relevant research related to the practice of mathematics teacher edu-
cators, and they also go into a discussion of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT). They do not, however,
discuss the extension of MKT into MKTT (Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Teachers), which Deborah Zopf
has discussed in her [2]recent dissertation.
Our study investigates perspectives of mathematics teacher educators related to the usage of their
mathematical knowledge in teaching 'Methods of Teaching Elementary Mathematics courses. Five
mathematics teacher educators, all with experience in teaching methods courses for prospective el-
ementary school teachers, participated in this study. In a clinical interview setting, the participants
described where and how, in their teaching of elementary methods courses, they had an opportunity
to use their advanced mathematical knowledge and provided examples of such opportunities or situa-
tions. We outline ve apparently different viewpoints and then turn to the similar concerns that were
expressed by the participants. In conclusion, we connect the individual perspectives by situating them
in the context of unifying themes, both theoretical and practical.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j11660j52510184r/
2. http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/77702
Relationship between teacher knowledge, teacher practice and student achievement
(2010-09-27 11:53)
Mourat A. Tchoshanov has written an article entitled [1]Relationship between teacher knowledge of concepts and
connections, teaching practice, and student achievement in middle grades mathematics. This article was recently
published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics. Here is the abstract of the article:
The mixed method sequential nested study examines whether and how the cognitive type of teach-
ers content knowledge is associated with student achievement, and correlated with teaching practice.
In the context of this study, the cognitive type refers to the kind of teacher content knowledge and
thinking processes required to accomplish a task successfully, in terms of knowledge of facts and
procedures (Type 1), knowledge of concepts and connections (Type 2), and/or knowledge of models
and generalizations (Type 3). A sample of 102 middle school mathematics teachers (grades 6-8) was
assigned to the study from a number of school districts in an urban area in the Southwestern US.
Teachers were tested using the Teacher Content Knowledge Survey. Student level data of about 2,400
middle grades students standardized test passing rates including percentage of students meeting the
state standards by objectives were collected. The type of teachers content knowledge was assessed
and tested for association with student achievement on the state-mandated standardized test using
multivariate methods including tests for variance and independence. The nested research consisted of
three phases. Substudy-1 focused on quantitative analysis of the association between cognitive type
of teacher content knowledge and student achievement. Substudy-2 aimed at the correlation between
cognitive type of teacher content knowledge and teaching practice. Finally, substudy-3 was a case
study on examining middle grades mathematics teachers knowledge and understanding of fraction
division.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/w425182539010q57/
October issue of JMTE (2010-09-27 12:17)
[1]Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has released a new issue, [2]Volume 13, Number 5 / October
2010. This issue is a special issue on "Mathematics Teacher and Mathematics Teacher Educator ChangeInsight
Through Theoretical Perspectives". The issue contains the following articles:
[3]Observing the process of mathematics teacher changepart 1, by David Reid and Vicki Zack
[4]Mathematics teacher and mathematics teacher educator changeinsight through theoretical perspectives,
by Laurinda Brown and Alf Coles
[5]'It`s getting me thinking and I`m an old cynic`: exploring the relational dynamics of mathematics teacher
change, by Mark Boylan
[6]Changing roles and identities in the construction of a community of mathematical inquiry, by Roberta
Hunter
[7]Noticing rapid and profound mathematics teacher change, by Peter Liljedahl
[8]Mathematics teacher change in a collaborative environment: to what extent and how, by Mara de la Cinta
Muoz-Cataln, Jos Carrillo Yez and Nuria Climent Rodrguez
1. http://www.springer.com/journal/10857/about
2. http://springerlink.com/content/p5587524066r/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/2323752182062723/
4. http://springerlink.com/content/0867k6gg18g1853r/
5. http://springerlink.com/content/47424513r053158v/
7. http://springerlink.com/content/l8k6270503042h54/
8. http://springerlink.com/content/08234495x511j167/
3.9 October
Methods of instructional improvement in algebra (2010-10-01 08:28)
Christopher R. Rakes, Jeffrey C. Valentine, Maggie B. McGatha and Robert N. Ronau have written a very in-
teresting article where they provide a systematic review of research regarding improvement strategies in algebra
instruction. Their article is entitled [1]Methods of Instructional Improvement in Algebra: A Systematic Review
and Meta-Analysis, and it was published in the [2]latest issue of [3]AERA journal [4]Review of Educational Re-
search. Algebra, they claim, is considered to be "the backbone of secondary mathematics education in the United
States" (p. 372), but quite a low proportion of students pass their Algebra II exam. The National Mathematics
Advisory Panel were therefore concerned that traditional algebra instruction was not as effective as it should be.
In their article, Rakes and colleagues discuss what algebra is, what the main challenges for algebra instruction are,
and they present a systematic review of literature based on the following questions:
What methods for improving algebra instruction have been studied?
How effective have these methods been at improving student achievement scores?
Which characteristics of teaching interventions in algebra are the most important for determining the effec-
tiveness of the intervention on student achievement?
Their impressive review consisted of 82 studies that were selected from a time span of 40 years. The results of
their study "indicate that a wide variety of reforms effectively improve student achievement in algebra. The de-
gree to which these efforts focus on the development of conceptual understanding also inuences the magnitude
of effects" (p. 391). If you are interested in algebra instruction, you should denitely take the time to read this
interesting 30 page article!
This systematic review of algebra instructional improvement strategies identied 82 relevant stud-
ies with 109 independent effect sizes representing a sample of 22,424 students. Five categories of
improvement strategies emerged: technology curricula, nontechnology curricula, instructional strate-
gies, manipulatives, and technology tools. All ve of these strategies yielded positive, statistically
signicant results. Furthermore, the learning focus of these strategies moderated their effects on stu-
dent achievement. Interventions focusing on the development of conceptual understanding produced
an average effect size almost double that of interventions focusing on procedural understanding.
Reference
Rakes, C.R., Valentine, J.C., McGatha, M.B., & Ronau, R.N. (2010). Methods of Instructional Improvement in
Algebra - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 80(3), 372-400.
1. http://rer.sagepub.com/content/80/3/372.abstract?rss=1
2. http://rer.sagepub.com/content/80/3.toc
3. http://aera.net/
4. http://rer.sagepub.com/
Childrens gestures and the embodied knowledge of geometry (2010-10-08 10:32)
Mijung Kim, Wolff-Michael Roth and Jennifer Thom have written an article that was recently published online in
[1]International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. The article is entitled [2]Childrens gestures and
the embodied knowledge of geometry. Here is the abstract of their article:
There is mounting research evidence that contests the metaphysical perspective of knowing as
mental process detached from the physical world. Yet education, especially in its teaching and learn-
ing practices, continues to treat knowledge as something that is necessarily and solely expressed in
ideal verbal form. This study is part of a funded project that investigates the role of the body in
knowing and learning mathematics. Based on a 3-week (15 1-h lessons) video study of 1-s grade
mathematics classroom (N = 24), we identify 4 claims: (a) gestures support children`s thinking and
knowing, (b) gestures co-emerge with peers` gestures in interactive situations, (c) gestures cope with
the abstractness of concepts, and (d) children`s bodies exhibit geometrical knowledge. We conclude
that children think and learn through their bodies. Our study suggests to educators that conventional
images of knowledge as being static and abstract in nature need to be rethought so that it not only
takes into account verbal and written languages and text but also recognizes the necessary ways in
which children`s knowledge is embodied in and expressed through their bodies.
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/d4157051t6442t2p/
Cognitive neuroscience and mathematics learning (2010-10-11 09:32)
A [1]new issue of [2]ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education has been published, and the
focus of this theme issue is on cognitive neuroscience and mathematics learning. The issue contains a number of
[3]Low numeracy and dyscalculia: identication and intervention, by Brian Butterworth and Diana Lauril-
lard
[4]Bringing brain imaging to the school to assess arithmetic problem solving: chances and limitations in
combining educational and neuroscientic research, by Andreas Obersteiner and colleagues
[5]Mathematical cognition: individual differences in resource allocation, by Boris Bornemann and col-
leagues
[6]Neural correlates of counting large numerosity, by Laure Zago and colleagues
[7]Cognitive resource allocation for neural activity underlying mathematical cognition: a multi-method
study, by S. Landgraf, E. van der Meer and F. Krueger
[8]Computing solutions to algebraic problems using a symbolic versus a schematic strategy, by Kerry Lee
and colleagues
[9]Evidence from cognitive neuroscience for the role of graphical and algebraic representations in under-
standing function, by Michael O.J. Thomas, Anna J. Wilson, Michael C. Corballis, Vanessa K. Lim and
Caroline Yoon
[10]Overcoming intuitive interference in mathematics: insights from behavioral, brain imaging and inter-
vention studies, by Ruth Stavy and Reuven Babai
[11]Long-term characteristics of analogical processing in high-school students with high uid intelligence:
an fMRI study, by Franziska Preusse and colleagues
[12]Traveling down the road: from cognitive neuroscience to mathematics education ... and back, by Bert
De Smedt and Lieven Verschaffel (commentary paper)
[13]Promises and potential pitfalls of a cognitive neuroscience of mathematics learning, by Roland H.
Grabner and Daniel Ansari
Guest editors, Elsbeth Stern and Michael Schneider have also written an editorial ([14]A digital road map analogy
of the relationship between neuroscience and educational research), and Roland H. Grabner, Daniel Ansari, Bert
De Smedt and Minna Hannula have written a [15]Glossary of technical terms in cognitive neuroscience, which
are also part of this theme issue. So, if you are interested in the link(s) between neuroscience and mathematics
education, this theme issue should be an evident post on your reading list!
1. http://springerlink.com/content/q125p851173x/
2. http://www.springeronline.com/journal/11858/about
3. http://springerlink.com/content/17395247l14v0844/
4. http://springerlink.com/content/047x173u38353733/
5. http://springerlink.com/content/85443630253485l6/
6. http://springerlink.com/content/3w5t17852357t033/
7. http://springerlink.com/content/bxj547v732516138/
8. http://springerlink.com/content/nu48tm65m584v246/
9. http://springerlink.com/content/r21366h15l07k130/
10. http://springerlink.com/content/87k2230712869l18/
11. http://springerlink.com/content/h6542r6687v26485/
12. http://springerlink.com/content/krq813j538006002/
13. http://springerlink.com/content/53079390426hp251/
14. http://springerlink.com/content/qv42513120t56k51/
15. http://springerlink.com/content/258n5gt580v10r33/
The Sourcebook revisited (2010-10-18 13:20)
I have [1]already written about The First Sourcebook on Nordic Research in Mathematics Education, which has
now been [2]published (by Information Age Publishing) and is available for purchase. My friend (and the general
editor of the book) [3]Professor Bharath Sriraman has recently been on a trip to Norway, and in that connection, a
[4]presentation of the book has been published on the website of the University of Agder. The researchers at the
University of Agder have made signicant contributions to this book, and Professor Simon Goodchild of Univer-
sity of Agder was editor for the Norwegian portion of the book.
The Sourcebook is also in the TMME Monograph series, so be sure to check out the [5]TMME website for more
information!
1. http://mathedresearch.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/
first-sourcebook-on-nordic-research-in-mathematics-education/
2. http://www.infoagepub.com/products/First-Sourcebook-Nordic-Research-Mathematics-Education
4. http:
//www.uia.no/no/portaler/om_universitetet/teknologi_og_realfag/nyhetsarkiv/first_sourcebook
November issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics (2010-10-18 13:29)
The [1]November issue of [2]Educational Studies in Mathematics has been published recently, and it contains a
number of interesting articles:
[3]Metaphors in mathematics classrooms: analyzing the dynamic process of teaching and learning of graph
functions, by Vicen Font, Janete Bolite and Jorge Acevedo
[4]Comparing theoretical perspectives in describing mathematics departments: complexity and activity, by
Kim Beswick, Anne Watson and Els De Geest
[5]Instructional responsibility in mathematics education: modelling classroom teaching using Swedish data,
by se Hansson (Open Access article!)
[6]Types of reasoning in 3D geometry thinking and their relation with spatial ability, by Marios Pittalis and
Constantinos Christou
[7]The teacher and the tool: instrumental orchestrations in the technology-rich mathematics classroom, by
Paul Drijvers, Michiel Doorman, Peter Boon, Helen Reed and Koeno Gravemeijer (Open Access article!)
and nally, a [8]book review of Theories of mathematics education: Seeking new frontiers, by Bharath
Sriraman and Lyn English (editors). The review was written by Robert Ely
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/0013-1954/75/2/
2. http://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/mathematics+education/journal/10649
3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/g7xk2x1444416821/
4. http://www.springerlink.com/content/n1705tt2003k4546/
5. http://www.springerlink.com/content/510320326n14121j/
6. http://www.springerlink.com/content/7956765l810h501n/
7. http://www.springerlink.com/content/h05706778621581u/
8. http://www.springerlink.com/content/7h286213222r6736/
3.10 November
Using video in teacher education (2010-11-02 10:59)
Rosella Santagata and Jody Guarino have written an interesting article about [1]Using video to teach future teach-
ers to learn from teaching. The article was recently published online in [2]ZDM. [3]Rosella, the main author of the
article, used to work at LessonLab in Santa Monica (LessonLab closed in 2009), but now works at the University
of California, Irvine. One of her particular areas of focus is to use technological tools (like video) to foster teacher
learning, and she has written lots of articles about this. (See her [4]publication list for more!)
In this particular article, they present results from the "[5]Learning to Learn from Mathematics Teaching" project.
The main focus in the article is on how they have used video in a particular course for pre-service teachers. The
project is linked with lesson study, and it seems to build upon the previous studies (like the [6]TIMSS Video Stud-
ies) that Santagata and her previous colleagues (like Jim Stigler and James Hiebert) at the LessonLab conducted
some years ago. The "Lesson Analysis Framework" is presented and discussed in detail, and so is their use of
videos to develop analytic skills with the teachers. So, if you want to learn more about the use of videos in teacher
education, this is a great opportunity to learn from one of the masters in this eld. And the article is Open Access
too, so it should be freely available for everyone to read!!!
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/b731173732728518/
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/1863-9690/preprint/
3. http://www.gse.uci.edu/faculty/profilebridge.php?faculty_id=5610
4. http://gsesrv02.gse.uci.edu/santagata/Publications.html
5. http://gsesrv02.gse.uci.edu/santagata/Video_Learning.html
6. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/timssvideo/
New issue of ZDM - handheld technology (2010-11-02 11:10)
A [1]new issue of ZDM has been published, and this issue has a focus on "Handheld technology in the mathematics
classroom - theory and practice". The theme issue presents 12 articles, including an [2]editorial by Paul Drijvers
and Hans-Georg Weigand:
[3]Handheld technology for mathematics education: ashback into the future, by Luc Trouche and Paul
Drijvers
[4]Examining the didactic contract when handheld technology is permitted in the mathematics classroom,
by Robyn Pierce, Kaye Stacey and Roger Wander
[5]Towards a competence model for the use of symbolic calculators in mathematics lessons: the case of
functions, by Hans-Georg Weigand and Ewald Bichler
[6]Multimodality in multi-representational environments, by Ferdinando Arzarello and Ornella Robutti
[7]Handheld calculators between instrument and document, by Gilles Aldon
[8]Emergent pedagogies and the changing role of the teacher in the TI-Nspire Navigator-networked mathe-
matics classroom, by Alison Clark-Wilson
[9]Teachers` views on dynamically linked multiple representations, pedagogical practices and students` un-
derstanding of mathematics using TI-Nspire in Scottish secondary schools, by Allan Graham Duncan
[10]Inuences of CAS and GC in early algebra, by Matthias Zeller and Brbel Barzel
[11]MobileMath: exploring mathematics outside the classroom, by Monica Wijers, Vincent Jonker and Paul
Drijvers
[12]Hoyles, C. and J.-B. Lagrange (eds.) (2010): Mathematics Education and TechnologyRethinking the
Terrain. The 17th ICMI Study. Springer: New York a. o., by Hans-Georg Weigand
[13]Ivor Grattan-Guinness: Routes of Learning: Highways, Pathways, and Byways in the History of Math-
ematics. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2009. 386 pp. ISBN 978-0801892486 Paperback,
by Gilda de La Rocque Palis
1. http://springerlink.com/content/w00659774t46/
2. http://springerlink.com/content/m83655346r7547wq/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/68n07260752h5260/
4. http://springerlink.com/content/k9ru0638x162364k/
5. http://springerlink.com/content/2041r78248q82214/
6. http://springerlink.com/content/4t34034w40268517/
7. http://springerlink.com/content/6635p0374q138962/
8. http://springerlink.com/content/7741wm330n0ml016/
9. http://springerlink.com/content/p4787841x2219856/
12. http://springerlink.com/content/46771g548j551788/
13. http://springerlink.com/content/n7436n21721341x1/
December issue of JMTE (2010-11-03 11:00)
The [1]December issue of Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education has recently been published. This issue
constitutes the second part of a theme issue on "Mathematics teacher and mathematics teacher educator change"
(see also [2]my post about the October issue, which constituted part 1 in this theme issue!). This issue contains six
[3]Observing the process of mathematics teacher change: part 2, by David Reid and Vicki Zack
[4]Understanding change through a high school mathematics teacher`s journey to inquiry-based teaching, by
Olive Chapman and Brenda Heater
[5]Challenges of critical colleagueship: examining and reecting on mathematics teacher study group inter-
actions, by Lorraine M. Males, Samuel Otten and Beth A. Herbel-Eisenmann
[6]Teachers` and researchers` collaboration in analysing mathematics teaching: A context for professional
reection and development, by Despina Potari, Haralambos Sakonidis, Roula Chatzigoula and Alexandros
Manaridis
[7]Mathematics pedagogical change: rethinking identity and reective practice, by Margaret Walshaw
[8]Theoretical perspectives on mathematics teacher change, by Merrilyn Goos and Vince Geiger
If you just have the time to read one of these articles, I recommend that you start with the last one, by Merrilyn
Goos and Vince Geiger. This article is a discussion essay, where the authors discuss issues that have been raised
in all the articles in these two special issues of JMTE. They used a socio-cultural lens in order to analyze this.
1. http://springerlink.com/content/v21gw25j071g/
2. http://mathedresearch.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/october-issue-of-jmte/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/01211885562q22lt/
4. http://springerlink.com/content/174m4q5351135644/
5. http://springerlink.com/content/gg88737l2063870g/
6. http://springerlink.com/content/f4422843n825g46n/
7. http://springerlink.com/content/y546613163787821/
8. http://springerlink.com/content/h2317882184424pn/
Critical Mathematics Education - Special issue of Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal
(2010-11-05 11:02)
[1]Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal is Paul Ernests online (and open access) journal. New issues of
the journal have been infrequently released over the last years, and I have many times feared that Ernest has given
up on his journal. Quite recently, however, a new and interesting special issue has been released. The focus of
this special issue is on "Critical Mathematics Education". Ole Skovsmose, who must be considered as one of the
main gures within this particular area of our eld, has written two articles in this issue. Here is a complete list of
authors and titles:
Ole Skovsmose Mathematics: A Critical Rationality?
Ole Skovsmose Can Facts be Fabricated through Mathematics?
Paul Ernest The Scope and Limits of Critical Mathematics Education
D. F. Almeida Are there Viable Connections between Mathematics, Mathematical Proof and Democracy?
Ubiratan DÀmbrosio Ethnomathematics: A Response to the Changing Role of Mathematics in Society
Annica Andersson Can a Critical Pedagogy in Mathematics lead to Achievement, Engagement and Social
Empowerment?
Ieda Maria Giongo & Gelsa Knijnik School Curriculum and Different Mathematics Language Games: A
Study at a Brazilian Agricultural-Technical School
Mario Snchez & Morten Blomhj The Role of Mathematics in Politics as an Issue for Mathematics Teach-
ing (pdf)
Hilary Povey Teaching for Equity, Teaching for Mathematical Engagement
Randall Collins & Sal Restivo Robber Barons and Politicians in Mathematics: A Conict Model of Science
Sal Restivo & Randall Collins Mathematics and Civilization
Marilyn Frankenstein Critical Mathematics Education: An Application of Paulo Freire`s Epistemology
Michael W. Apple Reform through Conservative Modernization: Standards, Markets, and Inequality in
Education
Peter Appelbaum Sense and Representation in Elementary Mathematics
Maria Nikolakaki Investigating Critical Routes: The Politics of Mathematics Education and Citizenship in
Capitalism
Tony Brown Cultural Continuity and Consensus in Mathematics Education
M. Sencer Corlu A Historical Analysis of Democracy in Mathematics and Mathematics Education in Euro-
pean Culture
Laura J. Jacobsen Embedding Mathematics in the Elementary Teacher Education Curriculum Network
Lawrence M. Lesser The Necessity of Equity in Teaching Statistics
If you head to the journal home page, you can freely download each of the articles (in Word format).
1. http://people.exeter.ac.uk/PErnest/welcome.htm
Global education conference (2010-11-11 07:40)
Next week (starting on Monday), [1]The Global Education Conference 2010 is coming up. Maria Droujkova has
done an excellent job in collecting (and providing a presentation) of all the mathematics related sessions in this
online conference. Many of these sessions might be interesting to the readers of this blog as well, so make sure to
check out [2]her blog post on this!
1. http://www.globaleducationconference.com/index.html
2. http://www.naturalmath.com/blog/global-education-conference-math-related-sessions/
December issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics (2010-11-12 07:34)
The [1]December issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics has appeared (at least online), and it contains seven
interesting articles. Several articles in this issue relate to affective issues like teachers conceptions (Thanheisers
article), perspectives (Hemmis article), motivation and motivational proles (Phelps article), anxiety (Bekdemirs
article), etc. Here is a complete list of the articles that appear in this issue:
[2]Investigating further preservice teachers conceptions of multidigit whole numbers: rening a framework,
by Eva Thanheiser.
[3]So we decided to call "straight line" (...): Mathematics students interaction and negotiation of meaning
in constructing a model of elliptic geometry, by Maria Kaisari and Tasos Patronis.
[4]Three styles characterising mathematicians pedagogical perspectives on proof, Kirsti Hemmi.
[5]Factors that pre-service elementary teachers perceive as affecting their motivational proles in mathemat-
ics, by Christine M. Phelps.
[6]The pre-service teachers mathematics anxiety related to depth of negative experiences in mathematics
classroom while they were students, by Mehmet Bekdemir.
[7]Truth and the renewal of knowledge: the case of mathematics education, by Tony Brown.
[8]Discussing a philosophical background for the ethnomathematical program, by Denise Silva Vilela.
Thanheiser, in her article, describes a study where she administered a survey to 33 pre-service teachers. The topic
of the survey was related to addition and subtraction of multidigit whole numbers, and the respondents were stu-
dents in an elementary mathematics methods course in the U.S. Apparently, these students were struggling when it
came to explaining the mathematics that is underlying the algorithms they use. The article by Kaisari and Patronis
presents us with a glimpse in to the interesting eld of elliptic geometry in the context of a university course. The
article provides a nice introduction to the mathematical eld of non-euclidean geometry, and the authors present
and discuss data concerning students interaction concerning certain problems within this area of mathematics.
Hemmis article presents a very interesting (to me at least) focus on the pedagogical perspectives of mathemati-
cians who teach mathematics at a Swedish university. The conceptual framework for the study builds upon the
ideas of Lave and Wenger, but Sljs theories concerning artefacts and mediational tools are also included. Natu-
rally, quite a lot of attention is also paid to mathematical proof. In the article, Hemmi presents a theoretical model
of three teacher styles when it comes to perspectives on proof.
Like many of the other articles in this issue, Phelps also has a focus on pre-service teachers. Her focus is on
their self-efcacy beliefs and learning goals. These beliefs and goals compose the motivational proles of the
pre-service teachers, and Phelps has interviewed 22 such pre-service teachers.
Many students have bad experiences with mathematics in school, and Bekdemirs aim is to "examine whether the
worst experiences and most troublesome mathematics classroom experience affect mathematics anxiety in pre-
service elementary teachers" (quoted from the abstract). 167 senior elementary pre-service teachers participated
in a study where three different instruments were used. The article provides a nice overview of previous research
concerning mathematics anxiety, so if this is something you are interested in, you should check it out!
The article by Tony Brown is more of a theoretical article, and he provides a very interesting discussion of issues
related to truth, objectivity and knowledge in mathematics education. One of the theories he introduces and makes
use of in his discussion is that of Alain Badiou. This and other interesting theories are presented and discussed,
and he ends up concluding/arguing that "the task of education is to ensure that people do not think that they should
settle".
Finally, Vilelas article provides a discussion of Wittgensteins analytical framework, and whether such a frame-
work might be relevant for a philosophical reection concerning ethnomathematics. This article, which is also a
theoretical article, provides interesting insight into the philosophical theories of Wittgenstein, and it might be seen
as an attempt to build a philosophical basis for ethnomathematics based on these theories.
So, this issue of ESM should indeed have something of interest - if not for everyone, so at least for many re-
searchers with different interests :-)
1. http://springerlink.com/content/w2w7q9tt248t/
2. http://springerlink.com/content/v210063082w7q336/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/ht32187354698348/
4. http://springerlink.com/content/ll0105148g6qx707/
5. http://springerlink.com/content/n503615823181221/
6. http://springerlink.com/content/3184p457l8207m46/
7. http://springerlink.com/content/16m8r3u443394886/
8. http://springerlink.com/content/00nuv72045011t7n/
Mathematical Thinking and Learning, issue 4 (2010-11-16 10:59)
[1]Mathematical Thinking and Learning is one of the major journals within mathematics education research, and
the [2]fourth issue of the journal has now been published. This issue contains the following three articles:
[3]Advanced mathematical knowledge in teaching practice: perceptions of secondary mathematics teachers,
by Rina Zazkis and Roza Leikin.
[4]Understanding the development of exibility in struggling algebra students, by Kristie Jones Newton, Jon
R. Star and Kathleen Lynch.
[5]Mathematics majors perceptions of conviction, validity, and proof, by Keith Weber.
To learn more about these articles, visit the links above to read their abstracts!
3. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content%7Edb=all%7Econtent=a927632540%7Efrm=titlelink
Preschoolers notion of chance and probability (2010-11-24 13:12)
Zoi Nikiforidou and Jenny Pange have written an article about [1]The notions of change and probabilities in
preschoolers, which was published in the most recent issue of [2]Early Childhood Education Journal. Here is the
Chance, randomness and probability constitute statistical notions that are interrelated and char-
acterize the logicomathematical thinking of children. Traditional theories support that probabilistic
thinking evolves after the age of 7. However, recent research has underlined that children, as young as
4, may possess and develop basic notions, through mental mechanisms and/or through intuitive pro-
cesses. In the current study, preschoolers (N = 200) aged 46, participated in two diverse probability
tasks related to the likelihood of events and the graphical representation of randomness. The aim of
this study was to test whether children, at this young age, have the ability to predict the most proba-
ble outcome in a probabilistic game with animal cards and whether they can mark symbols randomly
distributed in a 5 5 matrix. Preschoolers infered correctly the most likely outcome and showed
a minimal understanding of randomness by preferring the uniform rather than random distribution
of items. Such ndings have both methodological and educational implications for further research
as already the notions of chance and probabilities are integrated in Preschool Mathematics Curricula
worldwide.
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/r523158237w463k2/
2. http://www.springerlink.com/content/1082-3301/
Two interesting articles on teachers knowledge (2010-11-25 11:19)
In the [1]recent issue of [2]Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, two interesting articles about teach-
ers mathematical knowledge for teaching are published. One of these articles, "[3]The nature and predictors of
elementary teachers mathematical knowledge for teaching", was written by Heather C. Hill. Here is the abstract
of her article:
This article explores elementary school teachers` mathematical knowledge for teaching and the
relationship between such knowledge and teacher characteristics. There were few substantively sig-
nicant relationships between mathematical knowledge for teaching and teacher characteristics, in-
cluding leadership activities and self-reported college-level mathematics preparation. Implications for
current policies aimed at improving teacher quality are addressed.
The other article was written by Courtney A. Bell, Suzanne Wilson, Traci Higgins and D. Betsy McCoach, and
this article is entitled "[4]Measuring the effects of professional development on teacher knowledge: the case of
developing mathematical ideas". The abstract of their article can be found below:
This study examines the impact of a nationally disseminated professional development program,
Developing Mathematical Ideas (DMI), on teachers` specialized knowledge for teaching mathematics
and illustrates how such research could be conducted. This study adds to our understanding of the
ways in which professional development program features, facilitators, and issues of scale interact in
the development of teachers` mathematical knowledge for teaching. Study limitations and challenges
are discussed.
1. http://www.nctm.org/eresources/toc.asp?journal_id=1&Issue_id=960
2. http://www.nctm.org/eresources/journal_home.asp?journal_id=1
3. http://www.nctm.org/eresources/article_summary.asp?URI=JRME2010-11-513a&from=B
4. http://www.nctm.org/eresources/article_summary.asp?URI=JRME2010-11-479a&from=B
Imagining mathematics teaching practice (2010-11-29 09:47)
Sandra Crespo, Joy Ann Oslund and Amy Noelle Parks have written an article that was recently published online in
[1]ZDM - The international journal on mathematics education. The article is heading towards an interesting topic:
that of mathematics teaching practice. The title of their article is [2]Imagining mathematics teaching practice:
prospective teachers generate representations of a class discussion. Here is the abstract:
Prospective teachers work with a variety of representations of mathematics teaching (i.e., narra-
tive cases, transcripts, video clips) in teacher preparation courses. Generally, they are considered the
audience, not producers, of those artifacts. In this article, however, we focus on representations pro-
duced by prospective teachers when they were asked to generate a hypothetical classroom dialogue
for the equality task: 'What goes in the box: 8+4=[ ]+5? We discuss the nature and quality of the
representations produced by four different cohorts of teacher preparation studentsprior to admis-
sion, at the beginning, middle, and end of their program. Prospective teachers within and across all
cohorts produced an unexpected diversity of representations of class discussions. Of special interest
to us were their hybrid representations, those that combined multiple images of mathematics teach-
ing practices. These representations not only provide a lens into prospective teachers` development
as mathematics teachers but could also become tools to support novices as they learn more complex
forms of mathematics teaching.
2. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/yht6trnh577v3v12/
Argumentation and proofs in elementary calculus (2010-11-30 09:51)
Ferdinando Arzarello and Cristina Sabena have written an article entitled [1]Semiotic and theoretic control in
argumentation and proof activities. This article was recently published online in [2]Educational Studies in Mathe-
matics. Here is an abstract of their article:
We present a model to analyze the students` activities of argumentation and proof in the graph-
ical context of Elementary Calculus. The theoretical background is provided by the integration of
Toulmin`s structural description of arguments, Peirce`s notions of sign, diagrammatic reasoning and
abduction, and Habermas` model for rational behavior. Based on empirical qualitative analysis we
identify three different kinds of semiotic actions featuring the organization of the argumentations, and
related to different epistemological status of the arguments. In such semiotic actions, the students`
argumentation and proof activities are managed and guided according to two intertwined modalities
of control, which we call semiotic and theoretic control. The former refers to decisions concerning
the selection and implementation of semiotic resources; the latter refers to decisions concerning the
selection and implementation of a more or less explicit theory or parts of it. The structure of the model
allows us to pinpoint a dialectical dynamics between the two.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/4460453418472p37/
3.11 December
2011 is already here (at least in Educational Studies in Mathematics) (2010-12-13 13:02)
The title is meant to be a joke. Educational Studies in Mathematics always publish their issues early (at least the
release dates dont correspond to the numbers of the issues). Anyhow, the journal has now released the [1]January
issue of 2011 (Volume 76, Number 1). The issue contains ve interesting articles (along with a couple of book
reviews and an editorial):
[2]Can slope be negative in 3-space? Studying concept image of slope through collective denition con-
struction, by Deborah Moore-Russo, Anna Marie Conner and Kristina I. Rugg
[3]The effect of using a video clip presenting a contextual story on low-achieving students` mathematical
discourse, by Yifat Ben-David Kolikant and Orit Broza
[4]Understanding mathematics textbooks through reader-oriented theory, by Aaron Weinberg and Emilie
Wiesner
[5]'Variation problems and their roles in the topic of fraction division in Chinese mathematics textbook
examples, by Xuhua Sun
[6]Young workers and their dispositions towards mathematics: tensions of a mathematical habitus in the
retail industry, by Robyn Jorgensen Zevenbergen
1. http://springerlink.com/content/r3445r273154/
2. http://springerlink.com/content/l313242p8260j420/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/07300u8h0w40uj70/
4. http://springerlink.com/content/948013868jp24372/
5. http://springerlink.com/content/c008875272w780r8/
6. http://springerlink.com/content/a837839j254g1771/
New issue of TMME soon to appear (2010-12-20 14:17)
Readers of this blog are probably familiar with [1]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast already. TMME is an
international peer-reviewed journal with a main focus on mathematics education research. The journal has both
print and electronic versions. Over the past two years, the main editor of the journal, Professor Bharath Sriraman,
has been kind enough to let me print information about new issues (along with his editorials) here before they are
printed. This tradition continues, and I am now happy to announce the next issue of TMME, which is going to be
a huge double-issue: volume 8, Numbers 1 & 2. Here is a brief overview of the contents of this forthcoming issue
0. Editorial: Opening 2011`s journal treasure chest, by Bharath Sriraman (Montana, USA)
1. Vignette of Doing Mathematics: A Meta-cognitive Tour of the Production of Some Elementary Mathematics,
by Hyman Bass (USA)
2. Mathematical Intuition (Poincare, Polya, Dewey), by Reuben Hersh (USA)
3. Transcriptions, Mathematical Cognition, and Epistemology, by Wolff-Michael Roth & Alfredo Bautista
(Canada)
4. Seeking more than nothing: Two elementary teachers conceptions of zero, by Gale Russell & Egan J Chernoff
(Canada)
5. Revisiting Tatjana Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa`s (1931) 'Uebungensammlung zu einer geometrischen Propdeuse:
A Translation and Interpretation, by Klaus Hoechsmann (Canada)
6. Problem-Based Learning in Mathematics, by Thomas C. O`Brien (posthumously),Chris Wallach, Carla Mash-
Duncan (USA)
Special Section: New perspectives on identication and fostering mathematically gifted students: matching re-
search and practice
Guest Editors: Viktor Freiman (Canada) & Ali Rejali (Iran)
7. New perspectives on identication and fostering mathematically gifted students: matching research and prac-
tice, by Viktor Freiman (Canada) & Ali Rejali (Iran)
8. The education of mathematically gifted students: Some complexities and questions, by Roza Leikin (Israel)
9. Historical perspectives on a program for mathematically talented students, by Harvey B. Keynes and Jonathan
Rogness (USA)
10. The prociency challenge: An action research program on teaching of gifted math students in grades 1-9, by
Arne Mogensen (Denmark)
11. Designing and teaching an elementary school enrichment program: What the students were taught and what I
learned, by Angela M. Smart (Canada)
12. An overview of the gifted education portfolio for the John Templeton Foundation, by Mark Saul (USA)
13. Prospective teachers` conceptions about teaching mathematically talented students: Comparative examples
from Canada and Israel, by Mark Applebaum (Israel), Viktor Freiman (Canada), Roza Leikin (Israel)
14. Mathematical and Didactical Enrichment for Pre-service Teachers: Mentoring Online Problem Solving in the
CASMI project, by Manon LeBlanc & Viktor Freiman (Canada)
15. Gifted Students and Advanced Mathematics, by Edward J. Barbeau (Canada)
16. Disrupting gifted teenager`s mathematical identity with epistemological messiness, by Paul Betts & Laura
McMaster (Canada)
17. The promise of interconnecting problems for enriching students` experiences in mathematics, by Margo Kon-
dratieva (Canada)
18. Creativity assessment in school settings through problem posing tasks, by Ildik Pelczer & Fernando Gamboa
Rodrguez(Mexico)
Below is the editorial for you to read:
[scribd id=45684675 key=key-2a7mbhwuntjoh0n2yfvc mode=list]
Chapter 4
2011
4.1 January
... and it has appeared! (2011-01-11 06:07)
Just before Christmas, [1]I wrote about a forthcoming issue of TMME. This issue has now appeared, and (as usual)
[2]all the articles are freely available for anyone! I am not going to repeat the rather impressive list of authors and
titles for this issue, since you can easily nd that for yourself. I would only like to point you to the excellent
editorial by the main editor ([3]Professor Bharath Sriraman), entitled: [4]Opening 2011s Journal Treasure Chest.
And this issue truly is a treasure chest! So, point your cursor towards [5]the journals home page, and dig into the
chest!
1. http://mathedresearch.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/new-issue-of-tmme-soon-to-appear/
2. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol8no1and2/index.html
4. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol8no1and2/0_Editorial_TMME2011_article0_pp.1_2.pdf
4.2 February
Creating and using representations, ZDM theme issue (2011-02-08 10:53)
A new special issue of ZDM has appeared, and it is a theme issue on [1]Creating and using representations of
mathematics teaching in research and teacher development. This one is a quite huge issue, containing 16 articles
altogether. Here is an overview of all the articles:
[2]On creating and using representations of mathematics teaching in research and teacher development
[3]Introduction to this issue, by Patricio Herbst and Daniel Chazan
[4]Representing context in video records of practice for urban mathematics teacher education, by Ann R.
Edwards
[5]Opening the closed text: the poetics of representations of teaching, by Michael Kevin Weiss
[6]Tacitation and implicitation: the construction of semiotic tools for representing mathematics teaching, by
Jean-Philippe Maitre, Christian Dpret, Erica de Vries and Jacques Baill
[7]Designing representations of trigonometry instruction to study the rationality of community college teach-
ing, by Vilma Mesa and Patricio Herbst
[8]Co-facilitation of study groups around animated scenes: the discourse of a moderator and a researcher,
by Talli Nachlieli
[9]Who does what? A linguistic approach to analyzing teachers` reactions to videos, by Gloriana Gonzlez
[10]Representation of the notion 'learning-as-participation in everyday situations of mathematics classes,
by Gtz Krummheuer
[11]Using comics-based representations of teaching, and technology, to bring practice to teacher education
courses, by Patricio Herbst, Daniel Chazan, Chia-Ling Chen, Vu-Minh Chieu and Michael Weiss
[12]Designing an intelligent teaching simulator for learning to teach by practicing, by Vu Minh Chieu and
Patricio Herbst
[13]Imagining mathematics teaching practice: prospective teachers generate representations of a class dis-
cussion, by Sandra Crespo, Joy Ann Oslund and Amy Noelle Parks
[14]Using video to teach future teachers to learn from teaching, by Rossella Santagata and Jody Guarino
[15]Making practice studyable, by Hala Ghousseini and Laurie Sleep
[16]Teachers` reactions to animations as representations of geometry instruction, by Deborah Moore-Russo
and Janine M. Viglietti
[17]Using video representations of teaching in practice-based professional development programs, by Hilda
Borko, Karen Koellner, Jennifer Jacobs and Nanette Seago
1. http://springerlink.com/content/x22rt4612486/
2. http://springerlink.com/content/v6x34q125610v076/
3. http://springerlink.com/content/v6x34q125610v076/
4. http://springerlink.com/content/k2j56jgq79217708/
5. http://springerlink.com/content/442216338m717320/
6. http://springerlink.com/content/eu7k4u3r1n0lg007/
7. http://springerlink.com/content/g758881058075w88/
8. http://springerlink.com/content/p2x2632226458620/
9. http://springerlink.com/content/245841t8m4217645/
10. http://springerlink.com/content/631110758g306052/
11. http://springerlink.com/content/3608372276072h74/
12. http://springerlink.com/content/n027277372404g9n/
13. http://springerlink.com/content/yht6trnh577v3v12/
14. http://springerlink.com/content/b731173732728518/
15. http://springerlink.com/content/6w8l035640264p4u/
16. http://springerlink.com/content/ek6246m05v22vw5r/
17. http://springerlink.com/content/n12g38449p245358/
Research on affect at CERME7 (2011-02-10 13:51)
Today is the second day of the [1]CERME7 conference in Rzeszow, Poland. I am attending (and enjoying!) the
conference, and Ill try and share some of the highlights. A lot of our time on this conference is devoted to working
group sessions, and it is really a working conference! I am very much in favor of such a format for a conference,
and I think it adds some benecial things to it. The disadvantage, of course, is that you dont really learn a lot
about what is going on in the other working groups. The plenary lecture of today was very interesting, partially
because it presented us with an overview of the results from the efforts of one particular working group over the
last couple of years.
The lecture was held by [2]Markku Hannula from the University of Helsinki, Finland. He held a very interesting
4.3. March BlogBook
lecture on "Structure and dynamics of affect in mathematical thinking and learning". In this lecture, he presented
us with an overview of research on affects in mathematics education over the last decades. He started off with a
focus on the inuential article (or handbook chapter) from 1992 by my good friend Douglas McLeod. Since the
early 90s, this research area has developed quite a lot, although, in many respects, researchers still struggle with
the same issues. This is very much related to the concepts in use, the relationships between the concepts as well
as the dynamics involved. Hannula provided a structured and well presented overview of this development, and he
also presented us with a nice three-dimensional model of the issues at hand. His presentation also included a nice
overview of how the CERME working group on affects had developed over the years. I will look out for his paper
when it arrives, and I am sure that it will be of great interest!
Below is the abstract of his lecture:
In this presentation, I will review the development of research on affect in mathematics education
since the late 1990s and forecast some directions for future development. One trend in the develop-
ment has been the elaboration of the theoretical foundation. I will suggest that a useful description of
the affective domain can be based on distinctions in three dimensions: 1. rapidly changing affective
states vs. relatively stable affective traits; 2. cognitive, motivational and emotional aspects of affect;
and 3. the social, the psychological and the physiological nature of affect. Another direction of devel-
opment has been to explore the structural nature of affect empirically. I will review some instruments
that have been developed to measure different dimensions of beliefs, motivation and emotional traits.
Moreover, I will look at some empirical results concerning how the different dimensions are related
to each other, and how they develop over time.
1. http://www.cerme7.univ.rzeszow.pl/
2. http://helsinki.academia.edu/MarkkuHannula
4.3 March
Video-based assessment (2011-03-16 18:15)
Anderson Norton, Andrea McCloskey and Rick A. Hudson have written an interesting article that was recently
published online in Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. The article is entitled [1]Prediction assessments:
Using video-based predictions to assess prospective teachers knowledge of students mathematical thinking. Here
is the abstract of their article:
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of an experimental elementary mathematics eld experience
course, we have designed a new assessment instrument. These video-based prediction assessments
engage prospective teachers in a video analysis of a child solving mathematical tasks. The prospective
teachers build a model of that child`s mathematics and then use that model to predict how the child
will respond to a subsequent task. In this paper, we share data concerning the evolution and effective-
ness of the instrument. Results from implementation indicate moderate to high degrees of inter-rater
reliability in using the rubric to assess prospective teachers` models and predictions. They also in-
dicate strong correlation between participation in the experimental course and prospective teachers`
performances on the video-based prediction assessments. Such ndings suggest that prediction as-
sessments effectively evaluate the pedagogical content knowledge that we are seeking to foster among
the prospective teachers.
1. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/j815475244714612/
BlogBook 4.4. April
How beliefs inuence professional development (2011-03-29 13:14)
[1]Katja Maass, from [2]Pdagogische Hochschule Freiburg in Germany has written an interesting article about
"[3]How can teachers beliefs affect their professional development?" The article was recently published online
in [4]ZDM. In her article, Maass presents results from a sub-project in the international [5]LEMA project. The
qualitative study described in this article included interviews of six teachers who participated in a professional
development course. The data were coded based on principles from [6]Grounded Theory, and the author provides
a nice description of the different stages in the coding process. The results are also presented in a nice and illustra-
tive way, and her theoretical foundation includes a nice overview of research on beliefs. As part of her concluding
discussion, Maass argues that the beliefs inuence the implementation, and she also points to previous research
which argues that beliefs are resistant to change. In other words, the challenge remains.
This paper describes a qualitative study that examines in more detail the question of how teachers`
beliefs may inuence the intention to implement change as suggested by a professional development
initiative. Several teachers in Germany took part in a professional development initiative for mod-
elling. The course comprised ve workshops spread over 2008. A part of our evaluation of the
course involved interviewing six teachers after they had taken part. Teachers were interviewed about
the impact the course had had on them, the opportunities and any related impediments they saw for
modelling, and the way in which they typically taught. The interviews were evaluated using codes.
Although the sample is very small, the cases allow for interesting insights, and for the hypotheses
that teachers` beliefs about effective teaching seem to have a major impact on whether or not they
intend to change their classroom practice, as suggested by the professional development initiative,
and on whether or not teachers perceive the context in which they are teaching (school head, parents,
students, etc.) as supportive.
1. http://home.ph-freiburg.de/maassfr/index.php/home.html
2. https://www.ph-freiburg.de/
3. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/x0g6j6404n378054/about/
5. http://www.lema-project.org/web.lemaproject/web/eu/tout.php
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grounded_theory
4.4 April
Early Algebraization (2011-04-05 10:28)
[1]Algebra is a stumbling stone for many of our pupils. It is also a branch of mathe-
matics that is important for many other areas of mathematics. [2]Jinfa Cai and [3]Eric Knuth have edited a new
4.4. April BlogBook
book on "[4]Early Algebraization" that has recently been published by Springer. The book belongs within the se-
ries "[5]Advances in Mathematics Education", which involves many important books (most of them outrageously
expensive, Im afraid). The main editors for this series are [6]Gabriele Kaiser and [7]Bharath Sriraman.
The table of contents is freely available for download, and so is the preface and some sample pages. The book has
three parts, including curricular aspects, cognitive aspects and instructional aspects of algebra in school. Some of
you might be lucky enough to be able to read the book online, others have to dig deep in your pockets and buy
the book. If you are interested in algebra (and particularly from a research perspective), I think the book should
denitely nd a place in your shelves. If you cannot afford it, the introduction is very readable, and it gives a nice
overview of the book.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algebra
2. http://www.math.udel.edu/~jcai/
3. http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/people/staff.php?sid=683
4. http://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/mathematics+education/book/
978-3-642-17734-7?cm_mmc=NBA-_-Mar-11_EAST_7809955-_-product-_-978-3-642-17734-7
5. http://www.springer.com/series/8392
6. http://www.erzwiss.uni-hamburg.de/personal/gkaiser/index.html
2011 Annual Meeting of AERA (2011-04-08 13:18)
Unfortunately, I am not able to go to the annual meeting this year either, but I plan on following the conference on-
line! The [1]2011 Annual Meeting of the [2]American Educational Research Association is held in New Orleans.
As usual, there are lots of interesting sessions, and although it is a conference for educational research in general,
there is a number of sessions related to mathematics as well! For an overview, take a look at [3]the conference
program. According to the program, there are 45 sessions with "mathematics" in the title this year, and no less
than 349 papers include the word "mathematics" in the title! (Try searching the [4]online program to nd more!)
In addition to the ordinary "phone book" (print version of the program), they have created a very nice mobile
application this year. I have downloaded and tried the iPhone version, and it makes me wish I was there :-)
BlogBook 4.4. April
Above is a snapshot of the welcome screen on the iPhone app. Below is the short description of the poster session
that my good colleague [5]Dicky Ng is presenting. Minsung Kwon and I have co-authored the poster.
4.5. May BlogBook
If you are in New Orleans, make sure to pop by the poster presentation on Sunday and tell Dicky I said hi!
Details of our poster presentation can be found in the online program ([6]direct link here).
If you want to follow the conference online like I do, you might want to check out the [7] #AERA on twitter!
So, to all my colleagues in New Orleans: enjoy the conference, and make sure you keep us updated!
1. http://aera.net/2011AnnualMeeting.htm
2. http://aera.net/
3. http://aera.net/Default.aspx?id=11288
4. http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera11/index.php?click_key=1&grp_id=2186&view=
both&multi_search_schedule_mode=scheduled&cmd=Prepare+Multi+Search&PHPSESSID=
18566a1ead6b9b5ba69494e99bf66f0b
5. http://www.teal.usu.edu/htm/faculty-and-staff/memberID=3742
Load+Person&people_id=2081785&PHPSESSID=d124226efc9ed1b2381a677794dbc68d
7. http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23AERA
4.5 May
ICMI is on facebook (and so am I by the way...) (2011-05-11 10:41)
I recently learned that [1]ICMI is now [2]on facebook! This was revealed in their [3]latest newsletter, and I have
already become a "friend". If you are interested, make sure you pay a visit to their facebook page. If interested, you
might also want to check out my own [4]Mathematics Education Research Page on facebook (see image below!),
where I post even more updated news than on this blog :-)
BlogBook 4.5. May
1. http://www.mathunion.org/icmi/home/
2. http://www.facebook.com/pages/ICMI-International-Commission-on-Mathematical-Instruction/
146491102081123
3. http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news/2011-May.txt
4. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mathematics-Education-Research-Page/206173231759?sk=wall
The 2011 NORMA conferernce (2011-05-13 10:06)
This week, The sixth Nordic Conference on Mathematics Education, [1]NORMA 11, is held in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The conference is organized by the University of Iceland in association with the Nordic Society for Research in
Mathematics Education. NoRME. I have been to the previous two NORMA conferences in Copenhagen (2008)
and Trondheim (2005), and I enjoyed both. This year, however, I decided to stay at home and let two of my col-
leagues represent our group and present our paper. If interested, our presentation is published in our [2]Norwegian
web page (the presentation itself is in English).
The confence gathers researchers not only from the Nordic countries, but also from the rest of Europe and out-
side. Plenary speakers are Marit Johnsen-Hines, Bergen University College, Nria Planas, Universitat Autonoma
de Barcelona, Bharath Sriraman, The University of Montana, and Roger Slj, University of Gothenburg. Un-
fortunately, the conference does not have a very strong online presence (no ofcial use of social media), but the
[3]program at least gives some indications. After the conference, a book is often published containing the accepted
papers from the conference.
1. http://vefsetur.hi.is/norma11/
2. http://ukm-stavanger.info/
3. http://vefsetur.hi.is/norma11/node/32
4.6. June BlogBook
4.6 June
MKT seminar in Stavanger (2011-06-26 20:15)
June 20-21, our research group at the University of Stavanger had a seminar on mathematical knowledge for teach-
ing at the beautiful Sola Strand Hotel. 12 invited researchers from Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Portugal and the U.S.
participated together with four researchers from UiS. All participants presented their work, and there was also set
aside time for discussions.
The participants of the seminar had different approaches to MKT, and this provided a nice setting for discus-
sions. Our group had very much built upon the work that Sean Delaney have done in Ireland when we have
translated adapted and used MKT items in a Norwegian setting. Dicky Ng has followed a similar approach in
Indonesia. Miguel Ribeiro from Portugal has used MKT as an analytic framework for his research, whereas Jorryt
van Bommel from Sweden (originally Holland) has studied MKT as the object of learning in her learning studies.
Other participants in the seminar, like Bodil Kleve from Oslo University College, has worked with Rowlands
"knowledge quartet". All these, and other, projects were presented and discussed in what turned out to be a very
nice seminar.
One of the presenters, Sean Delaney (see photo below), pointed out some possibilities for future collaboration
in this area, and some of the participants at the seminar have already started working on a proposal for a sympo-
sium at next years AERA conference. Hopefully, even more collaboration will follow from the seminar.
[1]
1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mosvold/5873271569/
4.7 July
New issue of The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast (2011-07-09 19:29)
A new issue of [1]The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast has just appeared. This issue - [2]Number 3, 2011 - is a
special issue on "Optimizing Student Understanding in Mathematics". The articles in this issue are a selection of
some interesting papers from [3]last years PME-NA conference. More about the background for this can be read
in [4]Professor Bharath Sriramans [5]excellent editorial. As usual, all articles in TMME are freely available as
pdf-downloads, just as I like it :-)
1. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME
2. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol8no3/index.html
3. http://www.pmena.org/2010/
5. http://www.math.umt.edu/TMME/vol8no3/Sriraman_TME2011_article0_pp.401_404.pdf
4.8 October
New issue of The Mathematics Enthusiast is approaching (2011-10-13 10:18)
A new issue of [1]The Mathematics Enthusiast (formerly known as The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast) is ap-
proaching, and this one is going to be a double issue. I am happy to announce the table of contents for this new
issue, and thanks to the editor ([2]Professor Bharath Sriraman), I am able to do this before it is even announced on
the journals web site! Here it is:
[scribd id=68596740 key=key-xmd61v2mqfhv9gh0r09 mode=list]
June issue of The Mathematics Enthusiast (2011-10-17 11:32)
June 2012 seems to be far away, but I have nonetheless been given the privilege to share with you the table of
contents of the June issue of [1]The Mathematics Enthusiast. As usual, the issue will appear on the journals web
site, and the articles will then be freely available as downloadable pdf les. As you can see in the table of contents
(below), the issue includes quite a few articles from Nordic researchers, and this is partly due to the inclusion of
a section from the [2]North Calotte Conference in Mathematics Education (Troms, 2010). So, although June is
still quite a few months ahead, this is something to look forward to :-)
Thanks a lot to the editor, [3]Professor Bharath Sriraman, for allowing me once again to provide you with this
preview here on my blog!
[scribd id=68596742 key=key-s98w01hlyg2ym5dgi6k mode=list]
2. http://www.math.umt.edu/sriraman/Nordkalottkonferanse_2010.pdf
New monography on the history of mathematics and mathematics education (2011-10-20 11:14)
[1] Professor Bharath Sriraman has edited a new and interesting monograph called "Cross-
roads in the History of Mathematics and Mathematics Education". The monograph, which is going to receive the
number 12 in the "[2]Monograph series in mathematics education", will be published in December or January, but
I have been lucky enough to receive a taster to share with the readers of my blog.
If you are interested in the history of mathematics and/or its relation to mathematics education, this book will
probably be of high interest to you! The contents feature a section with different topics in the history and didactics
of calculus and analysis, and a similar section on the history and didactics of geometry and number. A third section
includes four chapters on the history of mathematics in mathematics education. The authors are among the most
prominent researchers in these areas, and the table of contents (see below) looks interesting.
[scribd id=68742599 key=key-1ghqoghv9pjf44spa0 mode=list]
1. http://mathedresearch.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/sriramancase.jpg
2. http://www.infoagepub.com/series/The-Montana-Mathematics-Enthusiast-Series
4.9 November
The Mathematics Enthusiast to feature NSF Math Science Partnership Projects (2011-11-02 09:46)
[1]The (Montana) Mathematics Enthusiast, edited by [2]Bharath Sriraman has been selected by the National Sci-
ence Foundations [3]Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program committee to assemble and publish a set of
papers over the next two years to expand avenues for more MSP projects to share what they are learning about
mathematics and science education through an internationally recognized peer-reviewed journal that is widely
available. Papers will be selected from the[4] Learning Network Conference scheduled to take place on January
23-24, 2012, in Washington, DC. This conference features about 100 MSP projects, including large partnerships
targeting science and/or mathematics teaching and learning in specic grade bands or disciplinary areas, institute
partnerships focusing on developing teacher leadership, partnership incubator (or 'Start) projects focusing on
learning about institutional partnership development, and research and evaluation projects studying and support-
ing MSP and similar work. The overarching goal of the MSP program, which was created by Congress in 2002,
is to increase K-12 student achievement in STEM subjects through consequential partnerships between higher
education and K-12 institutions, involving STEM faculty in deep and meaningful ways.
3. http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5756
4. http://hub.mspnet.org/index.cfm/msp_conf_2012
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Edited: December 7, 2011

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