Draws on two research projects in South Africa to describe and discuss the language practices of teachers in primary multilingual mathematics classrooms. Contends that while at a general political and pedagogical level it makes sense for teachers to encourage and use code-switching as a learning and teaching resource, this is not a straightforward…

Reports on a study designed to construct an understanding of two grade 6 students' proportional reasoning schemes. Finds that two mental operations, unitizing and iterating, play an important role in students' use of multiplicative thinking in proportion tasks. (Author/MM)

Reports on the development of a mathematics course in fractals and dynamic processes for volunteer students in the second phase of secondary education in the Netherlands. Presents findings on the correct way for teachers to coach students in investigations. (Author/MM)

Describes the constructs of referents, relationships, and modes and illustrates how these constructs may be reflected in students' written responses to a decimal task that requests an explanation. Examines sets of responses from two classrooms using the proposed framework to illustrate the type of information that teachers may acquire through the…

Explores the role of proof in mathematics education and provides justification for its importance in the curriculum. Discusses three applications of dynamic geometry software--heuristics, exploration, and visualization--as tools in the teaching of proof and as potential challenges to the importance of proof. (Author/MM)

Reports on a long-term teaching experiment carried out in the 9th and 10th grades of a scientific high school as part of a larger research project. Aims to clarify the role of a particular software, Cabri Geometry, in the teaching/learning process. Focuses on the social construction of knowledge. (Author/MM)

Reports data from a longitudinal study of 12-year-old students' interpretations of geometrical objects and relationships when using dynamic geometry software. Focuses on the progressive mathematization of the students' sense of the software, examining their interpretations, and using the explanations that students give to the geometrical…

Presents an analytic framework to describe and analyze students' answers to proof problems. Employs the framework to investigate ways in which dynamic geometry software can be used to improve students' understanding of the nature of mathematical proof and improve their proof skills. (Author/MM)

Describes two activities that led students to contradictions between conjectures and findings. Analyzes the conjectures, working methods, and explanations given by students when faced with the contradictions that arose. (Author/MM)

Attempts to develop a global discussion about the roles of dynamic geometry systems (DGS) by addressing four points: (1) the variety of possible contexts for proof in a DGS; (2) the dual nature of proof (cognitive and social) as reflected in the "milieu" constructed around the use of a DGS; (3) from observing to proving; and (4) overcoming the…

Introduces a special issue on the complex relationship between multilingualism and education in the Mediterranean region. Articles examine Maltese bilingual education; teaching English in Algeria; shifts in environmental literacy in Lebanon; multilingual education in Lebanon; cognitive-academic language proficiency and language acquisition in…

Examines the relationship between language use in Maltese bilingual classrooms and societal contexts within which the classrooms are embedded, explaining that the use of Maltese and English for instruction reflects the functions of each language in society. Discusses code switching and terminology switching and explains how the discursive and…

Algeria's educational system and language usage are politically controlled. As French loses its ground, English is being heralded as a solution to the country's problems. Popular vernaculars are banned. Language policy is the result of political takeovers. The introduction of English in elementary school appears to be an attempt to end the…

Discusses the multilingual print environment in Lebanon's streets and shops, which reflects global and local changes in environmental literacy that represent wider notions of literacy from which students may learn. Provides examples of slips and errors between languages to show how environmental literacy can be problematic. Suggests that…

Describes various aspects of multilingualism in Lebanon and its impact on education, reviewing research on urban multilingualism, presenting case studies of the language and literacy practices of multilingual Lebanese people, and examining educational implications of multilingualism (i.e., students' attitudes toward reading, writing, and their…