This survey of the literature summarizes and reflects on research findings regarding elementary preservice teachers' (PSTs') mathematics conceptions and the development thereof. Despite the current focus on teacher education, peer-reviewed journals offer a surprisingly sparse insight in these areas. The limited research that exists…

In this article, we explore the mathematical content knowledge of one entire cohort of pre-service teachers (N = 107) through analysing their performance in a Secondary Mathematics Audit that was developed for the International Comparative Studies in Mathematics Teacher Training that was initiated by the University of Plymouth. We study how their…

Over the past decade it has been frequently reported that East Asian students are outperforming their Western counterparts in international tests of mathematics at middle-school level. This paper probes classroom discourse in an attempt to shed some light on this phenomenon. Data were collected from a sample of Chinese Year 8 students in a normal…

This article explores junior high school students' views regarding what it takes to be successful in mathematics. Qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to collect and analyse data, describe and interpret junior high school students (12-14 years) perceptions about what it takes to be successful in mathematics. 22 students from four…

Recent mathematics education reform calls for efforts to create collaborative and student-centered environments, where students have opportunities to reason and construct their understanding as part of a community of learners. Mathematics instruction should provide students opportunities to engage in mathematical inquiry and meaning making through…

In this study we explored the effects of providing ninth-grade students with the chance to take part in decision making concerning the mathematics level they would be assigned to in high school. Decisions concerned their self-competence regarding their mathematical abilities, their learning goals and the class atmosphere. The students were taught…

In this paper, we present a framework used to analyze the extent to which assessments (i.e., chapter tests) accompanying three published elementary grades 3-5 curricula in the United States provide students with opportunities to engage with key mathematical processes. The framework uses indicators for five criteria to assess the processes of…

This article reports an innovative use of photographs in a pencil-and-paper test which was developed to assess young children's understanding of mass measurement. Two hundred and ninety-five tests were administered by thirteen teachers of Years 1 and 2 children in 3 urban and rural schools. Many of these children of 6-8 years of age were able to…

This is an ethnographic study of promotion of metacognition, focusing on the teaching practices in secondary mathematics classrooms of three teachers in the UK. With all three teachers, observations of their teaching and interviews regarding their teaching were conducted. The main aim was analysing and substantiating the parallels and differences…

This article describes a professional development initiative for fifteen mathematics teachers in the use of dynamic geometry software GeoGebra. A four-day introductory workshop was given in Nepal to provide an overview of GeoGebra and its possible integration in the teaching/learning of secondary school mathematics there. Teachers' impressions and…

In this paper, we introduce a new approach to compute the partial fraction decompositions of rational functions and describe the results of its trials at three secondary schools in Hong Kong. The data were collected via quizzes, questionnaire and interviews. In general, according to the responses from the teachers and students concerned, this new…

In mathematics education, there has been tension between deep learning and repetitive learning. Western educators often emphasize the need for students to construct a conceptual understanding of mathematical symbols and rules before they practise the rules (Li, 2006). On the other hand, Chinese learners tend to be oriented towards rote learning…

This study investigated the development of the concept of variables in middle grades mathematics textbooks during four eras of mathematics education in the United States. Findings revealed that each of the middle grades mathematics curricula examined used variables, but in varied proportions and levels of complexity. Formal definitions for…

A secondary data analysis was conducted using a large dataset from a study related to online professional development for eighth grade teachers of mathematics. Using this data, the paper provides a snapshot of the current state of teachers' knowledge related to proportional reasoning and functions. The paper also considers how teachers' knowledge…

Parental involvement in the form of "at-home" interest and support has a major influence on pupils' educational outcomes and attitudes. Many parents, however, feel uninformed about current educational practices and how they can be more involved with their child's learning. A number of initiatives have been implemented internationally to encourage…