Explores whether there is a component of mathematics anxiety distinct from numerical anxiety and mathematics test anxiety. A 30-item instrument was administered to 365 community college students. A factor involving anxiety associated with specific mathematics topics, labeled "abstraction anxiety," was found. (MNS)

Presents mathematics education research referenced alphabetically by author within three categories (research summaries, articles, and dissertations). Grade or age is indicated for each reference, and an index is included. Index topics include achievement, algebra, arithmetic operations, attitudes/anxiety, calculators/computers, cognitive style,…

Highlights major areas of research in mathematics education and examines four areas in need of additional attention: (1) the role of technology in mathematics teaching; (2) models for evaluating mathematics teaching; (3) development of estimation skills; and (4) the role of affective variables in the teaching of problem solving. (JN)

Observations and interviews revealed that student teachers view social studies as a nonsubject, as human relations, as citizenship indoctrination, as school knowledge, as an integrative core of the elementary curriculum, and as education for social action. A case study of one student illustrates the complexity of how these perspectives develop.…

Curricular designs for social studies are reviewed and the fundamental differences in their treatment of citizenship noted. There is a need for a base of knowledge about citizenship. The establishment of a scholarly discipline of citizenship is proposed. (Author/RM)

Two views of social studies curriculum development are discussed. The technical project view assumes a linear sequence of discrete events; the social process view assumes a dynamic, interactive relationship among policy, planning, enactment, and their sociocultural context. An alternative conception that integrates technical, social, and critical…

Secondary students who regularly discussed controversial issues using a value analysis approach showed gains on the measures of political confidence, political interest, and social integration, but not on political trust. The value analysis discussions did not affect students' reading comprehension. (Author/RM)

School teachers and college faculty believe that inquiry strategies were never widely implemented. There was an perceived problem with the availability of inquiry materials for classroom use and some concern about students' preparation and ability to use inquiry strategies. Teacher training programs failed to prepare teachers to use inquiry…

A summary of doctoral research activity in social studies education based on dissertation abstracts for the period 1977 to mid-1982 is presented. Descriptive studies dominated, northeastern universities produced the most doctorates, the largest portion were studies of curriculum materials, and the largest number concerned broad field or general…

Music has been taught and learned throughout history, in every known culture. Knowledge of this background may help music educators persist in the current atmosphere. (RM)

Most primary-grade children were found to prefer current popular musical styles--rock, country and western, and easy listening pop. Music preferences of males and females generally were the same. There were no differences in racial group preferences for musical excerpts without racially identifying elements. (RM)

Verbal chanting was the most accurate response for kindergarten students and, along with clapping, for first graders. Clapping was most accurate for third graders and, along with chanting, for second graders. Overall, the stepping response was the least accurate. Girls consistently received higher mean scores than boys. (Author/RM)

The effects of using positive and negative examples to help second graders learn about the musical concepts of even duration and ascending melody were examined. The ratios studied were 5:1, 2:1, and 1:2 positive-to-negative instances. No differences in the instructional effectiveness of the three conditions were found. (Author/RM)

No significant difference was found in sixth-grade reading, language, and mathematics achievement between students who were excused from regular classroom activities for the study of instrumental music and students not studying instrumental music. (Author/RM)

Subjects--high school choral students and choral conductors--preferred significantly less bass relative to other voice parts and could discriminate when a single voice part was unbalanced. There were no significant balance preference differences between students and conductors. Verbal balance preference indicated that more subjects preferred the…