Many studies have shown that visual representations can enhance student understanding of STEM concepts. However, prior research suggests that visual representations alone are not necessarily effective across a broad range of students. To address this problem, we created a novel, scaffolded form of diagrammatic self-explanation in which students…

This study examined if and how thinking time, defined as the time from the start of the problem to the students' first action to solve, influences their problem-solving efficiency, defined as the number of steps taken to solve the problem, using Graspable Math, a web-based mathematical tool. We found that: (1) students who took longer to think…

The purpose for this correlational, explanatory study was to explain the influence of the length of the school day on the mean Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) scores on the 2016 Grade 8 Mathematics and 2016 Algebra II tests for students in various socioeconomic strata. The Grade 8 Mathematics sample included…

Latent classes of effective and non-effective Algebra I teachers were established using measurements of teacher promoted engagement, teacher promoted understanding, and classroom management from the Measures of Effective Teaching Project (MET Project) database. Historically, robust measures of effective teaching exist in the literature; however,…

We investigated whether early algebra lessons that explicitly aimed to elicit mathematical discussions (shift-problem lessons) invoke more and qualitatively better mathematical discussions and raise students' mathematical levels more than conventional lessons in a small group setting. A quasi-experimental study (pre- and post-test, control group)…

The Rural Math Innovation Network (RMIN) is a 4-year project that launched in January 2017 after receiving a $2.9 million Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and matching funds from the private sector. Virginia Ed Strategies and rural local education agencies (LEAs) in Virginia are implementing…

Previous research has established the importance of definitions in mathematics and have distinguished the difference between extracted and stipulated definitions. Much remains unknown, however, about the role definitions serve in developing students' disciplinary literacy. In this study, we analyze how definitions from four US Algebra 1 textbooks…

National standards and frameworks for mathematics, computer science, and technology emphasize the importance of teaching all children computational thinking (CT) skills. These skills are important for preparing citizens that are literate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and for participation in a society that is rapidly…

This study features data from middle school Algebra co-teachers and their students with and without disabilities, who completed questionnaires about their co-teaching experiences. Although most students with disabilities believed the general educator was in charge of lessons, students without disabilities also credited the special educator. Most…

In this paper, we discuss the utilization of an innovative learning tool, the Sphero BOLT robot, in a 10-day algebra-based mathematics education course for graduate students. Students created routes for their BOLTs to travel and determined ways to measure the distance, rate, and time of their robots' movements. The student prompt, sample student…

We describe results of a long-term design experiment focused on promoting mathematics learning among multilingual ninth graders classified as English Learners. The intervention at a linguistically diverse public high school in the US focused on a unit introducing concepts related to linear rates of change. We analyze results from a…

There is an ongoing need to support students' learning of linear functions, and the study of slope makes up a foundational component of this learning. We applied techniques from systemic functional linguistics to document the meanings that were established through spoken interaction between a student and her tutors during discussions of slope. We…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not adopting a blended learning model led to significant difference in the Algebra I standardized test scores on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) End-of-Course (EOC) exam between secondary students who experienced a blended learning model in their classrooms and…

Understanding related to fraction concepts is a critical prerequisite for advanced study in mathematics such as algebra. Therefore, it is important that elementary students form conceptual and procedural understanding of fractional numbers, allowing for advancement in mathematics. The concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) instructional sequence…

This study examined pre-service primary teachers' (PSPTs) mathematics performance on a set of question items measuring at the sixth grade level in Hong Kong. These items covered the five learning strands of the local primary mathematics curriculum -- number, algebra, measures, shape and space, and data handling. The participants of the study were…