In recent years, the notion of equity has become increasingly prominent in mathematics education, in relation to pedagogy and the opportunities provided for learners to identify themselves as successful mathematics learners. Different pedagogies have been shown to promote equity and access to mathematics in different ways. However, teacher…

This paper reports on some aspects of an investigation on the impact of an instructional approach aimed at generating and maintaining students' interest in mathematics for secondary school students in displaced and re-settled communities in South Sudan. Two groups of Grade 11 students, an experimental group (E-group) and a control group (C-group),…

This article presents balanced views of Mathematical Literacy (ML) and Mathematics (M), from both an analytical perspective and the subjective perspectives of teachers and learners. From the analytical perspective, policy documents and the literature spanning the period from the inception of ML to date are reviewed. Glimpses into the subjective…

In this article, we report on findings from a study that explored perspectives of Grade 10-12 learners from two rural secondary schools in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa on the nature of mathematics prior to and at the end of a year-long mathematics mentorship programme. We use Ernest's (1994) orientations about the nature of…

Guided by the control-value theory of achievement emotions, we examined the relationship between cognitive appraisals (i.e. self-efficacy and task value), learning anxiety, test anxiety, enjoyment and motivation towards learning mathematics among 302 students in their first year of lower secondary school in Uganda. Students were randomly selected…

Quantitative methods of data analysis usually involve inferential statistics, and are not well known for their ability to reflect the intricacies of a diverse student population. The South African tertiary education sector is characterised by extreme inequality and diversity. Foundation programmes address issues of inequality of access by…

The purpose of this study is to apply the Rasch model to investigate both the Van Hiele theory for geometric development and an associated test. In terms of the test, the objective is to investigate the functioning of a classic 25-item instrument designed to identify levels of geometric proficiency. The dataset of responses by 244 students (106…

This paper reports a study on the effect of using the Lakatosian heuristic method to teach the surface area of a cone (SAC) on students' achievement according to Bloom's taxonomy levels. Two groups of students (experimental and control) participated in the study. The experimental group (n = 20) was taught using the Lakatosian heuristic method…

The purpose of this study was to explore and compare the proficiency of Grade 11 Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy (ML) learners in solving two problems based on the temperature conversion formula. The first was a result-unknown problem that asks for the result of a formula for a given input. The second was a start-unknown problem in which the…

Under-performance in mathematics is a challenge in South African schools. The purpose of this study is to advance views expressed by teachers and learners on factors that facilitate learners' performance in mathematics. The participants in this research were educators and learners from historically disadvantaged schools from similar socio-economic…

The application of school mathematics to real-life situations is emphasised in most countries as a major goal of the mathematics curriculum. Equally, in international comparative tests such as the Trends In Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test items dealing with the applications of…

This paper presents some internet aesthetic texts collected over a period of two years through chain message communications with colleagues located in different parts of the world. The aesthetic texts are grouped into four themes of mathematical magic, values, beauty, and prediction. Mathematical magic aesthetics show fascinating things that can…

This paper is based on a study which explored the conceptual understanding of Grade 11 mathematics learners of graphical functional relationships, in particular their understanding of the Cartesian plane, notation, symbols and graphical terminology. The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for Grades 10-12 in mathematics stipulates functional…

This paper reports a study on the use of ICT to teach parabolic functions to secondary school students. The project was informed by the need to find better ways of presenting parabolic functions to secondary school students in order to improve their learning of the concepts and improve their interest and performance in mathematics. The study was…