The aim of this study is to reveal the effect of the flipped learning model used in the laboratory practices course of pre-service teachers on their conceptual understanding and to evaluate their opinions about this model. In order to achieve this aim, science teaching laboratory applications course was conducted with the flipped learning model…

Combinatorial proofs of binomial identities involve establishing an identity by arguing that each side enumerates a certain set of outcomes. In this paper, we share results from interviews with experienced provers (mathematicians and upper-division undergraduate mathematics students) and examine one particular aspect of combinatorial proof, namely…

Many undergraduate students avoid mathematics classes due to math anxiety. This curtails options, particularly STEM majors where workers are needed and jobs are prevalent. This study aimed to investigate whether self-efficacy, mindfulness, and self-compassion predicted math anxiety. Participants of this study were undergraduate students (N = 345)…

Technical skills related to basic mathematics in higher education have been a key foundation for further allied courses across primary programmes. While the traditional learning strategies appear to be inadequate to enhance the basic mathematics skills of university students, digital mathematical games pose the potential to improve such a set of…

Many students who take a mathematics course as part of their post-secondary education are not enrolled in a mathematically-intensive degree program. This poses a challenge to mathematics departments that, for example, value and privilege more traditional mathematics curriculum: should students in such courses be taught differently than those in…

The present paper explores the relationship between attitudes towards mathematics (ATM) and achievement in college calculus in active learning (AL) and lecture-based (LB) classrooms. Previous work on this relationship has mainly been limited to LB instruction, neglecting the impact of innovative approaches such as AL. Less attention has been paid…

The role of mathematics in secondary-tertiary transition is subject to increasing analysis in several education contexts. We explore the longitudinal relationships among a standardized test used for assessing secondary school mathematics, high school final grades and the academic progress of a sample of Italian undergraduates. Results from…

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed one of the most challenging situations for the academicians as well as the students all around the world. Students being the biggest stake holders of the education process, their challenges during this pandemic become even more pivotal. These challenges vary in intensity and type depending on multiple items. In this…

The student experience with mathematical modelling has the potential to differ in nature to the experience of a typical mathematics student. The research reported in this paper forms part of a broader study looking into tertiary learning experiences for mathematical modelling. This paper reports on: What are the student experiences when learning…

Differential equations are an important mathematical concept used to model processes in many disciplines. However, the literature shows that students experience many difficulties when studying this topic. We investigate the effect of using context while teaching differential equations on engineering students' ability to construct and interpret…

Mathematical modelling has great potential to motivate students towards studying mathematics. This article discusses several different approaches to integrating research work with a second-year undergraduate, mathematical modelling subject. I found sourcing papers from the areas of epidemiology and ecology to be a fruitful source area,…

This study investigated the sources of difficulties experienced by prospective teachers in mathematical modelling in the context of a semester-long course on mathematical modelling for teachers. The data reported in this study were collected from six prospective teachers through in-depth semi-structured interviews supported by audio and videotaped…

Mathematics provides us with tools to capture and explain phenomena in everyday biology, even at the nanoscale. The most regularly applied technique to biology is differential equations. In this article, we seek to present how differential equation models of biological phenomena, particularly the flow through ion channels, can be used to motivate…

Decomposition of organic matter controls the flow of carbon and nutrients in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Several kinetic laws have been proposed to describe decomposition rates, but they neglect adaptation of the microbial decomposer to environmental conditions. Here we formalise decomposition as an optimal control problem by assuming that…

We present a model for roleplaying (RP) for university students that is aimed at fostering the interactions of each learner with the teacher and coursemates, self- and peer-assessment, as well as an awareness and meaningful learning of mathematics. Specific features of our model are its focus on metacognition and individualized learning, based on…