TMME, January 2010 revisited

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The January issue of The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast has now been released on the journal website. The entire issue is freely available as always!

0. New Year Tidings Bharath Sriraman (USA) pp. 1-2
FEATURE ARTICLES

1. When is .999… Less Than 1? Karin Usadi Katz and Mikhail G. Katz (Israel) pp. 3-30
2. High School Teachers use of Dynamic Software to generate serendipitous mathematical relations Manuel Santos-Trigo and Hugo Espinosa-Pérez (Mexico) pp. 31-46
3. Gender and Mathematics Education in Pakistan: A situation analysis Anjum Halai (Pakistan/Tanzania) pp. 47-62
4. Early Intervention in College Mathematics Courses: A Component of the STEM RRG Program Funded by the US Department of Education Rohitha Goonatilake and Eduardo Chappa (USA) pp. 63-74
5. “What Was Really Accomplished Today?”
Mathematics Content Specialists Observe a Class for Prospective K–8 Teachers Andrew M. Tyminski, Sarah Ledford, Dennis Hembree (USA) pp. 75-92
6. Leading Learning within a PLC: Implementing New Mathematics Content Ann Heirdsfield, Janeen Lamb, Gayle Spry (Australia) pp. 93-112
7. Mathematical Reasoning in Service Courses: Why Students Need Mathematical Modeling Problems Kris H. Green & Allen Emerson (USA) pp. 113-140
8. Randomness: Developing an understanding of mathematical order. Steve Humble (UK) pp. 141-148
9. The Constructs of PhD Students about Infinity: An Application of Repertory Grids Serdar Aztekin, Ahmet Arikan (Turkey) & Bharath Sriraman (USA) pp. 149-174

TMME, No 1, 2010

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The next issue of THE MONTANA MATHEMATICS ENTHUSIAST is soon to appear, and it is going to be Vol.7, No.1, January 2010. This issue is particularly exciting for me, since I am introduced as one of the new members of the editorial board! As usual, it is also going to be an interesting issue. The entire issue will be available soon on the journal website.

Here is a list of the feature articles in the forthcoming issue of TMME:

  1. When is .999… Less Than 1? by Karin Usadi Katz and Mikhail G. Katz (Israel)
  2. High School Teachers use of Dynamic Software to generate serendipitous mathematical relations, by Manuel Santos-Trigo and Hugo Espinosa-Pérez (Mexico)
  3. Gender and Mathematics Education in Pakistan: A situation analysis, by Anjum Halai (Pakistan/Tanzania)
  4. Early Intervention in College Mathematics Courses: A Component of the STEM RRG Program Funded by the US Department of Education, by Rohitha Goonatilake and Eduardo Chappa (USA)
  5. “What Was Really Accomplished Today?” Mathematics Content Specialists Observe a Class for Prospective K-8 Teachers, by Andrew M. Tyminski, Sarah Ledford, Dennis Hembree (USA)
  6. Leading Learning within a PLC: Implementing New Mathematics Content, by Ann Heirdsfield, Janeen Lamb, Gayle Spry (Australia)
  7. Mathematical Reasoning in Service Courses: Why Students Need Mathematical Modeling Problems, by Kris H. Green & Allen Emerson (USA)
  8. Randomness: Developing an understanding of mathematical order, by Steve Humble (UK)
  9. The Constructs of PhD Students about Infinity: An Application of Repertory Grids, by Serdar Aztekin, Ahmet Arikan (Turkey) & Bharath Sriraman (USA)

Below, you’ll find Professor Bharath Sriraman’s editorial, and the updated editorial board info:

TMME, vol7, no1, 2010, Editorial

Edboardlistandjournalinfo_vol7no1_2010

Integrating technology into mathematics teaching

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Zsolt Lavicza has written an article entitled Integrating technology into mathematics teaching at the university level. This article was published online in ZDM on Friday. Here is the abstract of the article:

The emergence of new computing technologies in the second half of the twentieth century brought about new potentials and promised the rapid transformation of the teaching and learning of mathematics. However, despite the vast investments in technology resources for schools and universities, the realities of schooling and the complexities of technology-equipped environments resulted in a much slower integration process than was predicted in the 1980s. Hence researchers, together with teachers and mathematicians, began examining and reflecting on various aspects of technology-assisted teaching and learning and on the causes of slow technology integration. Studies highlighted that as technology becomes increasingly available in schools, teachers’ beliefs and conceptions about technology use in teaching are key factors for understanding the slowness of technology integration. In this paper, I outline the shift of research focus from learning and technology environment-related issues to teachers’ beliefs and conceptions. In addition, I highlight that over the past two decades a considerable imbalance has developed in favour of school-level research against university-level research. However, several changes in universities, such as students declining mathematical preparedness and demands from other sciences and employers, necessitate closer attention to university-level research. Thus, I outline some results of my study that aimed to reflect on the paucity of research and examined the current extend of technology use, particularly Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) at universities, mathematicians’ views about the role of CAS in tertiary mathematics teaching, and the factors influencing technology integration. I argue that due to mathematicians’ extensive use of CAS in their research and teaching, documenting their teaching practices and carrying out research at this level would not only be beneficial at the university level but also contribute to our understanding of technology integration at all levels.

Using history as a goal

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Uffe Thomas Jankvist has written an article called An empirical study of using history as a ‘goal’. The article was published online in Educational Studies in Mathematics two days ago. Here is the abstract of his article:

This article discusses an empirical study on the use of history as a goal. A historical module is designed and implemented in a Danish upper secondary class in order to study the students’ capabilities at engaging in meta-issue discussions and reflections on mathematics and its history. Based on videos of the implementation, students’ hand-in essay assignments, questionnaires, and follow-up interviews, the conditions, sense, and extent to which the students are able to perform such discussions and reflections are analyzed using a described theoretical framework.

January issue of Science & Education

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The January issue of Science & Education has been published. One of the articles contained in the issue is of relevance to mathematics education: A Pilot Study of a Cultural-Historical Approach to Teaching Geometry. The article is written by Stuart Rowlands from the University of Plymouth. Here is the abstract of his article:

There appears to be a widespread assumption that deductive geometry is inappropriate for most learners and that they are incapable of engaging with the abstract and rule-governed intellectual processes that became the world’s first fully developed and comprehensive formalised system of thought. This article discusses a curriculum initiative that aims to ‘bring to life’ the major transformative (primary) events in the history of Greek geometry, aims to encourage a meta-discourse that can develop a reflective consciousness and aims to provide an opportunity for the induction into the formalities of proof and to engage with the abstract. The results of a pilot study to see whether 14–15 year old ‘mixed ability’ and 15–16 year old ‘gifted and talented’ students can be meaningfully engaged with two such transformative events are discussed.

Happy new year!

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I want to wish all readers of the Mathematics Education Research Blog a happy new year!

2009 was a nice year in many ways, and I am certain that 2010 will be a great year too! No matter what lies ahead, I will do my best to keep you up to date on what happens in the world of mathematics education research, with a particular emphasis on journals and scientific articles. Best of wishes to all of you, and I hope that 2010 will be a productive year for each and everyone of you!

Merry Christmas

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I wish all of my readers a merry Christmas! Things are going to be somewhat slow here on the blog for a few days, but I promise to be back in early January with more news about mathematics education research!

If you want to stay up to date, you might consider checking my shared articles on Google Reader, or you can go directly to the automatically updated articles within the field of mathematics education. Articles related to education research in general can be found here, and articles related to early childhood education can be found here. You might also consider following me on twitter, where I will also provide news and updates about mathematics education and other things of interest.

Teacher lust

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Andrew M. Tyminski has written an article that was recently published online in Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. The article is entitled Teacher lust: reconstructing the construct for mathematics instruction. Here is the abstract of Tyminski’s article:

Two collegiate mathematics courses for prospective elementary and middle grades teachers provide the context for the examination of Mary Boole’s construct of teacher lust. Through the use of classroom observations and instructor interviews, the author presents a refined conception of teacher lust. Two working aspects of the construct were identified: (1) enacted teacher lust; an observable action that may remove an opportunity for students to think about or engage in mathematics for themselves; and (2) experienced teacher lust; an internal impulse to act in the manner described. Empirical examples of each facet, differences between conscious and unconscious interactions with teacher lust, along with potential antecedents are discussed.

Learning to teach mathematics through inquiry

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Jo Towers has written an article entitled Learning to teach mathematics through inquiry: a focus on the relationship between describing and enacting inquiry-oriented teaching. The article was published online in Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education last week. Here is the abstract of the article:

This article is based on one of the several case studies of recent graduates of a teacher education programme that is founded upon inquiry-based, field-oriented and learner-focussed principles and practices and that is centrally concerned with shaping teachers who can enact strong inquiry-based practices in Kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms. The analysis draws on interviews with one graduate, and on video data collected in his multi-aged Grade 1/2 classroom, to explore some of the ways in which this new teacher enacted inquiry-based teaching approaches in his first year of teaching and to consider his capacity to communicate his understanding of inquiry. This article presents implications for beginning teachers’ collaborative practices, for the assessment of new teachers and for practices in preservice teacher education.

TIMSS Advanced 2008

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Last week, the results from the TIMSS Advanced 2008 were released. The TIMSS assessment is probably well known to most, and the TIMSS video studies might also be familiar to some, but what exactly is TIMSS Advanced? The following description from the official website might explain some of the confusion:

TIMSS Advanced 2008 assesses student achievement in advanced mathematics and physics in the final year of secondary school—the twelfth grade in many countries. TIMSS Advanced is part of IEA’s series of TIMSS international assessments designed to provide comparative information about educational achievement across countries. Because TIMSS Advanced assesses students in their last year of secondary school who have studied advanced mathematics or physics to prepare them for further study of mathematics and science at the tertiary level, the results are of particular importance for educational decision making. (Source: http://timss.bc.edu/timss_advanced/index.html)

If you want to take a closer look at the full report from this study, you can check out this link (this is a direct link to a 33MB pdf file!). In case you want to dig even deeper into all the details and documentation of this study, you might want to take a look at The TIMSS Advanced 2008 Technical Report (14MB).

References
Arora, A., Foy, P., Martin, M.O., & Mullis, I.V.S. (Eds.). (2009). TIMSS Advanced 2008 Technical Report. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College.

Mullis, I.V.S., Martin, M.O., Robitaille, D.F., & Foy, P. (2009). TIMSS Advanced 2008 International Report: Findings from IEA’s Study of Achievement in Advanced Mathematics and Physics in the Final Year of Secondary School. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College.