Teaching Mathematics and its Applications has just published their first issue this year. The issue presents the following articles:

Chun-Yi Lee and Ming-Puu Chen

Bridging the gap between mathematical conjecture and proof through computer-supported cognitive conflicts
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on October 1, 2007
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2008 27: 1-10; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrm014 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Kris Green and Allen Emerson

Reorganizing freshman business mathematics I: background and philosophy
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on November 21, 2007
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2008 27: 11-23; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrm017 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Bulent Guven

Using dynamic geometry software to convey real-world situations into the classroom: the experience of student mathematics teachers with a minimum network problem
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on December 11, 2007
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2008 27: 24-37; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrm018 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Billy J. Duke, Jerry F. Dwyer, Jennifer Wilhelm, and Barbara Moskal

Complex variables in junior high school: the role and potential impact of an outreach mathematician
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on December 3, 2007
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2008 27: 38-47; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrm019 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Chris Heys
Getting the best out of Excel
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on August 6, 2007
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2008 27: 48-52; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrm013

[Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Journal of Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) has published its second issue of this year. The list of contents contains the following research articles:

Studying the Effects of Professional Development: The Case of the NSF’s Local Systemic Change Through Teacher Enhancement Initiative
Daniel J. Heck, Eric R. Banilower, Iris R. Weiss and Sharyn L. Rosenberg

First-Grade Basic Facts: An Investigation Into Teaching and Learning of an Accelerated, High-Demand Memorization Standard
Valerie J. Henry and Richard S. Brown

Standards-based Mathematics Curricula and Middle-Grades Students’ Performance on Standardized Achievement Tests
Thomas R. Post, Michael R. Harwell, Jon D. Davis, Yukiko Maeda, Arnie Cutler, Edwin Andersen, Jeremy A. Kahan and Ke Wu Norman

BOOK REVIEW: Looking Inside Chinese Mathematics Education: A Review of How Chinese Learn Mathematics: Perspectives from Insiders
Jon R. Star and Kuo-Liang Chang

A new (online first) article has been published by International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, called Number Sense Strategies Used by Pre-Service Teachers in Taiwan. The article was written by Der-Ching Yang, R.E. Reys and B.J. Reys.

In this interesting article, the researchers describe an examination of strategies and misconceptions regarding number sense with 280 pre-service elementary teachers from Taiwan. In the test, these pre-service teachers responded to a series of real-life problems. In the following, I quote the abstract:

About one-fifth of the pre-service teachers applied number sense-based
strategies (such as using benchmarks appropriately or recognizing the
number magnitude) while a majority of pre-service teachers relied on
rule-based methods. This finding is consistent with earlier studies in
Taiwan that fifth, sixth, and eighth grade students tended to rely
heavily on written methods rather than using number sense-based
strategies. This study documents that the performance of pre-service
elementary teachers on number sense is low. If we want to improve
elementary students’ knowledge and use of number sense, then action
should be taken to improve the level of their future teachers’ number
sense.

ZDM recently published another (online first) article, called:
Comparing theoretical frameworks enacted in experimental research: TELMA experience. The article is written by M. Cerulli, J. Trgalova, M. Maracci, G. Psycharis and J.-P. Georget. In the article, they present a methodology developed by six European research teams. The methodology is:

based on a cross-experimentation, showing how it gave insight to the
understanding of each team’s research and on the relationship between
theoretical frameworks and experimental research (from the abstract).

The first number of Sociology of Education this year included an article by J.E. Cheadle, called: Educational Investment, Family Context, and Children’s Math and Reading Growth from Kindergarten Through the Third Grade. The article draws on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, and (quoting the abstract):

The results indicate that educational investments are an important mediator of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparaties, completely explaining the black-white reading gap at kindergarten entry and consistently explaining 20 percent to 60 percent and 30 percent to 50 percent of the black-white and Hispanic-white disparities in the growth parameters, respectively, and approximately 20 percent of the socioeconomic gradients.

The assessments in the study included mathematics areas such as number sense, properties, operations, measurement, geometry and spatial sense, data analysis, statistics, probability, patterns, algebra, and functions (p. 7).

Reference:
Cheadle, Jacob, E. (2008). Educational investment, family context, and children’s math and reading growth from kindergarten through the third grade. Sociology of Education, 81(1):1-31.

A new online first article has been published by Educational Studies in Mathematics. The article is written by B.M. Brizuela and G.A. Cayton, and it has been called: “The roles of punctuation marks while learning about written numbers“. The researchers investigated how children in kindergarten and first grade articulate the meaning of and need for punctuation marks in price lists. Based on their findings, they claim:

These findings provide evidence that children are, in fact, creating
and recreating ideas about different aspects of written numbers such as
the role of punctuation marks before necessarily being able to fully
articulate how written numbers work and before being formally taught,
though they have obviously been exposed from an early age to these
particular aspects of written numbers.

ZDM published a (online first) discussion document a few days ago, called ICMI Study 19: Proof and proving in mathematics education. It is written by Gila Hanna and Michael de Villiers on behalf of the International Program Committee. The article/discussion document points at the interesting discussion about proofs and proving in mathematics education. At ICME 11, there is going to be a Topic Study Group (TSG-18) on this theme (Perhaps there is a slight mix of numbers here?).