Mathematics is an "artificial" deliberately constructed language, supported crucially by: (1) special alpha-numeric characters and usages; (2) extra-special non-alphanumeric symbols; (3) special written formats within a single line, such as superscripts and subscripts; (4) grouping along a line, including bracketing using round brackets, parentheses, and braces; and (5) the clever use of two or more lines at a time (as in fraction notation), and the set-theoretic and logical...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Geometric Concepts, Symbols (Mathematics), Artificial Languages, Mathematics...
In the "Sydney Morning Herald" of 23 March 2005, Ross Gittins argued that the funding arrangements for private schools positively encourage parents to move their children from the state system. The then Federal Minister for Education, Dr Brendan Nelson, in a letter to the "Herald" of 25-27 March, responded by saying that 68% of all school pupils go to state schools, and those students receive 76% of Government funds allocated to the totality of all pupils attending schools....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Public Policy, Private Schools, Educational Finance, Foreign Countries, Educational...
There has been a lot of material written about logarithmic spirals of golden proportion but this author states that he has never come across an article that states the exact equation of the spiral which ultimately spirals tangentially to the sides of the rectangles. In this article, the author intends to develop such an equation. (Contains 5 figures.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mathematics, Mathematical Concepts, Equations (Mathematics), Numbers, Geometric...
In this paper, the author investigates the algebraic curve defined by the relation y[superscript 3] - 3y + 2x = 0. Treating this relation as a reduced cubic in the variable y, he uses a procedure first discovered by the mathematician Scipione del Ferro (Nahin, 1998, pp. 8-10) to obtain an expression for y in terms of x, namely y = (-x + [square root](x[superscript 2]-1))[superscript 1/3] - (x + [square root](x[squared]-1))[superscript 1/3]. By applying de Moivre's theorem to each term on the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Geometric Concepts, Intervals, Mathematics Instruction, Mathematical Concepts,...
A search on the Internet for resources for teaching statistics yields multiple sites with data sets, projects, worksheets, applets, and software. Often these are made available without information on how they might benefit learning. This paper addresses potential benefits from resources that target trend and variability relationships in bivariate data. The paper is in five parts. The first is the introduction. In the second, trend and variability are defined. In the third, the author quotes...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Internet, Statistics, Mathematics Instruction, Web Sites, Worksheets, Computer...
The authors of this paper examine the use of formative assessment as a tool to assist teachers of mathematics to become more mindful developers of curricula. They focus on instructional design that is based on careful examination of student answers to questions. Empirical studies have shown the effectiveness of formative assessment for students, and recent theoretical work indicates that the positive feedback aspect of formative assessment stimulates self-regulation and transformation,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mathematics Teachers, Instructional Design, Feedback, Formative Evaluation,...
A cube is a solid in three dimensions, with three mutually perpendicular right angles evident at the vertices. In this article, the author describes how to create a four-dimensional cube. Before searching this extra dimension, she first reviews what people know about zero, one, two, and three dimensions, and certain shapes in each of these. She then provides a recipe for building what she is trying to describe: instructions for making a (three-dimensional representation of a) tesseract or...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Geometry, Geometric Concepts, Spatial Ability, Chick, Helen
The transfer of data from one part of a computer to another has always been a complex task in which speed is traded against accuracy and the time required for error correction. Much more complex therefore is the transfer of information from one machine to another of a different type. Difficulties arise when machines are updated, when file formats are changed or data needs to be exchanged between machines for which the manufacturer has not provided suitable software. Most file transfer problems...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Computer Software, Internet, Information Transfer, Information Systems, Computers,...
This article comes largely from observations made on-the-job while teaching mathematics in a government high school in the ACT. The issues canvassed will be familiar to those who have considered the arguments for and against ability grouping in mathematics education. It is speculative in nature, hinting at a synthesis of opposing views in the ability-grouping debate and ending with a proposal about how the practice of streaming might be aligned better with numeracy outcomes.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Numeracy, Ability Grouping, Mathematics Education, Mathematics Instruction,...
The author's secondary school mathematics students have often reported to her that quadratic relations are one of the most conceptually challenging aspects of the high school curriculum. From her own classroom experiences there seemed to be several aspects to the students' challenges. Many students, even in their early secondary education, have difficulty with basic multiplication table fact retrieval. Difficulty retrieving multiplication facts directly influences students' ability to engage...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Semantics, Secondary School Mathematics, Memory, Multiplication, Cognitive...
Sets of numbers where not only their sums are equal but the sums of other powers are also equal have been called multigrades. This article presents several mathematical equations that portray how multigrades are generated. By further extension of the process outlined in this article, students can generate higher-order multigrades. (Contains 1 figure.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mathematical Formulas, Mathematics Instruction, Numbers, Number Concepts, Equations...
Mathematics is like a language, although technically it is not a natural or informal human language, but a formal, that is, artificially constructed language. Importantly, educators use their natural everyday language to teach the formal language of mathematics. At times, however, instructors encounter problems when the technical words they use, as formal parts of mathematics, conflict with an everyday understanding or use of the same word, or related words. This article discusses this problem,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Symbols (Mathematics), Artificial Languages, Vocabulary, Mathematics, Mathematics...
In recent times there has been considerable commentary regarding the need to enhance mathematical assessment as evidenced by "Numeracy, A Priority for All: Challenges for Australian Schools" (2000). This emphasis on assessment is timely because, although the mathematical reform movement has produced much needed improvements in both curriculum and instruction, changes in assessment have not kept pace. As Ridgway states in "From Barrier to Lever: Revising Roles for Assessment in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Change, Curriculum Development, Educational Assessment, Mathematics...
In "Just Perfect: Part 1," the author defined a perfect number N to be one for which the sum of the divisors d (1 less than or equal to d less than N) is N. He gave the first few perfect numbers, starting with those known by the early Greeks. In this article, the author provides an extended list of perfect numbers, with some comments about their discovery. He also briefly discusses Euclid's proof and Mersenne primes. [For Part 1, see EJ769967.]
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mathematical Concepts, Numbers, Validity, Mathematical Logic, Number Concepts, Scott,...
Inference, or decision making, is seen in curriculum documents as the final step in a statistical investigation. For a formal statistical enquiry this may be associated with sophisticated tests involving probability distributions. For young students without the mathematical background to perform such tests, it is still possible to draw informal inferences based on data of various sorts, for example by comparing two graphical representations. In doing so it is important to be able to state the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Inferences, Probability, Prediction, Decision Making, Statistical Analysis,...
Reams of paper come in a standardised system of related sheet sizes. Most people are familiar with the international paper sizes A4, A3 and B4, but there are others. The ratio of the sides of any sheet in the series is such that if the paper is cut or folded in half on itself then the ratio of the sides remains unchanged. Due to this property of constant proportions when folding, artwork will enlarge or reduce photographically to fit any international paper size. In this article, the author...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mathematics Education, Mathematics Activities, Measurement Techniques, Mathematical...
In the Western Gregorian Calendar, the date of Easter Sunday is defined as the Sunday following the ecclesiastical Full Moon that falls on or next after March 21. While the pattern of dates so defined usually repeats each 19 years, there is a 0.08 day difference between the cycles. More accurately, the system has a period of 70 499 183 lunations which is about 5 700 000 years: more details are at astro.nmsu.edu/~lhuber/leaphist.html. This website also provides one version of an algorithm,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Computer Uses in Education, Mathematics Instruction, Educational Technology,...
For mathematics teachers who are continually looking for ways in which to engage their students in the learning process, the capabilities offered by technology answer the call. Whether the technology comprises computer based applications or graphics calculators, often boring aspects can be bypassed so that students can work on the "good bits" and build understanding. These tools, when used effectively, have been a great benefit to improving the cognitive development of many...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Adolescents, Teaching Methods, Mathematics Teachers, Mathematical Concepts, Graphing...
This article is about a very small subset of the positive integers. The positive integer N is said to be "perfect" if it is the sum of all its divisors, including 1, but less that N itself. For example, N = 6 is perfect, because the (relevant) divisors are 1, 2 and 3, and 6 = 1 + 2 + 3. On the other hand, N = 12 has divisors 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, but since 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 6 = 16, rather than 12, 12 is not a perfect number. Ways and exercises for finding perfect numbers are presented....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Number Concepts, Arithmetic, Equations (Mathematics), Mathematics Instruction, Scott,...
Computers have been in schools and indeed some mathematics classrooms for more than 35 years. Some schools have chosen to centralise their computers in laboratories, while others have a mix of configurations and networks. Whatever the case, how extensive has been the classroom use of computers for teaching and learning in mathematics? What has their presence added to the classrooms and the learning experiences of students? What effect has there been on the pedagogy of teachers in this time? How...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mathematics Instruction, Computer Software, Teacher Educators, Online Courses,...
This research focuses on teacher instructional and curricular practices in gifted students' experiences in Islamic schools in the United States. Surveys were administered at private, full-time Islamic elementary schools to determine the extent to which differentiation practices for meeting the needs of gifted students and the integration of Islamic values were employed. Findings suggest that Islamic schools in the United States have limited programs for gifted students. A majority of teachers...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Strategies, Academically Gifted, Individualized Instruction, Teaching...
Seeking information about preconceived notions of the educational needs of children who are gifted, we asked 285 undergraduates in prerequisite classes for teacher education to complete questionnaires. Topics addressed included the need for special services for children who are gifted, perceptions of forms of service delivery in elementary schools, and egalitarian versus elitist issues in gifted education. Preferences among our respondents fell in favor of services carried out in general...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Misconceptions, Educational Needs, Elementary School Students, Academically Gifted,...
The present study sought to examine the perceptions of giftedness and identification procedures held by experienced teachers of gifted minority students. Twenty-seven 4th-grade teachers of gifted students in an urban school system with a high representation of minority and economically disadvantaged students were surveyed. Results indicated that experienced teachers still held a narrow conception of giftedness and were not aware of how culture and environmental factors may influence the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Economically Disadvantaged, Minority Group Children, Family Problems, Urban Schools,...
The Social coping Questionnaire (SCQ) measures strategies used by gifted adolescents to minimize the negative effect they believe their high ability has on their social interactions. Previous studies have supported the factor structure, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the SCQ. The current study provides construct validity evidence for the SCQ by comparing it with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Upon entrance to a residential academy, 339 gifted adolescents completed...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Measures (Individuals), Interpersonal Relationship, Interaction, Adolescents, Gender...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teaching Methods, Emotional Development, Behavior Problems, Social Development, Child...
This article presents the author's experiences during a 5-day tour at Reggio Emilia, Italy, that is well known for the phrase, "the hundred languages of children" (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1993). The author saw the infinite ways that children expressed their ideas in each Reggio school being visited. The author found three means by which Reggio Emilia schools encouraged children to build their languages: (1) the combination of diverse materials, (2) the respect for children's...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Reggio Emilia Approach, Second Language Learning, Cultural...
In this article, the author shares the story of her son, Joseph, who is a gifted child. She suggests that parents should allow and even encourage their children to ask questions and explore the different answers, give positive acknowledgment to what they do, and get excited about learning new things with them. Surrounding children with peers who are also excited about learning helps a lot. So, if there are programs in which children can participate with others who also get excited about...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academically Gifted, Personal Narratives, Parent Responsibility, Parent Role, Child...
The question of what to look for when visiting early childhood classrooms can be addressed on the basis of a set of fundamental developmental principles. In this article, the author outlines five developmental principles that can be invoked when seeking answers to the question every educator must address when creating a curriculum, namely: What should be learned?: (1) Strengthen children's understanding of their own experience; (2) The younger the children, the more they learn from direct...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Early Experience, Investigations, Communicative Competence (Languages), Young...
Early childhood teachers are faced with many more choices and decisions regarding the development of their curriculum than ever before. The development of state standards for young children in prekindergarten (pre-K) programs not only provides guidance but also places demands on content that must be addressed. Finding the time to plan creative activities that will meet the diverse range of children's interests and abilities, as well as meet state learning standards, is a challenge for teachers...
Topics: ERIC Archive, State Standards, Creative Activities, Young Children, Story Reading, Emergent...
This article shares the story of Alex, a gifted child. Alex is clearly gifted when observed through one lens and yet obviously lagging when viewed from a different angle. He knew his letters at 20 months, but did not learn to tie his shoes until the middle of second grade. He taught himself to read just before his third birthday, but in third grade he still does not have any close friends. He reveled in his discovery of factorials shortly after he turned 5, yet stubbing his toe can trigger an...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academically Gifted, Brain, Males, Interpersonal Competence, Cognitive Processes,...
To explore factors associated with college students' intentions to participate in Internet-based health research, data were collected from 502 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory-level business courses at a large midwestern university. Findings suggest that intentions to participate in Internet-based research are influenced by one's perceptions of social norms related to research participation and the extent to which one regularly discusses personal health information with others....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Undergraduate Students, Recruitment, Hygiene, Behavior Standards, Social Behavior,...
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. University health and physical education programs have a unique opportunity to assist in childhood obesity prevention through service-learning programs. However, prior to the implementation of service-learning curricula, it is imperative to gain insight in the unique needs of the selected community. The purpose of this study was to understand a service-learning community through exploring parent, teacher, and student perceptions...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Prevention, Physical Education, Health Education, Focus Groups, Family Involvement,...
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), loss of sexual desire for sexual activity, is one of the most common sexual dysfunctions of men and women in the United States. This article presents an overview of this specific sexual dysfunction including incidence, possible causes, treatment options, and the role of the health educator in addressing this topic. The importance of the role of the health educator in prevention and health promotion efforts is explored, such as functioning as part of a...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Interdisciplinary Approach, Health Promotion, Sexuality, Incidence, Etiology, Health...
This pilot study evaluated the influence of an advocacy training workshop sponsored by an Eta Sigma Gamma chapter affiliated with a large university in the Midwest. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was utilized as a framework for assessing participants' intentions to participate in advocacy. Participants completed pre- and post-test surveys to assess intent to advocate. Multiple linear regression was executed to determine the extent to which participants' attitudes, subjective norms, and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Workshops, Norms, Multiple Regression Analysis, Health Education, Behavior Theories,...
This paper discusses the functionalist perspective of stratification and institutional processes of values inculcation in schools and organizations. It is assumed that students' school-to-work transition entail certain differences in life and work expectations as the education system forms the basis of cultural reproduction and values formation. A quantitative study was conducted to investigate the variations in value priorities between managers, professionals and executives in a MNC in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Socialization, Values, Questionnaires, Surveys, Global Approach,...
Education policy has been undergoing great transformation in China since the initiation of economic reforms and the open-door policy in the late 1970s. These market-oriented reforms and the pursuit of rapid economic growth in a globalized economy have significantly impacted China's education policy and development. In line with the development of the market-oriented economy and its increasing integration with the global market, a more pragmatic perception of education has gradually taken shape...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Competition, Administrative Organization, Economic Progress,...
The aim of this present study is to expand our general understanding of bullying behaviour and to advance our knowledge about bullying among pupils. As evidenced by historical documents, the phenomenon of bullying is not a new concept. The fact that some people are frequently and systematically harassed or attacked by others is described in literary works and it also has been found most realistically in schools. Overall, considerable examples of bullying incidents among young people in earlier...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Nonverbal Communication, Bullying, Social Environment, Educational History,...
Research indicates that affective attitudes such as liking of a subject and confidence in one's ability within a subject predict academic performance. Generally, immigrant minority students have positive attitudes and often have low academic performance. This study examines the self-efficacy and liking of subjects of New Zealand students and analyses the relationship of those attitudes towards academic performance in mathematics, writing, and reading by self-reported ethnicity. Data were...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Student Attitudes, Minority Groups, Self Efficacy, Academic...
The benefits of cooperative learning strategies, such as group project work, have been advocated in a wide range of educational contexts. There is however, scant information on the outcome of such programs on students of low academic ability. In this study, interviews were conducted with four groups of low-ability students, with the aim of investigating their perceptions on the effectiveness of group project work in promoting their social and cognitive skills. Our findings show that although...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teaching Methods, Academic Ability, Learning Strategies, Cooperative Learning, Low...
Since language is socially mediated and context dependent, it would be expected that learners' use of language learning strategies may vary with the environment. Using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) (Oxford, 1990), this study examines the language learning behaviors and thought processes of two geographically and socio-educationally different groups by comparing learning strategy use as reported by 428 monolingual Korean and 420 bilingual Korean-Chinese university students....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Comparative Analysis, Language Usage, Monolingualism, Metacognition, English (Second...
The study describes the extent of change in students' cognitive expectations after going through an Introductory Physics course. Cognitive expectations are beliefs about the learning process and the structure of knowledge. Using the Maryland Physics Expectations (MPEX) survey, the students' responses reflected the highest level of agreement with the "experts' response" in the following clusters: independence, math link, reality link, and effort link. The study has shown that students...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Liberal Arts, Physics, Business Education, Introductory Courses, Student Attitudes,...
The integrated-skills approach (ISA), which incorporates the four language skills--reading, writing, speaking, and listening--has become a dominant trend in FL college instruction in Taiwan. The purpose of the study was to examine how the ISA is being used in Taiwan's EFL college classes, develop an understanding of students' satisfaction with the integrated-skill class and authentic activities, and determine if students' views about separated-skill instruction changed during the year of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Language Skills, College Instruction, Class Activities, Student...
The core purpose of this paper is to draw together research issues and concrete problems with the use of multimedia technology at the graduate level in higher music education by examining one university's responses to the challenges posed by the use of multimedia technology as a teaching and learning aid for music education. Between June and July 2006, this study conducted a simple questionnaire and interview survey of 16 postgraduate students. The results suggest that music students are...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Student Attitudes, Learning Motivation, Educational Technology,...
Most researchers agree that psychological/educational tests are sensitive to multiple traits, implying the need for a multidimensional item response theory (MIRT). One limitation of applying a MIRT in practice is the difficulty in establishing equivalent scales of multiple traits. In this study, a new MIRT linking method was proposed and evaluated by comparison with two existing methods. The results showed that the new method was more acceptable in transforming item parameters and maintaining...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Item Response Theory, Multidimensional Scaling, Multitrait Multimethod Techniques,...
The aim of this study is to provide information on the purposes, structure and operation of the process of supervision in the Turkish educational system. In this paper, the historical development of supervision services in the Turkish educational system, as well as the purposes and principles of educational supervision in Turkey and the structure of supervision in the Turkish educational system are defined. Moreover, the organization of sub-systems of the Ministry of National Education and that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Supervision, Educational Development, Educational Technology,...
This paper addresses to the question of how to empower research competence of a kind which would lead a peripheral university like SNU to becoming a world-class university. There have been noticeable achievements in building competitive, first class universities in many developing nations, particularly in Asian countries. This paper will examine the process by which SNU can be transforming SNU into a world-class university in Korea. The analysis will focus on the internal reforms implemented at...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Developing Nations, Research Universities, Educational Change,...
This paper presents an analysis of results from an evaluation of The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning, a professional development program placing technology in the context of student-centered instructional practices. This analysis focuses on the relationship between the professional development and teachers' use of technology in their classroom and their general instructional practices. The results from this study indicate teachers increased their use of technology in ways viewed as...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teaching Methods, Constructivism (Learning), Professional Development, Student...
This exploratory study investigated the perceptions of technology and academic decision-makers about open source benefits and risks versus commercial software applications. The study also explored reactions to a concept for outsourcing campus-wide deployment and maintenance of open source. Data collected from telephone interviews were analyzed, emergent themes identified, and a model of differentiators of open source versus commercial software was created, which was then used to evaluate...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Research Opportunities, Educational Technology, Risk, Computer Software, Decision...
This study investigated whether providing students with the choice of chat versus threaded discussion boards for online discourse is an effective instructional strategy in terms of student learning and satisfaction. The sample was teacher education students enrolled in face-to-face (FTF) and online sections of one undergraduate foundations course. Both sections required participation in online text-based discussion. Comparison groups included course format (FTF vs. online), discussion format...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Strategies, Computer Mediated Communication, Student Attitudes, Academic...
The purpose of this study is to critically examine teachers' and their students' views about technology integration in schools focusing on the following questions: (1) What are students' perceptions about technology integration in schools?; (2) What are teachers' views about using technology in teaching and learning?; and (3) What do teachers say about the "oversold, underused" phenomenon of technology in schools? Data were collected from 15 secondary mathematics and science teachers...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Student Attitudes, Educational Technology, Technology Integration, Science Teachers,...