The proliferation in the number of schools offering junior secondary education in Namibia since independence in 1990 has led to an increase in the number of learners in the classroom and has created a wide range of mathematical proficiency among learners entering senior secondary education in grade 11. This broad range of basic mathematical ability among these learners, together with increasing classroom numbers has caused problems for the senior secondary mathematics teachers (Batchelor, 2004). The study shows that diagnostic testing can prove to be useful in assessing learners’ mathematical preparedness by identifying learners’ areas of weakness, which have hindered their mathematics learning and performance. Taking the results of a diagnostic test into consideration could help teachers cater for their learners who need remediation classes as early as possible before extending the mathematics curriculum. Setting and using diagnostic testing requires careful consideration; there are many pitfalls that are highlighted in this research. These include question coverage and general analysis of category totals.

D.Ed. (Didactics) / The main objective of this research is to develop a diagnostic model for the prediction of mathematics achievement for first year university students. In order to design this model of prediction, the following objectives were formulated: * to establish a profile of a typical successful and unsuccessful student in Mathematics; * to calculate the probable final mark achieved by a student in Mathematics; * to establish the probability of success by a student in Mathematics. In this research various factors determinating the academic performance of first year students at a university are discussed. Firstly the transition from school to university and its implications on the student, the teaching of a subject and its influence, and those factors inherent in the student are investigated. The factors inherent to the student are described as cognitive factors (intelligence, aptitude and previous performance) and non-cognititve factors (study methods and attitudes, interest, anxiety, personality and adjustment).

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries / Department: Mathematics.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2001. / Bibliography: leaves 71-73.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Mathematics Education)) --University of Limpopo, 2017 / Sarton (1936) stated that mathematics has grown so large for a single mind to grasp. Mack (1961) attributes that phenomenon by claiming that mathematics differs from science in that it keeps on adding new concepts to existing ones, whereas in science there is reduction of concepts. This continuing growth makes it impossible for an individual to study mathematics as a whole (Krantz, 2010). Van Bendegem (2009, p. 137) calls the mathematics world a “mad world”. Recently, Ellerton (2014) compared mathematics to a growing tree. A number of challenges arise out of the observations made above. Is the mathematics that is taught in secondary schools an appropriate reflection of the mathematics that is out there today? Is an individual an appropriate embodiment of a secondary mathematics teacher? In the mist of these and many other questions, this study locates itself in the second question and investigated the notion of an embodiment of a secondary mathematics teacher. The main research question that was pursued was ‘How adequate is an individual as an embodiment of a secondary mathematics teacher?’ This question should be understood and interrogated in the context of Festinger’s (1962) dissonance cognitive theory that also serves as the theoretical framework for the study. The expectations of a secondary mathematics teacher do not fit in with an individual’s capacity to embody those. Grounded theory (Glaser, Strauss & Beer, 1967) was used to generate and develop what Elliot and Higgins (2012) called a substantive theory. This was a desktop grounded theory study and data was collected from existing literature of published journals and books. Since the use of documents is recommended as one of the qualitative data collection methods in grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990), the documents served as primary data where only a few that were relevant to the issues discussed were selected (Breckenridge & Jones, 2009). Content and thematic analyses procedures were used. Content analysis assisted to organise data according to various eras, tracing the growth in mathematics education and mathematics content, comparing them to a mathematics teacher of different eras, which assisted in bringing the answer to the research question posed (Bowen, 2009). Thematic analysis was used to identify commonalities and differences with regard to the notion of a teacher in various eras (Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006). The findings revealed that the notion of a secondary mathematics teacher of the current era is completely not a suitable embodiment of a secondary mathematics teacher. The current notion of an embodiment of a secondary mathematics teacher is seriously challenged by this ever growing subject. Secondary mathematics is so large for an individual to acclimatise with (Sarton, 1936), and there seems to be a need for more than an individual to ensure that mathematics is well taught and learned by learners. It is recommended that other studies should be undertaken to determine as to how many individuals can constitute a composite suitable to embody the requirements of an ideal secondary mathematics teacher.

This study was conducted for the purpose of determining whether there is a significant difference in the reading and arithmetic achievement of boys and girls in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in the Lodi Elementary School District. To put the purpose in question form: Is there a significant difference in the reading and arithmetic achievement of boys and girls in grades four, five, and six in the Lodi Elementary Schools? In formulating plans for the study, similar studies were examined. Literature concerning reading and arithmetic differences between boys and girls was read.

Although enrollment in advanced mathematics courses is a significant determinant of mathematics achievement, the majority of public school students are not enrolled in advanced mathematics courses in high school. Policy makers are interested in the dynamics of the math course selection process in the eighth grade because it is viewed as a pivotal transitional point when students are confronted with the decision to either enroll in algebra, the first course on the advanced math track, or in regular math. Approximately one third of eighth grade students enroll in algebra, in spite of general availability of the course. Enrollment patterns vary among the four major race/ethnic subgroups - Asian, Hispanic, Black and White. This study constructed and tested a structural equations model that examined the factors influencing math course choice and the course selection process in the eighth grade in public schools. There were three sources of influence in the model: 1) math achievement; 2) school policies and practices; and 3) parents. The model consisted of three exogenous and five endogenous variables. The model was tested five times. It was tested on a nationally representative sample of 7,648 eighth grade public school students. It was also tested separately on the four race/ethnic subgroups comprising the full sample. The study used data from student and parent files of the base year survey of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS 88), a major national study conducted under the auspices of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For the full sample, the major school and parental factors influencing a student’s math course choice were math track placement, parents’ educational expectations and school-parent algebra push. Of the two achievement influences, standardized math test scores had the stronger influence on the outcome variable. Prior math grades influenced math course choice, but to a lesser extent and was influential largely due to an indirect effect. Although these factors were important for each of the subgroups, the influence of the factors varied among the subgroups. The model fitted the data fairly well for the full sample and the Asian and White subgroups, but less well for the Hispanic and Black subgroups. / Ph. D.

D.Ed. / Each student undergoing tuition, is unique and one of a kind. Each student has his own personality and individuality. Students have different ways of learning; progress differently and reach different degrees of success with their methods of study. The success of the student's learning process is closely related to the student's existing pre-knowledge. The orientation student at the technical college finds himself in a unique situation. As this course is a bridging course, the student must overcome the backlog in his field of study and also be prepared for the studies that will follow. Learning of mathematics is a complex matter. No two answers will correspond if inquiring into the method in which mathematics is mastered. The same is also true if inquiring into the teaching strategies to be followed in order to acquire success in teaching this subject. In this study the theories of Piaget, Bruner, Ausubel among others, were scrutinised. Numerous teaching strategies can be followed to ensure success in the classroom. This study concentrates on co-operative learning, since the point of view is held that it provides the overall framework within which effective tuition can be achieved. Cooperative learning has been researched by applying it in the mathematics classroom. A very positive response was received from the students as well as the teachers concerned. However, certain problems were experienced. These include, inter alia, that some students found the classroom discipline lacking. Others complained that the lecturers did not do enough explaining. The following conclusions can be drawn from this study: Traditionally the classroom is where the lecturer has the sole right to teach. A change is necessary. New teaching strategies will have to be looked at. To achieve this change, co-operative learning is strongly recommended. It provides for active involvement of the student in the learning process; it provides the opportunity for the student to accept responsibility for his own learning success as well as that of his fellow students and it provides the opportunity for mastering social skills which are a necessity for our modern, complex and integrated society.

The purpose of this project was to determine if there was a correlation between teachers' scores on fractions items on project assessments and the percentage of participation time in professional development activities.

In 2004, the Transition Mathematics Project (TMP), funded by the state of Washington and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was established to create projects to help high school students gain the necessary skills to become college and work-ready. Aligned to TMP's College Readiness Mathematics Standards, a fourth-year capstone mathematics course was developed and implemented, titled Applications in Mathematical Reasoning (AMR), a rigorous course option for students to take during their senior year of high school. The purpose of this study was to explore any relationship between taking the AMR course and preparation for college level mathematics. Using causal-comparative study design and matching participants in the sample, variables were examined based on the number of precollege courses taken; college level math course completed and grade earned; and placement test results for students who took the AMR course compared to those students who took no mathematics during their high school senior year. Though findings for precollege and college level course-taking were inconclusive, mathematics placement test scores were found to be significantly higher for those students who completed the AMR course. The placement test findings supported other research that links rigorous mathematics courses taken in high school with improved college placement and persistence. Based on the research examined and the study findings, there was support to consider the following: (a) creating alternate but rigorous math course offerings for the high school senior year; (b) striving toward a four-years of mathematics graduation requirement for all high schools; (c) enacting mandatory placement at the community college for students placing into precollege courses; and (d) reducing barriers to successful transition between high schools and post secondary institutions by fostering K-16 communication, aligning standards, and improving course alignment. / Graduation date: 2012