The major aims of this paper are to: present the background of the mathematics education problem in the Stamford Public School (SPS) district which is common is most U.S cities; explain the need for change in mathematics education; describe the process to systemically transform both the curriculum and instruction of mathematics thereby ensuring that each and every students is prepared for the 21st century, for higher education, and for success in a global society; and provide ways to measure these changes. The K-12 mathematics education reform model presented can be replicated in other cities and for other academic areas.

The major aims of this paper are to: present the background of the mathematics education problem in the Stamford Public School (SPS) district which is common is most U.S cities; explain the need for change in mathematics education; describe the process to systemically transform both the curriculum and instruction of mathematics thereby ensuring that each and every students is prepared for the 21st century, for higher education, and for success in a global society; and provide ways to measure these changes. The K-12 mathematics education reform model presented can be replicated in other cities and for other academic areas.

Abschlussbericht zum DFG-Projekt "Veränderung der Lernmotivation in Mathematik und Physik: eine Komponentenanalyse und der Einfluss elterlicher sowie schulischer Kontextfaktoren" Abstract: Dass die Lernmotivation besonders in mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Fächern im Verlauf der Sekundarschulzeit sinkt, kann als gesichert gelten (Krapp, 1998). Allerdings ergibt sich bei genauerem Hinsehen ein recht differenziertes Bild. Dies betrifft insbesondere die verschiedenen Komponenten von Lernmotivation (z. B. Erfolgserwartungen, Nützlichkeiten/Instrumentalitäten, intrinsische vs. extrinsische Folgenanreize, Sachinteressen, Selbstkontrollfunktionen etc.), die offenbar nicht gleichermaßen betroffen sind. Weiterhin wurden auch unterschiedliche Veränderungen je nach Fach, Klassenstufe und Geschlecht gefunden (z. B. Fend, 1997; Pekrun, 1993). Überdies sind hier individuell unterschiedliche Verlaufstypen der Lernmotivationsveränderung zu erwarten (Fend, 1997; Rheinberg, 1980). Je nachdem, aufgrund welcher Komponenten ein Absinken der Lernmotivation zustande kommt, sind ganz andere Interventionsmaßnahmen angezeigt. Von daher ist ein Instrumentarium erforderlich, das die einzelnen Komponenten der Lernmotivation in mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Fächern zu erfassen erlaubt. Ein solches Verfahren soll in einem zweijährigen Projekt theorieverankert entwickelt werden. Es stützt sich zunächst auf das Erweiterte Kognitive Modell zur Lernmotivation (Heckhausen & Rheinberg, 1980; Rheinberg, 1989), des weiteren auf Interessenkonzepte (Krapp, 1992, 1998) sowie auf die Handlungskontroll- bzw. die PSI-Theorie (Kuhl, 1987, 1998). Es soll die Lernmotivation in ihren Komponenten so erfassen, dass spezifische Interventionen hergeleitet bzw. schon bewährte fallbezogen platziert werden können. Solche Interventionen sind für mögliche Anschlussprojekte im DFG-Schwerpunktprogramm "Bildungsqualität" vorgesehen. In einem altersgestaffelten einjährigen Längsschnitt wird im jetzigen Projekt mit diesem Instrument die Veränderung dieser Komponenten in den Fächern Mathematik und Physik auf der Sekundarstufe I erhoben. Gewonnen werden dabei klassenstufenspezifische Veränderungen der Lernmotivationskomponenten sowie (via Typenanalysen) verschiedene Entwicklungstypen in der mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Lernmotivation. Dies sind Basisinformationen, die für die Entwicklung, Platzierung und Effektsicherung nachfolgender Interventionsmaßnahmen benötigt werden. Um im Vorfeld zwei (von vielen) Ansatzpunkten solcher Interventionen näher abzuklären, wird bereits in der ersten Projektphase die Wirkung zweier Kontextfaktoren untersucht. Hier wird (a) das mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Anregungsklima des Elternhauses sowie (b) die Bezugsnorm-Orientierung des Mathematik- bzw. Physiklehrers erfasst. Von beiden Kontextfaktoren sind Auswirkungen auf spezifische Komponenten der mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Lernmotivation zu erwarten. Dies ist jedoch vorweg genauer abzuklären, ehe man die Kosten von Interventionen investiert. Das Instrumentarium (PMI) wird von Mai bis September 2000 entwickelt. Die einjährige Längsschnittstudie beginnt dann im Oktober 2000. Geplant sind drei Messzeitpunkte jeweils auf den Klassenstufen 5 bis 9 (Kombiniertes Längs- und Querschnittdesign)

This article describes ‘Kidumatica’ – a highly successful project for the promotion of talented students from underprivileged backgrounds. In its 11 year run, Kidumatica has evolved into a way of life for its many students, allowing them opportunities to realize their potential, enter advanced academic studies, and successfully enter a society rich in knowledge and achievement. Kidumatica is based on academic research in the fields of excellence, cognition and mathematics education, and on the social principle of equal opportunity for all and one’s right to self-realization and aspiration, regardless of ethnic background and socio-economic status. Beyond these social/educational purposes, Kidumatica is also a research model and laboratory for testing new programs and teaching methods for gifted students. The following are the basic premises of the Kidumatica model, its goals and how they are achieved, including the recruitment of club members and the mathematical content.

On the basis of experiences and studies developed in the last ten years, the contribution aims to discuss some different peculiarities between Cooperative Learning and Peer Tutoring models in Mathematics lesson. These models are specific interpretations of a way of conducting Mathematics lessons which requires the activity of students, their personal participation in the construction of knowledge. In the description of the two teaching-learning models, the analysis will deal in particular with the social aspects these models involve. Describing these two modalities of cooperation, also the importance of the care for the choice of suitable mathematical tasks and for different pedagogical setting they require will appear clearly. The issues described, together with the analogies and differences between the two models, could contribute to suggest more adequate didactical projects for teachers and deeper studies about students’ collaboration based models for researchers.

Physical experiments have a great potential in mathematics lessons. Students can actively discover how mathematical concepts are used. This paper shows results of research done how students got to know the different aspects of the concept of variable by doing simple physical experiments. Further it will be shown what other concepts could be touched by the same treatment.

Lesson study is known as an effective Japanese professional development approach for teachers, since 1999.After that, this approach used dramatically as a way for improving teaching and learning in classroom through many countries and by many researchers. Review the literature of lesson study show that there is one common effort between the researchers to apply this approach. That is to make local model for using this Japanese approach as a localized one to release the unavoidable challenges of applying the method of another educational culture. This paper first reviews the literature on lesson study as a way of teachers\'' professional development, which has been conducted since Meiji Period in Japan and is conducting for today\''s teaching in classroom. Then it clarifies how Iranian mathematics teachers encountered with this method. Finally, the finding of this research addresses a general translated model of lesson study that is preferred to apply lesson study for Iranian culture of education.

This article opens up a discussion on the power that teachers have in mathematics curriculum at the Further Education and Training level. It is related to the general question: who holds the power in school mathematics education in South Africa? To what extent is the teacher given an opportunity to exercise their power in mathematics assessment? If the teacher is given power, what does that power allow teachers to do, and under what conditions does this happen? The case of mathematics is presented here to illustrate the above complex questions of teacher power in new forms of assessment in the curriculum.

Physical experiments have a great potential in mathematics lessons. Students can actively discover how mathematical concepts are used. This paper shows results of research done how students got to know the different aspects of the concept of variable by doing simple physical experiments. Further it will be shown what other concepts could be touched by the same treatment.

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