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.

Technologies associated with modern computing are being commonly used in education. Over the past few years, the usage has increased considerably. This increase is also attributed to the availability of more improved technology products and services at much lower costs. As a result, many successful educational multimedia products have been developed which have made significant contributions to learning and teaching mathematics at various levels. However, it is not always clear what exactly the position of technology in education is. In other words, to what extent does the technology-aided means of learning enhance learning and add value to the conventional materials? How are they supposed to supersede or excel the learning effectiveness of traditional methods of teaching? This paper explores the possibilities of utilizing the latest technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) environments and Tablet PCs in conjunction with the traditional approaches and concepts in creating a balanced and more effective learning and teaching conditions. It also demonstrates how the creation of a situation where ‘one cannot see the wood for the trees’ can be avoided by striking the right balance.

The results of a questionnaire that should reveal students’ knowledge about the use of computers in mathematics and the relevance of applications of mathematics in our society clearly show that current math teaching does not provide adequate ideas about the importance of computers. We describe the results and give examples of mathematical activities that are suitable to both foster mathematical concepts and widen the mathematical view. Possible changes in the curriculum are discussed.

In this paper, the psychological aspects of clearness in teaching mathematics are considered and some suggestions for the achieve the clearness are given.

In this paper, creative mathematical activities of school pupils in conditions of the differentiated teaching in Russian Federation are described. Various forms of differentiated teaching (internal – level, external – profile) are characterized. Ways of using entertaining problems for detecting and fostering mathematical abilities are revealed. New course of geometry for differentiated teaching is introduced.

Online and other forms of distance learning are a permanent fixture in the educational landscape. Mathematics taught in distance formats pose an even greater challenge to students and teachers alike. As mathematics is a skill subject, demonstration of concepts and processes is crucial, if not critical, to learning, particularly to visual and kinesthetic learners. Video podcasts and screencasts are the answer to distance students’ need for demonstration and explanation of mathematical topics. In the current economic climate, however, expensive audio/video capture software and hardware, as well as a lack of technical media support, make it virtually impossible to create such course materials. Also, there is the question of ownership of intellectual property if created with institutional funds and/or resources. Free capture software and internet video hosting sites make it possible for an individual to create his or her own podcasts and screencasts for student use, retaining ownership of the created materials.Materials developed for online students can be made available to students in seated class. This benefits students who are unable to attend class, but can be made available to the entire class.

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This study concerns a teaching design with the purpose to facilitate the students’ objectification of the Pythagorean Theorem. Twelve 14-year old students (N=12) participated in the study before the theorem was introduced to them at school. The design incorporated ideas from the ‘embodied mind’ framework, history and realistic mathematics, linking ‘embodied verticality’ with ‘perpendicularity’. The qualitative analyses suggested that the participants were led to the conquest of the ‘first level of objectification’ (through numbers) of the Pythagorean Theorem, showing also evidence of appropriate ‘fore-conceptions’ of the ‘second level of objectification’ (through proof) of the theorem. The triangle the sides of which are associated with the Basic Triple (3,4,5) served as a primary instrument for the students’ objectification, mainly, by facilitating their ‘generic abstraction’ of the Pythagorean Triples.

This paper draws on data gathered from a large-scale, multi-year research project, Curriculum Implementation in Intermediate Mathematics (CIIM), that examines the implementation of a reform (inquiry-oriented) mathematics curriculum in Grades 7 – 10 in Ontario, Canada. To describe classroom practices and ways that teachers have been challenged and supported in implementing an inquiry-oriented approach, the data included teacher questionnaires (n =1096), focus group interviews with mathematics educators across the province, and nine case studies. While some of our data align with the research of others who show that teacher change is complex and inquiry-oriented pedagogies are slow to emerge (Frykholm, 1999; Jacobs, Hiebert, Givven, Hollingsworth, Garnier, & Wearne, 2006), we also have evidence of teachers engaged in a variety of classroom practices that involve students in inquiry-oriented mathematics learning.

Globally education authorities are placing increasing emphasis on the development of literacy and numeracy in primary schools. This paper reports on research designed to assist teachers to improve the numeracy of their students by making the use of mathematics games a more focused aspect of the teaching and learning experience in mathematics. Classroom experience and anecdotal evidence suggest that games are often used without really focussing on the mathematics involved in playing the game,and are justified simply on the basis of children having ‘fun’. In this paper we report on the use of one game, Numero and how teachers made use of the game and the impact on the children’s learning when using the game.