Qiao Ping Zhang , Ngai Ying Wong , Chi Chung Lam

DOI: Vol.17(No.3) 153-167, 2013

Mathematics has been stereotyped as a male-dominated subject, and there is considerable evidence to support this belief. There has been much research in the past three decades on gender-related differences in elementary and secondary school mathematics. The re-search found that teachers possess different beliefs about male and female students that influence their teaching behaviour, which then directly or indirectly impact their students` behaviours, beliefs, and achievements in mathematics. Based on data collected from teacher questionnaire surveys in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, this study exam-ines teachers` beliefs about the achievements of boys and girls in mathematics. The study also compares the findings in the two regions surveyed. Results showed that teachers gave more attention to boys than girls, regardless of the teacher`s gender. Not only are teachers more likely to recall more boys than girls, but also more boys than girls with av-erage academic standards.

gender difference, teachers` beliefs about mathematics, teacher-students in-teraction

Ji Hwa Noh , Warren Jennifer , Huh Nan , Ko Ho Kyong

DOI: Vol.17(No.3) 169-180, 2013

Communicating about mathematics is an essential component in learning mathematics and is a key standard for successful learning in a mathematics classroom using stories and storytelling as a catalyst to mathematics instruction. This, however, can make learn-ing math for students with language deficiencies since they are working toward master-ing both basic language proficiency as well as the specialized language needed for math-ematics. This is a particular concern because the number of students of multicultural families is rapidly increasing. In this paper, we discuss the challenges and complexities of language-deficient students learning math in a classroom where communication is a key standard for successful learning, and suggest implications for teaching, by presenting an USA elementary teacher`s scaffolding to make reading and solving word problems less intimidating for her language learner students as well as native speaking students.

language learner students, scaffolding, word problems

Seong Hee Kim

DOI: Vol.17(No.3) 181-198, 2013

Teaching and learning mathematics in a classroom setting is based on the interactions be-tween the teacher and her students. Using classroom observations and interviews of stu-dents and the teacher, this research examines a first-year teacher and her students` inter-actions in the mathematics classroom. In this mathematics classroom, teacher and stu-dents interaction had inconsistency between mathematical topics and non-mathematical topics. For non-mathematical topics, their interactions were very active but for mathe-matical topics their interactions were very limited. This paper ends with raising questions for future research and calling for the opportunities for first-year teachers to reflect on their interactions with their students, in particular about mathematical topics.

elementary mathematics education, interaction, teaching practice, student participation

Hajibaba Maryam , Radmehr Farzad , Alamolhodaei Hassan

DOI: Vol.17(No.3) 199-220, 2013

The main objective of this study is to explore the relationship between psychological fac-tors (i.e. math anxiety, attention, attitude, Working Memory Capacity (WMC), and Field dependency) and students` mathematics problem solving based on Revised Bloom Tax-onomy. A sample of 169 K11 school girls were tested on (1) The Witkin`s cognitive style (Group Embedded Figure Test). (2) Digit Span Backwards Test. (3) Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS). (4) Modified Fennema-Sherman Attitude Scales. (5) Mathematics Attention Test (MAT) , and (6) Mathematics questions based on Revised Bloom Taxonomy (RBT). Results obtained indicate that the effect of these items on students mathematical problem solving is different in each cognitive process and level of knowledge dimension.

working memory capacity, math attention, math anxiety, math attitude, math problem solving