Girls and mathematics —A “hopeless” issue? A control-value approach to gender differences in emotions towards mathematics

This study analyzed gender differences in achievement emotions in the domain of mathematics. Based on Pekrun’s (2000, 2006) controlvalue theory of achievement emotions, we hypothesized that there are gender differences in mathematics emotions due to the students’ different levels of control and value beliefs in mathematics, even when controlling for prior achievement. The structural relationships between prior achievement, control and value beliefs, and emotions were assumed to be invariant across girls and boys in spite of hypothesized mean level differences of beliefs and emotions across genders. The emotions and beliefs of 1,036 male and 1,017 female 5th grade students were assessed by self-report measures, and their prior mathematics achievement was assessed by academic grades. Even though girls and boys had received similar grades in mathematics, girls reported significantly less enjoyment and pride than boys, but more anxiety, hopelessness and shame. Findings suggested that the female emotional pattern was due to the girls’ low competence beliefs and domain value of mathematics, combined with their high subjective values of achievement in mathematics. Multiple-group comparisons confirmed that the structural relationships between variables were largely invariant across the genders.     

Raising standards in mathematics education: values, vision, and TIMSS

This paper examines perspectives on values, purpose and methodology in mathematics education in schools in the light of the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) and current debates on standards. It argues that standards of attainment in school mathematics are closely connected to belief systems regarding value and purpose; that these systems do not always collectively offer a credible and coherent vision for mathematics education which can be effectively implemented in school classrooms; and that this coherence of vision is what to a large extent characterises the higher performing TIMSS countries. The paper forms part of a wider investigation into the processes of change in education, with a particular focus on mathematics.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

数学生态课堂:内涵、价值与生成

数学生态课堂是教育生态学理念与学科本质特性在数学课堂中的一种有机融合。其价值在于:生态群体互动性可以得到更好的凸现,个体差异与生命价值可以得到应有的尊重,学生的数学知识、数学能力与数学情感能够得到动态的平衡。其生成的路径是:激活数学课堂生态因子,唤醒数学课堂生态;处理好教学中的各种关系,平衡好数学课堂生态因子;关注触及数学本质的教学,建立和谐的数学课堂生态环境。     

The gap between expectations and reality: integrating computers into mathematics classrooms

As a result of dramatic changes in mathematics education around the world, in Turkey both elementary and secondary school mathematics curriculums have changed in the light of new demands since 2005. In order to perform the expected change in newly developed curriculum, computer should be integrated into learning and teaching process. Teachers’ beliefs play a key role in this integration process. Negative beliefs against using computer in mathematics teaching may lead to failure of this process. With the help of this study, it is aimed to detect mathematics teachers’ beliefs concerning Computer Assisted Mathematics Instruction (CAMI). Within the scope of this aim, the conducted questionnaire (The opinions of teachers about using computer in Mathematics Instruction) has been carried out on 91 mathematics teachers in the city of Trabzon. The acquired results have shown that mathematics teachers have developed negative opinions against CAMI. This state has revealed that there is a huge inconsistency between curriculum’s positive expectations arising from computer usage and teachers’ convictions.     

Effects of metacognitive instruction on mathematics achievement and attitude towards mathematics of low mathematics achievers

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of metacognitive instruction on mathematics achievement and attitude towards mathematics of low mathematics achievers at a middle school in the North‐West Province of South Africa. Forty standard (std) 7 pupils were identified whose non‐verbal general ability and previous mathematics achievements were significantly lower than those of other std 7 pupils. These subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. Metacognitive strategies in solving mathematical problems related to four mathematics topics were individually taught to the members of the experimental group, while the pupils in the control group were taught the four mathematics topics through the conventional method of teaching mathematics. The comparisons of pretest and posttest measures of general ability, metacognitive awareness, attitude towards mathematics, and mathematics achievement revealed that the posttest scores of all the four variables for the experimental group were significantly higher than those for the control group.     

以科学态度对待马克思主义

以科学态度对待马克思主义，既要坚持马克思主义，更要在实践中丰富和发展马克思主义。中国共产党的三代领导核心坚持用发展的观点对待马克思主义，不断推进理论创新，领导我国人民取得了新民主主义革命和社会主义现代化建设的伟大胜利。     

以宽容的态度对待多元解读

多元解读作为一种新颖的阅读（教学）方法,正受到一些质疑与非议,而大多数的批评是建立在对多元解读的误读及对语文教学现实的误解基础上的。语文教学中的多元解读具有三大特征：学生能够读出“自己”是多元解读成功的基础;教师善于倾听是多元解读成功的保证;学生获取或印证观点是多元解读成功的标志。以此来衡量一些遭受批评的课例,它们并非一无是处,关键在于我们需要以宽容的态度对待多元解读。     

The role of epistemic emotions in mathematics problem solving

The purpose of this research was to examine the antecedents and consequences of epistemic and activity emotions in the context of complex mathematics problem solving. Seventy-nine elementary students from the fifth grade participated. Students self-reported their perceptions of control and value specific to mathematics problem solving, and were given a complex mathematics problem to solve over a period of several days. At specific time intervals during problem solving, students reported their epistemic and activity emotions. To capture self-regulatory processes, students thought out loud as they solved the problem. Path analyses revealed that both perceived control and value served as important antecedents to the epistemic and activity emotions students experienced during problem solving. Epistemic and activity emotions also predicted the types of processing strategies students used across three phases of self-regulated learning during problem solving. Finally, shallow and deep processing cognitive and metacognitive strategies positively predicted problem-solving performance. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed.     

高职院校毕业生就业心态的现状与对策——以广东经济欠发达地区高职院校为例

以广东经济欠发达地区高职院校毕业生就业心态为调查研究对象,从毕业生对所学专业满意度及就业前景,毕业生掌握就业知识层面与技能层面情况,毕业生期望的工资待遇、就业地点及就业城市选择的考虑因素三个主要方面进行具体分析,最后提出了八个方面的措施与对策。     

什么是马克思主义,怎样对待马克思主义

本文从马克思主义的科学内涵、内在结构、基本特征、理论品质、社会理想等方面阐明了什么是马克思主义,从马克思主义不是教条而是行动的指南、马克思主义在实践中不断发展、在新的历史条件下丰富和发展马克思主义等方面说明了应该如何正确对待马克思主义.     

绝非一味的钟情--冯梦龙对妓女的态度考辨

已故复旦大学学陆树伦先生认为冯梦龙对妓女的态度是基于绝对的钟情。笔通过考察冯梦龙的一些诗、词、序、跋、评注及其对“三言”妓女题材作品的改编情况,觉得此看法有很大的片面性。冯梦龙其实对妓女既有钟情的一面,也有非钟情性的批判一面。他钟情的是那些有情有义的妓女,而对那些薄情寡义的妓女则深恶痛绝。这些都与冯梦龙内心根植的儒家正统思想及其接受李贽、汤显祖的唯情理论有很大的关系。     

Interpreting unproblematic high achievement in mathematics: towards theoretical reflexivity

This article contributes to the long-running discussion about the gendering of mathematics learning by exploring the social biographies of six exceptionally high-attaining mathematics students, four women and two men. In contrast to some prior studies, these students appeared to feel no need to downplay being ‘good at maths’ in order to maintain social credibility with their socially privileged peers. I attempt to make sense of their stories from two theoretical standpoints: (1) a post-structuralist approach that emphasises discourses that position mathematics as masculine and (2) an approach, based on Bourdieu, that asks how mathematics is valued in different school and peer group settings. I show how, as I worked with the data, my emphasis moved from the former to the latter, and suggest that research in gender and education has much to gain from theoretical reflexivity alongside personal and methodological reflexivity.     

Moving towards a feminist epistemology of mathematics

There is, now, an extensive critical literature on gender and the nature of science three aspects of which, philosophy, pedagogy and epistemology, seem to be pertinent to a discussion of gender and mathematics. Although untangling the inter-relationships between these three is no simple matter, they make effective starting points in order to ask similar questions of mathematics to those asked by our colleagues in science. In the process of asking such questions, a major difference between the empirical approach of the sciences, and the analytic nature of mathematics, is exposed and leads towards the definition of a new epistemological position in mathematics.This is a version of a paper first given at the ICME7 theme group of the International Organisation on Women and Mathematics Education, Quebec, 1992. Its present content owes much to discussion with and comments from members of that network. In addition, I would particularly like to thank Mary Barnes, Leonie Daws, Stephen Lerman and the anonymous reviewers for challenging and provoking re-working of the ideas.     

态度习得理论与积极英语学习态度的习得

美国心理学家加涅提出了态度习得的三种学习情景：经典性条件作用,对行为成功的知觉,人类的榜样作用。基于该理论,采用榜样示范法、环境影响法和成功体验法可以帮助学习者习得积极的英语学习态度。     

In the workplace mathematics does not announce itself: towards overcoming the hiatus between mathematics education and work

After improving enrolment rates significantly, many developing countries such as Peru are facing the challenge to increase learning levels among students. Over the past few years, many researchers have turned to teacher-related variables as a way to better understand classroom processes that may help increase learning levels among students. In this study, we analyze one of these, that falls under what Shulman (Educational Researcher, 15 (2), 4–14, 1986) called pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Specifically, in this study, we analyze one of the areas of PCK which is knowledge of content and students. This was measured through a test where teachers were asked to explain students’ mistakes and predict responses in similar mathematics exercises. We explore if PCK is associated with the socioeconomic status of children and if it has an effect on children’s achievement. Additionally, we analyze which teacher characteristics are associated with higher scores in PCK. The analysis uses the Young Lives longitudinal survey for Peru. We found that students’ socioeconomic status at age 1 and maternal education were positively associated with their teachers’ PCK by the time students were enrolled in fourth grade, thus depicting a very unequal education system. Furthermore, teachers’ PCK was positively associated with student achievement, but only when a threshold for the PCK test was established. For our sample, male teachers, who were younger, and Spanish speakers had higher PCK scores.     

Ethnic and gender differences in mathematics achievement and in dispositions towards the study of mathematics

The study examined the effects of gender and ethnicity on mathematics achievement on a national test and on dispositions (attitudes, perceived parental expectations, effort, and help) towards the study of mathematics of a representative sample of Jewish and Arab eighth graders in Israel. The results indicated a large ethnic gap in achievement in favor of the Jewish students. Significant gender–ethnicity interactions emerged whereby Arab girls, compared to Arab boys, attempted more items on the test. In the Jewish sample, either the reverse held true or there were no significant differences between the sexes. Arab girls also reported receiving less help in doing mathematics homework and perceived their parents' expectations for their success in mathematics as higher than did Arab boys. Jewish girls, on the other hand, perceived their parents' expectations as lower and reported investigating more effort in coping with mathematics tasks and using more supporting tools than did Jewish boys. The results were discussed in light of cultural differences between Jews and Arabs in Israeli society and their respective learning environments.     

School mathematics registers in a context of low academic expectations

We investigate the different school mathematical discourses that are made available for students who all share an unfavourable social and economical position and experiences of low achievement in primary school, and who have been streamed into three different ability groups at the very beginning of secondary school. Our investigation is built on the premise that schools distribute different forms of knowledge to different social groups and thus provide different opportunities to develop consciousness. We look at teacher–student interactions as expressions of social structure at the micro-level and as constituents of social structure on the macrolevel. Employing analytic tools from social semiotics, we carried out a register analysis of the school mathematical discourse in each stream. We found systematic differences and linked them to the work of Dowling (1998) on the construction of ability and its implications for social hierarchies. As a result, the upper of the three streams was freed from a discourse of low expectations, while such a discourse was reinforced for the lower stream. Finally, we will discuss our findings in relation to the contemporary debate about the role of mathematics education in social stratification.     

Views of prospective early childhood education teachers,towards mathematics and its instruction

The questions this paper attempts to answer are related to the attitudes of student teachers of the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Patras (Greece) towards mathematics, as well as their views on the instruction of mathematics in Early Childhood Education. The research sample included 52 students in the fourth semester of studies, who were invited to answer a questionnaire with respect to mathematics and its instruction. The findings reveal the negative attitude our research subjects adopt towards mathematics. Their epistemological views on mathematics and its instruction do not constitute a single and solid conceptual system. These findings underline the need to improve the mathematical education offered to student teachers of Early Childhood Education.

Les questions posées par la présente recherche concernent les attitudes envers les mathématiques ainsi que les conceptions sur l'enseignement de mathématiques des étudiants—futurs enseignants du Département de l'Education Pré‐scolaire de l'université de Patras. Cinquante‐deux étudiants de la quatrième année de leurs études ont participé à cette recherche en remplissant un questionnaire sur les mathématiques et leur enseignement. L'analyse des réponses a montré que les étudiants ont des attitudes négatives envers les mathématiques et que leurs conceptions épistémologiques sur les mathématiques et leur enseignement ne constituent pas un cadre conceptuel unitaire et cohérent. Ces constatations soulignent la nécessite de reformulation du contenu de l'éducation mathématique adressé aux étudiants—futurs enseignants à l'école maternelle.

La pesquisa actual está intentando responder a cuestiones relacionadas con las actitudes de los estudiantes—futuros institutores—de la Facultad de Pedagogía Preescolar de la Universidad de Patras (Grecia), en relación a la matemática y con sus puntos de vista en relación a la enseñanza de los conceptos matemáticos en la Educación Preescolar. La muestra representativa de la investigación se compone de 52 estudiantes del cuarto semestre de la carrera a quienes se solicitó responder a un cuestionario relacionado con la matemática y su didáctica. El escrutinio del cuestionario indica que los sujetos de la muestra mantienen una actitud negativa ante la matemática y su didáctica. Además, sus convicciones y conjeturas de ellos no componen un sistema de comprensión unificado y conciso acerca de la matemática y su didáctica. Dicho escrutinio subraya que hace falta mejorar la educación de la matemática que se presta en nuestra Facultad de Pedagogía.

Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die Einstellung von Studenten—zukünftigen Lehrern—des Fachs Pädagogik am Institut für Frühe Kindheit, Universität Patras, Griechenland, gegenüber der Mathematik. Insbesondere befasst sie sich mit deren Wahrnehmung der Vermittlung von mathematischen Begriffen im Kindergarten. Im Rahmen der Studie wurden 52 Studenten des vierten Semesters aufgefordert, einen Fragebogen zur Mathematikausbildung auszufüllen. Aus den Ergebnissen resultiert eine negative Haltung der Befragten gegenüber der Mathematik und deren Unterricht. Des weiteren bilden ihre Wahrnehmungsweise der Mathematik und des Mathematikunterrichts kein einheitliches und konsistentes konzeptuelles System. Diese Ergebnisse heben die Notwendigkeit einer Verbesserung der angebotenen Mathematikausbildung in unserem Fachbereich Pädagogik hervor.