Recommended Reading

Is Statistical Literacy Relevant for Middle School Students?

Jane M. Watson, University of Tasmania

In answering the question in the title with a resounding Yes, this paper considers examples of the development of middle school students understanding related to statistical literacy. The development spans six levels of increasing engagement with context, increasing flexibility of numeracy skills, increasing appreciation of variation, and increasing ability to describe terminology. The examples provided can be used as assessment items or as the basis of classroom learning activities.[read more]

This paper was part of Jane Watson's Keynote address to the 2004 MAV Conference, Towards Excellence in Mathematics.

Investigations as a central focus for a mathematics curriculum

Charles Lovitt

It seems like forever we have been trying to say school mathematics has two equally important major dimensions - a thinking and reasoning side to go alongside the skill development .

The rise of the term Investigative thinking or Open-ended Investigations is the latest in what is beginning to be a long line of terms which attempt to capture and describe this thinking, reasoning side of our subject. None have completely succeeded. [read more]

Improving student achievement in mathematics

Douglas A. Grouws and Kristin J. Cebulla

This booklet summarizes the mathematics chapter from the Handbook of research on improving student achievement, second edition, published by the Educational Research Service. The Handbook is based on the idea that, in order to succeed, efforts to improve instruction must focus on the existing knowledge base in respect of effective teaching and learning. The Handbook was specifically designed to help school administrators and teachers carry out their evolving instructional leadership roles by giving them a ready source of authoritative yet practitioner-based information about research on effective teaching and learning. [read more]