Your search found 56 results.

Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Textbooks; Elementary School Mathematics; Mathematics Instruction; Elementary School Teachers; Mathematics Skills; Professional Development; Elementary Education; Educational Principles; Computation; Teaching Methods; Textbook Content

Abstract:
Trainee teachers, new and non-specialist teachers of elementary mathematics have a tendency to avoid thought about reasons in mathematics. Instead, they tend to favour the development of computational skill through the rote application of procedures, routines and algorithms. Could elementary mathematics textbooks serve as models of practice and support the professional development of these teachers? Eighteen such textbooks for use by 7 to 11-year-old children in England were examined for their potential to help teachers attend to reasons. It was found that they were unlikely to point teachers towards reasons for patterns and procedures. Although some had the potential to help in introducing and structuring a lesson, they were unlikely to induce the teacher to address matters of understanding in their discourse. Their implicit message tended to be that mathematics education is about computational skill development through routines, algorithms and practice. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Instructional Materials; Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Mathematics Education; Textbooks; Practicums; Mathematics Instruction; Teaching Methods; Teaching Guides

Abstract:
This study investigates how four prospective teachers interpret and use textbooks while learning to teach mathematics during university coursework and practicum teaching. Results indicate that prospective teachers had varied approaches to using textbooks ranging from adherence, elaboration, and creation. Factors influencing how they engaged with texts include their practicum classroom setting, access to resources, and their understanding of mathematics. Preservice teachers' attempts to modify textbook lessons raised pedagogical, curricular, and mathematical questions for them that were not easily answered by reference to the textbooks or teacher's guides. Findings indicate that the practicum can, however, challenge preservice teachers to be creative and flexible users of curriculum materials. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Textbooks; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics Instruction; Outcomes of Education; Item Analysis; Learning Experience; Textbook Content; Educational Opportunities; Correlation

Abstract:
Opportunity to learn is considered an important contributing factor in learning outcomes. In some of the latest international comparative studies of mathematics achievement, such as SIMS and TIMSS, painstaking efforts have been made to find out what the participating students' opportunities to learn mathematics had been. However, there have been problems with relating the findings to student outcomes. This article approaches opportunity to learn in three different ways. Among these approaches, an item-based analysis of textbook contents resulted in fairly high correlations with student performance at the item level in TIMSS 1999. This implies that even a quite simple analysis of textbooks can produce valuable information when looking for explanations for student achievement in mathematics. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Instructional Materials; Grammar; Textbooks; Social Studies; Sciences; Mathematics; Grade 5; Academic Discourse; Test Construction; Vocabulary

Abstract:
This study expands on previous National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) work that has undertaken the articulation of the academic language construct for broad educational purposes. The primary goal was to describe the language of textbook selections in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and organization of discourse for test development. Specifically, the work reported here has focused on the academic English used in fifth-grade mathematics, science, and social studies textbooks and will contribute to the conceptual discussion of the nature of academic language, and will provide concrete guidelines for test development. The vocabulary analyses included measures of lexical diversity, word frequency, and frequency of multisyllabic and derived words, as well as variety of clause connectors and frequency of nominalizations. In addition, academic vocabulary was identified as specialized (within a discipline) and general (across disciplines). The grammatical analyses included the following features: sentence type, clause type, passive verb forms, prepositional phrases, noun phrases, and participial modifiers. The discourse analyses captured the organizational features of the selections on three levels: rhetorical mode (e.g., exposition and persuasion) and both dominant and supporting text features (e.g., description, classification, and paraphrase). The analyses of textbook language reported here have provided the bases for a profile of typical texts in each subject at the fifth grade that will be part of the foundation for developing academic language proficiency tests. We conclude by illustrating how these profiles can be used in the creation of test specifications. (Contains 13 appendices.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Textbook Selection; Textbooks; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics Teachers

Abstract:
Textbook selection strongly influences on what students will learn and what the teachers will teach. Certain statements regarding the process of development and selecting mathematics textbooks are given and assessed.

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Content Analysis; Cross Cultural Studies; Cultural Context; Educational Research; Foreign Countries; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Instruction; Secondary Education; Teacher Role

Abstract:
Examines mathematics textbooks and their use in lower secondary classrooms in England, France, and Germany. Suggests (after data analysis) that learners in the different countries are offered different mathematics and given different opportunities to learn that mathematics, both of which are influenced by textbook and teacher. (BT)

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Curriculum Development; Curriculum Research; Foreign Countries; Mathematical Formulas; Mathematics Education; Middle Schools; Statistics; Textbook Evaluation

Abstract:
Examines how selected U.S. and Asian mathematics curricula are designed to facilitate students' understanding of the arithmetic average. Discusses similarities and differences of learning goals, focuses, and concepts among U.S. commercial, Asian, and U.S. reform curriculum series. (Author/KHR)

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Curriculum Development; Educational Change; Elementary Education; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Mathematics Education; Preservice Teachers; Professional Development; Teacher Attitudes

Abstract:
This study was undertaken to better understand what happens when teachers implement a reform curriculum designed specifically to communicate mathematics content and pedagogy to teachers. More specifically, the study focuses on what aspects of the curriculum materials teachers consider as they decide what they will enact in the classroom. Information was gathered to determine the extent to which teachers were understanding the main mathematical content of their first unit on number, the kinds of thinking that students were intended to develop, and how useful the supporting materials embedded in the curriculum were in helping them enact the curriculum. The findings in this study about what teachers learn from this supporting information should be of interest to researchers, curriculum developers, and professional development providers as they consider ways to support teachers' implementation of reform curricula. (Author) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Curriculum Development; Educational Change; Instructional Materials; Mathematics Education; Secondary Education; Textbook Evaluation

Abstract:
Discusses how the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded curricula stack up against the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)'s "Principles and Standards". Identifies distinctive features of the five textbook series and includes an example that shows some of these features for each series. (KHR)

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Cross Cultural Studies; Foreign Countries; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Instruction; Middle Schools; Textbook Content; Textbooks

Abstract:
Compares problems that followed content presentation of the addition and subtraction of integers in several American and Chinese mathematics textbooks to illuminate cross-national similarities/differences in expectations related to students' mathematics experiences between the United States and China. Differences found in the problems' performance requirements indicate that American textbooks included more variety in problem requirements than Chinese textbooks. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/ASK) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Classroom Environment; Cross Cultural Studies; Cultural Influences; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Instruction; Textbooks

Abstract:
After a thorough review of the relevant literature in terms of textbook analysis and mathematics teachers' use of textbooks in school contexts, this paper reports on selected and early findings from a study of mathematics textbooks and their use in English, French, and German mathematics classrooms at the lower secondary level. The research reviewed in the literature section raises important questions about textbooks as representations of the curriculum and about their role as a link between curriculum and pedagogy. Teachers, in turn, appear to exercise control over the curriculum as it is enacted by using texts in the service of their own perceptions of teaching and learning. The second and main part of the paper analyzes the ways in which textbooks vary and are used by teachers in classroom contexts and how this influences the culture of the mathematics classroom. The findings of the research demonstrate that classroom cultures are shaped by at least two factors: teachers' pedagogic principles in their immediate school and classroom context; and a system's educational and cultural traditions as they develop over time. It is argued that mathematics classroom cultures need to be understood in terms of a wider cultural and systemic context in order for shared understandings, principles, and meanings to be established, whether for promotion of classroom reform or simply for developing a better understanding of this vital component of the mathematics education process. (Contains 56 references.) (Author/YDS) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Cultural Influences; Foreign Countries; Mathematics Education; Secondary Education; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation; Values Education

Abstract:
This paper outlines a preliminary investigation into the kinds of mathematical and mathematics educational values conveyed in representative lower secondary mathematics textbooks in Singapore and Victoria, Australia. Mathematical and mathematics educational values are viewed as being influenced by--and acting on--different sociocultural levels of values. Data compiled from the content analysis exercise reveal an unbalanced portrayal for each of the eight selected pairs of complementary values. The relationship between some of the commonly-adopted value signals and the nature of mathematical genre is explored. Differences in the way values are portrayed in the two culturally different regions are also discussed. (Contains 79 references.) (Author/CCM) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Calculus; Definitions; High Schools; Higher Education; Mathematics Education; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation

Abstract:
Mathematics textbooks embody a particular set of assumptions about mathematics or the mathematics intended for students at a particular level. An epistemological analysis of textbooks can provide some context for understanding, for example the difficulties many students encounter when moving from high school to collegiate mathematics. In this study, it is considered how typical precalculus, calculus, and analysis texts treat the topic of continuity. It is found that these texts send conflicting messages about the purpose and use of mathematical definitions. (Author) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Foreign Countries; Ideology; Mathematical Applications; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematics Education; Relevance (Education); Textbooks

Abstract:
Argues that any mathematical construct can acquire multiple referential meanings beyond its specific mathematical meaning as it is assigned several different mappings when applied to different real-world situations. Claims that the teaching of mathematics in schools is a vehicle for an ideology concerning mathematical activity and its outcomes. (ASK)

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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Elementary Education; Foreign Countries; Grade 1; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Learning Strategies; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Instruction; Textbook Content; Textbook Standards; Textbooks

Abstract:
Examines selected first-grade mathematics textbooks used in Japanese and American schools. Focus points of analysis include size and volume, repetition, length of explanations, mathematics content, gender issues, and the relevance of the pictures to the mathematics content. Contains 16 references. (DDR)

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Descriptors:
Educational Methods; Elementary Secondary Education; Instructional Material Evaluation; Instructional Materials; Learning Disabilities; Manipulative Materials; Mathematics Instruction; Media Selection; Textbooks

Abstract:
This article considers mathematics textbooks, materials, and manipulatives, which are commonly a part of mathematics instruction. Strengths and weaknesses of these instructional tools when teaching students with learning disabilities in mathematics are reviewed. Evaluation scales are presented for selection of textbooks, materials, and manipulatives. (DB)

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Descriptors:
Action Research; Case Studies; Cooperation; Educational Strategies; Interdisciplinary Approach; Mathematics Instruction; Reading; Secondary Education; Teaching Methods

Abstract:
The purpose of this monograph is to articulate what it means to "read rich mathematical texts generatively" and the implications such experiences might have for mathematics instruction, based on a descriptive study of selected episodes developed in four secondary mathematics classrooms. These "reading to learn mathematics" (RLM) episodes were the result of action research developed by a collaborative team of mathematics teachers and researchers in mathematics education and reading education. The nature and implications of this approach is developed throughout the monograph in a number of complementary ways. First, the views of mathematics instruction and reading that inform the proposed approach to reading mathematics are articulated. The approach is then illustrated by means of two classroom vignettes which are further examined in the light of both transactional reading theory and how these experiences contributed to achieving the new vision for school mathematics promoted by current reform movements. The theoretical argument and empirical findings reported suggest that, though not the only valuable way to capitalize on reading in mathematics instruction, this approach can provide mathematics teachers with a novel and powerful instructional strategy with which to support the reform of mathematics instruction currently called for by many constituencies. (Author/JRH) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Cultural Pluralism; Discussion (Teaching Technique); Educational Change; Educational Strategies; Intermediate Grades; Junior High Schools; Mathematics Instruction; Middle Schools; Relevance (Education); Teaching Methods; Textbooks

Abstract:
Middle school mathematics teachers universally rely on the content of textbooks for the content of their instruction. However, in recent years it has become apparent that dependence on textbooks in mathematics education is simply not effective. This paper discusses strategies that can help teachers use textbooks as resources upon which they can build. Topics discussed include textbook use in middle school classrooms, adjusting for class diversity, getting students' attention, making the numbers meaningful, encouraging classroom discussion, developing personal meaning, and finding alternatives to textbooks. (JRH) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Cultural Influences; Elementary Secondary Education; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Materials; Political Influences; Textbooks

Abstract:
Questions the value and mindset promoted by claims that mathematics textbooks enlighten those who study them about environmental and economic issues. Argues that mathematics textbooks represent a political agenda that suggests to students that they are autonomous, rational thinkers impervious to cultural influences. (MKR)

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Descriptors:
Content Analysis; Data Analysis; Elementary School Mathematics; Elementary Secondary Education; Geometric Concepts; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Instruction; Textbooks

Abstract:
Presents data from a content analysis of mathematics textbooks for grades 1-8 showing that content areas were not evenly distributed throughout the texts and cautions against following a text in sequential order, which may cause students to miss important material. Includes a list of supplemental books and manipulatives. (MKR)

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Descriptors:
Civil Law; Consumer Economics; Consumer Education; Consumer Protection; Daily Living Skills; Decision Making Skills; Higher Education; Mathematics Skills; Money Management; Planning; Resource Allocation; Secondary Education; Textbooks

Abstract:
This publication lists a selection of consumer economics and consumer mathematics textbooks available for review from the National Institute for Consumer Education. Twenty-six textbooks for the secondary level are cited. Nine advanced level texts are also listed. These texts are generally considered college level texts but could be adapted for advanced high school classes. Author, title, edition, publisher, place of publication, year of publication, and Library of Congress classification number are provided. (YLB) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Classroom Environment; Cognitive Processes; Cognitive Structures; Elementary Secondary Education; Epistemology; Learning Processes; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Instruction; Metacognition; Models; Textbooks

Abstract:
Didactic transposition theory asserts that bodies of knowledge are designed not to be taught but to be used. Discusses didactic transposition, the transposition of knowledge regarded as a tool to be used to knowledge as something to be learned in mathematics textbooks. (14 references) (MDH)

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Descriptors:
College Science; Earth Science; Geology; Higher Education; Mathematical Applications; Science Education; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation; Textbooks; Undergraduate Study

Abstract:
Investigated was the mathematical content of 15 college-level physical-geology textbooks published in the period 1980-90. A list of textbooks is provided. Methods, comparisons with other fields of science, and the treatment of specific geological concepts are discussed. (CW)

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Descriptors:
Content Analysis; Course Content; Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Grade 4; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics Teachers; Teaching Methods; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation

Abstract:
Teachers' styles of textbook use were identified, and the overlap between content taught and textbook content in elementary school mathematics was studied for four teachers in four Michigan fourth grades. In each classroom there were important differences between text content and teacher's topic selection, content emphasis, and sequence of instruction. (SLD)

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Descriptors:
Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Grade 7; Grade 8; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Instruction; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Secondary School Mathematics; Textbook Content

Abstract:
Mathematics textbooks for grades K-9 were examined to determine how much of content was new content rather than review of old content. New content tends to decrease from grade three through grade eight with lowest amount of new content in books for grades six, seven, and eight (below 40 percent for two series). Differences among series are identified. (RH)

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Descriptors:
Instructional Materials; Mathematics Education; Surveys; Teaching Methods; Textbook Evaluation; Textbook Preparation; Textbook Publication; Textbook Selection; Textbook Standards

Abstract:
In the fall of 1984, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) was awarded a grant from the U.S. Secretary of Education's Discretionary Fund to identify alternative state roles for improving instructional materials in mathematics. To help state leaders define an appropriate and effective role in upgrading these materials, ECS proposed first to identify the complex problems surrounding the development and adoption of materials and then to suggest new ways for state leaders to work with other state leaders, districts and publishers to improve instructional materials. To identify what was wrong with textbooks, more than 70 teachers, professors, publishers and state and local education agency staff were asked to participate in a survey. This document is a synthesis of the survey responses. The survey instrument appears in Appendix A; survey participants are listed in Appendix B. (CW) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Drills (Practice); Educational Research; Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Grade 5; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Instruction; Problem Solving; Textbook Content

Abstract:
Textbook analyses for 1924, 1944, and 1984, suggest that the mathematics program regressed in expectations for students. The number of word problems in fifth-grade books has decreased and the amount of drill problems increased. (MNS)

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Descriptors:
Cognitive Processes; Decimal Fractions; Educational Research; Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Mathematics Instruction; Research Utilization; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation

Abstract:
This brief report focuses on the cognitive level of decimal problems in 16 textbooks. Activities at the application level are included, but seldom are higher-order intellectual behaviors found in the books. (MNS)

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Descriptors:
Educational Research; Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Mathematics Instruction; Problem Solving; Sex Differences; Textbook Bias; Textbook Evaluation

Abstract:
Suggestions for writing nonsexist textbooks are discussed. An analysis of problems in textbooks for grades 3-6 is then presented, indicating that the books are nonsexist but not antisexist. (MNS)

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Descriptors:
Comparative Education; Cross Cultural Studies; Elementary School Mathematics; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Education; Secondary School Mathematics; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation; Textbook Selection; Textbook Standards

Abstract:
A two part examination of the evidence concerning one possible basis for the poor mathematical performance of United States students, the content of the textbooks used in their classes, is presented. The results of a detailed analysis of Japanese and U.S. mathematics textbooks for grades 1 through 12 are reported. Two international studies (1964 and 1981) and the Dallas Times Herald study are used as the basis for comparison. The first part of the research study contains a discussion of elementary school children in Japan and the United States, similarities and differences in Japanese and U.S. elementary school textbooks, and the differences between the two sets of textbooks when concepts and skills are introduced. The study concludes that material contained in the Japanese elementary school textbooks is somewhat more advanced than in the U.S. texts and concepts and skills are likely to appear earlier in Japanese textbooks. The second part of the study discusses an analysis of secondary school textbooks in the United States and Japan. The paper concludes that U.S. textbooks may form an obstacle to the learning of mathematics because they are long, wordy, and repetitive. Two extensive appendices (over 70% of the document) contain exhaustive summaries of the contents of the Japanese and U.S. elementary and secondary mathematics textbooks chosen for the study, arranged by concept and skill. (RSL) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Educational Research; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematics Instruction; Problem Solving; Science Curriculum; Science Instruction; Secondary Education; Secondary School Science; Surveys; Textbook Evaluation

Abstract:
Recent thinking about the mathematics being used in science courses, with an emphasis on problem solving, is reviewed. Data from a survey of the mathematics content in secondary science textbooks are then presented, with suggestions for science instruction. (MNS)

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Descriptors:
Cognitive Objectives; Elementary School Mathematics; Elementary Secondary Education; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematics Skills; Problem Solving; Relevance (Education); Secondary School Mathematics; Skill Development; Textbook Content

Abstract:
Presents research on cognitive skills demanded by elementary and secondary school mathematics textbooks, based on an original 10-level classification of thinking activities; reports a general decline both in the amount of material demanding student involvement and in the percentage of that material requiring higher-order thinking. (MCG)

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Achievement Tests; Content Analysis; Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Mathematics Curriculum; National Curriculum; Textbook Content

Abstract:
Examines critically the claim that in elementary school mathematics there is a national curriculum defined by textbooks and tests. Reports results of the content analysis of (1) student exercise portions of each lesson of a mathematics textbook series widely used in grades four through six and (2) commonly administered standardized tests of fourth-grade mathematics. (RH)

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Descriptors:
Classroom Techniques; County School Districts; Curriculum Guides; Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Inservice Teacher Education; Instructional Materials; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Materials; Pilot Projects; Resource Units; Textbooks

Abstract:
This booklet is part of the Management for Effective Teaching (MET) support kit, a pilot project designed by the Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools to assist elementary school teachers in planning, managing, and implementing the county's Program of Studies (POS). This document provides charts to guide pilot project teachers in selecting appropriate mathematics lesson materials from specified textbooks and supplementary materials. Charts for each grade level specify: (1) POS mathematics objectives in terms of knowledge, skills, beliefs and values, and participation; (2) chapter and page references in the textbooks' teacher's editions; and (3) suggested ideas and materials. Textbook correlations are for "Mathematics Their Way" and "On the Road to Understanding Mathematics" at the kindergarten level and for "HBJ Mathematics,""McGraw Hill Mathematics," and "Real Math" for the first through sixth grades. (FG) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation; Evaluation Methods; Guidelines; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Education; Resource Materials; Textbook Evaluation; Textbook Selection

Abstract:
This guide is based on one published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1980. The guidelines are presented in an effort to assist in the selection of textbooks. There are two major sections. The first, How to Get Started, has sections on: Reviewing Objectives; Assessing the Program; Selecting the Evaluation Committee; Developing the Evaluative Criteria; Complying with Legal Provisions; Developing the Rating Forms; and General Suggestions. The second section, Evaluative Criteria, includes: Content; Organization; Auxiliary Materials; Readability; Physical Characteristics; and Special Considerations. The document concludes with a rating form. (MP) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Academic Achievement; Educational Media; Educational Radio; Elementary School Mathematics; Foreign Countries; Grade 1; Instructional Improvement; Primary Education; Textbooks

Abstract:
This article reports an experimental study of the impact of textbook availability on mathematics achievement of students in Nicaraguan first-grade classes. This intervention is compared with control classes in which textbooks are rare and with a radio-based instructional program using student worksheets. (Author/GK)

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Descriptors:
Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; Mathematical Vocabulary; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Instruction; Problem Solving; Textbook Research; Textbooks

Abstract:
This research project was initiated to examine the vocabulary load contained in word problems appearing in basal mathematics textbooks through a study of word frequency. Five leading basal mathematics series were used. Every word, phrase or sentence that resulted in computation was included. A total of 476,674 words were identified. Information with regard to the total number of words, the number of different words, and the extremely high percentage of words appearing one time per book is presented. (Author) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Arithmetic; Bibliographies; Educational Change; Elementary School Teachers; Games; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Materials; Summer Programs; Teaching Guides; Textbooks

Abstract:
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, AND MAGAZINES WHICH WILL ASSIST THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER IN BUILDING A BACKGROUND FOR UNDERSTANDING THE CHANGES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS IS PRESENTED. NUMBER LINES, FRACTIONS, AND FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS ARE IMPORTANT TOPICS IN MANY OF THE PUBLICATIONS. A LISTING OF NINE PROGRAMS FOR TEACHING NEW MATHEMATICS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL INCLUDES PUBLICATIONS AND MATERIALS AVAILABLE FROM EACH PROGRAM. THIRTY-EIGHT PUBLISHERS OF ARITHMETIC TEXTBOOKS ARE INCLUDED IN THE BIBLIOGRAPHY. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Mathematics Curriculum; Measurement; Metric System; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation

Abstract:
A perusal of seven elementary mathematics textbooks published in the 1870's indicates "the metric system seems to have been riding a crest of popularity--at least among textbook authors--at the end of the 1870s." (MK)

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Descriptors:
Computer Oriented Programs; Computer Programs; Mathematics Curriculum; Problem Sets; Secondary Education; Secondary School Mathematics; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation; Textbook Selection; Textbooks

Abstract:
The author discusses problems with available mathematics textbooks and suggests that a computer "problem bank" is a viable alternative to a textbook. (MK)

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Descriptors:
Attitudes; Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Parent Influence; Sex Role; Sex Stereotypes; Teacher Influence

Abstract:
Parents, classmates, and teachers are discussed as being important factors involved in the sexual stereotyping of mathematics, with teachers carrying the greatest influence. (MP)

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Descriptors:
Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Instructional Materials; Mathematics Education; Sex Role; Sex Stereotypes; Textbooks

Abstract:
The author reviews two series of elementary textbooks and concludes that, in these series at least, publishers have made positive efforts to eliminate sex role stereotyping. (SD)

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Descriptors:
Instructional Materials; Mathematics; Readability; Reading Research; Textbook Content; Vocabulary

Abstract:

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Instructional Materials; Mathematics; Readability; Secondary School Mathematics; Textbook Selection; Textbooks

Abstract:

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Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics Materials; Sex Role; Sex Stereotypes; Textbook Bias

Abstract:
This study looked at six primary textbooks and 25 of 31 secondary textbooks of mathematics published in New Zealand. All exercises, problems, and illustrations were analyzed for references to roles and activities assigned to males and females. The number of times males and females were mentioned and the number of famous people of each sex noted were recorded. Language used was analyzed for examples of sexism. Results indicated four times as many roles were assigned to males as to females. Roles commonly given for females included teacher, mother, student, sister, nurse, girl guide, secretary, shop keeper, and housewife. These nine roles accounted for 59% of female roles in primary textbooks and 40% of those in secondary. The proportion of males to females taking part in activities was similar in primary texts but males appeared in the majority of activities in secondary texts. Illustrations were fairly well balanced in primary texts but secondary texts favored males. The use of "he" and "man" are cited as examples of textbook bias. Given this and other data, it was concluded that the textbooks as a group give strong evidence of bias in favor of males. (MP) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Content Analysis; Course Content; Educational Research; Elementary Education; Elementary School Mathematics; Grade 4; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Instruction; Test Items; Tests; Textbook Content; Textbooks

Abstract:
The results of one of the earliest studies in a series of investigations on teachers' selection of content for mathematics instruction suggested that teachers are responsive to content messages that are communicated through textbooks and standardizes tests. The content analyses that are summarized in this report were therefore undertaken in an attempt to identify similarities and differences in the "implied curricula" of these two sources of influence. All items in the student exercise portions of three widely used fourth-grade mathematics textbooks and all mathematics items in five commonly administered standardized tests were classified using a three-dimensional taxonomy. The results suggest that only a limited number of specific topics are consistently emphasized in textbooks and tests of fourth-grade mathematics. Further, the match in content is better for some combinations of textbooks and tests than for others. However, even the best matched textbooks and tests fail to provide a consistent description of the fourth-grade mathematics curriculum. (Author) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Bibliographies; Business Education; Driver Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Language Books; Health Education; Indexes; Instructional Materials; Mathematics; Science Education; State Standards; Textbook Selection; Textbooks

Abstract:
Presented is a list of textbooks officially adopted for use in Oregon public schools for the period 1971-1977 in business education, driver education, foreign languages, health, mathematics, and science. Section I provides suggestions to school administrators on textbook selection. Topics discussed include selecting a variety of partial sets of texts, negotiating with publishers, utilizing older texts, interpreting price lists, and encouraging autonomy for local selection practices. Discussion of the procedure for seeking approval of independent textbook adoptions is followed by instruction on how to review challenged instructional material and a sample form requesting reconsideration of instructional materials. The bulk of the report (presented in Sections II, III, and IV) lists textbooks by grade level and by specific subject area within the fields of business education, driver education, foreign languages, health, mathematics, and science. Each entry lists title, grade, subject, author, copyright, publisher, and wholesale and retail price information. Additional information such as availability and cost of a teacher's edition or guide is provided where applicable. A directory of textbook representatives for all materials in the circular is included. (Author/HM) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Content Analysis; Core Curriculum; Course Content; Decision Making; Elementary Education; Mathematics Instruction; Teacher Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Teaching Skills; Textbook Content; Textbook Selection

Abstract:
The research reported in this paper identifies the "core curriculum" and "optional curriculum" suggested by widely used textbooks of elementary school mathematics and describes the influence of each on teacher autonomy in selecting the content of instruction. Preliminary analyses suggest that the "core curriculum" is generally consistent with recent educational trends, while the freedom of choice suggested by the "optional curriculum" seems to demand a high level of mathematics expertise on the part of teachers. (Author) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Hebrew; Masters Theses; Readability; Research; Secondary Education; Secondary School Mathematics; Textbooks

Abstract:
This research thesis, written in Hebrew, tries to apply various methods of measuring readability to ranking the readability of two mathematics textbooks widely used in the seventh grade. The readability was measured by formula, by expert judgment, by cloze procedure, and by comprehension tests. High correlations were obtained between the rankings of the readability by formula, judgment, and cloze procedure. This suggests the possibility of using the convenient and easy method of the readability formula to rank the readability of Hebrew mathematical texts. An abstract of the thesis is written in English. (MP) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Annual Reports; Cooperative Programs; Coordination; Educational Needs; Educational Programs; Elementary Secondary Education; Expenditures; Federal Programs; Grants; Instructional Improvement; Instructional Materials; Library Materials; Media Selection; Program Descriptions; Program Evaluation; School Libraries; Staff Development; Standards; State Programs; Tables (Data); Textbooks

Abstract:
Annual reports of two federal education programs for FY 1970 comprise this document: Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Title III of the National Defense Education Act. Both reports describe how the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Department of the Interior (for schools operated by its Bureau of Indian Affairs), and the Department of Defense (for overseas dependents' schools) utilized their program funds. Areas covered in the first report include standards for instructional materials, selection of materials, effect on curriculum and teaching methods, special-purpose grants, special programs, program evaluation, state and local needs for instructional materials and management, improved management techniques, accessibility of loaned materials, coordination with other programs, participation by private school teachers and children, and staffing and staff development. The major sections of the second report delineate state education agency services to local education agencies, priorities, coordination with other programs, reimbursement and adequacy of equipment and materials, evidence of improved instruction (instructional patterns/techniques, curriculum, student achievement), evaluation, and data on fund sources and expenditures. Both reports provide supportive statistics. (JD) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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