Volume 100 (8), December 2000

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Table of Contents

Abstracts

Table of Contents

Abstracts

Preparing for the 21st Century: The Status of Quantitative Literacy in the United States

Jesse L. M. Wilkins
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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            This article articulates and operationalizes a framework for investigating the level of quantitative literacy in the United States. Quantitative literacy is defined in terms of mathematical content knowledge, mathematical reasoning, understanding of the social impact and utility of mathematics, understanding the nature and historical development of mathematics, and mathematical disposition. Data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study are used to document the level of quantitative literacy in the US. Results suggest that, although students in the US seem to possess an awareness of the usefulness of mathematics and have positive dispositions toward mathematics, they fall short in their understanding of the nature of mathematics and an ability to apply their content knowledge to everyday situations. Suggestions for curriculum and instruction that align with the framework for promoting quantitative literacy are offered.

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Examining the Effects of a Reformed Junior High School Science Class on Studentsâ Math Achievement

Eugene Judson and Daiyo Sawada
Arizona State University


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           Though national standards emphasize the importance of connections between math and science, few empirical studies exist to support the notion that student achievement increases from such integration. This paper examines an eighth-grade science class that integrated mathematics into science through the use of technology. In a setting of action research, the effects of such integration were examined. This paper reports that integrating mathematics into the science class positively affected studentsâ achievement in their math class and describes the circumstances under which the integration occurred.
 

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EarthVision 2000: Examining Studentsâ Representations of Complex Data Sets

R. Paul Vellom and Stephen J. Pape
The Ohio State University

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            Graphic representations are powerful tools used by scientists and other professionals to help them understand multifaceted natural phenomena. They can also serve teachers and students as they attempt to understand complex data sets.  This study examines pencil-and-paper graphs produced by students at the beginning of a 1-week summer teacher/student institute, as well as computer-based graphs produced by the same students at  the end of the institute.  Initial problems with managing the data set and producing meaningful graphs disappeared quickly as students used a process of ãbuilding upä to handle the complexity of web-based data on water quality.  This process is examined, as are findings from the institute related to (a) barriers to accessing web-based data, (b) studentsâ problem-solving processes, and (c) the promise of this approach for learning about environmental science issues.

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Graphical Representations of Speed: Obstacles Preservice K-8 Teachers Experience

Esther MH Billings, Grand Valley State University
David Klanderman, Trinity Christian College


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           This study examines the difficulties college students experience when creating and interpreting graphs in which speed is one of the variables. Nineteen students, all preservice elementary or middle school teachers, completed an upper-level course exploring algebraic concepts. Although all of these preservice teachers had previously completed several mathematics courses, including calculus, they demonstrated widespread misconceptions about the variable speed. This study identifies four cognitive obstacles held by the students, provides excerpts of their graphical constructions and verbal interpretations, and discusses potential causes for the confusion. In particular, misconceptions arose when students interpreted the behavior and nature of speed within a graphical context, as well as in situations where they were required to construct a graph involving speed as a variable. The study concludes by offering implications for the teaching and learning of speed and its interpretation within a graphical setting.

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