Understanding the knowledge that teachers must bring to their classrooms is critical to the advancement of the field of teacher education. Understanding how teacher knowledge impacts various aspects of teacher practice is also critical. Understanding the interplay between teacher knowledge and practice, and consequently the result that this relationship has on student learning is most important. This dissertation attempts to advance our collective understanding of the complex relationship between teacher knowledge, teacher practice, and student learning in the field of elementary mathematics. Four third-grade teachers were followed as they taught a subset of lessons in a unit on fractions. The study first investigates the types of knowledge that the teachers brought to their classrooms. Then, an examination is conducted of the way in which these types of knowledge impacted their teaching practice. Finally, the student learning that resulted over the course of these lessons is discussed. This study supports the widespread belief that teacher knowledge is important to instruction. The descriptions of the case study teachers highlight that their varying levels of knowledge resulted in unique aspects of practice being emphasized in their classrooms. This dissertation documents the differences in teaching practice and the trade-offs that produce differences in student learning. Interesting student learning patterns emerged, based on qualitative student interviews. Medium students from classrooms in which teachers focused for more sustained periods on mathematical concepts seemed to demonstrate greater procedural fluency and deeper conceptual understanding than their peers in the other classrooms. Low students in classrooms where fluency was the focus seemed to show slightly greater procedural fluency, though less conceptual understanding, than their peers in the classrooms that spent more time on concepts. High students showed no appreciable difference across all classrooms. This study adds to the field by introducing a new construct, the conceptual threshold, to offer an explanation of these student learning trends.

Fluidics originated as the description of pneumatic and hydraulic control systems, where fluids were employed (instead of electric currents) for signal transfer and processing. Microfluidics and Nanofluidics: Theory and Selected Applications offers an accessible, broad-based coverage of the basics through advanced applications of microfluidics and nanofluidics. It is essential reading for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in engineering and professionals in industry.

This book presents both theoretical and empirical contributions from a global perspective on problem solving and posing (PS/PP) and their application, in relation to the teaching and learning of mathematics in schools. The chapters are derived from selected presentations in the PS/PP Topical Study Group in ICME14. Although mathematical problem posing is a much younger field of inquiry in mathematics education, this topic has grown rapidly. The mathematics curriculum frameworks in many parts of the world have incorporated problem posing as an instructional focus, building on problem solving as its foundation. The juxtaposition of problem solving and problem posing in mathematics presented in this book addresses the needs of the mathematics education research and practice communities at the present day. In particular, this book aims to address the three key points: to present an overview of research and development regarding students’ mathematical problem solving and posing; to discuss new trends and developments in research and practice on these topics; and to provide insight into the future trends of mathematical problem solving and posing.

This open access book investigates current issues related to the evolution of research on teaching mathematics and examines up to thirty years of presage-process-product research (PPPR) in mathematics with respect to conceptualization, instrumentation, and design. The book discusses the theoretical and methodological challenges associated with PPPR, critically reviews current research, and explores the likely direction of further developments to identify future paths for research on high-quality mathematics teaching in the digital era. Subjects that are covered in this work focus on the relationships between 1) student learning outcomes measured upon completion of the mathematics teaching; 2) student learning activities in the classroom; 3) interactive mathematics teacher activities, and best practices in mathematics classrooms conducted in the presence of students; 4) pre-post-active mathematics teacher activities such as planning, assessment, and other teaching-related activities outside of the classroom; 5) mathematics teachers’ competencies, knowledge, and skills; and 6) mathematics teachers’ characteristics, including beliefs, attitudes, and motivation. This book discusses the evolution of such research in mathematics teaching and teacher education in the digital era and is of interest to researchers exploring the field of mathematics teaching and mathematics teacher education as well as educators.

Reform-based mathematics has become a popular topic in the education field as this teaching emphasizes classroom discourse and instructional goals related to student engagement and an understanding of mathematical reasoning, concepts, and procedures using instructional practices that build on students’ informal knowledge of mathematics. It also connects mathematics with other disciplines and the real world and provides opportunities for students to contribute and invent their own methods during problem-solving. Further study on the best practices, benefits, and challenges of implementing this teaching into education is required. Global Perspectives and Practices for Reform-Based Mathematics Teaching explores international perspectives on diverse reform-based practices in teaching and learning mathematics, describes challenges and issues for teachers and teacher educators, promotes reflection and academic discussion at various levels and in various educational systems, and raises questions for the field of mathematics education. Covering a range of topics such as teacher preparation programs and integrated learning spaces, this reference work is ideal for academicians, practitioners, researchers, instructors, educators, and students.

Mobile Learning and Mathematics provides an overview of current research on how mobile devices are supporting mathematics educators in classrooms across the globe. Through nine case studies, chapter authors investigate the use of mobile technologies over a range of grade levels and mathematical topics, while connecting chapters provide a strong foundational background in mobile learning theories, instructional design, and learner support. For current educators, Mobile Learning and Mathematics provides concrete ideas and strategies for integrating mobile learning into their mathematics instruction—for example, by sharing resources that will help implement Common Core State Standards, or by streamlining the process of selecting from the competing and often confusing technology options currently available. A cutting edge research volume, this collection also provides a springboard for educational researchers to conduct further study.

This edited book promotes thinking, dialogue, research and theorisation on multiple ways of making connections in mathematics teaching and learning in early childhood education. The book addresses some key challenges in research, policy and practice in early childhood mathematics education. It examines diverse ways for learning experiences to connect young children to mathematics, and the importance of forging connections between mathematics and young children’s lives as key elements in their engagement with mathematics. Each chapter provides research or theoretical provocations and pedagogical implications for connecting children’s lived experiences and ways of learning in mathematics teaching. The chapters are drawn from a range of international authors who raise important ideas within the overall context of current research and consider the theoretical and practical implications of their research. As such, the book advances current thinking on mathematics teaching and learning for children in the early years from birth to eight years with an emphasis on children aged birth to 5 years. It considers the purpose and value in connecting mathematics teaching and learning to children’s lives, and provides provocations for both educators and researchers on the many under-researched and under-represented aspects of early years mathematics teaching and learning.

The four-volume set LNAI 6881-LNAI 6884 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Knowledge-Based Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems, KES 2011, held in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in September 2011. Part 4: The total of 244 high-quality papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The 46 papers of Part 4 are organized in topical sections on human activity support in knowledge society, knowledge-based interface systems, model-based computing for innovative engineering, document analysis and knowledge science, immunity-based systems, natural language visualisation advances in theory and application of hybrid intelligent systems.

Every four years, beginning in 1984, the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) produces a review of Australasian research in mathematics education. The authors of the chapters in this volume have summarised and critiqued research conducted during the period 2004-2007.

Modeling Mathematical Ideas combining current research and practical strategies to build teachers and students strategic competence in problem solving.This must-have book supports teachers in understanding learning progressions that addresses conceptual guiding posts as well as students’ common misconceptions in investigating and discussing important mathematical ideas related to number sense, computational fluency, algebraic thinking and proportional reasoning. In each chapter, the authors opens with a rich real-world mathematical problem and presents classroom strategies (such as visible thinking strategies & technology integration) and other related problems to develop students’ strategic competence in modeling mathematical ideas.