Handbook of Research on Science Teaching and Learning
Macmillan
1994
ISBN 0-02-897005-5 (paper)
Grade focus: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Research Ideas for the Classroom. Middle Grades Mathematics presents a comprehensive synthesis and interpretation of research findings in mathematics education for grades 5-8. It is the result of collaboration among teachers and university professors with experience in mathematics education at the middle grades.
A large part of the book is devoted to syntheses of research findings on students' understanding in specific topics in mathematics and discussions of the findings' implication for the classroom. Suggested classroom activities tend to be presented as ideas which teachers will need to "embellish and shape to their personality and their class." The book includes findings on topics such as: place value; computational estimation; mental computation; number comparison; measurement; probability; summarizing data; graphing; operations with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions; ratio and proportion; variables; and representations of symbolic relationships. Other chapters explore alternative models of instruction, such as cooperative learning; the implications of technology for middle grade classrooms; and teacher action research.
Chapters point to a wealth of references. Some preference is given
to easily accessible research reports, including research-based articles
in teacher journals, such as Mathematics Teacher and Arithmetic
Teacher. References that are especially rich in ideas for teaching
are identified with an asterisk.