The PISA View of Mathematical Literacy in Indonesia

PISA, the OECD’s international program of assessment of reading,scientific and mathematical literacy (www.oecd.org/pisa), aims to assess the ability of 15 year olds to use the knowledge and skills that have acquired at school in real world tasks and challenges. It also uses questionnaires to gather data on students’ attitudes to learning and the conditions of schooling. Since 2000, PISA has tested the mathematical literacy of 15 year old students from many countries around the world. This paper describes the design of the PISA assessments, discusses mathematical literacy and reports on a selection of results from the PISA assessments, associated surveys and related analyses to give a flavour of the information that has resulted from this major international initiative. Results for Indonesia are compared with the OECD average and with a selection of countries, addressing issues of overall achievement, equity, and classroom environment.Keyword: PISA View, Mathematical Literacy, Indonesia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22342/jme.2.2.746.95-12

Growth of pre-service teachers’ knowledge and teaching ideas about decimals and fractions : The case of Vivi

This paper discussed and analysed the growth of one pre-service teachers’ knowledge about decimals and fractions during a teaching experiment. Evidence of her progress is based on responses to written test and interview questions. This case shows with probing questions and appropriate teaching ideas, it is possible for a pre-service teacher with initially weak and fragmented knowledge about decimals and fractions to develop a meaningful knowledge about decimals and fractions. The stronger conceptual base provided by use of a concrete representation of decimals enabled Vivi to move away from reliance on memorised facts and rules and towards conceptually based explanations of ideas

Incógnitas con valores cambiantes y múltiples referentes en el álgebra de alumnos de secundaria

La interpretación de "la incógnita" con múltiples referentes o valores cambiantes es evidente en el pensamiento de una muestra de alumnos australianos. Los significados imprecisos y variables de la incógnita afectaron sus razonamientos cuando estaban resolviendo problemas. Durante las entrevistas con alumnos pudimos identificar tres maneras de usar las variables: para referirse a diferentes cantidades en una ecuación; para referirse a diferentes cantidades en diversas etapas de un proceso de solución, y a manera de etiqueta general para una cantidad desconocida o combinación de incógnitas

Avondale Creates Community for Christian Early Childhood Educators in Australia

Avondale has helped establish the first association for Christian early childhood educators in Australia at an inaugural conference organised and hosted by its Discipline of Education. The inter-denominational Australian Christian Early Childhood Educators Association (ACECEA) will bring academics and practitioners together to network, collaborate on research and promote informed practice. “We recognise a key strength will be unity of purpose,” says Kaye Judge, a lecturer in education (early childhood) at Avondale

Misconceptions about density of decimals : insights from Indonesian pre-service teachers’ work

Extensive studies have documented various difficulties with, and misconceptions about, decimal numeration across different levels of education. This paper reports on pre-service teachers’ misconceptions about the density of decimals. Written test data from 140 Indonesian pre-service teachers, observation of group and classroom discussions provided evidence of pre-service teachers’ difficulties in grasping the density notion of decimals. This research was situated in a teacher education university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Incorrect analogies resulting from over generalization of knowledge about whole numbers and fractions were identified. Teaching ideas to resolve these difficulties and challenges in resolving pre-service teachers’ misconceptions are discussed. Evidence from this research indicates that it is possible to remove misconceptions about density of decimals

Teaching mathematics through problem solving

This paper offers two ways to combine the teaching of mathematics and problem solving: teaching mathematics to solve problems or teaching mathematics through problem solving. By means of examples of activities, teaching through problem solving is proposed

'What it is to be a man' : beyond stereotypes of African American masculine identities in selected works by Toni Morrison.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.This dissertation comprises a literary investigation of the way in which Toni Morrison is able to transcend stereotypes associated with African American masculinity within a selection of her works namely, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby and Paradise. I apply Carl Jung’s transcendent concept of the paradoxical Self as a lens through which to analyse Morrison’s different representations, illustrating how this concept affects the formation of identity and an understanding of masculinity. I also make use of Frantz Fanon, who suggests that Jung’s concept of the Self is a way in which black men are able to understand their experience of the world, in that such an experience is paradoxical in nature. It is this paradoxical experience of the world that I argue Morrison highlights in her male characters. In examining Morrison’s representations of masculinity, I also illustrate the intersection of race and gender and how this intersection affects identity creation, given the unique position that African American men occupy within American society

International Comparative Studies in Mathematics: Lessons for Improving Students’ Learning

Mathematics Education; International and Comparative Education; Learning and Instructio

A framework for monitoring progress and planning teaching towards the effective use of computer algebra systems

This article suggests a framework to organise a cluster of variables that are associated with students' effective use of computer algebra systems (CAS) in mathematics learning. Based on a review of the literature and from the authors' own teaching experience, the framework identifies the main characteristics of students' interactions with CAS technology and how these may be used to monitor students' developing use of CAS; from this, the framework may be used to plan teaching in order to gain greater benefit from the availability of CAS. Four case studies describing students' development over a semester are reported. These demonstrate a variety of combinations of technical competencies and personal attributes. They indicate the importance of both the technical and personal aspects but suggest that negative attitudes rather than technical difficulties can limit the effective use of CAS. Finally practical suggestions are given for teaching strategies which may promote effective use of CAS.C