The Mathematics Learning Attributes Valued by Students in Eastern China

Purpose:Given that prior research has con firmed that stude nts*mathematics values sign ifica ntly affect their mathematics learning,understanding how students'values form and change,especially during different learning stages,is an important topic.Design/Approach/Methods:This study administered a questionnaire to investigate the values of primary,junior high,and senior high school students in Eastern China.A principal component an alysis was con ducted to investigate the factor structure of the students*lear ning values.Then,paired sample t-tests were used to examine the differences in the two continuous categories ranking of each group,and a one-way analysis of varianee with a Brown-Forsythe test was used to test the differences in the ranking of each dimension by the different grade-level groups.Findings:We found that students'mathematics learning values consist of seven elements:culture,memorization,technology,objectism,practice,understanding,and control.Students placed d iff ere nt degrees of importa nee on these seve n eleme nts at differe nt lear ning stages.Additio nally,we found that junior high school is a critical period of change in students'values.Originality/Value:These findings will be invaluable to teachers and educators as they reflect on their teachi ng approaches.Moreover,the findings that stude nts'values un dergo cha nges in the course of their schooling are important information for educators seeking to foster students' learni ng.

Enhancing Proficiency in Quadratic Equations and Functions Through the MILAPlus Strategy

This study investigates the efficacy of the Mathematics Independent Learning Activity Practice and Play Unite Scheme(MILAPlus)as an instructional strategy to improve the proficiency levels of Grade 9 students in quadratic equations and functions through a study carried out at Quezon National High School.The research involved 116 Grade 9 students and utilized a quantitative approach,incorporating both pre-assessment and post-assessment measures.The research utilizes a quasi-experimental design,examining the academic performance of students before and after the introduction of MILAPlus.The pre-assessment establishes a baseline,and the subsequent post-assessment measures the impact of the instructional strategy.Statistical analyses,including t-tests,assess the significance of differences in mean scores and mean percentage scores,providing quantitative insights into the effectiveness of MILAPlus.Findings from the study revealed a statistically significant improvement in both mean scores and mean percentage scores after the utilization of MILAPlus,indicating enhanced proficiency in quadratic equations and functions.The Mean Proficiency Scores(MPS)also showed a substantial increase,demonstrating a marked improvement in overall proficiency levels among Grade 9 students.In light of the results,recommendations were given including the continued utilization of MILAPlus as an instructional strategy and aligning its development with prescribed learning competencies.Emphasizing the consistent adherence to policies and guidelines for MILAPlus implementation is suggested for sustaining positive effects on students’long-term performance in mathematics.This research contributes valuable insights into the practical application and effectiveness of MILAPlus within the context of Grade 9 mathematics education at Quezon National High School.

Mathematical Debates as an Integral Part of the Learning Process

In this report, we want to touch upon two aspects of teaching mathematics in middle and high school. The first of them is the eternal question of how to teach, to motivate students and make them involved in the educational process, particularly in mathematics, where the most important factor is the natural gifts. The second aspect concerns the question which became very urgent in the modern world： what, in fact, we want to teach the students in a world over-saturated with information of any kind. As a result of the information blowup, two aspects emerge. On the one hand, straight passing over the skills and knowledge to the students becomes irrelevant today （just like a teacher or lecturer, merely speaking to an audience, who is not that relevant for young people, accustomed from childhood to perceive information through dynamic color visuals）. On the other hand, there is a change in emphasis in the objective function of the educational process from gaining knowledge to acquisition of skills of working with information, consideration and estimation, and choosing of the optimal strategy of a number of possibilities. This trend can be seen in the selection of problems in the international examination PISA （Program for international Student Assessment）, in the new curriculum in mathematics and in the selection of problems in the matriculation exams. These considerations （along with others） make teachers took for rtew forms of teaming, more appropriate to the demands of modernity. In this report we suggest the idea of using a mathematical competition called ＂Mathematical debate＂ （mathematical fight） as an integral part of the educational process at different levels of learning mathematics, as an appropriate tool.