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1992 Conference Proceedings

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1992 Conference Proceedings

1992 Conference Proceedings

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES

Australian Space – Pushing Back the Frontiers – Pam Harris

Bringing Theory into The Classroom: The School as a Learning Environment for Teachers – Richard R. Skemp

Doing and Construing Mathematics in Screenspace – John Mason

Students’ Understanding of Geometry: Theoretical Perspectives – John Pegg

The Australian Research Council and its Role in Supporting Education Research – M H Brennan

RESEARCH PAPERS

Images and Definitions of Functions in Australian Schools and Universities – Stephen Arnold

Technology Enriched Instruction in Year 9 Algebra – Gary Asp, John Dowsey & Kaye Stacey

The Structured Classroom Interactions Schedule (SCIS): A Validation Study – Bill Atweh, Clare Christensen and Tom Cooper

A Philosophical Justification for Ethnomathematics and Some Implications for Education – Bill Barton

Gaining Insights by Comparing Processes – Andy Begg

Students’ Manipulation of Algebra Symbols and their Awareness of the Corresponding Conceptual Relationships – Alan Bell and John Malone

Challenging Primary Student Teachers’ Views about Mathematics Education – Fred Biddulph

Acquisition of Concept of Variable in a Traditional and Computer Intensive Algebra Curriculum – Monique A. M. Boers

The Graphics Calculator in Tertiary Mathematics – Monique A.M. Boers and Peter L. Jones

Constructivism, Learning and Cognitive Representation; The Case of Fraction Ideas – George Booker

Mathematics Education in First Year Pre-Service Primary Teachers – Elizabeth Buckingham

Sensitising Primary Student Teachers to Young Children’s Mathematical Ideas – Ken Carr

Guided Problem Solving for First Year Tertiary Students – Rodney Carr

Professional Development and the Secondary Mathematics Teacher: A Case Study – David Clarke, Paul Carlin, & Andrea Peter

Student Response Characteristics to Open-Ended Tasks in Mathematical and Other Academic Contexts – David Clarke, Peter Sullivan and Ursula Spandel

The Other Consequences of a Problem-Based Mathematics Curriculum – David Clarke, Margarita Wallbridge & Sherry Fraser

Multimodal Functioning in Novel Mathematical Problem Solving – Kevin F. Collis, Jane M. Watson & K. Jennifer Campbell

Students’ Certainty and Checking Behaviour During Mathematical Problem Solving – Cecilia Del Beato and Kaye Stacey

Letting Children Design the Curriculum – Brian Doig and John Lindsey

Implications of Newman Research for the Issue of “What is Basic in School Mathematics?” – Nerida Ellerton and M.A. (Ken) Clements

Some Pluses and Minuses of Radical Constructivism in Mathematics Education – Nerida Ellerton And M.A. (Ken) Clements

Gender and Perceptions of Mathematics Achievement Amongst Year 2 Students – Helen J Forgasz

Calculus Students’ Sources of Conviction – Sandra D Frid

Assessment in Mathematics – Some Alternatives – Lindsay Grimison

From Procedural Analogy to Understanding – Neil Hall

Mathematics, Computers and “At-Risk” Preschoolers – Neil Hall & Alison Elliott

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Student Use of Calculators in K-6 Mathematics Classes – Peter Howard

Teachers Making Meaning in Maths Or: What Does it Mean to Learn Maths? – Betty Johnston

Knowing and Meaning in Mathematics Classrooms: Perspectives Drawn from Wittgenstein’s Philosophy of Language – Clive Kanes

Comparison of Pattern-Based and Equation-Solving Approaches to Algebra – Mollie MacGregor and Kaye Stacey

Learning Environments in Mathematics: Exploring Pupil Perceptions – Andrea McDonough

Bridging Mathematics Students: Attitudes, Autonomous Learning Behaviours, and Problem Solving – Lex Milne

Why Children Do Not Draw Parallels – Michael Mitchelmore

Constructivism: Epistemology to Practice – Judith A. Mousley

Children’s Solutions to Partition Problems – Joanne Mulligan

Factors Pertinent to Children’s Responsiveness in Spatial Problem-Solving Activities – Kay Owens

The Use of the Representativeness and Availability Heuristic in Probabilistic Reasoning by Students in the Graduate Diploma of Education QUT, 1992 – R. Peard

Transition From Senior Secondary to University Mathematics: A Case Study Introduction – Yachai Pongboriboon

Cognitive Difficulties in Early Algebra – Cyril Quinlan

Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Attitudes to Teaching Mathematics: A Reappraisal of a Recently Developed Instrument – Joe Relich and Jenni Way

Towards a Professional Development Ethos – Mary Rice

Integrating Computers into the Teaching of Calculus: Differentiating Student Needs – Julie Ryan

Children’s Approaches to Mathematical Problem Solving – Dianne Siemon

Beliefs About Mathematics and Mathematics Education – Beth Southwell and Mon Khamis

Using Open Questions for Teaching: A Classroom Experiment – Peter Sullivan

An Analysis of Children’s Understanding of Numeration – Noel Thomas

Children’s Understanding of the Independence of Random Generators – John Truran

Perceptions of Chance Events Among R-7 Children – Kath Truran

What Research is Needed in Probability and Statistics Education in Australia in the 1990s? – Jane M Watson

To What Extent Do Grades 3 and 4 Children Make Spontaneous Use of Calculators for Computation? – Ron Welsh

Abstract Thinking in Rates of Change and Derivative – Paul White & Michael Mitchelmore

What Do Young Children Know About Linear Measurement and is it Related to Conservation? – Annette Willis

The Design of a Hypercard Stack on Introductory Calculus – Khoon Yoong Wong

The Construction of Spatial Meaning and Social Disadvantage – Robyn Zevenbergen

Research Papers

The following four documents are essential to read and complete when considering to submit a research paper to the MERGA conference.

Research paper guidelines
Research paper template (to be used to write the paper which is then submitted to the MERGA conference website)
Author checklist
Publication Agreement (to be submitting on the MERGA conference website)

Research papers can take two major forms:

i. reports of empirical investigations; or

ii. reports that are not based on empirical research including:

– a theoretical discussion;

– a position paper;

– a report of scholarly enquiry in progress;

– a literature review, a meta-study;

– an account of a new initiative;

– a reflective critique of practice; or

– any mixture of these or other recognised scholarly forms.

All papers for publication in the conference proceedings should contain the following:

– a statement of the problem/issue and a discussion of its significance;
– a critical analysis of the research literature as it relates to the topic of the paper; and
– conclusions and implications for mathematics education derived from the study.

All papers must respect MERGA’s ethical guidelines relating to research work. Papers should be not more than the set length. (Formatting details and WORD template are available from the submissions). In addition, papers must be: readable; free of grammatical, spelling and typographical errors; and adhere strictly to style requirements advertised by the conference proceedings Editorial Team.

i. Empirical investigations

When empirical investigations are reported (such as in an experimental intervention, confirmatory study, or action research, etc.), the paper should also include

– a statement of rationale for methodologies used in collecting and analysing data;
– a critical discussion of data findings in the light of the research literature; and
– in the literature review, prior work in the area should be acknowledged and an explanation of how the work reported in the paper builds on that earlier work should be included.

ii. Theoretical or position papers

When the work is a theoretical discussion, a position paper, a report of scholarly inquiry in progress, a review of literature, a theoretical study, a meta-study, an account of a new initiative, a reflective critique of practice or any mixture of these or other recognised scholarly forms, the material presented must be discussed critically, and alternative points of view relating to themes presented should be appropriately argued.
It is expected that presenting authors will have 40 minutes to present their work at the conference. At least 10 minutes must be allowed to field questions and comments from the audience.

Originality

Only research papers that are substantially different from work that has been published previously will be considered for publication in the conference proceedings and/or presentation at the conference.

Reviewing of research papers

Research papers will be blind reviewed by a panel of peers approved by the conference committee. The main purpose of the refereeing process is to contribute to the growth and development of quality practice in mathematics education research. Thus reviewers are asked to assist authors by providing helpful feedback and to comment on the suitability of papers for presentation at the conference. Accordingly, it will not be assumed that published papers presented at the conference will be as polished as articles in scholarly journals. Referees will be asked to assess papers being reviewed against the accepted norms for scholarly works presented at MERGA conferences, as set out above.

Each conference proceedings’ Editorial Team will exercise discretion over the reviewing process.

Reviewers’ comments will be returned to the authors. Authors whose papers are not accepted for publication may be invited by the editorial panel to present their paper at the conference, with an abstract (only) being published in the proceedings. Papers may be rejected outright, with no opportunity for presentation at the conference in an alternative form.

The MERGA website has detailed advice about criteria for reviewing of MERGA papers, review forms, and examples of strong and poor reviews of different types.

Presentation of research papers

Research papers are presented by author(s) only. A maximum of 30 minutes may be used for presenting the paper, and at least 10 minutes is then used for audience questions and open discussion.

Research Symposia

There are four essential documents to read and complete when considering to submit a research paper to the MERGA conference.

Symposia paper guidelines
Symposia paper template (to be used to write the paper which is then submitted to the MERGA conference website)
Author checklist
Publication Agreement (to be submitting on the MERGA conference website)

Presentation of groups of published papers related by theme in the form a research symposium is encouraged. The symposium forum will be particularly suitable for presentations relating to a single large project or presentations that explore topical themes from different and/or related perspectives. Special Interest Groups [SIGs] are encouraged to consider the symposium option as a means for sharing and discussing current research.

A symposium should consist of no more than four presentations of about 15 minutes duration each. The written papers should be half the length of research papers as described for research papers. Both research report types – empirical or non-empirical – are acceptable as published symposium papers.

A brief overview of the symposium (limit one page), including a title, the names of presenters, an introduction to the theme/project, and a short introduction to each of the 3-4 contributions, must be submitted with the set of short papers.

The symposium proposer will also nominate a person to chair the symposium, and a discussant can also be named if desired. This information should accompany the collection of papers submitted for review.

The set of symposium papers (and the overview) will be blind reviewed by a review panel. The main purpose of the reviews is the same as for published papers, and the same criteria are used. The reviewers will be asked to consider the cohesiveness of the set of symposium papers. They will indicate whether the symposium as a whole, and each paper within it, should be “accepted”, “rejected” or if it “requires revision”. If it is deemed that one, some or all of the papers are in need of revision, the reviewers will outline which papers need to be revised and provide suggestions for the required changes. When the revisions are made, the symposium papers will be re-submitted and the set of papers will be sent to the same review panel for further consideration. As with research papers, the final decision about which symposium papers will be published is at the discretion of the Editorial Team.

The date for submission of the collection of symposium papers is the same as for Early Bird papers. This date has been set for the benefit of the group of authors of symposia papers. Should the symposium papers require revision, the authors will have the time to make the corrections and resubmit the set of symposium papers to be re-reviewed by the original reviewers.

Presentation of symposia

Symposia are presented by author(s) only. At least 10 minutes must be allocated for audience questions and open discussion.