Login

1998 Conference Proceedings

Home
>
Publications
>
Annual Conference Proceedings
>
1998 Conference Proceedings

1998 Conference Proceedings

1998 Full Conference Proceedings

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES

I Keep Six Honest Serving Men – Peter Galbraith

The 3 Rs in New Times: Research, Rhetoric, and Reality – Lyn D. English

The Intension/Intention of Teaching Mathematics – Stephen Lerman

RESEARCH PAPERS

One Teacher’s Problem-Solving Beliefs and Practices: Influences and Coherence – Judy Anderson

Towards the Study of the Processes and Effects of Internationalisation in Mathematics Education – Bill Atweh, Philip Clarkson, & John Malone

The Use of Action Research to Assist the Transition into Teaching – Bill Atweh and Ann Heirdsfield

The Effectiveness of a No-Goal Approach in Solving Pythagorean 2-Stage Problems – Paul Ayres

Factors Influencing Predictions About Randomly Generated Sequences – Paul Ayres & Jenni Way

Towards a Framework for Analysing Power Relationships in Small Group Discussions – Mary Barnes

Year 5 Students’ Available and Accessible Knowledge of Decimal-Number Numeration – Annette R. Baturo

Mathematics Curriculum and Development – Andy Begg

The Impact of an Early Number Project on the Professional Development of Teachers – Janette Bobis & Peter Gould

Arithmetic, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra: A Model of Transition – G.M. Boulton-Lewis, T. Cooper, H. Pillay, & L. Wilss

The Invisible Wall Project: Problem Solving Processes of Pupils who Work on Problems with a Goal which cannot be Reached – Birgit Burchartz & Martin Stein

“Why are we assessed in mathematics?”: The Views of Students – Ken C. Carr

Developing a Framework for Viewing Affective and Knowledge Factors in Teaching Primary Mathematics – Jean Carroll

Teachers’ Understandings of the Role of Learning Activities – Min-Pyng Chen

Showing and Telling: Primary Students’ Outcomes in Data Representation and Interpretation – Helen L. Chick and Jane M. Watson

Representing the Connectedness of Mathematical Knowledge – Mohan Chinnapan, Michael Lawson & Rod Nason

Beginning Teachers’ Problems with Fundamental Mathematics – P.C. Clarkson

Investigating Students’ Understanding of The Relationships Among Quadrilaterals – Penelope Currie & John Pegg

Rethinking What It Means to Understand: The Case of Combinatorial Problem Solving – Lyn D. English

New Times for Mathematics in Vocational Education and Training – Gail E. FitzSimons

Exploring Avenues of Reflective Practice with Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers – Sandra Frid, Ted Redden & Chris Reading

Identifying the Dilemmas in Early Mathematics Teaching – Ann Gervasoni

“I Don’t Know if I’m Doing it Right or I’m Doing it Wrong!” Unresolved Uncertainty in the Collaborative Learning of Mathematics – Merrilyn Goos

Visual Reasoning and Teaching Styles in Mathematics Classrooms – Kevin Hannah

Flexible/Inflexible: Clare and Mandy’s Story – Ann M. Heirdsfield

We Really Put Our Minds to It: Cognitive Engagement in the Mathematics Classroom – Sue Helme & David Clarke

Maori Mathematics Education: The Challenge of Providing Immersion Programmes for Preservice Maori Primary Teachers – Leeana Herewini

Towards An Explanation of Curriculum Control – John Horwood

How Sixth Grade Students Explain Connections Between Common and Decimal Fractions – Robert P. Hunting, Lauren M. Oppenheimer, Catherine S. Pearn & Eroia Nugent

Mathematics Curriculum Change in the Northern Territory: What do Teachers Really Think? – Rosemary Jacob & Sandra Frid

The Effective Use of Calculators in the Teaching of Numeracy – Sonia Jones & Howard Tanner

New Knowledge/New Teachers/New Times: How Processes of Subjectification Undermine the Implementation of Investigatory Approaches to Teaching Mathematics – Mary Klein

Affective Factors and the Improvement of Algebraic Problem Solving – Saraswathi Kota & Mike Thomas

Tertiary Mathematics: Perceptions Of School Leavers and Mature-Age Students – Gilah C. Leder & Helen J. Forgasz

Using Technology to Enhance Children’s Spatial Sense – Tom Lowrie

Pre-Service Teachers’ Understandings of Word Problems – Kevin J. Maguire

Protasis: A Technique for Fostering Professional Development – John Mason

Towards A Psychology of Knowing-To – John Mason & Mary Spence

School-Based Assessment in VCE Mathematics: Ten Years On – Barry McCrae, John Dowsey & Max Stephens

A New Trilemma – D.F. (Mac) McKenzie

Teachers Interpreting Algebra: Teachers’ Views About the Nature of Algebra – Brenda Menzel & David Clarke

Long Odds: Longitudinal Development of Student Understanding of Odds – Jonathan B. Moritz

An Arithmetic Game with Strategic Components – Playing Procedures of Primary School Children – Doris Mosel-Gobel

Ability Grouping: Some Implications for Building Mathematical Understanding – Judith A. Mousley

Ethnographic Research in Mathematics Education: Using Different Types of Visual Data Refined from Videotapes – Judith A. Mousley

A Research-Based Framework for Assessing Early Multiplication and Division Strategies – Joanne T. Mulligan

A Graphical Approach to the Teaching of Introductory Calculus – Bruce Nevill & John Wycliffe

Children’s Matching of Melodies and Line Graphs – Steven Nisbet & John Bain

Identifying Separate and Connected Knowing in Mathematics Education – Jude Ocean

Developing the Angle Concept Through Investigations – Kay Owens

Is There a Need for a Mathematics Intervention Program in Grades 3 and 4? – Catherine Pearn

Year 3 Students’ Place-Value Misconceptions: Another Look at MAB – Peter S. Price

Teaching Mathematically Gifted Students in Primary School – Ian Putt

Orchestrating Different Voices in Student Talk About Infinity: Theoretical and Empirical Analyses – Peter D. Renshaw & Raymond A.J. Brown

Measuring Attitudes Towards Mathematics in Early Childhood and Primary Teacher Education – Carolyn Roberts, Patricia Cretchley & Chris Harman

A Survey of Graphics Calculator Use in Victorian Secondary Schools – Alla Routitsky & Patrick Tobin

The Search for Pattern: Student Understanding of the Table of Values Representation for Function – Julie Ryan & Julian Williams

Parent Newsletters Supporting Mathematics in the Junior Primary School – Jan Savell

Challenging Beliefs About Mathematics Learning and Teaching Using an Electronic Learning Community – Sandy Schuck & Gerry Foley

Mathematics Textbooks: Messages to Students and Teachers – Mal Shield

Problem Solving Through Problem Posing: The Experience of Two Teacher Education Students – Beth Southwell

Teachers Building Number Sense Amid the Challenges of Change: Some Case Studies – Len Sparrow & Alistair McIntosh

The Invisible Wall Project on Problem Solving Processes: Concepts and Methods of Interpretive Work with High-Resolution Data – Martin Stein

The Incidence of Misconceptions of Decimal Notation Amongst Students in Grades 5 to 10 – Vicki Steinle & Kaye Stacey

Kindergarten Students’ Progress in The Count Me In Too Project – Rita Stewart, Bob Wright & Peter Gould

Task Context and Applications at the Senior Secondary Level – Gloria Stillman

Different Forms of Mathematical Questions for Different Purposes: Comparing Student Responses to Similar Closed and Open-Ended Questions – Peter Sullivan, Elizabeth Warren, Paul White & Stephanus Suwarsono

Student Choice of Computation Methods – Paul Swan & Jack Bana

Mathematical Misconceptions – We Have an Effective Method for Reducing their Incidence but will the Improvement Persist? – Philip Swedosh & John Clark

Dynamic Scaffolding and Reflective Discourse: Successful Teaching Styles Observed Within a Project to Teach Mathematical Thinking Skills – Howard Tanner & Sonia Jones

A Computer Environment to Encourage Versatile Understanding of Algebraic Equations – Mike Thomas & Diane Hall

Teacher Beliefs About the Learning and Teaching of Mathematics: Some Comparisons – Danielle Tracey, Bob Perry & Peter Howard

Exploring the Impact of CAS in Early Algebra – David Tynan & Gary Asp

Computers are Taking Mathematics into the Next Century: Gender Differences in the Attitudes of Secondary Mathematics Students to the Use of Computers – Colleen Vale

The Mathematics, Technology and Science Interface: Implementation in the Middle School – Grady Venville, John Malone, John Wallace & Leonie Rennie

Progressing Through the Van Hiele Levels with Cabri-Geometre – Jill Vincent

What Is ‘Meaning’ in Gender Research? – Margaret Walshaw

Students’ Understanding of the Concept of a Variable – Elizabeth Warren

Numeracy Benchmarks for Years 3 and 5: What About Chance and Data? – Jane M. Watson

“This is a Funny Game – You Can’t Say Who’s Going to Win!”: Three Case Studies of Children’s Probabilistic Thinking – Jenni Way

Beliefs about the Use of Calculators in an Upper Primary Mathematics Classroom: A Partial Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour – Allan White

Metacognition within Mathematics: A New and Practical Multi-Method Approach – Jeni Wilson

An Overview of a Research-Based Framework for Assessing and Teaching Early Number – Bob Wright

Language, Mathematics and Social Disadvantage: A Bourdieuian Analysis of Cultural Capital in Mathematics Education – Robyn Zevenbergen

Mathematical Saturation within Workplace Contexts – Robyn Zevenbergen

Short Communications & Round Tables

The following documents are essential to read and complete when considering submitting a short communication or round table to the MERGA conference (available in the Submission section of this website).

MERGA Paper Template – to be used to write the abstracts which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website
MERGA Publication Agreement – to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the abstract submission

Submissions not exceeding one page are required for short communications and round tables. The submissions must be prepared using the conference template, and can include essential references. They will be reviewed by the Editorial Team and, if accepted, will be published in the conference proceedings as one-page abstracts (not as papers). Presenters are invited to prepare a paper for distribution at the conference, but these papers will not be included in the proceedings.

Short communications are suitable for reports on research in mathematics education that do not fully meet the requirements for published papers. These might include works in preliminary stages, reports of pilot projects, initial reviews of literature, ideas or suggestions for future study, and briefer discussions of particular issues. Short communications allow new researchers to obtain feedback on projects in a constructive and supportive environment, and foster the building of links between researchers with similar interests.

Short communications are presented by author(s) only, allocated half of the time for research reports (in past, this was 20 minutes). At least 5 minutes is to be allocated for audience questions and open discussion.

Round tables are suitable for presenters seeking involved interaction with the audience in relation to their research or topic of interest in mathematics education, and for those sharing their insights and advice with the early career colleagues. These might include discussion of an emerging topic, co-analysis of provided student work, solving a mathematical task, or discussing the demands and benefits of reviewing for high quality journals. Round tables allow finding peers with similar research interests, exploration of new research avenues, and building the capacity of MERGA community.

Round tables are led by author(s) only, allocated the same time as research reports (in past, this was 40 minutes). The abstracts should make clear the interactive element of the proposed activity, with no more than 15 min of the session time in a presentation mode.

Research Papers

The following documents are essential to read and complete when considering submitting a research paper to the MERGA conference (available in the Submission section of this website).

MERGA Paper Template – to be used to write the papers which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website
MERGA Publication Agreement – to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the paper submission

Research papers can take two major forms:

1. Reports of 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.

2. 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.

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.

Structure of research papers – 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 not be more than the set length. 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.

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 as a Short Communication, with a 1-page abstract (which they will be invited to provide) being published in the proceedings. Papers may be rejected outright, with no opportunity for presentation at the conference in an alternative form.

Research Symposia

The following documents are essential to read and complete when considering submitting a research symposium to the MERGA conference (available in the Submission section of this website).

MERGA Paper Template (to be used to write the papers which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website)
MERGA Publication Agreement (to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the paper submission)

Presentation of groups of published papers related by theme in the form of 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 symposium title, 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. Please list the symposium convenors as the authors on the first page, and name the paper authors in the text description.

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, usually within a 90 min block. At least 10 minutes must be allocated for audience questions and open discussion.