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Student motivation has emerged as a major issue in mathematics education in recent years. Utilizing the capabilities of contemporary technology and the accessibility of a STEM environment is crucial for the creation and application of educational materials. Integration of the created resources will increase the interest of students to pursue in-depth studies of science and math. In this paper are presented the results of the conducted study on the effectiveness of using problem-based learning (PBL) modules to learn mathematics. The study was carried out in Israel with the participation of teachers and ninth graders. As part of our research, we created a novel program and conducted an experimental study, evaluated its impacts on the designated target groups, and analyzed how the program affected student subgroups. Pre- and post-program questionnaires measured ability feeling, relevance perception, and motivation. The results of the analysis of the students indicate a considerable rise in the motivating factors associated with self-esteem and the utility of mathematics training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major reform of the Mathematics curriculum was published in England in 2016, implemented in 2017 and examined in 2019. In Bulgaria, the analogous reform was published in 2018, will be implemented in 2020 and examined in 2022. This paper takes the framework developed by Budgell and Kunchev (2019) and seeks to interpret the new curricula in terms of the Students, the State and the Curriculum with an introduction to Assessment. In terms of the Curriculum, the paper examines, at the highest level, General and Specific Objectives; followed by Overarching Themes; then the Topics covered and finally the Detailed Content Statements for each topic. The paper concludes that the real differences between the teaching of Mathematics in England and Bulgaria lie not in the Mathematics itself but in the overall curriculum and assessment frameworks within which Mathematics is taught. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses modern learning approaches in which mobile devices are increasingly used. It presents an experiment to apply mobile game-based learning to primary school students. A suitable learning model has been designed using adaptive, micro lesson, behavioural and game-based approaches. Based on the model, a mobile math educational game was developed to complement traditional classroom learning and be used at home. The mobile game was tested in a real learning environment. A survey was conducted also with the students and teachers, participants in the experiment, which investigated the attitude toward using mobile game – based learning in mathematics in the direction of – practical applicability, motivation, design, accessibility, support and feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical problems that contain a common condition and an ordered list of tasks are traditionally called cascade problems. Problems of this type are extremely popular during teaching of mathematics. At the same time, they can be used both in the formation of knowledge, skills and abilities (competencies) of students, and to assess their academic achievements. In the paper we give a thorough theoretical analysis of possible types of cascade problems, describe methodology and provide examples of their applications on different stages of studying mathematics at school, in particular, during the final attestation of graduates. According to our statistical survey of mathematics teachers in Ukraine and Republic of Moldova, we clarify their attitude to problems of cascade type, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using such problems. It is shown that the use of cascading problems in the school course of mathematics contributes to the adequate formation of important competencies of students in their learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the STEM approach on students’ achievements in processing teaching topics from Algebra. A quasiexperimental design was used with an experimental and control group. The research was conducted on a sample of 73 ninth-grade students (aged between 14 and 15). STEM approach was performed in teaching the experimental group, while the control group was taught in a traditional way. The obtained results showed that the STEM intervention had a positive impact reflected in significantly better results on the achievement tests. The girls performed better than boys on all tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]