Reasons for poor performance in mathematics by students in the United States are discussed. According to the authors, too many students never experience arithmetic at a physical, concrete level. Students are drilled in arithmetic facts without any meaningful context and are given few opportunities to use numerical concepts in real-life applications. Described in this fastback in the form of a Decalogue, or ten commandments, are methods that can be used to teach mathematics successfully. These commandments hold for every grade level including postsecondary mathematics. Topics include: (1) the use of manipulatives and visuals; (2) cooperative learning models; (3) diagnosis of student development; (4) unit plan development; (5) problem solving; (6) algebra and geometry; (7) the use of computers and calculators; (8) mental computation, estimation, and measurement; (9) probability and statistics; (10) integration of skills and techniques from different branches of mathematics. (KR)
The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education