This paper attempts to facilitate the enhancement of students' problem-solving ability by use of day-to-day Mathematical problems. The author uses examples and shows that day-to-day Mathematical problems, if presented well, can serve the same purpose as non-routine or contestant questions.

作者指出，不少數學教師均認為學生必先有穩固的運算的基礎才能掌握有關之數學概念及關係，因此他們傾向教授運算規則而不涉及概念理解；在小學或成績低下的班級中，尤其如此。針對這種想法，作者說明學習數學公式或程序的複雜性並討論理解與學習運算分離所存有的問題。抽離數學意義的教學方式，長期來說只會帶來更多學習問題和困難。作者從兩個不同進路展析，一方面從心理學角度考察進行或重覆運算程序時的智性過程及記憶容量的限制等；另一方面則從哲學角度，藉著「數學認知的三角關係」，說明數學知識的獨特性與及其意義溝通的關係。最後，作者綜合幾種確認理解作為重要的數學教育目的的理論觀點，加強以上的結論。

作者指出，踏進90年代，世界各地紛紛對數學課程作出了重整，但與新數學運動截然不同者，基礎數學之內容，可謂萬變不離其蹤，但其定位、取向與著眼點方是最決定性的。此文章即以10地區之數學教育目的作比較，檢討其異同，希望藉此得出去蕪存菁之端倪。

The major concern of this paper is about the justifications of secondary Mathematics education. The author reviews the three main aims of Mathematics education: Mastery of Mathematics as tools; Mastery of Mathematics for the intrinsically valuable goals; and Appreciation of Mathematics. The author concludes that, under the assumption of CAM (Computers can do all the Mathematics that can be done by human beings), only the kind of Mathematics education which aims at Appreciation of Mathematics is justified.

The reciprocal relationship between mathematics achievement and self-concept is examined in this study to expand the existing knowledge to a cross-cultural setting. Based on analyses of educational data two years before and after Hong Kong's sovereignty switch in 1997, this investigation shows a weak reciprocal relationship among the eighth-grade students across gender categories. With the introduction of a new policy to promote Chinese instruction, changes in the perceived importance of English have been assessed by education stakeholders, and the results are used to indicate a latent factor of "English push" behind the learning process. In the context of cross-cultural transition, gender differences have been found in path coefficients toward mathematics achievement and self-concept. Limited by the four-year research period, one may speculate whether it would take longer to demonstrate a large effect size in the reciprocal relationship.
[Copyright of Educational Psychology is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01443410500390863]

The purpose of this study was twofold: to examine how attitudinal and instructional variables differentiated 4th-grade students in Cyprus, Hong Kong, and the USA; and to determine how those variables were related to math performance on the TIMSS test. A discriminant analysis was performed to examine how those variables differentiated the students in the 3 countries. The most striking result was that the students from all 3 countries, who were similar to the average students in Cyprus, had the highest achievement within their countries. Thus, 4th-grade students who liked math, who thought it was important to do well in math for their friends, who did not need private instruction, and who had not been taught using computers or small group procedures, tended to be the better students. However, students who were similar to the average USA student had the lowest achievement within each of the 3 countries.
[Copyright of Educational Research & Evaluation is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1076/edre.8.1.129.6919 ]

This case study examines the changes that took place in a 5th-grade mathematics classroom in Hong Kong when an American-made technological artifact was introduced. Using classroom observation, videotaping, and daily interviews with the teacher and students, the study documents the changes that occurred in the classroom and the factors shaping those changes. Using the artifact prompted the teacher to make changes by altering the content, the sequence of instruction, and the social arrangements for class participation. In addition, the class engaged in extensive discussions about the social implications of solving complex mathematics problems. Most of these changes, however, were made after the attempts to maintain routine instruction broke down. The study suggests that new technologies that are not compatible with the existing practice may lead to intense and sometimes profound reflections about which aspects of the individuals, their environment, and the new artifact to adapt into a new classroom structure. A significant challenge is how to support participants' role shifting and their subsequent psychological changes when new technology is introduced.
[Copyright of Cognition & Instruction is the property of Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S1532690XCI1904_1]

This study examines young children's number sense in subjects from Finland (n=254), Hong Kong (n= 246), and Singapore (n = 130). Chinese, English and Finnish versions of the Early Numeracy Test (ENT; Van Luit et al, 1994) were used. Two highly correlated aspects of number sense were measured, one reflecting children's abilities to organize and compare quantities (i.e. relational skills), and the other pertaining to their ability to operate with number-word sequence (i.e. counting skills). The results showed significant age-related gain on the relational and counting scales. No gender or language differences were found. The children in Hong Kong and Singapore outperformed those in Finland in relational and counting tasks starting at the age of four years. The children in Singapore also had better relational and counting skills than those in Hong Kong. Differences in teaching were assumed to explain the findings.
[Copyright of International Journal of Early Years Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0966976042000268681]