Below are the study questions for the second midterm, which will be held on 11-9. Please note that we have not included any questions in this list for the 11-02 or 11-04 classes; questions from these sessions will be included on the final. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Best,
Theresa Treasure
Study Questions for Midterm 2
1. What is stereotype threat and how does it contribute to the variation of mathematical performance among different groups (gender or race)?
2. How do beliefs about intelligence and learning influence math learning? What is the evidence that these beliefs are important?
3. What is distributed practice and how is it related to forgetting curves? Describe the study of longer-term benefits of distributed practice administered by Bahrick and Hall (1991) using algebra and geometry tests.
4. In general, why are fractions so difficult to learn? What changes or interventions can be made to enable students to become more successful?
5.Why is it difficult to determine the mathematical integrity of the exam questions and the relevance to the questions to teaching?
6.Why is it easier to learn addition than subtraction and multiplication than division?
7. What are the differences, if any, between the mathematical performances of boys and girls? Why do you think that is?
8. What teacher characteristics are related to predicting student achievement? Why is each characteristic important?
9.What do you think are the causes of same-perimeter/same-area misconception and the illusion of linearity?
10. Many students do not understand the meaning of "=". How might a lack of understanding of equality affect their long-term mathematical abilities.
11. Why do you think the scale scores of Hispanics and blacks increased more than the scores of whites from 1978 to 2004?
12. What is the difference between verbatim and gist memory? Which is more important for reasoning and long term retention, and why? What is the gist of numerical information?
13. What are the differences between learning to count and learning fractions? What is infinite divisibility and how does it relate counting to fractions?
14. What are the three different types of salary incentive? What are positive and negative aspects of their applications in the school environment?
15. Why might algebra students make inconsistent errors (rather than a consistent pattern of bugs)?
16. Why does math cause more anxiety than other school subjects? How does this anxiety influence math performance? What types of therapy are effective in reducing math anxiety, and what types are ineffective?
17.Why is it important for teachers to understand mathematics several levels above and below the one they teach? Have your teachers had this kind of knowledge?
18.What are the goals of estimation? What seems to be the problem regarding students views of estimation?
19. The report suggests several explanations for why non-white students might be more affected by supportive teachers than white students. What are they and which do you think is probably right?
20. Why might children from low-income backgrounds have less mathematical knowledge before preschool than children from middle-income families?
