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Generative Artificial Intelligence has become prevalent in discussions of educational technology. These AI models can engage in human-like conversation and generate answers to complex questions in real-time, with education reports accentuating their potential to make teachers’ work more efficient and improve student learning. In this paper, I provide a review of the current literature on generative AI in mathematics education, focusing on four areas: generative AI for mathematics problem-solving, generative AI for mathematics tutoring and feedback, generative AI to adapt mathematical tasks, and generative AI to assist mathematics teachers in planning. I then discuss ethical and logistical issues that arise with the application of generative AI in mathematics education, and close with some observations, recommendations, and future directions for the field. 

This study investigates the interactions between informal educators and adolescents during math walk activities at an art museum. “Math walks” are activities where students notice and wonder about mathematics in the world around them, often creating their own “math walk stops” where they ask and answer mathematical questions. Drawing upon theories of informal math learning, scaffolding, and problem-posing, our research aims to enhance understanding of math walk implementation. Through video content, interaction analysis and artifact analysis of participants’ iPad photos, we explore students’ mathematical learning processes and the role of adult facilitators in guiding these activities. Results from a three-day summer camp are given, and findings offer implications for designing effective informal math education programs and fostering meaningful student engagement with mathematics in real-world contexts. 

This qualitative study examines the use of math walks with middle grade students and adult facilitators at a local zoo. Drawing on situated learning and participation frameworks, we used interaction and stance analysis to compare two contrasting cases: In the first case, the adult chaperone asked more questions and evaluated student responses. In the second case, the adult chaperone intervened less frequently, leaving more room for student discourse. Findings support efforts to design informal math learning activities which amplify student voices, towards increased mathematical interest and learning. 

Math walks are informal learning activities where students create mathematical meaning from their everyday surroundings. In this qualitative study, we observed 5th–8th-grade students (N = 52) across three urban informal learning sites (a community center, a zoo, and an aviation museum) as they created their own math walks exploring geometric concepts. In a post-survey questionnaire, students described their attitudes toward math using affective language motivated by three psychological factors: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Implications for informal math learning are discussed. 

Math walks are a form of inquiry learning where students can observe and create mathematical meaning from their everyday surroundings. Here we report on a study of 5th and 6th graders in an informal learning setting where they create and present their own math walks covering concepts of ratio, scale, and proportion. The students may have developed more positive attitudes towards math and were able to meaningfully engage with powerful math ideas. 

This article introduces a special issue comprising research on efforts to personalize learning in different academic subjects. We first consider the emergence of personalized learning (PL) and the myriad of definitions that describe its essential features. Thereafter, we introduce the articles in the special issue by examining their alignment to extant theories of learning, the instructional design features that personalize the learning experience based on a learner characteristic, and the relationships between PL design and outcomes achieved in an educational context. Based on observations of contemporary PL research, we identify key issues to be addressed by the field and recommendations for future researchers to undertake to advance a PL theory. Chief among issues with PL are the role of technology, the agency of the learner, and the absence of a consistent theoretical grounding to motivate PL design choices. Future directions that would advance PL include the adoption of a theory of change in PL design, a design-based research approach to refine PL initiatives, more intensive and iterative research in authentic classroom contexts, and a greater focus on student input into and ownership of the PL experience. 

Mathematics experienced by students can be derived from the contextually situated “real world” experiences of the educator, which is typically White and middle class and not a reflection of the demographics of many classrooms in the United States. Activities where students find connections to their lives and interests have shown promise in enhancing student performance and experiences in mathematics classrooms. In this study, mathematics funds of knowledge are assessed in a novel survey instrument, reinforcing the salience of relating math experiences to students’ lives and acknowledging skills and knowledge originating from experiences outside of the math classroom. 

Survey data for community college algebra students reveals relationships between a student’s attitudes towards mathematics and the student’s STEM career interests. Results show that while students may not always have a clear understanding of the tasks related to a chosen STEM career area, the student’s math interest predicts interest in some STEM careers and not others.