Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Education For Sustainability: An Ethnographic Study Of 15 Year-2/3 Rural Western Australian Children’S Attitudes On Sustainability, Cara Payne

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study occurred in rural Western Australia in 2011, during UNESCO‟s Decade of Education for Sustainability Development, when sustainability became one of three cross-curriculum priorities of the Australian Curriculum. The study involved the development and implementation of a sustainability focused science program embedded in a class of 15 Year-2/3primary participants. The study emphasised a qualitative approach, but also included embedded quantitative data analysis. The aim of the science program focussed on the enhancement of the children‟s attitudes towards sustainability, to equip them with the skills needed to change their behaviours in relation to practicing the principles of sustainability. The …

Creation Of A Portable, 3d-Printable, Iphone-Compatible Spectrophotometer, Elise K. Grasse

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Spectroscopy is a widely used chemical and medical analysis tool. While spectrophotometers are commonly found in many universities and laboratories, they are not available to all high schools or laboratories in developing countries. The objective of this project was to design a high-quality, 3D-printable, iPhone-compatible spectrophotometer that uses a cell phone camera and interface to collect data. The created 3D-print file will be available to anyone with access to a 3D printer which are increasingly found in many laboratories and schools across the country. A low cost pre-printed kit will also be made for those without access to a 3D …

Educative Curricula And Improving The Science Pck Of Teachers In Middle School Settings In Rural And Remote Australia, Arthur Townsend

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Science is one of seven-mandated Key Learning Areas (KLAs) Foundation to Year 10 of the new Australian National Curriculum (ACARA, 2012). Not only, therefore, is science to be offered in every school as part of the curriculum, there is also the expectation that science is to be taught well to all students regardless of location, gender, cultural background or socio-economic status (ACARA, 2012). Studying science provides benefits to individuals by developing their scientific literacy skills (Goodrum, Hackling & Rennie, 2001; Hackling & Prain, 2008). Its study also benefits the national economy by equipping students with the innovative, inventive, and creative …

The Effects Of A Varied Method Of Instruction On Student Achievement, Transfer, Situational Interest, And Course Retention Rates In Community College Developmental Mathematics, Kevin L. Mccandless

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare the effects of a varied method of instruction on student achievement, knowledge transfer, situational interest, and course retention rates, relative to a non-varied method of instruction, in community college developmental mathematics. The varied method of instruction consisted of active learning teaching practices with foundations in social constructivism, whereas the non-varied method of instruction was founded in Cognitive Load Theory and consisted primarily of explicit instruction and individual practice.

An initial sample of 139 students who enrolled in six sections of Beginning Algebra at an urban community college in Northern California participated …

3d Printing, Open-Source Technology And Their Applications In Research, Chenlong Zhang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Open-source software received tremendous success as it drives down the cost of software and expand the distribution. Open-source hardware, as part of the open-source movement, has just risen into public attention for its potential to further drive down the cost of all kinds of manufacturing goods and reshape the manufacture chain. In this report we explores the history, development and the future of open-source hardware project, summarizing the opportunities, challenges and possible solutions. 3D printing is demonstrated as a booster to assist open-source hardware’s development. Low-cost 3D printer enables at-home and in-time fabrication, the download-print-use-improve-distribute cycle is established to encourage …

Do Teacher Judgment Accuracy And Teacher Feedback Predict Student Achievement In Elementary And Middle-School Science?, Mason Albert Kuhn

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The quest to find the most effective approach to teach science has challenged teachers and scholars for decades (Ford, 2012; Kuhn, 2010a; Duschl, Schweingruber, & Shouse, 2007). Unfortunately, the recent push for quality science education in schools has not yet resulted in higher achievement on standardized science assessments in the United States. The increased focus on science in school and the lack of growth on national and international standardized assessment has led to reformed-based policies, such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), that ask teachers to teach in a way that emulates the practices of scientific inquiry, including argument-based …

Biblical Literalism And The Acceptance Of Biological Evolution In Christian University Students, Heather N. Chamberlain

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Is it possible to accept biological evolution without rejecting God? Understanding student perspectives about religious belief and biological evolution is important to effectively teach science. There are many factors in this complex relationship and this study explored three: differences in Christian denominations, interpretation of scripture, and perspectives of the relationship between religious belief with acceptance of evolution. The participants were freshman elementary education majors at a Midwest university who completed a questionnaire about religious beliefs and the Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance (I-SEA).

The results indicated no significant difference between Christian denomination and acceptance of evolution. Participants who took the …

Collecting Globe Data In Pascagoula Watershed, Sherry S. Herron

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Creative Activities In Mathematics : Problem-Based Maths Investigations For Lower And Middle Primary : Book 1., Derek Holton, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to drill-and practice or skills-based learning, especially within maths, but it can be difficult to source rich materials that engage an entire class. The Creative Activities in Mathematics series provides a wealth of investigations and open-ended active learning activities, designed to engage students with mathematics and develop their problem-solving, collaboration and mathematical skills. Book One provides 12 different class activities suitable for students in lower and middle primary school (Foundation to Year 4), along with teaching notes and staged lesson plans. Each activity is a whole-class investigation with open-ended answers that takes a particular …

Early Science Learning Experiences: Triggered And Maintained Interest, Mary Ainley, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

A key question for science educators is how to sustain interest in novel or intriguing scientific phenomena so that interest in science is maintained, with the potential to develop into a more enduring interest as manifested in choice of studies in senior high school and tertiary programs. According to Hidi and Renninger (2006), progress through the phases of interest development depends on the availability of opportunities to engage and re-engage with content of the interest, and on support for taking up those opportunities. In this chapter, The authors investigate the validity of this proposition, examining evidence from early childhood studies, …

Lib 3010 Spring 2015: Students Choose An Image To Represent Patent Searching, Jan Comfort

Jan Comfort

Lib 3010 Fall 2015: Students Choose An Image To Represent Patent Searching, Jan Comfort

Jan Comfort

Open Source Software To Enhance The Stem Learning Environment, Maurice Dawson, Imad Al Saeed, Jorja Wright, Festus Onyegbula

Maurice Dawson

This chapter examines the use of Open Source Software (OSS) technologies that can be used to improve the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Explored are the various methods that can be utilized to improve the percentage of STEM majors in the American educational system with resources such as: Open Source as Alternative (OSALT), virtualization, cloud computing, Linux distributions, open source programming, and open source hardware platforms. Increasing the amount of students that pursue STEM majors is important because the projected job growth in the STEM field compared to non-STEM jobs is 33%. OSALT provides cost-effective alternatives to …

Without The Light Of Evolution: A Case Study Of Resistance And Avoidance In Learning To Teach High School Biology, Douglas B. Larkin, Gail M. Perry-Ryder

Douglas B. Larkin

Examining The Influence Of Internships On Teacher Recruitment, Tim Howard, Deborah Gober, Kimberly Shaw, Cindy Ticknor

thoward@ColumbusState.edu

The Columbus Region Academy of Future Teachers of STEM (CRAFT-STEM) is a Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program awarded by the National Science Foundation to Columbus State University (grant 1136356). The program incorporates summer internships to recruit academically strong students into secondary STEM teaching programs and increase participation by underrepresented groups. We look at results from student surveys and course enrollments to examine the influence of the internship program on decisions about going into teaching.

Analisis Kesulitan Matematika Siswa Sma/Ma Dalam Menyelesaikan Soal Setara Un Di Kabupaten Maluku Tengah, Muhammad Irfan Rumasoreng, Sugiman Sugiman

Jurnal Riset Pendidikan Matematika

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menentukan jenis kesulitan siswa SMA/MA Kabupaten Maluku Tengah dalam menyelesaikan soal setara UN dan faktor yang menyebabkannya. Pendekatan penelitian ini adalah kualitatif deskriptif. Populasi penelitian adalah 1819 siswa kelas XII SMA/MA Program IPA dari 53 sekolah di Kabupaten Maluku Tengah. Sampel berasal dari tujuh sekolah dengan jumlah siswa sebanyak 95 orang. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan tes tulis berbentuk urai-an dan dilengkapi dengan wawancara terhadap subjek untuk melacak jenis kesulitan; yakni kesulitan fakta, ketrampilan, konsep, dan prinsip serta faktor penyebabnya. Soal yang diujikan sebanyak 10 butir soal yang merupakan soal dengan daya serap rendah berdasarkan hasil …

Keefektifan Pbl Ditinjau Dari Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Dan Kreatif Matematis, Serta Self-Esteem Siswa Smp, Nurina Happy, Djamilah Bondan Widjajanti

Jurnal Riset Pendidikan Matematika

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan: (1) keefektifan problem-based learning (PBL) ditinjau dari (a) kemampuan berpikir kritis matematis, (b) kemampuan berpikir kreatif matematis, dan (c) self-esteem; serta (2) perbandingan keefektifan problem-based learning dan pembelajaran konvensional ditinjau dari (a) kemampuan berpikir kritis matematis, (b) kemampuan berpikir kreatif matematis, dan (c) self-esteem. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimen semu. Pengumpulan data menggunakan metode pemberian pretest dan posttest kemampuan berpikir kritis dan kreatif matematis, serta pemberian angket self-esteem sebelum dan sesudah perlakuan. Uji statistik yang diguna-kan adalah uji proporsi dan uji selisih antara dua proporsi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan pada taraf signifikansi 5% dapat …

Pengembangan Perangkat Pembelajaran Matematika Untuk Siswa Smk Jurusan Akuntansi Di Sleman Dengan Pendekatan Pembelajaran Kontekstual, Suhartini Suhartini, Rusgianto Heri Santoso

Jurnal Riset Pendidikan Matematika

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menghasilkan perangkat pembelajaran matematika smk kelas xI jurusan akuntansi dengan pendekatan pembelajaran kontekstual yang valid, praktis, dan efektif. Jenis penelitian adalah research & development (R&D). Penelitian mengembangkan perangkat pembelajaran menggunakan model Borg & Gall. Tahap-tahap yang dilalui sampai diperoleh perangkat pembelajaran matematika yang valid, praktis, dan efektif adalah studi pendahuluan, desain produk, uji ahli, uji coba terbatas dan uji coba lapangan. Subjek uji coba penelitian ini terdiri atas delapan siswa pada uji coba terbatas, 16 siswa pada uji coba lapangan dan dua guru kelas XI Jurusan Akuntansi di SMK 17 Seyegan. Instrumen penelitian …

Pengaruh Motivasi, Self-Efficacy Dan Latar Belakang Pendidikan Terhadap Prestasi Matematika Mahasiswa Pgsd Stkip-H Dan Pgmi Iaih, Syukrul Hamdi, Agus Maman Abadi

Jurnal Riset Pendidikan Matematika

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui: (1) pengaruh motivasi, self-efficacy, dan latar belakang pendidikan terhadap prestasi matematika mahasiswa PGSD dan PGMI. (2) perbedaan pengaruh motivasi, self-efficacy, dan latar belakang pendidikan terhadap prestasi matematika mahasiswa PGSD dan PGMI. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian survey dengan pendekatan kuantitatif. Hasil penelitian ini adalah sebagai berikut: (1) Rata-rata prestasi belajar matematika mahasiswa PGSD 57,95 (cukup) dan PGMI 50,93 (rendah); rata-rata motivasi mahasiswa PGSD 110 (tinggi) dan PGMI 99,57 (sedang); rata-rata self-efficacy mahasiswa PGSD 86,61 (tinggi) dan PGMI 81,55 (tinggi). (2) Motivasi, self-efficacy dan latar belakang pendidikan secara bersama-sama berpengaruh terhadap prestasi …

Pengembangan Model Pembelajaran Matematika Berbasis Masalah Untuk Siswa Smp, Uki Rahmawati, Suryanto Suryanto

Jurnal Riset Pendidikan Matematika

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan model pembelajaran matematika berbasis masalah yang valid, praktis, dan efektif untuk siswa SMP kelas VIII semester 2. Tahap-tahap pengembangan model pembelajaran matematika berbasis masalah terdiri atas (1) tahap pendahuluan, (2) tahap prototiping yang meliputi perencanaan, evaluasi dan revisi, dan (3) tahap penilaian produk. Kualitas model pembelajaran matematika berbasis masalah mengacu pada kriteria kualitas menurut Nieveen yaitu meliputi kriteria valid, praktis, dan efektif. Pembelajaran matematika berbasis masalah diujicobakan di SMP Negeri 15 Yogyakarta dengan melibatkan 33 siswa dan seorang guru matematika. Instrumen dalam penelitian ini terdiri atas (1) instrumen penilaian kevalidan komponen model dan perangkat pendukung …