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Teaching Math Academic Language In Chinese Immersion Middle Schools, Xu Zhu

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The guiding question of this capstone is: How should teachers teach math academic language and support students using math academic language in Chinese immersion middle schools? Academic language is the language that students need in acquiring new knowledge, while teachers in language immersion schools need help with teaching academic language. This capstone presents a curriculum project to guide teachers in Chinese immersion middle schools to teach math academic language with a concentration on students’ communication and collaboration. Integrating the ideas in the studies of academic language, language immersion education, teaching middle school math, and student-centered learning, the project plays a …

Exploration Of Mathematics: Investigating The Continuum Of Mathematics From The Middle Years Program To The Diploma Program At International Baccalaureate Schools, Stela Irene Tampubolon

Master of Education Program Theses

The purpose of this action research was to study the continuum of the mathematics curriculum from the Middle Years Program (MYP) to the Diploma Program (DP) at an IB School in Jakarta, Indonesia. To investigate the continuum of the mathematics curriculum from MYP to DP, data from the assessments of each program was collected from 2014-2016. The participants in this research were 44 grade 12 students who had already taken the DP Mathematics external examination. Their final mathematics scores were compared to their level of achievements in MYP Mathematics in grade 10. The results of the study were mixed, indicating …

Sfl In The Secondary Classroom: Writing Procedural Recounts To Describe Thinking When Solving Algebraic Equations, Theresa Brunker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research questions addressed in this classroom study were, after explicit instruction, do students choose language structures inherent to procedural recounts, such as technical verb processes, precise nouns, sequence words and causal phrases to describe their mathematical thinking? Additionally, do student self-perceptions of their mathematical abilities change after learning to write procedural recounts to describe their thinking processes? This study examined the use of these language structures prior to explicit instruction in writing procedural recounts and compared it to post-intervention writing samples. The author documents the use of these writing structures by participants before and after intervention and finds relational …

The Impact Of Math Talks On Student Achievement In Kindergarten, Emily Payan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The core goal of this study was to answer the question, How do daily math talks impact student achievement in kindergarten? Math talks were implemented daily in a Title I kindergarten classroom over a period of six weeks. The findings suggest that the use of math talks as an integral part of instruction positively impact student achievement. The average growth in the experimental group was an increase of 42% in the composite scores by the end of the study, compared to a 31% increase in the control group. The experimental group in this study started as a more emergent group …

From Mathmagicians To Mathematicians: Constructing Cognitive Understanding Over Trusting The Algorithm, Kathryn A. Gould

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone posed the question: what theoretical basis and best practices should be used to guide instruction that develops fluency in conceptualizing and executing multiplication strategies over the arc of third grade? With its foundation in constructivist learning theory and steeped in the research of Thomas Carpenter et al.’s Cognitively Guided Instruction this curriculum design project guides educators towards instruction that puts the students’ experience with multiplication in the forefront. Leaving behind the method of direct instruction of multiplication facts and algorithms. Research presented will show the dangers of leaning too heavily on procedural fluency and will focus on what …

Mathematics Vocabulary: Teaching Tier 3 Language Of Math Fractions To English Learners, Emily Grove

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone sought to research vocabulary instruction techniques and strategies in the upper elementary classroom. The need for specific instruction and activities was identified and described. Several relevant sources were cited including August, Calderòn and Beck, resources and techniques used traditionally in the language arts classroom were also applied to the mathematics classroom. A curriculum addendum was created and described in detail. This curriculum and approach to teaching mathematical vocabulary terms in the 4th grade fractions unit can be altered to different vocabulary terms for other units of instruction outside of the mathematics classroom. Strategies and techniques described include interactive …

Discourse-Based Instructional Strategies To Engage Middle School Students With Standards For Mathematical Practice, Sandra L. Cookson

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Student achievement in mathematics is correlated with factors related to student engagement. Improving engagement has the potential to improve student achievement at the middle school level. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics explicate eight specific Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) that clarify the types of skills and learning dispositions associated with mathematical proficiency. The CCSS further urge teachers to engage students through pedagogical practices that provide opportunities to use the SMPs in increasingly complex ways. This study aims to identify how discourse is used as an instructional strategy to engage middle school mathematics students with the SMPs. Data was …

Using Project Based Learning To Increase Motivation In A Seventh Grade Mathematics Proficiency Based Classroom, April King

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

Students learn in a variety of ways. When it comes to showing their knowledge, a paper and pencil assessment is not the only option. Students are not always motivated to try their best assessment after assessment. Project Based learning is an alternative that may motivate more students to succeed. This research study explored student motivation and what effect, if any, Project Based learning had on student motivation while engaged with the project. This mixed-methods research project further examined students’ beliefs and attitudes while engaged with Project Based learning.

A Mixed-Method Study Of One-To-One Mobile Technology Implementation In Math In A Rural Middle School, Maxie Nathan Deaton Jr

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the extent of one-to-one mobile technology implementation on student math achievement as measured by standardized test scores. A second focus was on the extent one-to-one mobile technology implementation has influenced teacher practices in math instruction. A final focus was on the extent that teacher lesson plans support or fail to support technology implementation. The setting for the study was a small rural middle school in the Upstate of South Carolina. The participants consisted of males and females from several ethnicities and socioeconomic classes. A parallel/simultaneous method was used for the study. …

Towards A Unified Theory Of Engineering Education, Oscar Humberto Salcedo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons and activities as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, work, and the global enterprise enabling STEM literacy (Tsupros, Kohler and Hallinen, 2009). The purpose of the Dissertation is to develop a unified theory of engineering education based on philosophies of mathematics, science, technology & engineering, and engineering education. Using purposive sampling methods, the Thesis constructs "representative" philosophy statements from the STEM fields based on the criteria of Constructivism, Progressivism, and/or Pragmatism. These statements are …

Students' Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, And Course Level At A Community College, Scott Reiner Spaniol

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research suggests that student success in mathematics is positively correlated to math self-efficacy and negatively correlated to math anxiety. At a Hispanic serving community college in the Midwest, developmental math students had a lower pass rate than did college-level math students, but the role of math self-efficacy and math anxiety on these students' learning was unknown. This causal comparative, correlational study, guided by social cognitive theory and math anxiety research, hypothesized that students in developmental math would have lower levels of math self-efficacy and higher levels of math anxiety, and that significant correlations would exist between course level, self-efficacy, and …

Exploring The Experiences Of Learning Mathematics For A Child With Cancer: A Case Study, Elizabeth M. Bello

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this research report, I utilize interpretative phenomenological analysis (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) to examine the mathematics education experiences of a child with cancer. Two qualitative interviews with a 13-year-old male patient with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and his mother were analyzed. Findings revealed several storylines or themes: living with cancer, environmental barriers, and mathematics in virtual school. Grade level mathematics, content knowledge, and delivery during treatment in comparison to the child’s healthy peers are also discussed.

Instructional Strategies Used By Effective Mathematics Teachers In Adventist Elementary Schools In Florida: An Mqi Analysis, Anna Adkins

Dissertations

The Problem

Teaching mathematics can be a difficult task. United States students on comparative international mathematics assessments consistently rank near the test averages. On a national assessment, commonly called the Nation’s Report Card, more than half of American students rank as ‘not proficient’ in mathematics. The purpose of this study was to describe the strategies used by teachers with at least average mathematical knowledge for teaching. This was evidenced by their scores on the Mathematical Knowledge Test for Teaching (MKT). In addition to teacher knowledge, the study sample was selected from among schools where the five-year average was above the …

The Influence Of Multiple Representations On Secondary Students' Understanding Of Trigononetric Functions, Mayra Lizeth Ortiz Galarza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Trigonometry is a critical subject in mathematics that both high school and undergraduate students need to learn in order to be prepared for advanced mathematics. Despite the importance of trigonometry in the mathematics curriculum, little is known about best practices for teaching trigonometric functions and what difficulties students face when learning the topic. Using a Grounded Theory approach, this Dissertation presents the results of a design study (or teaching experiment) whose purpose was to examine the process by which students constructed the concept of trigonometric functions through multiple representations and how students developed meta-representational competence. The design study involved two …

The Impact Of After School Tutoring On Math Achievement: Perceptions Of African American Males And Those Who Teach Them, Eric L. Brown

Dissertations

Despite increases in overall academic achievement, African American males continue to struggle in the area of mathematics. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that eighth grade African American males had the lowest levels of mathematics success of all subgroups in 2013, with only 13% performing at or above the proficient performance level in math. An approach to increasing the academic achievement of African American males has been to provide extended learning time beyond the typical secondary education experience. After school programs are one such example. Many studies indicate that after school programs have had some positive …

The Relationships Between Parent Involvement And Reading And Mathematics Achievement For Students With Disabilities : An Analysis Of Ecls 1998-99 Data, Brian K. Bellair

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Parent involvement in education has long been viewed as a pathway to increased student achievement. Although much research exists with regard to this topic, little examines this relationship specifically for students with disabilities in grades 1-5 despite being required by both the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Representing nearly 13% of the school-age population demands a more in-depth examination of the potential for parent involvement to impact the achievement of an already disadvantaged subgroup. This study uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study 1998-99 (ECLS) publicly available data set to investigate the …

The Effects Of Integrating Lego Robotics Into A Mathematics Curriculum To Promote The Development Of Proportional Reasoning, Shelli L. Casler-Failing

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This mixed methods, action research case study sought to investigate the effects of incorporating LEGO robotics into a seventh grade mathematics curriculum focused on the development of proportional reasoning through the lens of Social Constructivist Theory. Quantitative data was collected via pre- and post-tests from the mathematics class of six students. Qualitative data was collected from each of the students as they worked in groups of two to complete purposefully designed investigations, activities, from whole class discussions, and student artifacts. In addition, four students were purposefully chosen to participate as embedded case studies. The quantitative analysis showed development of proportional …

Mathematics Discourse And Its Relationship To The Development Of Collective And Individual Student Knowledge In The Context Of Limits, Patterson Rogers

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Observing a group discussion, it is not possible to infer an individual student’s understanding from the dialogue. When students discuss, they share their individual ideas to develop a collective understanding which in turn informs students’ individual understanding. Clarifying the relationship between collective and individual understanding provides insight into how individuals construct mathematical thinking. This study presented an embedded case study to answer three questions regarding the role discourse plays in student development of mathematical knowledge: (1) how individual students construct mathematical knowledge through discourse, (2) the nature of discourse which supports the development of mathematical knowledge, and (3) the relationship …

Opportunity To Learn Mathematics In Low And High Performing Countries : A Cross-National Analysis Of Teachers Enacting The Curriculum And Associated Factors, Treisy Romero Celis

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This exploratory study compares the opportunities to learn mathematics intended and enacted between countries with high and low student average performance levels, according to the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). It analyzes the differences in OTL in relation to some of the factors that influence teachers’ instructional decisions. The analysis contributes to the knowledge about teachers’ role in the enactment of mathematics curricular policy and that of curricular governance.

The Influence Of Dragonbox On Student Attitudes And Understanding In 7th Grade Mathematics Classroom, Nihal Katirci

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This exploratory study seeks to investigate how a mathematical education game, DragonBox12+, effects students’ learning about algebra. Data for this research was collected from middle school 7th grade students in the Northeast region of the United States of America. The interviews and classroom observations were recorded on videotape. The research results showed that the video game DragonBox 12+ affects students’ attitude of mathematics and learning of mathematics by the help of using game mechanics to teaching algebraic rules.

A Study Of Fourth-Grade Students' Perceptions On Homework Environment And Academic Motivation In Mathematics, Stefanie Harmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem at an elementary school is teachers' lack of knowledge and information on the perceptions and motivation of students to complete independent mathematics homework. The purpose of this study was to identify students' perceptions regarding their homework environment and academic motivation in mathematics. The study's conceptual framework, attribution theory, supported the examination of drivers of motivation for participants related to homework completion. Guiding research questions, supported by Keller's ARCS model, focused on the identification of students' perceptions of homework attention, relevance, curiosity, satisfaction, and their preferred homework environment. This qualitative research study obtained data from semistructured interviews with 44 …

“I’M Not Good At Math”: Mathematical Illiteracy And Innummeracy In The United States, G. Wesley Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Why do we view mathematics the way we do in the United States and how have these views created an environment where we consider mathematical illiteracy and innumeracy socially and culturally acceptable when a lack of this knowledge and ability can function to enslave, exploit, restrict, and oppress. Throughout this investigation, I have explored some of the possible reasons for why we view education, mathematics, and the learning of mathematics the way we do and the impact of these views on our motivation and desire to learn mathematics. Using my over 20 years of teaching experience and the review of …