Digital Commons Network^™

Parents' Experiences At A Mathematics Workshop Focused On K-2 Content, Abigail W. Wilkerson

Honors College Theses

Parents’ beliefs towards math have been shown to impact their children’s academic achievement in the subject (Elliott & Bachman, 2018; Maloney et al., 2015). With the constant changing of math standards, the math taught in today’s schools may be different from the way parents were taught math. This change can lead to feelings of discomfort or nervousness when the subject is brought up. A parent workshop geared towards helping parents better understand the way math content is being taught can help them to feel more comfortable with math and more prepared to help their children. To help combat this issue, …

Counting Conjugates Of Colored Compositions, Jesus Omar Sistos Barron

Honors College Theses

The properties of n-color compositions have been studied parallel to those of regular compositions. The conjugate of a composition as defined by MacMahon, however, does not translate well to n-color compositions, and there is currently no established analogous concept. We propose a conjugation rule for cyclic n-color compositions. We also count the number of self-conjugates under these rules and establish a couple of connections between these and regular compositions.

Zeckendorf Representation Analysis On Third Order Fibonacci Sequences That Do Not Satisfy The Uniqueness Property, Samuel A. Aguilar

Honors College Theses

Zeckendorf's Theorem states that every natural number can be expressed uniquely as the sum of distinct non-consecutive terms of the shifted Fibonacci sequence (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 5, ...). This theorem has motivated the study of representation of integers by the sum of non-adjacent terms of Nth order Fibonacci sequences, including the characterization of the uniqueness of Zeckendorf representation based on the initial terms of the sequence. Moreover, when this uniqueness property is satisfied for third order Fibonacci sequences, the ratio of integers less than a given number X that have a Zeckendorf representation has been estimated by Dr. Sungkon …

Creative Learning With Music And Mathematics: Reflections On Interdisciplinary Collaborations, Graham Johnson, Alesia Mickle Moldavan

Department of Elementary and Special Education Faculty Publications

Culturally responsive content, accessible and inclusive tools, and meaningful interdisciplinary tasks can aid in developing equitable and creative learning environments. Music and mathematics are ideal disciplines for interdisciplinary creative learning. In this article, we reflect on our experiences engaging in interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks with preservice teachers. In particular, we highlight specific efforts taken to design and implement a creative music and mathematics workshop for use in a mathematics methods course. Guided by these experiences, we offer examples of tools and practices that have helped preservice teachers collaborate, engage in inquiry, improvise, develop empathy, and take intellectual and social …

Arts-Based Interdisciplinary Music And Mathematics Tasks: Exploring Conceptualizations Of Equitable Creative Learning In Teacher Education, Alesia Mickle Moldavan, Graham Johnson

Georgia Educational Researcher

Preservice teachers need opportunities in teacher education courses to explore arts-based interdisciplinary learning that can inspire connections between communities of practice and allow learners to integrate concepts and imagine creative possibilities. This study reports on preservice teachers engaged in a workshop on arts-based interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks. Data included surveys, task-related artifacts, and participant observations to examine how preservice teachers conceptualize and engage in such tasks. Three resonating themes were identified, revealing that preservice teachers generally thought (a) music and mathematics are more engaging and relatable in interdisciplinary contexts than when taught alone, (b) interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks …

Children Receiving A Nutrition And High-Quality Early Childhood Education Intervention Are Associated With Greater Math And Fluid Intelligence Scores: The Guatemala City Municipal Nurseries, Ana M. Palacios, Lisa A. Villanueva, Matthew B. Flynn, Erik Parker, Stephanie Dickinson, Helen W. Bland, Greg A. Reinhart

Department of Health Policy and Community Health Faculty Publications

Background: About 47% of children < 5 years of age are stunted in Guatemala. In this study, the investigators aimed to compare growth and cognitive outcomes between children in second grade that attended five Guatemala City Municipal Nurseries (GCMN) vs. same sex, grade, and age-matched children. Methods: A cross-sectional design nested in a retrospective cohort was implemented between 2015 and 2019. Children that attended the GCMN and matched controls completed a math test and validated receptive language and fluid intelligence tests. The primary caregivers completed a sociodemographic survey. General and generalized linear mixed effect models were used to compare children that attended the GCMN vs. controls. The models were adjusted by maternal education, sex, asset score, and other relevant covariates. Results: Children that attended the GCMN exhibited greater math and fluid intelligence scores relative to the controls in the adjusted models (ß = 6.48; 95% CI (2.35–10.61)) and (ß = 1.20; 95% CI (0.12–2.29)), respectively. Lower odds of stunting were significant for children who went to any early childcare institution (AOR = 0.28; 95% CI (0.09–0.89)). Conclusions: The importance of integrating nutrition and high-quality early childhood education interventions in cognitive and growth outcomes is highlighted in this study. The GCMN model may be a scalable model in similar low-resource settings.

Providing Virtual Mathematics Feedback: Connecting Research To Practice, David Glassmeyer, Mary Colclasure, Laura Alevy

Georgia Educational Researcher

Feedback is an essential form of communication between the student and teacher. Research has documented the importance of feedback in advancing student mathematical and critical thinking, with renewed recommendations to provide and use feedback in mathematical instruction during the era of COVID-19. Giving personalized feedback in an online environment can be a challenge – especially in a mathematics class. This article summarizes five core principles of feedback, associated strategies for mathematics teachers to provide students virtual feedback, and notes on how we have implemented these strategies in middle school mathematics classes.

Integrating Mathematics, Science, And Literacy Into A Culturally Responsive Stem After-School Program, Shelli L. Casler-Failing, Alma D. Stevenson, Beverly A. King Miller

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

This manuscript shares the implementation of an after-school literacy in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program designed for middle grade students to increase their interest in science and mathematics learning. This program was conducted at our local Boys and Girls Club facilities where students learned about four science topics (renewable energy, water cycle, Newton’s laws, and natural disasters). Students participated in culturally responsive reading and writing activities incorporating culturally relevant books, journal writing, hands-on projects, and a culminating science fair presentation on a topic of their choice. The authors determined that using literature, particularly culturally responsive picture books and …

Predictors Of Student Academic Success In The Corequisite Model, Damon Andrews, Steven Tolman

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of community college student academic success in corequisite English and mathematics courses. Academic success was defined dichotomously on a pass or fail basis. The population included 1,934 students enrolled in at least one corequisite English and/or mathematics course at a community college between the fall semester of 2015 and summer semester of 2018. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the fol- lowing predictors: a student’s sex, race, age at time of enrollment, Pell Grant recipient status, first-generation college student status, high school grade point average (HSGPA), placement test scores, academic …

Learning To Teach Mathematics With Robots: Developing The ‘T’ In Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Shelli L. Casler-Failing

Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education Faculty Publications

A multiple case study was conducted to investigate how Lego robotics instruction incorporated into a middle grades mathematics methods course could inform pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) TPACK through the lens of Social Constructivist Theory. The qualitative data analysis revealed that when instruction on Lego robotics technology is integrated into semester long mathematics methods courses, PSTs are able to improve their TPACK knowledge in regard to the robotics. Overall, the findings suggest instruction of educational technology tools should be incorporated into methods courses over a longer duration of time, and in depth, to better support the development of PSTs’ TPACK. To meet …

Supporting Middle School Students In Tier 2 Math Labs: Instructional Strategies, Emily C. Bouck, Jiyoon Park, Mary Bouck, Jim Alspaugh, Stacey Spitzley, Angela Buckland

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Response to Intervention (RtI) has become a common support system for students; yet, no universal RtI model exists, especially for mathematics and specifically at the middle school level. This article focuses on a specific model for delivering Tier 2 mathematics supports and services at the middle school level: math labs. Evidence–based and research–supported interventions are discussed that support the delivery of Tier 2 services within a middle school math lab RtI structure. A fictionalized vignette, drawing from multiple actual cases, is presented to highlight the use of a Tier 2 math lab within a middle school setting.

The Current State Of High School Female And Minority Self-Efficacy And Interest In Stem In Chatham County, Georgia, Sara Gremillion, Sarah Zingales, William Baird, Nia Hunter, Amy Durden, Sabrina Hessinger

Georgia Educational Researcher

With the growing demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs in the U.S., the attainment of college degrees in these areas is of paramount importance. Both federal and state governments have established initiatives to grow the number of STEM degrees earned by women and racial minorities, as these groups graduate in STEM disciplines and work in STEM fields at a lower rate than that of their majority counterparts. The factors that can deter women and underrepresented minorities from pursuing STEM careers have been identified with one of the most prominent being low self-efficacy, or a reduced belief in …

The Interview Project: A Way Of Bridging Theory And Practice In Early Childhood Mathematics Preservice Teacher Education, Doris Santarone

Georgia Educational Researcher

Twenty-nine early childhood preservice teachers (PSTs) participated in an Interview Project. The project’s goals were for the PSTs to apply their knowledge of research on children’s mathematics in their interactions with a child and to learn to listen to and learn from children. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the project and determine whether it met these goals. Pre and post data were collected, and I found that the PSTs showed a significant improvement in their ability to describe and analyze a child’s mathematics and to use their listening to make appropriate instructional decisions. In addition, I found …

Three Approaches To Focusing Peer Feedback, Daniel L. Reinholz

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Peer assessment has great potential to improve student learning. However, assessment is not an everyday activity for students, and thus providing appropriate guidance to students is a key component of creating a successful peer assessment experience. This paper explores how to structure peer feedback in the guided process Peer-Assisted Reflection (PAR), by comparing the artifacts and practices associated with three different iterations of PAR in undergraduate calculus. The iterations are referred to as the Questions, Critique, and Balanced approaches. Through a detailed analysis of this design-based research project, new insights are generated about how particular artifacts shape the feedback provided …

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

Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching and Learning Conference (2017-2019)

A mixed methods, action research case study was conducted 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. This study applied students’ prior knowledge of the distance, rate, and time formula as they used LEGO EV3 robots to calculate the rate of a robot. The information gained was applied to different iterations, and structures, of the formula to support the development of proportional reasoning skills. The purposefully designed lessons were integral to the development of the students’ understanding of the proportionality existing …

Integrating Lego Robotics Into A 5th Grade Cross Curricular Unit To Promote The Development Of Narrative Writing Skills, Shelli L. Casler-Failing

Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching and Learning Conference (2017-2019)

This paper describes a unit designed to promote the development of narrative writing skills among 5^th grade students through the use of LEGO robotics. Over the course of four, two and one-half hour sessions (one day per week for four consecutive weeks), the students learned how to construct and program robots, write and present a proposal to complete a mission, and connected the learning to their personal experiences with Hurricane Irma. The students began the activity with prior knowledge of World War II and Hiroshima. After learning the basics of building and programming robots, they were presented with a …

The Importance Of Automaticity Development In Mathematics, Austin T. Baker, Josh Cuevas

Georgia Educational Researcher

This study examined whether students were reaching automaticity with single digit multiplication facts. A fourteen question interview was used to collect data. The first three questions asked the student basic information about themselves and their current math teacher. The next seven questions were math facts. The math facts chosen for the interview were a range of difficulty, starting with a simple problem like 1 x 9 and increasing in difficulty to 6 x 9. The last four questions were open-ended with the intent of gaining insight into whether the students were using strategies to complete the problems or if they …

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom

• Future Eagles build bright futures in the Division of Continuing Education
• Georgia Southern receives $1.3 million grant to bring nurse practitioners to undeserved communities

Cosm News, Georgia Southern University

College of Science and Mathematics News (2012-2019)

• 29th Annual Invitational Mathematics Tournament

“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 …

Possibilities And Challenges Of Teaching Integrated Math And Social Studies For Social Justice: Two Teacher Educators' Collaborative Self-Study, Paula P. Guerra, Sohyun An

Georgia Educational Researcher

In this paper, we—one mathematics teacher educator and one social studies teacher educator—describe a project where we collaborated to model teaching integrated mathematics and social studies for social justice in our methods courses. We encountered varied challenges in our efforts to prepare teacher candidates for social-justice-oriented lessons. These challenges included teacher candidates’ perception of authority/credibility of their professors who were foreign females from the “Third World”, teacher candidates’ deficit views on minoritized students, and the limited time and resources for teacher collaboration in teacher education. Despite these challenges, we believe this kind of project is necessary to move forward in …

Examining The Development Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy For Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers, Natasha Ramsay-Jordan

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Culturally responsive mathematics pedagogy (CRMP) should be valued and presented as the norm for teachers so that students from diverse backgrounds can access essential mathematical knowledge (Aguirre & del Rosario, 2013; Bonner & Adams, 2012; Leonard & Moore, 2014). Prospective teachers of diverse students need to have opportunities in their professional study to develop the shared knowledge, perceptions and attitudes required for effective implementation of culturally responsive mathematics pedagogy (Gay, 2002). The purpose of this study is to begin investigative and exploratory work through the coupling of qualitative research methodology and critical race theory to examine preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ …

Lefschetz Contact Manifolds And Odd Dimensional Symplectic Geometry, Yi Lin

Department of Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

In the literature, there are two different versions of Hard Lefschetz theorems for a compact Sasakian manifold. The first version, due to Kacimi-Alaoui, asserts that the basic cohomology groups of a compact Sasakian manifold satisfies the transverse Lefschetz property. The second version, established far more recently by Cappelletti-Montano, De Nicola, and Yudin, holds for the De Rham cohomology groups of a compact Sasakian manifold. In the current paper, using the formalism of odd dimensional symplectic geometry, we prove a Hard Lefschetz theorem for compact K-contact manifolds, which implies immediately that the two existing versions of Hard Lefschetz theorems are mathematically …

Rigor Demystified, Now What?: Applying & Aligning Webb’S Depth Of Knowledge To Literacy & Math Instruction., Barbara Serianni, Kelly Brooksher

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

After exploring the four levels of cognitive rigor in Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) and the alignment to the Common Core. Participants will further engage in hands-on activities designed to model the application of DOK in the content areas of literacy and mathematics to improve instructional alignment, increase student engagement, and ensure appropriate rigor in classroom activities and assessment.

Mathematical Writing Assignment For Deeper Understanding And Process Writing, Colton Magnant, Saeed Nasseh, Teresa Flateby

Department of Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Brief Description: The broad goals of this writing assignment are two-fold: 1) To delve deeper into the inner workings of a chosen proof and explore fundamental motivation of the chosen result. 2) To enhance student learning in the area of academic writing in the discipline of mathematics.

By walking the students through a process of academic writing, we address the following DQP proficiencies: Specialized Knowledge, Applied and Collaborative Learning and Intellectual Skills - Use of Information Resources, Mathematics-Specific Intellectual and Practical Skills and Communicative Fluency.

Background and context: This assignment has been used in a Mathematical Structures (introduction-to-proofs) course and …

Analyzing Mathematics And Ap Statistics Assessment Items In Terms Of The Levels Of Thinking Skills They Assess, Shadreck S. Chitsonga

Georgia Educational Researcher

This study is a part of a large study that investigated the Assessment Practices of Mathematics Teachers who also teach AP Statistics. In this paper I investigate the thinking skills that assessment items used mathematics and AP Statistics classroom assess. Two teachers who were teaching mathematics and AP Statistics participated in this study. Each teacher was observed 12 times in class. Artifacts were also collected from each teacher, mainly oral questions and written questions. A mathematics taxonomy framework was used to analyze the characteristics of the assessment items. The results of the study indicated that assessment questions (oral and written) …

Student Perceptions Of Caring Mathematics Instruction, Andrew B. Spires

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

In my study I would like to examine how students who are part of a ninth grade mathematics intervention program describe caring mathematics instruction. Researchers have shown the importance of caring instruction especially as it relates to high school mathematics instruction of students who have a history of academic struggles and failure. Given that caring is a complex construct, students’ perceptions of teacher caring not only has the potential to inform high school mathematics instruction but also could lead to healthier and stronger teacher-student relationships.

Mastery Learning For 9th Grade Mathematics: Can The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Close The Achievement Gap?, Rhonda Jeffries, Hope Reed

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation critiques educational tracking as a default system of grouping that perpetuates inequities particularly for students most likely to experience challenges with academic achievement (Rubin & Noguera, 2004). The research explores the mastery learning method in 9th grade Algebra I CP to improve achievement for students who enter high school without Pre-Algebra skills.

Teacher Influence On Elementary School Students’ Participation In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Courtney Hartman

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of elementary school teachers on encouraging students’ interest and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The researcher sought to understand what methods teachers use in their classrooms to encourage students to participate in STEM subjects and programs. This mixed methods study consisted of a questionnaire to collect quantitative data, as well as an interview of selected teachers who participated in the questionnaire to collect qualitative data. The data was analyzed to determine the overall perceptions of teachers regarding the importance of encouraging students to participate in STEM. The qualitative …

A Case Study Of How Ninth Grade Mathematics Students Construct Knowledge During A Productive Failure Model, Amy F. Westbrook Dr.

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explain how ninth grade mathematics students at a rural high school in Georgia constructed knowledge through student talk when problem solving using Kapur’s (2012) productive failure design. An embedded case study design was used to understand how a group of students constructed knowledge through their use of talk, persistence during the task, and use of prior knowledge while working on a productive failure modeled task. Triangulation resulted from the collected data from multiple sources, which included videotaping, interviewing, and analyzing student artifacts. Utilization of the constructivist perspectives of Vygotsky (1934/1962), Piaget (1971), …