Education Commons^™

Becoming A Stem-Focused Catholic School: Insights Into Adopting A Curricular Specialization, Julie W. Dallavis

Journal of Catholic Education

School choice policies seek to increase access to educational opportunities and stimulate innovations in schooling. This study examines the early stages of one such innovation—school-wide curricular specialization—in three Catholic elementary schools adopting a STEM focus and uses interviews to consider how and why different levels of support exist for the shift and under what conditions private and religious schools are prepared to make significant changes in instructional practice. Findings suggest that school resources—material, human, and social along with professional development—play an important role in shaping engagement in the adoption of a school-wide curricular focus.

Streaming With Butterflies: A Whole School Stream Project, Carey L. Averill, Janet M. Herrelko

Journal of Catholic Education

This study explores the commitment of a school faculty to use the pedagogical practices needed to employ a project-based unit of Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM). The unit of study concentrated on environmental sustainability of butterflies through project-based learning (PBL). Teacher interviews were analyzed to reveal the similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses in the teachers’ reactions to implementing a cross-curricula content unit designed for a pre-kindergarten (PK) to eighth grade school. Analysis of teacher data and classroom artifacts provided evidence of: content mastery at the student levels; implementation of scaffolding for developmental levels; and the need …

Engaging Secondary Math Teachers In Breaking Down Barriers For English Learners, Julie M. Kane

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study used mixed methods to examine middle school mathematics teachers’ beliefs about English Learners’ ability to participate in rigorous, grade-level math instruction as well as beliefs about their own capacity for teaching English Learners. Additionally, the study investigated the influence of teachers’ beliefs on their instructional practices and identified the types of support teachers need to develop as culturally and linguistically responsive educators. Findings revealed some dissonance between teachers’ explicit beliefs about teaching English Learners and their implicit beliefs illustrated through instructional decisions made, as well as previously unrecognized gaps in teachers’ ability to identify and differentiate the needs …

Rigorous And Meaningful Science For English Learners: Urban Ecology And Transdisciplinary Instruction, Elvira G. Armas, Ed.D, Gisela Obrien, Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D., Eric G. Strauss, Ph.D.

Practitioner Journal Articles

This article describes efforts undertaken by two centers at Loyola Marymount University—the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) and the Center for Urban Resilience (CURes)—in collaboration with five southern California school districts to develop and implement the Urban Ecology for English Learners Project. This project aligns with the 2018 NASEM report call to action to (1) create contexts for systems- and classroom-level supports that recognizes assets that English Learners contribute to the classroom and, and (2) increase rigorous science instruction for English Learners through the provision of targeted program models, curriculum, and instruction. The article presents project highlights, professional …

Self-Efficacy And Stem Career Interest In Black And Latino Middle School Students: A Study On The Next Generation Science Standards, Whitney Mccormick

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

With only 11% of the current Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) workforce being Black and Latino men and women, there is a crisis of underrepresented individuals in STEM fields. The construction of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the mantra “all standards, all students,” represents an attempt to increase access to science for more students, and increase their self-efficacy about STEM subjects, as low self-efficacy is cited as one of the main causes of disinterest in STEM subjects. This study examined the relationship between students’ self-efficacy in STEM fields and their career interests, specifically in a population of …

Polygons, Pillars And Pavilions: Discovering Connections Between Geometry And Architecture, Sean Patrick Madden

Journal of Catholic Education

Crowning the second semester of geometry, taught within a Catholic middle school, the author's students explored connections between the geometry of regular polygons and architecture of local buildings. They went on to explore how these principles apply famous buildings around the world such as the monuments of Washington, D.C. and the elliptical piazza of Saint Peter's Basilica at Vatican City within Rome, Italy.

3d Printing & Service Learning: Social Manufacturing As A Vehicle For Developing Social Awareness, Ray Suchow

Journal of Catholic Education

This article describes how a team of educators in a Catholic secondary school integrated 3D printing into the learning environment.

Effectiveness Of A Parent-Child Home Numeracy Intervention On Urban Catholic School First Grade Students, Millicent D. Lore, Aubrey H. Wang, M. Toni Buckley

Journal of Catholic Education

Catholic social teaching affirms the primary role of parents in their children’s education, as well as the importance of forging a positive home-school partnership. The purpose of this article is to provide empirical evidence for further cultivating a collaborative, home-school relationship aimed at improving the mathematics performance of Catholic school first grade students by training parents as providers of at-home numeracy support. The participants included 60 parents (29 Black; 2 Asian; 1 Latino; 26 White; and 2 other) from two urban, Catholic schools. Parents randomly assigned to the experimental group received numeracy training and materials and then, implemented a 15-week …

Virtual Engineering Sciences Learning Lab: Giving Stem Education A Second Life, Stephanie E. August, Michele L. Hammers, Don Brian Murphy, Allison Neyer, Penda Gueye, Robert Q. Thames

Computer Science Faculty Works

Engineering education in the 21st century faces multiple obstacles including limited accessibility of course resources due, in part, to the costs associated with acquiring and maintaining equipment and staffing laboratories. Another continuing challenge is the low level of participation of women and other groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines. As a partial remedy for these issues, we established a Virtual Engineering Sciences Learning Lab (VESLL) that provides interactive objects and learning activities, multimedia displays, and instant feedback procedures in a virtual environment to guide students through a series of key quantitative skills and concepts. Developed in the online virtual world …

School Science Capacity: A Study Of Four Urban Catholic Grade Schools, Lara K. Smetana, Elizabeth R. Coleman

Journal of Catholic Education

Working from the view of schools as a system, and of school improvement as an ongoing journey (Hallinger & Heck, 2011; Jackson, 2000), this study investigated the perspectives of teacher leaders and principals from four metropolitan Catholic grade schools engaged in efforts to improve their school science programs. Built upon existing conceptualizations of school capacity, a model of school science capacity is presented and used as a framework for the development of four case studies. Findings gleaned from collecting and analyzing reports of teacher leaders’ and principals’ interpretations of their school systems illustrate how elements of the school science capacity …

An Analysis Of Fifth-Grade Teachers’ Mathematical Inputs On Eighth-Grade Students’ Mathematical Outputs, Neeraj Raj Satyal

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and analyze which fifth-grade teacher inputs were the most important predictors of future outcomes of eighth-grade math students. This quantitative study looked at mathematical achievement through the lens of an education production function. The three inputs that were analyzed were fifth-grade teachers’ background; perception of professional development; and instructional practices and the relationship of those practices to achievement in eighth-grade math. In order to find the relationship between the above variables and student achievement, descriptive statistics, multiple correlations, and multi-variable regression analysis were conducted to examine which predictors had a stronger relationship …

Nature Of Mathematics Classroom Environments In Catholic High Schools, Judith J. Hall, Christopher A. Sink

Journal of Catholic Education

In an attempt to reveal the various types of learning environments present in 30 mathematics classrooms in five Catholic high schools, this replication study examined student (N = 602) perceptions of their classrooms using the Classroom Environment Scale. Student attitudes toward mathematics were assessed by the Estes Attitude Scale. Extending previous research conducted in public high schools, this study delineated two basic types of learning environments (teacher-centered and student-centered) in Catholic high schools. In contrast with students in public schools, students in these parochial schools reported positive attitudes toward mathematics regardless of the type of learning environment. Discussion of the …

Increasing Retention In Stem: Results From A Stem Talent Expansion Program At The University Of Memphis, Alistair Windsor, Anna E. Bargagliotti, Rachel Best, Donald Franceschetti, John Haddock, Stephanie Ivey, David Russomanno

Mathematics Faculty Works

MemphiSTEP is a five-year STEM Talent Expansion Program at the University of Memphis sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The project focuses on retention and persistence to graduation to increase the number of STEM majors and graduates. The project includes a range of student retention programs, including a Summer Mathematics Bridge Bootcamp, Networking Program, Research Award Program, Travel Award program and STEM Learning Communities; Results from the first four years of the project suggest that MemphiSTEP is making a positive impact on student retention and performance in STEM fields. Our data indicate that even after controlling for gender, race, and …

La Diversidad De Los Análisis De Diversidad La Diversidad De Los Analisis De Diversidad [The Diversity Of Diversity Analyses], Victor D. Carmona-Galindo, Tizziana V. Carmona

Biology Faculty Works

There is a lack of consistency with respect to the use of the terms like species richness, diversity and biodiversity, which extends to the analysis of diversity indices and the merit of using diversity indices in the evaluation (comparison and contrast) of biological communities. The purpose of this article is to provide working definitions for these terms and cite examples from the primary literature that demonstrate the utility of estimating richness, evaluating proportional abundance patterns, as well as comparing indices of diversity and similarity to study patterns of biological organization at different ecological scales. Additionally, we provide a manual in …

Physics First: Impact On Sat Math Scores, Craig Earl Bouma

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a national priority and the call to modernize secondary science has been heard. A Physics First (PF) program with the curriculum sequence of physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) driven by inquiry- and project-based learning offers a viable alternative to the traditional curricular sequence (BCP) and methods of teaching, but requires more empirical evidence. This study determined impact of a PF program (PF-PCB) on math achievement (SAT math scores) after the first two cohorts of students completed the PF-PCB program at Matteo Ricci High School (MRHS) and provided more quantitative data …

A Close Look At A Stem-Themed Magnet And Its Experiential Program On The Occupational Identities, Career Maturity, And Access Provided To Low Socioeconomic Minority Students, Urlette Reyes

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an experiential program on the occupational identity, access, and career maturity of Black and Latino students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Data shows these students to be underrepresented in STEM fields. Student interest and access are noted in the literature to be amongst the reasons minorities do not pursue a career in STEM related fields. Jobs within the STEM industry pay considerably more than non-STEM related jobs, access to these jobs can help individuals transform their socioeconomic status. Lack of access and exposure to these fields for low socioeconomic minorities …

Living Learning Communities: An Intervention In Keeping Women Strong In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Jennifer Belichesky-Larson

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to expand on the current research pertaining to women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, better understand the experiences of undergraduate women in the sciences, identify barriers to female persistence in their intended STEM majors, and understand the impact of the STEM co-educational Living Learning Community (LLC) model on female persistence. This study employed a mixed-methods approach that was grounded in standpoint methodology. The qualitative data were collected through focus groups and one-on-one interviews with the female participants and was analyzed through a critical feminist lens utilizing standpoint methodology and coded utilizing …

The Effectiveness Of Blended Instruction In Core Postsecondary Mathematics Courses, Anna E. Bargagliotti, Fernanda Botelho, Jim Gleason, John Haddock, Alistair Windsor

Mathematics Faculty Works

Most students in U.S. universities are required to take a collection of core courses regardless of their degree or major. These courses are known as "general education" courses. The general education requirements typically include at least one mathematics course. Unfortunately each year hundreds of thousands of students in the US do not succeed in these general education mathematics courses causing them to act as a barrier to degree completion. Low student success rates in these courses are pervasive, and it is well documented that the U.S. needs to improve student success and retention in general education mathematics courses.

In this …

Organizing A Grassroots Math Literacy Campaign: The Launching Of The Young People’S Project In Los Angeles, Michael Jacob Farber

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to delve into the emerging awareness of the social factors that contribute to the teaching and learning of mathematics by documenting the experiences of Math Literacy Workers in the Young People’s Project, as it formed its Los Angeles Chapter. Twelve high school students, three college students and one program coordinator participated in this research study.

This research study focused on a series of math literacy workshops conducted as part of an after-school program at Roosevelt Elementary School. Built upon the legacy of the Mississippi Freedom Riders, the Young People’s Project has developed an engaging …

Intonation And Compensation Of Fretted String Instruments, Gabriele U. Varieschi, Christina M. Gower

Physics Faculty Works

We discuss theoretical and physical models that are useful for analyzing the intonation of musical instruments such as guitars and mandolins and can be used to improve the tuning on these instruments. The placement of frets on the fingerboard is designed according to mathematical rules and the assumption of an ideal string. The analysis becomes more complicated when we include the effects of deformation of the string and inharmonicity due to other string characteristics. As a consequence, perfect intonation of all the notes on the instrument cannot be achieved, but complex compensation procedures can be introduced to minimize the problem. …

Toy Blocks And Rotational Physics, Gabriele U. Varieschi, Isabel R. Jully

Physics Faculty Works

Have you ever observed a child playing with toy blocks? A favorite game is to build towers and then make them topple like falling trees. To the eye of a trained physicist this should immediately look like an example of the physics of “falling chimneys,” when tall structures bend and break in mid-air while falling to the ground. The game played with toy blocks can actually reproduce well what is usually seen in photographs of falling towers, such as the one that appeared on the cover of the September 1976 issue of The Physics Teacher.1 In this paper we describe …

Toy Models For The Falling Chimney, Gabriele U. Varieschi, Kaoru Kamiya

Physics Faculty Works

In this paper we review the theory of the ‘‘falling chimney,’’ which deals with the breaking in mid-air of tall structures when they fall to the ground. We show that these ruptures can be caused by either shear forces typically developing near the base, or by the bending of the structure which is caused primarily by the internal bending moment. In the latter case the breaking is more likely to occur between one-third and one-half of the height of the chimney. Small scale toy models are used to reproduce the dynamics of the falling chimney. By examining photos taken during …