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Full-Text Articles in Education

Examining The Impact Of Teachers’ Attitudes On College Students’ Attitudes In A Mathematics Classroom, Isiaka Busari, Adeola F. Oladeji, Tolulope O. Sulaimon Mar 2023

Examining The Impact Of Teachers’ Attitudes On College Students’ Attitudes In A Mathematics Classroom, Isiaka Busari, Adeola F. Oladeji, Tolulope O. Sulaimon

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the relationship between teachers' attitudes and students' attitudes toward mathematics in the classroom. Through a review of more than twenty relevant pieces of literature, the paper analyzes the impact of teachers' attitudes on students' achievement, performance, confidence, and motivation in mathematics. The study concludes that positive attitudes displayed by teachers can enhance students' positive feelings toward mathematics and increase their engagement in the subject. On the other hand, negative attitudes displayed by teachers can hinder students' motivation and engagement in mathematics. The paper suggests that teacher training programs should prioritize the development of positive attitudes toward mathematics …


Teaching Mathematics With Technology: Tpack And Effective Teaching Practices, Christopher R. Rakes, Michele L. Stites, Robert N. Ronau, Sarah B. Bush, Molly H. Fisher, Farshid Safi, Siddhi Desai, Ashley Schmidt, Janet B. Andreasen, Jon Saderholm, Lisa Amick, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Julian Viera Feb 2022

Teaching Mathematics With Technology: Tpack And Effective Teaching Practices, Christopher R. Rakes, Michele L. Stites, Robert N. Ronau, Sarah B. Bush, Molly H. Fisher, Farshid Safi, Siddhi Desai, Ashley Schmidt, Janet B. Andreasen, Jon Saderholm, Lisa Amick, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Julian Viera

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This paper examines how 17 secondary mathematics teacher candidates (TCs) in four university teacher preparation programs implemented technology in their classrooms to teach for conceptual understanding in online, hybrid, and face to face classes during COVID-19. Using the Professional Development: Research, Implementation, and Evaluation (PrimeD) framework, TCs, classroom mentor teachers, field experience supervisors, and university faculty formed a Networked Improvement Community (NIC) to discuss a commonly agreed upon problem of practice and a change idea to implement in the classroom. Through Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, participants documented their improvement efforts and refinements to the change idea and then reported back to the …


Supporting And Retaining Early Career Mathematics Teachers Using An Online Community Of Practice, Paula Jakopovic, Travis Weiland, Maria Campitelli, Lorraine Males, Lisa Amick Oct 2021

Supporting And Retaining Early Career Mathematics Teachers Using An Online Community Of Practice, Paula Jakopovic, Travis Weiland, Maria Campitelli, Lorraine Males, Lisa Amick

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This study reports on efforts over several years to design and implement a yearlong intervention intended to support secondary mathematics teachers in their early years of teaching. The intervention is designed to retain early career mathematics teachers in the professions by engaging them in the development of meaningful professional relationships with a school-based mentors, and by creating an online community of practice for support with other professionals. The intervention itself consists of early career teachers and their mentors participating in monthly professional learning activities such as online meetings, videoconferencing panels with experts, and collaborative reading and discussing timely, purposeful, and …


Equity-Oriented Conceptual Framework For K-12 Stem Literacy, Christa Jackson, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Sarah B. Bush, Cathrine Maiorca, Thomas Roberts, Caitlyn Yost, Abigail Fowler Jun 2021

Equity-Oriented Conceptual Framework For K-12 Stem Literacy, Christa Jackson, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Sarah B. Bush, Cathrine Maiorca, Thomas Roberts, Caitlyn Yost, Abigail Fowler

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

We introduce a conceptual framework of K-12 STEM literacy that rightfully and intentionally positions each and every student, particularly minoritized groups, as belonging in STEM. In order to conceptualize the equity-based framework of STEM literacy, we conducted a systematic review of literature related to STEM literacy, which includes empirical studies that contribute to STEM literacy. The literature on the siloed literacies within STEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, and mathematics literacy) also contributed to formulate the necessity of and what it means to develop STEM literacy. The Equity-Oriented STEM Literacy Framework illuminates the complexities of disrupting the status quo and rightfully …


Science And Mathematics Teacher Communities Of Practice: Social Influences On Discipline-Based Identity And Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Samuel J. Polizzi, Yicong Zhu, Joshua W. Reid, Brandon Ofem, Sara Salisbury, Michael Beeth, Gillian Roehrig, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Keith Sheppard, Gregory T. Rushton Apr 2021

Science And Mathematics Teacher Communities Of Practice: Social Influences On Discipline-Based Identity And Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Samuel J. Polizzi, Yicong Zhu, Joshua W. Reid, Brandon Ofem, Sara Salisbury, Michael Beeth, Gillian Roehrig, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Keith Sheppard, Gregory T. Rushton

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

Background
Teacher communities of practice, identity, and self-efficacy have been proposed to influence positive teacher outcomes in retention, suggesting all three may be related constructs. Qualitative studies of communities of practice can be difficult to empirically link to identity and self-efficacy in larger samples. In this study, we operationalized teacher communities of practice as specific networks related to teaching content and/or pedagogy. This scalable approach allowed us to quantitatively describe communities of practice and explore statistical relationships with other teacher characteristics. We asked whether these community of practice networks were related to identity and self-efficacy, similar to other conceptualizations of …


The Relationship Between Spatial Ability And The Conservation Of Matter In Middle School, Merryn Cole, Jennifer Wilhelm, Briana Marie-Mcknight Vaught, Corinne Fish, Hailey Fish Jan 2021

The Relationship Between Spatial Ability And The Conservation Of Matter In Middle School, Merryn Cole, Jennifer Wilhelm, Briana Marie-Mcknight Vaught, Corinne Fish, Hailey Fish

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

Research has shown that spatial ability plays a key role in understanding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) content, including chemistry. Conservation of Matter (CoM) is an essential but challenging topic for chemistry students of all ages to grasp; it is often taught in a way where students memorize it but do not learn what it means conceptually. This research explored the relationship between understanding spatial ability and conceptual understanding of CoM in middle school students. CoM was examined in two ways using the Conservation of Matter Assessment (CoMA): through questions on conservation of atoms and the conservation of mass. …


“From School Of Crisis To Distinguished”: Using Maslow's Hierarchy In A Rural Underperforming School, Molly H. Fisher, Ben Crawford Apr 2020

“From School Of Crisis To Distinguished”: Using Maslow's Hierarchy In A Rural Underperforming School, Molly H. Fisher, Ben Crawford

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

Despite conditions that would work against a small and rural school in an impoverish rural area of the United States, Fairway Elementary School has managed to excel in its accountability measures. Through interviews with faculty, staff, teachers, students, and parents of children at Fairway Elementary School a model was developed through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It was found that a new administrator at the school started with the physiological needs of the children and are now working within the esteem stage of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Details from each stage of the hierarchy are provided as a promising practice …


Investigating The Manifestations Of Bias In Professional Noticing Of Mathematical Thinking Among Preservice Teachers, Jonathan Thomas, Taylor Marzilli, Brittney Sawyer, Cindy Jong, Edna O. Schack, Molly H. Fisher Apr 2020

Investigating The Manifestations Of Bias In Professional Noticing Of Mathematical Thinking Among Preservice Teachers, Jonathan Thomas, Taylor Marzilli, Brittney Sawyer, Cindy Jong, Edna O. Schack, Molly H. Fisher

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This study examines potential bias with respect to perceived gender and ethnicity in preservice teachers’ professional noticing of children’s mathematical thinking. The goal of the study was to explore how, and to what extent bias emerges within pre-service teachers’ professional noticing of children of differing perceived races and genders. Our findings suggest that bias tends to emerge in the interpreting phase of professional noticing; however, such emergence did not appear to vary in conjunction with the perceived ethnicity and gender of the student. Further, our findings suggest that the inclusion of visual imagery (i.e. photos) influence the manifestation of bias …


Students' Perceptions Of Stem Learning After Participating In A Summer Informal Learning Experience, Thomas Roberts, Christa Jackson, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Sarah B. Bush, Cathrine Maiorca, Maureen Cavalcanti, D. Craig Schroeder, Ashley Delaney, Lydia Putnam, Chase Cremeans Sep 2018

Students' Perceptions Of Stem Learning After Participating In A Summer Informal Learning Experience, Thomas Roberts, Christa Jackson, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Sarah B. Bush, Cathrine Maiorca, Maureen Cavalcanti, D. Craig Schroeder, Ashley Delaney, Lydia Putnam, Chase Cremeans

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

Background: Informal learning environments increase students’ interest in STEM (e.g., Mohr‐Schroeder et al. School Sci Math 114: 291–301, 2014) and increase the chances a student will pursue a STEM career (Kitchen et al. Sci Educ 102: 529–547, 2018). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an informal STEM summer learning experience on student participants, to gain in-depth perspectives about how they felt this experience prepared them for their in-school mathematics and science classes as well as how it influenced their perception of STEM learning. Students’ attitudes and perceptions toward STEM are affected by their motivation, experience, …


How Middle Level Science Teachers Visualize And Translate Motion, Scale, And Geometric Space Of The Earth-Moon-Sun System With Their Students, Jennifer Wilhelm, Merryn Cole, Cheryl Cohen, Rebecca Lindell Jun 2018

How Middle Level Science Teachers Visualize And Translate Motion, Scale, And Geometric Space Of The Earth-Moon-Sun System With Their Students, Jennifer Wilhelm, Merryn Cole, Cheryl Cohen, Rebecca Lindell

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research.] We examined teachers’ spatial-scientific reasoning and the alternative conceptions they held regarding Earth-space content. While participating in a professional development (PD) workshop, teachers engaged in an integrated mathematics and science project-based unit designed to foster spatial reasoning and improve lunar-related conceptual understanding. The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Rotation (PSVT-Rot) and the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory (LPCI) were used to assess understanding. We found the teachers held similar alternative conceptions as their students. Moreover, we discovered that teachers had limited understanding of the Earth-Moon-Sun scale, motions, and geometric configurations. To …


Spatial Thinking In Astronomy Education Research, Merryn Cole, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Wilhelm, Rebecca Lindell Jun 2018

Spatial Thinking In Astronomy Education Research, Merryn Cole, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Wilhelm, Rebecca Lindell

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research.] Multiple studies show that spatial thinking skills contribute to students’ performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The study of astronomy is no different with the understanding of many astronomical phenomena requiring spatial thinking skills. This paper describes traditional and contemporary approaches to characterizing and measuring spatial thinking skills and suggests how they inform research in astronomy education. It summarizes previous literature in astronomy education research and categorizes the research approaches of astronomy education peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings that explicitly consider the role of spatial …


Setting A Standard For Chemistry Education In The Next Generation: A Retrosynthetic Analysis, Gregory T. Rushton, Andrew Dewar, Herman E. Ray, Brett A. Criswell, Lisa Shah Oct 2016

Setting A Standard For Chemistry Education In The Next Generation: A Retrosynthetic Analysis, Gregory T. Rushton, Andrew Dewar, Herman E. Ray, Brett A. Criswell, Lisa Shah

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

A diverse and highly qualified chemistry teaching workforce is critical for preparing equally diverse, qualified STEM professionals. Here, we analyze National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data to provide a demographic comparison of the U.S. secondary chemistry teaching population in high-needs and non-high-needs public schools as well as private schools during the 2011–2012 academic year. Our analysis reveals that the chemistry teaching workforce is predominantly white and significantly lacks in-field degrees or certification across school types, though high-needs and private schools are most affected by this lack of teacher qualification. Given these results, we attempt …