Education Commons^™

Mathematical Perceptions: Changing Mindsets In Elementary School Classrooms, Marissa M. Bartelt

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In classrooms throughout the country, you can hear students moan about the difficulty in learning mathematics. This senior capstone examines the students’ mindsets about mathematics in Monterey County through the use of literature review, classroom observations, and interview with teachers. The findings reveal that students’ mindsets can be changed over time if teachers have the right tools and appropriate training to help students.

The Effects Of Digital Games On Engagement And Motivation, Jamie L. Skala

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of digital games on students’ engagement and motivation. This study took place in a small, rural school in the Midwestern United States. The subjects for this study were two classes of seventh-grade students in gradelevel mathematics. Digital review games and paper-and-pencil reviews were alternated from weekly for the eight weeks of the study. Data collection tools included student completed Likert scale questionnaires, on- and off-task counts and behaviors, a teacher reflection journal and final student questionnaire. The results showed that students were more behaviorally engaged during paper-and-pencil style reviews but …

Effects Of Online Program Vs. Handheld Flashcards On Multiplication And Division Fact Knowledge Of 4th Grade Learners With Exceptional Needs, Lindsay M. Siegman

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a time series design to investigate the effects of a computer-based math fact program called Xtramath.org vs. the use of traditional handheld flashcards. Students were given a baseline assessment before beginning the school district's method for learning basic math facts: Xtramath.org. They were tested again after 6 weeks and then began to use traditional handheld flashcards. Students were tested again to compare the results. Eight 4th grade students (5 male and 3 female) with special needs were included in this study. These students attend school in a wealthy, suburban area with a predominantly white population.

Fluency in …

Music And Its Application In The Classroom, Christian Mcknight

Honors Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to determine if background music can be used to improve student test scores using the Mozart Effect. The participants were twenty-eight juniors and seniors from two Algebra II classes at Sylvania Southview High School. Each student in the study was given a control quiz, taken with no background music, followed by the experimental quiz, taken with classical music, specifically Mozart’s “Sonata for Two Pianos in D, K. 448”, playing in the background. The mean average of the students’ first quiz was 2.7% higher than the mean average of the second quiz taken …

Content Validity Of A Mathematics Placement Test For A Gifted High School, Hannah R. Anderson

Publications & Research

The Content Validity of a mathematics placement test at a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) gifted residential high school is examined. Data were collected from internal and external mathematics subject matter experts (SMEs) using a card- sorting task and were analyzed using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). Results demonstrate some congruence between the two configurations, suggesting marginal evidence of Content Validity.

Interview Of Stephen Andrilli, Ph.D., Stephen Francis Andrilli Ph.D., Jane Highley

All Oral Histories

Stephen Francis Andrilli was born in August 1952 in Bryn Mawr, PA. He was born to Francis and Leatrice Andrilli. Dr. Andrilli is the oldest of four children; his three sisters are Carol (now Carol Strosser), Patricia (now Patricia Kempczynski), and Barbara (now Barbara Parkes). Aside from a few years of living in Gettysburg, Dr. Andrilli has lived in the Philadelphia area for most of his life. He attended St. Jerome School, where he finished 8th grade. He then attended LaSalle College High School, where he graduated in 1969 at age 16. He entered La Salle University (formerly La Salle …

How Discourse And Collaboration Can Be Used In Mathematics Classrooms To Promote Engagement And Learning, Emily Elsner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Educators are always looking for ways to promote engagement and achievement for their students. One thing secondary mathematics teachers can do to encourage engagement and achievement is to have students collaborate with each other on group-worthy tasks and engage in mathematical conversations and discourse. Chapter one of this Capstone gives background information as to why this work is important to the author and the author’s personal experiences with collaboration and discourse in mathematics. In chapter two, lots of research and literature is reviewed on the topics of mathematical mindsets, discourse, and collaboration. This chapter gives teachers ways to have students …

The Impact Of Co-Teaching On Mathematics Achievement Of Middle School General Education Students, Jarrod Bingham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To accommodate the presence of special education students in general education classrooms, many schools have implemented collaborative teaching or co-teaching, a model in which two or more teachers share responsibility for a group of students. While myriad research has demonstrated that this model benefits special education students, very little researchers have examined the effect of co-teaching upon the general education student, who often outnumber the special education students. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to investigate co-teaching’s impact upon the mathematic achievement of general education students. The independent variable in this study was students’ placement into either a) …

The Relationship Between Mindset And Motivation In An Alternative School Mathematics Classroom, Jo Ellen Dowdy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact of a Khan Academy growth mindset lesson plan on the motivation of at-risk ninth grade students in a mathematics classroom. Data were collected for quantitative analysis of students’ self- reporting of perceptions pertaining to mindset beliefs before and after a mindset intervention and perceptions about motivation in the mathematics classroom. Analysis revealed there was no relationship between mindset and motivation. A minimal decrease in fixed mathematical mindset was determined after a Khan Academy mindset intervention. Increases were found in students’ beliefs in the importance of math, the usefulness …

Do Men Matter? In Statistics, Probably, Michael Kelly

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

In statistical genetics, there are several parameters of a dataset which a researcher might, but which are difficult to estimate in practice. In this paper, we will be focusing on allele frequencies, null alleles, inbreeding coefficients and, to a certain extent, beta values. A common technique for obtaining these values, developed by Amy Anderson and her co-workers, is to jointly estimate all of them using an EM-algorithm and the method of maximum likelihood. Despite this technique being effective in general, it is currently unable to deal with males at X-linked markers. The purpose of this project is to modify the …

District-University Collaborations To Support Reform-Based Mathematics Curriculum Implementation, Kelly Gomez Johnson, Amy L. Nebesniak, Theodore J. Rupnow

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Curriculum change is inevitable in schooling. For content areas such as mathematics that are already under the national spotlight, transitioning to new curriculum materials while concurrently enacting instructional reform creates both a challenge and an opportunity. This paper discusses how partnerships between two state universities and respective neighboring school districts resulted in the creation and implementation of graduate courses for teachers targeted at curricular and instructional reform specific to each district. Common course components between both university-district partnerships were identified in the areas of mathematics research, practice, and leadership advocacy and found to be instrumental in supporting instructional reform and …

The Impact Of Intelligent Tutoring Software On Geometry Students, Simela Oueini

Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this paper is to deepen the understanding for a problem of practice in the mathematics educators’ classroom of low retention of information thus leading to poor mathematics achievement. The identification of the problem of practice led to a development of a research focus examining the effects of using intelligent tutoring software in the mathematics classroom and the impact it has on mathematics achievement, student motivation as it relates to self-efficacy, student engagement and attitudes towards mathematics. Using a convergent mixed methods approach (Creswell, 2012), this paper elaborates on the research questions addressing “What effects does the integration …

Building Community And Teaching Excellence Among Adjunct Faculty, Kirk Weller, Kristi Haik

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

We describe a professional development program to enable mathematics adjuncts to meet HLC guidelines for credentialing. We explain how this program has supported community building and teaching excellence among the adjunct group and consider possibilities for scalability and expansion.

No Bones About It: How Digital Fabrication Changes Student Perceptions Of Their Role In The Classroom, Alexandria K. Hansen, Jasmine K. Mcbeath, Danielle B. Harlow

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This study used cultural historical activity theory to make meaning of a digital fabrication project situated in the complexity of a classroom. Using an ethnographic perspective, we observed 14 students (aged 13–14) in a middle school’s creative design and engineering class inspired by the Maker Movement. Working with the classroom teacher, a professional stuntman tasked students with fabricating a prosthetic bone for use as a movie prop using their understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Teacher interviews and student focus groups revealed differences in perceptions between their science class and engineering class. Additionally, affordances and constraints of the 3D …

Stem On A Budget: A Basic Guide For Teaching Stem In Ops Afterschool Programs, Tyrome Williams

Criss Library Faculty Publications

This guide was written with the goal of providing a rough lesson plan, which could act as a supplemental guide for sustainable activities at sites in the Omaha area to better serve their students and children. The STEM lessons I chose in this book are engaging, hold education value, and are cost effective if used properly. This book contains valuable information to supplement STEM learning. Whether you’re a teacher, instructor, supervisor for children, or a substitute; you will always be the most valuable asset in your classroom. This is a free use document and should not be sold for any …

Effects Of Game-Based Learning On Attitude And Achievement In Elementary Mathematics, Kyli White, Leah P. Mccoy

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

Games-based learning involves instruction with realistic game experiences (Cicchino, 2015). This action research study explored game-based learning as fifth grade mathematics students completed a brief unit on ordered pairs utilizing games-based lessons. Attitude and achievement data were collected mainly by surveys, content tests, student interviews, and field notes. Additional information included in the teacher-researcher analysis consisted of classroom photographs, videos, and student work samples. Results revealed that student attitudes improved both toward the lessons and toward math in general. Similarly, achievement improved for all students across the unit. Analysis of the narrative data produced three themes. First, the students acquired …

Proof By Contradiction: Teaching And Learning Considerations In The Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Gregory Hine

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This professional practice paper is underpinned philosophically by the indisputable centrality of proof to the discipline of mathematics. Proof offers students the opportunity to deepen their own understanding of mathematical ideas, to construct and defend logical arguments, and to think critically about the veracity of mathematical statements. Such opportunities afford students key skills required for further study, and arguably for a myriad of careers. Proof by contradiction is a particular mathematical technique taught in Australian senior secondary classrooms (ACMSM025, ACMSM063) which will be explored in this paper. In particular, several worked examples will be outlined alongside implications for best instructional …

What Gendered Constructs About Mathematics Do Parents Have As Their Children Begin School In Australia?, Rachelle Glynn

Education Conference Papers

This study investigated whether parents have gendered constructs related to mathematics. Parents and their kindergarten-aged children from three primary schools in Sydney were interviewed to see what their understandings of boys’ and girls’ interests and abilities in mathematics were. Parents completed the Who and Mathematics questionnaire and were interviewed to determine if there were any gendered understandings and exactly what they were. The data shows that parents believe that boys are more likely to have an aptitude and interest in mathematics. In contrast, girls are perceived as more anxious, harder workers and in addition, that they have to work harder …

Effects Of Professional Learning Communities On Instructional Revisions In Secondary Mathematics Classrooms, John Kenneth Bond

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This non-experimental, descriptive study examined the effect(s), if any, that professional learning communities have had on the professional practices of secondary (grades 9-12) mathematics teachers in Boone, Clay, Putnam, and Kanawha counties in West Virginia. Also investigated were the potential differences in instructional-practice change(s) based on selected demographic variables: sex, degree level, the grade level taught, the total years of teaching experience, the total number of years in their current position, the specific math subject taught, the total number of years of PLC participation, and the composition (e.g., departmental, cross-curricular, or both) of participants’ PLC. Data were collected from a …

Course Portfolio For Math 872: Topology Ii, Alex Zupan

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

In this course portfolio, I explore tactics for engaging a group of beginning mathematics graduate students taking the second semester of the first-year sequence in topology. Course objectives include computing algebraic invariants of topological spaces, understanding the Galois correspondence between covering spaces and fundamental groups, and using a range of invariants to distinguish spaces. My main instructional tools include a series of three "Activities" tailored to each student, a project involving computing invariants with the program SnapPy and using homology of covering spaces to distinguish 3-dimensional knots, and individual student board work during class periods. The activities served as benchmarks …

Maths Anxious Pre-Service Teachers' Perspectives Of "Doing" Mathematics In A Whiteboard Room, Sarah Sanders, Wendy S. Nielsen, Carolyn Mcphail, Patricia A. Forrester

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Mathematics anxiety is common among pre-service primary teachers and many experience higher levels of maths anxiety than other university students. This study asks: What are maths anxious pre-service teachers' perspectives of "doing" mathematics in a whiteboard room? The Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (A-MARS) was used to identify high, medium and low levels of maths anxiety in a cohort of first-year pre-service teachers (n=196). Semi-structured interviews (n=6) explored perspectives that were analysed through Vygotsky's sociocultural dimensions of the intrapersonal and the interpersonal, as well as the physical environment of the whiteboard room. Results show that doing maths in a whiteboard …

Telling Our Stories: Exploring The Path Toward Successful Mathematics Degree Attainment At An Under-Resourced Predominantly Black Institution, Lauren E. Mckittrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The under-representation of Blacks in mathematics related professions stems from an American educational system of inequity. Many Black students, including a substantial proportion of those who enroll at Predominantly Black Institutions, attend elementary and secondary schools in under-resourced districts with limited access to quality teachers and rigorous, culturally-relevant instruction that would adequately prepare them for college attainment in mathematics.

The primary research question guiding this study was: What are the challenges and opportunities associated with building and sustaining a successful mathematics degree program at an under-resourced Predominantly Black Institution? Concurrently, this interpretive case study examined and documented the experiences of …

Math 314: Linear Algebra-A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Xavier Pérez-Giménez

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

My intention with this portfolio is to present my approach to teaching Math 314. This is a linear algebra course for senior-year undergraduate students in different STEM programs. The course serves as a transition from computational courses, such as calculus, to more theoretical ones, and exposes students, possibly for the first time, to abstract mathematical objects (such as general vector spaces) and simple proofs. Several lecture-based strategies are discussed and evaluated in connection with student learning outcomes. I also present samples of course materials and student work.

A Qualitative Study Of Instructional Practices For English Learners In Elementary Mathematics, Katie Corinne Baum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is important for elementary teachers to provide quality mathematics instruction for English Learner (EL) students to close achievement gaps. Elementary mathematics teachers in the Keystone School District were struggling to implement instructional practices for EL students in mathematics as evidenced by communications with teachers, administrators, and documents from the state-required action plan. The purpose of this study was to explore the instructional practices and the challenges encountered by teachers related to providing mathematics instruction for ELs. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Model served as the conceptual framework. The research questions focused on the instructional practices that teachers were implementing …

Teacher Beliefs About Providing Instruction For Gifted Students In Inclusive Mathematics Classrooms, Carrie Lynn Kizuka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kindergarten - Grade 12 (K-12) students identified as gifted in mathematics in the United States are not being appropriately challenged. Teachers are the most important school-related factor that contributes to student success; however, researchers have not explored the experiences of teachers who work with gifted students in inclusive mathematics classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of K-12 teachers who provide instruction for gifted students in inclusive mathematics classrooms. Bandura's social cognitive theory framed the study. Interview data were collected from 12 teachers who provide mathematics instruction for gifted students in inclusive …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Sustainability Of Mathematics And Science Partnership Professional Development, Robert Harold Alt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The sustainability of improved pedagogy gained through professional development (PD) of mathematics teachers has undergone little empirical study. In a midsized urban school district in the Northeastern United States, all high school mathematics teachers attended a 3-year mandatory PD program. Although an external evaluator studied this program immediately after completion, there had been no longitudinal study of the perceptions of its participants regarding the sustained benefits of the program. This qualitative study offered a follow-up study of the participants in the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) PD program to provide insight to administrators regarding the sustainability of benefits gained through …

Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Opportunities And Challenges, Shelby Eversole

Masters Theses

This study investigates the perspectives of opportunities and challenges of middle school mathematics’ teachers. To gain these perspectives, an ethnographic study was conducted by interviewing four middle school mathematics teachers in central Illinois. The results of this study imply that teachers of different backgrounds and teaching environments have varying perspectives about challenges and opportunities in the classroom. Limitations of this study include but are not limited to, the researcher having one year to conduct the research, only four teachers from two schools being interviewed, interviewees teaching different grade levels, no rural setting involvement, one educator having little teaching experience, teachers’ …

Two Way Street: An Applied Research Study On The Effects Of Increased Parent And Community Involvement Activities On Student Academic Growth In Mathematics At South Lee Middle School, Jason Clifton Arledge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first overarching goal was to increase student academic growth on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program mathematics assessment to at least 75%. This was attempted through implementation of grade-level Remind services and the Red Raider Family program. The second overarching goal was to create a cycle of continuous improvement through feedback from key stakeholders in the form of surveys, interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and descriptive statistics. South Lee Middle School evaluated each of these initiatives and utilized resources to adjust these programs for use in the 2018-2019 school year.

A First-Year Teacher’S Implementation Of Short-Cycle Formative Assessment Through The Use Of A Classroom Response System And Flexible Grouping, Adrienne Irving Dumas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As teachers we are tasked with ensuring that our students are equipped with the skills necessary to not only perform with proficiency on local state and national assessments but also to provide our students with opportunities to develop confidence and competence as learners of mathematics through meaningful challenging and worthwhile activities. As such many teachers have turned to technology and cooperative groups as staples in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to understand how one first-year teacher implemented what she was taught in her undergraduate coursework in teaching two specific units of instruction in two sections of high …

Feedback In The Flipped High School Stem Classroom, Trisha Michele Gilbreath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how much feedback students received in the flipped high school science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classroom. The flipped classroom is a pedagogical technique where students watch video instruction at home and complete collaborative activities in class. This technique has gained popularity in recent years, especially in STEM classrooms. The literature on the flipped classroom is inconclusive, with studies mainly conducted in higher education. Student and instructor perceptions were often studied, and those perceptions are generally positive about the flipped classroom, though there are concerns to consider. Student performance shows that the flipped classroom is at least …