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Science and Mathematics Education

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Mathematics Interventions: A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Level Of Implementation Of The Accelerated Math Program And Student Achievement, Deborah Walker Driesel Dec 2013

Mathematics Interventions: A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Level Of Implementation Of The Accelerated Math Program And Student Achievement, Deborah Walker Driesel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current legislation, such as No Child Left Behind (2001) or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004), has increased accountability for schools for the education of all students. These laws require schools to provide interventions for struggling learners, as part of the Response to Intervention process (IDEA, 2004). Accelerated Math (AM), published by Renaissance Learning, is a scientifically based program designed to supplement quality instruction as part of the RtI process. This correlational study examined ex post facto data using pre and posttest scores on the STAR Math Test in relation to amount of classroom time dedicated to AM instruction …


A Longitudinal Study Investigating The Effects Of The Pbl Approach In Secondary Mathematics Education, Yooyeun Hwang Aug 2013

A Longitudinal Study Investigating The Effects Of The Pbl Approach In Secondary Mathematics Education, Yooyeun Hwang

Faculty Presentations

This longitudinal study investigated the effect of Project Based Learning (PBL) on secondary-mathematics students in order to determine both academic-skill development and motivational factors associated with learning. Results showed that secondary students not only benefited from PBL in learning mathematics content, but exhibited improved self-efficacy and self-regulation in learning mathematics.


A Teacher's Guide To Pisa Mathematical Literacy, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Lisa De Bortoli Aug 2013

A Teacher's Guide To Pisa Mathematical Literacy, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Lisa De Bortoli

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This report focuses on mathematical literacy and is one of a series of three reports on Australian students' performance in PISA. The report provides an overview of the PISA mathematics framework and Australia's results in the PISA 2003 international assessment. Also included are mathematics items released for public viewing after the PISA 2003 assessment and examples of responses, marking guides and comparisons of results with other countries. The context behind achievement, e.g. attitudes, engagement and learning strategies, is also presented.


The Effect Of Single Gender Instruction On Eighth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement, David Hammel Jul 2013

The Effect Of Single Gender Instruction On Eighth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement, David Hammel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

n the research study, this investigator utilized a non-experimental, causal-comparative design (ex post facto) with archival data to determine the real impact single gender instruction had on eighth grade students' mathematics achievement. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the benefits of single gender mathematics instruction for eighth grade male and female students, when compared against traditional coeducational instruction. Specifically, the researcher compared students instructed in single gender eighth grade mathematics classes with students taught in traditional coeducational classes by analyzing fall vs. spring Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) computerized mathematics test score means. Additionally, honors vs. non-honors …


A Comparison Of Two Job Offers In Mathematics Education, Ryan Andrew Nivens Jun 2013

A Comparison Of Two Job Offers In Mathematics Education, Ryan Andrew Nivens

ETSU Faculty Works

Many job seekers in higher education are unaware of how large a discrepancy there can be in terms of financial potential for mathematics education jobs in higher education. Recent research on this topic has focused on the base salary (Reys, Reys, & Estapa, 2013), but other financial factors have been left unstudied. Through two cases, the researcher demonstrates a large gap that exists in net pay when major financial factors beyond base salary are considered, specifically insurance and retirement benefits. This article will spur conversations among faculty and graduate students in mathematics education doctoral programs allowing mentors to draw from …


Social Mathworking: The Effects Of Online Reflection On Algebra I Students' Sense Of Community And Perceived Learning, Patricia Allanson May 2013

Social Mathworking: The Effects Of Online Reflection On Algebra I Students' Sense Of Community And Perceived Learning, Patricia Allanson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if online reflections through social networking affect students' sense of community and levels of perceived conceptual learning in Algebra I courses. Social constructivism, connectivism, and computer-mediated communication in relation to reflective practices form the theoretical and practical framework for the use of Web 2.0 technologies in this investigation. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was used to examine Algebra I students' sense of community as measured by the Sense of Classroom Community Index, and perceived learning as measured by Perceived Learning Instrument. The sample consisted of 27 Algebra I students at a …


Teacher-Student Relationships And Student Achievement In Grades Six And Seven Math, Julia Britt May 2013

Teacher-Student Relationships And Student Achievement In Grades Six And Seven Math, Julia Britt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzed the effect of teacher-student relationships on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) math scores for grades six and seven. Data were studied to determine if an increase in student achievement was related to the often-overlooked interpersonal human relationships between teachers and students. The researcher expected to find a correlation between positive teacher-student relationships and an increase in standardized test scores. The researcher analyzed the data of student scores in rural middle school mathematics' class and teacher characteristics to determine if a relation existed between student achievement and positive teacher-student relationships. The American version of the Questionnaire on …


Impacting Student Attitudes Toward Mathematics Through Project-Based Learning: A Multiple Intelligence Based Approach, Andre Wade Apr 2013

Impacting Student Attitudes Toward Mathematics Through Project-Based Learning: A Multiple Intelligence Based Approach, Andre Wade

Annual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Creativity

Reflecting on my first year of teaching, the number one hindrance to my students’ progress in mathematics seemed to be that my students strongly disliked the subject. Therefore in my second year of teaching at a diverse Catholic school in New England, I completed an action research project that implemented project-based learning (PBL) based on Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory into my mathematics classroom. I wanted to to see if the experience would first, impact student attitudes to make students like math more, and second, if PBL would allow students to see mathematics as applicable to the real world. Therefore, this …


Math Education At Its Prime?, Natalie Benet Jan 2013

Math Education At Its Prime?, Natalie Benet

Senior Honors Theses

Three main problems with current math education are negative mindsets toward math, the lagging comparison with advanced education in other countries, and ill-equipped teachers and school systems. The consequences of these problems have impacted math education by convincing students that they do not need to try at math, filling countless classrooms with ill-qualified teachers, and overall lowering the quality of U.S. math education compared to the education of rest of the world. In order to correct these problems and reverse the present and future consequences, the quality of math education must be increased. This can be done by changing the …


Collaborating To Improve Inquiry-Based Teaching In Elementary Science And Mathematics Methods Courses, Paula A. Magee, Ryan Flessner Dec 2012

Collaborating To Improve Inquiry-Based Teaching In Elementary Science And Mathematics Methods Courses, Paula A. Magee, Ryan Flessner

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

This study examines the effect of promoting inquiry-based teaching (IBT) through collaboration between a science methods course and mathematics methods course in an elementary teacher education program. During the collaboration, preservice elementary teacher (PST) candidates experienced 3 different types of inquiry as a way to foster increased understanding of inquiry based teaching (IBT). The experiences included a PST driven science inquiry and a mathematics inquiry where PSTs were learners and a science inquiry where PSTs were teachers. During and following the semester of the collaboration, data were collected to assess the impact of the inquiry experiences on the PSTs’ understanding …


Instructor Use Of Tablet Pcs In A College Pre-Calculus Course: Implementation & Assessment, Julianna Connelly Stockton, Peter Gregory Oct 2012

Instructor Use Of Tablet Pcs In A College Pre-Calculus Course: Implementation & Assessment, Julianna Connelly Stockton, Peter Gregory

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A group of six math instructors used tablet PCs to teach their individual sections of a high enrollment gateway Pre-Calculus course in a diverse urban four-year college. Student performance in the experimental sections were compared to those in 31 other sections in terms of student retention, pass rates, and score on the department-wide standardized final exam. Student performance was higher in Tablet PC sections across all three measures, although in some cases the improvement was not substantial enough to improve students’ overall course grades. Surveys of students and faculty in classes using a Tablet PC reflected overall positive impressions of …


The Effect Of Differentiated Instruction On Standardized Assessment Performance Of Students In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Kimberly Gail Williams Jul 2012

The Effect Of Differentiated Instruction On Standardized Assessment Performance Of Students In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Kimberly Gail Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Changing demographics, student diversity, and increased accountability have compelled educators to challenge the uniform constraints of traditional instruction and create an environment focused on individual achievement. Differentiated instruction empowers teachers to target multiple learning styles through varied themes, adapted content delivery, and assessment options. This quantitative quasi-experimental research study examined the effects of differentiated instruction on seventh grade student performance on standardized mathematics assessments using a repeated-measures design. Two independent research trials, controlling for initial group differences with 2011 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, provided inconclusive assessment results. Significant differences between students who received differentiated instruction compared …


Comparing The Success And Experiences Of Developmental Algebra I Students, Christy Lowery-Carter Jul 2012

Comparing The Success And Experiences Of Developmental Algebra I Students, Christy Lowery-Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students enrolled during the spring 2011 and summer 2011 semesters taking developmental Algebra I were invited to participate in a study. Students were required to complete a researcher-made pretest prior to instruction, complete the course over the semester, and complete an identical posttest at the end of the course. The online students voluntarily completed a researcher-made survey. An ANCOVA analysis, using the pretest scores as a covariate, showed a significant difference between the online and seated students, as the online students scored significantly higher. The survey showed online students tended to utilize the captured lectures, with a larger percentage of …


Kindergarten Mathematics: An Observational Study Of Learning Centers In Diverse School Settings, Juliana Macswan May 2012

Kindergarten Mathematics: An Observational Study Of Learning Centers In Diverse School Settings, Juliana Macswan

Honors Scholar Theses

This qualitative research study investigated how centers were used in kindergarten math classes and students’ mathematical engagement and authority within centers in five classes field-testing the Project M2: Mentoring Young Mathematicians measurement and geometry units. Data were collected from three observations in each of the five classes as well as observations from trained professional development staff working on the field-test and teacher exit interviews. Results indicated that in four of the five classes two-thirds of the centers related to the unit objectives and students spent over 90% of time in unit related centers. There were a variety of …


Learning To Teach Mathematics With Reasoning And Sense Making, Amy L. Nebesniak May 2012

Learning To Teach Mathematics With Reasoning And Sense Making, Amy L. Nebesniak

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study uses teacher research to examine teacher learning in the context of instructional coaching. The author, a mathematics instructional coach, engaged in an intense three-week coaching relationship with a high school Algebra teacher. A detailed description of the teaching and learning of quadratics that took place during this research provide information about what and how a teacher learns to teach mathematics with reasoning and sense making. Mapping the terrain of quadratics deepened the teacher’s understanding of the mathematical content and encouraged him to adapt his textbook in order to build mathematical reasoning. Through the coaching process, the teacher also …


Effects Of A Developmental Boot Camp: Improving Student Performance On A College Placement Test, Heather Hill Apr 2012

Effects Of A Developmental Boot Camp: Improving Student Performance On A College Placement Test, Heather Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nationwide, students are entering college unprepared for college-level work. Recent high school graduates are placing into developmental courses at an alarming rate. The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of a developmental boot camp on standardized placement test scores of students enrolling at a community college in North Carolina. The study has a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design. Collected data will include participants' scores on the pretest and posttest placement test. A control group of eligible students who chose not to participate will be posttested for comparison. Instruments include ASSET® placement test and Computer-Adaptive Placement Assessment …


Humanistic Mathematics: An Oxymoron?, Gizem Karaali Jan 2012

Humanistic Mathematics: An Oxymoron?, Gizem Karaali

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

Mathematics faculty are trained as mathematicians, first and foremost. If we did not experience the soul-expanding possibilities of liberal education during our own undergraduate years, we may hesitate to bridge disciplinary divides when pursuing our core human need to inquire and understand. Although most mathematicians I know are amazing teachers, communicators, and mentors, many still teach the same material that their professors and their professors’ professors taught. This time-tested approach can be powerful, fascinating, and even quite entertaining. But it can also seem far removed from the world we inhabit. Yes, we teach “real world applications” of mathematical concepts. Yet …


The Effects Of A Remedial Math Intervention On Standardized Test Scores In Georgia Middle Schools, Chastity London Adams Jul 2011

The Effects Of A Remedial Math Intervention On Standardized Test Scores In Georgia Middle Schools, Chastity London Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Schools are looking for interventions to improve academic achievement and increase test scores due to the requirements of No Child Left Behind. One such intervention in middle schools is remedial math. This causal comparative study examined the differences in the standardized test scores for at-risk students who receive remedial math instruction and at-risk students who do not receive this intervention. In addition, this study examined gender differences for the remedial math students. The Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test of 293 at-risk seventh-grade students was used in this study. Using the previous year's standardized math test scores as a control variable, there …


Factors Related To Math Performance And Potential Benefits Of One-On-One Instruction, Amanda Zagame May 2011

Factors Related To Math Performance And Potential Benefits Of One-On-One Instruction, Amanda Zagame

Honors Projects in Mathematics

This fall 2010 study of Bryant University students enrolled in freshman-level math courses considered factors related to college-level math performance, including gender, math self-efficacy, math anxiety, and utilization of professors’ office hours and/or tutoring center services. Female students at Bryant reported lower levels of math self-efficacy and higher levels of math anxiety, both of which research has shown to be negatively correlated with test scores. The use of one-on-one instruction was expected to provide a potential counterweight to this equation. Results from the 287 initial and 229 final surveys administered in this study did not support this hypothesis. This phenomenon …


Teaching Statistics To Elementary Children: Using A Problem-Solving Approach To Enhance Learning, Kayla Lee Botelho Apr 2011

Teaching Statistics To Elementary Children: Using A Problem-Solving Approach To Enhance Learning, Kayla Lee Botelho

Honors Projects

When teaching statistics (or data analysis) to elementary children, it is beneficial to use a problem-solving approach that incorporates meaningful tasks to enhance the students' learning. This was determined through a careful review of literature, observations of elementary teachers, and the creation and instruction of data analysis unit. The unit required the students to collect data on heights, organize the data in charts, and display the data in line plots. In addition, the students analyzed the data to recalculate the average and other measures of central tendency and to answer questions that arose through the implementation of the lessons. In …


Mathematics In The Age Of Technology: There Is A Place For Technology In The Mathematics Classroom, Helen Crompton Jan 2011

Mathematics In The Age Of Technology: There Is A Place For Technology In The Mathematics Classroom, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

In today’s world of ubiquitous computing there are a number of technologies available to K-12 educators for teaching and learning mathematics. However, Koehler and Mishra (2008) have described how teaching and learning with such technologies presents a “wicked problem,” as it can involve a number of variables, independent of each other and contextually bound, that need to be brought together. This article highlights the advantages technology offers for mathematics education and looks at some of the reasons behind the poor uptake, such as teacher beliefs and lack of training. A number of solutions are offered to address these issues, including …


I Have A Solution To Share: Learning Through Equitable Participation In A Mathematics Classroom, Mary Q. Foote, Rachel Lambert Jan 2011

I Have A Solution To Share: Learning Through Equitable Participation In A Mathematics Classroom, Mary Q. Foote, Rachel Lambert

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Student participation is an issue of equity. Without participation there can be no learning. This study focuses on the participation (and therefore learning) of struggling students (those with individual education plans [IEPs]) during the implementation of a relational thinking routine in a third-grade inclusion classroom. Students with IEPs often initially used direct modeling with linking cubes as a resource for presenting their thinking. In this way, they were able to demonstrate their ability to think relationally. As the year progressed, these students, who had earlier been reluctant to share and had done so only by using several of the resources …


Developing Mathematical Content Knowledge For Teaching Elementary School Mathematics, Eva Thanheiser, Christine A. Browning, Meg Moss, Tad Watanabe, Gina Garza-Kling Dec 2010

Developing Mathematical Content Knowledge For Teaching Elementary School Mathematics, Eva Thanheiser, Christine A. Browning, Meg Moss, Tad Watanabe, Gina Garza-Kling

Faculty and Research Publications

In this paper the authors present three design principles they use to develop preservice teachers' mathematical content knowledge for teaching in their mathematics content and/or methods courses: (1) building on currently held conceptions, (2) modeling teaching for understanding, (3) focusing on connections between content knowledge and other types of knowledge. The authors share results of individual research projects and teaching approaches focusing on helping preservice elementary teachers develop such knowledge. Specific examples from different content areas (whole number, fractions, angle, and area) are discussed.


The Impact Of Content Courses On Pre-Service Elementary Teachers’ Mathematical Content Knowledge, Michael Matthews, Janice Rech, Neal Grandgenett Dec 2010

The Impact Of Content Courses On Pre-Service Elementary Teachers’ Mathematical Content Knowledge, Michael Matthews, Janice Rech, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

In response to research documenting the mathematical deficiencies of pre-service elementary teachers, many teacher preparation programs are requiring mathematical content courses specifically focusing on the mathematics taught at the elementary level. This study considers what impact two such courses (one course focusing on Arithmetic, and the other course focusing on Geometry and Measurement) had on the mathematical content knowledge and attitude towards mathematics by comparing a group of pre-service elementary teachers who took these courses to a group of pre-service elementary teachers who took only a more general mathematics course (such as College Algebra). Results indicated that those teachers who …


Cooperative Learning And The Gifted Student In Elementary Mathematics, Christine C. Hecox Oct 2010

Cooperative Learning And The Gifted Student In Elementary Mathematics, Christine C. Hecox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research was a quantitative research project dealing with Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Mathematics scores of fourth grade students, including gifted and high-achieving students, in 2008-2009 under the exposure of daily cooperative learning in mathematics. The problem statement was as follows: In Polk County, Florida, how does cooperative learning affect the FCAT Mathematics scores among fourth grade students, including gifted and high-achieving students? The purpose of the quasi-experimental study was to explore the relationship of cooperative learning versus traditional learning on their student achievement. The null hypothesis was that cooperative learning would have no effect on fourth grade gifted …


Is Competition Making A Comeback? Discovering Methods To Keep Female Adolescents Engaged In Stem: A Phenomenological Approach, Kathryn B. Notter Aug 2010

Is Competition Making A Comeback? Discovering Methods To Keep Female Adolescents Engaged In Stem: A Phenomenological Approach, Kathryn B. Notter

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The decreasing number of women who are graduating in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a major concern. Despite national support in the form of grants provided by National Science Foundation, National Center for Information and Technology and legislation passed such as the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 that encourages women to enter the STEM fields, the number of women actually graduating in these fields is surprisingly low. This research study focuses on a robotics competition and its ability to engage female adolescents in STEM curricula. Data have been collected to help explain why young …


Stem Talent: Moving Beyond Traditional Boundaries, Stephanie Pace Marshall Jan 2010

Stem Talent: Moving Beyond Traditional Boundaries, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

The future well-being, prosperity and sustainability of our nation, the global community and our planet resides in igniting and nurturing decidedly different STEM minds that can advance both the new STEM frontier and the human future.


Mathematical Notation: Help Or Hindrance?, Geoff D. Tennant Dr Jan 2010

Mathematical Notation: Help Or Hindrance?, Geoff D. Tennant Dr

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

This article puts forward a range of reasons for using mathematical notation, emphasizing the need to allow children learning it time and space to come to terms with it. Examples are given in furthering the argument that the time to introduce notation is after the concept is already fully understood.


"What Was Really Accomplished Today?" Mathematics Content Specialists Observe A Class For Prospective K-8 Teachers, Andrew M. Tyminski, Sarah D. Ledford, Dennis Hembree Jan 2010

"What Was Really Accomplished Today?" Mathematics Content Specialists Observe A Class For Prospective K-8 Teachers, Andrew M. Tyminski, Sarah D. Ledford, Dennis Hembree

Faculty and Research Publications

One of the important activities mathematics teacher educators engage in is the development of teachers at both the in-service and pre-service levels. Also of importance is the professional development of these professional developers. In the summer of 2004, a summer institute was held that allowed mathematics teacher educators watch the teaching of a mathematics content course for prospective K-8 teachers. This paper examines the manner in which a specific group of mathematics content specialists experienced this professional development.


The Effects Of Folding-In Of Basic Mathematics Facts For Students With Disabilities, Tamara D. Bertini, Dara Coffrey, Kristine D. Swain Jan 2010

The Effects Of Folding-In Of Basic Mathematics Facts For Students With Disabilities, Tamara D. Bertini, Dara Coffrey, Kristine D. Swain

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Research in the area of elementary mathematics has been limited in recent years. Direct instruction methods, including drill tasks, have been recommended for elementary students who have mathematics difficulties. This project involves two studies that examined the effectiveness of a specific direct instruction intervention, Folding-In, on the math computation achievement of elementary students. Weekly Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) progress monitoring data, as well as achievement test data, were used to monitor the effectiveness of the intervention, with improvements noted in math fact fluency in both a university-based clinical tutoring and a classroom intervention setting.