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Full-Text Articles in Education

A Program Evaluation Of Double-Period Algebra, Jason Major Dec 2017

A Program Evaluation Of Double-Period Algebra, Jason Major

Dissertations

Students in ninth grade traditionally take algebra courses, but many students come in lacking foundational skills in mathematics. High schools have tried to solve this problem by introducing double-period algebra courses with sporadic results. During this program evaluation, I interviewed an administrator and a teacher from two different high schools about the methods they used to begin and evaluate the program; I found that student-teacher relationships were the most important factor in the effectiveness of the program. Using quantitative data was a good starting point to determine the students who would benefit from the program and who would be successful, …


Connecting Advanced And Secondary Mathematics, Eileen Murray, Erin Baldinger, Nicholas Wasserman, Shawn Broderick, Diana White Aug 2017

Connecting Advanced And Secondary Mathematics, Eileen Murray, Erin Baldinger, Nicholas Wasserman, Shawn Broderick, Diana White

Department of Mathematics Facuty Scholarship and Creative Works

There is an ongoing debate among scholars in understanding what mathematical knowledge secondary teachers should have in order to provide effective instruction. We explore connections between advanced and secondary mathematics as an entry point into this debate. In many cases, advanced mathematics is considered relevant for secondary teachers simply because the content is inherently related. In this paper, we instead argue that there are connections between advanced mathematics and secondary mathematics that directly influence teaching. These are not discussions of the mathematical connections, per se, but rather discussions of specific ways in which knowing mathematical connections might influence secondary teachers’ …


A Quantitative Reasoning Approach To Algebra Using Inquiry-Based Learning, Victor I. Piercey Jul 2017

A Quantitative Reasoning Approach To Algebra Using Inquiry-Based Learning, Victor I. Piercey

Numeracy

In this paper, I share a hybrid quantitative reasoning/algebra two-course sequence that challenges the common assumption that quantitative literacy and reasoning are less rigorous mathematics alternatives to algebra and illustrates that a quantitative reasoning framework can be used to teach traditional algebra. The presentation is made in two parts. In the first part, which is somewhat philosophical and theoretical, I explain my personal perspective of what I mean by “algebra” and “doing algebra.” I contend that algebra is a form of communication whose value is precision, which allows us to perform algebraic manipulations in the form of simplification and solving …


An Investigation Of Palindromes And Their Place In Mathematics, Ryan Andrew Nivens May 2017

An Investigation Of Palindromes And Their Place In Mathematics, Ryan Andrew Nivens

Ryan Andrew Nivens

What do the Honda Civic, the Mazda 626, and the Boeing 747 have in common? What about Weird Al's song Bob, the first name of Miley Cyrus' alter ego, and the 70s sensation Abba? What do all these things have in common? They all contain palindromes. While some people recognise a palindrome when they see one, fewer realise that a palindrome is a special case of a pattern and that these patterns are all around. Palindromes frequently occur in names, both of vehicles and people, and in music.


The Impact Of An Elementary Algebra Course On Student Success In A College-Level Liberal Arts Math Course And Persistence In College, Lori Ann Austin Mar 2017

The Impact Of An Elementary Algebra Course On Student Success In A College-Level Liberal Arts Math Course And Persistence In College, Lori Ann Austin

Theses and Dissertations

Many students enter community college underprepared for college-level math and are placed into developmental elementary algebra without consideration if the algebra will provide a foundation for their needed college-level math course. Large percentages of those students are unable to succeed in the developmental course and, therefore, are unable to graduate (Bahr, 2008; Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010). This quasi-experimental design focused on students who are not in math-intensive majors, needing only a general liberal arts math course. The purpose was to determine the impact of the elementary algebra course on success in college-level math and persistence in college. Student performance …


Developing Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency In Algebra For High School Students With Intellectual Disability, Andrew J. Wojcik Jan 2017

Developing Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency In Algebra For High School Students With Intellectual Disability, Andrew J. Wojcik

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching students with Intellectual Disability (ID) is a relatively new endeavor. Beginning in 2001 with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, the general education curriculum integrated algebra across the K-12 curriculum (Kendall, 2011; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010), and expansion of the curriculum included five intertwined skills (productive disposition, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and conceptual understanding) (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001). Researchers are just beginning to explore the potential of students with ID with algebra (Browder, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Harris & Wakeman, 2008; Creech-Galloway, Collins, Knight, …