Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Cyber Collaboratory-Based Sustainable Design Education: A Pedagogical Framework, Kyoung-Yun Kim, Karl R. Haapala, Gül E. Okudan Kremer, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Educators from across the educational spectrum are faced with challenges in delivering curricula that address sustainability issues. This article introduces a cyber-based interactive e-learning platform, entitled the Sustainable Product Development Collaboratory, which is focused on addressing this need. This collaboratory aims to educate a wide spectrum of learners in the concepts of sustainable design and manufacturing by demonstrating the effects of product design on supply chain costs and environmental impacts. In this paper, we discuss the overall conceptual framework of this collaboratory along with pedagogical and instructional methodologies related to collaboratory-based sustainable design education. Finally, a sample learning module …

The History And Impact Of A College‐Level Field‐Based Course On Learner And Community Development, David M. Harwood, Leilani Arthurs

DBER Speaker Series

Providing students with inquiry‐based learning experiences was a key recommendation made in the National Academies' 2007 report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, and this presentation is about a model for providing such experiences to college‐level students through a field‐based geology course. GEOL 160 – Fundamentals of Geosciences in the Field was developed 10 years ago for undergraduate students preparing to be K‐12 science teachers. The goals of the course are to enhance undergraduate pre‐service science teachers’ (i) knowledge of geoscience and the nature of science, (ii) attitudes about science, and (iii) …

Insects As Teaching Tools, Doug Golick

DBER Speaker Series

In this talk I will present on projects in which insects were used as instructional tools. This presentation will give an overview of how insects can be used for teaching with a variety of student age groups and how inquiry instruction can be promoted with insects. I will present overviews of 3 projects including Bumble Boosters, Bugs in the Classroom, and Web‐based insects identification tools. Bumble Boosters created a community of researchers that studied bumble distribution and abundance and artificial nesting domicile preferences. Forty Nebraska high schools were involved in this project.

Bumble Boosters’ teaching objectives were to raise public …

Excellent Teaching: A Collective Case Study Of Outstanding Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Teaching Of Mathematics, Michael J. Gay

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

This qualitative collective case study explored the mathematical teaching of three excellent elementary teachers who were nominated by experts in mathematics and mathematics educational organizations, agencies and universities. I examined what excellent elementary mathematics teachers know and do in their practice of teaching. The study depicts detailed verbatim interactions between the teachers and students during actual teaching episodes to give the reader naturalistic examples of the explanation patterns and questioning strategies that these excellent teachers used to further students’ understandings of mathematical concepts and procedures. Analyses of the pedagogical strategies, including the interactive exploratory problem solving format these teachers used, …

The Effect Of An Instructional Model Utilizing Hands-On Learning And Manipulatives On Math Achievement Of Middle School Students In Georgia, Kara White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The concepts and ideas of mathematics is a major element of educational curriculum. Many different instructional strategies are implemented in mathematics classrooms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an instructional model utilizing hands-on learning and use of manipulatives on mathematics achievement of middle school students. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control-group design was used to examine 145, seventh-grade students from a North Georgia middle school. Data was collected to analyze if changes were experienced in pretest/posttest scores. A Mann-Whitney test was run and revealed initial group differences between the whole control and whole experimental groups, and also …

The National Academy Of Sciences Workshop On Assessments In Science Courses, Leilani Arthurs

DBER Speaker Series

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which have undergone the first stage of public review and are currently under development, address not only content knowledge but also scientific skills. As such, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Committee on Developing Assessments of Science Proficiency in K‐12 envisions the NGSS motivating change in the way that science is taught in the United States. A critical part of science instruction as it is envisioned with the NGSS involves using assessments. This DBER presentation will report on the latest NAS views regarding science proficiency assessments, as they were shared at all‐day workshop on …

Using Inquiry To Teach Microscope Skills, Susan Styer

Faculty Publications & Research

One of the first lab activities often done in a high school biology course is learning to use the microscope. As it is typically described in laboratory manuals, there is no inquiry involved in this activity. Students learn the parts of the microscope and information explaining its operation. There may be a review of the metric system. Then students examine cells, often to observe the difference between plant and animal cells. Students may be instructed to prepare wet mounts and do simple staining. All of these are important skills to have in order to use the microscope correctly, but it …

Two Sides Of The Megalopolis: Educating For Sustainable Citizenship, Alexander Pope, Timothy Patterson

Education Faculty Publications

Despite widespread focus on literacy and math at the expense of other subjects, citizenship and environmental education have an important role in American public education. Citizenship and environmental education are broadly tasked with helping students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to shepherd the body politic and natural world, respectively, into the future. For educators and administrators concerned with instructional efficiency, educational farm visits offer one means of pairing these two approaches into a unified learning experience. This paper presents findings from a qualitative case study analysis of two such programs, incorporating interviews with and observations of visiting students, …

Peer Mentoring: Effects On Ninth Grade Student Achievement, Michael Hardegree

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential academic impact that a trained peer mentor, would have on first time ninth grade students. Specifically, the study was aimed to measure the academic performance of ninth grade students by focusing on the interim assessment, which is a summative pre and post- test aligned to End of Course Test content weights and is used to assess students at the end of each term or semester. The study addressed whether there is a difference in post-test interim assessment scores, passing rates, and numerical averages in Integrated Algebra I by examining first …

Summer Institute On Scientific Teaching, Steven D. Harris, Anisa Kaenjak Angeletti, John Osterman

DBER Speaker Series

No abstract provided.

Young Children’S Understanding Of Conservation Concepts, Julia C. Torquati

DBER Speaker Series

This presentation will summarize an investigation of young children’s conservation knowledge and reasoning. Eighty‐two preschool aged children (3‐5 years) were interviewed at two points in time six months apart using a semi‐structured interview. The interview protocol developed by Peter Kahn (2001) was used to assess children’s conservation attitudes. This was the first time the interview was used with preschool aged children. Children were asked questions about the importance of animals, plants, parks, and gardens, and whether it is acceptable to litter (and why or why not). Fifty‐seven of the children attended a preschool located at a nature center, ten children …

The Relationship Between The Level Of Special Education Instructional Support Segments And The Academic Achievement Of Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders, Marykay Berry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Researchers have extensively studied the effects of placement on academic and behavioral interventions for students with disabilities and have found varying results. A correlational research design was used to determine if there was a relationship between the level of special education support (amount of time spent with special education support) for students with emotional behavior disorders (EBD) and student achievement in reading and math as measured by performance on the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). The study included 81 students with EBD in a small rural school district in Georgia in grades six through eight over the 2007-2008, 2008-2009, …

The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 29, Summer 2012), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

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 …

Polynomial Calculus: Rethinking The Role Of Calculus In High Schools, William Crombie, Melva R. Grant

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Access to advanced study in mathematics, in general, and to Calculus, in particular, depends in part on the conceptual architecture of these knowledge domains, and in this paper we outline an alternative architecture. Our general strategy is to separate advanced concepts from the particular advanced techniques used in their definition and exposition. This alternative architecture, thus, affords access to advanced concepts from an elementary standpoint to a larger group of learners than is presently accomplished. In the case of the Calculus we develop the beginning concepts of the Differential and Integral Calculus using only concepts and skills found in secondary …

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 …

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 …

The Effects Of Technology Instruction On The Academic Achievement Of Fifth Grade Students, Karen Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A digital native is an individual born between 1981 and 2001, and children born after 2001 are called millennials. Educators are expected to meet the needs of today's technologically savvy students. Some researchers assert that an academic `moral panic' is taking place that lacks the empirical and theoretical knowledge to support the claims that education needs to change to meet the needs of digital natives and millennials. The problem is that considering that the majority of students today are digital natives are educators meeting the learning needs of their students. This research study focused on the use of instructional technology …

Effective Science Teaching In A High Poverty Middle School, Georgette Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative case study described the characteristics of science teachers in a high poverty urban middle school whose 2010 scores on South Carolina's Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) ranked second in the state. Data was obtained through classroom observations, open-ended interviews, school documents, and photographs taken inside the school from ten participants, who were seven science teachers, a science coach, and two administrators. Findings revealed a school culture that pursued warm and caring relationships with students while communicating high expectations for achievement, strong central leadership who communicated their vision and continuously checked for its implementation through informal conversations, frequent …

Preparing Stem Graduate Teaching Assistants To Teach, Sue Ellen Dechenne

DBER Speaker Series

No abstract provided.

Integration Of Student Centered Physiology Learning Into Related High School Science Courses, Sowmya Anjur

Faculty Publications & Research

Student centered teaching was previously found to enhance student understanding and even improve performance of students in other courses taken in the same semester in high school (6). In an effort to improve student performance in related science classes, the same student centered methods used in my Physiology and Disease (PAD) class were implemented in a Biophysics class this semester. Initial student surveys showed that students felt that integrating physiology concepts into Biophysics helped them understand the material from two very different perspectives, giving them a "more complete picture". Test scores from each of the four units were compared in …

The Mathematics Portfolio: An Alternative Tool To Evaluate Students’ Progress, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

This article describes the need for more thorough and varied forms of assessment to evaluate students’ level of understanding in mathematics. Portfolios are one type of assessment tool that, when added to a teacher’s repertoire can improve students’ comprehension and retention and enable students to monitor their own progress and to take more responsibility for their own learning. Portfolio assignments can also help students and teachers to detect and remedy weaknesses and misunderstandings and can increase students’ self-confidence in mathematics. This article discusses what a portfolio is, gives an example of a unit portfolio used in an undergraduate Finite Mathematics …

Engineering Innovation And Design For Stem Teachers And The Stem Quality Framework, James Rowley, Sandi Preiss, Margaret Pinnell, Suzanne Franco

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The backbone of economic growth in the United States relies on engineering innovation. However, engineering innovation cannot occur without engineers and scientists. Unfortunately however, many K-12 students do not have a good understanding of the engineering design process or the vast field of engineering. As a result, many students lose interest in math and science and do not pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. This paper will describe a unique partnership among the Teacher Education Program and School of Engineering at the University of Dayton (UD) and the Dayton Regional STEM Center (DRSC). This partnership initiated with the …

The Eastman Scholar Mathletes: A Collaborative Partnership, Ryan Andrew Nivens, Jack Rhoton, George Poole, Hugh Imboden

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: Professional development has been of central importance throughout the mathematics education reforms in our educational history. Recognizing that math teachers represent the major link between the curriculum and student learning, expert practitioners, researchers, and policy makers emphasize professional development as an essential mechanism for deepening teachers’ content knowledge and developing their teaching practices.

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 …

Comparison Of The Effects Block And Traditional Schedules Have On The Number Of Students Who Are Proficient On The Biology End-Of-Course Test In Forty Public High Schools In The State Of North Carolina, Tonia Bonner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the difference between the number of overall students, African-American students, and students with disabilities on a semester 4 x 4 block schedule who were proficient on the North Carolina Biology End-of-Course Test and the number of the same group of students on a traditional 45-50 minute yearlong schedule who were proficient on the NC Biology End-of-Course Test in the state of North Carolina during the 2009-2010 school year. A causal-comparative design was used and three null hypotheses were tested using chi-square analysis. Archival data was used. The results showed that there was a significant association between the …

Assessing Intrinsic Values Of A Lecture-Free High School Science Education For Collegiate Science Work: A Case Study, Christopher Dorais

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study examined the efficacy of the individualized instruction teaching methodology as it was applied within high school science classes. Also examined was how individualized instruction at the high school level prepared students to do collegiate science level work.

Obstacles To Addressing Race And Ethnicity In The Mathematics Education Literature, Amy Noelle Parks, Mardi Schmeichel

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This Research Commentary builds on a 2-stage literature review to argue that there are 4 obstacles to making a sociopolitical turn in mathematics education that would allow researchers to talk about race and ethnicity in ways that take both identity and power seriously. The obstacles discussed are (a) the marginalization of discussions of race and ethnicity; (b) the reiteration of race and ethnicity as independent variables; (c) absence of race and ethnicity from mathematics education research; and (d) the minimizing of discussions of race and ethnicity, even within equity-oriented work.

Beginning Chemistry Teachers: A Longitudinal Study Of The Triplet Relationship, Krista Adams

DBER Speaker Series

No abstract provided.

Some Assembly Required: How Scientific Explanations Are Constructed During Clinical Interviews, Bruce L. Sherin, Moshe Krakowski, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This article is concerned with commonsense science knowledge, the informally-gained knowledge of the natural world that students possess prior to formal instruction in a scientific discipline. Although commonsense science has been the focus of substantial study for more than two decades, there are still profound disagreements about its nature and origin, and its role in science learning. What is the reason that it has been so difficult to reach consensus? We believe that the problems run deep; there are difficulties both with how the field has framed questions and the way that it has gone about seeking answers. In order …