Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

South Mississippi Public Elementary School Teachers' Implementation Of And Attitudes Toward Inquiry-Based Science, Thomas Franklin Sumrall

Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine the relationship between the dependent variables of K-5 elementary teachers' attitudes toward inquiry-based science, implementation of National Science Education Standards concerning inquiry-based science, and the number of inquiry-based lessons taught with the predictor variables of gender, school district teaching, ethnic group, educational level, experience, grade level teaching, and number of science courses taken. Four hundred thirty teachers of grades K through 5 from seven school districts in south Mississippi were surveyed using the Revised Science Attitude Scale (Bitner, 1994), Inquiry Beliefs and Practices survey (Jeanpierre, 2006), and a demographic questionnaire. A total of …

Are The Math Scores Of Students Who Are Taught Mathematics Utilizing The Methods Endorsed By The Alabama Math, Science, And Technology Initiative Affected?, Brenda Elise Jolly

Dissertations

Eighth-grade mathematics scores from 21 schools were compared pre-inception and post-inception of the Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). Only the scores from schools which had 80% of their mathematics and science teachers trained at one Summer Institute were used, as these were considered to be true AMSTI schools. Results found the effects of AMSTI to be not statistically significant.

The second part of this research was conducted based upon 256 surveys from teachers attending their second Summer Institute of ASMTI training. Results found many school systems may hamper teachers' ability to plan and execute AMSTI lessons due to …

Team Teaching High School Science: Game Plan For Success, Ed Linz, Mary Jane Heater, Lori A. Howard

Special Education Faculty Research

Recently team teaching has become more prevalent in high school classes. These teams often pair a general education teacher with content knowledge with a special education teacher. Due to a lack of detailed knowledge/experience in the other’s area of expertise, many team teachers in science courses are confronted with unique challenges. In this article, a general education science teacher and a special education teacher share how they successfully developed their “team.” Through the use of a sports related metaphor, “the game plan,” these teachers provide insight into how successful co-teaching relationships can be fostered. Both teachers describe the importance of …

Comparing Science Instruction Methods In The High School Classroom Setting: A Case Study In Inquiry-Based Methods., Sarah Sawyers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The science education system currently in place in the United States does not adequately prepare students to compete well with international students. The development of new teaching methods is essential to ensure improvement of the system and provide its students with better scholastic achievements and employment opportunities. Various methods have been studied, with one implemented in a high school classroom to compare the results of the new method with the traditional method of instruction. Rather than the traditional lecture-based approach, Honors Chemistry students learned the theory of the gas laws using inquiry-based methods and hands-on activities. The students were then …

Effects Of Nonfiction Guided Interactive Read-Alouds And Think-Alouds On Fourth Grader's Depth Of Content Area Science Vocabulary Knowledge And Comprehension, Tania Tamara Henderson Hanna

Dissertations

Effects of nonfiction guided interactive read-alouds and think-alouds as a supplement to basal science textbooks on three vocabulary measures, definitions, examples, and characteristics, and one multiple-choice comprehension measure were assessed for 127 fourth graders over three time periods: pretest, posttest, and a 2-week delayed posttest. Two of three fourth grade elementary science teachers implemented a series of 12 content enhanced guided interactive scripted lessons. Two of these teachers implemented two treatments each. The first condition employed basal science textbooks as the text for guided interactive read-alouds and think-alouds while the second treatment employed basal science textbooks in conjunction with nonfiction …

Robots That Teach: Developing An Integrated Curriculum For Middle School Math, Antoinette P. Bruciati

Education Faculty Publications

Keeping middle school students interested in mathematics and motivating them to succeed are challenges that continually present themselves to even the most seasoned teachers. Students will be drawn to mathematics if they are able to connect it to exciting careers. This paper describes a research-based curriculum model for teachers, grant writers, and others interested in incorporating Lego robotics technologies into an existing middle school mathematics curriculum. The model is based on data gathered from a three year research study in which approximately 150 sixth grade students per year and their teachers collaborated with a middle school Math Coordinator, a school …