Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Science and Mathematics Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education

A Causal Comparative Analysis Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy Of Face-To-Face And Online Quantitative Literacy Students, Laronda Lowery Jul 2018

A Causal Comparative Analysis Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy Of Face-To-Face And Online Quantitative Literacy Students, Laronda Lowery

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mathematics self-efficacy has been shown to be a strong predictor of mathematics performance and mixed results have been found when examining the mathematics self-efficacy of face-to-face students based on gender and age. However, there is a lack of research studies that examine if differences exist in the mathematics self-efficacy of face-to-face and online students. The purpose of this ex-post facto causal comparative quantitative study was to determine if differences existed in the mathematics self-efficacy of Quantitative Literacy students, as measured by the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, based on their choice of delivery method (face-to-face or online). Participants for this research study …


Technology-Rich Activities: One Type Does Not Motivate All, Jason A. Chen, Jon R. Star, Chris Dede, M. Shane Tutwiler Jul 2018

Technology-Rich Activities: One Type Does Not Motivate All, Jason A. Chen, Jon R. Star, Chris Dede, M. Shane Tutwiler

School of Education Articles

We report on data collected at three time points during a four-day intervention designed to explore the value added of technology-rich activities within an inquiry mathematics curriculum. Two of the activities were computer-based, whereas the third involved a professionally created movie. Using latent profile analysis we explored (a) the profiles of experiences (indicated by self-reports of immersion, interest, usefulness, and relatedness of the technology activity) that students in Grades 5–8 (n = 7774) reported regarding their participation in one of three different activities; (b) the motivational and achievement outcomes in mathematics that were evident by being a member of one …


The Impact Of Computer-Based Programs On Middle School Math Achievement, Kenyatta Gilmore May 2018

The Impact Of Computer-Based Programs On Middle School Math Achievement, Kenyatta Gilmore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlation research study was to investigate the impact of computer-based learning on middle school math achievement of at-risk students. The participants for this study were drawn from a convenience sample of 83 middle school students located in southeastern Georgia. At-risk middle school students were achieving below their grade equivalent and failing to meet local and state proficiency standards. Computer-based instruction was implemented as an intervention to increase student achievement in mathematics. The study used a pretest-posttest control group design and used SPSS software to conduct the statistical analyses using an ANCOVA and t-test. The results indicated …


Experiencing Success: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Of Successful Remedial Mathematics Students, Kyle Ireland May 2018

Experiencing Success: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Of Successful Remedial Mathematics Students, Kyle Ireland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe how students experience success in mathematics remediation at a four-year private institution in the central United States. Success in a remedial mathematics course was defined as one’s completion of a required remedial mathematics course having earned an overall grade of 90% or higher. The theories guiding this study were achievement goal theory and expectancy-value theory grounded in Bandura’s social cognitive theory. This theoretical framework provided a motivational framework for student success in a post-secondary, remedial mathematics course based on individual goals for completing the task, student self-efficacy beliefs, and the …


Engagement And Positive Psychology For Stem Learning And Beyond, Mark Tuominen, Lori Tuominen Jan 2018

Engagement And Positive Psychology For Stem Learning And Beyond, Mark Tuominen, Lori Tuominen

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

Positive psychology is the study of how people flourish. A considerable amount of recent scientific research is now showing how the basic tenets of positive psychology used in schools can boost engagement, learning and wellbeing for students and teachers. These principles apply to any type of learning, including STEM courses. The concepts and practices of positive psychology effectively serve as affective multipliers, enhancing learning success and personal wellbeing. This seminar will introduce a sampler plate of ideas and activities from their course for first-year UMass students, entitled “Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness, Creativity, and Accomplishment.”


Motivation As A Complex System: Semester-Long Recursive Dynamics Of Expectancy-Value Constructs In Undergraduate Biology, Avi Kaplan, Xi Hang Cao, Ting Dai, Zoran Obradovic, Tony Perez, Jennifer G. Cromley, Kyle Mara, Michael J. Balsai Jan 2018

Motivation As A Complex System: Semester-Long Recursive Dynamics Of Expectancy-Value Constructs In Undergraduate Biology, Avi Kaplan, Xi Hang Cao, Ting Dai, Zoran Obradovic, Tony Perez, Jennifer G. Cromley, Kyle Mara, Michael J. Balsai

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The predominant aggregate-statistical analyses in motivational research manifest assumptions that stand in tension with understandings of motivational phenomena as dynamic, contextual, and variable among individuals. Using constructs from expectancy-value theory, we collected 13 weekly waves of data from 145 undergraduate students during one semester of an introductory biology course. We analyzed the data using dynamic autoregressive mixed-effects modeling, which captures the individual-level recursive processes among constructs, and then examined patterns across individuals’ motivational trajectories to discern general principles by which the expectancy-value system operates. The findings contribute to robust theoretical understandings of expectancy-value processes, and demonstrate the application of an …


Repairing The Leaky Pipeline: A Motivationally Supportive Intervention To Enhance Persistence In Undergraduate Science Pathways, Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia, Tony Perez, Michael M. Barger, Stephanie V. Wormington, Elizabeth Godin, Kate E. Snyder, Kristy Robinson, Abdhi Sakar, Laura S. Richman, Rochelle Schwartz-Bloom Jan 2018

Repairing The Leaky Pipeline: A Motivationally Supportive Intervention To Enhance Persistence In Undergraduate Science Pathways, Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia, Tony Perez, Michael M. Barger, Stephanie V. Wormington, Elizabeth Godin, Kate E. Snyder, Kristy Robinson, Abdhi Sakar, Laura S. Richman, Rochelle Schwartz-Bloom

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The current study reports on the efficacy of a multi-faceted motivationally designed undergraduate enrichment summer program for supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) persistence. Structural equation modeling was used to compare summer program participants (n = 186), who participated in the program between their first and second years in college, to a propensity score matched comparison sample (n = 401). Participation in the summer program positively predicted science motivation (self-efficacy, task value), assessed eight months after the end of the program (second year in college). The summer enrichment program was also beneficial for science persistence variables, as …