Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Predictive Effects Of Absence, Gender, And Lunch Status On Math And Literacy Achievement, Megan Witonski

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if any predictive effects exist between absence, gender, lunch status, and math and literacy achievement on exams. While research supported the predictive effects of absence, gender, and lunch status on achievement there was inadequate data to determine which predictor played a more significant role.

A quantitative, regression strategy was used to analyze data from students in a rural school in northwest Arkansas. All students in this rural district who had taken the Arkansas Augmented Assessment in math and literacy required under the Arkansas accountability requirements comprised the sample for this study. The …

The Development Of A Model Of Culturally Responsive Science And Mathematics Teaching, Cecilia M. Hernandez, Amanda Morales, Gail Shroyer

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

This qualitative theoretical study was conducted in response to the current need for an inclusive and comprehensive model to guide the preparation and assessment of teacher candidates for culturally responsive teaching. The process of developing a model of culturally responsive teaching involved three steps: a comprehensive review of the literature; a synthesis of the literature into thematic categories to capture the dispositions and behaviors of culturally responsive teaching; and the piloting of these thematic categories with teacher candidates to validate the usefulness of the categories and to generate specific exemplars of behavior to represent each category. The model of culturally …

The Processes Of Change On Learning Literacy And Numeracy In South Australian Primary Schools, I Gusti Ngurah Darmawan, Carol Aldous

Shannon Research Press

Success in science and mathematics is predicated on successful literacy and numeracy learning. Yet schools and communities across the country struggle to negotiate factors that both impede and facilitate such learning - particularly factors over which they have some control. Working with data more comprehensive than that used previously and applying statistical methods only recently developed, researchers from the South Australian hub of the centre for Science, Information and Communication Technology and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR-SA) seek answers to three basic questions. What factors influence performance in Literacy and Numeracy? Does living in a rural and …

Supporting Teachers' Use Of Nonfiction Text In The Primary Grades Classroom: One Practical Strategy, Renee Rice Moran

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this article is to argue for the benefits of using nonfiction text in the primary grades classroom. Readers are provided with a brief theoretical framework which outlines how nonfiction may increase achieve,emt, motivation, and interest for young students. Additionally, practical strategies are included for classroom teachers which work to frontload and support students in the act of processing nonfiction text as well as increase teachers' comfort level with the implementation of a nonfiction unit of study.

15-Up And Counting, Reading, Writing, Reasoning : How Literate Are Australian Students? : The Pisa 2000 Survey Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy Skills, Jan Lokan, Lisa Greenwood, John Cresswell

Dr John Cresswell (retired)

This report presents evidence on the performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy of 15 year old students, their schools and their countries, interpreted from an Australian perspective. It gives insights into factors that influence the development of these skills at home and at school, and discusses implications of the results for policy development. Chapter 5 focuses on results for the Australian states and territories and for other sub-national groups. Results achieved by Indigenous students and by students with language backgrounds other than English are included in this chapter. The sixth chapter describes the Australian PISA participants in some detail, …

Integrating Literacy Into The Math Classroom : A Staff Development For Innovative Educators, Kathryn Pollina

Graduate Research Papers

With the collaboration and advice of several mentors and practicing teachers, I found using strategies proven to help students during literacy instruction also had the same effect during mathematics instruction. I took various instructional activities, focused around using reading and writing skills in math, and was able to effectively instruct this group of students. This experience piqued my interest in the connection between literacy and mathematics. As a result, I decided to continue my research into how to effectively integrate these two core subject areas, investigating the efficacy of combining mathematics with literacy instruction.

Effects Of Poverty Funding On Math And Literacy Achievement In Arkansas, Karen L. Cushman

Dissertations

This research project was designed to provide a foundational study of the effectiveness of a state categorical fund directed at poverty students called NSLA funding on literacy and math achievement in Arkansas. Poverty funding for students in Arkansas is realatively new and there have not been any studies to examine the impact of this funding to date. Literacy and math achievement scaled scores were evaluated for one year for fourth, sixth, and eighth grades by four NSLA levels, NSLA level 1, NSLA level 2, NSLA level 3, and NSLA level 4.

This causal comparative study was conducted with data from …

Bridging Professional Development And Context: Integrating Mathematics And Academic Language In A District Facing Takeover, Patricia Swanson, David Whitenack

Faculty Publications

This quasi-experimental, multi-phase study uses mixed methods to evaluate a professional development initiative focused on integrating mathematics and academic language. The context is a highly diverse urban district facing state takeover. The professional development focused on the understanding of key mathematics concepts and developing content-specific academic language. It linked explicitly to district-adopted texts and prescribed lesson formats. Teachers perceived the strategies to be feasible and beneficial to student learning, and had high rates of implementation. Nonetheless, pacing guides pressuring teachers to quickly cover content pose challenges for continued implementation. Implications for (1) professional development focusing on integrating subject-matter content and …

How “Struggling” Readers Engage In Literacy Events In Middle School Science: An Analysis Of Interactions In Literacy Events, Kristin Cartwright Palmer

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study examined opportunities for participation and learning for "struggling" readers in a sixth grade science classroom. Literacy practices, language differences, activity structures, and the social and cultural identities and associated practices and everyday funds of knowledge of both "struggling" and nonstruggling readers in one sixth grade science classroom were documented and analyzed using a qualitative research design. Over sixteen hours of audio and video recordings as well as numerous student work samples were transcribed and analyzed. Analyses of the classroom interactions and artifacts documented in this study revealed several important affordances available in the context of this classroom related …

Effects Of Single-Sex Classrooms Versus Coeducational Classrooms On Math And Literacy Achievement, Constance Matchell

Dissertations

This research project was designed to add to the limited available research concerning the effectiveness of single-sex education within a public elementary school setting. Following the first year of implementation of a single-sex classroom pilot program, the effects by gender of classroom grouping (single-sex education versus coeducation) on reading and math achievement were investigated for three consecutive grade levels from second grade through fourth grade.

This research project was designed to add to the limited available research concerning the effectiveness of single-sex education within a public elementary school setting. Following the first year of implementation of a single-sex classroom pilot …

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

PISA in Brief summarises the results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 assessment of students’ reading, mathematical and scientific literacy skills. It tells us about how students performed in the assessment and describes some wider findings about what lies behind their results. PISA 2009 assessed students’ capacities to apply knowledge and skills in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. More assessment time was given to reading literacy, as this was the main focus for this cycle.

A Shared Challenge: Improving Literacy, Numeracy And Science Learning In Queensland Primary Schools, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment and Reporting

Following the release of Queensland results in the 2008 National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) and the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) late in 2008, the Premier, Anna Bligh, requested an independent review of literacy, numeracy and science standards in Queensland primary schools. The review was asked to examine available data on the performances of Queensland students and, drawing on international research evidence, to provide advice in the areas of curriculum, assessment and teacher quality. In particular, the review was asked to identify existing effective practices, to propose ways in which these could be …

Using Rubrics To Teach Science Writing, Paul E. Bennett Jr.

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

An often-stated goal of education in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields is to teach students to communicate like professionals. In the STEM fields, the single most important thing we can do to teach our students better communication skills is to teach them how to write a lab report. The reason a lab report is so important is not just because it is the end product of a research project, but because each section of a lab report has a particular function that often correlates with different types of communication that a STEM professional needs to use. For …

The Learning Of Numeracy And Literacy In South Australian Primary Schools: An Investigation Into The Performance Of Students And Schools In Numeracy And Literacy In Rural And Regional South Australia., Carol Aldous

Shannon Research Press

Success in science and mathematics is predicted on successful literacy and numeracy learning. Yet schools and communities across the country struggle to negotiate factors that both impede and facilitate such learning - particularly factors over which they have no control. Working with data more comprehensive than that used previously and applying statistical methods only recently developed, researchers from the South Australian hub of the National Centre for Science, Information and Communication Technology and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR-SA) seek answers to three basic questions. What factors influence performance in literacy and numeracy? Does living in a rural …

Academic Content Instruction And The High School English Language Learner: A Series Of Lessons That Model An Approach To Content Instruction In Science In A Multi- Level English As A Second Language High School Classroom, Juliet M. Parry

MA TESOL Collection

This paper presents a series of lessons on biology that model an approach to content instruction Biology in a multi-level English as a second language high school classroom. It includes background information on the course, lesson plans, explanation of and rationale behind them, historical perspective on the shift from content instruction in the native language to content instruction in the new or target language.

Combining Science And Reading Materials To Teach Comprehension Strategies, Melena Haskovec

Graduate Research Papers

This paper describes a curriculum development project in which science and reading were combined to teach reading comprehension strategies to kindergarten and first grade children. Nonfiction science texts were purchased. The teachers collaboratively created and implemented lesson plans for three science units and one social studies unit. The combined classes met once every six days from January to May.

The children were paired across grade levels to read the texts, participate in the strategy instruction and complete the guided practice activities. Pre and post project measures of first graders' growth in reading comprehension showed that all the first grade students …

A Supplemental Curriculum To Integrate Reading And Writing With First Grade Science Kits, Shauna Calandra Curtis

All Graduate Projects

This project provides a supplemental curriculum to assist teachers in integrating reading and writing with science kits for first grade students. Included is a review of research which discusses what thematic and integrative teaching encompasses, the value of thematic teaching, the development ofreading, writing, and language through thematic units, thematic centers, a rationale for using thematic content area teaching to English as a second language students in the acquisition of the English language, and the importance of science education. The handbook encompasses two main themes: weather and organisms.

Integrating Literature Into The Science And Social Studies Curricula: A Curriculum Guide For Grade Two, Jennifer M. Donald

All Graduate Projects

The adoption of the Open Court reading program in conjunction with the Washington Read's Grant was the initial idea for this project. The integration of science and social studies themes was researched, and found to be beneficial in the teaching of those content areas. A handbook for second grade educators was created to integrate the adopted science and social studies topics with the newly adopted reading curriculum at Vale Elementary in Cashmere, Washington. This handbook contains a scope and sequence, literature libraries for three reading achievement levels, the benchmarks and essential learning's for the designated topics, and suggested activities for …

A Curricular Design For Integrating Writing With Science: A Benchmark Handbook Approach, Marci Jayne Gano

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of the project was to create an integrated science and writing benchmark handbook. Review of the literature, Washington State Academic Learning Requirements for science and writing, published scie.nce lessons, and teacher's guides were utilized. Classroom teachers, district and school science and writing goals were consulted in the creation of this project. The activities presented in all five units were designed to provide hands-on experience in both science and writing. Possible assessment options are also provided.

15-Up And Counting, Reading, Writing, Reasoning : How Literate Are Australian Students? : The Pisa 2000 Survey Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy Skills, Jan Lokan, Lisa Greenwood, John Cresswell

Indigenous Education Research

This report presents evidence on the performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy of 15 year old students, their schools and their countries, interpreted from an Australian perspective. It gives insights into factors that influence the development of these skills at home and at school, and discusses implications of the results for policy development. Chapter 5 focuses on results for the Australian states and territories and for other sub-national groups. Results achieved by Indigenous students and by students with language backgrounds other than English are included in this chapter. The sixth chapter describes the Australian PISA participants in some detail, …

Extending The Dimensions Of Science Through Poetry, Tracey L. Jones

Graduate Research Papers

The primary function of poetry is to bring enjoyment, but poetry can also foster concept development in an instructional program that extends literature across the curriculum. Because of its intense emotional quality and sharp images, it can assist in connecting children's prior knowledge with new concepts.

One of the goals of an integrated program for fifth grade was to integrate literature-based language arts with science. The connection of the language arts and science areas offered children opportunities to engage in the language processes within the functions of language offered in the science area. Through reading and writing poetry and conducting …

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To The Science Area : A Unit On Spring, Kelly Jones

Graduate Research Papers

A literature-based program emphasizes creating meaning through the language processes, thus leading to growth in thinking and language abilities. A print-rich learning environment supported by the different genres encourages involvement in the language process and contributes to the dimensions of a unit of study. When literature-based language arts are extended to the science area, such a program can extend children's knowledge of the world around them and nurture their curiosity.

A science unit on spring, extended through quality literature and many options for expressive activity, was presented to first grade children. This literature-based unit is shared.

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To Science, Jennifer A. Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

A literature-based language arts program provides meaningful experiences for children within the functions of language. Such programs can be extended across the curriculum to utilize the functions in other areas. These connections across the curriculum can be enhanced through the different genres of literature.

In this article, a literature base was integrated into the science area of the curriculum. A science unit on pumpkins was developed for first grade children with quality literature and related expressive activities that extended the children's literacy and their understanding of plants. Teacher-directed activities were presented along with learning centers.

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To Science, Jennifer Bruce

Graduate Research Papers

The development of a print-rich learning environment can facilitate the integration of the curriculum. A literature base representative of the different genres can contribute to the dimensions of learning. A literature-based unit on apples provided kindergarten children with quality literature experiences and many expressive activities that extended the students' understanding of the concept of apples. The unit was presented through teacher presentations and learning centers.

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To Science, Brandee M. Alexander

Graduate Research Papers

Literature can link all areas of the curriculum. Extending a literature-based language arts program to the science area can provide a rich learning environment supported by many different genres of literature and related expressive activities that contribute to the dimensions of learning.

A science unit of study on the five senses, with special emphasis on touch, for kindergarten children, was expanded through literature experiences and related expressive activities. The literature presented offered much content on the senses and models of language to nurture the children's emerging literacy. During the one-week of study, learner enthusiasm and peer interaction for reading and …

Integrating Literature-Based Language Arts And Science : A Unit On Frogs For Kindergarten, Ruth Rysta

Graduate Research Papers

Classrooms providing a literature-base program allow children to engage in the language processes and present opportunities for children to create meaning by surrounding them with high-quality literature representative of different genres. Many of the language arts and science processes are related and can be integrated in themes or units to connect children's learning.

A unit on the life cycle of frogs offered kindergarten children a rich learning environment through quality literature and related expressive activities. The literature-base extended to science developed a sense of community, increased science knowledge and connected reading and writing to the science study.

Whales, Meg Gammon Schroeder

Graduate Research Papers

Children develop thinking-language abilities through involvement in the language processes. A print-rich environment representing the many genres of literature extended across the curriculum offers meaningful experiences with the language functions. Such literature experiences and related expressive activities can provide in-depth study in the content areas, expanding the understanding of units' concepts and related vocabulary.

A science unit on whales for kindergarten was enriched through literature experiences. The activities were presented through teacher-directed sessions and student-initiated activities available in the learning centers. The result of this extensive print-rich environment was in-depth study and enthusiastic responses on the part of the students.

Language Implications For Numeracy: A Study Of Language Use Of Disadvantaged Students, Robyn Zevenbergen

2000 - Improving Numeracy Learning

Increasingly language is recognised as causing difficulties for students when they come to learn mathematics. Many different levels and aspects of language can be seen to create such difficulties for students. This paper looks at the implications of language on learning mathematics or developing a sense of numeracy.

A Comparison Of Reading Comprehension And Problem Solving Abilities, Darren A. Cooper

All Graduate Projects

Recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Washington State Commission on Student Learning Essential Academic Requirements are addressed. Reading comprehension and problem solving skills of 9th grade students at Zillah High School are compared to see if a correlation between these two abilities exists. Recommendations for creating and implementing a curriculum are given.

Comprehension Strategy Lesson Plans For Third Grade Teachers Incorporating Informational Science Trade Books, Trinidad M. Rivera

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to create a set of lesson plans for teachers useful in teaching comprehension strategies to monolingual third grade students. Research on comprehension strategies and the effects they have on children's reading comprehension was explored. Effective comprehension strategies were defined. Lesson plans were created to aid educators as they teach comprehension of informational material to third grade students.