Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Investigating The Effects Of Addition With Regrouping Strategy Instruction Among Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities, Christi Miller Carmack

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many students, specifically those with learning disabilities, struggle to master foundational computation skills such as addition with regrouping. With this in mind, the purpose of this research was to examine the effects of strategy instruction that involved the use of the concrete-representational-abstract teaching sequence on the addition with regrouping computation and word problem-solving skills of students with learning disabilities. This study involved the use of a multiple probe across participants design with two replications. The participants included nine second through sixth graders who had been identified as having a learning disability and were demonstrating mathematics difficulties. There were three females …

An Exploration Of Materials For Music Integration In Elementary Science Education, Nicole Jennet Mills

HIM 1990-2015

Strong educators always look for different ways to excite and enthrall their students in the curriculum. The field of science education often loses student interest due to the complexities and vocabulary found in the scientific realm. Incorporating music into the classroom has shown positive results as a way to integrate student learning and a different way of facilitating students in the learning process (Brewer, 1992; Davies, 200). Resources for implementing the integration of music and science exist throughout the Internet in a variety of mediums. This study looks at the availability of said resources and the concepts they cover, for …

Learning Middle School Mathematics Through Student Designed And Constructed Video Games, Camille M. Mccue

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Mathematics achievement is an area in which American precollege students are faltering. Emerging research suggests that making mathematics instruction relevant and applicable in the lives of youth may impact math achievement, especially when it capitalizes on high-interest technologies such as video games.

Employing a quasi-experimental and descriptive approach, this study examined the mathematics (i.e., numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and probability) that middle school students employed during their design and construction of video games. First, it examined the mathematics content learned by 19 sixth and seventh graders during their analysis, synthesis, and programming of three video game projects over …

Investigating The Effects Of A Combined Problem-Solving Strategy For Students With Learning Difficulties In Mathematics, Dustin B. Mancl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many students, specifically those with learning difficulties in mathematics, struggle when presented with word problems to solve. With this in mind, the purpose of this research was to examine the effects of the READER Strategyon word problem performance of students with mathematics disabilities and students who are at-risk to fail in mathematics. There were two parts to this research. Part One was implemented using a single-subject design (i.e., multiple-probe across participants) and Part Two was implemented using a group design (i.e., 2 x 4 factorial design). The single-subject design included three participants identified as having mathematics disabilities. There were two …

Doing Science Their Way, Carol M. Giuriceo

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

From the perspective of social cultural anthropology employing the field research techniques of ethnography this study focuses on the experiences and perspectives of sixth grade girls in a moderately-sized East Coast city as they construct meaning through active engagement i a science classroom. The study analyzes the ways in which girls change roles and incorporate social interaction during science activities to create their own unique engagement in science.

The Effect Of Elementary Mathematics Coaching On Student Achievement In Fourth, Fifth, And Sixth Grade, Stewart, Merita Trimuel Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to recent waivers and current expectations of teacher performance, schools have been tasked to close their student achievement gaps in mathematics by 2014. Yet students still have not performed well in mathematics, which may be a direct link to teachers' instructional practices. Identifying a coaching model to improve student achievement and teachers' instructional practices is important to district leaders, school administrators, and teachers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how a coaching practice with teachers affected student achievement in elementary mathematics. The theoretical foundation of this study was the coaching model, first used by Joyce and Showers, …

The Impact Of Bilingual Treatment On The Math Skills Of Hispanic High School Algebra Students, Robert Kirk

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to measure the impact of instructional techniques in the Foundations of Algebra classroom to bridge linguistic barriers between Hispanic students and the language of teaching. Two consecutive years of failing to meet anticipated yearly growth among Hispanic students in Algebra I, as determined by the North Carolina End of Course exams, indicated a cognitive gap among these students when it comes to learning mathematics.

The writer developed an experiment to be delivered among 9 sections of Algebra in a North Carolina high school. The control group used Microsoft PowerPoint slides created for every lesson plan determined …

Efficacy Of A Summer Intervention To Improve Gateway Mathematics Examination Scores, Arthur Wesley Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Less than 50% of students from an inner-city high school in a southeastern US state who took the GATEWAY mathematics exam (2001-2007) earned a passing score on the first attempt, prompting teachers at the school to begin a summer intervention program based on Bandura's Self Efficacy Theory, to help them succeed on a subsequent reexamination. The program featured (a) extended learning time, (b) mastery learning, (c) direct instruction, (d) single-sex grouping, and (e) teacher collaboration. A survey of recent scholarly literature indicated that these 5 characteristics positively impact student learning and performance. The goal was to increase student understanding of …

The Impact Of Differentiated Versus Traditional Instruction On Math Achievement And Student Attitudes, Valerie D. Gamble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB), all schools are held accountable for student achievement. One southern US Title I school failed to meet NCLB mandated math standards for several years and was placed on program improvement. The purpose of this study was to compare math achievement of 34 students in fifth grade using differentiated instruction via Math out of the Box (MOOTB) and math achievement of 34 students in fifth grade using traditional textbook instruction. A second purpose was to determine if there was a difference between student attitudes toward math relative to confidence, value, enjoyment, …

A Case Study Of Differentiated Instruction In Upper Elementary Mathematics And Reading Classrooms, Laponya Alexandria Burris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary students in one school have shown a decline in proficient and advanced performance on statewide assessments. This decline increased for reading and mathematics achievement from 2003--2008, especially for disabled and minority students in grades 3--5. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the extent to which differentiated instruction was implemented in instructional practices to increase student academic performance. Vygotsky's theory of constructivism, Bruner's theory of problem solving, and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences provided the conceptual frameworks for this study. The research questions focused on the instructional strategies and resources used by teachers. Data included interviews, …

Middle School Mathematics Students' Perspectives On The Study Of Mathematics, Christy H. Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study addressed the perceptions toward the study of mathematics by middle school students who had formerly been in a remedial mathematics program. The purpose of the study was to explore the past experiences of nine students in order to determine what is needed for them to feel successful in mathematics. The conceptual framework of the study was grounded in philosophies of motivation, including achievement goal theory, self-worth theory, self-efficacy theory, expectancy-value theory, and attribution theory. The study used a phenomenological research design to answer the key research question, which focused upon the experiences of students and the meaning …

Evaluation Of A Remedial Educational Program At A Southern Suburban Middle School, Mary K. Mills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates that students be measured yearly on standardized state tests, rather than on classwork, to show adequate academic growth. During the 2007--2008 school year, 38% of eighth graders in one state failed the math portion of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). The purpose of this quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control-group study was to determine if there was a significant difference in CRCT scores between at-risk eighth-grade math students receiving instruction in (a) the Remedial Education Program (REP) and in (b) the regular program. The theoretical base for this study included Piaget's concrete operational theory, constructivist theory, …

Exploring The Meaning And Use Of Science Content Integration, Jason L. Garner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Science content integration, or the simultaneous teaching of science with other subjects during learning activities, has been explored by multiple studies. However, due to a lack of consensus on its definition, it was difficult for educators in a local school district to discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of this instructional technique. This qualitative collective case study, based on a constructivist theoretical foundation, centered on the questions of how teachers defined and used science content integration, and perceptions of impediments to its use. Participants were five teachers in a suburban elementary school. The sources of data for this study were interviews, …

Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of Barriers English Language Learners Face In Mathematics, Martha A. Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a disparity of mathematics achievement between native English speakers and English language learners (ELL). This study sought to understand the barriers ELL kindergarten students faced in being successful in mathematics. The purpose of this qualitative, instrumental case study was to explore kindergarten teachers' perceptions regarding English language learner's access to the mathematics curriculum and instruction. The conceptual foundation for this study drew from social development theory, which contends social interaction using language is necessary for cognitive development such as learning mathematics concepts. Individual interviews of 8 kindergarten teachers were conducted to understand kindergarten teachers' perceptions of the barriers …

The Impact Of Student Created Slowmation On The Teaching And Learning Of Primary Science, Jeffrey Brown

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Current research indicates that although innovations in science teaching are having a positive impact on science education in many Australian schools, national and international assessments show that student achievement is not improving (Hackling & Prain, 2008; Thomson, Wernet, Underwood, & Nicholas, 2008). Furthermore, there is little or no increase in the number of students choosing science as a post-compulsory study option or as a career path. There remains a need to further develop innovative teaching methods that promote the development of students‟ scientific literacy, engenders a joy of science learning through student engagement and encourages a desire to pursue further …

Opportunity To Learn (Otl) And The Alignment Of Upper Division Mathematics Learning Outcomes, Textbooks, And The National Assessment In Belize, Gabriel Cal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study I investigate the degree of alignment among the learning outcomes, textbooks, and the national assessment in Belize. To establish the degree of alignment, Webb‘s Four Cognitive Levels of Depth of Knowledge was used to analyze the levels of cognitive demand for each curriculum. The degree of alignment of the learning outcomes with the test items and textbooks was used to determine the extent to which the textbooks provide students with the opportunity to study the learning outcomes assessed by the national assessment. The opportunity to learn (OTL) measures addressed were the curricular content coverage and types of …

An Exploration Of Worldview And Conceptions Of Nature Of Science Among Science Teachers At A Private Christian High School, Kara M. Kits

Dissertations

Both worldview and conceptions of nature of science (NOS) are important components in teaching and learning science. However, few empirical studies have examined the interplay between both of these components for teachers or students. Therefore, this study examines the possible relationship between worldview and conceptions of nature of science for secondary science teachers who currently teach at a Christian school.

Qualitative methodologies developed a rich description of the worldview beliefs and conceptions of NOS for teachers in this study. Eight secondary science teachers employed at a private Christian school participated in the study. A Views of Nature of Science (VNOS) …

Teacher Instructional Practices Designed To Meet The Individual Learning Needs Of Mathematically Gifted/Talented Students In Middle School Algebra I, Virginia Caine Tonneson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Teaching English Language Learners In Mainstream Science Classrooms: Teacher Practice And Educational Opportunity, Carlotta Dorothy Schroeder

Wayne State University Dissertations

Equal educational opportunity for English language learners (ELLs) has been a goal of the public educational system in the United States. Language policy reforms have increasedaccountability in order for schools to improve student achievement and measure the progress of ELLs. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires assessment and accountability. In this study, the number of ELLs has increased significantly at the high school level and school district as a whole.

Along with the changing demographics, the findings reveal a district-wide policy of equalizing educational opportunity through equal treatment. Language policies provide critical decisions about how to measure what …

The Influence Of Co-Taught Inclusion On The Academic Achievement Of Third Grade Non-Disabled Students In Mathematics, Michael Trabucco

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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