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Science and Mathematics Education Commons™
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Articles 1 - 27 of 27
Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education
The Role Of Strategy Choice And Working Memory Capacity In Arithmetic Acquisition In Third Grade Primary School Children, Dijana Mirkovic
The Role Of Strategy Choice And Working Memory Capacity In Arithmetic Acquisition In Third Grade Primary School Children, Dijana Mirkovic
Theses : Honours
This review examines the question of what determines arithmetic ability in primary school children. It has been suggested that arithmetic ability is mediated by many factors such as developmental factors, exposure to arithmetic facts, selection and utilisation of various strategies when solving arithmetic problems, and individual differences in working memory capacity. Some theories suggest that factors such as the complexity of a problem affect the selection of strategies when solving simple arithmetic problems such as addition, whereas other theories propose that individual differences in working memory capacity play a prominent role in arithmetic ability. Research is discussed that provides support …
A Study Of How Well Lower Secondary Students Use Calculators To Solve Computation Problems, Rachel Shipley
A Study Of How Well Lower Secondary Students Use Calculators To Solve Computation Problems, Rachel Shipley
Theses : Honours
The main aim of this study was to determine how well students used their calculators to obtain the correct answer to a problem (effective calculator use). The study has also considered whether students used their calculators as efficiently as possible, in order to answer questions expediently (efficient calculator use). This research made use of a Calculator Computation Test and Answer Sheet which was used for checking the accuracy of subjects' answers as well as recording which keys they pressed to obtain their answer. These were developed for the study. The subjects were drawn from Years 8, 9 and 10 of …
Development Of Principles For The Integration Of Technology Education In The Primary Curriculum In Botswana, Patrick Tlalelo Mmokele
Development Of Principles For The Integration Of Technology Education In The Primary Curriculum In Botswana, Patrick Tlalelo Mmokele
Theses : Honours
Design and Technology is being taught in secondary schools in Botswana. This innovation began in junior secondary schools in 1989 and senior secondary schools in 1993. However it has not yet been introduced in primary schools. There have been some Design and Technology attainment targets which are outlined in the primary curriculum, but it is proposed that these do not fit well into the curriculum structure. This study seeks to investigate the principles upon which Design and Technology can be integrated into the primary curriculum in Botswana. Data for this study was collected through a review of related literature and …
Number Sense In Urban Aboriginal Primary Students, Kathryn J. Lyon
Number Sense In Urban Aboriginal Primary Students, Kathryn J. Lyon
Theses : Honours
This paper examines the number sense of urban Aboriginal primary students attending school in Perth. The subjects were asked to complete a test designed to assess their number sense, which has been defined as "[a] propensity for and an ability to use numbers and quantitative methods as a means of communicating, processing and interpreting information" (McIntosh, Reys, Reys, Bana & Farrell, 1997, p. 61). It involves an intuitive understanding about numbers and how to use them in practical ways. Some subjects were also interviewed, so that a greater understanding of their number sens8 could be gained. It was found that …
Automatic Recall Of Multiplication Facts And Number Sense, Maxine D. Jolly
Automatic Recall Of Multiplication Facts And Number Sense, Maxine D. Jolly
Theses : Honours
The development of students• Number Sense has become a recent focus in primary mathematics education. Students also often learn the multiplication tables by rote in order to develop automatic recall of multiplication facts. One view of mathematics learning suggests that automatic recall of number facts is an important step to developing number sense, while another view suggests that rote learning to develop automatic recall of multiplication facts may interfere with the constructivist learning environment that is required to develop number sense. This study examined whether automatic recall was associated with good number sense or not, and explored factors associated with …
Better Implementation Of Calculators In The Classroom Through Parental Involvement, Jennifer S. Kemp
Better Implementation Of Calculators In The Classroom Through Parental Involvement, Jennifer S. Kemp
Theses : Honours
This study examined the changes in parental attitudes towards calculator use in the classroom during their involvement in calculator activities with students. The study also investigated the effectiveness of involving parents in mathematics activities as a support mechanism for calculator implementation in the school as a whole. A class of year 6 students and their parents were chosen for the study. Parents were first given a questionnaire to evaluate their attitudes towards the use of calculators in schools. Interested parents were consequently invited to participate in one fifty-minute lesson per week for eight weeks. During these lessons, calculators were used …
How The Internet Is Used In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Megan B. West
How The Internet Is Used In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Megan B. West
Theses : Honours
This project was designed to study how the Internet was used in a secondary mathematics classroom. It looks at a Year 12 Mathematical Modelling class and how the internet is used by the students and teacher in their mathematics lessons. The study consisted of observing and interviewing students to determine how they felt about using the Internet in a secondary mathematics classroom and how they used the Internet. Analysis of observations and the audio-taped interviews involved categorizing the students' usage of the Internet, the types of activities the Internet was used for, the length of time spent on the Internet, …
An Examination Of Learner Control In A Low Achieving Mathematics Class, Allan Bertram
An Examination Of Learner Control In A Low Achieving Mathematics Class, Allan Bertram
Theses : Honours
This study examines the effect of learner control on the use of the software package Math Blaster Mystery (MBM) by low ability mathematics students. MBM is a mathematical software package which consists of four activities, each with four levels of difficulty, involving problem solving and worded problems. Each activity has four levels of difficulty. The purpose of the study was to answer the following questions; 1) Is the implementation of Math Blaster Mystery designed with a low level of learner control more effective with lower ability students than implementation with a higher level of learner control? 2) Do lower achieving …
Developmental Aspects : Metacognition And Problem Solving, Roseanne Gibson
Developmental Aspects : Metacognition And Problem Solving, Roseanne Gibson
Theses : Honours
Mathematical problem solving has been the focus of recent curriculum reform. Researchers have investigated factors that appear to influence mathematical problem solving: one of these factors is metacognition. This study identified metacognitive aspects and investigated the relationship of metacognition and age in the context of mathematical problem solving. Twenty four children were randomly chosen: eight children from years two. four and six. The children were given the same non-routine problem to solve. A semi-structured interview and observation protocol were developed and used to determine students' metacognitive aspects. There was an extensive descriptive analysis of metacognitive aspects and a systematic quantification …
The Beliefs And Attitudes Of Primary School Teachers In The Bunbury Region Toward The Subject Of Science, Michelle A. Mckeon
The Beliefs And Attitudes Of Primary School Teachers In The Bunbury Region Toward The Subject Of Science, Michelle A. Mckeon
Theses : Honours
The study investigated the beliefs and attitudes of primary school teachers in the Bunbury region toward the subject of science. Teachers' beliefs and attitudes were investigated in terms of the dependant variables of teachers' attitude toward science, preference for teaching science and confidence to teach science and how they related to the independent variables of qualifications, Year 11 and 12 science subjects, years of teaching experience, time of last science inservice and gender. Teachers' perceptions of the barriers toward more and better teaching of science in primary schools were also investigated. The sample included 89 teachers from nine schools, six …
Difficulties Experienced By Year 10 Students When Solving Monohybrid Autosomal And X-Linked Genetic Problems, Christina Williams
Difficulties Experienced By Year 10 Students When Solving Monohybrid Autosomal And X-Linked Genetic Problems, Christina Williams
Theses : Honours
Genetics is an important aspect of secondary education as it improves students, understanding of the inheritance of genetic diseases which are present in many families. Genetics also provides opportunities for students to learn important problem solving skills. Students experience difficulties with problem solving in genetics as they tend to rote learn algorithmic methods and not have a meaningful understanding of the concepts of meiosis, gametes and fertilisation which underpin genetics problems. Following instruction in the area of genetics, think-aloud protocols were collected from 20 Year 10 students, while solving four genetic problems. The students were also interviewed to probe their …
Identifying The Difficulties Experienced By Year 10 High School Students When Attempting To Solve Genetic Pedigree Problems, Richard Hamilton-Brown
Identifying The Difficulties Experienced By Year 10 High School Students When Attempting To Solve Genetic Pedigree Problems, Richard Hamilton-Brown
Theses : Honours
Teachers rate genetics as one of the most difficult biology topics for high school students to understand (Finley, Stewart & Yarroch, 1982). It has been observed that some students are able to solve genetics problems using routine algorithmic methods, without understanding the basic underlying concepts (Stewart, 1982). The aim of this study was to identify the procedural errors and conceptual misunderstandings that the students had when attempting to solve genetic pedigree problems. Genetic pedigrees are diagrammatic representations of the members and ancestral relationships in a family (Cummings, 1991). Two male and two female students were selected from each of four …
The Identification Of Conceptual And Strategic Difficulties Encountered By Students When Using An Electronic Spreadsheet, Craig Clapham
The Identification Of Conceptual And Strategic Difficulties Encountered By Students When Using An Electronic Spreadsheet, Craig Clapham
Theses : Honours
The call for the use of computer technology in mathematics education has been heeded by the Ministry of Education in Western Australia. The syllabus documents for the Upper Secondary mathematics courses recommend the use of computer software packages for the teaching of the concepts involved in these courses. In particular, the electronic spreadsheet is suggested as a versatile and useful tool for simulations and problem-solving by students, although very little formal study has been undertaken to support or refute such beliefs. This study involved teaching a group of four Year 12 students to operate a spreadsheet, and then examined the …
Challenging Student Alternative Frameworks Of Electrical Circuits, Lauril Jones
Challenging Student Alternative Frameworks Of Electrical Circuits, Lauril Jones
Theses : Honours
Student alternative frameworks were found by the researcher to be a problem when teaching the topic of electricity to Year 9 science students. It was recognised that the alternative frameworks had to be identified and a constructivist teaching strategy that would facilitate conceptual change within these students needed to be adopted. A pre-test-post-test, control group-treatment group study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a constructivist approach to instruction. The treatment group in the study received instruction based on the 'four phase model for teaching for conceptual change', a constructivist approach to teaching suggested by Cosgrove and Osborne (1985) as …
Attitudes Towards Mathematics Of Vietnamese And Non-Vietnamese Senior Secondary Female Students, Robert G. Palmer
Attitudes Towards Mathematics Of Vietnamese And Non-Vietnamese Senior Secondary Female Students, Robert G. Palmer
Theses : Honours
Throughout Australia and indeed in many parts of the world, there is a growing realisation that girls tend not to achieve their full potential at school, especially with regard to higher level mathematics units. Many girls limit their post-school options by choosing not to continue with mathematics when it ceases to be compulsory in Years 11 and 12. They also choose less difficult mathematics units and participate at a level below their potential. Much of the research has focused on gender differences in attitudes towards mathematics, and on participation and achievement in mathematics, but not on ethnic differences. The purpose …
Determining The Validity And Reliability Of An Instrument Designed To Measure Metacognitive Behaviours, Anne L. Martin
Determining The Validity And Reliability Of An Instrument Designed To Measure Metacognitive Behaviours, Anne L. Martin
Theses : Honours
This project was designed to study the role of metacognition in mathematical problem solving. More specifically, it was designed to determine the validity and reliability of an instrument proposed to identify metacognitive behaviours in Year 7 children solving problems. The instrument was used to analyse audio tapes of pairs of students working on a non-routine problem (i.e., a problem that cannot be solved solely by the direct application of the basic operations). Analysis of the audio tapes involved categorizing metacognitive decisions as: orientation, organization, execution, and verification behaviours. A "cognitive-metacognitive" framework (Garofalo & Lester, 1985) was used as a basis …
Openness Of Inquiry Of Laboratory Formats Currently Used In Lower Secondary Science, H. A. D. Bryce
Openness Of Inquiry Of Laboratory Formats Currently Used In Lower Secondary Science, H. A. D. Bryce
Theses : Honours
Laboratory formats can range from 'recipe' type activities, in which students just verify concepts, to 'open' inquiry activities, in which students design and carry out their own experiments. There is much support in the literature for the use of 'open' inquiry formats. By way of a questionnaire secondary science teachers, sent to a sample of lower this study investigated the proportions of the different that are currently being used in laboratory formats lower secondary science in Perth schools. The study found that most of the formats used required students to follow set procedures to verify or determine a concept. Few …
A Study Of The Benefits Of Reflection By Journal Writing In Mathematical Learning And Attitudes In The Primary School, Sally Edmonds
A Study Of The Benefits Of Reflection By Journal Writing In Mathematical Learning And Attitudes In The Primary School, Sally Edmonds
Theses : Honours
This descriptive study examines journal writing for the purpose of identifying aspects of children's mathematical reflective ability. It was hypothesised that encouragement to engage with the process of mathematics by reflective writing would reveal and assist learning, and give children a vehicle through which they could express their attitudes about the mathematics they were learning. The aim of this study was to find answers to the following question: How does the keeping of a mathematical journal reveal children's understandings of the mathematics they are learning? Other questions related to the study were: -What evidence is there from the journals about …
Student Misconceptions Of Osmosis And Diffusion, Erica J. Mcknight
Student Misconceptions Of Osmosis And Diffusion, Erica J. Mcknight
Theses : Honours
Student misconceptions about two fundamental science concepts, osmosis and diffusion, were elicited using an interview-about-events approach. A concept map and list of 25 propositional statements were used to define the knowledge regarded as important for a sound understanding of the concepts of osmosis and diffusion. The interview probed students’ understandings of the propositions. Eighteen students from a local metropolitan high school were interviewed. These students were selected from four different science classes. Nine students studied Year 12 Biology and nine studied Year 12 Human Biology. Diffusion and osmosis are integral concepts required for thorough understanding of both subjects. The interview-about-events …
Differences In Attitude Towards Mathematics Between Successful Regular Class Children And Children With Learning Problems In Mathematics, Jennifer Poller
Differences In Attitude Towards Mathematics Between Successful Regular Class Children And Children With Learning Problems In Mathematics, Jennifer Poller
Theses : Honours
Possible differences in attitude towards mathematics were studied between Year seven successful regular class children and Year seven children with learning problems in mathematics. A comparison was also made between the Year seven children with learning problems and a younger chronological age group (Year 5) who were performing at approximately the same level in mathematics. A sample of 180 students (30 Year 5 males, 30 Year 5 females, 30 Year 7 regular class males, 30 Year 7 regular class females, 30 Year 7 learning problems males and 30 Year 7 learning problems females) was selected from students in seven local …
Inquiry Based Mental Mathematics Versus Traditional On The Performance And Attitudes Of Year Four Children, Anita Jurat
Inquiry Based Mental Mathematics Versus Traditional On The Performance And Attitudes Of Year Four Children, Anita Jurat
Theses : Honours
This study Investigated the effect of Inquiry based mental mathematics compared to traditional mental mathematics, with respect to the performance and attitudes of a sample of year four children. Using a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design, and applying a t test for non-Independent samples, It was found that after an eight week period, the Inquiry based mental mathematics group achieved significantly higher scores on a mental mathematics test, and showed a more Improved attitude toward mental mathematics than the traditional group. Qualitative analyses of attempts to create calculations to make a given number, revealed that the Inquiry based group had …
Sex-Related Differences In Autonomous Learning Behaviours And Mathematics Achievement, Laura Beahan
Sex-Related Differences In Autonomous Learning Behaviours And Mathematics Achievement, Laura Beahan
Theses : Honours
The autonomous learning behaviour model proposed by Fennema and Peterson (1985a, 1985b) hypothesises that sex- related differences in mathematics are a result of sex-related differences in autonomous learning behaviours. Autonomous learning behaviours include choosing to engage in high-level tasks, preferring to work independently on such tasks and persisting at them. The purpose of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in autonomous learning behaviours and to determine any relationship between the presence of these behaviours and achievement in mathematics. Twelve students studying the Year 1 unit "Foundations of Mathematics" were selected for the study, including two males and two females …
What Do Primary Students Know About Light?: An Investigation Into Misconceptions Held By Year 7 Students In Western Australia, Christine Ann Coulstock
What Do Primary Students Know About Light?: An Investigation Into Misconceptions Held By Year 7 Students In Western Australia, Christine Ann Coulstock
Theses : Honours
This research examines misconceptions about light held by Year 7 primary school students. The subjects (n = 37) were selected from six schools in the northeastern area of Perth, Western Australia. An Interview About Instances approach was used in this research using instance cards specifically designed for this study. Misconceptions were ascertained and those held by 25% or more of the students were considered significant. Misconceptions were found in the understanding of the physical and the physiological process of sight, the relationship of light to colour, night vision in animals and the distance light travels under different circumstances. The misconceptions …
Characteristics That Determine The Holding Power Of Computer-Based Exhibits At Scitech Discovery Centre, Victoria Dodds
Characteristics That Determine The Holding Power Of Computer-Based Exhibits At Scitech Discovery Centre, Victoria Dodds
Theses : Honours
Scitech Discovery Centre is a hands-on science and technology centre located in the city West Complex, West Perth. The centre contains over 160 interactive exhibits including a number of computer-based exhibits that cover topics not easily incorporated in standard interactive exhibits. The problem considered in this study was the observed low percentage of visitors completing the programmes at seven of these computer-based exhibits. The author used unobtrusive observation and survey methods of data collection, for 245 visitors, on sundays over a three month period. The study was to determine two things, firstly the holding power of the exhibits, and secondly, …
The Relationship Between Cooperative Small Group Composition And The Learning Of A Mathematical Concept In The Primary School Years: A Pilot Study, Susan Eaton
Theses : Honours
In recent years small group cooperative learning has been given increasing attention by researchers. This interest has been a result of n growing awareness of the benefits that small group cooperative learning can bring to the learning process. These benefits include gains in areas of academic achievement, self-confidence as a learner, cross-cultural/cross-racial relationships, social acceptance of mainstreamed students, and improved attitudes towards school and learning. A particular focus of North American researchers has been small group cooperative learning in mathematics. Little work had been done in this area in Western Australian schools and with the changed emphasis in the Western …
The Effect Of A Vee-Mapping Strategy On Students' Perceptions Of Laboratory Activities, Sonia J. Hueppauff
The Effect Of A Vee-Mapping Strategy On Students' Perceptions Of Laboratory Activities, Sonia J. Hueppauff
Theses : Honours
Practical work is considered important for learning science, by teachers and science educators. This acceptance though, has been reported as based on intuition rather than evidence (Atkinson & White, 1961). A significant proportion of class time is occupied with doing practical work. It is evident that in a majority of situations, students commence laboratory activities unsure of their aim, the procedure they are going to carry out, or that experimentation is a way of forming knowledge (Moreira, I 960; Novak & Gowin, I 964). Vee-maps (Novak & Gowin, 1 964) are one way of making laboratory work more meaningful. That …
Secondary Students' Difficulties With Designing A Controlled Experiment, Bradley E. Watson
Secondary Students' Difficulties With Designing A Controlled Experiment, Bradley E. Watson
Theses : Honours
This research investigation was conducted to identify the difficulties encountered by secondary science students in the design of a controlled experiment. These difficulties were illuminated by studying the combination of knowledge, skills and strategies employed by experts. Three categories of individuals were used in the study, Year 10 science students, Year 12 science students and science lecturers who had completed doctoral studies in their fields. There were six subjects interviewed in each category. Each of the subjects were given a task which involved thinking aloud while planning a controlled experiment. When the subjects had completed the task, they were asked …