Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

From Experiences To Beliefs: An Exploratory Case Study On Science Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Emergent Bilinguals, Yamil Ernesto Ruiz

All Dissertations

Emergent bilingual (EB) students in the US are those who are in the process of developing academic English proficiency. EBs are some of the fastest growing populations of students in American public schools. There exists a great deal of research geared towards developing both curricular resources and instructional strategies to best support EBs in the science classroom, however many of these professional development studies lament the lack of growth in terms of achievement in science learning outcomes of EBs. It is possible that due to a lack of transformation in their beliefs that the teachers in these studies do not …

Systematic Review Of Stem Attitude Measures, Meagan Koufis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The aim of this review was to identify measurement tools used to assess students’ attitudes towards science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) in publications, and evaluate their usefulness and appropriateness based on reported psychometric properties. Researchers look to also evaluate the content/subject area coverage as well as the attitude construct coverage of identified measures. Electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles that utilized a STEM attitude measurement tool with elementary or high school students. Publications were examined for reported psychometric properties of tools and the quality of each measure was evaluated using the psychometric grading framework (PGF). A total of …

College Student Changing Attitudes And Beliefs About The Nature Of And Teaching Of Mathematics And Science, Stephen R. Skinner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With an estimated 17.3 million STEM jobs in the US, there exists a need for a STEMready workforce that is science literate with positive attitudes and beliefs toward the learning and teaching of mathematics and science (Graf, Fry, & Funk, 2018). However, the US has seen a steady decline in the number of high school students interested in STEM-related fields with only 16% of interested students with proven proficiency in mathematics and science and are ready to enroll in college STEM programs (ACT, 2017; Osborne & Dillon, 2008; Stake & Mares, 2001). With the decline in student interest, the US …

The Effects Of Small-Group Collaboration On Student Attitudes Towards Mathematics, Philip Golden

Undergraduate Theses

Collaborative group work has become a prevalent teaching strategy in high school mathematics classrooms, and for good reason. When implemented effectively, studies show that collaboration improves student learning outcomes. However, there are other factors to consider when deciding on best practices for teaching, one being student attitudes towards the content. In particular student attitudes towards mathematics (which are not generally positive) are important to consider. In this study, students in a high school mathematics classroom took a survey before and after a unit that implemented collaborative strategies. Results of the study indicate that student attitudes towards math improved after working …

Assessing The Effects Of An Authentic Project-Based Intervention On Secondary Students’ Understanding Of Ecosystems And Their Attitudes Toward And Interests In Stem, Kenneth Rolland Thompson

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

There is a need for secondary schools to provide more authentic, hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and specifically, project-based investigation (PBI) environments in the classroom that focus on real-world problems relevant to students’ experiences, interest, and lives that manifest the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) following practices they prescribe. This study investigated how, to what extent, a contextualized aquaponics PBI (APBI) 10-week model unit affected high school students’ attitudes toward STEM in general, and aquaculture and aquaponics in particular, and interests in future STEM-related disciplines and/or STEM career pathways. This study also measured changes in students’ …

Technology-Based Culturally Relevant Chemistry Education (Crce), Mercy Adoma Fosu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relevance of chemistry concepts and principles remains a challenge for most students enrolled in college chemistry courses. Part of this problem is the disconnect with what students experience in their every-day lives, and how the material, specifically chemistry content is presented via textbooks, lectures, and laboratory teaching. Moreover, the teaching of general chemistry has traditionally focused on traditional, instructor-centric expository delivery of course materials, that treats students as empty vessels devoid of prior knowledge. Students prior knowledge and experiences are crucial in shaping their understanding of scientific concepts and principles. Even students with relatively low expectations for success in …

Mathematics Attitudes And Mathematics Performance: Novel Approaches Towards Noncognitive Educational Measurement, Applications To Large-Scale Assessment Data, And Examinations Of Multigroup Invariance, Kalina Gjicali

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Academic performance is predicted by a multitude of demographic, contextual, cognitive, and noncognitive constructs. The noncognitive factors of achievement in mathematics that have previously been explored in depth are study skills, collaborative problem-solving, confidence, self-efficacy, and personality traits (Kyllonen, 2012). Limited applied research has explored the predictive value of noncognitive factors such as attitudes and beliefs in mathematics achievement – even though attitudes towards mathematics are a promising avenue for understanding the variability in mathematics achievement. The current research uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain high school students’ performance in mathematics in a series of three studies. …

The Effect Of An Historical Geology Course On Students’ Attitudes Towards Science And Their Knowledge Of Deep Time As A Threshold To Their Knowledge Of Evolution, Allan Nolan

Dissertations

In America there exists a conflict between a small group of its citizens and the concept of evolution. Researchers have studied this conflict and the ways in which teachers might approach educational methodologies that not only address evolution in a sensitive manner, but also remain legally acceptable.

This research was designed to address teaching evolution in the context of deep time – the concept that time is vast and that geology and biology operate in a timescale of hundreds of millions to billions of years. In previous peer-reviewed works, it has been stated that deep time acts as a threshold …

Student Attitudes On Cooperative Learning And Individual Learning In My Mathematics, Jessica Thompson

Honors Projects

The main purpose of this research is to see which learning style, individual or cooperative, is better for student attitudes in my classroom when implemented correctly. When students work within cooperative learning groups, research has found that they have more positive attitudes as well as higher performance levels. However, the students in my classroom did not have a significant change in attitude when in cooperative learning groups versus learning individually.

Preschool Teachers' Attitudes And Beliefs Toward Science, Sharon Henry Lloyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, a current initiative, Advancing Active STEM Education for Our Youngest Learners, aims to advance science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in early childhood. The purpose of this study was to understand preschool teachers' proficiency with science and address the problem of whether or not science learning opportunities are provided to young children based on teachers' attitudes and beliefs. A theoretical framework for establishing teachers' attitudes toward science developed by van Aalderen-Smeets, van der Molen, and Asma, along with Bandura's theory of self-efficacy were the foundations for this research. Research questions explored preschool teachers' attitudes and …

The Relationship Between Students’ Applied Mathematics Skills And Students’ Attitudes Towards Mathematics, Taylor Andrew Kilman

Dissertations

Mathematics is a subject with which many students struggle. It has been noted that students’ attitudes towards mathematics can often affect their performance in related courses. The goal of this research is to explore the relationship between students’ basic applied mathematics skill and students’ attitudes towards mathematics. That is, do students, as they learn how to use mathematics in the real world, tend to develop a more favorable outlook towards mathematics? Or, on the other hand, do the attitudes towards mathematics of students remain unaffected as their ability to use mathematics in the real world increases? The current research seeks …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of An Authentic Science Experience Among Urban High School Students, Angela Chapman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Providing equitable learning opportunities for all students has been a persistent issue for some time. This is evident by the science achievement gap that still exists between male and female students as well as between White and many non-White student populations (NCES, 2007, 2009, 2009b) and an underrepresentation of female, African-American, Hispanic, and Native Americans in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related careers (NCES, 2009b). In addition to gender and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and linguistic differences are also factors that can marginalize students in the science classroom. One factor attributed to the achievement gap and low participation …

The Implementation Of Engineering Design Challenges On 4th Grade Students' Attitudes Towards Engineering, Classroom Climate, And Writing Ability, Tara L. Newby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if my practice of having 4th grade students participate in engineering design challenges impacted their attitudes towards engineering, the classroom climate, and writing ability. In this action research students were given a pre and posttest that measured their attitudes towards engineering and their perceptions of the classroom climate. A pre and post written reflection was also examined and compared for the use of predicting, observing, thinking, explaining, reflecting, and yearning to learn more. A triangulation of data included the use of pre and posttest statistical analysis, rubrics, teacher observation, and student interviews. …

A Historical Analysis Of Attitudes Toward The Use Of Calculators In Junior High And High School Math Classrooms In The United States Since 1975, Sarah Banks

Master of Education Research Theses

This thesis explored the history of calculator usage in mathematics classrooms in the United States since 1975 with a focus on the attitudes of parents, educators, and national organizations. The influence of historical events, people, organizations, research, and trends was explored in depth. Studying the changes that calculators have brought to mathematics curriculum and how educators have reacted in the past will help to explain why math curriculum and school systems have adopted the attitudes and policies about calculators that they currently hold. This study found similar attitudes and reactions by parents and educators toward calculator usage in contrast to …

Using Communication Techniques In The Low-Performing Mathematics Classroom: A Study Of Fractions,Decimals,Performance And Attitu, Pamela Guyton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within a low-performing seventh grade mathematics classroom, communication techniques including discourse, collaborative groups, listening, reading, and writing were implemented during a six week period. This study shows how the use of these techniques led to the twenty four students' conceptual understanding of fraction and decimal concepts. This research study provides insight to the deep-seeded beliefs of low-performing students. It provides a record of how the teacher used communication techniques in the classroom and had a strong positive impact on the attitudes and performance of these struggling students.

The Effect Of An Inquiry-Based Science Curriculum On Student Attitudes And Participation, James Perlmutter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed as a collaborative action research study and focused on the use of an inquiry-based unit in an eighth grade honors science class at a middle school with a diverse population in the southeastern portion of the United States in the Spring of 2005. The inquiry-based unit was taught through the use of the electronics unit in Full Option Science System (FOSS). The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of an inquiry based curriculum on the level of participation in, attitudes of, and academic performance of students towards science. This collaborative action research study …

The Effects Of Hands-On Instructional Strategies On Fourth Grade Students' Attitudes And Performance In Mathematics, Lindsey Hosack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study summarizes research conducted in a fourth grade classroom in a suburban elementary school in the fall of 2005. This study investigated the practice of using hands-on instructional strategies, enhanced with technology, to improve students' attitudes and performance in mathematics. The classroom teacher supplemented conventional mathematics instruction with hands-on activities. Attitudinal data were collected using a pre- and post anxiety survey as well as journal writing assignments and student interviews. Performance data was collected using evaluative assessments. Results of this study showed a positive change in students' attitude towards mathematics. Student performance gains were recorded and analyzed throughout the …

The Effects Of Discourse And Journal Writing On Students' Attitudes Towards Mathematics In A Fifth Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study, Anna Rose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how my use of discourse and journal writing affected students' attitudes and conceptions of mathematics in a 5th grade mathematics classroom. The nature of students' strengths and weaknesses with mathematics using discourse and journal writing were described. To show students' attitudes towards the two teaching methods transcription of teacher and student discourse on digital audio recordings, observational notes, journal writing, and pre and post attitude surveys were used. The research approach was qualitative and quantitative. The participants in this twelve-week study were twenty fifth grade students from a private school in central …

The Effects Of Journal Writing On Student Attitudes And Performance In Problem Solving, Christine Quinones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study summarizes research conducted in a second grade classroom at a rural elementary school in the fall of 2004. This study investigated the practice of using writing activities in mathematics to improve student attitudes and performance in problem solving. The classroom teacher supplemented traditional mathematics instruction with daily problem solving activities and affective journal writing. Students were asked to complete daily problem solving prompts and write about their problem-solving solutions. Attitude data was collected using a pre and post attitude survey as well as affective journal writing assignments. Performance data was collected using a performance based problem-solving rubric. Results …

Effects Of Integrating Writing Activities On Students' Attitudes And Achievement In Problem Solving: An Action Research Study, Kelly Culbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research study investigated my practice of using writing activities in the mathematics classroom. The study was conducted to determine the effect of integrating writing with mathematics on students' achievement in, and attitudes towards problem solving, and the relationship between students' attitudes and their achievement in problem solving. The study was conducted over a six-week period. Students participated in daily problem solving activities. Data were collected using a problem solving themed writing rubric for evaluating student journal responses, anecdotal records, and using a pre- and posttest problem solving attitude inventory. In this study, students demonstrated overall increased mathematical knowledge, …

Secondary Students Beliefs About, Understandings Of, And Intentions To Act Regarding The Greenhouse Effect, Premnadh M. Kurup

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The greenhouse effect (GHE) is a concern to everyone on this planet. To understand the GHE, students and citizens need an understanding of the chemical processes underlying this environmental phenomenon. Citizens need to be scientifically literate in relation to this phenomenon in order to participate in democratic decision-making and to take appropriate actions in their daily lives. As the GHE is a global issue it will require collective and individual actions to prepare for the likely climatic changes and to reduce the further impact of the GHE. This study focused on high school students' beliefs about, understandings of the GHE …

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 …