Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Effects Of Adaptive Learning Technologies On Mathematics Achievement In Low Ses Settings, William Roberts

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

Low socioeconomic status is linked to poor mathematical achievement (NCES, 2019 & Barr, 2015). Furthermore, students in rural settings exhibit mathematical incompetencies (Harmon & Wilborn, 2016). One possible remedy is adaptive learning technology (AT). These are computer programs that determine what a student already knows about mathematics (or other content areas) and then identify areas for growth to increase a student’s knowledge about a topic such as Geometry or Algebra 2. Although not necessarily taking a teacher’s place, an AT can aid the teacher by allowing multiple students to be in multiple different places all within the same classroom. This …

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In High School Science: Assessing The Implementation In Title 1 Classrooms, Micah Ducre

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy is defined as, using the cultural characteristics, experiences, and perspectives of ethnically diverse students as conduits for teaching them more effectively (Horowitz et al., 2018). Building relationships with students to understand their backgrounds and experiences to implement the best teaching practices such as accessing prior knowledge and making connections is imperative in a culturally diverse school with students with various learning styles, abilities, and interests. Moreover, the state of Georgia requires teachers to implement instructional practices relevant to students’ culture and learning abilities to receive proficient scores on their yearly evaluations. However, the state must provide its …

Implementing Minnesota American Indian Tribe State Standard In Suburban Minnesota Ecology Curriculum, Sadie R. Spaeth

Leadership Education Capstones

The purpose of the study was to create curriculum supporting the new Minnesota Native American State Standard 4.2.2.

Parent Choice: Learning Pods Or Public Education During Covid-19 Pandemic, Shari Kinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the decision-making process of K-12 parents living in the Appalachian Highlands who chose to remove their children from traditional public schools to join learning pods (sometimes referred to as pandemic pods) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to answer this overarching question, the researcher focused her study on two areas: first, what were the possible push factors that influenced parents to remove their children from public schools, and secondly, what were the pull factors that lead parents to choose learning pods over other school choice options. Through the data collected …

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 …

Southern Rio Grande Rift Kinematics And Geochronology, Big Bend Fold Geometry, And The Use Of Real Data In Geoscience Education: Contributions To The Understanding Of Big Bend Geology And To Public Geoscientific Literacy, Jessica Kelsch

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Big Bend region of Trans-Pecos Texas preserves a rich record of Rio Grande rifting and Laramide-age contraction that provide intrigue to national and state park visitors and field trips for undergraduate geology students. Despite its well-exposed geologic record, the Big Bend region remains an underutilized natural laboratory for studying these two tectonic events. This dissertation combines structural studies of Rio Grande rift and Laramide structures with public outreach and geoscience education studies focused on the Big Bend region. In Chapter 2, existing extensional-kinematic studies from parts of this region are compiled with new fault kinematic and U-Pb geochronologic data …

Success In College Algebra: Examining Student Experiences In Corequisite College Algebra Courses, Sandra Leiterman

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive case study explores undergraduate student experiences and perceptions in corequisite college algebra courses at an Arkansas university. Corequisite models enroll students in credit-bearing college algebra paired with required supplemental academic support. Current research has largely focused on pass rates or DFW rates. However there are limited studies exploring student experiences within this emerging model. Within this descriptive case study, several forms of data were collected. Students were surveyed on math anxiety and mindset at the start and end of the semester. Semi-structured interviews with two students and three instructors provided personal accounts of their challenges, beliefs, and attitudes …

Developing Understanding Of Fraction And Decimal Magnitude: A Teaching Experiment, Elizabeth Cutter-Lin

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDING OF FRACTION AND DECIMAL MAGNITUDE: A TEACHING EXPERIMENT

by

Elizabeth Cutter-Lin

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2023Under the Supervision of Professor DeAnn Huinker

This study investigated how three fifth-grade students’ understanding of fraction and decimal magnitude evolved over the course of a five-week teaching experiment. Students participated in teaching and learning sessions focused on developing concepts of fraction and decimal magnitude. The following questions guided this study: (1) How do fifth grade students reason about the magnitude of fractions and decimals? (2) What are the shifts in mathematical thinking that occur with students’ evolving understanding as they progress …

The Use Of The South Carolina School Improvement Model - Quick Cycles In Sixth-Grade Science Classrooms, Jennifer Gnann

All Dissertations

Using data to make informed decisions about instruction strengthens a teacher’s delivery of content within the classroom. However, many teachers have not been taught how to properly use a model of rapid improvement cycles to analyze data and apply it to their classroom instruction. I modified the South Carolina School Improvement Model so that it could be used in short cycles to see how teachers used it to plan for, monitor, and adjust instruction in their classrooms.

I conducted a single case study over a six-week period in which I instructed two sixth-grade science teachers on how to use the …

An Evaluation Using Universal Design For Learning, Lilah Nye

Honors Projects

This research was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of an Educational framework known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in a set of lesson plans published by a nationally recognized organization. The intention of this focus was to push major professional organizations in mathematics education to produce inclusive resources for all students. UDL is an opportunity to increase accessibility of curriculum for students by reducing barriers to learning that play a role in educational inequity, and generally the goal of UDL is that lessons are made accessible preemptively to benefit all students rather than for individual students as the …

Analyzing The Impact Of An Informal Mathematics Teaching Experience On Preservice Teacher Mathematics Teaching Self-Efficacy, Kayla Fruth

Honors Projects

A teacher’s sense of efficacy is their belief in their capability to successfully accomplish a specific task. Teachers with a high sense of efficacy exert more effort, persistence, and commitment to teaching, which leads to higher student achievement and attitudes. The purpose of this study is to determine how participation in an informal mathematics teaching experience impacts preservice teachers’ sense of mathematics teaching self-efficacy. This research was conducted at one informal mathematics teaching experience, during which, all participants completed pre-surveys and post-surveys rating their mathematics teaching self-efficacy using the MTEBI. Later, some participants were interviewed to gain insight into their …

An Intersection Of Science & Art: Vitrification Approaches And Open-Fabricated Tools For The Biomedical Model Sea Hare, Aplysia Californica, Allyssa M. Oune

LSU Master's Theses

The California sea hare (Aplysia californica) is an important biomedical model for molecular neurobiology, electrophysiology, learning, and memory due to their well-mapped and large neurons and well-characterized learning capabilities. The National Resource for Aplysia (NRA, University of Miami) maintains large stocks of live animals and relies on regular shipments of wild-caught individuals to maintain genetic diversity. This is labor and cost-intensive, and environmental changes could alter the availability of wild animals increasing the need to preserve this genetic resource. One solution is vitrification, ultra-fast cooling which produces an amorphous glass that minimizes damage to cells. Aplysia californica presents …

The Contextualization Of Socioscientific Issues In An Age Of Accountability, Karrie A. Wikman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overarching aim of this research was to ultimately support global resiliency through science education, preparing citizens to laudably negotiate the contentious socio-cultural science- and technology-based issues of modern times. Correspondingly, this mixed methods study aimed to move a large, diverse school district toward school environments conducive to contextualized socioscientific issues (SSI)-based learning. Of interest to teachers, administrators, and policymakers, the research investigated the effects of subsuming standards-based objectives within the SSI instructional framework on science achievement. Analysis of variance of multilevel assessment and classroom observation protocol data revealed that students experiencing the SSI intervention showed statistically significant gains in …

Correlation Between Scores On The Assessment And Learning In Knowledge Spaces Placement, Preparation, And Learning Test And General Chemistry Course Outcomes For Undergraduate Students At A Public Midsize Master's University, Crystal Kaye Keso

All NMU Master's Theses

This study examined the problem of gateway courses in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), specifically, high-enrollment introductory chemistry courses with high rates of D, F, withdrawal, or incomplete grades. Previous research revealed a correlation between students’ prior mathematics knowledge and introductory chemistry course outcomes. Reports using the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces Placement, Preparation, and Learning (ALEKS PPL) test were limited in number. This study conducted a non-experimental retrospective correlational analysis between undergraduate students’ ALEKS PPL test scores and introductory chemistry course grades. The study’s theoretical framework was grounded in prerequisite and placement testing theories. The major findings …

Storying The Experiences Of A First-Year Teacher’S Mathematics-Related Teacher Identity With A Communities Of Practice Lens, Kelly Jean Navas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal narrative inquiry explores the influences on a first-year elementary teacher’s mathematics-related teacher identity, employing a community of practice lens. Identity is a complex concept. In this study, identity is viewed as socially constructed through new experiences. These social interactions can be seen as an individual participates in their communities of practice. A mathematics-related teacher identity intertwines a teacher’s mathematical identity with their teacher identity. This can influence their classroom decisions, as well as their planning and implementation of mathematics lessons. To gain insights into the evolution of this mathematics-related teacher identity, I listened to the stories of Suzie, …

Using L1 Student Narratives And Peer Teaching To Increase Secondary Education Mathematical Understanding, Marco Antonio Martinez Leandro

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This phenomenological study research presents an option to use both discourse in the native language and technology as an alternative to improve the understanding of mathematics in secondary education. 13 students whose native language is Spanish attended a high school in a large urban school district in the Southwest of the United States, participated in this study.

The study's main objective was to observe the effects of using students' discourse in their language and the support of technology to increase their academic literacy in mathematics. Solution-based pedagogy was central to helping students achieve the Development of Academic Literacy in Mathematics …

Instructors At A Crossroad: Perceptions Of Collaboration And Support Intersect With Intentions To Implement A Cure, Justin Berl

Dissertations and Theses

An ongoing crisis of student drop-off from undergraduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education has led to a sustained call over the last 15+ years for the increased implementation of updated practices in undergraduate STEM education. Though over the past few decades many researchers have developed and analyzed the efficacy of various evidence-based teaching practices (EBTPs) designed to improve the state of undergraduate STEM education throughout the country, the rate at which these EBTPs are implemented in undergraduate STEM classrooms remains low.

In order to better understand the specific factors that affect individual instructors' efforts to implement EBTPs, we …

The Effects Of Isolated Affordances On Preschool Counting Improvement When Using A Digital Coloring App, Katherine Papazian

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Counting is an important preschool math skill that is necessary for building a strong foundation in mathematics. Previous research has demonstrated that guided counting activities can improve counting ability in preschoolers and that drawing on paper while learning can deepen processing, but research has not included digital drawing as a potential means of deepening processing while children count. This study developed a novel touch-screen app, which used a guided coloring activity to encourage effective counting skills and serve as a home numeracy tool that could be employed by all parents, including those with math anxiety. To evaluate the benefits of …

Digital Game-Based Learning Activities In Primary Grade Mathematics Achievement, Chris Anderson

Graduate Teacher Education

The research paper has gathered and analyzed research from online databases to find how digital game-based learning activities were used in mathematics and how it influences the affective domains of academic engagement, motivation, and academic self-perception. The paper aims to inform primary educators of the benefits and limitations of digital game-based activities in primary mathematics. Digital game-based learning has positively influenced students' academic engagement through interaction, play, and effort, which had a positive effect on their mathematical achievement. Increased motivation felt by students when doing digital game-based activities resulted in higher mathematical achievement and an increase in learning more mathematics …

Science Attitudes Of Students Enrolled In An Introductory Environmental Science Course, Rajan Brar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examines attitudes towards science for 198 students enrolled in an introductory university environmental science course. Conceptual frameworks include the theory of planned behaviour and the tripart model of attitudes to assess science attitudes. A quantitative research design, using secondary data, is used to address this purpose. Within this study, Enjoyment of Science and Science Anxiety factors of attitudes towards science, components of the affective domain of attitude are compared to student gender, faculty, and academic year using a modified mATSI:2 questionnaire. It is found that faculty displays the most significant association with science attitudes, with students from science …

Game-Based Learning In Elementary Mathematics, Sophia Greenfield

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper analyzed 15 primary, peer-reviewed research articles about how to integrate game-based learning in elementary mathematics to increase conceptual understanding. The purpose of this paper was to inform teachers about how to integrate digital and traditional games, including factors to enhance effective implementation, in a way that increased conceptual understanding. Key factors were gleaned from the articles that had a significant impact on the effectiveness of game-based learning. In Chapter Two, traditional and digital games were divided into two sections to analyze the benefits and drawbacks of each method. These benefits and drawbacks were compared in the Appendices to …

The Effect Of Extended Reality On The Science Achievement Gap Between Students With And Without Disabilities, Shalece Kohnke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

A science achievement gap between students with disabilities (SWD) and students without disabilities continues to persist, impacting academic and occupational outcomes. Traditional science instruction and the abstract nature of science concepts are a barrier to science achievement for students with disabilities. The current research study examined the effect of extended reality (XR; Browser-based 360° virtual reality) on closing the science achievement gap between students with and without disabilities in inclusive biology classrooms using a one group pretest-posttest design. The researcher expands on existing research by utilizing a larger sample size, with free and easily accessible XR technology implemented in 9th …

Changes In Preservice Secondary Science Teachers' Views, Beliefs, And Their Nos Teaching During A Science Methods Course Guided By Rfn, Kelsey Beeghly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This multiple-case study investigated the changes in three secondary science preservice teachers' views of the nature of science (NOS), their beliefs about the importance of NOS, as well as how these changes relate to their NOS teaching at the end of a science methods course guided by the reconceptualized family resemblance approach (RFN). RFN is a conceptual framework that visualizes science as a cognitive-epistemic and socioinstitutional system, and its educational applications have recently begun to be explored. Data sources included the pre and post course RFN Questionnaire (Kaya et al., 2019) and individual interviews, as well as each preservice teachers' …

A Phenomenological Inquiry On How Social Markers Inform Preservice Elementary Teachers Science Teacher Identity Through The Lens Of Positionality, Katherine Cruz-Deiter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) in a teacher preparation course and the factors that informed their science teacher identity. The theoretical framework used was phenomenology, and the study addresses under researched undergraduate preservice elementary teachers within teacher preparation courses with no teaching experience. Methods included participant survey, semi structured interviews, and a card sort activity. Analysis was conducted with basic statistical methods for the quantitative data, and coding followed by creating themes for the qualitative data. Findings reveal that the responses (n=28) to an open question survey report 21 PSETs did not identify …

Math Proficiency And The Achievement Gap, Jamila A. Peterson

Culminating Experience Projects

Mathematical proficiency and the achievement gap have been central topics in educational research for decades. Academic experts from all areas have sought resolutions, especially in Michigan, which ranks relatively low in mathematical achievement; however, the problem persists. This project will investigate the history of the achievement gap, specifically in mathematics proficiency, and explore contributing factors and potential research resolutions. Mathematical proficiency is crucial in closing the achievement gap, as it has been a proven indicator of upward mobility. Proficiency not only negatively impacts the non-proficient student, but it also projects the country's economic future.

Cumulative Advantage And Student Performance In General Chemistry: An Empirical Study At A Midwest Tier 1 University (2016-2019), Nicole Barvian

Dissertations

General chemistry (GC) plays a crucial role in the academic and career outcomes of students interested in postsecondary science, engineering and medicine. As a whole, chemistry education research literature has reported student attrition rates averaging from 25% to 35% for nearly a century. Student attrition rates can be attributed to a number of factors, including high school preparation (e.g. Tai et al. 2006), opportunity to learn (Carroll, 1989) and accumulated time and practice in a domain (e.g. Ericsson et al. 1993). The factors, in turn, are affected by mechanisms of social stratification, in particular, the social mechanism of cumulative advantage …

Impact Of Indicators On Hispanic Student Postsecondary Stem Success, Sandra Durden

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. My study seeks to explore the extent that select secondary and postsecondary indicators predict STEM student enrollment and persistence particularly for Hispanic students. Identifying postsecondary STEM success and college readiness indicators with special focus on malleable indicators that can assist educators, administrators, and policymakers in designing and implementing educational interventions targeted at improving representation of Hispanic students that receive postsecondary STEM degrees. Currently there are few studies that use data from nationally representative samples of students to research the relationship between predictiveness of indicators and postsecondary STEM success, in particular, studies that explore which indicators differentially predict postsecondary …

An Analysis Of Secondary Mathematics Teacher Learning In The Midwest Master Teacher Partnership, Jenny Lynn Sagrillo

Theses and Dissertations

This case study investigates the professional learning and changes in teaching practices and leadership of four experienced, mid-career secondary mathematics teachers as a result of participation in the Midwest Master Teacher Partnership, a professional development partnership between a research university and a large, urban school district. The design of the professional development was based primarily on teacher action research; it placed the teacher at the center of the learning experiences, and included considerations of teachers’ existing knowledge, contexts, community, and assessment.The primary research question is, “How have teachers’ practices changed through their participation in a practice-based professional development project?” To …

Exploring Undergraduate Research Experiences And Perceptions Of Responsible And Ethical Conduct Of Research (Recr) Education In The Biological Sciences And (Bio)Chemistry Disciplines, Bernice Justina Caad

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Increasing calls to reform undergraduate (UG) education within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines have emphasized the importance of early exposure to responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) education. Historically, RECR has primarily been presented at the post-baccalaureate level, leaving many students without a foundational understanding of what responsible research ethics entails during the course of their undergraduate experience. Over the last decade, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a promising platform to establish expectations of responsible and ethical conduct through greater accessibility and inclusivity, starting at the freshman level. Interestingly, few studies have examined how …

Strategies To Increase Engagement In K-12 Stem Programs Among Bipoc Students Grades 3rd – 8th, Denisha C. Griffey

Dissertations

The WIRE Youth Development Programs, housed within the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI foster two enrichment programs geared towards strengthening the gap in academic knowledge through STEM/STEAM activities. Since its inception, WIRE has impacted over 1,000 youth grades 3-8 among the BIPOC population through its programs, most notably the WIRE Math and Science Summer Camp and Saturday Academy. In 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many K-12 education school systems switched to remote learning. As a result of this transition, there was a decrease in access …