Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Effectiveness Of Teaching Modalities For Pre-College Level Mathematics Courses, Dorothy Latuszek

Dissertations

College educators are challenged with providing students with choices of teaching modalities that facilitate student achievement and success at a time when students are also seeking flexible scheduling and accommodation of their differing learning styles. This is certainly the case for college students who need to demonstrate proficiency for the content in pre-college level mathematics courses prior to enrolling in college-level mathematics courses. The term "pre-college level" is defined as courses in reading, writing, and mathematics for college students lacking those skills necessary to perform college-levelcoursework at two- or four-year college institutions (Parsad & Lewis, 2003).

Do certain teaching modalities …

An Investigation Of Secondary Teachers’ Knowledge Of Rate Of Change In The Context Of Teaching A Standards-Based Curriculum, Jihwa Noh

Dissertations

This study investigated teachers' mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge with respect to rate of change in the context of teaching a Standards-based high school mathematics curriculum that emphasizes rate of change as a central theme, the Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) materials. A framework was designed to provide a comprehensive guide for analyzing different aspects of rate of change knowledge incorporating existing frameworks relative to rate of change, NCTM recommendations described in Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics andPrinciples and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000), and research related to pedagogical understanding of rate of change.

Data …

The Relationships Of Teachers' Levels Of Technology Integration On Student Achievement In Reading And Mathematics, Valerie S. Fields

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the level of technology integration of fourth and eighth grade teachers in eleven rural school districts in northeastern Louisiana related to student achievement in reading and mathematics.

The sample consisted of 123 fourth and eighth grade teachers and their students from the eleven rural school districts in northeastern Louisiana. Fifty-eight percent of the teachers represented the fourth grade and 42% of the teachers represented the eighth grade. The teachers served a school age population in which 20% or more was from families with incomes below the poverty line.

Mean …

Efficacy Of Solution-Focused Brief Counseling On Math Assignment Completion And Accuracy In An Elementary School, Jamie Leigh Yarbrough

Doctoral Dissertations

A multiple-baseline-across-participants design was used to evaluate the efficacy of Solution-focused Brief Counseling (SFBC) for six fifth grade students with math assignment completion problems. Weekly 30-minute sessions of SFBC for 5 weeks were sufficient to produce increases in both completion rates (from 29% completion during baseline to 79.63% during treatment) and accuracy rates (from 23.50% during baseline to 50.01% during treatment). Most increases were maintained during a 1 to 3 week follow up period. In addition, the criterion-related validity of Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) was evaluated by comparing predicted completion and accuracy rates to actual achievement. Independent t tests between …

Teachers' Handbook For Using Picture Books To Promote/Reinforce Mathematical Concepts In The Early Primary Grades, Andrea Lynn Bannister

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this paper was to design a handbook for early primary grade teachers interested in using picture books to promote/reinforce mathematics. The handbook includes ten lessons based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, 2000.

Reasoning About Motion: A Case Study, Tiffini Lynn Glaze

Theses and Dissertations

Several dance and industrial design students were given the opportunity to attend a non-traditional mathematics course. The nature of this course prompted student interaction and expected collaboration. My research focuses on one dance student, Sara, who did not consider herself a strong mathematics student, but who understood physical motion very well. This paper explores the evolution of Sara's representations for physical motion in a given task, and discusses her reasoning for keeping or dismissing various parts of her representations during the course of this task. I examine first how Sara learns mathematics with understanding in this task, and second how …

Girls And Science: A Qualitative Study On Factors Related To Success And Failure In Science, Paula Denise Johnson

Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to determine how girls perceived factors that contribute to their success in science programs designed to maximize their achievement. The sample consisted of 20 students in 9th and 12th grades attending a school of choice. Respondents were interviewed using a structured interview protocol.

The National Council for Research on Women study (Thom, 2001) found that girls are more successful in math and science programs that incorporate acooperative, hands-on approach than in programs that stress competition and individual learning. This finding was supported by this study among 20 high school girls in a school whose mission is …

The Interactions Between An Orthodox Christian Worldview And Environmental Attitudes And Beliefs; For The Purpose Of Developing Better Instructional Practice In Support Of Environmental/Ecological Attitudes And Knowledge, Robert S. Keys

Dissertations

Students bring with them to the classroom a wide variety of beliefs and attitudes about the environment and its associated issues. One worldview belief structure prominently discussed in ecological discussions is the worldview of orthodox Christianity. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative measures to analyze the degree to which the orthodox Christian worldview of students influences their environmental attitudes and beliefs. Surveys were conducted with 281 undergraduate pre-service elementary teaching students enrolled in a science methods course to determine the degree to which orthodox Christian worldviews and ecological worldviews interact with one another. From this pool of students, 16 …

An Analysis And Synthesis Of Research On Classroom Peer Tutoring Methods That Benefit Intermediate Math Students, Shelley R. Grimm

Master of Education Research Theses

What are the benefits of peer tutoring? What do productive peer tutoring sessions include? This study occurred in fourth and fifth grade classrooms at a private school in a rural community. The researcher conducted an experiment to determine if students benefited from the opportunity to have their fellow students tutor them and elaborate on their method of problems solving during math class. In light of the inconsistent results, the author believes no assumptions can be made based on the data from this research. The fourth grade results showed definite progress according to the standardized test, but there was some inconsistency …

The Making Of The Modern Airport Executive: Causal Connections Among Key Attributes In Career Development, Compromise, And Satisfaction In Airport Management, David Alan Byers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify specific career development attributes of contemporary senior-level airport executives and to evaluate the relationship of these attributes to the level of satisfaction airport executives have in their career choice. Attribute sets that were examined included early aviation interests, health factors, psychological factors, demographic factors, formal education, and other aviation-related experiences. A hypothesized causal model that expressed direct and indirect effects among these attributes relative to airport executives’ career satisfaction was tested using sample data collected from 708 airport executives from general aviation and commercial service airport throughout the United States. Applying a …

The Effect Of Funnix Math On Pre-Kindergarten Student's Achievement In Mathematics, Michelle E. Andreoli

Theses & Honors Papers

It is imperative that mathematics education in the United States be effective and comprehensive in nature. Mathematical skills are a necessary component to functional and independent living. Much debate has aroused over which instructional methodologies to adopt, but the research clearly supports the use of explicit instruction. Direct Instruction is an expository approach to learning, which encompasses critical design principles that enable it to be sequential and thorough. Funnix Math is the newest program, which utilizes this methodology. The present study investigates the efficacy of Funnix Math on the pre-kindergarten population. The results of this study contradict previous research on …

Using The History Of Research On Sickle-Cell Anemia To Affect Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions Of The Nature Of Science, Eric M. Howe

Dissertations

Preservice elementary teachers enrolled in an elective biology course participated in an eight-class unit of instruction based on the history of research in understanding the disease sickle-cell anemia. Students were introduced to the disease as a “mystery” for them to solve, and subsequently developed an understanding of the disease from several disciplines in biology (e.g., genetics, ecology, evolution, molecular biology). The unit involved open-ended problems in which students examined evidence and developed explanations in a manner analogous to the reasoning used by Anthony C. Allison and his colleagues during the early to middle part of the twentieth century.

Throughout the …

Brief Relational Mathematics Counseling As An Approach To Mathematics Academic Support Of College Students Taking Introductory Courses, Jillian M. Knowles

Educational Studies Dissertations

Traditional approaches to college mathematics support focus on cognitive aspects of the student's approach and only incidentally address affective problems such as mathematics and testing anxiety. Because such affective conditions may be symptoms of underlying relational problems rooted in a student's learning history, I proposed a brief relational mathematics counseling approach that integrates cognitive constructivist mathematics tutoring into a brief relational conflict counseling framework.

The Periodic Table Of The Elements, Michael A. Bailey

All Graduate Projects

The blueprint to the world of chemistry is encoded in the periodic table of the elements. This fundamental chart can be found in virtually all science classrooms in the world. The purpose of this project was to design a professional development course focusing on the periodic table of the elements. The target audience is college students working towards teaching science as a career, current teachers looking to enhance their understanding of the table, and resident teachers working towards continuing certification. In order to accomplish this purpose extensive literary research, the Washington State Academic Learning Requirements for science, published science lessons, …

A Model General Science Developmental Writing Skills Curriculum In Alignment With Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements, Troy L. Halfaday

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design a model general science curriculum, for seventh grade students, for implementation at Ballou Junior High School, Puyallup, Washington. The model curriculum was designed in alignment with the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR's). To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature was reviewed. Additionally, related information from authorities was obtained and analyzed.

Water Quality Assessment: A Hands-On Approach To Environmental Education, Tracy Lynn Royse

All Graduate Projects

A water quality assessment lab manual has been created to assist secondary educators using the HACH water quality testing kits. It consists of ten chemical tests, a geological survey and a biological assessment largely based upon Washington State University's lab format and the Walla Walla County Conservation District's water study protocol. The lab manual also contains safety guidelines, a scoring rubric and an action plan research project. The environmental approach to science education used in the lab manual meets the Essential Academic Learning Requirements adopted by the Washington State Commission on Student Learning as well as the National Science Education …

Proposal For An Elemenatry Science Curriculum Outline To Help K-4 Teachers Prepare Students To Take The 5th Grade Science Wasl, Cindy D. Williams

All Graduate Projects

With a statewide pilot of the 5th grade science Washington Assessment of Student Leaming (WASL) in the spring of 2003, all elementary schools were tiying to prepare their students to meet the standards. At this time, the only resources schools had for preparation was a glimpse of the first criterion-referenced assessment, the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), Grade level Expectations (GLEs) and a "release booklet" of sample items distributed to 5th grade science teachers. Educators knew that the best curriculum built on the previous year's knowledge which spiraled throughout the curriculum. At this time there were no curriculums designed starting …

Students’ Assessment Of Biology Education At Marshall University, Chris A. Barker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis research was to evaluate the quality of scientific education offered in the College of Science’s Department of Biology at Marshall University. The objectives of this study were to emphasize the important aspects of higher education assessment, point out that a scientifically literate citizenry is imperative for society to function effectively, and to determine what factors contribute to differences among students with regard to their perception of the quality of scientific education they are receiving at Marshall. A survey questionnaire was administered to students in eleven biological science courses during the Fall semester of 2003 and …

A Curriculum Of Non-Routine Problems In The Middle School, Adam James Deleon

Theses Digitization Project

This project is a study to determine if a group of middle school students can improve their problem solving ability by means of curriculum of nonroutine problems that was presented over a six month period.

The Impact Of The Iowa Children's Water Festival On The Children's Attitudes And Behaviors Toward The Environment, Sang-Min Kim

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As a result of the growing concern about environmental issues, many countries have developed mechanisms and regulations directed at protection and conservation of the environment. As a part of this movement, many governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) have launched a variety of environmental education programs, in an attempt to promote awareness of environmental issues. The Iowa Children’s Water Festival (ICWF) is an annual half-day environmental education program in Iowa. The goal of the ICWF is to provide educational opportunities throughout the state to K-5 children and to educate customers of tomorrow on the importance of safe, reliable drinking water (ICWF, …

The Influence Of Teacher Preparation Programs On Student Achievement And The Use Of Nctm Standards And Principles In Middle School And High School Algebra I Classrooms, Denelle L. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

The impact of traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs on student achievement and the instructional delivery methods used in middle school and high school Algebra I classrooms was explored through a mixed method comparative design. The data analysis revealed that alternative teacher preparation programs are a viable avenue to explore in meeting the needs of public schools for providing qualified teachers in mathematics classrooms at the middle school and high school levels. Data from the standardized state test and district level quarterly assessments revealed no significant differences between groups on half of the achievement measures, but there was a significant …

Assessing High School Students' Conceptions Of The Size, Age, And Distance Of Astronomical Objects, Tracy Jean Lawrence

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this research study is to identify student conceptions about the size, distance, and age of various objects associated with space science. After reviewing the literature related to this study, there seems to be a need for continued research at the high school level in the field of astronomy conceptualization.