Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

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 …

Increase Faculty Awareness Through Personal Experiences In Active Stem Teaching And Learning At A Christian University, Aram Agajanian

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Jesus Christ taught through parables, examples, teamwork, repetitions, and questions, which are the foundations of active teaching and learning. The purpose of this presentation is to increase and invoke faculty involvement in active teaching for optimal student achievement. To emulate Jesus, educators should continually implement hands-on lab experiments; peer-to-peer, project-based, and brain-based teaching methods in their classes. Mentoring students includes providing help through office hours, teaching assistants, weekly homework and exam review sessions, and study groups. Relating to students through social occasions such as meals at the cafeteria; attending the student organizations and sports events, concerts, competitions are additional creative …

Early Childhood Math Strategies, Nicole Merchant

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was led by the researcher’s interest in improving early learners’ academic mathematics achievement, specifically in oral counting, number identification, and counting 1:1 correspondence up to twenty, for targeted students. The researcher is in her 14th year of teaching, but 3rd year as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher, where her own students participated in a trial group intervention study. The four-week intervention was performed where students engaged in mathematics practice with implementation of five instructional practices and providing interactive engaging math games that specifically focused on skills including oral counting, number identification, and 1:1 correspondence. Throughout the …

Formative Assessment And Technology In The Mathematics Classroom, Albert Humes

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review investigates the use of formative assessment and technology in the classroom. There has been research to show that mathematics proficiency has dropped recently in the United States and researchers are looking to identify new strategies for student growth. Utilizing formative assessments, as well as targeted, immediate feedback for students, can help to improve student learning. As educational technology becomes more prevalent, more studies and research are focused around its effectiveness toward student achievement. The research found that formative assessment strategies, coupled with new technologies, can positively impact student achievement.

The Importance Of Using Manipulatives In Math Class, Jennifer Lange

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review synthesizes research on how the use of manipulatives in math class benefit the learner. The problem is that the students are not always given the opportunity to explore and learn through the use of math manipulatives in order to gain a strong foundation and understanding of mathematical concepts. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the benefits of using manipulatives in the classroom and the impact it has on student achievement levels. The literature review is made up of research studies published within the last 10 years and explores the different types of manipulatives, levels …

High School Principals' Perceptions And Instructional Leadership Practices Regarding Algebra I State Scores, Tangia Ann Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

States are double scheduling algebra classes; using calculators and virtual manipulative-like algebra tiles; and applying interventions such as Response to Interventions, needs assessments, and various computer graphing technology such as Demos. However, during the school year 2018-2019, 12.9 percent of a state public school students failed to meet passing score requirements on the state algebra test and were at risk of not graduating. The purpose of this research was to examine school principal perceptions and instructional leadership practices supporting mathematics teachers to help students to improve their proficiency in Algebra I. A basic qualitative research design, grounded in instructional leadership …

Middle-School Mathematics Teachers' Use Of Formative Assessment Data, Shawana T. Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A school district located in the southeastern United States uses benchmark tests as formative assessment to provide teachers with data to differentiate their instruction to meet the individual needs of students in their classrooms. Despite this effort, student achievement in mathematics in this school district has not improved. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how middle-grade mathematics teachers used the benchmark results as formative data to guide instruction and meet student needs. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was the model of formative assessment developed by Black and Wiliam. For this basic qualitative study, …

Perceptions Of Home-Based Parental Involvement And Middle School Students' Science Outcomes, Staicy Anthony

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A low-income, urban school district has consistently failed to achieve the state’s target science performance index for several years at the middle school level. Studies have suggested that parental involvement affects student achievement. Middle school administrators and science teachers lack an understanding of home-based parental involvement behaviors regarding students’ science outcomes. There is a need for increased home-based parental involvement to enhance science outcomes among middle school students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to fill the gap in practice by exploring administrators’ and science teachers’ perceptions of home-based parental involvement behaviors regarding middle school students’ science outcomes. …

Mathematics Student Achievement In The Context Of Idaho’S Advanced Opportunities Initiative, Nichole K. Hall

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics coursework a student completes in high school often directly affects their subsequent post-secondary education and career opportunities. In recent years, in a push to prepare a larger number of students for post-secondary education and career opportunities in Idaho, state initiatives have focused on addressing mathematics preparation in the middle grade years to increase the number of students completing an advanced mathematics pathway in high school, including the Advanced Opportunities Initiative to support financial costs of advanced coursework. Starting 2011, each year of the initiative has seen annual increases in students participating in dual credit and Advanced Placement (AP) coursework. …

The Impact Of Tracking Students In Mathematics On Middle School Student Achievement Outcomes, David P. Glasner

ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to explore whether and how tracking structures in mathematics courses at the middle school level relate to differences in achievement between white and black students. This study used propensity score matching to compare the achievement outcomes of students enrolled in advanced mathematics classes, with students of comparable ability and background enrolled in grade-level math classes. The study sample was comprised of 1,510 students. Results from the study show that enrollment in an advanced-math course was associated with statistically significant improvement in math achievement for average-ability students. In addition, study results show that increases in …

The Presence Of Birth Parents And Students’ Mathematics Achievement, Darian Kanouff

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper discusses the relationship between the presence of birth parents in a student’s home life and their grade last semester in mathematics. Our^[1] study consisted of two sets of rosters from two different urban high schools in a large metropolitan district. The 238 students involved are currently enrolled in either AP Calculus AB, Pre-calculus, Applied Statistics, Algebra II, Honors Geometry, or Geometry. The research showed that 30.8% of students who live with only their birth mother received an A or a B for the semester while 17.5% percent failed their mathematics course. In contrast, 58.4% percent of students …

The Effects Of Supplemental Instruction On Student Achievement In College Algebra, Rhonda C. Porter

Georgia Journal of Science

College algebra consistently has a very high number of students performing poorly. An experimental study addressing student performance was conducted. Two college algebra classes each with 25 students and with the same teacher were used, one as the control group and the other as the experimental group. The experimental class included mandatory supplemental instruction for an extra class period per week. T-tests were used to compare performances on each test and homework. A repeated measures 2 X 2 ANOVA was used to compare the students' performance on a pretest and a posttest between each class. The Mann-Whitney U test was …

A Comparative Study Of Two Graduation Pathways: Traditional Vs. Stem At A Southeastern High School, Chemisi Asha Kogo-Masila

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study approach investigated the impact of standardized tests on student achievement from the STEM program and the traditional program in a suburban high school. Qualitative data were collected from interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires to get perceptual data from teachers. Quantitative data were collected from different demographic information and the standardized tests American College Testing (ACT) and end-of-course examination (EOC). An independent sample t test, the Chi-Square Test of Independence and Pearson R Correlation of association test were used to analyze the data collected. Documents with the graduation rates for the participants were reviewed, and both programs had …

Teacher Self-Efficacy, Instructional Practices, And Student Achievement In Mathematics: A Correlational Study, Kristi Lynn Day

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods research examined teacher self-efficacy in mathematics and the use of specific mathematical instructional practices in Grades 3-5 classrooms. The purpose was to examine the relationships among teacher self-efficacy of teaching mathematics, the use of specific mathematical instructional practices, and student achievement as measured by the North Carolina end-of-grade test. According to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008), differences in students’ mathematical achievement are credited to differences in teacher characteristics including their self-efficacy in teaching and use of specific instructional practices. The study sought to add to the research behind that finding.

Correlational relationships among the variables were studied. …

Relationship Between Teacher Inquiry Science Instruction Self-Efficacy And Student Achievement, Grace Hanners

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standardized test data indicate that student achievement in science is a problem both nationally and locally. At the study site, only a small percentage of fifth-grade students score at the advanced level on the Maryland state science assessment (MSA). In addition, the performance of African American, economically disadvantaged, and special education students is well below that of the general student population. Some studies have shown that teacher self-efficacy affects student achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fifth-grade teacher inquiry science instruction self-efficacy scores and the scores of their students on the MSA. Bandura's …

Investigating Teachers' Content Knowledge And Pedogogical Content Knowledge In A Middle School Physical Science Curriculum On Force And Motion, Daniel Patrick Laverty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching is a profession that requires the incorporation of many types of knowledge in order to create effective instructional experiences that promote student learning. Teachers need to blend their knowledge of the content with the methods for delivering that content and an understanding of their students' thinking. With increasing concern in the United States over student achievement in science and mathematics, there is ongoing discussion about which elements of teacher knowledge most directly correlate with effective instruction. How do specific strands of teacher knowledge blend to influence student learning outcomes? This study explores the roles of teacher content knowledge (CK) …

Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy: Examining The Relationship Of Teacher Efficacy And Student Achievement, Nouf Abdullah Alrefaei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate which teachers’ characteristics have an impact on teachers’ sense of efficacy. In addition, the relationship between mathematics and science fifth grade teachers’ sense of efficacy and student achievement was examined. Two characteristics related to teachers were examined: teachers’ years of teaching experience and teachers’ highest degree. Participants included 62 mathematics and science teachers from three school districts in Northwest Arkansas. When comparing fifth grade mathematics and science teachers’ efficacy beliefs based on their highest degree, a significant difference in teachers’ efficacy beliefs was found based on their degrees. Teachers with a Bachelor …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between An Online Homework System And Student Achievement In Pre-Calculus, Parisa Babaali, Lidia Gonzalez

Publications and Research

Supporting student success in entry-level mathematics courses at the undergraduate level has and continues to be a challenge. Recently we have seen an increased reliance on technological supports including software to supplement more traditional in-class instruction. In this paper, we explore the effects on student performance of the use of a computer software program to supplement instruction in an entry-level mathematics course at the undergraduate level, specifically, a pre-calculus course. Relying on data from multiple sections of the course over various semesters, we compare student performance in those classes utilizing the software against those in which it was not used. …

Extended Instruction In Business Courses To Enhance Student Achievement In Math, Lessie Mcnabb Houseworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor achievement on standardized math tests negatively impacts high school graduation rates. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate if math instruction in business classes could improve student achievement in math. As supported by constructivist theory, the students in this study were encouraged to use prior knowledge and experiences to make new connections between math concepts and business applications. The key research question examined if there was a significant increase in the standardized mathematics test scores of students enrolled in business classes with extended mathematics instruction compared to the standardized test scores of students not enrolled in business …

A Study Comparing Fifth Grade Student Achievement In Mathematics In Departmentalized And Non-Departmentalized Settings, Karen Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the application of the teaching and learning theory of social constructivism in order to determine if mathematics instruction provided in a departmentalized classroom setting at the fifth grade level resulted in a statistically significant difference in student achievement on the Virginia 2011 Grade 5 Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) Test when compared to the achievement of students in a non-departmentalized setting. Regular fifth grade education students, who attended non-Title 1, Pre-K through Grade 5 elementary schools in an urban eastern Virginia school district, participated in this study. A three-way between-groups …

The Relationship Between Principal Leadership And Teacher Morale In The Elementary Schools In A Northwest Georgia School District, Daniel Webb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the difference between 2012 CRCT math sores based on principal leadership styles and teacher morale, as well as the relationship between teacher morale and 2012 CRCT math scores at each of the 12 elementary schools within a Northwest Georgia county school district. There is a gap in current research regarding the importance of teacher morale and principal leadership at the elementary level, and another gap exists in research that compares teacher morale and student success. Teacher morale was quantified through the use of the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO), principal leadership practices were quantified through the use of …

Teachers' Perceptions About The Types, Quality, And Impact Of Their Job-Embedded Professional Development Experiences, Delilah Mitchell

Dissertations

This study was designed to determine eighth grade teachers’ perceptions of the impact, quality, and types of job-embedded professional development activities they have participated in and the relationship to student achievement in language arts, math, or science. The researcher identified school districts with 50% or more of their eighth grade students scoring proficient or advanced on all three areas of Mississippi’s Curriculum Test, Second Edition (MCT2). Sixty-four eighth grade language arts, math, or science teachers who had been at their current school at least two years completed a questionnaire created by the researcher. Multiple Linear Regression and Pearson’s Correlation were …

Do Teacher Characteristics Affect Student Achievement? Evidence From A Rural State, James V. Shuls

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using a unique dataset, this dissertation analyzes the relationship between observable teacher characteristics and teacher effectiveness. Effectiveness is measured as a teacher's ability to improve student achievement on a standardized test. This analysis focuses on teachers of math and science at the elementary and middle school levels, as well as teachers of algebra, geometry, and 11th grade English language arts. The sample is drawn from Arkansas, a state that has a much more rural population than other states and cities where this type of analysis has been conducted in the past. For the analysis I am unable to link teachers …

The Impact Of State Fiscal Effort On Student Achievement Measured By Math Scores From The National Assessment Of Education Progress (Naep), Lorena Leeann Kelly

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The current financial state of our nation, in combination with the pressure to meet state accountability testing and a global call for better prepared twenty first century learners, has produced a situation where all levels of government have to make difficult decisions regarding expenditures. In order to ensure that education receives appropriate funding, research is necessary to show a relationship between spending and student achievement. This study examines the effects of sustained increases and decreases in state fiscal effort on student achievement measured by scores from 4th and 8th grade math NAEP scores over an eighteen year period. A quantitative …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Of Learner-Centered Beliefs Of Seventh Grade Mathematics Teachers And Student Achievement On The Mathematics Section Of The North Carolina End-Of-Grade Assessment, Mary A. Steltz

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the personal domain in systemic reform. In an effort to improve student achievement, this study focused on accountability reform. The learner-centered model was based on what teachers believe about teaching and learning and how student motivation and achievement was influenced by those beliefs. Teacher practices, beliefs and behaviors had the greatest impact on student learning; therefore this study sought to establish identification of learner-centered teachers and their effectiveness on student achievement on the seventh grade mathematics section of the North Carolina End-of-Grade Assessment.

To that end, a non-experimental quantitative study design was used to …

The Relationship Of Learner-Centered Beliefs Of Eighth-Grade Math Teachers And Student Achievement On The North Carolina End-Of-Grade Mathematics Test, Takeda Lasha Legrand

Education Dissertations and Projects

Educators are charged with reform efforts to improve student achievement. Most efforts focus on accountability reform. The learner-centered model for school reform is organized around the personal domain for systemic reform. How teachers work with students is greatly influenced by policy and what they believe about student learning and behavior. Subsequently, teacher behaviors, beliefs, and practices impact learning. This dissertation attempted to establish teacher beliefs and their effectiveness on student achievement on the eighth-grade End-of-Grade Mathematics Test in the State of North Carolina.

This study was conducted within the Sandhills Regional Education Consortium located in the central part of North …

Are Statistics Labs Worth The Effort?--Comparison Of Introductory Statistics Courses Using Different Teaching Methods, Jose H. Guardiola, Nadina Duran-Hutchings, Hassan Elsalloukh

Numeracy

This paper compares the academic performance of students in three similar elementary statistics courses taught by the same instructor, but with the lab component differing among the three. One course is traditionally taught without a lab component; the second with a lab component using scenarios and an extensive use of technology, but without explicit coordination between lab and lecture; and the third using a lab component with an extensive use of technology that carefully coordinates the lab with the lecture. Extensive use of technology means, in this context, using Minitab software in the lab section, doing homework and quizzes using …

The Effects Of Teacher Stability On Third Grade Student Achievement As Measured By The North Carolina End-Of-Grade Tests In Reading And Mathematics, Juddson W. Starling

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the effects of teacher stability on student achievement as measured by the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests in reading and mathematics for third grade students. The perceptions of third grade teachers and elementary school principals concerning issues with teacher stability were also examined. Accountability for public schools in North Carolina has driven educators to find ways to increase student achievement. Teacher stability is a variable that can be controlled by educators in an attempt to increase student achievement.

The writer gathered test data from a target school district and analyzed test scores by the number …

The Influence Of A Reform-Based Mathematic Program On Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Student Achievement, William M. Ward

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Effect Of The Appalachian Math And Science Partnership On Student Achievement, Betsy Evans

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Students in the schools of Central Appalachia continuously score lower in mathematics and science at all K-12 levels than their state’s average scores. This education achievement gap is currently being addressed by the Appalachian Math and Science Partnership (AMSP). The AMSP is a professional development program whose goal is to increase the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers. There is a growing body of research that shows improving teacher knowledge and teaching skills is essential to raising student achievement.

The purpose of this study is to determine …