An Examination Of Positive Impacts On Students' Math Success, Lauren E. Bisher

Culminating Experience Projects

In today’s classrooms, some students struggle to achieve at high levels in math. Yet, recent research describing the neuroplasticity of the brain means that, with a mathematical mindset, all students can achieve in math at the highest levels in school. Unfortunately, some capable students disengage from the subject due to a fixed mindset or holding beliefs in math myths, such as only some people are born with a math brain or math is about speed. Achievement in math can open more opportunities in a student’s future. Entrance into college and various careers that require mathematical skills become possible when students …

The Influence Of Misconceptions On Pedagogical Choices Of Secondary Science Teachers: An Embedded Case Study, Tracey Beyer

Dissertations

This case study, using phenomenography within science disciplines, examines how educators' experiences with misconceptions affect teaching methods in high school physics, chemistry, and biology. Based on constructivist and interpretive theories it highlights that personal experiences shape learning and involve continuously reconstructing knowledge. The shared misconceptions of 13 educators across science disciplines reveal how those experiences influenced both their content knowledge and instructional practices. The findings indicate that educators who openly acknowledge and learn from their past experiences with misconceptions are better equipped to recognize and address gaps in understanding, an asset to furthering student learning. This research highlights the importance …

The Relative Age Effect: Ensuring Student Success Regardless Of Birth Month, Geoffrey E. Bruno

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study examines the degree to which relative age impacts school performance and achievement for students in Scarborough Public Schools. The relative age effect refers to the impact differences in age among students in the same grade can have on performance in school. Students who turn five in the days just prior to the eligibility date for starting Kindergarten, October 15 in Maine, are nearly one year younger than those who are born in the days immediately after October 15. In addition, some parents choose to delay their child’s enrollment in Kindergarten for one year, a decision called …

Teacher Efficacy In Co-Teaching Science Classrooms: Implications For Training, Sabrina Christensen

Student Research Submissions

Following legislation to educate students in the least restricted environment, schools are using co-taught inclusive settings to teach secondary science classrooms. Traditionally, general educators do not receive robust instruction in differentiation, co-teaching, or collaboration with special educators. Special educators traditionally do not receive training in science content. An online survey was distributed through social media inviting teachers to share their experiences with co-teaching in science classrooms. Likert scales were used to measure teacher efficacy in co-teaching secondary science classes and teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of current teacher training. Based on the data collected, recommendations are provided for adjustments to …

Who Picks Where A Student Sits In A Classroom?, Kathryn Kummer

Honors Projects

This ACTION research study aims to explore who should pick where students sit in a classroom. Disruptive behavior is a common issue in managing a classroom, so in this study, the results of each arrangement will be done by observing how often disruptive behavior happens in the classroom due to the seating arrangement. Student preference for seating arrangement will also be noted to determine if that affects disruptive behavior. The three arrangements to explore are: student choice, teacher choice, and random selection. By the end, the study will provide the arrangements effect as it relates to disruptive behavior and if …

Identification Of Quality Indicators Of Visual Based Learning Material In Technology Education Programs For Grades 6th - 9th In Greek Schools In Cyclades Aegean Islands, Spyridoula Tsouganatou

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify quality indicators for visual based learning material for technology education classes for grades 6th to 9th. This is a three round Delphi study aimed in answering the following research question. RQ: What are the quality indicators that contribute to the successful selection of visual-based learning material that contribute effectively to transmitting pedagogical information in a technology education classroom for grades 6^th -9^th? The quality indicators were determined by the consensus reached by technology education expert panel/educators that have been identified for the contributions and expertise in the field of …

An Evaluation Of The Equitable Practices For Stem Education To Prepare All Students For The 21st Century, Elizabeth Simpson

Dissertations

We are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, yet most education institutions do not provide STEM education for all students. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been a special focus of both industry and federal education initiatives in recent years. STEM is a proven way of building student skills needed for the workforce of tomorrow. The purpose of this study is to determine why education decision-makers resist implementing STEM programs equitably for all students. The context of this inquiry is district and school-based leaders throughout the United States, from elementary to high school, who have …

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 …

Mathematical Identities And Tracking: An Exploration Of Efficacy In Children And Women, Emma Hagan

Education | Master's Theses

This study seeks to understand the impact of elementary school mathematical identities and mathematics tracking on the identities of women and girls. “Tracking” is an institutionalized education method developed in the 1960s and 1970s in which schools sort their students into smaller class-sized groups based on their observed achievement (Domina et al., 2016). Too often, when students test onto the lower track, they are confronted with a sense of futility and a lack of self-efficacy (Domina, Hanselman, Hwang & McEachin, 2016; Houtte & Stevens, 2015). Further, in STEM disciplines, students who identify as female report lower self-efficacy rates than those …

Meet Me In The Middle: A Scoping Review On Understanding Adolescent Needs In Climate Communication, Gwendolyn Monica Hoff Anderson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The greatest effects of climate change are likely to be felt by youth. Young people are disproportionately affected by climate change due to their critical developmental stage and lack of power, and they experience both higher severity and prevalence of mental health issues related to climate change. Strong emotions have long been recognized as potential catalysts for action, or they may lead to paralyzing feelings of being overwhelmed. Climate communication is a critical tool to spark climate concern and encourage action. Activism, in turn, may help youth manage their anxiety about climate change. This scoping review examines emerging evidence on …

Growth Mindset Intervention And Its Impact On Productive Struggle In The Eighth-Grade Mathematics Classroom, Jordy Wilson

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

This study aims to seek means to increase student productive struggle while adhering to the strenuous performance demands by our school systems. This study examines connections between growth mindset interventions, attitude towards struggle, and productive struggle in the mathematics classroom. Growth mindset interventions have been shown to change mindsets and to help students become more willing to engage in challenging problems and deal with difficult situations and struggle. Productive struggle is the engagement with difficult problems with the understanding that breakthroughs occur from confusion and struggle and has been linked with students’ conceptual understanding in the mathematics classroom. It has …

An Investigation Of The Instructional Norms Of Mathematical Communication When Students Present Geometry Proofs At The Board, Bukola T. Ake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Expert mathematical communication is a synthesis of speaking, writing, diagramming, and gesturing. What opportunities are there for secondary mathematics students to learn the discipline-specific ways in which these modalities can be combined to communicate proofs? In an initial effort to investigate this question, Dimmel and Herbst (2020) conducted a multimedia survey experiment to test a hypothesis about how secondary mathematics teachers expect students to communicate when presenting proofs at the board in secondary geometry classrooms. Their hypothesis, based on an analysis of episodes of instruction from a small sample of secondary geometry classrooms, was that teachers expected student presentations of …

Exploring The Association Of Student-Teacher Relationships And Mathematics Teaching Styles With Star Renaissance Mathematics Scores In A Group Of Middle School Students At A Midwestern School., Sydney Lund

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study aimed to explore the relationship between middle school students’ perceived student-teacher relationships, students’ perceived mathematics teachers’ teaching styles, and middle school students’ Fall benchmark Star Renaissance mathematics assessment scores at a Midwest public school. The positivist paradigm served as a lens to formulate this cross-sectional correlational study. A Qualtrics questionnaire was developed and contained the Student Version of The Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory (S-TSRI), an adapted version of The Teaching Styles Inventory, and a selection of demographic variables (e.g., grade level, gender, family structure). The Star Renaissance mathematics assessment Fall 2022 benchmark was introduced to the database after …

Promoting Engagement Through Socioscientific Inquiry At The Middle School Level, Kaitlyn Kalehuawehe

Undergraduate Theses

Learning science is not just about facts. It is an area that has the potential to expand beyond the classroom. There is a concern for students having negative associations with science, and not seeing the relevance it plays within their lives. The curriculum should reflect science's value within society and its influence on complex issues. Learning science in the context of socioscientific issues (SSI) can promote an understanding that connects science to society and everyday life. The main objective of this thesis is the see how the use of SSI in the middle school classroom can promote student engagement and …

Evaluating Attitudes Toward Non-Formal Science Education Programs Among High School Science Teachers In Southeast Louisiana, Heather Egger

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has begun implementing Louisiana Student Standards for Science (LSSS), as well as developing high school science certification programs. The LDOE recognizes that teaching science using three-dimensional learning methods and phenomena based inquiry learning will be a challenge that would be addressed in part by partnerships between formal science teachers and nonformal science education programs. However, limited available information on this topic shows that utilization of nonformal science education opportunities by science educators has declined and, in some instances, have been relegated to unstructured “fun” outings to reward students, often after the final quarter …

Resilience In Early Second Career Stem Teachers Employed In Public Secondary Schools, Donald Selway

Theses and Dissertations

A troubling shortage of K-12 Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics (STEM) teachers exists in the United States. One solution to increase STEM teachers involves recruiting STEM professionals to transition from industry to K-12 teaching. Research indicates that fostering resilience is one way to help new STEM teachers’ retention and persistence in the field. This study explored individual and programmatic factors that increase early career and early second career K-12 STEM teachers’ resilience. Moreover, this research examined how strategic initiatives and programs assisted STEM professionals to build resilience as they transitioned into K-12 STEM educators.

This study utilized mixed-methods design to …

Women Pursuing An Agricultural Systems Technology Degree, Tanya Milam

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This phenomenological research study examined the factors influencing women to pursue an Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) degree and their self-efficacy in that field of study. Two research questions guided this study and data was analyzed from interviewing women enrolled in an Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) program at a mid-western university. The resulting four categories of Agricultural Experiences, Aptitude, Support, and Motivation were broken down into themes. The results were also applied to the theoretical framework of self-efficacy associated with career choice theories. Limitations of scope and generalizability indicate that further investigation of this topic is highly recommended.

Keywords: …

Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Education: A New Mexico Case Study For Equity And Inclusion, Kimberly A. Scheerer

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This research addresses how student participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) education activities encourages underrepresented minority student achievement in STEM career field trajectories. Seven New Mexico high school counselors and 12 STEM organization personnel were interviewed during this study. Their responses represent the nuanced professional voices where New Mexico public education intersects with STEM student interest and cultural influence.

For students, STEM PBL can foster deep integration across educational disciplines and enhance STEM career trajectory interest and readiness. STEM education converged with PBL methodologies has the ability to leverage community support while broadening student networks. …

Does Instructional Autonomy Matter? Exploring Job Satisfaction For Math And Non-Math Teachers In Low, Middle, And High Ses Schools, Hannah Sean Ellefritz

Dissertations and Theses

Throughout the 2000s, standards-based education policies decreased the autonomy of public schools across the U.S., deprofessionalizing educators and limiting their participation in the development of curriculum and instructional policy. Many education scholars argue that, rather than professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, standards-based reforms position teachers as technicians, accountable for measurable output in accordance with externally imposed standards. This literature suggests that such education policies may have implications for teachers’ job satisfaction, especially those working in schools or subject fields that are particularly susceptible to standardized curriculum and accountability procedures. Using nationally representative data from the Teaching and Learning International …

Student Motivation And Engagement In The Middle School Math Classroom: How Can Teachers Respond?, Sarah Janae Mcglothlin

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study investigated the factors that contribute to and take away from middle school students’ active and meaningful participation in math class. The study also sought to gather students’ opinions and ideas for how their teachers could better engage and motivate them in the middle school math classroom setting. Using surveys, student interviews, and a teacher focus group, the researcher gathered and coded data via the constant comparative method and identified the major themes of intrinsic motivators, extrinsic motivators, distractions, and impacts of COVID-19 as key factors. The study also generated the concepts of teacher assistance, lesson style and activities, …

Connecting Confidence To College Mathematics And High School Ability Tracks, Kaleb Wourms

Honors Projects

Ability tracking within mathematics education is commonplace in American high schools. Some feel that students’ ability tracks act as a predictor for their success in university mathematics. Research has shown that many factors, such as socioeconomic status and more, have substantial effects on student success. The purpose of this study was to further investigate variables related to success in university mathematics. Confidence in mathematics is one factor in student performance that is particularly under-researched. This research investigated the relationship between ability tracking in high school mathematics, student confidence level, and performance in university mathematics. Data was gathered via a survey. …

Examining Middle School Core Teacher Knowledge And Practices In Stem Education, Rachel Brill-Lee

All Theses And Dissertations

Many educational institutions reported challenges with achieving student success in STEM disciplines and attribute these challenges to the lack of knowledge and education among educators on how and what to teach regarding STEM education (Stehle & Peters-Burton, 2019). This qualitative case study explored how core subject teachers outside STEM/CTE education in one middle school in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States view, understand, and integrate STEM education and skills into their curriculum. The study used a combination of Likert surveys and semi-structured interviews to identify themes that may contribute to challenges many educational institutions are experiencing in regard to …

Analyzing The Effects Of Mathematical Mindsets And Self-Regulation Of Middle School Students To Overcome The Challenges Of Math Anxiety, Bardhyl Gjoka

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

In the rapidly changing world, schools must prepare students for jobs and careers that may not exist today. Mathematics is one of the core subject areas that help students prepare to meet the demands of the 21st-century. When students are proficient in mathematics, they have the opportunity to build problem-solving skills. Learning mathematics helps students find solutions to a problem logically and develop analytical thinking skills. However, many students struggle with mathematical content and concepts during math lessons and learning activities. Teachers need to create practical age-appropriate lessons focusing on problem-solving skills to help students who fear math and experience …

The 6e Instructional Model In The Mathematics Classroom, Danielle K. Deutsch

Honors Projects

The focus of this action research study is to compare the 6E instructional model to a traditional instructional model in the mathematics classroom. Literature shows that the 5E model has a significant positive impact on subject mastery, knowledge permanence, and students’ attitude and interest toward the content. Further, the 6E model is shown to allow for easy implementation of tiered differentiation strategies so that all students’ needs are met. Two classes of seventh grade students received instruction on the same content, with one class receiving 6E instruction and the other receiving traditional, lecture-demonstration style instruction. Results showed that the 6E …

Teacher Led Tier Two Intervention To Increase Student Academic Achievement, Cynthia Shepherd

Education Masters Papers

The purpose of this action research was to determine if the implementation of a tier two teacher led intervention would increase student academic achievement. A small group of ten students in a ninth-grade physical science class participated in the study. Data was collected over a period of three weeks using pre- and post- intervention surveys, an exit slip for self-assessment, researcher observations, comparisons of work completion and grades from previous grading periods, participant performance self-assessment, and a goal setting activity. Results show an inconclusive connection between the tier two teacher led intervention and student academic achievement. This is possibly due …

Hope In A Time Of Global Unrest: An Ethnographic Study, Sabrina Hanson

Claremont Graduate University School of Education Teacher Education

This paper documents the observations, struggles, and insights of a first year teacher. It is a year-long documentation of the search for hope during a global pandemic that affected the way schools functioned and how students learned. This work is in three distinct sections. The first section is a self-reflection of identity and why this teacher chose teaching as a profession. The second section is focused on two of their students, one who is immunocompromised, and one who has significant learning challenges, and how they navigated the quarantine during the pandemic through their expression of learning. The third section reflects …

Sistematización De Experiencias: Enseñanza De Las Ciencias Exactas En Tiempos De Pandemia, Yuliana Carreño Salazar, Shirley Castañeda Castro, Diana Carolina Numpaque Pineda, Rafael David Tellez Garzon

Maestría en Docencia

A partir de los retos metodológicos que enfrentaron los docentes en el país debido a la pandemia por el Covid -19, cuatro profesores del Colegio Agustiniano Norte plantearon la siguiente sistematización, siendo una investigación cualitativa que permitió ampliar sus conocimientos ya que, desde la reconstrucción de las experiencias de cada uno y del aporte de algunos estudiantes, se logró reconocer las características propias de las prácticas pedagógicas desarrolladas en el campo de la enseñanza de las ciencias exactas en un entorno remoto. Así mismo, se identificó la importancia de los recursos didácticos digitales y de las técnicas didácticas como: el …

Culturally Responsive Science Education And Teaching: Current Literature, Preservice Elementary Science Teachers And Lesson Planning, Lundon Pinneo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

First, a meta-analysis of Culturally Responsive (CR) science teaching characteristics and practices was conducted. Findings revealed that there are a limited number of CR teaching studies at the elementary science level. When studies conducted at the middle, secondary and postsecondary level were included, six themes which encompassed the characteristics and pedagogical practices of effective CR science teachers and teacher development emerged. These themes were academics, cultural competency, social inequities, CR learning environment, rejection of the deficit lens and pedagogical strategies.

Next, the impact of curriculum and practices designed to reflect these six themes on preservice elementary science teachers was explored. …

A Quantitative Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of A Global Online Professional Development Course To Enhance 21st Century Skills In Stem Instructional Design, Chris Link

Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are becoming increasingly important in the 21st century workforce, but there is currently a shortage of STEM professionals around the world. Even when students graduate with STEM degrees, many lack basic interpersonal skills such as communication and problem solving that would position them for success in the marketplace. The New York Academy of Science developed the STEM Education Framework to help ensure that STEM curricula teach the Essential Skills that students need in order to thrive in the modern workplace. In order for educators to proficiently utilize the STEM Education Framework, they must …

Successful Novice Teachers’ Conceptualizations And Enactments Of The Collaborating Teacher Role: A Dual Case Study, Kia Sarnoff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive, exploratory, dual case study was to understand the ways two successful novice middle school mathematics teachers serving as first-year collaborating teachers (CTs) for preservice teachers (PSTs) from the same “Grow Your Own” (GYO) educator preparation program (EPP) where they received their initial preparation conceptualized and enacted their CT roles. The CTs’ perceived impact of being alumni of the same middle school mathematics EPP as their PSTs was also explored. Analysis of interview, observation, and document data collected throughout the PSTs’ initial field experience and the CTs’ first-ever mentoring experience resulted in several key assertions including: …