Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Ensc 300 (Energy Seminar) Annotated Bibliography, Supplementary Reading, Adam Liska

Adam Liska Papers

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62 monographic resources

Imsa© Fusion: Preparing Students For Future Scientific Expertise, Michelle Kolar, Dora Phillips, Elizabeth Martinez, Laurie S. Sutherland

Publications & Research

Illinois adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) on February 19, 2014 with implementation scheduled to begin in the 2016-17 school year. This article explores (1) the national and statewide need for STEM college and career readiness based on current data; (2) the research on best practices in STEM teaching and learning; and (3) the work of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) to create IMSA Fusion, a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational program that is aligned with NGSS and utilizes research-based best practices to serve Illinois educators and students.

The introduction of the Next Generation Science …

Impact Of A Freshman Academy Versus A Traditional High School On Academic Achievement In Mathematics And Literacy, Jim Buie

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the impact of a freshman academy versus a traditional high school on the academic achievement in mathematics and literacy. The dissertation first outlined a brief history of school reform in the United States from colonial days to present. It then presented an extensive review of the literature related to the pivotal nature of the ninth-grade year and the use of freshman academies to improve student success during the ninth-grade year. The dissertation then outlined a study between two south-central Arkansas schools: a traditional high school with 151 participants, and a freshman academy …

Prop Demonstrations In Biology Lectures Facilitate Student Learning And Performance, Farshad Tamari, Kevin M. Bonney, Kristin Polizzotto

Publications and Research

Science students can benefit from visual aids. In biology lectures, visual aids are usually limited to tables, figures, and PowerPoint presentations. In this IRB-approved study, we examined the effectiveness of the use of five prop demonstrations, three of which are at the intersection of biology and chemistry, in three community college biology courses. We hypothesized that students’ performance on test questions is enhanced by the use of prop demonstrations. Consistent with our hypothesis, we showed that students learn more effectively and perform better on questions that relate to demonstrations than on questions related to lessons that do not have a …

Exit Tickets' Effect On Engagement And Concept Attainment In High School Science, Amy Mastromonaco

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Many high school students struggle to stay engaged in their science class. As a result, student learning often suffers. The purpose of this study was to implement one additional strategy (Exit Tickets) to the teacher’s pedagogy in order to help better engage students and promote student learning. The teacher then evaluated the efficacy of the strategy by: comparing both participant behavioral engagement and assessment results prior to and during/after the implementation of the Exit Tickets. The data was disaggregated to compare students who were typically behaviorally disengaged to those who were consistently behaviorally engaged so as to better determine the …

Lessons Learned From Lesson Study: Focusing On Differentiation For Ells And Students With Special Needs, Anne Marie Marshall, Khalilah Arrington

Publications and Research

This poster will present an overview of the lesson study process within the MATH-UP program. The poster will summarize the components of lesson study and highlight candidate learning from the process. Specifically, the lesson study selected will demonstrate evidence of candidate learning about emergent bilinguals.

Experts As Teachers: Can We Abate The Disconnect Between Expert And Student?, Bailey Mallon

Senior Honors Projects

Studies have found that experts often fail as good teachers, mainly because there is a lack of communication within their specific area (Feldon, 2007). Experts may routinely underestimate how difficult a task can be for a newcomer (Hinds, 1999) and even when attempting to make a task easier, they omit information a novice would find valuable (Hinds, Patterson, & Pfeffer, 2001) because they unintentionally assume that non-experts are aware of and possess knowledge that only those already familiar in the field might have, and would thus know what they are talking about. Furthermore, there are factors controllable by the professor, …

The Learning Landscape: An Assessment Of State Science Standards And Application In A Uri Outreach Center Youth Education Program, Sarah A. Robinson

Senior Honors Projects

Rhode Island state education standards provide educators with curriculum guidance and achievement goals for each grade level. In this case study, I examined the RI state standards and expectations for science education. I undertook this investigation in support of the URI Outreach Center and their elementary education program, Learning Landscape Field Trips. Learning Landscape provides Rhode Island teachers with an opportunity to meet state science standards through the medium of hands-on environmental education programs. Through my investigation, I became fluent in the Learning Landscape curriculum, teaching in more than 20 two-hour sessions. As well, I became familiar with the current …

Green Chemistry As A Tool For Understanding The Toxic Substances Control Act: A Lecture Module For Undergraduate Students, Molly R. Blessing

Honors Scholar Theses

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is the central form of chemical regulation existent in the United States today, yet scientists are often unaware or uncertain of its provisions. Violations of TSCA by unknowing chemists set industry and government unnecessarily at odds. A lecture on TSCA was developed for undergraduate students that uses the concept of green chemistry to promote interest and incentivize learning. Green chemistry methods are cleaner and less wasteful than traditional chemical ones, and many companies using them are at the forefront of technological innovation. The lecture explains both green chemistry and TSCA, includes company case studies, …

The Impact Of Non-Band Music Participation On The Academic Achievement Of 6th Grade Mathematics Students, Sherica Denise Jones-Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is hypothesized that participation in non-band music has a positive impact on mathematics achievement. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the theory of self-determination, multiple intelligence theory, and brain research provide a theoretical foundation in support of this conjecture. This causal comparative study seeks to address three questions related to the hypothesis: a) is there a difference between the academic achievement of 6th grade mathematics students based on non-band music participation status; b) is there a difference between the academic achievement of 6th grade males based on non-band music participation; and c) is there a difference between the academic achievement of …

A Multi-Case Study Examining Co-Teaching Approaches And Practices In High School Mathematics And Literature/Composition Classes, Patti A. Cleaveland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Special education provides a variety of instructional models to ensure the success of students with disabilities. The increasingly utilized model of co-teaching allows students with disabilities access to the general education environment with the support of special education teachers. The co-teaching model consists of one general and one special education teacher who work together to ensure the success of both the special education and general education students. This qualitative study investigated and explained the co-teaching approaches and practices used by co-teaching partners participating in the academic areas of literature/composition and mathematics classes at the high school level. A multiple case …

Student Perspective And Frequency Of Mathematical Textbook Use, Lance Kruse

Honors Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to explore students’ perspective and use of their mathematical textbook as a resource to learn mathematics. Participants were 18 students who attended an eighth grade mathematics class for 45 minutes each day in a suburban school setting. An initial survey was provided to participants to gauge perspective about current use of textbook as a resource and was then followed up with a focus group interview of six participants. Specifically designed instruction was aimed at creating a reader-centered learning environment by instructing participants about key components of the textbook and encouraging proper reading …

Uno Stem Annual Report 2015, Uno Stem Leadership Team

Student Learning

The following document is a brief Annual Report for the STEM Priority at UNO as of May 1, 2015. The document builds upon past strategic planning discussions, meetings,and conversations and aligns with the UNO STEM Strategic Plan, as first published in the Fall of 2013. It is important to note that the annual report is essentially a“work in progress” and will be continually refined during the next year and updated as initiatives progress. It is also a “springboard” for a continued and strategic review of our local STEM statistics and the professional literature on STEM learning, and it serves as …

An Exploration Of Teacher Perspectives Of Mathematics Anxiety And Gender Stereotyping, Jessica Browning

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this study was to identify the current perspective of grades three through twelve in-service teachers regarding mathematics anxiety, its causes, and its relation to gender stereotyping. A short online survey was conducted to gain insight into their classrooms and perspectives of the subject. The results showed that mathematics anxiety did exist in the classroom, and in-service teachers did report seeing a gender gap between the anxiety experienced by females and males. I believe that from these findings it is important to conduct further research on in-service teachers to see in depth what they think. This is important …

Common Core Math And Critical Reasoning, Lorna M. Hayman

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This teacher research action study compared the performance of students in mathematical critical reasoning for selected strands of math under the new Common Core Math Standards with their performance under the old California State Standards. Student scores from in-class tests and quizzes were comparatively analyzed over the duration of a year in one sixth grade classroom in Northern California. Findings from this study indicated a minimal increase in the critical reasoning skills of the students under the Common Core Standards when compared to the California State Standards. The results of the study imply that there is a need for longitudinal …

Effects Of Dehydration On Changes In Arterial Stiffness With Passive Heating, Az Satterfield

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Context: There is an inverse relationship between baseline arterial stiffness and the change in arterial stiffness with passive heating. However, it is unknown whether this relationship is affected by dehydration. Objective: To investigate the effect of acute dehydration on arterial stiffness during passive heat stress. Design: Two randomized counter-balanced trials. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Eleven healthy males (age=24.5 ± 2.8 years, body mass=76.6 ± 9.1 kg, body fat=16.8 ± 6.4%). Interventions: In one trial subjects were dehydrated (DE) and in another euhydration (EU) was maintained during passive heating to a 1.5°C increase in body temperature. Subjects were euhydrated …

Uganda Science Teacher Educator: A Concurrent Mixed Methods Investigation Of Nature Of Science, Pedagogy And Classroom Learning Environment Perspectives, Robert Elisha Musookho Kagumba

Dissertations

This study investigates the perspectives of Uganda science teacher educators on three areas foundational to science education reforms: Nature of science, preferred science pedagogy and classroom learning environment. Uganda has embraced science education reforms but classroom science teachers struggle to implement them. Could these struggles be attributed to their science teacher educators’ perspectives? Using a concurrent mixed method design, the study profiles the views of 63 science teacher educators in Uganda.

Data were collected using four instruments: Student Understanding of Science and Scientific Inquiry, Pedagogy of Science Teaching Test, Views of Nature of Science survey and Constructivist Classroom Learning Environment …

The Relationship Between Middle School Students' Mathematical Vocabulary And Their Achievements In Mathematics: A Mixed Method Study, Alanna L. Bowie

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

In 2000, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) included communication in the standards encouraging students to develop their mathematical language to sufficiently and accurately explain their ideas through discourse. For years, there has been a growing movement for students to attain abilities to articulate problem solving methods utilizing mathematics vocabulary (Pierce & Fontaine, 2009).

In this study, a mixed method design was utilized to examine the relationship between middle school students’ understanding of mathematics vocabulary and their success in mathematics. The quantitative study was conducted to determine if there is a correlation between eighth grade mathematics vocabulary acquisition and …

The Relationship Between Teachers’ Beliefs Concerning Mathematical Problem-Solving And The Strategies Used For Teaching Third - Through Fifth - Grade Students, Jasmine L. Thomas

Honors Theses

Everyone uses problem-solving on a daily basis: paying bills, managing time, and making decisions. It is important to be able to solve problems effectively, especially in mathematics. In 2007, the Mississippi Department of Education produced a set of mathematical objectives for third - through fifth - grade students. These objectives use the phrase problem-solving, without defining its use in the mathematics classroom. To discover what mathematics teachers were actually executing in the classroom, this study used a valid online survey administrated through Qualtrics. The survey focused on determining third - through fifth - grade teachers’ definition of a problem, their …

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 …