Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

The Role Of Apparatus In Problem-Solving And Model Construction And Contemplation, Maré E. Sutphen, Laura Ríos

Physics

Problem-solving serves a crucial role in learning physics, as it is required that students absorb laws, principles, and concepts and arrange their understanding in a structure accessible for application. Further, these arrangements necessarily include methods and strategies gained from past experience, required for the implementation of these structures. Although tedious, problem-solving requires not only the arrangement of knowledge, but the construction and contemplation of models of physical phenomena. Research shows that while amateur problem-solvers typically approach problems by stringing together equations, experts will first look at the larger picture of the physical phenomena at hand, and through a “series of …

Differentiated Instruction In Geometry Using Low Floor, High Ceiling Mathematical Tasks, Franklin R. Falculan, Maria Alva Q. Aberin

Mathematics Faculty Publications

This study investigated the effects of using Low Floor High Ceiling (LFHC) mathematical tasks on students’ conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in seventh-grade Geometry by closely examining pre-test and posttest results. Two intact classes composed of thirty-two grade 7 students in each class participated in the study. The control group was taught and had practice using conventional, algorithmic tasks while the experimental group was taught and had practice using LFHC mathematical tasks. Data analysis revealed that, as compared to students exposed to algorithmic problems, students exposed to LFHC activities were much more mathematically proficient in Geometry, at the very least …

Exploring The Intersection Of Visualization And Language Through Cognitive Restructuring, Dennis Lee Jarvis B. Ybañez, Lester Hao

Mathematics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Student Perceptions Of Integrated Stem Education In A High School Geometry Class, Alyssa Noland

Dissertations

Integrated Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) education provides students with opportunities to solve integrated real-world problems. Integrated STEM instruction aims to develop 21^st-century skills in students and promote interest in STEM subjects through authentic real-world tasks. Student perceptions can help educators and administrators to understand the benefits and constraints of integrated STEM instruction. This qualitative case study was designed to understand student perceptions of integrated STEM instruction and student perceptions of the value or applications of mathematics. The situated STEM learning and social constructivism theoretical frameworks guided the design of the lessons and methods of the study. High …

A Case Study Of Mathematical Instructional Leadership, Theresa Haack

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation looks at the impact of instructional leadership in mathematics teaching on teachers at various stages in their careers. Using a case study methodology, the researcher explores the nuanced needs and effective strategies for beginning, mid-career, and established teachers. Peer instructional leaders provided data that involved a mix of qualitative methods, including surveys, interviews, and questionnaires, targeting five assistant principals selected randomly from diverse school environments. The study identifies common themes and differences in instructional approaches, highlighting how strategies vary and overlap across different career stages. Analysis gives insights into the practical application of leadership in educational settings, emphasizing …

How Do Preservice Teachers Learn To Teach Integrated Computational Thinking?: Evidence From Planning, Enactment, And Reflection, Rachael Dektor, Samuel Severance, Kip Téllez

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This study examines pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) beliefs and understandings about computational thinking (CT) integration and lesson implementation over time. Utilizing a design-based research approach, 3 PSTs led the co-design of integrated CT lessons with support from researchers and enacted these CT integrated lessons with K-5 students. All PSTs participated in a whole-group CT workshop and engaged in one-on-one lesson design sessions with a researcher. We utilized a grounded theory approach to qualitatively analyze pre-surveys, semi-structured interviews, and video data of three PSTs enacting their lessons. We found that PSTs’ initial beliefs about CT instruction – including the importance of it …

Post-Baccalaureate Research Experiences For Students At Two Hispanic-Serving Institutions (Experience), Dessaray Monique Gorbett, Benjamin C. Flores, Cristina Villalobos, Sara E. Rodriguez, Ariana (Ari) Arciero, Josef A. Sifuentes

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examines the implementation of a one-year program that offered post-baccalaureate research experiences to a cohort of recent STEM graduates from two large Hispanic-serving institutions. Both institutions are collaborators in an NSF Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) grant, which is dedicated to enhancing the academic experience of historically underrepresented minorities. Applicants were either self-nominated or were nominated by faculty to participate in the post-baccalaureate program. Following an application process that included an interview, selected participants were matched to research faculty and committed to engage in a high-impact research project for at least one semester and for up …

Teacher Candidate Learning Of Interdisciplinary Controversial Issues: Linking Social Studies And Science In The Elementary School Curriculum, Brandon M. Butler, Stephen R. Burgin, Mark Diacopoulos, William Mcconnell

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Teaching controversial issues poses challenges for teacher candidates, stemming from apprehensions about potential backlash and gaps in content and pedagogical knowledge. The prevailing emphasis on tested subjects such as mathematics and reading/writing in elementary school education often sidelines social studies and science, limiting opportunities for candidates to engage with these disciplines and their associated instructional strategies, including addressing controversial topics. Integrating social studies and science with other subject areas emerges as a viable approach to ensure comprehensive education. Teacher education coursework serves as a vital platform for exposing educators to interdisciplinary curriculum design and implementation. Such exposure prompts teacher candidates …

Supporting Elementary Engineering Instruction In Rural Contexts Through Online Professional Learning And Modest Supports, Rebekah J. Hammack, Julie Robinson, Tugba Boz, Min Jung Lee, Ryan G. Summers, Ashley Iveland, Martha Inouye, Meghan Macias, Maria Zaman, John Galisky, Natalie Johansen, Carolyn Ringstaff

Teaching, Leadership & Professional Practice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Wip: A Novel Learning Log Application For Classifying Learning Events Using Bloom’S Taxonomy, Alex M. Phan, Jenna Metera, Sonia Fereidoona, Cham Yang, Minju Kim, Carolyn L. Sandoval, Phuong Truong

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Learning can be a daunting and challenging process, particularly in engineering. While cognitive models for learning such as Bloom's taxonomy have been developed since the 1950s and evidenced to be useful in designing engineering courses, these models are not commonly explicitly taught in classrooms to help students manage and regulate their own learning. In highly demanding curriculum such as engineering, ineffective strategies can lead to poor academic performance that cascades throughout a student’s academic career. Feedback from traditional examinations often do not provide personalized and actionable changes to study habits (i.e., with suboptimal scores, students may know they need to …

Board 125: Work In Progress: Faculty Experiences And Learning Through Oral-Assessment Implementation In Engineering Courses, Minju Kim, Carolyn L. Sandoval, Josephine Relaford-Doyle, Torus Washington Ii, Saharnaz Baghdadchi, Nathan Delson, Marko Lubarda, Alex M. Phan, Curt Schurgers, Huihui Qi

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This WIP qualitative research paper explores faculty experiences with implementing oral exams in high-enrollment undergraduate engineering courses at a research university. With a primary goal to improve conceptual mastery, as well as a desire to ensure academic integrity in the sudden move to remote instruction at the height of the pandemic, a group of faculty in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments implemented oral assessments in their own engineering courses across several quarters. They formed a research group with educational developers in a teaching and learning center on campus, and investigated the impact of oral assessments …

Board 303: Implementing Oral Exams In Engineering Classes To Positively Impact Students' Learning, Huihui Qi, Carolyn L. Sandoval, Curt Schurgers, Marko Lubarda, Alex M. Phan, Saharnaz Baghdadchi, Maziar Ghazinejad, Minju Kim, Zongnan Wang, Nathan Delson

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

In this paper, we present the outcomes of a three-year NSF IUSE project focused on the integration of oral examinations in engineering classes. Our exploration begins with an examination of the manifold advantages of oral exams, benefiting both students and instructors. We delve into oral exams as an assessment tool, elucidating their learning benefits and emotional advantages. While some of these aspects align with existing literature, we also unveil novel findings. Additionally, we address the benefits for instructors and Teaching Assistants (TAs), encompassing informative insights that can catalyze instructional improvements. Next, we share our strategies for mitigating the scalability challenges …

The Perception Of The Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy To Support Black Male Students In Mathematics – A Case Study, Chiquita Granville

Dissertations

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy is a method of education that promotes an inclusive and empowered learning environment by acknowledging and valuing students varied cultural origins. CRP is especially important for tackling the ongoing achievement discrepancies encountered by high school Black Male students in the context of mathematics instruction. This abstract emphasizes the value of culturally sensitive instruction in enhancing black male students' mathematics learning results and experiences.

This research will examine the difficulties faced by Black male students in Mathematics classes, including prejudice, a lack of cultural representation in the curriculum, and a lack of relevance between the subject matter and …

Exploring The Associations Of Afterschool Science Participation And Friendships With Science Identities, Patricia Wonch Hill, Grace M. Kelly, Julia Mcquillan, Jorge Ledesma, Miranda Melson, G. Robin Gauthier

Worlds of Connections Resources

Building on previous research that demonstrates the association of youth experiences in afterschool science and higher science identities, this paper presents a network study of 421 middle school students that examines afterschool science participation, friendship ties, and science identities. Participation in afterschool science clubs is associated with higher science identity, but the mechanisms and order of causality are unclear. Youth form friendships inside and outside of school, and peers may influence participation in afterschool activities, as empirical research on friendships shows that they are associated with youth interests. These peer interactions also have the potential to shape identity development during …

Numerical Issues For A Non-Autonomous Logistic Model, Marina Mancuso, Kaitlyn M. Martinez, Carrie Manore, Fabio Milner

CODEE Journal

The user-friendly aspects of standardized, built-in numerical solvers in
computational software aid in the simulations of many problems solved using
differential equations. The tendency to trust output from built-in numerical
solvers may stem from their ease-of-use or the user’s unfamiliarity with the
inner workings of the numerical methods. Here, we show a case where the
most frequently used and trusted built-in numerical methods in Python’s
SciPy library produce incorrect, inconsistent, and even unstable approxima-
tions for a the non-autonomous logistic equation, which is used to model
biological phenomena across a variety of disciplines. Some of the most com-
monly used …

Why Expanding Access To Algebra Is A Matter Of Civil Rights, Liza Bondurant

CoE Publications

No abstract provided.

California 4-H Computer Science Education Pathway, Steven M. Worker, Roshan Nayak, Fe Moncloa

Journal of Extension

Young people need digital competency and confidence to effectively harness computing power to solve problems and design solutions; a core component is improving young people’s computational thinking. Unfortunately, access to computer science education is lacking for all youth, and in particular for youth who live in lower-income households, who are Black or Latino, or live in rural areas. With funding from Google, through the National 4-H Council, California 4-H embarked on a three-year project to build the capacity of 4-H professionals, volunteers, and teenagers to facilitate computer science education with youth. Our programming was effective as assessed with survey methodology. …

Unlocking Understanding: Enhancing Scientific Literacy Through Interdisciplinary Reading Strategies In High School Science Classes, Nancy C. Hollenweger

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the intersection of literacy instruction and high school science teaching in response to low proficiency levels in these areas and interest in pursuing STEM careers among U.S. high school students. Participants reported using close reading practices combined with inquiry-based science instruction to enhance students’ science literacy and reading proficiency. Data were from document analysis, one-on-one interviews, and focus group discussions. Five significant themes showed teachers' journeys from recognizing a problem to implementing new instructional strategies while pursuing knowledge about how to continue growing their craft. The five themes included teacher awareness of students’ literacy struggles, the apprehension …

Blazing New Pathways For Digital Engagement In Mathematics Using Geogebra, Math Manipulatives, And Picture Books In A Stem World To Nurture Confident Young People In Mathematics, Joseph M. Furner

FDLA Journal

Using best practices for teaching mathematics like GeoGebra, math manipulatives, and children’s literature picture books can all be connected to each other and better help to prepare students for a STEM world to develop confident young people in doing mathematics in a world of AI and emerging technologies. This paper will highlight all the above best practiced and share how they can be connected and taught in a way that is make math meaningful and help students to be confident with technology and mathematics in a way that helps them see math in a hands-on, visual, and abstract way. Learners …

Global Implications Of Covid-19 On Education And Research In Healthcare And Stem: Analysis Of Case Studies, Yumna Indorewala, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

The zoonotic novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 posed major threats to the world’s economy, social development, and public health. Education and research in STEM and healthcare were no exceptions to the global implications of the Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Social distancing guidelines were initially recommended to refrain from in-person operations for preventing the transmission of the virus. As academic organizations implemented multifarious methods to effectively transition to remote/online or hybrid educational formats, COVID-19 necessitated designing, adopting, as well as evaluating the efficacy of new instructional approaches, especially for disciplines that require active, experiential learning such as healthcare and STEM. These …