Digital Commons Network^™

The New York City Teaching Fellows Program: A Case Study In Alternative Certification In Mathematics, Brian Evans

NERA Conference Proceedings 2009

The purpose of this study is to understand the mathematical content knowledge new teachers have before and after taking a mathematics methods course in the New York City Teaching Fellows program. Further, the purpose is to understand attitudes toward mathematics Teaching Fellows have over the course of the semester. Findings revealed a significant increase in mathematical content knowledge and positive attitudes toward mathematics. Relationships were found between attitudes and self-efficacy. Finally, Teaching Fellows found that classroom management was the biggest issue in their teaching, and that problem solving and numeracy were the most important topics addressed in the methods course.

The Effectiveness Of Mathematics And Science Partnership (Msp) Grants On Student Achievement, Michael R. Schlabra

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a Title II Mathematics and Partnership grant positively affected student achievement levels for 3rd grade students in a public school system. The primary participant populations for this study were third grade students enrolled in 4 elementary schools in north Georgia from 2005-2008. Over 4,500 student assessments were used to conduct the statistical research and variables such as gender, race, and socio-economic levels were not disaggregated in the data collection. The data sources included the first quarter, second quarter, and third quarter post formative assessments which were administered every nine-week grading period …

Special Educators And Mathematics Phobia: An Initial Qualitative Investigation, Michael Humphrey, Jack J. Hourcade

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Special educators are uniquely challenged to be content experts in all curricular areas, including mathematics, since students in their case loads may require academic instruction in any area. However, special educators with math phobia may be limited in their ability to provide effective instruction to their students with mathematical deficits and/or needs, and may experience additional challenges in their professional and personal lives. This qualitative study sought to better understand the nature of math phobia in two special educators through extensive interviews, journaling, and observations in math experiences, with a number of primary themes identified. Several potential resolutions for the …

Geometric Characterization Of Digital Objects: Algorithms And Applications To Image Analysis., Arindam Biswas Dr.

Doctoral Theses

Several problems of characterizing a digital object, and particularly, those related to boundary description, have been studied in this thesis. New algorithms and their applications to various aspects of image analysis and retrieval have been reported. A combinatorial technique for constructing the outer and inner isothetic covers of a digital object has been developed. The resolution of the background 2D grid can be changed by varying the grid spacing, and this procedure can be used to extract shape and topological information about the object. Next, an algorithm has been designed for constructing the orthogonal (convex) hull of a digital object …

The Use Of Robotics, Gps And Gis Technologies To Encourage Stem-Oriented Learning In Youth, Viacheslav I. Adamchuk, Gwen Nugent, Bradley S. Barker, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

In our technology rich world, the educational areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) play an increasingly essential role in developing well-prepared specialists for the 21st century workplace. Unfortunately, interest in theses areas has been declining for a few decades. Various innovative educational initiatives in formal and informal learning environments have been undertaken nationally to attempt to encourage STEM-oriented learning. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the particular program described in this paper focuses on middle school youth in non-formal learning environments. The program integrates educational robotics, Global Positioning System (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies to provide …

The Language Of Mathematics: Virginia Standards Of Learning Mathematical Pictionary For Grades K-3., Amanda Rashelle Collins-Browning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My experience teaching in Virginia schools, pacing and aligning instruction to the Virginia Standards of Learning, caused me to recognize the need for a mathematics tool to simplify and transition K-3 mathematics vocabulary usage and instruction. The language of mathematics uses three linguistic tools: words, symbols, and diagrams. Within this thesis I developed an instructional tool, a "Mathematics Pictionary", to accommodate primary grades K-3 and transition mathematical language and vocabulary skills between the primary grades aligned to the instruction and guidelines of the Virginia Standards of Learning. The Pictionary may be used coherently with lesson plans, available from the Virginia …

A Case Study Of Culturally Responsive Teaching In Middle School Mathematics, Rosanne Fulton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of culturally responsive teaching in middle school mathematics. The study contributes to the emerging definition of learning experiences in mathematics that support all middle school students through the use of culturally responsive teaching strategies. These experiences are organized to actualize the balance between accommodating the individual student’s culture, needs and interests and supporting the attainment of appropriate mathematics learning goals.

The research site was chosen because of its diverse and changing student demographics, and because of the achievement and growth rates of these students. Data collected from classroom observations of three middle school mathematics …

Exploring Teacher Perceptions Of Influential Facilitators Of Elementary Mathematics Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Investigation, Sandra Linder

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of the facilitator in elementary mathematics professional development. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was utilized to answer the central research question: How do United States elementary school teachers perceive an influential facilitator of elementary mathematics professional development (EMPD)? Phase one of this study explored teacher perceptions through a phenomenological design, which informed the second phase of the study, the implementation of a survey instrument to elementary school mathematics teachers on a larger scale. This dissertation is divided into six chapters. Chapter One presents a rationale for examining the role of the facilitator in professional …

Cyclic Shifts Of The Van Der Corput Set, Dmitriy Bilyk

Faculty Publications

In 1980, K. Roth showed that the expected value of the L2 discrepancy of the cyclic shifts of the N-point van der Corput set is bounded by a constant multiple of √logN, thus guaranteeing the existence of a shift with asymptotically minimal L2 discrepancy. In the present paper, we construct a specific example of such a shift.

Grades 7-8 Mean, Median, And Mode, Rich Miller Iii

Math

This lesson is a math lesson for seventh and eighth grade students on mean, medium, and mode. Through this lesson students will be able to understand the measures of central tendency and their definitions, how to calculate them and what steps are involved, and how the theories can be applied on real life. In this lesson, students are tiered by ability and are able to pick a project based off of their interest and the math concept they are working on. Each activity has a tiered task card to guide the students.

Traditional And Nontraditional Preservice Elementary Teachers' Perceptions About Mathematics And Mathematics Teaching, Anna Marie Wheeler

Dissertations

In this qualitative dissertation, I examined six nontraditional (based on age) and six traditional preservice elementary teachers' beliefs and changes in beliefs about mathematics and mathematics teaching. These case study participants were enrolled in one of three mathematics content courses designed for preservice elementary teachers at a mid-sized doctoral granting university in the western United States. I selected the twelve participants based on the predetermined criteria of gender (female), age (less than 30 for traditional and at least 30 for nontraditional), mathematics instructor, preservice mathematics course, and group dynamics. Data collection consisted of two approximately 45-minute long interviews per preservice …

Graph Coloring And Flows, Xiaofeng Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Part 1. The Fulkerson Conjecture states that every cubic bridgeless graph has six perfect matchings such that every edge of the graph is contained in exactly two of these perfect matchings. In this paper, we verify the conjecture for some families of snarks (Goldberg snarks, flower snarks) by using a technical lemma.;Part 2. A star coloring of an undirected graph G is a proper vertex coloring of G such that any path of length 3 in G is not bi-colored. The star chromatic number of a family of graphs G , denoted by chis( G ), is the minimum number …

Hamiltonian Line Graphs And Claw -Free Graphs, Huiya Yan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The research of my dissertation was motivated by the conjecture of Thomassen that every 4-connected line graph is hamiltonian and by the conjecture of Matthews and Sumner that every 4-connected claw-free graph is hamiltonian. Towards the hamiltonian line graph problem, we proved that every 3-connected claw-free Z8-free graph is hamiltonian, where Z8 is obtained by identifying one end-vertex of P9 with one vertex of a triangle; let hc( G) denote the least integer m such that the iterated line graph Lm(G) is Hamilton-connected, we showed that k -- 1 ≤ hc( G) ≤ max{lcub}diam(G), k -- 1{rcub}, where k is …

Versal Deformations Of Leibniz Algebra., Ashis Mandal Dr.

Doctoral Theses

No abstract provided.

Isomorphism Of Schwartz Spaces Under Fourier Transform., Joydip Jana Dr.

Doctoral Theses

Classical Fourier analysis derives much of its power from the fact that there are three function spaces whose images under the Fourier transform can be exactly determined. They are the Schwartz space, the L2 space and the space of all C ∞ functions of compact support. The determination of the image is obtained from the definition in the case of Schwartz space, through the Plancherel theorem for the L 2space and through the Paley-Wiener theorem for the other space.In harmonic analysis of semisimple Lie groups, function spaces on various restricted set-ups are of interest. Among the multitude of these spaces …

An Investigation Of The Support For Literacy Instruction In Elementary Mathematics Textbooks, Wendy Ann Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinds of support offered for integrating literacy strategies into mathematics instruction in elementary mathematics textbooks so that students are given opportunity to achieve the vision NCTM (2000) has for mathematical power for all. The research methodology for this was a qualitative content analysis using a priori codes. Two textbook series were chosen for this study. In each series examples of literacy integration ideas based on Trabasso's and Bouchard's (2002) effective comprehension strategies to teach comprehension were cited and analyzed. The results show that there is support for teachers to integrate literacy …

Effects Of After School Programs On Elementary School Students' Language Arts And Mathematics Achievement, Jennifer Lynn Presnell

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated after school program participation on student academic achievement as a way of helping schools meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act. After school programs were divided into academic after school programs and traditional after school programs. Student achievement was measured through Criterion Referenced Tests in Language Arts and Mathematics. This study took place in a small urban school district located in the Intermountain West. Students in after school programs were matched with students not participating in the programs on several background characteristics including socioeconomic status, English language proficiency status, school …

The Expectation Of Transition Events On Finite-State Markov Chains, Jeremy Michael West

Theses and Dissertations

Markov chains are a fundamental subject of study in mathematical probability and have found wide application in nearly every branch of science. Of particular interest are finite-state Markov chains; the representation of finite-state Markov chains by a transition matrix facilitates detailed analysis by linear algebraic methods. Previous methods of analyzing finite-state Markov chains have emphasized state events. In this thesis we develop the concept of a transition event and define two types of transition events: cumulative events and time-average events. Transition events generalize state events and provide a more flexible framework for analysis. We derive computable, closed-form expressions for the …

Numerical Solutions For Stochastic Differential Equations And Some Examples, Yi Luo

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I will study the qualitative properties of solutions of stochastic differential equations arising in applications by using the numerical methods. It contains two parts. In the first part, I will first review some of the basic theory of the stochastic calculus and the Ito-Taylor expansion for stochastic differential equations (SDEs). Then I will discuss some numerical schemes that come from the Ito-Taylor expansion including their order of convergence. In the second part, I will use some schemes to solve the stochastic Duffing equation, the stochastic Lorenz equation, the stochastic pendulum equation, and the stochastic equations which model …

Diverging Perspectives: A School District's Response To And Instructional Support Application, Sarah Crose

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Diverging Perspectives: A School District’s Response To An Instructional Support Application Sarah L. Crose, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2009 Advisor: David Fowler The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study is to better understand how teachers and district leaders respond when implementing a technology instructional support application. The study also explores the influences affecting that implementation process. Secondary mathematics teachers who had been presented with the option to implement a web-based instructional software were interviewed to understand their perception of the implementation process. District leaders were interviewed to understand district philosophies and policies influencing technology decision making within the district. Findings …

Concept Booklets: Examining The Performance Effects Of Journaling Of Mathematics Course Concepts, Todd Stephen Fogdall

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Journaling is an effective tool for writing about mathematics, but research is mixed about the extent to its effectiveness in writing to learn mathematics. This study examined the performance effects of concept booklets on curriculum assessments. Concept booklets are a hybrid style of journal-writing that include responses to journal prompts, diagramming, and traditional note-taking. Prompts were designed to sometimes investigate new concepts and, at other times, to reflect on components of previously learned concepts.

The study, of an experimental design, was carried out at the high school level in honors-level mathematics classes with the independent variable being exposure to the …

Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between State Fiscal Effort And Academic Achievement, Timothy A. Goodale

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Prior empirical research has taken many varying approaches to determine if differences in funding significantly impacts student academic achievement. However, much of these studies exhibit weak generalizability due to their limited scope, timeframe and dissimilar achievement measures. To expand upon the already robust literature in education finance this study measures interstate funding disparities via state fiscal effort and determines its impact on several measures of student academic achievement. To control for threats to external validity the research investigates the variables over ten years to determine if the relationships hold over time. Statistical measures employed within the research include bivariate correlation, …

Review Of Calculation Vs. Context: Quantitative Literacy And Its Implications For Teacher Education By Bernard L. Madison And Lynn Arthur Steen (Editors), Maura B. Mast

Numeracy

Madison, Bernard L. and Steen, Lynn Arthur (Eds.). Calculation vs. Context: Quantitative Literacy and Its Implications for Teacher Education. (Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 2009). 197 pp. Softcover. ISBN 978-0-88385-908-7. Available free on the MAA website at http://www.maa.org/ql/calcvscontext.html

The papers in Calculation vs. Context discuss the role of quantitative literacy in the K-12 curriculum and in teacher education. The papers present a varied set of perspectives and address three themes: the changing environment of education in American society; the challenges, and the necessity, of preparing teachers to teach quantitative literacy and of including quantitative literacy in the K-12 education; …

Engaging Math-Avoidant College Students, M. Paul Latiolais, Wendi Laurence

Numeracy

This paper is an informal, personal account of how we, as two college teachers, became interested in math anxiety, decided to explore it amongst students at our institution in order to inform our teaching, and became convinced that the massive problem is math avoidance. We tried discussion groups, but few students attended, although those that did made useful suggestions. Thus informed, we designed an innovative course, Confronting College Mathematics as a Humanities course with the possibility of credit toward the math requirement, but it was undersubscribed in its first offering and had to be canceled. How can we get college …

Measuring Resource Inequality: The Gini Coefficient, Michael T. Catalano, Tanya L. Leise, Thomas J. Pfaff

Numeracy

This paper stems from work done by the authors at the Mathematics for Social Justice Workshop held in June of 2007 at Middlebury College. We provide a description of the Gini coefficient and some discussion of how it can be used to promote quantitative literacy skills in mathematics courses. The Gini Coefficient was introduced in 1921 by Italian statistician Corrado Gini as a measure of inequality. It is defined as twice the area between two curves. One, the Lorenz curve for a given population with respect to a given resource, represents the cumulative percentage of the resource as a function …

Relationship Of Mathematics Curriculum On Student Achievement As Related To Instructional Leadership, Stephanie M. Nehus

Theses and Dissertations

NCLB has forced schools to raise student achievement. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between mathematics curriculum and student achievement on the ACTAAP 8th grade Mathematics Benchmark exam. The population identified was all schools in Arkansas containing 8th grade. A simple random sample was drawn which encompassed 3 different mathematics curricula: traditional, standards-based, and balanced (N = 150). Student mathematics achievement data from a three year period (2005 - 2007) were collected on all schools that responded through the Arkansas Department of Education website in conjunction with the NORMES website, and included the percentage of students …

A Space Topologized By Functions From Omega To Omega, Akira Iwasa

Computer Science and Mathematics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Σary, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Mathematics Department

Math Department Newsletters

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Different Types Of Prompts On Achievement And Attitude In Mathematics, Barbara R. Greer Edd

Dissertations

This study examined the effects of three different types of writing prompts, procedural, summary, and self-monitoring, on achievement and self-concept of ability in mathematics. Participants included 81 eighth grade students taking a course designed to prepare students for algebra in the ninth grade in a large urban school district in Southern California. Data were gathered using a quasi-experimental design, teacher-researcher created pre-and post-tests, the Minnesota Mathematics Attitude Inventory, teacher field notes, student responses to prompts, and individual and group interviews. Controlling for demographic and other variables identified in the study, simultaneous regression analysis revealed that only summary writing had a …

Are Developmental Math Courses Being Offered At The Appropriate Time Of Day To Optimize Student Success?, Ralph Cox

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This research paper will identify if a relationship exists between success in pre-requisite developmental math courses and the time of day that the course is offered for students enrolled at a rural community and technical college in northwestern Minnesota. The ACCUPLACER Arithmetic test was administered originally during new student orientation and then, again, at the completion of pre-requisite developmental Math Foundations courses. Paired Pre- and Post- Test data was gathered over seven years, from 2002 to 2009, for a total of 268 students (n=268). The data was then evaluated using one-tail two-sample T-tests assuming unequal variances to determine if a …