Education Commons^™

Educators’ Beliefs About Using Academic Acceleration With Gifted Math Students And Others: Barriers And Opportunities, Jason Gorgia

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the perceptions of educators (i.e., math teachers, administrators, and others) for insight into the absence of acceleration as a common pedagogical strategy in mathematics, despite longstanding research supporting the practice for students gifted in math and the interest frequently articulated by policymakers and educators in boosting American K-12 students’ math achievement. Educators from 48 states responded to scale-based and open-ended questions about math acceleration through an online survey where 713 of 818 respondents were teachers, balanced almost evenly among elementary, middle, and high schools, and among urban, suburban, and rural settings. The responses of teachers and non-teaching …

Concrete Representational Abstract: The Exploration And Implementation Of This Strategy For Teaching Mathematics In An Elementary School, Gregory A. Schaitel

Leadership Education Capstones

The goal of this paper was to uncover if Concrete Representation and Abstract (CRA) should be recommended as a math intervention strategy. Published sources were consulted and have led to the conclusion that CRA should be recommended as an effective strategy for math interventionists, special education teachers, and general education teachers. The technique is easy to implement with any mathematical concept, and any resources that are needed can be readily found in any classroom. From the results of the current literature, it is recommended that these two types of teachers should plan mathematics instruction using CRA or should look for …

Math Proficiency And The Achievement Gap, Jamila A. Peterson

Culminating Experience Projects

Mathematical proficiency and the achievement gap have been central topics in educational research for decades. Academic experts from all areas have sought resolutions, especially in Michigan, which ranks relatively low in mathematical achievement; however, the problem persists. This project will investigate the history of the achievement gap, specifically in mathematics proficiency, and explore contributing factors and potential research resolutions. Mathematical proficiency is crucial in closing the achievement gap, as it has been a proven indicator of upward mobility. Proficiency not only negatively impacts the non-proficient student, but it also projects the country's economic future.

Agency And Self-Efficacy In Corequisite Math Courses, Silvia Reyes

Theses and Dissertations

Students identified as unprepared for college work face considerable barriers to performance and college completion. To improve underprepared student outcomes, community colleges where most underprepared students enroll are using different models of developmental education. A recently implemented model in mathematics is a corequisite course designed to increase students’ chances of success by using different methods of instruction to decrease student time to completion. This corequisite course accelerates students placed in developmental math classes and offers students the opportunity to complete their developmental requirements while taking college-level work and earning college credit. As developmental mathematics poses the biggest barrier for underprepared …

The Integration Of Art: A Multiple Case Study Of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, And Math (Steam) Schools In Three Schools In Southern California, Reyna Esther Smith

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to describe and analyze how schools that implement a STEAM program include the arts in their integrated program. The study focused on 3 K-12 schools in Southern California that are located in the Antelope Valley high desert region of the state. This multi-case study analyzed an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school that are in different districts in the area.

Methodology: This multi-case study used qualitative data to analyze the research questions regarding art infusion in STEAM programs and teacher and leader perspectives. Drawing from interviews of teachers …

A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study Measuring The Impact Of Math-Economics Cross Curricular Intervention, Kelli Leanne Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

Research studies in the past have linked math ability to success in economics courses. However, most of these studies have utilized a quantitative study design with limited studies testing the influence of math interventions on student’s academic ability in economics courses. This study will use a convergent mixed-methods research design to quantitatively measure the impact of a Math intervention on High School 11th and 12th grade Economics students and qualitatively observe student engagement and motivation during the intervention. A causal-comparative research design will be utilized for the quantitative strand to compare math ability in economics courses between students who participated …

Creating Project-Based Math Curricula: A Narrative Inquiry, Marcie Hull

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study is a narrative inquiry about the participant’s experiences, in three individual case studies, involving teachers of high school mathematics engaged in the creation of a project-based learning curriculum, in a one-to-one laptop school. The researcher analyzed data from field notes, digital artifacts, and teacher interviews to document how math teachers are creating curriculum in an inquiry-driven, project-based, technology-infused instructional model. Findings from restorying and the analysis of three-dimensional space —regarding teacher lore —reveal themes about math teacher curriculum conflicts in skill-building, application of iterative design thinking, and structures inherent to project-based learning. Rich, thick description of the cases, …

Tribal Colleges: Influences On Native American Students Completing Stem Degrees, Daniel J. Henry

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the experiences of 13 Native American higher education students attending a Tribal College and University (TCU) and pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The case study also investigated a focus group of TCU faculty members who taught STEM courses. The case study also contains an observation of 13 Native American students during a bridge program activity at a TCU, used as a recruitment tool and preparation strategy for potential STEM students. The research was intended to explore the influence and strategies currently employed by TCUs to help Native American students successfully …

Graduation As A Function Of Mobility, Attendance, Discipline, Math, English Language Arts/Reading, And Parental Educational Attainment Of The Cohort Group 2015 In One South Texas Urban School District In The Rio Grande Valley, Nancy Lopez Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the trends and patterns across time over the cohort 2015 on dependent variable, graduation. Aggregated longitudinal data for independent variables, mobility, attendance, discipline, math achievement, reading achievement, and parental educational attainment was collected for 98 students from 2010 to 2018. The independent variables of mobility, attendance, discipline, math achievement, reading achievement, and parental educational attainment were examined to determine whether or not high school completion is dependent on these measures.

The freshmen cohort 2015 in one south Texas urban school district in the Rio Grande Valley was the focus of the study. Exploratory and confirmatory analysis statistical/data …

Math Self-Efficacy Effects On Prisoners' Academic Achievement, Randall Peder Bergman

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined three hypothesized math-self efficacy (MSE) sources that inhibit adult basic education male prisoner mathematics achievement. Previous correctional studies indicated that United States prisoners tend to have low self-efficacy and therefore lower academic achievement (Greve & Enzmann, 2003). Adult education studies also indicated lower self-efficacy in adults older than age 20 who take coursework to complete their high school diploma (Jameson & Fusco, 2014). Survey studies of MSE factors from analysis showed that students who self-reported lower self-confidence, negative self-beliefs, increased math anxieties, and greater devaluation of math’s usefulness to their future employment have significant barriers to math …

Co-Enrolling Students In Math Remediation And College-Level Math In A Community College System, Peter Thomas Anderson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a rigorous examination of co-enrollment of students in math remediation and college-level math. A quasi-experimental, posthoc design examined the outcomes and the relationships of two groups of students who participated in a pilot project the goal of which was to assess the co-enrolled model that is designed to provide students with mathematics support. One group of students enrolled in a traditional model of developmental mathematics. The second group of students co-enrolled in developmental and college-level math.

The sample for this study was students (N = 7616) from nine community colleges in …

Effectiveness Of Essentials For College Math As A High School Transitional Course, Jennifer S. Riggleman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Statistics on the number of students who leave high school underprepared for postsecondary education, and have to take remedial coursework upon entrance to college vary, but, unfortunately, for at least the last 10 years, these statistics have remained high. This study examined the effectiveness of one transitional high school math curriculum called Essentials for College Math and its impact on 887 students in the state of North Carolina for the 2014-2015 academic year. The results of the study showed that there was a statistically significant improvement seen in pre- and post-test scores of students that completed the course. There was …

The Influence Of A Flipped Classroom On Student Achievement, Homework Completion, And Student Perceptions In A High School Algebra 2 Class, Chelsae Arnold

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

The current study investigated the use of technology, specifically flipped classroom practices, in a high school math classroom. This study took place in a rural Maine high school to discover what effects the flipped classroom would have on student achievement, student self-efficacy, and homework completion in an Algebra 2 course. The participants were 43 students, from 8th to 12th grader, in 5 Algebra 2 courses. The researcher compared performance on classroom assessments in both conditions and found no statistical significance on performance. The majority of participants reported no change in self efficacy following the flipped classroom, and the researcher observed …

The Game Of Chess: A Conduit To Increase Student Academic Achievement In Pinellas County: A Policy Advocacy Document, Douglas Williams

Dissertations

The research about chess and education is very compelling. The usefulness of chess as an educational activity is particularly valid among children whose minds are entering the cognitive phase of abstract thinking. However, chess is useful among all age groups. Chess has been shown to improve cognitive abilities among educationally low-functioning students, and it has been shown to help students academically when traditional methods have failed to produce the desired outcome. Most people think of chess as a game, and I think the time has come for educators to think about chess in a different light. It is a game, …

An Examination Of The Correlation Between The Seven Critical Leadership Functions And Middle School African-American And Hispanic Student Achievement, Shannon A. Flounnory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined possible correlations between each of the seven critical leadership functions and achievement in the areas of mathematics for eighth grade African-American and Hispanic students. The 117 participants included school leaders and students from 12 of the 19 middle schools in a metropolitan school district in the southeastern region of the United States. Principals from the middle schools in the district distributed the Critical Leadership Functions Questionnaire to members of their leadership team (e.g., assistant principals, school counselors, department chairs, etc.). CRCT scores measured student achievement. The researcher conducted a correlation study, using Pearson’s multivariable correlation data …

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 …

Physics First: Impact On Sat Math Scores, Craig Earl Bouma

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a national priority and the call to modernize secondary science has been heard. A Physics First (PF) program with the curriculum sequence of physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) driven by inquiry- and project-based learning offers a viable alternative to the traditional curricular sequence (BCP) and methods of teaching, but requires more empirical evidence. This study determined impact of a PF program (PF-PCB) on math achievement (SAT math scores) after the first two cohorts of students completed the PF-PCB program at Matteo Ricci High School (MRHS) and provided more quantitative data …

An Analysis Of Mathematics Achievement Disparities Between Black And White Students And Socioeconomically Disadvantaged And Advantaged Students Across Content Strands By Elementary And Middle School Level In A Diverse Virginia School District, Benjamin Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Student achievement gaps between Black and White students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged and advantaged students, have been observed and formally documented since the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) began in the 1970s. In particular, the mathematics achievement gap between these historically disadvantaged populations has been a phenomenon that, in spite of improvements, has nevertheless remained persistent for decades. This study sought to identify and derive additional information about the mathematics achievement gap between Black students and White students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged and advantaged students, by elementary and middle school level in a Virginia school district over three consecutive school years. …