Education Commons^™

Strategies Community College Mexican American Adult College Algebra Students Use When Graphing Function Transformations, Roxana Pamela Jimenez

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study pursued to describe the different strategies Mexican American adult students in a local community college used to graph function transformations. Participants in the study were purposefully selected using a criterion sampling to ensure participants were atypical, above average students between the ages 18-22, and had a final course average of 89.5-100 in College Algebra. Three research questions were examined 1) In what ways do Mexican American adult college students graph a function transformation? 2) Which strategies do students implement when graphing a function transformation? Qualitative research methods using think aloud semi-structured interviews were used in this …

How An Instructor's Noticing For Equity Can Foster Students' Sense Of Belonging And Mathematical Confidence, Sthefania Espinosa

Theses and Dissertations

There are many aspects a teacher can notice inside the mathematics classroom, and the more a teacher notices, the more difficult it is to teach. In this study, I particularly focus on noticing for equity, which describes the role of the teacher in attending to students’ mathematical thinking through an equity lens that can allow the instructor to notice the aspects of classroom mathematical activity that can make students feel less or more empowered in their mathematical practices (van Es et al., 2017). There exists few research about how students perceive their instructor’s effort to promote equity and …

Propuesta De Un Modelo De Enseñanza En Las Matemáticas Enfocado En La Solución De Problemas En El Nivel Secundario En Puerto Rico, Carlos J. Colon Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito del estudio fue proponer un modelo educativo enfocado en la solución de problemas matemáticos en el nivel secundario, y se realizó la revisión sistemática para evaluarlo. El marco teórico incluyó teorías heurísticas y modelos educativos. La metodología de seis fases que se empleó en este estudio, incluyendo la formulación de preguntas investigativas, búsqueda de literatura, selección de investigaciones, levantamiento de información, análisis y resumen de resultados y exposición y discusión de estos. Se siguieron guías para revisiones sistemáticas y criterios de inclusión y exclusión para evaluar la efectividad de modelos didácticos en la disciplina de matemáticas con énfasis …

Mathematics Teachers’ Working With Cooperative Learning, Jaime Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching styles vary greatly amongst educators. One being extensively researched and highly discussed is the method of cooperative learning. Although many studies have shown the benefits of incorporating cooperative learning into classrooms, it has not been a widely used method of teaching in high school mathematics classrooms. This study explores some of the efforts that teachers, who utilize cooperative learning in their classrooms, make to implement cooperative learning lessons successfully. Furthermore, this study also explores the challenges these teachers have encountered when using cooperative learning. Data was collected qualitatively by interviews and surveys from six in-service high …

Improving College Students’ Views And Beliefs Relative To Mathematics: A Systematic Literature Review Followed By A Multiple Case Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Experiences That Underpin Community College Students’ Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, And Values In Mathematics, Marquita H. Sea

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics is particularly important due to its relevance in our daily lives. It is a general requirement throughout schooling. Unfortunately, many students openly declare negative views/beliefs regarding math in their personal and academic lives. These in turn, negatively influence students’ achievement related behaviors and outcomes. First, a systematic literature review was conducted to determine what types of studies/initiatives have aimed to enhance students’ views/beliefs relative to mathematics, including domain general and specific perceptions of math as well as their judgements of who is successful in mathematics and if they themselves can be successful. Specifically, the review centered on the components …

Factors That Influence Teachers' Utilization Of Siop Learning Strategies When Teaching English Language Learners, Courtney R. Stuart

Theses and Dissertations

Despite standardized certification tests and popular English Language Learner trainings, the strategies and methods used in two educators’ classes would not be identical. In this case-study we look to see what variables cause teachers to utilize certain strategies and how these variables affect the number of strategies used consistently when teaching ELLs. We study the effect of teachers’ language experiences, certifications, participation in SIOP trainings, education levels, perceived preparedness, and years spent in the classroom.

Using quantitative and qualitative data we conclude that dual-language fluency and professional advancements can lead to teachers using more ELL learning strategies in their classrooms, …

Exploring The Division Algorithm In Euclidean Domains With Exploding Dots, Nicholas Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

We will give an overview of the representation of place value and arithmetic known as Exploding Dots and use this idea to explore the division algorithm. It is well-known that the ring of integers, the ring of polynomials, and the ring of Gaussian integers are all examples of Euclidean domains and therefore possess a division algorithm. Exploding Dots beautifully illustrates how one can perform division in any base and how this naturally leads us to division of polynomials. We will show how this same idea of having a “base machine” can be used to perform division in the Gaussian integers. …

Examining Virtual Mathematics Instruction: A Comparative Case Study Of In-Service Elementary Teachers With Mathematics Anxiety And Mathematics Teaching Self-Efficacy, Telashay Swope-Farr

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematics Anxiety (MA) and Mathematics Teaching Self-Efficacy (MTSE) have been reported as factors related to teachers’ mathematics instruction. This study investigated MA and MTSE in in-service elementary teachers’ virtual mathematics instruction. A comparative case study design was used to understand the relationship between MA, MTSE, and their virtual mathematics instructional practices. Two in-service elementary teachers from an urban public charter school district in a large metropolitan city in the Midwest participated. I employed qualitative methods to examine the results from the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (AMAS), an adapted version of a researcher-developed instrument called the Mathematics Teaching and Mathematics …

Improving Student Achievement Through The Implementation Of A Classroom Performance System, Stacy Maria Artis

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to implement and examine the impact of a classroom performance system (CPS) on student achievement for Grade 9 mathematics students. Seventy-five students in 4 Coordinate Algebra classes were observed during the regular school day for 9 weeks. The treatment group received CPS-based instruction, and the control group received traditional mathematics instruction without the use of a CPS. The teacher was the same for all classes.

Data from benchmark assessments as well as quarterly grade reports were compared for both groups. The findings of this study showed mixed results in relation to the impact of CPS-based …

A Study Of The Effect Of Using Simulations On Students' Learning Of Inferential Statistics In The Elementary Statistics Classes In The Mathematics Department Of The University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Alexa Schut

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports the results of a studying into the use of simulation-based teaching in Introductory Statistics Class to analyze the effectiveness of this teaching strategy. We give a brief overview of the more recent research into the impact of using computer simulations in an introductory statistics course in order to deepen student understanding of inferential statistics along with the a look at a similar study recently conducted at another university. We then give a review of our study conducted in Math Stat 215 classes at UW-Milwaukee to evaluate whether or not the use of simulations in this introductory statistics …

Developing Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency In Algebra For High School Students With Intellectual Disability, Andrew J. Wojcik

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching students with Intellectual Disability (ID) is a relatively new endeavor. Beginning in 2001 with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, the general education curriculum integrated algebra across the K-12 curriculum (Kendall, 2011; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010), and expansion of the curriculum included five intertwined skills (productive disposition, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and conceptual understanding) (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001). Researchers are just beginning to explore the potential of students with ID with algebra (Browder, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Harris & Wakeman, 2008; Creech-Galloway, Collins, Knight, …

Making Mathematics Memorable, Meaningful, And Fun: Activities To Enhance Precalculus, Nat White

Theses and Dissertations

To master material, students need to make it their own. As teachers, we should structure their interactions with mathematics in ways that are memorable, meaningful, and fun. One way to do this is to provide activities that stretch beyond the textbook and lead students to think and talk to one another about mathematics. This thesis contains a set of activities designed to enhance a precalculus course, along with solutions and feedback on each activity.

Analyzing State Attempts At Implementing The Common Core State Standards For High School Geometry: Case Studies Of Utah And New York, Edward Steltenpohl

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes two state attempts at aligning curricula to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in secondary school geometry. The education departments of Utah and New York have approved curricula aimed at aligning to the Common Core State Standards: the Mathematics Vision Project (MVP) and EngageNY (ENY) respectively. This study measures the extent to which those curricula align with the content demands of the relevant Common Core Standards. The results indicate that, while the two curricula vary in structure and assumptions about learners, each one aligns well with the Common Core State Standards in secondary school geometry. We conclude …

An Analysis And Comparison Of The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics And The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum Framework, Heidi Ann Ertl

Theses and Dissertations

In this analysis and comparison we look at the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the Singapore Mathematics Curriculum Framework, standards documents that guide primary and secondary mathematics education in the United States and Singapore respectively. The official Common Core State Standards for Mathematics website claims that the standards have been developed to be "internationally benchmarked, so that all students are prepared for the 21st century". Singapore has recently been recognized as a world leader in mathematics education. We investigate the claim that the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are internationally benchmarked by comparing the Common Core State …

Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Regarding Homework: An Examination Of The Cognitive Domain Embedded In Third Grade Mathematics Homework, Pandora Dell Bedford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of third grade math teachers''beliefs and practices regarding homework, to explain how teachers''beliefs and practices regarding homework aligned to the framework of the Revised Bloom's'Taxonomy Cognitive Domain, and to determine the administrative influences on homework practices. The data were collected during October and November 2013. Six third grade math teachers (primary unit of analysis) and four principals (secondary unit of analysis) were interviewed from Dell School District. Each participant (teacher and principal) was interviewed for approximately one hour. A second meeting was set at a later time with …

Examining Middle School Students' Statistical Thinking While Working In A Technological Environment, Melissa Arnold Scranton

Theses and Dissertations

Examining Middle School Students' Statistical Thinking

While Working in a Technological Environment

Melissa Arnold Scranton

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how students think in a technological environment. This was accomplished by exploring the differences in the thinking of students while they worked in a technological environment and comparing this to their work in a paper and pencil environment. The software program TinkerPlots: Dynamic Data Exploration (Konold & Miller, 2005), a construction tool that middle school students use for data analysis was the technological environment. In both environments, types of critical, creative, and statistical …

Determining The Alignment Of Math 105 - Intermediate Algebra At The University Of Wisconsin--Milwaukee To The Goals Of The Common Core State Standards, Raymond Dempsey

Theses and Dissertations

In this analysis we examine the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and compare them to content presented in Math 105 - Intermediate Algebra at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in order to determine how well the UW-Milwaukee course develops the skills described in the standards. This is done by examining the structure, textbook content, and assessments of the course. Examining relevant high school standards, we determine that many of the procedural elements of these standards are present in the course while many of the conceptual elements are absent or poorly developed. After, we discuss content that is present in the …

An Analysis Of The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics And The Content Of Math 095: Essentials Of Algebra At The University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Hayley Nathan

Theses and Dissertations

In this analysis we present the content in Math 095: Essentials of Algebra at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. We find that the content in Math 095 is aligned to a small subset of the high school Number and Quantity, Algebra, and Function standards. We present a representative sample of homework and assessment items from the traditional lecture format of Math 095 and compare them to assessment items released by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and Illustrative Mathematics. We then discuss content from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics …