Education Commons^™

Positioning Undergraduate Learning Assistants In Instruction: A Case Study Of The La Role In Active Learning Mathematics Classrooms At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Rachel Funk

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research suggests learning assistant (LA) programs can be a change lever to support the institutionalization of active learning in postsecondary education. Some research suggests LAs offer unique benefits for STEM courses, independent from other change levers, but more research needs to be done to understand how LAs support active learning classrooms, specifically in mathematics. Research on mathematics instruction and the use of reform resources suggests that the successful implementation of reforms is impacted by perceptions individuals hold about that resource, such as the LA role. Yet, there is little research about the LA role in mathematics, particularly where the instructor …

Classroom Social Support: A Multiple Phenomenological Case Study Of Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Decision Making In The Classroom, Brittany Johnson

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research suggests that support offered by an instructor can have a significant impact on the student experience, both in terms of classroom performance and affective well-being. Research also suggests that there are different types of support that instructors can offer (e.g., emotional support, instrumental support, informational support, and appraisal support). Although such research suggests that students perceive and are affected by these different types of support in different ways, there does not appear to be research surrounding the decision-making process behind instructors offering the support or the extent to which social support is a priority for them in the classroom. …

Examining The Impact Of Teachers’ Attitudes On College Students’ Attitudes In A Mathematics Classroom, Isiaka Busari, Adeola F. Oladeji, Tolulope O. Sulaimon

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the relationship between teachers' attitudes and students' attitudes toward mathematics in the classroom. Through a review of more than twenty relevant pieces of literature, the paper analyzes the impact of teachers' attitudes on students' achievement, performance, confidence, and motivation in mathematics. The study concludes that positive attitudes displayed by teachers can enhance students' positive feelings toward mathematics and increase their engagement in the subject. On the other hand, negative attitudes displayed by teachers can hinder students' motivation and engagement in mathematics. The paper suggests that teacher training programs should prioritize the development of positive attitudes toward mathematics …

A Collection Of Calculus Lesson Plans: Deriving The 'Why' Behind Derivatives, Kasey Brabec

Honors Theses

The traditional mathematics classroom is led with a focus on procedural understanding, with deep conceptual understanding considered to be unimportant or too difficult to teach within the allotted time. Both levels of understanding are important mathematical competencies, as it is rare for either of them to function well without accessibility to the other. The disparity between conceptual understanding and procedural understanding in the mathematics classroom is no larger than in courses like Calculus. This project is a collection of fifteen lesson plans constructed with an emphasis on conceptual understanding and the connectivity of Calculus. Each lesson plan’s overview contains the …

Math Department 2022-2023 Newsletter, Mathematics Department

Mathematics Newsletter

Welcome to our annual Mathematics Department Newsletter. We had an exciting year with many activities and accomplishments. Our students have received awards, attended conferences, conducted research, and have really contributed to the life of the department. Our faculty have had many accomplishments in teaching and scholarship. We conducted several events such as Alumni Night, hosted a guest speaker for the university community, had our Pi Mu Epsilon induction and awards ceremony, and much more. We have heard from several alumni and are happy to report what they are doing. Our Math Club has been becoming more active. On the curriculum …

Beating The Odds: High-Growth Schools Based On The Act Aspire Examinations, Serving Low-Income Communities, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This section highlights high-growth schools across Arkansas based on the ACT Aspire examinations in Math and English Language Arts (ELA) for the 2020-2021 academic year. For these awards, we consider schools where at least 66% of the student body is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL).

High-poverty schools are ranked by school level (Elementary, Middle, or High) based on Overall Growth (Math and ELA combined), as well as for growth in each content area independently. High-poverty schools are also ranked within each region of the state. Tables include the region in which the school is located, the number of …

High-Growth Elementary Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This section highlights elementary schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2022 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.

Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.

The level of the schools, …

High-Growth High Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examination, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This section highlights high schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2022 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.

Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.

The level of the schools, …

High-Growth Middle Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This section highlights middle schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2022 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.

Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.

The level of the schools, …

Implementation Of A Tier Ii Math Intervention Program, Taylor Torres

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The impact of COVID-19 has been detrimental to student success. School closings reduced learning for all students but especially for primary students who missed critical foundational skills. Tier II math interventions within the MTSS framework show evidence of growth for students of all ages and needs. This research-based approach is a logical response to combatting the damage caused by the pandemic. Several successful research studies on mathematics intervention will provide promise of replication in other schools. This school improvement plan will outline actions toward implementing Tier II math interventions in a rural Iowa elementary school.

Using Video Recordings To Support Meaningful Reflection Of Mathematical Teaching Practices, David Scalzo

Honors Theses

The practice of teaching mathematics is a skill that can be continually built upon. In order to maximize the effectiveness of one’s math lessons, it is essential that they become a reflective teacher. This project explains the importance of reflecting on mathematical teaching practices, then outlines the steps I have taken to start becoming a reflective teacher. Video recordings working with math are included as part of the project, which are used as the material I reflect about.

Effects Of Actively Involving Students With Ieps In The Progress Monitoring Process, Kelly Adams

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Special education teachers are trying many ways to help students with IEPs achieve their goals. This action research study looks at one way educators might do that with the involvement of students with IEPs in the progress monitoring process, specifically students with math goals. Instead of having the progress monitoring process as something done to them, students with disabilities were encouraged to take an active role by goal setting, getting feedback, reflecting, and graphing their scores. The five fifth-grade students that this study followed showed signs of growth over the six weeks of this intervention. The findings of this action …

Discussion Of Educational Philosphy For Elementary Math Educators, Daniel Kurzweil

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Math Department 2021-2022 Newsletter, Mathematics Department

Mathematics Newsletter

Welcome to our annual Mathematics Department Newsletter. As we are slowly coming out of the pandemic, we were able to resume many of our normal events.

Assessing Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices And Students’ Learning Outcomes In Science And Mathematics Across Primary And Secondary School Level: A Nationwide Study (2018-21), Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta, Nusrat Fatima Rizvi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Determining The Difficulty And Discrimination Parameters Of A Mathematics Performance-Based Assessment, Abraham Gyamfi, Douglas G. Wren

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Performance-based assessment (PBA) is different from traditional testing methods in that PBA presents real-life problems for students to solve by integrating critical thinking with their content knowledge and skills. Implementing PBA regularly in mathematics classes is associated with improved student achievement and motivation to learn; however, there are concerns about the general lack of psychometric data to support the use of performance assessments. To address such concerns, this study applied item response theory to estimate the difficulty and discrimination indices of items that comprised a newly developed mathematics PBA. Data were collected by administering the PBA to 750 senior high …

Rural Stem Teachers: An Oasis In The Desert, Ryan G. Zonnefeld, Valorie L. Zonnefeld

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Teacher preparation programs for STEM education should prepare teachers for all settings, including rural schools. Students across geographic locales show equal interest in STEM fields, but rural students often lack access to highly qualified STEM teachers. UNESCO (2014) notes that the disparity in education between rural and urban schools is a concern of many countries. In the United States, the National Center for Educational Statistics confirms that twenty percent of students are educated in rural schools and the STEM teachers in these schools are often the only STEM expert. These teachers become backbone teachers that set the foundation and direction …

Making Upper-Level Math Accessible To A Younger Audience, Allyson Roller

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Symmetry is all around us. It appears on fabrics and on the buildings that surround us. Believe it or not, there is actually quite a bit of math that goes into generating these patterns, which are known as the seven frieze patterns. In my work, I explain how each unique pattern is generated using different types of symmetries. I also created a PDF of a children’s book about frieze patterns to ensure that people of all ages have the opportunity to learn about seemingly complex patterns.

Mathematical Connections Established In The Teaching Of Functions, Vesife Hatisaru

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study explores the types of mathematical connections established in the classroom in the teaching of functions. An extended model for mathematical connections (different representations (DR), procedural (PC), if-then (I-T), part-whole connections (PWC), feature/property (F/P), analogies, and instruction-oriented connections (IOC)) is used as the analytical framework. The context for the study is classroom observations of two secondary mathematics teachers teaching functions to Grade 9 students. The strength of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) the concept of function is different: one has stronger MKT, while the other has weaker MKT. A total of 485 connections are identified in a sample …

Beating The Odds: High-Growth Schools Based On The Act Aspire Examinations, Serving Low-Income Communities, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This section highlights high-growth schools across Arkansas based on the ACT Aspire examinations in Math and English Language Arts (ELA) for the 2020-2021 academic year. For these awards, we consider schools where at least 66% of the student body is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL).

High-poverty schools are ranked by school level (Elementary, Middle, or High) based on Overall Growth (Math and ELA combined), as well as for growth in each content area independently. High-poverty schools are also ranked within each region of the state. Tables include the region in which the school is located, the number of …

High-Growth High Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This section highlights high schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2021 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.

Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.

The level of the schools, …

High-Growth Middle Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This section highlights middle schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2021 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.

Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.

The level of the schools, …

High-Growth Elementary Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This section highlights elementary schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2021 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.

Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.

The level of the schools, …

Contributions To The Teaching And Learning Of Fluid Mechanics, Ashwin Vaidya

Department of Mathematics Facuty Scholarship and Creative Works

This issue showcases a compilation of papers on fluid mechanics (FM) education, covering different sub topics of the subject. The success of the first volume [1] prompted us to consider another follow-up special issue on the topic, which has also been very successful in garnering an impressive variety of submissions. As a classical branch of science, the beauty and complexity of fluid dynamics cannot be overemphasized. This is an extremely well-studied subject which has now become a significant component of several major scientific disciplines ranging from aerospace engineering, astrophysics, atmospheric science (including climate modeling), biological and biomedical science …

A Systematic Review Of The Quality Of Reporting In Mathematics Meta-Analyses For Students With Or At Risk Of Disabilities Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 22 meta-analyses focused on mathematics interventions for students with or at-risk of disabilities. The purpose of the systematic review was to evaluate reporting quality in meta-analyses focused on mathematics interventions for students with or at risk of disabilities. To identify meta-analyses for inclusion, we considered peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2020; we searched five education-focused electronic databases, scanned the table of contents of six special education journals, reviewed the curriculum vitae of researchers who frequently publish meta-analyses in mathematics and special …

Formative Assessment And Technology In The Mathematics Classroom, Albert Humes

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review investigates the use of formative assessment and technology in the classroom. There has been research to show that mathematics proficiency has dropped recently in the United States and researchers are looking to identify new strategies for student growth. Utilizing formative assessments, as well as targeted, immediate feedback for students, can help to improve student learning. As educational technology becomes more prevalent, more studies and research are focused around its effectiveness toward student achievement. The research found that formative assessment strategies, coupled with new technologies, can positively impact student achievement.

Developing An Inquiry-Based Laboratory Project For Chem 142l Course At Bsu, Manuel Pina

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In addition to content knowledge, critical and independent thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem-solving skills are essential in preparing next generation of successful workforce. Since one of the biggest advantages of STEM disciplines is a “must-have” hands-on laboratory experience, it is intuitive to exploit this learning space to reinforce afore-mentioned skills. In this context, project-based (PBL) or inquiry-based (IBL) laboratory experiences are rapidly becoming mainstream pedagogical choice for many STEM instructors across United States.^[1-4] PBL, and IBL are learning experiences that offer students an opportunity to experience realistic scientific process of discovery through carefully designed inquiry-driven and/or open-ended investigative laboratory …

An Exploration Of Manipulatives In Math Education, Jade Monte

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Pre-existing literature has shown that the education system needs to re-evaluate mathematical teaching practices in a manner that can boost students’ confidence in mathematics. Thus, the research is to investigate the use of manipulatives in reducing students’ anxiety by increasing their learning experience and engagement in mathematics. Furthermore, the purpose of this thesis is to explain the interconnectedness of math manipulatives, student engagement, and problem-solving. An in-depth literature review is conducted, which contains definitions, important benefits and methodologies of manipulatives, as well as the teacher’s role regarding these three terms. When manipulatives, student engagement, and problem-solving are in harmony, students …

Stem Education In The Early Childhood Classroom, Julia Biagiotti

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This qualitative study focuses on the type of STEM education students are getting at the early childhood level (PK-2). Based on gaps found in literature, an interview protocol was created and six participants with various careers in the field of STEM education were interviewed. The research was concentrated on trying to determine what components of STEM education make it successful in the early childhood classroom. All of the interview responses were analyzed and coded and determined the results found below. A few integral parts of a successful STEM education seem to be curiosity, asking questions and a hands-on component, but …

Increase Enrollment Of Underrepresented Students In Advanced Mathematics Classes: A School Improvement Plan, Sarah Dougherty

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Providing minority students with the opportunity to engage in advanced mathematics courses affords them access to more engaging learning opportunities, increased motivational beliefs towards mathematics, and potentially higher future earnings dependent on the career they pursue. Examining the present enrollment statistics in math courses at the research site, the need to transform the enrollment in advanced math courses to represent the school population demographics is revealed. In response, a school improvement plan was developed using research-based initiatives. This plan includes teaching a mixture of advanced and non-advanced math courses, teachers advising non-AP and non-IB students to enroll in advanced math …