Education Commons^™

Small Group Math Instruction In The Middle School Classroom, Jessica Balt

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study includes the impact of small group instruction in the middle school classroom. This study takes place at Dakota Meadows Middle School in Mankato, MN. The participants included 24 seventh grade students who are only partially proficient in math according to their standardized state assessments. Data was collected using a pretest, formative assessments, posttest and a student survey (See Appendices A, B, C, D). There was growth from the pretest scores to the posttest scores as well as growth in formative assessment scores. The student survey indicated most students felt the small group instruction benefitted them positively. Small group …

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 …

The Transition From Act To Sat As The Illinois College Entrance Exam And The Potential Implications On Student Scores In Mathematics, William Rose

All Capstone Projects

For years schools have worked to create mathematics curricula that aim to both build students’ understanding of the course content and prepare them for questions styled like those on their college entrance exam. In previous years, the exam mandated by the state of Illinois was the ACT (American College Testing); however, starting with the 2016-2017 school year the policy has now changed to administer the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test). This transition poses many potential implications on the performance of students. In order to help identify these implications, both exams were studied at great depth. The following paper will focus on …

Co-Teaching And Its Effect On Student Growth, Troy Weiss

All Capstone Projects

With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990 and again in 2004 Congress stated that students with special needs were to be educated in the least restrictive environment to the greatest extent possible. In order to meet the federal mandate many districts used co-teaching as a service delivery option for special needs students who are in a general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of co-teaching on academic growth, particularly for students with an Individualized Education Plan. When reviewing the literature it was found that co-teaching has been studied and …

The Effectiveness Of The Mnemonic Keyword Strategy On Math Vocabulary Learning For Students With Learning Disabilities, Lily Siegel

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to investigate (a) the impact of the mnemonic keyword strategy on the acquisition of mathematical vocabulary of students with learning disabilities, (b) the impact of the mnemonic keyword strategy on the retention of mathematical vocabulary of students with learning disabilities, and (c) the level of satisfaction that students with learning disabilities have with the mnemonic keyword method. Seven sixth grade students with learning disabilities participated in this study, which utilized a multiple baseline across participants design. During the baseline and mnemonic keyword intervention phases, students completed weekly assessments to measure their acquisition of mathematical …

The Effects Of Using Padlet On The Academic Performance And Engagement Of Students In A Fifth Grade Basic Skills Mathematics Classroom, Cynthia Lynn Kleinsmith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to: (a) examine the effectiveness of Padlet in increasing the engagement of students in a fifth grade basic skills mathematics classroom, (b) examine the effectiveness of Padlet in increasing the academic achievement of students in a fifth grade basic skills mathematics classroom, and (c) determine if students in a fifth grade basic skills mathematics classroom are satisfied with the use of Padlet. The research was conducted using single-subject design methodology. The study followed an ABABAB alternating baseline pattern. Student academic achievement was evaluated through daily assessments, while student engagement was evaluated in one minute …

Integrating Non-Euclidean Geometry Into High School, John Buda

Honors Thesis

The purpose of this project is to provide the framework for integrating the study of non-Euclidean geometry into a high school math class in such a way that both aligns with the Common Core State Standards and makes use of research-based practices to enhance the learning of traditional geometry. Traditionally, Euclidean geometry has been the only strand of geometry taught in high schools, even though mathematicians have developed several other strands. The non-Euclidean geometry that I focus on in this project is what is known as taxicab geometry. With the Common Core Standards for Math Practice pushing students to “model …

Student-Created Test Sheets, Samuel Laderach

Honors Projects

Assessment plays a necessary role in the high school mathematics classroom, and testing is a major part of assessment. Students often struggle with mathematics tests and examinations due to math and test anxiety, a lack of student learning, and insufficient and inefficient student preparation. Practice tests, teacher-created review sheets, and student-created test sheets are ways in which teachers can help increase student performance, while ridding these detrimental factors. Student-created test sheets appear to be the most efficient strategy, and this research study examines the effects of their use in a high school mathematics classroom.

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 …

Evaluation Of Math Block-Scheduling For Low Performing At-Risk And Economically- Disadvantaged Students, Toni Trice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows a math achievement gap for at-risk and economically-disadvantaged students in the United States. To address this issue, a Texas school district implemented a 90-minute math block-scheduling program with 8th grade students. Shaped by the academic learning time and social justice theories, the purpose of this quantitative program evaluation was to determine if students in 3 key subgroups (low performing, low performing and at-risk, and low performing and economically-disadvantaged) who participated on the 90-minute block-schedule performed significantly better on the math state standardized assessment than did students in the same subgroups who remained on the traditional schedule. This retrospective …

Mom, Dad, Help Please: The Home Environment’S Influences On A Child’S Math Ability, Nicole Kerkhof

CMC Senior Theses

Recently, there has been a big surge of research and public interest in increasing the math capabilities and skills of American children. This paper serves as a literature review examining how the home environment, specifically parents, can help with that. This meta-analysis delves into the factors of maternal math talk, a parent’s own math anxiety, and the relationship between a parent and child in the context of a parent’s gender stereotypes and a parent’s perception on his or her child’s math abilities. Interventions, suggestions, and future implications are also discussed. This paper will hopefully bring needed awareness to parents about …

Women’S Choice In College Stem Majors: Impact Of Ability Tilt On Women Students’ Educational Choice, Audie Jane Willis

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative study explored the impact of ability and ability tilt on the choice of an academic program in STEM majors for female college students who have not been identified as profoundly or highly gifted. A math tilt would be an ability tilt slanting toward math. The career development theory that provided a framework for this study was the Theory of Work Adjustment. Three bodies of literature were reviewed, (a) Self-efficacy as a variable in college major or career choice, (b) life-style preference, and (c) ability tilt and ability. A Chi Square Test of Independence determined that significantly more women …

Mathematics And Music: A Search For Correlation, Isaac Sarver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Several studies have been conducted, which have shown connections between content in music and mathematics. Concepts such as fractions, ratios, etc. are mathematical concepts that also can be found or expressed through music. Although these connections have been made, they primarily address connections within the subject matter of music and math. This study attempts to find a correlation between a high school student participating in a school sponsored music program and receiving a higher average math grade. In the study, two school districts provided anonymous student math score data, while also showing which students participated in a music program. From …

Children's Literature As A Tool To Teach Mathematics, Kara Weinstein

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Common Core State Standards have changed the way that we teach math concepts in elementary schools. These new educational standards promote teaching math for understanding instead of teaching the standard algorithms that have been traditionally taught. Children's literature is an alternative teaching method. The aim of this project is to examine children's literature with the purpose of teaching mathematic concepts. This project models the components of quality children's literature to create an original book that teaches students grades 3-5 about fractions. 2

Predicting Success Of Developmental Math Students, Isaac Martinez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Addressing the needs of developmental math students has been one of the most challenging problems in higher education. Administrators at a private university were concerned about poor academic performance of math-deficient students and sought to identify factors that influenced students' successful progression from developmental to college-level coursework. The purpose of this retrospective prediction study was to determine which of 7 variables (enrollment in a college success course, math placement results, frequency of use of the developmental resource center, source of tuition payment, student's age, gender, and race/ethnicity) would be predictive of success in developmental math as defined by a final …

Impact Of A Tier 2 Intervention On Freshman Students With Math Disabilities, Rena Johnette Whitten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Math achievement for U.S. high school students identified with math disabilities continues to fall below expected norms. Longitudinal national and state-level assessment data showed a flat or negative trend in math performance of students with disabilities, which may negatively affect their postsecondary outcomes. The purpose of this embedded mixed-methods study was to determine the impact of an extended time algebra course on increasing the math performance of freshman students with math disabilities. The conceptual framework included Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and zone of proximal development, Bloom's theory of master learning, and Carroll's theory of degree of learning. Data collection included archived …

Students' Decision-Making After Florida Senate Bill 1720: Guiding Students Through Math Placement, Rebecka Jo Sare

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After Senate Bill (SB) 1720, exempt students enrolling in colleges in Florida no longer have to take a college placement test or enroll in developmental education courses before enrolling in college-level classes. SB1720 caused Florida colleges to find new methods of placement for incoming students, a concern because incorrect placement can have detrimental effects for the student and institution. Bounded rationality theory and Bahr's interpretation of student typology informed this study. The purpose of this survey study was to compare the exempt students who enrolled in remedial math to those who enrolled in college-level math. Research questions asked what differences …