Education Commons^™

The Mathematics Of Skateboarding: A Relevant Application Of The 5es Of Constructivism, William H. Robertson

William H. Robertson

How Design Can Get Kids On The Path To Tech Careers: A Conversation With Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, The Founder Of A New Type Of Science And Math Academy, Stephanie Marshall

Stephanie Pace Marshall, Ph.D.

An interview with Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall about educational design and the design of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. "IMSA sought not only to develop decidedly different scientific minds, but also to develop a decidedly different residential learning community -- one that was nurturing and innovative, and one that instilled a sense of stewardship, and an obligation to give back. As a dynamic teaching and learning laboratory, IMSA continues to evolve, yet the roots of our founding ideas and goals remain."

Stem Talent: Moving Beyond Traditional Boundaries, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Stephanie Pace Marshall, Ph.D.

The future well-being, prosperity and sustainability of our nation, the global community and our planet resides in igniting and nurturing decidedly different STEM minds that can advance both the new STEM frontier and the human future.

The Effect Of Differentiated Instruction On Standardized Assessment Performance Of Students In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Kimberly Gail Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Changing demographics, student diversity, and increased accountability have compelled educators to challenge the uniform constraints of traditional instruction and create an environment focused on individual achievement. Differentiated instruction empowers teachers to target multiple learning styles through varied themes, adapted content delivery, and assessment options. This quantitative quasi-experimental research study examined the effects of differentiated instruction on seventh grade student performance on standardized mathematics assessments using a repeated-measures design. Two independent research trials, controlling for initial group differences with 2011 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, provided inconclusive assessment results. Significant differences between students who received differentiated instruction compared …

Comparing The Success And Experiences Of Developmental Algebra I Students, Christy Lowery-Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students enrolled during the spring 2011 and summer 2011 semesters taking developmental Algebra I were invited to participate in a study. Students were required to complete a researcher-made pretest prior to instruction, complete the course over the semester, and complete an identical posttest at the end of the course. The online students voluntarily completed a researcher-made survey. An ANCOVA analysis, using the pretest scores as a covariate, showed a significant difference between the online and seated students, as the online students scored significantly higher. The survey showed online students tended to utilize the captured lectures, with a larger percentage of …

Improving Automaticity With Basic Addition Facts: Do Taped Problems Work Faster Than Cover, Copy, Compare?, James Cressey, Kristin Ezbicki

James Cressey

This small pilot study compared the effectiveness of two interventions to improve automaticity with basic addition facts: Taped Problems (TP) and Cover, Copy, Compare (CCC), in students aged 6-10. Automaticity was measured using Mathematics Curriculum-Based Measurement (M-CBM) at pretest, after 10 days, and after 20 days of intervention. Our hypothesis was that the TP group will gain higher levels of automaticity more quickly than the CCC and control groups. However, when gain scores were compared, no significant differences were found between groups. Limitations to the study include low treatment integrity and a short duration of intervention.

Learning To Teach Mathematics With Reasoning And Sense Making, Amy L. Nebesniak

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study uses teacher research to examine teacher learning in the context of instructional coaching. The author, a mathematics instructional coach, engaged in an intense three-week coaching relationship with a high school Algebra teacher. A detailed description of the teaching and learning of quadratics that took place during this research provide information about what and how a teacher learns to teach mathematics with reasoning and sense making. Mapping the terrain of quadratics deepened the teacher’s understanding of the mathematical content and encouraged him to adapt his textbook in order to build mathematical reasoning. Through the coaching process, the teacher also …

The Relationship Between Student Achievement Of At-Risk Students And The Georgia Performance Standards In Mathematics, Loralee Ann Hill

Dissertations

Educational leaders continue to be challenged in terms of accountability measures for increased student achievement, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). In particular, schools must show adequate yearly progress (AYP) reaching 100 % proficiency levels for all students in the areas of English language arts and mathematics by 2014. In 2008, the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) in mathematics were implemented at the high school level. Coupled with this new curriculum, a newly developed Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) in mathematics was administered in March 2011. The purpose of this study was to add …

The Engineering Design Process As A Model For Stem Curriculum Design, Krystal Sno Corbett

Doctoral Dissertations

Engaging pedagogics have been proven to be effective in the promotion of deep learning for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. In many cases, academic institutions have shown a desire to improve education by implementing more engaging techniques in the classroom. The research framework established in this dissertation has been governed by the axiom that students should obtain a deep understanding of fundamental topics while being motivated to learn through engaging techniques. This research lays a foundation for future analysis and modeling of the curriculum design process where specific educational research questions can be considered using standard techniques. Further, …

Effects Of A Developmental Boot Camp: Improving Student Performance On A College Placement Test, Heather Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nationwide, students are entering college unprepared for college-level work. Recent high school graduates are placing into developmental courses at an alarming rate. The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of a developmental boot camp on standardized placement test scores of students enrolling at a community college in North Carolina. The study has a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design. Collected data will include participants' scores on the pretest and posttest placement test. A control group of eligible students who chose not to participate will be posttested for comparison. Instruments include ASSET® placement test and Computer-Adaptive Placement Assessment …

Teacher Empowerment In The Implementation Of Response To Intervention: A Case Study, Evie Taff Barge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a data-driven process that supports the academic needs of students through targeted interventions to address specific identified areas of weakness. When implemented effectively, RtI aids students at the onset of learning concerns and can remediate learning problems which have, in the past, led to students being classified as learning disabled. Few studies have recognized the role of teachers at the frontlines in implementing RtI, and many teachers are struggling with the complicated RtI process. Literacy and mathematics are the academic focuses for RtI in this study due to their importance for success in school and …

Self-Regulated Learning And Mathematics Achievement In A Fourth Grade Classroom, Dawn Eliserio

Master of Education Program Theses

This research examines the relationship between self-regulated learning and mathematics achievement. The sample included 10 students enrolled in fourth grade at a small, private elementary school in the Midwest. During the third quarter of the school year, students were taught methods of learning mathematics through self-regulation. The grades were recorded before the implementation at the conclusion of the second quarter and again at the conclusion of the third quarter once self-regulation was implemented. A t-test was used to compare the mathematics scores. There was no significant difference between the second and third quarter mathematics grades. This is an important result …

Differentiated Physical Learning Environment, Alisha Thiessen

Master of Education Program Theses

This research study examines the correlation between student academic growth in mathematics in a differentiated physical learning environment and whether or not a differentiated physical environment affects students’ attitudes in mathematics. Previous studies have shown that students gain a deeper connection to the curriculum and have a greater enjoyment of the subject matter when a subject is differentiated (Sondergeld &Schultz, 2008). This study looks specifically at differentiating only the physical learning environment and how this affects student academic growth and attitude towards in mathematics. This study found no statistical evidence of greater academic achievement for those students who were part …

Equal Or Not? An Exploration Of Eighth-Grade Students' Experience Of Algebra, Janice L. Reyes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, a considerable amount of algebra instruction nationwide has shifted from high school to middle school. In Georgia, all eighth-grade students have been required to take a course that is equivalent to about 80 percent of a traditional Algebra 1 course. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how a selected group of eighth-grade students in a suburban Georgia middle school experience algebra within the eighth grade mathematics curriculum. A qualitative research design was used to investigate students’ perceptions of algebra, the strategies employed by teachers to teach algebra, students’ difficulties with algebra, and …