Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

How Instructional Strategies Impact Mathematics Self-Efficacy And Learning: Middle School Student Perceptions, Roni R. Herndon

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on middle schools where more than 90% of the students are socioeconomically disadvantaged and where mathematics scores are below the state and national average. The study was conducted to better understand how students experience various instructional strategies and perceive these classroom practices to impact their learning and self-efficacy in mathematics. A hybrid mixed methods research design, with both embedded and explanatory sequential components, was employed. Quantitative results are based on survey responses from 94 seventh grade students. Qualitative results are based on five teacher and eight student interviews.

Informed by teacher interviews, the Instructional Strategies Impact Survey …

The Effect Of Self-Paced Learning On Student Achievement And Motivation Within An Eighth-Grade Mathematics Classroom, Jacy Spencer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

A large mathematics achievement gap is a concern for researchers and educators alike, making effective teaching practices a main point of study for many researchers. Therefore, this action research, which used a quasi-experimental, quantitative research design, aimed to determine the effect of a self-paced learning environment on eighth-grade students’ mathematical achievement and motivation for learning. Baseline data on student motivation toward learning mathematics and mathematics achievement was collected before implementing a self-paced learning environment. After a mathematics unit was completed utilizing the self-paced learning model, data was collected on student achievement and motivation to determine effect of the learning environment. …

Examining Teaching Practices That Increase Student Mathematical Achievement, Jonah P. Zimmerman

Masters Projects

The current data in the United States surrounding mathematics shows that there are issues that must be addressed with teaching and learning math in the K-12 setting. In the perfect world, all students would meet grade level expectations in math prior to moving to another grade; however, this is not what is taking place. Students are not meeting proficiency, and as a result teachers and students alike are not gaining confidence in teaching/learning mathematics. This project looks at the Math Workshop Model as being one alternative to the more traditional teaching practices that are used today in the ABC School …

The Students’ Mathematics Learning Difficulties Analysis, Wahyu Purwaningsih, Haryanto Haryanto

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aims to describe, interpret, and analyze the PGSD UPY students’ difficulties in learning mathematics 2. The research type is a descriptive qualitative research. The research subjects are students and a mathematics lecturer of PGSD UPY. The data were gathered through interviews, observations, documentations, and tests. The data validity test was done by using triangulation of sources and techniques. Proprietary interactive analysis models (Miles, Huberman, & Saldana, 2014) were used to analyzed the data. The results show that there are some difficulties experienced by students in learning numberic system especially for fractions. The pretest and post test results show …

The Perceived Impact Of Project-Based Learning (Pbl) On Middle School Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Identity And Engagement, Jonathan Olivera

Theses and Dissertations

Despite multiple calls to action, the United States educational system is not producing enough viable contributors in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These fields continue to grow, and the STEM workforce continues to expand. However, the pool of citizens prepared to enter these professions is not keeping up with the demand. Part of this issue can be attributed to a diminishing interest in STEM by students, particularly during their identity forming adolescent years. Active learning strategies have proven successful in preventing this decline with project-based learning (PBL) being one of the most successful active learning strategies. …

The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On Student Learning Of Fractions In Middle School Mathematics, Rebecca Love Palculict

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today’s increasingly technologically-driven classroom, exploring whether computer-assisted instruction ensures students gain critical mathematic skills is an important area of study. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of computer-assisted instruction in learning manipulation of fractions. This study used archival data collected in August 2021 (pre-test) and January 2022 (post-test). Sixty-nine fifth-grade students in a middle school in rural Mississippi were participants in the study. This quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group design analyzed data from the i-Ready diagnostic using an Analysis of Covariance. Results indicated a significant difference between the post-test scores of students who received interventions …

Problem Solving Like A Mathematician: Disciplinary Literacy Instruction In Elementary Mathematics, Charlotte Frambaugh-Kritzer, Stephanie Buelow

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study aims to grow the literature by examining the how of disciplinary literacies (DL) elementary mathematics instructional practices in teacher education, which is under-reported. Using qualitative case study methods, we examined how one cohort of elementary preservice teachers (PTs) enacted the DL instructional practices in their field practicum K–6 classrooms. Using a social constructivism perspective, we combined directed content analysis with real-time dialogue and the writing process as analytical tools to examine our data. Data sources included observation notes from the mathematics methods course, observation notes from the field practicum, and multiple artifacts (e.g., post observation oral and written …

Incremental, Spaced Repetition And Studymate Flashcards: The Impact On College Student Memorization Of Measurement Conversion Standards, Patricia A. Bromer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of and student perception of incremental, spaced repetition of StudyMate electronic flashcard use on memorization of measurement conversion standards for an online Mathematics in Health Sciences course. Online college classes require more self-direction and usually do not allow for partner or group work. These characteristics of online classes may hinder students’ ability to memorize crucial information, increasing their cognitive load and leading to feelings of inadequacy. This mixed methods study assessed the impact of incremental, spaced repetition of StudyMate flashcard use on college math students’ memorization of measurement conversion …

Teachers' Experiences In Implementing Technology-Rich Curriculum For Student Achievement: A Phenomenological Study, Dorrothe Jean

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe how premillennial teachers at East Orange Public School (EOPS, a pseudonym) respond to technology-rich curriculum. Twelve elementary school premillennial teachers will participate in the study focused on one central research question and three sub-questions: (a) What is the lived experience of elementary teachers implementing technology-rich mathematics curriculum? (b)How do elementary school teachers perceive their preparedness for teaching in a classroom where technology-rich math curriculum has been implemented? (c)How do elementary school teachers describe their transitions from a premillennial curriculum to a millennial curriculum where it has been implemented? (d) How do …

Motivation In Online Course Design: Action Research Using A Self-Determination Theory-Based Mathematics Unit To Improve Students’ Autonomy, Competence, And Relatedness, Emily Rose Shank

Theses and Dissertations

Strong mathematics achievement is lacking in the United States, with motivation waning especially among mathematics and online students. Online mathematics students, in particular, struggle with self-regulation and self-efficacy (Kim, 2012; Sun & Rueda, 2012). Ryan and Deci (2017), in their well-established and empirical self-determination theory, contended that satisfying the psychological needs of autonomy (involving self-regulation), competence (involving self-efficacy), and relatedness (involving a sense of belonging) creates a suitable environment for integrated extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to thrive. The purpose of this action research was to create and implement a self-determination theory-based online unit on factoring polynomials for mathematics students at …

Mindset, Stereotype Threat, And The Fear Of Failure: Why Female Students Leave A Secondary High Honors Mathematics Pathway, Annabelle Merg

Theses and Dissertations

The disproportionate attrition of female students in STEM is well documented in higher education but less well understood at the secondary level. In a large, public high school in an affluent, highly educated city, the high honors mathematics pathway is the only math pathway that has not yet achieved gender parity, an implication for future educational and economic equity. Female students leave this pathway at significantly higher rates than male students, especially during and immediately after the first course. Through an explanatory, mixed methods approach, this study found that these female students are not less well prepared than their male …

Evaluation Of The Availability And Utilization Status Of Texts In Core Subjects In Primary Schools’ Libraries, Valentine Joseph Owan, Daniel Clement Agurokpon, Abahcham V. Owan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study evaluated primary texts' availability and utilisation status in core subjects (English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies and Basic Science) in primary schools’ libraries in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State. The researchers formulated six null hypotheses to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population of this study comprised a total of 30,036 teachers and pupils, distributed across the 73 public primary schools. A proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 30% and 5% of the available teachers and pupils in each school, resulting in a sample of 270 respondents. …

The Effects Of Stem And Non-Stem Mathematics Corequisite Courses On Student Success At Public Institutions In West Virginia, Vanessa S. Keadle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the differences in student success outcomes between students enrolled in non-STEM and STEM corequisite mathematics courses at 18 postsecondary institutions across five academic years in West Virginia, using de-identified student data. The researcher analyzed this extant data to determine if student characteristics were predictors of success, as defined as passing the mathematics corequisite course, retention to the next semester, and earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher. The researcher also conducted analyses to understand if the differences in those outcomes between STEM and non-STEM courses were significant. This study identified statistically significant gaps in success for students …

Efficient Assessment Of Students’ Proportional Reasoning, Michele Carney, Katie Paulding, Joe Champion

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Teachers need ways to efficiently assess students’ cognitive understanding. One promising approach involves easily adapted and administered item types that yield quantitative scores that can be interpreted in terms of whether or not students likely possess key understandings. This study illustrates an approach to analyzing response process validity evidence from item types for assessing two important aspects of proportional reasoning. Data include results from an interview protocol used with 33 middle school students to compare their responses to prototypical item types to their conceptions of composed unit and multiplicative comparison. The findings provide validity evidence in support of the score …

Charter School, Kindergarten–6, Homeschool Parents’ Perceptions, Experiences, And Strategies For Mathematics Instruction, Wendy How Fayard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem for this study was the lack of understanding regarding parents’ perceptions of and experiences with mathematics and instructional strategies for kindergarten through sixth-grade (K–6) students in a charter school, homeschool setting. Dewey’s theory of experience and education was the conceptual framework for the study. In this basic qualitative study, charter school homeschool parents’ perceptions about providing mathematic instruction for K–6 students, experiences with instructing K–6 students in mathematics, and choices and adjustments concerning mathematics teaching strategies were examined. Twelve participants took part in semistructured interviews on the Zoom platform. Their interview responses were analyzed qualitatively using coding …

The Relationship Between Engagement And Tactile Learning In A Math Classroom Setting, Mikayla Mcbride

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

math setting. I will be teaching a student two similar lessons of multiplication. One lesson will be taught completely with manipulatives. The other lesson will be taught with pencil and paper. The level of engagement between the student and the lesson will be measured for each lesson. I will be using formative assessment to measure student engagement through observation. I will also use a checklist to check multiplication accuracy at the end of the lesson. My hypothesis is that the student will have a higher level of engagement when tactile learning is used. I believe the student will have a …

The Impact Of A K-8 Stem Program On Grades And Student Choice Of Stem And Advanced Mathematics And Science Coursework In High School, Astrid Rodrigues

Dissertations

The demands of today’s workforce call for schools to prepare their students to have problem-solving skills and be critical thinkers and collaborative colleagues. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning has been known to cultivate, excite, and promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students from an early age.

This study explored the high school course selection of students who had participated in a compulsory Kindergarten to 8^th grade (K-8) STEM program, called Project Lead the Way (PLTW), while in middle school. Specifically, the study compared the number of STEM and advanced mathematics and science courses that students who …

Covid And Curriculum: Elementary Teachers Report On The Challenges Of Teaching And Learning Mathematics Remotely, Kristin Giorgio-Doherty, Mona Baniahmadi, Jill Newton, Amy M. Olson, Kristen Ferguson, Kaitlyn Sammons, Marcy M. Wood, Corey Drake

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This article reports on findings from a survey administered to 524 elementary teachers across 46 states that asked about their experiences with mathematics teaching, learning, and curriculum use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this article is to report on the challenges teachers experienced with mathematics teaching, learning, and curriculum use during the pandemic and to explore educational inequities faced by students of families with lower income backgrounds. In particular, we discuss differences across high- and low-income schools regarding teachers’ perceived preparedness for online teaching, teachers’ use and decisions about mathematics curriculum, and their students’ remote resources …

Integrating Mathematics, Science, And Literacy Into A Culturally Responsive Stem After-School Program, Shelli L. Casler-Failing, Alma D. Stevenson, Beverly A. King Miller

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

This manuscript shares the implementation of an after-school literacy in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program designed for middle grade students to increase their interest in science and mathematics learning. This program was conducted at our local Boys and Girls Club facilities where students learned about four science topics (renewable energy, water cycle, Newton’s laws, and natural disasters). Students participated in culturally responsive reading and writing activities incorporating culturally relevant books, journal writing, hands-on projects, and a culminating science fair presentation on a topic of their choice. The authors determined that using literature, particularly culturally responsive picture books and …

International School Elementary Educators' Transition To A Revised Mathematics Curriculum: A Case Study, Christine H. Saba

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single instrumental case study was to research how teachers at an organization of international schools transitioned to using a revised mathematics curriculum to understand how to replicate or improve the process for success in the implementation phase in the future. The guiding theories for this research were Schlossberg’s (1981) transition theory, as the aim of the study was to research teachers in a time of transition, and Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory, as teachers worked through the cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. Data was collected through interviews, focus groups, and journaling. The site was …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teaching Mathematics Online In Elementary Schools In Al Ain., Kamar Fayez Kamar

Theses

Online learning is an active method of learning in our lives, and it has been implemented in all the schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Many methods such as platforms, online educational websites, and other applications were used by teachers to support online learning, and to be able to assist students to achieve their goals and accomplish what is required from their curriculum. The main objective of this study is to examine teachers’ perceptions toward teaching mathematics using online learning in elementary schools. Data was collected from 90 (n= 90) elementary teachers in Al Ain City, UAE, during the …

Participatory Action Research: Undergraduate Researchers Engaging Secondary Students In Social Justice Mathematics, Isabelle Miller, Alexis Grimes, Camryn Adkison

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Personalized Geometry Instruction: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study Implementing An Adaptive Web-Based Learning Environment To Support High School Students’ Geometry Problemsolving Skills, Catherine D. Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the implementation of an adaptive web-based learning environment to personalize geometry instruction and practice for high school students at a private school in North Carolina. This study was guided by the following three research questions: (1) How and to what extent does implementing personalized geometry instruction and practice through an adaptive web-based learning environment affect high school students’ knowledge of geometry? (2) How does using personalized geometry instruction and practice through an adaptive web-based learning environment affect students’ motivation to learn geometry as well as their mathematics self-efficacy, anxiety, and …

Qualitative Analysis Of Corequisite Instruction In A Quantitative Reasoning Course, Zachary Beamer

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

In corequisite models of instruction, marginally prepared students are placed directly into college-level coursework, taught with a paired support course. Initial research suggests that such models yield significant improvements in the number of students passing credit-level mathematics when compared to previous models of prerequisite remediation. The present study employs qualitative methods to investigate methods of instruction at one community colleges to understand how instructors identify and respond to student needs. It concludes with recommendations for practice and highlights advantages of small format corequisite classes taught by the same instructor.

Mindfulness & Mindset: The Winning Combination? The Exploration Of The Unstuck Method® On Developmental Math Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Edite Birnbaum, Edith L. Birnbaum

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Many students enter colleges having to take non-credit-bearing courses, and many do not pass these courses due to numerous factors, including anxiety and stress, especially in mathematics. Current literature shows how mindfulness-based interventions (Bamber, & Schneider, 2016; Dvořáková et al., 2017; Hidman, 2013; Miller et al. 2019; Regehr et al., 2013) and a growth mindset (Blackwell et al., 2007; Boaler et al., 2018; May, 2009) have a positive effect on student stress, anxiety, and academic success. This mixed-method study focused on the unSTUCK strategy’s impact, a mindfulness-inspired tool, on foundation math students. The unSTUCK strategy is a mindfulness-inspired program. The …

Instructional Strategies And Rigor: Private School Administrator And Teacher Perspectives On Improving Minnesota’S College Mathematic Readiness, Nichelle Guillaume

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Instructional Strategies and Rigor: Private School Administrator and Teacher Perspectives on Improving Minnesota’s College Mathematic Readiness (May 2021)

This qualitative study explored private high school administrator and teacher perspectives on instructional strategies and rigor to improve Minnesota’s college mathematic readiness. Data collection sources for the study included individual interviews, focus groups, and document review. The study produced four emergent themes from the data collected in the individual interviews and focus groups: (a) Importance of Productive Struggle in Mathematic Instruction; (b) Necessary Balance of Mathematical Conceptual Understanding with Skill Acquisition; (c) Connection of Continuous Assessment to Mathematic Content Mastery and (d) …

How Teachers Use Formative Assessment Strategies During Teaching: Evidence From The Classroom, Hem Chand Dayal

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Using lesson observations, the study reported in this article explores how two practising secondary mathematics teachers implemented formative assessment actions in their classroom teaching. The study also investigated whether teachers’ beliefs about teaching and assessment could be mapped onto their classroom practices. In particular, while the two teachers were implementing student portfolio assessment in their own Year 9 mathematics lessons, the classroom observations focused on how they utilised formative assessment actions such as clarifying and sharing learning criteria intentions and criteria for success; activating students as instructional resources; and, providing feedback that moves learners forward. The findings suggest that one …

Factors Impacting Students’ Perceptions Of Mathematics, Amber Souza

Honors Program Theses and Projects

I want to be able to present math in a positive light to all of my future students, regardless of race, gender, and math background. However, for teachers as a whole to be able to take this important step, they must first develop a deeper understanding of why math is a sore spot for many students.

Mathematics In A Social Justice World: A Statistical Reasoning Unit Investigating Modern-Day School Segregation, Zoe Alberts

Honors Projects

It is no secret that our daily lives are full of mathematical concepts and skills. Taking it one step further, many social justice issues are rooted in mathematical research and data. This idea should be the center of the mathematics classroom. According to Crystal Watson, a math teacher from Cincinnati City Schools District, we need to incorporate these social issues into the classroom because the “lack of opportunity to explore, learn, and master mathematical concepts keep out students, families, and communities oppressed (Watson, 2020)”. This is a fully functional, ready to use, digital mini unit over 7th grade statistical reasoning …

Mathematics Anxiety: Supplementary Materials, Sarah Buckley

Student learning processes

This publication contains two professional development activities for teachers which focus on mathematics anxiety. One is a team-based activity and the other is an activity for individuals. The activities encourage both mathematics teachers and non-mathematics teachers to reflect on their current practice, their attitudes towards mathematics, their ideas about teaching mathematics and the mathematical beliefs of students.