Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

"Returning To The Root" Of The Problem: Improving The Social Condition Of African Americans Through Science And Mathematics Education, Vanessa R. Pitts Bannister, Julius Davis, Jomo Mutegi, Latasha Thompson, Deborah Lewis

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

The underachievement and underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines have been well documented. Efforts to improve the STEM education of African Americans continue to focus on relationships between teaching and learning and factors such as culture, race, power, class, learning preferences, cultural styles and language. Although this body of literature is deemed valuable, it fails to help STEM teacher educators and teachers critically assess other important factors such as pedagogy and curriculum. In this article, the authors argue that both pedagogy and curriculum should be centered on the social condition of African Americans – …

A Dber Approach To Writing To Learn, Brian M. Waters

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Goals for today’s talk

My research shift into DBER

Pilot studies in Scientific Writing and Communication

Research interests

Scientific Writing Help Desk

Conclusions: • Student knowledge and skill in scientific writing improved after taking “Scientific Writing and Communication” • “Writing my drafts” and “Revising my drafts…” were ranked as the most effective activities. This feedback suggests that a full-semester course with multiple drafts, peer review, and revisions is more effective than a workshop or short course without writing practice • Student confidence in the ability to write scientific manuscripts increased after taking this course. This improvement could lead to increased …

Making Sense Of School Reform: A Case Study Of Mathematics And Science Teachers' Sensemaking With One District's Differentiation And Detracking Initiatives, Katelyn Daplyn Skinner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how individual science and mathematics teachers within a particular high school made sense of a district differentiation effort. A focus on teachers' perceptions and interpretations of this effort was targeted through the theoretical framework of sensemaking. Two of the teachers were present for an initial detracking reform effort, which enabled the researcher to examine their sensemaking of both initiatives.

There were clear differences in the sense that teachers made of the differentiation initiative. Additionally, there were multiple factors that impacted teacher sensemaking; the district initiative was not one of these factors. …

Computer Science Unit, Megan Bouchard

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

A collection of ten computer science lesson plans, aligned with Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards, developed for an after school program.

An Evaluation Of The Relationships Between Collegiate Aviation Safety Management System Initiative, Self-Efficacy, Transformational Safety Leadership And Safety Behavior Mediated By Safety Motivation, Daniel Kwasi Adjekum

Aviation Faculty Publications

The study conceptualized Safety Management System (SMS) initiative, self-efficacy, and transformational safety leadership as constructs that relates to safety behavior (measured by safety compliance and safety participation) when mediated by safety motivation using a quantitative approach. Structural equation modeling techniques was used to derive a final measurement model that fit the empirical data and was used to test the study hypotheses. Utilizing a sample of 282 collegiate flight students and instructors from a large public university in the US, a 46-item survey was used to measure respondent’s perceptions on the study variables. The results indicate that perceptions of SMS policy …

Using Pre-Calculus And Calculus Student Work To Examine Student Problem Solving Abilities In Online And Face-To-Face Mathematics Courses, Sarah Catherine Ferguson

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study compares the outcomes of student learning between two pairs of courses. Each pair of courses consists of an online section and a face-to-face section. One pair of courses focuses on pre-calculus content while the second pair focuses on calculus content. Both pairs of courses are taught by the same instructor using the same course appropriate materials. Participants for this study include 9 online and 14 face-to-face pre-calculus students and 14 online and 23 face-to-face calculus students from an urban community college in the southeastern portion of the U.S. Written responses from the subjects to a collection of problems …

Does A Taste Of Computing Increase Computer Science Enrollment?, Steven Mcgee, Randi Mcgee-Tekula, Jennifer Duck, Ronald I. Greenberg, Lucia Dettori, Dale F. Reed, Brenda Wilkerson, Don Yanek, Andrew Rasmussen, Gail Chapman

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Exploring Computer Science (ECS) high school curriculum is designed to foster deep engagement through equitable inquiry around computer science concepts. We have shown that students find ECS courses personally relevant, are increasing their expectancies of success and perceived value for the field of computer science, and are more likely to take another computing course.

Middle And High-School Teacher Perceptions Of The Mathematics Georgia Standards Of Excellence, Marnie Dutcher

Theses and Dissertations

Public education in the United States had frequent curriculum changes throughout history. The curriculum initiatives of the past had a focus on improving education in schools based on one of four topics: (a) common standards, (b) preparing students for post-secondary education, (c) improving the quality of education, and (d) increasing the rigor of the content (Wallender, 2014). In February 2015, the Georgia State Board of Education approved revisions to the Common Core Mathematics Curriculum, which was the third set of mathematics curriculum standards implemented in Georgia since 2012. The standards were named The Georgia Standards of Excellence Mathematics Curriculum (GSE). …

The Relationship Between Elementary Teachers' Background In Mathematics, Teaching Self-Efficacy, And Teaching Outcome Expectancy When Implementing The Common Core State Standards, Jennifer Stuart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlation study was to identify a possible relationship between elementary teacher background in mathematics as measured by completed college math credit hours, district-provided professional development hours of training in Common Core math standards, and years of teaching experience, and teacher efficacy in math as measured by personal teaching self efficacy and outcome expectancy. The sample in the present study consisted of 69 elementary (K-5) math teachers in a medium-sized semi-rural district located within a southern state. The data was collected using the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI), an online survey that was sent to the …

The Effects Of Contract Activity Packages On Boredom In A Sixth-Grade Accelerated Math Class, Joanna Bartlett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is currently a lack of research aimed at determining the boredom level experienced by sixth grade students participating in an accelerated math class, as well as suitable strategies aimed at helping students avoid it. This quantitative quasi-experimental static-group comparison study investigated boredom levels with the implementation of Contract Activity Packages (CAPs), a strategy specifically related to combatting boredom for gifted and talented students, into a sixth-grade accelerated math class. Data were collected from 138 sixth-grade students participating in an accelerated math class via the boredom scale of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire – Mathematics (AEQ-M) and analyzed using a two-way …

The Effects Of Desmos And Ti-83 Plus Graphing Calculators On The Problem-Solving Confidence Of Middle And High School Mathematics Students, Edwin Montijo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As technology in education continues to improve, research is necessary to assess the impact it is having on students’ confidence in the way students solve mathematics problems. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control-group comparison study is to examine the impact the Desmos graphing calculator has on the problem-solving confidence of middle school and high school students as compared to students who use a TI-83 Plus graphing calculator while controlling for students’ math achievement scores. The students (N = 146) participating in this study were learning their respective mathematics material for an equivalent period of 12 weeks in order to …

Creating And Managing Successful Groups, John Sangster

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

• Why is group work an essential component of our classes?

• What are the standard practices in forming groups, and what are the outcomes from this practice?

• What does the research say about forming successful groups?

• Case Study: group work in senior-level road design course

Knowing Growing Showing Indigenous Consumer And Financial Literacy: Research To Practice, Tony Dreise, Troy Meston

Indigenous Education Research

This framework document underpins Knowing Growing Showing, a suite of teaching, learning and assessment material to support teachers to tailor and customise the delivery of consumer and financial literacy to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners from early schooling to secondary schooling.

Knowing Growing Showing draws upon the literature and evidence in Indigenous consumer and financial literacy and education and then translates it into advice to facilitate culturally responsive and effective teachers of Indigenous learners. The research provides the foundation from which Knowing Growing Showing resources (lesson guides, assessment advice, and teaching material) have been devised. More specifically, it …

Knowing Growing Showing Literature Review, Tony Dreise, Troy Meston

Indigenous Education Research

Throughout the world, young people are having to learn about consumer and financial literacy, especially in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis which hurt many families and communities, including young people. This global challenge naturally extends to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Australia who are particularly vulnerable to financial stress and consumer scams.

There is not a great deal of literature directly on the topic of Indigenous financial literacy particularly as it pertains to quality teaching and learning. This paper explores Indigenous financial literacy and its wider contexts and seeks to pull three important conceptual and …

Assessing Evolutionary Reasoning Of Introductory Biology Students, Sarah Spier

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Question: Does proficiency in natural selection knowledge predict the quality of student reasoning of reproductive potential as a component of fitness?

Hypothesis: Students with higher scores on the Concept Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS) will have more accurate descriptions of reproductive potential as a part of fitness.

Goals: Assess student ability to reason about fitness and selection in a variety of contexts. Assess student reasoning of evolutionary implications of an ecological scenario

Social And Behavioral Science Research Support At Unl, Mindy Anderson-Knott

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Mindy Anderson-Knott provides an overview of the various research support offerings at UNL related to the social and behavior sciences. The presentation will explain how the Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium can help researchers with their social and behavior science needs, and will navigate participants through many of the support structures that exist on campus.

Impact Of Kinesthetic Learning On Student Knowledge Retention And Attitudes Toward Mathematics, Alyssa Lustgarten

Honors Projects

This research study examines the impact of kinesthetic learning on student knowledge retention and attitudes toward mathematics. Specifically, this study focuses on teaching mathematics to secondary students through dance. Quantitative data was collected and analyzed regarding student mathematics knowledge retention and student attitudes towards mathematics. Although student mathematics knowledge retention increased for both the control and treatment groups, student attitudes toward mathematics decreased after the intervention for the treatment group.

Session E-2: Sharing Analogies And Demonstrations To Reinforce Chemistry Concepts, Dave Devol, Angela Ahrendt

Professional Learning Day

Chemistry concepts can often be difficult for students to understand, in part due to the fact that we are discussing with students things that cannot be seen (atoms and molecules!). Analogies that relate chemistry concepts to things that students are more familiar with can be a powerful way to help them understand concepts, as can demonstrations that make concepts come to life visually. We will share a few of our favorite analogies/demos, and ask that each participant share one of their favorite analogies or demos. As we realize it would be difficult for visiting teachers to bring what they need …

Session E-4: Labs For Next Generation Science Standard: Waves And Electromagnetic Radiation, Brooke Schmidt

Professional Learning Day

Participants will have the opportunity to participate in two labs aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards for Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation. The first explores the relationship between the speed, frequency, and wavelength of a wave while changing the medium, and the second lab demonstrates the wave nature of light through interference.

Session B-2: Forensic Metallurgy – A Challenge In Basic Measurements, Patrick Young

Professional Learning Day

Chinese antiquities may be readily found for sale on eBay. Ancient coins may be purchased for very reasonable prices. Are these authentic artifacts, or modern forgeries? An investigation will include measurements and calculations to identify the metals involved. Using only inexpensive, school-grade equipment, participants will be challenged to solve the mystery. Success will hinge on careful measurement, deductive reasoning, and a thoughtful consideration of experimental uncertainty.

Session C-1: Modeling Stem Activities Into Classroom Practice, Sowmya Anjur

Professional Learning Day

Students understand concepts better when they have had a chance to work hands on with relevant material. Examples will be presented from my classroom where difficult concepts have been modeled into simple experiments with considerable success in enhancing student understanding. Special focus will be given to selected topics that students seem to have the most difficulty grasping. The objective is to enable students to transfer their understanding to solve complex problems with considerable ease and apply their understanding to real world scenarios on assessments. Suggestions will also be provided for implementation of various concepts into the high school classroom.

Knowing What Students Know: How Question Formats Differ In Their Abilities To Reveal Student Thinking, Brian Couch

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Instructors use assessment ubiquitously throughout undergraduate STEM courses to gauge student understanding of important concepts. The utility of an assessment can be partly judged by the degree to which it can detect the presence of correct and incorrect understandings. We will discuss a series of within-subjects controlled experiments to determine how student responses differ for questions posed in multiple-choice, multiple-true-false, or free-response formats as well as implications of this research for instructional practice.

A Genetic Context For Understanding The Trigonometric Functions, Danny Otero

Pre-calculus and Trigonometry

In this project, we explore the genesis of the trigonometric functions: sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant. The goal is to provide the typical student in a pre-calculus course some context for understanding these concepts that is generally missing from standard textbook developments. Trigonometry emerged in the ancient Greek world (and, it is suspected, independently in China and India as well) from the geometrical analyses needed to solve basic astronomical problems regarding the relative positions and motions of celestial objects. While the Greeks (Hipparchus, Ptolemy) recognized the usefulness of tabulating chords of central angles in a circle as aids …

Impact Report 2017: Imsa30, The Promise And Power Of Imsa, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Impact Reports

The State of Illinois launched the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), which is recognized as the world's leading teaching and learning lab for imagination and inquiry, in collaboration with business, education, and science leaders. For 30 years, IMSA has pioneered the future of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education through its two legislative charges: 1) to provide a uniquely challenging education for students talented in the areas of mathematics and science and 2) to stimulate further excellence for all Illinois schools in mathematics and science. IMSA champions these goals through:

New STEM teaching models: leading the charge to …

A Case Study Of The Variables For Women’S Success In Engineering And Computing, Arefeh Mohammadi

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

There is a huge shortage of skilled workforce in the engineering and computing related industries. According to the BLS data women have consistently constituted less than 10% of the workforce in the construction industry, which exemplifies the under representation of women in this field. This qualitative research aims at helping women sustain in engineering workforce, empower them in the choices they make to enter and success in the industry, and look at ways to create a safe and encouraging environment for women to survive and thrive in the workforce. This is believed to be possible through creating platform to educate …

From The Co-Editors..., Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

A Universal Design For Robotics Education, Mustafa Şahin Bülbül

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

In this century technological and educational needs increase drastically. Out of local language, educators need to teach robotic language and use necessary technologies to design robots like Arduino set. This set let users to know less code/computer language and knowledge about electronics. Users may develop their own robots with this set. It also improves design and implementation skills. However, it is not a suitable design for blinds. Universal design approach suggests educators to design courses in a way to meet the needs of all participants. By this approach, learning environments are helpful and useful for participants with special needs. With …

“Thank God I’M Mexican”: Cognitive Racial Reappraisal Strategies Of Latino Engineering Students, Elvira Abrica

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Despite the fact that Latinos pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees as often as their peers, Latino degree completion rates lag behind those of other demographic groups. In an effort to better understand Latino persistence in STEM, this qualitative study explored the non-cognitive persistence strategies of Latino men pursuing engineering degrees at two highly selective, four-year institutions. Specifically, this study explored Latino engineering students’ understanding and responses to race and racism, with attention to ways in which understanding and responses differed by immigrant generation. A total of 37 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed. Findings indicate that immigrant …

Stem High School Teachers’ Views Of Implementing Pbl: An Investigation Using Anecdote Circles, Aimée L. Dechambeau, Susan E. Ramlo

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been gaining in popularity, especially within the context of STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) schools. Program assessments for these schools typically focus on student standardized test scores rather than the needs of the teachers. This study utilized anecdote circles, storytelling via moderated group discussions, to investigate teachers’ needs related to developing and implementing authentic, interdisciplinary PBL activities in an urban, public STEM high school. Teacher experiences and viewpoints were explored within three broad themes: assessment; coaching and training; and authentic learning. The analyses provide insights for transitioning a school for effective PBL implementation as well …

The Potential Scientist’S Dilemma: How The Masculine Framing Of Science Shapes Friendships And Science Job Aspirations, G. Robin Gauthier, Julia Mcquillan, Patricia Wonch Hill, Amy Spiegel, Judy Diamond

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

In the United States, girls and boys have similar science achievement, yet fewer girls aspire to science careers than boys. This paradox emerges in middle school, when peers begin to play a stronger role in shaping adolescent identities. We use complete network data on a single middle school and theories of gender, identity, and social distance to explore how friendship patterns might influence this gender and science paradox. Three patterns highlight the social dimensions of gendered science persistence: 1) Boys and girls do not differ in self-perceived science potential and science career aspirations; 2) Consistent with gender-based norms, both middle …