Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

An Investigation Of How Environmental Science Textbooks Link Human Environmental Impact To Ecology And Daily Life, Yael Wyner, Rob Desalle

Publications and Research

Making direct connections between humanity and the environment is of ever-increasing importance in the context of today’s environmental crisis. We used qualitative content analysis of precollege- and college-level introductory environmental science textbook case studies to study how they portray humanity’s link to the environment. We assessed case studies for how specific and data rich they are and for how they link together daily life, human impact, and ecological interactions. We found that, for many textbooks, case study stories were vaguely drawn and included few data. We also found that, for all textbooks, case studies almost always described human impacts without …

Fourteen Recommendations To Create A More Inclusive Environment For Lgbtq+ Individuals In Academic Biology, Katelyn M. Cooper, Anna Jo J. Auerbach, Jordan D. Bader, Amy S. Beadles-Bohling, Jacqueline A. Brashears, Erica Cline, Sarah L. Eddy, Deanna B. Elliott, Elijah Farley, Linda Fuselier, Heather M. Heinz, Madison Irving, Tanya Josek, A. Kelly Lane, Stanley M. Lo, Jeffrey Maloy, Michelle Nugent, Erika Offerdahl, Juan Palacios-Moreno, Jorge Ramos, Joshua W. Reid, Rachel A. Sparks, Ashley L. Waring, Mike Wilton, Cara Gormally, Sara E. Brownell

Publications and Research

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and otherwise non-straight and/or non-cisgender (LGBTQ+) have often not felt welcome or represented in the biology community. Additionally, biology can present unique challenges for LGBTQ+ students because of the relationship between certain biology topics and their LGBTQ+ identities. Currently, there is no centralized set of guidelines to make biology learning environments more inclusive for LGBTQ+ individuals. Rooted in prior literature and the collective expertise of the authors who identify as members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, we present a set of actionable recommendations to help biologists, biology educators, and biology …

Philosophical Inquiry For Critical Mathematics Education, Nadia Kennedy

Publications and Research

This paper argues that critical mathematics education requires reflective knowledge, which lies outside of mathematical and technological knowledge, and which can be generated through philosophical inquiry in the classroom. Philosophical inquiry can provide “thinking tools” for questioning, challenging and critiquing implicit assumptions and misconceptions and for the reconstruction of concepts. As such, it can offer a space for critical reflection on mathematics, for the development of an epistemological approach that encourages an enriched, overarching view of mathematics and its connections to the other school disciplines, society and self. It also offers space for the deconstruction and reconstruction of beliefs about …

Modeling Where It Matters: Redesigning Mathematics Education With Adolescent Girls Of Color, Kara L. Imm

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mathematical modeling is not a new idea for mathematicians, scientists, and engineers. But until recently it remained largely outside of the purview of most K-12 math educators. With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010) modeling gained a more prominent place within math curriculum and instruction. An iterative form of problem solving, which supports students to make generalizable models instead of single-use solutions, modeling is now poised to be taken up as a practice in classrooms across the country. The purpose of this research—a design study—is to understand how a carefully …

Overcoming Adversity In The Stem Classroom: Examining Learned Helplessness In First-Year Community College Students Using Salivary Cortisol, Surveys And Interviews, Diane M. Price Banks

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation seeks to determine whether a relationship between STEM attrition and Learned Helplessness exist in a group of first year STEM majors studied at an urban community college. STEM attrition rates have shown that 69% of the 20% of incoming STEM freshmen in associate degree programs, drop out or switch their majors to non-STEM curriculum within their first year of college (NCES, 2013). Learned helplessness is a behavioral phenomenon where some may become helpless as the conditions surrounding their success become adverse. Classic signs expressed with learned helplessness include: lack of motivation, depression, poor social skills, absence of control …

Measuring Preschool Parents’ Attitudes Towards Science: Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of A Parent Version Of The Dimension Of Attitudes Towards Science Instrument., Alexandra E. Adair

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Presently, no measure or theoretical framework exists for preschool parents’ attitudes towards science. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a measure of preschool parents’ attitudes towards science with a corresponding theoretical framework, as well as explore related constructs. To develop the measure, I adapted Wendt and Rockinson-Szapkiw’s (2017) English translation of van Aalderen-Smeets & Walma van der Molen’s (2013) Dimensions of Science (DAS) scale by making it appropriate for use with preschool parents.

The Preschool Parents Dimensions of Science Scale (PP-DAS) was pilot tested and revised before being administered to 330 preschool parents in the United …

Learning To Fail? Student Experiences In Remedial Mathematics In Community Colleges, Margaret P. Fay

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Referral to remedial coursework in mathematics is a significant barrier to degree attainment for community college students, which in turn has serious consequences for their employment and earning prospects. Students are placed into remediation when they are deemed unprepared to engage in college-level coursework, most often based on a score on a placement test. Nationally, 59% of community college students are placed into remedial math courses. Of these, only 49% complete remediation and gain access to college-level coursework. Because a college-level math course is often a degree requirement, many students who fail to complete remedial math courses are forced to …

A Single, Narrowly Focused Create Primary Literature Module Evokes Gains In Genetics Students’ Self-Efficacy And Understanding Of The Research Process, Alison Krufka, Kristy Kenyon, Sally G. Hoskins

Publications and Research

Exposure to primary literature using CREATE tools has been shown to have a positive impact on students’ self-efficacy and beliefs when incorporated into semester-long courses taught by extensively trained faculty. However, it is unknown whether similar benefits can occur with a brief exposure to CREATE in an otherwise traditionally taught course. We hypothesized that students who experienced a short-term CREATE module taught by faculty with minimal training in this pedagogy would make gains in scientific literacy and self-efficacy while also experiencing epistemological maturation. To test this hypothesis, we compared sections of students who experienced the CREATE module with sections of …

Streamlining Time Spent In Alternative Developmental Mathematics Pathways: Increasing Access To College-Level Mathematics Courses By Altering Placement Procedures, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

Developmental mathematics, which is designed to prepare students for college-level mathematics courses, can be a barrier to students’ success. In the United States, the majority of students placed into developmental mathematics courses fail to complete the developmental sequence. Alternative mathematics pathways offer some benefits when integrated with “just-in- time support” or expedited instruction on specific prerequisite concepts needed solely for the current lesson. This study compares two statistics courses taught at a public community college: a complete course taught in one semester and a two-semester version with just-in-time developmental content integrated into the course. The study found that students placed …

Learning To Use Mathematics Vs Mastering Basics, Bukurie Gjoci

Publications and Research

This paper bestows the literature support for the need of innovative curriculum and instruction approaches of College Mathematics courses offered to students in need of remediation. One such curriculum is presented here. Designed in agreement with AMATYC (2018)-IMPACT’s vision, this innovative curriculum & instruction approach aims to create student-centered learning environments, engage students in written and oral communication and meaningful use of technology. It immerses students into subject’s big picture, explaining its components implicitly and narrows the gap between school and out-of-school mathematics.

This is Part 1 of the research project aiming to explore the use of top-down instructions when …

The Use Of A Modified Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix To Assess Students’ Depth Of Knowledge In Key Concepts Of Gas Stoichiometry And Chemical Equilibrium, Maria Greene

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The research presented as part of this dissertation is a combination of two separate studies conducted to assess and evaluate undergraduate general chemistry students’ understanding and depth of knowledge (DOK) of concepts in gas stoichiometry and chemical equilibrium. The two separate studies were conducted using a modified Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrix (CRM) to analyze students’ responses to multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and their written rationales to their answer choices. The Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrix, which is an incorporation and coordination of both Bloom’s and Webb’s DOK taxonomies, allowed the facilitation of the opportunity to code students’ written responses across the four …

A Teacher Educator's Narrative Journey Into Mindfulness, Al-Karim H. Gangji

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this manuscript style research study, using multiple approaches and multimethodology, I explore mindfulness and wellness in my college conceptual physics classroom designed primarily for pre-service elementary teachers. This high-stake science course is a pre-requisite class to enter the elementary education program. The subject of physics let alone science, creates high level of anxiety and intense emotions. Over the past three decades, mindfulness has gained an exponential popularity in many fields including education. Mindfulness involves one’s ability to pay attention to the present moment. As a tool, mindfulness raises an awareness of intense emotions that often accompany teaching and learning. …

Black And Brown Students’ Mathematics Anxiety In Elementary School: The Use Of Restorative Justice Circles And Critical Concepts Of Care, Hope, And Love, Mariana E. Winnik

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Children navigate their world and are constantly making meaning of their experiences. Through this meaning making, children are also constructing their identities. Black and Brown children have an added layer of identity construction compared to their White peers. Black and Brown students develop their racial identity in conjunction with multiple other identities. This paper focuses specifically on how Black and Brown students construct a "mathematics identity" that is meaningful to their racial identity in order to help lessen their mathematics anxiety. I argue that the use of Restorative Justice Circles (RJC) in classrooms will allow for students to bring their …

Exploring Innovative Ways To Incorporate The Association Of College And Research Libraries Framework In Graduate Science Teacher Education Eportfolio Projects, Alison Lehner-Quam, Wesley Pitts

Publications and Research

This article investigates ways in which student voice informed design research into information literacy instruction in a year-long graduate science education ePortfolio culminating project. Library and science education faculty partnered in a two-year project to create communities of secondary science education students, in two cohorts, who used the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education to support their own research and reflections into information literacy. The overarching goal was to improve the course design to help science teachers develop their professional competencies in information literacy to conduct research to support their practice. Examination of students’ responses to research experiences …

Using Site Visits To Strengthen Collaboration, Victor Piercey, Rebecca Segal, Afroditi Vennie Filippas, Tao Chen, Soloman Kone, Rosalyn Hobson Hargraves, Jack Bookman, John Hearn, Debbie Pike, Kathy S. Williams

Publications and Research

The SUMMIT-P project is a multi-institutional endeavor to leverage interdisciplinary collaboration in order to improve the teaching of undergraduate mathematics courses in the first two years of college. One goal of this work is to establish collaborative communities among the institutions involved. As part of the project, institutions visit one another on site visits that are structured according to a common protocol. The site visits have been valuable to the project. Participating institutions report the exchange of actionable ideas and feedback; members of the grant leadership team have used the site visits to direct the overall project, and evaluators have …

Integrative And Contextual Learning In College Algebra: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration With Economics, Choon Shan Lai, Glenn Henshaw, Tao Chen, Soloman Kone

Publications and Research

Many students consider mathematics too abstract and useless for their academic and career goals. Meanwhile, instructors in quantitative disciplines such as economics find many students mathematically underprepared for their courses. The disconnect between students’ perceptions of the utility of mathematics and their life and career may have contributed to some of the under-performance in learning mathematics. Addressing this problem requires collaboration across disciplines to develop an understanding of each other’s needs, more specifically to develop an integrative platform that allows students to apply mathematical skills in interdisciplinary contexts (Ganter & Barker, 2004). We collaboratively designed and implemented an integrative platform …

Good Teachers Borrow, Great Teachers Steal: A Case Study In Borrowing For A Teaching Project, Mike May, Rebecca Segal, Victor Piercey, Tao Chen

Publications and Research

Very few great ideas in teaching are without ancestors or descendants. This paper presents a case study in how one particular pedagogical project, the work at Saint Louis University as part of the National Science Foundation supported SUMMIT-P consortium, borrowed from other sources. The particular project was an interdisciplinary collaboration to make mathematics education more effective for business students. The various borrowings are treated in roughly chronological order from initial inspiration through planned adoption and adaptation of the work of others to the addition of features that only became available mid-project. The kinds of sources include a particular business calculus …

Fishbowl Discussions: Promoting Collaboration Between Mathematics And Partner Disciplines, Stella K. Hofrenning, Rosalyn Hobson Hargraves, Tao Chen, Afroditi Vennie Filippas, Rhonda Fitzgerald, John Hearn, Lori J. Kayes, Joan Kunz, Rebecca Segal

Publications and Research

A National Consortium for Synergistic Undergraduate Mathematics via Multi-institutional Interdisciplinary Teaching Partnerships project (SUMMIT-P) is a collaboration of institutions focused on revising first- and second-year mathematics courses with the help of partner disciplines with prerequisite mathematics courses. This paper describes the fishbowl discussion technique used by the consortium members to encourage interdisciplinary conversation. Vignettes describing the results of conversations that occurred at several consortium member institutions are provided by the co-authors.

Supporting Undergraduate Underrepresented Minority Students For Success In Stem, Nadia Kennedy, Urmi Ghosh-Dastidar, Sandie Han, Diana Samaroo, Armando Solis

Publications and Research

This presentation reports on a model for engaging, retaining, and supporting undergraduate STEM students, and in particular women and underrepresented minorities (URM), which aims at: recruitment of students in the STEM disciplines and in particular URM students; increased persistence of students; increased graduation rates, and shortened time to graduation. The model has been tested and found to be successful at an urban northeastern university in the USA that has been designated as a Hispanic-serving institution. In this presentation, we describe this model, built from support strategies that include mandatory academic advisement; increased exposure to early research experiences; expanded one-on-one faculty …

Study Of Healthcare-Associated Infections And Multi-Drug Resistance In Brooklyn: An Integrative Approach, Liana Tsenova, Urmi Ghosh-Dastidar, Arnavaz Taraporevala, Pamela Brown, Aionga Pereira-Edwards

Publications and Research

One SENCER ideal is to connect science education and civic engagement by student learning through complex, unresolved public issues. Using this approach, we established a collaborative interdisciplinary project involving faculty and undergraduate students at NYC College of Technology. Over several semesters, students conducted literature search and discovered the complex factors contributing to the occurrence and transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Using microbiology data from 15 hospitals in Brooklyn, NY, they applied statistical analyses, studied the antibiotic resistance, and developed a campaign to bring more awareness of this problem. The results of the project highlight the importance of immediate action in …

Eece 351 Teaching Science In The Elementary School, Line A. Saint-Hilaire

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Board 121: Development Of A Create-A-Lego-Engineer Activity To Examine Students’ Engineering Identity, Kelli Paul, Euisuk Sung, Adam V. Maltese, Karen Miel, Merredith D. Portsmore

Publications and Research

This paper describes the development of a Create-a-Lego-Engineer (CALE) activity which was created as an alternative to the Draw-a-Scientist (DAST) and Draw-an-Engineer Tests (DAET). While the DAST and DAET examine students’ (mis)conceptions of scientists and engineers, they provide limited information about whether students can envision themselves as scientists or engineers now or in the future. We drew from the Lego Serious Play (LSP) method which is grounded on the premise that hands-on learning results in a deeper understanding of the world and oneself in it. The LSP method is a process used to enhance innovation and business development, and it …

Board 120: Development Of An Engineering Identity And Career Aspirations Survey For Use With Elementary Students, Kelli Paul, Adam V. Maltese, Karen Miel, Merredith D. Portsmore, Euisuk Sung

Publications and Research

Interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) begins as early as elementary and middle school. As youth enter adolescence, they begin to shape their personal identities and start making decisions about who they are and could be in the future. Students form their career aspirations and interests related to STEM in elementary school, long before they choose STEM coursework in high school or college. Much of the literature examines either science or STEM identity and career aspirations without separating out individual sub-disciplines. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a survey instrument to specifically …

Senior Design Case Study: Application Of System Engineering Concepts In The Design Of A Router, Angran Xiao, Rafaela Alba, Ozlem Yasar, Andy S. Zhang, Gaffar Gailani

Publications and Research

System engineering (SE) is a multidisciplinary approach for the design, management, and realization of a complex system. In product development, SE is utilized on structuring a product development process into simple and collaborative activities that proceed throughout the entire product life-cycle, while at the same time, supporting engineers’ decision making. Project based engineering design classes are suitable for undergraduate students to study and practice the concepts of SE while solving real-world design problems. In this paper, we document the product development process, especially the structured design methodologies used in an undergraduate Senior Design project. Student learning outcomes are assessed and …

A Qualitative Analysis To Identify The Elements That Support Department Level Change In The Life Sciences: The Pulse Vision & Change Recognition Program, Mary Peteroy-Kelly, Loretta Brancaccio-Taras, Judy Awong-Taylor, Teresa Balser, Thomas Jack, Sara Lindsay, Kate Marley, Sandra Romano, J. Akif Uzman, Pamela Pape-Lindstrom

Publications and Research

The 2011 report, Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action, provided the impetus to mobilize the undergraduate life sciences education community to affect change in order to enhance the educational experiences of life sciences majors. The work of the appointed Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) Vision and Change (V&C) Leadership Fellows has focused on the development of programs and resources to support departmental change. In this report, we present a qualitative assessment of several documents generated from the PULSE V&C Leadership Fellow Recognition Team. The Recognition Team developed two initiatives to provide …

The Impact Of Peer-Led Workshops In An Intermediate Algebra Course For Women, Minorities, And First-Generation College Students, Malika Ikramova

Publications and Research

The implementation of the Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) instructional model have shown to increase student pass rates and decrease failure and withdrawal rates in foundational mathematics courses. New York City College of Technology has implemented mandatory PLTL workshops in selected sections of MAT 1275: Intermediate Algebra and Trigonometry. Students spend an hour working collaboratively with their classmates guided by peer leader. Results from this study showed gender, ethnicity, and first-generation college student differences in their responses on the effectiveness of peer supported groups in this fundamental mathematics course.

A Space To Learn, Amy R. Goods

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation, I explore what it means to different people, in different places throughout life’s spectrum to create a space to learn. This dissertation is a collection of work that I have written throughout my time at the CUNY Graduate Center. The chapters herein represent an arch of my learning over the past five years. The title, A Space to Learn, has multiple meanings. For one, writing this dissertation has provided me a space to explore and reflect on a variety of topics, ranging from memory loss, to teacher preparation programs, to eugenics and special education, to tracking and …

Art Across The Disciplines: How The Integration Of Fine Arts Across The Curriculum Is Influencing And Changing Stem Pedagogy, Ida Bazan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Within the past decade, several academic institutions have begun to investigate techniques combining the fine arts and humanities into STEM coursework and curriculum. The resulting trend STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) indicates that the arts could contribute to critical thinking, transfer across subject domains, and higher order thinking skills. This work examines the theoretical foundations of STEAM along with early and recent methodologies. Case studies are evaluated and the thesis concludes with recommendations suggesting how academics could apply these concepts to undergraduate studies.

Mathematics Attitudes And Mathematics Performance: Novel Approaches Towards Noncognitive Educational Measurement, Applications To Large-Scale Assessment Data, And Examinations Of Multigroup Invariance, Kalina Gjicali

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Academic performance is predicted by a multitude of demographic, contextual, cognitive, and noncognitive constructs. The noncognitive factors of achievement in mathematics that have previously been explored in depth are study skills, collaborative problem-solving, confidence, self-efficacy, and personality traits (Kyllonen, 2012). Limited applied research has explored the predictive value of noncognitive factors such as attitudes and beliefs in mathematics achievement – even though attitudes towards mathematics are a promising avenue for understanding the variability in mathematics achievement. The current research uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain high school students’ performance in mathematics in a series of three studies. …

Exploration Of The Lessons Learned By Students Attending Peer-Led Workshops, Fahmida Akhter

Publications and Research

The study is conducted with students attending an additional one-hour a week peer-led workshop associated with their Pre-Calculus class. The study focuses on the following research questions: Do peer-led workshops help students become better at problem solving? What are the lessons learned from peer-led workshops that can be useful and applicable in future courses? Data will be collected through administrating surveys to the students in the peer-led workshop. The data will be organized, analyzed and presented at the poster session.