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University of Central Florida

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Articles 31 - 60 of 120

Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education

Building A Life Science Transfer Community: The Transfer-Student Research And Integration Program (Trip), Ken Teter, Ian Biazzo, Kimberly Schneider, Ken Fedorka Oct 2019

Building A Life Science Transfer Community: The Transfer-Student Research And Integration Program (Trip), Ken Teter, Ian Biazzo, Kimberly Schneider, Ken Fedorka

Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

The Transfer-student Research and Integration Program (TRIP) prepares life science students for placement in graduate school or the STEM workforce by supporting their professional development and integration into the UCF community. TRIP students also receive a team-based research experience and an opportunity to present at regional conferences. An $8,000 scholarship distributed over the course of the 2-year program reduces financial barriers and encourages students to spend more time on campus and in a research environment. This poster provides an overview of the challenges facing transfer students, the solutions offered by TRIP, and early outcomes from the first cohort of our …

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Application And Comparison Of Active Learning Implementation Methods In Biochemistry Education, Dylan Thibaut Jan 2019

Application And Comparison Of Active Learning Implementation Methods In Biochemistry Education, Dylan Thibaut

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Biochemistry has continued to be one of the most complex and important subjects in science education. The purpose of this research is to investigate active learning implementation methods in a Biochemistry I context to determine the most effective means of preparing current science undergraduates. Two Biochemistry I classes over two semesters were analyzed in this study, with class A using a variable active learning schedule and class B using a consistent active learning schedule. Four aspects were analyzed to determine active learning validity: perception of different active learning properties, standardized final exam grades, class grade, and teaching implementation. The consistent …

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Utilizing Journaling In The Mathematics Classroom: A Handbook Guide For Teachers, Audrey Nicole Wilson Jan 2019

Utilizing Journaling In The Mathematics Classroom: A Handbook Guide For Teachers, Audrey Nicole Wilson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A handbook designed for teachers to illustrate how to utilize journaling as an effective teaching practice in the mathematics classroom. This thesis was written to illuminate educators about the powerful research and proper strategies for implementing journaling in mathematics. The handbook provides three lesson plan samples using journaling in the mathematics classroom for grades 3-5, strategies and idea for implementing journaling in mathematics, and tips and activities for mathematical journaling. The goal of this handbook is to give teachers clarity, examples, guidance, and strategies on mathematical journaling.

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The Aftermath: A Culturally Responsive Mathematical Intervention To Aid Students Affected By Natural Disasters, Brianna Kurtz Jan 2019

The Aftermath: A Culturally Responsive Mathematical Intervention To Aid Students Affected By Natural Disasters, Brianna Kurtz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico. The damage was extensive, and many people found themselves to be natural disaster refugees. As a result, schools in Central Florida saw an influx of new students who had their educations interrupted by the disaster and now were resuming school in a new language of instruction. These students not only faced linguistic challenges but also academic differences due to the high prevalence of poverty and the effects of neocolonialism in their previous schooling. This mixed methods study implemented an intensive intervention in probability to aid students in developing …

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A Cohort-Based Program To Help Students Prepare A Conference Research Presentation, Alanna Lecher Oct 2018

A Cohort-Based Program To Help Students Prepare A Conference Research Presentation, Alanna Lecher

Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

Students move through many first time experiences when navigating their undergraduate and graduate education. Such experiences include the first time students submit an article to a peer-reviewed scientific journal, attend a conference, and conduct fieldwork. The cohort model has been shown to be effective in increasing success in undergraduate education, and it can be adapted to helping students succeed in these novel experiences as well. This presentation will explore one program where the cohort model was implemented to aid undergraduate students preparing their first conference presentation on a scientific research project. Program structure and implementation will be described.

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Middle Grades Science In Florida: A Comparison Of Student Achievement In Comprehensive And Subject-Specific Science Courses 2013-2017, Kenneth Moore Jan 2018

Middle Grades Science In Florida: A Comparison Of Student Achievement In Comprehensive And Subject-Specific Science Courses 2013-2017, Kenneth Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As with U.S. student achievement on national and international science assessments, Florida's 8th grade student achievement on the 2013–2017 8th grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) 2.0 Science/Statewide Science Assessment (SSA) was stagnant. To break this stagnation, many Florida school districts have changed middle grades science course offerings from traditional, subject-specific, discipline-based, layered, or field-specific science courses to comprehensive, integrated, spiraled, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, thematic, or general science courses. There was a lack of research showing if either type of science course improved student achievement on standardized science assessments. Controlling for school district student population, low socio-economic status (SES) student percentage, …

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A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Successful Women In Science Fields, Jonathan Hall Jan 2018

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Successful Women In Science Fields, Jonathan Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Girls and women face several forms of gender-based biases and discrimination in the science community. These issues create difficult circumstances for them to develop positive science identities. Since these difficult circumstances exist, science education and sociology researchers have used a deficit model to learn about their experiences, achievements, and attitudes. Understanding the experiences of successful women in science offers insight into how women can navigate the challenges presented by the science community and how science educators can support them. However, research studies that explore the experiences of successful women in science are scant. Therefore, the objective of this study was …

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A Multiple Case Study Exploring The Relationship Between Engagement In Model-Eliciting Activities And Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching Algebra, Aline Abassian Jan 2018

A Multiple Case Study Exploring The Relationship Between Engagement In Model-Eliciting Activities And Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching Algebra, Aline Abassian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research study was to explore the nature of the relationship between engagement in model-eliciting activities (MEAs) and pre-service secondary mathematics teachers' (PSMTs') mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) algebra. The data collection took place in an undergraduate mathematics education content course for secondary mathematics education majors. In this multiple case study, PSMTs were given a Learning Mathematics for Teaching (LMT) pre-assessment designed to measure their MKT algebra, and based on those results, three participants were selected with varying levels of knowledge. This was done to ensure varied cases were represented in order to be able to examine …

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An Examination Of The Algebra 1 Achievement Of Black And Hispanic Student Participants In A Large Urban School District's Mathematics Intervention Program, Elethia Bronson Jan 2018

An Examination Of The Algebra 1 Achievement Of Black And Hispanic Student Participants In A Large Urban School District's Mathematics Intervention Program, Elethia Bronson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The mathematics achievement gap between Black and White as well as Hispanic and White students has been well documented nationwide and in the school district of study. Much has been written in observance of the achievement gap, yet markedly less research has focused on practices and interventions that have improved mathematics performance for Black and Hispanic students. Consequently, this study examined the Algebra 1 achievement (indicated by student scale scores on the Florida Standards Assessments Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam) of Black and Hispanic students participating in a mathematics intervention program as compared to the Algebra 1 achievement of their similar …

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A Single Case Study On The Influence Of Feedback On The Instructional Quality Of A Preservice Elementary Teacher In Mathematics: The Instructional Quality Assessment Toolkit As A Resource, Makini Campbell Sutherland Jan 2018

A Single Case Study On The Influence Of Feedback On The Instructional Quality Of A Preservice Elementary Teacher In Mathematics: The Instructional Quality Assessment Toolkit As A Resource, Makini Campbell Sutherland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single case study was to determine if a preservice elementary teacher's instruction would be influenced by feedback on mathematics lessons. The focus of the research was on the use of the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) (Boston 2012) toolkit as an integral part in the feedback process. The IQA toolkit provides number ratings as well as qualitative descriptive ratings of various aspects of the mathematics lesson, defined under two constructs, or groups, labeled Academic Rigor and Accountable Talk. The researcher evaluated a preservice teacher's instruction on three occasions and facilitated feedback sessions following those observation sessions, integrating …

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Metacognitive Coaching As A Means To Enhance College And Career Success For Students With Executive Function Disorders, Christine Parsons Jan 2017

Metacognitive Coaching As A Means To Enhance College And Career Success For Students With Executive Function Disorders, Christine Parsons

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Preparing undergraduate students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a national priority. This project analyzed the effects of virtual metacognitive academic coaching between graduate student coaches and undergraduate STEM majors with Executive Function disorders at a large, four-year university. The project team analyzed the persistence of the undergraduate students in their major, as well as the graduate students’ abilities to transfer the coaching experiences to K-12 settings. A mixed-methods design evaluated qualitative (i.e. student/coaches’ surveys and interviews) outcomes for undergraduate STEM majors and for graduate students. The goal of this project is to …

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The Effectiveness Of Project-Based Learning Using Digital Storytelling Technology On Improving Second-Grade Students' Performance Of Science Standards, Mariella Dorr Jan 2017

The Effectiveness Of Project-Based Learning Using Digital Storytelling Technology On Improving Second-Grade Students' Performance Of Science Standards, Mariella Dorr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find the effectiveness of digital storytelling technology integration through a project-based learning approach using digital stories combined with hands-on guided inquiry science lessons. As a teacher researcher, the focus was on the effectiveness in the performance of second-grade students using higher-order thinking science standards. For a period of ten weeks, the researcher through comparative action research investigated how emergent technology integration improved the performance of two second-grade classrooms implementing three higher-order thinking life science standards. A total of 27 students from two second-grade classrooms volunteered for this research. For the study, a pretest …

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Analysis Of The Effects Of Formative Assessment In Promoting Transfer Of Learning In An Undergraduate General Microbiology Laboratory Course, Andrea Rediske Jan 2017

Analysis Of The Effects Of Formative Assessment In Promoting Transfer Of Learning In An Undergraduate General Microbiology Laboratory Course, Andrea Rediske

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The undergraduate microbiology lab serves an important role in establishing a foundation of best practices in aseptic technique and infection control for pre-medical, pre-nursing, pre-pharmacy, or pre-allied health students. The high incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in the US and evidence in the literature of less effective implementation of proper aseptic technique among apprentice doctors and nursing students suggests that more effective transfer of learning could improve implementation of these procedures in the clinical setting. The research described in this study aimed to assess learning transfer as it applied to aseptic techniques and infection control skills learned in the undergraduate …

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How Did We Wind Up In Such An Unlikely Universe?, Michael Bass Jun 2016

How Did We Wind Up In Such An Unlikely Universe?, Michael Bass

UCF Forum

Not long ago the Public Broadcasting Service program NOVA presented an episode called “The Great Math Mystery.” It dealt with the many ways mathematical relationships and special numbers crop up when investigating the physical and natural world.

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The Influence Of Instruction In Base 8 On Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching, Katie Harshman Jan 2016

The Influence Of Instruction In Base 8 On Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching, Katie Harshman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research project was to extend existing research literature by providing insight to how prospective teachers with differing levels of mathematical knowledge developed their conceptual understanding of whole number concepts and operations. Prospective teachers of interest were enrolled in an Elementary School Mathematics Course for Teachers (in the College of Education) with a whole number concepts and operations unit set entirely in base 8. In this mixed-mode study, participants were given the MKT, a measure designed to measure teacher mathematical knowledge for teaching, before and after taking the base 8 unit. The researcher focused on two specific …

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An Analysis Of Undergraduate Elementary School Pre-Service Teachers' Ability To Contextualize Fraction Expressions And Decontextualize Fraction Word Problems, Laura Tapp Jan 2016

An Analysis Of Undergraduate Elementary School Pre-Service Teachers' Ability To Contextualize Fraction Expressions And Decontextualize Fraction Word Problems, Laura Tapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to expand on existing literature by providing information on elementary school pre-service teachers' ability to contextualize fraction expressions and decontextualize fraction word problems. The elementary school pre-service teachers who participated in this study were enrolled in a mathematics for elementary school teachers content course in a college of education at a large university during the Spring 2016 semester. In this mixed-method study, the participants were given the Contextualization and Decontextualization of Fractions Instrument (CDFI) which assessed elementary school pre-service teachers' ability to solve fraction word problems and identify decontextualized fraction word problems into expressions …

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The Role Of Virtual Avatars In Supporting Middle School Students From Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds On Science In After School Programs, Benjamin Gallegos Jan 2016

The Role Of Virtual Avatars In Supporting Middle School Students From Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds On Science In After School Programs, Benjamin Gallegos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students who receive additional educational supports in afterschool programs were the focus of the investigation. This study was conducted to measure what effects a TeachLivE avatar, a mixed-reality virtual environment, used in combination with a video game, had on the activation of prior knowledge in science for students in rural middle school. The delivery of the biology science lessons on cell structures and processes were delivered using the video game, Cell Command. The TeachLivE adult avatar was customized as a biologist who spoke to students in the treatment group about science concepts prior to playing the science video game. Unexpected …

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Project Ican: A Stem Learning And Persistence Model For Postsecondary Students With Disabilities, Aaron Koch Jan 2016

Project Ican: A Stem Learning And Persistence Model For Postsecondary Students With Disabilities, Aaron Koch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education and work in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) are of utmost importance in a post-modern society. Yet American performance in the STEM disciplines has waned over recent years. In order to recapture a global advantage in STEM, efforts are being made by educators and policy makers to compile and implement instructional supports. Of particular interest to this study are post-secondary students with disabilities (SWDs) who persist and learn in STEM degree paths. This population is an "untapped resource" with limitless potential for contribution to the collective fields of STEM (Leddy, 2010, p. 3; Alston, Hampton, Bell, & Strauss, …

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A Multiple Case Study Examining How Third-Grade Students Who Struggle In Mathematics Make Sense Of Fraction Concepts, Rebecca Gault Jan 2016

A Multiple Case Study Examining How Third-Grade Students Who Struggle In Mathematics Make Sense Of Fraction Concepts, Rebecca Gault

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative multiple case study was conducted to reveal the sense-making processes third-grade students who struggle in mathematics used to build an understanding of fraction concepts. Purposive sampling identified three participants who were struggling in a local school's third grade mathematics classes. This research describes how these participants made sense of fraction concepts through their strengths and struggles while engaged in 15 small-group intervention sessions. Vygotsky's (1934/1986/2012) theory that children's optimal learning is supported by teacher-student interactions was used as an interpretive framework. Tasks were developed over the course of the intervention sessions with consideration of a model developed by …

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The Relationship Between Extracurricular Stem Activities And Performance On The Florida Science Assessment, Karin Fisher Jan 2016

The Relationship Between Extracurricular Stem Activities And Performance On The Florida Science Assessment, Karin Fisher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities perform below their non-disabled peers in science (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2011; National Educational Longitudinal Study [NELS], 1998; National Science Foundation [NSF], 2013). The achievement gap is a problem because the nation's competitiveness depends on individuals with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge, skills, and abilities to drive innovation that will lead to new products and economic growth (Business-Higher Education Forum [BHEF]/Act Policy Brief, 2014; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016; National Science Board, 2015). If Florida is to continue to grow and prosper, all students, including students with disabilities must be …

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Setting The Agenda For Stem Literacy In Higher Education: A Content Analysis Of The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Maya Abdallah Jan 2016

Setting The Agenda For Stem Literacy In Higher Education: A Content Analysis Of The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Maya Abdallah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a long-standing national concern. The current national agenda, to instill an "all hands on deck" approach to creating a STEM literate citizenry, calls for broadening the scope of inclusion in STEM efforts. A critical population, higher education administrators, faculty, and staff are a valuable resource to advancing this agenda. Under the proposed Agenda Setting Communication Theory (ASCT) model developed for this study, their level of exposure to needed information is an important indicator of their potential participation in this agenda. As the leading news medium for the higher education community, …

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Toward A More Scientifically Literate Public, Michael Bass Dec 2015

Toward A More Scientifically Literate Public, Michael Bass

UCF Forum

As a society we do a terrible job of educating our children to become scientifically literate. Sure, we have STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs throughout the country, and with some justification we can brag about the successes of students that are in or who have graduated from such learning experiences.

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Don't Just Blindly Follow All 'Green' Trends -- Do Your Research First, Michael Bass Sep 2015

Don't Just Blindly Follow All 'Green' Trends -- Do Your Research First, Michael Bass

UCF Forum

Nowadays it is politically correct to be “green” – to say and do things that seem to minimize one’s impact on the environment and to preach to others to do the same.

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Medulla: A 2d Sidescrolling Platformer Game That Teaches Basic Brain Structure And Function, Joey R. Fanfarelli, Stephanie Vie Sep 2015

Medulla: A 2d Sidescrolling Platformer Game That Teaches Basic Brain Structure And Function, Joey R. Fanfarelli, Stephanie Vie

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This article explores the design and instructional effectiveness of Medulla, an educational game meant to teach brain structure and function to undergraduate psychology students. Developed in the retro-style platformer genre, Medulla uses two-dimensional gameplay with pixel-based graphics to engage students in learning content related to the brain, information which is often pre-requisite to more rigorous psychological study. A pretest posttest design was used in an experiment assessing Medulla’s ability to teach psychology content. Results indicated content knowledge was significantly higher on the posttest than the pretest, with a large effect size. Medulla appears to be an effective learning tool. These …

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A Toast! To The International Year Of Light, Michael Bass Jul 2015

A Toast! To The International Year Of Light, Michael Bass

UCF Forum

December 2013, at the United Nations’ 68th General Assembly meeting, the assembled countries could not as usual solve the problems of world conflicts, human slavery, wide-spread famine and the Israeli-Palestinian question. So, it decided to do something it could: It declared that 2015 would be the International Year of Light.

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An Exploration Of Teacher Perspectives Of Mathematics Anxiety And Gender Stereotyping, Jessica Browning May 2015

An Exploration Of Teacher Perspectives Of Mathematics Anxiety And Gender Stereotyping, Jessica Browning

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this study was to identify the current perspective of grades three through twelve in-service teachers regarding mathematics anxiety, its causes, and its relation to gender stereotyping. A short online survey was conducted to gain insight into their classrooms and perspectives of the subject. The results showed that mathematics anxiety did exist in the classroom, and in-service teachers did report seeing a gender gap between the anxiety experienced by females and males. I believe that from these findings it is important to conduct further research on in-service teachers to see in depth what they think. This is important …

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An Exploratory Comparison Of A Traditional And An Adaptive Instructional Approach For College Algebra, Ryan Kasha Jan 2015

An Exploratory Comparison Of A Traditional And An Adaptive Instructional Approach For College Algebra, Ryan Kasha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research effort compared student learning gains and attitudinal changes through the implementation of two varying instructional approaches on the topic of functions in College Algebra. Attitudinal changes were measured based on the Attitude Towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI). The ATMI also provided four sub-scales scores for self-confidence, value of learning, enjoyment, and motivation. Furthermore, this research explored and compared relationships between students' level of mastery and their actual level of learning. This study implemented a quasi-experimental research design using a sample that consisted of 56 College Algebra students in a public, state college in Florida. The sample was enrolled in …

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Novice Science Teachers' Thinking About The Purpose Of Teachers' Questions, Gwyndolyn Crittenden Jan 2014

Novice Science Teachers' Thinking About The Purpose Of Teachers' Questions, Gwyndolyn Crittenden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective teacher questioning during whole group instruction remains an important pedagogy in science education, especially the importance of helping novice teachers to guide student thinking using effective questions. This study examined how novice secondary science teachers’ understand the relationship between student thinking and teacher questioning. The sample was seven novice secondary science teachers’ enrolled in the University of Central Florida’s job embedded Resident Teacher Professional Preparation Program (RTP3 ). All participants received instruction and guided practice with the use of questions to elicit, probe, and challenge student ideas in the secondary science pedagogy class. Participants completed a questionnaire describing their …

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Formative Assessment: Benefit For All, William Wallace Jan 2013

Formative Assessment: Benefit For All, William Wallace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how formative assessment implemented in a fifth grade mathematics classroom with a student response system and a student self-evaluative tool affected student self-assessment. Data were collected through individual student and focus group interviews, self-assessment sheets, and teacher reflections. Formative assessment is a low stakes classroom assessment that is an assessment for learning. This study used a student response system to convey feedback from the formative assessment to both students and teacher during instruction. The student self-assessment sheet was implemented to provide a more dynamic level of feedback for students than what could be provided through the student …

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A Case Study Exploring The Relationship Between Culturally Responsive Teaching And A Mathematical Practice Of The Common Core State Standards, Tashana Howse Jan 2013

A Case Study Exploring The Relationship Between Culturally Responsive Teaching And A Mathematical Practice Of The Common Core State Standards, Tashana Howse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This collective case study explores the nature of the relationship between teachers’ use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices and students’ engagement in constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others (SMP3). This study was informed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative related to developing mathematically proficient students through the use of student engagement practices consistent with the standards for mathematical practice. As a means to support teachers’ facilitating specific student engagement practices, professional development was provided. This study is situated in the growing body of research associated with student engagement and cultural identity. The case of two …

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