Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Trends In The Mathematical Competency Of University Entrants In Ireland By Leaving Certificate Mathematics Grade, Fiona Faulkner, Ailish Hannigan, Olivia Gill

Articles

This article reports on the mathematical competency of students entering third-level education in the University of Limerick (UL). Data from diagnostic testing, gathered on 5,949 students between the years 1998 and 2008, are used to demonstrate the changes in competency levels of students entering UL. There has been a significant decline in the performance of students in the diagnostic test over time.The performance, on average, of students with the same leaving certificate mathematics grade on entry into university has not changed significantly over time. However, the profile of the entrants has changed considerably and this is contributing to the overall …

Imaginative Science Education: Exploring The Wonders Of Water, Emily R. Fletcher

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The imagination is central to all learning. This paper provides science educators with a better understanding of imagination's role in learning and how it may be routinely engaged in the education of budding scientists. Both theoretical and practical dimensions are addressed. Part one defines the imagination, provides an overview of Kieran Egan's (1997) theory of lmaginative Education, introduces Egan's framework for developing lessons using Imaginative Education, and provides an argument for imaginative science education. Part two provides an example of science curriculum that shows practical application of lmaginative Education in a museum science camp setting. The curriculum explores the scientific …

Investigating Instructors' Conceptions Of Evolution Through The Development Of The Classroom Test Of Evolutionary Reasoning, Patricia Eileen Palko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to assess the evolutionary understanding of high school biology teachers, an instrument entitled the Classroom Test of Evolutionary Reasoning (CTER) was developed. Content, response process, relations to another variable (the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection, or CINS), and internal structure evidence were compiled. The second version of the CTER was found to have adequate reliability and validity estimates to allow it to continue to be used as a measurement tool for an understanding of evolution. When assessing a sample of teachers (n = 724), the mean score was 6.35 out of a possible 13 points. The sample was …

Bebop To Hiphop: Music Creation For Science Content Retention, Christopher Claud Markermorse

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to develop a way of combining Visual and Performing Arts instructional standards and methods, instructional technology, and science instruction to maximize science content retention through song creation.

Impact!: Improving Student Learning Through An Inquiry Crater Investigation, Blake J. Williams, Derek J. Hollingshead

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The fight against student compartmentalization of science concepts is an ongoing battle for all science educators. When an inquiry-based investigation of natural phenomena, like that presented here, is integrated into curricula new links between science concepts are created. These new connections promote a deep and robust understanding of science content. This cratering activity has students applying prior knowledge of gravitational forces, momentum, conservation of energy, and density while exploring the intricate relationships between these fundamental concepts. This activity also provides abundant opportunities for explicit connections to the nature of science. Impact cratering is a phenomena which can be easily modeled …

Thinking On Paper: Using Science Notebooks To Increase Active Engagement In The Elementary Science Classroom, Kimberly R. Gasaway

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The need for scientific literacy is becoming a new standard to which school districts are being held accountable. Student inquiry and the ability to “think like a scientist” will increase the depth at which students understand the natural world and make connections that are critical in strengthening students' scientific literacy. In addition, research has shown that when students were actively engaged in the learning process, they participated more enthusiastically and retained the concepts being taught. Science notebooks help students learn to record and make sense of data and observations about the natural world and come to deeper understanding of scientific …

Ua97/5 Ogden College Departments, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and regarding the departments of Ogden College. Series contains brief records from the Athletic, English and Science departments.

The Plot Thickens: Using A Plotting Activity To Start Your School Year Strong, Joe Taylor

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Captivating students and setting high expectations for critical thinking are two key classroom goals. This plotting and graphing activity is designed specifically to achieve these goals. Additionally, this activity can be modified for any science course taught at the secondary school level. Support materials including teacher and student printouts are provided at the end of the article. This activity promotes National Science Education Standards A, C, D, and F and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Can Use Of Technology In A Science Classroom Help Improve Reading Comprehension?, Michael Lawrence Carlin

Theses Digitization Project

This study will show that by using technology to spark an interest in science curriculum and providing subsequent reading material related to that curriculum, educators will notice an improvement in their students' reading comprehension skills. Two classes from a high school in the Phoenix school district of comparable reading comprehension abilities were given two inquiry-based lesson plans to execute.

A Comparison Of Student Learning Using Two Teaching Methods: Case Study And Direct Instruction, Laura Elaine Elmer

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using case studies as an instructional method.

Student Understanding Of Scale And Structure In Astronomy: What Classroom Strategies Are Effective?, Peter Charles A'Hearn

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to investigate what strategies are used by classroom teachers to teach 8th grade students about scale in astronomy and whether instruction is effective or not.

Matching Functions And Graphs At Multiple Levels Of Bloom’S Revised Taxonomy, Kris H. Green

Mathematical and Computing Sciences Faculty/Staff Publications

This paper illustrates the power of Bloom's revised taxonomy for teaching, learning and assessing [3] in aligning our curriculum expectations and our assessment tools in multivariable calculus. The particular assessment tool considered involves a common matching problem to evaluate students' abilities to think about functions from graphical and formulaic representations. Through this analysis we gain additional understanding of why students may have difficulty in performing well on certain activities.

A Vision For Acms, James Bradley

ACMS Journal 2010-2011

This paper presents a vision for the mission of the ACMS. It considers some plausible connections between mathematics and theology as well as some big questions that Christian mathematicians might fruitfully explore. It examines the current cultural norms of the mathematics guild, why these are problematic for Christians, and some possible ways the ACMS might respond.

Strategies For The Scientific Progress Of The Developing Countries In The New Millennium: The Case Of Serbia In Comparison With Slovenia And South Korea, Vuk Uskoković, Milica Ševkušić, Dragan P. Uskoković

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The underlying premise of this essay is the hypothesis that quality and significance of scientific research in any given society could be used as mirrors reflecting its true prosperity. By comparing the two cases of comparatively prosperous scientific management of South Korea and Slovenia, with the example of Serbia, illustrating the poor scientific and industrial productivity typically faced by the developing countries, a few general guidelines for the evolution of a society towards higher scientific and social prominence are outlined. It is argued that the most favourable pattern of growth should be based on the parallel progress in control of …

The Future Of Natural Selection Knowledge Measurement: A Reply To Anderson Et Al. (2010), Ross Nehm, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

The development of rich, reliable, and robust measures of the composition, structure, and stability of student thinking about core scientific ideas (such as natural selection) remains a complex challenge facing science educators. In their recent article (Nehm & Schonfeld 2008), the authors explored the strengths, weaknesses, and insights provided by a detailed exploration of three commonly used measures of student thinking about natural selection in a large sample of underrepresented minority students. One of their core findings was that all of the tools they studied--including the CINS--have strengths and weaknesses that must be carefully taken into consideration by those …

The Relationship Between Core-Plus Mathematics Project And Student Achievement, Karen Renee Treadway-Harvel

Wayne State University Dissertations

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) study revealed that test scores from high school students were below average in mathematics and science. Studies show that part of it stem from the traditional methods of teaching rather than the standards-based teaching. According to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, students should receive a rigorous and relevant curriculum. The High School Content Expectations (HSCE) is a set of objectives that meet this criteria but the current curriculum still uses traditionally-based curriculum. More than 80% of textbooks located in schools today are traditionally-based. Moreover, teachers who are teaching have been …

Test 1974: John Deere 6100d, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Proceedings Of The 122nd Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science [Program, 2010], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Program Summary --- 2-3
Acknowledgements --- 4
Welcome from our Campus Host --- 5
IAS 2009-2010 Volunteers --- 6
Iowa Junior Academy of Science --- 7
General Session I --- 8
IJAS Award Luncheon --- 9
IAS Annual Business Meeting --- 9
Symposia Presentations --- 10-12
Great Moments in Iowa Science --- 13
Senior Poster Program --- 14-15
President's Banquet --- 16
General Session 11 --- 17
General Session III --- 18
ESTA Award Luncheon --- 19
Saturday Field Trips --- 20
Section Meeting Programs and Oral Presentations (Alphabetical by Section) --- 21-29
Abstracts (by Section) --- 30-59
Author …

Iowa Academy Of Science 122nd Annual Meeting [2010]: Advance Program, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contains information about the schedule and presentations for the 2010 annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science.

Mathematics Professional Development Workshop For Middle School Teachers: Concept Versus Memorization, D. Taylor, R. W. Farley

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This article includes professional development topics for middle school mathematics and science teachers from two week-long Urban Teacher Institutes. These Institutes were held at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (JSRCC) and its partner institution, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), during the summers of 2007 and 2008, and were supported by a grant obtained by Dr. Harriet Morrison (JSRCC). Co-author Dr. Dewey Taylor directed the 2007 workshop, and both authors served as faculty leaders in both workshops. The workshops focused on teaching in an urban environment and "community mapping" (understanding the details of a certain locale to make the teacher more knowledgeable …

Aims & Scope

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Assimilative Domain Proficiency And Performance In Chemistry Coursework, Scott William Byrnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The assimilation and synthesis of knowledge is essential for students to be successful in chemistry, yet not all students synthesize knowledge as intended. The study used the Learning Preference Checklist to classify students into one of three learning modalities -- visual, auditory, or kinesthetic (VAK). It also used the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (KLSI), which utilizes four learning domains - Converging, Accommodating, Diverging, and Assimilating - to explain the students' maturation process by showing shift from any domain towards the Assimilating domain. A shift approaching this domain was considered as improvement in the assimilation and synthesis of knowledge. This pre-experimental …

The Effect Of Cooperative Groups On Math Anxiety, Melissa Batton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates that many students have difficulty with mathematics, which can be attributed to many factors including math anxiety. Students who experience math anxiety have poor attitudes towards mathematics and perform below grade level based on class and statewide assessments. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to investigate the effectiveness of cooperative groups on the math anxiety levels of Grade 5 male and female students. The theoretical foundation of the study included Vygotsky's social learning and Piaget's concept of knowledge. Thirty-two students from 2 Grade 5 classrooms were administered the pre and post MASC inventory. A repeated-measure ANOVA …

The Price Of Inquiry: Managing Open-Inquiry Through Scaffolding And Faux Grant Writing, Shawn Cornally

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Open-inquiry involves students asking their own questions, designing their own investigation, and creating their own explanations in order to learn about the natural world. However, implementing open-inquiry is often daunting for teachers and frustrating for students. This article discusses how I use guided inquiry to help students prepare for open-inquiry and a faux grant process to manage open-inquiry in my class. This activity promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, B, E, G, and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

When Dissatisfaction Is A Good Thing, Michael P. Clough, Jerrid Kruse

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Our previous editorial (Clough and Kruse, 2010) in the Iowa Science Teacher Journal used conceptual change theory (Posner, 1982; Pintrich et al., 1993; Abd-El-Khalick & Akerson, 2004; Clough, 2006) to highlight the similarities between students learning science content and educators learning to teach well. An important part of conceptual change is first acknowledging and then confronting current ways of thinking. That is, before learners (whether children or adults) will consider altering their thinking, they must first develop some sense of dissatisfaction with their currently held ideas. That can be difficult because the ideas people hold do appear to work — …

Temperature Rising: Investigating Rates Of Temperature Change, Jacob Norlin, Daryl Miller

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This exploratory activity, designed for secondary physical science or earth science students, investigates rates of temperature change over bodies of water and land. Students discuss temperature trends of several cities across the United States, which creates an opportunity to conduct classroom experiments to explain these trends. Students write procedures and generate data of temperature changes between areas of water and land. Students gain a valuable, concrete experience of temperature changes which in turn enables them to better understand and explain why similar cities experience vastly different temperature patterns. This activity can then serve as a basis to address the abstract …

Confronting Doubts About The Intelligibility, Plausibility, And Fruitfulness Of Inquiry-Based Instruction, Jerrid Kruse, Michael P. Clough

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Our two prior ISTJ editorials in the Iowa Science Teacher Journal (Clough & Kruse, 2010a & 2010b) have applied a conceptual change framework (Posner, Strike, Hewson & Gertzog, 1983; Pintrich et al., 1993; Abd-El-Khalick & Akerson, 2004; Clough, 2006a) to understand the difficulties students have in abandoning their intuitive ideas about the natural world and, for the same reasons, the difficulties teachers have in jettisoning their intuitive and learning. Our last editorial noted that in both cases, dissatisfaction with prior ways of thinking must be achieved before alternative ways of thinking will be seriously sought and considered. To initiate a …

Pulling Students In: Creating Concrete Experiences Through A Simple Pulley Device, Joe Kohlhaas, Teresa Morales

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Physics is often taught with an emphasis on mathematical relationships. Many teachers use equations to teach, assuming that the content will fall into place. In reality, all students benefit from concrete representations and familiar objects and properties before learning abstractions (Karplus, 1977). Since mathematics is inherently abstract it must be reserved until after students have a firm conceptual understanding. This article provides a concrete activity that encourages students to explore pulleys. This activity promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, B, E, and F. It also addresses Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

How Does Water Become Polluted? Helping Elementary Students Learn How To Prevent Pollution, Kelsey Bentzinger, Lindsey Thilges, Ken Vacek

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Through making observations of mixing various items with water, students develop ideas about how pollution happens. The cumulative effect of what happens when many people add only “a little something” to the water provides students with a concrete representation of what can happen in their own communities. Students complete the lesson by determining what they can do to prevent pollution from happening in their own communities. This activity promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, B, and F, and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.