Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Section Abstracts: Education

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Education Section for the 89th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 25-27, 2011, University of Richmond, Richmond VA.

Preparing Tomorrow’S Fire Professionals: Integration Of Education, Training, And Experience Through Science-Management Partnerships, Gail Wells

Joint Fire Science Program Digests

In this issue of Fire Science Digest, we explore the career and preparation challenges faced by forest and rangeland fire professionals, both new and seasoned. As the job description grows more complex, a well-rounded background in current and emerging areas of fi re science and fi re management becomes critical. Today’s top professionals are approaching retirement, and tomorrow’s fi re professionals need to be adequately prepared to succeed them.

Counting Cailloux, Multiplying Mambos: An Analysis Of Mathematics Education In Cameroonian Primary Schools, Rachel Elzinga

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper summarizes the results of a four-week study of mathematics education in Cameroonian primary schools. In order to fully understand the topic, the research included not only mathematics curriculum, but also methods of instruction, the system for teacher preparation, and an evaluation of community perceptions. Data collection integrated participant observations in two francophone primary schools in Dschang, interviews with primary school teachers, interviews with ministry of education officials, and survey data from teachers and community members in Yaoundé, Ngaoundéré and Dschang. Overall, three conclusions were drawn from the data collected. First, that mathematics is perceived as important by the …

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V07n1, Spring 2011, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--123rd Annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science

--Candidates for Iowa Academy of Science President

--Candidates for Iowa Academy of Science Board of Directors

--Candidate for Iowa Science Teaching Section Vice Section Chair

--Iowa Science Teaching Section Fall Conference

--Iowa Academy of Science – Election 2011

--Welcome Corporate Members

--IAS Corporate Memberships

--2011 IAS Speaker Series at the Saylorville Visitor Center

--IAS Welcomes Executive Assistant, Debbie Dean

--Wanted: Saylorville Gift Shop Coordinator

--Announcements, Events & Deadlines

The Effects Of Expressive Writing On Anxiety, Mathematics Anxiety, Stress, Cognitive Processes And Psychological Processes On The Virginia Standards Of Learning (Sol) On A Sample Of Urban High School Students Failing Mathematics, Claudia Lorene Hines

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

High school students who fail one or more mathematics' classes tend to be more likely to fail the Virginia Standard of Learning (SOL) tests and thus delaying their graduation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of expressive writing on general anxiety, math anxiety, stress, cognitive processes and psychological processes on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) on a sample of urban high school students failing mathematics. The participants (n=93) male and female students in grades 9-12, ranged in ages from 14 to 19 years of age, from various socio-economic backgrounds. The intact classes were used to …

Astr 404: Stellar Astrophysics, Edward Schmidt

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 404: Stellar Astrophysics for Spring 2011 semester.

Experiment In Small-Group Homework Tutoring For Remedial Mathematics Students: Preliminary Results, Alice W. Cunningham, Olen Dias, Nieves Angulo

Publications and Research

This paper presents the preliminary results of an 18-section experiment conducted during the Fall 2010 semester regarding the impact of small-group homework-completion tutoring on the performance of Hostos’ remedial mathematics students. The research in question was performed pursuant to a grant, Improving Undergraduate Mathematics Learning: The Effect of Small-Group Homework Tutoring on Remedial Mathematics Learning, from the CUNY Central Office of Academic Affairs. Permission from Hostos’ Institutional Review Board was granted for the conduct of the experiment and for the dissemination of the results.

2011 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"Inquiry Without Boundaries reflects our students’ infinite possibilities to explore their unique passions, develop new interests, and collaborate with experts around the globe."

Collaborative Strategic Board Games As A Site For Distributed Computational Thinking, Matthew Berland, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper examines the idea that contemporary strategic board games represent an informal, interactional context in which complex computational thinking takes place. When games are collaborative – that is, a game requires that players work in joint pursuit of a shared goal – the computational thinking is easily observed as distributed across several participants. This raises the possibility that a focus on such board games are profitable for those who wish to understand computational thinking and learning in situ. This paper introduces a coding scheme, applies it to the recorded discourse of three groups of game players, and provides qualitative …

The Theory Of Discrete Fractional Calculus: Development And Application, Michael T. Holm

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The author's purpose in this dissertation is to introduce, develop and apply the tools of discrete fractional calculus to the arena of fractional difference equations. To this end, we develop the Fractional Composition Rules and the Fractional Laplace Transform Method to solve a linear, fractional initial value problem in Chapters 2 and 3. We then apply fixed point strategies of Krasnosel'skii and Banach to study a nonlinear, fractional boundary value problem in Chapter 4.

Adviser: Lynn Erbe and Allan Peterson

Epistemic Strategies For Solving Two-Dimensional Physics Problems, Mary Elyse Hing-Hickman

Physics Theses & Dissertations

An epistemic strategy is one in which a person takes a piece of knowledge and uses it to create new knowledge. Students in algebra and calculus based physics courses use epistemic strategies to solve physics problems. It is important to map how students use these epistemic strategies to solve physics problems in order to provide insight into the problem solving process.

In this thesis three questions were addressed: (1) What epistemic strategies do students use when solving two-dimensional physics problems that require vector algebra? (2) Do vector preconceptions in kinematics and Newtonian mechanics hinder a student's ability to apply the …

Analysis Of Attitude And Achievement Using The 5e Instructional Model In An Interactive Television Environment, Gamaliel R. Cherry

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine attitude and achievement among fifth grade students participating in inquiry and lecture-based forms of instruction through interactive television. Participants (N = 260) were drawn from registered users of NASA's Digital Learning Network™. The first three levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy were used to measure levels of achievement while the Science Attitude Inventory II was used to measure science attitudes.

Results indicated a significant interaction between inquiry and topic area, as well as achievement for remember, understand, and apply levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Differences between mean scores were in favor of …

Formalizing Categorical And Algebraic Constructions In Operator Theory, William Benjamin Grilliette

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this work, I offer an alternative presentation theory for C*-algebras with applicability to various other normed structures. Specifically, the set of generators is equipped with a nonnegative-valued function which ensures existence of a C*-algebra for the presentation. This modification allows clear definitions of a "relation" for generators of a C*-algebra and utilization of classical algebraic tools, such as Tietze transformations.

Children's Voices: Students' Attitudes About Routine And Nonroutine Mathematics, Deborah E. Seacrest

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This dissertation is a case study focused on the question, "What are students' attitudes toward school mathematics and toward nonroutine math problems and mathematical games?" It addresses the definitions of some of those terms and then moves on to a literature review that suggests that some change in the curriculum may be needed. In an attempt to begin determining whether nonroutine problems and mathematical games could help, students in two different types of classes were introduced to such problems and games. Their attitudes were assessed using a variety of methods, including observation, interview, and journal writing.

The games and problems …

Wind For Schools: Fostering The Human Talent Supply Chain For A 20% Wind Energy Future, Ian Baring-Gould

Publications (E)

As the United States dramatically expands wind energy deployment, the industry is challenged with developing a skilled workforce and addressing public resistance. Wind Powering America’s Wind for Schools project addresses these issues by:
• Developing Wind Application Centers (WACs) at universities; WAC students assist in implementing school wind turbines and participate in wind courses
• Installing small wind turbines at community “host” schools
• Implementing teacher training with interactive curricula at each host school.

Loving The World And Our Children Enough--Nurturing Decidedly Different Scientifc Minds, By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

Wise world-shaping and problem-solving requires that we and our children think in decidedly different, integral and wise ways. This transformation requires a fundamental shift in consciousness and the emergence of global minds that can creatively live into a new worldview of an interconnected planet and a sustainable and interdependent human family. "The fullness of our humanity and the sustainability of our planet rest with the nurturing of decidedly different minds."

An Analysis Of Mathematics Interventions: Increased Time-On-Task Compared With Computer-Assisted Mathematics Instruction, James M. Calhoun Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student achievement is not progressing on mathematics as measured by state, national, and international assessments. Much of the research points to mathematics curriculum and instruction as the root cause of student failure to achieve at levels comparable to other nations. Since mathematics is regarded as a gate keeper to many educational opportunities as well as, eventually, potential job prospects, critics are asking schools to fix the problem.

This research project is a comparison of two different interventions used to improve student performance as tested on the Colorado State Assessment Program (CSAP). The first intervention, increased time-on-task, was used at Freedom …

Advanced Topics From "An Introduction To Categorical Data Analysis" Chapters 7,8,9, Tyler Diestel

Statistics

This project explored Chapters 7, 8, and 9 of “An Introduction to Categorical and Data Analysis” by Alan Agresti. Chapter 7 describes how to use loglinear models to analyze categorical data in multi-way contingency tables. Chapter 8 shows how to deal with data in which there are matched pairs. Lastly, Chapter 9 presents models that describe data that contain repeated responses or clusters.

‘New Directions For Traditional Lessons’: Can Handheld Game Consoles Enhance Mental Mathematics Skills?, Susan Main, John O’Rourke

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on a pilot study that compared the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) handheld game consoles (HGCs) with traditional teaching methods to develop the automaticity of mathematical calculations and self-concept towards mathematics for year 4 students in two metropolitan schools. One class conducted daily sessions using the HGCs and the Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training software to enhance their mental maths skills while the comparison class engaged in mental maths lessons using more traditional classroom approaches. Students were assessed using standardised tests at the beginning and completion of the term and findings indicated that students who undertook the Brain …

Applications Of The Theories Of Mikhail Bakhtin In Science Education, Jason Delgatto

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this literature review is to investigate the work of Russian philosopher and literary critic Mikhail Bakhtin (1895 – 1975), and more specifically, how his theories on language in a social context apply to science education.  In response to ongoing concerns regarding declining student achievement in the sciences, this paper follows a growing trend to integrate perspectives from the fields of language, anthropology and sociology, in order to reform science instruction and improve student scientific literacy.  Bakhtin’s major theories around dialogue, and his views on the celebration of carnival, are presented through an analysis of secondary resources that …

Year-Round Calendars At The High School Level, Matthew Nohner

Mathematics Graduate Theses

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of a year round calendar on math scores at the high school level. Students forget facts, especially math facts, over long extended breaks. Year round calendars aim to address this dilemma by minimizing long breaks from learning. The results of year round calendars have been mixed. Some schools have reported both academic and monetary gains after switching from a traditional calendar, while other schools have seen modest gains in student learning. All studies cited in this paper report that at-risk and low socioeconomic students benefit academically from a year round …

Education In The Environment: A Strategy For Continued Interagency Outdoor Education Programming: Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending February 28, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Reports (PLI Education)

Highlights of the university’s focused efforts during the past three months include the following:

• One Families in Nature events was held, benefitting approximately 25 people.
• Presentations were given about the Nevada Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights to senior staff at Clark County Parks and Recreation and to the Southern Nevada Regional Open Space and Trails working group.
• A total of 12 people completed all requirements and successfully graduated from the Nevada State Certification in Environmental Education and Interpretation program.
• Forever Earth was scheduled for 29 days and served 975 people.

Ists, February 2011, Iowa Academy Of Science

ISTS Newsletter

In this issue:

--Notes and News

--Opportunities

An Interview With Andrew Revkin, Bob Wyss

Wrack Lines

Bob Wyss interviews journalist and activist Andy Revkin on climate change

Using Technology To Increase Interest In The Learning Of Mathematics, Teresa May Anderson

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop unit openers in the form of PowerPoint presentations to introduce students to upcoming topics. Within the PowerPoint presentations, relevant visual images are used to pique the interest of the students. Also, within the presentations are opportunities for students to use a hand-held Student Response System to respond to questions. The questions the students answer are related to the upcoming material. After responses are entered, a visual display will show the responses and discussion will follow between the students and the teacher. The project will be used in geometry mathematics classrooms at the …

Imsa Promise: Providing Opportunities For Mathematics And Science Enrichment, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Promise Programs

PROMISE – Leading Students 2 Success (LS2S) is a cross-age cooperative learning program for 7th and 8th graders designed to expose students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) -related experiences and introduce them to inquiry/problem-based learning. Through a process of collaboration, discussion and analytical exploration of mathematical and scientific concepts, LS2S assists students in enhancing their academic and interpersonal endeavors.

Predictors Of Student Outcomes In Developmental Math At A Public Community And Technical College, Linda Darlene Hunt

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With the wide range of abilities of community college students, proper course placement is crucial. Therefore, having better predictors of success can help improve placement of students for their achievement. This study analyzed student predictors, instructor predictors, and classroom predictors in relation to student final exam score and student final grade in Elementary Algebra and Intermediate Algebra classes. Student predictors included gender, ACT math score, SAT math score, community college enrollment, math pretest score, and ASC grade. Instructor predictors included gender, employment status, Mozart music use, and ALEKS software use. Classroom predictors included time of day, number of class meetings …

Research In Mathematics Educational Technology: Current Trends And Future Demands, Shannon O. Driskell, Robert N. Ronau, Christopher R. Rakes, Sarah B. Bush, Margaret L. Niess, David K. Pugalee

Mathematics Faculty Publications

This systematic review of mathematics educational technology literature identified 1356 manuscripts addressing the integration of educational technology into mathematics instruction. The manuscripts were analyzed using three frameworks (Research Design, Teacher Knowledge, and TPACK) and three supplementary lenses (Data Sources, Outcomes, and NCTM Principles) to produce a database to support future research syntheses and meta-analyses. Preliminary analyses of student and teacher outcomes (e.g., knowledge, cognition, affect, and performance) suggest that the effects of incorporating graphing calculator and dynamic geometry technologies have been abundantly studied; however, the usefulness of the results was often limited by missing information regarding measures of validity, reliability, …

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

What’S My Motivation? Ideas For Rethinking Student Assessment, Jerrid Kruse

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Three of the articles in this issue of the Iowa Science Teachers Journal address assessment in the science classroom. Jesse Wilcox and Frank Noschese each discuss standards-based grading (SBG). Frank provides examples of his approach to SBG in his physics classes and makes a strong case for SBG while Jesse adds detail by sharing the frameworks he uses to inform and implement his SBG practices. Joe Bower goes a bit further by encouraging readers to consider why we assign grades at all. Each of the articles raises important, and related, points about the connection between assessment and motivation.