Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2015, 135th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Chemistry and Physics

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Anthropology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Junior Academy, Senior High Competition

Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session

Maiben Memorial Lecture: “Nebraska Biocontainment Unit Planning and Response to Ebola,” Ebola team, University of nebraska medical Center

Applied Science and Technology

Earth Science

Teaching of Science and Math

Junior Academy, Junior High Competition

Stem Stories, April 2015, #3, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Program Spotlight - Provost's Initiative for Environmental Equity and Resilience (PIEER)

Changing The Culture: Developing Creative Problem Solvers, Eric L. Mann

Faculty Presentations

Mathematics embraces creativity and beauty yet often our children are immersed in classroom activities where these attributes are hidden by an overemphasis on algorithms, computational speed and known answers that can be found in the back of the book or with a quick Google search. This learning environment creates a false perception of what it means to be “good at math.” From the research we know than many of our elementary school teachers have negative attitudes towards mathematics; an attitude students pick up and adopt which may foster the development of the reluctant, impatient problem solvers we find in our …

Relationships Between The Algebraic Performance Of Students In Subject-Specific And Integrated Course Pathways, Derrick Saddler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the algebraic performance gains of high school students who enroll in an integrated mathematics course pathway (i.e., Integrated Mathematics I-II-III) to the algebraic performance gains of high school students who enroll in a subject-specific course pathway (i.e., Algebra I-Geometry-Algebra II). Several studies have been performed in which researchers examined relationships between mathematics outcomes and the course-taking patterns of high school students enrolled in subject-specific course pathways. However, there is little extant research in which researchers have investigated effects of content organization on students' learning and achievement. Therefore, this study addresses calls for …

Stem Stories, April 2015, #2, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Student Profile - Jacob Snyder

Cosmic (Center Of Science And Mathematics In Context), Roxane Johnson De Lear

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Center of Science and Mathematics in Context (COSMIC) is a joint venture of the College of Education and Human Development and the College of Science and Mathematics at UMass Boston. This presentation highlighted their STEM initiatives for English Language Learners (ELLs), engineering learning in urban elementary schools, and professional development for teachers of Advanced Placement courses.

Effect Of Interactive Digital Homework With An Ibook On Sixth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement And Attitudes When Learning Fractions, Decimals, And Percents, Jennifer Zakrzewski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, technology has become a prominent feature in our lives. Technology has not only been integrated into our lives, but into the classroom as well. Teachers have been provided with a tremendous amount of technology related tools to educate their students. However, many of these technologically enhanced tools have little to no research supporting their claims to enhance learning.

This study focuses on one aspect of technology, the iBook, to complete homework relating to fractions, decimals, and percents in a sixth grade classroom. An iBook is a digital textbook that allows the user to interact with the …

Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge Of Generalization And Justification On Geometric-Numerical Patterning Tasks, James Vincent Kirwan

Theses and Dissertations

Generalization is essential to mathematical thinking (Kaput, 1999), and justification is its inseparable twin (Lannin, 2005). If students will be expected to generalize and justify, then it is important to develop an understanding of teachers' thinking about these concepts. This study examined secondary preservice teachers understanding of generalization, justification, and the interaction between these concepts.

Data were collected from three quadratic geometric-numerical patterning tasks administered during a single interview. Data reduction (Miles & Huberman, 1994) and constant comparative (Glaser & Straus, 1967) methodology was used to analyze written transcripts of the interviews.

The results of this analysis indicated that participants …

Reducing Health Disparities Through The 2015 Mcat: A Bold Goal Requiring On-Going Assessment, Aliya G. Feroe, Stephen F. Loebs

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

There is broad consensus that reduction in health care disparities is an important and multi-faceted challenge. One possible approach, among many others, starts with the attraction of women and men to the field of medicine who have a broad based education and who can demonstrate cultural understanding and sensitivity. In this context, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) has been revised, effective in 2015, to include many additional questions concerning the psychological, social, and behavioral sciences. There are important assumptions fueling the revised Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and these will need to be tested. These assumptions range from influencing …

When And How To Appropriately Implement Teaching Tools And Strategies For Early Childhood Numeracy, Elizabeth Bartha, Julie Dombai

Education: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The Augustana/Longfellow Number Sense Project (NSP) is a collaborative action research project that was created to provide purposeful, individualized instruction for Longfellow’s kindergarteners and enhance the teacher education program at Augustana. During this program, we work with Kindergarten students on mathematical concepts and skills. Our lessons incorporate both hands-on materials and educational software into our lessons. As we became familiar with this software, we began to suggest ways we could improve the software as well as ideas for new applications designed to help meet needs the students encountered in the classroom. Because the students interacted with a variety of teaching …

Educating Engineers, A. Louise Perkins

Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

In this paper we discuss educational pedagogy vis-á-vis its impact on preparing students for careers in engineering. We relate their learning needs to the field of Educational Psychology by defining this focus group in terms of IQ metrics and relate these metrics to child development theory. We point out where we believe the current educational system is failing them. We then present a vertical study that follows eight students from 1st through 5th grade, emphasizing the improvements gained between third and fifth grade after the new approach was used. The traditional pedagogy was used in grades 1-4, while the suggested …

“Analyze, Acquire, Apply, And Write” As A New Learning Model In Science, Jeong Choe

Faculty Publications & Research

I have developed a new teaching and learning model called AAAW, which stand for Analyze, Acquire, Apply and Write. This model grows from action research and unique experience in teaching a biochemistry course to high school students who are talented in math and science. In this model, students first "Analyze" lab data to generate questions that lead them to "Acquire" background knowledge. Students then go back to the data and "Apply" their new knowledge to better understand the data. Finally, students "Write" about the connections they make from their reading, data analysis, and application of the data. The rationale behind …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 36, Spring 2015), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Engineering Students' Experiences Of Interdisciplinary Learning: A Phenomenographic Perspective, Ming-Chien Hsu

Open Access Dissertations

Engineers are expected to work with people with different disciplinary knowledge to solve real-world problems that are inherently complex, which is one of the reasons that interdisciplinary learning has become a common pedagogical practice in engineering education. However, empirical evidence on the impact of interdisciplinary learning on undergraduates is lacking. Regardless of the differences in the scope of methods used to assess interdisciplinary learning, frameworks of interdisciplinary learning are imperative for developing attainable outcomes as well as interpreting assessment data. Existing models of interdisciplinary learning have been either conceptual or based on research faculty members' experiences rather than empirical data. …

Transforming Precalculus Instruction: Evidence-Based Course Design, Wendy M. Smith

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

The UNL Mathematics Department has been focused on transforming precalculus instruction since 2012, with a goal of greater levels of student success. A short-term measure of student success is the passing rate (C or better), which has jumped from an average of 62% (2007-2011) to 80% for the past two falls. A longer-term measure of student success is recruiting and retaining undergraduates to STEM disciplines and careers. In this talk I will share specifics of the reform efforts (the who-what-when-where-why-and-how), and also share preliminary results from the research we have simultaneously been conducting into the reform efforts.

The Effects Of An Early Intervention Mastery Activity In The Mathematics Department, Nathan Wakefield, Joe Champion, Doug Dailey, Jessalyn Bolkema

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, nearly 1000 students sign up for one of College Algebra, or College Algebra and Trigonometry every fall. Of these students, more than 75% are first time freshman. Finding ways to motivate and encourage these students together with early identification strategy for struggling students is critical to success not just in the math course, but also in a student’s university career. This presentation will discuss the design and outcomes an early intervention mastery activity with the broad goals of helping students recall previously learned mathematics, and identifying students who are at risk for failure, all within …

Stem Stories, April 2015, #1, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Student Profile - Allison Wold

Solving Nonlinear Boundary Value Problems Using The Homotopy Analysis Method, Ghada Ayed Janem Ayed Janem

Theses

Analytical solutions of differential equations are very important for all researchers from different discipline. Obtaining such solutions is difficult in most cases, especially if the differential equation is nonlinear. One of the mostly used methods are the series methods, where the solution is represented as an infinite series. Different methods are available to evaluate the terms of this series. These methods include the well-known Taylor series method, the Adomian decomposition method, the Homotopy iteration method, and the Homotopy analysis method. In this thesis we give a survey of the different series methods available to solve initial and boundary value problems. …

K-5 Math And Technology Resources, Anthony Scheffler, Shirley Andrews, Nancy Sartin

Education Open Textbooks

This document is a collaborative student work, comprising a directory of resources about mathematics and technology for kindergarten through fifth grade. This resource was created with the support of an ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Topics include teaching and learning theories, problem solving, assessment, equity, technological tools, and measurements.

Accessible files with optical character recognition (OCR) and auto-tagging provided by the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation.

A Phenomenological Case Study Concerning Science Teacher Educators' Beliefs And Teaching Practices About Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And Preparing K-12 Science Teachers To Engage African American Students In K-12 Science, Janice Bell Underwood

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Due to the rising diversity in today's schools, science teacher educators (STEs) suggest that K-12 teachers must be uniquely prepared to engage these students in science classrooms. Yet, in light of the increasing white-black science achievement gap, it is unclear how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage diverse students, and African Americans in particular. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find out how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science. Thus, using the culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) framework, this phenomenological case study explored beliefs about culturally relevant science teaching and the influence of …

The Role Of Entomology In Environmental And Science Education: Comparing Outreach Methods For Their Impact On Student And Teacher Content Knowledge And Motivation, Faith J. Weeks

Open Access Dissertations

Outreach programming can be an important way for local students and teachers to be exposed to new fields while enhancing classroom learning. University-based outreach programs are offered throughout the country, including most entomology departments as few individuals learn about insects in school and these programs can be excellent sources of entomological education, as well as models to teach environmental and science education. Each department utilizes different instructional delivery methods for teaching about insects, which may impact the way in which students and teachers understand the insect concepts presented. To determine the impact of using entomology to enhance science and environmental …

Public Understanding Of Chemistry Research In Print News, Michael D. Hands

Open Access Dissertations

Despite numerous calls for improving scientific literacy, many American adults show a lack of understanding of experiments, scientific study, and scientific inquiry. News media is one important avenue for science learning, but previous research investigating health and/or environmental science news has shown that it is inconsistent in the presentation of scientific research limitations, potentially impacting reader understanding. In the first phase of this dissertation, seventeen news articles reporting on a single chemistry research article, along with associated press releases and research articles, were analyzed using move analysis to determine the structure of each type of text. It was found that …

Implementing A Flipped Classroom Approach To Cybersecurity Education, Aparicio Carranza, Casimer Decusatis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Teaching Introductory Game Development With Unreal Engine: Challenges, Strategies, And Experiences, Nicholas A. Head

Open Access Theses

From the days of Pong to 100 million dollar projects such as the Grand Theft Auto franchise, video games have evolved significantly over the years. This evolution has also changed the way game development is viewed as a career. Today, video games are one of the most profitable forms of entertainment, and game development courses are appearing at universities around the world. Even with this growth, a degree from a university has yet to be an important factor in finding a job in game development (Owen, 2013). This thesis examines a method of creating and implementing an introductory gaming course …

The Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment: A Concept Assessment For Upper-Division Molecular Biology Students, Brian A. Couch, William B. Wood, Jennifer K. Knight

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Measuring students’ conceptual understandings has become increasingly important to biology faculty members involved in evaluating and improving departmental programs. We developed the Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment (MBCA) to gauge comprehension of fundamental concepts in molecular and cell biology and the ability to apply these concepts in novel scenarios. Targeted at graduating students, the MBCA consists of 18 multiple-true/false (T/F) questions. Each question consists of a narrative stem followed by four T/F statements, which allows a more detailed assessment of student understanding than the traditional multiple-choice format. Questions were iteratively developed with extensive faculty and student feedback, including validation through faculty …

The Effect Of Video Interviews With Stem Professionals On Stem-Subject Attitude And Stem-Career Interest Of Middle School Students In Conservative Protestant Christian Schools, Philip Alsup

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Inspiring learners toward career options available in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is important not only for economic development but also for maintaining creative thinking and innovation. Limited amounts of research in STEM education have focused on the population of students enrolled in religious and parochial schools, and given the historic conflict between religion and science, this sector of American education is worthy of examination. The purpose of this quantitative study is to extend Gottfredson's (1981) Theory of Circumscription and Compromise as it relates to occupational aspirations. Bem's (1981) Gender Schema Theory is examined as it relates to …

Academic And Affective Outcomes Of Computer-Based Instruction On Developmental Math Students, Eric M. Kohler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A study aligning the positive aspects of technological-based learning with the high-risk population of developmental math students was conducted to ascertain the academic and affective outcomes of an "emporium model" of instruction on students with a case history of mathematical failure. By running parallel course sections in both emporium (treatment) and lecture-based (control) formats at two comparable universities, the quasi-experimental research design examined the effects of instructional delivery on students' academic completion rates, pass rates, and retention rates. Affective responses, namely mathematics anxiety levels and locus of control, were also studied using pre-post survey data to identify students' within-group emotionality …

Understanding Mathematics Anxiety: The Relationships Between Fourth Grade Students' Math Anxiety, Multiplication Fact Fluency, And Problem Solving Ability, Julie Anne Dutko

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The necessity of math skills is evident in everyday life, as well as job-specific tasks. Unfortunately, math anxiety has become a growing problem among people of all ages. Understanding more about potential indicators or predictors of math anxiety at a young age may help alleviate some of the impacts math anxiety has on mathematics achievement throughout life. This study considered the relationships between mathematics anxiety, multiplication fact fluency, math problem solving ability, math confidence, prior achievement, and demographic variables of fourth grade students. Fourth grade students at two suburban elementary schools in North Georgia were surveyed about their math anxiety …

Precalculus Students' Achievement When Learning Functions: Influences Of Opportunity To Learn And Technology From A University Of Chicago School Mathematics Project Study, Laura A. Hauser

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of function is one of the essential topics in the teaching and learning of secondary mathematics because of the central and unifying role it plays within secondary and college level mathematics. Organizations, such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, suggest students should be able to make connections across multiple representations of mathematical functions by the time they complete high school. Despite the prominent role functions play in secondary mathematics curriculum, students continue to struggle with the complex notion of functions and especially have difficulty using the different representations that are inherent to functions (algebraic, graphical and …

A Conceptual Analysis Of Perspective Taking In Support Of Socioscientific Reasoning, Sami Kahn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scientific literacy is concerned with the informed citizens' ability to negotiate scientifically-related societal issues. The suite of skills necessary to negotiate these complex issues is referred to as Socioscientific Reasoning (SSR). SSR requires, among other things, perspective-taking abilities in order to consider the multi-faceted nature of these open-ended, debatable socioscientific issues (SSI). Developing interventions and instruments to foster and measure perspective taking in support of SSR is therefore critical to the promotion of functional scientific literacy through both research and practice. Although widely studied in many disciplines, perspective taking is a particularly tangled construct that has been used to describe …