Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Introduction To The Special Issue On Teaching Inquiry (Part Ii): Implementing Inquiry, Brian P. Katz, Elizabeth Thoren

Mathematics: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

We provide an introduction to the special issue on Teaching Inquiry, through its motivation and themes, focusing here on Part II: Implementing Inquiry.

Perspectives On The Indigenous Worldviews In Informal Science Education Conference, Aparna Venkatesan, A. Burgasser

Physics and Astronomy

The chronic underrepresentation of Native and indigenous peoples in STEM fields (Fig. 1) has been a longstanding issue in the United States, despite concentrated efforts by many local and national groups, including the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) to address it. Here we report on the conference on Indigenous Worldviews in Informal Science Education (I-WISE), convened in Albuquerque, NM, on Sept. 2-5, 2015. We share what we learned on the commonalities and differences in perspectives between indigenous knowledge (IK) and Western science; summarize the role …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 29, No. 1, January 2017

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Content: Welcome - Faculty News - Grants - Congratulations - Student News - Blast from the Past - Publications - Condolences (Dr. Kenneth P. Pruess)

The Perceptions Of Stem From Eighth-Grade African-American Girls In A High Minority Middle School, Lachanda Nichole Hare

Education Dissertations and Projects

Even with the existence of STEM curriculum and STEM programs that target women and minorities, African-American females still lag behind other ethnic groups in STEM fields. Reasons for the underrepresentation of females in STEM fields can be traced back to the early years of schooling. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that impact African-American females’ perspectives of STEM subjects and STEM careers. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach was used for data collection with a survey, focus group, and interview. Forty male (N=12) and female (N=28) students from different ethnic groups were surveyed. The focus group and …

A Case Study On The Comparison Of Fourth-Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievement As Evidenced By The Measures Of Academic Progress Assessment: Self-Contained Vs. Departmentalized Settings, Adam David Dymond

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine whether fourth-grade students who received instruction in a self-contained setting were more likely to meet their target score on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test than students who were taught in a departmentalized setting. Fourth-grade students in ALPHA School District took the MAP test in the fall and spring of the academic calendar year. Target scores were originated by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). These target scores showed the typical growth for a student in the particular grade level as calculated by national norms. The MAP test growth norms were very precise. Due …

The History Of American Mathematics Education, Rivka Schreier

The Touro Teacher

The author discusses the history of mathematics education in the United States.

2017-2018 Graduate Handbook For The Master Of Arts In Educational Mathematics, Otterbein Office Of Graduate Programs

Graduate School

Graduate Handbook on the MAEM Program at Otterbein University.

Mathematical Creativity For The Youngest School Children. Kindergarten To Third Grade Teachers’ Interpretations Of What It Is And How To Promote It., Yinjing Shen, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Creativity is important for young children learning mathematics. However, much literature has claimed creativity in the learning of mathematics for young children is not adequately supported by teachers in the classroom due to such reasons as teachers’ poor college preparation in mathematics content knowledge, teachers’ negativity toward creative students, teachers’ occupational pressure, and low quality curriculum. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to generate a model that describes explains how a particular group of early childhood teachers make sense of creativity in the learning of mathematics and how they think they can promote or fail to promote creativity …

Maths Games: A Universal Design Approach To Mathematical Reasoning, Kelley E. Buchheister, Christa Jackson, Cynthia E. Taylor

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

By incorporating math games into the classroom, through the principles of Universal Design teachers are able to address mathematical content, reasoning and problem solving, as well as tailoring games to address students' individual needs.

Investigating Difference Equations, Dave Ruch

Discrete Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Euler's Rediscovery Of E With Instructor Notes, Dave Ruch

Analysis

No abstract provided.

Abel And Cauchy On A Rigorous Approach To Infinite Series, Dave Ruch

Analysis

No abstract provided.

An Introduction To A Rigorous Definition Of Derivative, Dave Ruch

Analysis

No abstract provided.

Bolzano On Continuity And The Intermediate Value Theorem, Dave Ruch

Analysis

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Summary: S1141 John Deere 6120r, 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 …

Tractor Test 2174: John Deere 9620rx Diesel, 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 …

What Should Go In A Wildlife Professional’S Geospatial Toolbox? (Response Data), William Bean, Ryan C. Baumbusch, Brooke Berger, Matthew Delheimer, Lee J. Hecker, Matthew Lau, Megan C. Milligan

Research Data Sets

Geospatial tools have become a critical component to most wildlife studies and management questions. With a diversity of approaches available, current and future wildlife professionals deserve guidance on the most important tools to answer these questions. Younger professionals may be expected to know a separate set of skills from those required further on in their career. We conducted an online survey and a year-long search of job advertisements to identify the most important geospatial approaches, techniques, programs, and ancillary skills for wildlife professionals. We provide the results of these 2 efforts so that wildlife professionals interested in geospatial tools can …

Preparing Today To Empower Future Learners: Pre-Service Teachers’ Experiences Selecting & Evaluating Children’S Literature For Quality And Use In Prek-6th Grade Integrated Literacy/Science Instruction, Carolyn Stone, Deborah Conrad

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

The use of quality texts in elementary classrooms plays a major role in children’s literacy development. Quality children’s literature helps learners develop into skilled readers and writers with increased gains in vocabulary knowledge and comprehension. This paper demonstrates how pre-service teachers gained an understanding of the educational value of evaluating texts for quality. Using a mentor teacher assigned science topic, the pre-service teachers reviewed and evaluated texts and electronic based resources on specific science topics. The data highlights pre-service teachers’ reflections on how quality texts can be a powerful tool in supporting literacy success in their future teaching. It also …

One-To-One Technology In Middle School Science, Jenny A. Finnegan

Projects

This paper reports on the ongoing digital implementation of one-to-one digital devices in the middle school science classroom, examining existing goals, the history and use, and offers a professional development course designed to engage teachers to improve their practices. This work examines teacher efficacy in the classroom and highlights teachers’ views on the emerging push for one-to-one student centered learning. Results suggest the importance of methodologies that increase student achievement and reduce teacher driven curriculum. The combination of teacher engagement through professional development and practice promote both teacher and students’ interest and learning goals with the use of one-to-one devices, …

Transcending Language: Bridging Language Gaps In Science Education With Drawing, Jacqueline J. Gardner

Projects

This study seeks to find if drawing can help English Language Learning (ELL) students better understand and retain science content. Seventh and eighth grade students were given series of presentations about Pluto. Half of the students were asked to write only written notes while the other half was asked to both draw and write down notes during the presentations. Their pre and post test scores were compared to show the growth of the students’ content knowledge showing that the group that was required to both draw and write had on average higher scores than the group that only wrote in …

Investigating The Role Of A District Science Coordinator, Brooke A. Whitworth, Jennifer L. Maeng, Lindsay B. Wheeler, Jennifer L. Chiu

Publications

This study explored the professional responsibilities of district science coordinators, their professional development (PD) experiences, the relationship between their role, responsibilities, district context, and background, and barriers encountered in their work. A national sample (n = 122) of self‐identified science coordinators completed a Science Coordinator Role Survey. Participants’ responses were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics. Following analysis of survey data, 16 participants (13.1%) were purposefully selected for semi‐structured follow‐up interviews. Results indicated the majority of respondents identified themselves as Caucasian, female, and had served in their position for less than 10 years. The typical science coordinator held a …

How Well Do Engineering Students Retain Core Mathematical Knowledge After A Series Of High Threshold Online Mathematics Tests, Michael Carr, Fiona Faulkner, Cormac Breen, Mark Prendergast

Journal Articles

In the Technological University Dublin, high threshold core skills assessments are run in mathematics for third year engineering students. Such tests require students to reach a threshold of 90% on a multiple-choice test based on a randomised question bank. The material covered by the test consists of the more important aspects of undergraduate engineering mathematics covered in the first two years of the Honours degree programme and/or the three years of the Ordinary degree programme . Students are allowed to re-sit the assessment as frequently as required until they pass. In order to measure the effectiveness of such an exercise …

Spatial Reasoning And Understanding The Particulate Nature Of Matter: A Middle School Perspective, Merryn L. Cole

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This dissertation employed a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between spatial reasoning ability and understanding of chemistry content for both middle school students and their science teachers. Spatial reasoning has been linked to success in learning STEM subjects (Wai, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2009). Previous studies have shown a correlation between understanding of chemistry content and spatial reasoning ability (e.g., Pribyl & Bodner, 1987; Wu & Shah, 2003: Stieff, 2013), raising the importance of developing the spatial reasoning ability of both teachers and students.

Few studies examine middle school students’ or in-service middle school teachers’ understanding of chemistry concepts or …

Pisa 2015: Reporting Australia's Results Data Tables [6 Zipped Excel Files] [Data Set], Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This zipped file contains 6 Excel files pertaining to the data tables for the report PISA 2015: Reporting Australia's results (2017). This report provides the Australian results from PISA 2015.

• Chapter 2 - Australian students performance in scientific literacy
• Chapter 3 - Australian students science subscales
• Chapter 4 - Australian students performance in reading literacy
• Chapter 5 - Australian students performance in mathematical literacy
• Chapter 7 - Australian students motivation and beliefs in science
• Chapter 8 - The school learning environment

Epistemology Shock: English Professors Confront Science, Ian Barnard, Jan Osborn

English Faculty Articles and Research

This article raises questions and concerns regarding students from the sciences working with faculty in the humanities in interdisciplinary settings. It explores the experience of two English professors facing the privileging of "facts" and a science-based understanding of the world in their own classrooms. It poses both questions and pedagogical possibilities for addressing conflicts around epistemologies, scholarship, and teaching and learning.

Inquiry-Based Learning: Assessing Students' Science Inquiry Skills, Abha Bhagat

Teacher India

Inquiry-based approaches to teaching yield substantial benefits to students, but assessment of students' science inquiry skills indicate more emphasis is needed on the development of inquiry-based teaching and learning in the classroom.

Ai Education: Open-Access Educational Resources On Ai, Todd W. Neller

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Open-access AI educational resources are vital to the quality of the AI education we offer. Avoiding the reinvention of wheels is especially important to us because of the special challenges of AI Education. AI could be said to be “the really interesting miscellaneous pile of Computer Science”. While “artificial” is well-understood to encompass engineered artifacts, “intelligence” could be said to encompass any sufficiently difficult problem as would require an intelligent approach and yet does not fall neatly into established Computer Science subdisciplines. Thus AI consists of so many diverse topics that we would be hard-pressed to individually create quality learning …

Stem Stories, January 2017, Mir Ashfaquzzaman

STEM Stories

Student Profile - Byron Fritch

Readin', Writin', An' 'Rithmetic: Literacy Strategies In High School Mathematics, Angela Margaret Principato

Wayne State University Dissertations

Stagnant growth on national standardized tests in mathematics and reading and a focus on disciplinary literacy in the Common Core State Standards in ELA, history/social studies, science, and technical subjects has prompted a resurgence in utilizing literacy strategies in the content areas in high school. While literacy standards in mathematics are not explicitly identified in the Common Core State Standards, there may be a place for the use of literacy strategies in high school mathematics. This study explored the relationships between students’ mathematics and reading achievement scores at a small, suburban high school and the implementation of a school wide …

The Racial Identity Conflict: Diverse Perspectives On The Minimization Of The Stem Education Gap That Impacts Gifted And Talented Black Male Students!, Adrienne Coleman

Publications & Research

Research suggests that a cognitive gap begins as early as nine months of age in Black males, widens by two years of age, and by fifth grade cognition lags by nearly two full years (ETS, 2011). This gap is a result of multiple facets: “Children are suffering from a toxic cocktail of poverty, illiteracy, racial discrimination and massive incarceration that sentences poor boys to dead-end hopeless lives” (ETS, 2011, p. 2). The outcome is the Black male being inadequately educated and academically behind other subcultures of the population. Lack of family support, poor school systems with inadequate resources, peer pressure, …