Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Harvest Of The Month, Abigail E. Heidenreich

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Harvest of the Month curriculum exists in many states, but Indiana lacks a statewide effort in this area. To meet this need, collection of lessons with complementary activities that are specific to Indiana agriculture were created. The driving force behind the curriculum was to create a lesson that is fun and engaging for students, but also well-rounded and standards-based for teachers. Components of the lesson include Life Cycle Discussions, Taste Testing, Interactive Activities, and Journal Prompts. Partnering with Indiana farmers, a harvest video was created to accompany each lesson that features a different agricultural product grown in Indiana each month. …

Using Mobile Technology To Promote Higher-Order Thinking Skills In Elementary Mathematics, Debbie Marie Versoza, Ma. Louise Antonette N. De Las Peñas, Jumela F. Sarmiento, Maria Alva Q. Aberin, Mark Anthony C. Tolentino, Mark L. Loyola

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The problem of rote-based learning in mathematics is well documented. Mobile technology can provide a potential solution, especially when application (app) design is based on sound pedagogical principles and gamification elements. However, an inventory of available mobile apps for mathematics reveals that many of the available apps are guided by a behaviorist perspective that favors repetition over meaningful learning. This paper reports on the design of mobile mathematics apps that harness gamification techniques to promote higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) even in basic elementary school concepts such as number comparison, and addition and subtraction. The integration of these apps in the …

Development Of A Gamified Number Line App For Teaching Estimation And Number Sense In Grades 1 To 7, Debbie Marie Versoza, Ma. Louise Antonette N. De Las Peñas, Maria Alva Q. Aberin, Agnes Garciano, Jumela F. Sarmiento, Mark Anthony C. Tolentino

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Fraction knowledge is known to be a gatekeeper to more advanced mathematical learning. On the basis of the literature on early number learning; a number line mobile application called Catch the Carrot was designed to develop students’ knowledge of whole number and fraction magnitude. This paper aims to describe the design of the Catch the Carrot app and discusses the rationale for using number lines as representational scaffolds for developing children’s understanding of numbers; particularly their estimation and number sense skills. The gamification features of the app; as well as strategies for integration in a classroom are also presented. This …

Teacher Questioning Practices In Early Childhood Science Activities, Erin Hamel, Yuenjung Joo, Soo-Young Hong, Anna Burton

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

This study explores teachers’ use of questioning during collaborative science exploratory activities. We classified a total of 755 questions across 14 preschool science lessons implemented by four teachers by type (open- or closed-ended) and content (science- or non-science-related) while also recording the intended recipient. Results revealed that, overall, teachers primarily asked closed-ended questions to children during preschool science activities. While closed-ended questions outnumbered open-ended, science-related questions were more likely to be open-ended questions. We noticed this trend whether the teacher directed the question to a group of children or an individual child. Gender of the child recipient was also explored …

Frontier: Discipline-Based Education Research To Advance Authentic Learning In Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Heidi A. Diefes-Dux

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Discipline-based education research (DBER) is research activity aimed at investigating “learning and teaching in a discipline from a perspective that reflects the discipline’s priorities, worldview, knowledge, and practices” for the purpose of producing research-based evidence to improve education in that discipline. DBER arose out of concerns about the quality of post-secondary science education. Physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, geosciences, and astronomy education each have unique DBER histories in the U.S. that date back to the late 1800s or early 1900s when colleges and university systems were expanding and formalizing. The DBER fields accelerated in the 1950s and 1960s as a result …

Genbio-Maps As A Case Study To Understand And Address The Effects Of Test-Taking Motivation In Low-Stakes Program Assessments, Crystal Uminski, Brian A. Couch

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The General Biology–Measuring Achievement and Progression in Science (GenBio-MAPS) assessment measures student understanding of the Vision and Change core concepts at the beginning, middle, and end of undergraduate biology degree programs. Assessment coordinators typically administer this instrument as a low-stakes assignment for which students receive participation credit. While these conditions can elicit high participation rates, it remains unclear how to best measure and account for potential variation in the amount of effort students give to the assessment. To better understand student test-taking motivation, we analyzed GenBio-MAPS data from more than 8000 students at 20 institutions. While the majority of students …

Don’T Count – Count On Visual Perception!, Klaus Rödler Dr.

Transformations

Verbal counting is the first step in the child‘s number building and this is why it seems natural to start arithmetic in school based on this competence. Under a cultural historical view, the development of number does not start with verbal counting but rather with ‚concrete counting‘. Number words and the number word sequence developed after experience with concrete numbers.

This article describes the roots, basics, and first practical steps of a didactics based on perception rather than on verbal counting.

This proposed change allows inclusive lessons that prevent all students from misunderstanding calculation as a quick or clever form …

School Librarian Preparation And Practice: An Exploration Of The Aasl National School Library Standards And Ala/Aasl/Caep School Librarian Preparation Standards, Elizabeth A. Burns, April M. Dawkins

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) recently released standards to guide the practice of school librarians. The National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries (2018) were put forward as a single text with integrated frameworks. One year later, the ALA/AASL/CAEP School Librarian Preparation Standards (2019) were adopted to inform the preparation of school librarians. Using a one-way crosswalk analysis, this study explores the alignment of the AASL Standards Framework for School Librarians from the AASL Standards with the ALA/AASL/CAEP Preparation Standards to determine consistencies in expectations as well as identify noted gaps. Findings will assist …

The Role Of Stereotype Threat In Ethnically Minoritized Students' Science Motivation: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study Of Achievement And Persistence In Stem, Delaram A. Totonchi, Tony Perez, You-Kyung Lee, Kristy A. Robinson, Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Grounded in expectancy-value and stereotype threat theories, this four-year longitudinal study examined associations between changes in stereotype threat and motivation (self-efficacy, task values, and perceived costs) among 425 undergraduates from racial/ethnic groups typically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Growth analyses indicated that students' stereotype threat and perceived cost of studying science increased during college, whereas science self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and attainment value declined. Parallel growth analyses suggested that higher initial stereotype threat related to a faster decline in attainment value and faster increase in perceived costs throughout college. Higher initial levels and a steeper increase in stereotype …

Analysis Of Assessments On Secondary Students' Development And Interpretation Of Models, Alaina L. Appley

Graduate Research Papers

As districts are making the shift to three-dimensional learning the development of a coherent set of high-quality task-based assessments has been a challenge. For this research I collected and analyzed twelve of my district's assessments over the scientific skill of modeling from grades seven through 12. The analysis involved two tools developed by NGSS and Achieve.org to determine the extent to which the assessments ask students to perform tasks that are driven by phenomena and use the three-dimensional in service of sense-making, the Task Screener and the Framework to Evaluate Cognitive Complexity in Science Assessments. The findings support what …

Promoting A Culture Of Student Self-Advocacy Within Secondary Science Classrooms, Elizabeth Anne Wessels

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the greatest source of self-efficacy that exists among 5-12 students in science through a meta-analysis of three previous studies. After analyzing the collected data, teaching strategies that aim to boost the most influential source of self-efficacy for students are recommended and briefly discussed. Gaining a better understanding of the sources self-efficacy, along with how to support these sources will help science educators understand how to support student self-advocacy.

Autoethnography On Teaching During A Pandemic, Kelsey Ufford

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted and changed teaching strategies in a young adolescent science classroom and how the pandemic changed personal ideas around online learning. Prior research shows how online learning can be implemented successfully in collegiate classrooms, but it is rare to find research that shows how to successfully implement online learning in a young adolescent classroom. This point of view is from a rural, Iowa middle school standpoint and data was collected through the use of personal journals, emails, and a timeline from March 2020 and May 2020. After the …

Mentoring Prospective Engineering Students Through The After School Program "Girls In Engineering" Focused On Building An Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle, Vukica M. Jovanović, Deborah Marshall, Jeff Warren Larson Jr., Abdul Rahman Badawi, Neil R. Stclair, Otilia Popescu, Murat Kuzlu, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Linda Vahala, Michael Anthony Crespo

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

A number of studies by engineering education researchers have pointed out that all-female teams, rather than mixed teams, result in better forms of participation and interaction in engineering related after-school programs and clubs. In particular, for after-school programs or clubs that form in response to a STEM competition, all-female teams have better chances of developing. One such competition, which will be discussed in this paper, is a regional Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) competition in which students from Blind_Review High School have been participating for many years.For each year’s competition, an all-female team of students enrolled in the Career and …

Women’S Reflections On Learning 10 Years After A Middle School Stem Program, Susan Mary Caley Opsal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of understanding of how women perceive their learning continues to hinder efforts to design educational experiences that prepare women for STEM disciplines. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore women’s perceptions of their learning from a middle school STEM program a decade earlier and other learning experiences they had into their adulthood. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 of 26 women who participated in that STEM program when they were in middle school. Belenky et al.’s women’s ways of knowing provided a unique lens for examining participants’ understanding of their development as learners. Key findings …

Haitian Immigrant Parents’ Perceptions On Acculturation And High-Risk Behaviors Among Their Children, Weiselande Cesar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigrant Haitian parents experience acculturative stress when adjusting to the norms and expectations of a new country. Acculturative stress may be exacerbated if their adolescent children display unfamiliar behaviors, which may result in a greater need for psychological assessments and education programs to mitigate the instances of family breakdown. Following Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, there has been an increase in high-risk behaviors among Haitian adolescents. To date, there is limited research on acculturative stress in immigrant Haitian parents and how this stress may relate to their actions and perceptions of high-risk behaviors in their adolescent children. In this case study date …

Implementation Of International Society For Technology In Education Standards In Elementary School Teachers’ Pedagogical Science Practices, Rochelle Anne Mccoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the problem of whether elementary school teachers are consistently implementing the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards in their pedagogical practices of teaching science. It was evident that half of all teachers in the United States do not consistently implement technology into their instruction. The purpose of this study was to understand elementary school teachers’ perceptions about how teachers are using the three selected ISTE standards during their pedagogical practices when teaching elementary science in order to maximize learning. The technology acceptance model was the conceptual framework used in this study. The research questions focused …

Novel Statistical Analysis In The Context Of A Comprehensive Needs Assessment For Secondary Stem Recruitment, Norou Diawara, Sarah Ferguson, Melva Grant, Kumer Das

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

There is a myriad of career opportunities stemming from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In addition to careers in corporate settings, teaching is a viable career option for individuals pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines. With national shortages of secondary STEM teachers, efforts to recruit, train, and retain quality STEM teachers is greatly important. Prior to exploring ways to attract potential STEM teacher candidates to pursue teacher training programs, it is important to understand the perceived value that potential recruits place on STEM careers, disciplines, and the teaching profession. The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions …

Mathematics Methods For Early Childhood, Janet Stramel

All Open Educational Resources

This book is for the early childhood pre-service teachers, which includes the period from infancy until eight years of age. Mathematics skills must be taught in early childhood and children should be provided a foundation to succeed in elementary school and beyond.

Mathematics Methods for Early Childhood was designed to help early childhood teacher candidates develop an understanding of why lessons in early childhood should focus on mathematics in order to help children be successful. Young children are naturally curious, and the best time to begin mathematics is at a time while the young child's brain is rapidly developing. Mathematics …

Exploring New Pltl Modalities, Forging New Alliances, Nadia Kennedy, Ariane Masuda

Publications and Research

This essay focuses on rethinking and reimagining elements of a PLTL program, and on the new modalities to meet challenges of online undergraduate mathematics courses and rising demands for flexible student support. It examines advantages and challenges as found in the Integrated PLTL and Virtual Peer-Led Mathematics Study Groups, including issues such as meeting protocols, and the selection and training of peer leaders. Finally, it discusses an alliance with the college’s mathematics education program, which allows the PLTL program to draw on senior prospective teachers to co-organize and facilitate virtual study groups supporting undergraduate mathematics courses.

Perceptions And Instructional Practices Used By West Virginian Secondary Agricultural Teachers In Meat Science Education, Kindra D. Carr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A focus on classroom integration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts has resulted in secondary teachers broadening the scope and delivery of STEM principles in their classes. Because agriculture classes allow students to convert abstract ideas into concrete ideas, they provide a useful setting to teach STEM concepts. Using secondary agricultural classes to teach science is effective and has contributed to higher standardized science test scores, as opposed to a science class alone. West Virginia is known for meat processing facilities and meat technology learning activities in its public schools. However, little is known about how the content …

A Conversation About Rethinking Criteria For Qualitative And Interpretive Research: Quality As Trustworthiness, Melva R. Grant, Yvonna S. Lincoln

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This editorial shares a conversation about qualitative and interpretive research quality between friends. Dr. Yvonna Lincoln, University Distinguished Professor Emerita at Texas A&M University, has been a pioneer in the field of qualitative and interpretive inquiry research. The purpose of this paper is to share Yvonna Lincoln’s contemporary thinking about quality criteria for qualitative and interpretive inquiry research and to make it available to mathematics educators who conduct qualitative research in urban settings.

Using Self-Based Methodologies To Unpack Mathematics Teacher Educators' Work, Elizabeth Suazo-Flores, Signe E. Kastberg, Melva R. Grant, Jennifer Ward, Sue Ellen Richardson, Olive Chapman

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Narrative inquiry, self-study, and autoethnography (i.e., self-based methodologies) are methodologies used by mathematics teacher educators (MTEs). These methodologies have opened up the field by unpacking and unearthing MTEs' work communicating findings from their practices. Building from our previous working groups at PME-NA 2018-2020, we sustain a community where MTEs can feel supported in their study design, implementation, representation of findings, and publication using self-based methodologies. At PME-NA Philadelphia, we will continue our work at PME-NA Mexico on self-based methodologies to develop perspectives on philosophical underpinnings of self-based methodologies and addressing trustworthiness and authenticity in our reports.

Peer Motivation: Getting Through Math Together, Jessica Mean, Wes Maciejewski

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Students have a complex relationship with mathematics. Some love it, but more often than not, the feelings are less favorable. These feelings can lead to decreased motivation which makes it difficult for students to engage with the subject as the semester progresses. Instructors also have difficulty addressing this waning motivation. In this paper, we claim peers are better able to connect with the students and this can be leveraged to better motivate students. We present an approach to having peers motivate their students. These peer interactions integrated with a mandatory mathematics course might improve students’ motivation.

Analyzing Applied Calculus Student Understanding Of Definite Integrals In Real-Life Applications, Cody Hood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An individual’s knowledge of definite integrals can range from rote memorization to a strong foundational connection harkening back to its Riemann sum limit definition. In my research, I conducted seven task-based face-to-face interviews with Applied Calculus students. Through the use of real-life examples and guided reinvention, I analyzed ways in which these students, who all initially demonstrated rote memorization, could exhibit a Riemann sum based level of comprehension. This research was conducted in the confines of a student population with definite integral experience, but no formal instruction on limits. My results show that the lack of computational emphasis in class …

Lessons Learned In Designing Active Learning Modules For The Stem Classroom, Anna M. Christianson

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

For students to become real partners in their education, they must shift from a model of passive absorption of knowledge to one of active participation in constructing knowledge. To encourage this shift, I have designed a variety of active learning modules for my introductory chemistry classes, from short participation polls to full-length case studies. When well-implemented, in-class activities can be a valuable experience for students to practice applying their knowledge with instructor guidance. In this report, I will share both successes and challenges encountered in designing student-friendly active learning modules in an introductory science course.

Teacher Understanding Of Instructional Strategies In Elementary Mathematics, Erica Boatwright Glover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Synergizing Elementary School (pseudonym) consistently experiences low state-required mathematics test scores in grades 3 and 4 below district and state proficiency rates in mathematics. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate what instructional practices used by Grade 3 and Grade 4 teachers are, aligned or not aligned, with research-based planning, standards-based instruction, attention to conditions of learning, and professional responsibilities of teachers to support students’ achievement in mathematics. This study's conceptual framework was grounded in Robert Marzano's model of teaching effectiveness called the focus teacher evaluation model. Data for this case study were gathered from semi-structured interviews …

Effect Of Student-Centered Instructional Strategies On Mathematics Achievement Of Elementary Students, Keisha Knight Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To promote learner-centered mathematics instruction and improve student outcomes, district leaders sought to implement research-based instructional strategies in the 2018-2019 school year. These strategies were being implemented at Elementary School A but not at Elementary School B during the following school year. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the implementation and outcomes of research-based instructional strategies such as hands-on activities, small group investigations, problem-solving tasks, and classroom discourse for district students in Grades 2–5. Weimer’s learner-centered teaching principles served as the theoretical framework for the study. Quantitative methods were used to test whether a difference in mathematical …

Elementary Teachers’ Implementation Of Inquiry-Based Instruction, William P. Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A mid-Atlantic state has recently adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that require teachers to integrate inquiry-based instruction into the classroom. The problem at the local level is a new inquiry-based curriculum, based on the NGSS, is being mandated without identifying the instructional strategies teachers are using to implement the new standards. The purpose of this project study was to explore fourth- and fifth-grade science teachers’ inquiry-based instructional strategies, why the strategies were chosen, and teachers’ concerns about the implementation of the strategies. In this case study, the concern-based adoption model and self-efficacy were used as a conceptual framework …

Early Grade Teacher Perspectives Of Struggling Learners And Later Mathematics Achievement, Crystal Ann Cuyler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who were not identified with a learning disability or significant developmental delay (SDD) in prekindergarten, but may have undiscovered learning issues are often among the lowest performing students in mathematics when they reach upper grades. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand kindergarten, first, and second grade teacher perspectives of early indicators of later difficulties in mathematics among children not identified as having learning disabilities or SDD in prekindergarten. A retrospective study was conducted in which the remembrances of early grade teachers were used to explore the difficulties children who were struggling with mathematics as fourth and …

Why Become A Teacher? Exploring Motivations For Becoming Science And Mathematics Teachers In Australia, Chrystal Whiteford, Nick Kelly, Les Dawes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

There is an identified shortage of mathematics and science teachers across Australia and many of these teachers leave the profession within 3 to 5 years of graduating. This paper provides important insights on what motivates people to become science and mathematics teachers in Australia. Data drawn from two surveys, one investigating why students might become a teacher and the other examining why teachers joined the profession, are explored to provide unique insight into an area of need. Using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rho, results suggest contribution to society and love of subject area to be among the top motivators for …