Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Creative Learning With Music And Mathematics: Reflections On Interdisciplinary Collaborations, Graham Johnson, Alesia M. Moldavan

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Culturally responsive content, accessible and inclusive tools, and meaningful interdisciplinary tasks can aid in developing equitable and creative learning environments. Music and mathematics are ideal disciplines for interdisciplinary creative learning. In this article, we reflect on our experiences engaging in interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks with preservice teachers. In particular, we highlight specific efforts taken to design and implement a creative music and mathematics workshop for use in a mathematics methods course. Guided by these experiences, we offer examples of tools and practices that have helped preservice teachers collaborate, engage in inquiry, improvise, develop empathy, and take intellectual and social …

Impacting African American Student Achievement In The Middle School Stem Classroom By Teaching Mathematics Through Arts Integration And Design Thinking, Robert Lippert, Tjuannia R. Seals

Dissertations

Middle school is a transitional period in which many students experience content-specific teachers, travel between classrooms, and explore extracurricular activity options for the first time. Historically, African American middle school students have not fared well in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) on standardized assessments, performing significantly below their Caucasian counterparts in mathematics and science. From the beginning of their academic careers, a lack of access to quality teachers, excessive use of direct instruction strategies, and a lack of resources in their school communities, contribute to their overall apathy towards the subject matter and factor into their underperformance. As a …

A Collection Of Calculus Lesson Plans: Deriving The 'Why' Behind Derivatives, Kasey Brabec

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The traditional mathematics classroom is led with a focus on procedural understanding, with deep conceptual understanding considered to be unimportant or too difficult to teach within the allotted time. Both levels of understanding are important mathematical competencies, as it is rare for either of them to function well without accessibility to the other. The disparity between conceptual understanding and procedural understanding in the mathematics classroom is no larger than in courses like Calculus. This project is a collection of fifteen lesson plans constructed with an emphasis on conceptual understanding and the connectivity of Calculus. Each lesson plan’s overview contains the …

Streaming With Butterflies: A Whole School Stream Project, Carey L. Averill, Janet M. Herrelko

Journal of Catholic Education

This study explores the commitment of a school faculty to use the pedagogical practices needed to employ a project-based unit of Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM). The unit of study concentrated on environmental sustainability of butterflies through project-based learning (PBL). Teacher interviews were analyzed to reveal the similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses in the teachers’ reactions to implementing a cross-curricula content unit designed for a pre-kindergarten (PK) to eighth grade school. Analysis of teacher data and classroom artifacts provided evidence of: content mastery at the student levels; implementation of scaffolding for developmental levels; and the need …

Math Department 2022-2023 Newsletter, Mathematics Department

Mathematics Newsletter

Welcome to our annual Mathematics Department Newsletter. We had an exciting year with many activities and accomplishments. Our students have received awards, attended conferences, conducted research, and have really contributed to the life of the department. Our faculty have had many accomplishments in teaching and scholarship. We conducted several events such as Alumni Night, hosted a guest speaker for the university community, had our Pi Mu Epsilon induction and awards ceremony, and much more. We have heard from several alumni and are happy to report what they are doing. Our Math Club has been becoming more active. On the curriculum …

Arts-Based Interdisciplinary Music And Mathematics Tasks: Exploring Conceptualizations Of Equitable Creative Learning In Teacher Education, Alesia Mickle Moldavan, Graham Johnson

Georgia Educational Researcher

Preservice teachers need opportunities in teacher education courses to explore arts-based interdisciplinary learning that can inspire connections between communities of practice and allow learners to integrate concepts and imagine creative possibilities. This study reports on preservice teachers engaged in a workshop on arts-based interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks. Data included surveys, task-related artifacts, and participant observations to examine how preservice teachers conceptualize and engage in such tasks. Three resonating themes were identified, revealing that preservice teachers generally thought (a) music and mathematics are more engaging and relatable in interdisciplinary contexts than when taught alone, (b) interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks …

How Instructional Strategies Impact Mathematics Self-Efficacy And Learning: Middle School Student Perceptions, Roni R. Herndon

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on middle schools where more than 90% of the students are socioeconomically disadvantaged and where mathematics scores are below the state and national average. The study was conducted to better understand how students experience various instructional strategies and perceive these classroom practices to impact their learning and self-efficacy in mathematics. A hybrid mixed methods research design, with both embedded and explanatory sequential components, was employed. Quantitative results are based on survey responses from 94 seventh grade students. Qualitative results are based on five teacher and eight student interviews.

Informed by teacher interviews, the Instructional Strategies Impact Survey …

Using Cooperative Learning To Teach Mathematics To Help Promising Ell And All Students Develop Social Skills: A Case Study, Dr Joseph M. Furner

Transformations

This paper shares the story of Jung and how a gifted young student in mathematics learns social skills and shares knowledge and also helps to improve his own learning of the English language while sharing his understanding of mathematics with others. Students working together in math classrooms all benefit in many ways including language acquisition, problem solving, math achievement, social skills, cultural differences, and a shared sense of community in a classroom, when all working together for a goal in learning mathematics while also learning social skills so to fit in better within society. Cooperative learning plays a critical role …

The Students’ Mathematics Learning Difficulties Analysis, Wahyu Purwaningsih, Haryanto Haryanto

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aims to describe, interpret, and analyze the PGSD UPY students’ difficulties in learning mathematics 2. The research type is a descriptive qualitative research. The research subjects are students and a mathematics lecturer of PGSD UPY. The data were gathered through interviews, observations, documentations, and tests. The data validity test was done by using triangulation of sources and techniques. Proprietary interactive analysis models (Miles, Huberman, & Saldana, 2014) were used to analyzed the data. The results show that there are some difficulties experienced by students in learning numberic system especially for fractions. The pretest and post test results show …

The Perceived Impact Of Project-Based Learning (Pbl) On Middle School Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Identity And Engagement, Jonathan Olivera

Theses and Dissertations

Despite multiple calls to action, the United States educational system is not producing enough viable contributors in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These fields continue to grow, and the STEM workforce continues to expand. However, the pool of citizens prepared to enter these professions is not keeping up with the demand. Part of this issue can be attributed to a diminishing interest in STEM by students, particularly during their identity forming adolescent years. Active learning strategies have proven successful in preventing this decline with project-based learning (PBL) being one of the most successful active learning strategies. …

Integrating Computing Into Preservice Teacher Preparation Programs Across The Core: Language, Mathematics, And Science, Lauren E. Margulieux, Patrick Enderle, Pier Junor Clarke, Natalie King, Caroline Sullivan, Michelle Zoss, Joyce Many

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This paper describes the beginning of a design-based research project for integrating computing activities in preservice teacher programs throughout a middle and secondary education department. Computing integration activities use computing tools, like programming, to support learning in non-computing disciplines. The paper begins with the motivation for integrating computing that encouraged widespread buy-in, design goals, and design parameters. The primary motivating factor for this work was preparing teachers to use technology to support learning in their classrooms. Involving computing education faculty in the preparation enabled the activities to include computer science and spread computational literacy. The paper also describes the process …

Implementation Of A Tier Ii Math Intervention Program, Taylor Torres

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The impact of COVID-19 has been detrimental to student success. School closings reduced learning for all students but especially for primary students who missed critical foundational skills. Tier II math interventions within the MTSS framework show evidence of growth for students of all ages and needs. This research-based approach is a logical response to combatting the damage caused by the pandemic. Several successful research studies on mathematics intervention will provide promise of replication in other schools. This school improvement plan will outline actions toward implementing Tier II math interventions in a rural Iowa elementary school.

Power Of Yet: The Integration Of The Culturally Responsive Literature With The Productive Struggle In Mathematics, Kathleen Crawford-Mckinney, Asli Ozgun-Koca, Kristy Rebar

Michigan Reading Journal

We used a children's book with three groups of students (ages 6-9) to foster mathematical engagement through read alouds. We will share lessons learned from this experience as we integrate children’s literature with mathematics through the lens of Power of Yet.

Judith Shakespeare's Problem : Using Timss To Examine Contextual Indicators In Girls' Mathematics Achievement, Elizabeth Ann S. Kelly

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study Data (TIMSS) 2015 dataset, this study examines 30 different contextual indicators to determine significant predictors of girls’ mathematics achievement globally. The study design employs three nested levels in the hierarchical linear model (individual, classroom, and nation) to analyze cross-national scores and responses to the contextual questionnaires. Additionally, the focus is on girls as a standalone, independent population, not in comparison to boys. This research seeks to understand at which level of society the most variability is found, as well as analyze the comparative effect sizes of various explanatory contextual predictors within …

“I Just Learn Differently”: The Experiences Of Dis/Abled Students Of Color Interpreting And Resisting Normalizing Forces In The Mathematics Classroom, Dina Mahmood

Education (PhD) Dissertations

This critical phenomenological study employs a disabilities studies in education and critical race theory (DisCrit) lens to unpack the learning experiences of seven dis/abled students of color in the secondary mathematics classroom. Based on data collected from individual and group interviews, the counter-stories presented in this study highlight the implicit and explicit ways that the normative forces of ableism and racism circulate in the secondary mathematics classroom. Through their education journey maps, the participants described forms of hyper-labeling, experiences of implicit and explicit biases from teachers and peers, and rigid conceptions of mathematics that constrained their success. The counter-stories are, …

Parents And The Evolving Math Curriculum: Supporting One's Student In Elementary Mathematics, Kailyn Heather Scobie

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The current-day mathematics curriculum is evidently different from the traditional means of teaching math. Due to this, there exist disparities between a child’s math education and their parent or guardian’s math education. This thesis will present firsthand evidence on how these disparities affect a parent’s perception of current-day curriculum, the extent to which parents can support their child in their learning of mathematics at home, and will strive to attend to the needs of both the parents or guardians as well as students in supporting the learning of these new concepts and strategies. With this, the research question asks: What …

Entrepreneurship Education Relation To Mathematical Proficiency Amongst Secondary Youth, Mariam Abdelhamid

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Mathematical aptitude in the United States has been a concern over the past few decades, not only from an international perspective but from a student proficiency perspective. This phenomenon is also further negatively impacted due to COVID-19 associated learning loss. Correspondingly, there are calls for students to develop entrepreneurial skills to thrive in the 21st century economy. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine whether participation in an entrepreneurship class was related to mathematical proficiency (Algebra II) in high school. Data on students from two school districts were used, consisting of 2,741 and 1,172 Algebra II students in …

A Case Study On Targeted Support Using Tpack Model For Newly Hired Secondary Mathematics Teachers, Kristin Leigh Mckitrick-Rojas

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

As teachers plan for instruction, technology integration is an important factor in the planning and implementation process. This is become imperative in a virtual learning environment for instructors to be competent (Gregory & Lodge, 2015). Problems exist with integrating technology that aligns with teaching and learning in content areas. Among the many possible factors that contribute to these problems is lack of understanding of technology, lack of support for teachers with technology, everchanging technology tools, inadequate training alignment to instruction, technology training that is not content-specific, lack of support with the integration of technology, pedagogy, and content (Koehler et al., …

Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices On Mathematical Discourse For Diverse Students In Inclusive Classrooms, Gloria A. Carcoba Falomir

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The recent implementation of rigorous standards in mathematics education has required shifts in classroom practices. Standards-based instruction places large emphasis on students’ conceptual understanding, requiring them to demonstrate high cognitive levels of mastery of the content through communication of their mathematical reasoning. Teachers and students’ mathematical discursive practices in the classroom can lead to meaningful discussions that integrate students’ explanation, justification, and arguments of ideas or claims and understanding of the content. Research on teachers’ discursive practices has shown that (a) teacher talk tends to dominate classroom instruction and (b) classroom discourse lacks frequent opportunities for teacher-student and peer interactions. …

How To Guard An Art Gallery: A Simple Mathematical Problem, Natalie Petruzelli

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

The art gallery problem is a geometry question that seeks to find the minimum number of guards necessary to guard an art gallery based on the qualities of the museum’s shape, specifically the number of walls. Solved by Václav Chvátal in 1975, the resulting Art Gallery Theorem dictates that ⌊n/3⌋ guards are always sufficient and sometimes necessary to guard an art gallery with n walls. This theorem, along with the argument that proves it, are accessible and interesting results even to one with little to no mathematical knowledge, introducing readers to common concepts in both geometry and graph …

Using Video Recordings To Support Meaningful Reflection Of Mathematical Teaching Practices, David Scalzo

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The practice of teaching mathematics is a skill that can be continually built upon. In order to maximize the effectiveness of one’s math lessons, it is essential that they become a reflective teacher. This project explains the importance of reflecting on mathematical teaching practices, then outlines the steps I have taken to start becoming a reflective teacher. Video recordings working with math are included as part of the project, which are used as the material I reflect about.

Open-Ended Problems: How Much Time Is Enough Time?, Kaitlyn Solymosi

Honors Projects

The purpose of this action research is to observe and analyze students’ responses to open-ended questions, examine student engagement in assessment, and to gauge a reasonable timetable of how long students are predicted to work through them. A great amount of research has been conducted regarding the benefits and impact of open-ended problems in K-12 classrooms, but very little research has focused on the proper amount of time that should be allotted for them. This action research aims to establish a general rule for determining the proper amount of time allotted for open-ended problems. Implications for mathematics teachers will be …

Effects Of Actively Involving Students With Ieps In The Progress Monitoring Process, Kelly Adams

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Special education teachers are trying many ways to help students with IEPs achieve their goals. This action research study looks at one way educators might do that with the involvement of students with IEPs in the progress monitoring process, specifically students with math goals. Instead of having the progress monitoring process as something done to them, students with disabilities were encouraged to take an active role by goal setting, getting feedback, reflecting, and graphing their scores. The five fifth-grade students that this study followed showed signs of growth over the six weeks of this intervention. The findings of this action …

The Relationship Of Instructional Time On High School Students' Mathematical Achievement In The State Of New Jersey, Natalie Diaz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This non-experimental quantitative study sought to analyze the relationship between instructional time and high school students' mathematical achievement as measured by the 2019 New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) for Algebra 1. In addition to determining to which extent the district factor groups (DFGs) affect the relationship between instructional time on the performance of high school students on the 2019 New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) for Algebra 1 when controlling for staff, student, and school variables. The 2018–2019 NJDOE Performance Report provided the variables used in this study. The unit of analysis was public high schools in New Jersey …

Providing Virtual Mathematics Feedback: Connecting Research To Practice, David Glassmeyer, Mary Colclasure, Laura Alevy

Georgia Educational Researcher

Feedback is an essential form of communication between the student and teacher. Research has documented the importance of feedback in advancing student mathematical and critical thinking, with renewed recommendations to provide and use feedback in mathematical instruction during the era of COVID-19. Giving personalized feedback in an online environment can be a challenge – especially in a mathematics class. This article summarizes five core principles of feedback, associated strategies for mathematics teachers to provide students virtual feedback, and notes on how we have implemented these strategies in middle school mathematics classes.

Assessing Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices And Students’ Learning Outcomes In Science And Mathematics Across Primary And Secondary School Level: A Nationwide Study (2018-21), Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta, Nusrat Fatima Rizvi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Elementary Teachers’ Perspectives Of Direct Instruction With More Rigorous Mathematics Standards, Sharon Denise Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMajestic County Schools (pseudonym), a large southeastern school district, has implemented changes in instruction to align with more rigorous state and national mathematics standards. The rigor of the new standards has led to changes in instruction to help students master the standards with evidence from the state-wide standardized test. Although the district has made curricular changes, over one-third of the students in Grades 3-5 at Flint Elementary are not mastering grade-level standards. This basic qualitative study focuses on one elementary school within the district. The purpose was to understand how teachers implement direct instruction (DI) strategies in the classroom to …

Discussion Of Educational Philosphy For Elementary Math Educators, Daniel Kurzweil

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Lay It All On The Line: The Effect Of Teacher-Student Conferencing In Middle Grades Mathematics Classrooms, Natalie Ostrander

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Increasing math achievement continues to be a commonly talked about subject in the educational setting. This case study observes one classroom teacher who implemented teacher-student conferencing in middle grades mathematics classes. The purpose of this study was to reveal the perceived impact of teacher-student conferencing on student engagement and with student achievement. Through a qualitative approach, perceptual data were collected through teacher journaling, conference logs, observations, and an interview. Research occurred in one school district in southeastern North Carolina with middle grades students in sixth and eighth grades. After the qualitative data were collected by me, data were analyzed using …

Charter School, Kindergarten–6, Homeschool Parents’ Perceptions, Experiences, And Strategies For Mathematics Instruction, Wendy How Fayard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem for this study was the lack of understanding regarding parents’ perceptions of and experiences with mathematics and instructional strategies for kindergarten through sixth-grade (K–6) students in a charter school, homeschool setting. Dewey’s theory of experience and education was the conceptual framework for the study. In this basic qualitative study, charter school homeschool parents’ perceptions about providing mathematic instruction for K–6 students, experiences with instructing K–6 students in mathematics, and choices and adjustments concerning mathematics teaching strategies were examined. Twelve participants took part in semistructured interviews on the Zoom platform. Their interview responses were analyzed qualitatively using coding …