Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Arts Integration In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Cameron Willis

Honors Projects

In this project, we explore the question "How can arts integration techniques be used in the middle school mathematics classroom to heighten student engagement and interest while also developing deeper conceptual understanding?" Through completing a lesson study over incorporating structured improvisation into a simple probability unit, seventh grade students were able to share their thoughts and feelings about using theatre to teach mathematics.

Promoting Engagement Through Socioscientific Inquiry At The Middle School Level, Kaitlyn Kalehuawehe

Undergraduate Theses

Learning science is not just about facts. It is an area that has the potential to expand beyond the classroom. There is a concern for students having negative associations with science, and not seeing the relevance it plays within their lives. The curriculum should reflect science's value within society and its influence on complex issues. Learning science in the context of socioscientific issues (SSI) can promote an understanding that connects science to society and everyday life. The main objective of this thesis is the see how the use of SSI in the middle school classroom can promote student engagement and …

Current School District Administrators’ And Math Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teacher Buy-In For Problem-Based Learning In Middle School Math, Kelly Riley Hastings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project-Based Learning (PBL) in middle school math classrooms is a topic that has not been well-researched, even though math scores in the United States have been declining. In a school district in the Southcentral United States, the local problem was that teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math classes was unknown, as current literature regarding administrator and teacher perspectives on teacher buy-in is limited. The purpose of the study was to explore current school district administrators’ and math teachers’ perspectives of teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math in a Southcentral U.S. state. Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory contributes …

Investigating Boredom Within The Context Of Sixth-Grade Mathematics Classes, Tammy S. Judkins

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined how the perception of the achievement-emotion of boredom impacted the academic agency of sixth-grade mathematics students. The study for this dissertation was completed during the Covid 19 pandemic. Through an explanatory sequential mixed methods study, sixth-grade mathematics student volunteers from a Midwest middle school responded to survey items on achievement-emotions as well as shared their perspectives about their perception of boredom in three mathematics settings: classroom, studying and/or independent learning, and testing. Eleven of the 69 sixth-grade mathematic students participated in three rounds of data collection: the AEQ-M Survey, homogenous focus group discussions, and individual interviews. A …

Barriers Teaching Environmental Justice Education, Jodi Devonshire

Dissertations

The idea of freedom in education has its roots in the social justice movements of the 1950s and 60s. Civil rights groups coalesced independently of other marginalized groups and movements of its time. While similar in nature, environmentalism and civil rights issues rarely crossed paths. As environmentalism made its way into science education and curriculum, social justice issues were restricted to historical perspectives in education. This research initially sought to create an understanding of purpose driven, social justice conscious, Environmental Education as it is related to marginalized learners and identify the barriers of creating and implementing culturally relevant environmental education …

Mapping E-Commerce Locally And Beyond: Citt K12 Special Investigation Project, Thomas O’Brien, Deanna Matsumoto

Mineta Transportation Institute

As all aspects of the American workplace become automated or digitally enhanced to some degree, K12 educators have an increasing responsibility to help their students acquire the technical skills necessary to organize and interpret information. Increasingly, this is done through Geographic Information Systems (GIS), especially in careers related to transportation and logistics. The Center for International Trade & Transportation (CITT) at CSU Long Beach has developed this K12 Special Investigation Project to introduce ArcGIS StoryMaps, an engaging, accessible and sophisticated web-based GIS application. The lessons center on e-commerce and its accompanying environmental and economic impact. Still, the activities can be …

A Case Study Into Middle School Students' Conceptualizations Of Motion And Interpretations Of Negative Velocities, Peter A. Colesworthy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student difficulties surrounding motion have been well documented for many years. This work was inspired by the work of former MST students into the instruction of Newton‟s Second Law of Motion at the middle school level. The purpose of this study was to further investigate how middle school students talk and reason about motion. Particular attention was paid to how students defined the term “motion,” how those definitions fit into a larger framework of what encompasses understanding motion at the middle school level, and how students justified negativity of a calculation of a negative velocity.

A tutorial lesson was developed …

Toward A Critical-Pbl: Centering A Critical Consciousness In The Middle Grades, Jaclyn Caires-Hurley, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, Rachel Harrington

Middle Grades Review

The dual pandemic of 2020 that includes racism and COVID-19 demonstrates the need for students to become socially responsible and critically conscious world citizens. Students in the middle grades are developing their sense of identity while concomitantly trying to understand the complex world around them. While many teachers understand the need for critical pedagogy, many still struggle to find time to teach rigorous content standards while integrating social justice education. In this article, we propose the four pillars of Critical-Problem Based Learning (Critical-PBL). Using critical standards, critical problems, critical content, and critical discourse, we offer a framework to support teachers …

Middle School Science Teachers’ Experience With The Change To Inquiry-Based By Instruction, Patricia Adams-Gouthro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school science teachers in a Northeastern urban school district incorporated an inquiry-based curriculum (IBC) using the full option science system (FOSS) to improve instruction; however, the teachers struggled to change their teaching practices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers’ experiences with and their changes in instructional practices using the FOSS curriculum. The concerns-based adoption model was the framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on identifying the levels of use, stages of concern, and experiences and needs teachers had using the FOSS curriculum. A purposeful sample of 14 middle school science teachers, …

The Power Of A Self-Paced, Challenging, Process-Based, Online Mathematics Curriculum For Talented Middle School Students, Shari Stupp, Keith Nabb, Danielle Goodwin

FDLA Journal

In the 1960s a talented team of curriculum developers began to create the curriculum that is today known as Elements of Mathematics: Foundations(EMF) (IMACS, 2006). The founders of EMFbegan with the process-based view that doing mathematics involved reasoning, making connections, problem-solving, representation, and communication – the behaviors of a mathematician – and developed a curriculum that was consistent with what NCTM (2000) would later call the “Process Standards for Mathematics” and what the Common Core State Standards (CCSSI, 2010) would later term the “Standards for Mathematical Practice.” Through the Ford Foundation, U.S. Office of Education, and …

Reflections On Inquiry-Based Learning In A First-Year Algebra Classroom: Implications For Practitioners, Gregory P. Sand

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

This self-study examines the learning by the teacher and students in a first-year Algebra class in a medium sized Midwestern city. The author, a secondary mathematics teacher, overviews two problems of practice and outlines methodology used to study these problems within the standard curriculum of first-year Algebra taught using inquiry-based methodology. Three units of study, Inequalities, Exponents, and Parabolas are analyzed to identify the learning of students and the mathematical and pedagogical learning of the teacher. Emergent mathematical and pedagogical themes from the analysis chapters are discussed with implications for practice.

Advisor: Stephen A. Swidler

Teachers' Practices And Perceptions Concerning The Implementation Of Inquiry-Based Instruction In Middle School Science, Jill E. Wood

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this research study was to investigate West Virginia middle school science teachers’ perceptions regarding inquiry-based instruction. Teacher efficacy level, extent of use, and supports and obstacles in regard to inquiry-based instruction were considered. In addition, demographic relationships were explored in comparison with efficacy level and extent of use in regard to inquiry-based instruction. Demographics included number of preps taught, years of science teaching experience, class size, class time, planning time, professional development opportunities attended, and exposure to inquiry-based instruction in education science course work. West Virginia middle school science teacher perceptions of this study were measured using …

Eighth-Grade Students With Low Academic Performance In Middle School Science, Tennille Heath Fowler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of low achievement and failure of 8th-grade students to attain state proficiency level in science in a local school district was addressed in this case study. Data from 2012-2016 revealed that 93% of 8th-grade students in 2 suburban middle schools in the targeted state failed to meet science proficiency standards on the science Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests and the state's Milestone Assessments. The purpose of conducting this qualitative case study was to develop an understanding of teachers' perceptions regarding high failure rate of 8th-grade students to meet state mandated standards in science. Piaget's constructs of developmental and operational learning …

The Effect Of The Video Game Quizlet On The Acquisition Of Science Vocabulary For Children With Learning Disabilities, Kelsey Claire Donovan

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine if using the video learning game Quizlet in a middle school resource classroom increases science vocabulary acquisition of students with learning disabilities, (b) to determine if using the video learning game Quizlet in a middle school resource classroom increases the student engagement/on-task behavior of students with learning disabilities, and (c) to evaluate student comfort and satisfaction in using the video learning game Quizlet in a middle school resource classroom. Six middle school students, three female and three male participated in the study. A single subject design with ABAB phases was utilized …

Academic Intervention: Acceleration And Remediation, Barbara Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Eighth grade math students must pass a standards based test to be promoted to the next grade. Students who were at risk of failing the state’s annual test faced impending retention. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to see if an intensive nine-week (55 min per day) remedial Math Connection (MC) class for 67 suburban, eighth grade students identified as at risk of failing, could significantly increase the scores; concurrently, at this Title I school, they were compared with 122 eighth grade students who were not identified as at risk of failing. The dependent variable was measured using the …

Predicting Mathematics Teachers' Acceptance Of Reflective Blogging To Improve Instruction, Diana Sue Fesmire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An internal district audit identified that a rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged Southwestern school district has a lack of congruent and consistent implementation of the Common Core State Standards in mathematics. Innovative and cost-saving avenues for professional development (PD), such as reflective blogging, foster teacher learning to reconcile the enacted curriculum with the intended curriculum. This correlational study investigated the predictive power of technology acceptance and motivation constructs on reflective mathematics teachers' social media use intention and participation in informal, virtual Communities of Practice (vCoP). The framework that guided this study is the unified acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory. …

The Effects Of A Direct-Instruction Math Intervention On Standardized Test Scores Of At-Risk Middle School Students, Charles Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Educators are seeking ways to improve student academic achievement in math and to increase math standardized test scores because of the requirements of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Race to the Top initiative (RTTT). One such intervention in middle school is a direct-instruction math program. This causal-comparative study examined the relationship between a direct-instruction math intervention and math achievement on standardized test scores of at-risk middle school students. This study compared the differences in the mean scale scores for at-risk …

The Effect Of Inquiry-Based, Hands-On Labs On Achievement In Middle School Science, Donna Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the difference in science achievement between students who had been taught with an inquiry-based, hands-on pedagogical approach and those who had not. Improving student academic achievement and standardized test scores is the major objective of teachers, parents, school administrators, government entities, and students themselves. One major barrier to this academic success in Georgia, and the entire United States, has been the paucity of success in middle level science classes. Many studies have been conducted to determine the learning approaches that will best enable students to not only acquire a deeper understanding …

Effects Of Peer Labeling On Middle School Student Engagement In Stem Subjects, Stacey Kristine Stanton

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Much attention has been given to the shortage of STEM professionals entering the workforce in the United States. Reasons for the disinterest in pursuing STEM degrees are many. Some argue students are disinterested with STEM content during early adolescence as a result of negative peer labeling, such as “brain” or “nerd,” towards individuals who demonstrate aptitude in STEM content. The purpose of my study was to investigate whether peer labeling in middle school is directed towards students who show an aptitude for STEM content, and further, to determine whether peer labeling impacts motivation and engagement in STEM content. There are …

Fourth And Eighth Grade Students' Conceptions Of Energy Flow Through Ecosystems, Ashlie Beals Arkwright

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This mixed methods status study examined 32 fourth grade students’ conceptual understandings of energy flow through ecosystems prior to instruction and 40 eighth grade students’ conceptual understandings of the same topic after five years of daily standards-based instruction in science. Specific ecological concepts assessed related to: 1) roles of organisms; 2) the sun as the original energy source for most ecosystems; and 3) interdependency of organisms.

Fourth and eighth grade students were assessed using the same three-tiered forced-choice instrument, with accompanying tasks for students to defend their forced-choice selections and rate their level of confidence in making the selections. The …

The Effect Of Single Gender Instruction On Eighth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement, David Hammel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

n the research study, this investigator utilized a non-experimental, causal-comparative design (ex post facto) with archival data to determine the real impact single gender instruction had on eighth grade students' mathematics achievement. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze the benefits of single gender mathematics instruction for eighth grade male and female students, when compared against traditional coeducational instruction. Specifically, the researcher compared students instructed in single gender eighth grade mathematics classes with students taught in traditional coeducational classes by analyzing fall vs. spring Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) computerized mathematics test score means. Additionally, honors vs. non-honors …

Teacher-Student Relationships And Student Achievement In Grades Six And Seven Math, Julia Britt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzed the effect of teacher-student relationships on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) math scores for grades six and seven. Data were studied to determine if an increase in student achievement was related to the often-overlooked interpersonal human relationships between teachers and students. The researcher expected to find a correlation between positive teacher-student relationships and an increase in standardized test scores. The researcher analyzed the data of student scores in rural middle school mathematics' class and teacher characteristics to determine if a relation existed between student achievement and positive teacher-student relationships. The American version of the Questionnaire on …

Equal Or Not? An Exploration Of Eighth-Grade Students' Experience Of Algebra, Janice L. Reyes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, a considerable amount of algebra instruction nationwide has shifted from high school to middle school. In Georgia, all eighth-grade students have been required to take a course that is equivalent to about 80 percent of a traditional Algebra 1 course. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how a selected group of eighth-grade students in a suburban Georgia middle school experience algebra within the eighth grade mathematics curriculum. A qualitative research design was used to investigate students’ perceptions of algebra, the strategies employed by teachers to teach algebra, students’ difficulties with algebra, and …

Statistical Content In Middle Grades Mathematics Textbooks, Maria Consuelo (Suzie) Capiral Pickle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Statistical Content in Middle Grades Mathematics Textbooks

Maria Consuelo (Suzie) Capiral Pickle

Abstract

This study analyzed the treatment and scope of

statistical concepts in four, widely-used, contemporary, middle

grades mathematics textbook series: Glencoe Math Connects,

Prentice Hall Mathematics, Connected Mathematics Project, and

University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. There were

three phases for the data analysis. Phase 1 addressed the location

and sequence of the statistical concepts. Phase 2 focused upon an

examination of the lesson narrative, its components and scope.

Phase 3 analyzed the level of cognitive demand required of the

students to complete the exercises, and the total …

Geometric Transformations In Middle School Mathematics Textbooks, Barbara Zorin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed treatment of geometric transformations in presently available middle grades (6, 7, 8) student mathematics textbooks. Fourteen textbooks from four widely used textbook series were evaluated: two mainline publisher series, Pearson (Prentice Hall) and Glencoe (Math Connects); one National Science Foundation (NSF) funded curriculum project textbook series, Connected Mathematics 2; and one non-NSF funded curriculum project, the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP).

A framework was developed to distinguish the characteristics in the treatment of geometric transformations and to determine the potential opportunity to learn transformation concepts as measured by textbook physical characteristics, lesson narratives, and analysis …

Guided Notes In The Pre-Algebra Mathematics Classroom, Lynn C. Morris

Theses and Graduate Projects

Students who attend an 8^th grade mathematics class in the middle school at my district and who are not placed in an accelerated class, are placed in Book 3 of MathThematics (Billstein & Williamson, 2002, p. 393-466). I have introduced guided notes for the pre-algebra classroom in an effort to increase 8^th graders' classroom participation and engagement and to improve content mastery of Pre-Algebra. This study was an effort to understand if the guided notes increase student's level of Pre-Algebra mastery in my classroom. I wanted to find out if guided notes increased participation and engagement compared to …

The Effect Of The Alabama Mathematics, Science, And Technology Initiative (Amsti) On Middle School Students' Scores In Mathematics And Science, Toni Boyd Ramey

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the application of the Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) program in middle schools reduced the gaps found between students' CRT scores; specifically, did the gaps found in the CRT scores within the respective subgroups race, gender, SES, and special/regular education narrow? The subject areas considered by this study were mathematics and science. Student-level data were collected and examined for longitudinal changes over a three year period in which the AMSTI program was implemented at two participating public middle schools. The dependent variables used were mathematics and science CRT scores …

A Case Study Of Culturally Responsive Teaching In Middle School Mathematics, Rosanne Fulton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of culturally responsive teaching in middle school mathematics. The study contributes to the emerging definition of learning experiences in mathematics that support all middle school students through the use of culturally responsive teaching strategies. These experiences are organized to actualize the balance between accommodating the individual student’s culture, needs and interests and supporting the attainment of appropriate mathematics learning goals.

The research site was chosen because of its diverse and changing student demographics, and because of the achievement and growth rates of these students. Data collected from classroom observations of three middle school mathematics …

A Model General Science Developmental Writing Skills Curriculum In Alignment With Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements, Troy L. Halfaday

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design a model general science curriculum, for seventh grade students, for implementation at Ballou Junior High School, Puyallup, Washington. The model curriculum was designed in alignment with the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR's). To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature was reviewed. Additionally, related information from authorities was obtained and analyzed.

A Model Integrated Science Guide For Junior High General Education Classroom Teachers In The Tahoma School District, Angela M. Delgado

All Graduate Projects

Teaching concepts in science that incorporated different science disciplines were studied and placed into practice at Tahoma Junior High School, Maple Valley, Washington. This form of integrated teaching was displayed in an integrated science model unit. The integrated teaching was displayed in an integrated science model unit. The integrated science model unit detailed river systems and the many different sciences that play a role in creating the river environment we see daily. Research showed students learned as well if not better in integrated science classrooms when compared to students who fulfilled the traditional sequence of science classes. Moreover, brain research …