Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Service Learning Enhances Conceptual Learning In A Rn To Bsn Program, Henny Breen, Melissa Robinson

Faculty Publications

A qualitative study using transcript analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of service learning in enhancing conceptual learning in RN to BSN students. As part of their capstone course in an online program, students engaged in 64 hours of service learning in their local community. The transcripts of asynchronous discussions and journal entries formed the data for analysis. The findings illustrated that the student’s conceptual understanding was enhanced from the service learning experience. Further, the students demonstrated higher-level thinking by linking concepts that could be applied to nursing practice. Service learning reinforced the community-based philosophy of the School of …

Factors Influencing Math And Science Teacher Intentions To Leave Or Stay In The Teaching Profession, Scott Douglass

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that have the greatest influence on math and science teacher intentions to stay in or leave the teaching profession. The independent variables included in this study were: perceived administrative support, influence over classroom and school policies and procedures, salary satisfaction, and stress associated with teaching. A survey was sent to math and science teachers in central Virginia containing questions largely derived from the School and Staffing Survey. Stress associated with teaching and job satisfaction were significant predictors of intent to stay in teaching for teachers. Based on the results of this …

Singapore International Mathematics Challenge 2016 Photograph, International Student Science Fair

ISSF Documents - Other Years

No abstract provided.

Alternative Learning: A Focus On Increased Engagement And Motivation In A Mathematics Classroom, Rachel Loftus

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to focus on increasing engagement and motivation in an alternative learning mathematics classroom. The study uses qualitative methods to observe students in an alternative learning program's mathematics classroom as they work towards obtaining a mathematics credit needed for graduation. Direct participant observation, passive observation, teacher field notes, student assessment scores, structured formal interviews, and surveys are utilized in data collection. Following the analyzation and coding of data, the findings suggest that students need relevant curriculum and personalized learning to entice greater engagement and motivation in an alternative learning mathematics classroom. Another finding suggests that …

Students' Perspectives Of Mathematics, Karen M. Kempe

Theses and Graduate Projects

Mathematical education in the United States has evolved through the centuries in order to adjust to the demands of society and prepare students for success. A quality mathematics program in our world today requires teachers to have thorough content knowledge, an understanding of students' developmental thought processes, and constructivist teaching principles that are student-centered This study aims to examine students' perspectives on mathematics using qualitative research methods with the goal to produce theories that will help teachers create a math program that is based off of the needs of students as determined from understanding their mathematical perspectives. Centered on qualitative …

Multiple Problem-Solving Strategies Provide Insight Into Students’ Understanding Of Open-Ended Linear Programming Problems, Marla A. Sole

Publications and Research

Open-ended questions that can be solved using different strategies help students learn and integrate content, and provide teachers with greater insights into students’ unique capabilities and levels of understanding. This article provides a problem that was modified to allow for multiple approaches. Students tended to employ high-powered, complex, familiar solution strategies rather than simpler, more intuitive strategies, which suggests that students might need more experience working with informal solution methods. During the semester, by incorporating open-ended questions, I gained valuable feedback, was able to better model real-world problems, challenge students with different abilities, and strengthen students’ problem solving skills.

Impact Of The Siena College Tech Valley Scholars Program On Student Outcomes, Larry Medsker, Lee Allard, Lucas J. Tucker, Jodi L. O’Donnell, Rachel Sterne-Marr, Jon Bannon, Rose Finn, Allan T. Weatherwax

Physics Faculty Publications

The experimental group for this study included 38 students who entered the Tech Valley Scholars (TVS) program over the course of three academic years, from 2009-10 through 2011-12. Two groups of controls were used: a randomly selected sample of STEM students who matriculated in the same time frame; and a matched sample. The TVS students and controls were compared on two primary outcome variables: graduation (or retention to senior year), and final cumulative GPA. The major findings of this study are that (1) the TVS students had better outcomes than both the randomly selected comparison group and the matched control …

Pedagogy For The Pedosphere, Loren B. Byrne, Rachel K. Thiet, V Bala Chaudhary

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Final Project, Tyler Keller

Service-Learning

Tyler Keller's 2016 paper on his service-learning experiences in the AVID tutoring program .

High School Science Teachers' Perceptions Of Teaching Content-Related Reading Comprehension Instruction, Theresa D. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In order to achieve academic success, students must be able to comprehend written material in content-area textbooks. However, a large number of high school students struggle to comprehend science content. Research findings have demonstrated that students make measurable gains in comprehending content-area textbooks when provided quality reading comprehension instruction. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how high school science teachers perceived their responsibility to provide content-related comprehension instruction and 10 high school science teachers were interviewed for this study. Data analysis consisted of open, axial, and selective coding. The findings revealed that 8 out of …

Teachers' Practice Of Mathematical Reform Techniques In The Classroom, Mark Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 1989, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics advocated for a reform mathematics approach to mathematics education. Teachers in a large suburban school district in the southeastern United States are expected to use strategies that are consistent with reform mathematics. It is not known whether faculty members of a large elementary school in that district have adopted reform mathematics teaching strategies. Reform mathematics is an endeavor to move away from the traditional, direct instruction approach of the teacher as the sole provider of information toward the teacher as a facilitator of knowledge. Reform mathematics allows students to construct their …

Experiences Of African American Young Women In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Education, Yovonda Ingram Kolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields throughout the United States. As the need for STEM professionals in the United States increases, it is important to ensure that African American women are among those professionals making valuable contributions to society. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of African American young women in relation to STEM education. The research question for this study examined how experiences with STEM in K-10 education influenced African American young women's academic choices in their final years in high school. The theory of multicontextuality was …

Argumentation In Science Class: Its Planning, Practice, And Effect On Student Motivation, Anju Taneja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown an association between argumentative discourse in science class, better understanding of science concepts, and improved academic performance. However, there is lack of research on how argumentation can increase student motivation. This mixed methods concurrent nested study uses Bandura's construct of motivation and concepts of argumentation and formative feedback to understand how teachers orchestrate argumentation in science class and how it affects motivation. Qualitative data was collected through interviews of 4 grade-9 science teachers and through observing teacher-directed classroom discourse. Classroom observations allowed the researcher to record the rhythm of discourse by characterizing teacher and student speech as …

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. …

Science Teachers’ Professional Growth And The Communication In Science Inquiry Project, Elizabeth Lewis, Dale Baker, Nievita Bueno Watts, Katrien Van Der Hoeven Kraft

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) a National Science Foundation-funded, standards-based model of a scientific classroom discourse community (SCDC) was designed to meet the need for highly-qualified teachers and science education reform. The model included: (a) inquiry; (b) oral discourse; (c) written discourse; (d) academic language development, and (e) learning principles. Research and evaluation feedback were mechanisms by which CISIP become self-regulating, promoting instructional change and incorporating more aspects of inquiry-based learning with academic language development strategies. The program underwent a philosophical shift from teachers-as-consumers to teachers-as-producers based on classroom observations using a professional development-aligned classroom observation instrument that …

The Road To Reform: A Grounded Theory Study Of Parents’ And Teachers’ Influence On Elementary School Science And Mathematics, Julie Thomas, Sandi Cooper

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Though elementary teacher educators introduce new, reform-based strategies in science and mathematics methods courses, researchers wondered how novices negotiate reform strategies once they enter the elementary school culture. Given that the extent of parents’ and veteran teachers’ influence on novice teachers is largely unknown, this grounded theory study explored parents’ and teachers’ expectations of children’s optimal science and mathematics learning in the current era of reform. Data consisted of semistructured, open-ended interviews with novice teachers (n = 20), veteran teachers (n = 9), and parents (n = 28). Researchers followed three stages of coding procedures to develop …

Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Science Self-Efficacy Beliefs And Science Content Knowledge, Deepika Menon, Troy D. Sadler

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Self-efficacy beliefs that relate to teachers’ motivation and performance have been an important area of concern for preservice teacher education. Research suggests high-quality science coursework has the potential to shape preservice teachers’ science self-efficacy beliefs. However, there are few studies examining the relationship between science self-efficacy beliefs and science content knowledge. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to investigate changes in preservice teachers’ science self-efficacy beliefs and science content knowledge and the relationship between the two variables as they co-evolve in a specialized science content course. Results from pre- and post-course administrations of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief …

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Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Zur Erinnerung An Den Mongolischen Säugetierforscher Namshil Chotolchuu (1935-1990) – Im Gedenken An Die Wiederkehr Seines 80. Geburtstages 2015, Michael Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Namshil Chotolchuu wurde am 20.01.1935 in Ulaanbaatar geboren. Sein Vater war in den 60er und 70er Jahren ein bekannter Schachmeister der Mongolei. Mit Chotolchuu verbinden uns sehr erfolgreiche und prägende gemeinsame Mongolisch-Deutsche Biologische Expeditionen und daraus resultierende Publikationen sowie eine lange Freundschaft.

Mit diesem Nachruf wollen wir an ein langes Kapitel der deutsch-mongolischen Zusammenarbeit mit Kollegen der Mongolischen Akademie der Wissenschaften und an einen Pionier der eigenständigen mongolischen Säugetierforschung erinnern, der in der internationalen Kooperation, im Team der Mongolisch-Deutschen Biologischen Expeditionen und im Schrifttum sowie ganz persönlich unvergessen bleibt.

Impact Of Instructional Coaches On Elementary Mathematical Achievement, Kayla Marie Hibbard

Online Theses and Dissertations

Since the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, school leaders have sought to improve student abilities in both math and reading. Although both subjects have made improvements in both delivery and assessment over the years, mathematics still troubles the nation as students continuously fall short of local, state and federal goals (Darling-Hammond, 1998, 2005; Franke et al., 2005; Johnson & Johnson, 2002).

Instructional coaches have become a norm for many districts across the U. S. as districts seek to draw knowledge and leadership from mastery level teachers as they help improve everyday teaching and student learning. …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Investigating Cognitive Load And Cognitive Presence In An Online And Face-To-Face College Algebra Course, Jodi J. Mills

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Most research on Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988) has uncovered many instructional design considerations for learning complex tasks. Additionally, the Community of Inquiry (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) framework describes many of the learning experiences in online education. A gap existed in the literature for investigating cognitive load over the duration of a college algebra course and for investigating the relationship between cognitive load and cognitive presence. This research study has addressed this gap by investigating cognitive load and cognitive presence in an online and face-to-face college algebra course.

The results of this study revealed that face-to-face students earned statistically …

Examination Of Learning Equity Among Prospective Science Teachers Who Are Concrete, Formal And Postformal Reasoners After An Argumentation-Based Inquiry Course, Ömer Acar, Bruce R. Patton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study had two research purposes. First, we examined the scientific reasoning gains of prospective science teachers who are concrete, formal, and postformal reasoners in an argumentation-based physics inquiry instruction. Second, we sought conceptual knowledge and achievement gaps between these student groups before and after the instruction. Results were reported for 114 prospective science teachers. Results showed that concrete reasoners’ scientific reasoning gain was higher than those of formal and postformal reasoners. Moreover postformal reasoners outperformed formal and concrete reasoners on a situational conceptual knowledge subscale before and after instruction. In addition, postformal and formal reasoners scored higher than concrete …

Pre-Service Teachers And Climate Change: A Stalemate?, Helen J. Boon

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Findings from the second phase of a study of pre-service teachers’ attitudes to environmental education and knowledge of climate change are reported in this paper. A sample of 87 pre-service teachers participated in a survey study in the last year of their Bachelor of Education degree to examine developments to their attitudes to environmental education and their knowledge of climate change as a result of training. Results showed their attitudes towards environmental education were consistently favourable, but their climate change science knowledge had not changed as a result of their participation in their degree. Data on preservice teachers’ sources of …

Kindergarten Children Demonstrating Numeracy Concepts Through Drawings And Explanations: Intentional Teaching Within Play-Based Learning, Philemon Chigeza, Reesa Sorin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Using both child-guided and adult-guided learning, Intentional Teaching in the early years can be a powerful tool for enhancing young children’s numeracy skills. As Epstein (2009) notes, this can include providing “opportunities for children to represent things by drawing, building and moving” (p. 47). This paper investigates how kindergarten (four-five year olds) children represented and demonstrated numeracy concepts through their drawings and explanations, completed for a research study that used arts-based strategies to enhance children’s environmental understanding. This research study involved kindergarten children in Australia creating and exchanging postcards (drawings and explanations) of their local environments with their peers in …

Emotional Literacy And Pedagogical Confidence In Pre-Service Science And Mathematics Teachers, Tony Yeigh, Geoff Woolcott, Jim Donnelly, Rob Whannell, Matthew Snow, Amanda Scott

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This report details the findings from initial research seeking to improve the pedagogical confidence of pre-service STEM teachers by encouraging emotional literacy in the form of affect awareness. The report discusses how affect was measured for the study, what the affect outcomes were and how these measures are conceptually related to improving confidence for the pre-service teachers (PSTs). Findings indicate enhanced emotional feedback enabled the PSTs to analyse, understand and make use of affect information to reflect on their teaching confidence overall. Ongoing research will need to address the issue of negative affect awareness in teacher training, and strategies for …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 38, Winter 2016), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Persistent Teaching Practices After Geospatial Technology Professional Development, Lori A. Rubino-Hare, Brooke A. Whitworth, Nena E. Bloom, Jennifer M. Claesgens, Kristi M. Fredrickson, James C. Sample

Publications

This case study described teachers with varying technology skills who were implementing the use of geospatial technology (GST) within project-based instruction (PBI) at varying grade levels and contexts 1 to 2 years following professional development. The sample consisted of 10 fifth- to ninth-grade teachers. Data sources included artifacts, observations, interviews, and a GST performance assessment and were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Teachers’ teaching actions, beliefs, context, and technology skills were categorized. Results indicated that all of the teachers had high beliefs, but their context and level of technology skills strongly influenced their teaching actions. Two types of teachers …

Soil Cores For Kentucky Science Education, Mark S. Coyne, Carol Hanley, Amber Harris

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Book Gallery

No abstract provided.

A Guided Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiment: Synthesis And Characterization Of Various Phthiocol Complexes, Turina Jangula

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Despite proven effectiveness of constructivist guided-inquiry based instruction for college chemistry courses, teaching in advanced chemistry courses such as inorganic chemistry remains very much traditional. This persistence of traditional instructional approaches could be attributed to the lack of inquiry-based curriculum materials for these courses. In this paper a guided-inquiry based inorganic laboratory experiment on the synthesis and characterization of phthiocol complexes with four different metals is presented along with suggestions for implementation as a laboratory activity. The experiment is unique in terms of its development based on a social constructivist framework and has student discussion and conceptual understanding of inorganic …

Variables That Impact The Implementation Of Project-Based Learning In High School Science, Kellie Renee Cunningham

Wayne State University Dissertations

Wagner and colleagues (2006) state the mediocrity of teaching and instructional leadership is the central problem that must be addressed if we are to improve student achievement. Educational reform efforts have been initiated to improve student performance and to hold teachers and school leaders accountable for student achievement (Wagner et al., 2006). Specifically, in the area of science, goals for improving student learning have led reformers to establish standards for what students should know and be able to do, as well as what instructional methods should be used. Key concepts and principles have been identified for student learning. Additionally, reformers …