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Articles 7531 - 7560 of 19260

Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education

What's Grad School All About?, Michele C. Weigle Feb 2015

What's Grad School All About?, Michele C. Weigle

Computer Science Presentations

PDF of a powerpoint presentation from the Capital region Celebration of Women in Computing (CAPWIC) Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia, February 27, 2015. Also available on Slideshare.

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Stem Stories, February 2015, #4, Stefani Keller Feb 2015

Stem Stories, February 2015, #4, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Featured Event - STEM Career Conference

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Stem Stories, February 2015, #3, Stefani Keller Feb 2015

Stem Stories, February 2015, #3, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Program Spotlight - Women in Computing club

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Climate Change Skeptics Teach Climate Literacy? A Content Analysis Of Children’S Books, Julie Thomas Feb 2015

Climate Change Skeptics Teach Climate Literacy? A Content Analysis Of Children’S Books, Julie Thomas

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

This research focused on skeptical climate change literature designed for children and parents. The purpose of the research was to explore how these pseudo‐educational materials convey a logic of nonproblematicity about climate change (McCright & Dunlap, 2000). Using rhetorical analyses procedures developed from previous excavations in skeptical discourses, this study identified: (a) common forms of climate skepticism, (b) frames for climate change policy making, (c) areas of contested scientific knowledge, and (d) appeals for managing the uncertainty of climate change. The results suggest that the logic of non‐problematicity about environmental problems is bolstered by contradictory forms of climate change skepticism …

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Stem Stories, February 2015, #2, Stefani Keller Feb 2015

Stem Stories, February 2015, #2, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Program Spotlight - Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA)

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Creative Discussions Or Memorization? Maybe Both? (On The Example Of Teaching Computer Science), Vladik Kreinovich, Olga Kosheleva Feb 2015

Creative Discussions Or Memorization? Maybe Both? (On The Example Of Teaching Computer Science), Vladik Kreinovich, Olga Kosheleva

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

We all strive to be creative in our teaching, but there is often not enough time to make all the topics creative fun. So sometimes, we teach memorization first, understanding later. We do it, but we often do it without seriously analyzing which topics to "sacrifice" to memorization. In this talk, we use simple mathematical models of learning to come up with relevant recommendations: Namely, all the topics form a dependency graph, and if we do not have enough time to allow students to treat all topics with equal creativity, then the most reasonable topics for memorization first are the …

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Is It Still Science If You Don’T Call It ‘Science’? Discovery Orientation And Science Identity Among Middle School Youth., Patricia Wonch Hill, Julia Mcquillan Feb 2015

Is It Still Science If You Don’T Call It ‘Science’? Discovery Orientation And Science Identity Among Middle School Youth., Patricia Wonch Hill, Julia Mcquillan

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

To investigate the role of friendships in science identity formation, we are conducting a longitudinal survey of 441 students in an ethnically diverse Title I Middle School. This research-based approach, framed within a sociological conceptual model, will provide depth in our understanding of how to motivate and engage youth from groups underrepresented in biomedical science, and will contribute to the sociological literature on identity formation. Science educators assume most youth have a natural propensity toward science and inquiry, and will engage with science activities and ideas if they are presented in fun and appealing ways. We call this natural propensity …

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Engaging Teenagers With Science Through Comics, Judy Diamond Feb 2015

Engaging Teenagers With Science Through Comics, Judy Diamond

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Graphic novels or comics are powerful tools to motivate youth to become interested in science. Embedding science concepts into a story with graphics that appeal to teen culture makes abstract content approachable, stimulates youth interest, and promotes learning. This presentation will discuss the goals of the NIH‐funded World of Viruses and Biology of Human comic series and the research results that support using these approaches.

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Stem Stories, February 2015, #1, Stefani Keller Feb 2015

Stem Stories, February 2015, #1, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Student Profile - Sarah Huebner

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Hexapod Herald - Vol. 27, No. 1, February 2015 Feb 2015

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 27, No. 1, February 2015

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Content: Welcome - Congratulations - Publications - Alumni Invitation to First Ever Entomology Department Alumni Dinner - Grants - Meet an Off-Campus Student - Faculty News - This 'n That - Meeting News - Calendar of Events - Department Holiday Party

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The Relationship Between Middle School Mathematics Teacher Background And Efficacy During The Transition To Common Core, Stacy Plemons Feb 2015

The Relationship Between Middle School Mathematics Teacher Background And Efficacy During The Transition To Common Core, Stacy Plemons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlation study was to investigate the relationship between teacher background training and teaching efficacy for instructing mathematics in the middle grades during the transition to Common Core State Standards. Participants included 37 mathematics teachers in grades six, seven, and eight in the CORE East TN region. Surveys containing the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) were electronically administered to determine the dependent variables: self-efficacy (personal teaching efficacy) and outcome expectancy for teaching mathematics. Additional questions measured the independent variable, teacher background training, defined by number of college mathematics course hours taken, number TNCore mathematics training days …

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On Mathematics And Culture: Insights From An International School, M. Sencer Corlu, Burcu Alapala Jan 2015

On Mathematics And Culture: Insights From An International School, M. Sencer Corlu, Burcu Alapala

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

We explore the factors that influence the relationship between mathematics and culture in the international school context. First, we share some thoughts about international schools in general and the international mathematics curriculum implemented at the middle grades level at our school in particular. Second, we present some interesting snapshots from our culturally-diverse mathematics classrooms.

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How Can Mathematics Students Learn To Play?, Christopher K. Storm, Holly Zullo Jan 2015

How Can Mathematics Students Learn To Play?, Christopher K. Storm, Holly Zullo

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

When we teach mathematics, we strive to teach students to think like mathematicians. In this paper we discuss one particular mathematical habit of mind that students do not naturally display. More specifically our study of voting patterns in data collected from classroom voting questions indicates that the undergraduate students who were in the classes using these questions did not understand the significance of counterexamples to statements, or lacked the ability to construct them, or both. Searching for counterexamples to disprove statements is a natural habit of mind for professional mathematicians. In this paper we give examples, and make some recommendations. …

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Recreational Mathematics – Only For Fun?, Lovisa Sumpter Jan 2015

Recreational Mathematics – Only For Fun?, Lovisa Sumpter

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this paper, I explore recreational mathematics from two perspectives. I first study how the concept appears in educational policy documents such as standards, syllabi, and curricula from a selection of countries to see if and in what way recreational mathematics can play a part in school mathematics. I find that recreational mathematics can be a central part, as in the case of India, but also completely invisible, as in the standards from USA. In the second part of the report, I take an educational historical approach. I observe that throughout history, recreational mathematics has been an important tool for …

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Improving Project Success In An Online Mathematics Course, David Shoenthal Jan 2015

Improving Project Success In An Online Mathematics Course, David Shoenthal

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

With more mathematics courses migrating to online environments, it is important to know whether these courses are comparable to their face-to-face counterparts. To that end, in two different years, I taught an online and a face-to-face section of the same finite mathematics course. After analyzing the data regarding differences in the two sections for the first year, I incorporated changes intended to improve the consistency of project success between the two sections as well as the overall success of the class projects in the online section. My main tool was mimicking the interaction of group members and providing immediate instructor …

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On The Persistence And Attrition Of Women In Mathematics, Katrina Piatek-Jimenez Jan 2015

On The Persistence And Attrition Of Women In Mathematics, Katrina Piatek-Jimenez

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to investigate what motivates women to choose mathematics as an undergraduate major and to further explore what shapes their future career goals, paying particular attention to their undergraduate experiences and their perceptions of the role of gender in these decisions. A series of semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted with twelve undergraduate women mathematics majors who were attending either a large public university or a small liberal arts college. This study found that strong mathematical identities and enjoyment of mathematics heavily influenced their decisions to major in mathematics. At the career selection stage, these women …

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Vehicles On The Road To Reform, Julie Thomas, Sandra B. Cooper Jan 2015

Vehicles On The Road To Reform, Julie Thomas, Sandra B. Cooper

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

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 semi‐structured, 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 a logic model connecting participants’ discrete designations of the …

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A Quantitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between An Online Homework System And Student Achievement In Pre-Calculus, Parisa Babaali, Lidia Gonzalez Jan 2015

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between An Online Homework System And Student Achievement In Pre-Calculus, Parisa Babaali, Lidia Gonzalez

Publications and Research

Supporting student success in entry-level mathematics courses at the undergraduate level has and continues to be a challenge. Recently we have seen an increased reliance on technological supports including software to supplement more traditional in-class instruction. In this paper, we explore the effects on student performance of the use of a computer software program to supplement instruction in an entry-level mathematics course at the undergraduate level, specifically, a pre-calculus course. Relying on data from multiple sections of the course over various semesters, we compare student performance in those classes utilizing the software against those in which it was not used. …

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Constructing And Resisting Disability In Mathematics Classrooms: A Case Study Exploring The Impact Of Different Pedagogies, Rachel Lambert Jan 2015

Constructing And Resisting Disability In Mathematics Classrooms: A Case Study Exploring The Impact Of Different Pedagogies, Rachel Lambert

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This study demonstrates the importance of a critical lens on disability in mathematics educational research. This ethnographic and interview study investigated how ability and disability were constructed over 1 year in a middle school mathematics classroom. Children participated in two kinds of mathematical pedagogy that positioned children differently: procedural and discussion-based. These practices shifted over time, as the teacher increasingly focused on memorization of procedures to prepare for state testing. Two Latino/a children with learning disabilities, Ana and Luis, used multiple cultural practices as resources, mixing and remixing their engagement in and identifications with mathematics. Ana, though mastering the procedural …

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Stem Stories, January 2015, #4, Stefani Keller Jan 2015

Stem Stories, January 2015, #4, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Program Spotlight - Planetarium shows hosted by Earth and Environmental Sciences

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The Moderating Effect Of Self-Efficacy On Normal-Weight, Overweight, And Obese Children's Math Achievement: A Longitudinal Analysis, Ashley Wendell Kranjac Jan 2015

The Moderating Effect Of Self-Efficacy On Normal-Weight, Overweight, And Obese Children's Math Achievement: A Longitudinal Analysis, Ashley Wendell Kranjac

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Increased body weight is associated with decreased cognitive function in school-aged children. The role of self-efficacy in shaping the connection between children's educational achievement and obesity-related comorbidities has not been examined to date. Evidence of the predictive ability of self-efficacy in children is demonstrated in cognitive tasks, including math achievement scores. This study examined the relationship between self-efficacy and math achievement in normal weight, overweight, and obese children. I hypothesized that overweight and obese children with higher self-efficacy will be less affected in math achievement than otherwise comparable children with lower self-efficacy. I tested this prediction with multilevel growth modeling …

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Stem Stories, January 2015, #3, Stefani Keller Jan 2015

Stem Stories, January 2015, #3, Stefani Keller

STEM Stories

Featured Event - Spotlight on STEM Day

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What I Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda Learned In Science Class”: Black American Boys’ Narratives Of Past Science Teachers And Visions For A Culturally Responsive Science Teacher, Althea Hoard Jan 2015

What I Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda Learned In Science Class”: Black American Boys’ Narratives Of Past Science Teachers And Visions For A Culturally Responsive Science Teacher, Althea Hoard

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

This study follows three Black American, high school boys who participated in a “Men in STEM” book club in an urban school in New York City. Through narrative analysis, the boys describe their vision for a culturally responsive science teacher and connections are made between the boys’ experiences with science teachers and interest in STEM careers. 20 10th grade Black American boys joined the “Men in STEM” book club and three participants are highlighted due to their differing interests in pursuing a STEM major in college. By triangulation of semi-structured interviews, two open-ended questionnaires, and researcher field notes, four …

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Parts Of The Whole: Moderating Competition In The World Of Ideas, Dorothy Wallace Jan 2015

Parts Of The Whole: Moderating Competition In The World Of Ideas, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

In both biological and mathematical dynamical systems, competition may be moderated by the presence of a top predator of both competing species. Applying this principle in memetics sheds light on why some strategies are more likely than others to promote quantitative literacy in various kinds of institutions.

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Can We Use Polya’S Method To Improve Students’ Performance In The Statistics Classes?, Indika Wickramasinghe, James Valles Jan 2015

Can We Use Polya’S Method To Improve Students’ Performance In The Statistics Classes?, Indika Wickramasinghe, James Valles

Numeracy

In this study, Polya’s problem-solving method is introduced in a statistics class in an effort to enhance students’ performance. Teaching the method was applied to one of the two introductory-level statistics classes taught by the same instructor, and a comparison was made between the performances in the two classes. The results indicate there was a significant improvement of the students’ performance in the class in which Polya’s method was introduced.

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Quantitative Literacy And The Common Core State Standards In Mathematics, Bernard L. Madison Jan 2015

Quantitative Literacy And The Common Core State Standards In Mathematics, Bernard L. Madison

Numeracy

How supportive of quantitative literacy (QL) are the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM)? The answer is tentative and conditional. There are some QL-supportive features including a strong probability and statistics strand in grade 6 through high school; a measurements and data strand in K-5; ratio and proportional reasoning standards in grades 6 and 7; and a comprehensive and coherent approach to algebraic reasoning and logical argument. However, the standards are weak in supporting reasoning and interpretation, and there are indications that the applications in CCSSM – mostly unspecified – will not include many QL contextual situations. Early indicators …

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Faculty Viewpoints On Teaching Quantway®, Heather Howington, Thomas Hartfield, Cinnamon Hillyard Jan 2015

Faculty Viewpoints On Teaching Quantway®, Heather Howington, Thomas Hartfield, Cinnamon Hillyard

Numeracy

Quantway is a quantitative reasoning-based pathway for developmental math that has been developed as an alternative to the traditional remedial algebra sequence. To explore the experiences of faculty involved with Quantway, we interviewed eight individuals who have taught the course in the past year to survey their attitudes and opinions about students in their classes, the materials and pedagogies in use, and the collegial interaction of networked faculty. Faculty were selected with the intention of gathering a broad set of opinions resulting from differences of location, experience, and other factors. In this paper, we summarize those interviews by identifying common …

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Improving University Students' Perception Of Mathematics And Mathematics Ability, Shelly L. Wismath, Alyson Worrall Jan 2015

Improving University Students' Perception Of Mathematics And Mathematics Ability, Shelly L. Wismath, Alyson Worrall

Numeracy

Although mathematical and quantitative reasoning skills are an essential part of adult life in our society, many students arrive at post-secondary education without such skills. Taking a standard mathematics course such as calculus may do little to improve those skills. Using a modification of the Tapia & Marsh questionnaire, we surveyed 62 students taking a broad quantitative reasoning course designed to develop quantitative skills, with respect to two broad attitudinal areas: students’ perception of their own ability, confidence and anxiety, and their perception of the value of mathematics in their studies and their lives. Pre- to post-course comparisons were done …

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Quantitative Literacy And Co-Construction In A High School Math Course, Mark Russo Jan 2015

Quantitative Literacy And Co-Construction In A High School Math Course, Mark Russo

Numeracy

This article reports some of the key findings from a practitioner-action research study that analyzed the impact of co-construction on students’ quantitative literacy (QL) and attitudes towards mathematics. Co-construction is a process where students work alongside their teachers to plan units, lessons, and assessments, and this approach was chosen because of its potential to help students advocate for the specific mathematical contexts that would best develop their QL. This yearlong study took place in a public high school, with forty-five students in two different classes participating. Students formally contributed to the development of the course by completing written questionnaires and …

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Assessing Numeracy In The Upper Elementary And Middle School Years, Carol Ann Gittens Jan 2015

Assessing Numeracy In The Upper Elementary And Middle School Years, Carol Ann Gittens

Numeracy

Numeracy is the ability or tendency to reason critically about quantitative information. The preponderance of published research on numeracy examines this construct among either pre-K or early elementary samples, students with developmental challenges, or is focused on post-secondary and adult cohorts. The numeracy skills of upper-elementary and middle school students is less documented and understood, most notably because of the lack of valid instruments that are developmentally appropriate for the age range. A numeracy scale for use among upper-elementary and middle school students is introduced in this paper. Scale validation was performed using a gender-balanced, racially / ethnically diverse sample …

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