Mathematics Anxiety: Understanding Its Concept, Impact On Secondary Students’ Academic Performance And Career Prospects, And Effective Intervention Strategies, Sabiruddin Molla, Safwana Rashid, Saba Sultana

Numeracy

This study investigates the influence of mathematics anxiety on secondary school students’ academic performance and career pathway selection. Mathematics, often perceived as abstract and challenging, can evoke high levels of anxiety that affect both learning outcomes and career-related decisions. Data were collected from 106 students across two urban secondary schools in Kolkata. Findings revealed that students possessed a significant understanding of the concept of mathematics anxiety (t (105) = 8.48, p < .001, d = 0.82). A strong positive correlation was observed between mathematics anxiety and academic performance (r = .686, p < .001), indicating that elevated anxiety levels correspond with lower achievement. Additionally, a significant positive correlation (r = .475, p < .001) showed that mathematics anxiety influences students’ career pathway selection, with higher anxiety leading to avoidance of mathematics-related careers. The study highlights that negative attitudes toward mathematics often stem from perception rather than actual difficulty. Overall, the findings emphasize the need for innovative teaching strategies and targeted interventions to reduce mathematics anxiety and enhance students’ academic and career outcomes.

“It’S A Lot More To It Than Just Research”: Integrating Critical Data Literacy And Reasoning With Data Into A Stem Summer Camp, Marc T. Sager, Saki L. Milton, Candace Walkington

Publications

Purpose: This study explores how middle-grade girls from predominantly underrepresented and underserved racially and ethnically minoritized (UUREM) backgrounds developed critical data literacy (CDL) through participation in a week-long residential STEM camp. Given the increasing importance of data science education in a data-driven world, this research examines how informal learning environments can support CDL development among youth from historically marginalized groups.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The study draws on qualitative interview data from eleven participants, and their group-produced artifacts to investigate how the camp experience supported engagement with data and the development of CDL. Interviews explored participants' experiences with data collection, organization, analysis, and …

Slow Education, Sit Spot, And Holistic Well-Being: A Narrative Case Study In Secondary Science Education, Steph Dean, Jim Lane, Paul Bocko, Albert Gilbert, Devan A. Jones

Publications

The demands of a test-dominant education system point towards the need for students to have opportunities for unhurried learning engagements, a movement known as slow education. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term influence of Sit Spot–a recurrent, structured time to reflect outdoors–on students’ holistic well-being. Using a narrative case study approach, we interviewed a secondary field ecology teacher and seven of his former students to understand the impact of high school Sit Spot experiences during a semester-long science class. Three primary outcomes emerged: (1) enduring impact on the whole person, (2) engagement with affect, and (3) …

Electronic Encyclopedia Of Traditional Medicinal Plants At The Museum Pusaka Nias As Supporting Media For Students’ Plant Awareness, Ester Novi Kurnia Zebua, Siti Zubaidah, Sitoresmi Prabaningtyas

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Low student awareness of the existence, diversity, and importance of plants in daily life—referred to as plant awareness, which includes attention, attitudes, relative interest, and knowledge toward plants—remains a challenge in biology learning, partly due to the limited use of electronic learning media that integrate biodiversity with local wisdom or indigenous knowledge. Traditional medicinal plants from the Museum Pusaka Nias have strong potential as contextual learning resources; however, they have not been optimally developed in electronic form. This study aimed to develop an electronic encyclopedia of Nias traditional medicinal plants for high school biology learning and to examine students' plant …

The Impact And Legacy Of The Kaplans, Craig Daniels

Journal of Math Circles

As we conclude this special issue on the Kaplans, we want to leave you with some reflections on their legacy. Craig Daniels attended seven week-long Math Circle Institutes organized by Bob and Ellen Kaplan at Notre Dame between 2009 and 2016, and was inspired to lead his own Math Circles for many years. Craig collected comments from many people who knew the Kaplans.

Bob And Ellen Kaplan's Brazilian Adventure: O Círculo Da Matemática Do Brasil, Angels Varea

Journal of Math Circles

Bob and Ellen Kaplan deployed their boundless energy to spread The Math Circle word in Brazil in what they called their “Brazilian adventure.” They are the inspiration for the project O Círculo da Matemática do Brasil and participated wholeheartedly in its implementation, travelling to Brazil six times over five years to train teams of young Math Circle leaders that taught over twenty-seven thousand underprivileged children within the framework of the project.

Bringing Math Circles Into New Mexico Classrooms: An Interview With James Taylor, Amanda Serenevy

Journal of Math Circles

In this interview, conducted on December 14th, 2022, James described his math outreach journey and the many members of the Math Circle community who helped him along the way.

Corresponding With The Kaplans, Rodi Steinig

Journal of Math Circles

Readers of this journal have asked to hear the Kaplans’ voices: their tone, the way they were able to contextualize math questions, their generosity, and their joy. We think it’s important to share a few of these hundred-plus emails so that readers can feel that tone.

The Kaplans’ Math Circle Method, Amanda Serenevy

Journal of Math Circles

This essay explores what is meant by "The Socratic Method" in classical and modern times and examines the extent to which the Kaplans employed it in their Math Circles. We offer an imagined dialogue between the Kaplans and their students on the same mathematical subject explored by Socrates and the slave boy in Plato's dialogue \emph{Meno} to illustrate how the Kaplans might have handled that topic

The Joy Of Participatory Learning: The Math Circle, Peter Flom

Journal of Math Circles

Peter Flom was inspired to write this blog post after visiting the Kaplans' Math Circle in Boston.

The Pedagogical Lineage Of The Kaplans And Its Future, Taylor Yeracaris

Journal of Math Circles

This article describes the origins of Bob and Ellen Kaplan's Math Circle, one of the first Math Circles in the U.S. It covers Bob and Ellen's personal histories and some of the wide-ranging impact of their work and philosophy of teaching. It also discusses how the current form of their organization, The Global Math Circle, is working to carry forward their legacy, including building community and supporting Math Circle leaders with the Nexus project.

Introduction To The Special Issue Honoring Bob And Ellen Kaplan, Amanda Serenevy, Rodi Steinig

Journal of Math Circles

In 1994, Bob and Ellen Kaplan embarked together with other friends and colleagues on a wonderful adventure. Friends had lamented that there was a lack of high-quality math learning experiences for kids along the lines of the Math Circles offered in the former Soviet Union, so the Kaplans decided to do something about it. This special issue is dedicated to a remembrance of that adventure and its impact on the mathematical and personal development of many people.

Secondary Teachers' Experiences In International Professional Development For Convergence Research In Stem And Tradition, Rachel Sparks White, Kristie S. Gutierrez, James K. Ferri

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Convergence education promotes learning experiences that integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to address complex real-world problems. However, secondary teachers often report limited access to professional development (PD) and curricular resources that support transdisciplinary instruction. This exploratory case study examines how four secondary teachers (three chemistry; one engineering) made sense of a transdisciplinary PD model, Convergence Research in STEM and Tradition (CReST), that leverages cultural heritage artifacts (Renaissance frescoes) as boundary objects to connect chemistry, engineering, world history, and technology. Teachers participated in a four-day immersive PD experience in Firenze (Florence) and Pisa, Italy, that included site-based learning, interaction …

Solving The Middle School Math Problem To Increase Achievement, Andre Goodlow

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This study used improvement science to address persistent and disproportionate low mathematics achievement among middle school students, particularly Black/African American and Hispanic students, in an urban school district in the Pacific Northwest. Local data indicated significant deficiencies in math proficiency, with the target district exhibiting achievement disparities exceeding state averages. The project investigated root causes of low math achievement, prioritizing the enhancement of foundational math skills and the implementation of evidence-based interventions. The improvement theory centered on deploying an evidence-based core math curriculum and intervention program for incoming middle school students, tested through cycles during a four-week summer school program. …

Exploring Secondary Stem Teachers’ Experiences In Online Learning Environments: A Directed Content Analysis Using The Community Of Inquiry Framework, Tiffany Janese Lester

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a directed qualitative content analysis of 21 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and May 2025 on secondary STEM teaching in online environments. Using the Community of Inquiry framework, I examined how teaching, social, and cognitive presence shaped instructional strategies, teacher experiences, and reported challenges. Coding with deductive and inductive methods identified recurring themes: teachers adapted to digital platforms, navigated uneven levels of digital fluency, and implemented intentional strategies to maintain social interaction. The studies also revealed persistent equity gaps in access and participation alongside innovative approaches to course and pedagogical design. These themes demonstrate how secondary STEM …

An Analysis Of Ohio's Advanced Quantitative Reasoning Course, Ethan A. Douglas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Beginning in about 2018, The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce partnered with the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Ohio Math Initiative to create a mathematics transition course to provide high school students with a class that could prepare them for a college entry-level mathematics course if they had not previously earned a remediation-free score. This course was titled “Mathematical Modeling and Reasoning” and has since been named, “Advanced Quantitative Reasoning” (AQR) and has become an Algebra II equivalent course where students can receive their final math credit to graduate. This study looked to compare students in Algebra …

Practicing Professionalism Framework: A Coherent Course Structure Aligned With Effective Practices For Physics Programs (Ep3) Guidelines, Martha-Elizabeth Baylor, Suzanne White Brahmia

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Work

Many physics educators seek to improve their courses but feel constrained by traditional post-secondary structures and norms. Instructors often perceive a false tension between fostering inclusive learning environments and maintaining the rigor central to the discipline. The Effective Practices for Physics Programs (EP3) Guide synthesizes decades of research-based recommendations for improving physics education. However, it offers limited guidance on how to integrate these diverse recommendations into a coherent, course-level approach—a responsibility that falls to individual instructors, whose graduate training prepared them primarily as researchers rather than as educators. This paper begins by motivating and introducing the Practicing Professionalism Framework (PPF), …

Connecting Classroom Physics To Real-World Research: A Citizen Science Approach In Ap Physics 1, Heather M. Landgarten

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1 emphasizes evidence-based reasoning, quantitative modeling, and scientific inquiry. However, secondary science instruction often remains focused on procedural problem solving and standardized assessment rather than authentic scientific practice. This study examined the integration of citizen science projects into an AP Physics 1 curriculum to provide students with authentic research experiences while reinforcing physics concepts during the post-AP examination instructional period.

Using a classroom-based mixed-methods pre–post design, students participated in citizen science activities through publicly available research platforms, including Zooniverse. Students collected and classified authentic scientific data, analyzed real-world datasets, developed research questions, compared observations with theoretical …

Misconceptions Among Grade Ix Students Regarding The Conservation Of Mass During Combustion At Norbugang Central School In Bhutan, Damcho Gyeltshen

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study investigated misconceptions about the conservation of mass among Grade IX students at Norbugang Central School, Bhutan, and examined the effectiveness of two theory-driven instructional strategies: the Conceptual Change Model (CCM) and the Predict, Explain, Observe, Explain (PEOE) approach. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design was employed with 100 students. A ten-item double-tier diagnostic test elicited students’ responses and reasoning, complemented by semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies, paired-sample t-tests, and Cohen’s d, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings indicated that the experimental group achieved a significant reduction in misconceptions, particularly for observable open-system combustion, …

2026 Viewbook, Office Of Admissions

Viewbook

At IMSA, you will be part of a community of over 650 diverse students passionate about learning. Located in suburban Aurora, IMSA’s campus consists of seven residence halls spread across 97 acres. While living and learning on campus, you’ll make new friends, encounter new ideas, and learn to live independently. You will also have the opportunity to explore over 85 clubs, organizations, and IHSAsponsored co-curricular and athletic programs. IMSA provides a safe, nurturing environment. Professional Resident Counselors (RCs) live in each hall and will help you navigate your home away from home through the Residential Life Curriculum. Through this curriculum, …

Middle School Students' Initial Ideas And Their Connections In Proportion Word Problems, Carrie Ann Lawton

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation study, I sought to identify the initial ideas that middle school students had when approaching Multiple Batches and Variable Parts proportion word problems, as well as the connections they made among those initial ideas. I conducted semi-structured individual and paired interviews with 13 sixth- and seventh-grade students at the end of their school year. I then used the Knowledge-in-Pieces theoretical perspective to identify knowledge resources that the participants accessed when approaching the tasks, prior to any intervention on my part.

Through my analysis, I identified 18 initial ideas that the middle school students employed when solving the …

Artifact Centered Interdisciplinary Instruction Supports Secondary Student Learning In Chemistry History And Engineering, Rachel Sparks White, Kristie S. Gutierrez, James K. Ferri

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Secondary STEM instruction often remains organized in disciplinary silos, limiting opportunities for students to apply Concepts across domains incoherent, authentic contexts. This mixed methods implementation study examined Convergence Research in STEM and Tradition (CReST), an Artifact centered interdisciplinary curriculum model designed to connect chemistry, world history, and engineering through a shared instructional context. In this implementation, Italian frescoes served as a boundary object anchoring a six-day sequence on mural materials, deterioration, and restoration. The sequence integrated targeted concepts in inorganic chemistry (e.g., the lime cycle and thermal processes), renaissance era historical contacts and the engineering design process within tasks related …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

A Practice-Based Framework For Teaching Geography At The Secondary Level, Kyle F. Tredinnick

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Further work is necessary to carry out the goals set forth in geography education initiatives like the Geography for Life: National Geography Standards and Road Map for 21^st Century Geography Education Project. Methods to communicate the focus of geographic lessons at the secondary level can help guide teachers who are otherwise unaware of the ability for geography to answer questions and develop solutions to problems. Research and development of effective instructional tools to teach geography is needed. This research aims to provide a practice-based model for lesson-development in geography, as supported in academic literature. Input from higher-education faculty …

Growth Mindset In The Mathematics Classroom: Studying The Effects Of A Growth Mindset Intervention On High School Students In A Geometry Classroom, Katelyn Strauss

Mathematics Graduate Theses

Having a growth mindset is crucial to being successful in a mathematics classroom. However, many students believe themselves to be either “mathematics people” or “not mathematics people”. When students believe they are not a mathematics person, they are far less likely to engage in material where they face struggles, and thus they miss out on valuable learning. A review of the literature has show that students have been able to shift their mindset from fixed to growth through a series of interventions. I used a unit in Geometry to see how a growth mindset intervention would affect the mindset of …

Tv Versus Video Games: Their Distinctive Effects On Adolescent Behavior And Academic Achievement, Faiaz Rahman, Kathy L. Schuh

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

The current paper uses data collected from a publicly available, nationally representative data set to examine the effects of TV viewing and video gaming on adolescent behavioral problems and cognitive achievement. Results revealed that extended hours of TV viewing were associated with greater anxiety/depression and antisocial problems. On the other hand, extended hours of video gaming were associated with higher reading comprehension scores. Differing effects of TV viewing and gameplay by an individual’s sex was also found during the analysis. It is also important to note that the opposite effects that the two media has on outcomes, indicate that, although …

Enhancing Stem Education With Generative Ai: A Case Study Exploring Student Learning, Motivation, And Teacher Perception In Thailand, Parin Chawalit

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigates how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools can support STEM education in a Thai secondary school setting. Conducted during a one-day STEM camp involving 50 students (grades 9–11) and one science teacher, the study explored the use of ChatGPT and Gemini to support students’ engagement in a bridge design challenge. The research examined GenAI’s influence on student learning within the engineering design process (EDP), student motivation and engagement, and teacher perceptions of AI integration.

Thematic analysis of observations, student surveys, interviews, and AI interaction logs revealed that GenAI tools supported students primarily during the early phases …

Studying The Impact Of Co-Teaching On Students With Disabilities Self-Efficacy In An Algebra 1 Course., Shannon E. Sharkey

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Students with disabilities (SWD) at Large High School in Rural School District have consistently underperformed in Algebra 1 as compared to their non-disabled peers and SWD across South Carolina. This performance gap contributes to the school’s designation as an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) site, putting it at risk for state intervention. This dissertation investigates whether implementing a co-teaching model in Algebra 1 can positively impact SWD students’ self-efficacy in mathematics, with a secondary focus on potential gains in academic performance in Algebra 1 on the state End of Course (EOC).

Grounded in improvement science methodology, the study …

“Not Conducive To Good Education”: Insights From Interviews With High School Math Teachers About The Academic Impacts Of Covid-19 In The Classroom, Thomas G. Holtmeier, Brook K. Batch, Rebecca J. Allen

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

This study explores the academic impacts of COVID-19 and virtual learning on high school math students in the United States. Previous research has found that COVID-19 led to significant declines in engagement and test scores, alongside a widening opportunity gap among students of different backgrounds. This study interviewed high school math teachers from two private schools to understand what they have observed of students both during the pandemic and now. The findings reveal that the virtual learning experience had a limited negative impact on most students in these two schools, but teachers expressed concerns about the limitations of the …

Beyond Memorization: Developing Three-Dimensional Assessments For Earth Science Through The Carbon Cycle Unit, Stephanie Kay

Masters Projects

This Master's project addresses the critical need for improved assessment strategies in science education, particularly within the context of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Traditional summative assessments, often relying on multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions, frequently fail to evaluate students' higher-level thinking and comprehensive understanding as required by the NGSS's three-dimensional learning framework (science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas). This disconnect can hinder accurate student knowledge evaluation and limit the development of essential 21st-century skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. The project aims to enhance effective assessment by developing a high school Earth Science unit …