Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

What Does A Computer Program Mean? An Introduction To Denotational Semantics, Gene B. Chase

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

This paper is for mathematicians who are curious about how topology is being used to prove computer programs correct. Those advanced parts have been limited to Sections III, V, and VI, and they are marked by a [clock symbol]. By contrast, sections II, IV, and VII are suitable as a companion to existing textbooks in a Computer Science course such as Organization of Programming Languages, the course CS 8 as described in Curriculum [1979]. Perhaps in a first reading you might read just those sections.

Among many books and articles on the semantics, or meaning, of computer languages, …

Statistics, Mathematics, And Teaching, David S. Moore

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

In discussing our teaching, we may focus on content, what we want our students to learn, or on pedagogy, what we do to help them learn. These two topics are of course related. In particular, changes in pedagogy are often driven in part by changing priorities for what kinds of things we want students to learn. It is nonetheless convenient to address content and pedagogy separately. Pedagogy, certainly the less specific of the two, is the topic of my second paper. This paper concerns content, and in particular contains one side of a conversation between a statistician and mathematicians …

Constructivism, Mathematics Education And Christianity, Ted Watanabe

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

In this paper, I briefly describe what constructivism is and its implications in the field of mathematics education. I will then discuss what this epistemology may mean to Christians who are in the field of mathematics education

The 25 Greatest Mathematicians, Robert Brabenec

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

Many have tried to determine the greatest mathematicians in history. The purpose of this paper is to consider making such a list, along with some criteria to consider in making a rank order of these mathematicians.

Experimenting With The Calculus Laboratory Setting, Glen Van Brummelen

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

Reform of post-secondary mathematics education, particularly introductory calculus, is becoming commonplace across North America. Although there are many varieties of reform, most can be placed within the philosophical camp of social constructivism. According to this movement, mathematical knowledge is constructed in an interactive way through instructor-student and inter-student dialogue, rather than built in an axiomatic sense such as the "new math" of 20 years ago, or in the reductionistic, algorithmic sense dominant in secondary and introductory college mathematics. While I hold serious concerns about the relativizing of mathematical knowledge that occurs when social constructivism is adopted as a philosophy of …

Improving The Teaching Of Mathematics, David S. Moore

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

No one concerned about the teaching of college mathematics--and few mathematicians who are not concerned--can have missed the movement to reform teaching in the mathematical sciences at all levels. The teaching of any active branch of knowledge, like the church, is of course "reforming and ever to be reformed." Calls to modernize what we offer students are always with us. What is striking about the current reform movement is not only its momentum but the fact that it centers on pedagogy rather than on content. We ought, say the reformers, to radically alter our style of teaching. My purpose in …

Introduction (1995), David L. Neuhouser

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

Tenth ACMS Conference on Mathematics from a Christian Perspective

Classroom Personalities Of Effective Teachers Within A Technical College Setting, Fred Manley

Dissertations

This study used student ratings to examine relationships between instructor personality and teaching effectiveness for technical college faculty. Research was specifically conducted to address three questions: (1) what personality traits are associated with effective teaching, (2) do the personality profiles of effective teachers differ by academic area, and (3) are there personality dimensions that distinguish above average from below-average instructors.

Students enrolled in classes taught by instructors randomly selected from the accounting, computer information systems, marketing, and office occupations departments at five Wisconsin technical colleges rated their instructors on 29 personality traits and 18 teaching behaviors. Pearson product-moment correlations were …

A Descriptive Study Of The Implementation Process For All-Day Alternate Day Kindergarten Schedules In Michigan Public Schools, Kenneth G. Drenth

Dissertations

This research project was initiated and designed to gather data on the decision making, implementation, and evaluative processes being used in Michigan schools implementing all-day alternate day kindergarten schedules.

The major issues of concern w ere an assessment of preplanning activities transpiring prior to implementation, staff development preparations, parental involvement in the decision-making process, and evaluative data collected.

Data were collected during the fall of 1994 via a questionnaire sent to 68 Michigan school districts that had implemented an all-day alternate day kindergarten. The same questionnaire was also sent to five Michigan school districts that had implemented the all-day alternate …

Teachers' Perception Of Instructional Leadership And Student Achievement, David Anspaugh

Dissertations

The focus of this study was to investigate the teachers' perceptions of the principal's leadership behaviors and how the achievement level of the students was affected. Three middle schools representing the Prairie View Public Schools were used in the study. These middle schools were Sparta Middle School, High Plain Middle School, and Middleville Middle School.

A staff survey was given to the 33 teachers in each of the buildings. The survey dealt with 18 leadership behaviors of the principal. The teachers were asked to rate the behaviors as to their importance to them and if the behaviors existed. The survey …

A Study Of Teachers’ Perceptions Of Principal Effectiveness Among Secondary School Teachers In Malaysia, Ariff B. Kasim

Dissertations

The focus of this study is to find out the difference in perceptions of teachers on principal effectiveness among two groups of secondary school teachers in Malaysia, namely: (1) graduate and non-graduate teachers, and (2) junior and senior teachers, in seven dimensions of principal effectiveness: (1) leadership, (2) school rules and procedures, (3) school learning climate, (4) teacher/staff relations and development, (5) student relations and development, (6) school-community relations, and (7) instructional supervision and development.

The sample of this study consisted of all teachers who had been teaching more than one year and had a formal teacher training from 15 …

Schedule (1995), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

Tenth ACMS Conference on Mathematics from a Christian Perspective

Table Of Contents (1995), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 1995

Tenth ACMS Conference on Mathematics from a Christian Perspective

The Examination Of Academic Achievement And Self-Concept Between Early And Late Entrants Of First Grade Pupils, Terri J. Wells

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not students who entered first grade at an earlier chronological age could successfully compete with late-entrance students regarding academics and self-concepts. Research suggests that there may be a link between school success and chronological age for elementary students.

A study was constructed that included 18 first grade students of the same class. The 18 students were classified as being either "Early" or "Late" entrants. Late entrants were those students who were born between October, 1987 and March, 1988. Early entrants were those students who were born between April, 1988 and …

A Study Of The Effects Of Teachers' Mathematics Anxiety And Mathematics Teaching Confidence Level On Their Attitudes Toward Manipulative Use, Jacqueline L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the effect of teachers' mathematics anxiety and their mathematics teaching confidence level on their attitudes towards manipulative use. To investigate this, a survey was developed and distributed to all of the mathematics teachers in the eight elementary schools in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The survey was composed of fifty-five statements. These statements were rated on a five point Likert type scale. Thirteen of the statements researched mathematics anxiety in the sample teachers. Twelve of the statements investigated the confidence level of teachers as they instructed their students in the subject of mathematics. …

The Effectiveness Of Using Portfolio Assessment To Improve Instructional Planning And To Determine Attitudes Toward Mathematics Of Sixth Grade Students, Heather A. Moran

Theses and Dissertations

It was the purpose of this study to determine the effectiveness of using information gained from portfolio assessment to improve the quality of instructional planning in order to meet the needs of a specific group of students. This study also evaluated the change in attitude toward mathematics of the control and the experimental groups. A unit on the addition and subtraction of fractions was taught by this researcher to two different sixth grade classes. The control group was instructed using lessons designed from textbook recommendations and the experimental group was taught using lessons designed from a combination of textbook recommendations …

Gender Differences In Computing: Attitudes, Use, And Stereotypes, Mary S. O'Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the grade level at which students' attitudes towards computers begin to change. Application and gender bias towards computers were also examined. To achieve this, a survey was developed and administered to selected students in the third through eighth grades in the Egg Harbor City School District. in addition to the survey, students were asked to draw a "computer expert." Comparisons were made between males and females and the elementary and junior high grade levels.

Independent "t" tests were performed to identify significant differences at the .05 level. Significant differences in attitudes towards computers were …

Comparison Of Developmentally Oriented Kindergartens And Academically Oriented Kindergartens, Lori Ann Weyer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if students enrolled in a kindergarten with a curriculum stressing academic skills perform better or worse on standardized tests than students in a developmentally oriented program by the end of first grade.

A survey was developed to establish if a kindergarten curriculum was developmentally oriented or academically oriented. This survey was sent to schools in Gloucester and Morris Counties in New Jersey. Mean Iowa basic skills tests were then used to determine if academically oriented kindergarten curriculums score significantly higher than developmentally oriented curriculums by the end of kindergarten. Also, the mean …

A Study Of The Effects Of Using The Word Processor And Telecommunications In The Writing Process For Elementary Students, Andrea J. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

It is the responsibility of an elementary teacher to provide students every opportunity to succeed in the classroom. Writing compositions, using correct style, form and mechanics can be a complex task for elementary students. If a method can be used to assist the relief of these complexities involved in the writing process, then this development should be encouraged.

The purpose of this study was to determine if fourth grade students will become better writers producing clearer style, form, and mechanics when using the word processor in the writing process. It will also determine if the use of telecommunications will cause …

A Study Of The Effect Of A Computer Writing Program On The Writing Ability Of Elementary School Students, Barbara A. Autuore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences in the creative writing of students would arise between a group of second grade students using a computer writing program and a group of second grade students using the traditional pencil and paper method of writing. The students were also given an attitude survey to determine whether or not the computer had an effect on their attitudes toward writing.

Students In both the control and experimental groups were holistically rated on a pre-test writing sample. Both groups were also given an attitude pre-test. One group of students wrote stories …

Spelling: A Comparison Between A Formal Text-Based Program And An Integrated Approach, Kathleen Gamble

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to determine if there was any discernible difference in students' spelling performance within classrooms employing the formal text-based methodology and classrooms employing an integrated approach.

The sample in this study was 49 third grade, heterogeneously grouped students from a suburban area school in New Jersey. There were two classrooms involved with all students in each classroom participating in the study.

Third grade students in the study were administered a pretest and posttest in word recognition and vocabulary. A comparison of the mean test scores in the areas of word recognition and vocabulary for each group within …

A Study Of The Effect Of Desktop Publishing In Writing Instruction Versus Traditional Pencil And Paper On The Length And Detail Of Students' Compositions, Christine Sonsini

Theses and Dissertations

This study was based on the following question: Could it be that first grade students who receive primary writing instruction using The Children's Writing and Publishing Center computer software program compose longer and more detailed texts than those first grade students who receive traditional primary writing instruction using pencil and paper?

One group of students received primary writing instruction using a desktop publishing software program, while the other group received primary writing instruction using pencil and paper. After receiving an equal amount of instructional and individual writing time, both groups were given the same writing assignment. The students' compositions were …

A Study Examining The Effectiveness Of Teaching Reading Using A Literature-Based Approach Vs. A Basal Approach, Tammy L. Vance

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if first grade students who were instructed following a literature based program would demonstrate a better understanding of reading. A comparison was made between the test scores and attitudes of those first grade students using a literature based reading program and those first grade students using a basal program.

The design for this study was a pretest posttest design with one treatment group and one control group, both having 24 students. Both groups were pretested and posttested using the Scott, Foresman Celebrate Reading (1993), Anthology Assessment. This test was selected to measure …

Student And Teacher Perceptions Of The Aversiveness Of Behavior Management Techniques, Brent Halstead

Theses & Honors Papers

This research investigated teacher and student perceptions of behavior management techniques. Subjects for this study were all ninth grade students in a city high school. Both the students and their homeroom teachers were surveyed. The sample was drawn from a city school district in central Virginia. The sample provided 169 subjects, five teachers and 164 students.

The results of the study were consistent with previous research in the field. Students thought public discipline and techniques that involved outside forces (parents, principals , etc.) were most aversive. Students perceived token economies and private correction as not aversive.

Teaching Decision Making Skills, Beatrice Landrum Gallier

Theses & Honors Papers

Summarized in this document are results from a survey distributed to find the number of hours elementary, middle and high school teachers were trained to teach the six decision making skills to students . This survey found that at least sixty percent of all teachers responding received no training. The teachers indicated which skills were the most important for students to acquire . The skills which were most important for students to acquire were rated among the lowest for student mastery of the concept/skill. Although many of the teachers were not trained, they did report teaching the skills as the …

Developing Active Citizens: Community Service Learning In Social Studies Teacher Education, Rahima C. Wade

Service Learning, General

How are social studies teacher educators to prepare teachers for working in a society fraught with social, environmental, and economic problems? If the true mission of our profession is active citizenship, we must help our students learn the value of engaging in long-term efforts to revitalize our democratic society and the skills to respond compassionately to those whose daily needs cannot wait for societal transformation. This article is based on the premise that social studies teacher educators are in a unique position to develop future teachers' commitment to giving their students opportunities for active involvement in the community and the …

Volume 08, Number 03, Richard F. Welch Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 08, Number 03 of Reaching Through Teaching.

The Relationship Between Student And Faculty Learning Style Congruency And Perceptions Of The Classroom Environment In Colleges Of Teacher Education, Patrick N. Kariuki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of congruence between teachers' and undergraduate education majors' learning styles in selected colleges of the Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and to determine if the style congruence was related to student perceptions of the classroom learning environment. A related purpose was to identify needed changes in classroom environments based on the characteristics of the actual and ideal classroom environments as perceived by students, characteristics of the actual classroom environment as perceived by their teachers, and characteristics of actual and ideal classroom environments as perceived by men and women …

The Adaptation Of Regular Elementary Classrooms For Children With Moderate And Severe Disabilities: Inclusion Practices From The Principal's Perspective, Jerry R. Herman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of elementary school principals in Tennessee regarding the desirability and feasibility of adapting regular elementary classrooms and programs for the inclusion of children with moderate and severe disabilities. The purpose of the study was to add an administrative dimension to current research on inclusive educational programming for children typically educated in special (CDC) class settings. Data collection for the descriptive design of the study was accomplished by use of a 40 item survey instrument with a 7-point Likert-type scale for each construct (i.e., desirability and feasibility). Four ten item subscales addressed the areas of Staff …

The Adaptation Of Regular Elementary Classrooms For Children With Moderate And Severe Disabilities: Inclusion Practices From The Principal's Perspective, Jerry R. Herman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of elementary school principals in Tennessee regarding the desirability and feasibility of adapting regular elementary classrooms and programs for the inclusion of children with moderate and severe disabilities. The purpose of the study was to add an administrative dimension to current research on inclusive educational programming for children typically educated in special (CDC) class settings. Data collection for the descriptive design of the study was accomplished by use of a 40 item survey instrument with a 7-point Likert-type scale for each construct (i.e., desirability and feasibility). Four ten item subscales addressed the areas of Staff …