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1
Young, Catherine. "Adaptation of the mathematics recovery programme to facilitate progression in the early arithmetic strategies of Grade 2 learners in Zambia." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4977.
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Research indicates that many children finish primary school in Southern Africa still reliant on inefficient counting strategies. This study extends the research of the South African Numeracy Chair project to early mathematics intervention with Grade 2 learners. It investigated the possible adaptation of the Mathematics Recovery programme to facilitate learner progression in early arithmetic strategies. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of adapting the Mathematics Recovery programme for use in a whole class setting, and to research the effectiveness of such an adapted programme. This study also aimed to investigate the extent of the phenomenon of unit counting and other early arithmetic strategies used in the early years in Zambia. This study was conducted from an emergent perspective. A review of the literature indicated that children who become stuck using unit counting face later mathematical difficulties, and that teacher over-emphasis on unit counting in the early years of schooling may be a contributing factor. This study used a qualitative design research methodology that consisted of a preparation phase, teaching experiment and retrospective analysis. The context of this teaching experiment was a seven week after-school intervention with a class of Grade 2 learners aged seven to eight in a rural Zambian primary school. Data collection and analysis focused on video recordings of a sample of 6 learners. The experimental teaching content focused on the Early Arithmetic Strategies aspect of the Mathematics Recovery programme. Although limited by time and research focus, this study found that all learners made some progress in early arithmetic strategies, and indicates that the Mathematics Recovery programme has potential for adaptation for early intervention in whole class teaching to address the mathematical education challenges in Zambia and beyond. This study also found that unit counting predominated in the sample learners, but that strategies were not yet entrenched, indicating this was a suitable age for early intervention. This study makes methodological contributions to a growing body of research into the adaptation of the Mathematics Recovery in Southern African contexts and suggests avenues for possible further research.
2
Kangwa, Evaristo. "An investigation of teachers' mathematical task selection in the Zambia context." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001512.
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This research sought to investigate the sources and type of tasks used in the teaching of trigonometry in Zambia’s secondary schools, and to investigate the criteria used and decisions made by teachers in their selection and implementation of tasks. The study was conducted in three different school types located in high cost, medium cost and low cost respectively. One participant was chosen from each of the different categories of schools. The research was located within an interpretive paradigm. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and document analysis which include: lesson plans for five consecutive days, pupils’ activity books and three textbooks predominantly used by the teachers. Document analysis was informed by the task analysis guide and essential themes which were used to tease out teachers’ task practice with regard to criteria used and decisions made in the selection and implementation of tasks. Essential themes that were qualitatively established were validated and explicated by the qualitative analysis. The findings of the study indicate that teachers picked tasks from prescribed textbooks. The study further suggests that teachers selected a mix of low and high level tasks, procedures without connections and procedures with connections tasks to be specific. There were no memorisations and doing mathematics tasks. Their choice of tasks was based on the purpose for which the task was intended. Some tasks were selected for the purpose of practicing the procedures and skills, other tasks for the promotion conceptual development. Most of high level tasks decline to low level tasks during implementation. The findings also indicate that teachers selected and implemented a variety of tasks and concepts. Furthermore, teachers presented tasks in various forms of representations and in a variety of ways. However, the results of this study could not be generalized because of the small sample involved. The results presented reflect the views and task practices of the target group. A possibility for future study would be to consider a large population, drawn across the country.
3
Rogers, Virginia Lee Copper. "Teaching geometry in the elementary classroom." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1995. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1044.
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4
Omlin-Ruback, Holly I. "A study of mathematics homework." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10342.
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xi, 86 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.After spending the day learning in elementary school, most children across the United States are given homework , assignments to be completed outside of the regular school day. Most research on homework conducted in elementary schools focuses on the relationship between achievement and time spent on homework. Little, if any, research has investigated the types of mathematics homework assigned to elementary students and its relationship to achievement. Given the continued practice of assigning homework and the gap in literature regarding research that investigates type of homework, as well as the paucity of homework research at the elementary level, there is a need for further research. Thus, the focus of this dissertation was to investigate the type of mathematics homework assigned to fifth-grade students, their interaction with the assigned homework and the relationship to achievement on a statewide test. This exploratory descriptive study used a convenience sample of fifth-grade students from a school district in the Pacific Northwest to examine the type of mathematics homework assigned to fifth-grade students, their interaction with the assigned homework, and the relationship between the homework students completed and their achievement on the statewide standardized test in mathematics. The majority of homework collected was correctly completed Direct Contact Practice homework. Furthermore, the mathematical strand of Calculations and Estimations was the most frequently assigned strand. Correlational analysis indicated that weak correlations with student total RIT scores on the statewide standardized test in mathematics existed in several areas. There was a correlation of .29 between the number of correct homework interactions and state test score, a correlation of .36 between the number of Direct Contact Practice homework and the RIT score, a -.28 correlation between the number of Other homework items completed and the RIT score, and a .26 correlation between the total number of homework interactions and RIT score. When the relationship between homework categorized by math strand and the state stranded math score was examined, there was a .36 correlation between the number of Algebra homework interactions and score on the algebra strand of the statewide mathematics assessment. Limitations of the study are discussed and recommendations for future research are presented.
Committee in charge: Gerald Tindal, Chairperson, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Keith Zvoch, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Philip McCullum, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Lou Moses, Outside Member, Psychology
5
Naidoo, Anandhavelli. "Developing a problem solving approach to primary mathematics teaching: a case study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003374.
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According to recent research a focus in teaching mathematics to children is the development of problem solving abilities. Problem solving means the process of applying mathematical knowledge and skills to unfamiliar situations. A case study was done using a problem solving approach to the learning and teaching of mathematics with a sample of teachers registered at the Umlazi College For Further Education. These teachers were familiar with the traditional approach of teaching mathematics through drill and practice methods. The new syllabus that is to be implemented emphasises a problem solving approach to the teaching of mathematics. This study set out to implement a problem solving approach with primary school mathematics teachers so that they would be someway prepared for the innovations of the new syllabus. Workshops were conducted using an action research approach with discourse and practice leading to reconstruction with improvements. Early theorists like Piaget and Bruner offered ways of understanding children's learning, to help the teacher develop his teaching. Dienes introduced an element of play and Dewey spoke of the importance of experience. Dienes and Dewey show the first positive signs of recognising the importance of social interaction in the learning situation. Social interaction lays emphasis on language and discussion in the mathematics classroom. A social constructivist model of teaching and learning was used for the research. This research includes a study of the established ideas on developing a problem solving approach to mathematics teaching. These ideas were incorporated into the workshops that the group of teachers attended. During the workshops teachers were gradually exposed to the essence of problem solving techniques through much group discussion and doing practical exercises, which they could then implement in their classes. The teachers reported back at each subsequent workshop. A non-participant observer evaluated the development at the workshops. The workshops' success was evident from the change in the teachers' attitudes and behaviour as well as their feedback of what transpired in the classroom. They reported on the change in their roles as information suppliers to facilitators where the thinking process was focused on, rather than the importance of a correct answer. In the workshops the teachers themselves moved from passive listeners to active participants. It would appear from this preliminary investigation that through using a problem solving approach in workshops, inservice teachers can benefit constructively from this approach and will attempt to use it in their own teaching.
6
Waite, Leslie Anne. "Re-awakening wonder : creativity in elementary mathematics." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, c2013, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/3344.
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This thesis begins with the premise that in order to be mathematical students must first discover and develop their creativity. Within the context of classroom-based action research, the following questions are examined: What is mathematical creativity? Under what conditions does mathematical creativity flourish? And, how is creativity manifested in young children? To this end, the definition of creativity is expanded to include those daily moments of discovery, where clarity is reached and we say, "Oh! I get it!" It outlines how an inquiry methodology increases creativity and allows students to view mathematics from a place of wonder and excitement. In addition, different language-learning strategies are used to gain insight into how these strategies helped a group of grade three French Immersion students begin to define themselves as mathematically creative. Furthermore, the thesis explores the importance of relationship, relevance and rigour in planning for creativity in mathematics. It explains why a culture of not knowing is crucial to the development of mathematical understanding and confidence in young children and how ambiguity, frustration and perseverance are necessary elements in creative thinking. Also, it considers the importance of second language development and its implications for mathematics. Finally, it suggests creativity in mathematics is possible if students use dialogue and reflection to explain how their thinking is changing, or what new things they are discovering about mathematics.xii, 117 leaves ; 29 cm
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Nisbet, Leslie. "Mathematics Teaching Experiences of Elementary Preservice Teachers with High and Low Mathematics Anxiety during Student Teaching: A Multiple Case Study." FIU Digital Commons, 2015. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2193.
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This study investigated the teaching experiences of six elementary preservice teachers (EPTs), three with high mathematics anxiety and three with low mathematics anxiety, during their student teaching semester. The EPTs were selected from an initial pool of 121 EPTs who took the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale. The cases were compared in a cross case analysis to highlight mathematics teaching experiences among EPTs. Data sources included EPT and researcher journal entries, interview transcripts, pre-lesson surveys, field notes, lesson plans, and artifacts of observed lessons. Data were coded using Shulman’s content knowledge, Graeber’s mathematics pedagogical content knowledge, and mathematics anxiety characteristics.
Findings revealed both similarities and differences across EPTs as related to four major categories: (a) planning and resources used, (b) role of the cooperating teacher, (c) content knowledge, and (d) pedagogical content knowledge. All EPTs used mostly direct instruction and relied on the course textbook and their respective cooperating teacher as their primary resources for planning. Additionally, across participants, the cooperating teacher influenced EPTs’ perceptions of students and teaching. Also, EPTs with high mathematics anxiety were weaker with respect to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Findings suggest a need to re-design methods courses to address improving the pedagogical content knowledge of EPTs with mathematics anxiety. Findings also suggest a need to develop content specific mathematics courses for EPTs to improve their content knowledge. Future studies could include a longitudinal study to follow highly anxious EPTs who take content specific elementary mathematics courses to observe their content knowledge and mathematics anxiety.
8
Tynes, Curry Tiffany D. "A Comparative Study of Elementary Mathematics Specialists and Mathematics Coaches on Fourth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3731.
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Federal dollars are utilized to develop instructional programs for students not demonstrating mathematical proficiency on state standardized mathematics assessments, but there is a lack of empirical data on the effectiveness of two different approaches that were used in the local context. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, casual-comparative study was to determine if state achievement test scores of students in fourth grade who received instruction from a Mathematics Specialist (MS) during the 2007-2009 academic years demonstrated a statistically significant difference from the mathematics state achievement test scores of fourth grade students who received instruction from Grades 1-8 credentialed teachers supported by a Math Coach (MC) during the 2012-2014 academic years. The theoretical base includes two components: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and Federal No Child Left Behind educational policy, which focus on standards-based education, curriculum, assessment, and instruction to meet students' mathematical needs. Data was collected from a census sample of 13,671 students' state scores from school years 2007-2008, 2008-2009 (MS) and 2012-2013, 2013-2014 (MC). The research question was whether there is a difference in MS and MC scores. An independent samples t test was used to compare the means of all the scores. The results show that the MS program produced statistically higher math scores than the MC. This supports the limited literature in favor of MS. Positive social change includes supporting increasing the use of the MS program in the local context to increase mathematics test scores and the potential for redistribution of federal funds to develop MS programs nationwide.
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Ferner, Bernd Richard. "Elementary Teacher Candidates' Images of Mathematics, Diverse Students, and Teaching: An Exploratory Study With Implications for Culturally Responsive Mathematics Education." PDXScholar, 2013. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1097.
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Children from many culturally diverse backgrounds do not achieve in mathematics at the same rates as their counterparts from the dominant White, European-American culture (Gay, 2010). This so-called achievement gap is an artifact of an educational system that continues to fail to provide equal learning opportunities to culturally diverse children (Ladson-Billings, 2006; Nieto & Bode, 2011). Teachers who employ culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2010) may help to close this opportunity gap and hence, the achievement gap. This study investigated, "How do elementary teacher candidates perceive teaching mathematics in a multicultural environment"; Using a critical constructivism research paradigm, this qualitative instrumental multiple case study involved a questionnaire, two interviews and a focus group with four elementary teacher candidates enrolled in a one-year teaching licensure program. The study examined elementary teacher candidates' images of mathematics and diverse students and the relationship between those images and their perceptions of teaching mathematics in a multicultural environment. The study concluded that the participants', images of mathematics, learners, and the teaching of mathematics were interrelated. The participants struggled to understand how students' diversity based on group membership (e.g., culture) influences a mathematics classroom and their teaching. However, on the basis of these participants, teacher candidates who hold a conceptual image of mathematics could be more open to adopting culturally responsive teaching than teacher candidates who hold a procedural image of mathematics. The study recommends the integration and modeling of culturally responsive teaching throughout all teacher education coursework.
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Olsson, Rebecca, Isabell Petersson, and Emilie Williamsson. "Same numbers, different standards : A minor field study of mathematic teaching in an elementary school in Thailand." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för datavetenskap, fysik och matematik, DFM, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-11912.
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The purpose of this study is to illustrate how teachers, in a private school in Thailand, organize and plan their mathematic teaching, what material they use and how the teachers challenge the students. In the background, we report briefly about Thailand and the school's history. Then a presentation follows of previous research that has been made within our chosen subject. The theories are linked to our research questions, such as mathematic teaching, mathematic material and gifted students, according to Western literature. You can also find a short summary of the curriculum for mathematics, from the government in Thailand. Trough a qualitative method five interviews with mathematic teachers and observations in their classes have been conducted and this result have been analyzed and discussed. Interview and observation guides were used with the purpose to give the respondents room to develop their reasoning with the help of our follow- up questions. Trough our interviews and observations we have come to a result that shows that the teachers organized their teaching according to a Brain based learning pattern and after the governments curriculum. The mathematic material consisted of mathematic books, laminated sticks, bars, number cards and also of computer programs. The mathematic books were not individualized but played a significant part of the teaching. The plastic material was used to concretize the mathematics. The school had the idea that separating the gifted students from the others in the group was positive for their development. The gifted students were challenged by more difficult mathematics meant for older students and had to work at a higher pace than their peers. The results can not be generalized for all schools in Thailand. When the study is relatively small, it only shows how a part of the mathematics teaching is implemented at the school where the study was conducted.
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DUNCAN, JAMES EDWIN. "THE HEURISTICS UTILIZED BY FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS IN SOLVING VERBAL MATHEMATICS PROBLEMS IN A SMALL GROUP SETTING." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/188045.
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Specific to the recommendation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1980) to identify and analyze problem solving strategies and the settings in which the development of these strategies could be optimized, this study is a compilation of three case studies which describe what elementary school children say and do when solving verbal mathematics problems in small groups. Persuant to this goal, three four-member groups were selected and asked to reach a consensus within each group on the solution to a variety of routine and non-routine problems. In this relatively unstructured setting, transcriptions of verbal interactions, written records of all computations, and observer notes were compiled for each group. The resulting identification and description of the problem solving behaviors which occurred were analyzed in terms of two broad interactive functions by which children seek to understand verbal problems: the construction of mental representations or physical displays of the problems and the evaluations of these constructions. Representations, in this perspective, are constructed at two levels: a contextual level at which the problem situation is linguistically interpreted and a structural level at which a statement of a problem underlying mathematical structure is defined. Evaluations also occur which allow group members to monitor their understanding and direct the course of the problem solving effort. The findings indicate that intermediate aged children when solving problems in small groups display general patterns of behavior. These patterns of behavior include: the manner in which the groups approach and effectively isolate the contextual elements of a verbal problem, the propensity of groups to change the mode in which a problem is represented by utilizing manipulatives, diagrams, tables and other physical displays, and the manner in which groups monitor the course of problem solving and reach consensuses on solution proposals. Within this general pattern, however, specific subject and task variables characterize individual groups, affecting both the group interaction and the incidence of specific problem solving behaviors. These findings suggest practical classroom applications for group problem solving formats in the elementary school classroom. Additional research, however, must provide the link between group problem solving and individual performance.
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Dogan, Oguzhan. "A Study On Pattern Of 6th Grade Elementary Mathematics Lesson." Master's thesis, METU, 2006. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12607985/index.pdf.
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The purpose of this study is to interpret observations of three 6th grade elementary mathematics classrooms throughout a unit in detail. Specifically, this study examined the patterns and traditions related with teaching practices in the context of teaching a unit, teaching a topic, and single lessons, and described frequently observed teaching features in mathematics lessons. This study presented a detailed description and analysis of teaching practices of three experienced mathematics teacher from three public elementary schools. The participated teachers were directly observed through teaching a different mathematics unit. The teaching and learning practices in each classroom was described and analyzed both separately and together.
The results of this study indicated that teaching a mathematics unit could be described as the combination of separately taught topics where the sequences of topics are strictly determined by elementary mathematics curriculum. There was no specific practice aiming to construct relation between unit&rsquos concepts and other school subjects, other mathematics concepts, and among these concepts. Teaching practices throughout a topic showed explicit similarities so that a pattern for teaching a topic can be described as demonstrating the new content, practicing the new content, and assigning and doing homework. It was not possible to draw a pattern for teaching practices in elementary mathematics lessons by using single lesson periods as a unit of analysis. &lsquo
Practicing&rsquo
was the most occurred activity in elementary mathematics lessons. Based on the findings some suggestions for future research studies were proposed, and some implications for teachers, teacher educators and policy makers were delivered.
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Afonso, Dominique Gabriala. "The development of algebraic thinking in the foundation phase: a comparative study of two different curricula." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2864.
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Thesis (MEd)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019.The mathematics results in South Africa are alarmingly low, with a number of high school learners unable to compute basic operations. International test results show South Africa consistently ranks low in comparison to other countries whilst Singapore continues to perform well. Some schools in South Africa have decided to adopt the Singaporean method of teaching mathematics, known as Singapore Maths, in the hope of improving learner results. This study seeks to understand how two different curricula, South African and Singapore, provide opportunity for the development of algebraic thinking in the Foundation Phase. There is ongoing research which suggests a link between algebraic thinking (Early Algebra) and a deeper conceptual understanding of mathematics (Blanton & Kaput, 2003). This study comprises a qualitative case study of two schools using different curricula and textbooks to teach algebraic thinking with a special focus on patterns and functional thinking. Data were gathered using document analysis of curriculum and textbooks; learner tests; semi structured interviews with class teachers and focus group interviews with Grade 3 learners from each curriculum group. The analysis process involved pattern matching and building explanations related to each data collection instrument using Blanton, Brizuela, Gardiner, Sawrey and Newman-Owen’s (2015) levels of sophistication in learner’s thinking about functional relationships. The results of the study suggest that although South African learners have the potential to think algebraically, they are not, however, always offered the opportunities to do so. The importance of suitable mathematical activities and scaffolding is highlighted and the critical need for professional development for teachers in which the importance of Early Algebra is defined and explained. It is imperative that the curriculum and textbooks activities are relooked at to address the development of algebraic thinking in the early grades and shift the focus from an emphasis on arithmetic relationships to thinking in generalised ways about functional relationships.
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Fraser, Claire Anne. "The development of the common fraction concept in grade three learners." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003379.
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Over a period of nine months in 1999, a longitudinal teaching intervention was undertaken with Grade 3 learners in the Fort Beaufort district, Eastern Cape. Working in the interpretive paradigm, the intervention focussed on: - the development of the common fraction concept, - the relevance of the hierarchy of Murray and Olivier’s Four Levels of Development in common fractions and - whether learners’ informal knowledge could be utilised in developing this concept. Using the Problem-centred approach to teaching mathematics, problems set in reallife contexts were used as vehicles for learning. Learners were required to discuss, reflect and make sense of the mathematics they were doing. Participant observation, completed worksheets and unstructured interviews with learners, formed the primary method of data collection. Learners’ work was analysed and classified according to the method used and manner in which the solution was notated. Results showed that learners were able to achieve a significant degree of success in developing a stable common fraction concept. Learners were afforded opportunities to construct their own ideas and to develop a deeper understanding of the concept. Many methods used were based on their informal knowledge of sharing. Learners made sense of realistic problems using drawings, and invented their own procedures. Apart from Level One, Phase Three, all Murray and Olivier’s Levels of Development could be identified during the research. This study will provide educators with valuable information on how learners solve mathematical problems involving fractions and how informal knowledge can be used as a foundation on which to build.
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Hughes, Patricia Ann. "A study to assess the achievement of established learning objectives of the mathematics program of a small midwestern elementary school." Virtual Press, 1986. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/506640.
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The purposes of the study were threefold: (1) to assess whether the math program of a small, midwestern elementary school was meeting the district's established cognitive mathematics objectives, (2) to make recommendations for improvement of the existing mathematics program and (3) to provide a basis for the cognitive components of elementary mathematics program evaluation suitable for adoption by school corporations of a similar size.The study was designed to determine the following: Does the existing mathematics program currently conducted by a small, midwestern elementary school meet the stated program learning objectives as measured by the Metropolitan Achievement Test and the program's criterion-referenced tests?The review of literature considered pertinent for the study was reviewed and categorized as. follows: (1) history and overview of achievement assessments, (2) evaluation of mathematics achievement, (3) mathematics teaching today, and (4) mathematics program recommendations. The population for the study was defined as those students in kindergarten through grade six in a small, midwestern elementary school enrolling 506 students who had been administered the Metropolitan Achievement Test during the week of April 28, 1985.The assessment of the achievement of the cognitive mathematics objectives was dependent upon results of the mathematics subtest scores of the Metropolitan Achievement Test, Form JS, Survey Battery and the criterion-referenced tests of the U-SAIL Mathematics Program. Data obtained from the tests were analyzed, summarized and presented in a narrative report.Based upon the results of the study using the MAT the following conclusions have been drawn:1. At all grade levels, the mathematics program learning objectives as measured by the MAT are generally met, however, the proportion of the curriculum measured is not adequate for assessing achievement of the district's established mathematics cognitive objectives.2. The Metropolitan Achievement Test does not measure enough objectives to adequately assess achievement of the program's mathematics cognitive objectives.Based upon the results of the study using the U-SAIL criterion-referenced tests, the following conclusions have been drawn:1. At kindergarten, first and second grade levels, the objectives are adequately met. The program is effective.2. At third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade levels, the objectives are being inadequately met. The program is ineffective.68
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Leung, King-shun, and 梁景信. "Pre-service teachers' attitudes towards mathematics and mathematics education." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B30106515.
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Lachman, Judy. "A study of mainstreaming in the elementary school." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1985. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/154.
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Trofort, Michelle McCabe. "A Qualitative Case Study About Online Reflection for Elementary Mathematics Teachers." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7203.
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Many teachers report that they rarely engage in reflection. Asynchronous forums have been used to foster reflection among prospective teachers, but there is limited research about the allocation of time for reflection in an asynchronous forum for practicing teachers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to (a) determine teachers' perceptions about the benefits and drawbacks of the use of an online forum to allocate time for reflection and (b) to classify the levels of the teachers' reflections in the forum. A conceptual framework based on select writings by Dewey, Hatton and Smith, and van Manen was used to guide this study. The research questions addressed teachers' perceptions of the benefits, drawbacks, and use of a forum to allocate time to reflect as well as the levels of reflection achieved by the teachers in the forum. Ten online discussions and 2 sets of questionnaires were analyzed and coded using constant comparative data analysis. Seven elementary mathematics teachers completed the study and 52% and 56% of the discussion postings were coded as critical reflections using Hatton and Smith's framework and a summary of van Manen's framework, respectively. The themes pertaining to the benefits of reflecting online were convenience, sharing, and learning. Peer-to-peer interactions, however, were infrequent, and the teachers indicated that time was a factor that limited participation. This study may effect positive social change by advancing knowledge about using online forums to provide teachers with time earmarked for reflection focused on improving mathematics teaching and learning. Furthermore, educators can use information from this study to design online professional development experiences that include opportunities for reflection and reflective practice.
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Vaughn, Christy H. "Middle School Mathematics Students' Perspectives on the Study of Mathematics." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/980.
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This qualitative study addressed the perceptions toward the study of mathematics by middle school students who had formerly been in a remedial mathematics program. The purpose of the study was to explore the past experiences of nine students in order to determine what is needed for them to feel successful in mathematics. The conceptual framework of the study was grounded in philosophies of motivation, including achievement goal theory, self-worth theory, self-efficacy theory, expectancy-value theory, and attribution theory. The study used a phenomenological research design to answer the key research question, which focused upon the experiences of students and the meaning that was given to these experiences. Data were collected and analyzed from individual interviews with 9 students and a focus group session. The findings of the study revealed that participants' past experiences influenced their current attitudes about the study of mathematics. Perceptions of mathematical ability, history of success or failure with grades, and the influence of the teacher and peers in the learning environment most influenced students' attitudes about mathematics. Moreover, current feelings impact the degree to which a student puts forth effort in the study of mathematics, and the relationship with the mathematics teacher had the greatest impact on student attitudes. To improve the perceptions that students have about the study of mathematics, expanded professional development opportunities may bring increased awareness of students' perceptions of the study of mathematics, and develop remedial mathematics programs that remove the negative stigma associated with them. The research study could lead to social change as its purpose is to improve student achievement in mathematics through changes in the remedial mathematics program.
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Lee, Suk-ching Penelope, and 李淑靜. "Teachers' usage of textbooks in primary six classes: an investigation on how primary six social studies andmathematics teachers use textbooks in their teaching." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31958783.
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Prusaczyk, Jennifer Jensen. "Epistemological Connections to PreK-8 Teachers' Descriptions of Good Teaching, Good Student Behavior, and Teaching for Understanding: A Mixed Methods Study." OpenSIUC, 2011. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/323.
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF JENNIFER JENSEN PRUSACZYK, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, presented on APRIL 7, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: EPISTEMOLOGICAL CONNECTIONS TO PRE K-8 TEACHERS' DESCRIPTIONS OF GOOD TEACHING, GOOD STUDENT BEHAVIOR, AND TEACHING FOR UNDERSTANDING: A MIXED METHODS STUDY MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. D. John McIntyre A mixed methods study design was used to investigate the relationship between elementary teachers' epistemology, as measured by the Learning Context Questionnaire (Griffith & Chapman, 1982) and teachers' descriptions of good teaching, good student behaviors, and teaching for understanding. Teachers' (N = 36) descriptions were collected after they had participated in a three-year professional development program designed to assist teachers in listening to and using students' thinking. The descriptions were open coded, following the recommendations of Corbin and Strauss (1990). Each set of descriptions was coded independently. Nine emergent themes support study request one: List three things a [Pre] K- 8 teacher should do to teach mathematics for understanding. Eight emergent themes support study request two: List three things a good mathematics teacher usually does. Six emergent themes support study request three: List three things a good mathematics student usually does. This study is not a study of practice, but rather a study of the language used to describe something of value and the relationship of that language with personal epistemology. Findings indicate that based on teachers' descriptions, 75% of the teachers exhibit an awareness of reform based teaching strategies, 61% of the teachers exhibit an intention to provide reform based learning opportunities while only 44% of the teachers exhibit reform based expectations of students. Based on this sample, little support for the connection between epistemology and teachers' descriptions emerged. Furthermore, this sample exhibited no connection between general epistemology and years of teaching experience. The observation that some teachers exhibit a higher Measure of Coherence is an unexpected finding of this study and provides a foundation for future research.
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Johnson, Virginia Mae. "Manipulative materials in mathematics instruction: Addressing teacher reluctance." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1993. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/636.
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Brown, Bruce John Lindsay. "The initial grounding of rational numbers : an investigation." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006351.
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This small scale exploratory research project investigated the grounding of rational number concepts in informal, everyday life situations. A qualitative approach was taken to allow for the identification and then in depth investigation, of issues of importance for such a grounding of rational number understanding. The methodology followed could be seen as a combination of grounded theory and developmental research. And the data was generated through in-depth and clinical interviews structured around a number of grounded tasks related to rational numbers. The research comprised three cycles of interviews that were transcribed and then analysed in detail, interspersed with periods of reading and reflection. The pilot cycle involved a single grade three teacher, the second cycle involved 2 grade three teachers and the third cycle involved 2 grade three children. The research identified a number of different perspectives that were all important for the development of a fundamental intuitive understanding that could be considered personally meaningful to the individual concerned and relevant to the development of rational number concepts. Firstly in order to motivate and engage the child on a personal level the grounding situation needed to be seen as personally significant by the child. Secondly, coordinating operations provided a means of developing a fundamental intuitive understanding, through coordination with affording structures of the situation that are relevant to rational numbers. Finally, goal directed actions that are deliberately structured to achieve explicit goals in a situation are important for the development of more explicit concepts and skills fundamental for rational number understanding. Different explicit structures give rise to different interpretations of rational numbers in grounding situations. In addition to these perspectives, it became evident that building and learning representations was important for developing a more particularly mathematical understanding, based on the fundamental understanding derived from the child's grounded experience. The conclusion drawn in this research as a result of this complexity, is that to achieve a comprehensive and meaningful grounding, children's learning of rational numbers will not follow a simple linear trajectory. Rather this process forms a web of learning, threading coordinating operations for intuitive development, interpretations for explicit grounding and representations to develop more formal mathematical conceptions.
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Park, Yee-han, and 白綺嫻. "Primary mathematics teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of the teaching of quadrilaterals." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31963481.
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Fung, Tak-fong Agnes, and 馮德芳. "An investigation of young children's thinking processes on solving practical mathematics tasks." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31960091.
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Callahan, Philip. "Learning and development of probability concepts: Effects of computer-assisted instruction and diagnosis." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/184873.
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This study considered spontaneous versus feedback induced changes in probability strategies using grouped trials of two-choice problems. Third and sixth grade Anglo and Apache children were the focus of computer assisted instruction and diagnostics designed to maximize performance and measure understanding of probability concepts. Feedback, using indeterminate problems directed at specific strategies, in combination with a large problem set permitted examination of response latency and hypothesis alternation. Explicit training, in the form of computer based tutorials administered feedback as: (a) correctness and frequency information, (b) mathematical solutions, or (c) in a graphical format, targeted by weaknesses in the prevailing strategy. The tutorials encouraged an optimal proportional strategy and sought to affect the memorial accessibility or availability of information through the vividness of presentation. As the subject's response selection was based on the query to select for the best chance of winning, each bucket of the two-choice bucket problems was coded as containing target or winner (W) balls and distractor or loser (L) balls. Third and sixth grade subjects came to the task with position oriented strategies focusing on the winner or target elements. The strategies' sophistication was related to age with older children displaying less confusion and using proportional reasoning to a greater extent than the third grade children. Following the tutorial, the subjects displayed a marked decrease in winners strategies deferring instead to strategies focusing on both the winners and losers; however, there was a general tendency to return to the simpler strategies over the course of the posttest. These simpler strategies provided the fastest response latencies within this study. Posttest results indicated that both third and sixth grade subjects had made comparable gains in the use of strategies addressing both winners and losers. Based on the results of a long-term written test, sixth grade subjects appeared better able to retain or apply the knowledge that both winners and losers must be considered when addressing the two-choice bucket problems. Yet, for younger children, knowledge of these sophisticated strategies did not necessarily support generalization to other mathematical skills such as fraction understanding.
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Mntunjani, Lindiwe. "The use of mathematical resources to teach number concepts in the foundation phase." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2494.
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Thesis (MEd (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.The poor performance of learners in mathematics has long been a matter of concern in South Africa. One certain fact from the Annual National Assessment (ANA) results is that the problem starts in the Foundation Phase (FP) with number concepts. The aim of this study was to explore how five Foundation Phase teachers located in challenging socio-economic school contexts in the Western Cape used mathematical resources to promote teaching for understanding of the important number concept area in CAPS. These resources included humans, materials, culture and time. The research was located within the interpretive qualitative research paradigm and used a case study approach. The participants in the study included five FP teachers teaching Grades 1 to 3 at two schools in the Western Cape. Data was collected through lesson plan analysis, lesson observations and semi-structured interviews. The data collected was then analysed through the lens of Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory. Socio-cultural theory maintains that knowledge is best acquired if it is mediated by language, more knowledgeable others and physical tools. Vygotsky believed that knowledge is first acquired interpersonally, then intrapersonally, as learners first learn from others, then internalise or individualise knowledge while going through the four stages of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The findings of this study revealed that teaching for understanding was often compromised by teaching to enable learners to pass assessments. Teachers understood the importance of using resources to teach number concepts in the Foundation Phase, but inclined to rote teaching with work drills in preparation for assessments such as the Annual National Assessment (ANA) and the systemic assessment. Resources were often used when learners struggled to understand concepts and as calculation tools. This study supports the view from the literature that the way in which resources are used affects the teaching and learning of number concepts. It recommends that teachers should read and follow the CAPS mathematics document, as it clearly states what resources to use and how. This study further recommends that more research on the use of resources to teach mathematics in other content areas should be done.
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Kruger, H. J. M. "Research portfolio." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005629.
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Paper 1. The purpose of this analysis is to critically evaluate the Lower Primary Mathematics programme within the context of the Namibian educational reform, against the backdrop of learner-centred education from within the Constructivist epistemology. Through the analysis of a small-scale survey, I will try to determine the extent to which learners, teachers and other educationalists, involved in the Lower Primary school phase, understand the new approach to Mathematics and their pedagogical and theoretical insight into the new programme. I will also analyse the syllabus documents in view of the educational policies and further discuss the social, historical and economic background to the reform. I will then analyse the progress or development of the reform process through discussing the learning environment as well as the learners who are the central participants in education. Paper 2.This critical discussion aims to explore the prospects and underlying principles of the epistemologies of two opposing paradigms of education: Behaviourism and Constructivism. I have critically examined and compared the theoretical aspects that shape and inform the model of instruction and the systemic implications of the learning process. The purpose was to compare both learning theories and to draw a conclusion of which the better epistemology is for the teaching and learning process. Paper 3. This is an investigation into the theories that underpin and inform mathematics teaching in the Lower Primary phase of the primary school in Namibia. The Namibian society requires the development of knowledge and understanding, skills and competencies, attitudes and values, which everyone must have to be able to function adequately in society on a social, economic and political level (MBESC 1996). We need to seek ways of enhancing mathematics teaching in Namibia if we want to live up to the expectations of our society. Paper 4. Mathematicians and researchers across the globe have theorised and speculated about education reform movements, which aim for more than just structural knowledge where it concerns Mathematics. This action research study is based on the findings of a pilot study about 'Problem-based Learning', using this as a basis to investigate the relationship between the intentions of the Lower Primary Mathematics curriculum and its implementation at classroom level. This paper reports on a case study of two grade one teachers' perceptions of problem solving as a key component of Mathematics learning and how the implementation of the problem-based approach could be supported through intervention. Data was gathered from a series of cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting. Analysis of the data indicates that teachers' professional development lies within a willingness to change and in reflexive practice. Given focused support to teachers could result in the application of contemporary approaches to Mathematics teaching, with an overall improvement of constructivist-oriented learner-centred education.
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McBryde, Joan Horton. "Assisting the learning disabled through the use of math manipulatives." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1993. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/670.
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Burris, LaPonya Alexandria. "A Case Study of Differentiated Instruction in Upper Elementary Mathematics and Reading Classrooms." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/932.
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Elementary students in one school have shown a decline in proficient and advanced performance on statewide assessments. This decline increased for reading and mathematics achievement from 2003--2008, especially for disabled and minority students in grades 3--5. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the extent to which differentiated instruction was implemented in instructional practices to increase student academic performance. Vygotsky's theory of constructivism, Bruner's theory of problem solving, and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences provided the conceptual frameworks for this study. The research questions focused on the instructional strategies and resources used by teachers. Data included interviews, observations, and lesson plans from 2 third-grade, 2 fourth-grade, and 2 fifth-grade teachers. Data were coded using categorical aggregation through the use of inductive analysis to identify patterns. Results included the processes used to determine ability levels, methods used to differentiate instruction, and resources used to supplement instruction. Findings revealed that teachers differentiated instruction using a variety of strategies. It is recommended that a program that features differentiated math instruction could be offered, more time could be allocated for collaborative planning, and support could be offered for classroom management. This research has the potential to effect positive social change by equipping teachers, through professional development opportunities, to implement strategies relative to their students' learning needs.
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Armstrong, Barbara Ellen. "The use of rational number reasoning in area comparison tasks by elementary and junior high school students." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/184910.
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The purpose of this study was to determine whether fourth-, sixth-, and eighth-grade students used rational number reasoning to solve comparison of area tasks, and whether the tendency to use such reasoning increased with grade level. The areas to be compared were not similar and therefore, could not directly be compared in a straightforward manner. The most viable solution involved comparing the part-whole relationships inherent in the tasks. Rational numbers in the form of fractional terms could be used to express the part-whole relationships. The use of fractional terms provided a means for students to express the areas to be compared in an abstract manner and thus free themselves from the perceptual aspects of the tasks. The study examined how students solve unique problems in a familiar context where rational number knowledge could be applied. It also noted the effect of introducing fraction symbols into the tasks after students had indicated how they would solve the problems without any reference to fractions. Data were gathered through individual task-based interviews which consisted of 21 tasks, conducted with 36 elementary and junior high school students (12 students each in the fourth, sixth, and eighth grades). Each interview was video and audio taped to provide a record of the students' behavioral and verbal responses. The student responses were analyzed to determine the strategies the students used to solve the comparison of area tasks. The student responses were classified into 11 categories of strategies. There were four Part-Whole Categories, one Part-Whole/Direct Comparison Combination category and six Direct Comparison categories. The results of the study indicate that the development of rational number instruction should include: learning sequences which take students beyond the learning of a set of fraction concepts and skills, attention to the interaction of learning and the visual aspects of instructional models, and the careful inclusion of different types of fractions and other rational number task variables. This study supports the current national developments in curriculum and evaluation standards for mathematics instruction which stress the ability of students to problem solve, communicate, and reason.
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Fasteen, Jodi I. "An Investigation of the Role of Alternate Numeration Systems in Preservice Teacher Mathematics Content Courses." PDXScholar, 2015. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/2314.
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Alternate numeration systems are common in preservice teacher (PST) mathematics curricula, but there is limited research on how to leverage alternate systems to promote the development of mathematical knowledge for teaching. I analyzed the role of alternate numeration systems in three ways. I conducted a thematic analysis of current PST textbooks to consider the role of alternate numeration systems in written curricula. I conducted a teaching experiment to analyze PSTs' mathematical activity as they engaged with a base five task sequence to reinvent an algorithm for multiplication. And I introduced problematizing mathematical contexts as a design heuristic, situating this within the design theory of Realistic Mathematics Education. I found that alternate numeration systems can be leveraged to create opportunities for PSTs to (a) engage in guided reinvention of an algorithm, (b) improve understanding of base ten by comparing it to other numeration systems, and (c) reflect on their learning experience and the learning experiences of children.
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Oliphant, Vincent George. "An investigation into the extent and nature of the understanding first year college of education students have of aspects of arithematic and elementary number theory." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003488.
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First Year College of Education students who have done and/or passed mathematics at matric level, often lack adequate understanding of basic mathematical concepts and principles. This is due to the fact that formal tests and examinations often fail to assess understanding at anything but a basic level. It is against this background that this study uses alternative and more direct means of assessing the level and nature of the understanding such students have of aspects of basic arithmetic and number theory. More specifically, the goals of the study are: 1. To determine the students' levels of understanding of the following number concepts: Rational numbers; Irrational numbers Real numbers and Imaginary numbers. 2. To determine whether the students understand the rules governing operations with negative numbers and with zero as principles rather than conventions. 3. To determine whether the students understand the rule governing the order of operations as a matter of convention rather than as a matter of principle. A survey of the literature concerning the nature of understanding as well as the nature of assessment is given. The students' understanding in the above areas was assessed by means of a written test followid by interviews. A sample of 50 students participated in the study while a sub-sample of 6 were interviewed. Some of the significant findings of the study were : 1. The students largely failed to draw clear distinctions between Real and Rational numbers as well as between Irrational and Imaginary numbers. 2. Very few of the students could explain the rationale behind the rules governing the. operations with negative numbers and zero. 3. Only half of the students had any knowledge of the rule governing the order of operations. Only one student demonstrated an understanding of the rule as a convention.
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Metelerkamp, Roger Gregory. "The importance's of the physical analogue clock in mediating learning of analogue clock time in Grade 4 learners." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013169.
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My research topic concerns how learners use the analogue clock (as a human tool) to make meaning of clock time. This study is informed by a Vygotskian socio-cultural framework to learning and development based on the concept that human activities take place in cultural contexts and is mediated by tools. In this qualitative study I report on the learners meaning making of analogue clock time using the physical clock. This study was carried out at a South African primary school through an intervention programme after school. The research employed a case study method. It involved a purposeful sample of 4 learners (n=38) from the grade four class group based on their response to a baseline assessment task. The selected sample of learners included learners across the ability spectrum to gain rich insight into how learners make meaning of analogue clock time. Data collection and analysis was done through an interpretive approach. The video-taped interviews and intervention programme was my main instrument of data collection. Other research instruments included document analysis of responses to baseline assessment tasks. These research tools yielded the data collected and also allowed for triangulation. My research topic explored how the learners make meaning of analogue clock time. In particular the two-way movement of how the learners use the physical tool namely the analogue clock to develop meaning and how the clock mediates clock knowledge in return. The findings of the study suggest that learners’ find it difficult to conceptualise analogue clock symbols and signs, in particular, in Afrikaans the half hour concept, in relation to the two hands. The physical analogue clock is also important to support and extend clock knowledge in solving time-related problems. This shows the power of the analogue clock to mediate meaning making of clock time in young learners. Because of its potential to improve teaching and learning analogue clock time in primary school it is therefore recommended that the analogue clock time be further researched in South Africa.
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Singley, Vickie. "Teaching multiplication and division to learning disabled children." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1985. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/169.
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Hewana, Diliza Ronald. "An investigation into the nature of grade 4 learners’ evolving mathematics learning dispositions: a case study of 3 learners participating in an after school mathematics club." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013140.
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Through a qualitative case study approach this research investigated the nature of three Grade 4 learners’ mathematical learning dispositions. It further explored how these dispositions evolve within the context of their participation in a weekly after school mathematics club over time. Of particular significance the research drew on the dispositional frameworks of Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell’s (2001) and Carr & Claxton (2002) and pointed to ways in which these framework can be usefully brought together to provide a richer picture of learning dispositions. Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell’s (2001) framework of mathematical proficiency involves five interrelated strands of which productive disposition is the fifth strand and largely underresearched (Graven, 2012). This strand is defined as ‘the tendency to see sense in mathematics, to perceive it as both useful and worthwhile, to believe that steady effort in learning mathematics pays off, and to see oneself as an effective learner and doer of mathematics’ (Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell, 2001, p. 131). Carr & Claxton (2002) similarly argue for the importance of learning dispositions and point to the importance of resilience, playfulness and resourcefulness as three key indicators. The research outlines findings of the three case study learners in terms of data obtained from a questionnaire and interview about students’ learning dispositions. The interview asked learners various questions including for example, complete the sentence ‘Maths is…’, describe an effective learner of mathematics and say what you do if you don’t know an answer. The instrument was first administered orally and learners were asked to write their answers (in May 2012) and a year later it was administered as an interview by the club facilitator (in May 2013). While there is the limitation of comparison due to the different ways in which learners responded in 2012 (written) and 2013 (oral) the shifting nature of responses in certain respects provides some indication of shifts towards increasingly productive dispositions. Additionally the research analysed detailed transcripts of video recordings of several club sessions over a five-month period. Findings suggest ways of extending dispositional frameworks and that learners have restricted dispositions particularly in terms of sense making and resourcefulness across time. The findings also suggest shifts in dispositions over time especially in terms of seeing steady effort as paying off.
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Siler, Sharon E. "A study of the relationship between the mathematics and reading achievement of students with disabilities and inclusive practice in elementary schools." W&M ScholarWorks, 2008. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618366.
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The AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) provision of NCLB requires schools to close the achievement gap so that students with disabilities perform at the same proficiency level as students without disabilities in mathematics and reading. This stringent requirement challenges school leaders to examine traditional exclusionary delivery practices and their outcomes and replace them with inclusive practices that hold promise for improving the academic performance of students with disabilities. This study examined the relationship between inclusive education in Virginia elementary schools and the attainment of No Child Left Behind's AYP performance targets in mathematics and reading for students with disabilities.;A quantitative research design was used to investigate this important issue using data from the Virginia Department of Education and results of an inclusion scale completed by selected elementary school principals representing schools that met AYP targets in mathematics and reading for students with disabilities and elementary principals representing schools that did not meet the targets. Although a significant correlation was not found between the inclusive practices and mathematics and reading achievement for students with disabilities in elementary schools, there are clear and important differences between schools that met the AYP targets and schools that did not meet the targets. These differences include the number of students with disabilities served in inclusive mathematics and reading classes as well as important distinctions in the attitudes of teachers and administrators, time allotted for co-planning, the expectations of included students with disabilities, parental participation in the IEP process and the availability of inclusion across grade levels.
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McLeman, Laura Kondek. "A Study of Prospective Elementary Teachers' Perceptions and Reflections while Investigating Children's Thinking in a Mathematics for Teaching Course." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194027.
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Teacher educators use children's thinking activities as a means to prepare prospective teachers to teach mathematics. Research in methods courses and student teaching practica has shown these types of activities help prospective teachers deepen their own mathematical knowledge as well as better understand how children think. This study investigates prospective teachers' perceptions in a mathematics for teaching course when using children's thinking activities. Specifically, this study documents how four case study students perceived of the activities, their own and children's mathematical thinking, and the role of language in mathematics teaching and learning.Observations, interviews, and written class work were analyzed through the generation of themes within and across cases. It was found that all of the participants perceived the children's thinking activities as beneficial to providing insight into how children think mathematically. In contrast, two of the four participants did not perceive the activities as supportive of their own mathematical learning. However, the participants' reflections, both on children's mathematical thinking and their own, showed that all participants grappled with important mathematical concepts. Specifically, through consideration of their own thinking, children's strategies, and children's understanding, participants discussed the fractional whole, the meaning of operations, and connections among strategies, among other topics. This difference between how the participants perceived the use of children's thinking activities and what was evidenced through their reflections suggests that participants might have felt a stigma in studying elementary mathematics.While the participants did not often reflect on the role of language in teaching and learning mathematics, they did articulate various ideas regarding language and mathematics, in particular regarding the instruction of English Language Learners (ELLs). They discussed ways to help ELLs acquire mathematical language, which three participants saw as more than just vocabulary. All participants also thought it was important for children to express their mathematical understanding. However, two participants seemed to conceive of a unique way to express that understanding. This finding suggests that prospective teachers need to be critically exposed to literature regarding mathematics instruction of language-minority children.
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Lee, Amanda Jane. "A case study of a pre-service mathematics education course to grow and develop proficient teaching in mathematics in the intermediate phase." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015664.
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This research study investigated the ways in which a mathematics module, informed by an enactivist philosophy, enabled pre-service teachers to unpack the reality of their teaching practice in terms of proficient teaching. Given the generally poor mathematics results in South Africa it is not enough for teachers to be merely proficient in Mathematics. They also need to be in a position to explain important mathematical concepts to children in a manner that will encourage and develop an understanding of the basic mathematical concepts. It was my intention with this study to determine whether a mathematics education module, that embraced the underlying themes of enactivism as part of its teaching pedagogy, could have the potential to develop and increase the skills of pre-service teachers’ teaching for proficiency in Mathematics. The mathematics module was underpinned by five themes of enactivism namely: autonomy, embodiment, emergence, sense-making and experience and was designed to supplement the pre-service teachers’ basic skills in Mathematics in the Intermediate Phase. This mathematics module was offered to fourth year pre-service teachers completing a B.Ed. in the Foundation Phase at a private institute specialising in the training of teachers. The theoretical framework was informed by enactivism and how the themes of enactivism could be used as a vehicle to develop teaching proficiency. The study was qualitative in nature and situated within an interpretivist paradigm. The specific perspectives of interpretivism that were used were hermeneutics, phenomenology and reflexivity. The research design was a case study that contained elements of action research and encompassed three phases of data collection. The first phase focused on the pre-service teachers’ approach to teaching Mathematics and what this brought forth in terms of the reality of their teaching practice and the problems they encountered. The second phase undertook to determine what growth and development of teaching proficiency in Mathematics had emerged over the research period. The final phase was undertaken after the pre-service teachers had graduated and were employed as full time teachers in the Intermediate Phase. The analytical framework and lens through which the data was analysed was that of Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell’s (2001) strands of mathematical proficiency. The argument that I present is that the themes of enactivism did contribute to the growth of the pre-service teachers’ teaching for mathematical proficiency. The themes of embodiment and experience were major contributions in revealing that this was a reality for the pre-service teachers from a practical perspective and was what they would be able to take away with them. However the theme of emergence stood out as the principle that generated the most awareness and growth and which, in turn, affected the participants’ autonomy.
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Rogers, Valerie S. "Mathematics teaching self-efficacy| A descriptive comparative study of teacher preparation and self-efficacy at low- and high-achieving schools." Thesis, Capella University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3628725.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between mathematics preparation and teachers' perception of self-efficacy for teaching mathematics at low- and high-performing schools. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy was the guiding theoretical framework. The study used a descriptive comparative method to obtain quantitative data regarding teacher backgrounds and teacher efficacy level. Self-reported data from the Mathematics Teacher Efficacy Belief Instrument was used to calculate two dimensions of teaching efficacy, personal mathematics teaching efficacy (PMTE) and mathematics teaching outcome expectancy (MTOE). Preparation was determined by individual calculations for successful completion of preservice mathematics coursework, completion of mathematics methodologies coursework as well as hours and types of teacher professional development completed. An analysis of 69 teachers, 33 from low-performing schools and 36 from high-performing schools, revealed statistically homogenous mathematics preparation and self-reported self-efficacy levels. Elementary mathematics teachers from high-performing schools demonstrated slightly higher level of preparation, PMTE and MTOE; however, differences were not statistically significant. Results were incongruent with prior research and indicate the need for future research supported by data collected from external sources, beyond self-reported data.
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Knight, Kathleen Chesley. "An Investigation into the Change in the Van Hiele Levels of Understanding Geometry of Pre-service Elementary and Secondary Mathematics Teachers." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 2006. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/KnightKC2006.pdf.
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O'Kelley, Nancy G. "Teaching and learning through a brain-compatible approach: Implications for junior high school mathematics." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1989. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/544.
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Holifield, Steven Lee. "Mathematics, technology, and gender: Closing gender differences with a high school web site." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2001. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1871.
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This project focuses on using technology to help motivate young females to make use of a high school web site to lesson anxieties and increase interest in mathematics and the use of technology. Additionally, it acts as a model to create an educational web site that brings about better communication within a community.
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Arndt, Katie. "Self-study of a Supervisor Making Connections in an Integrated Instructional Third Space in Elementary Mathematics and Field Experience." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6459.
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Too often teachers see mathematics as a culturally neutral subject. Teacher educators need to be aware of their own practice and how it impacts the facilitation of preservice teacher learning, in particular in relation to elementary mathematics and culturally responsive teaching. This qualitative self-study focused on understanding a teacher educator’s enactment of an espoused platform in an integrated instructional third space of an elementary field experience and an elementary mathematics methods course in relation to culturally responsive teaching and mathematics. The research questions guiding this self-study were: (1) In the context of the selfstudy, to what extent do I enact my espoused teacher education platform in the integrated instructional third space that exists at the intersection of an undergraduate elementary field experience and an undergraduate elementary mathematics methods course in relation to culturally responsive teaching and mathematics?; with one sub question (a) What facilitators and challenges do I face as I try to navigate living out my espoused platform within this third space?; (2) In the context of the self-study, how do I transform as a teacher educator while engaging in the process of framing and reframing my platform within this integrated instructional third space? The study took place in the unique context of an integrated instructional third space with the same person who served as the instructor of the mathematics methods course and field supervisor.
Data collection included the researcher’s teacher education platform, field notes from observations, and field notes from pre and post conferences with preservice teachers, documents and artifacts from teaching, and a researcher’s journal. The findings pointed to a set of routines of practice for teacher educators to engage in while facilitating preservice teacher learning about culturally responsive teaching and mathematics knowledge for teaching. The routines of practice included: probing questions, utilizing personal connections, offering suggestions, modeling, and targeted activities. The findings also included facilitators and barriers to the process of working with preservice teachers in the integrated instructional third space in relation to their learning of culturally responsive teaching and mathematics; they include: relationships with preservice teachers, relationships with collaborating teachers, and critical conversations. This study has implications for teacher education program design, mathematics course development, field experience course development, and teacher educator professional development.
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Poole, Megan. "Growing STEM Education on the Playground: A Case Study of the Factors That Influence Teachers’ Use of School Gardens." PDXScholar, 2016. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/2723.
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School gardens can have a profound, positive influence on a student's academic achievement, social skills, and attitudinal orientation. Despite these clear benefits, the use of school gardens as an instructional medium is not as prevalent as would be expected. There are several types of obstacles that can prevent teachers from using school gardens, including facets of time, support, and knowledge-based challenges. This multiple case study employs a mixed methods design to uncover factors that influence primary school teachers' decisions to utilize a school garden in their STEM curriculum. The goals of this study were to determine the types of benefits and barriers primary school teachers encountered in the study school district. All of the teacher participants worked within the same school district, had access to established school gardens on their campus, and were supported in their instruction and use of materials by the district's Science and Technology Center (STC). Quantitative data was collected from garden resource and teacher self-efficacy surveys; qualitative data about teacher rationales was extracted from in-depth teacher interviews. Overall analyses determined that aspects of instruction and logistics were the most important factors for a teacher to have in her decision to utilize her school garden. These data are presented and discussed in the context of identifying trends in teachers' use of school gardens as instructional tools so that actions might be taken to remove barriers and increase curriculum opportunities.
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Childress, Vincent William. "The Effects of Technology Education, Science, and Mathematics Integration Upon Eighth Grader's Technological Problem-Solving Ability." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/30704.
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This study investigated the effects of technology education, science, and mathematics (TSM) curriculum integration on the technological problem-solving ability of eighth grade technology education students. The researcher used a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group design to compare the performance of students receiving correlated TSM integration to those not receiving integration in an adapted Technology, Science, Mathematics Integration Project Activity (LaPorte & Sanders, 1993).
The students were to design, construct, and evaluate wind collectors to generate electricity. The collectors were mounted on a generator for the pretest and posttest measurements. The measure for treatment effect was the output wattage of the generator for each student's wind collector.
The samples were drawn from middle schools that had two technology education teachers in the same school, each teaching eighth graders. The pilot study sample (N = 51) was selected from a middle school in rural south-central Virginia. The study sample (N = 33) was selected from a middle school in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia.
Treatment group technology education teachers employed echnological problem solving, and they correlated instruction of key concepts with science and mathematics teachers using the adapted TSM Integration Activity. The control group technology education teachers did not correlate instruction with science and mathematics teachers.
There was no significant difference between the treatment and control groups for technological problem solving. Evidence suggested that students were applying science and mathematics concepts. The researcher concluded that TSM curriculum integration may promote the application of science and mathematics concepts to technological problem solving and does not hinder the technological problem-solving ability of eighth technology education students.Ph. D.
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Yang, Fen-Ya, and 楊棻雅. "An elementary school student teacher learns mathematics teaching : A case study." Thesis, 2006. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/24021292548688175617.
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碩士臺北市立教育大學
數學資訊教育研究所
94
The purpose of this research is to study a student teacher and the what happen on the mathematics teaching during his practice. This case use the Qualitative Research. The research object is a fourth year university student teacher. The materials are collected as recorded video observe while teaching, interview materials and article which the teacher published in the network. Observe and interview materials will do the trigonometry correct to ensure result of studied meet the real status. Discover , student's teacher of the case likes to annotate one's own knowledge studied with one's own cognition, at the same time mathematics knowledge of she that we inspect to is mostly quite correct, but sometimes her annotation explanatory note is different from annotation explanatory note way of the person who fosters teachers. In student's cognitive respect, the cognition of she that we the cognition of she that we inspect finds the mostly quite correct one too. As for teaching way of her, is it teach teaching method of view to have intention, and teaching rhythm fast teaching method teaching has come in order to person who lead, and lean to the only teaching method that solved . In case mathematics faith of learning aid, student of Mr., whole but speech agree more on to teach view and view of accepting of study teaching relatively, but her faith seems to imply one kind and student's relevant dynamic views of treatment ability in the face of mathematics. Find the case mathematics teaching faith to the primary school , junior middle school , high school of student's teacher too from it, will change to some extent because of difference of the grade too.
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Lee, Yu-fei, and 李瑜霏. "A study of elementary school teachers’ teaching beliefs about constructivism and teaching behaviors in mathematics." Thesis, 2004. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/01875536660553363696.
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碩士國立東華大學
公共行政研究所
92
This study aims at realizing the elementary school teachers’ teaching beliefs about constructivism and teaching behaviors in mathematics. In addition, it also further discusses the coherence between them. With this study, I may deliberate upon the key factors that influence the constructive mathematics teaching. I invited seven public elementary school teachers as my study cases. I apply interviewing as my main research method. Through the semi-structural questionnaires, I analyze their beliefs in “knowledge and learning,” “teaching process,” “teacher-student relationship,” and “assessment.” Meanwhile, I use their own narrations of teaching behaviors, accompanying the informal referential data, to illuminate the coherence and key factors between their beliefs in constructivism and their teaching behaviors. The findings are as followed, A.It is quite obvious that the teachers’ teaching beliefs about constructivism don’t influence their constructive teaching behaviors：it seems to have nothing to do with the teaching behaviors in terms of “knowledge and learning“ and “ assessment.” When it comes to teaching behaviors, they have something to do with “the teaching process“ and “teacher-student relationship.” However, we still fail to find any similarities between them if we reexamine their relationship in terms of other factors. B.The practice of the constructive teaching is mainly influenced by “the power relationship between teachers and students,” “the teaching in different grades,” “and “the interference of environment.” C. Although the teachers are from different backgrounds, they have difficulties in common when facing the constructive teaching in mathematics. In particular, when it comes to “teaching method and strategy “ and “assessment,” they all consider that the edition of the articles is fragmentary and inconsistent. Besides, the shortage of time and the lack of abilities of language and expression to students are also taken into considerations. D.Whether or not having used the traditional edition of textbooks edited by Ministry of Education has different influences on teachers: on the one hand, it can help the teacher better understand the context of the curriculum. Meanwhile, when teaching, it can also strengthen their professional abilities; on the other hand, it can easily makes teachers feel anxious and then they usually can’t help but tell the students the solutions to the problems before the students come up with the righ answers by themselves. Last but not least, according to the findings in this study, I will bring up some suggestions to the administration and Ministry of Education, the school staff, the teachers and the future research for the further discussions.
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Yoshida, Makoto. "Lesson study : a case study of a Japanese approach to improving instruction through school-based teacher development /." 1999. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:9951855.
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Dickman, Benjamin. "Conceptions of Creativity in Elementary School Mathematical Problem Posing." Thesis, 2014. https://doi.org/10.7916/D8MC8X69.
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Mathematical problem posing and creativity are important areas within mathematics education, and have been connected by mathematicians, mathematics educators, and creativity theorists. However, the relationship between the two remains unclear, which is complicated by the absence of a formal definition of creativity. For this study, the Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT) was used to investigate different raters' views of posed mathematical problems. The principal investigator recruited judges from three different groups: elementary school mathematics teachers, mathematicians who are professors or professors emeriti of mathematics, and psychologists who have conducted research in mathematics education. These judges were then asked to rate the creativity of mathematical problems posed by the principal investigator, all of which were based on the multiplication table. By using Cronbach's coefficient alpha and the intraclass correlation method, the investigator measured both within-group and among-group agreement for judges' ratings of creativity for the posed problems.
Previous studies using CAT to measure judges' ratings of creativity in areas other than mathematics or mathematics education have generally found high levels of agreement; however, the main finding of this study is that agreement was high only when measured within-group for the psychologists. The study begins with a review of the literature on creativity and on mathematical problem posing, describes the procedure and results, provides points for further consideration, and concludes with implications of the study along with suggested avenues for future research.