An Evaluation of ChalleNGe Graduates DOD Employability

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

long-term impacts for ChalleNGe graduates. Our previous work has shown that cadets with higher initial reading and applied math TABE scores are...levels of reading comprehension, writing, and basic math ; they simply are not ready to acquire a second language. In addition, program directors noted...graduates. Our previous work has shown that cadets with higher initial reading and applied math TABE scores are more likely to complete ChalleNGe. In

District Finds the Right Equation to Improve Math Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmstrom, Annette

2010-01-01

The math problem is common to most U.S. school districts, and education leaders are well aware that U.S. math achievement lags far behind many other countries in the world. University Place (Washington) School District Superintendent Patti Banks found the conspicuous income gap for math scores even more disturbing. In her school district, only 23%…

Math Practice and Its Influence on Math Skills and Executive Functions in Adolescents with Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansen, Brenda R. J.; De Lange, Eva; Van der Molen, Mariet J.

2013-01-01

Adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) often complete schooling without mastering basic math skills, even though basic math is essential for math-related challenges in everyday life. Limited attention to cognitive skills and low executive functioning (EF) may cause this delay. We aimed to improve math skills in an…

Math and the Mona Lisa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Atalay, Bulent

2004-05-03

Bulent Atalay discusses content from his book entitled "Math and the Mona Lisa" which covers Leonardo Da Vinci and how he combined his love of science, math, and art to draw dramatic conclusions about the natural world. He also describes how mathematics influences art and architecture.

SKyTeach: Addressing the need for Science and Math Teachers in Kentucky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonham, Scott

2008-10-01

The shortage of good science and math teachers is a chronic problem that threatens to undermine the future of our profession and economy. While our world is becoming increasingly dependent on technology, many high schools do not even offer physics, in part due to of the unavailability of a qualified teacher. The entire state of Kentucky typically produces 0-2 new physics teachers per year, compared to 200+ elementary teachers per year from WKU alone. The picture is not much better in math and other sciences. SKyTeach is a new program at WKU to address this great need and is part of a national effort to replicate the successful UTeach program. The University of Texas UTeach program graduates 70-90 new math and science teachers a year, in the process providing them with a strong preparation based on current research on how people learn science and math, experience teaching in real classrooms from the start, and strong mentoring and support. UTeach graduates stay in the classroom at rates above the national average, and some fairly quickly move into leadership positions within their schools. A key element is good collaboration between the college of science, that of education, local P-12 schools, and others. Last year thirteen universities across the nation were selected as part of an effort to replicate the UTeach program nation-wide. This effort is supported by the National Science and Math Initiative in a partnership with the UTeach Institute. Our first cohort of students has started this fall, and we have had many successes and challenges as we move forward.

Helping Students Get Past Math Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarpello, Gary

2007-01-01

Math anxiety can begin as early as the fourth grade and peaks in middle school and high school. It can be caused by past classroom experiences, parental influences, and remembering poor past math performance. Math anxiety can cause students to avoid challenging math courses and may limit their career choices. It is important for teachers, parents…

Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class, Grades 6-8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melanese, Kathy; Chung, Luz; Forbes, Cheryl

2011-01-01

This new addition to Math Solutions "Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class series" offers a wealth of lessons and strategies for modifying grades 6-8 instruction. Section I presents an overview of teaching math to English learners: the research, the challenges, the linguistic demands of a math lesson, and specific strategies and…

Summertime Math.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broderick, Kathy

1998-01-01

These new paperbacks and recent paperback reprints present simple and complex math concepts as engaging, challenging puzzles and can make math fun for children from preschool through primary grades. (Author/AEF)

Math Tracks: What Pace in Math Is Best for the Middle School Child?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Michelle

2011-01-01

Mathematics is a critical part of academic preparation of the middle school child, or, as Dr. Maria Montessori would refer to them, children in the third plane of development. Montessori educators are sincere in their endeavors not only to prepare young students for further studies of math and the application of math in their world and careers,…

Rescuing Middle School Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, L. A.; Janney, D.

2010-12-01

There is a crisis in education at the middle school level (Spellings, 2006). Recent studies point to large disparities in middle school performance in schools with high minority populations. The largest disparities exist in areas of math and science. Astronomy has a universal appeal for K-12 students but is rarely taught at the middle school level. When it is taught at all it is usually taught in isolation with few references in other classes such as other sciences (e.g. physics, biology, and chemistry), math, history, geography, music, art, or English. The problem is greatest in our most challenged school districts. With scores in reading and math below national averages in these schools and with most state achievement tests ignoring subjects like astronomy, there is little room in the school day to teach about the world outside our atmosphere. Add to this the exceedingly minimal training and education in astronomy that most middle school teachers have and it is a rare school that includes any astronomy teaching at all. In this presentation, we show how to develop and offer an astronomy education training program for middle school teachers encompassing a wide range of educational disciplines that are frequently taught at the middle school level. The prototype for this program was developed and launched in two of the most challenged and diverse school systems in the country; D.C. Public Schools, and Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools.

The Power of Nature. World's Largest Math Event 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc., Reston, VA.

The theme of the fifth annual World's Largest Math Event (WLME 5) is "The Power of Nature." This theme encourages students to explore natural forces that affect humankind, including phenomena such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and snowstorms, and the mathematics that underlies their study. The 15 activities for WLMES have been grouped into five…

Business involvement in science education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winter, P.

1995-12-31

Science and math education in grades K through 12 directly affects America`s ability to meet tomorrow`s challenges. If America is to stay competitive in the world, we will need highly qualified scientists and engineers in industry and government and at universities. Jobs of the future will require greater technical and mathematical literacy than jobs of the past. Our goal is both to improve the quality of science education and to encourage more students to pursue science careers. General Atomics, a privately held research and development company, has joined the growing list of businesses that are committed to helping educators preparemore » students to meet these challenges.« less

Tips for Teaching Math to Elementary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarpello, Gary

2010-01-01

Since most elementary school teachers do not hold a degree in mathematics, teaching math may be a daunting task for some. Following are a few techniques to help make teaching and learning math easier and less stressful. First, know that math is a difficult subject to teach--even for math teachers. The subject matter itself is challenging. Second,…

Multiply Your Child's Success: Math and Science Can Make Dreams Come True. A Parent's Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Math and Science Initiative, 2012

2012-01-01

In today's high-tech world, math and science matter. Of the 10 fastest growing occupations, eight are science, math or technology-related. Whatever a child wants to do--join the military, join the workforce, or go on to college--math and science skills will be important. Become part of the equation to help one's child succeed now and in the…

Exposing the Myth: Advanced Math Does Not Increase Drop out Rates. Math Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achieve, Inc., 2013

2013-01-01

A common argument against raising math course-taking requirements for all students is that it will cause more students to drop out of high school. But most students who drop out for academic reasons do so not because they are being "too challenged," but rather because they are not being challenged enough. It is important to raise the rigor and…

Opening the World of Mathematics: The Daily Math Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donoahue, Zoe

2016-01-01

During the author's everyday math discussions with her class, young children talk about mathematical ideas, theories, and concepts within a predictable structure. These discussions include many concepts from--and beyond--the first-grade math curriculum, and their depth and complexity build throughout the school year. Concepts and skills include…

Internet Connections.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindroth, Linda K.

1996-01-01

Annotates 16 World Wide Web (WWW) sites dealing with math and science education matters covered in feature articles for this journal issue. Topics include math fairs, classroom restructuring, and hands-on science. (JW)

Integrating Quantitative Reasoning into STEM Courses Using an Energy and Environment Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, J. D.; Lyford, M. E.; Mayes, R. L.

2010-12-01

Many secondary and post-secondary science classes do not integrate math into their curriculum, while math classes commonly teach concepts without meaningful context. Consequently, students lack basic quantitative skills and the ability to apply them in real-world contexts. For the past three years, a Wyoming Department of Education funded Math Science Partnership at the University of Wyoming (UW) has brought together middle and high school science and math teachers to model how math and science can be taught together in a meaningful way. The UW QR-STEM project emphasizes the importance of Quantitative Reasoning (QR) to student success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). To provide a social context, QR-STEM has focused on energy and the environment. In particular, the project has examined how QR and STEM concepts play critical roles in many of the current global challenges of energy and environment. During four 3-day workshops each summer and over several virtual and short face-to-face meetings during the academic year, UW and community college science and math faculty work with math and science teachers from middle and high schools across the state to improve QR instruction in math and science classes. During the summer workshops, faculty from chemistry, physics, earth sciences, biology and math lead sessions to: 1) improve the basic science content knowledge of teachers; 2) improve teacher understanding of math and statistical concepts, 3) model how QR can be taught by engaging teachers in sessions that integrate math and science in an energy and environment context; and 4) focus curricula using Understanding by Design to identify enduring understandings on which to center instructional strategies and assessment. In addition to presenting content, faculty work with teachers as they develop classroom lessons and larger units to be implemented during the school year. Teachers form interdisciplinary groups which often consist of math and science teachers from the same school or district. By jointly developing units focused on energy and environment, math and science curricula can be coordinated during the school year. During development, teams present their curricular ideas for peer-review. Throughout the school year, teachers implement their units and collect pre-post data on student learning. Ultimately, science teachers integrate math into their science courses, and math teachers integrate science content in their math courses. Following implementation, participants share their experiences with their peers and faculty. Of central interest during these presentations are: 1) How did the QR-STEM experience change teacher practices in the classroom?; and 2) How did the modification of their teaching practices impact student learning and their ability to successfully master QR? The UW QR-STEM has worked with Wyoming science and math teachers from across the state over the three year grant period.

A Math Intervention for Third Grade Latino English Language Learners at Risk for Math Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orosco, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Word problems for English language learners (ELLs) at risk for math disabilities are challenging in terms of the constant need to develop precise math language and comprehension knowledge. As a result of this, ELLs may not only need math support but also reading and linguistic support. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a…

Petrina White | Oregon State University Extension Service

Science.gov Websites

the "Get a new challenge" button which displays below the challenge text. Math question: * 6 + 6 = Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4. Send e-mail

Taking Math Outside of the Classroom: Math in the City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radu, Petronela

2013-01-01

Math in the City is an interdisciplinary mathematics course offered at University of Nebraska-Lincoln in which students engage in a real-world experience to understand current major societal issues of local and national interest. The course is run in collaboration with local businesses, research centers, and government organizations, that provide…

Automatic Invocation Linking for Collaborative Web-Based Corpora

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, James; Krowne, Aaron; Xiong, Li

Collaborative online encyclopedias or knowledge bases such as Wikipedia and PlanetMath are becoming increasingly popular because of their open access, comprehensive and interlinked content, rapid and continual updates, and community interactivity. To understand a particular concept in these knowledge bases, a reader needs to learn about related and underlying concepts. In this chapter, we introduce the problem of invocation linking for collaborative encyclopedia or knowledge bases, review the state of the art for invocation linking including the popular linking system of Wikipedia, discuss the problems and challenges of automatic linking, and present the NNexus approach, an abstraction and generalization of the automatic linking system used by PlanetMath.org. The chapter emphasizes both research problems and practical design issues through discussion of real world scenarios and hence is suitable for both researchers in web intelligence and practitioners looking to adopt the techniques. Below is a brief outline of the chapter.

Effective pedagogies for teaching math to nursing students: a literature review.

PubMed

Hunter Revell, Susan M; McCurry, Mary K

2013-11-01

Improving mathematical competency and problem-solving skills in undergraduate nursing students has been an enduring challenge for nurse educators. A number of teaching strategies have been used to address this problem with varying degrees of success. This paper discusses a literature review which examined undergraduate nursing student challenges to learning math, methods used to teach math and problem-solving skills, and the use of innovative pedagogies for teaching. The literature was searched using the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Education Resource Information Center databases. Key search terms included: math*, nurs*, nursing student, calculation, technology, medication administration, challenges, problem-solving, personal response system, clickers, computer and multi-media. Studies included in the review were published in English from 1990 to 2011. Results support four major themes which include: student challenges to learning, traditional pedagogies, curriculum strategies, and technology and integrative methods as pedagogy. The review concludes that there is a need for more innovative pedagogical strategies for teaching math to student nurses. Nurse educators in particular play a central role in helping students learn the conceptual basis, as well as practical hands-on methods, to problem solving and math competency. It is recommended that an integrated approach inclusive of technology will benefit students through better performance, increased understanding, and improved student satisfaction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bars, Lines, & Pies: A Graphing Skills Program. Expect the Unexpected with Math[R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Actuarial Foundation, 2013

2013-01-01

"Bars, Lines, & Pies" is a dynamic math program designed to build graphing skills in students, while also showing them the relevance of math in their lives. Developed by The Actuarial Foundation along with Scholastic, the graphing lessons and activities involve engaging, real-world examples about the environment and recycling. In these lessons,…

The Math Wars: Tensions in the Development of School Mathematics Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Pete

2012-01-01

The Math Wars have been raging since the 1990's in the United States, where the world of mathematics education has become polarised into two camps: the reformers and the traditionalists. In this article I explore the background to the Math Wars, with specific reference to conflicting ideologies of mathematics education. I draw parallels with…

Word-Problem-Solving Strategy for Minority Students at Risk for Math Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kong, Jennifer E.; Orosco, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Minority students at risk for math difficulties (MD) struggle with word problems for various reasons beyond procedural or calculation challenges. As a result, these students require support in reading and language development in addition to math. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a math comprehension strategy based on a…

Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class, Grades K-2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bresser, Rusty; Melanese, Kathy; Sphar, Christine

2009-01-01

More than 10 percent of the students in our nation's public schools are English language learners, and this number grows each year. Many of these students are falling behind in math. "Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class, Grades K-2" outlines the challenges ELL students face when learning math and provides a wealth of specific…

Advanced Math Equals Career Readiness. Math Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achieve, Inc., 2013

2013-01-01

The equation is simple: No matter their background, students who take challenging math courses in high school get better jobs and earn more money throughout their entire lives. This paper stresses that: (1) Higher-level math opens doors for any and all postsecondary programs and keeps it open for advancement beyond entry-level jobs; and (2)…

Math and Movement: Practical Ways to Incorporate Math into Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wade, Marcia

2016-01-01

Each year, physical educators are asked to incorporate even more math, language arts, science and social studies into their curriculum. The challenge is how to do this without sacrificing the essential health and life skills provided by a quality physical education program. One program, Math & Movement, is a great aid for physical educators to…

Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class, Grades 3-5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bresser, Rusty; Melanese, Kathy; Sphar, Christine

2009-01-01

More than 10 percent of the students in our nation's public schools are English language learners, and this number grows each year. Many of these students are falling behind in math. "Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class, Grades 3-5" outlines the challenges ELL students face when learning math and provides a wealth of specific…

Despite Common Core, States Still Lack Common Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Paul E.; Kaplan, Peter

2013-01-01

Only 35 percent of U.S. 8th graders were identified as proficient in math by the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). According to the most recent calculations available, the United States stands at the 32nd rank in math among nations in the industrialized world. In reading, the U.S. ranks 17th in the world (see "Are U.S.…

Math Wars.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abreu, Julio

2000-01-01

Four decades ago following Russia's Sputnik satellite launching, the nation embraced "new" math as part of its commitment not to fall behind its global neighbors. Issues addressed in "new-new" math include equal access to challenging learning, problem solving, reasoning and proof, communications, multiple ways to solve…

Worrying Thoughts Limit Working Memory Capacity in Math Anxiety

PubMed Central

Shi, Zhan; Liu, Peiru

2016-01-01

Sixty-one high-math-anxious persons and sixty-one low-math-anxious persons completed a modified working memory capacity task, designed to measure working memory capacity under a dysfunctional math-related context and working memory capacity under a valence-neutral context. Participants were required to perform simple tasks with emotionally benign material (i.e., lists of letters) over short intervals while simultaneously reading and making judgments about sentences describing dysfunctional math-related thoughts or sentences describing emotionally-neutral facts about the world. Working memory capacity for letters under the dysfunctional math-related context, relative to working memory capacity performance under the valence-neutral context, was poorer overall in the high-math-anxious group compared with the low-math-anxious group. The findings show a particular difficulty employing working memory in math-related contexts in high-math-anxious participants. Theories that can provide reasonable interpretations for these findings and interventions that can reduce anxiety-induced worrying intrusive thoughts or improve working memory capacity for math anxiety are discussed. PMID:27788235

Worrying Thoughts Limit Working Memory Capacity in Math Anxiety.

PubMed

Shi, Zhan; Liu, Peiru

2016-01-01

Sixty-one high-math-anxious persons and sixty-one low-math-anxious persons completed a modified working memory capacity task, designed to measure working memory capacity under a dysfunctional math-related context and working memory capacity under a valence-neutral context. Participants were required to perform simple tasks with emotionally benign material (i.e., lists of letters) over short intervals while simultaneously reading and making judgments about sentences describing dysfunctional math-related thoughts or sentences describing emotionally-neutral facts about the world. Working memory capacity for letters under the dysfunctional math-related context, relative to working memory capacity performance under the valence-neutral context, was poorer overall in the high-math-anxious group compared with the low-math-anxious group. The findings show a particular difficulty employing working memory in math-related contexts in high-math-anxious participants. Theories that can provide reasonable interpretations for these findings and interventions that can reduce anxiety-induced worrying intrusive thoughts or improve working memory capacity for math anxiety are discussed.

The Effects of Dynamic Strategic Math on English Language Learners' Word Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orosco, Michael J.; Swanson, H. Lee; O'Connor, Rollanda; Lussier, Cathy

2013-01-01

English language learners (ELLs) struggle with solving word problems for a number of reasons beyond math procedures or calculation challenges. As a result, ELLs may not only need math support but also reading and linguistic support. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a math comprehension strategy called Dynamic Strategic…

Math and the Real World: Fun and Games. Teaching Math.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, Lola

1993-01-01

Describes three simple games that do not involve numbers and that can be used to teach children problem-solving strategies and math skills. The games are Tick-Tack-Toe; Jest, a game that uses a blocking strategy; and Nim, a game that uses a capturing strategy. All three games force students to plan ahead and calculate possible outcomes using…

The Trouble with Maths: A Practical Guide to Helping Learners with Numeracy Difficulties, 2nd Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinn, Steve

2011-01-01

Now in a second edition, the award-winning "The Trouble with Maths" offers important insights into the often confusing world of numeracy. By looking at learning difficulties in maths from several perspectives, including the language of mathematics, thinking styles and the demands of individual topics, this book offers a complete overview of the…

The Math-Biology Values Instrument: Development of a Tool to Measure Life Science Majors' Task Values of Using Math in the Context of Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Sarah E.; Runyon, Christopher; Aikens, Melissa L.

2017-01-01

In response to calls to improve the quantitative training of undergraduate biology students, there have been increased efforts to better integrate math into biology curricula. One challenge of such efforts is negative student attitudes toward math, which are thought to be particularly prevalent among biology students. According to theory,…

Making Sense with Manipulatives: Developing Mathematical Experiences for Early Childhood Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furman, Cara E.

2017-01-01

This paper is premised on the fact that math can be an important tool in helping people make sense of the world. Math offers a unique and particular lens, helping people to focus on a range of characteristics from shape and amount to the relationship between the general and the particular. To promote math as a tool for making sense, early…

Conversions Rock! Lessons & Worksheets to Build Skills in Equivalent Conversions. Poster/Teaching Guide. Expect the Unexpected with Math[R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Actuarial Foundation, 2013

2013-01-01

"Welcome to Conversions Rock" is a new math program designed to build and reinforce the important skills of converting fractions, decimals, and percents for students in grades 6-8. Developed by The Actuarial Foundation, this program seeks to provide skill-building, real-world math to help students become successful in the classroom and beyond. [A…

Predicting Success of Developmental Math Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Isaac

2017-01-01

Addressing the needs of developmental math students has been one of the most challenging problems in higher education. Administrators at a private university were concerned about poor academic performance of math-deficient students and sought to identify factors that influenced students' successful progression from developmental to college-level…

Naval Sea Systems Command > Home

Science.gov Websites

Parties Vehicles for Partnering STEM Programs FIRST LEGO League Robotics Program Carderock Math Contest Educational Partnership Agreements Math Clubs Seaplane Challenge Calculator-Controlled Robot Program Students - 'Fun Twist on Math' May 24, 2018 More SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook Logo Join us live as we commission

National Science Bowl | NREL

Science.gov Websites

and high school student teams on science and math topics. The National Science Bowl provides an opportunity for students to develop science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills in a non tournament challenges students' knowledge of science. Student teams are questioned on life science, math

Instructional Math Technology in Secondary Special Education: Teacher-Reported Practices and Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higa, Joice M.

2017-01-01

Students with disabilities often have difficulty meeting established math proficiency levels. Without these skills, students may face increased challenges in transitioning to adulthood, including fewer post-secondary educational opportunities, limited career options, and decreased long-term income. Addressing low math skills is important to…

Algebraic Structure of Dynamical Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-22

to suggest that the mathematics performed in this research will have such profound 10 implications, but just to demonstrate that studying math for...the sake of studying math can often reveal much about the world, even if not immediately obvious. Throughout the paper, we prove the following three...Banach and Alfred Tarski. Sur la décomposition des ensembles de points en parties respectivement congruentes. Fund. math , 6(1924):244–277, 1924. [3

Choke or thrive? The relation between salivary cortisol and math performance depends on individual differences in working memory and math-anxiety.

PubMed

Mattarella-Micke, Andrew; Mateo, Jill; Kozak, Megan N; Foster, Katherine; Beilock, Sian L

2011-08-01

In the current study, we explored how a person's physiological arousal relates to their performance in a challenging math situation as a function of individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity and math-anxiety. Participants completed demanding math problems before and after which salivary cortisol, an index of arousal, was measured. The performance of lower WM individuals did not depend on cortisol concentration or math-anxiety. For higher WM individuals high in math-anxiety, the higher their concentration of salivary cortisol following the math task, the worse their performance. In contrast, for higher WM individuals lower in math-anxiety, the higher their salivary cortisol concentrations, the better their performance. For individuals who have the capacity to perform at a high-level (higher WMs), whether physiological arousal will lead an individual to choke or thrive depends on math-anxiety. 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Beating the Odds: The Real Challenges behind the Math Achievement Gap--And What High-Achieving Schools Can Teach Us about How to Close It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberger, Susan

2008-01-01

One of the most persistent inequities in U.S. education is the gap in math achievement along income and race lines. Yet some secondary schools beat the odds, producing consistently strong math performance with students who likely would fail in traditional settings. This report advocates that the math achievement gap is not the result of poor and…

Word Problem Strategy for Latino English Language Learners at Risk for Math Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orosco, Michael J.

2014-01-01

"English Language Learners" (ELLs) at risk for "math disabilities" (MD) are challenged in solving word problems for numerous reasons such as (a) learning English as a second language, (b) limited experience using math vocabulary, and (c) lack of strategies to improve word-problem-solving skills. As a result of these…

Laying the Foundations: Early Findings from the New Mathways Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zachry Rutschow, Elizabeth; Diamond, John

2015-01-01

National studies reveal that 50 percent to 70 percent of community college students are required to take developmental, or remedial, math courses upon enrollment, and only 20 percent of developmental math students ever successfully complete a college-level math course. Taking up the challenge is the "New Mathways Project" (NMP),…

Explaining Variation in Student Efforts towards Using Math and Science Knowledge in Engineering Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berland, Leema K.; Steingut, Rebecca

2016-01-01

Previous research suggests that in classes that take an integrated approach to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, students tend to engage in fulfilling goals of their engineering design challenges, but only inconsistently engage with the related math and science content. The present research examines these inconsistencies…

Gerstmann's Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... time when they are challenged with writing and math exercises. Generally, children with the disorder exhibit poor handwriting and spelling skills, and difficulty with math functions, including adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. An ...

White House Science Fair

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-27

Crystal Brockington and Aaron Barron, both 18 years old, designed a more efficient and cost effective solar cell that harnesses energy without cadmium, which has been shown to be harmful to the environment. They were selected to participate in the White House Science Fair after they were awarded the High School Grand Prize at the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. The fourth White House Science Fair was held at the White House on May 27, 2014 and included 100 students from more than 30 different states who competed in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions. (Photo Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Types of Aphasia

MedlinePlus

... Auditory Overload Aphasia vs Apraxia Reading, Writing and Math Reading Rehab (PDF opens in new window) Putting ... on Paper (PDF opens in new window) Acalculia - Math Challenges After Stroke Maximizing Communication Recovery & Independence Talking ...

Fine motor skills and early comprehension of the world: two new school readiness indicators.

PubMed

Grissmer, David; Grimm, Kevin J; Aiyer, Sophie M; Murrah, William M; Steele, Joel S

2010-09-01

Duncan et al. (2007) presented a new methodology for identifying kindergarten readiness factors and quantifying their importance by determining which of children's developing skills measured around kindergarten entrance would predict later reading and math achievement. This article extends Duncan et al.'s work to identify kindergarten readiness factors with 6 longitudinal data sets. Their results identified kindergarten math and reading readiness and attention as the primary long-term predictors but found no effects from social skills or internalizing and externalizing behavior. We incorporated motor skills measures from 3 of the data sets and found that fine motor skills are an additional strong predictor of later achievement. Using one of the data sets, we also predicted later science scores and incorporated an additional early test of general knowledge of the social and physical world as a predictor. We found that the test of general knowledge was by far the strongest predictor of science and reading and also contributed significantly to predicting later math, making the content of this test another important kindergarten readiness indicator. Together, attention, fine motor skills, and general knowledge are much stronger overall predictors of later math, reading, and science scores than early math and reading scores alone.

A Comparative Study of Student Achievement in Remedial Math Courses through Online and Traditional Delivery Modes at Northwest Mississippi Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Keith Deon

2017-01-01

This study focused on student achievement in remedial math through online and traditional delivery modes at Northwest Mississippi Community College. Student participants were interviewed through a semi-structured interview process to determine perceived influences and challenges that affected success in remedial math courses. The perceived…

The "Responsive Classroom" Approach and Fifth Grade Students' Math and Science Anxiety and Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, Marissa Swaim; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.; Merritt, Eileen G.; Patton, Christine L.

2013-01-01

Self-efficacy forecasts student persistence and achievement in challenging subjects. Thus, it is important to understand factors that contribute to students' self-efficacy, a key factor in their success in math and science. The current cross-sectional study examined the contribution of students' gender and math and science anxiety as well as…

Getting Started with The Math Forum Problems of the Week Library. Teacher's Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Math Forum @ Drexel, 2009

2009-01-01

The Math Forum Problems of the Week Library is designed to leverage the power of interactive technology to hold student interest while increasing their success as strategic thinkers. The Math Forum Library is an online source of non-routine challenges in which problem solving and mathematical communication are key elements of every problem. This…

Professional Books.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilstrap, Robert L.

1994-01-01

Reviews five books: "Garbage Pizza, Patchwork Quilts and Math Magic" (Ohanian), about elementary math instruction; "Ready for What?" (Graue), on school readiness; "The Braid of Literature: Children's Worlds of Reading" (Wolf and Heath); "The Best Years of Their Lives" (Zvirin), a book of resources for teenagers; and "Teaching and Learning in the…

End the Math Wars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhn, Matt; Dempsey, Kathleen

2011-01-01

In 1999, Richard Lee Colvin published an article in "The School Administrator" titled "Math Wars: Tradition vs. Real-World Applications" that described the pendulum swing of mathematics education reform. On one side are those who advocate for computational fluency, with a step-by-step emphasis on numbers and skills and the…

Governing Equality: Mathematics for All?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz, Jennifer D.

2013-01-01

With the notion of governmentality, this article considers how the equal sign (=) in the U.S. math curriculum organizes knowledge of equality and inscribes cultural rules for thinking, acting, and seeing in the world. Situating the discussion within contemporary math reforms aimed at teaching mathematics for all, I draw attention to how the…

Math and Science Education for the California Workforce: It Starts with K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

EdSource, 2008

2008-01-01

Workforce projections worldwide show a growing need for people with strong backgrounds in math and science. As the eighth largest economy in the world, California benefits particularly from enterprises in the "STEM" fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). How well California's current public school students are…

The Story of the Trojan Octagon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derado, Josip; Garner, Mary; Edwards, Belinda P.; Garrett, Violette L.

2010-01-01

Stories that are presented through literature or popular media can be used to invite students into the world of math; stir their mathematical imaginations; and enhance their ability to read about, write about, and discuss math. This article explores how literature ("Flatland," the book and the movie) and an existing seventh-grade unit…

Odyssey Math. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2009

2009-01-01

"Odyssey Math," published by CompassLearning[R], is an interactive, software-based K-8 mathematics curriculum. It includes individualized instructional and assessment tools, as well as an administrative function that allows teachers to track student performance and progress and to generate reports. Lessons employ real-world contexts in which…

Math Wars: Tradition vs. Real-World Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colvin, Richard Lee

1999-01-01

After years of implementing Interactive Math, many California school districts have bowed to parental pressure and returned to a traditional mathematics curriculum. Reforms are catching on in Texas, Ohio, Arkansas, South Carolina, and New Jersey. The white/minority SAT score gap remains wide. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 1990…

Citizenship: What's Mathematics Have to Do with It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotton, Tony

2016-01-01

British mathematics educator Tony Cotton suggests that teachers use math instruction to help students--who live in an internationally connected world--ponder international events and the global implications of policies in depth. He describes two math-based activities toward that end. First, teachers might guide learners in examining data connected…

The Math, Science, & Manufacturing Collaborative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abate, Ronald J.

The concept of a collaborative math and science project grew out of the need expressed by Cleveland State University (Ohio) engineering faculty and junior and senior high school teachers. These groups sought to provide students with connections to "real world" situations that they will face as they transition into the workplace of the…

A University Math Help Centre as a Support Framework for Students, the Instructor, the Course, and the Department

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menz, Petra; Jungic, Veselin

2015-01-01

Among many challenges a math department at a post-secondary institution will most likely be faced with the optimization problem of how best to offer out-of-lecture learning support to several thousand first- and second-year university students enrolled in large math service courses within given spatial, scheduling, financial, technological, and…

Teaching Math to Young Children. Educator's Practice Guide. What Works Clearinghouse. NCEE 2014-4005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frye, Douglas; Baroody, Arthur J.; Burchinal, Margaret; Carver, Sharon M.; Jordan, Nancy C.; McDowell, Judy

2013-01-01

The goal of this practice guide is to offer educators specific, evidence-based recommendations that address the challenge of teaching early math to children ages 3 to 6. The guide provides practical, clear information on critical topics related to teaching early math and is based on the best available evidence as judged by the authors. The guide…

Math Instruction Is Not Universal: Language-Specific Pedagogical Knowledge in Korean/English Two-Way Immersion Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Wona; Lee, Jin Sook

2017-01-01

Two-Way Immersion (TWI) programs have demonstrated positive outcomes in students' academic achievement in English, yet less is known about content teaching and learning in the non-English language in these programs. This study uses math instruction as a lens to identify pedagogical strategies and challenges in the teaching of math in Korean to…

Math practice and its influence on math skills and executive functions in adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability.

PubMed

Jansen, Brenda R J; De Lange, Eva; Van der Molen, Mariët J

2013-05-01

Adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) often complete schooling without mastering basic math skills, even though basic math is essential for math-related challenges in everyday life. Limited attention to cognitive skills and low executive functioning (EF) may cause this delay. We aimed to improve math skills in an MBID-sample using computerized math training. Also, it was investigated whether EF and math performance were related and whether computerized math training had beneficial effects on EF. The sample consisted of a total of 58 adolescents (12-15 years) from special education. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or a treatment as usual (TAU) group. In the experimental condition, participants received 5 weeks of training. Math performance and EF were assessed before and after the training period. Math performance improved equally in both groups. However, frequently practicing participants improved more than participants in the control group. Visuo-spatial memory skills were positively related to addition and subtraction skills. Transfer effects from math training to EF were absent. It is concluded that math skills may increase if a reasonable effort in practicing math skills is made. The relation between visuo-spatial memory skills provides opportunities for improving math performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Haunted by Math: The Impact of Policy and Practice on Students with Math Learning Disabilities in the Transition to Post-Secondary Education in Mumbai, India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eichhorn, Melinda S.

2016-01-01

Only six states in India currently identify learning disabilities as a category of disability. This article highlights the challenges students with math learning disabilities face in their transition from secondary school to higher secondary education and Bachelor of Commerce degree programs in the state of Maharashtra. While the current…

Training in Influencing Skills from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (Modelled from Hypnosis and Family Therapy), in Combination with Innovative Maths Pedagogy, Raises Maths Attainment in Adult Numeracy Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allan, F.; Bourne, J.; Bouch, D.; Churches, R.; Dennison, J.; Evans, J.; Fowler, J.; Jeffers, A.; Prior, E.; Rhodes, L.

2012-01-01

Case study research suggests that NLP [neuro-linguistic programming] influencing strategies benefit teacher effectiveness. Maths pedagogy involving higher-order questioning, challenge, problem solving and collaborative working may be a way of improving attainment in adult numeracy learning, however, such strategies may be less effective if the…

Videoconferencing in Math and Science Preservice Elementary Teachers' Field Placements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plonczak, Irene

2010-03-01

This study was designed to examine benefits and challenges of teaching through videoconferencing in the context of students’ field placement experiences, particularly as it relates to an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning math and science. In the context of mathematics and science methods courses, preservice teachers, with the supervision of professors, field placement supervisors and cooperating teachers, taught a series of math and science lessons via video conferencing to 5th grade classes in a major urban public school. Two major results of this study indicate that: (1) teaching through videoconferencing highlights strengths and weaknesses in questioning skill techniques that are at the heart of an inquiry-based approach; (2) teaching through videoconferencing raises the intellectual challenge of teaching and allows preservice teachers to look face to face into their limited understanding of the content matter in math and science.

We?re Poppin' For Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levert, Brenda

2004-01-01

Each year, students in my seventh- and eighth-grade math classes plan and organize a schoolwide popcorn sale. This activity brings to life mathematical concepts learned in the classroom. By transferring textbook mathematics to a real-world situation, my students learn to value the mathematics being studied and are able to understand how it can…

Improving Math Literacy for the Facilities Maintenance Industry: A Multimedia Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegler, John; Taylor, Don

Texas State Technical College in Waco (TSTCW) entered into a partnership with ServiceMaster, one of the largest maintenance companies in the world, to develop a contextual-based videodisc curriculum for facility maintenance workers intended to increase math literacy. TSTCW developed a task analysis, a curriculum, and evaluation measures for the…

Finding a Good Fit: Using MCC in a "Third Space"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Joan Parker; Wiles, Peter; Civil, Marta; Clark, Stacy

2005-01-01

Math in a Cultural Context (MCC) is based in traditional Yup'ik cultural values and ways of knowing and representing the world, which provide access to math concepts through hands-on exploration and active problem solving. This case illustrates how a novice and outsider teacher successfully implemented MCC in a classroom with predominantly…

Mathematicians in Schools: Uncovering Maths' Beautiful Secrets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, Bronwyn

2016-01-01

Mathematics professionals are working with teachers revealing the reality and beauty that happens in the world of math and to show that this is essentially a "human endeavour," embedded in much of what people do and the ways in which they think. In this article, the author shares vignettes of primary classes working with mathematicians…

Beauty and the beast: Aligning national curriculum standards with state (high school) graduation requirements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Linder-Scholer, B.

1994-12-31

An overview of SCI/MATH/MN - Minnesota`s standards-based, systemic approach to the reform and improvement of the K-12 science and mathematics education delivery system - is offered as an illustration of the challenges of aligning state educational practices with the national curriculum standards, and as a model for business involvement in state educational policy issues that will enable fundamental, across-the-system reform. SCI/MATH/MN illustrates the major challenges involved in developing a statewide vision for math and science education reform, articulating frameworks aligned with the national standards, building capacity for system-oriented change at the local level, and involving business in systemic reform.

M2ACS | M2ACS Web Space

Science.gov Websites

University of Wisconsin-Madison logo The University of Chicago logo Skip to content Home Concept Math at a Glance Math for a DOE Grand Challenge Connections Interactions with other DOE Projects DOE INCITE Award

Word Problem Wizardry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassidy, Jack

1991-01-01

Presents suggestions for teaching math word problems to elementary students. The strategies take into consideration differences between reading in math and reading in other areas. A problem-prediction game and four self-checking activities are included along with a magic password challenge. (SM)

Solving Math and Science Problems in the Real World with a Computational Mind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olabe, Juan Carlos; Basogain, Xabier; Olabe, Miguel Ángel; Maíz, Inmaculada; Castaño, Carlos

2014-01-01

This article presents a new paradigm for the study of Math and Sciences curriculum during primary and secondary education. A workshop for Education undergraduates at four different campuses (n = 242) was designed to introduce participants to the new paradigm. In order to make a qualitative analysis of the current school methodologies in…

Math Literacy through French Language Learning: Connecting with the Common Core in the Lower Elementary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis-Wiley, Patricia; Miller, Roy V.

2013-01-01

Among the reported proven positive results of early world Language (WL) study are improved cognitive abilities and "higher achievement test scores in reading and math" (Stewart: 11), which are expected student performance outcomes for the Common Core Standards. The future viability of Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES)…

Problems in the Pipeline: Stereotype Threat and Women's Achievement in High-Level Math Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Good, Catherine; Aronson, Joshua; Harder, Jayne Ann

2008-01-01

It is well established that negative stereotypes can undermine women's performance on mathematics tests. Despite considerable laboratory evidence for the role of "stereotype threat" in girls' and women's math test performance, the relevance of such findings for the "real world" gender test-score gap remains unclear and debates about causes focus…

SCDC Spanish Curricula Units. Science/Math, Unit 10, Grade 3, Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spanish Curricula Development Center, Miami Beach, FL.

Unit 10 of a Spanish science/math curriculum for grade three, composed of kits 37-40, has as its theme "communities around the world". The unit's teacher's guide contains both learning and assessment activities, with the focus, objective, and materials needed for each activity listed. Specific attention is placed on four spiraling questions…

Effects of Digital-Based Math Fluency Interventions on Learners with Math Difficulties: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cozad, Lauren E.; Riccomini, Paul J.

2016-01-01

Mathematical proficiency serves as a foundation for student success in the classroom and real world. One component of mathematical proficiency is fluency with basic facts. Frequently, students with mathematics difficulties struggle to become proficient and fluent in the four basic operations. Interventions are available to help develop and promote…

Math Education Practices for Students with Disabilities and Other Struggling Learners: Case Studies of Six Schools in Two Northeast and Islands Region States. Issues & Answers. REL 2008-No. 053

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louie, Josephine; Brodesky, Amy; Brett, Jessica; Yang, Li-Ming; Tan, Yvette

2008-01-01

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires states to ensure that all students make adequate yearly progress in achieving proficiency in English language arts and math. This study examines how six diverse schools have responded to the challenge of educating their students in math, particularly students with disabilities and other…

Mathematical and Computational Aspects Related to Soil Modeling and Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-26

and simulation challenges at the interface of applied math (homogenization, handling of discontinuous behavior, discrete vs. continuum representations...applied math tools need to be established and used to figure out how to impose compatible boundary conditions, how to better approximate the gradient

Who needs innate ability to succeed in math and literacy? Academic-domain-specific theories of intelligence about peers versus adults.

PubMed

Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Hamdan, Noora; Sorhagen, Nicole S; D'Esterre, Alexander P

2017-06-01

Individuals' implicit theories of intelligence exist on a spectrum, from believing intelligence is fixed and unchangeable, to believing it is malleable and can be improved with effort. A belief in malleable intelligence leads to adaptive responses to challenge and higher achievement. However, surprisingly little is known about the development of academic-domain-specific theories of intelligence (i.e., math vs. reading and writing). The authors examined this in a cross-section of students from 1st grade to college (N = 523). They also examined whether students hold different beliefs about the role of fixed ability in adult jobs versus their own grade. The authors' adult-specific beliefs hypothesis states that when children learn societally held beliefs from adults, they first apply these beliefs specifically to adults and later to students their own age. Consistent with this, even the youngest students (1st and 2nd graders) believed that success in an adult job requires more fixed ability in math than reading and writing. However, when asked about students in their own grade, only high school and college students reported that math involves more fixed ability than reading and writing. High school and college students' math-specific theories of intelligence were related to their motivation and achievement in math, controlling for reading and writing-specific theories. Reading and writing-specific theories did not predict reading and writing-specific motivations or achievement, perhaps because students perceive reading and writing as less challenging than math. In summary, academic-domain-specific theories of intelligence develop early but may not become self-relevant until adolescence, and math-specific beliefs may be especially important targets for intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

U.S. Poised to Sit Out TIMSS Test: Physics, Advanced Math Gauged in Global Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viadero, Debra

2007-01-01

This article reports on reactions to the U.S. Department of Education's first time decision to sit out an international study designed to show how advanced high school students around the world measure up in math and science. Mark S. Schneider, the commissioner of the department's National Center for Education Statistics, which normally takes the…

Math Around the World: Grades 5-8. Teachers' Guide. Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braxton, Beverly; And Others

This document is a collection of eight games from four continents. Students use mathematics that is directly relevant to them as they take part in the games. The first five games (NIM, Kalah, Tower of Hanoi, Shongo Networks, and Magic Squares) feature presentation instructions that describe multiple-session classroom activities for grades 5-8.…

Teaching Early Mathematics with PLATO[R] Software: An Overview of the New PLATO Elementary Mathematics Curricula and How To Use Them. Technical Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinn, Bill; Foshay, Rob; Morris, Barbara

The "PLATO[R] Math Expeditions" and "PLATO[R] Projects for the Real World" curricula are designed to implement effective, research-based instructional practices. "Math Expeditions" is designed to give elementary grade users the mathematics skills and practice needed to solve real-life problems. Across the eight…

Science and Math Assessment in K-6 Rural and Small Schools. Rural, Small Schools Network Information Exchange: Number 14, Spring 1993.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of the Northeast & Islands, Andover, MA.

This packet includes reprints of journal articles and other resources concerning the assessment of science and math in small, rural elementary schools. Articles include: (1) "Standards, Assessment, and Educational Quality" (Lauren B. Resnick); (2) "A True Test: Toward More Authentic and Equitable Assessment" (Grant Wiggins); (3) "How World-Class…

An Urban Collaborative in Critical Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruckerhoff, Charles E.; Popkewitz, Thomas S.

1991-01-01

Discusses the rationale behind the Cleveland Collaborative for Mathematics Education, which networks urban high school math teachers with college math professors and mathematicians in business. Describes a typical teaching day for one high school teacher and how environmental challenges such as family abuse, student absenteeism, and lack of…

Efficacy Expectations and Vocational Interests as Mediators between Sex and Choice of Math/Science College Majors: A Longitudinal Study

PubMed

Lapan; Shaughnessy; Boggs

1996-12-01

A longitudinal study was conducted to test the mediational role of efficacy expectations in relation to sex differences in the choice of a math/science college major. Data on 101 students were gathered prior to their entering college and then again after they had declared a major 3 years later. Path analytic results support the importance of both math self-efficacy beliefs and vocational interest in mathematics in predicting entry into math/science majors and mediating sex differences in these decisions. Also, students who described themselves as more extroverted were less likely to take additional math classes in high school. Students with stronger artistic vocational interests chose majors less related to math and science. School personnel are strongly encouraged to develop programs that challenge the crystallization of efficacy beliefs and vocational interest patterns before students enter college.

The Amazing Mathematical Race

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noblitt, Bethany A.; Buckley, Brooke E.

2011-01-01

Teams, pit stops, clues, time limits, fast forwards, challenges, and prizes are all components of the CBS hit show "The Amazing Race." They were also elements of the Amazing Mathematical Race sponsored by the Math and Stats Club at Northern Kentucky University in April 2009. Held in recognition of Math Awareness Month, which is advocated…

Motivation for Math in Rural Schools: Student and Teacher Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardre, Patricia L.

2011-01-01

Rural schools, students, teachers, administrators, families and community leaders face unique challenges from those of their urban and suburban counterparts. This paper investigates motivation in rural secondary schools, with a particular focus on mathematics, from teacher and student perspectives. It integrates recent research on math learning…

Profiles of State-Supported Residential Math and Science Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Brent M.

2009-01-01

Unless we sharply increase the training of homegrown math and science talents, we may suffer negative economic and technological consequences. One means of addressing this challenge has been through specialty schools devoted to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training. In 1980, the North Carolina School of Science and…

Where Have All the Mathematics Teachers Gone?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clever, George

Three basic causes for the general decline in mathematics achievement among high school graduates nationally are poor motivation to learn math, poor math curriculum, and poor or no mathematics instruction. Many Native Americans drop mathematics because of lack of challenging courses or interesting teachers in their high schools. Since American…

Challenging Students' Beliefs about Mathematics: The Use of Documentary to Alter Perceptions of Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hekimoglu, Serkan; Kittrell, Emily

2010-01-01

This study investigates whether seeing a documentary on how mathematicians do mathematics improves students' math "self-efficacy beliefs." The analysis of students' written reflections and classroom observations suggests that watching the documentary may help students' math anxiety decrease and positive self-efficacy toward learning mathematics…

Math in the Real World: Early Findings from a Study of the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutschow, Elizabeth Zachry; Diamond, John; Serna-Wallender, Elena

2017-01-01

Until recently, most colleges required students to pass a college-level algebra course in order to earn a degree. As many as 50 percent to 70 percent of community college students enter college unprepared to take these courses, and fewer than 20 percent of such students ever successfully complete a college-level math course; the rest are…

Math Space Mission. [A Product of] the Regional Math Network: A Teacher Invigoration and Curriculum Development Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education.

This unit is intended to teach estimation skills in such a way as to be relevant and useful to students as they apply them in various problem-solving activities. The teaching activities feature the earth, exploration into space, and the other worlds in the solar system. The teacher's guide contains four modules. Module I suggests the use of…

Teaching Pre-Service Teachers to Make Digital Stories That Explain Complex Mathematical Concepts in a Real-World Context: The "Math-eo" Project, Creating "Cool New Tools"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Lynne Masel; Green, Martha R.; Goldsby, Dianne; Walters, Timothy N.; Wang, Liangyan

2016-01-01

This mixed methods study examines whether engaging in a problem-solving project to create Math-eos (digital videos) increases pre-service teachers' understanding of the relationship between visual, auditory, and verbal representation and critical thinking in mathematics. Additionally, the study looks at what aspects of a digital problem solving…

New Faces, New Places: A 4-H Science Learning Program in Urban Out-of-School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Walter A.; Killian, Eric; Evans, William P.

2010-01-01

Young people in the U.S. are falling behind their peers in the rest of the developed world in science, technology, engineering, and math. The Program for International Student Assessment study, conducted every three years, ranked the U.S. 24th in math and science out of 29 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development…

Decide now, pay later: Early influences in math and science education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malcom, S.

1995-12-31

Who are the people deciding to major in science, math or engineering in college? The early interest in science and math education which can lead to science and engineering careers, is shaped as much by the encompassing world of the child as it is by formal education experiences. This paper documents what we know and what we need to know about the influences on children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, including the home, pre-school groups, science and math programs in churches, community groups, the media, cultural institutions (museums, zoos, botanical gardens), libraries, and schools (curriculum, instruction, policies and assessment). Itmore » also covers the nature and quality of curricular and intervention programs, and identifies strategies that appear to be most effective for various groups.« less

Math and Science Teachers: Recruiting and Retaining California's Workforce. Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

EdSource, 2008

2008-01-01

Middle and high school math and science teachers provide the foundation for education in the growing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. They are crucial to California's efforts to remain competitive in a global economy. This policy brief looks at the shortage and challenges involved in recruiting and retaining fully prepared…

Examining Student Achievement and Interventions for Underprepared Vocational Math Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargens, Diane K.

2013-01-01

Math preparedness is a barrier to completion for many community college vocational students. With President Obama's (2010) challenge to produce more graduates in order to ensure our nation succeeds in the 21st century, community colleges across the country have an increased focus on graduation or completion. This study was conducted to provide…

Remembering Math: The Design of Digital Learning Objects to Spark Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halverson, Richard; Wolfenstein, Moses; Williams, Caroline C.; Rockman, Charles

2009-01-01

This article describes how the design of digital learning objects can spark professional learning. The challenge was to build learning objects that would help experienced special education teachers, who had been teaching in math classes, to demonstrate their proficiency in middle and secondary school mathematics on the PRAXIS examination. While…

Number Sense and Number Nonsense: Understanding the Challenges of Learning Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krasa, Nancy; Shunkwiler, Sara

2009-01-01

How do children learn math--and why do some children struggle with it? The answers are in "Number Sense and Number Nonsense," a straightforward, reader-friendly book for education professionals and an invaluable multidisciplinary resource for researchers. More than a first-ever research synthesis, this highly accessible book brings math…

The Efficacy of Academic Acceleration for Gifted Minority Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Seon-Young; Olszewski-Kubilius, Paula; Peternel, George

2010-01-01

This study supported the use of acceleration for gifted minority students in math. The gifted minority students in this study viewed taking accelerated math courses as exciting and beneficial for preparation for high school and college and particularly liked the challenges they encountered while taking advanced classes. They enjoyed working ahead…

Parents' Perspectives on Hmong Students' Academic Challenges in Reading and Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Kenneth Kong

2014-01-01

The purpose of this survey study was to investigate the relationship between Hmong students' academic achievements and Hmong parental involvement, home environment, and acculturation adjustment as measured by the Math and English Language Arts sections of the California Standard Test in the United States from parents' perspective regarding student…

The Lifeworld Makes Mathematics Education Rural: Implications for Math Education Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howley, Craig

The great challenge for rural education scholars is explaining what relevance the rural circumstance might have to schooling, a task especially difficult in the case of mathematics education. This paper argues that the rural lifeworld makes math education rural and suggests implications for research based on that statement. The lifeworld is the…

Islam in Egyptian Education: Grades K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neill, Charlotte M.

2006-01-01

This article explores the important role that the religion of Islam plays in the education of Egyptian children. The scrutiny under which the Islamic world finds itself in the after-math of September 11, 2001 has resulted in calls for educational reform, not only from the outside world, but also from the Muslim world itself. The author has a…

Cogito.org: A Website and Online Community for the World's Most Talented Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brody, Linda E.

2008-01-01

Students have used Cogito.org to pose and/or solve math problems and brain teasers, share their experiences in academic competitions, debate the pros and cons of using biofuels for energy, design an alien world based on sound scientific principles, and expand their cultural understanding by connecting with students from around the world.…

Learning for Change in World Society: Reflections, Activities and Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

One World Trust, London (England).

The resource booklet contains readings and activities for British secondary school world affairs classes. The material lends itself toward incorporation into various curricula, including history, geography, social studies, humanities, environmental studies, language and literature, home economics, math, and science. Subject matter focuses on…

Architecture: A Nexus of Creativity, Math, and Spatial Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senne, Jessica; Coxon, Steve V.

2016-01-01

The United States is dependent on innovations in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields for the growth of its economy and improvements to quality of life, but too few students are prepared for them. To help meet the challenges in filling the STEM pipeline, teachers of gifted elementary students can nurture important talents,…

How to Make STEM Education Cool for Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steel, David

2012-01-01

Of all U.S. high school students who graduated in 2011, only 45 percent were ready for college-level math and a mere 30 percent were ready for science, according to ACT, a college-entrance testing agency. These data reflect the great challenge facing the United States in preparing students for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)…

Using Math as a Springboard to Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mighton, John

2008-01-01

Ten years ago, the author started a tutoring club called JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigy) in his apartment. He initially worked with a set of the most challenged students in a local school, including a number in special education who were performing far below grade level. The success of his program led him to realize that not only can all…

Making Sense of Principal Leadership in Content Areas: The Case of Secondary Math and Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lochmiller, Chad R.; Acker-Hocevar, Michele

2016-01-01

We drew upon sense making and leadership content knowledge to explore how high school administrators' understanding of content areas informed their leadership. We used math and science to illustrate our interpretations, noting that other content areas may pose different challenges. We found that principals' limited understanding of these content…

Case Studies of a Robot-Based Game to Shape Interests and Hone Proportional Reasoning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfieri, Louis; Higashi, Ross; Shoop, Robin; Schunn, Christian D.

2015-01-01

Background: Robot-math is a term used to describe mathematics instruction centered on engineering, particularly robotics. This type of instruction seeks first to make the mathematics skills useful for robotics-centered challenges, and then to help students extend (transfer) those skills. A robot-math intervention was designed to target the…

The Relationship of Teacher-Facilitated, Inquiry-Based Instruction to Student Higher-Order Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Jeff C.; Horton, Robert M.

2011-01-01

Commissions, studies, and reports continue to call for inquiry-based learning approaches in science and math that challenge students to think critically and deeply. While working with a group of middle school science and math teachers, we conducted more than 100 classroom observations, assessing several attributes of inquiry-based instruction. We…

The Brain's Response to Digital Math Apps: A Pilot Study Examining Children's Cortical Responses during Touch-Screen Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Joseph M.; Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S.; Tucker, Stephen I.; Shumway, Jessica F.; Jordan, Kerry E.; Gillam, Ronald B.

2018-01-01

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an easy to use neuroimaging technique that is portable and maintains a liberal tolerance to movement. As such, fNIRS represents an ideal tool to observe children's neural activity as they engage in real-world classroom activities, such as the interaction with digital math apps on an iPad. Here, we…

Look down from the Sky: Is It a Bird? Is It Superman? No, It's a Plane

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chick, Helen

2016-01-01

The plane problem is a real-world problem, presented without any suggestion as to how it might be solved. It arose unexpectedly as the author was messing around on the internet, not thinking about maths at all. She did not encounter the problem in a maths lesson, nor as homework in the middle of a unit on a particular topic, and so she had no…

Celebrate Mathematical Curiosity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redford, Christine

2011-01-01

Children's mathematical questions are often based in real-world experiences, as they instinctively make connections to the world around them. In teaching math methods courses, this author recently started to emphasize the importance of fostering curiosity in, and activating the thinking of, the students. In this article, she describes how to tap…

KSC-2014-3653

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-29

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Guests at the Tom Joyner Family Reunion participate in "Learn and Spin Challenge," an opportunity to answer questions related to science, technology, engineering and math. Robert Smith asks a question as part of NASA’s educational theme during the five-day event. Behind Smith, to the left, is Debbie Houston who also supported the "Learn and Spin Challenge." The Tom Joyner Family Reunion is designed to present uplifting programs, entertainment and information about growing, diverse communities. An annual event of the nationally-syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, the many exhibits included NASA's participation focusing on encouraging young people to consider studies and careers in STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math. NASA's Education Division promoted the benefits of math and scientific learning along with career opportunities offered by the space agency. The activities took place at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, during the Labor Day weekend. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Asperger syndrome and the supposed obligation not to bring disabled lives into the world.

PubMed

Walsh, Pat

2010-09-01

Asperger syndrome (AS) is an autistic spectrum condition that shares the range of social impairments associated with classic autism widely regarded as disabling, while also often giving rise to high levels of ability in areas such as maths, science, engineering and music. The nature of this striking duality of disability and ability is examined, along with its implications for our thinking about disability and the relevance of levels and kinds of disability to reproductive choices. In particular, it may be seen as posing a challenge to John Harris's influential position in reproductive ethics relating to disability. The paper argues that if, as Harris maintains, there is a quite general moral obligation to avoid bringing disabled lives into the world regardless of the level of disability, then AS must be seen as having a strong claim to be exempt from such an obligation. However, a broader critique of Harris's position leads to the conclusion that, in fact, this putative obligation does not exist.

The Responsive Classroom approach and fifth grade students' math and science anxiety and self-efficacy.

PubMed

Griggs, Marissa Swaim; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E; Merritt, Eileen G; Patton, Christine L

2013-12-01

Self-efficacy forecasts student persistence and achievement in challenging subjects. Thus, it is important to understand factors that contribute to students' self-efficacy, a key factor in their success in math and science. The current cross-sectional study examined the contribution of students' gender and math and science anxiety as well as schools' use of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) practices to students' math and science self-efficacy. Fifth graders (n = 1,561) completed questionnaires regarding their feelings about math and science. Approximately half of the students attended schools implementing the Responsive Classroom® (RC) approach, an SEL intervention, as part of a randomized controlled trial. Results suggested no difference in math and science self-efficacy between boys and girls. Students who self-reported higher math and science anxiety also reported less self-efficacy toward these subjects. However, the negative association between students' anxiety and self-efficacy was attenuated in schools using more RC practices compared with those using fewer RC practices. RC practices were associated with higher science self-efficacy. Results highlight anxiety as contributing to poor self-efficacy in math and science and suggest that RC practices create classroom conditions in which students' anxiety is less strongly associated with negative beliefs about their ability to be successful in math and science. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

The Math–Biology Values Instrument: Development of a Tool to Measure Life Science Majors’ Task Values of Using Math in the Context of Biology

PubMed Central

Andrews, Sarah E.; Runyon, Christopher; Aikens, Melissa L.

2017-01-01

In response to calls to improve the quantitative training of undergraduate biology students, there have been increased efforts to better integrate math into biology curricula. One challenge of such efforts is negative student attitudes toward math, which are thought to be particularly prevalent among biology students. According to theory, students’ personal values toward using math in a biological context will influence their achievement and behavioral outcomes, but a validated instrument is needed to determine this empirically. We developed the Math–Biology Values Instrument (MBVI), an 11-item college-level self-­report instrument grounded in expectancy-value theory, to measure life science students’ interest in using math to understand biology, the perceived usefulness of math to their life science career, and the cost of using math in biology courses. We used a process that integrates multiple forms of validity evidence to show that scores from the MBVI can be used as a valid measure of a student’s value of math in the context of biology. The MBVI can be used by instructors and researchers to help identify instructional strategies that influence math–biology values and understand how math–biology values are related to students’ achievement and decisions to pursue more advanced quantitative-based courses. PMID:28747355

Polyhedral Sculpture: The Path from Computational Artifact to Real-World Mathematical Object.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Michael; Nishioka, Ann

Mathematics educators often despair at math's austere, "abstract" reputation. This paper describes recent work in developing an application named "HyperGami," which is designed to integrate both the abstract and"real-world" aspects of mathematics by allowing children to design and construct polyhedral models and…

In accordance with a "more majestic order". The new math and the nature of mathematics at midcentury.

PubMed

Phillips, Christopher J

2014-09-01

The "new math" curriculum, one version of which was developed in the 1950s and 1960s by the School Mathematics Study Group under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, occasioned a great deal of controversy among mathematicians. Well before its rejection by parents and teachers, some mathematicians were vocal critics, decrying the new curriculum because of the way it described the practice and history of the discipline. The nature of mathematics, despite the field's triumphs in helping to win World War II and its midcentury promotion as the key to a modern technological society, was surprisingly contested in this period. Supporters of the School Mathematics Study Group, like its director, Edward Begle, emphasized the importance of portraying mathematics as a system of abstract structures, while opponents like Morris Kline argued that math was essentially a tool for understanding the natural world. The debate about the curriculum--and the role of mathematicians in its design--was also a debate about the underlying identity of the subject itself.

The Math-Biology Values Instrument: Development of a Tool to Measure Life Science Majors' Task Values of Using Math in the Context of Biology.

PubMed

Andrews, Sarah E; Runyon, Christopher; Aikens, Melissa L

2017-01-01

In response to calls to improve the quantitative training of undergraduate biology students, there have been increased efforts to better integrate math into biology curricula. One challenge of such efforts is negative student attitudes toward math, which are thought to be particularly prevalent among biology students. According to theory, students' personal values toward using math in a biological context will influence their achievement and behavioral outcomes, but a validated instrument is needed to determine this empirically. We developed the Math-Biology Values Instrument (MBVI), an 11-item college-level self--report instrument grounded in expectancy-value theory, to measure life science students' interest in using math to understand biology, the perceived usefulness of math to their life science career, and the cost of using math in biology courses. We used a process that integrates multiple forms of validity evidence to show that scores from the MBVI can be used as a valid measure of a student's value of math in the context of biology. The MBVI can be used by instructors and researchers to help identify instructional strategies that influence math-biology values and understand how math-biology values are related to students' achievement and decisions to pursue more advanced quantitative-based courses. © 2017 S. E. Andrews et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Degrees of Freedom: Varying Routes to Math Readiness and the Challenge of Intersegmental Alignment (Report 2 of a 3-Part Series)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burdman, Pamela

2015-01-01

The conventional algebra-intensive math curriculum commonly dictates students' options for entering and completing college, including their ability to transfer from two-year to four-year institutions. The assumption that higher-level algebra is necessary for college success has led some equity advocates to promote algebra for all students. Nearly…

Addressing the STEM Challenge by Expanding Specialty Math and Science High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Robert D.; Hugo, Janet; Lundgren, Dennis; Shapiro, Martin J.; Thomas, Jerald

2007-01-01

If America is to succeed in the innovation-powered global economy, boosting math and science skills will be critical. This is why a wide array of task forces and organizations has recently raised the clarion call for more and better scientists and engineers. While the policy proposals offered are wide ranging, one key policy innovation has…

Do Teacher-Coaches Make the Cut? The Effectiveness of Athletic Coaches as Math and Reading Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egalite, Anna J.; Bowen, Daniel H.; Trivitt, Julie R.

2015-01-01

Math and reading teachers who also coach athletics in the public school system are challenged to balance the responsibilities that come with fulfilling dual occupational roles. While many studies have examined teacher-coaches' stress levels and job perception in the context of role strain, there is no evidence of how student achievement in tested…

Math Puzzlers: 25 Reproducible Puzzles, Games, and Activities that Boost the Math Skills and Up the Fun! Grades 2-5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimble-Ellis, Sonya

Puzzles, games, and activities provide perfect opportunities for students to work in groups, interact, communicate with each other, and discuss strategies. The activities, games, and puzzles contained in this book are designed to help students learn mathematics in a fun yet challenging way. The activities are designed to encourage students to…

The Role of Applied Engineering and Computer Science Courses in the Production of Math Achievement in High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfried, Michael; Bozick, Robert

2012-01-01

Academic math and science courses have been long shown to increase learning and educational attainment, but are they sufficient on their own to prepare youth for the challenges and rigor of the STEM workforce? Or, are there distinctive benefits to complementing these traditional academic courses with applied ones? Answers to these questions are…

Gearing up to Teach the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in Rural Northeast Region Schools. REL 2015-031

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Kirk; Torres, Aubrey Scheopner; Smith, Toni; Ford, Jennifer

2014-01-01

This study describes key challenges and necessary supports related to implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) identified by rural math educators in the Northeast. The research team interviewed state and district math coordinators and surveyed teachers in Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont, to assess their…

Advanced placement math and science courses: Influential factors and predictors for success in college STEM majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoepner, Cynthia Colon

President Obama has recently raised awareness on the need for our nation to grow a larger pool of students with knowledge in science mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM). Currently, while the number of women pursuing college degrees continues to rise, there remains an under-representation of women in STEM majors across the country. Although research studies offer several contributing factors that point to a higher attrition rate of women in STEM than their male counterparts, no study has investigated the role that high school advanced placement (AP) math and science courses play in preparing students for the challenges of college STEM courses. The purpose of this study was to discover which AP math and science courses and/or influential factors could encourage more students, particularly females, to consider pursuing STEM fields in college. Further, this study examined which, if any, AP math or science courses positively contribute to a student's overall preparation for college STEM courses. This retrospective study combined quantitative and qualitative research methods. The survey sample consisted of 881 UCLA female and male students pursuing STEM majors. Qualitative data was gathered from four single-gender student focus groups, two female groups (15 females) and two male groups (16 males). This study examined which AP math and science courses students took in high school, who or what influenced them to take those courses, and which particular courses influenced student's choice of STEM major and/or best prepared her/him for the challenges of STEM courses. Findings reveal that while AP math and science course-taking patterns are similar of female and male STEM students, a significant gender-gap remains in five of the eleven AP courses. Students report four main influences on their choice of AP courses; self, desire for math/science major, higher grade point average or class rank, and college admissions. Further, three AP math and science courses were highlighted throughout the study. First, AP Chemistry was described as a foundational course necessary for the challenges of STEM courses. AP Calculus was considered a course with practical benefits across STEM majors. Finally, AP Biology was found to be a gateway course, which inspired students to continue to pursue STEM majors in college. All three courses were strongly recommended to high school students considering a STEM major. The findings will help grow a larger and equally prepared pool of females and males and help sustain a more even distribution of women across STEM fields.

Geometry of PDE's. IV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prástaro, Agostino

2008-02-01

Following our previous results on this subject [R.P. Agarwal, A. Prástaro, Geometry of PDE's. III(I): Webs on PDE's and integral bordism groups. The general theory, Adv. Math. Sci. Appl. 17 (2007) 239-266; R.P. Agarwal, A. Prástaro, Geometry of PDE's. III(II): Webs on PDE's and integral bordism groups. Applications to Riemannian geometry PDE's, Adv. Math. Sci. Appl. 17 (2007) 267-285; A. Prástaro, Geometry of PDE's and Mechanics, World Scientific, Singapore, 1996; A. Prástaro, Quantum and integral (co)bordism in partial differential equations, Acta Appl. Math. (5) (3) (1998) 243-302; A. Prástaro, (Co)bordism groups in PDE's, Acta Appl. Math. 59 (2) (1999) 111-201; A. Prástaro, Quantized Partial Differential Equations, World Scientific Publishing Co, Singapore, 2004, 500 pp.; A. Prástaro, Geometry of PDE's. I: Integral bordism groups in PDE's, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 319 (2006) 547-566; A. Prástaro, Geometry of PDE's. II: Variational PDE's and integral bordism groups, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 321 (2006) 930-948; A. Prástaro, Th.M. Rassias, Ulam stability in geometry of PDE's, Nonlinear Funct. Anal. Appl. 8 (2) (2003) 259-278; I. Stakgold, Boundary Value Problems of Mathematical Physics, I, The MacMillan Company, New York, 1967; I. Stakgold, Boundary Value Problems of Mathematical Physics, II, Collier-MacMillan, Canada, Ltd, Toronto, Ontario, 1968], integral bordism groups of the Navier-Stokes equation are calculated for smooth, singular and weak solutions, respectively. Then a characterization of global solutions is made on this ground. Enough conditions to assure existence of global smooth solutions are given and related to nullity of integral characteristic numbers of the boundaries. Stability of global solutions are related to some characteristic numbers of the space-like Cauchy dataE Global solutions of variational problems constrained by (NS) are classified by means of suitable integral bordism groups too.

Experiences of Visually Impaired Students in Community College Math Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swan, S. Tomeka

Blind and visually impaired students who attend community colleges face challenges in learning mathematics (Forrest, 2010). Scoy, McLaughlin, Walls, and Zuppuhaur (2006) claim these students are at a disadvantage in studying mathematics due to the visual and interactive nature of the subject, and by the way mathematics is taught. In this qualitative study six blind and visually impaired students attended three community colleges in one Mid-Atlantic state. They shared their experiences inside the mathematics classroom. Five of the students were enrolled in developmental level math, and one student was enrolled in college level math. The conceptual framework used to explore how blind and visually impaired students persist and succeed in math courses was Piaget's theory on constructivism. The data from this qualitative study was obtained through personal interviews. Based on the findings of this study, blind and visually impaired students need the following accommodations in order to succeed in community college math courses: Accommodating instructors who help to keep blind and visually impaired students motivated and facilitate their academic progress towards math completion, tutorial support, assistive technology, and a positive and inclusive learning environment.

Educating and Inspiring Young People for the Next Generation of Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, Robert C., Jr.

2007-01-01

With the graying of the nation's scientific workforce and the decline in students pursuing science, technological, engineering, and math related-studies, real challenges lie ahead if America is to continue to sustain the Vision for Space Exploration in the foreseeable future. Likewise, challenges exist in the economic arena as the United States seeks to maintain its preeminence among the technological leaders of the world. Currently, less than 6 percent of high school seniors are pursuing engineering degrees, down from 36 percent a decade ago. Today, China produces six times as many engineers as does the United States and Japan, at half our population, develops twice as many engineers. Despite spending more per capita on public education than any other nation, except Switzerland, U.S. students of high school age are failing to compete with many foreign countries. These trends do not bode well for America's future competitiveness in space and other technically driven areas, such as defense.

An Online, Interactive Renewable Energy Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Leary, D. A.; Shattuck, J.; Kubby, J.

2012-01-01

An undergraduate introductory science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) class can be a jarring disappointment to new students expecting to work with cutting-edge, real-world technology. Their cell phones are often more technically advanced and real-world than the tools used in a class lab. Not surprisingly, many complain that the STEM labs…

Occupational Safety: Orientation to the World of Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Clarence; Wills, Richard

The guide is one of a series of 10 units composing an orientation to the world of work course designed especially for disadvantaged and handicapped students in the ninth and tenth grades. It is designed to provide basic and remedial instruction in personal development, math, and language skills while providing information and skills basic or…

Tuning Out the World with Noise-Canceling Headphones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCulloch, Allison W.; Whitehead, Ashley; Lovett, Jennifer N.; Whitley, Blake

2017-01-01

Context is what makes mathematical modeling tasks different from more traditional textbook word problems. Math problems are sometimes stripped of context as they are worked on. For modeling problems, however, context is important for making sense of the mathematics. The task should be brought back to its real-world context as often as possible. In…

Got the World on a Screen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adam, Anna; Mowers, Helen

2007-01-01

In this article, the authors discuss how Google Earth provides more than a geography lesson. For starters, Google Earth is perfect for teaching geography. Subscribe to Where in the World, for example, and have their students listen to podcast clues in a find-the-location game created by students worldwide. Clues relate to math (the population of…

Park Forest Middle School STEM Education Fair 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Bill

2010-01-01

Innovations from the United States have often led the world to new discoveries and solutions to complex problems. However, there are alarming indications that the United States is falling behind other countries in the ability to apply science, technology, engineering, and math to complex problems facing our world. In order for the country to…

Assessing Students' Proficiency in Math and Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Judd, Thomas P.; Keith, Bruce

2007-01-01

The U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point is responsible for developing in its graduates literacy in the sciences that renders them capable of solving complex real-world problems. Throughout their careers as officers in the military, graduates will be called upon to view the physical world in a disciplined and objective manner, with an…

Personal Development: Orientation to the World of Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordloh, Mary J.

The guide is one of a series of 10 units composing an orientation to the world of work course designed especially for disadvantaged and handicapped students in the ninth and tenth grades. It is designed to provide basic and remedial instruction in personal development, math, and language skills while providing information and skills basic or…

Gearing up to Teach the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in the Rural Northeast Region. Stated Briefly. REL 2015-066

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirk, Walters; Smith, Toni M.; Ford, Jennifer; Scheopner Torres, Aubrey

2014-01-01

This study describes key challenges and necessary supports related to implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) identified by rural math educators in the Northeast. The research team interviewed state and district math coordinators and surveyed teachers in Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont, to assess their…

Informal Math Coaching by Instant Messaging: Two Case Studies of How University Students Coach K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hrastinski, Stefan; Edman, Anneli; Andersson, Fredrik; Kawnine, Tanvir; Soames, Carol-Ann

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to describe and explore how instant messaging (IM) can be used to support informal math coaching. We have studied two projects where university students use IM to coach K-12 students in mathematics. The coaches were interviewed with a focus on how informal coaching works by examining coaching challenges, how coaching can…

Making Math Real: Effective Qualities of Guest Speaker Presentations and the Impact of Speakers on Student Attitude and Achievement in the Algebra Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKain, Danielle R.

2012-01-01

The term real world is often used in mathematics education, yet the definition of real-world problems and how to incorporate them in the classroom remains ambiguous. One way real-world connections can be made is through guest speakers. Guest speakers can offer different perspectives and share knowledge about various subject areas, yet the impact…

Shaping stereotypical behaviour through the discussion of social stereotypes.

PubMed

Smith, Laura G E; Postmes, Tom

2011-03-01

In two studies, we demonstrate that small group discussions change the extent to which an activated stereotype affects performance in a relevant domain. In Study 1, female participants were asked why men are (or are not) better than them at maths. They generated their answers individually or through group discussion, and their subsequent maths performance was highest when they collectively challenged the stereotype and lowest when they collectively affirmed the stereotype. When participants affirmed the stereotype through discussion, they used more theories which supported the validity of the stereotype, compared to the individual thought condition; and consensus mediated the effect of group discussion on performance (relative to individual rumination). In Study 2, male and female participants affirmed or challenged the stereotype in same-gender discussion groups. After affirming the stereotype, women's performance decreased relative to their baseline scores and men's performance was 'lifted'. In contrast, when they challenged the stereotype, there was no difference between the performance of men and women on the maths test. This pattern of effects was mediated by confidence in mathematical ability. The findings support the idea that topical small group discussions can, in the short term, differentially alter the impact that stereotypes have on performance. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

The Misplaced Math Student: Lost in Eighth-Grade Algebra. The 2008 Brown Center Report on American Education. Special Release

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loveless, Tom

2008-01-01

This new study is being released as an advance excerpt of the 2008 Brown Center Report on American Education. This new report finds that the nation's push to challenge more students by placing them in advanced math classes in eighth grade has had unintended and damaging consequences, as some 120,000 middle-schoolers are now struggling in advanced…

How to Make a Math Modeling Class from Scratch in Six (Not-So) Easy Steps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerhardt, Ira

2017-01-01

The recent introduction of a new course in mathematical modeling at Manhattan College has provided students with a valuable opportunity to gain practical experience utilizing tools in applying their mathematical abilities to a real-world problem. This paper describes the steps taken to create this class, from obtaining a real-world partner…

Probability & Statistics: Modular Learning Exercises. Teacher Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Actuarial Foundation, 2012

2012-01-01

The purpose of these modules is to provide an introduction to the world of probability and statistics to accelerated mathematics students at the high school level. The modules also introduce students to real world math concepts and problems that property and casualty actuaries come across in their work. They are designed to be used by teachers and…

Waiting for the Paradigm Shift: What We Did and Why We Did It.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borelli, Jan G.

1995-01-01

Public schools are failing because they still provide a classical, rather than an applied, education that prepares students for the real world beyond high school. An Oklahoma high school has revamped its ninth-grade math curriculum to include only algebra and geometry (using calculators and real-world applications) and requires four years of math…

Classroom Challenge: A 3D Snapshot of Student Learning in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilder, Sandra

2015-01-01

This article aims to describe a type of formative assessment, MAP Classroom Challenge, which has been introduced in mathematics classrooms in recent years. MAP, or the Mathematics Assessment Project Classroom Challenges (formerly known as Formative Assessment Lessons), are developed by teams of math educators from the Shell Centre for Mathematical…

A Novel Approach for Engaging Academia in Collaborative Projects with NASA through the X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Tracy R.; Gattuso, Kelly

2015-01-01

The X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge, currently in its sixth year of execution, provides university students with the opportunity to be on the forefront of innovation. The X-Hab Challenge, for short, is designed to engage and retain students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). NASA identifies necessary technologies and studies for deep space missions and invites universities from around the country to develop concepts, prototypes, and lessons learned that will help shape future space missions and awards seed funds to design and produce functional products of interest as proposed by university teams according to their interests and expertise. Universities propose on a variety of projects suggested by NASA and are then judged on technical merit, academic integration, leveraged funding, and outreach. The universities assemble a multi-discipline team of students and advisors that invest months working together, developing concepts, and frequently producing working prototypes. Not only are students able to gain quality experience, working real world problems that have the possibility to be implemented, but they work closely with subject matter experts from NASA who guide them through an official engineering development process.

A Novel Approach for Engaging Academia in Collaborative Projects with NASA through the X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Tracy R.; Gattuso, Kelly J.

2015-01-01

The X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge, currently in its sixth year of execution, provides university students with the opportunity to be on the forefront of innovation. The X-Hab Challenge, for short, is designed to engage and retain students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). NASA identifies necessary technologies and studies for deep space missions and invites universities from around the country to develop concepts, prototypes, and lessons learned that will help shape future space missions and awards seed funds to design and produce functional products of interest as proposed by university teams according to their interests and expertise. Universities propose on a variety of projects suggested by NASA and are then judged on technical merit, academic integration, leveraged funding, and outreach. The universities assemble a multi-discipline team of students and advisors that invest months working together, developing concepts, and frequently producing working prototypes. Not only are students able to gain quality experience, working real world problems that have the possibility of be implemented, but they work closely with subject matter experts from NASA who guide them through an official engineering development process.

"I Hate Maths: Why Do We Need to Do Maths?" Using iPad Video Diaries to Investigate Attitudes and Emotions towards Mathematics in Year 3 and Year 6 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Kevin; Jorgensen, Robyn

2016-01-01

Accessing children's feelings and attitudes towards mathematics is a challenging proposition since methods for data collection may be fraught in terms of bias and power relations. This article explores a method of collecting information from young students about their attitudes towards mathematics using iPads, and a video diary technique not…

Taxes Affecting the Worker: Orientation to the World of Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rankin, Lila T.

The guide is one of a series of 10 units composing an orientation to the world of work course designed especially for disadvantaged and handicapped students in the 9th and 10th grades. It is designed to provide basic and remedial instruction in personal development, math, and language skills while providing information and skills basic or common…

Transformative Pedagogy, Leadership and School Organisation for the Twenty-First-Century Knowledge-Based Economy: The Case of Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimmock, Clive; Goh, Jonathan W. P.

2011-01-01

Singapore has a high performing school system; its students top international tests in maths and science. Yet while the Singapore government cherishes its world class "brand", it realises that in a globally competitive world, its schools need to prepare students for the twenty-first-century knowledge-based economy (KBE). Accordingly,…

Supporting metacognitive monitoring in mathematics learning for young people with autism spectrum disorder: A classroom-based study.

PubMed

Maras, Katie; Gamble, Tim; Brosnan, Mark

2017-10-01

Previous research suggests impaired metacognitive monitoring and mathematics under-achievement in autism spectrum disorder. Within educational settings, metacognitive monitoring is supported through the provision of feedback (e.g. with goal reminders and by explicitly correcting errors). Given the strength of the relationship between metacognition, learning and educational attainment, this research tested new computer-based metacognitive support (the 'Maths Challenge') for mathematics learners with autism spectrum disorder within the context of their classroom. The Maths Challenge required learners to engage in metacognitive monitoring before and after answering each question (e.g. intentions and judgements of accuracy) and negotiate with the system the level of difficulty. Forty secondary school children with autism spectrum disorder and 95 typically developing learners completed the Maths Challenge in either a Feedback condition, with metacognitive monitoring support regarding the accuracy of their answers, goal reminders and strategy support, or with No Feedback. Contrary to previous findings, learners with autism showed an undiminished ability to detect errors. They did, however, demonstrate reduced cohesion between their pre- and post-test intentions. Crucially, support from the Feedback condition significantly improved task performance for both groups. Findings highlight important implications for educational interventions regarding the provision of metacognitive support for learners with autism to ameliorate under-performance in mathematics within the classroom.

What the World Needs Now: More Women in Mathematics and Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Joy

1989-01-01

"Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics" conferences in Berkeley, California, are designed to nurture girls' interest in science and math courses and encourage them to consider nontraditional career options. (TE)

Gender, Math Confidence, and Grit: Relationships with Quantitative Skills and Performance in an Undergraduate Biology Course

PubMed Central

Flanagan, K. M.; Einarson, J.

2017-01-01

In a world filled with big data, mathematical models, and statistics, the development of strong quantitative skills is becoming increasingly critical for modern biologists. Teachers in this field must understand how students acquire quantitative skills and explore barriers experienced by students when developing these skills. In this study, we examine the interrelationships among gender, grit, and math confidence for student performance on a pre–post quantitative skills assessment and overall performance in an undergraduate biology course. Here, we show that females significantly underperformed relative to males on a quantitative skills assessment at the start of term. However, females showed significantly higher gains over the semester, such that the gender gap in performance was nearly eliminated by the end of the semester. Math confidence plays an important role in the performance on both the pre and post quantitative skills assessments and overall performance in the course. The effect of grit on student performance, however, is mediated by a student’s math confidence; as math confidence increases, the positive effect of grit decreases. Consequently, the positive impact of a student’s grittiness is observed most strongly for those students with low math confidence. We also found grit to be positively associated with the midterm score and the final grade in the course. Given the relationships established in this study among gender, grit, and math confidence, we provide “instructor actions” from the literature that can be applied in the classroom to promote the development of quantitative skills in light of our findings. PMID:28798209

Gifted and Talented Students' Perceptions on Their Schooling: A Survey Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahveci, Nihat Gürel; Akgül, Savas

2014-01-01

This study provides elementary gifted and talented students: Social Studies, Math, Turkish, Science, and Foreign Language courses in terms of differentiation, challenging activities and classroom climate. Research studies contend the significance of differentiation, challenging curriculum and instruction, suitable classroom climate to provide…

Boundary layer transition: A review of theory, experiment and related phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kistler, E. L.

1971-01-01

The overall problem of boundary layer flow transition is reviewed. Evidence indicates a need for new, basic physical hypotheses in classical fluid mechanics math models based on the Navier-Stokes equations. The Navier-Stokes equations are challenged as inadequate for the investigation of fluid transition, since they are based on several assumptions which should be expected to alter significantly the stability characteristics of the resulting math model. Strong prima facie evidence is presented to this effect.

IBM techexplorer and MathML: Interactive Multimodal Scientific Documents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz, Angel

2001-06-01

The World Wide Web provides a standard publishing platform for disseminating scientific and technical articles, books, journals, courseware, or even homework on the internet; however, the transition from paper to web-based interactive content has brought new opportunities for creating interactive content. Students, scientists, and engineers are now faced with the task of rendering the 2D presentational structure of mathematics, harnessing the wealth of scientific and technical software, and creating truly accessible scientific portals across international boundaries and markets. The recent emergence of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards such as the Mathematical Markup Language (MathML), Language (XSL), and Aural CSS (ACSS) provide a foundation whereby mathematics can be displayed, enlivened, computed, and audio formatted. With interoperability ensured by standards, software applications can be easily brought together to create extensible and interactive scientific content. In this presentation we will provide an overview of the IBM techexplorer Hypermedia Browser, a web browser plug-in and ActiveX control aimed at bringing interactive mathematics to the masses across platforms and applications. We will demonstrate "live" mathematics where documents that contain MathML expressions can be edited and computed right inside your favorite web browser. This demonstration will be generalized as we show how MathML can be used to enliven even PowerPoint presentations. Finally, we will close the loop by demonstrating a novel approach to spoken mathematics based on MathML, DOM, XSL, ACSS, techexplorer, and IBM ViaVoice. By making use of techexplorer as the glue that binds the rendered content to the web browser, the back-end computation software, the Java applets that augment the exposition, and voice-rendering systems such as ViaVoice, authors can indeed create truly extensible and interactive scientific content. For more information see: [http://www.software.ibm.com/techexplorer] [http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com] [http://www.w3.org

An Unplanned Path

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGarvey, Lynn M.; Sterenberg, Gladys Y.; Long, Julie S.

2013-01-01

The authors elucidate what they saw as three important challenges to overcome along the path to becoming elementary school mathematics teacher leaders: marginal interest in math, low self-confidence, and teaching in isolation. To illustrate how these challenges were mitigated, they focus on the stories of two elementary school teachers--Laura and…

Towards Uncovering the Mysterious World of Math Homework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feng, Mingyu

2014-01-01

Homework has been a mysterious world to educators due to the fact that it is hard to collect data with regard to homework behaviors. Little is known about when a student works on homework, how long it takes him to complete the homework, how much time he spends on a problem and whether and where he has struggled, etc. Such information not only have…

Press Release | News | Page 3

Science.gov Websites

, technology, engineering and math fields. New world-leading limit on dark matter search from PICO experiment February 27, 2017 The PICO-60 dark matter bubble chamber experiment has produced a new dark matter limit . Construction of world's most sensitive dark matter detector moves forward September 26, 2016 LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ), a

Mimewrighting: Preparing Students for the Real World of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shope, R. E.

2013-12-01

READING, WRITING, & ENACTING SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL LITERATURE: Mimewrighting applies the art of mime as an interpretive springboard to integrate conceptual understanding across all content areas. Mimewrighting guides students to read and express complex ideas in carefully crafted movement integrations, mediating experience, so that students obtain an intuitive grasp of difficult and abstract ideas. THE PROBLEM: Reading science writing presents obstacles for middle and high school students, to the point that many students are turned OFF to science altogether. A typical science abstract, written for colleagues, is as densely packed with concept-laden words as a black hole is densely packed with matter- and just as mysterious. What reads to a science colleague as a richly crafted paragraph, from which a myriad of elegantly interrelated concepts can unfold to point to the significance and context of the study at hand, reads as jabberwocky nonsense to the uninitiated student. So, how do we turn such kids (and teachers) back ON to the inquiry-driven desire to seek out challenging and educative experiences? How do we step up to the national challenge to prepare ALL students adequately for the REAL-WORLD demands of science, technology, engineering, math, (STEM) and communications? How do we help kids read, write, and understand scientific and technical literature? AN UNCONVENTIONAL ANSWER: Mimewrighting applies the classic art of mime to unpack the meaning of science writing. We help students view the text as sequences of action, scenarios that can be enacted theatrically for understanding. HOW DOES IT WORK? READ ALOUD, MIME ALONG: It's as simple as read aloud and mime along. And as complex, in that it requires taking the time to acknowledge each concept packed into the passage. Three opening sentences might involve twenty minutes of mimewrighting activity to ensure that students apprehend the patterns, perceive the relationships, and comprehend the dynamics of such a passage-a well-invested quantum of energized activity. Students select a passage of interest and read it aloud. With coaching from science-savvy teachers and coaches, students act out the scientific and technical content-and move toward conceptual understanding of the actual phenomenon. Enacting a dynamical model requires the cognitive and physical awareness of the concepts involved. The mimed experience provides comprehensible input that can connect to math, language, and higher-level thinking skills. Following a mime scenario enactment, the teacher and students can refer to the shared experience as a common source to draw upon in discussion. The mimed action becomes a common reference point of shared prior experience. Modifying and manipulating the mimed model can also effect conceptual change. The power of dramatic reenactment through mimewrighting helps make abstract science and nature of science concepts become lively, tangible, and accessible to inquiry discussion. RESULTS: In this way, we re-inspire interest in science learning by engaging students to construct science scenarios that are designed for the incremental increase in challenge for the students. Students can now risk entering the black hole of scientific and technical writing--and emerge with all faculties intact!

Smith college secondary math and science outreach program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powell, J.A.; Clark, C.

1994-12-31

The Smith College Secondary Math and Science Outreach Program works collaboratively with front-line educators to encourage young women students of all abilities, especially underrepresented and underserved minorities, to continue studying math and science throughout high school. The program includes three main components: (1) Twenty-five to thirty teams of math/science teachers and guidance counselors participate in a year-long program which begins with a three-day Current Students/Future Scientists and Engineering Workshop. This event includes a keynote address, presentations and workshops by successful women in science and engineering, and hands-on laboratory sessions. Each participant receives a stipend and free room and board. Returningmore » to their schools, the teacher-counselor teams implement ongoing plans designed to counteract gender bias in the sciences and to alert female students to the broad range of math, science, and engineering career choices open to them. A follow-up session in the spring allows the teams to present and discuss their year-long activities. (2) TRI-ON, a day of science for 120 ninth- and tenth- grade girls from schools with a large underserved and underrepresented population, is held in early spring. Girls discover the excitement of laboratory investigation and interact with female college science and math majors. (3) Teaching Internships, initiated in 1991, involve ten to fifteen Smith College math and science majors in teaching in public schools. The teaching interns experience the rewards and challenges of classroom teaching, and they also serve as role models for younger students.« less

Singapore Math: Challenging and Relevant Curriculum for the Gifted Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazelton, Melody; Brearley, Donna

2008-01-01

Teachers know their students must struggle and grapple with authentic tasks in order to grow stronger. Classroom teachers of the gifted know that their students cannot advance cognitively without facing relevant and challenging material that demands higher level thinking and reasoning. Therefore, the teacher of gifted mathematics students must…

Scratch Your Brain Where It Itches: Math Games, Tricks and Quick Activities, Book C-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brumbaugh, Doug

This resource book contains mathematical games, tricks, and quick activities for the classroom. Categories of activities include computation, manipulative challenges, puzzlers, picky puzzlers, patterns, measurement, money, and riddles. The computation section contains 13 classroom games and activities along with 4 manipulative challenges.…

#WomenInSTEM: Using Science & Math to Power the Globe

ScienceCinema

Jordan, Rhonda

2018-01-16

Growing up, Dr. Rhonda Jordan always enjoyed math and science. After completing her master's in electrical engineering at Columbia University she co-founded a startup in Tanzania that provides access to power for residents who are not connected to the electrical grid.This video is part of the Energy Department's #WomenInSTEM video series. At the Energy Department, we're committed to supporting a diverse talent pool of STEM innovators ready to address the challenges and opportunities of our growing clean energy economy.

Pre-Service Teachers' Views of the Maths Talent Quest (MTQ): Connecting Mathematical Concepts to Everyday Tasks and Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baum, Prudence; Perera, Radhika

2017-01-01

Mathematics needs to take on a real-world quality, and students need to be able to identify and connect the value of what they are learning within the classroom to life outside the classroom. Creating a connection between the mathematics learned within a classroom and its value to life in the outside world is critical to effectively engage…

A Case for Contextual Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Souders, John; Prescott, Carolyn

1999-01-01

Establishing schooling/larger world connections is critical for adolescents. The contextual learning approach views learning as most effective when information is presented within a familiar framework. Employing puzzles, hands-on learning activities, project-based learning, contextual connections, applied math, mentoring, and wider audiences…

Student Reflections on Learning with Challenging Tasks: "I Think the Worksheets Were Just for Practice, and the Challenges Were for Maths"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russo, James; Hopkins, Sarah

2017-01-01

The current study considered young students' (7 and 8 years old) experiences and perceptions of mathematics lessons involving challenging (i.e. cognitively demanding) tasks. We used the Constant Comparative Method to analyse the interview responses (n = 73) regarding what work artefacts students were most proud of creating and why. Five themes…

Using Self-Determination Theory to build communities of support to aid in the retention of women in engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dell, Elizabeth M.; Verhoeven, Yen; Christman, Jeanne W.; Garrick, Robert D.

2018-05-01

Diverse perspectives are required to address the technological problems facing our world. Although women perform as well as their male counterparts in math and science prior to entering college, the numbers of women students entering and completing engineering programmes are far below their representation in the workforce. This paper reports on a qualitative, multiyear study of the experiences of women students in an Engineering Technology programme. The project addressed some of the unique, fundamental challenges that female students face within their programmes, and the authors describe a programmatic framework based on Self-Determination Theory as an intervention for the recruitment and retention of female engineering students. Data from focus groups and interviews show how students were supported in their undergraduate experiences and how inclusive learning environments are needed to further improve outcomes. Conceptual issues and methodological considerations of our outcomes are presented.

Language Teacher Identities in the Southern United States: Transforming Rural Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogle, Lyn Wright; Moser, Kelly

2017-01-01

Foreign language (FL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching present considerable challenges in the rural U.S. South. Local language ideologies, budgetary considerations, and challenges in other curricular areas (e.g., math and science) lead to marginalizing both FL and ESL in schools. This article examines the personal and professional…

A Challenging High School Education for All

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2006

2006-01-01

High school is the training ground for college and work. Today, most good jobs require a college education. The way for children to get ready for college is to take challenging courses. The level of math, science and foreign language education students receive will be important for American global competitiveness and national security. In…

Student Learning Outcomes from a Pilot Medical Innovations Course with Nursing, Engineering, and Biology Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludwig, Patrice M.; Nagel, Jacquelyn K.; Lewis, Erica J.

2017-01-01

Background: Preparing today's undergraduate students from science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and related health professions to solve wide-sweeping healthcare challenges is critical. Moreover, it is imperative that educators help students develop the capabilities needed to meet those challenges, including problem solving,…

MathPatch - Raising Retention and Performance in an Intro-geoscience Class by Raising Students' Quantitative Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baer, E. M.; Whittington, C.; Burn, H.

2008-12-01

The geological sciences are fundamentally quantitative. However, the diversity of students' mathematical preparation and skills makes the successful use of quantitative concepts difficult in introductory level classes. At Highline Community College, we have implemented a one-credit co-requisite course to give students supplemental instruction for quantitative skills used in the course. The course, formally titled "Quantitative Geology," nicknamed "MathPatch," runs parallel to our introductory Physical Geology course. MathPatch teaches the quantitative skills required for the geology class right before they are needed. Thus, students learn only the skills they need and are given opportunities to apply them immediately. Topics include complex-graph reading, unit conversions, large numbers, scientific notation, scale and measurement, estimation, powers of 10, and other fundamental mathematical concepts used in basic geological concepts. Use of this course over the past 8 years has successfully accomplished the goals of increasing students' quantitative skills, success and retention. Students master the quantitative skills to a greater extent than before the course was implemented, and less time is spent covering basic quantitative skills in the classroom. Because the course supports the use of quantitative skills, the large number of faculty that teach Geology 101 are more comfortable in using quantitative analysis, and indeed see it as an expectation of the course at Highline. Also significant, retention in the geology course has increased substantially, from 75% to 85%. Although successful, challenges persist with requiring MathPatch as a supplementary course. One, we have seen enrollments decrease in Geology 101, which may be the result of adding this co-requisite. Students resist mandatory enrollment in the course, although they are not good at evaluating their own need for the course. The logistics utilizing MathPatch in an evening class with fewer and longer class meetings has been challenging. Finally, in order to better serve our students' needs, we began to offer on-line sections of MathPatch; this mode of instruction is not as clearly effective, although it is very popular. Through the new The Math You Need project, we hope to improve the effectiveness of the on-line instruction so it can provide comparable results to the face-to-face sections of this class.

Using Aviation to Change Math Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Jerra

2013-01-01

Mathematics teachers are constantly looking for real-world applications of mathematics. Aerospace education provides an incredible context for teaching and learning important STEM concepts, inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Teaching mathematics within the context of aerospace generates…

Designing Assessment for Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Depka, Eileen

2007-01-01

Teaching mathematics in today's world requires practices and procedures integrated with performance tasks that actively involve students. In this second edition of Designing Rubrics for Mathematics, Eileen Depka clarifies the purpose of rubrics in math instruction and illustrates the relationship between assessment, rubrics, and the National…

Challenges in Math.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feng, Chengde

1992-01-01

Fourteen mathematics problems from the 1987 Chinese Primary School Mathematics Examination for fifth and sixth grade students are presented. The word problems, accompanied by answers, involve algebra, division, ratios, areas, and other mathematical processes. (JDD)

Measuring Growth on a Museum Field Trip: Dinosaur Bones and Tree Cross Sections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedzielarz, Maija; Robinson, Christopher

2007-01-01

The MathPacks program at the Science Museum of Minnesota provides students with in-depth understanding of real-world applications of mathematics and science. Students measure museum specimens and investigate ratios, patterns, and mapping while simulating the work of scientists.

Fractions and the Funky Cookie

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellington, Aimee J.; Whitenack, Joy W.

2010-01-01

Mathematics specialists play a significant, meaningful, and integral role in supporting elementary school teachers in this mathematically connected world. These teacher leaders (coaches, resource teachers, math leads, and so on) work closely with all members of the school community--students, teachers, and administrators--and have a range of…

Connecting Representations: Using Predict, Check, Explain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, George J.; Fueyo, Vivian; Vahey, Philip; Knudsen, Jennifer; Rafanan, Ken; Lara-Meloy, Teresa

2016-01-01

Although educators agree that making connections with the real world, as advocated by "Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All" (NCTM 2014), is important, making such connections while addressing important mathematics is elusive. The authors have found that math content coupled with the instructional strategy of…

Engineering Design Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Mike

2004-01-01

In the author's opinion, the separation of content between science, math, engineering, and technology education should not exist. Working with the relationship between these content areas enhances students' efforts to learn about the physical world. In teaching students about design, technology, and engineering, attention should be given to the…

Combatting Stereotype Threat: College Math Classroom Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pretty, Joelle

2017-01-01

This research provides new insight into stereotype threat by examining a real-world intervention in community college classrooms. Practitioners need information about which interventions work in authentic school settings to implement them and begin to bring educational equity to historically marginalized students. The experimental study examined…

Math in Riley's World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kritzer, Karen L.

2011-01-01

In their overview for the prekindergarten-grade 2 Standards, the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) documents the value of early mathematical environments. During these early years, young children are building beliefs about what mathematics is and learning about themselves as early mathematicians. What young children learn about…

Hanford`s innovations for science education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carter, D.

1996-12-31

In recognition of declining science literacy in the United States and a projected shortfall of scientists, engineers and technologists to address environmental problems nationally and internationally during the 21st century, Westinghouse Hanford Company has launched several innovative science education projects at the US Department of Energy Hanford Site. The Hanford Site is very rich in resources that can be brought to bear on the problem: world-class technical experts, state of the art facilities and equipment, and the largest environmental laboratory in the world. During the past two years, several innovative science education initiatives have been conceived and pursued at themore » secondary education level including the International Academy for the Environment (residential high school with an environmental theme), Environmental BATTmobile Program (mobile middle school science education program), and Multicultural Experiences in Math and Science (education program based on cultural contributions to math and science). Hanford scientists, engineers and administrators have worked with the education community (K-12 and college-university) to develop innovative approaches to science education.« less

Effects of a Mathematics Fluency Program on Mathematics Performance of Students with Challenging Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitney, Todd; Hirn, Regina G.; Lingo, Amy S.

2016-01-01

In the present study, we examined the effects of a fluency-building mathematics program called Great Leaps Math on fluency of basic addition mathematics facts zero to nine and word problem solving using a multiple probe design across participants. Three elementary students with challenging behaviors and mathematics difficulty participated in the…

When Districts Encounter Teacher Shortages: The Challenges of Recruiting and Retaining Mathematics Teachers in Urban Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Edward; Rosenstein, Joseph G.; Swan, Aubrie E.; Khalil, Deena

2008-01-01

Administrators in six urban districts were interviewed to understand the nature and extent of their problems with recruiting and retaining high quality mathematics teachers. Findings suggest that the math staffing challenge is quite complex, and administrators have had to make difficult compromises because of deficiencies in the quantity and…

"Too Pretty to Do Math!" Young Women in Movement and Pedagogical Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graff, Ulrike

2013-01-01

The article points out some pedagogical challenges in supporting girls and young women in their emancipatory movements today. It spotlights a specific section in gender pedagogy by focusing on the aim of self-determination (rather than achievement) in the field of social-pedagogy and it refers to the concept of "girls work" in Germany. A…

Robotics Competition Expands--FIRST Vex Challenge Inspires Creativity, Ingenuity and Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Amanda

2006-01-01

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multinational, not-for-profit organization that aspires to transform culture-making science, math, engineering, and technology as cool for kids as sports are today. FIRST has an exciting new program in the works--the VEX Challenge, which the author describes in this article.…

Negotiating the integration of new literacies in math and science content: The lived experience of classroom teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wimmer, Jennifer Joy

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experience of integrating new literacies in math and science content by upper elementary and middle school teachers. This study highlights the lived experience of six teachers including two elementary math teachers, two middle school math teachers, and two middle school science teachers. Data sources included five in-depth interviews, teachers' weekly reflection journals, weekly classroom observations, and one principal interview at each of the three high-needs schools. Data were analyzed through an analytic and thematic approach. A reconstructed story was created for each teacher which provides insight into the teacher as an individual. Additionally, a thematic analysis resulted in the identification of five essential themes across all six stories which included: technology exclusively, rethinking who they are as teachers, stabilizing rather than challenging content, rethinking student learning, circumstances, and futures, and serving official context and discourse. The findings indicate that the teachers' lived experience of integrating new literacies in math and science content was filled with uncertainty and a search for stability. A key implication of this study is the need for quality professional development that provides teachers with the opportunity to learn about, question, and rethink the intersection of new literacies, content area literacy, and teacher knowledge.

Luchando y logrando/struggling and achieving: Resilience of Latina/o math and science teacher candidates at California Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A critical race perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, Laura

Latin math and science students represent a resilient, determined, and encouraging group of high achievers. This qualitative study presents the narratives of 10 Latin science and math teacher candidates currently attending Hispanic-Serving Institutions in California. Semi structured, in-depth interviews were conducted, where participants shared the challenges they experienced and the factors that contributed to their resilience. The Connor Davidson Resilience Scale CD-RISC was used to present resilience measures for each participant. This score is compared to a group of college students throughout the nation. The findings provide insight into the critical need for universities to examine institutional practices and efforts to support these high achievers who have already beaten tremendous odds by entering the halls of higher education.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides them with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, three Sparkman High School students pose with their rocket.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides them with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, two Johnson High School students pose with their rocket.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-27

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides them with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, three Sparkman High School students pose with their rocket.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-27

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, a rocket built by Johnson High School students soars to it projected designation.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-27

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides them with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, two Johnson High School students pose with their rocket.

From access to success in science: An academic-student affairs intervention for undergraduate freshmen biology students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldridge, Jacqueline Nouvelle

The first year experience is known to present an array of challenges for traditional college students. In particular, freshmen who major in a STEM discipline have their own unique set of challenges when they transition from high school science and math to college science and math; especially chemistry. As a result, students may encounter negative experiences which lower academic and social confidence. This project was designed as a pilot study intervention for a small group of freshmen biology students who were considered academically at-risk due their math SAT scores. The study occurred during the fall semester involving an enhanced active learning component based on the Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) general chemistry supplemental pedagogy model, and a biology-focused First Year Experience (FYE). PLTL workshops took place in freshmen residence halls, creating a live-n-learn community environment. Mid-term and final chemistry grades and final math grades were collected to measure academic progress. Self-reporting surveys and journals were used to encourage participants to reconstruct their experiences and perceptions of the study. Descriptive analysis was performed to measure statistical significance between midterm and final grade performance, and a general inductive qualitative method was used to determine academic and social confidence as well as experiences and perceptions of the project. Findings of this project revealed a statistically significant improvement between chemistry midterm and final grades of the sample participants. Although academic confidence did not increase, results reveal that social confidence progressed as the majority of students developed a value for studying in groups.

75 FR 79350 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-20

... postsecondary world; and what courses, majors, first job, and careers students decide to pursue when, why, and how, especially, but not solely, in regards to science, technology, engineering, and math courses, majors, and careers. This study includes a new student assessment in algebraic skills, reasoning, and...

21st Century Skills Map

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2011

2011-01-01

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) has forged alliances with key national organizations representing the core academic subjects, including Social Studies, English, Math, Science, Geography, World Languages and the Arts. These collaborations have resulted in the development of 21st Century Skills Maps that illustrate the essential…

Hydroponic Garden Promotes Hands-on Learning, Healthy Eating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Melinda; Swafford, Melinda

2011-01-01

The Carl D. Perkins Career Technical Improvement Act of 2006 encourages integration of academic instruction to improve student learning, impact employment skills of students, and enhance problem-solving skills by using authentic real-world situations. Academic integration is accomplished by integrating concepts of English, math, science,…

Enriching Science and Math through Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redmond, Adrienne; Thomas, Julie; High, Karen; Scott, Margaret; Jordan, Pat; Dockers, Jean

2011-01-01

This case study reviewed the collaborative efforts of university engineers, teacher educators, and middle school teachers to advance sixth- and seventh-grade students' learning through a series of project-based engineering activities. This two-year project enriched regular school curricula by introducing real-world applications of science and…

Geothermal Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nemzer, Marilyn; Page, Deborah

This curriculum unit describes geothermal energy in the context of the world's energy needs. It addresses renewable and nonrenewable energy sources with an in-depth study of geothermal energy--its geology, its history, and its many uses. Included are integrated activities involving science, as well as math, social studies, and language arts.…

A World of Discovery Online: Science Fairs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Linda C.

1996-01-01

K-12 students and teachers can use the Internet for planning science fair activities--for project ideas, resources, and interactive Web sites. Lists 26 science Web sites specializing in question answering, activities, experiments, optics, math, dissection, inventions, physics, space, genetics, cockroaches and worms, and Twinkies (sponge cakes).…

PUMAS: The On-line journal of Math and Science Examples for Pre-College Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trainer, Melissa G.; Kahn, Ralph A.

2015-11-01

PUMAS - “Practical Uses of Math And Science” - is an on-line collection of brief examples showing how math and science topics taught in K-12 classes can be used in interesting settings, including every day life. The examples are written primarily by scientists, engineers, and other content experts having practical experience with the material. They are aimed mainly at classroom teachers to enrich their presentation of math and science topics. The goal of PUMAS is to capture, for the benefit of pre-college education, the flavor of the vast experience that working scientists have with interesting and practical uses of math and science. There are currently over 80 examples in the PUMAS collection, and they are organized by curriculum topics and tagged with relevant grade levels and curriculum topic benchmarks. The published examples cover a wide range of subject matter: from demonstrating why summer is hot, to describing the fluid dynamics of a lava lamp, to calculating the best age to collect Social Security Benefits. The examples are available to all interested parties via the PUMAS web site: http://pumas.nasa.gov/.We invite the community to participate in the PUMAS collection. We seek scientists and scientific thinkers to provide innovative examples of practical uses for teachers to use to enrich the classroom experience, and content experts to participate in peer-review. We also seek teachers to review examples for originality, accuracy of content, clarity of presentation, and grade-level appropriateness. Finally, we encourage teachers to mine this rich repository for real-world examples to demonstrate the value of math in science in everyday life.

STEAMakers- a global initiative to connect STEM career professionals with the public to inspire the next generation and nurture a creative approach to science, technology, maths & engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, Niamh; Sorkhabi, Elburz; Gasquez, Oriol; Yajima, Saho

2016-04-01

STEAMakers is a global initiative founded by Niamh Shaw, Elburz Sorkhabi, Oriol Gasquez & Saho Yajima, four alumni of The International Space University's Space Studies Programme 2015 who each shared a vision to inspire the next generation to embrace science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) in new ways, by embedding the Arts within STEM, putting the 'A' in STEAM. STEAMakers invited STEM professionals around the world to join their community, providing training and a suite of STEAM events, specially designed to encourage students to perceive science, technology, engineering & maths as a set of tools with which to create, design, troubleshoot, innovate, and imagine. The ultimate goal of STEAMakers is to grow this community and create a global culture of non-linear learning among the next generation, to nurture within them a new multidisciplinary mindset and incubate new forms of innovation and thought leadership required for the future through the power of inspiration and creativity.

Gender, Math Confidence, and Grit: Relationships with Quantitative Skills and Performance in an Undergraduate Biology Course.

PubMed

Flanagan, K M; Einarson, J

2017-01-01

In a world filled with big data, mathematical models, and statistics, the development of strong quantitative skills is becoming increasingly critical for modern biologists. Teachers in this field must understand how students acquire quantitative skills and explore barriers experienced by students when developing these skills. In this study, we examine the interrelationships among gender, grit, and math confidence for student performance on a pre-post quantitative skills assessment and overall performance in an undergraduate biology course. Here, we show that females significantly underperformed relative to males on a quantitative skills assessment at the start of term. However, females showed significantly higher gains over the semester, such that the gender gap in performance was nearly eliminated by the end of the semester. Math confidence plays an important role in the performance on both the pre and post quantitative skills assessments and overall performance in the course. The effect of grit on student performance, however, is mediated by a student's math confidence; as math confidence increases, the positive effect of grit decreases. Consequently, the positive impact of a student's grittiness is observed most strongly for those students with low math confidence. We also found grit to be positively associated with the midterm score and the final grade in the course. Given the relationships established in this study among gender, grit, and math confidence, we provide "instructor actions" from the literature that can be applied in the classroom to promote the development of quantitative skills in light of our findings. © 2017 K. M. Flanagan and J. Einarson. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Using a Math Pre-Test in a Large General Education Geoscience Course: How Effective?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, R. M.

2006-12-01

Teaching large (150 or more students) General Education Geoscience courses presents many challenges, but one of the most important is how to effectively incorporate quantitative literacy. Many students are math phobic, and will run to General Education courses that minimize quantitative aspects. I will present results from one approach that we have used successfully for at least two years: a math pre-test. Our General Education Geoscience course has no prerequisites other than admission to the University, and is designed for first and second year non-science students. Fortunately, with limited exceptions, all entering students at the University of Arizona take a Math Readiness Test (MRT) for math placement. With the cooperation of the Mathematics Department, we have used old MRT exams to selectively use questions that are of the highest utility for the course material `understanding graphs, linear equations and extrapolations, scientific notation and large numbers, word problems, and scaling/unit conversions. We administer the exam in the first discussion section. Students receive full credit for a `serious effort', and we score the exam. In recent semesters the percentage of correct answers has varied from just under 50% to nearly 90% on individual questions. The pre-test has several important benefits. First, it lets students know clearly up front that there will be mathematics in the class. Second, it lets students know the range of skills expected to be successful. Third, because the average score is between 70-80% it gives students confidence that they can do the math in the course. Fourth, we contact all students who score less than 50%, and offer help, including referral to tutoring service in Mathematics. Feedback from students has been positive. Unfortunately, when we compared scores on the math pre-test to final grades in the course, we found essentially no correlation. We are exploring a number of possible explanations. We are also seeing if our math pre-test scores correlate with the initial MRT score, and overall student success.

Limited Knowledge of Fraction Representations Differentiates Middle School Students with Mathematics Learning Disability (Dyscalculia) versus Low Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzocco, Michele M. M.; Myers, Gwen F.; Lewis, Katherine E.; Hanich, Laurie B.; Murphy, Melissa M.

2013-01-01

Fractions pose significant challenges for many children, but for some children those challenges persist into high school. Here we administered a fractions magnitude comparison test to 122 children, from Grades 4 to 8, to test whether their knowledge of fractions typically learned early in the sequence of formal math instruction (e.g., fractions…

A School-University Math and Science P-16 Partnership: Lessons Learned in Promoting College and Career Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alford, Betty; Rudolph, Amanda; Beal, Heather Olson; Hill, Brenda

2014-01-01

Increasing rigor in secondary school classrooms for college and career readiness is a priority throughout the nation with the adoption of more challenging standards for student performance and is an important role for school leaders in creating conditions in schools to meet this challenge (Young, 2012). P-16 partnerships can assist by aligning the…

Descriptive Analysis of Teacher Instructional Practices and Student Engagement among Adolescents with and without Challenging Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirn, Regina G.; Scott, Terrance M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine teacher and student behavior in high school classrooms that included at least one student identified with challenging behavior. Across two school years and within the content areas of math, reading/English, social studies, and science, student/ teacher dyads were directly observed in the typical…

Democratizing Access to Core Mathematics across Grades 9-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hegedus, Stephen; Dalton, Sara; Brookstein, Arden; Tapper, John; Heller, Eric

2011-01-01

The authors' proposed work builds upon 12+ years of research collectively known as the "SimCalc Projects." SimCalc Connected MathWorlds (SCM) combines two innovative technological ingredients to address core mathematical ideas in deep and sustainable ways for mathematics learners. Software that addresses content issues through dynamic…

Out-of-This-World Calculations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalb, Kristina S.; Gravett, Julie M.

2012-01-01

By following learned rules rather than reasoning, students often fall into common error patterns, something every experienced teacher has observed in the classroom. In their effort to circumvent the developing common error patterns of their students, the authors decided to supplement their math text with two weeklong investigations. The first was…

It's all just mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tegmark, Max

2014-02-01

The world can be described using mathematical equations and numbers, but why does maths do it so well? In his new book Our Mathematical Universe, a section of which is abridged and edited here, Max Tegmark makes the radical proposal that our reality isn't just described by mathematics - it is mathematics.

A Taste of Math & Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurley, Marlene M.; Normandia, Bruce

2005-01-01

This article provides a science lesson for the middle school level, the metric system is used for all methods of measurement. The example lesson utilizes edible fruit as the real-world focus and offers ideas for additional lessons and the integration of disciplines beyond mathematics. This lesson requires students to handle, examine, and possibly…

Accounting for the Whole Child

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krachman, Sara Bartolino; LaRocca, Robert; Gabrieli, Christopher

2018-01-01

In addition to excelling in subjects such as science, math, arts, and social studies, students must also develop skills like resiliency, adaptability, and collaboration in order to truly succeed in the world. But how do schools effectively measure those skills when they so often rely on standardized assessments? This article provides a thorough…

Ticket to Rise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honawar, Vaishali

2006-01-01

India is now in the throes of a higher education revolution, and its colleges are churning out thousands of professionals each year. Despite the fact that 35 percent of its population still cannot read or write, the country has successfully positioned itself as one of the world's foremost producers of math, science, and technology graduates,…

Efficient development and processing of thermal math models of very large space truss structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Andrew H.; Arelt, Joseph E.; Lalicata, Anthony L.

1993-01-01

As the spacecraft moves along the orbit, the truss members are subjected to direct and reflected solar, albedo and planetary infra-red (IR) heating rates, as well as IR heating and shadowing from other spacecraft components. This is a transient process with continuously changing heating loads and the shadowing effects. The resulting nonuniform temperature distribution may cause nonuniform thermal expansion, deflection and stress in the truss elements, truss warping and thermal distortions. There are three challenges in the thermal-structural analysis of the large truss structures. The first is the development of the thermal and structural math models, the second - model processing, and the third - the data transfer between the models. All three tasks require considerable time and computer resources to be done because of a very large number of components involved. To address these challenges a series of techniques of automated thermal math modeling and efficient processing of very large space truss structures were developed. In the process the finite element and finite difference methods are interfaced. A very substantial reduction of the quantity of computations was achieved while assuring a desired accuracy of the results. The techniques are illustrated on the thermal analysis of a segment of the Space Station main truss.

Train Like an Astronaut Educational Outreach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Yamil L.; Lloyd, Charles; Reeves, Katherine M.; Abadie, Laurie J.

2012-01-01

In an effort to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), capitalizing on the theme of human spaceflight developed two educational outreach programs for children ages 8-12. To motivate young "fit explorers," the Train Like an Astronaut National (TLA) program and the Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut International Fitness Challenge (MX) were created. Based on the astronauts' physical training, these programs consist of activities developed by educators and experts in the areas of space life sciences and fitness. These Activities address components of physical fitness. The educational content hopes to promote students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. At the national level, in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama's Let?s Move! Initiative, the TLA program consists of 10 physical and 2 educational activities. The program encourages families, schools, and communities to work collaboratively in order to reinforce in children and their families the importance of healthy lifestyle habits In contrast, the MX challenge is a cooperative outreach program involving numerous space agencies and other international partner institutions. During the six-week period, teams of students from around the world are challenged to improve their physical fitness and collectively accumulate points by completing 18 core activities. During the 2011 pilot year, a t otal of 137 teams and more than 4,000 students from 12 countries participated in the event. MX will be implemented within 24 countries during the 2012 challenge. It is projected that 7,000 children will "train like an astronaut".

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, Randolph High School students are assembling their rocket in preparation for launch.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, a rocket built by Johnson High School students soars to it projected designation.

National IQs Predict Educational Attainment in Math, Reading and Science across 56 Nations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynn, Richard; Mikk, Jaan

2009-01-01

The results of the 2006 PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) study of reading comprehension, mathematical ability, and science understanding administered to 15 year olds in 56 countries [OECD (2007). PISA 2006: Science Competencies for Tomorrow's World. Paris: OECD.] are examined to assess the predictive validity of the national IQs…

Strategic Future Directions for Developing STEM Education in Higher Education in Egypt as a Driver of Innovation Economy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Hanaa Ouda Khadri

2016-01-01

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education has been achieving growing international attention. As the world economy is becoming more diversified and dependent on innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills and expertise are progressively more needed for competition and development. Egyptian students…

Talk of U.S. Crisis in Math, Science Is Largely Misplaced, Skeptics Say

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viadero, Debra

2006-01-01

Back in 1983, the National Commission on Excellence on Education issued a dire warning: The United States' "once unchallenged, pre-eminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world." Policy observers say such calls have been a leitmotif in the national discourse on…

Between Me and the World: Teaching Poetry to English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Andrew

2008-01-01

Many people may question the value of teaching poetry in public schools, particularly when it yields no "marketable" skills, and standardized testing and the government funding connected to test scores increasingly determine classroom curriculum. While poetry may seem like "fluff" next to math and history, poetry actually serves as a very…

A Conceptual Framework for Integrated STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Todd R.; Knowles, J. Geoff

2016-01-01

The global urgency to improve STEM education may be driven by environmental and social impacts of the twenty-first century which in turn jeopardizes global security and economic stability. The complexity of these global factors reach beyond just helping students achieve high scores in math and science assessments. Friedman (The world is flat: A…

Difficult Conversations: As Important to Teach as Math or Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Andrew

2017-01-01

Carl Honoré, a noted author, broadcaster, and lecturer, visited GEMS World Academy Chicago, to discuss the "slow movement," which asks parents to reconsider how they spend time with their children. The concept of slow parenting encourages parents to "slow down" to enjoy the experience, thus enhancing the quality of the time…

Cultural Differences in Early Math Skills among U.S., Taiwanese, Dutch, and Peruvian Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paik, Jae H.; van Gelderen, Loes; Gonzales, Manuel; de Jong, Peter F.; Hayes, Michael

2011-01-01

East Asian children have consistently outperformed children from other nations on mathematical tests. However, most previous cross-cultural studies mainly compared East Asian countries and the United States and have largely ignored cultures from other parts of the world. The present study explored cultural differences in young children's early…

Textbook Deathwatch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salpeter, Judy

2009-01-01

Is the print textbook--that old-fashioned, heavy, expensive staple of the 20th-century classroom--soon to be a thing of the past? While it's hard to imagine the K-12 world, known for its resistance to change, throwing out math, language, and science textbooks in favor of digital content, the nation's current fiscal crisis, combined with major…

Space Shuttle Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNutt, Leslie

2006-01-01

Many students are not even aware of the many activities related to the US Space Program. The intent of this presentation is to introduce students to the world of space exploration and encourage them to pursue math, science, and engineering careers. If this is not their particular interest, I want to encourage them to pursue their dream.

Teach Kids about Numbers All around Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Hannah Trierweiler

2011-01-01

Recognizing the role numbers play in people's everyday lives is crucial to students' math understanding now and down the road. That's why Bob Krech, a curriculum specialist in New Jersey's West Windsor-Plainsboro district, likes to teach a lesson he calls "Numbers All Around Us." This lesson uses real-world examples to show that numbers…

Learning Algebra by Example in Real-World Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Julie L.; Oyer, Melissa H.; Paré-Blagoev, E. Juliana; Elliot, Andrew J.; Barbieri, Christina; Augustine, Adam; Koedinger, Kenneth R.

2015-01-01

Math and science textbook chapters invariably supply students with sets of problems to solve, but this widely used approach is not optimal for learning; instead, more effective learning can be achieved when many problems to solve are replaced with correct and incorrect worked examples for students to study and explain. In the present study, the…

Interest-Based Curriculum for House Care Services: Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natchitoches Parish School Board, LA.

The interest-based curriculum materials are designed to correlate the subjects of English, math, science, and home economics and infuse academic skills into the world of work. The House Care Science curriculum guide is divided into five units: (1) measurement, (2) household chemistry, (3) household electricity, (4) household machines, and (5)…

Academic Competitions Serve the U.S. National Interests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, James Reed; Verna, Marilyn Ann

2010-01-01

Competitions are used by many teachers at the grass roots level to develop the talents of their gifted students. Each year the top Math, Chemistry, and Physics Olympiad students are identified and assembled into national teams that compete against teams from around the world. This article summarizes findings from the American Olympiad study. Our…

Technology and Literacy: 21st Century Library Programming for Children and Teens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Jennifer; Braafladt, Keith

2012-01-01

Technology may not be a magic wand, but innovative technology programming can genuinely help children become adept at navigating our increasingly wired world while also helping them develop deductive reasoning, math, and other vital literacy skills. One of the simplest and most powerful tools for technology-based public library programming is…

Curing Provincialism: Why We Educate the Way We Do. A Conversation with Jacques Barzun.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Educator, 2002

2002-01-01

This interview with author and cultural historian Jacques Barzun discusses the origins of history, science, art, literature, and math, calling them the core of intellectual inheritance. Notes how the frameworks they provide enable people to extend their understanding of the world and reach beyond natural, human parochialism. Discusses the…

Dropping in on the Math of Plinko

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naresh, Nirmala; Royce, Bridget

2013-01-01

The game of Plinko offers students an exciting real-world example of the applications of probability and data analysis. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) and the Guidelines for Assessment in Statistics Education (GAISE) (Franklin et al. 2007) suggest that students in grades 6-8 be given ample opportunities to engage in…

Math Worlds: Philosophical and Social Studies of Mathematics and Mathematics Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Restivo, Sal, Ed.; And Others

This book is a compilation of papers from authors who are all concerned with what bearing mathematical practice has on the production or construction of mathematics. The sections and chapters are: (1) General Introduction: "The Promethean Task of Bringing Mathematics to Earth" (S. Restivo); (2) Philosophical Perspectives: "Foundations of…

Three Steps to Mastering Multiplication Facts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kling, Gina; Bay-Williams, Jennifer M.

2015-01-01

"That was the day I decided I was bad at math." Countless times, preservice and in-service teachers make statements such as this after sharing vivid memories of learning multiplication facts. Timed tests; public competitive games, such as Around the World; and visible displays of who has and has not mastered groups of facts still…

Our Wonderful World. Solutions for Math + Science. Environmental Studies. Book 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiebe, Arthur, Ed.; And Others

Developed to help students of grades five through eight attain an understanding of the natural environment, this booklet provides investigations which focus on humanity's relationship with the environment. While some of the experiments are adaptable to the classroom, many of the activities are more appropriately implemented out-of-doors on the…

Exploring Weighty Matters with "Cucumber Soup": An Interdisciplinary Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Columba, Lynn

2007-01-01

Children's literature can play a significant role in integrating math and science concepts into real-world applications. One particularly delightful selection is "Cucumber Soup" (Krudwig, 1998). This book can create a context--making cucumber soup--for weighing and for a real-life on adding fractions. This kind of learning context takes children…

Fine Motor Skills and Early Comprehension of the World: Two New School Readiness Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grissmer, David; Grimm, Kevin J.; Aiyer, Sophie M.; Murrah, William M.; Steele, Joel S.

2010-01-01

Duncan et al. (2007) presented a new methodology for identifying kindergarten readiness factors and quantifying their importance by determining which of children's developing skills measured around kindergarten entrance would predict later reading and math achievement. This article extends Duncan et al.'s work to identify kindergarten readiness…

The International Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lastra-Anadon, Carlos Xabel; Peterson, Paul E.

2012-01-01

Undoubtedly, the United States has much to learn from education systems in other countries. Once the world's education leader, the U.S. has seen the percentage of its high-school students who are proficient trail that of 31 other countries in math and 16 countries in reading, according to a recent study by Harvard's Program on Education Policy and…

A Conversion Tool for Mathematical Expressions in Web XML Files.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohtake, Nobuyuki; Kanahori, Toshihiro

2003-01-01

This article discusses the conversion of mathematical equations into Extensible Markup Language (XML) on the World Wide Web for individuals with visual impairments. A program is described that converts the presentation markup style to the content markup style in MathML to allow browsers to render mathematical expressions without other programs.…

Problem Solvers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkman, Neal

2007-01-01

US students continue to lag behind the rest of the world in science, technology, engineering, and math--taken together, STEM. Even as the US falls further and further behind other countries in these four critical academic areas, not everyone sees it as a crisis. Fortunately, there are those who do. One organization out front on the issue is,…

Investigating Why Teachers Reported Continued Use and Sharing of an Educational Innovation after the Research Has Ended

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hegedus, Stephen J.; Dalton, Sara; Roschelle, Jeremy; Penuel, William; Dickey-Kurdziolek, Margaret; Tatar, Deborah

2014-01-01

We investigated prospects for reported sustainable adoption and sharing of an educational innovation through survey research including online questionnaires and telephone interviews. This investigation is part of the Scaling-Up SimCalc experimental program, which combines dynamic representational algebra software (SimCalc MathWorlds) with…

Fracking: Drilling into Math and Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrickson, Katie A.

2015-01-01

Mathematical modeling, a focus of the Common Core State Standards for School Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) and one of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, is generally considered to be the process of exploring a real-world situation and making sense of it using mathematics (Lesh and Zawojewski 2007). Teachers need to create opportunities for…

Theme Unit. Horse Sense.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flagg, Ann

1999-01-01

This integrated, cross-curricular theme unit has children become immersed in the equine world as they broaden their vocabulary, participate in hands-on science and math, explore art, become aware of the horse's important role in history, and learn about good grooming. A student reproducible, a poetry poster, and a poster on the coloring of horses…

Engage All Americans with Eclipse 2017 Through the Eyes of NASA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, C.; Young, C. A.; Mayo, L.; Cline, T. D.; Stephenson, B. E.; Debebe, A.; Lewis, E. M.; Odenwald, S. F.; Hill, S. W.

2016-12-01

Join NASA and millions in the U.S. and around the world in observing the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse. This presentation will discuss NASA's education and communication plans for the 2017 eclipse, highlighting some programs, resources, and citizen science activities that will engage and educate many across the country and beyond. NASA will offer unique observations of this celestial event from the ground to space. Additionally, there are do-it-yourself (DIY) science, lunar and math challenges, art contests, Makerspace ideas, and various activities for learners of all ages. Education resources and tool kits may be of particular interest to formal and informal educators. Find out what events are happening in your neighborhood, and plan your own eclipse parties with resources and activities. Last but not the least, experience the eclipse on August 21 and learn more through NASA broadcast programming that will include telescopic views from multiple locations, simple measurements, and live and taped interviews.

United States Changing Demographics - English/Spanish Space Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leon, R.

2002-01-01

Accordingly the United States Census Bureau, the ethnic group adding the largest number of people to the national population is the Hispanic exceeding 12 percent of the population and growing by almost 60 percent between 1990 and 2000. The status of the nation's educational system with respect to Hispanic students is perhaps one of the most influential issues facing the largest economy of the world. The low income, lack of language skills, highest drop-out rate in the nation, are some of the reasons why Hispanics are less likely to receive a university degree than any other ethical group. In short, the government requires to implement compensatory programs and bilingual education to ensure global leadership. Because of ongoing immigration, Spanish persists longer among Hispanics than it did among other immigrant groups. Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world after Mandarin, Hindustani and English. Although not all U.S. Hispanics speak Spanish, almost all U.S. Spanish speakers are Hispanics. This paper is intended to outline the challenging implementation of a bilingual education project affiliated to NASA Johnson Space Center encouraging greater academic success of Hispanics in engineering, math and science. The prospective project covers the overall role of space activities in the development of science and technology, socioeconomic issues and international cooperation. An existent JSC project is the starting stage to keep on developing an interactive video teleconference and web-media technology and produce stimulating learning products in English and Spanish for students and teachers across the nation and around the world.

An Indigenous Framework for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monette, G.

2003-12-01

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium, composed of 35 American Indian tribally-controlled Colleges and Universities in the U.S. and Canada, is leading a comprehensive effort to improve American Indian student achievement in STEM. A key component of this effort is the synthesis of indigenous ways of knowing and western education systems. This presentation will provide an overview of culturally responsive, place-based teaching, learning, and research and will discuss potential opportunities and strategies for helping to ensure that education systems and research programs reflect our diversity and respect our cultures. One example to be discussed is the NSF-funded "Tribal College Rural Systemic Initiative." Founded on the belief that all students can learn and should be given the opportunity to reach their full potential, Tribal Colleges are leading this effort to achieve successful and sustainable improvement of science, math, and technology education at the K-14 level in rural, economically disadvantaged, geographically challenged areas. Working with parents, tribal governments, schools and the private sector, the colleges are helping to implement math and science standards-based curriculum for students and standards-based assessment for schools; provide math and science standards-based professional development for teachers, administrators, and community leaders; and integrate local Native culture into math and science standards-based curriculum. The close working relationship between the Tribal Colleges and K-12 is paying off. According to the National Science Foundation, successful systemic reform has resulted in enhanced student achievement and participation in science and math; reductions in the achievement disparities among students that can be attributed to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, or learning styles; implementation of a comprehensive, standards-based curriculum aligned with instructions and assessment; development of a coherent, consistent set of policies that supports high quality math and science education for each student; convergence of science and math resource; and broad-based support from parents and the community.

Mathematical calculation skills required for drug administration in undergraduate nursing students to ensure patient safety: A descriptive study: Drug calculation skills in nursing students.

PubMed

Bagnasco, Annamaria; Galaverna, Lucia; Aleo, Giuseppe; Grugnetti, Anna Maria; Rosa, Francesca; Sasso, Loredana

2016-01-01

In the literature we found many studies that confirmed our concerns about nursing students' poor maths skills that directly impact on their ability to correctly calculate drug dosages with very serious consequences for patient safety. The aim of our study was to explore where students had most difficulty and identify appropriate educational interventions to bridge their mathematical knowledge gaps. This was a quali-quantitative descriptive study that included a sample of 726 undergraduate nursing students. We identified exactly where students had most difficulty and identified appropriate educational interventions to bridge their mathematical knowledge gaps. We found that the undergraduate nursing students mainly had difficulty with basic maths principles. Specific learning interventions are needed to improve their basic maths skills and their dosage calculation skills. For this purpose, we identified safeMedicate and eDose (Authentic World Ltd.), only that they are only available in English. In the near future we hope to set up a partnership to work together on the Italian version of these tools. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remodeling Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hestenes, David

2013-01-01

Radical reform in science and mathematics education is needed to prepare citizens for challenges of the emerging knowledge-based global economy. We consider definite proposals to establish: (1) "Standards of science and math literacy" for all students. (2) "Integration of the science curriculum" with structure of matter,…

Community Update, 1998-1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Julie, Ed.

1999-01-01

This document consists of ten issues of the newsletter "Community Update," containing articles on community and family involvement in education. Article topics include: a college education is necessary and possible; math and science study points out problems and positive solutions; the "America Reads Challenge"; meeting the…

76 FR 64330 - Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-18

... talks on HPC Reliability, Diffusion on Complex Networks, and Reversible Software Execution Systems Report from Applied Math Workshop on Mathematics for the Analysis, Simulation, and Optimization of Complex Systems Report from ASCR-BES Workshop on Data Challenges from Next Generation Facilities Public...

Optimal Transport, Convection, Magnetic Relaxation and Generalized Boussinesq Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brenier, Yann

2009-10-01

We establish a connection between optimal transport theory (see Villani in Topics in optimal transportation. Graduate studies in mathematics, vol. 58, AMS, Providence, 2003, for instance) and classical convection theory for geophysical flows (Pedlosky, in Geophysical fluid dynamics, Springer, New York, 1979). Our starting point is the model designed few years ago by Angenent, Haker, and Tannenbaum (SIAM J. Math. Anal. 35:61-97, 2003) to solve some optimal transport problems. This model can be seen as a generalization of the Darcy-Boussinesq equations, which is a degenerate version of the Navier-Stokes-Boussinesq (NSB) equations. In a unified framework, we relate different variants of the NSB equations (in particular what we call the generalized hydrostatic-Boussinesq equations) to various models involving optimal transport (and the related Monge-Ampère equation, Brenier in Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 64:375-417, 1991; Caffarelli in Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 45:1141-1151, 1992). This includes the 2D semi-geostrophic equations (Hoskins in Annual review of fluid mechanics, vol. 14, pp. 131-151, Palo Alto, 1982; Cullen et al. in SIAM J. Appl. Math. 51:20-31, 1991, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 185:341-363, 2007; Benamou and Brenier in SIAM J. Appl. Math. 58:1450-1461, 1998; Loeper in SIAM J. Math. Anal. 38:795-823, 2006) and some fully nonlinear versions of the so-called high-field limit of the Vlasov-Poisson system (Nieto et al. in Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 158:29-59, 2001) and of the Keller-Segel for Chemotaxis (Keller and Segel in J. Theor. Biol. 30:225-234, 1971; Jäger and Luckhaus in Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 329:819-824, 1992; Chalub et al. in Mon. Math. 142:123-141, 2004). Mathematically speaking, we establish some existence theorems for local smooth, global smooth or global weak solutions of the different models. We also justify that the inertia terms can be rigorously neglected under appropriate scaling assumptions in the generalized Navier-Stokes-Boussinesq equations. Finally, we show how a “stringy” generalization of the AHT model can be related to the magnetic relaxation model studied by Arnold and Moffatt to obtain stationary solutions of the Euler equations with prescribed topology (see Arnold and Khesin in Topological methods in hydrodynamics. Applied mathematical sciences, vol. 125, Springer, Berlin, 1998; Moffatt in J. Fluid Mech. 159:359-378, 1985, Topological aspects of the dynamics of fluids and plasmas. NATO adv. sci. inst. ser. E, appl. sci., vol. 218, Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1992; Schonbek in Theory of the Navier-Stokes equations, Ser. adv. math. appl. sci., vol. 47, pp. 179-184, World Sci., Singapore, 1998; Vladimirov et al. in J. Fluid Mech. 390:127-150, 1999; Nishiyama in Bull. Inst. Math. Acad. Sin. (N.S.) 2:139-154, 2007).

Dome, Sweet Dome--Geodesic Structures Teach Math, Science, and Technology Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shackelford, Ray; Fitzgerald, Michael

2007-01-01

Today, geodesic domes are found on playgrounds, homes, over radar installations, storage facilities, at Disney's Epcot Center, and at World's Fairs. The inventor of the design, Buckminster Fuller, thought that geodesic domes could be used to cover large areas and even designed one to cover all of New York's Manhattan Island. This article details…

Women, Numbers and Dreams. Biographical Sketches and Math Activities. Teacher's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perl, Teri Hoch; Christner, Patsy

This teacher's manual provides ideas and suggestions for integrating the booklet "Women, Numbers, and Dreams" into the mathematics program. Shade-ins and role playing are each described, and a timeline to "flesh out" the world in which women live is presented. Discussion questions for each of the 11 biographical stories about 13 women are provided…

Gender, Math Confidence, and Grit: Relationships with Quantitative Skills and Performance in an Undergraduate Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flanagan, K. M.; Einarson, J.

2017-01-01

In a world filled with big data, mathematical models, and statistics, the development of strong quantitative skills is becoming increasingly critical for modern biologists. Teachers in this field must understand how students acquire quantitative skills and explore barriers experienced by students when developing these skills. In this study, we…

Geography Ed for a Flat World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schachter, Ron

2012-01-01

Geography is not what it used to be. Nowadays, that subject is often buried--and therefore inadequately covered--in a social studies curriculum itself under siege because of the extended commitment in schools to reading and math. But geographical knowledge also is not what it used to be. It has become essential to understanding a brave new world…

Developing the Young Gifted Child's Mathematical Mind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Carol

2016-01-01

Schools seem firmly rooted in the emphasis on computational mastery, and seldom seem to have time to develop other areas of mathematical thinking, such as real-world problem solving and the application of mathematical concepts. All too often, children seem to do well in math in the early grades because they easily memorize the facts and the…

STEM Pilot Project Grant Program: Report to the Legislature, December 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noahr, Lorrell; Black, Scott; Rogers, Justin

2016-01-01

As our world becomes more and more steeped in technology, educating our students in that and related areas becomes crucial. Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education focuses on helping students become the next generation of professionals who will create the new ideas, new products and new industries of the future. Teaching STEM…

Minecraft Comes to Math Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Kimberly

2018-01-01

Minecraft is an open world survival computer game that was originally created in Sweden in 2011 and later purchased by Microsoft® in 2014. It is among the most popular computer games with students of all ages because it gives players a sense of ownership and opportunities for creative exploration. The game has three unique features: (1) no clear…

Multi-Program High School Students' Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Perceptions toward Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavuz Mumcu, Hayal; Cansiz Aktas, Meral

2015-01-01

Problem Statement: So far, there have been many problems in maths education in the world; negative attitudes and low self-efficacy perceptions towards mathematics are the two important reasons for these problems. Though there are several studies regarding the topic, choosing random students from secondary school for the sample group of the study…

Seven Windows to a Child's World: 100 Ideas for the Multiple Intelligences Classroom. Pre K-3. First Printing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Anna T.; Callahan-Young, Sheila

While traditional schooling has focused mainly on math and linguistic skills, psychologist Howard Gardner suggests that there are at least five additional ways of learning. This curriculum guide applies Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences to the kindergarten class, providing teachers with a practical, thematic approach that will challenge…

Designing Spaces for Creativity and Divergent Thinking: Pre-Service Teachers Creating Stop Motion Animation on Tablets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Byrne, W. Ian; Radakovic, Nenad; Hunter-Doniger, Tracey; Fox, Madison; Kern, Reggie; Parnell, Stephanie

2018-01-01

In recent years, tablets have been shown to serve as incredible teaching tools in classrooms around the world. In mathematics education, divergent thinking, creativity, and play may play a key role in formation of adaptive thinking and math achievement. This qualitative, participatory action research investigated the use of an instructional model…

Teacher Immediacy and Decreased Student Quantitative Reasoning Anxiety: The Mediating Effect of Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Stephanie; Rice, Christopher; Wyatt, Bryce; Ducking, Johnny; Denton, Zachary

2015-01-01

There is global concern regarding the increased prevalence of math anxiety among college students, which is credited for a decrease in analytical degree completion rates and lower self-confidence among students in their ability to complete analytical tasks in the real world. The present study identified that, as expected, displays of instructional…

How Do Students' Mastery and Performance Goals Relate to Math Anxiety?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furner, Joseph M.; Gonzalez-DeHass, Alyssa

2011-01-01

A changing, economically competitive world has necessitated reform in mathematics education. Yet mathematics anxiety has been a prevalent concern among educators and others in our society for decades. Some students tend to be more anxious about the testing process and can often freeze up, others just cringe when they are confronted with any form…

On Teaching Problem Solving in School Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pehkonen, Erkki; Näveri, Liisa; Laine, Anu

2013-01-01

The article begins with a brief overview of the situation throughout the world regarding problem solving. The activities of the ProMath group are then described, as the purpose of this international research group is to improve mathematics teaching in school. One mathematics teaching method that seems to be functioning in school is the use of open…

Enhancing Thematic Units Using the World Wide Web: Tools and Strategies for Students with Mild Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, J. Emmett; Wissick, Cheryl A.

2002-01-01

This article presents principles for using Web-based activities to support curriculum accommodations for students with mild disabilities. Tools, resources, and strategies are identified to help teachers construct meaningful and Web-enhanced thematic units. Web sites are listed in the areas of math, science, language arts, and social studies;…

Toward a One-World Schoolhouse: Interview with Sal Khan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinkus, Ari

2015-01-01

Ten years ago, Salman Khan, with three degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard, agreed to help tutor his cousin Nadia, who was struggling in math. Using Yahoo's Doodle notepad, Khan offered Nadia a sequence of mini lessons designed to scaffold her learning. Over time, other friends and relatives heard about Khan's success and asked for similar…

Textbook and Course Materials for 21-127 "Concepts of Mathematics"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Brendan W.

2013-01-01

Concepts of Mathematics (21-127 at CMU) is a course designed to introduce students to the world of abstract mathematics, guiding them from more calculation-based math (that one learns in high school) to higher mathematics, which focuses more on abstract thinking, problem solving, and writing "proofs." This transition tends to be a shock:…

Science in Action: How Middle School Students Are Changing Their World through STEM Service-Learning Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Jane L.; Dantzler, John; Coleman, April N.

2015-01-01

The purpose of Science in Action (SIA) was to examine the relationship between implementing quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) service-learning (SL) projects and the effect on students' academic engagement in middle school science, civic responsibility, and resilience to at-risk behaviors. The innovative project funded by…

Reimagining the Role of School Libraries in STEM Education: Creating Hybrid Spaces for Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subramaniam, Mega M.; Ahn, June; Fleischmann, Kenneth R.; Druin, Allison

2012-01-01

In recent years, many technological interventions have surfaced, such as virtual worlds, games, and digital labs, that aspire to link young people's interest in media technology and social networks to learning about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) areas. Despite the tremendous interest surrounding young people and STEM education,…

Clock Buddies: An Accessible, Engaging Problem-Solving Activity with Rich Mathematical Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borkovitz, Debra K.; Haferd, Thomas

2017-01-01

Clock Buddies is our favorite first-day-of-class activity. It starts as a nonthreatening icebreaker activity that helps students learn one another's names, but it soon asks students to find their own strategies for solving a real-world scheduling problem. Even highly math phobic students work with others and succeed. Students gain insight from…

An "Emergent Model" for Rate of Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbert, Sandra; Pierce, Robyn

2008-01-01

Does speed provide a "model for" rate of change in other contexts? Does JavaMathWorlds (JMW), animated simulation software, assist in the development of the "model for" rate of change? This project investigates the transference of understandings of rate gained in a motion context to a non-motion context. Students were 27 14-15 year old students at…

The Math of Khan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffhauser, Dian

2013-01-01

It's like a dream come true for educators: free resources available wherever a web browser can operate and with nary an iota of advertising. What's not to like? What is it about this organization, whose mission is "to provide a free, world-class education for anyone anywhere," that has provoked such vitriol? Part of it is that when its videos have…

Connecting Science and Math Concepts with Children's and Young Adult Literature in a CCSS World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jewett, Pamela; Johnson, Denise; Lowery, Ruth McKoy; Stiles, James W.

2015-01-01

In this article, the authors provide a synopsis of the 2014 Children's Literature Assembly (CLA) Workshop. The Workshop explored how fiction and nonfiction children's and young adult's literature create opportunities for in-depth learning in the content areas. Participants had the opportunity to hear the stories of authors and illustrators of…

Increasing the Competitive Edge in Math and Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kettlewell, Janet S., Ed.; Henry, Ronald J., Ed.

2009-01-01

The U. S. is losing its competitive edge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Thomas Friedman warns that America is not producing enough young people in STEM fields that are essential for entrepreneurship and innovation in the 21st century (The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, 2005). Blue ribbon…

Toward a STEM + Arts Curriculum: Creating the Teacher Team

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wynn, Toni; Harris, Juliette

2012-01-01

The acronym STEM--the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and math--now a familiar term in education, is evolving into STEAM--STEM plus "A" for art. Educational researcher Martin Storksdieck's studies have shown that infusing art into STEM allows for "a different way of perceiving and knowing and dealing with the world, as a means to…

Priming performance-related concerns induces task-related mind-wandering.

PubMed

Jordano, Megan L; Touron, Dayna R

2017-10-01

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that priming of performance-related concerns would (1) increase the frequency of task-related mind-wandering (i.e., task-related interference; TRI) and (2) decrease task performance. In each experiment, sixty female participants completed an operation span task (OSPAN) containing thought content probes. The task was framed as a math task for those in a condition primed for math-related stereotype threat and as a memory task for those in a control condition. In both studies, women whose performance-related concerns were primed via stereotype threat reported more TRI than women in the control. The second experiment used a more challenging OSPAN task and stereotype primed women also had lower math accuracy than controls. These results support the "control failures×current concerns" framework of mind-wandering, which posits that the degree to which the environmental context triggers personal concerns influences both mind-wandering frequency and content. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seven-panel solar wing deployment and on-orbit maneuvering analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Earl

2005-05-01

BSS developed a new generation high power (~20kW) solar array to meet the customer demands. The high power solar array had the north and south solar wings of which designs were identical. Each side of the solar wing consists of three main conventional solar panels and the four-side panel swing-out new design. The fully deployed solar array surface area is 966 ft2. It was a quite challenging task to define the solar array's optimum design parameters and deployment scheme for such a huge solar array's successful deployment and on-orbit maneuvering. Hence, a deployable seven-flex-panel solar wing nonlinear math model and a fully deployed solar array/bus-payload math model were developed with the Dynamic Analysis and Design System (DADS) program codes utilizing the inherited and empirical data. Performing extensive parametric analyses with the math model, the optimum design parameters and the orbit maneuvering /deployment schemes were determined to meet all the design requirements, and for the successful solar wing deployment on-orbit.

Glass, Bug, Mud

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimes, Kimberly J.; Stevens, Dannelle D.

2009-01-01

Motivating elementary students in math can be a challenge. The authors describe an action research designed to determine the effects of differentiated instruction on 4th graders' academic achievement and motivation. Using a student self-assessment technique, the teacher had positive gains in both mathematics and motivation. The authors provide…

Mathematically Gifted Third Graders--A Challenge in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfle, Jane A.

1988-01-01

The third-grade classroom teacher can identify mathematically gifted students and can provide them with opportunities for extending their understanding and enjoyment of mathematics through use of such techniques as content sophistication, enrichment, peer tutoring, curriculum compacting, puzzles, and math centers. (Author/JDD)

This Rock 'n' Roll Video Teaches Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niess, Margaret L.; Walker, Janet M.

2009-01-01

Mathematics is a discipline that has significantly advanced through the use of digital technologies with improved computational, graphical, and symbolic capabilities. Digital videos can be used to present challenging mathematical questions for students. Video clips offer instructional possibilities for moving students from a passive mode of…

The Governor's Challenge: "Building a Stronger Virginia Today": Transportation Visions and Solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Susan

2008-01-01

Using STM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education, this emerging workforce will have the chance to creatively solve one of Virginia's biggest challenges: TRANSPORTATION. - Students will be asked to develop alternative transportation systems for the state. This competition will enable teams to work with business mentors to design creative solutions for regional gridlocks and develop other transportation systems to more easily and expediently reach all parts of the Commonwealth.

The Perceived Value of Maths and Academic Self-Efficacy in the Appraisal of Fear Appeals Used Prior to a High-Stakes Test as Threatening or Challenging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Putwain, David William; Symes, Wendy

2014-01-01

Previous work has examined how messages communicated to students prior to high-stakes exams, that emphasise the importance of avoiding failure for subsequent life trajectory, may be appraised as threatening. In two studies, we extended this work to examine how students may also appraise such messages as challenging or disregard them as being of…

Girls Talk Math - Engaging Girls Through Math Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernardi, Francesca; Morgan, Katrina

2017-11-01

``Girls Talk Math: Engaging Girls through Math Media'' is a free two-week long summer day camp for high-school girls in the Triangle area of NC. This past June the camp had its second run thanks to renewed funding from the Mathematical Association of America Tensor Women and Mathematics Grant. The camp involved 35 local high-school students who identify as female. Campers complete challenging problem sets and research the life of a female scientist who worked on similar problems. They report their work in a blog post and record a podcast about the scientist they researched. The curriculum has been developed by Mathematics graduate students at UNC from an inquiry based learning perspective; problem sets topics include some theoretical mathematics, but also more applied physics-based material. Campers worked on fluid dynamics, special relativity, and quantum mechanics problem sets which included experiments. The camp has received positive feedback from the local community and the second run saw a large increase in the number of participants. The program is evaluated using pre and post surveys, which measure campers' confidence and interest in pursuing higher level courses in STEM. The results from the past two summers have been encouraging. Mathematical Association of America Tensor Women and Mathematics Grant.

The new math of ownership.

PubMed

Gross, B

1998-01-01

In 1994, when the software maker Knowledge Adventure decided to spin out a new venture--Worlds, Incorporated--founder Bill Gross expected the worst. He had argued with the board that it was in KA's best interests to maintain a controlling ownership stake in Worlds, whose powerful new software technology had enormous revenue potential. But the board prevailed, and KA took only a 20% ownership in the new company, giving the rest to Worlds' employees. Within a year, the company's performance had surpassed all expectations, and instead of owning 80% of a $5 million business, KA owned 20% of a $77 million business. The arithmetic may have been counterintuitive, but the lesson was clear. When KA let go of Worlds and gave its employees near total ownership, the company unleashed a new level of employee performance. That, in turn, led to the creation of economic value that more than made up for the equity KA had surrendered. So compelling was this "new math of ownership" that Gross founded a new company, Idealab, on this principle. The company, which develops ideas for Internet-based businesses and seeds the most promising ones, takes no more than a 49% equity stake in the new ventures and gives at least 1% of ownership to each employee. For Gross, this radical approach to ownership is the key to inspiring stellar performances. In part, employee-owners are motivated by their potential to earn great financial reward. But the drama of ownership, he argues, is even more important. In that drama, employees become personally involved in the struggle to outdo the competition and emerge victorious.

STEM Girls Night In at Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-05

Girls Night In was held at Goddard on Nov 4-5, 2016. This is a pilot program which reinvigorates, inspires, and engages high school girls who may be struggling or not fully engaged in STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Math) education. The program allowed NASA women to share and demonstrate the work they do, provide the girls an opportunity to completely immerse themselves in Goddard science, technology, engineering and math as well as provide them activities that will challenge and promote knowledge and discovery. Goddard invites other NASA centers tolearn from this pilot program and work towards a simultaneous multicenter event in the future. Participating schools were: DuVal, Crossland, Flowers, High Point, Northwestern and Oxon Hill

STEM Girls Night In at Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-04

Girls Night In was held at Goddard on Nov 4-5, 2016. This is a pilot program which reinvigorates, inspires, and engages high school girls who may be struggling or not fully engaged in STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Math) education. The program allowed NASA women to share and demonstrate the work they do, provide the girls an opportunity to completely immerse themselves in Goddard science, technology, engineering and math as well as provide them activities that will challenge and promote knowledge and discovery. Goddard invites other NASA centers tolearn from this pilot program and work towards a simultaneous multicenter event in the future. Participating schools were: DuVal, Crossland, Flowers, High Point, Northwestern and Oxon Hill

Developing Teaching Material Software Assisted for Numerical Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handayani, A. D.; Herman, T.; Fatimah, S.

2017-09-01

The NCTM vision shows the importance of two things in school mathematics, which is knowing the mathematics of the 21st century and the need to continue to improve mathematics education to answer the challenges of a changing world. One of the competencies associated with the great challenges of the 21st century is the use of help and tools (including IT), such as: knowing the existence of various tools for mathematical activity. One of the significant challenges in mathematical learning is how to teach students about abstract concepts. In this case, technology in the form of mathematics learning software can be used more widely to embed the abstract concept in mathematics. In mathematics learning, the use of mathematical software can make high level math activity become easier accepted by student. Technology can strengthen student learning by delivering numerical, graphic, and symbolic content without spending the time to calculate complex computing problems manually. The purpose of this research is to design and develop teaching materials software assisted for numerical method. The process of developing the teaching material starts from the defining step, the process of designing the learning material developed based on information obtained from the step of early analysis, learners, materials, tasks that support then done the design step or design, then the last step is the development step. The development of teaching materials software assisted for numerical methods is valid in content. While validator assessment for teaching material in numerical methods is good and can be used with little revision.

Constructed-Response Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swinford, Ashleigh

2016-01-01

With rigor outlined in state and Common Core standards and the addition of constructed-response test items to most state tests, math constructed-response questions have become increasingly popular in today's classroom. Although constructed-response problems can present a challenge for students, they do offer a glimpse of students' learning through…

Scratching the Seven-Year Itch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doan, Kim; Peters, Marilyn

2009-01-01

The challenge of retaining beginning teachers, particularly in shortage areas such as special education, math, and science, has long been the focus of both research and special induction programs at universities and in school districts. The difficulty of retaining mid-career teachers, however, has received little attention in comparison. Such…

Assessing Admission Interviews at Residential STEM Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Brent M.

2011-01-01

Seventeen state-sponsored residential math and science schools have been created across the country to direct talented teens toward STEM careers. Admission is selective, based on competitive grades, standardized test scores, and references. Most of the schools also require preadmission interviews. However, selection interviews may be challenged as…

Assessing Changes in Teachers' Attitudes toward Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Salami, Mubarak K.; Makela, Carole J.; de Miranda, Michael A.

2017-01-01

Integrating engineering and technology concepts into K-12 science and math curricula through engineering design project-based learning has been found to increase students' interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), however preparing teachers to shift to interdisciplinary teaching remains a significant challenge.…

Engineering Encounters: Building a Spaghetti Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llewellyn, Douglas; Pray, Sandra; DeRose, Rob; Ottman, William

2016-01-01

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance science teaching. In this month's issue an upper elementary Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) challenge brings an engineer into the classroom while emphasizing cooperation, communication, and creativity. STEM activities come in various shapes and sizes. Some are quite involved…

Robotics on Water

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hademenos, George; Russell, Jonathan; Birch, John; Wosczyna-Birch, Karen

2010-01-01

"Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century," a weeklong teacher workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation, uses project-based learning (PBL) to help students and teachers build science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills. The workshop, hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, features the Coast…

Aligning Classroom Instruction with Workplace Skills: Equipping CTE Students with the Math Skills Necessary for Entry-Level Carpentry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohr, Cory

2008-01-01

With approximately 2,500 students dropping out of U.S. high schools every day, there exists a need to align classroom instruction with corresponding "real world" applications. In order to keep students' motivation high and help ensure high levels of validity in instruction, core curriculum instructors and career and technical education (CTE)…

Motivation, Empowerment, and Innovation: Teachers' Beliefs about How Participating in the Edmodo Math Subject Community Shapes Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trust, Torrey

2017-01-01

Educators around the world participate in virtual communities, social media sites, and online networks in order to gain support and ideas for improving their practice. Many researchers have explored how and why teachers participate in these online spaces; however, there is limited research on how participation might impact teaching and learning.…

Egg Bungee Jump!: A Pre-Engineering Activity Based on Calculation, Risk, Failure, Success--and Serendipity!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Mike; Brand, Lance

2011-01-01

The separation of content between science, math, engineering, and technology education should not exist. Working with the relationship between these content areas enhances students' efforts to learn about the physical world--and the Bungee Jump offers one great way to go about it. This article describes an activity called the Egg Bungee Jump which…

Improving Mastery of Fractions by Blending Video Games into the Math Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masek, M.; Boston, J.; Lam, C. P.; Corcoran, S.

2017-01-01

Concepts from the Australian mathematics curriculum on fractions were used as core elements to design three computer games. In each game, the concepts were presented in the form of tangible puzzles, customized to a difficulty level based on student capability. The games were integrated into a single virtual game world, and a fantasy story was used…

Using Self-Determination Theory to Build Communities of Support to Aid in the Retention of Women in Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dell, Elizabeth M.; Verhoeven, Yen; Christman, Jeanne W.; Garrick, Robert D.

2018-01-01

Diverse perspectives are required to address the technological problems facing our world. Although women perform as well as their male counterparts in math and science prior to entering college, the numbers of women students entering and completing engineering programmes are far below their representation in the workforce. This paper reports on a…

Exploring How Teacher-Related Factors Relate to Student Achievement in Learning Advanced Algebra in Technology-Enhanced Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hegedus, Stephen J.; Tapper, John; Dalton, Sara

2016-01-01

In this study, we examine the relationship between contextual variables related to teachers and student performance in Advanced Algebra classrooms in the USA. The data were gathered from a cluster-randomized study on the effects of SimCalc MathWorlds®, a curricular and technological intervention as a replacement for Algebra 2 curriculum, on…

Beyond Marbles: Percent Change and Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denny, Flannery

2013-01-01

In the author's eighth year of teaching, she hit a wall teaching percent change. Percent change is one of the few calculations taught in math classes that shows up regularly in the media, and one that she often does in her head to make sense of the world around her. Despite this, she had been teaching percent change using textbook problems about…

Prepare and Inspire: K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education for America's Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 2010

2010-01-01

The success of the United States in the 21st century will depend on the ideas and skills of its population. These have always been the nation's most important assets. As the world becomes increasingly technological, the value of these national assets will be determined by the effectiveness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics…

Math on a Sphere: Making Use of Public Displays in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Michael; Basman, Antranig; Hsi, Sherry

2013-01-01

Science on a Sphere (SoS) is a compelling educational display installed at numerous museums and planetariums around the world; essentially the SoS display is a large spherical surface on which multicolor high-resolution depictions of (e.g.) planetary weather maps may be depicted. Fascinating as the SoS display is, however, it is in practice…

GeoGebra--Freedom to Explore and Learn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahlberg-Stojanovska, Linda; Stojanovski, Vitomir

2009-01-01

We start by visiting the maths section of the web site answers.yahoo.com. Here, anybody can ask a question from anywhere in the world at every possible level. Answers are given by anyone who wants to contribute and then askers/readers rate the responses. A brief look here and it is starkly clear that our young people are struggling and their…

Rewards, Intrinsic Motivation, and Achievement in Intact Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luis, Melissa Ann

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of performance-contingent rewards in a real-world setting, namely the sixth grade math classroom. This study is significant in that it represents a field study on the effects of rewards in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect, if any, the choice of a reward had…

Innovative Resources for Education and Public Information: Electronic Services, Data and Information from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Other NASA Missions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christian, Carol A.

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which supports the operation of the Hubble Space Telescope, is actively investigating and supporting innovative and experimental methods for improving science and math education content. The educational resources on the World Wide Web are derived from the latest data, scientific results, and advances…

Creating Child-Centered Materials for Math and Science: 3-6 Year Olds. Step By Step: A Program for Children and Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stolberg, Judith Rothschild; Daniels, Ellen R.

In child-centered education programs, children construct their own knowledge from their experiences and interactions with the world around them, and teachers foster children's growth and development by building on children's interests, needs, and strengths within a safe and caring environment. The Step by Step educational program developed a…

Increasing Participation in the Earth Sciences A 35 year Journey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blueford, J. R.

2006-12-01

In the 1970's the fact that woman and ethnic minorities men made up approximately10% of the workforce in the geosciences created concern. Determining ways to increase the participation became a topic of discussion amongst many of the geosciences agencies in the United States. Many created scholarships and work opportunities for students. One of the most successful projects was the MPES (Minority Participation in the Earth Science) Program implemented by the U.S. Geological Survey. A key factor in its success was its outreach programs which used employees to work in elementary schools to get children excited about earth sciences. Successive years added teacher workshops and developing career day presentations to help school districts increase the awareness of the earth sciences. However, cutbacks prevented the continuation of these programs, but from the ashes a new non-profit organization of scientists, the Math Science Nucleus, developed curriculum and implementation strategies that used Earth Sciences as a core content area. Using the power of the internet, it provided teachers and parents around the world content driven curriculum. The Integrating Science, Math, and Technology Reference Curriculum is used around the world to help teachers understand how children learn science content.

Potential Implications of Changes in ChalleNGe Admission Criteria: A Literature Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

Program (ChalleNGe) is a quasi -military, 22- week residential program designed to serve 16- to 18-year-old high school dropouts as well as students at...12]. Specifically, GED recipients have more behavioral and personality problems than any other group ; once these differences are controlled for, the... quantitative abilities, would suggest that the group and domain should, in fact, be negatively related (women should be less likely to perform well in math

Coaching in Early Mathematics.

PubMed

Germeroth, Carrie; Sarama, Julie

2017-01-01

Falling scores in math have prompted a renewed interest in math instruction at early ages. By their own admission, early childhood educators are generally underprepared and not always comfortable teaching math. Professional development (PD) in early mathematics is widely considered a main way to increase teachers' skills and efficacy (e.g., Guskey, 2000; Hyson & Woods, 2014; Munby, Russell, & Martin, 2001; Piasta, Logan, Pelatti, Capps, & Petrill, 2015; Richardson & Placier, 2001; Sarama, Clements, Wolfe, & Spitler, 2016; Sarama & DiBiase, 2004; Zaslow, 2014). However, it has been documented that stand-alone PD is not as effective in changing practice (e.g., Biancarosa & Bryk, 2011; Garet et al., 2008; Guskey, 2000; Hyson & Woods, 2014; Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2015; Joyce & Showers, 2002; Zaslow, 2014). Site-embedded ongoing support in the form of coaching or mentoring has been shown to be critical for successful implementation (Neuman & Cunningham, 2009; Powell, Diamond, Burchinal, & Koehler, 2010). In this chapter, we describe coaching models and abstract characteristics of effective coaching from the research. With this background, we provide an in-depth view of the coaching aspect of two large empirical studies in early mathematics. We introduce the theoretical framework from which the coaching models for these projects were developed and describe the research on which they were based. We then summarize how the planned models were instantiated and challenges to their implementation within each project. In the final section, we summarize what we have learned and described implications and challenges for the field. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Good Questions: Great Ways to Differentiate Mathematics Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small, Marian

2009-01-01

Using differentiated instruction in the classroom can be a challenge, especially when teaching mathematics. This book cuts through the difficulties with two powerful and universal strategies that teachers can use across all math content: Open Questions and Parallel Tasks. Specific strategies and examples for grades Kindergarten - 8 are organized…

Assessing Elementary Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Explanations after Engagement in Online Mentoring Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Jennifer; Selmer, Sarah; Bingham Brown, Amy

2016-01-01

Prospective elementary teachers at three universities engaged in online modules called the Virtual Field Experience, created by the Math Forum. The prospective teachers learned about problem solving and mentoring elementary students in composing solutions and explanations to nonroutine challenge problems. Finally, through an asynchronous online…

Engagement in Science and Engineering through Animal-Based Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Megan Kiely; Byrnes, Elizabeth M.; Buczek, Danielle; Linder, Deborah E.; Freeman, Lisa M.; Webster, Cynthia R. L.

2018-01-01

One of the persistent challenges in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is increasing interest, learning, and retention, particularly with regard to girls and students in underserved areas. Educational curricula that promote process and content knowledge development as well as interest and engagement in STEM are critical in…

Teaching Mathematics to Middle School Students with Learning Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montague, Marjorie, Ed.; Jitendra, Asha K., Ed.

2006-01-01

A highly practical resource for special educators and classroom teachers, this book provides specific instructional guidance illustrated with vignettes, examples, and sample lesson plans. Every chapter is grounded in research and addresses the nuts and bolts of teaching math to students who are not adequately prepared for the challenging middle…

Arts-Infused Learning in Middle Level Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorimer, Maureen Reilly

2011-01-01

To address arts education disparities in middle level schools, this paper explores evidence that infusing the visual and performing arts into language arts, math, science, and history/social studies courses is a pedagogical approach that meets the developmental needs of early adolescents and fosters a relevant, challenging, integrative, and…

Teaching Gifted Children in Today's Preschool and Primary Classrooms: Identifying, Nurturing, and Challenging Children Ages 4-9

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smutny, Joan Franklin; Walker, Sally Yahnke; Honeck, Ellen I.

2016-01-01

These proven, practical early childhood teaching strategies help teachers identify young gifted children, differentiate curriculum, assess and document students' development, and build partnerships with parents. Chapters focus on early identification, curriculum compacting, social studies, language arts, math and science, cluster grouping,…

The Spatial-Numerical Congruity Effect in Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patro, Katarzyna; Haman, Maciej

2012-01-01

Number-to-space mapping and its directionality are compelling topics in the study of numerical cognition. Usually, literacy and math education are thought to shape a left-to-right number line. We challenged this claim by analyzing performance of preliterate precounting preschoolers in a spatial-numerical task. In our experiment, children exhibited…

Super Mileage Challenge: Combining Education and Fun!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Jim; Fitzgerald, Mike

2006-01-01

Beginning in 1996, key leaders in Indiana business, education, and industry, along with the Department of Education and the Indiana Math Science Technology Education Alliance recognized that creating an event that would showcase true integration of mathematics, science, and technology could make learning more relevant to the lives of students. The…

Performance Indicators in Math: Implications for Brief Experimental Analysis of Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanDerheyden, Amanda M.; Burns, Matthew K.

2009-01-01

Brief experimental analysis (BEA) can be used to specify intervention characteristics that produce positive learning gains for individual students. A key challenge to the use of BEA for intervention planning is the identification of performance indicators (including topography of the skill, measurement characteristics, and decision criteria) that…

Siemens Foundation and the STEM Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper-Taylor, Jeniffer

2010-01-01

For more than 12 years, the Siemens Foundation has found unique ways to partner with organizations to support educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States. Its focus is clear--to educate the next generation of innovators by supporting math and science education from grade school to grad…

Mystery Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhattacharyya, Sonalee; Namakshi, Nama; Zunker, Christina; Warshauer, Hiroko K.; Warshauer, Max

2016-01-01

Making math more engaging for students is a challenge that every teacher faces on a daily basis. These authors write that they are constantly searching for rich problem-solving tasks that cover the necessary content, develop critical-thinking skills, and engage student interest. The Mystery Fraction activity provided here focuses on a key number…

Latino Parents' Educational Values and STEM Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez, Diley; Rana, Shaheen; Alemdar, Meltem; Rao, Analía; Usselman, Marion

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to provide a snapshot of K-12 Latino families' beliefs about education, their awareness and interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers and their perceived educational challenges. It builds on the existent body of literature by dispelling pervasive notions that Latino parents do not value…

Resistance, Reinhabitation, and Regime Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gruenewald, David

2006-01-01

How do individuals know when, and what, to resist? Alan Schoenfeld, in the March 2006 issue of "Educational Researcher," tells a story of resistance that all math educators, and all curriculum specialists, need to consider. Schoenfeld titled his story, "What Doesn't Work: The Challenge and Failure of the What Works Clearinghouse to Conduct…

The Arctic Climate Modeling Program: Professional Development for Rural Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertram, Kathryn Berry

2010-01-01

The Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) offered yearlong science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professional development to teachers in rural Alaska. Teacher training focused on introducing youth to workforce technologies used in Arctic research. Due to challenges in making professional development accessible to rural teachers, ACMP…

The Role of Assessment in a Prevention Science Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Keith C.; Riley-Tillman, T. Chris; Reinke, Wendy M.

2012-01-01

The articles in this Special Topic issue present a range of assessment models and challenges for improving the identification and early intervention of students in need of additional supports. Although each article targets a unique aspect of student learning (learning behaviors, math skills, reading comprehension, behavioral functioning, and…

A Provably Necessary Symbiosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hochberg, Robert; Gabric, Kathleen

2010-01-01

The "new biology" of the 21st century is increasingly dependent on mathematics, and preparing high school students to have both strong science and math skills has created major challenges for both disciplines. Researchers and educators in biology and mathematics have been working long hours on a project to create high school teaching modules…

The Empire Strikes Back--Putting the "E" into STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loughran, Melissa

2017-01-01

The challenge schools face when creating a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program is how to incorporate the "E" into the curriculum. The author's school was meeting the National (U. K.) Curriculum Science, Technology and Maths learning objectives, so how could they justify adding another subject into the mix…

Earth Matters: Studies for Our Global Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasserman, Pamela; Doyle, Andrea

Through 12 readings and 32 activities this curriculum material introduces high school students to issues of the global environment and society, while both challenging them to critically evaluate the issues and motivating them to develop solutions. The materials are cited as being applicable to social studies, science, math, language arts, and…

IDRA Newsletter. Volume 35, No. 7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Christie L., Ed.

2008-01-01

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Teaching Quality and includes: (1) The "Fourth-Grade Slump" and Math Achievement: Addressing the Challenge with Student Engagement…

Special Educators and Mathematics Phobia: An Initial Qualitative Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, Michael; Hourcade, Jack J.

2010-01-01

Special educators are uniquely challenged to be content experts in all curricular areas, including mathematics, because students in their caseloads may require academic instruction in any area. However, special educators with math phobia may be limited in their ability to provide effective instruction to their students with mathematical deficits…

The role of self-math overlap in understanding math anxiety and the relation between math anxiety and performance

PubMed Central

Necka, Elizabeth A.; Sokolowski, H. Moriah; Lyons, Ian M.

2015-01-01

Recent work has demonstrated that math anxiety is more than just the product of poor math skills. Psychosocial factors may play a key role in understanding what it means to be math anxious, and hence may aid in attempts to sever the link between math anxiety and poor math performance. One such factor may be the extent to which individuals integrate math into their sense of self. We adapted a well-established measure of this degree of integration (i.e., self-other overlap) to assess individuals’ self-math overlap. This non-verbal single-item measure showed that identifying oneself with math (having higher self-math overlap) was strongly associated with lower math anxiety (r = -0.610). We also expected that having higher self-math overlap would leave one especially susceptible to the threat of poor math performance to the self. We identified two competing hypotheses regarding how this plays out in terms of math anxiety. Those higher in self-math overlap might be more likely to worry about poor math performance, exacerbating the negative relation between math anxiety and math ability. Alternatively, those higher in self-math overlap might exhibit self-serving biases regarding their math ability, which would instead predict a decoupling of the relation between their perceived and actual math ability, and in turn the relation between their math ability and math anxiety. Results clearly favored the latter hypothesis: those higher in self-math overlap exhibited almost no relation between math anxiety and math ability, whereas those lower in self-math overlap showed a strong negative relation between math anxiety and math ability. This was partially explained by greater self-serving biases among those higher in self-math overlap. In sum, these results reveal that the degree to which one integrates math into one’s self – self-math overlap – may provide insight into how the pernicious negative relation between math anxiety and math ability may be ameliorated. PMID:26528210

The role of self-math overlap in understanding math anxiety and the relation between math anxiety and performance.

PubMed

Necka, Elizabeth A; Sokolowski, H Moriah; Lyons, Ian M

2015-01-01

Recent work has demonstrated that math anxiety is more than just the product of poor math skills. Psychosocial factors may play a key role in understanding what it means to be math anxious, and hence may aid in attempts to sever the link between math anxiety and poor math performance. One such factor may be the extent to which individuals integrate math into their sense of self. We adapted a well-established measure of this degree of integration (i.e., self-other overlap) to assess individuals' self-math overlap. This non-verbal single-item measure showed that identifying oneself with math (having higher self-math overlap) was strongly associated with lower math anxiety (r = -0.610). We also expected that having higher self-math overlap would leave one especially susceptible to the threat of poor math performance to the self. We identified two competing hypotheses regarding how this plays out in terms of math anxiety. Those higher in self-math overlap might be more likely to worry about poor math performance, exacerbating the negative relation between math anxiety and math ability. Alternatively, those higher in self-math overlap might exhibit self-serving biases regarding their math ability, which would instead predict a decoupling of the relation between their perceived and actual math ability, and in turn the relation between their math ability and math anxiety. Results clearly favored the latter hypothesis: those higher in self-math overlap exhibited almost no relation between math anxiety and math ability, whereas those lower in self-math overlap showed a strong negative relation between math anxiety and math ability. This was partially explained by greater self-serving biases among those higher in self-math overlap. In sum, these results reveal that the degree to which one integrates math into one's self - self-math overlap - may provide insight into how the pernicious negative relation between math anxiety and math ability may be ameliorated.

MathBrowser: Web-Enabled Mathematical Software with Application to the Chemistry Curriculum, v 1.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsmith, Jack G.

1997-10-01

MathSoft: Cambridge, MA, 1996; free via ftp from www.mathsoft.com. The movement to provide computer-based applications in chemistry has come to focus on three main areas: software aimed at specific applications (drawing, simulation, data analysis, etc.), multimedia applications designed to assist in the presentation of conceptual information, and packages to be used in conjunction with a particular textbook at a specific point in the chemistry curriculum. The result is a situation where no single software package devoted to problem solving can be used across a large segment of the curriculum. Adoption of World Wide Web (WWW) technology by a manufacturer of mathematical software, however, has produced software that provides an attractive means of providing a problem-solving resource to students in courses from freshman through senior level.

Signs of In/Equality: A History of Representation and Reform in Elementary School Mathematics from the 1950s to the Present

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz, Jennifer DeNet

2014-01-01

This study begins with the assumption that the equal sign (=) in elementary school mathematics is not merely a symbol of mathematical logic. Rather, as the equal sign (=) appears in the school math curriculum, it orders children's thinking about equality by assigning identities to things of the world--as expressions of equivalences and…

A Comparative Case Analysis of the Innovation in Five STEM Schools Based on Zhao's Framework for 21st Century World Class Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Patricia A.

2015-01-01

STEM Schools purport to prepare students to learn and work in the 21st Century by providing students with innovative learning experiences through the interdisciplinary integration of science, technology, engineering, and math (Tsupros, 2009). Advocates of STEM and innovative school models argue that the traditional school system does not and…

Implementing Mother Tongue Instruction in the Real World: Results from a Medium-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piper, Benjamin; Zuilkowski, Stephanie S.; Ong'ele, Salome

2016-01-01

Research in sub-Saharan Africa investigating the effect of mother tongue (MT) literacy instruction at medium scale is limited. A randomized controlled trial of MT literacy instruction was implemented in 2013 and 2014 as part of the Primary Math and Reading (PRIMR) Initiative in Kenya. We compare the effect of two treatment groups--the base PRIMR…

2000 FIRST Robotics Competition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Purman, Richard

2000-01-01

The New Horizons Regional Education Center (NHREC) in Hampton, VA sought and received NASA funding to support its participation in the 2000 FIRST Robotics competition. FIRST, Inc. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization which encourages the application of creative science, math, and computer science principles to solve real-world engineering problems. The FIRST competition is an international engineering contest featuring high school, government, and business partnerships.

Helping All Students Become Einstein's Using Bibliotherapy When Teaching Mathematics to Prepare Students for a STEM World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furner, Joseph M.

2017-01-01

Today, being confident and having a sound understanding of mathematics is critical in an age of STEM. Teachers must play in important role in seeing that all students display their confidence in their ability to do mathematics. This paper explains the process of using bibliotherapy when teaching mathematics to address both the math anxious or the…

"She's Always Been the Smart One. I've Always Been the Dumb One": Identities in the Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Jessica Pierson

2012-01-01

The moment-to-moment dynamics of student discourse plays a large role in students' enacted mathematics identities. Discourse analysis was used to describe meaningful discursive patterns in the interactions of 2 students in a 7th-grade, technology-based, curricular unit (SimCalc MathWorlds[R]) and to show how mathematics identities are enacted at…

A Comparative Analysis of Single-Sex Schools in Terms of Achievement in Reading and Math and Student Attendance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brathwaite, Debra Ann

2010-01-01

Single-sex education is a reform initiative that is taking root in the United States and in many countries around the world as a possible solution to closing the racial, achievement, and gender gaps that have emerged where minority students lag behind their White counterparts and boys are falling behind girls academically. Although there have been…

Adaptive Decision Making Using Probabilistic Programming and Stochastic Optimization

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-01

world optimization problems (and hence 16 Approved for Public Release (PA); Distribution Unlimited Pred. demand (uncertain; discrete ...simplify the setting, we further assume that the demands are discrete , taking on values d1, . . . , dk with probabilities (conditional on x) (pθ)i ≡ p...Tyrrell Rockafellar. Implicit functions and solution mappings. Springer Monogr. Math ., 2009. Anthony V Fiacco and Yo Ishizuka. Sensitivity and stability

What's in Your Back Pack? Three Essential Items for Survival in the Tough and Changing World of Campus Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

del Monte, Rick

2009-01-01

As students know, the tools in their backpacks can influence success. If they are off to math class, a good calculator is essential. When on their way to English class, a laptop is fundamental. Building facility executives too have tools in their backpacks to assure the successful creation of educational buildings. Only their tools are…

Teaching in a World with Photomath

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webel, Corey; Otten, Samuel

2015-01-01

In October 2014, an interesting new app became freely available in the Apple Store®. It is called PhotoMath®: (1) Hold a phone or tablet up to a mathematics problem in a textbook; (2) The app shows the answer to the problem; and (3) Select Steps to see the step-by-step process for getting from the problem to the solution. The app works for simple…

Our World, Our Future: Bilingual Activities on Population and the Environment = Nuestro Mundo, Nuestro Futuro: Actividades Bilingues Acerca de la Poblacion y el Medio Ambiente.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zero Population Growth, Inc., Washington, DC.

This bilingual activity guide helps to develop students' understandings of the interdependence of people and the environment. Interdisciplinary resources are provided featuring environmental education lessons with applications to the social studies, science, math, and family life education curricula. It is designed for the middle school level, but…

The Green Bean Has to Be Longer than Your Thumb: An Observational Study of Preschoolers' Math and Science Experiences in a Garden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandermaas-Peeler, Maureen; McClain, Cara

2015-01-01

School gardening has become increasingly popular as a context for learning in which children construct new knowledge, learn cultural and societal values related to ecological awareness, and develop and practice authentic or real-world skills (Blair, 2009; Bowker & Tearle, 2007). The present research was a longitudinal case study of children's…

Understanding decisions Latino students make regarding persistence in the science and math pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munro, Janet Lynn

This qualitative study focused on the knowledge and perceptions of Latino high school students, as well those of their parents and school personnel, at a southwestern, suburban high school regarding persistence in the math/science pipeline. In the context of the unique school and community setting these students experience, the decision-making process was examined with particular focus on characterizing the relationships that influence the process. While the theoretical framework that informs this study was that of social capital, its primary purpose was to inform the school's processes and policy in support of increased Latino participation in the math and science pipeline. Since course selection may be the most powerful factor affecting school achievement and college-preparedness, and since course selection is influenced by school policy, school personnel, students, parents, and teachers alike, it is important to understand the beliefs and perceptions that characterize the relationships among them. The qualitative research design involved a phenomenological study of nine Latino students, their parents, their teachers and counselors, and certain support personnel from the high school. The school's and community's environment in support of academic intensity served as context for the portrait that developed. Given rapidly changing demographics that bring more and more Latino students to suburban high schools, the persistent achievement gap experienced by Latino students, and the growing dependence of the world economy on a citizenry versed in the math- and science-related fields, a deeper understanding of the decision-making processes Latino 12 students experience can inform school policy as educators struggle to influence those decisions. This study revealed a striking lack of knowledge concerning the college-entrance ramifications of continued course work in math and science beyond that required for graduation, relationships among peers, parents, and school personnel that were markedly lacking in influence over the decision a student makes to continue, or not, course work beyond that required for graduation, and a general dismissal of the value of math- and science-related careers. Also lacking was any evidence of social capital within parental networks that reflected intergenerational closure.

Intergenerational Effects of Parents' Math Anxiety on Children's Math Achievement and Anxiety.

PubMed

Maloney, Erin A; Ramirez, Gerardo; Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Levine, Susan C; Beilock, Sian L

2015-09-01

A large field study of children in first and second grade explored how parents' anxiety about math relates to their children's math achievement. The goal of the study was to better understand why some students perform worse in math than others. We tested whether parents' math anxiety predicts their children's math achievement across the school year. We found that when parents are more math anxious, their children learn significantly less math over the school year and have more math anxiety by the school year's end-but only if math-anxious parents report providing frequent help with math homework. Notably, when parents reported helping with math homework less often, children's math achievement and attitudes were not related to parents' math anxiety. Parents' math anxiety did not predict children's reading achievement, which suggests that the effects of parents' math anxiety are specific to children's math achievement. These findings provide evidence of a mechanism for intergenerational transmission of low math achievement and high math anxiety. © The Author(s) 2015.

Parent-child math anxiety and math-gender stereotypes predict adolescents' math education outcomes

PubMed Central

Casad, Bettina J.; Hale, Patricia; Wachs, Faye L.

2015-01-01

Two studies examined social determinants of adolescents' math anxiety including parents' own math anxiety and children's endorsement of math-gender stereotypes. In Study 1, parent-child dyads were surveyed and the interaction between parent and child math anxiety was examined, with an eye to same- and other-gender dyads. Results indicate that parent's math anxiety interacts with daughters' and sons' anxiety to predict math self-efficacy, GPA, behavioral intentions, math attitudes, and math devaluing. Parents with lower math anxiety showed a positive relationship to children's math outcomes when children also had lower anxiety. The strongest relationships were found with same-gender dyads, particularly Mother-Daughter dyads. Study 2 showed that endorsement of math-gender stereotypes predicts math anxiety (and not vice versa) for performance beliefs and outcomes (self-efficacy and GPA). Further, math anxiety fully mediated the relationship between gender stereotypes and math self-efficacy for girls and boys, and for boys with GPA. These findings address gaps in the literature on the role of parents' math anxiety in the effects of children's math anxiety and math anxiety as a mechanism affecting performance. Results have implications for interventions on parents' math anxiety and dispelling gender stereotypes in math classrooms. PMID:26579000

Parent-child math anxiety and math-gender stereotypes predict adolescents' math education outcomes.

PubMed

Casad, Bettina J; Hale, Patricia; Wachs, Faye L

2015-01-01

Two studies examined social determinants of adolescents' math anxiety including parents' own math anxiety and children's endorsement of math-gender stereotypes. In Study 1, parent-child dyads were surveyed and the interaction between parent and child math anxiety was examined, with an eye to same- and other-gender dyads. Results indicate that parent's math anxiety interacts with daughters' and sons' anxiety to predict math self-efficacy, GPA, behavioral intentions, math attitudes, and math devaluing. Parents with lower math anxiety showed a positive relationship to children's math outcomes when children also had lower anxiety. The strongest relationships were found with same-gender dyads, particularly Mother-Daughter dyads. Study 2 showed that endorsement of math-gender stereotypes predicts math anxiety (and not vice versa) for performance beliefs and outcomes (self-efficacy and GPA). Further, math anxiety fully mediated the relationship between gender stereotypes and math self-efficacy for girls and boys, and for boys with GPA. These findings address gaps in the literature on the role of parents' math anxiety in the effects of children's math anxiety and math anxiety as a mechanism affecting performance. Results have implications for interventions on parents' math anxiety and dispelling gender stereotypes in math classrooms.

Evaluating Pre-Service Teachers Math Teaching Experience from Different Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harding, Jenni L.; Hbaci, Ilham

2015-01-01

Are pre-service teachers able to notice their strengths and challenges in teaching? This article reports on a study of pre-service teachers' teaching performance being simultaneously evaluated by themselves and their professor. Thirty-two pre-service teachers created and planned mathematics lessons approved by their professor to be taught in…

The Arts in Contemporary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eger, John M.

2008-01-01

The demand for a new workforce to meet the challenges of a global knowledge economy is rapidly increasing. As a special report in Business Week magazine observed last year: "The game is changing. It isn't just about math and science anymore. It's about creativity, imagination, and, above all, innovation." Most analysts studying the new global…

The Relationship between Grade-Level Team Implementation of Professional Learning Communities and Student Achievement in Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesar, Peter V.

2013-01-01

With changing academic standards, more rigorous state assessments, growing diversity among student populations, decreased school funding, and high achievement expectations from the state and federal government, teachers have a very challenging and demanding job. Fully aware of these high expectations from the education community, school leaders…

Adolescent Literacy in the Academic Disciplines: General Principles and Practical Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jetton, Tamara L., Ed.; Shanahan, Cynthia, Ed.

2012-01-01

From leading authorities in both adolescent literacy and content-area teaching, this book addresses the particular challenges of literacy learning in each of the major academic disciplines. Chapters focus on how to help students successfully engage with texts and ideas in English/literature, science, math, history, and arts classrooms. The book…

Experiences of Visually Impaired Students in Community College Math Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swan, S. Tomeka

2017-01-01

Blind and visually impaired students who attend community colleges face challenges in learning mathematics (Forrest, 2010). Scoy, McLaughlin, Walls, and Zuppuhaur (2006) claim these students are at a disadvantage in studying mathematics due to the visual and interactive nature of the subject, and by the way mathematics is taught. In this…

Elementary School Teacher's Perceptions of the Math Coach Approach to Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drust, Janice H.

2013-01-01

An increasingly popular way of supporting teachers is with instructional coaching, which involves the teacher working alongside an instructional coach in the classroom and participating weekly in professional development. Due to a challenge issued to educators from government leaders, schools and districts are considering the coaching model as an…

Engineering Design Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, Lindsay B.; Whitworth, Brooke A.; Gonczi, Amanda L.

2014-01-01

The number of students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is declining due in part to a lack of student interest (Fairweather 2008; NRC 2012; PCAST 2010). One reason may be the difference between how science is done in school and how it is done in the field (Osborne, Simon, and Collins 2003). An interdisciplinary…

On Rebecoming Unfamiliar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephenson, Paul

2007-01-01

The Magic Mathworks Travelling Circus is a touring maths lab--in and of itself, a good thing. When children enter it, they find particular pieces of apparatus captioned with particular challenges--which is perhaps not such a good thing. Students are faced with an apparatus that can do only one thing, and so are not encouraged to look again at…

Alabama's Education Report Card 2010-11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama Department of Education, 2012

2012-01-01

Public education in Alabama is moving in the right direction and is poised to be a national model for the college and career readiness of its students. Through some of the most challenging financial circumstances, public education in Alabama has continued to show great promise in many areas, including reading, math, and science. The success of…

The Dilemma of Excellence and Diversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonds, Crystal

2014-01-01

Crystal Bonds is Principal at The High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, New York, NY. During her three years as a new principal at one of New York City's eight specialized high schools, she found herself constantly wrestling with two challenges: (1) Maintaining the school's high academic standards; and (2) protecting the…

Goldilocks Discourse--Math Scaffolding That's Just Right

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dale, Rachel; Scherrer, Jimmy

2015-01-01

The Common Core has brought a sharp shift in what it means to be mathematically literate. Becoming mathematically literate is now as much a matter of acquiring mathematical practices as of acquiring any defined set of content standards. This more ambitious definition of literacy presents a challenge not only for students, but also for teachers who…

Teaching with Student Math Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc., Reston, VA.

Since 1982, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has published a student periodical five times a year. Each four-page issue focuses on a single theme, developing it from a simple opening-page activity through more challenging extensions at a higher level of understanding. In this document each four-page issue published from September,…

Are Face-to-Face Classes More Effective than Online Classes? An Empirical Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganesh, Gopala; Paswan, Audhesh; Sun, Qin

2015-01-01

Using data from a unique undergraduate marketing math course offered in both traditional and online formats, this study looks at four dimensions of course evaluation: overall evaluation, perceived competence, perceived communication, and perceived challenge. Results indicate that students rate traditional classes better on all four dimensions.…

Propellers: Why Do They Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitts, Charles R.

2013-01-01

In order for technology and engineering education (T&EE) students to meet the design challenges of this century, T&EE teachers will need to deepen their content pedagogy in the areas of science and math. This raises the question: Will the need to deepen content pedagogy initiate a process of change that transforms technology and engineering…

The Intersection of Language and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Patricia E.

2010-01-01

Story problems either bring students to a screeching halt or send them into a frenzied search for numbers and operations. They cause greater anxiety, still, in English language learners. These problems are often the nemesis of many a math teacher. This author grappled with this challenge in the context of teaching a series of lessons on integers…

The Magnitude Response Learning Tool for DSP Education: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulmer, Florian; Wurzer, Christian Gun; Geiger, Bernhard C.

2016-01-01

Many concepts in digital signal processing are intuitive, despite being mathematically challenging. The lecturer not only has to teach the complicated math but should also help students develop intuition about the concept. To aid the lecturer in this task, the Magnitude Response Learning Tool has been introduced, a computer-based learning game…

Mentoring Mathematical Minds: An Innovative Program to Develop Math Talent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gavin, M. Katherine; Casa, Tutita M.; Adelson, Jill L.

2006-01-01

Meeting the needs of mathematically talented elementary students has always been a real challenge due to the lack of appropriate curricular resources and training for teachers. Mathematics is not generally a strength area for elementary or gifted/talented teachers; rather, their talents and interests often lie in the language arts realm. This is…

Games for Learning: Vast Wasteland or a Digital Promise?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Michael H.; Vaala, Sarah E.

2013-01-01

Research about emerging best practices in the learning sciences points to the potential of deploying digital games as one possible solution to the twin challenges of weak student engagement and the need for more robust achievement in literacy, science, technology, and math. This chapter reviews key cross-cutting themes in this special volume,…

Closing Achievement Gaps with a Utility-Value Intervention: Disentangling Race and Social Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harackiewicz, Judith M.; Canning, Elizabeth A.; Tibbetts, Yoi; Priniski, Stacy J.; Hyde, Janet S.

2015-01-01

Many college students abandon their goal of completing a degree in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) when confronted with challenging introductory-level science courses. In the U.S., this trend is more pronounced for underrepresented minority (URM) and first-generation (FG) students, and contributes to persisting racial and…

Coaching to Support Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: Navigating Complexity and Challenges for Sustained Teacher Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Domenico, Paula M.; Elish-Piper, Laurie; Manderino, Michael; L'Allier, Susan K.

2018-01-01

This study investigated how a high school literacy coach provided coaching to support teachers' understanding and implementation of disciplinary literacy instruction. With a focus on collaborations between the literacy coach and teachers in the disciplines of social studies, math, and English, this article presents three case studies that…

Beyond maths to meaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clegg, Brian

2018-04-01

Everybody knows that quantum physics is weird, right? Indeed, quantum physicist Richard Feynman once said in a lecture: "The theory of quantum electrodynamics describes Nature as absurd from the point of view of common sense." Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Quantum Physics is Different by Philip Ball presents a refreshing challenge to this viewpoint.

Mathematical Instructional Practices and Self-Efficacy of Kindergarten Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schillinger, Tammy

2016-01-01

A local urban school district recently reported that 86% of third graders did not demonstrate proficiency on the Math Standardized Test, which challenges students to solve problems and justify solutions. It is beneficial if these skills are developed prior to third grade. Students may be more academically successful if kindergarten teachers have…

Good Questions: Great Ways to Differentiate Mathematics Instruction. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small, Marian

2012-01-01

Expanded to include connections to Common Core State Standards, as well as National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards, this critically acclaimed book will help every teacher and coach to meet the challenges of differentiating mathematics instruction in the K-8 classroom. In this bestseller, math education expert Marian Small…

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. UAH students designed and built the rocket and AM students designed the payload. In this picture, AM students prepare their payload, an experiment that measures the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity, prior to launch.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, a student from AM and his mentor install their payload into the launch vehicle which was built by the team of UAH students. The scientific payload, developed and built by the team of AM students, measured the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, the combined efforts of students from UAH and AM sent this rocket soaring into flight. Students at UAH built the rocket and AM students developed its scientific payload, an experiment that measures the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) Program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, the university students prepare their rocket for flight on the launch pad. Students at UAH built the rocket and AM students developed its scientific payload, an experiment that measures the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, the University students prepare their rocket for launch. Students at UAH built the rocket and AM students developed its scientific payload, an experiment that measures the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-22

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, the University students prepare their rocket for launch. Students at UAH built the rocket and AM students developed its scientific payload, an experiment that measures the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-22

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. UAH students designed and built the rocket and AM students designed the payload. In this picture, AM students prepare their payload, an experiment that measures the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity, prior to launch.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-23

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, the combined efforts of students from UAH and AM sent this rocket soaring into flight. Students at UAH built the rocket and AM students developed its scientific payload, an experiment that measures the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-22

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, a student from AM and his mentor install their payload into the launch vehicle which was built by the team of UAH students. The scientific payload, developed and built by the team of AM students, measured the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-22

Filled with anticipation, students from two local universities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Alabama Agricultural Mechanical University (AM), counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) Program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides the students with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, the university students prepare their rocket for flight on the launch pad. Students at UAH built the rocket and AM students developed its scientific payload, an experiment that measures the amount of hydrogen produced during electroplating with nickel in a brief period of micrgravity.

Establishing Astronomy in the Curriculum at a Teacher Preparation College: Some Successes and Some Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, L. M.; Borkovitz, D.

1999-12-01

At Wheelock College, a liberal arts college in Boston which prepares students for careers in elementary and early childhood teaching and social work, we are developing science and mathematics courses designed to prepare our students for their work with children while teaching them adult-level math and science. Our students arrive with varying skill levels and, often, a great deal of math and science anxiety. We must address the anxiety in order for the students to make progress as learners and, eventually, teachers of math and science. Two courses have been notable successes. A one-semester course entitled The Solar System has become a staple in the curriculum. Major topics covered include finding our way around the sky, the nature of light and color, the size and scale of the solar system, and the causes of the Earth’s seasons and the phases of the moon. Students report that it changes their minds about how science can be taught by modeling a style of teaching which is more interactive than the way they were taught. In the graduate school, astronomy is the focus for a course entitled Teaching and Learning. Co-taught by an education faculty member and an astronomer, the course immerses students in learning a new content area and asks them to consider their own learning process. Observations play an important role here, with students keeping journals of their own sky observations. We also describe two challenges. One is the establishment of more advanced courses; although an astrophysics class has been offered twice to overwhelmingly positive student reviews, it is not easy to “sell”. The other challenge is the establishment of an introductory level course in stars and galaxies for non-science majors. This work has been supported in part by a grant from the DUE of the National Science Foundation.

Hands-On Astrophysics: Variable Stars in Math, Science, and Computer Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattei, J. A.; Percy, J. R.

1999-12-01

Hands-On Astrophysics (HOA): Variable Stars in Math, Science, and Computer Education, is a project recently developed by the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) with funds from the National Science Foundation. HOA uses the unique methods and the international database of the AAVSO to develop and integrate students' math and science skills through variable star observation and analysis. It can provide an understanding of basic astronomy concepts, as well as interdisciplinary connections. Most of all, it motivates the user by exposing them to the excitement of doing real science with real data. Project materials include: a database of 600,000 variable star observations; VSTAR (a data plotting and analysis program), and other user friendly software; 31 slides and 14 prints of five constellations; 45 variable star finder charts; an instructional videotape in three 15-minute segments; and a 560-page student's and teacher's manual. These materials support the National Standards for Science and Math education by directly involving the students in the scientific process. Hands-On Astrophysics is designed to be flexible. It is organized so that it can be used at many levels, in many contexts: for classroom use from high school to college level, or for individual projects. In addition, communication and support can be found through the AAVSO home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.aavso.org. The HOA materials can be ordered through this web site or from the AAVSO, 25 Birch Street Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. We gratefully acknowledge the education grant ESI-9154091 from the National Science Foundation which funded the development of this project.

Affective and Motivational Factors Mediate the Relation between Math Skills and Use of Math in Everyday Life

PubMed Central

Jansen, Brenda R. J.; Schmitz, Eva A.; van der Maas, Han L. J.

2016-01-01

This study focused on the use of math in everyday life (the propensity to recognize and solve quantitative issues in real life situations). Data from a Dutch nation-wide research on math among adults (N = 521) were used to investigate the question whether math anxiety and perceived math competence mediated the relationship between math skills and use of math in everyday life, taken gender differences into account. Results showed that women reported higher math anxiety, lower perceived math competence, and lower use of math in everyday life, compared to men. Women's skills were estimated at a lower level than men's. For both women and men, higher skills were associated with higher perceived math competence, which in turn was associated with more use of math in everyday life. Only for women, math anxiety also mediated the relation between math skills and use of math in everyday life. PMID:27148122

Relationships Among Teacher Preparedness and Instructional Approaches to Secondary Student Achievement in STEM: A Secondary Analysis of TIMSS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller-Ricks, Karen A.

Educational reform efforts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) place emphasis on teachers as conduits for student achievement. The purpose of this study was to use TIMSS 2011 data to examine relationships between Science-Technology-Society (STS) instructional practices (student-centered instruction established to promote learning through real-world applications) teacher preparedness, and student achievement and identify variations of achievement between and among eighth-grade science and math classes. The research was framed by both Harper's Anti-Deficit Achievement Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (BEST). 501 U.S. schools contributed to the TIMSS 2011 data from both the teacher questionnaires and student booklets. Chi-Square, Spearman Correlation, and 2-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) were used to analyze data about teachers' preparedness to teach science and math, frequency of using STS instructional practices, and student achievement. The chi-square null hypothesis for math teachers was rejected, providing the assumption that there was an association between the frequency of using STS instruction in math and teacher preparedness. However, the chi-square null hypothesis for science teachers failed to be rejected, providing the assumption that there was no significant association between the frequency of using STS instruction in science and science teacher preparedness. The Spearman Correlation revealed statistically positively significant differences between STS instruction and science achievement, as well as between teacher preparedness and science achievement. The HLM results suggested that 33% of the variance of mathematics achievement was at the individual level and 66% was at the group level. The results for science teachers suggested that 54% of the variance of science achievement was at the individual level and 46% of the variance was at the group level. The data findings support the conclusion that secondary STEM teachers who are more prepared to teach within the STEM content domains and implement STS instructional practices into lessons have higher achievement scores.

Working memory, math performance, and math anxiety.

PubMed

Ashcraft, Mark H; Krause, Jeremy A

2007-04-01

The cognitive literature now shows how critically math performance depends on working memory, for any form of arithmetic and math that involves processes beyond simple memory retrieval. The psychometric literature is also very clear on the global consequences of mathematics anxiety. People who are highly math anxious avoid math: They avoid elective coursework in math, both in high school and college, they avoid college majors that emphasize math, and they avoid career paths that involve math. We go beyond these psychometric relationships to examine the cognitive consequences of math anxiety. We show how performance on a standardized math achievement test varies as a function of math anxiety, and that math anxiety compromises the functioning of working memory. High math anxiety works much like a dual task setting: Preoccupation with one's math fears and anxieties functions like a resource-demanding secondary task. We comment on developmental and educational factors related to math and working memory, and on factors that may contribute to the development of math anxiety.

Satisfying STEM Education Using the Arduino Microprocessor in C Programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffer, Brandyn M.

There exists a need to promote better Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education at the high school level. To satisfy this need a series of hands-on laboratory assignments were created to be accompanied by 2 educational trainers that contain various electronic components. This project provides an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to teaching C programming that meets several standards defined by the Tennessee Board of Education. Together the trainers and lab assignments also introduce key concepts in math and science while allowing students hands-on experience with various electronic components. This will allow students to mimic real world applications of using the C programming language while exposing them to technology not currently introduced in many high school classrooms. The developed project is targeted at high school students performing at or above the junior level and uses the Arduino Mega open-source Microprocessor and software as the primary control unit.

Mathematics anxiety: separating the math from the anxiety.

PubMed

Lyons, Ian M; Beilock, Sian L

2012-09-01

Anxiety about math is tied to low math grades and standardized test scores, yet not all math-anxious individuals perform equally poorly in math. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to separate neural activity during the anticipation of doing math from activity during math performance itself. For higher (but not lower) math-anxious individuals, increased activity in frontoparietal regions when simply anticipating doing math mitigated math-specific performance deficits. This network included bilateral inferior frontal junction, a region involved in cognitive control and reappraisal of negative emotional responses. Furthermore, the relation between frontoparietal anticipatory activity and highly math-anxious individuals' math deficits was fully mediated (or accounted for) by activity in caudate, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus during math performance. These subcortical regions are important for coordinating task demands and motivational factors during skill execution. Individual differences in how math-anxious individuals recruit cognitive control resources prior to doing math and motivational resources during math performance predict the extent of their math deficits. This work suggests that educational interventions emphasizing control of negative emotional responses to math stimuli (rather than merely additional math training) will be most effective in revealing a population of mathematically competent individuals, who might otherwise go undiscovered.

Achieving the Goals: Goal 5, First in the World in Math and Science. Technology Resources. [Resource Guide to Federal Support for Technology in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Interagency Committee on Education, Washington, DC.

The information in this volume was compiled in order to provide a guide to the technology-in-education programs of the federal government. The goal of this book is to provide important information about technological resources that will assist teachers, administrators, students, parents and others in achieving the goal of the United States being…

News and Views: LSST mirror blank; More and better maths; Free telescopes; The hurricane season is starting again Get ready: IYA2009 UK website up and running

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-10-01

As floods and hurricanes disrupt the lives of people round the world, a new generation of scientific tools are supporting both storm preparedness and recovery. As International Year of Astronomy 2009 approaches, the UK website is developing more features that make it easier to see what's planned for this science extravaganza.

High School Student Perceptions of the Utility of the Engineering Design Process: Creating Opportunities to Engage in Engineering Practices and Apply Math and Science Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berland, Leema; Steingut, Rebecca; Ko, Pat

2014-01-01

Research and policy documents increasingly advocate for incorporating engineering design into K-12 classrooms in order to accomplish two goals: (1) provide an opportunity to engage with science content in a motivating real-world context; and (2) introduce students to the field of engineering. The present study uses multiple qualitative data…

Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement.

PubMed

Beilock, Sian L; Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Ramirez, Gerardo; Levine, Susan C

2010-02-02

People's fear and anxiety about doing math--over and above actual math ability--can be an impediment to their math achievement. We show that when the math-anxious individuals are female elementary school teachers, their math anxiety carries negative consequences for the math achievement of their female students. Early elementary school teachers in the United States are almost exclusively female (>90%), and we provide evidence that these female teachers' anxieties relate to girls' math achievement via girls' beliefs about who is good at math. First- and second-grade female teachers completed measures of math anxiety. The math achievement of the students in these teachers' classrooms was also assessed. There was no relation between a teacher's math anxiety and her students' math achievement at the beginning of the school year. By the school year's end, however, the more anxious teachers were about math, the more likely girls (but not boys) were to endorse the commonly held stereotype that "boys are good at math, and girls are good at reading" and the lower these girls' math achievement. Indeed, by the end of the school year, girls who endorsed this stereotype had significantly worse math achievement than girls who did not and than boys overall. In early elementary school, where the teachers are almost all female, teachers' math anxiety carries consequences for girls' math achievement by influencing girls' beliefs about who is good at math.

Universals and Specifics of Math Self-Concept, Math Self-Efficacy, and Math Anxiety across 41 PISA 2003 Participating Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jihyun

2009-01-01

The overarching goal of the present study is to investigate the factorial structure of three closely related constructs: math self-concept, math self-efficacy, and math anxiety. The factorial structure consisting of three factors, each representing math self-concept, math self-efficacy, and math anxiety, is supported in all 41 countries employed…

Addressing the STEM Workforce Challenge: Missouri. BHEF Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Business-Higher Education Forum (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

While states and the federal government have put efforts in place to increase the size of the workforce trained in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to meet innovation demands, there continues to be a nationwide shortage of students who are interested in and prepared for such careers. Missouri is no exception to this problem, one…

Creating the Workforce of the Future: The STEM Interest and Proficiency Challenge. BHEF Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Business-Higher Education Forum (NJ1), 2011

2011-01-01

A strong economy requires a highly educated workforce, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. In the United States, STEM degree production has stagnated, despite employment projections forecasting a 17% growth in the field over the next decade. Two key criteria influence progression through the STEM education…

The Relationship between English Learning and Achievement on the State Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFann-Mora, Oribel

2016-01-01

In the United States, the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) has steadily grown over the past decades. In the State of Delaware, the growth has been exponential. ELLs' academic underachievement in reading and math has remained a challenge for K-12 educational institutions. It has continued to be necessary to research the causes and…

Title I Schools: The Student-Based Impact of Online, On-Demand Professional Development on Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaha, Steven; Glassett, Kelly; Copas, Aimee; Ellsworth, Heather

2015-01-01

Title I students remain among the most challenging population for achieving significant gains in academic performance and standardized test scores. This multi-state, quasi-experimental, pre-versus-post study reflects the comparative Title I gains for math and reading scores for teachers participating in an online, on-demand professional…

Unique Challenges for Women of Color in STEM Transferring from Community Colleges to Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes, Marie-Elena

2011-01-01

In this article, Marie-Elena Reyes presents the issues faced by women of color in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as they transfer from community colleges to universities. Community colleges offer a great potential for diversifying and increasing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM. Many women of color…

Choosing the Geoscience Major: Important Factors, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokes, Philip J.; Levine, Roger; Flessa, Karl W.

2015-01-01

Geoscience faces dual recruiting challenges: a pending workforce shortage and a lack of diversity. Already suffering from low visibility, geoscience does not resemble the makeup of the general population in terms of either race/ethnicity or gender and is among the least diverse of all science, technology, engineering, and math fields in the U.S.…

Loving and Hating Mathematics: Challenging the Myths of Mathematical Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hersh, Reuben; John-Steiner, Vera

2010-01-01

Mathematics is often thought of as the coldest expression of pure reason. But few subjects provoke hotter emotions--and inspire more love and hatred--than mathematics. And although math is frequently idealized as floating above the messiness of human life, its story is nothing if not human; often, it is all too human. "Loving and Hating…

Got a Minute? Challenge Your Kids to Math Games on the Go

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrandt, Martha

2014-01-01

Parents and grandparents are always looking for new ways to engage their kids and grandkids in meaningful, enriching educational activities. While there is evidence that playing games can increase numerical fluency, research also shows that parental involvement outside of school is one of the best predictors of student achievement and that games…

Addressing Challenges in Urban Teaching, Learning and Math Using Model-Strategy-Application with Reasoning Approach in Lingustically and Culturally Diverse Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Zhonghe; An, Shuhua

2016-01-01

This study examined the effects of using the Model-Strategy-Application with Reasoning Approach (MSAR) in teaching and learning mathematics in linguistically and culturally diverse elementary classrooms. Through learning mathematics via the MSAR, students from different language ability groups gained an understanding of mathematics from creating…

Women's History Month at NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-03-14

The Science Cheerleaders perform at a Women's History Month event for middle school and high school girls on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Science Cheerleaders are a group professional cheerleaders-turned-scientists and engineers who challenge stereotypes while helping to inspire young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

District-Charter Collaborations on the Rise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkel, Ed

2011-01-01

The Synergy Charter Academy, one of three charter schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), used to occupy a cramped church space in south LA. Despite the facilities challenges, its more than 300 K students have generally scored in the top 10% on statewide tests in reading and math over the past seven years. When the district…

Preparing English as a Second Language Students for College Level Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valenzuela, Hector

2014-01-01

In a diverse classroom, there are students who are in need of both mathematics and English as a second language instruction. One of the challenges faced at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWIT) was the development of a pathway for English language learners into core academic courses at the college. In addition, English language learners…

Development of an Internet Collaborative Learning Behavior Scale--Preliminary Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Ti; Wang, Hsiu Fei

It is well known that math phobia is a common problem among young school children. It becomes a challenge to educational practitioners and academic researchers to figure out ways to overcome the problem. Collaborative team learning has been proposed as one of the alternatives. This study was part of a large and ongoing research project designed to…

Developing Quantitative Reasoning: Will Taking Traditional Math Courses Suffice? An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agustin, Ma Zenia; Agustin, Marcus; Brunkow, Paul; Thomas, Susan

2012-01-01

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is a postbaccalaureate comprehensive university in the Midwest. In 2005, SIUE embarked on a challenging journey of general education reform. A review of the current general education program revealed that it is possible for a student to graduate from SIUE without taking a quantitative course. Hence,…

What Keeps Chinese Students Motivated in Doing Math Homework? An Empirical Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Fuyi; Xu, Jianzhong; Tan, Heping; Liang, Ningjian

2016-01-01

Background: As many students face the enduring challenge of maintaining their motivation to complete homework assignments, there is a critical need to pay close attention to homework motivation management (i.e., students' efforts to sustain or enhance their motivation in order to complete homework assignments that might be boring or difficult).…

Push and Pull: The Influence of Race/Ethnicity on Agency in Doctoral Student Career Advancement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaeger, Audrey J.; Mitchall, Allison; O'Meara, KerryAnn; Grantham, Ashley; Zhang, Jingjing; Eliason, Jennifer; Cowdery, Kelly

2017-01-01

This study examined and enriched our understanding of the career choice process for doctoral students of color in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. In addition, it explored the challenges facing all doctoral students in STEM in understanding and making meaning of diversity as it relates to individual perspectives and…

STEAM Enacted: A Case Study of a Middle School Teacher Implementing STEAM Instructional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herro, Danielle; Quigley, Cassie

2016-01-01

This paper examines the implementation practices of a 6th grade middle school teacher enacting STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) teaching in his classroom after participating in a 45-hour STEAM professional development. Case study is used to detail the process, successes, and challenges. Project-based learning, technology…

A College-Level Foundational Mathematics Course: Evaluation, Challenges, and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maciejewski, Wes

2012-01-01

Recently in Ontario, Canada, the College Math Project brought to light startling data on the achievement of students in Ontario's College of Applied Arts and Technology System related to their performance in first-year mathematics courses: one-third of the students had failed their first-year mathematics course or were at risk of not completing…

Instructional Strategies and Course Design for Teaching Statistics Online: Perspectives from Online Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Dazhi

2017-01-01

Background: Teaching online is a different experience from that of teaching in a face-to-face setting. Knowledge and skills developed for teaching face-to-face classes are not adequate preparation for teaching online. It is even more challenging to teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses completely online because these…

Success Factors of Black Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Faculty at Predominantly White Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Currie, Michelle A.

2012-01-01

Black faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) have historically been underrepresented and made to endure with academic isolation, scholarship marginalization and other challenges to the tenure process. When it comes to science, technology, engineering and math, also known as STEM, as it relates to race and success, little is known of…

A Case Study: Teaching Engineering Concepts in Science. Research in Engineering and Technology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stricker, David R.

2010-01-01

This study was conducted to describe a teacher developed high school engineering course, to identify teaching strategies used in the process of delivering math and science literacy through this course, to identify challenges and constraints that occurred during its development and delivery, and to describe the strategies that were used to overcome…

Overcoming Barriers through the Use of the Familiar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, William James

2015-01-01

There is no such thing as being "English-y" or "maths-y." One person may find English comes more naturally, but being naturally gifted at one subject does not make a person bad at the others. Just because we may find it more challenging to access certain content, this does not mean there is a barrier. William James Turner…

Why Learning Common Fractions Is Uncommonly Difficult: Unique Challenges Faced by Students with Mathematical Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berch, Daniel B.

2017-01-01

In this commentary, I examine some of the distinctive, foundational difficulties in learning fractions and other types of rational numbers encountered by students with a mathematical learning disability and how these differ from the struggles experienced by students classified as low achieving in math. I discuss evidence indicating that students…

Perspectives of teachers regarding the integration of mathematics and science at the secondary school level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zolnierczyk, Joanna Asia

The integration of mathematics and science in secondary schools in the 21st century continues to be an important topic of practice and research. The purpose of my research study, which builds on studies by Frykholm and Glasson (2005) and Berlin and White (2010), is to explore the potential constraints and benefits of integrating mathematics and science in Ontario secondary schools based on the perspectives of in-service and pre-service teachers with various math and/or science backgrounds. A qualitative and quantitative research design with an exploratory approach was used. The qualitative data was collected from a sample of 12 in-service teachers with various math and/or science backgrounds recruited from two school boards in Eastern Ontario. The quantitative and some qualitative data was collected from a sample of 81 pre-service teachers from the Queen's University Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the in-service teachers while a survey and a focus group was conducted with the pre-service teachers. Once the data was collected, the qualitative data were abductively analyzed. For the quantitative data, descriptive and inferential statistics (one-way ANOVAs and Pearson Chi Square analyses) were calculated to examine perspectives of teachers regardless of teaching background and to compare groups of teachers based on teaching background. The findings of this study suggest that in-service and pre-service teachers have a positive attitude towards the integration of math and science and view it as valuable to student learning and success. The pre-service teachers viewed the integration as easy and did not express concerns to this integration. On the other hand, the in-service teachers highlighted concerns and challenges such as resources, scheduling, and time constraints. My results illustrate when teachers perceive it is valuable to integrate math and science and which aspects of the classroom benefit best from the integration. Furthermore, the results highlight barriers and possible solutions to better the integration of math and science. In addition to the benefits and constraints of integration, my results illustrate why some teachers may opt out of integrating math and science and the different strategies teachers have incorporated to integrate math and science in their classroom.

Optimal run-and-tumble-based transportation of a Janus particle with active steering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mano, Tomoyuki; Delfau, Jean-Baptiste; Iwasawa, Junichiro; Sano, Masaki

2017-03-01

Although making artificial micrometric swimmers has been made possible by using various propulsion mechanisms, guiding their motion in the presence of thermal fluctuations still remains a great challenge. Such a task is essential in biological systems, which present a number of intriguing solutions that are robust against noisy environmental conditions as well as variability in individual genetic makeup. Using synthetic Janus particles driven by an electric field, we present a feedback-based particle-guiding method quite analogous to the “run-and-tumbling” behavior of Escherichia coli but with a deterministic steering in the tumbling phase: the particle is set to the run state when its orientation vector aligns with the target, whereas the transition to the “steering” state is triggered when it exceeds a tolerance angle αα. The active and deterministic reorientation of the particle is achieved by a characteristic rotational motion that can be switched on and off by modulating the ac frequency of the electric field, which is reported in this work. Relying on numerical simulations and analytical results, we show that this feedback algorithm can be optimized by tuning the tolerance angle αα. The optimal resetting angle depends on signal to noise ratio in the steering state, and it is shown in the experiment. The proposed method is simple and robust for targeting, despite variability in self-propelling speeds and angular velocities of individual particles.

On the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in early elementary school: The role of problem solving strategies.

PubMed

Ramirez, Gerardo; Chang, Hyesang; Maloney, Erin A; Levine, Susan C; Beilock, Sian L

2016-01-01

Even at young ages, children self-report experiencing math anxiety, which negatively relates to their math achievement. Leveraging a large dataset of first and second grade students' math achievement scores, math problem solving strategies, and math attitudes, we explored the possibility that children's math anxiety (i.e., a fear or apprehension about math) negatively relates to their use of more advanced problem solving strategies, which in turn relates to their math achievement. Our results confirm our hypothesis and, moreover, demonstrate that the relation between math anxiety and math problem solving strategies is strongest in children with the highest working memory capacity. Ironically, children who have the highest cognitive capacity avoid using advanced problem solving strategies when they are high in math anxiety and, as a result, underperform in math compared with their lower working memory peers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is Math Anxiety Always Bad for Math Learning? The Role of Math Motivation.

PubMed

Wang, Zhe; Lukowski, Sarah L; Hart, Sara A; Lyons, Ian M; Thompson, Lee A; Kovas, Yulia; Mazzocco, Michèle M M; Plomin, Robert; Petrill, Stephen A

2015-12-01

The linear relations between math anxiety and math cognition have been frequently studied. However, the relations between anxiety and performance on complex cognitive tasks have been repeatedly demonstrated to follow a curvilinear fashion. In the current studies, we aimed to address the lack of attention given to the possibility of such complex interplay between emotion and cognition in the math-learning literature by exploring the relations among math anxiety, math motivation, and math cognition. In two samples-young adolescent twins and adult college students-results showed inverted-U relations between math anxiety and math performance in participants with high intrinsic math motivation and modest negative associations between math anxiety and math performance in participants with low intrinsic math motivation. However, this pattern was not observed in tasks assessing participants' nonsymbolic and symbolic number-estimation ability. These findings may help advance the understanding of mathematics-learning processes and provide important insights for treatment programs that target improving mathematics-learning experiences and mathematical skills. © The Author(s) 2015.

Principals in Partnership with Math Coaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Catherine Miles; Davenport, Linda Ruiz

2009-01-01

One of the most promising developments in math education is the fact that many districts are hiring math coaches--also called math resource teachers, math facilitators, math lead teachers, or math specialists--to assist elementary-level teachers with math instruction. What must not be lost, however, is that principals play an essential role in…

When math hurts: math anxiety predicts pain network activation in anticipation of doing math.

PubMed

Lyons, Ian M; Beilock, Sian L

2012-01-01

Math can be difficult, and for those with high levels of mathematics-anxiety (HMAs), math is associated with tension, apprehension, and fear. But what underlies the feelings of dread effected by math anxiety? Are HMAs' feelings about math merely psychological epiphenomena, or is their anxiety grounded in simulation of a concrete, visceral sensation - such as pain - about which they have every right to feel anxious? We show that, when anticipating an upcoming math-task, the higher one's math anxiety, the more one increases activity in regions associated with visceral threat detection, and often the experience of pain itself (bilateral dorso-posterior insula). Interestingly, this relation was not seen during math performance, suggesting that it is not that math itself hurts; rather, the anticipation of math is painful. Our data suggest that pain network activation underlies the intuition that simply anticipating a dreaded event can feel painful. These results may also provide a potential neural mechanism to explain why HMAs tend to avoid math and math-related situations, which in turn can bias HMAs away from taking math classes or even entire math-related career paths.

Is Mathematical Anxiety Always Bad for Math Learning: The Role of Math Motivation

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhe; Lukowski, Sarah L.; Hart, Sara Ann; Lyons, Ian M.; Thompson, Lee A.; Kovas, Yulia; Mazzocco, Michèle M.; Plomin, Robert; Petrill, Stephen A.

2015-01-01

The linear relations between math anxiety and math cognition have been frequently studied. However, the relations between anxiety and performance on complex cognitive tasks have been repeatedly demonstrated to follow a curvilinear fashion. Given the lack of attention to the possibility of such complex interplay between emotion and cognition in the math learning literature, the current study aimed to address this gap via exploring the relations between math anxiety, math motivation, and math cognition. The current study consisted of two samples. One sample included 262 pairs of young adolescent twins and the other included 237 adult college students. Participants self-reported their math anxiety and math motivation. Math cognition was assessed using a comprehensive battery of mathematics tasks. In both samples, results showed inverted-U relations between math anxiety and math performance in students with high intrinsic math motivation, and modest negative associations between math anxiety and math performance in students with low intrinsic math motivation. However, this pattern was not observed in tasks assessing student’s nonsymbolic and symbolic number estimation. These findings may help advance our understanding of mathematics learning processes and may provide important insights for treatment programs that target improving mathematics learning experiences and mathematical skills. PMID:26518438

Examining the Challenges Facing Native American Schools. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session (April 22, 2015). Serial Number 114-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US House of Representatives, 2016

2016-01-01

This document records testimony from a hearing held on April 22, 2015 on the topic of challenges that are faced by Native American schools. Nearly a century ago the Federal Government made a promise to deliver to Native American children a quality education that just doesn't teach math and science, but preserves their customs and culture.…

When approximate number acuity predicts math performance: The moderating role of math anxiety

PubMed Central

Libertus, Melissa E.

2018-01-01

Separate lines of research suggest that people who are better at estimating numerical quantities using the approximate number system (ANS) have better math performance, and that people with high levels of math anxiety have worse math performance. Only a handful of studies have examined both ANS acuity and math anxiety in the same participants and those studies report contradictory results. To address these inconsistencies, in the current study 87 undergraduate students completed assessments of ANS acuity, math anxiety, and three different measures of math. We considered moderation models to examine the interplay of ANS acuity and math anxiety on different aspects of math performance. Math anxiety and ANS acuity were both unique significant predictors of the ability to automatically recall basic number facts. ANS acuity was also a unique significant predictor of the ability to solve applied math problems, and this relation was further qualified by a significant interaction with math anxiety: the positive association between ANS acuity and applied problem solving was only present in students with high math anxiety. Our findings suggest that ANS acuity and math anxiety are differentially related to various aspects of math and should be considered together when examining their respective influences on math ability. Our findings also raise the possibility that good ANS acuity serves as a protective factor for highly math-anxious students on certain types of math assessments. PMID:29718939

Math anxiety and math performance in children: The mediating roles of working memory and math self-concept.

PubMed

Justicia-Galiano, M José; Martín-Puga, M Eva; Linares, Rocío; Pelegrina, Santiago

2017-12-01

Numerous studies, most of them involving adolescents and adults, have evidenced a moderate negative relationship between math anxiety and math performance. There are, however, a limited number of studies that have addressed the mechanisms underlying this relation. This study aimed to investigate the role of two possible mediational mechanisms between math anxiety and math performance. Specifically, we sought to test the simultaneous mediating role of working memory and math self-concept. A total of 167 children aged 8-12 years participated in this study. Children completed a set of questionnaires used to assess math and trait anxiety, math self-concept as well as measures of math fluency and math problem-solving. Teachers were asked to rate each student's math achievement. As measures of working memory, two backward span tasks were administered to the children. A series of multiple mediation analyses were conducted. Results indicated that both mediators (working memory and math self-concept) contributed to explaining the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement. Results suggest that working memory and self-concept could be worth considering when designing interventions aimed at helping students with math anxiety. Longitudinal designs could also be used to better understand the mediational mechanisms that may explain the relationship between math anxiety and math performance. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

When approximate number acuity predicts math performance: The moderating role of math anxiety.

PubMed

Braham, Emily J; Libertus, Melissa E

2018-01-01

Separate lines of research suggest that people who are better at estimating numerical quantities using the approximate number system (ANS) have better math performance, and that people with high levels of math anxiety have worse math performance. Only a handful of studies have examined both ANS acuity and math anxiety in the same participants and those studies report contradictory results. To address these inconsistencies, in the current study 87 undergraduate students completed assessments of ANS acuity, math anxiety, and three different measures of math. We considered moderation models to examine the interplay of ANS acuity and math anxiety on different aspects of math performance. Math anxiety and ANS acuity were both unique significant predictors of the ability to automatically recall basic number facts. ANS acuity was also a unique significant predictor of the ability to solve applied math problems, and this relation was further qualified by a significant interaction with math anxiety: the positive association between ANS acuity and applied problem solving was only present in students with high math anxiety. Our findings suggest that ANS acuity and math anxiety are differentially related to various aspects of math and should be considered together when examining their respective influences on math ability. Our findings also raise the possibility that good ANS acuity serves as a protective factor for highly math-anxious students on certain types of math assessments.

Building a Course on Global Sustainability using the grand challenges of Energy-Water-Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, J. D.

2012-12-01

GEOL1600: Global Sustainability: Managing the Earth's Resources is a lower division integrated science course at the University of Wyoming that fulfills the university's science requirement. Course content and context has been developed using the grand challenge nexus of energy-water-and climate (EWC). The interconnection of these issues, their social relevance and timeliness has provided a framework that gives students an opportunity to recognize why STEM is relevant to their lives regardless of their ultimate professional career choices. The EWC nexus provides the filter to sieve the course's STEM content. It also provides an ideal mechanism by which the non-STEM perspectives important in grand challenge solutions can be seamlessly incorporated in the course. Through a combination of content and context, the relevance of these issues engage students in their own learning. Development of the course followed the Grand Challenge Scientific Literacy (GCSL) model independently developed by the author and two colleagues at the University of Wyoming. This course model stresses science principles centered on the nature of science (e.g., fundamental premises, habits of mind, critical thinking) and unifying scientific concepts (e.g., methods and tools, experimentation, modeling). Grand challenge principles identify the STEM and non-STEM concepts needed to understand the grand challenges, drawing on multiple STEM and non-STEM disciplines and subjects (i.e., economics, politics, unintended consequences, roles of stakeholders). Using the EWC nexus filter and building on the Grand Challenge Principles, specific content included in the course is selected is that most relevant to understanding the Grand Challenges, thereby stressing content depth over breadth. Because quantitative data and reasoning is critical to effectively evaluating challenge solutions, QR is a component of nearly all class activities, while engineering and technology aspects of grand challenges are explicitly stressed. Running concurrently through the course is a consideration of personal perspectives and their influence on student learning, particularly for controversial subjects. Organizationally, the course consists of three one hour lectures and a two hour lab each week. The lectures are used to introduce content and prepare the knowledge base students need for lab. Complementing traditional lectures are lecture worksheets (short activities applying topics previously presented in lecture) and lecture activities (more involved exercises that present a problem the students need to solve using previously learned scientific content and QR skills and tools). Labs focus on case studies set in global social contexts that are timely and relevant. Labs stress scientific skills (modeling groundwater flow) and also consider political and environmental issues, e.g. developing a policy to manage SO2 emissions from copper smelting. The ideas, concepts, educational materials and content developed in this course have been used as the basis for two Math Science Partnerships that have provided professional development for middle and high school science and math teachers and K-12 social, math and science teachers. These programs have worked with teachers to break down the barriers between disciplines and foster collaborative learning centered on socially relevant grand challenges.

Measurement of math beliefs and their associations with math behaviors in college students.

PubMed

Hendy, Helen M; Schorschinsky, Nancy; Wade, Barbara

2014-12-01

Our purpose in the present study was to expand understanding of math beliefs in college students by developing 3 new psychometrically tested scales as guided by expectancy-value theory, self-efficacy theory, and health belief model. Additionally, we identified which math beliefs (and which theory) best explained variance in math behaviors and performance by college students and which students were most likely to have problematic math beliefs. Study participants included 368 college math students who completed questionnaires to report math behaviors (attending class, doing homework, reading textbooks, asking for help) and used a 5-point rating scale to indicate a variety of math beliefs. For a subset of 84 students, math professors provided final math grades. Factor analyses produced a 10-item Math Value Scale with 2 subscales (Class Devaluation, No Future Value), a 7-item single-dimension Math Confidence Scale, and an 11-item Math Barriers Scale with 2 subscales (Math Anxiety, Discouraging Words). Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that high levels of the newly discovered class devaluation belief (guided by expectancy-value theory) were most consistently associated with poor math behaviors in college students, with high math anxiety (guided by health belief model) and low math confidence (guided by self-efficacy theory) also found to be significant. Analyses of covariance revealed that younger and male students were at increased risk for class devaluation and older students were at increased risk for poor math confidence. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Remarks on the foundations of geometry and immersion theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odon, P. I.; Capistrano, A. J. S.

2010-04-01

In this paper, we deal with the evolution of physics and maths, and how one is intrinsically connected to the other. Euclid and his book Elements, and the importance of the fifth postulate for geometry led to the discovery of non-Euclidean geometries. We point out how these geometries play an essential role in immersion theory and Nash's theorem, and its importance for physics when applied to the brane-world theory.

New Horizons Regional Education Center 1999 FIRST Robotics Competition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Purman, Richard I.

1999-01-01

The New Horizons Regional Education Center (NHREC) in Hampton, VA sought and received NASA funding to support its participation in the 1999 FIRST Robotics competition. FIRST, Inc. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization which encourages the application of creative science, math, and computer science principles to solve real-world engineering problems. The FIRST competition is an international engineering contest featuring high school, government, and business partnerships.

New Horizons Regional Education Center 2001 FIRST Robotics Competition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The New Horizons Regional Education Center (NHREC) in Hampton, VA sought and received NASA funding to support its participation in the 2001 FIRST Robotics competition. FIRST, Inc. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization which encourages the application of creative science, math, and computer science principles to solve real-world engineering problems. The FIRST competition is an international engineering contest featuring high school, government, and business partnerships.

FIRST 2002, 2003, 2004 Robotics Competition(s)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Purman, Richard

2004-01-01

The New Horizons Regional Education Center (NHREC) in Hampton, VA sought and received NASA funding to support its participation in the 2002, 2003, and 2004 FIRST Robotics Competitions. FIRST, Inc. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization which encourages the application of creative science, math, and computer science principles to solve real-world engineering problems. The FIRST competition is an international engineering contest featuring high school, government, and business partnerships.

When Math Hurts: Math Anxiety Predicts Pain Network Activation in Anticipation of Doing Math

PubMed Central

Lyons, Ian M.; Beilock, Sian L.

2012-01-01

Math can be difficult, and for those with high levels of mathematics-anxiety (HMAs), math is associated with tension, apprehension, and fear. But what underlies the feelings of dread effected by math anxiety? Are HMAs’ feelings about math merely psychological epiphenomena, or is their anxiety grounded in simulation of a concrete, visceral sensation – such as pain – about which they have every right to feel anxious? We show that, when anticipating an upcoming math-task, the higher one’s math anxiety, the more one increases activity in regions associated with visceral threat detection, and often the experience of pain itself (bilateral dorso-posterior insula). Interestingly, this relation was not seen during math performance, suggesting that it is not that math itself hurts; rather, the anticipation of math is painful. Our data suggest that pain network activation underlies the intuition that simply anticipating a dreaded event can feel painful. These results may also provide a potential neural mechanism to explain why HMAs tend to avoid math and math-related situations, which in turn can bias HMAs away from taking math classes or even entire math-related career paths. PMID:23118929

A latent profile analysis of math achievement, numerosity, and math anxiety in twins

PubMed Central

Hart, Sara A.; Logan, Jessica A.R.; Thompson, Lee; Kovas, Yulia; McLoughlin, Gráinne; Petrill, Stephen A.

2015-01-01

Underperformance in math is a problem with increasing prevalence, complex etiology, and severe repercussions. This study examined the etiological heterogeneity of math performance in a sample of 264 pairs of 12-year-old twins assessed on measures of math achievement, numerosity and math anxiety. Latent profile analysis indicated five groupings of individuals representing different patterns of math achievement, numerosity and math anxiety, coupled with differing degrees of familial transmission. These results suggest that there may be distinct profiles of math achievement, numerosity and anxiety; particularly for students who struggle in math. PMID:26957650

A latent profile analysis of math achievement, numerosity, and math anxiety in twins.

PubMed

Hart, Sara A; Logan, Jessica A R; Thompson, Lee; Kovas, Yulia; McLoughlin, Gráinne; Petrill, Stephen A

2016-02-01

Underperformance in math is a problem with increasing prevalence, complex etiology, and severe repercussions. This study examined the etiological heterogeneity of math performance in a sample of 264 pairs of 12-year-old twins assessed on measures of math achievement, numerosity and math anxiety. Latent profile analysis indicated five groupings of individuals representing different patterns of math achievement, numerosity and math anxiety, coupled with differing degrees of familial transmission. These results suggest that there may be distinct profiles of math achievement, numerosity and anxiety; particularly for students who struggle in math.

The Effects of the Elevate Math Summer Program on Math Achievement and Algebra Readiness. REL 2015-096

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snipes, Jason; Huang, Chun-Wei; Jaquet, Karina; Finkelstein, Neal

2015-01-01

The Effects of the Elevate Math summer program on math achievement and algebra readiness: This randomized trial examined the effects of the Elevate Math summer program on math achievement and algebra readiness, as well as math interest and self-efficacy, among rising 8th grade students in California's Silicon Valley. The Elevate Math summer math…

Developing a Global Science and Math Education System Based on Real Astronomy Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennypacker, Carlton

2015-03-01

Global Hands-On Universe (GHOU) is an educational system where students use real astronomy data from (largely optical) telescopes to learn fundamental physics, math, astronomy, and technology.GHOU is a good example of a collaborative global education project, where data, software, teacher training methods, curriculum, activities, telescopes, and human resources are developed by many members of GHOU and then shared internationally.Assessments show that in this program students learn more science and math than in conventional classroom teaching, and students change their attitudes towards choosing careers in science and technology.GHOU is an exemplar of appropriate use of computers in the classroom for real data analysis.The International Asteroid Search program of GHOU has helped students discover over 700 asteroids. Half a dozen high schools have named the asteroids they have found after their high school (some from here in Texas!).GHOU has found resonance with many teachers and students around the world, reaching approximately 20,000 global teachers in the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.In addition, activities from French HOU are part of the official French National Curriculum, and exit exam, teacher training syllabus and teacher exit exams. GHOU has found particular enthusiasms in nations with increasing technology basis - for example, GHOU is reaching many teachers in China, Chile, Indonesia, Kenya, Venezuela, with expansion plans for Cuba underway. Some nations, such as Portugal, have reached reasonable fractions of their teachers through GHOU. Workshops are planned in Iran, and HOU colleagues are starting to build a GHOU telescope in Israel. US HOU had trained approximately 1000 teachers in the United States, before the closing of the NSF Teacher Enhancement Section.But as many new large and smaller telescopes come on line - e.g., the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope - the need for GHOU around the world and even the United States will only increase.

Teaching Leadership to All: The Educational Challenge of Our Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fish, Ted

2011-01-01

A hundred years ago, if people had asked a group of competent and talented educators whether any child--regardless of race, class, or gender--could one day learn to read Shakespeare, write scientific papers, or do algebraic math, all but the most visionary would have answered, "No." Only a small segment of the population was deemed capable of…

Exploring Reticence in Research Methods: The Experience of Studying Psychological Research Methods in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kingsley, Barbara E.; Robertson, Julia M.

2017-01-01

As a fundamental element of any psychology degree, the teaching and learning of research methods is repeatedly brought into sharp focus, and it is often regarded as a real challenge by undergraduate students. The reasons for this are complex, but frequently attributed to an aversion of maths. To gain a more detailed understanding of students'…

Getting over Epistemology and Treating Theory as a Recyclable Source of "Things"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kusznirczuk, John

2012-01-01

This paper challenges the way in which we are inclined to treat theory and suggests that our tendency to privilege it over method is counterproductive. Some consequences of privileging theory are pointed out and a remedy is proposed. The remedy entails a number of "reversals" in the way we treat theory and method in maths education research, the…

The Use of a Bar Model Drawing to Teach Word Problem Solving to Students with Mathematics Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morin, Lisa L.; Watson, Silvana M. R.; Hester, Peggy; Raver, Sharon

2017-01-01

For students with mathematics difficulties (MD), math word problem solving is especially challenging. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a problem-solving strategy, bar model drawing, on the mathematical problem-solving skills of students with MD. The study extended previous research that suggested that schematic-based…

Who Needs Innate Ability to Succeed in Math and Literacy? Academic-Domain-Specific Theories of Intelligence about Peers versus Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunderson, Elizabeth A.; Hamdan, Noora; Sorhagen, Nicole S.; D'Esterre, Alexander P.

2017-01-01

Individuals' implicit theories of intelligence exist on a spectrum, from believing intelligence is fixed and unchangeable, to believing it is malleable and can be improved with effort. A belief in malleable intelligence leads to adaptive responses to challenge and higher achievement. However, surprisingly little is known about the development of…

The Grand Challenge: Helping Teachers Learn/Teach Cutting-Edge Science via a PBL Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ertmer, Peggy A.; Schlosser, Sarah; Clase, Kari; Adedokun, Omolola

2014-01-01

A mixed-methods research study was designed to examine teachers' knowledge and confidence for implementing a STEM-based problem-based learning (PBL) unit in their 6-12 grade science and math classrooms. Twenty-one teachers (7 in-service and 13 pre-service) participated in an intensive two-week summer workshop during which they engaged in, and then…

Doing the Math on Teacher Pensions: How to Protect Teachers and Taxpayers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doherty, Kathryn M.; Jacobs, Sandi; Lueken, Martin F.

2015-01-01

Challenging the claims of pension boards and other groups about the cost-effectiveness, fairness and flexibility of the traditional defined benefit pension plans still in place in 38 states, this report includes a report card on each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a detailed analysis of state teacher pension policies, and…

Using a Touch-Based, Computer-Assisted Learning System to Promote Literacy and Math Skills for Low-Income Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManis, Mark H.; McManis, Lilla Dale

2016-01-01

The use of touch-based technologies by young children to improve academic skills has seen growth outpacing empirical evidence of its effectiveness. Due to the educational challenges low-income children face, the stakes for providing instructional technology with demonstrated efficacy are high. The current work presents an empirical study of the…

Curriculum Integration: Helping Career and Technical Education Students Truly Develop College and Career Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Travis; Pearson, Donna; Richardson, George B.

2017-01-01

All students need to learn how to read, write, solve mathematics problems, and understand and apply scientific principles to succeed in college and/or careers. The challenges posed by entry-level career fields are no less daunting than those posed by college-level study. Thus, career and technical education students must learn effective math,…

Challenges in Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Elementary Settings with Math Instruction Using Learning Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganesh, Tirupalavanam G.; Middleton, James A.

2006-01-01

This research effort reports the findings of an empirical study focusing on the ways in which technological tools are implemented specifically in mathematics education in a Title I school. The purpose was to identify the perspectives and actions of the school's mathematics specialist and the multi-graded (grades 2-3) classroom teacher as they…

Identifying Perceptions That Contribute to the Development of Successful Project Lead the Way Pre-Engineering Programs in Utah

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMullin, Keith; Reeve, Edward

2014-01-01

An educational crisis has been reported from many scholarly platforms for the last quarter century. The United States is faced with the challenge of providing a secondary science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, especially in secondary pre-engineering, that will lead its students to the fulfillment of academic and domestic…

Using Color to Increase the Math Persistence of Children with Co-Occurring Learning Disabilities and Attentional Deficits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, David L.; Asplen, Jennifer

2004-01-01

Dealing with the behavioral and academic problems of children with co-occurring learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) can be challenge for educators. One characteristic often associated with AD/HD is an inability to remain engaged in tasks for long periods of time. This lack of attentional focus often results…

Mathematical Explorations: Fun with Triangular Numbers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina, Elsa; Grassl, Richard; Fay-Zenk, Mary

2014-01-01

While some students are enjoying days at the park or at the beach, forty middle school students are in a classroom solving challenging mathematics problems. The second Math Camp for middle school students was offered in 2013 at a western university for students from local school districts. For three days, these students met from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.…

Affordances of the Cultural Inquiry Process in Building Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Capacity for Cultural Responsiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Frieda; Bartell, Tonya; Novak, Jodie D.

2017-01-01

Over the last couple of decades, there has been a growing call for teachers to become more responsive to the increasing cultural diversity of students as a means of improving students' experiences in school and their learning outcomes. Challenges exist in working with secondary mathematics teachers due to the common belief that math is…

Time to Proficiency for Hispanic English Learner Students in Texas. REL 2018-280

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slama, Rachel; Molefe, Ayrin; Gerdeman, Dean; Herrera, Angelica; Brodziak de los Reyes, Iliana; August, Diane; Cavazos, Linda

2017-01-01

English learner students are challenged by the difficult task of learning English concurrently with learning content in areas such as reading and math. English learner students who have not attained proficiency in English or learned core course content by the middle and upper grades may not have the requisite skills to enroll in courses required…

Facilitating and Bridging Out-of-Class and In-Class Learning: An Interactive E-Book-Based Flipped Learning Approach for Math Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Lai, Chiu-Lin

2017-01-01

Flipped learning is a well-recognized learning mode that reverses the traditional in-class instruction arrangement by delivering learning content outside of the classroom and engaging students in more activities in class. However, it remains a challenge for students to comprehend the learning material by themselves, particularly when learning…

Identifying Maths Anxiety in Student Nurses and Focusing Remedial Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Heather

2009-01-01

Maths anxiety interferes with maths cognition and thereby increases the risk of maths errors. To initiate strategies for preventing anxiety-related errors progressing into nursing practice, this study explored the hypothesis that student nurses experience high maths anxiety in association with poor maths performance, and that high maths anxiety is…

White House Science Fair

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-27

Girl Scout troop 2612 members from Tulsa, OK take photos of one another with Google Glass at the White House Science Fair Tuesday, May 27, 2014. Avery Dodson, 6; Natalie Hurley, 8; Miriam Schaffer, 8; Claire Winton, 8; and Lucy Claire Sharp, 8 participated in the Junior FIRST Lego League's Disaster Blaster Challenge, which invites elementary-school-aged students from across the country to explore how simple machines, engineering, and math can help solve problems posed by natural disasters. The girls invented the "Flood Proof Bridge" and built a model mechanizing the bridge using motors and developing a computer program to automatically retract the bridge when flood conditions are detected. The fourth White House Science Fair was held at the White House and included 100 students from more than 30 different states who competed in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions. (Photo Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Math Anxiety in Second and Third Graders and Its Relation to Mathematics Achievement

PubMed Central

Wu, Sarah S.; Barth, Maria; Amin, Hitha; Malcarne, Vanessa; Menon, Vinod

2012-01-01

Although the detrimental effects of math anxiety in adults are well understood, few studies have examined how it affects younger children who are beginning to learn math in a formal academic setting. Here, we examine the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in second and third graders. In response to the need for a grade-appropriate measure of assessing math anxiety in this group we first describe the development of Scale for Early Mathematics Anxiety (SEMA), a new measure for assessing math anxiety in second and third graders that is based on the Math Anxiety Rating Scale. We demonstrate the construct validity and reliability of the SEMA and use it to characterize the effect of math anxiety on standardized measures of math abilities, as assessed using the Mathematical Reasoning and Numerical Operations subtests of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-II). Math achievement, as measured by the WIAT-II Math Composite score, was significantly and negatively correlated with SEMA but not with trait anxiety scores. Additional analyses showed that SEMA scores were strongly correlated with Mathematical Reasoning scores, which involves more complex verbal problem solving. SEMA scores were weakly correlated with Numerical Operations which assesses basic computation skills, suggesting that math anxiety has a pronounced effect on more demanding calculations. We also found that math anxiety has an equally detrimental impact on math achievement regardless of whether children have an anxiety related to numbers or to the situational and social experience of doing math. Critically, these effects were unrelated to trait anxiety, providing the first evidence that the specific effects of math anxiety can be detected in the earliest stages of formal math learning in school. Our findings provide new insights into the developmental origins of math anxiety, and further underscore the need to remediate math anxiety and its deleterious effects on math achievement in young children. PMID:22701105

Math anxiety in second and third graders and its relation to mathematics achievement.

PubMed

Wu, Sarah S; Barth, Maria; Amin, Hitha; Malcarne, Vanessa; Menon, Vinod

2012-01-01

Although the detrimental effects of math anxiety in adults are well understood, few studies have examined how it affects younger children who are beginning to learn math in a formal academic setting. Here, we examine the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in second and third graders. In response to the need for a grade-appropriate measure of assessing math anxiety in this group we first describe the development of Scale for Early Mathematics Anxiety (SEMA), a new measure for assessing math anxiety in second and third graders that is based on the Math Anxiety Rating Scale. We demonstrate the construct validity and reliability of the SEMA and use it to characterize the effect of math anxiety on standardized measures of math abilities, as assessed using the Mathematical Reasoning and Numerical Operations subtests of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-II). Math achievement, as measured by the WIAT-II Math Composite score, was significantly and negatively correlated with SEMA but not with trait anxiety scores. Additional analyses showed that SEMA scores were strongly correlated with Mathematical Reasoning scores, which involves more complex verbal problem solving. SEMA scores were weakly correlated with Numerical Operations which assesses basic computation skills, suggesting that math anxiety has a pronounced effect on more demanding calculations. We also found that math anxiety has an equally detrimental impact on math achievement regardless of whether children have an anxiety related to numbers or to the situational and social experience of doing math. Critically, these effects were unrelated to trait anxiety, providing the first evidence that the specific effects of math anxiety can be detected in the earliest stages of formal math learning in school. Our findings provide new insights into the developmental origins of math anxiety, and further underscore the need to remediate math anxiety and its deleterious effects on math achievement in young children.

Math anxiety differentially affects WAIS-IV arithmetic performance in undergraduates.

PubMed

Buelow, Melissa T; Frakey, Laura L

2013-06-01

Previous research has shown that math anxiety can influence the math performance level; however, to date, it is unknown whether math anxiety influences performance on working memory tasks during neuropsychological evaluation. In the present study, 172 undergraduate students completed measures of math achievement (the Math Computation subtest from the Wide Range Achievement Test-IV), math anxiety (the Math Anxiety Rating Scale-Revised), general test anxiety (from the Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College version), and the three Working Memory Index tasks from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Edition (WAIS-IV; Digit Span [DS], Arithmetic, Letter-Number Sequencing [LNS]). Results indicated that math anxiety predicted performance on Arithmetic, but not DS or LNS, above and beyond the effects of gender, general test anxiety, and math performance level. Our findings suggest that math anxiety can negatively influence WAIS-IV working memory subtest scores. Implications for clinical practice include the utilization of LNS in individuals expressing high math anxiety.

Self-Regulation and Math Attitudes: Effects on Academic Performance in Developmental Math Courses at a Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otts, Cynthia D.

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship among math attitudes, self-regulated learning, and course outcomes in developmental math. Math attitudes involved perceived usefulness of math and math anxiety. Self-regulated learning represented the ability of students to control cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral aspects of…

College Math Assessment: SAT Scores vs. College Math Placement Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley-Peres, Kathleen; Poirier, Dawn

2008-01-01

Many colleges and university's use SAT math scores or math placement tests to place students in the appropriate math course. This study compares the use of math placement scores and SAT scores for 188 freshman students. The student's grades and faculty observations were analyzed to determine if the SAT scores and/or college math assessment scores…

Mathematical learning instruction and teacher motivation factors affecting science technology engineering and math (STEM) major choices in 4-year colleges and universities: Multilevel structural equation modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ahlam

2011-12-01

Using the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002/06, this study examined the effects of the selected mathematical learning and teacher motivation factors on graduates' science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related major choices in 4-year colleges and universities, as mediated by math performance and math self-efficacy. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, I analyzed: (1) the association between mathematical learning instruction factors (i.e., computer, individual, and lecture-based learning activities in mathematics) and students' STEM major choices in 4-year colleges and universities as mediated by math performance and math self-efficacy and (2) the association between school factor, teacher motivation and students' STEM major choices in 4-year colleges and universities via mediators of math performance and math self-efficacy. The results revealed that among the selected learning experience factors, computer-based learning activities in math classrooms yielded the most positive effects on math self-efficacy, which significantly predicted the increase in the proportion of students' STEM major choice as mediated by math self-efficacy. Further, when controlling for base-year math Item Response Theory (IRT) scores, a positive relationship between individual-based learning activities in math classrooms and the first follow-up math IRT scores emerged, which related to the high proportion of students' STEM major choices. The results also indicated that individual and lecture-based learning activities in math yielded positive effects on math self-efficacy, which related to STEM major choice. Concerning between-school levels, teacher motivation yielded positive effects on the first follow up math IRT score, when controlling for base year IRT score. The results from this study inform educators, parents, and policy makers on how mathematics instruction can improve student math performance and encourage more students to prepare for STEM careers. Students should receive all possible opportunities to use computers to enhance their math self-efficacy, be encouraged to review math materials, and concentrate on listening to math teachers' lectures. While all selected math-learning activities should be embraced in math instruction, computer and individual-based learning activities, which reflect student-driven learning, should be emphasized in the high school instruction. Likewise, students should be encouraged to frequently engage in individual-based learning activities to improve their math performance.

Is math anxiety in the secondary classroom limiting physics mastery? A study of math anxiety and physics performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercer, Gary J.

This quantitative study examined the relationship between secondary students with math anxiety and physics performance in an inquiry-based constructivist classroom. The Revised Math Anxiety Rating Scale was used to evaluate math anxiety levels. The results were then compared to the performance on a physics standardized final examination. A simple correlation was performed, followed by a multivariate regression analysis to examine effects based on gender and prior math background. The correlation showed statistical significance between math anxiety and physics performance. The regression analysis showed statistical significance for math anxiety, physics performance, and prior math background, but did not show statistical significance for math anxiety, physics performance, and gender.

Math anxiety in Thai early adolescents: a cognitive-behavioral perspective.

PubMed

Wangsiriwech, Tawatchai; Pisitsungkagarn, Kullaya; Jarukasemthawee, Somboon

2017-08-29

With its high prevalence and debilitating impact on students, math anxiety is well studied within the educational context. However, the problem has yet to be examined from the psychological perspective, which is necessary in order to produce a more comprehensive perspective and to pave the way for therapeutic intervention. The current study, therefore, was conducted to identify cognitive and behavioral factors relevant to the occurrence and maintenance of math anxiety. Data were collected from 300 grade 9 students (150 females and 150 males) from public and private schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Participants responded to the measures of math anxiety, negative math beliefs, negative math appraisals and math avoidance. Structural equation modeling was conducted. Model fit indices obtained consistently suggested the good fitness of the model to the data [e.g. χ2/df = 0.42, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.00]. Negative math beliefs, negative math appraisals and math avoidance had a significant direct effect on math anxiety. Additionally, the indirect effect of negative math appraisal was observed between negative math beliefs and math anxiety. In summary, the proposed model accounted for 84.5% of the variance in the anxiety. The findings are discussed with particular focus on implications for therapeutic intervention for math anxiety.

Does Math Self-Efficacy Mediate the Effect of the Perceived Classroom Environment on Standardized Math Test Performance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fast, Lisa A.; Lewis, James L.; Bryant, Michael J.; Bocian, Kathleen A.; Cardullo, Richard A.; Rettig, Michael; Hammond, Kimberly A.

2010-01-01

We examined the effect of the perceived classroom environment on math self-efficacy and the effect of math self-efficacy on standardized math test performance. Upper elementary school students (N = 1,163) provided self-reports of their perceived math self-efficacy and the degree to which their math classroom environment was mastery oriented,…

The role of expressive writing in math anxiety.

PubMed

Park, Daeun; Ramirez, Gerardo; Beilock, Sian L

2014-06-01

Math anxiety is a negative affective reaction to situations involving math. Previous work demonstrates that math anxiety can negatively impact math problem solving by creating performance-related worries that disrupt the working memory needed for the task at hand. By leveraging knowledge about the mechanism underlying the math anxiety-performance relationship, we tested the effectiveness of a short expressive writing intervention that has been shown to reduce intrusive thoughts and improve working memory availability. Students (N = 80) varying in math anxiety were asked to sit quietly (control group) prior to completing difficulty-matched math and word problems or to write about their thoughts and feelings regarding the exam they were about to take (expressive writing group). For the control group, high math-anxious individuals (HMAs) performed significantly worse on the math problems than low math-anxious students (LMAs). In the expressive writing group, however, this difference in math performance across HMAs and LMAs was significantly reduced. Among HMAs, the use of words related to anxiety, cause, and insight in their writing was positively related to math performance. Expressive writing boosts the performance of anxious students in math-testing situations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) in Higher Education from the Perspective of Female Students: An Institutional Ethnography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parson, Laura J.

A persistent disadvantage for females is systemically embedded in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in postsecondary institutions. As a result, undergraduate women majoring in STEM fields face a uniquely difficult path; yet, for the most part, recommendations made and supported in the literature have focused on recruitment of women to STEM fields or on ways to make women more successful and comfortable in their STEM major. These recommendations have so far proved to be insufficient to remedy a gender gap and serve to replicate the existing male hierarchy. In order to truly make the STEM classroom one in which women are welcome and comfortable and to challenge the existing social and scientific systems, it is necessary to explore and understand the social and political implications embedded within teaching and learning choices. This institutional ethnography addresses that gap. The purpose of this study was to uncover and describe the institutional practices of STEM education at a Midwest research university (MRU) from the standpoint of female undergraduate students. Using the framework of feminist standpoint theory, this study explored the everyday "work" of female undergraduate STEM students to provide a unique perspective on the STEM education teaching and learning environment. Data collection began with in-depth interviews with female undergraduate math and physics students. As the institutional processes shaping undergraduate participant experiences were identified, subsequent data collection included classroom observations, additional interviews with students and faculty, and analysis of the texts that mediate these processes (e.g., syllabi and student handbooks). Data analysis followed Carspecken's process of ethnographic data analysis that began with low-level coding, followed by high-level coding, and concluded by pulling codes together through the creation of themes. Analysis of data led to three key findings. First, undergraduate participants reported being challenged by difficult and intimidating aspects of the teaching and learning environment. Second, undergraduate participants reported challenges meeting some of the characteristics of successful math and physics students (e.g., taking risks, asking questions, putting school first) and preferred a collectivistic environment. Third, participants described challenges from conflicting STEM academic expectations and institutional policies, which made it harder for them to meet STEM expectations. Findings indicate that efforts to reduce the "chilly" climate have been unsuccessful, largely because discourses that motivate the chilly climate have not changed. Those discourses are evidence of a masculine STEM institution, which also creates a male ideal that female students are expected to meet, further exacerbating their discomfort in the STEM environment. The masculinized nature of a STEM institution is reinforced by neoliberal policies that emphasize the importance of meeting gendered ideal STEM student characteristics. The result is that while women persist, they face stress, anxiety, and discomfort. Recommendations to improve the chilly climate include: revising the STEM institution from one that is masculine to one that is inclusive of women; and, to create a STEM educational environment that supports, validates, and gives women an equal voice.

Acts of Alignment: Of Women in Math and Science and All of Us Who Search for Balance. Counterpoints: Studies in the Postmodern Theory of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasztor, Ana; Slater, Judith J.

This book discusses the aspirations and desires of women in higher education in the fields of mathematics and science and their journey to wholeness and excellence that comes from having the choice and flexibility to create and change their roadmaps at will and thus succeed in a world in which the accepted way of knowing has been different from…