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Eric.ed.gov – I CAN Learn[R]. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: “I CAN Learn”[R] is a computer software system that provides math instruction through a series of interactive lessons. These lessons are delivered with a one-to-one student-to-computer ratio. Students determine the pace of each lesson and must demonstrate mastery of the lesson before progressing to the next one. Teachers provide individualized instruction to students on the basis of their performance on the lessons. The available “I CAN Learn”[R] curricula include fifth- to sixth-grade math, pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry. These curricula are aligned to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards and can be customized to meet state- or district-specific standards. Studies included in this What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) review assess the effectiveness of the pre-algebra and algebra components of “I CAN Learn”[R]. One study (Barrow, Markman, &… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – MIXED: Educational Perspectives from Families of Mixed East and West Educational Background

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Will my children’s creativity be hindered if I place them within the rigidity of an East Asian school? Conversely, could my children’s math and science skills benefit from the high expectations of an East Asian curriculum and teacher? The purpose of this study is two-fold. Firstly, it aims to demonstrate that comparison between Eastern and Western educational traditions can be framed in terms of a dialectic concerning students’ development, autonomy, learning environment, and curricula. Secondly, it is to analyze the substance and effects of this dialectic in the context of 15 families of mixed educational background situated between Eastern and Western educational traditions. These families in Hong Kong have access to educational opportunities for their children in adherence to educational styles associated with either Eastern or Western… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Effects of School Reform under NCLB Waivers: Evidence from Focus Schools in Kentucky. CEPA Working Paper No. 17-05

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Under waivers to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the federal government required states to identify schools where targeted subgroups of students have the lowest achievement and to implement reforms in these “Focus Schools.” In this study, we examine the Focus School reforms in the state of Kentucky. The reforms in this state are uniquely interesting for several reasons. One is that the state developed unusually explicit guidance for Focus Schools centered on a comprehensive school-planning process. Second, the state identified Focus Schools using a “super subgroup” measure that combined traditionally low-performing subgroups into an umbrella group. This design feature may have catalyzed broader whole-school reforms and attenuated the incentives to target reform efforts narrowly. Using regression discontinuity designs, we find that these reforms led to… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Effectiveness of Applying Conceptual Change Approaches in Challenging Mathematics Tasks for Low-Performing Students

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This article reports on the effectiveness of an intervention using conceptual change approaches within challenging tasks, on the mathematics gains for low-performing year 3-6 students in in six primary schools. Quantitative data from PAT-Maths testing for each year showed a consistently large effect size of 0.7 compared to expected gain data from DECD [South Australia’s Department for Education and Child Development]. All six experimental groups caught up with DECD expectations within one year. Over the two years, students from years 3-5 gained an additional 27 months of mathematics learning over the expectations and students from years 4-6 gained 29 months, indicating the potential of the approach for closing educational gaps for low-performing students. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Math Anxiety: What Is It?

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: While much progress has been made in treating math anxiety, little is yet known about its causes, correlates or effects. The present study examined factors related to the prevalence and intensity of math anxiety in college students and the extent to which math anxiety is predictive of math course grades. The 655 subjects were obtained from two math courses and one psychology course at Ohio State University. Results indicated that math anxiety occurs frequently among college students, and that it is more likely to occur among women than among men and among students with inadequate high school math backgrounds. Higher levels of math anxiety were related to lower mathematics achievement test scores, higher levels of test anxiety and higher levels of trait anxiety. Students reporting confidence in… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Spatial Visualization as Mediating between Mathematics Learning Strategy and Mathematics Achievement among 8th Grade Students

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Jordanian 8th grade students revealed low achievement in mathematics through four periods (1999, 2003, 2007 & 2011) of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This study aimed to determine whether spatial visualization mediates the affect of Mathematics Learning Strategies (MLS) factors namely mathematics attitude, mathematics motivation, mathematics self-regulation, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics anxiety on mathematics achievement. The study consists of 360 students from public middle schools in Alkoura district, selected through stratified random sampling. It employed 65 items to assess MLS, which consists, attitude (18 items), motivation (7 items), self-regulation (25 items), self-efficacy (5 items) and math anxiety (10 items). The mathematics test comprises of 30 items, which has eight items for numbers, 14 items for algebra and eight items for geometry while spatial visualization… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – What Parents Want: Education Preferences and Trade-Offs. A National Survey of K-12 Parents

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This groundbreaking study finds that nearly all parents seek schools with a solid core curriculum in reading and math, an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, and the development in students of good study habits, strong critical thinking skills, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. But some parents also prefer specializations and emphases that are only possible in a system of school choice. “Pragmatists” (36 percent of K-12 parents) assign high value to schools that, “offer vocational classes or job-related programs.” Compared to the total parent population, Pragmatists have lower household incomes, are less likely themselves to have graduated from college, and are more likely to be parents of boys. “Jeffersonians” (24 percent) prefer a school that “emphasizes instruction in citizenship, democracy, and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Reasons for the Decline of the Results of Jordanian Students in “TIMSS 2015”

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The study aimed at identifying the reasons behind the Jordanian students’ drop of performance in the TIMSS 2015 from the point of view of their teachers. Survey method was used because teachers are the most able to decide upon the reasons of this fall and so a questionnaire was designed to recognize their point of view concerning the reasons of this retreat. The study population consisted of 130 teachers of science and mathematics in Ma’an governorate. Teachers whose teaching experience was more than one year to make sure they are familiar with TIMSS tests. Random sampling technique was used to select 90 teachers representing 69% of the study population. For data analysis, means and standards deviations were calculated, and the Schiffe test was used to determine the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Evaluation of the Waterford Early Math & Science Program for Kindergarten: First-Year Implementation in Five Urban Low-Income Schools

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Background: The Waterford Early Math & Science (WEMS) program is a comprehensive educational software program designed to build math and science skills and concepts in grades K-2, alone or to supplement existing curricula. The program’s capability to individualize lessons, assess and track student progress, and reteach lessons is aimed at keeping potentially “at risk” students at grade level. Purpose: The present evaluation of the Waterford Early Math & Science program is the first independent study of its effectiveness. Setting: The study was carried out in five low-income, largely Hispanic schools in the Tucson Unified School District during the 2005-06 school year. Study Sample: This report covers the 22 kindergartens (345 students) of a larger study of 59 K-2 classrooms (923 students) in the five schools. Intervention: Treatment… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Effects of Participation in the North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten Program at the End of Kindergarten: 2015-2016 Statewide Evaluation

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of the 2015-2016 NC Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) Evaluation study was to examine the long-term effects of participation in NC Pre-K at the end of kindergarten. Two groups of children were compared–those who attended NC Pre-K (treatment) and those who had not attended NC Pre-K (comparison). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to select a matched sample of children with similar characteristics across the two groups. This study found significant treatment effects for participation in the NC Pre-K Program on children’s outcomes at the end of kindergarten in the areas of math skills and executive function. Although effect sizes were in the small range, there were effects across all aspects of math. There were significant differences for calculation skills and the math composite, and marginally significant… Continue Reading