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Eric.ed.gov – The Effectiveness of the Touch Math Program with Fourth and Fifth Grade Special Education Students

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The math achievement of third and fourth grade special education students has been identified as an area of concern within a public school located in a small rural town located on the east coast. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate whether or not the Touch Math strategy increased the math ability of third and fourth grade Special Education students. Using convenience sampling, third and fourth grade Special Education students were given a teacher made test , Test of Mathematical Ability 2nd Edition (TOMA-2), pre and post instruction, and observed before, after, and during instruction. This data was analyzed through the use of a t-test. Data was examined to determine whether or not students showed an increased score on both the teacher made test… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Forma Mentis Networks Reconstruct How Italian High Schoolers and International STEM Experts Perceive Teachers, Students, Scientists, and School

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study investigates how students and researchers shape their knowledge and perception of educational topics. The mindset or forma mentis of 159 Italian high school students and of 59 international researchers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are reconstructed through forma mentis networks, i.e., cognitive networks of concepts connected by free associations and enriched with sentiment labels. The layout of conceptual associations between positively/negatively/neutrally perceived concepts is informative on how people build their own mental constructs or beliefs about specific topics. Researchers displayed mixed positive/neutral mental representations of “teacher”, “student” and, “scientist”. Students’ conceptual associations of “scientist” were highly positive and largely non-stereotypical, although links about the “mad scientist” stereotype persisted. Students perceived “teacher” as a complex figure, associated with positive aspects like mentoring/knowledge transmission but… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Effects of Differentiated Instruction on Motivation and Engagement in Fifth-Grade Gifted Math and Music Students

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this action research project report was to increase student motivation and engagement. There seemed to be an increasing disconnect between student potential and performance, especially among gifted math and beginning music students. Two teacher researchers carried out this research with 25 fifth-grade students at two different sites in a gifted math class and a beginning band class. The research was conducted from September 11th, 2012, through December 17th, 2012. In order to document the lack of student motivation and engagement, three tools were utilized; a teacher survey, a student survey, and a student behavior checklist. After analyzing the collected data, it was evident that a notable percentage of students felt that their school work was too easy while teachers felt their lessons were appropriately… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Co-Teaching vs. Solo-Teaching: Effect on Fourth Graders’ Math Achievement

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: As education continues to progress schools are constantly seeking innovative ways to cultivate and enhance achievement for all students. As a result many public schools are pushing toward the inclusion model. This model includes co-taught instruction to meet the many needs of special education students. This research study was implemented to investigate the comparative effects of co-teaching versus solo-teaching on student’s math achievement in elementary school. Study participants included two fourth grade classes in an elementary school, one with a regular education (solo-teaching) and the other with the same regular education teacher and a special education teacher for the co-taught class. The independent variable is the teaching arrangement (co taught class vs. a solo-taught class) as considered by the school system and the dependent variable is the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Using Music to Increase Math Skill Retention

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Discussions with math teachers, of various grade levels, brought out one consistent observation. Each year, students need to be retaught math concepts that they have been previously taught but have forgotten. With the ever-expanding curriculum of material that teachers need to cover over the course of a school year continually growing, it becomes plausible that not enough time is spent on material for it to be internalized and truly learned, for the long term. The amount of material to be covered will not likely decrease, so what can be done to help the instruction that does take place be more effective? What can be done to help students retain information and be able to recall and use it when needed? My Action Research project evolved to answer… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Preservice Teachers’ Observations of Children’s Learning during Family Math Night

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Family math night can easily be implemented into mathematics methodology courses providing an opportunity for field-based learning. Preservice teachers were asked to develop and implement an inquiry-based activity at a family math night event held at a local school with personnel, elementary children and their parents in attendance. This action research examines what preservice teachers discovered about how children learn mathematics during their interactions with parents and children. Preservice teachers’ individual reflections focusing on children’s learning were qualitatively analyzed and clustered. In addition, data from teacher educator’s observation notes was used to triangulate findings. Four themes were identified in relation to children’s needs for promoting learning in mathematics: (1) activity adjustment (2) engagement through guiding and questioning (3) motivational issues and (4) the use of manipulatives and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Making Sense of a Trial Maths Intervention Program for Students with Disability in Australia: Interim Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Success in primary and secondary school mathematics is becoming increasingly important to today’s teachers, students, parents and employment providers in Australia. Mathematics is viewed as high status and essential for a range of employment opportunities. The Disability Standards for Education [1] and the Australian Curriculum, Reporting and Assessment Authority [2] underscore the rights of students with disability to access the curriculum on the same basis as students without disability. They are entitled to rigorous, relevant and engaging learning opportunities drawn from Australian Curriculum content on the same basis as students without disability. Taking this context into account, this paper provides a work-in-progress report about a two year mathematics intervention project conducted in twelve special schools (Preparatory to Year 12) in Queensland, Australia. The purpose of the project… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – An Action Research Project by Teacher Candidates and Their Instructor into Using Math Inquiry: Learning about Relations between Theory and Practice

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper reports on what two teacher candidates and their instructor learned from an action research project into the use of inquiry to teach mathematics. We use a model of the relation between theory and practice in teacher education to interpret what we learned about inquiry. This model describes three modes for teacher candidates to learn about teaching: (1) applying theory to practice; (2) interpreting theory and practice, and (3) building/refining personal, practical and professional theories. We learned to (1) apply the 4D-Cycle Model of inquiry, (2) interpret what it means for inquiry to be flexible, and (3) build a theory of teaching with inquiry based on non-linear and community-based dispositions of teachers toward learning. We conclude by suggesting that this model could constitute a developmental pathway… Continue Reading