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Eric.ed.gov – The New Australian Curriculum, Teachers and Change Fatigue

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A new national curriculum has recently been implemented across Australia. This paper reports on a case study of a regional Western Australia government school as they re-wrote and taught the phase one learning areas: maths, English, science and HASS. Results showed what it is like to work in an environment where continual change is not only expected, but also seen as best practice. Cynical, realistic and even enthusiastic teachers suffer change fatigue after years of rapid and continual curriculum change. The research traces back the reasons why teacher change fatigue might occur using Intuitive Inquiry (Anderson & Braud, 2011) as a hermeneutical process. It captures the reactions of teachers as they struggle to adapt to another top-down curriculum framework, badged as “continual school improvement.” It documents that… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Tackling the STEM Crisis: Five Steps Your State Can Take to Improve the Quality and Quantity of its K-12 Math and Science Teachers

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: State laws and regulations can either help or hinder the ability of school districts to hire effective teachers for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. State officials wanting to tackle this critical problem need to begin with a thorough review of relevant policies, asking themselves: “Are we part of the problem, and how do we become part of the solution?” This report presents five steps that states can take to improve the quality and quantity of its K12 math and science teachers: (1) raise standards for what it takes to get into an education school; (2) improve the quality of undergraduate preparation; (3) recognize the need for creative and diverse solutions; (4) send qualified teachers to the schools that most need them; and (5) remember it… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship: A Five-Year Statewide Investment to Improve Teacher Preparation

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Both Ohio’s state leadership and its foundation community recognized that, to move forward in a global economy, Ohio would need a highly trained workforce that would attract high tech companies to the state. Though STEM shortages have been a pervasive problem for decades, with the election of a new Governor in 2008, there was call to action from state higher education executive officers to address the STEM shortage areas as well as the growing achievement gap. In the years leading up to 2010, the state had significant teacher shortages in ten subject areas, with the greatest need in mathematics, sciences, and special education. These shortages, already severe, were projected to worsen as the state looked to adopt new rules for additional math and science courses required for… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Improving Developmental and College-Level Mathematics: Prominent Reforms and the Need to Address Equity. CCRC Working Paper No. 124

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In recent years, there has been a growing recognition that the traditional system of college mathematics remediation that relies on high-stakes placement tests and prerequisite, multi-level course sequences is associated with lowered chances of students completing developmental requirements and increased rates of student attrition. This recognition has led to nationwide reform efforts that strive to alter the structure and curricula of remedial math courses. However, these broad-based reforms have been insufficient in eliminating inequities in developmental placement and completion between students of color and other underserved students and their more advantaged peers. Informed by relevant research literature, this paper argues that the majority of reforms to developmental math education seek to remedy general barriers to student progress but are not typically designed to address equity gaps and,… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Enhancing STEM in P-3 Education. Policy Guide

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: States have often introduced programs supporting science, technology, engineering and math in the secondary grades. Yet the evidence of STEM’s positive impact on young children’s development makes a compelling case for engaging learners in pre-K through third grade in consistent, authentic and high-quality STEM experiences. High-quality P-3 STEM learning need not — and should not — be viewed as an add-on to an already crowded set of learning objectives. Instead, states can integrate early STEM opportunities to advance developmentally appropriate practice and young learners’ growth in literacy and numeracy, executive function and 21st century skills. This Policy Guide, informed by experts in early education and STEM fields, identifies policies and actions a state can adopt to bring STEM opportunities to the early grades. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Listen to Us: Teacher Views and Voices

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Education policymakers and leaders often say that the opinions and observations of teachers are among the most important information to help explain and understand what is happening in schools. Teachers’ voices can inject a sense of classroom and school-level realism into those discussions and add clarity and credibility to issues that are often clouded by competing interests. The Center on Education Policy (CEP), in an effort to gather and amplify teachers’ voices about current education issues and their own profession, conducted a national survey of public school K-12 teachers in the winter of 2015-16. The survey focused on a strategic set of issues for policymakers, educators, business leaders, and the public, including teachers’ views on their profession, standards, testing, and evaluations. The nationally representative sample surveyed for… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Engineering Design of Cars and Gadgets in K-5 as Vehicle for Integrating Math, Science and Literacy

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In spite of numerous calls for action, e.g., Executive Office of the President (2010), there have been few efforts nationally to promote engineering education in the elementary grades. Of these, hardly any have targeted underrepresented populations (National Academy of Engineering, 2009, p. 74). The collaboration described in this paper is a significant exception, which could provide important lessons for those seeking to broaden the reach and scope of K-5 engineering education. We will argue for an interdisciplinary approach, which integrates engineering, math, science, literacy and art, and that engages a school and a university as equal partners. Neither of these components has been prominent in the literature on K-12 engineering education. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – “MyTeachingPartner–Math/Science” Pre-Kindergarten Curricula and Teacher Supports: Associations with Children’s Mathematics and Science Learning

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: “MyTeachingPartner–Math/Science” (“MTP-MS”) is a system of two curricula (math and science) plus teacher supports designed to improve the quality of instructional interactions in pre-kindergarten classrooms and to scaffold children’s development in mathematics and science. The program includes year-long curricula in these domains, and a teacher support system (web-based supports and in-person workshops) designed to foster high-quality curricular implementation. This study examined the impacts of the intervention on the development of mathematics and science skills of 444 children during pre-kindergarten, via school-level random assignment to two intervention conditions (“Basic: MTP-M/S” mathematics and science curricula, and “Plus: MTP-M/S” mathematics and science curricula plus related teacher support system) and a Business-as-Usual control condition (“BaU”). There were intervention effects for children’s knowledge and skills in geometry and measurement as well as… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Beyond the Acronym: Preparing Preservice Teachers for Integrated STEM Education

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Integrated STEM education seeks to build deep connections between science, technology, engineering, and math. Contextualized lessons give students greater access to these content areas and can heighten engagement. Great parallels can be drawn between liberal arts philosophies and integrated STEM education. This paper explores how one teacher team developed curriculum and enacted lessons using an integrated STEM approach. This study found that teachers viewed integrated STEM instruction as rewarding. The teachers also mentioned the need for constant communication to fully implement the model. Students perceived this model positively and enjoyed participation. Outcomes of this study have the potential to inform teacher preparation programs by making more transparent how implementation of integrated STEM models can be achieved. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Strengthening the Math-Related Teaching Practices of the Early Care and Education Workforce: Insights from Experts. Policy Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: As a growing body of evidence links school success and early mathematical experiences, there is increasing interest in offering young children opportunities to bridge their informal understanding of mathematics with more formal concepts and processes. At the same time, many teachers and caregivers in the early care and education (ECE) field may not be adequately equipped to provide appropriate math-related experiences and instruction to young children age birth through five. The aim of this project, Strengthening the Math-Related Teaching Practices of the Early Care and Education Workforce, has been to identify promising practices and strategies for enhancing the ability of ECE practitioners to promote children’s mathematical understanding and competence. This paper summarizes the perspectives of nationally recognized experts in the field of mathematics and early care and… Continue Reading