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Eric.ed.gov – Preparing Students for College and Careers in STEM. STEM Smart Brief

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Employers report a shortage of talent for STEM-specific jobs — and in areas such as health care that require “basic STEM competencies.” The reasons are many, including: lack of authentic learning activities in STEM subjects, little time for science in elementary school, inadequate K-12 teacher preparation in math and science content, poor alignment of K-12 and college curricula, and insufficient collaboration between K-12 and higher education institutions to smooth student transitions from high school to college. But underlying the structural and instructional challenges is an even more fundamental problem — the longstanding debate over what students should know and be able to do by the time they finish high school. This disagreement has resulted in different STEM curricula, different STEM standards — indeed, different expectations of children… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – From Vocational Education to Linked Learning: The Ongoing Transformation of Career-Oriented Education in the U.S.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Traditionally, the purpose of education in the United States has been conceived broadly, encompassing several goals, such as equity, civic participation, “whole-person” development, aesthetic appreciation, and greater cultural awareness. The renewed focus on equipping students with marketable skills is both a response to the globally-competitive labor market engendered by the Financial Crisis of 2008 and an implicit critique of the traditional American liberal education model. Innovative approaches to fostering student participation in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are being promoted by a wide spectrum of politicians, corporations, and policy think tanks. Many observers argue that educational outcomes should reflect the changing needs of the workforce, and high school curricula should integrate academic instruction with work-based learning. With these trends in mind, researchers at the Pullias… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The PIAAC Numeracy Framework: A Guide to Instruction

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies, better known as PIAAC, developed a numeracy assessment framework that was used internationally to assess adults’ numeracy skills. The assessment gauged adults’ (aged 16-65 years) numeracy skills across a full range, from adults with very low levels of numeracy to college level math ability. PIAAC’s assessment framework is based on two concepts: math as being use-oriented and math proficiency as a continuum. While this framework was designed to measure adults’ numeracy ability in a structured assessment environment (including adults’ home with trained evaluators), it is useful beyond its original intent. This framework can be used to help teachers better understand how to differentiate instruction while still focusing on a particular theme or topic in a classroom, ensuring rich discussions… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Can Classification Criteria Constitute a Correct Mathematical Definition? Preservice and In-Service Teachers’ Perspectives

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The study reported here addresses pre-service and in-service teachers’ attitudes toward mathematical-geometrical definitions. The goal of the study is to investigate whether understanding the role of definitions as classification and identification criteria will guarantee that participants: (1) accept that there may be more than one equivalent definition for particular concept; and (2) accept the minimal definitions which include necessary and sufficient attributes to be legal definitions. Fifty-three math educators participated the study, including 22 preservice junior teachers, 19 pre-service senior teachers and 12 in-service senior teachers. The findings indicate that considering (an) attribute/s as sufficient in order to classify examples and non-examples of the concept did not guarantee considering this/ese attributes as concept definition. 56% of the participants did not accept equivalent definitions as legal definitions, 36%… Continue Reading