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Eric.ed.gov – Changing the “Ecosystem” of Preservice Math and Science Methods Classes To Enhance Students’ Social, Cognitive, and Emotional Development.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This research examines the critical factors in a science/math methods course and its effect on the dispositions of preservice elementary education majors. In order to break the cyclical axiom that “teachers teach as they were taught,” this study used a paired-t test design to indicate any significance. The preservice education majors indicated that they felt more prepared to teach developmentally-appropriate lessons in Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, and Astronomy. There was a development of a positive self-efficacy, which will have a great impact on the effectiveness of the new teachers. Constructivism as a theory of learning and teaching and as a significant factor in developing a heightened sense of self-efficacy was the theory used in the classes. In order to learn math and science, the learner… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Philadelphia Math Science Collaborative Five-Year Site Report. Program Report 91-5 PH.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Urban Mathematics Collaborative (UMC) project has the goal of contributing to the improvement of mathematics education in the inner-city schools by identifying models to enhance the professional lives of teachers and encouraging the entry of high school mathematics teachers into a larger mathematics community including mathematicians from higher education and industry. This document is a 5-year site report on the Philadelphia Math Science Collaborative from its inception in 1985 through June 1990. The intent is to reflect on the development of the collaborative, noting the changes that have taken place in regard to the context in the collaborative operated, the collaborative’s management structure, and the focus of its activities. This final site report addresses the major influences exerted on the collaborative and the directions the collaborative… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – An Analysis of the High Attrition Rates among First Year College Science, Math and Engineering Majors.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Increases in attrition rates among science, mathematics, and engineering (SME) majors have produced a variety of deleterious effects for society. This paper attempts to clarify and interpret the interaction of those characteristics of the structure and culture of undergraduate SME programs that perpetuate high loss rates among their first-year college majors by looking at a number of studies of SME programs and undergraduate attrition. The interaction of instructional factors, differing high school and faculty expectations for entering SME undergraduates, and epistemological considerations was found to contribute to a higher dissatisfaction among SME majors as compared with non-SME major and to resulting student attrition. Significant support was not seen for the contribution of commonly cited explanations of SME attrition such as cognitive factors and large class sizes. (Contains… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Why Potential Science and Math Teachers Are Choosing Not to Teach–And What We Can Do about It.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The factors which discourage prospective teachers from pursuing teaching careers are examined in this study. College freshmen from a medium-sized engineering university in the Midwest were selected to participate in the investigation. Based on responses to a questionnaire, these students were grouped as “teaching oriented” and “non-teaching oriented.” Reasons for not teaching given by the “teaching oriented” students (N=20) included, in order of priority: (1) low salary; (2) not wanting to do the typical things that teachers do each day; (3) concern for job security; (4) low maximum salaries after years of work; and (5) poor job availability. The findings of this study confirm concerns about the level of teaching salaries as a major deterrent to prospective teachers. It was also stated that increased guidance counselor encouragement… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – From Earth Algebra to Earth Math: An Expansion and Dissemination of the Methods of Earth Algebra [and] Proceedings, Earth Math Conference (Kennesaw, Georgia, April 19-20, 1996).

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This final report and appended conference proceedings describe activities of the Earth Math project, a 3-year effort at Kennesaw State University (Georgia) to broaden and disseminate the concept of Earth Algebra to precalculus and mathematics education courses. Major outcomes of the project were the draft of a precalculus textbook now being reviewed prior to field testing, and a series of independent study modules appropriate for use in mathematics education courses or as supplementary material in algebra and trigonometry courses. Earth Math materials focus on application of mathematics to real world problems and are intended to improve students’ problem-solving and decision-making abilities. The materials are also intended to demonstrate how to implement the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards in school mathematics courses. Separate sections of the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – “All of a Sudden They Got It”: Understanding Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of What It Means To Know (in) Math.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In a recent study at the University of Regina, preservice teachers were asked questions about their internship experiences of teaching mathematics. One question in the study focused on asking preservice teachers to recall their most meaningful experiences in the mathematics classroom during their internship, to which many responded with stories of how their students all of a sudden just “got” a concept and how this could even be visually detected. It is interesting to note the comparisons between their responses to this question about meaningful experiences and their responses to other questions concerning their images of math as a subject, their attitudes toward math, and their perceptions of what it means to know (in) math. Factors other than ability influence students’ approaches to challenges, their persistence (or… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Mathematical Treats Form the Stars: Integrating Curricular Elements through Partnerships between NASA and Math Methods Faculty.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Mathematics methods coursework can be an innovative environment through which to emphasize the integration of real-world data structures and opportunities. These opportunities can create instructionally informative opportunities for learners, as well as inform teacher candidates of innovative teaching tools at their fingertips. NASA offers numerous curricular opportunities to the mathematical methods coursework, with work focusing on both PreK-12 learners as well as university learners. Such a wide array of interest levels integrate numerous learning objectives, depending upon the needs and desires of the instructors and learners whom they serve. This paper focuses on the innovative opportunities that the NASA educational entity offers to the PreK-12 as well as university mathematical methods courses. Examples are presented in links to several Web sites, which are developed by and in… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Race to the Top. Florida Report. Year 3: School Year 2012-2013. [State-Specific Summary Report]

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This State-specific summary report serves as an assessment of the Florida’s annual Race to the Top implementation. The Year 3 report for Phase 1 and 2 grantees highlights successes and accomplishments, identifies challenges, and provides lessons learned from implementation from approximately September 2012 through September 2013. In Year 3, the State continued to execute contracts and implement activities consistent with the State’s amended timelines. In Year 3, Florida implemented the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in first grade and trained approximately 13,000 educators on implementing the CCSS during summer institutes. Florida Department of Education (FDOE) continued to add CCSS-aligned resources to the Teacher Standards Instructional Tool (TSIT). The State also continued the Math Formative Assessment System (MFAS) providing Florida educators access to approximately 374 tasks and rubrics… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Enjoyment and Value: Math Attitudes of Business and Elementary Education Majors.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This investigation compared the attitudes of business and elementary education majors on the enjoyment and value of mathematics. Fifty elementary education majors and 58 business majors participated. The mathematics attitude questionnaire contained two sections of questions: eight questions on the enjoyment of mathematics and eight questions on the value of mathematics. The attitude of enjoyment was not significantly different between the business and elementary majors. However, elementary education majors valued mathematics significantly higher than did the business majors. It was also found that both the elementary education and business majors value mathematics to a significantly higher degree than they enjoy mathematics. No significant differences were found between male and female business majors’ enjoyment and value scores. (Author/YP) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Piggybacking: First Grade and Pre-service Teacher’s Partnership in a Math, Science, and Social Studies Course.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Piggybacking is a new approach to a university-level methods class in math, science, and social studies in early childhood education developed at the McKay Campus School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. This approach seeks to improve on methods courses that ask college students to pretend they are teaching young children or pretend they are being instructed. The piggybacking approach is a cooperative learning methodology in which first graders are paired with undergraduate early childhood education students. These pairs, or “piggybackers,” work together to teach and learn hands-on math, science, and social studies techniques. By working with first graders and approaching education from their perspective, pre-service teachers learn the importance of using real world experience to teach math, social studies, and science. (MM) Link til kilde