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Eric.ed.gov – MOOCs Feasibility Study: Demand among Teachers in Rural Ghana

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a relatively new, low-cost resource that hold potential for improving learning in developing nations where resources are constrained and teacher expertise can be limited. However, little information currently exists about the effectiveness of leveraging MOOCs as a vehicle for teacher training. The aim of this study is to learn more about the awareness, interest and ability to access MOOCs among junior high and high school teachers in rural Ghana. Specifically, the author addresses the following questions: (1) What is the take-up following a light informational intervention nudging math teachers to enroll in a MOOC related to math education?; (2) What is the demand among school leaders, specifically headmasters, for MOOCs as a vehicle for teacher training?; (3) Can headmasters influence the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Online Courses for Math Teachers: Comparing Self-Paced and Facilitated Cohort Approaches

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study investigated whether two different versions of an online professional development course produced different impacts on the intended outcomes of the course. Variations of an online course for middle school algebra teachers were created for two experimental conditions. One was an actively facilitated course with asynchronous peer interactions among participants. The second was a self-paced condition, in which neither active facilitation nor peer interactions were available. Both conditions showed significant impact on teachers’ mathematical understanding, pedagogical beliefs, and instructional practices. Surprisingly, the positive outcomes were comparable for both conditions. Further research is needed to determine whether this finding is limited to self-selected teachers, the specifics of this online course, or other factors that limit generalizability. (Contains 6 tables.) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Pre-Service Teachers’ Lived Experiences with Taking Courses through Learning Management Systems: A Qualitative Study

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Learning management systems (LMS) are web-based platforms used for enhancing and supporting classroom teaching or delivering online instruction. Much of the earlier research has focused on their technological features and implementations into instruction. However, investigating what and how teachers and students think about and experience with LMS based on their actual usage is needed to realize educational potential of these systems. This study aimed to investigate pre-service teachers’ lived experiences about taking courses through Moodle LMS. The research was designed as a qualitative study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through content analysis technique via Nvivo 7.0 software. The sample included 25 college students majoring in Computer and Instructional Technology Education at a state university in Turkey. Majority of the participants indicated that Moodle was… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Improving Teacher Quality for Colorado Science Teachers in High Need Schools

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This article describes the evaluation of an online professional development program funded by the State of Colorado to address the need for highly qualified science teachers in high need and/or rural school districts. Recruitment and the retention of highly qualified educators in high need and/or rural school districts is a critical factor affecting the education and the possible career trajectory of students enrolled in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related courses. The program describes the participants experiences with the online format, the educational courses offered, and the overall effect of the program. The results of the evaluation provided positive results for participants experience and valuable information regarding improvements to such programs. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – An Entrepreneurship Venture for Training K-12 Teachers to Use Engineering as a Context for Learning

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In this paper, the authors present their experiences from participating in a National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps L training program established for business startups, using Blank’s Lean LaunchPad, Osterwalder’s Business Model Canvas, and associated tools. They used the entrepreneurial skills acquired through this training to scale-up their emerging innovation, the Cincinnati Engineering Enhanced Math and Science Program (CEEMS), which had been developed, implemented, and evaluated with successful results over a period of seven years in a targeted 14 school-district partnership in Greater Cincinnati. The overriding goal was to improve student learning and success rates in K-12 math and science courses by helping to accelerate the process of bringing effective educational innovation, CEEMS, to scale. In CEEMS, teachers were trained in using challenge-based learning (CBL) and the engineering… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – An Investigation of Teachers’ Attitudes, Concerns and Self-Efficacy toward Inclusive Education in STEM Classrooms

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Research in this study examined the factors that affect teachers’ attitudes, concerns, and self-efficacy toward inclusive education in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classrooms. The study was driven by the following overarching research question: Is there a significant correlation between teachers’ attitudes and teachers’ self-efficacy toward inclusive education in STEM classrooms? A sample of 198 teachers who taught at least one of the STEM subjects were selected randomly from various K-12 schools in Louisiana. A four-part survey questionnaire with reliable validity was used to collect data indicators. An ANOVA and t-test were used to analyze effect of demographic factors on teachers’ attitudes, concerns, and self-efficacy toward inclusive education. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used while investigating correlations between attitudes of teachers and their self-efficacy toward inclusive… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Increasing Student Engagement in Math: The Use of Khan Academy in Chilean Classrooms

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Khan Academy, an online platform offering educational videos and exercises in different content areas, has awakened intense interest among foundations, multilateral organizations, policy makers, and educators about how this tool can help meet the educational challenges facing countries around the world. With support from Intel, Education Development Center (EDC) researchers sought to understand how this technology fits into the complex realities of schools in a developing country. In August of 2013, researchers traveled to Santiago, Chile to conduct research in five schools where teachers are using Khan Academy. We found that the way Khan Academy functions as a digital learning environment changes the ways and the degree to which students engage with and are engaged by the math content; it also changes the way teachers and students… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Relationship between Implementation Fidelity of Imagine Math® and HISD Secondary Students’ Educational Achievement, 2018-2019. Research Educational Program Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Imagine Math® is a standards-aligned, adaptive, interactive online mathematics program designed to supplement in-class instruction for students. This evaluation report examined the fidelity of implementation of Imagine Math® and the associations between its use and student achievement in Houston Independent School District (HISD) secondary schools in the 2018-2019 academic year. Based on teacher results, the research showed that the average levels of adherence to fidelity components were approaching expectations for both middle schools and high schools. At the teacher-level, frequency of use of Imagine Math® by teachers and analysis of the Imagine Math® reports for instructional purposes was low. Nevertheless, student progress and students’ use of the program, were approaching expectations. Results of multiple linear regression analyses showed that, at the teacher-level, the Data Analysis component was… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – To Be or Not to Be an Online Math Instructor?

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Have you been asked to teach an online course yet? If not, chances are you will–and soon. The demand for online instructors is increasing, and institutions, including community colleges, are expecting their faculty, especially junior and adjunct instructors, to step forward. Your answer is not necessarily an easy yes or no. Although online teaching has much in common with face-to- face instruction, significant differences exist. Your decision may be aided by consideration of seven key factors, ranging from your own online learning experience, through the compatibility of your preferred teaching style with effective online instruction, to what adjustments you may need to make in designing mathematical activities for teaching online. A considered answer based on these factors will more likely lead to your success. The article offers… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Novice Teachers Reflect on Their Instructional Practices While Teaching Adults Math

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Over three years, eighty-two teachers in their first or second year of teaching participated in orientation programs for new adult educators. During the programs, they reflected on their own instructional practices when teaching mathematics to adults. The teachers identified the practice they were likely to overemphasize and explained why they were likely to do so, posting their responses to online course discussion boards. Almost half of the respondents reported they “primarily emphasize calculation skills” and shared various reasons for doing so. The remaining respondents reported emphasizing one of four other instructional practices. Teachers put forth a variety of justifications for the instructional practices they have been using. Professional development efforts will need to recognize and take account of the teachers’ beliefs, assumptions and current practices. Link til… Continue Reading