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Eric.ed.gov – Increasing Expertise in Earth Science Education through Master’s Education

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The processes of developing and the results of testing a master’s degree program designed to increase the number and quality of secondary-level earth science teachers are described in this paper. The master’s program is intended to serve practicing secondary-level science and math teachers who lack subject-area endorsement in earth science. There is need for programs such as this because there is a nationwide shortage of qualified earth science teachers. By targeting teachers who are already trained and certified in science or math, the program can focus solely on earth science content and pedagogical content knowledge. The program can be completed in 2 y via online academic-year instruction and on-campus or field-based training during summers. Completion of the master’s program satisfies teachers’ need for ongoing professional development. A… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Developing the Students’ Ability in Understanding Mathematics and Self-Confidence with VBA for Excel

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Visual Basic Application for Excel is a simple program language and has the power to process data quickly. The utilization of math functions in Microsoft Excel can help work on Excel display more interactive so that teachers can create props inside Excel. The advantages of Microsoft Excel than other mathematical software are the many math functions and images available in the form of shapes or pictures. The availability of VBA, math and image functions in Microsoft Excel help teachers to design the creation of media related to mathematics learning, especially to develop the ability of junior high school students who have difficulty to connect mathematics lessons with basic mathematics knowledge requirements. By using VBA for Excel, the ability of junior high school students to improve in the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Prompting Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching through Parent-Teacher Learning Communities

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Parents, K-8 teachers, and 4th-8th grade children participated as equals in math-focused learning communities through the Math and Parent Partners (MAPPS) program. Pre/post testing and qualitative interviews revealed that the learning communities served as a platform for improvement in mathematical knowledge for teaching of participating teachers. Moreover, teachers learned about parents’ knowledge and strategies, a construct analogous to Knowledge of Content and Students that we describe as “Knowledge of Content and Parents.” [For the complete proceedings, see ED584829.] Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Experimental Methods and Results in a Study of PBS TeacherLine Math Courses

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) sought to build on the strengths of high quality professional development through an online venture funded under the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready To Teach (RTT) program. PBS TeacherLine was designed to provide high-quality, facilitated online professional development for K-12 teachers nationwide. Through PBS TeacherLine, more than 20,000 educators have participated in 90 online, facilitated courses in reading, mathematics, science, instructional strategies, instructional technology, and curriculum mapping. To what extent has PBS TeacherLine been successful in creating an online model of teacher professional development that gets to the heart of education needs–impacting teacher beliefs, classroom instruction, and student learning? This paper presents the results from one component of the comprehensive external evaluation of PBS TeacherLine: an experimental study that unfolded in the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Middle Level Mathematics Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Growth through Professional Development: Differences Based on Mathematical Background

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Profile analyses were used to investigate differences in the self-efficacy growth of teachers with more and less mathematics background as the teachers participated in professional development across two summers. Professional development activities were associated with increases in teachers’ self-efficacy; however, without considering mathematics knowledge for teaching, teachers with more math background tended to benefit more than those with less background. Nonetheless, teachers with less math background had higher levels of teacher self-efficacy although this gap was closed by the last measurement. Such considerations are important when designing professional development as teachers may have different needs based on specific characteristics such as preparation in their teaching domain. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Enriching K-12 Science and Mathematics Education Using LEGOs

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper presents a series of illustrative LEGO Mindstorms-based science and math activities, developed under an NSF GK-12 Fellows project, for elementary, middle, and high school grades. The activities, developed by engineering and science graduate Fellows in partnership with K-12 teachers, are grade appropriate, address pertinent learning objectives, and adhere to the science and math learning standards of New York City and State. To measure the effectiveness of the use of LEGO Mindstorms-based lab activities in science and math lessons, pre- and post-lesson assessment surveys, consisting of content and evaluation questions, were administered to all participating students. In this paper, we provide: our motivation to investigate the effectiveness of LEGO Mindstorms-based lessons; descriptions of six LEGO Mindstorms-based science and math activities and their associated assessment; statistical analysis;… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – A Multisite Cluster Randomized Trial of the Effects of CompassLearning Odyssey[R] Math on the Math Achievement of Selected Grade 4 Students in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4068

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In an effort to identify instructional methods that might improve mathematics learning at the grade 4 level when used in a variety of educational settings under typical conditions, the REL Mid-Atlantic research team looked for promising, replicable practices that were being used broadly by teachers in U.S. schools, for which research showed promising results but had not been conducted using methodologies that can establish causal relationships. CompassLearning’s Odyssey[R] Math product met all of these criteria. Odyssey Math is a computer-based math curriculum developed by CompassLearning, Inc., to improve math learning for K-12 students. The software consists of a web-accessed series of learning activities, assessments, and math tools. These components constitute the basic framework of the software. CompassLearning professional development trainers presented the learning activities, math tools, and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Mathematics and Science Teachers Professional Development with Local Businesses to Introduce Middle and High School Students to Opportunities in STEM Careers

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: TechMath is a professional development program that forms collaborations among businesses, colleges, and schools for the purpose of promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. TechMath has provided strategies for creating highquality professional development by bringing together teachers, students, and business partners to allow teachers to design Problem-Based Learning (PBL) modules. Teachers reported that their participation enhanced their understanding of business applications for mathematics and science instruction. Results from surveys, questionnaires, and focus group sessions prompted recommendations for researchers, administrators, and practitioners interested in preparing students for STEM careers. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – The Emphasis of Inquiry Instructional Strategies: Impact on Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Efficacy

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Using a Mixed Methods approach, this study investigated changes in levels of self-efficacy among elementary preservice teachers following a semester course on teaching elementary students’ mathematics. Participants in this study included 347 preservice elementary teachers at a mid-size regional university who had just completed an elementary mathematics methods course. The data were collected from several semester groups. The instruments used were the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument, interview data, and observation data collected during the clinical experience. The focus of this study was to compare the changes in teacher self-efficacy following a methods course that emphasized hands-on mathematics instruction with manipulatives by means of the 5E instructional format. The results of the paired-samples t-test indicated that there was a significant difference in the preservice elementary teachers’ self-efficacy… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme (TEEP) is a CPD programme that aims to improve teachers’ classroom practice. TEEP training is offered as a whole-school approach by the Schools, Students and Teachers Network (SSAT). All staff in a school received three days of training over a period of two terms. A smaller cohort of teachers, chosen by the school leadership team, receive two further days of training the following term to help embed and develop the TEEP strategies across the school. The training focuses on developing pedagogical knowledge (for example, assessment for learning or collaborative learning), understanding different phases of learning (such as preparing for learning and demonstrating understanding), and effective teacher behaviours (including classroom management and interactive teaching). The programme provides a comprehensive language and framework for… Continue Reading