0

Eric.ed.gov – Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School Supports for Classroom Implementation of the MDC Framework

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality formative assessment tools to support teachers’ incorporation of the Core Common State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Lessons from the first generation of standards-based reforms suggest that intense attention to high quality instructional tasks, use of formative assessments embedded in those tasks, and professional development (PD) that attends to both content knowledge and instruction are essential considerations if teachers are to meet the demands of the CCSS. Experts from the Shell Centre have developed a set of formative assessment lessons (FALs) for high school mathematics teachers to facilitate CCSS-based student mathematics learning and provide teachers with feedback about student understanding and mastery. The tools are designed to target the “instructional core”… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Conducting a Mathematics Camp for Girls & Other Mathematics Enthusiasts

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Throughout much of the world, boys continue to outscore girls on standardized mathematics tests. For example, in most of the 57 countries that participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006, boys’ performance was significantly higher than girls on the mathematics scale. This fact alone can harm girls’ opportunities for competitive scholarships and entry into top colleges, attitudes toward the subject matter and themselves, and participation in mathematics-oriented occupations. Intervention programs are equitable measures for addressing the needs of special populations. They can have successful results in bolstering the knowledge, dispositions, and participation of underrepresented groups in domains in which they are marginalized. In this article, the author describes a mathematics and technology intervention program for middle-grades girls. This description of the Northern Nevada Girls’… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Bayesian Unimodal Density Regression for Causal Inference

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Karabatsos and Walker (2011) introduced a new Bayesian nonparametric (BNP) regression model. Through analyses of real and simulated data, they showed that the BNP regression model outperforms other parametric and nonparametric regression models of common use, in terms of predictive accuracy of the outcome (dependent) variable. The other, outperformed, regression models include random-effects/hierarchical linear and generalized linear models, when the random effects were assumed to be normally-distributed (Laird & Ware, 1982; Breslow & Clayton 1993), and when the random effects were more generally modeled by a nonparametric, Dirichlet process (DP) mixture prior (Kleinman & Ibrahim, 1998a,1998b). The authors argue that the new Bayesian nonparametric (BNP) regression model provides a novel, richer, and more valid approach to causal inference, which allows the researcher to investigate how treatments causally… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Mathematics: Essential Research, Essential Practice. Volumes 1 and 2. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This is a record of the proceedings of the 30th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA). The theme of the conference is “Mathematics: Essential research, essential practice.” The theme draws attention to the importance of developing and maintaining links between research and practice and ties in with the joint day of presentations with the 21st biennial conference of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT). This special feature highlights the benefits of collaboration between researchers, practicing classroom teachers, and curriculum developers. Volume 1 contains the following papers: (1) The Beginnings of MERGA (Ken Clements); (2) Teaching and Learning by Example: The Annual Clements/Foyster Lecture (Helen L. Chick); (3) Introducing Students to Data Representation and Statistics (Richard Lehrer); (4) Studies in the Zone… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Pamela Kaye’s General Math Class: From a Computational to a Conceptual Orientation. Research Series No. 172.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This case study presents a descriptive portrait of how one general mathematics teacher transformed her classes from a computational to a conceptual orientation. The outcomes of the transformation for student learning and instruction are discussed. The findings suggest student gains in computational competence, mathematical effort, and attitude via concept-oriented instruction exceeded notably the gains of students in other classes where instruction was computationally oriented. The study employed field-research methods including observations, interviews, and the collection of student data across the project’s three years to capture and describe the nature and effects of the instructional interventions. At the end of the intervention period, students and instruction were organized in ways that focused student interest, attention, and involvement on the learning of mathematics. Many illustrative segments of classroom interactions… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Mathematics Teaching for the Future

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The universities and faculties which educate teachers of mathematics for teaching pupils/students of any age group from pre-school age to higher education carefully monitor and compare valuable results of this research, detect the areas in which the mathematical achievements of pupils should be improved at the national level and propose the ways to improve the quality of education and achieve better learning outcomes. We deem particularly valuable contributions of the researchers regarding the samples of poorer mathematical achievements at the “local level” in neighbouring countries, as well as the presentation of examples of good practice by means of which we pave the path towards better achievements of pupils and, consequently, the improvement in the quality of teaching mathematics at the “local,” as well as the global level.… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Understanding the Meaning of Rural within a Middle School Mathematics Professional Development and Research Project in Nebraska. Working Paper No. 40

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Improving teacher quality in P-12 mathematics is a national need, and many universities and schools are working to address it. With the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), twelve math and science institutes across the country are helping P-12 teachers strengthen their capacity to support students’ learning. These NSF Institutes operate under the leadership of STEM university faculty, representing colleges of arts and science as well as colleges of education. The strategy is to build capacity by improving teachers’ content knowledge, pedagogy, and leadership skills. One such venture is The Math in the Middle Institute Partnership (M2) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). As part of their efforts to understand the place of rural in M2, the research team systematically interviewed the 63 rural participants from… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – PLATO[R] Achieve Now. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: “PLATO[R] Achieve Now” is a software-based curriculum for the elementary and middle school grades. Instructional content is delivered via the PlayStation Portable (PSP[R]) system, allowing students to access learning materials in various settings. Software-based assessments are used to customize individual instruction, allowing students to learn at their own pace with content appropriate for their skill level. “PLATO[R] Achieve Now” is aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics guidelines. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviewed 13 studies on “PLATO[R] Achieve Now.” One of these studies meets WWC evidence standards; the remaining 12 studies do not meet either WWC evidence standards or eligibility screens. Based on the one study, the WWC found no discernible effects for the math achievement domain. The one study is a randomized controlled… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Girls + Math + Science = Choices. A Conference for Young Women Interested in Exploring Career Options. A Handbook for Planners.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This is a handbook intended for use at a 1-day conference for 170 seventh and eighth grade girls, their parents, counselors, and math/science teachers. It is meant to stimulate interest in exploring career options in mathematics and science related areas. Sections included are: (1) “Introduction”; (2) “Conference Objectives”; (3) “Promotion/Recruitment”; (4) “Conference Day Format” (presenting the procedures and handout materials of the 1-day program); (5) “Recommendations–Do’s and Don’ts”; (6) “Follow-up Activities” (providing materials for the activities); and (7) “Resources” (listing media and organizations). (YP) Link til kilde

0

Eric.ed.gov – Mapping the Road to College: First-Generation Students’ Math Track, Planning Strategies, and Context of Support. Statistical Analysis Report. Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Reports.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This publication compares first-generation students (i.e., those whose parents have no more than a high school education) with their peers whose parent or parents attended college. It focuses on mathematics course taking–the effectiveness of taking algebra in 8th grade and advanced math courses in high school for subsequent college enrollment–and planning strategies students used to prepare for college. The report also examines the involvement of students’ parents, teachers, and other “institutional agents” capable of helping them prepare for college. The results of the study offer both negative and positive findings concerning the experiences of first-generation students. On the negative side, even after controlling for measures of academic achievement, family income, family structure (single versus two parents), and other related characteristics, first-generation students were less likely than their… Continue Reading