eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study examined mathematical self-concept of college students and how it may develop differently between men and women. The study used data from a 1985 Cooperative Institutional Research Programs Survey and a follow-up survey in 1989 which included information from over 27,000 college freshmen and incorporates information acquired directly from institutions. The sample for the study was limited to 15,050 students attending 192 four-year colleges and universities. The data were analyzed in terms of characteristics at entry to college, intended choice of major, characteristics of the college environment, and college experiences. The dependent variable was students’ self-rating of their mathematical ability. Findings indicated that women are less confident than men about their mathematical abilities and that this disparity increases during the college years and is in large… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: While previous research has outlined factors that can be used to predict academic self-concept among college students, much of this research pays little attention to how self-concept develops differently for unique subgroups of students. This paper examines the development of mathematical self-concept during college for four groups of students who entered college with significantly different levels of math confidence: (1) men in math-intensive majors; (2) women in math-intensive majors; (3) men in non-math-intensive majors; and (4) women in non-math-intensive majors. Data are examined from surveys of over 14,000 college freshmen at 191 institutions who were followed up 4 years after college entry. Regression analyses describe how the factors contributing to the development of math self-concept differentiate among the four groups and suggest how women who persist in… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In an effort to explore significant supply and demand variables that affect the teacher labor market in the Southeast, a qualitative research study was undertaken to examine the market patterns of initial career choice, position availability, recruitment and selection, turnover, and mobility of public school teachers. An ethnographic investigation of schools or departments of education at six universities and six school systems in two southeastern states used document analysis, on-site observation, and interviewing to collect data for analysis of labor market variables. Five categories of inquiry guided the study: (1) background and contextual variables; (2) position availability, need, and turnover; (3) paths to education and teaching; (4) identification, recruitment, and selection of teachers; and (5) employment conditions and teacher alternatives. Following a review of the related literature… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Studies have found substantial sorting of teachers across schools, with the schools with the highest proportions of poor, non-white, and low-scoring students having the least qualified teachers as measured by certification, exam performance, and inexperience (Lankford, Loeb and Wyckoff, 2002). Yet, there have been substantial changes in the educational policy landscape over the past five years. New laws, including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), have changed requirements for teachers. Assessment-based accountability policies at the state-level have created standards and increased oversight of schools, especially those with low-achieving students. New routes into teaching, many with fewer requirements before teaching, have changed the cost for individuals to enter the teaching profession. These changes have affected teacher labor markets profoundly. In this paper the authors examine… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In this issue of the Occasional Paper Series, the authors reimagine progressive pedagogy within the framework of digital pedagogy and online practice. The issue begins with “Notes from the Special Issue Editors,” Helen Freidus, Mollie Welsh Kruger & Steven Goss. In the first set of essays, “Inside the Online Classroom,” the authors present the experiences of educators who have entered the square room but have refused to be limited by its constraints. These are teacher educators who have designed their courses for the online venue. Some enthusiastically chose to teach online; others were mandated to do so. Regardless of how their journey began, each author describes the work she or he is doing to bring constructivist practice online. To the surprise of each of these educators, they… Continue Reading →
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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 →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In 2002/03, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools initiated a broad program of accelerating entry into algebra coursework. The proportion of moderately-performing students taking 8th grade algebra increased from less than half to nearly 90%, then reverted to baseline levels, in the span of just six age cohorts. We use this policy-induced variation to infer the impact of accelerated entry into algebra on student performance in math courses as students progress through high school. Students affected by the acceleration initiative scored significantly lower on end-of-course tests in Algebra I, and were either no more likely or significantly less likely to pass standard follow-up courses, Geometry and Algebra II, on a college-preparatory timetable. We also find that the district assigned teachers with weaker qualifications to Algebra I classes in the first… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This qualitative case study reports on processes and outcomes of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). It addresses a critical challenge in studying systemic reform in complex organizations: the lack of methodologies that incorporate technical, social, cultural, and cognitive elements. Guiding questions include (a) how the institutional context influenced the project, (b) whether project activities affected science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction, interdisciplinary collaboration on preservice programs, and inter-institutional collaboration on in-service programs, and (c) if and how change initiatives are accepted and incorporated. In-depth interviews (N = 34), relevant documents, and observation data were collected in 2006 and 2007. Findings identified several factors that supported and several that inhibited achievement… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study was conducted to assess the first year of full implementation of a teacher incentive program (TIP) in South Carolina. The study examines the relationship between student achievement and teacher participation in one of several incentive model programs. The research also explores award winning teachers and their association with higher gains by students in reading and mathematics achievement scores. A stratified random sample of schools was selected from which all TIP award recipients and a matched control sample of nonparticipants were selected as subjects, limiting the study to classroom teachers of reading and/or math in grades 1-6 during the 1988-89 school year. Relevant characteristics for all teachers and their classes were recorded, along with achievement data for students. Results demonstrate that participants in TIP are associated… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Personalized learning places the interests and abilities of learners at the center of their education experience. Educators develop environments in which students and teachers together build plans for learners to achieve both interest-based and standards-based goals. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education worked with leaders at the Institute for Personalized Learning (IPL) to identify five K-12 schools for a 6-month research project documenting what personalized learning looks like in these schools. This research report presents the initial findings. The central questions and findings that guide this report are: How do IPL schools encourage students to be active participants in their learning? Educators in the IPL schools attempt to create a culture of agency by designing opportunities for students (and educators) to collaboratively control the… Continue Reading →
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