STUDENTS’ OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN TRANSFORMATIONAL ALGEBRAIC ACTIVITY IN DIFFERENT BEGINNING ALGEBRA TOPICS AND CLASSES

This study compares students’ opportunities to engage in transformational (rule-based) algebraic activity between 2 classes taught by the same teacher and across 2 topics in beginning algebra: forming and investigating algebraic expressions and equivalence of algebraic expressions. It comprises 2 case studies; each involves a teacher teaching in two 7th grade classes. All 4 classes used the same textbook. Analysis of classroom videotapes (15–19 lessons in each class) revealed that the opportunities to engage in transformational algebraic activity related to forming and investigating algebraic expressions were similar in each teacher’s 2 classes. By contrast, substantial differences were found between 1 teacher’s classes with regard to the opportunities to engage in transformational algebraic activity related to equivalence of algebraic expressions. The discussion highlights the contribution of the interplay among the mathematical topic, the teacher, and the class to shaping students’ learning opportunities. Specifically, the mathematical topic appeared to play a prominent role in certain situations, with the topic involving deductive reasoning generating high variation in classes of 1 teacher but not in the other’s.     

STUDENTS’ OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN TRANSFORMATIONAL ALGEBRAIC ACTIVITY IN DIFFERENT BEGINNING ALGEBRA TOPICS AND CLASSES

This study compares students’ opportunities to engage in transformational (rule-based) algebraic activity between 2 classes taught by the same teacher and across 2 topics in beginning algebra: forming and investigating algebraic expressions and equivalence of algebraic expressions. It comprises 2 case studies; each involves a teacher teaching in two 7th grade classes. All 4 classes used the same textbook. Analysis of classroom videotapes (15–19 lessons in each class) revealed that the opportunities to engage in transformational algebraic activity related to forming and investigating algebraic expressions were similar in each teacher’s 2 classes. By contrast, substantial differences were found between 1 teacher’s classes with regard to the opportunities to engage in transformational algebraic activity related to equivalence of algebraic expressions. The discussion highlights the contribution of the interplay among the mathematical topic, the teacher, and the class to shaping students’ learning opportunities. Specifically, the mathematical topic appeared to play a prominent role in certain situations, with the topic involving deductive reasoning generating high variation in classes of 1 teacher but not in the other’s.

     

STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO LEARNING IN REQUIRED MATHEMATICS COURSES IN SELECTED POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

This study was conducted to gain information pertaining to one of the most critical problems in individualization or personalization of instruction—an instrument that accurately assesses individual differences in community college students in terms that can be of value in the classroom. The subjects in this study, nursing students at Delta College in University City, Michigan, were tested with a cognitive style diagnostic battery developed by Oakland Community College and an observational minibattery developed by this researcher (selected elements of cognitive style). The results of these tests were checked in classroom situations.     

ANALYSIS OF THE LEARNING EXPECTATIONS RELATED TO GRADE 1–8 MEASUREMENT IN SOME COUNTRIES

This study analyzes measurement learning expectations involving area and volume in grades 1–8 across several U.S. states and high-performing TIMSS Asian countries, including Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. Based on a review of official curriculum documents, results of this study indicate that the mathematics content, grade placement, and cognitive level of learning expectations related to selected measurement topics vary markedly across states and countries. This variability in learning expectations results in striking differences in students’ opportunity to learn.     

FACTORS SHAPING STUDENTS’ OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN ARGUMENTATIVE ACTIVITY

This study examines how students’ opportunities to engage in argumentative activity are shaped by the teacher, the class, and the mathematical topic. It compares the argumentative activity between two classes taught by the same teacher using the same textbook and across two beginning algebra topics—investigating algebraic expressions and equivalence of algebraic expressions. The study comprises two case studies in which each teacher taught two 7th grade classes. Analysis of classroom videotapes revealed that the opportunities to engage in argumentative activity with the topic investigating algebraic expressions were similar in each teacher's two classes. By contrast, substantial differences were found between one teacher's classes with regard to the opportunities to engage in argumentative activity with the topic equivalence of algebraic expressions. The discussion highlights how the interplay between the characteristics of the mathematical topic, the characteristics of the class, and the characteristics of the teacher contributed to the shaping of students’ opportunities to engage in argumentative activity.     

BEGINNING PREKINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AND PRACTICES: SUPPORTS AND BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES

This study explores the beliefs and practices of nine beginning prekindergarten and kindergarten public school teachers and identified the sources of supports and barriers to their teaching. The teachers were graduates from one university's early childhood education program. Data were gathered using surveys, observations, and interviews. Overall, teachers professed to believe in and to use developmentally appropriate practices; they were also observed using more developmentally appropriate practices than developmentally inappropriate practices. Teachers reported a variety of sources of support and barriers to their teaching. Sources that were both supports and barriers were administration, co‐workers, curriculum requirements, parents, resources, and other. Sources reported only as supports were previous experiences, self, and continued education. Sources of barriers were class composition and school duties. In addition, teachers provided information about their teacher education program and on their expectations about teaching. The teachers suggested that teacher education programs needed to provide more field experiences and courses on classroom management. Some of the expectations the teachers had about teaching were unrealistic.     

SCIENTISTS’ PARTICIPATION IN TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE IMPACT ON FOURTH TO EIGHTH GRADE TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INQUIRY SCIENCE

The impact of a professional development experience involving scientists and fourth to eighth grade teachers of science was explored. Teachers attended a summer program at a research facility where they had various experiences such as job shadowing and interviewing scientists. They also participated in authentic inquiry investigations and planned inquiry units for their classrooms. Data on teachers’ understanding and implementation of inquiry were collected through surveys, questionnaires, and classroom observations. Findings show that the teachers’ understanding of inquiry improved and most participants were able to successfully implement inquiry science in their classrooms. Barriers to the implementation of inquiry practices and the impact of specific experiences with the scientists were explored.     

A PROBABILISTIC MODEL FOR STUDENTS’ ERRORS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ON THE STRUCTURE OF MATTER IN RELATION TO THREE COGNITIVE VARIABLES

In this study, the effect of 3 cognitive variables such as logical thinking, field dependence/field independence, and convergent/divergent thinking on some specific students’ answers related to the particulate nature of matter was investigated by means of probabilistic models. Besides recording and tabulating the students’ responses, a combination of binomial and multinomial logistic regression techniques was used to analyze the data. Thus, students’ misconceptions as well as the compatible-with-the-scientific-view student’s answers were explored one by one in relation to the above 3 cognitive variables. The study took place with the participation of 329 ninth-grade junior high school pupils (aged 14–15). The results showed that mostly logical thinking and sporadically the other 2 cognitive variables were significantly associated with students’ answers. Interpretation of the results and implications for science education are discussed.     

FROM A MARGINAL INSTITUTION TO INSTITUTIONAL MARGINALIZATION. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ‘CRIMINAL’ CHILDREN IN THE DUTCH PRISON SYSTEM. 1833‐1884

In half a century's time, between 1830 and 1880, the common treatment of criminal children in the Netherlands was totally overhauled. After discovering that the criminal child needed a different treatment than its adult companion, it was swiftly concluded that confinement in special prisons on its own wasn't a sufficient guarantee for better results. Next attention was shifted toward those children in the general group of criminal children, who hadn't been convicted by the judge and had been expressly sent in to receive reeducation. In the end, by an interplay of demand and supply, the majority of criminal children was not convicted but sent in to be re‐educated in newly founded reformatories.

This development wasn't initiated by the government but fostered by private enterprise, embodied in the Dutch Prison Society (the ‘Nederlandsch Genootschap tot Zedelijke Verbetering der Gevangenen’).

Although the reported results of the new institutions were positive, their animators lost interest and left for the neighbouring working area of residential care for children in danger who hadn't been tried in court.     

USING IN-DEPTH SCIENCE INSTRUCTION TO ACCELERATE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE AND READING COMPREHENSION IN GRADES 1?–?2

This study focused on accelerating development of science knowledge and understanding at the primary level (grades 1 – 2) as a means for enhancing reading comprehension (i.e. early literacy). An adaptation of a grade 3 – 5 cognitive-science-based, instructional model (Science IDEAS) that integrated science with reading and writing, this year-long study implemented daily 45-min instructional periods emphasizing in-depth, cumulative learning of science core-concept “clusters” while integrating science and literacy in a manner that provided teachers with a thematic focus for all aspects of instruction. Results (a) confirmed the feasibility of implementing the integrated, in-depth science model at the primary level and (b) showed that experimental students obtained significantly higher achievement on Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Science and Reading tests than comparable controls. Discussed are curricular policy implications for increasing the instructional time for content-area instruction at the primary level.     

ETHNICITY,GENDER, AGE,SES, AND ACTIVITY TYPE AS FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ INTERACTIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL AND U.S. PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

The interactions of 67 early childhood preservice teachers with International and U.S. preschool children in structured story time and unstructured table activities were videotaped and analyzed. Overall, preservice teachers displayed significantly more facilitative (e.g., ego boosting, teaching, questioning, and attending) than nonfacilitative (e.g., commanding, negatively responding, ignoring, and physical restraint) behaviors toward children. However, analyses of data relative to different ethnicity, gender, and activity type groups also revealed preservice teachers were relating to children in differential ways. Preservice teachers displayed significantly less facilitative and more nonfacilitative behaviors toward International children than U.S. children. In addition, preservice teacher‐child interactions with International children were rated as less positive and more negative than their interactions with U.S. children. Still also, preservice teachers displayed significantly less facilitative and less nonfacilitative behaviors toward girls than toward boys. Furthermore, preservice teacher‐child interactions with girls were rated as significantly less positive and less negative than with boys. Finally, preservice teachers displayed significantly more nonfacilitative behaviors toward children in structured story time activities than in unstructured table activities.     

SCIENCE AND NON-SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING AND ARGUMENTATION PERFORMANCE IN READING A SCIENCE NEWS REPORT

A scientifically literate person should be able to engage and critique science news reports about socioscientific issues from a variety of information sources. Such engagement involves critical thinking and argumentation skills to determine if claims made are justified by evidence and explained by reasonable explanations. This study explored university students’ critical thinking performance when they read science news reports. Undergraduate science/applied science (n??=??52) and non-science (n??=??52) majors were asked to select a science news report from Internet sources and then to read, critique, and make comments about its contents. The science and non-science majors’ comments and their quality were identified and assessed in terms of analyzing the argument elements—claims and warrants, counterclaims and warrants, rebuttals, qualifiers, and evidence. The results indicated there is significant difference in identifying and formulating evidence favoring science/applied science over non-science majors (p??p??相似文献