DEVELOPING A TEST FOR ASSESSING ELEMENTARY STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION OF SCIENCE TEXTS

This study reports on the process of developing a test to assess students’ reading comprehension of scientific materials and on the statistical results of the verification study. A combination of classic test theory and item response theory approaches was used to analyze the assessment data from a verification study. Data analysis indicates the test has satisfactory validity and reliability. The Reading Comprehension of Science Test (RCST) components have a wide range of difficulty, which suggests that the RCST is appropriate for a relatively large percentage of students. Based on the accepted relationships among science, language, and literacy, integrated literacy–science instructions are highly recommended.     

EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS IN SCIENCE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF LEBANESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ EPISTEMOLOGIES

Beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing have been investigated extensively in educational and developmental psychology research. Hofer??s framework on personal epistemology is adopted in the present study for assessing Lebanese university students?? epistemologies of science. Participants were 213 students in their first year of science-related studies at a private university in Beirut. Two instruments were used for data collection: The science-focused epistemological beliefs questionnaire (Hofer, 2000) and an 8-item instrument adapted from the modified version of the ??Views on Science?CTechnology?CSociety?? (Dogan & Abd-El-Khalick, 2008), and an additional item developed by the authors. Thirty students were purposively selected for completing the second instrument followed by a semi-structured interview. Data analysis yielded the following assertions regarding students?? epistemologies of science: (1) Scientific knowledge is liable to change; (2) the source of scientists?? knowledge is inherent to human??s construction, whereas the source of personal knowledge is independent from human subjectivity and based on external authority; (3) scientific knowledge is proven and validated through the concerted effort of scientists; and (4) absolute truth cannot be attained because of the lack of means to access knowledge. Findings highlighted the need to foster an academic culture that promotes students?? epistemologies and explicitly addresses the nature and processes of science in curricula and instruction.     

THE IMPACT OF PEER INSTRUCTION ON COLLEGE STUDENTS’ BELIEFS ABOUT PHYSICS AND CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

The purpose of this study is to assess students’ conceptual learning of electricity and magnetism and examine how these conceptions, beliefs about physics, and quantitative problem-solving skills would change after peer instruction (PI). The Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS), multiple-choice test was administered as a pre- and posttest with Solomon 4 group design to students (N  =  138) enrolled on freshman level physics course. The number of chapter taught to the students was 14. Problem-solving strategy steps were asked to students in the exam. The analyses of CSEM showed that the treatment group (g  =  0.62) obtained significantly higher conceptual learning gain than the control group (g  =  0.36). The conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills of the students on magnetism considerably enhanced when PI was conducted (37% and 20%, respectively). CLASS results for 5 subscales (conceptual understanding, applied conceptual understanding, problem solving general, problem solving confidence, and problem solving sophistication) supported the findings of CSEM.     

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ VIEWS OF THE ROLE OF MATHEMATICS IN THEIR FUTURE

We report on an international study about mathematics students’ ideas of how they will use mathematics in their future study and careers. This builds on our previous research into students’ conceptions of mathematics. In this paper, we use data from two groups of students studying mathematics: those who participated in an in-depth interview and those who completed an open-ended questionnaire. We found that their responses could be grouped into four categories: don’t know; procedural skills; conceptual skills; and professional skills. Although some students held clear ideas about the role of mathematics, many were not able to articulate how it would be used in their future. This has implications for their approach to learning and our approach to teaching.     

MATHEMATICS EDUCATORS’ VIEWS ON THE ROLE OF MATHEMATICS LEARNING IN DEVELOPING DEDUCTIVE REASONING

This study examines the views of people involved in mathematics education regarding the commonly stated goal of using mathematics learning to develop deductive reasoning that is usable outside of mathematical contexts. The data source includes 21 individual semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study show that the interviewees ascribed different meanings to the above-stated goal. Moreover, none of them said that it is possible to develop formal logic-based reasoning useful outside of mathematics, but for different reasons. Three distinct views were identified: the intervention–argumentation view, the reservation–deductive view, and the spontaneity–systematic view. Each interviewee’s view was interrelated with the interviewee’s approach to deductive reasoning and its nature in mathematics and outside it.     

BETTER COLLEGE INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS: THE ROLE OF THE STATE TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE AGENCY

Prospective two‐year college students often lack adequate information on the range of educational alternatives available to them. Increasingly, state level agencies are playing a role in responding to that need. This article reports on a. national study of state two‐year college agencies to determine the extent and comprehensiveness of the postsecondary educational information they provide to students. Results indicate that most states have information they send to prospective students, but it varies widely in quality and often overlooks information students say they want to know. States with model information are identified.     

COLLEGE ALGEBRA STUDENTS�� ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS IN THEIR CAREERS

The purpose of this study was to identify the degree to which college algebra students’ value mathematical skills in their prospective careers. A survey was administered to N = 144 students in 6 college algebra classes at a mid-sized doctoral granting university. Students in half the classes completed a data analysis project, and half of the students planned to major in a business-related degree. Logistic regression suggested that students held mostly positive attitudes about the value of mathematics in their career, with business students expressing more positive attitudes than those reported by non-business students. Unexpectedly, those who completed the data analysis project expressed less positive attitudes on 6 of the 20 survey items.     

STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF LARGE NUMBERS AS A KEY FACTOR IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF GEOLOGIC TIME

An understanding of geologic time is comprised of 2 facets. Events in Earth’s history can be placed in relative and absolute temporal succession on a vast timescale. Rates of geologic processes vary widely, and some occur over time periods well outside human experience. Several factors likely contribute to an understanding of geologic time, one of which is an individual’s ability to perceive the relative size of large time periods and to move multiplicatively through quantities that differ by many orders of magnitude. Thirty-five US students aged 13–24?years participated in task-based interviews to assess their understanding of large temporal periods. Fewer than half of the students performed well enough to indicate that their knowledge of large numbers was robust enough to enable them to understand processes in geologic time. Some students were confused about relationships between quantities in the thousands and millions, while others had difficulty showing proportional relationships among relatively small temporal units (up to 100?years). Students differed in their ability to perceive the entire scale upon which numbers were to be placed as well as broader problem-solving strategies. Spatial mapping of numbers was evident. Implications for future research are discussed.     

PREDICTORS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE OF AND ATTITUDES TOWARD ELDERLY SEXUALITY: THE RELEVANCE OF GRANDPARENTAL CONTACT

In this study, 241 young and middle‐aged adult college students completed the Aging Sexuality Knowledge and Attitude Scale, and provided information about their demographic and grandparental relationship qualities. Findings showed that greater age was associated with increased knowledge of elderly sexuality. Both the presence of contact and greater than average perceptions of closeness with at least one grandparent were predictive of more permissive attitudes toward elderly sexuality. Among the total sample, greater knowledge was related to more permissive attitudes toward elderly sexuality. However, the presence of contact with at least one grandparent moderated this relationship; young adults without grandparental contact presented a nonsignificant knowledge /attitude relationship. These findings suggest that future studies of younger age cohorts’ attitudes toward elderly sexuality should assess grandparental contact and relationship characteristics, as well as general demographic information such as chronological age. Health‐care educators also may need to reconsider the commonly held assumption that greater knowledge of elderly sexuality is associated exclusively with more permissive attitudes.     

MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF PROOF: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Current mathematics education reforms devoted to reasoning and proof highlight its importance in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. In order to provide students with opportunities to experience and understand proof, mathematics teachers must have a solid understanding of proofs themselves. In light of this challenge, a growing number of researchers around the world have started to investigate mathematics teachers’ conceptions of proof; however, much more needs to be done. Drawing on lessons learned from research and curricular recommendations from around the world, the main purpose of this paper is to review the literature on elementary and secondary mathematics teachers’ conceptions of proof and discuss international implications.     

ENHANCING MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS’ THINKING FROM ASSESSING AND ANALYZING MISCONCEPTIONS IN HOMEWORK

This study focuses on teacher learning of student thinking through grading homework, assessing and analyzing misconceptions. The data were collected from 10 teachers at fifth?Ceighth grade levels in the USA. The results show that assessing and analyzing misconceptions from grading homework is an important approach to acquiring knowledge of students?? thinking. By engaging in the inquiry process of the 4 steps of identifying errors, analyzing reasons for the errors, designing approaches for correction, and taking action for correction, the teachers made obvious progress in their knowledge of students?? thinking, understood the difficulties and challenges their students had in learning mathematics, and enhanced their pedagogical content knowledge.     

AFFECTIVE RESPONSES OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS TO SELF‐SELECTED CRITERIA OF SUCCESS

This study examines changes in the academic self‐concepts of a group of community college students who succeeded or failed according to their own standards for success. Over a 16‐week semester, the students who did as well or better than they wanted or expected to showed increased academic self‐concepts and higher standards for success. Students who did not succeed showed no changes in academic self‐concept, but lowered their criteria for success.     

PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS IN PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, AND BIOLOGY: A MIXED STUDY

The purposes of the study were to assess preservice teachers’ domain-specific epistemological beliefs and to investigate whether preservice teachers distinguish disciplinary differences (physics, chemistry, and biology) in domain-specific epistemological beliefs. Mixed-method research design guided the present research. The researcher explored three epistemological dimensions: certainty and simplicity of knowledge, justification for knowing, and source of knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative results suggested that a domain-specific epistemological beliefs system is a valid model to describe preservice teachers’ epistemological beliefs. In terms of epistemological beliefs, disciplinary differences in physics, chemistry, and biology were discussed in the last parts of the study.     

STUDENTS,STAFF, AND CURRICULUM IN A DAY TRAINING COLLEGE: A CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY COLLEGE,CARDIFF, 1890‐1914

The shift towards competitive examinations within the public service in nineteenth century Ireland must be viewed against the background of Ireland's colonial status and the thrust for national independence. Although the introduction of competitive examinations undoubtedly increased Catholic and nationalist access to government positions, the transition was limited by inequalities of access in the Irish educational system and by the Northcote‐Trevelyan civil service structure with its emphasis on an elite first division. The latter was a source of considerable resentment to many second division Irish civil servants. As a result, while political independence in 1922 resulted in considerable continuity of personnel and procedure from the British‐controlled civil service, there was a substantially greater emphasis on promotion from within the lower ranks of the civil service and a consequential division between the civil service elite of the new Irish state and the university sector.     

TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MATHEMATICAL GAMES AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL FOR CHILDREN’S LEARNING

In an effort to engage children in mathematics learning, many primary teachers use mathematical games and activities. Games have been employed for drill and practice, warm-up activities and rewards. The effectiveness of games as a pedagogical tool requires further examination if games are to be employed for the teaching of mathematical concepts. This paper reports research that compared the effectiveness of non-digital games with non-game but engaging activities as pedagogical tools for promoting mathematical learning. In the classrooms that played games, the effects of adding teacher-led whole class discussion was explored. The research was conducted with 10?C12-year-old children in eight classrooms in three Australian primary schools, using differing instructional approaches to teach multiplication and division of decimals. A quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test was employed, and the effects of the interventions were measured by the children??s written test performance. Test results indicated lesser gains in learning in game playing situations versus non-game activities and that teacher-led discussions during and following the game playing did not improve children??s learning. The finding that these games did not help children demonstrate a mathematical understanding of concepts under test conditions suggests that educators should carefully consider the application and appropriateness of games before employing them as a vehicle for introducing mathematical concepts.     

TURKISH PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS REGARDING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING

This study investigated Turkish preservice, elementary teachers’ personal mathematics teaching efficacy (PMTE), and science teaching efficacy (PSTE) beliefs at the end of their teacher education program. A majority of the participants believed they were well prepared to teach both elementary mathematics and science, but their PSTE scores were significantly lower than their PMTE scores. However, a significant correlation was found between the PMTE and PSTE scores. No significant gender effect on PMTE and PSTE scores was observed, but unlike the results from other countries, Turkish female preservice elementary teachers were found to have slightly higher PMTE and PSTE scores than their male peers. High school major area was found to be a significant predictor of participants’ PMTE and PSTE scores. Participants with mathematics/science high school majors were found to have significantly higher PMTE and PSTE scores than those with other high school majors.     

PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ INSTRUCTIONAL BELIEFS AND EXAMINATION OF CONSISTENCY BETWEEN BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

The purposes of this study were to determine preservice physics teachers’ instructional beliefs and to investigate the relationship between their beliefs and practices. The theoretical framework was based on the combination Haney & McArthur’s (Science Education, 86(6):783–802, 2002) research and Ford’s (1992) motivation systems theory. A multicase study design was utilized for the research in order to focus on a belief–practice relationship within several examples. Semistructured interviews, observations, and preservice teachers’ written documents were used to collect data. Results showed that most preservice teachers held instructional beliefs aligned with constructivist philosophy. Some of the preservice teachers’ beliefs were consistent with their practices while some of them presented different practices from their beliefs in different placements.     

REMOTE INDIGENOUS STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDINGS OF MEASUREMENT

It is widely accepted that mathematical learning builds upon students’ prior knowledge and understandings, and their identities. In this study, this phenomenon is explored with indigenous students in remote community schools in outback Australia. Through one-on-one task-based interviews, it was found that these students had some clear understandings of the measurement concepts involved, although these understandings were often idiosyncratic to these students in this context. The task-based one-on-one interview gave better insights into students’ knowledge than the written form of the National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy assessment. Nevertheless, the students’ conceptions provide a useful basis upon which to build subsequent knowledge, understanding and skills in the forms required by the formal mathematics curriculum.