‘Voodoo maths’, asymmetric dependency and maths blame: why collaboration between school science and mathematics teachers is so rare

Mathematical reasoning and tools are intrinsic to science, yet the close and dependent relationship science has to mathematics is not reflected in either school education or science education research. This paper asks what the barriers are to a mutually beneficial relationship between the two disciplines. A two-phase qualitative interview study was used to explore the relationship between school science and mathematics education through the perspectives of science and mathematics education policy-makers and of teachers in departments which are unusual in collaborating. In total there were 36 participants. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings show that there is an asymmetry in the dependency between school science and mathematics: science is dependent on mathematics but the reverse is not true. We discuss three consequences of this asymmetric dependency: there is greater benefit for science from any collaboration; ‘maths blame’ can arise from science teacher frustration; and science educators may believe they should have some ownership of the mathematics curriculum. Asymmetry of dependency, and therefore of benefit, will make it very difficult for mathematics and science to work together in a way which is genuinely mutually beneficial.     

Contemporary poetry for the high school

The inadequate number of American young adults selecting a scientific or engineering profession continues to be a major national concern. Using data from the 23-year record of the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) and working within the social learning paradigm, this analysis uses a set of 21 variables to predict young people's employment in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or medicine (STEMM) at ages 36 to 39. The LSAY is one of the longest and most intensive longitudinal studies of the impact of secondary education and postsecondary education conducted in the United States. Using a structural equation model, the study found that mathematics continues to be a primary gateway for STEMM professions, beginning with algebra track placement in grade eight and continuing through high school and college calculus courses. Home and family factors such as parent education and parent encouragement of science and mathematics during secondary school also enhanced the likelihood of entering a STEMM profession.     

Integrating mathematics,science, and technology: effects on students

Few studies have examined the student learning effects of integrating science with mathematics and technology. We compared a school that integrated mathematics, science and technology in grade 9 to a school in the same district that taught the three courses separately. The distinguishing feature of the integrating school was the reorganization of instruction in the three subjects to prepare students for seven group projects (involving a total of 25 h) that required the application of knowledge and skill that were shared by the three subjects, as well as learning outcomes that were unique to each. The study detected benefits for students in the integrated setting in terms of their ability to apply shared learning outcomes, student motivation, ability to work together and attitudes to appraisal of group work. Female students in the integrated school had a better understanding of selected science learning outcomes. Attitudes toward mid‐term exams were higher in the control school.

     

The role that mathematics plays in college- and career-readiness: evidence from PISA

Many studies have found a strong relationship between the mathematics students study in school and their performance on an academic or school mathematics assessment but not on an assessment of mathematics literacy (ML). With many countries, like the USA, placing emphasis on finishing secondary education being mathematically literate and prepared for college or career, this raises the question about the relationship between the mathematics studied in school and any ML students may have. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ML assessment is embedded in real-world contexts that provide an important window on how ready students are to tackle the situations and problems that await them whether they intend to pursue further education beyond high school or intend to go directly into the labour force. In this paper, we draw upon the PISA 2012 data to investigate the extent to which the cumulative exposure to rigorous mathematics content, such as that embedded in college- and career-ready standards, is associated with ML as assessed in PISA. Results reveal that both exposure to rigorous school mathematics and experiencing the instruction of this mathematics through real-world applications are significantly related to all the real-world contextualized PISA ML scores.     

Using Learning Stories to Capture “Gifted” and “Hard Worker” Mindsets within a NYC Specialized High School for the Sciences

All science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators working in urban public school systems are expected to provide opportunities for students to develop foundational scientific literacy skills in mathematics and science learning. However, the demands on STEM educators teaching the “gifted” or “high-performing” students attending STEM-focused schools are much higher. Educators are expected to motivate, nurture, and propel the intrinsic or earned abilities these students possess. This article shares teaching- and learning-informed stories of a STEM educator (the author) and her students attending New York City Specialized High School for the Sciences. The goal is to document the complexities surrounding the notion of a gifted mindset: first from the author's own experiences as a female scientist and person of color and second from the narratives of the students. Teaching and learning within a prestigious public school for the sciences comes with many narratives of challenge and triumph. The learning stories of empowered students reveal that they desire opportunities in the STEM classroom for meaningful learning. Students who want to take ownership in their learning will find a way to appropriate meaningful learning, even in restrictive classrooms. Learning stories, as a theoretical framework and narrative assessment tool, are particularly useful in contextualizing the multi-dimensional aspects of being a STEM professional in education.     

Narrative Pedagogies in Science, Mathematics and Technology

Despite years of research, there remains serious concern regarding the engagement of students in science, mathematics and technology education. In this paper, the authors explore how narrative pedagogies are used in science, mathematics and technology in order to make the subjects meaningful. The paper focuses specifically on the role and aesthetic nature of narrative as a pedagogical approach in these school subjects and between school sectors. Case study methodology was used to compare the findings of two independent studies investigating the role of narrative-based pedagogies in mathematics and science (first author) and technology (second author). Based on this comparison, this paper proposes two perspectives on narrative-based pedagogies that deal with the connection of students with the subject: inward-looking that situated the learner within the story generated around artefact creation, and outward-looking that situated the stories of the content into students’ lifeworlds. The use of this comparative lens enabled a higher level of analysis that could not have been achieved by each research programme, generating a broader narrative that provided deeper insight into the teaching and learning experience.     

Social Values Associated with Cross-national Differences in Mathematics and Science Achievement: A cross-national analysis

This study explores several factors that account for cross-national differences in mathematics and science achievement for middle-school students from 39 countries based on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. The results suggest that economic development level, as measured by GNP per capita, has a positive but relatively weak association with mathematics and science achievement. In contrast, variables reflecting a society's value on education, specifically the education of mathematics and science, demonstrates strong effects on students' achievement. These variables include students' perceived rigour of mathematics and science - a proxy of academic standards of mathematics and science, students' school attendance, the length of a school year, students' educational aspiration, and the average number of parents living with the student. The evidence presented in this study supports the argument that education reform aiming at improving mathematics and science achievement can hardly be successful without the efforts of the whole society.     

美国数学与科学技术高中的课程及其特色

美国的数学与科学技术高中是以数学与科学技术为学校主题或特色的磁石学校,也是吸引该领域出类拔萃学生的一种选拔性高中或英才学校。其课程设置围绕其鲜明主题分必修课、选修课、科研实习课程与大学预科（AP）课程等四类,语言、人文社会科学及数学与科学技术等三组,具有深度与广度结合、学术性与职业性连接、统一标准与自主弹性兼顾等特色,体现着追求平等与卓越合一的教育理念与因材施教的精神。这对我国高中课程改革特色的凸显具有一定启示。     

Examining technology integration in middle school STEAM units

ABSTRACT

This research draws on a longitudinal study in which middle school math and science teachers enacted STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) teaching in their classroom after participating in intensive STEAM professional development aimed at increasing effective STEAM teaching. The authors address one important aspect in STEAM teaching, technology integration practices of teachers during instruction, and theorise their work using connected learning theory. Qualitative case study is used to identify and describe technology integration themes which emerged during STEAM instruction. Results suggest 17 of the 21 teachers participating in the study demonstrated technology integration involving one or more areas of instructional approaches, assessment and student use. The research expands what we know about how technology can be integrated in STEAM instruction and suggests ways to capitalise on technology to broaden access and appeal to all students during STEAM instruction.     

美国STEM教育改革的走向——基于《STEM2026:STEM教育创新愿景》的分析

为了更好促进美国STEM教育改革,美国出台了《STEM2026:STEM教育创新愿景》。该报告提出:STEM教育要从娃娃抓起;STEM教育要丰富生源,让更多弱势群体接受优质STEM教育;STEM教育要从校内走向校外,构建校内外一体化的STEM教育环境;STEM课程要注重学科的交叉整合,不仅要实现科学、技术、工程和数学之间的融合,还要重视STEM与其他学科的融合;STEM教学要融入游戏且具有风险性,让学生在探究中感知STEM教育的魅力,且养成不畏险阻的科学精神;STEM考评方式要多样且能促进学生更好地学习,为此考评方式要创新且具操作性。     

Transforming STEM Education in an Innovative Australian School: The Role of Teachers' and Academics' Professional Partnerships

The Australian Science and Mathematics School (ASMS) is a purpose-built innovative senior secondary school situated on the grounds of Flinders University, South Australia. The school was established to address declining enrollments in senior secondary mathematics and science, students' negative attitudes, a shortage of qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers, and a curriculum that lacked relevance to contemporary life. Such research evidence called for transformation in STEM education and acknowledged that teachers' professional learning was central to achieving transformation. A key professional learning strategy employed by the school to transform STEM education was the engagement of teachers and academics as professional partners in developing interdisciplinary curriculum. The value and challenges of the professional partnership are explored in this article, noting the importance of valuing rather than dismissing dissonance between the groups.     

数学教育中的素质教育分析

数学从小学到高中被作为三大主科,在大学时,又是理工类学生必修之课,由此可见数学是非常重要的。我国提倡素质教育,因此数学教学中也要进行素质教育。本文从数学教育中创新思维能力的培养、数学教育中学生智力发展的培养、数学教育中德育的培养、数学教育中人文素质的培养以及数学教育中美育价值的培养这几个方面对数学教育中的素质教育进行了分析。     

Mapping Curriculum Innovation in STEM Schools to Assessment Requirements: Tensions and Dilemmas

Specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools create niche areas in an attempt to attract the best students, establish the school status, and justify their privilege to valuable resources. One Singapore STEM school does this in applied science learning to differentiate its curriculum from the national prescribed curriculum. Reflecting on the issues of curriculum innovation from the perspective of a teacher and head of department in this school, the second author discusses the constraints in curriculum innovation in a specialized school context embedded within a larger system of the national curriculum. We reflect on her experiences in designing, planning, writing, and implementing applied science courses and the challenges in having to simultaneously address the standardized assessment guidelines.     

“Finding the Joy in the Unknown”: Implementation of STEAM Teaching Practices in Middle School Science and Math Classrooms

In response to a desire to strengthen the economy, educational settings are emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum and programs. Yet, because of the narrow approach to STEM, educational leaders continue to call for a more balanced approach to teaching and learning, which includes the arts, design, and humanities. This desire created space for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education, a transdisciplinary approach that focuses on problem-solving. STEAM-based curricula and STEAM-themed schools are appearing all over the globe. This growing national and global attention to STEAM provides an opportunity for teacher education to explore the ways in which teachers implement STEAM practices, examining the successes and challenges, and how teachers are beginning to make sense of this innovative teaching practice. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation of STEAM teaching practices in science and math middle school classrooms, in hopes to provide research-based evidence on this emerging topic to guide teacher educators.     

Single-sex schooling,gender and educational performance: Evidence using PISA data

The advantages and disadvantages of single-sex schooling continue to be a source of policy and public debate. Previous empirical evidence is somewhat ambiguous, with some studies finding a positive impact of single-sex schooling on education achievement and others finding no differences across school types. The relationship between single-sex schooling on academic outcomes is typically problematic to examine, as in most countries single-sex schools are selective and the numbers attending them are relatively small. In Ireland, a high proportion of secondary school children (~1/3) attend a single-sex school. In addition, these schools are largely state-funded and non-selective but differing in composition compared to mixed-sex schools. For this reason, the Irish educational system provides an interesting setting for exploring the outcomes of single-sex schooling. In this context, this study utilises the 2018 PISA data for Ireland to examine the relationship between single-sex education and mathematics, reading and science literacy performance for boys and girls, respectively, as well as differences across gender in these outcomes. We find significant raw gaps in reading, science and mathematics scores between females in single-sex and mixed-sex schools and in mathematics scores for males across the same school types. However, after controlling for a rich set of individual, parental and school-level factors we find that, on average, there is no significant difference in performance for girls or boys who attend single-sex schools compared to their mixed-school peers in science, mathematics or reading. In terms of heterogeneous analysis, this finding is consistent across the performance distribution.     

Science and Technology: an alternative perspective of science or an integration of disciplines?

Increasingly the curriculum area of science is being linked with technology. However, traditionally, technology education has been a major component of the ‘technical’ or ‘trades’ subjects in the secondary school. To what degree is this contemporary ‘science and technology’ an amalgamation of two previously separate secondary curriculum areas and what implications does this current development have for science/ technology teachers in training? This article is an account of one attempt to address these questions. It describes and evaluates an integrated undergraduate Bachelor of Education unit involving students from the specialist areas of science and design and technology.     

初中理科课程综合化的必要性

在我国，不论是农村学校还是城镇学校，初中开设综合性的理科课程，有利于培养学生的科学素养，有利于适应学生毕业后的实际需要。探讨初中理科课程综合化的必要性，可从以下五方面考虑：现代生产所引起的劳动力状况的变化及其对教育的新要求；科学技术的发展及其对现代教育内容的影响；义务教育科学教育目标的要求；初中学生思惟发展的基本特点；初中学生毕业后的大致走向。     

Mathematics education in China today: Four problem areas

The realization that an educated citizenry is essential to China's modernization has led to the national goal of nine years of compulsory education for all students by the year 2000. Among the many and varied problems encountered in efforts to educate the masses are those existent in mathematics education. The authors identify and discuss four critical areas — educational theory, technology, instruction, and assessment of teaching — which are of immediate concern in the mathematics education of primary and secondary school students in China.     

Factors Affecting Teachers’ Adoption of Technology in Classrooms: Does School Size Matter?

Researchers in educational technology have searched for factors to explain teachers’ acceptance and resistance to using technology for instruction. Among the many identified factors, however, organizational and school factors have not yet been explored and discussed. This study investigates the effects of school size on science and mathematics teachers’ adoption of technology in classrooms. Using national survey data collected from 940 science and mathematics teachers at junior high schools in Taiwan, we employed factor analyses, log-linear analyses, and three-way ANOVA techniques to examine interactions among school factors and teacher factors. Results obtained from the log-linear analyses suggested that both the interactions of school region with school size and school size with technology users were needed to explain teachers’ use of educational technology in classrooms. It appears that teachers at small schools were more likely to use technology for instructional purposes. Additionally, results of the study revealed that teachers at small schools tended to have positive attitudes toward technology use and that among users of educational technology in southern Taiwan, teachers at small schools designed and used significantly more instructional activities with technology. This study suggests that small schools provide a better environment for science and mathematics teachers to implement educational technology in instruction.     

THE INTERACTIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF NOT KNOWING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS: IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES

The day-to-day business of being a science or mathematics teacher involves the continuous assessment of students. This, in turn, is an inherently discursive process. The aim of the present study is to examine some of the specific discursive practices through which science and mathematics knowing is jointly produced through classroom interaction. In particular, we examine the coproduced nature of two students’ not knowing—one in an outdoor elementary school science lesson and the other in an elementary school mathematics lesson. Our analysis is based on ideas in discursive psychology and challenges conventional interpretations of students’ academic performance in school science and mathematics.