Mathematical Modeling in the Elementary Grades: Developing and Testing an Assessment

Mathematical modeling is a high-leverage topic, critical for college and career readiness, participation in STEM education, and civic engagement. Mathematical modeling involves connecting real-world situations, phenomenon, and/or data with mathematical models, and in this way applies across various STEM disciplines, including mathematics, engineering, and science. Although research has begun to explore mathematical modeling instruction in the elementary grades, questions remain about how to assess student learning at the elementary level. We addressed this need by designing an assessment of mathematical modeling competencies for students in grades 3 through 5. Informed by international research, our assessment includes a hybrid structure to assess mathematical modeling competencies holistically (as students engage in the complete modeling process) and atomistically (as students engage in different components of the modeling process, including making sense of phenomena and real-world situations, setting up and operating on mathematical models, and interpreting results in relation to the real-world context). We conducted student interviews, followed by two rounds of pilot testing to inform item development and ensure acceptable psychometric properties. The final assessment included 13 items (9 multiple choice, 3 open-response, and 1 complete modeling task). We describe our assessment development process, and provide sample assessment items and detailed coding rubrics. We summarize quantitative analyses which established high reliability and low standard error for our assessment, supporting its use for grades 3 to 5. Implications of our framework and assessment for mathematical modeling instruction and future research on STEM learning are discussed.

     

The managers guide to understanding,detecting, and thwarting computer crime: An international performance issue

Cyber crime poses an ever‐growing international threat to businesses. Organizations need to address this threat through a performance intervention by making managers aware of the reasons cyber crimes are committed so that they can detect and prevent them. This research details the primary types of cyber crime, describes and suggests managerial defenses to cyber crime, and reviews the importance of synchronized international legislation in the fight against cyber crime.     

Benchmarks Curricular Planning and Assessment Framework: Utilizing Standards Without Introducing Standardization

The national early learning community faces the challenge of using early learning standards and assessments to improve learning environments while preserving educators’ freedom to plan early childhood curriculum that accord with a child-centered focus and developmentally appropriate practices. Drawing on recent developments in approaches to undergraduate assessment, this article introduces an approach to curricular planning and assessment that uses state benchmarks as an umbrella structure to support curricular planning, assessment, and feedback among them. The benchmarks have a hierarchical structure that allows educators to think about benchmarks as embedded within educational goals, spanning different age-ranges, and involving activity across multiple domains of child development. The framework prompts educators to identify benchmarks for particular activities and to assess the age-appropriateness of activities and the degree to which they incorporate multiple domains of development. There are two primary curricular measures: (1) the match measure between educator predictions and observed activity, which provides timely feedback about the accuracy of educator predictions for different age-groups and across developmental domains, and (2) an open-ended measure, which provides information about the ways the children surprised educators by using the activity in an unpredicted manner. Both of these measures inform the development of classroom activities and curriculum. This article reports on the pilot implementation of this approach within an early learning program.     

Developing Timorese early years teachers’ pedagogy through an Australian mentoring programme

This paper explores the successful mentoring of Timor-Leste early years teachers by Australian teachers to expand their knowledge and practice of child-centred play-based pedagogy. The mentoring programme for the Timorese teachers occurred through an extended visit to a school in Victoria, Australia, for eight weeks to work with mentor teachers in their early years classrooms. Data were collected to explore the effectiveness of the programme through classroom observations and participant interviews. Observations were conducted in the classrooms of the mentees before the programme to provide context for the interviews and after the programme for indications of pedagogical change. The mentoring programme supported the Timorese teachers to reflect and review early years pedagogy. It led to changes in their teaching philosophy, design of learning activities and the inclusion of assessment practices. After two years the Timor-Leste teachers were using a child-centred play-based model of teaching and learning to guide the development, organisation and facilitation of learning activities at their kindergarten. The foundation of the mentor programme’s success was the trusted and equitable relationships between the teachers and the organisations involved. Understanding of cultural differences was acknowledged and supported the robust discussions and reflections that empowered teachers to take action.     

Fathers as sexuality educators: aspirations and realities. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Men can play a significant role in teaching their children about sexuality but fathers’ practices and perceptions in this domain remain under explored. This study presents an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of eight fathers’ perceptions and practices in educating their ten-year-old children about physical maturation, reproduction and relationships. A Foucauldian analysis with a focus on governmentality and biopower revealed tensions and contradictions between the fathers’ aspirations and their realities, which appeared to be underpinned by the dynamic, contradictory, shifting, plural nature of fatherhood identities. Whilst fathers wished to adhere to the cultural imperative for father–child emotional closeness, a disparity between their ambitions and their conduct emerged. Care appeared to be a deeply gendered concept for the fathers and despite their aspirations for an intimate relationship with their children, gendered norms for motherhood and fatherhood prevailed resulting in passivity in their role as sexuality educators. The study concludes by arguing that challenges to structures and subcultural contexts, which may deter fathers from fully engaging with their sons and daughters in this aspect of communication are required.     

Quantifying coordination among the rearfoot,midfoot, and forefoot segments during running

Because previous studies have suggested that there is a relationship between injury risk and inter-segment coordination, quantifying coordination between the segments is essential. Even though the midfoot and forefoot segments play important roles in dynamic tasks, previous studies have mostly focused on coordination between the shank and rearfoot segments. This study aimed to quantify coordination among rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot segments during running. Eleven healthy young men ran on a treadmill. The coupling angle, representing inter-segment coordination, was calculated using a modified vector coding technique. The coupling angle was categorised into four coordination patterns. During the absorption phase, rearfoot–midfoot coordination in the frontal planes was mostly in-phase (rearfoot and midfoot eversion with similar amplitudes). The present study found that the eversion of the midfoot with respect to the rearfoot was comparable in magnitude to the eversion of the rearfoot with respect to the shank. A previous study has suggested that disruption of the coordination between the internal rotation of the shank and eversion of the rearfoot leads to running injuries such as anterior knee pain. Thus, these data might be used in the future to compare to individuals with foot deformities or running injuries.     

Childhood acquired brain injury: the knowledge and training needs of special educational needs coordinators

The aim of this study was to further explore Special Educational Need Co-ordinators' (SENCos) knowledge of childhood acquired brain injury (ABI) and if they have received training on how to effectively support children and young people (CYP) with an ABI in school. SENCos from Nottinghamshire were asked to complete a survey face-to-face or online. Data reported by Howe and Ball (Support for Learning, 32, 1, 85–100), was also used to allow comparisons between different counties in the UK for knowledge of childhood ABI. Results indicated that SENCos from Nottinghamshire hold numerous uncertainties about childhood ABI, although less uncertainties than SENCos from the West Midlands. A majority SENCos from Nottinghamshire had not received training about childhood ABI. Additional challenges in supporting CYP with an ABI were also identified. The findings show a clear need for more training on childhood ABI across UK schools. It is also apparent that obtaining funding for CYP with an ABI can be a challenge for SENCos. However, further research is needed to determine what these barriers to funding are.