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Sample records for university mathematics students

  1. Attitudes of university precalculus students toward mathematics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhateeb, Haitham M; Mji, Andile

    2005-04-01

    To investigate the attitudes of 200 university students (83% freshmen) toward mathematics, a questionnaire was administered to report on their attitudes toward mathematics. Analysis indicated that students studying precalculus had a somewhat positive attitude toward mathematics.

  2. FEATURES OF FOREIGN STUDENTS PRE-UNIVERSITY MATHEMATICAL TRAINING

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    Наталья Александровна Пыхтина

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of improving the international competitiveness of the higher education Russian system at the global level by increasing the number of foreign students leads to the fact, that pre-university training is becoming essential for next years at higher educational programmes.Pre-university mathematical training of international students contributes to the scientific style formation of speech skills, which is so useful in higher educational institute. This article highlights some of the features of foreign students pre-university mathematical training.Design of “Mathematics” course methodical ware for preparatory departments of higher educational institutions is an important element of the educational process. Features of mathematics teaching are shown by the example of such important for foreign students pre-university mathematical training branch of mathematics like the set theory.The article also gives consideration to such aspects of mathematics teaching for foreign students as the inclusion of text mathematical problems in the “Mathematics” course programme for helping to achieve lexical skills and abilities, as well as the organization of individual work of the students with the use of information and communication technologies.The paper refers to the collection of exercises and tasks for the “Mathematics” course for foreign citizens studying at the preparatory departments of higher educational institutions, it additionally gives the themes of the course.

  3. University Students' Problem Posing Abilities and Attitudes towards Mathematics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grundmeier, Todd A.

    2002-01-01

    Explores the problem posing abilities and attitudes towards mathematics of students in a university pre-calculus class and a university mathematical proof class. Reports a significant difference in numeric posing versus non-numeric posing ability in both classes. (Author/MM)

  4. The Influence of Pre-University Students' Mathematics Test Anxiety and Numerical Anxiety on Mathematics Achievement

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    Seng, Ernest Lim Kok

    2015-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between mathematics test anxiety and numerical anxiety on students' mathematics achievement. 140 pre-university students who studied at one of the institutes of higher learning were being investigated. Gender issue pertaining to mathematics anxieties was being addressed besides investigating the magnitude of…

  5. Attitudes towards Mathematics of the students who enter University of Granada

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    Patricia Pérez-Tyteca

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Affective answers play an essential role in the process of teaching-learning mathematics. Within this field, the more studied construct in the last three decades is the attitude towards mathematics. This construct have been frequently related to gender differences between the students population as well as the students´ election of mathematics courses and university degrees depending on the level of mathematics that they present. For this reason, we have analyzed, using an adaptation of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (1976, the attitudes towards mathematics of the students who enter the University of Granada, in a global way and classifying the subjects by gender and by the fields of knowledge of their degrees.

  6. Difficulties First-Year University Mathematics Students Have in Reading Their Mathematics Textbook. Technical Report. No. 2009-1

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    Shepherd, Mary D.; Selden, Annie; Selden, John

    2009-01-01

    This exploratory study examined the experiences and difficulties certain first-year university students displayed in reading new passages from their mathematics textbooks. We interviewed eleven precalculus and calculus students who were considered to be good at mathematics, as indicated by high ACT mathematics scores. These students were also …

  7. Are students who have been educated in an outcomes-based approach prepared for university mathematics?

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    Johann Engelbrecht

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Following the political changes of 1994 in South Africa, the decision was taken to replace the traditional skills-based education system at primary and secondary school level (Grades 1 - 12 with an outcomes-based education system (OBE. The OBE approach, referred to as Curriculum 2005, was introduced into schools in 1998. The implementation of the OBE system did not occur without problems, giving rise to revised initiatives and a fair amount of criticism. The 2009 intake of students at universities is the first group of students that had been subjected to the OBE approach for their entire school career. This is also the first group of students for whom some form of mathematics was compulsory up to Grade 12 level in the form of mathematics or mathematical literacy. These students were characterised by the fact that their mathematics marks for Grade 12 were exceptionally high and that many more students qualified for university entrance. This article reports on the impact of this new education system on the mathematics prepared-ness of students entering university. The study involves an empirical analysis of the students in the first-year mathematics course for engineering students at the University of Pretoria as well as an analysis of a questionnaire completed by experienced lecturers at this university. The question addressed in this article is how the 2009 intake of students cope with mathematics at university level with regard to Performance General attributes Mathematical attributes Content-related attributesResults indicate a decrease in mathematics performance of these students at university level and that the inflated matric marks result in unjustified expectations. However, it is not unusual for marks to decrease from school to university and there is still too little evidence for serious concern. The study also indicates that these students seem to be better equipped with regard to personal attributes such as self-confidence and

  8. Correlates of Academic Procrastination and Mathematics Achievement of University Undergraduate Students

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    Akinsola, Mojeed Kolawole; Tella, Adedeji; Tella, Adeyinka

    2007-01-01

    Procrastination is now a common phenomenon among students, particularly those at the higher level. And this is doing more harm to their academic achievement than good. Therefore, this study examined the correlates between academic procrastination and mathematics achievement among the university mathematics undergraduate students. The study used a…

  9. Mathematics at University

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winsløw, Carl

    2015-01-01

    Mathematics is studied in universities by a large number of students. At the same time it is a field of research for a (smaller) number of university teachers. What relations, if any, exist between university research and teaching of mathematics? Can research “support” teaching? What research...... and what teaching? In this presentation we propose a theoretical framework to study these questions more precisely, based on the anthropological theory of didactics. As a main application, the links between the practices of mathematical research and university mathematics teaching are examined...

  10. Methodological Approaches to Experimental Teaching of Mathematics to University Students

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    Nikolay I.

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: the article imparts authors’ thoughtson a new teaching methodology for mathematical education in universities. The aim of the study is to substantiate the efficiency of the comprehensive usage of mathematical electronic courses, computer tests, original textbooks and methodologies when teaching mathematics to future agrarian engineers. The authors consider this implementation a unified educational process. Materials and Methods: the synthesis of international and domestic pedagogical experience of teaching students in university and the following methods of empirical research were used: pedagogical experiment, pedagogical measurementsand experimental teaching of mathematics. The authors applied the methodology of revealing interdisciplinary links on the continuum of mathematical problems using the key examples and exercises. Results: the online course “Mathematics” was designed and developed on the platform of Learning Management System Moodle. The article presents the results of test assignments assessing students’ intellectual abilities and analysis of solutions of various types of mathematical problems by students. The pedagogical experiment substantiated the integrated selection of textbooks, online course and online tests using the methodology of determination of the key examples and exercises. Discussion and Conclusions: the analysis of the experimental work suggested that the new methodology is able to have positive effect on the learning process. The learning programme determined the problem points for each student. The findings of this study have a number of important implications for future educational practice.

  11. Fundamentals of university mathematics

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    McGregor, C M; Stothers, W W

    2010-01-01

    The third edition of this popular and effective textbook provides in one volume a unified treatment of topics essential for first year university students studying for degrees in mathematics. Students of computer science, physics and statistics will also find this book a helpful guide to all the basic mathematics they require. It clearly and comprehensively covers much of the material that other textbooks tend to assume, assisting students in the transition to university-level mathematics.Expertly revised and updated, the chapters cover topics such as number systems, set and functions, differe

  12. The enhancement of mathematical analogical reasoning ability of university students through concept attainment model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angraini, L. M.; Kusumah, Y. S.; Dahlan, J. A.

    2018-05-01

    This study aims to see the enhancement of mathematical analogical reasoning ability of the university students through concept attainment model learning based on overall and Prior Mathematical Knowledge (PMK) and interaction of both. Quasi experiments with the design of this experimental-controlled equivalent group involved 54 of second semester students at the one of State Islamic University. The instrument used is pretest-postest. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Levene test, t test, two-way ANOVA test were used to analyse the data. The result of this study includes: (1) The enhancement of the mathematical analogical reasoning ability of the students who gets the learning of concept attainment model is better than the enhancement of the mathematical analogical reasoning ability of the students who gets the conventional learning as a whole and based on PMK; (2) There is no interaction between the learning that is used and PMK on enhancing mathematical analogical reasoning ability.

  13. Using the Construct of the Didactic Contract to Understand Student Transition into University Mathematics Education

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    Pepin, Birgit

    2014-01-01

    In this article the concept of the Didactic Contract is used to investigate student "transition" from upper secondary into university mathematics education. The findings are anchored in data from the TransMaths project, more particularly the case of an ethnic minority student's journey from his school to a university mathematics course…

  14. University Students' Metacognitive Failures in Mathematical Proving Investigated Based on the Framework of Assimilation and Accommodation

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    Huda, Nizlel; Subanji; Nusantar, Toto; Susiswo; Sutawidjaja, Akbar; Rahardjo, Swasono

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to determine students' metacognitive failure in Mathematics Education Program of FKIP in Jambi University investigated based on assimilation and accommodation Mathematical framework. There were 35 students, five students did not answer the question, three students completed the questions correctly and 27 students tried to solve…

  15. Exploring mathematics anxiety and attitude: Mathematics students' experiences

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    Sahri, Nurul Ashikin; Kamaruzaman, Wan Nur Farahdalila Wan; Jamil, Jastini Mohd.; Shaharanee, Izwan Nizal Mohd.

    2017-11-01

    A quantitative and correlational, survey methods were used to investigate the relationships among mathematical anxiety and attitude toward student's mathematics performance. Participants were 100 students volunteer to enroll in undergraduate Industrial Statistics, Decision Sciences and Business Mathematics at one of northern university in Malaysia. Survey data consisted of demographic items and Likert scale items. The collected data was analyzed by using the idea of correlation and regression analysis. The results indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between students' attitude and mathematics anxiety. Results also indicated that a substantial positive effect of students' attitude and mathematics anxiety in students' achievement. Further study can be conducted on how mathematical anxiety and attitude toward mathematics affects can be used to predict the students' performance in the class.

  16. Student transition into university mathematics education: transformation of people, tools and practices

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    Pepin, B.; Rezat, S.; Hattermann, M.; Peter-Koop, A.

    2014-01-01

    In this article the concept of Feedback and Self-Regulated Learning has been used to investigate student ‘transition’ from upper secondary to university mathematics education. The findings are anchored in data from the TransMaths project (at the University of Manchester), more particularly the case

  17. Applying an alternative mathematics pedagogy for students with weak mathematics: meta-analysis of alternative pedagogies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lake, Warren; Wallin, Margie; Woolcott, Geoff; Boyd, Wendy; Foster, Alan; Markopoulos, Christos; Boyd, William

    2017-02-01

    Student mathematics performance and the need for work-ready graduates to be mathematics-competent is a core issue for many universities. While both student and teacher are responsible for learning outcomes, there is a need to explicitly acknowledge the weak mathematics foundation of many university students. A systematic literature review was undertaken of identified innovations and/or interventions that may lead to improvement in student outcomes for university mathematics-based units of study. The review revealed the importance of understanding the foundations of student performance in higher education mathematics learning, especially in first year. Pre-university mathematics skills were identified as significant in student retention and mathematics success at university, and a specific focus on student pre-university mathematics skill level was found to be more effective in providing help, rather than simply focusing on a particular at-risk group. Diagnostics tools were found to be important in identifying (1) student background and (2) appropriate intervention. The studies highlighted the importance of appropriate and validated interventions in mathematics teaching and learning, and the need to improve the learning model for mathematics-based subjects, communication and technology innovations.

  18. Attitude toward mathematics among the students at Nazarbayev University Foundation Year Programme

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    Karjanto, N.

    2017-08-01

    This article investigates the attitude toward mathematics among the students enrolled in the Foundation Year Programme at Nazarbayev University. The study is conducted quantitatively and an inventory developed by Tapia and Marsh II is adopted in this research. The inventory consists of 40 statements on the five-point Likert scale. Gender, specialization and final high school score in mathematics are collected. The number of valid returned questionnaires is 108. There are 55 males, 53 females, 73 Mathematical-Physics (MP), 22 Biology-Chemistry (BC) and 13 International Relations-Economics (IRE) students. Generally, they have a positive attitude toward mathematics, with the score mean and standard deviation are 3.999 and 0.531 out of five, respectively. We confirm a hypothesis on a positive correlation between previous high achievement in mathematics and favorable attitude toward it. The correlation value is r = 0.300, its effect size is medium and it is extremely significant (p-value = 0.0008 0.05). There is a very significant difference between students who specialize in IRE and MP in terms of their attitude toward mathematics (F(2, 105) = 5.6848, p-value = 0.0045 < 0.01).

  19. Improving University Students' Perception of Mathematics and Mathematics Ability

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    Shelly L. Wismath

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Although mathematical and quantitative reasoning skills are an essential part of adult life in our society, many students arrive at post-secondary education without such skills. Taking a standard mathematics course such as calculus may do little to improve those skills. Using a modification of the Tapia & Marsh questionnaire, we surveyed 62 students taking a broad quantitative reasoning course designed to develop quantitative skills, with respect to two broad attitudinal areas: students’ perception of their own ability, confidence and anxiety, and their perception of the value of mathematics in their studies and their lives. Pre- to post-course comparisons were done by both paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Our results showed a significant increase in confidence and decrease in anxiety, while perception of the value of mathematics was already high and changed little by the end of the course.

  20. A multidimensional approach to training mathematics students at a university: improving the efficiency through the unity of social, psychological and pedagogical aspects

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    Kuznetsova, Elena; Matytcina, Marina

    2018-04-01

    The article deals with social, psychological and pedagogical aspects of teaching mathematics students at universities. The sociological portrait and the factors influencing a career choice of a mathematician have been investigated through the survey results of 198 first-year students of applied mathematics major at 27 state universities (Russia). Then, psychological characteristics of mathematics students have been examined based on scientific publications. The obtained results have allowed us to reveal pedagogical conditions and specific ways of training mathematics students in the process of their education at university. The article also contains the analysis of approaches to the development of mathematics education both in Russia and in other countries. The results may be useful for teaching students whose training requires in-depth knowledge of mathematics.

  1. Developing Digital Technologies for Undergraduate University Mathematics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

    2013-01-01

    Our research effort presented in this paper relates with developing digital tools for mathematics education at undergraduate university level. It focuses specifically on studies where mathematics is not a core subject but it is very important in order to cope with core subjects. For our design, we...... requirements for the development of digital tools that support mathematics teaching and learning at university level....... during lectures and exercise time. During these observations we were able to investigate how the applets were used in practice but also to get insight in the challenges that the students face during mathematics learning. These findings together with student feedback inspire the next round of design...

  2. Mathematical thinking styles of undergraduate students and their achievement in mathematics

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    Risnanosanti

    2017-08-01

    The main purpose of this study is to analyze the role of mathematical thinking styles in students' achievement in mathematics. On the basis of this study, it is also to generate recommendation for classroom instruction. The two specific aims are; first to observe students' mathematical thinking styles during problem solving, the second to asses students' achievement in mathematics. The data were collected by using Mathematical Thinking Styles questionnaires and test of students' achievement in mathematics. The subject in this study was 35 students from third year at mathematics study program of Muhammadiyah University of Bengkulu in academic year 2016/2017. The result of this study was that the students have three mathematical thinking styles (analytic, visual, and integrated), and the students who have analytic styles have better achievement than those who have visual styles in mathematics.

  3. The Nature of Feedback Given to Elementary Student Teachers from University Supervisors after Observations of Mathematics Lessons

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    Schwartz, Catherine; Walkowiak, Temple A.; Poling, Lisa; Richardson, Kerri; Polly, Drew

    2018-01-01

    This research explores the frequency and nature of mathematics-specific feedback given to elementary student teachers by university supervisors across a collection of post-lesson observation forms. Approximately one-third of the forms (n = 250) analysed from five large universities had no comments related to mathematics. Forms that did have…

  4. Attitude toward Mathematics among the Students at Nazarbayev University Foundation Year Programme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karjanto, N.

    2017-01-01

    This article investigates the attitude toward mathematics among the students enrolled in the Foundation Year Programme at Nazarbayev University. The study is conducted quantitatively and an inventory developed by Tapia and Marsh II is adopted in this research. The inventory consists of 40 statements on the five-point Likert scale. Gender,…

  5. Success-Factors in Transition to University Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bengmark, S.; Thunberg, H.; Winberg, T. M.

    2017-01-01

    This study examines different factors' relative importance for students' performance in the transition to university mathematics. Students' characteristics (motivation, actions and beliefs) were measured when entering the university and at the end of the first year. Principal component analysis revealed four important constructs:…

  6. Using the construct of the Didactic Contract to understand student transition into university mathematics education.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pepin, B.

    2014-01-01

    In this article the concept of the Didactic Contract is used to investigate student ‘transition’ from upper secondary into university mathematics education. The findings are anchored in data from the TransMaths project, more particularly the case of an ethnic minority student's journey from his

  7. Educational Cloud Services and the Mathematics Confidence, Affective Engagement, and Behavioral Engagement of Mathematics Education Students in Public University in Benue State, Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iji, Clement Onwu; Abah, Joshua Abah; Anyor, Joseph Wuave

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated the impact of cloud services on mathematics education students' mathematics confidence, affective engagement, and behavioral engagement in public universities in Benue State, Nigeria. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The instrument for the study was the researcher-developed Cloud Services Mathematics…

  8. Multiple Intelligences Patterns of Students at King Saud University and Its Relationship with Mathematics' Achievement

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    Kandeel, Refat A. A.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the multiple intelligences patterns of students at King Saud University and its relationship with academic achievement for the courses of Mathematics. The study sample consisted of 917 students were selected a stratified random manner, the descriptive analysis method and Pearson correlation were used, the…

  9. University Students' Reading of Their First-Year Mathematics Textbooks

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    Shepherd, Mary D.; Selden, Annie; Selden, John

    2012-01-01

    This article reports the observed behaviors and difficulties that 11 precalculus and calculus students exhibited in reading new passages from their mathematics textbooks. To gauge the "effectiveness" of these students' reading, we asked them to attempt straightforward mathematical tasks, based directly on what they had just read. The…

  10. Developmental Mathematics Students: Who are They and What is Their Mathematics Self-Efficacy?

    OpenAIRE

    Baxter, Ryan; Bates, Alan; Al-Bataineh, Adel Tawfig

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine differences indevelopmental mathematics students’ self-efficacy within the demographic datafrom the survey. Data from a sample of 240 Intermediate Algebra students at asingle four-year university using the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Resultsindicate that males possess higher levels of mathematics self-efficacy andconfidence with their mathematical abilities than females. Students whocompleted a lower developmental mathematics course prior ...

  11. Relationships of Some Socio-Personal Factors to Mathematics Achievement of Secondary School and University Students in Bophuthatswana.

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    Maqsud, Muhammad; Khalique, Chaudhry M.

    1991-01-01

    Two separate studies examined sex differences in high school and university students in Bophuthatswana on socio-personal variables. Study 1 (n=109) involving socioeconomic status, school alienation, sex, self-concept, mathematics attitude, and mathematics achievement indicated boys scored significantly higher on attitude and achievement. Study 2…

  12. Developmental Mathematics Students: Who are They and What is Their Mathematics Self-Efficacy?

    OpenAIRE

    Ryan Baxter; Alan Bates; Adel Tawfig Al-Bataineh

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine differences in developmental mathematics students’ self-efficacy within the demographic data from the survey. Data from a sample of 240 Intermediate Algebra students at a single four-year university using the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Results indicate that males possess higher levels of mathematics self-efficacy and confidence with their mathematical abilities than females. Students who completed a lower developmental mathematics course ...

  13. Using GeoGebra for Mathematics Education at University Undergraduate Level

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

    Our research effort presented in this talk relates with developing digital tools for mathematics education at undergraduate university level. It focuses specifically on studies where mathematics is not a core subject but it is very important in order to cope with core subjects. For our design, we...... feedback inspire the next round of design requirements for the development of digital tools that support mathematics teaching and learning at university level....... conducted observations of teachers and students during lectures and exercise time. During these observations we were able to investigate how the applets were used in practice but also to get insight in the challenges that the students face during mathematics learning. These findings together with student...

  14. The Effectiveness of Guided Discovery Learning to Teach Integral Calculus for the Mathematics Students of Mathematics Education Widya Dharma University

    OpenAIRE

    Yuliana, Yuliana; Tasari, Tasari; Wijayanti, Septiana

    2017-01-01

    The objectives of this research are (1) to develop Guided Discovery Learning in integral calculus subject; (2) to identify the effectiveness of Guided Discovery Learning in improving the students' understanding toward integral calculus subject. This research was quasy experimental research with the students of even semester in Mathematics Education Widya Dharma University as the sample. Cluster Random sampling was conducted to determine control group that was taught using Conventional model a...

  15. Using Digital Games to Learn Mathematics – What students think?

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    Su Ting Yong

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to explore how university foundation students perceive the use of digital games in learning mathematics. Data was collected using an online questionnaire and 209 foundation university students participated in this study.  The questionnaire was used to explore students’ gaming experience and students’ attitude towards mathematics learning with digital games.  It was found that most of the university foundation students liked to play different types of digital games.  Males preferred playing digital games in more traditional male genres namely sport, racing, shooter, action adventure, role play and strategy games.  As for females, they generally preferred playing puzzle and simulation games.  Astonishingly, the foundation students were not very positive towards the use of digital games in learning mathematics, and their attitude was essentially influenced by their mathematics interest.  Students with greater interest in mathematics were more likely to support the use of digital games in learning. 

  16. Assessment of Students' Mathematical Competency, a case Study in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    *Department of mathematics, Dire-Dawa University Ethiopia, e-mail: ... Statistics. Unless the university mathematical competency of these students reaches the desired level, any effort to ..... Applications of Derivative. • Partial Derivatives.

  17. Adaptation of abbreviated mathematics anxiety rating scale for engineering students

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    Nordin, Sayed Kushairi Sayed; Samat, Khairul Fadzli; Sultan, Al Amin Mohamed; Halim, Bushra Abdul; Ismail, Siti Fatimah; Mafazi, Nurul Wirdah

    2015-05-01

    Mathematics is an essential and fundamental tool used by engineers to analyse and solve problems in their field. Due to this, most engineering education programs involve a concentration of study in mathematics courses whereby engineering students have to take mathematics courses such as numerical methods, differential equations and calculus in the first two years and continue to do so until the completion of the sequence. However, the students struggled and had difficulties in learning courses that require mathematical abilities. Hence, this study presents the factors that caused mathematics anxiety among engineering students using Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (AMARS) through 95 students of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM). From 25 items in AMARS, principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that there are four mathematics anxiety factors, namely experiences of learning mathematics, cognitive skills, mathematics evaluation anxiety and students' perception on mathematics. Minitab 16 software was used to analyse the nonparametric statistics. Kruskal-Wallis Test indicated that there is a significant difference in the experience of learning mathematics and mathematics evaluation anxiety among races. The Chi-Square Test of Independence revealed that the experience of learning mathematics, cognitive skills and mathematics evaluation anxiety depend on the results of their SPM additional mathematics. Based on this study, it is recommended to address the anxiety problems among engineering students at the early stage of studying in the university. Thus, lecturers should play their part by ensuring a positive classroom environment which encourages students to study mathematics without fear.

  18. "This is what you need to be learning": an analysis of messages received by first-year mathematics students during their transition to university

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    Kouvela, Eirini; Hernandez-Martinez, Paul; Croft, Tony

    2017-10-01

    This paper explores the messages that first-year mathematics students receive in the context of their academic studies during their transition from school to university mathematics. Through observations of lectures and discussions with first-year mathematics undergraduates in an English university, we identified and analysed the messages that two of their lecturers transmitted to them during this transitional phase. The results suggest that strongly framed messages are more easily perceived by students and affect them during their transition. Additionally, messages that have been received in the school context continue to have control over students' thinking and on many occasions can impede adjustment to the new setting.

  19. "This is what you need to be learning": an analysis of messages received by first-year mathematics students during their transition to university

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kouvela, Eirini; Hernandez-Martinez, Paul; Croft, Tony

    2018-06-01

    This paper explores the messages that first-year mathematics students receive in the context of their academic studies during their transition from school to university mathematics. Through observations of lectures and discussions with first-year mathematics undergraduates in an English university, we identified and analysed the messages that two of their lecturers transmitted to them during this transitional phase. The results suggest that strongly framed messages are more easily perceived by students and affect them during their transition. Additionally, messages that have been received in the school context continue to have control over students' thinking and on many occasions can impede adjustment to the new setting.

  20. Using Digital Games to Learn Mathematics – What students think?

    OpenAIRE

    Su Ting Yong; Ian Harrison; Peter Gates

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore how university foundation students perceive the use of digital games in learning mathematics. Data was collected using an online questionnaire and 209 foundation university students participated in this study.  The questionnaire was used to explore students’ gaming experience and students’ attitude towards mathematics learning with digital games.  It was found that most of the university foundation students liked to play different types of digital games.  ...

  1. The Exponential Growth of Mathematics and Technology at the University of Portsmouth

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    McCabe, Michael

    2009-01-01

    The number of students studying university mathematics in the UK has been increasing gradually and linearly since 2002. At the University of Portsmouth, number of students studying mathematics doubled from 30 to 60 between 2002 and 2007, then increased by 240% in just 1 year to over 140 in 2008. This article explains how learning technology has…

  2. Organization of work with training mathematical text for technical university students under conditions of informatization of education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Михаил Владимирович Поспелов

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the model of the organization of working with training mathematical text for technical university students. Need for development of training text works competencies of first-year students is proved. The impact of learning materials transition into hypertext format on training text works organizing theory is cleared. Training text works organizing stages are described.

  3. How to make university students solve physics problems requiring mathematical skills: The "Adventurous Problem Solving" approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Mul, F.F.M.; Martin Batlle, C.; Martin i Batlle, Cristina; de Bruijn, Imme; Rinzema, K.; Rinzema, Kees

    2003-01-01

    Teaching physics to first-year university students (in the USA: junior/senior level) is often hampered by their lack of skills in the underlying mathematics, and that in turn may block their understanding of the physics and their ability to solve problems. Examples are vector algebra, differential

  4. Are OBE‐trained learners ready for university mathematics?

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    Johann Engelbrecht

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The 2009 intake of university students were the first to have received complete school education within the recently implemented Outcomes‐Based Education (OBE system. A feature of the matriculation examination results of these students was the exceptionally high Grade 12 marks for Mathematics. This paper addresses the question of how the 2009‐ intake of students performed at university with respect to general performance, general attributes, mathematical attributes and content related attributes. It appears that these students are better prepared with respect to personal attributes such as confidence. However, in many instances they are weaker than their predecessors with respect to mathematical and content related attributes. Yet, there are positive indications that these students adapt and improve over a semester. We make some suggestions on how to make the transition from secondary to university mathematics somewhat smoother.

  5. Mindset Matters: Supporting Student Persistence Through The Developmental Mathematics Pipeline

    OpenAIRE

    Kiser, Tracey Nicole

    2016-01-01

    Abstract of the DissertationMindset Matters: Supporting Student Persistence Through The Developmental Mathematics PipelinebyTracey Nicole KiserDoctor of Education in Teaching and LearningUniversity of California, San Diego, 2016Christopher P. Halter, ChairDevelopmental mathematics is one of the most challenging leaks in the mathematics K-20 pipeline. Few students enter two-year colleges prepared to successfully engage in college-level mathematics classes. Many of students who place into devel...

  6. An institutional approach to university mathematics education:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winsløw, Carl; Barquero, Berta; De Vleeschouwer, Martine

    2014-01-01

    University mathematics education (UME) is considered, in this paper, as a kind of didactic practice – characterised by institutional settings and by the purpose of inducting students into mathematical practices. We present a research programme – the anthropological theory of the didactic (ATD......) – in which this rough definition can be made much more precise; we also outline some cases of ATD-based research on UME. Three cases are presented in more detail. The first is a theoretical and empirical study of the topic of dual vector spaces, as it appears in undergraduate courses on linear algebra...... for engineering students....

  7. Mathematics Student Teachers' Epistemological Beliefs about the Nature of Mathematics and the Goals of Mathematics Teaching and Learning in the Beginning of Their Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viholainen, Antti; Asikainen, Mervi; Hirvonen, Pekka E.

    2014-01-01

    This article examines Finnish mathematics student teachers' epistemological beliefs concerning the nature of mathematics and the goals of mathematics teaching and learning solely in the beginning of their studies at university. A total of 18 students participated in a study consisting of a short questionnaire and interviews. The data was analyzed…

  8. Using Sport to Engage and Motivate Students to Learn Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Carol L.

    2012-01-01

    This article describes how technology has been used to motivate the learning of mathematics for students of Sports Technology at Loughborough University. Sports applications are introduced whenever appropriate and Matlab is taught to enable the students to solve realistic problems. The mathematical background of the students is varied and the…

  9. Students Build Mathematical Theory: Semantic Warrants in Argumentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Janet G.; Barros, Tara

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we explore the development of two grounded theories. One theory is mathematical and grounded in the work of university calculus students' collaborative development of mathematical methods for finding the volume of a solid of revolution, in response to mathematical necessity in problem solving, without prior instruction on solution…

  10. A Mathematics Support Programme for First-Year Engineering Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillock, Poh Wah; Jennings, Michael; Roberts, Anthony; Scharaschkin, Victor

    2013-01-01

    This article describes a mathematics support programme at the University of Queensland, targeted at first-year engineering students identified as having a high risk of failing a first-year mathematics course in calculus and linear algebra. It describes how students were identified for the programme and the main features of the programme. The…

  11. Growing geometric reasoning in solving problems of analytical geometry through the mathematical communication problems to state Islamic university students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mujiasih; Waluya, S. B.; Kartono; Mariani

    2018-03-01

    Skills in working on the geometry problems great needs of the competence of Geometric Reasoning. As a teacher candidate, State Islamic University (UIN) students need to have the competence of this Geometric Reasoning. When the geometric reasoning in solving of geometry problems has grown well, it is expected the students are able to write their ideas to be communicative for the reader. The ability of a student's mathematical communication is supposed to be used as a marker of the growth of their Geometric Reasoning. Thus, the search for the growth of geometric reasoning in solving of analytic geometry problems will be characterized by the growth of mathematical communication abilities whose work is complete, correct and sequential, especially in writing. Preceded with qualitative research, this article was the result of a study that explores the problem: Was the search for the growth of geometric reasoning in solving analytic geometry problems could be characterized by the growth of mathematical communication abilities? The main activities in this research were done through a series of activities: (1) Lecturer trains the students to work on analytic geometry problems that were not routine and algorithmic process but many problems that the process requires high reasoning and divergent/open ended. (2) Students were asked to do the problems independently, in detail, complete, order, and correct. (3) Student answers were then corrected each its stage. (4) Then taken 6 students as the subject of this research. (5) Research subjects were interviewed and researchers conducted triangulation. The results of this research, (1) Mathematics Education student of UIN Semarang, had adequate the mathematical communication ability, (2) the ability of this mathematical communication, could be a marker of the geometric reasoning in solving of problems, and (3) the geometric reasoning of UIN students had grown in a category that tends to be good.

  12. Students' Perceptions of Assessment in Undergraduate Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iannone, Paola; Simpson, Adrian

    2013-01-01

    A consistent message emerges from research on undergraduate students' perceptions of assessment which describes traditional assessment as detrimental to learning. However this literature has not included students in the pure sciences. Mathematics education literature advocates the introduction of innovative assessment at university. In this…

  13. Mitigating the Mathematical Knowledge Gap between High School and First Year University Chemical Engineering Mathematics Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basitere, Moses; Ivala, Eunice

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports on a study carried out at a University of Technology, South Africa, aimed at identifying the existence of the mathematical knowledge gap and evaluating the intervention designed to bridge the knowledge gap amongst students studying first year mathematics at the Chemical Engineering Extended Curriculum Program (ECP). In this…

  14. Effectiveness of teaching and learning mathematics for Thai university engineering students through a combination of activity and lecture based classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parinya S. Ngiamsunthorn

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available There are concerns of developing effective pedagogical practices for teaching mathematics for engineering students as many engineering students experience difficulties in learning compulsory mathematics subjects in their first and second years of the degree. This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of using a variety of teaching and learning approaches including lecture based learning, activity based learning, e-learning via learning management system (LMS and practice or tutorial session in mathematics subjects for engineering students. This study was carried out on 160 students who need to enroll three basic mathematics subjects (MTH101, MTH102 and MTH201 for an engineering degree during academic year 2011 – 2012. The students were divided into three groups according to their majors of study. The first two groups of students were given a combination of various teaching approaches for only one semester (either MTH102 or MTH201, while the last group was given a combination of various teaching approaches for two semesters (both MTH102 and MTH201. To evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning, examination results, questionnaires on attitude towards teaching and learning, and a formal university teaching evaluation by students were collected and analyzed. It is found that different students perceive mathematics contents from different teaching methods according to their preferred learning styles. Moreover, most students in all groups performed at least the same or better in their final subject (MTH201. However, there is an interesting finding that low proficiency students in earlier mathematics subjects who received a combination of various teaching approaches for two semesters can improve their examination results better than other groups, on average. This is also reflected from an increasing average score on teaching evaluation from this group of students about teaching techniques.

  15. Leveling of Critical Thinking Abilities of Students of Mathematics Education in Mathematical Problem Solving

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasiman

    2015-01-01

    This research aims to determine the leveling of critical thinking abilities of students of mathematics education in mathematical problem solving. It includes qualitative-explorative study that was conducted at University of PGRI Semarang. The generated data in the form of information obtained problem solving question and interview guides. The…

  16. TEACHING MATHEMATICAL DISCIPLINES AT THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Ya. Gelman

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction.In programs of training of students of medical specialties, Mathematics is a subject of basic education, i.e. non-core discipline. However, studying Mathematics is extremely important for future physicians, as recently there has been an impetuous development of mathematization in the field of health care. Today, a set of the new medical devices, the equipment and high technologies are being developed based on the mathematical modeling, analysis and forecasting. Mathematical methods are widely applied to diagnostics, development of life-support systems and the description of various biological processes both at the molecular level,  and at the level of a whole organism, its systems, bodies and tissues. The solution of many medical tasks in the field of taxonomy, genetics, and organization of medical service is impossible without knowledge of mathematics. Unfortunately, along with the evident importance of mathematical preparation for a medical profession, its need is poorly realized not only by junior students, but even by some teachers of specialized departments of medical schools.The aim of the publication is to discuss the problems that arise in the teaching of mathematical disciplines to students at a medical school and to suggest possible solutions to these problems.Methodology and research methods. The study is based on the use of modeling of the educational process. The methods of analysis, generalization and the method of expert assessments were applied in the course of the research.Results and scientific novelty. The aspects of mathematical preparation at the university are considered on the basis of the application of the multiplicative model of training quality. It is shown that the main students’ learning difficulties in Mathematics are connected with the following factors: the initial level of mathematical preparation of students and their motivation; outdated methods of Mathematics teaching and academic content

  17. Student Perceptions of Writing Projects in a University Differential-Equations Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latulippe, Christine; Latulippe, Joe

    2014-01-01

    This qualitative study surveyed 102 differential-equations students in order to investigate how students participating in writing projects in university-level mathematics courses perceive the benefits of writing in the mathematics classroom. Based on previous literature on writing in mathematics, students were asked specifically about the benefits…

  18. Methodological Potential of Computer Experiment in Teaching Mathematics at University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Kequan; Sokolova, Anna Nikolaevna; Vlasova, Vera K.

    2017-01-01

    The study is relevant due to the opportunity of increasing efficiency of teaching mathematics at university through integration of students of computer experiment conducted with the use of IT in this process. The problem of there search is defined by a contradiction between great potential opportunities of mathematics experiment for motivating and…

  19. University of Toronto mathematics competition (2001–2015)

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    Barbeau, Edward J

    2016-01-01

    This text records the problems given for the first 15 annual undergraduate mathematics competitions, held in March each year since 2001 at the University of Toronto. Problems cover areas of single-variable differential and integral calculus, linear algebra, advanced algebra, analytic geometry, combinatorics, basic group theory, and number theory. The problems of the competitions are given in chronological order as presented to the students. The solutions appear in subsequent chapters according to subject matter. Appendices recall some background material and list the names of students who did well. The University of Toronto Undergraduate Competition was founded to provide additional competition experience for undergraduates preparing for the Putnam competition, and is particularly useful for the freshman or sophomore undergraduate. Lecturers, instructors, and coaches for mathematics competitions will find this presentation useful. Many of the problems are of intermediate difficulty and relate to the first two...

  20. APPLYING PROFESSIONALLY ORIENTED PROBLEMS OF MATHEMATICAL MODELING IN TEACHING STUDENTS OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natal’ya Yur’evna Gorbunova

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We described several aspects of organizing student research work, as well as solving a number of mathematical modeling problems: professionally-oriented, multi-stage, etc. We underlined the importance of their economic content. Samples of using such problems in teaching Mathematics at agricultural university were given. Several questions connected with information material selection and peculiarities of research problems application were described. Purpose. The author aims to show the possibility and necessity of using professionally-oriented problems of mathematical modeling in teaching Mathematics at agricultural university. The subject of analysis is including such problems into educational process. Methodology. The main research method is dialectical method of obtaining knowledge of finding approaches to selection, writing and using mathematical modeling and professionally-oriented problems in educational process; the methodology is study of these methods of obtaining knowledge. Results. As a result of analysis of literature, students opinions, observation of students work, and taking into account personal teaching experience, it is possible to make conclusion about importance of using mathematical modeling problems, as it helps to systemize theoretical knowledge, apply it to practice, raise students study motivation in engineering sphere. Practical implications. Results of the research can be of interest for teachers of Mathematics in preparing Bachelor and Master students of engineering departments of agricultural university both for theoretical research and for modernization of study courses.

  1. Teaching mathematics in the PC lab - the students' viewpoints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Karsten; Köhler, Anke

    2013-04-01

    The Matrix Algebra portion of the intermediate mathematics course at the Schmalkalden University Faculty of Business and Economics has been moved from a traditional classroom setting to a technology-based setting in the PC lab. A Computer Algebra System license was acquired that also allows its use on the students' own PCs. A survey was carried out to analyse the students' attitudes towards the use of technology in mathematics teaching.

  2. The Effect of Using an Educational Website in Achievement of Bachelor Students in the Course of Basic Concepts in Mathematics at Al al-Bayt University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qudah, Ahmad Hassan

    2016-01-01

    The study aimed to detect the effect of using an educational site on the Internet in the collection of bachelor's students in the course of basic concepts in mathematics at Al al-Bayt University, and the study sample consisted of all students in the course basic concepts in mathematics in the first semester of the academic year 2014/2015 and the…

  3. The Development of Proofs in Analytical Mathematics for Undergraduate Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Maselan; Sufahani, Suliadi; Hasim, Nurnazifa; Saifullah Rusiman, Mohd; Roslan, Rozaini; Mohamad, Mahathir; Khalid, Kamil

    2018-04-01

    Proofs in analytical mathematics are essential parts of mathematics, difficult to learn because its underlying concepts are not visible. This research consists of problems involving logic and proofs. In this study, a short overview was provided on how proofs in analytical mathematics were used by university students. From the results obtained, excellent students obtained better scores compared to average and poor students. The research instruments used in this study consisted of two parts: test and interview. In this way, analysis of students’ actual performances can be obtained. The result of this study showed that the less able students have fragile conceptual and cognitive linkages but the more able students use their strong conceptual linkages to produce effective solutions

  4. University mathematics teachers' views on the required reasoning in calculus exams

    OpenAIRE

    Bergqvist, Ewa

    2012-01-01

    Students often use imitative reasoning, i.e. copy algorithms or recall facts, when solving mathematical tasks. Research show that this type of imitative reasoning might weaken the students' understanding of the underlying mathematical concepts. In a previous study, the author classified tasks from 16 final exams from introductory calculus courses at Swedish universities. The results showed that it was possible to pass 15 of the exams, and solve most of the tasks, using imitative reasoning. Th...

  5. Using Student-Made Games to Learn Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallegos, Irene; Flores, Alfinio

    2010-01-01

    First-year university students design and play their own games, including board, computer, and other kinds of games, to learn mathematical concepts and practice procedures for their pre-calculus and calculus courses. (Contains 2 tables and 8 figures.)

  6. Students Use Graphic Organizers to Improve Mathematical Problem-Solving Communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zollman, Alan

    2009-01-01

    Improving students' problem-solving abilities is a major, if not the major, goal of middle grades mathematics. To address this goal, the author, who is a university mathematics educator, and nine inner-city middle school teachers developed a math/science action research project. This article describes their unique approach to mathematical problem…

  7. Basic training in mathematics a fitness program for science students

    CERN Document Server

    Shankar, R

    1995-01-01

    Based on course material used by the author at Yale University, this practical text addresses the widening gap found between the mathematics required for upper-level courses in the physical sciences and the knowledge of incoming students This superb book offers students an excellent opportunity to strengthen their mathematical skills by solving various problems in differential calculus By covering material in its simplest form, students can look forward to a smooth entry into any course in the physical sciences

  8. Analysis of the e-learning technologies used for teaching mathematics at Tomsk Polytechnic University

    OpenAIRE

    Pakhomova, Elena Grigorievna; Yanushchik, Olga Vladimirovna; Dorofeeva, Maria

    2016-01-01

    This article analyzes the implementation of e-learning technologies in the study of mathematics at Tomsk Polytechnic University. It describes research findings of the suitability of the e-learning technology for first year students of an engineering university. The research involved 248 students and 38 teachers of Tomsk Polytechnic University. The authors surveyed first-year students to check whether they are ready to learn in the electronic environment. In addition, the students and teachers...

  9. Student perceptions of writing projects in a university differential-equations course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latulippe, Christine; Latulippe, Joe

    2014-01-01

    This qualitative study surveyed 102 differential-equations students in order to investigate how students participating in writing projects in university-level mathematics courses perceive the benefits of writing in the mathematics classroom. Based on previous literature on writing in mathematics, students were asked specifically about the benefits of writing projects as a means to explore practical uses of mathematics, deepen content knowledge, and strengthen communication. Student responses indicated an awareness of these benefits, supporting justifications commonly cited by instructors assigning writing projects. Open-ended survey responses highlighted additional themes which students associated with writing in mathematics, including using software programs and technology, working in groups, and stimulating interest in mathematics. This study provides student feedback to support the use of writing projects in mathematics, as well as student input, which can be utilized to strengthen the impact of writing projects in mathematics.

  10. Results of Third-Grade Students in a Reform Curriculum on the Illinois State Mathematics Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, William M.

    1997-01-01

    Reports on the results of the reform curriculum of the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project's elementary curriculum, Everyday Mathematics, for third-grade students. Results included the fact that only 2% of UCSMP students failed to meet state goals. UCSMP students also scored well in all mathematical areas including number skills and…

  11. [On the founders of the Institute of Mathematics and Physics, University of Bahia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, A L

    The reduced number of female students of mathematics at the University of Bahia School of Philosophy (Faculdade de Filosofia, Universidade da Bahia - FF/UBa) is quite surprising. To date, they are concentrated in areas traditionally viewed as feminine whereas men predominate in the mathematical fields. I have examined interview data from a few women who graduated in mathematics and went on to teach at the University of Bahia School of Mathematics (Faculdade de Filosofia - FF) and at the Institute of Mathematics and Physics (Instituto de Matemática e Física - IMF), where they were soon to outnumber men and constitute the majority of the mathematics teaching staff. In this study, I have investigated the course of their careers over time: from their early student days, through their time as teaching assistants and professors, and finally as founders of the Institute of Mathematics and Physics, in 1960. Special reference is made to Martha Maria de Souza Dantas, organizer of the I Brazilian Conference on Mathematics Teaching, an event which has provided the groundwork for what was to become the Institute (IMF); and to Arlete Cerqueira Lima, the mastermind behind its creation.

  12. Investigating Level of Mathematics Knowledge for Students Attending Vocational Schools in Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colakoglu, Nurdan

    2013-01-01

    Students attend mathematics courses in Turkey for totally 11 years, throughout education life ranging from primary school to university, including eight years in primary education and three years in secondary education (four years based on new arrangement); however, level of mathematic knowledge of students is upsetting when they reach university…

  13. Foundations in Science and Mathematics Program for Middle School and High School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desai, Karna Mahadev; Yang, Jing; Hemann, Jason

    2016-01-01

    The Foundations in Science and Mathematics (FSM) is a graduate student led summer program designed to help middle school and high school students strengthen their knowledge and skills in mathematics and science. FSM provides two-week-long courses over a broad spectrum of disciplines including astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer programming, geology, mathematics, and physics. Students can chose two types of courses: (1) courses that help students learn the fundamental concepts in basic sciences and mathematics (e.g., "Precalculus"); and (2) knowledge courses that might be excluded from formal schooling (e.g., "Introduction to Universe"). FSM has served over 500 students in the Bloomington, IN, community over six years by acquiring funding from Indiana University and the Indiana Space Grant Consortium. FSM offers graduate students the opportunity to obtain first hand experience through independent teaching and curriculum design as well as leadership experience.We present the design of the program, review the achievements, and explore the challenges we face. We are open to collaboration with similar educational outreach programs. For more information, please visit http://www.indiana.edu/~fsm/ .

  14. Building a Community of Scholars: One University's Story of Students Engaged in Learning Science, Mathematics, and Engineering through a NSF S-STEM Grant--Part II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalevitch, Maria; Maurer, Cheryl; Badger, Paul; Holdan, Greg; Sirinterlikci, Arif

    2015-01-01

    The School of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science (SEMS) at Robert Morris University (RMU) was awarded a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund scholarships to 21 academically talented but financially challenged students majoring in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Each…

  15. An Evaluation of the Mathematics Foundation Course in Sultan Qaboos University: Does High School Performance Matter?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Mazharul Islam

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Although the mathematics foundation program was introduced in Sultan Qaboos University (SQU half a decade ago, there has been no evaluation or assessment of the program. The aim of this study was to evaluate the students’ performance in the Mathematics foundation course in SQU and to examine the predictive value of  a student’s high school performance for success in the math foundation course. The study considered a sample of 551 students who took the math course (MATH2107 during 2014 Spring semester. More than 95% of the students were admitted to SQU with a high school score of 80 and above.  The analysis revealed that, in general, female students were admitted to SQU with a significantly higher average high school score than the male students. The findings indicate a very unsatisfactory performance of the students in the mathematics foundation course as the mean GPA was 1.66 and more than half (59% of the students obtained a GPA less than 2 (i.e. below grade C, of which 14% failed and 35% obtained grade D. Female students outperformed male students in the mathematics course. High school mathematics performance, gender and cohort of students were identified as significant predictors of success in the mathematics foundation course.  To increase the success rate of the mathematics course, the high school curriculum needs to be aligned with the University standards and the admission authority should continue to give more attention to high school mathematics scores along with overall high school performance while making admission decisions for the College of Science in SQU.

  16. Undergraduate Mathematics Students' Understanding of the Concept of Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardini, Caroline; Pierce, Robyn; Vincent, Jill; King, Deborah

    2014-01-01

    Concern has been expressed that many commencing undergraduate mathematics students have mastered skills without conceptual understanding. A pilot study carried out at a leading Australian university indicates that a significant number of students, with high tertiary entrance ranks, have very limited understanding of the concept of function,…

  17. Online mathematics education: E-math for first year engineering students

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Markvorsen, Steen; Schmidt, Karsten

    2012-01-01

    We consider the technology enhanced learning of first year engineering mathematics and in particular the application of E-learning objects and principles in the course Mathematics 1 which has a yearly intake of 750 students at the technical University of Denmark. We show that with non-linear mult...

  18. Mathematical Content of Curricula and Beginning Salaries of Graduating Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, B. Brian; Lee, Jungsun

    2009-01-01

    The authors examined an association between mathematical content in college-level curricula and beginning salaries of graduating students on the basis of data collected from a public university in the southern region of the United States. The authors classified the mathematical content requirements of the curricula into the following 5 groups…

  19. A Mixed Methods Analysis of Students' Understanding of Slope and Derivative Concepts and Students' Mathematical Dispositions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Rita Manubhai

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation examined understanding of slope and derivative concepts and mathematical dispositions of first-semester college calculus students, who are recent high school graduates, transitioning to university mathematics. The present investigation extends existing research in the following ways. First, based on this investigation, the…

  20. Contrasts in Mathematical Challenges in A-Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics, and Undergraduate Mathematics Examinations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darlington, Ellie

    2014-01-01

    This article describes part of a study which investigated the role of questions in students' approaches to learning mathematics at the secondary-tertiary interface, focussing on the enculturation of students at the University of Oxford. Use of the Mathematical Assessment Task Hierarchy taxonomy revealed A-level Mathematics and Further Mathematics…

  1. The Effect of Peer Teaching on Mathematics Academic Achievement of the Undergraduate Students in Oman

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdelkarim, Ra'ed; Abuiyada, Reem

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the effects of peer teaching on mathematics academic achievement of the undergraduate students in Oman. The sample of this study composed of (32) undergraduate female students enrolled in the course, "Mathematics for Social Sciences I" in Mathematics and Sciences Unit in Dhofar University in spring semester 2014-2015.…

  2. Use of CAS in Secondary School: A Factor Influencing the Transition to University-Level Mathematics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varsavsky, Cristina

    2012-01-01

    Australian secondary school systems offer three levels of senior (year 12) mathematics studies, none of them compulsory: elementary, intermediate and advanced. The intermediate and advanced studies prepare students for further mathematics studies at university level. In the state of Victoria, there are two versions of intermediate mathematics: one…

  3. Racial Differences in Mathematics Test Scores for Advanced Mathematics Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minor, Elizabeth Covay

    2016-01-01

    Research on achievement gaps has found that achievement gaps are larger for students who take advanced mathematics courses compared to students who do not. Focusing on the advanced mathematics student achievement gap, this study found that African American advanced mathematics students have significantly lower test scores and are less likely to be…

  4. The enhancement of students' mathematical self-efficacy through teaching with metacognitive scaffolding approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabawanto, S.

    2018-05-01

    This research aims to investigate the enhancement of students’ mathematical self- efficacy through teaching with metacognitive scaffolding approach. This research used a quasi- experimental design with pre-post respon control. The subjects were pre-service elementary school teachers in a state university in Bandung. In this study, there were two groups: experimental and control groups. The experimental group consists of 60 students who acquire teaching mathematics under metacognitive approach, while the control group consists of 58 students who acquire teaching mathematics under direct approach. Students were classified into three categories based on the mathematical prior ability, namely high, middle, and low. Data collection instruments consist of mathematical self-efficacy instruments. By using mean difference test, two conclusions of the research: (1) there is a significant difference in the enhancement of mathematical self-efficacy between the students who attended the course under metacognitive scaffolding approach and students who attended the course under direct approach, and (2) there is no significant interaction effect of teaching approaches and ability level based on the mathematical prior ability toward enhancement of students’ mathematical self-efficacy.

  5. The impact of instructor pedagogy on college calculus students' attitude toward mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonnert, Gerhard; Sadler, Philip M.; Sadler, Samuel M.; Bressoud, David M.

    2015-04-01

    College calculus teaches students important mathematical concepts and skills. The course also has a substantial impact on students' attitude toward mathematics, affecting their career aspirations and desires to take more mathematics. This national US study of 3103 students at 123 colleges and universities tracks changes in students' attitudes toward mathematics during a 'mainstream' calculus course while controlling for student backgrounds. The attitude measure combines students' self-ratings of their mathematics confidence, interest in, and enjoyment of mathematics. Three major kinds of instructor pedagogy, identified through the factor analysis of 61 student-reported variables, are investigated for impact on student attitude as follows: (1) instructors who employ generally accepted 'good teaching' practices (e.g. clarity in presentation and answering questions, useful homework, fair exams, help outside of class) are found to have the most positive impact, particularly with students who began with a weaker initial attitude. (2) Use of educational 'technology' (e.g. graphing calculators, for demonstrations, in homework), on average, is found to have no impact on attitudes, except when used by graduate student instructors, which negatively affects students' attitudes towards mathematics. (3) 'Ambitious teaching' (e.g. group work, word problems, 'flipped' reading, student explanations of thinking) has a small negative impact on student attitudes, while being a relatively more constructive influence only on students who already enjoyed a positive attitude toward mathematics and in classrooms with a large number of students. This study provides support for efforts to improve calculus teaching through the training of faculty and graduate students to use traditional 'good teaching' practices through professional development workshops and courses. As currently implemented, technology and ambitious pedagogical practices, while no doubt effective in certain classrooms, do

  6. Fine tuning the teaching methods used for second year university mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, L. L.; Thiel, D. V.; Searles, Debra J.

    2012-01-01

    Second year mathematics is a compulsory course for all students enrolled in engineering and mathematics programmes at the university, and it is taken by approximately 120 students each year. The pass rate of the course had been below expectations in the past years. In order to improve the predicament, quizzes which provided a mark incentive were introduced in 2009 as a pilot study. The pass rate was improved compared to the previous year. Hence, quizzes were added to the course assessment in 2010. This article compares and reports the outcome to the 2009 and 2010 quizzes based on the students' feedback and results at the end of the course. From the data of the surveys, students welcomed the regular quizzes, although the pass rate still did not meet the expectation.

  7. Performance in grade 12 mathematics and science predicts student nurses' performance in first year science modules at a university in the Western Cape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mthimunye, Katlego D T; Daniels, Felicity M

    2017-10-26

    The demand for highly qualified and skilled nurses is increasing in South Africa as well as around the world. Having a background in science can create a significant advantage for students wishing to enrol for an undergraduate nursing qualification because nursing as profession is grounded in scientific evidence. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive validity of grade 12 mathematics and science on the academic performance of first year student nurses in science modules. A quantitative research method using a cross-sectional predictive design was employed in this study. The participants included first year Bachelor of Nursing students enrolled at a university in the Western Cape, South Africa. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to analyse the data by using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences versions 24. Descriptive analysis of all variables was performed as well as the Spearman's rank correlation test to describe the relationship among the study variables. Standard multiple linear regressions analysis was performed to determine the predictive validity of grade 12 mathematics and science on the academic performance of first year student nurses in science modules. The results of this study showed that grade 12 physical science is not a significant predictor (p > 0.062) of performance in first year science modules. The multiple linear regression revealed that grade 12 mathematics and life science grades explained 37.1% to 38.1% (R2 = 0.381 and adj R2 = 0.371) of the variation in the first year science grade distributions. Based on the results of the study it is evident that performance in grade 12 mathematics (β = 2.997) and life science (β = 3.175) subjects is a significant predictor (p < 0.001) of the performance in first year science modules for student nurses at the university identified for this study.

  8. Mathematics for the Student Scientist

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauten, A. Darien; Lauten, Gary N.

    1998-03-01

    The Earth Day:Forest Watch Program, introduces elementary, middle, and secondary students to field laboratory, and satellite-data analysis methods for assessing the health of Eastern White Pine ( Pinus strobus). In this Student-Scientist Partnership program, mathematics, as envisioned in the NCTM Standards, arises naturally and provides opportunities for science-mathematics interdisciplinary student learning. School mathematics becomes the vehicle for students to quantify, represent, analyze, and interpret meaningful, real data.

  9. "Mathematics Is Like a Lion": Elementary Students' Beliefs about Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markovits, Zvia; Forgasz, Helen

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the beliefs of elementary school students about mathematics and about themselves as mathematics learners. The participants, Israeli grade 4 and grade 6 students, completed questionnaires. Using an "animal metaphor" to tap beliefs, some students perceived mathematics as difficult and complicated, while…

  10. A synthesis of mathematical and cognitive performances of students with mathematics learning disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Mikyung; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to synthesize the findings from 23 articles that compared the mathematical and cognitive performances of students with mathematics learning disabilities (LD) to (a) students with LD in mathematics and reading, (b) age- or grade-matched students with no LD, and (c) mathematical-ability-matched younger students with no LD. Overall results revealed that students with mathematics LD exhibited higher word problem-solving abilities and no significant group differences on working memory, long-term memory, and metacognition measures compared to students with LD in mathematics and reading. Findings also revealed students with mathematics LD demonstrated significantly lower performance compared to age- or grade-matched students with no LD on both mathematical and cognitive measures. Comparison between students with mathematics LD and younger students with no LD revealed mixed outcomes on mathematical measures and generally no significant group differences on cognitive measures. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2013.

  11. The transformation of science and mathematics content knowledge into teaching content by university faculty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, Natalie P.

    This study developed a survey from the existing literature in an attempt to illuminate the processes, tools, insights, and events that allow university science and mathematics content experts (Ph.D.'s) unpack their expertise in order to teach develop and teach undergraduate students. A pilot study was conducted at an urban university in order to refine the survey. The study consisted of 72 science or mathematics Ph.D. faculty members that teach at a research-based urban university. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 21 volunteer faculty to further explore their methods and tools for developing and implementing teaching within their discipline. Statistical analysis of the data revealed: faculty that taught while obtaining their Ph.D. were less confident in their ability to teach successful and faculty that received training in teaching believed that students have difficult to change misconceptions and do not commit enough time to their course. Student centered textbooks ranked the highest among tools used to gain teaching strategies followed by grading of exams and assignments for gaining insights into student knowledge and difficulties. Science and mathematics education literature and university provided education session ranked the lowest in rating scale for providing strategies for teaching. The open-ended survey questions were sub-divided and analyzed by the number of years of experience to identify the development of teaching knowledge over time and revealed that teaching became more interactive, less lecture based, and more engaging. As faculty matured and gained experience they became more aware of student misconceptions and difficulties often changing their teaching to eliminate such issues. As confidence levels increase their teaching included more technology-based tools, became more interactive, incorporated problem based activities, and became more flexible. This change occurred when and if faculty members altered their thinking about their

  12. Developing digital technologies for university mathematics by applying participatory design methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents our research efforts to develop digital technologies for undergraduate university mathematics. We employ participatory design methods in order to involve teachers and students in the design of such technologies. The results of the first round of our design are included...

  13. Influence of Precollege Experience on Self-Concept among Community College Students in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starobin, Soko S.; Laanan, Frankie Santos

    Female and minority students have historically been underrepresented in the field of science, mathematics, and engineering at colleges and universities. Although a plethora of research has focused on students enrolled in 4-year colleges or universities, limited research addresses the factors that influence gender differences in community college students in science, mathematics, and engineering. Using a target population of 1,599 aspirants in science, mathematics, and engineering majors in public community colleges, this study investigates the determinants of self-concept by examining a hypothetical structural model. The findings suggest that background characteristics, high school academic performance, and attitude toward science have unique contributions to the development of self-concept among female community college students. The results add to the literature by providing new theoretical constructs and the variables that predict students' self-concept.

  14. Coaching Pre-Service Teachers for Teaching Mathematics: The Views of Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Averill, Robin; Drake, Michael; Harvey, Roger

    2013-01-01

    Using rehearsals and in-the-moment coaching is being explored in mathematics teacher education courses at two New Zealand universities. This paper describes the perceptions of students, gathered using questionnaires, from two classes at our institution using different approaches for incorporating rehearsals and coaching. Students believed…

  15. Prospective Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions on and Adaptation of Student-Centred Approach to Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osmanoglu, Aslihan; Dincer, Emrah Oguzhan

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate prospective secondary mathematics teachers' perceptions on and adaptation of student-centred approach to teaching. The study was conducted with 58 prospective secondary mathematics teachers who were the graduates from mathematics departments from different universities' Science and Literature faculties.…

  16. Reflective Implementation of DERIVE in Teaching Mathematics at the University of Food Technology, Plovdiv

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimitrova, Eva D.

    2007-01-01

    The Department of Mathematics at the University of Food Technology, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, has introduced the Computer Algebra System DERIVE into the Mathematics courses with a view to increasing student motivation and understanding of the material taught as well as the efficiency of the teaching process. With the aim of investigating the effect of…

  17. Motivation and engagement in mathematics: a qualitative framework for teacher-student interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durksen, Tracy L.; Way, Jennifer; Bobis, Janette; Anderson, Judy; Skilling, Karen; Martin, Andrew J.

    2017-02-01

    We started with a classic research question (How do teachers motivate and engage middle year students in mathematics?) that is solidly underpinned and guided by an integration of two theoretical and multidimensional models. In particular, the current study illustrates how theory is important for guiding qualitative analytical approaches to motivation and engagement in mathematics. With little research on how teachers of mathematics are able to maintain high levels of student motivation and engagement, we focused on developing a qualitative framework that highlights the influence of teacher-student interactions. Participants were six teachers (upper primary and secondary) that taught students with higher-than-average levels of motivation and engagement in mathematics. Data sources included one video-recorded lesson and associated transcripts from pre- and post-lesson interviews with each teacher. Overall, effective classroom organisation stood out as a priority when promoting motivation and engagement in mathematics. Results on classroom organisation revealed four key indicators within teacher-student interactions deemed important for motivation and engagement in mathematics—confidence, climate, contact, and connection. Since much of the effect of teachers on student learning relies on interactions, and given the universal trend of declining mathematical performance during the middle years of schooling, future research and intervention studies might be assisted by our qualitative framework.

  18. Performance of engineering undergraduate students in mathematics: A case study in UniMAP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saad, Syafawati Ab.; Azziz, Nor Hizamiyani Abdul; Zakaria, Siti Aisyah; Yazid, Nornadia Mohd

    2015-12-01

    The purpose of this paper is to study the trend performance of the first year engineering students at a public university in Mathematics course: Engineering Mathematics I. We analyze how ethnicity factor influenced students' performance in mathematics course over three years period. The performance of the undergraduate students in this study is measured by their cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in the first semester. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be used to test the significance difference between three variables (Malay, Chinese and Indian). Method of simple linear regression (SLR) is used to test the relationship between the performances and to predict the future performance for this course. The findings of the study show that Chinese students perform better than Malay and Indian students.

  19. Mathematical problems for chemistry students

    CERN Document Server

    Pota, Gyorgy

    2011-01-01

    Mathematical Problems for Chemistry Students has been compiled and written (a) to help chemistrystudents in their mathematical studies by providing them with mathematical problems really occurring in chemistry (b) to help practising chemists to activate their applied mathematical skills and (c) to introduce students and specialistsof the chemistry-related fields (physicists, mathematicians, biologists, etc.) intothe world of the chemical applications.Some problems of the collection are mathematical reformulations of those in the standard textbooks of chemistry, others we

  20. Assessing Student Learning in Gender Inclusive Tertiary Mathematics and Physics Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wistedt, Inger

    1998-01-01

    The merits and limitations of an alternative assessment method implemented in an inclusive university education program are discussed based on data from a study in which 24 Swedish university students presented mathematics and physics project results. The study shows how an interdisciplinary approach to assessment can promote critical reflection…

  1. Mathematical Enculturation from the Students' Perspective: Shifts in Problem-Solving Beliefs and Behaviour during the Bachelor Programme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrenet, Jacob; Taconis, Ruurd

    2009-01-01

    This study investigates the changes in mathematical problem-solving beliefs and behaviour of mathematics students during the years after entering university. Novice bachelor students fill in a questionnaire about their problem-solving beliefs and behaviour. At the end of their bachelor programme, as experienced bachelor students, they again fill…

  2. Live Lectures or Online Videos: Students' Resource Choices in a First-Year University Mathematics Module

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Emma; Meehan, Maria; Parnell, Andrew

    2018-01-01

    In "Maths for Business", a mathematics module for non-mathematics specialists, students are given the choice of completing the module content via short online videos, live lectures or a combination of both. In this study, we identify students' specific usage patterns with both of these resources and discuss their reasons for the…

  3. Mathematical potential of special education students

    OpenAIRE

    Peltenburg, M.C.

    2012-01-01

    This PhD research was aimed at investigating the mathematical potential of special education (SE) students. SE students often have a severe delay in their mathematical development compared to peers in regular education. However, there are indications that SE students could attain more and that there might be unused talent in SE students. In the research project, two mathematical domains were chosen as a topic of investigation. One topic is part of the mathematics curriculum in SE and is gener...

  4. The main problem solving differences between high school and university in mathematical beliefs and professional behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Akhlaghi Garmjani

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Teaching science and math has been underdeveloped in nurturing the talents and motivations of young people who are in search of professions in these fields. Identifying and strengthening the students' problem solving beliefs and behaviors, can be a great help to those involved in teaching mathematics. This study investigates on the university and high school students, teachers and professors' problem solving beliefs and behaviors. Considering the research method, this study is a field research in which questionnaire is used. Participants in this research were senior high school and university students, math teachers and math professors. Data collection method for beliefs and behavior variables was via the use of a questionnaire. The Mann-Whitney test results showed that problem solving in high school and university was different and the main difference was in mathematical professional beliefs and behaviors.

  5. Teachers' Beliefs about Improving Transfer of Algebraic Skills from Mathematics into Physics in Senior Pre-University Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tursucu, Süleyman; Spandaw, Jeroen; Flipse, Steven; de Vries, Marc J.

    2017-01-01

    Students in senior pre-university education encounter difficulties in the application of mathematics into physics. This paper presents the outcome of an explorative qualitative study of teachers' beliefs about improving the transfer of algebraic skills from mathematics into physics. We interviewed 10 mathematics and 10 physics teachers using a…

  6. The Relationship among Elementary Teachers’ Mathematics Anxiety, Mathematics Instructional Practices, and Student Mathematics Achievement

    OpenAIRE

    Hadley, Kristin M.; Dorward, Jim

    2011-01-01

    Many elementary teachers have been found to have high levels of mathematics anxiety but the impact on student achievement was unknown. Elementary teachers (N = 692) completed the modified Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Revised (Hopko, 2003) along with a questionnaire probing anxiety about teaching mathematics and current mathematics instructional practices. Student mathematics achievement data were collected for the classrooms taught by the teachers. A positive relationship was found betwee...

  7. A Hybrid Model of Mathematics Support for Science Students Emphasizing Basic Skills and Discipline Relevance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Deborah C.; Johnson, Elizabeth D.

    2013-01-01

    The problem of students entering university lacking basic mathematical skills is a critical issue in the Australian higher-education sector and relevant globally. The Maths Skills programme at La Trobe University has been developed to address under preparation in the first-year science cohort in the absence of an institutional mathematics support…

  8. Applying Constructionism and Problem Based Learning for Developing Dynamic Educational Material for Mathematics At Undergraduate University Level

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

    2013-01-01

    As a result of changes in society and education, assumptions about the knowledge of entrants to university have become obsolete. One area in which this seems to be true is mathematics. This paper presents our research aiming at tackling with this problem by developing digital educational material...... for mathematics education, which will be student-driven, dynamic, and multimodal. Our approach will be supported by the theories of Constructionism and PBL. The impact of its use will be evaluated in university settings. It is expected that the evaluation will demonstrate an improvement in student engagement...

  9. Mathematical enculturation from the students' perspective: shifts in problem-solving beliefs and behaviour during the bachelor programme

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perrenet, J.C.; Taconis, R.

    2009-01-01

    This study investigates the changes in mathematical problem-solving beliefs and behaviour of mathematics students during the years after entering university. Novice bachelor students fill in a questionnaire about their problem-solving beliefs and behaviour. At the end of their bachelor programme, as

  10. Strategies to Support Students' Mathematical Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Hyunyi

    2015-01-01

    An important question for mathematics teachers is this: "How can we help students learn mathematics to solve everyday problems, rather than teaching them only to memorize rules and practice mathematical procedures?" Teaching students using modeling activities can help them learn mathematics in real-world problem-solving situations that…

  11. Student perceptions on learning with online resources in a flipped mathematics classroom

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

    2015-01-01

    This article discusses student perceptions of if and how online resources contribute to mathematics learning and motivation. It includes results from an online survey we conducted at the Media Technology department of Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark. For this study, students were given...... links to various online resources (screencasts, online readings and quizzes, and lecture notes) for out-of-class preparation in a flipped classroom in mathematics. The survey results show support for student perceptions that online resources enhance learning, by providing visual and in depth...... explanations, and they can motivate students. However, students stated that they miss just-in-time explanations when learning with online resources and they questioned the quality and validity of some of them....

  12. Exploring student teachers' perceptions of the influence of technology in learning and teaching mathematics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Bansilal

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Rapid global technological developments have affected all facets of life, including the teaching and learning of mathematics. This qualitative study was designed to identify the ways in which technology was used and to explore the nature of this use by a group of 52 mathematics student teachers. The participants were pre-service Mathematics students who were enrolled for a Mathematics module at a South African university. The research instruments were an open question and a semi-structured interview schedule. Saxe's framework was used to analyse the data. Some benefits of mathematics software were found to be the provision of different representations, dynamic visualisation of concepts and variation in mathematical situations. It was also found that students used technology more often in their own learning than in their teaching, because the schools did not have many resources. It is recommended that the education department prioritise the provision of specialist mathematics software that can be used to improve learning outcomes in mathematics.

  13. The enhancement of students' mathematical problem solving ability through teaching with metacognitive scaffolding approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabawanto, Sufyani

    2017-05-01

    This research aims to investigate the enhancement of students' mathematical problem solving through teaching with metacognitive scaffolding approach. This research used a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control. The subjects were pre-service elementary school teachers in a state university in Bandung. In this study, there were two groups: experimental and control groups. The experimental group consists of 60 studentswho acquire teaching mathematicsunder metacognitive scaffolding approach, while the control group consists of 58 studentswho acquire teaching mathematicsunder direct approach. Students were classified into three categories based on the mathematical prior ability, namely high, middle, and low. Data collection instruments consist of mathematical problem solving test instruments. By usingmean difference test, two conclusions of the research:(1) there is a significant difference in the enhancement of mathematical problem solving between the students who attended the course under metacognitive scaffolding approach and students who attended the course under direct approach, and(2) thereis no significant interaction effect of teaching approaches and ability level based on the mathematical prior ability toward enhancement of students' mathematical problem solving.

  14. Self-Esteem, Study Habits and Academic Performance Among University Students

    OpenAIRE

    Chilca Alva, Manuel L.

    2017-01-01

    This study was intended to establish whether self-esteem and study habits correlate with academic performance among university students. Research conducted was descriptive observational, multivariate or cross-sectional factorial in nature. The study population consisted of 196 students enrolled in a Basic Mathematics 1 class at the School of Engineering of Universidad Tecnológica del Perú (Technical University of Peru, UTP) in the third term of 2016, and the sample size numbered 86 students. ...

  15. Bridging the gap between actual and required mathematics background at undergraduate university level

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

    courses of Medialogy, e.g. computer graphics programming. Moreover, this poor performance in mathematics is one of the main causes for dropout at university level. This paper presents our ongoing research aiming at tackling with this problem by developing dynamic and multimodal media for math- ematics...... teaching and learning which will make mathematics more at- tractive and easier to understand to undergraduate students. These tools realise an interactive educational method by giving mathematics learners opportunities to develop visualization skills, explore mathe- matical concepts, and obtain solutions...

  16. Middle School Mathematics Students' Perspectives on the Study of Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn, Christy H.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study addressed the perceptions toward the study of mathematics by middle school students who had formerly been in a remedial mathematics program. The purpose of the study was to explore the past experiences of nine students in order to determine what is needed for them to feel successful in mathematics. The conceptual framework…

  17. Teachers’ beliefs about improving transfer of algebraic skills from mathematics into physics in senior pre-university education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tursucu, S.; Spandaw, J.G.; Flipse, S.M.; de Vries, M.J.

    2017-01-01

    Students in senior pre-university education encounter difficulties in the application of mathematics into physics. This paper presents the outcome of an explorative qualitative study of teachers’ beliefs about improving the transfer of algebraic skills from mathematics into physics. We

  18. INFORMATIVE SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE FROM MATHEMATICS AS A WAY OF PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION OF TEACHING STUDENTS IT SPECIALTIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyudmyla Shishko

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The current state of formation of mathematical knowledge in universities insufficiently focused on their further use in professional activities. Students not formed the ability to apply mathematical knowledge to study general professional and special disciplines. In this article: –\tconsidered features of formation of a professional orientation of teaching mathematics using structured content multimedia information system for educational purposes (MISEP; –\tfound psychologo-pedagogical features of teaching mathematics of students IT specialties; –\tconsidered methodical aspects of MISEP in teaching the course "Discrete Mathematics" for students of IT specialties

  19. Student comprehension of mathematics through astronomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Search, Robert

    The purpose of this study is to examine how knowledge of astronomy can enhance college-level learning situations involving mathematics. The fundamental symbiosis between mathematics and astronomy was established early in the 17th century when Johannes Kepler deduced the 3 basic laws of planetary motion. This mutually harmonious relationship between these sciences has been reinforced repeatedly in history. In the early 20th century, for example, astronomer Arthur Eddington used photographic evidence from a 1919 solar eclipse to verify Einstein's mathematical theory of relativity. This study was conducted in 5 undergraduate mathematics classes over the course of 2 years. An introductory course in ordinary differential equations, taught in Spring Semester 2013, involved 4 students. A similar course in Spring Semester 2014 involved 6 students, a Summer Semester 2014 Calculus II course involved 2 students, and a Summer 2015 Astronomy course involved 8 students. The students were asked to use Kepler's astronomical evidence to deduce mathematical laws normally encountered on an undergraduate level. They were also asked to examine the elementary mathematical aspects involved in a theoretical trajectory to the planet Neptune. The summer astronomy class was asked to draw mathematical conclusions about large numbers from the recent discoveries concerning the dwarf planet Pluto. The evidence consists primarily of videotaped PowerPoint presentations conducted by the students in both differential equations classes, along with interviews and tests given in all the classes. All presentations were transcribed and examined to determine the effect of astronomy as a generator of student understanding of mathematics. An analysis of the data indicated two findings: definite student interest in a subject previously unknown to most of them and a desire to make the mathematical connection to celestial phenomena.

  20. Encouraging Students to Read Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepherd, Mary D.

    2005-01-01

    It is generally agreed that the ability to read mathematics is an important skill--one that few of our students possess. A number of people have published some suggestions for helping students learn to read their mathematics textbooks. What these have in common is suggestions for getting students more active while reading. Using these resources as…

  1. Predicting Relationships between Mathematics Anxiety, Mathematics Teaching Anxiety, Self-efficacy Beliefs towards Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching

    OpenAIRE

    Unlu, Melihan; Ertekin, Erhan; Dilmac, Bulent

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the research is to investigate the relationships betweenself-efficacy beliefs toward mathematics, mathematics anxiety and self-efficacybeliefs toward mathematics teaching, mathematics teaching anxiety variables andtesting the relationships between these variables with structural equationmodel. The sample of the research, which was conducted in accordance withrelational survey model, consists of 380 university students, who studied atthe department of Elementary Mathematics Educ...

  2. University Science and Mathematics Education in Transition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skovsmose, Ole; Valero, Paola; Christensen, Ole Ravn

    configuration poses to scientific knowledge, to universities and especially to education in mathematics and science. Traditionally, educational studies in mathematics and science education have looked at change in education from within the scientific disciplines and in the closed context of the classroom....... Although educational change is ultimately implemented in everyday teaching and learning situations, other parallel dimensions influencing these situations cannot be forgotten. An understanding of the actual potentialities and limitations of educational transformations are highly dependent on the network...... of educational, cultural, administrative and ideological views and practices that permeate and constitute science and mathematics education in universities today. University Science and Mathematics Education in Transition contributes to an understanding of the multiple aspects and dimensions of the transition...

  3. Mathematics in Student-­Centred Inquiry Learning: Student Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calder, Nigel

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines how mathematical understandings might be facilitated through student-centred inquiry. Data is drawn from a research project on student-centred inquiry learning that situated mathematics within authentic problem-solving contexts and involved students in a collaboratively constructed curriculum. A contemporary interpretive frame…

  4. Early Years Students' Relationships with Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeuchi, Miwa Aoki; Towers, Jo; Plosz, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    Early years mathematics experiences have been shown to be a significant predictor for students' school readiness and future mathematics achievement. Previous research also indicates an important connection between emotion and mathematics learning. How do students in early years education in Alberta describe their emotional relationship with…

  5. The Effect of Realistic Mathematics Education Approach on Students' Achievement And Attitudes Towards Mathematics

    OpenAIRE

    Effandi Zakaria; Muzakkir Syamaun

    2017-01-01

    This study was conducted to determine the effect of Realistic Mathematics Education Approach on mathematics achievement and student attitudes towards mathematics. This study also sought determine the relationship between student achievement and attitudes towards mathematics. This study used a quasi-experimental design conducted on 61 high school students at SMA Unggul Sigli. Students were divided into two groups, the treatment group $(n = 30)$ namely, the Realistic Mathematics Approach group ...

  6. Secondary students' attitudes towards mathematics | Asante | IFE ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Attitudes towards mathematics and associated anxiety have been known to plague students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to investigate senior high student's attitudes towards mathematics and to explore sex differences in attitudes towards mathematics among students in Accra.

  7. Collaborative innovations with rural and regional secondary teachers: enhancing student learning in mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pegg, John; Panizzon, Debra

    2011-06-01

    When questioned, secondary mathematics teachers in rural and regional schools in Australia refer to their limited opportunities to engage and share experiences with peers in other schools as an under-utilised and cost-effective mechanism to support their professional learning and enhance their students' learning. The paper reports on the creation and evaluation of a network of learning communities of rural secondary mathematics teachers around a common purpose—enhancement and increased engagement of student learning in mathematics. To achieve this goal, teams of teachers from six rural schools identified an issue hindering improved student learning of mathematics in their school. Working collaboratively with support from university personnel with expertise in curriculum, assessment and quality pedagogy, teachers developed and implemented strategies to address an identified issue in ways that were relevant to their teaching contexts. The research study identifies issues in mathematics of major concern to rural teachers of mathematics, the successes and challenges the teachers faced in working in learning communities on the issue they identified, and the efficacy of the professional learning model.

  8. The Effect of Realistic Mathematics Education Approach on Students' Achievement And Attitudes Towards Mathematics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Effandi Zakaria

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to determine the effect of Realistic Mathematics Education Approach on mathematics achievement and student attitudes towards mathematics. This study also sought determine the relationship between student achievement and attitudes towards mathematics. This study used a quasi-experimental design conducted on 61 high school students at SMA Unggul Sigli. Students were divided into two groups, the treatment group $(n = 30$ namely, the Realistic Mathematics Approach group (PMR and the control group $(n = 31$ namely, the traditional group. This study was conducted for six weeks. The instruments used in this study were the achievement test and the attitudes towards mathematics questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS. To determine the difference in mean achievement and attitudes between the two groups, data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA test. The result showed significant differences between the Realistic Mathematics Approach and the traditional approach in terms of achievement. The study showed no significant difference between the Realistic Mathematics Approach and the traditional approach in term of attitudes towards mathematics. It can be concluded that the use of realistic mathematics education approach enhanced students' mathematics achievement, but not attitudes towards mathematics. The Realistic Mathematics Education Approach encourage students to participate actively in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Thus, Realistic Mathematics Education Approach is an appropriate methods to improve the quality of teaching and learning process.

  9. Recruitment and Retention of Students--An Integrated and Holistic Vision of Mathematics Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croft, A. C.; Harrison, M. C.; Robinson, C. L.

    2009-01-01

    Students' lack of preparedness for the mathematical demands of higher education is affecting a wide range of programmes in universities worldwide. In the UK this has been recognized at the highest levels and provoked several inquiries. The ability to use mathematics in courses as varied as nursing, biosciences, and business is an essential skill…

  10. Self-Esteem, Study Habits and Academic Performance among University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chilca Alva, Manuel L.

    2017-01-01

    This study was intended to establish whether self-esteem and study habits correlate with academic performance among university students. Research conducted was descriptive observational, multivariate or cross-sectional factorial in nature. The study population consisted of 196 students enrolled in a Basic Mathematics 1 class at the School of…

  11. Mathematics Anxiety in College Students in Costa Rica and Their Relatonship with Academic Achievement and Socio-Demographic Variables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado Monge, Islande C.; Espinoza González, Johan; Fonseca Castro, Jennifer

    2017-01-01

    The study tried to determine the relationship between mathematics anxiety and the variables of gender, academic achievement, number of times students have taken the course and type of school in students taking the course MAT-001 General Mathematics of the National University of Costa Rica. To that end, a purposive sample of 472 students of such…

  12. The effectiveness of remedial computer use for mathematics in a university setting (Botswana)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Plomp, T.; Pilon, J.; Pilon, Jacqueline; Janssen Reinen, I.A.M.

    1991-01-01

    This paper describes the evaluation of the effects of the Mathematics and Science Computer Assisted Remedial Teaching (MASCART) software on students from the Pre-Entry Science Course at the University of Botswana. A general significant improvement of basic algebra knowledge and skills could be

  13. Teaching Mathematics in the PC Lab--The Students' Viewpoints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Karsten; Kohler, Anke

    2013-01-01

    The Matrix Algebra portion of the intermediate mathematics course at the Schmalkalden University Faculty of Business and Economics has been moved from a traditional classroom setting to a technology-based setting in the PC lab. A Computer Algebra System license was acquired that also allows its use on the students' own PCs. A survey was carried…

  14. Mathematical potential of special education students

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peltenburg, M.C.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/269423575

    2012-01-01

    This PhD research was aimed at investigating the mathematical potential of special education (SE) students. SE students often have a severe delay in their mathematical development compared to peers in regular education. However, there are indications that SE students could attain more and that there

  15. Post-Primary Students' Images of Mathematics: Findings from a Survey of Irish Ordinary Level Mathematics Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, Ciara; Stynes, Martin; O'Donoghue, John

    2016-01-01

    A questionnaire survey was carried out as part of a PhD research study to investigate the image of mathematics held by post-primary students in Ireland. The study focused on students in fifth year of post-primary education studying ordinary level mathematics for the Irish Leaving Certificate examination--the final examination for students in…

  16. Measuring Developmental Students' Mathematics Anxiety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Yanqing

    2016-01-01

    This study conducted an item-level analysis of mathematics anxiety and examined the dimensionality of mathematics anxiety in a sample of developmental mathematics students (N = 162) by Multi-dimensional Random Coefficients Multinominal Logit Model (MRCMLM). The results indicate a moderately correlated factor structure of mathematics anxiety (r =…

  17. Possible Reasons for Students' Ineffective Reading of Their First-Year University Mathematics Textbooks. Technical Report. No. 2011-2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepherd, Mary D.; Selden, Annie; Selden, John

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports the observed behaviors and difficulties that eleven precalculus and calculus students exhibited in reading new passages from their mathematics textbooks. To gauge the effectiveness of these students' reading, we asked them to attempt straightforward mathematical tasks, based directly on what they had just read. These …

  18. Mathematics Attitudes and Mathematics Outcomes of U.S. and Belarusian Middle School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipnevich, Anastasiya A.; MacCann, Carolyn; Krumm, Stefan; Burrus, Jeremy; Roberts, Richard D.

    2011-01-01

    Two multivariate studies examined the applicability of the theory of planned behavior in gauging students' attitudes toward mathematics, as well as the predictive power of mathematics attitudes in explaining students' grades in mathematics. Middle-school students from the United States (N = 382) and Belarus (N = 339) participated. Confirmatory…

  19. The Role of History and Philosophy of in University Mathematics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjeldsen, Tinne Hoff; Carter, Jessica M H Grund

    2014-01-01

    uses of history and the research direction in philosophy of mathematics denoted ‘Philosophy of Mathematical Practice’. We link history and philosophy of mathematical practices to recent ideas in mathematics education in order to identify different roles history and philosophy can play in the learning...... of mathematics at university level. We present, analyse and discuss different examples of inclusions of history and philosophy in university programmes in mathematics. These presentations are divided into courses in history and philosophy, respectively, since this is the main way they are organised...... at the universities. We shall see, however, that the history courses address philosophical questions and that the philosophy courses employ historical material. The chapter ends with comments on how mathematics educations at university level can benefit from history and philosophy of mathematics...

  20. Live lectures or online videos: students' resource choices in a first-year university mathematics module

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Emma; Meehan, Maria; Parnell, Andrew

    2018-05-01

    In Maths for Business, a mathematics module for non-mathematics specialists, students are given the choice of completing the module content via short online videos, live lectures or a combination of both. In this study, we identify students' specific usage patterns with both of these resources and discuss their reasons for the preferences they exhibit. In 2015-2016, we collected quantitative data on each student's resource usage (attendance at live lectures and access of online videos) for the entire class of 522 students and employed model-based clustering which identified four distinct resource usage patterns with lectures and/or videos. We also collected qualitative data on students' perceptions of resource usage through a survey administered at the end of the semester, to which 161 students responded. The 161 survey responses were linked to each cluster and analysed using thematic analysis. Perceived benefits of videos include flexibility of scheduling and pace, and avoidance of large, long lectures. In contrast, the main perceived advantages of lectures are the ability to engage in group tasks, to ask questions, and to learn 'gradually'. Students in the two clusters with high lecture attendance achieved, on average, higher marks in the module.

  1. THE IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL APPROACH IN TEACHING HIGHER MATHEMATICS AT TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Medvedeva Natal'ya Aleksandrovna

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The article discusses the importance of an individual approach when considering the time needed for learning basic technical courses of a technical University (such as higher mathematics, physics, etc. to motivate a student to obtain 100% standard of mastering the educational material using the experience of the Department of mathematics. In the modern conditions of the world of information technologies it is extremely important to teach people how to handle information independently and, what is the most important, to assess it. As you know, universities set a certain studying time for each academic subject fixed by curriculum. But time should not be a constant component. Obviously, such a new approach will require innovation in the methodological literature. Using the experience of the Department of Mathematics of MGSU the author offers methodical developments and research works for studying under the direction of a teacher along with standard digestion of the curriculum.

  2. Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions of Their Students' Mathematical Competence: Relations to Mathematics Achievement, Affect, and Engagement in Singapore and Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Areepattamannil, Shaljan; Kaur, Berinderjeet

    2013-01-01

    This study, drawing on data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011, examined whether mathematics teachers' perceptions of their students' mathematical competence were related to mathematics achievement, affect toward mathematics, and engagement in mathematics lessons among Grade 8 students in Singapore and…

  3. Reciprocal Relationships between Mathematics Anxiety and Attitude towards Mathematics in Elementary Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haciomeroglu, Guney

    2017-01-01

    This current study examined the reciprocal relationship between anxiety and attitude towards mathematics in elementary students. Two instruments (attitudes towards mathematics inventory short form [ATMI-Short Form] and the Revised Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Anxiety Scale [Revised-FSMAS]) were administered to 310 fourth grade elementary students.…

  4. Factors Contributing to Student Engagement in an Instructional Facebook Group for Undergraduate Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, Peter L.; Gregory, Karen M.; Eddy, Erik R.

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates factors contributing to student engagement in an educational Facebook group. The study is based on survey results of 138 undergraduate mathematics students at a highly diverse urban public university. Survey measures included engagement in the Facebook group, access to Facebook, comfort using technology, and interest in the…

  5. A Pilot Study in the Application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process to Predict Student Performance in Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warwick, Jon

    2007-01-01

    The decline in the development of mathematical skills in students prior to university entrance has been a matter of concern to UK higher education staff for a number of years. This article describes a pilot study that uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process to quantify the mathematical experiences of computing students prior to the start of a first…

  6. The Effects of a Tier 3 Intervention on the Mathematics Performance of Second Grade Students With Severe Mathematics Difficulties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryant, Brian R; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Porterfield, Jennifer; Dennis, Minyi Shih; Falcomata, Terry; Valentine, Courtney; Brewer, Chelsea; Bell, Kathy

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a systematic, explicit, intensive Tier 3 (tertiary) intervention on the mathematics performance of students in second grade with severe mathematics difficulties. A multiple-baseline design across groups of participants showed improved mathematics performance on number and operations concepts and procedures, which are the foundation for later mathematics success. In the previous year, 12 participants had experienced two doses (first and second semesters) of a Tier 2 intervention. In second grade, the participants continued to demonstrate low performance, falling below the 10th percentile on a researcher-designed universal screener and below the 16th percentile on a distal measure, thus qualifying for the intensive intervention. A project interventionist, who met with the students 5 days a week for 10 weeks (9 weeks for one group), conducted the intensive intervention. The intervention employed more intensive instructional design features than the previous Tier 2 secondary instruction, and also included weekly games to reinforce concepts and skills from the lessons. Spring results showed significantly improved mathematics performance (scoring at or above the 25th percentile) for most of the students, thus making them eligible to exit the Tier 3 intervention. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

  7. SPORT AND MENTAL HEALTH LEVEL AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

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    Mouloud Kenioua

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: study of mental health level of university student, athletes and non-athletes. Material: The tested group consisted of 160 male and female undergraduates from Ouargla University, Algeria; 80 students-athletes from Institute of Physical Education and Sports and 80 students-non-athletes from Department of Psychology, English and Mathematics. In the study we used health mental scale, adapted by Diab (2006 to Arab version scale, formed from five dimensions (Competence and self-confidence, Capacity for social interaction, Emotional maturity, Freedom from neurotic symptoms, self rating and aspects of natural deficiencies. Results: the findings indicated that university students have high level of mental health. And the mean of the responses of students-athletes group by mental health scale reached (M = 32.40, with standard deviation (STD =5.83, while the mean of the responses of students-non athletes group by mental health scale has reached (M=27.47, with standard deviation (STD=7.88. T-value, required to know significance of differences between means of students-athletes and students-non athletes has reached (T=4.51, (DF=185, p -0.01. So there are significant statistical differences between student athletes and non-athletes in their responses by mental health scale in favor of the student athletes. Conclusion:sports are beneficial in respect to mental health among university students and emphasizing the importance of the mental health of university students through its integration in the various recreational and competitive activities. Future qualitative research, covering multi-variables’ tests on mental health and others psychological characteristics could be performed in sports area.

  8. Online Mathematics Homework Increases Student Achievement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy Roschelle

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In a randomized field trial with 2,850 seventh-grade mathematics students, we evaluated whether an educational technology intervention increased mathematics learning. Assigning homework is common yet sometimes controversial. Building on prior research on formative assessment and adaptive teaching, we predicted that combining an online homework tool with teacher training could increase learning. The online tool ASSISTments (a provides timely feedback and hints to students as they do homework and (b gives teachers timely, organized information about students’ work. To test this prediction, we analyzed data from 43 schools that participated in a random assignment experiment in Maine, a state that provides every seventh-grade student with a laptop to take home. Results showed that the intervention significantly increased student scores on an end-of-the-year standardized mathematics assessment as compared with a control group that continued with existing homework practices. Students with low prior mathematics achievement benefited most. The intervention has potential for wider adoption.

  9. Mathematical Profiles and Problem Solving Abilities of Mathematically Promising Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budak, Ibrahim

    2012-01-01

    Mathematically promising students are defined as those who have the potential to become the leaders and problem solvers of the future. The purpose of this research is to reveal what problem solving abilities mathematically promising students show in solving non-routine problems and type of profiles they present in the classroom and during problem…

  10. Mathematics University Teachers' Perception of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khakbaz, Azimehsadat

    2016-01-01

    Teaching mathematics in university levels is one of the most important fields of research in the area of mathematics education. Nevertheless, there is little information about teaching knowledge of mathematics university teachers. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) provides a suitable framework to study knowledge of teachers. The purpose of this…

  11. Mathematics education giving meaning to Social Science students

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersson, Annica; Valero, Paola

    Compulsory mathematics for social science students is problematic. We discuss the case of a group of students in Sweden who met a mathematics course inspired on the ideas of critical mathematics education and ethnomathematics. The evidence collected about students' experiences on this course...

  12. Interest in mathematics and science among students having high mathematics aptitude

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ely, Jane Alice

    The study investigates why men and women differ in their interest in mathematics and science and in the pursuit of careers in mathematics and science. The most persistent gender differential in educational standard testing is the scores in mathematics achievement. The mean Scholastic Aptitude Test (Mathematics) scores for women are consistently below that of men by about 40 points. One result of this gender differential in mathematics is that few women entertain a career requiring a robust knowledge of higher mathematics (i.e. engineering, computing, or the physical sciences). A large body of literature has been written attempting to explain why this is happening. Biological, cultural, structural and psychological explanations have been suggested and empirically examined. Controlling for mathematical ability is one method of sorting out these explanations. Eliminating mathematical ability as a factor, this dissertation reports the results of a study of men and women college students who all had high mathematics ability. Thus, any differences we found among them would have to be a result of other variables. Using a Mathematics Placement Exam and the SAT-M, forty-two students (12 males and 30 females) with high scores in both were interviewed. Student were asked about their experiences in high school and college mathematics, their career choices, and their attitudes toward mathematics. The findings, that there were no gender differences in the course selection, attitudes towards mathematics, and career choice, differed from my initial expectations. This negative finding suggests that women with high ability in mathematics are just as likely as men to pursue interests in mathematics and related courses in college and in selecting careers.

  13. An assessment experiment for Mathematics at the University of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Formative assessment in distance teaching is a complex issue, particularly when diverse students are involved. At Unisa many students from previously disadvantage backgrounds need to be accommodated in tertiary mathematics and science. However, many such students have limited entry-level mathematical knowledge

  14. Metacognition Process of Students with High Mathematics Anxiety in Mathematics Problem-Solving

    OpenAIRE

    Patrisius Afrisno Udil; Tri Atmojo Kusmayadi; Riyadi Riyadi

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to find out students’ metacognition process while solving the mathematics problem. It focuses on analyzing the metacognition process of students with high mathematics anxiety based on Polya’s problem solving phases. This study uses qualitative research with case study strategy. The subjects consist of 8 students of 7th grade selected through purposive sampling. Data in the form of Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS) result and recorded interview while solving mathematics problems ...

  15. The Prediction of the Students' Academic Underachievement in Mathematics Using the DEA Model: A Developing Country Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi, Fatemeh; Amiripour, Parvaneh

    2017-01-01

    In this study, an attempt was made to predict the students' mathematical academic underachievement at the Islamic Azad University-Yadegare-Imam branch and the appropriate strategies in mathematical academic achievement to be applied using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model. Survey research methods were used to select 91 students from the…

  16. Challenges of Blended E-Learning Tools in Mathematics: Students' Perspectives University of Uyo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umoh, Joseph B.; Akpan, Ekemini T.

    2014-01-01

    An in-depth knowledge of pedagogical approaches can help improve the formulation of effective and efficient pedagogy, tools and technology to support and enhance the teaching and learning of Mathematics in higher institutions. This study investigated students' perceptions of the challenges of blended e-learning tools in the teaching and learning…

  17. Effects of Mathematics Innovation and Technology on Students Performance in Open and Distance Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Israel, Oginni 'Niyi

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of mathematics innovation and technology on students' academic performance in open and distance learning. Quasi -- experimental research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study consisted of all the 200 level primary education students at the National Open University of Nigeria (Ekiti and…

  18. Mathematics and Natural Science Students' Motivational Profiles and Their First-Year Academic Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fokkens-Bruinsma, Marjon; Vermue, Carlien Elske; Deinum, Jan Folkert

    2018-01-01

    Our study focused on describing first-year university students' motivational profiles and examining differences in academic achievement based on these profiles. Data on academic motivation of 755 students in the field of mathematics and natural sciences were collected before the start of their bachelor's degree program; data on GPA were collected…

  19. The Development of the Assessment for Learning Model of Mathematics for Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin

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    Wannaree Pansiri

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of this research were 1 to develop the assessment for learning model of Mathematics for Rajamangala University 2 to study the effectivness of assessment for learning model of Mathematics for Rajamagala University of Technology Rattanakosin. The research target group consisted of 72 students from 3 classes and 3 General Mathematics teachers. The data was gathered from observation, worksheets, achievement test and skill of assessment for learning, questionnaire of the assessment for learning model of Mathematics. The statistics that used in this research were Frequency, Percentage, Mean, Standard Deviation, and Growth Score. The results of this research were 1. The assessment of learning model of Mathematics for Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin consisted of 3 components ; 1. Pre-assessment which consisted of 4 activities ; a Preparation b Teacher development c Design and creation the assessment plan and instrument for assessment and d Creation of the learning experience plan 2. The component for assessment process consisted of 4 steps which were a Identifying the learning objectives and criteria b Identifying the learning experience plan and assessment follow the plan c Learning reflection and giving feedback and d Learner development based on information and improve instruction and 3. Giving feedback component. 2. The effective of assessment for learning model found that most students had good score in concentration, honest, responsibilities, group work, task presentation, worksheets, and doing exercises. The development knowledge of learning and knowledge and skill of assessment for learning of lecturers were fairly good. The opinion to the assessment for learning of learners and assessment for learning model of Mathematics of teachers found that was in a good level.

  20. Profile of Metacognition of Mathematics and Mathematics Education Students in Understanding the Concept of Integral Calculus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misu, La; Ketut Budayasa, I.; Lukito, Agung

    2018-03-01

    This study describes the metacognition profile of mathematics and mathematics education students in understanding the concept of integral calculus. The metacognition profile is a natural and intact description of a person’s cognition that involves his own thinking in terms of using his knowledge, planning and monitoring his thinking process, and evaluating his thinking results when understanding a concept. The purpose of this study was to produce the metacognition profile of mathematics and mathematics education students in understanding the concept of integral calculus. This research method is explorative method with the qualitative approach. The subjects of this study are mathematics and mathematics education students who have studied integral calculus. The results of this study are as follows: (1) the summarizing category, the mathematics and mathematics education students can use metacognition knowledge and metacognition skills in understanding the concept of indefinite integrals. While the definite integrals, only mathematics education students use metacognition skills; and (2) the explaining category, mathematics students can use knowledge and metacognition skills in understanding the concept of indefinite integrals, while the definite integrals only use metacognition skills. In addition, mathematics education students can use knowledge and metacognition skills in understanding the concept of both indefinite and definite integrals.

  1. The Effects of a Mathematics Infusion Curriculum on Middle School Student Mathematics Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burghardt, M. David; Lauckhardt, James; Kennedy, Maria; Hecht, Deborah; McHugh, Luisa

    2015-01-01

    Increasing mathematical competencies of American students has been a focus for educators, researchers, and policy makers alike. One purported approach to increase student learning is through connecting mathematics and science curricula. Yet there is a lack of research examining the impact of making these connections. The Mathematics Infusion into…

  2. Do screencasts help to revise prerequisite mathematics? An investigation of student performance and perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loch, Birgit; Jordan, Camilla R.; Lowe, Tim W.; Mestel, Ben D.

    2014-02-01

    Basic calculus skills that are prerequisites for advanced mathematical studies continue to be a problem for a significant proportion of higher education students. While there are many types of revision material that could be offered to students, in this paper we investigate whether short, narrated video recordings of mathematical explanations (screencasts) are a useful tool to enhance student learning when revisiting prerequisite topics. We report on the outcomes of a study that was designed to both measure change in student performance before and after watching screencasts, and to capture students' perception of the usefulness of screencasts in their learning. Volunteers were recruited from students enrolled on an entry module for the Mathematics Master of Science programme at the Open University to watch two screencasts sandwiched between two online calculus quizzes. A statistical analysis of student responses to the quizzes shows that screencasts can have a positive effect on student performance. Further analysis of student feedback shows that student confidence was increased by watching the screencasts. Student views on the value of screencasts for their learning indicated that they appreciated being able to watch a problem being solved and explained by an experienced mathematician; hear the motivation for a particular problem-solving approach; engage more readily with the material being presented, thereby retaining it more easily. The positive student views and impact on student scores indicate that short screencasts could play a useful role in revising prerequisite mathematics.

  3. Motivation and Achievement of Middle School Mathematics Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herges, Rebecca M.; Duffield, Stacy; Martin, William; Wageman, Justin

    2017-01-01

    Mathematics achievement among K-12 students has been a long-standing concern in schools across the United States. A possible solution to this mathematics achievement problem is student motivation. A survey was administered to 65 mathematics students at a Midwestern middle school to determine their beliefs and attitudes related to motivation and…

  4. Visuospatial training improves elementary students' mathematics performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowrie, Tom; Logan, Tracy; Ramful, Ajay

    2017-06-01

    Although spatial ability and mathematics performance are highly correlated, there is scant research on the extent to which spatial ability training can improve mathematics performance. This study evaluated the efficacy of a visuospatial intervention programme within classrooms to determine the effect on students' (1) spatial reasoning and (2) mathematics performance as a result of the intervention. The study involved grade six students (ages 10-12) in eight classes. There were five intervention classes (n = 120) and three non-intervention control classes (n = 66). A specifically designed 10-week spatial reasoning programme was developed collaboratively with the participating teachers, with the intervention replacing the standard mathematics curriculum. The five classroom teachers in the intervention programme presented 20 hr of activities aimed at enhancing students' spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation skills. The spatial reasoning programme led to improvements in both spatial ability and mathematics performance relative to the control group who received standard mathematics instruction. Our study is the first to show that a classroom-based spatial reasoning intervention improves elementary school students' mathematics performance. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  5. Learning experiences in the teaching of mathematics to incarcerated university students: a humanistic sense

    OpenAIRE

    Castrillo Duarte, Óscar Mario

    2014-01-01

    This paper brings together the experiences of research conducted with college students doing time at the Liberia Criminal Center, as support to the course of Mathematics for Administrators II of Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED). The problems they face are: lack of teaching resources, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of mentoring to provide them with meaningful learning. The commitment of the researcher was to provide support to the students in the course, through a participatory and ...

  6. Analysing the Mathematical Experience: Posing the "What Is Mathematics?" Question

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padula, Janice

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, different schools of thought are discussed and compared to encourage lively classroom discussion and interest in mathematics for high achieving Form 12 students and first (or higher) year university students enrolled in a mathematics degree program. In particular the work and views of two mathematicians, Kurt Godel (1931) and Ian…

  7. The Effectiveness of Using the 7E's Learning Cycle Strategy on the Immediate and Delayed Mathematics Achievement and the Longitudinal Impact of Learning among Preparatory Year Students at King Saud University (KSU)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khashan, Khaled

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of teaching Mathematics by using 7E's Learning Cycle strategy in immediate and delayed achievement and retention among Preparatory Year students at King Saud University (KSU)--Saudi Arabia, in comparison with the traditional method. The study sample consisted of (73) Preparatory Year students at…

  8. Implementing Mathematics Teaching That Promotes Students' Understanding through Theory-Driven Lesson Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rongjin; Gong, Zikun; Han, Xue

    2016-01-01

    Lesson study (LS) has been practiced in China as an effective way to advance teachers' professional development for decades. This study explores how LS improves teaching that promotes students' understanding. A LS group including didacticians (practice-based teaching research specialist and University-based mathematics educators) and mathematics…

  9. `I'm a natural and I do it for love!': exploring students' accounts of studying mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomew, Hannah; Darragh, Lisa; Ell, Fiona; Saunders, Jeanette

    2011-10-01

    Drawing on in-depth interviews with the third year students at a New Zealand university, we explore the ways in which students speak about studying mathematics, their relationship with the subject and how this has developed over time. These interviews were conducted as part of a project looking at undergraduate mathematics from the perspective of lecturers, students, and interactions in lectures, and funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative in New Zealand. We use the work of Gee [Identity as an analytic lens for research in education, Rev. Res. Educ. 25 (2000), pp. 99-125] to tease out some discourses of mathematics that frame students' participation in the subject, and show that notions of 'natural ability', and of being passionate about the study of mathematics for its own sake, dominate the narratives of mathematics students. In developing this position, we turn to psycho-social theorists such as Hollway and Jefferson [Doing Qualitative Research Differently: Free Association, Narrative and the Interview Method, Sage, London, 1997] so as to question the 'face-value' meanings of these narratives and to argue that students' choices have less to do with rational decision making than with constructing identities that protect vulnerable aspects of themselves. Finally, we develop the metaphor of a 'maths club', which we feel captures something of the culture of mathematics and students' orientations towards the subject. This metaphor also allows us to raise questions about widening participation in mathematics.

  10. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GUIDED DISCOVERY LEARNING TO TEACH INTEGRAL CALCULUS FOR THE MATHEMATICS STUDENTS OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION WIDYA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuliana Yuliana

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of this research are (1 to develop Guided Discovery Learning in integral calculus subject; (2 to identify the effectiveness of Guided Discovery Learning in improving the students’ understanding toward integral calculus subject. This research was quasy experimental research with the students of even semester in Mathematics Education Widya Dharma University as the sample. Cluster Random sampling was conducted to determine control group that was taught using Conventional model and experimental group that was taught using Guided Discovery Learning model. The instruments of this research included pre-test, post-test, and student’s response questionnaire. The data of post-test was analyzed using T-test. The result was H0 was rejected for the level of significance The result of this data analysis found out that Guide Discovery Learning was more effective than Conventional Model. It was supported by the result questionnaire. The result of questionnaire that  more than 75% questionnaire items got 67.65% positive response. It means Guided Discovery Learning can increase students’ interest in joining integral calculus class.

  11. In-serviceMathematics and Chemistry Teachers’ Preparednessfor Mathematics and Chemistry Courses at the University of Botswana: Issues and Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lesego Tawana

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This research study’s aim was to track the paths of chemistry and mathematics in-service students studying for a degree at the University of Botswana who seemed to struggle with degree level concepts in their respective programmes despite holding diplomas in their fields. The authors are lecturers of both methodology and content courses in science and mathematics who became concerned about the seeminglyunderpreparedness of most in-service students for degree courses over the years. The study can be located within a social structuralist theoretical perspective where learning is viewed as a social entity, social structure referring to the ways people are interrelated or interdependent within their cultural mores as is the norm in an academic setting. The research team identified four categories of operational challenges that the students are most likely to face as university leaners, namely academic, social and emotional, economic and environmental challenges and these formed the basis on which the data collection process ensued. The qualitative methods paradigm was found to appropriate and the study was conducted within the framework of an action research approach. A qualitative research was relevant to the study because it had the capacity to enable the researchers to identify the cognitive views held by in-service students and the meanings they made of their experiences concerning their studies or the program (Hancock, 2004. The research sought to identify where the identified challenges emanated from with a view to make those involved in the academic paths of these learners to take heed of their problems. The study found that in-service learners are faced with all sorts of problems including lack of accommodation on campus, uncooperative lecturers, the university system which lumps them together with pre-service students making them academic prisoners, large class sizes which render learning a near impossibility for some, and the fast

  12. Students' Attitudes towards Mathematics and the Impacts of Mathematics Teachers' Approaches on It

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elçi, Aysun Nüket

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to determine students' attitudes towards mathematics, to investigate these attitudes according to the different variables, and to reveal the impacts of mathematics teachers' approaches and in-class activities on the students' attitudes towards mathematics. The study was conducted with the high school students from…

  13. Working Memory in Students with Mathematical Difficulties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nur, I. R. D.; Herman, T.; Ningsih, S.

    2018-04-01

    Learning process is the activities that has important role because this process is one of the all factors that establish students success in learning. oftentimes we find so many students get the difficulties when they study mathematics. This condition is not only because of the outside factor but also it comes from the inside. The purpose of this research is to analyze and give the representation how students working memory happened in physical education students for basic statistics subjects which have mathematical difficulties. The subjects are 4 students which have a mathematical difficulties. The research method is case study and when the describe about students working memory are explanated deeply with naturalistic observation. Based on this research, it was founded that 4 students have a working memory deficit in three components. The components are phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, dan episodic buffer.

  14. University-School Collaboration as a Tool for Promoting Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers' Professional Skills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilic, Hulya; Tunc Pekkan, Zelha

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we discuss pre-service mathematics teachers' professional gains from a university-school collaboration where they were given opportunity to observe two teacher educators' instructional practices in a 6th grade classroom, interact with students in one-to-one fashion and reflect on the teacher educators' and their own practices. Three…

  15. Students' Views of A-Level Mathematics as Preparation for Degree-Level Economics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darlington, Ellie; Bowyer, Jessica

    2017-01-01

    As part of a large-scale survey of over 4000 undergraduates at British universities, 238 economics students reported on their experiences of studying post-compulsory secondary mathematics qualifications (A-levels) and the preparation they provided for their degrees. Participants were positive about their experience of post-compulsory mathematics…

  16. The Mathematics Education Debates: Preparing Students to Become Professionally Active Mathematics Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munakata, Mika

    2010-01-01

    The Mathematics Education Debate is an assignment designed for and implemented in an undergraduate mathematics methods course for prospective secondary school mathematics teachers. For the assignment, students read and analyze current research and policy reports related to mathematics education, prepare and present their positions, offer…

  17. Mathematical disposition of junior high school students viewed from learning styles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putra, Arief Karunia; Budiyono, Slamet, Isnandar

    2017-08-01

    The relevance of this study is the growth of character values for students in Indonesia. Mathematics is a subject that builds the character values for students. It can be seen from the students' confidence in answering mathematics problems, their persistent and resilience in mathematics task. In addition, students have a curiosity in mathematics and appreciate the usefulness of mathematics. In mathematics, it is called a mathematical disposition. One of the factors that can affect students' mathematical disposition is learning style. Each student has a dominant learning style. Three of the most popular ones are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The most important uses of learning styles is that it makes it easy for teachers to incorporate them into their teaching. The purpose of this study was to determine which one that gives better mathematical dispositions among students with learning styles of visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. The subjects were 150 students in Sleman regency. Data obtained through questionnaires. Based on data analysis that has been done with benchmark assessment method, it can be concluded that students with visual learning style has a mathematical disposition better than students with auditory and kinesthetic learning styles, while students with kinesthetic learning style has a mathematical disposition better than students with auditory learning style. These results can be used as a reference for students with individual learning styles to improve the mathematical positive disposition in the learning process of mathematics.

  18. Student teachers’ mathematical questioning and courage in metaphorical thinking learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendriana, H.; Hidayat, W.; Ristiana, M. G.

    2018-01-01

    This study was designed in the form of experiments with control group design and post-test only which aimed to examine the role of metaphorical thinking learning in the mathematical questioning ability of student teachers based on the level of mathematical courage. The population of this study was student teachers of mathematics education study program in West Java Province, while the sample of this study was 152 student teachers which were set purposively and then randomly to be included in the experimental class and control class. Based on the results and discussion, it was concluded that: (a) the mathematical questioning ability of student teachers who received Metaphorical Thinking learning was better than those who received conventional learning seen from mathematical courage level; (b) learning and mathematical courage level factors affected the achievement of student teachers’ mathematical questioning ability. In addition, there was no interaction effect between learning and mathematical courage level (high, medium, and low) simultaneously in developing student teachers’ mathematical questioning ability; (c) achievement of mastering mathematical questioning ability of student teacher was still not well achieved on indicator of problem posing in the form of non-routine question and open question.

  19. Mathematical Education for Geographers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Alan

    1978-01-01

    Outlines mathematical topics of use to college geography students identifies teaching methods for mathematical techniques in geography at the University of Leeds; and discusses problem of providing students with a framework for synthesizing all content of geography education. For journal availability, see SO 506 593. (Author/AV)

  20. Improving the performance of flexibility and coordination abilities university girls-students in the process of hatha-yoga classes during the university year

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ganna Tolchieva

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: to determine the results of changes in terms of flexibility and coordination abilities of university students in the process of hatha-yoga developed by the program during the year. Material and methods: a pedagogical experiment was attended by 60 students of the university at the age of 17–20 years. Conducted pedagogical experiment and educational testing, the results were processed by methods of mathematical statistics. Results: the control group students only attended university studies in physical education, experimental – three times a week, hour and a half fitness classes on hatha-yoga. Conclusions: in the pedagogical experiment proved the effectiveness of the developed program on hatha-yoga in extracurricular work of students of the university; the average results recorded characteristics of flexibility and coordination abilities of university students and calculated at the end of the university year, the percentage improvement in these indicators.

  1. Mathematics and Natural Science Students' Motivational Profiles and their First-year Academic Achievement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fokkens-Bruinsma, Marjon; Vermue, Carlien; Deinum, Jan

    2018-01-01

    Our study focused on describing first-year university students’ motivational profiles and their achievement. 755 students in the faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences participated in the study. Data on academic motivation was collected before the start of the program, data on achievement at

  2. Mathematics and Natural Science Students' Motivational Profiles and their First-year Academic Achievement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fokkens-Bruinsma, Marjon; Vermue, Carlien; Deinum, Jan

    2016-01-01

    Our study focused on describing first-year university students’ motivational profiles and their achievement. 755 students in the faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences participated in the study. Data on academic motivation was collected before the start of the program, data on achievement at

  3. Mathematical Understanding and Proving Abilities: Experiment With Undergraduate Student By Using Modified Moore Learning Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rippi Maya

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports findings of  a  post test experimental control group design conducted to investigate the role of modified Moore learning approach  on improving students’ mathematical understanding and proving abilities. Subject of study were 56 undergradute students of one state university in Bandung, who took advanced abstract algebra course. Instrument of study were a set test of mathematical understanding ability, a set test of mathematical proving ability, and a set of students’ opinion scale on modified Moore learning approach. Data were analyzed by using two path ANOVA. The study found that proof construction process was more difficult than mathematical understanding  task  for all students, and students still posed some difficulties on constructing mathematical proof task.  The study also found there were not differences  between students’  abilities on mathematical understanding and on proving abilities of  the both classes, and both abilities were classified as mediocre. However, in modified Moore learning approach class there were more students who got above average grades on mathematical understanding than those of conventional class. Moreover, students performed positive  opinion toward  modified Moore learning approach. They  were  active in questioning and solving problems, and in explaining their works in front of class as well, while students of conventional teaching prefered to listen to lecturer’s explanation. The study also found that there was no interaction between learning approach and students’ prior mathematics ability on mathematical understanding and proving abilities,  but  there were  quite strong  association between students’ mathematical understanding and proving abilities.Keywords:  modified Moore learning approach, mathematical understanding ability, mathematical proving ability. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22342/jme.2.2.751.231-250

  4. IMPROVING TEACHING MATHEMATICS USING MODERN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN FORMATION MATHEMATICAL COMPETENCE REQUIRED FUTURE SKIPPERS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Gudyreva

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to consideration of issues related to identifying the potential for teaching mathematics using network (Internet technology and the introduction of elements of distance learning into educational process of higher educational establishments of the sea profile, as well as achievement of formation of mathematical competence of students of the University generally, and of the University's Maritime profile, in particular. Based on the analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature highlights the factors that influence the increase of efficiency of independent work of students of higher educational institutions and on the formation of steady skills of self-education that ultimately leads to quality of formation of mathematical competence of a student. Specific features of teaching mathematics at the University of the sea profile. The description of the project (complex sites "KSMA. Higher mathematics navigators", who developed and used in the Kherson state Maritime Academy in the teaching of mathematics and the organization of individual techniques of distance learning, shows the simplicity and accessibility of working with complex sites, as well as the simplicity and accessibility of design "personal website", but in fact complex sites, by a teacher of any discipline of higher education. Shown, also a training process with the use of the project "KSMA. Higher mathematics navigators", analyzes the experience of teaching the course "Higher mathematics" in a higher educational institution of the marine profile with the use of a personal website, a teacher and shown positive results in students mastery of basic mathematical competencies.

  5. Mathematics for Maths Anxious Tertiary Students: Integrating the cognitive and affective domains using interactive multimedia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janet Taylor

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Today, commencing university students come from a diversity of backgrounds and have a broad range of abilities and attitudes. It is well known that attitudes towards mathematics, especially mathematics anxiety, can affect students’ performance to the extent that mathematics is often seen as a barrier to success by many. This paper reports on the design, development and evaluation of an interactive multimedia resource designed to explicitly address students’ beliefs and attitudes towards mathematics by following five characters as they progress through the highs and low of studying a preparatory mathematics course. The resource was built within two theoretical frameworks, one related to effective numeracy teaching (Marr and Helme 1991 and the other related to effective educational technology development (Laurillard 2002. Further, it uses a number of multimedia alternatives (video, audio, animations, diarying, interactive examples and self assessment to encourage students to feel part of a group, to reflect on their feelings and beliefs about mathematics, to expose students to authentic problem solving and generally build confidence through practice and self-assessment. Evaluation of the resource indicated that it encouraged students to value their own mathematical ability and helped to build confidence, while developing mathematical problem solving skills. The evaluation clearly demonstrated that it is possible to address the affective domain through multimedia initiatives and that this can complement the current focus on computer mediated communication as the primary method of addressing affective goals within the online environment.

  6. Mathematical Problem Solving Ability of Junior High School Students through Ang’s Framework for Mathematical Modelling Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fasni, N.; Turmudi, T.; Kusnandi, K.

    2017-09-01

    This research background of this research is the importance of student problem solving abilities. The purpose of this study is to find out whether there are differences in the ability to solve mathematical problems between students who have learned mathematics using Ang’s Framework for Mathematical Modelling Instruction (AFFMMI) and students who have learned using scientific approach (SA). The method used in this research is a quasi-experimental method with pretest-postest control group design. Data analysis of mathematical problem solving ability using Indepent Sample Test. The results showed that there was a difference in the ability to solve mathematical problems between students who received learning with Ang’s Framework for Mathematical Modelling Instruction and students who received learning with a scientific approach. AFFMMI focuses on mathematical modeling. This modeling allows students to solve problems. The use of AFFMMI is able to improve the solving ability.

  7. Self-Esteem, Study Habits and Academic Performance Among University Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel L. Chilca Alva

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This study was intended to establish whether self-esteem and study habits correlate with academic performance among university students. Research conducted was descriptive observational, multivariate or cross-sectional factorial in nature. The study population consisted of 196 students enrolled in a Basic Mathematics 1 class at the School of Engineering of Universidad Tecnológica del Perú (Technical University of Peru, UTP in the third term of 2016, and the sample size numbered 86 students. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, Luis Vicuña Peri’s Study Habits Inventory and the average grades obtained by students were used for research variable measurement. Results show that self-esteem does not significantly impact academic performance, but study habits do influence academic performance (p = .000 < α = .05. Hence students are expected to enhance academic performance as they refine study techniques.

  8. Advanced Problems in Mathematics : Preparing for University

    OpenAIRE

    Siklos, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    " This book is intended to help candidates prepare for entrance examinations in mathematics and scientific subjects, including STEP (Sixth Term Examination Paper). STEP is an examination used by Cambridge colleges as the basis for conditional offers. They are also used by Warwick University, and many other mathematics departments recommend that their applicants practice on the past papers even if they do not take the examination. Advanced Problems in Mathematics is recommended as preparati...

  9. The Relationship between Gender and Students' Attitude and Experience of Using a Mathematical Software Program (MATLAB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ocak, Mehmet A.

    2006-01-01

    This correlation study examined the relationship between gender and the students' attitude and prior knowledge of using one of the mathematical software programs (MATLAB). Participants were selected from one community college, one state university and one private college. Students were volunteers from three Calculus I classrooms (one class from…

  10. Pre-University Students' Errors in Integration of Rational Functions and Implications for Classroom Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yee, Ng Kin; Lam, Toh Tin

    2008-01-01

    This paper reports on students' errors in performing integration of rational functions, a topic of calculus in the pre-university mathematics classrooms. Generally the errors could be classified as those due to the students' weak algebraic concepts and their lack of understanding of the concept of integration. With the students' inability to link…

  11. Secondary School Mathematics Teachers' and Students' Views on Computer Assisted Mathematics Instruction in Turkey: Mathematica Example

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ardiç, Mehmet Alper; Isleyen, Tevfik

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed at determining the secondary school mathematics teachers' and students' views on computer-assisted mathematics instruction (CAMI) conducted via Mathematica. Accordingly, three mathematics teachers in Adiyaman and nine 10th-grade students participated in the research. Firstly, the researchers trained the mathematics teachers in the…

  12. The Realities of Teaching Elementary Mathematics by Student Teachers: A Phenomenological Probe

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    Jo Ann M. Petancio

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This study probed into the lived experiences of the student-teachers as they go through teaching Elementary Mathematics. Apart from Mathematics, these student-teachers who are generalists teach the other seven subjects. This phenomenological study was conducted during the first semester, school year 2017-2018 in Cebu Normal University-Integrated Laboratory School in Cebu City, Philippines. The researchers interviewed twelve student teachers and used Colaizzi’s method of data analysis. Results revealed that the essence of teaching Math from the lens of elementary student teachers is condensed in the following themes: a Emotional mix-up; b Challenging; c Never stop learning and reach out for help; d Success is a joint venture of teacher and student; e Values count; f We are work in progress. The researchers recommend that teacher education institutions may consider revisiting their policies and practices to strengthen the support lent by the supervisor, mentors and staff to the budding teachers; providing supplemental training and coaching towards improving the student teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in Math; and providing the pre-service teachers with reflective strategies in processing one’s own experiences in teaching the subject. Moreover, since elementary student-teachers teach not only Math but the other subjects as well, the researchers also recommend that further researches may be conducted on topics related on how the teaching of the other subjects influence one’s way of teaching Mathematics.

  13. Focusing of Students' Mathematical Thinking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breyfogle, M. Lynn; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth A.

    2004-01-01

    Suggestions and ideas that enable teachers to take a closer look at students' thinking are discussed. A teacher should periodically reflect on his or her own classroom practices in order to increase attention on students' mathematical thinking.

  14. Examination of the 8th grade students' TIMSS mathematics success in terms of different variables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaleli-Yılmaz, Gül; Hanci, Alper

    2016-07-01

    The aim of this study is to determine how the TIMSS mathematics success of the 8th grade students differentiates according to the school type, gender, mathematics report mark, parents' education level, cognitive domains and cognitive domains by gender. Relational survey method was used in the study. Six-hundred fifty two 8th grade students studying in the same city in Turkey participated in this study. In this study, a 45 question test that was made up by choosing TIMSS 2011 mathematics questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. Quantitative data analysis methods were used in the data analysis, frequency, percentage, average, standard deviation, independent sample test, one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc tests were applied to data by using SPSS packaged software. At the end of the study, it was determined that the school type, mathematics school mark, parents' education level and cognitive domains influenced the students' TIMSS mathematics success but their gender was a neutral element. Moreover, it was seen that schools which are really successful in national exams are more successful in TIMSS exam; students whose mathematics school marks are 5 and whose parents graduated from university are more successful in TIMSS exams than others. This study was produced from Alper HANCİ's master thesis that is made consulting Asst. Prof. Gül KALELİ YILMAZ.

  15. Mathematical literacy skills of students' in term of gender differences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lailiyah, Siti

    2017-08-01

    Good mathematical literacy skills will hopefully help maximize the tasks and role of the prospective teacher in activities. Mathematical literacy focus on students' ability to analyze, justify, and communicate ideas effectively, formulate, solve and interpret mathematical problems in a variety of forms and situations. The purpose of this study is to describe the mathematical literacy skills of the prospective teacher in term of gender differences. This research used a qualitative approach with a case study. Subjects of this study were taken from two male students and two female students of the mathematics education prospective teacher who have followed Community Service Program (CSP) in literacy. Data were collected through methods think a loud and interviews. Four prospective teachers were asked to fill mathematical literacy test and video taken during solving this test. Students are required to convey loud what he was thinking when solving problems. After students get the solution, researchers grouped the students' answers and results think aloud. Furthermore, the data are grouped and analyzed according to indicators of mathematical literacy skills. Male students have good of each indicator in mathematical literacy skills (the first indicator to the sixth indicator). Female students have good of mathematical literacy skills (the first indicator, the second indicator, the third indicator, the fourth indicator and the sixth indicator), except for the fifth indicators that are enough.

  16. The image of mathematics held by Irish post-primary students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, Ciara; Stynes, Martin; O'Donoghue, John

    2014-08-01

    The image of mathematics held by Irish post-primary students was examined and a model for the image found was constructed. Initially, a definition for 'image of mathematics' was adopted with image of mathematics hypothesized as comprising attitudes, beliefs, self-concept, motivation, emotions and past experiences of mathematics. Research focused on students studying ordinary level mathematics for the Irish Leaving Certificate examination - the final examination for students in second-level or post-primary education. Students were aged between 15 and 18 years. A questionnaire was constructed with both quantitative and qualitative aspects. The questionnaire survey was completed by 356 post-primary students. Responses were analysed quantitatively using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and qualitatively using the constant comparative method of analysis and by reviewing individual responses. Findings provide an insight into Irish post-primary students' images of mathematics and offer a means for constructing a theoretical model of image of mathematics which could be beneficial for future research.

  17. Concept mapping learning strategy to enhance students' mathematical connection ability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafiz, M.; Kadir, Fatra, Maifalinda

    2017-05-01

    The concept mapping learning strategy in teaching and learning mathematics has been investigated by numerous researchers. However, there are still less researchers who have scrutinized about the roles of map concept which is connected to the mathematical connection ability. Being well understood on map concept, it may help students to have ability to correlate one concept to other concept in order that the student can solve mathematical problems faced. The objective of this research was to describe the student's mathematical connection ability and to analyze the effect of using concept mapping learning strategy to the students' mathematical connection ability. This research was conducted at senior high school in Jakarta. The method used a quasi-experimental with randomized control group design with the total number was 72 students as the sample. Data obtained through using test in the post-test after giving the treatment. The results of the research are: 1) Students' mathematical connection ability has reached the good enough level category; 2) Students' mathematical connection ability who had taught with concept mapping learning strategy is higher than who had taught with conventional learning strategy. Based on the results above, it can be concluded that concept mapping learning strategycould enhance the students' mathematical connection ability, especially in trigonometry.

  18. Attitudes of Turkish High School Students toward Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yenilmez, Kursat

    2007-01-01

    This study examines high school students' attitudes toward mathematics and analyzes whether there were differences in attitude and its source that could be attributed to gender, class level, type of school, mathematics success, whether the students received preschool education, families' income level, and high school student's place of living.…

  19. Topics in quantum groups and finite-type invariants mathematics at the independent University of Moscow

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    Arkhipov, S M; Odesskii, A V; Feigin, B; Vassiliev, V

    1998-01-01

    This volume presents the first collection of articles consisting entirely of work by faculty and students of the Higher Mathematics College of the Independent University of Moscow (IUM). This unique institution was established to train elite students to become research scientists. Covered in the book are two main topics: quantum groups and low-dimensional topology. The articles were written by participants of the Feigin and Vassiliev seminars, two of the most active seminars at the IUM.

  20. Student engagement in mathematics: Development of instrument and validation of construct

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Qi-Ping; Wong, Ngai-Ying; Lam, Chi-Chung

    2003-05-01

    Universal education has aggravated the problems of students' disengagement in learning, highlighting in particular, a greater range of motivations to learn and wider diversification in students' interests. Students' engagement with curriculum has become a crucial element in classroom learning. How we cultivate their involvement in the curriculum may be seen as being far more important than the epistemological consideration in the design of the school curriculum. Though aspects of behavioural, affective and cognitive engagements have been revealed in literature, we are still in need of a validated instrument that measures student engagement for further research. In the present study, an instrument of student engagement in the subject area of mathematics was developed through grounded research. Its validity was established by statistical methods

  1. The role ofcontextualinterpretationofthe mathematical resultsin professional formation

    OpenAIRE

    Eurico WongoGungula; Raquel Diéguez Batista; Eglys Pérez Ugartemendía

    2013-01-01

    This article aims to approach the application of mathematical problems results, using criteria issued by teachers, pre-university and university students surrounding this proc ess. The problems identified in pre-university and Higher Pedagogical institutes in Angola, are related to the lack of motivation among students in mathematical careers, due to insufficient contextualization achieved by the programmed contents, as well as the insistent use of scientific and methodological approaches tha...

  2. The pupils of L.P. Ginsburg - The graduates of the faculty of mathematics and mechanics of Leningrad State University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matveev, S. K.; Arkhangelskaya, L. A.; Akimov, G. A.

    2018-05-01

    Isaak Pavlovich Ginzburg (1910-1979) was a professor at the hydroaeromechanics department of Leningrad State University, a prominent scientist, an outstanding organizer and a brilliant educator, who had trained more than one generation of specialists in the field of fluid, gas and plasma mechanics. Many of his students became major scientists and organizers of science. The present paper is devoted to the students of I.P. Ginzburg graduated from the Mathematics and Mechanics Faculty of Leningrad State University.

  3. Mathematics anxiety in secondary students in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinn, Steve

    2009-02-01

    Whatever the changes that are made to the mathematics curriculum in England, there will always remain a problem with mathematics anxiety. Maths anxiety is rarely facilitative. This study examined aspects of mathematics in secondary schools and how students rated them as sources of anxiety. Over 2000 students in independent and mainstream schools in England completed a 20-item questionnaire designed to investigate maths anxiety levels. The same questionnaire was given to over 440 dyslexic males in specialist schools within the same age range. The results showed that examinations and tests create high levels of anxiety in approximately 4% of students. The results suggest that certain aspects and topics in the maths curriculum, such as long division, cause similar levels of anxiety for students in all year groups in secondary schools.

  4. Remedial mathematics for quantum chemistry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koopman, L.; Brouwer, N.; Heck, A.; Buma, W.J.

    2008-01-01

    Proper mathematical skills are important for every science course and mathematics-intensive chemistry courses rely on a sound mathematical pre-knowledge. In the first-year quantum chemistry course at this university, it was noticed that many students lack basic mathematical knowledge. To tackle the

  5. Improving Mathematical Communication Ability and Self Regulation Learning of Junior High Students by Using Reciprocal Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qohar, Abdul; Sumarmo, Utari

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the findings from a posttest experiment control group design by using reciprocal teaching, conducted in Indonesia University of Education to investigate students' ability in mathematical communication and self regulated learning. Subject of the study were 254 of 9th grade students from three junior high schools of high, medium,…

  6. Self-efficacy, mathematics' anxiety and perceived importance: an empirical study with Portuguese engineering students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Manuela; Rodrigues, Cristina S.; Rocha, Ana Maria A. C.; Coutinho, Clara

    2016-01-01

    The accomplishment in mathematics has gained attention from educators and arises as an emerging field of study, including in engineering education. However, in Portugal, there is still incipient research in the area; so it is high time to explore factors that might enlighten the gap in the study of the relationship between Portuguese engineering students and the learning of mathematics. The main purpose of this study is to explore three factors identified in the literature as influencing the learning of mathematical concepts - self-efficacy, anxiety towards mathematics and perceived importance of mathematics - and search for differences by gender and by type of engineering course, a dimension not much reported in the literature but which was revealed as important in the team's previous research. Based on a sample of 140 undergraduate students of different engineering courses from University of Minho, results only identify differences in the type of course and not in gender. These results constitute a contribution and open new paths for future research in the engineering education.

  7. The Influence of Mathematics Vocabulary Instruction Embedded within Addition Tutoring for First-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, Sarah R.; Driver, Melissa K.

    2015-01-01

    Researchers and practitioners indicate students require explicit instruction on mathematics vocabulary terms, yet no study has examined the effects of an embedded vocabulary component within mathematics tutoring for early elementary students. First-grade students with mathematics difficulty (MD; n = 98) were randomly assigned to addition tutoring…

  8. Mathematical modeling courses for Media technology students

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Timcenko, Olga

    2009-01-01

    This paper addresses curriculum development for Mathematical Modeling course at Medialogy education. Medialogy as a study line was established in 2002 at Faculty for Engineering and Natural Sciences at Aalborg University, and mathematics curriculum has already been revised three times, Mathematic...

  9. Delaying Developmental Mathematics: The Characteristics and Costs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Marianne; Kuennen, Eric

    2004-01-01

    This paper investigates which students delay taking a required developmental mathematics course and the impact of delay on student performance in introductory microeconomics. Analysis of a sample of 1462 students at a large Midwestern university revealed that, although developmental-level mathematics students did not reach the same level of…

  10. Student Attitudes towards Group Work among Undergraduates in Business Administration, Education and Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gottschall, Holli; Garcia-Bayonas, Mariche

    2008-01-01

    Group work is a widely used teaching technique in higher education. Faculty find themselves utilizing this method in their classes more and more, yet few studies examine what students actually think about group work. The current study surveyed Mathematics, Education, and Business Administration majors at a mid-sized southeastern university in…

  11. Mathematics Anxiety and Prevention Strategy: An Attempt to Support Students and Strengthen Mathematics Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aweke Shishigu

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In the process of reaching a medium income country, science, mathematics and technology have become an emphasis of Ethiopia. But, currently, students' interest to study mathematics and ability in mathematics is declining. This study therefore aimed to investigate the prevalence of mathematics anxiety and its effect on students' current mathematics achievement. Additionally, by grounding on the literature, some strategies supposed to reduce the negative effects of math anxiety were identified for practice. The study was conducted on five randomly selected public secondary schools of East Shoa Zone in Oromia region. Math anxiety was measured using a validated instrument called Math Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS, whereas students' current mathematics achievement was measured using achievement test. Structural model was developed to examine causal relationship of the variables treated in the study. The finding revealed that there was a significant negative relationship between mathematics anxiety and achievement. There was also a statistically significant gender difference in mathematics anxiety and current math achievement, with effect size small and typical respectively. Based on the findings of the study, imperative implication for practice and future research were made.

  12. Why Do Students Drop Advanced Mathematics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, Ilana

    2004-01-01

    Students, especially black, Latino and Native American youth and students of low socio-economic status drop out of advanced mathematics. Teachers must coordinate their expectations, their knowledge of students and their teaching practices in order to stop struggling students from dropping out of advanced math classes.

  13. Engaging Elementary Students in the Creative Process of Mathematizing Their World through Mathematical Modeling

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    Jennifer M. Suh

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the experiences of two elementary teachers’ implementation of mathematical modeling in their classrooms and how the enactment by the teachers and the engagement by students exhibited their creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills. In particular, we explore the questions: (1 How can phases of mathematical modeling as a process serve as a venue for exhibiting students’ critical 21st century skills? (2 What were some effective pedagogical practices teachers used as they implemented mathematical modeling with elementary students and how did these promote students’ 21st century skills? We propose that mathematical modeling provides space for teachers and students to have a collective experience through the iterative process of making sense of and building knowledge of important mathematical ideas while engaging in the critical 21st century skills necessary in our complex modern world.

  14. Associations between teacher-student interpersonal behaviour and student attitude to mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Darrell; Rickards, Tony

    1998-04-01

    This article reports on research using a convenient questionnaire designed to allow mathematics teachers to assess teacher-student interpersonal behaviour in their classrooms. The various forms of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) are discussed, and its use in past research is summarised. The article provides validation data for the first use of the QTI with a large sample of mathematics classrooms and examines the relation of teacher-student interpersonal behaviour to student attitude. It also describes how mathematics teachers can and have used the questionnaire to assess perceptions of their own teacher-student interpersonal behaviour, and how they have used such assessments as a basis for reflecting on their own teaching. The QTI may thus provide a basis for systematic attempts to improve one's own teaching practice.

  15. Development Mathematic Assessment to Increase Mathematical Prerequisite Ability on The Student with Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Elementary School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robiansyah, S. T. U.; Nanang, F.; Hidayat

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to introduce about mathematic assessment is a process of obtaining data or information about the mastery of a student's mathematical skills as an ingredient in preparing a learning program. With this mathematics assessment can be known obstacles, difficulties and needs of students especially in the field of mathematic, so that the learning program will be in accordance with the potential students because it is tailored to what is required of students. This research study was conducted at elementary school of inclusive precisely at SDN Sukagalih I Bandung City based learning in setting of inclusive education. This research study is motivated by the existence of a first-grade student who has disabilities learning in mathematics, the ability of the mathematical prerequisite mastery of the classification of objects by color. The results of the research can provide a profile picture of student data information, the data obtained from the results of the development of systematic and formal mathematical assessment. After doing the development of mathematics assessment then the teacher gets important related information: 1. process the analysis of students’ learning needs, especially in the field of mathematics, 2. preparing the learning program planning according to student learning needs, 3. Designing procedural of method remedial program.

  16. What Students Say about Their Mathematical Thinking When They Listen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosko, Karl W.

    2014-01-01

    Mathematical listening is an important aspect of mathematical communication. Yet there are relatively few examinations of this phenomenon. Further, existing studies of students' mathematical listening come from observational data, lacking the student perspective. This study examined student replies to an open-response question regarding what…

  17. Roots of Mathematics Anxiety in College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quan-Lorey, Stephanie

    2017-01-01

    A majority of college students exhibit feelings of fear and discomfort when put into situations that require the use of mathematics. These students are characterized to be mathematics-anxious and tend to overlook the idea that one can gain many benefits from learning the subject. This paper investigates the various factors that have led to and…

  18. Mathematics for secondary education project (Matem-UNA: perception of students about of the courses received and the profesional careers they selected for higher education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Lucía Alfaro Arce

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper summarizes the opinions of students who have enrolled in the Precalculus course offered by the MATEM project. The aim is to systematize the views expressed by the students enrolled in MATEM, which are related to general aspects of the project, and also to know the professional areas these students select when entering to the university. The information for this study was collected through two questionnaires administered to the participating students during 2005-2009. The most relevant results are the following: the students listed benefits from MATEM such as the opportunity to practice for their Mathematics test (Ministry of Education exam, obtaining new knowledge and developing mathematical and reasoning skills. Most students would recommend others to participate in the project. Regarding the careers that students pursue, it was found a preference for higher studies in public universities at Costa Rica; these majors include mathematics courses in their curriculum (Engineering, Economics, Statistics, Medicine, among others.

  19. Students' Critical Mathematical Thinking Skills and Character: Experiments for Junior High School Students through Realistic Mathematics Education Culture-Based

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palinussa, Anderson L.

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of a quasi-experimental with pre-test-post-test design and control group that aims to assess students' critical mathematical thinking skills and character through realistic mathematics education (RME) culture-based. Subjects of this study were 106 junior high school students from two low and medium schools level in…

  20. The Moodle platform in atypical mathematics university courses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciana Zuccheri

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Report on experiences using the Moodle e-learning platform for university courses in mathematics history, mathematics education and teacher education. The objective was to stimulate students’ interest, develop their capacity to analyse topics in-depth, and foster their cooperation.

  1. Relationship of Mathematics Olympiad Performance of Gifted Students with IQ and Mathematics Achievement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali İhsan BORAN

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate relationship of mathematics Olympiad (analysis-algebra and geometry scores of gifted students with IQ scores (verbal, performance and general and mathematics achievement scores of the gifted students. Study group of the study included 64 gifted students (27 girls and 37 boys who took courses from one Science and Art Center. Data of study involved scores of the participants on mathematics Olympiad exam, WISC-R test and school mathematics achievement. For analysis of the data Pearson correlation analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, independent groups’ t-test and Mann Whitney U test were utilized. The findings showed that there was no significant relationship between the Olympiad scores on analysis-algebra and geometry and IQ scores (general, performance and verbal. But the Olympiad scores on analysis-algebra and geometry factors were significantly related to school mathematics achievement. Comparing IQ scores of highest and lowest scorer groups on the Olympiad scores showed that there were no significant differences between IQ scores (general, performance and verbal of the groups. However school mathematics scores of the participants significantly differed in terms of groups determined based on analysis-algebra and geometry scores.

  2. Increasing the Number of Canadian Indigenous Students in STEM at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    St-Jacques, J. M.; McGee, S.; Janze, R.; Longman, M.; Pete, S.; Starblanket, N.

    2016-12-01

    Canadian Indigenous people are an extremely poorly represented group in STEM today due to major barriers in obtaining a high school and then a university education. Approximately 10% of the undergraduate student population out of a total 12,600 students at the University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, is First Nations, Métis or Inuit. The university is located in a catchment region where 30% of the population is First Nations or Métis. Approximately 100 students majoring in the sciences, mathematics and engineering have self-declared themselves to be Indigenous. For the past two years, we have been running a pilot project, the Initiative to Support and Increase the Number of Indigenous Students in the Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering at the Aboriginal Student Centre, with financial support from the Deans of Science and Engineering. We provide student networking lunches, Indigenous scientist and engineer speakers and mentors and supplemental tutoring. Our program is actively supported and guided by Elder Noel Starblanket, former president of the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations). Our students are greatly interested in the health and environmental sciences (particularly water quality), with a sprinkling of physics, mathematics and engineering majors. Our students have gone on to graduate work with prestigious scholarships and a paid internship in engineering. We report here on various lessons learned: the involvement of elders is key, as is the acceptance of non-traditional academic paths, and any STEM support program must respect Indigenous culture. There is great interest in science and engineering on the part of these students, if scientists and engineers are willing to listen and learn to talk with these students on their own terms.

  3. Connecting Research to Teaching: The "MOST" Productive Student Mathematical Thinking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stockero, Shari L.; Peterson, Blake E.; Leatham, Keith R.; Van Zoest, Laura R.

    2014-01-01

    Instruction that meaningfully incorporates students' mathematical thinking is widely valued within the mathematics education community (NCTM 2000; Sherin, Louis, and Mendez 2000; Stein et al. 2008). Although being responsive to student thinking is important, not all student thinking has the same potential to support mathematical learning.…

  4. Mapping University Students' Epistemic Framing of Computational Physics Using Network Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodin, Madelen

    2012-01-01

    Solving physics problem in university physics education using a computational approach requires knowledge and skills in several domains, for example, physics, mathematics, programming, and modeling. These competences are in turn related to students' beliefs about the domains as well as about learning. These knowledge and beliefs components are…

  5. Culture-Based Contextual Learning to Increase Problem-Solving Ability of First Year University Student

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samo, Damianus Dao; Darhim; Kartasasmita, Bana G.

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to show the differences in problem-solving ability between first-year University students who received culture-based contextual learning and conventional learning. This research is a quantitative research using quasi-experimental research design. Samples were the First-year students of mathematics education department;…

  6. Students' Thinking and the Depth of the Mathematics Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kent, Laura B.

    2014-01-01

    This article explores the impact of students' thinking centered professional development on mathematics teaching and learning. Purposeful pedagogy and problem posing are examined as mechanisms by which teachers can potentially deepen students' understanding of mathematics. A classroom example comparing student generated strategies versus…

  7. An Examination in Turkey: Error Analysis of Mathematics Students on Group Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arikan, Elif Esra; Ozkan, Ayten; Ozkan, E. Mehmet

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to analyze the mistakes that have been made in the group theory underlying the algebra mathematics. The 100 students taking algebra math 1 class and studying at the 2nd grade at a state university in Istanbul participated in this study. The related findings were prepared as a classical exam of 6 questions which have been…

  8. Mathematical preparedness for tertiary mathematics – a need for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ongoing action research at the University of Pretoria investigates first-year students' preparedness for a study in calculus. In 2005 first-year engineering students completed a mathematics diagnostic survey at the beginning and end of the year. In this article the results of the 2005 survey are compared with the students' final ...

  9. Experiences of Student Mathematics-Teachers in Computer-Based Mathematics Learning Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karatas, Ilhan

    2011-01-01

    Computer technology in mathematics education enabled the students find many opportunities for investigating mathematical relationships, hypothesizing, and making generalizations. These opportunities were provided to pre-service teachers through a faculty course. At the end of the course, the teachers were assigned project tasks involving…

  10. Using Student Contributions and Multiple Representations To Develop Mathematical Language.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth A.

    2002-01-01

    Describes a way to introduce and use mathematical language as an alternative to using vocabulary lists to introduce students to mathematical language in mathematics classrooms. Draws on multiple representations and student language. (YDS)

  11. Coming to Know and Do Mathematics with Disengaged Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshman, Margaret; Brown, Raymond

    2014-01-01

    This case study explored how students disaffected with their school experience were scaffolded during their participation in a middle-school mathematics classroom. Of particular interest were the level of student engagement in discussion about the mathematics being presented by the teacher and the approach to doing mathematics being displayed by…

  12. A study of students' learning styles and mathematics anxiety amongst form four students in Kerian Perak

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esa, Suraya; Mohamed, Nurul Akmal

    2017-05-01

    This study aims to identify the relationship between students' learning styles and mathematics anxiety amongst Form Four students in Kerian, Perak. The study involves 175 Form Four students as respondents. The instrument which is used to assess the students' learning styles and mathematic anxiety is adapted from the Grasha's Learning Styles Inventory and the Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS) respectively. The types of learning styles used are independent, avoidant, collaborative, dependent, competitive and participant. The collected data is processed by SPSS (Statistical Packages for Social Sciences 16.0). The data is analysed by using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics that include t-test and Pearson correlation. The results show that majority of the students adopt collaborative learning style and the students have moderate level of mathematics anxiety. Moreover, it is found that there is significant difference between learning style avoidant, collaborative, dependent and participant based on gender. Amongst all students' learning style, there exists a weak but significant correlation between avoidant, independent and participant learning style and mathematics anxiety. It is very important for the teachers need to be concerned about the effects of learning styles on mathematics anxiety. Therefore, the teachers should understand mathematics anxiety and implement suitable learning strategies in order for the students to overcome their mathematics anxiety.

  13. Workshops on photonics and optoinformatics for school students at ITMO University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreeva, Natalia; Ismagilov, Azat; Kuzmina, Tatiana; Kozlov, Sergei

    2017-08-01

    The program of workshops on photonics and optoinformatics was created at Department of Photonics and Optical Information Technologies in ITMO University by specialists in scientific and educational areas. These workshops are carried out for students of the best schools of Saint-Petersburg specialized in physics and mathematics, such as Gubernatorial Lyceum and Presidential Lyceum, and best schools of Russia. Every year about 500 of school students come to our workshops, including Annual summer educational practice.

  14. Good Mathematics Teaching from Mexican High School Students' Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Sierra, Gustavo

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports a qualitative research that identifies the characteristics of good mathematics teaching from the perspective of Mexican high school students. For this purpose, the social representations of a good mathematics teacher and a good mathematics class were identified in a group of 67 students. In order to obtain information, a…

  15. Selection of Learning Media Mathematics for Junior School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widodo, Sri Adi; Wahyudin

    2018-01-01

    One of the factors that determine the success of mathematics learning is the learning media used. Learning media can help students to create mathematical abstract mathematics that is abstract. In addition to media, meaningful learning is a learning that is adapted to the students' cognitive development. According to Piaget, junior high school…

  16. Understanding Mathematics Classroom Instruction Through Students and Teachers

    OpenAIRE

    Schenke, Katerina

    2015-01-01

    High quality instruction is necessary for students of all ages to develop a deep understanding of mathematics. Value-added models, a common approach used to describe teachers and classroom practices, are defined by the student standardized achievement gains teachers elicit. They may, however, fail to account for the complexity of mathematics instruction as it actually occurs in the classroom. To truly understand both a teacher’s impact on his/her students and how best to improve student learn...

  17. Students' perceptions of the relevance of mathematics in engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flegg, Jennifer; Mallet, Dann; Lupton, Mandy

    2012-09-01

    In this article, we report on the findings of an exploratory study into the experience of students as they learn first year engineering mathematics. Here we define engineering as the application of mathematics and sciences to the building and design of projects for the use of society [M. Kirschenman and B. Brenner, Education for Civil Engineering: A Profession of Practice, Leader. Manag. Eng. 10 (2010), p. 54]. Qualitative and quantitative data on students' views of the relevance of their mathematics study to their engineering studies and future careers in engineering was collected. The students described using a range of mathematics techniques (mathematics skills developed, mathematics concepts applied to engineering and skills developed relevant for engineering) for various usages (as a subject of study, a tool for other subjects or a tool for real world problems). We found a number of themes relating to the design of engineering mathematics curriculum emerged from the data. These included the relevance of mathematics within different engineering majors, the relevance of mathematics to future studies, the relevance of learning mathematical rigour and the effectiveness of problem-solving tasks in conveying the relevance of mathematics more effectively than other forms of assessment. We make recommendations for the design of engineering mathematics curriculum based on our findings.

  18. Teacher Identification of Student Learned Helplessness in Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yates, Shirley

    2009-01-01

    Teachers frequently encounter students with learned helplessness who are discouraged, turned off, or have given up trying to learn mathematics. Although learned helplessness has a long history in psychology, there has been no reliable means by which mathematics teachers can identify students exhibiting these debilitating yet changeable…

  19. RNA Secondary Structure Prediction by Using Discrete Mathematics: An Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduate Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellington, Roni; Wachira, James

    2010-01-01

    The focus of this Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) project was on RNA secondary structure prediction by using a lattice walk approach. The lattice walk approach is a combinatorial and computational biology method used to enumerate possible secondary structures and predict RNA secondary structure from RNA sequences. The method uses discrete mathematical techniques and identifies specified base pairs as parameters. The goal of the REU was to introduce upper-level undergraduate students to the principles and challenges of interdisciplinary research in molecular biology and discrete mathematics. At the beginning of the project, students from the biology and mathematics departments of a mid-sized university received instruction on the role of secondary structure in the function of eukaryotic RNAs and RNA viruses, RNA related to combinatorics, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information resources. The student research projects focused on RNA secondary structure prediction on a regulatory region of the yellow fever virus RNA genome and on an untranslated region of an mRNA of a gene associated with the neurological disorder epilepsy. At the end of the project, the REU students gave poster and oral presentations, and they submitted written final project reports to the program director. The outcome of the REU was that the students gained transferable knowledge and skills in bioinformatics and an awareness of the applications of discrete mathematics to biological research problems. PMID:20810968

  20. RNA secondary structure prediction by using discrete mathematics: an interdisciplinary research experience for undergraduate students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellington, Roni; Wachira, James; Nkwanta, Asamoah

    2010-01-01

    The focus of this Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) project was on RNA secondary structure prediction by using a lattice walk approach. The lattice walk approach is a combinatorial and computational biology method used to enumerate possible secondary structures and predict RNA secondary structure from RNA sequences. The method uses discrete mathematical techniques and identifies specified base pairs as parameters. The goal of the REU was to introduce upper-level undergraduate students to the principles and challenges of interdisciplinary research in molecular biology and discrete mathematics. At the beginning of the project, students from the biology and mathematics departments of a mid-sized university received instruction on the role of secondary structure in the function of eukaryotic RNAs and RNA viruses, RNA related to combinatorics, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information resources. The student research projects focused on RNA secondary structure prediction on a regulatory region of the yellow fever virus RNA genome and on an untranslated region of an mRNA of a gene associated with the neurological disorder epilepsy. At the end of the project, the REU students gave poster and oral presentations, and they submitted written final project reports to the program director. The outcome of the REU was that the students gained transferable knowledge and skills in bioinformatics and an awareness of the applications of discrete mathematics to biological research problems.

  1. Eighth Grade Algebra Course Placement and Student Motivation for Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simzar, Rahila M.; Domina, Thurston; Tran, Cathy

    2016-01-01

    This study uses student panel data to examine the association between Algebra placement and student motivation for mathematics. Changes in achievement goals, expectancy, and task value for students in eighth grade Algebra are compared with those of peers placed in lower-level mathematics courses (N = 3,306). In our sample, students placed in Algebra reported an increase in performance-avoidance goals as well as decreases in academic self-efficacy and task value. These relations were attenuated for students who had high mathematics achievement prior to Algebra placement. Whereas all students reported an overall decline in performance-approach goals over the course of eighth grade, previously high-achieving students reported an increase in these goals. Lastly, previously high-achieving students reported an increase in mastery goals. These findings suggest that while previously high-achieving students may benefit motivationally from eighth grade Algebra placement, placing previously average- and low-performing students in Algebra can potentially undermine their motivation for mathematics. PMID:26942210

  2. Eighth Grade Algebra Course Placement and Student Motivation for Mathematics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simzar, Rahila M; Domina, Thurston; Tran, Cathy

    2016-01-01

    This study uses student panel data to examine the association between Algebra placement and student motivation for mathematics. Changes in achievement goals, expectancy, and task value for students in eighth grade Algebra are compared with those of peers placed in lower-level mathematics courses (N = 3,306). In our sample, students placed in Algebra reported an increase in performance-avoidance goals as well as decreases in academic self-efficacy and task value. These relations were attenuated for students who had high mathematics achievement prior to Algebra placement. Whereas all students reported an overall decline in performance-approach goals over the course of eighth grade, previously high-achieving students reported an increase in these goals. Lastly, previously high-achieving students reported an increase in mastery goals. These findings suggest that while previously high-achieving students may benefit motivationally from eighth grade Algebra placement, placing previously average- and low-performing students in Algebra can potentially undermine their motivation for mathematics.

  3. Improving ability mathematic literacy, self-efficacy and reducing mathematical anxiety with learning Treffinger model at senior high school students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hafizh Nizham

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This study is a Quasi Experimental study with the design of The Pretest-Post-Test Non-Equivalent Group Design. Population in this research is all student of class X SHS in South Jakarta. Sampling is done by purposive sampling, to obtain an experimental class and control class. In the experimental class, students learn with Treffinger learning model and control, class learning with conventional learning. This study is also to examine the differences of self-efficacy improvement and students literacy skills, and decreased students' mathematical anxiety. Also, this study also examines the relevance of early mathematical abilities (high, medium, low with improving students' math literacy skills. The instrument used in this research is literacy skill test, self-efficacy scale, mathematical anxiety scale, observation sheet, and student interview. Data were analyzed by t-test, one-way ANOVA, and two lines. From the results of the data, it is found that: (1 The improvement of literacy ability of students who are learned with Treffinger model learning is not significantly higher than students who learn with conventional. (2 The self-efficacy of students who learning with the Treffinger model learning  is better than the student that is learning by conventional. (3 The mathematical anxiety of students learning with Treffinger model learning reduces better than students learning with conventional. (4 There is a difference in the improvement of students' mathematical literacy skills learning by learning the Treffinger model and students learning with conventional learning based on early mathematical abilities. (5 Student response to Treffinger model learning is better than students learning with conventional learning. Therefore, learning model Treffinger can be an alternative model of learning to improve students' mathematical literacy skills, and self-efficacy students, and able to reduce mathematical anxiety.

  4. Sex-differences in attitude of students towards mathematics in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ' attitudes towards mathematics. In particular, the study investigated the students' attitudes along the following seven dimensions: Confidence in learning mathematics; Usefulness of mathematics; Success in mathematics; Effective motivation; ...

  5. The Key to Enhancing Students' Mathematical Vocabulary Knowledge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riccomini, Paul J.; Sanders, Sharon; Jones, Julie

    2008-01-01

    The importance of learning mathematical vocabulary is vital for the development of proficiency in mathematics. In an effort to improve students' mathematical performance, educators must use research-validated instructional methods to teach important mathematical vocabulary. Mnemonic instruction is a set of evidenced-based strategies used to…

  6. University-School Collaboration as a Tool for Promoting Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Professional Skills

    OpenAIRE

    Kilic, Hulya; Tunc Pekkan, Zelha

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we discuss pre-service mathematics teachers’ professionalgains from a university-school collaboration where they were given opportunityto observe two teacher educators’ instructional practices in a 6th gradeclassroom, interact with students in one-to-one fashion and reflect on theteacher educators’ and their own practices. Three pre-service teachers out ofnine volunteers attended all modelling and practice sessions for 20 weeks. Thedata collected through interviews, field notes...

  7. A case study of pedagogy of mathematics support tutors without a background in mathematics education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Richard

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates the pedagogical skills and knowledge of three tertiary-level mathematics support tutors in a large group classroom setting. This is achieved through the use of video analysis and a theoretical framework comprising Rowland's Knowledge Quartet and general pedagogical knowledge. The study reports on the findings in relation to these tutors' provision of mathematics support to first and second year undergraduate engineering students and second year undergraduate science students. It was found that tutors are lacking in various pedagogical skills which are needed for high-quality learning amongst service mathematics students (e.g. engineering/science/technology students), a demographic which have low levels of mathematics upon entering university. Tutors teach their support classes in a very fast didactic way with minimal opportunities for students to ask questions or to attempt problems. It was also found that this teaching method is even more so exaggerated in mandatory departmental mathematics tutorials that students take as part of their mathematics studies at tertiary level. The implications of the findings on mathematics tutor training at tertiary level are also discussed.

  8. Undergraduate Mathematics Students' Emotional Experiences in Linear Algebra Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Sierra, Gustavo; García-González, María del Socorro

    2016-01-01

    Little is known about students' emotions in the field of Mathematics Education that go beyond students' emotions in problem solving. To start filling this gap this qualitative research has the aim to identify emotional experiences of undergraduate mathematics students in Linear Algebra courses. In order to obtain data, retrospective focus group…

  9. Obtaining learning independence and academic success through self-assessment and referral to a Mathematics Learning Centre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadine Adams

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Globally, universities are striving to increase enrolment rates, especially for low socioeconomic status and mature-aged students. In order to meet these targets, universities are accepting a broader range of students, often resulting in a widening mathematical knowledge gap between secondary school and university (Hoyles, Newman & Noss, 2001. Therefore, even amid the growing trend of scaling back services, there exists a need for extra learning support in mathematics. Mathematics support services are recognised as vital in assisting students to both bridge the knowledge gap and become independent learners. Through a survey of students using the Mathematics Learning Centre at Central Queensland University Australia, it was found that the implementation of scaffolding, adult learning principles and the embedding of mathematics support provides students with not only fundamental mathematical knowledge but also the skills required to become self-directed learners. 

  10. Influence of TANDUR Learning to Students's Mathematical Representation and Student Self-Concept

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimas Fajar Maulana

    2017-11-01

    study is all students of class X which amounted to 350 students in one of the SMA Negeri in Cirebon city. From the population is taken the sample using simple random sampling technique as many as 60 students are divided into two groups namely groups who get TANDUR learning and groups that get conventional learning. The results showed that the TANDUR learning model had an effect of 66.9% on the selfconcept of the students, while the students' mathematical representation ability was 75.5%. Meanwhile, the correlation between selfconcept and student's mathematical representation is 74,3%.

  11. Mathematical Graphic Organizers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zollman, Alan

    2009-01-01

    As part of a math-science partnership, a university mathematics educator and ten elementary school teachers developed a novel approach to mathematical problem solving derived from research on reading and writing pedagogy. Specifically, research indicates that students who use graphic organizers to arrange their ideas improve their comprehension…

  12. Mathematics achievement of Serbian eighth grade students and characteristics of mathematics curriculum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonijević Radovan M.

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers the main results and some educational implications of the TIMSS 2003 assessment conducted in Serbia, in the fields of mathematics achievement of Serbian eighth grade students and the mathematics curriculum context of their achievement. It was confirmed that Serbian eighth graders have made average scale score of 477 points, and with this achievement they are placed in the zone of intermediate international benchmarking level. The average mathematics achievement of the Serbian eighth graders is somewhat above the average international mathematics achievement. The best result was achieved in the content domain of "algebra", and the lower result in the content domains of "measurement" and "data". In the defined cognitive domains the Serbian students have achieved the best results in "solving routine problems" and "knowing facts and procedures", and the weaker result in "reasoning". Statistically significant difference was found in the mathematics achievement between girls and boys in the Serbian TIMSS 2003 sample, so the girls’ average scale score was 480 points and the same value for the boys was 473 points. The achieved results raise many questions about the contents of mathematics curriculum in Serbia, its quality and basic characteristics of its implementation. These results can be eligibly used to improve the mathematics curriculum and teaching in Serbian primary school.

  13. Students' Preferences in Undergraduate Mathematics Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iannone, P.; Simpson, A.

    2015-01-01

    Existing research into students' preferences for assessment methods has been developed from a restricted sample: in particular, the voice of students in the 'hard-pure sciences' has rarely been heard. We conducted a mixed method study to explore mathematics students' preferences of assessment methods. In contrast to the message from the general…

  14. ANALYZING THE MATHEMATICAL DISPOSITION AND ITS CORRELATION WITH MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT OF ABSTRACT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Louise M. Saija

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Salah satu standar yang diberikan oleh National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM adalah disposisi matematik. Disposisi  bukan sekedar merujuk pada sikap tetapi suatu kecenderungan untuk berpikir dan bersikap dalam cara yang positif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa disposisi matematik dan hubungannya dengan hasil belajar matematika siswa-siswa sekolah menengah atas (SMA. Sampel pada penelitian ini adalah 149 siswa SMA di Bandung. Analisa statistik didasarkan pada korelasi peringkat Spearman dan uji-t. Ditemukan bahwa secara rata-rata,  disposisi matematik dari siswa-siswa SMA dikategorikan rendah. Selanjutnya, terdapat korelasi positif dan signifikan antara disposisi matematik dan hasil belajar matematika siswa-siswa SMA, walaupun nilai koefisien korelasinya tidak tinggi. Suatu observasi juga dilakukan untuk menganalisa hubungan ini, dan didapati bahwa walaupun beberapa siswa memiliki disposisi matematik yang baik, kadang kala mereka tidak dapat menyelesaikan ujian dengan baik, karena padatnya kurikulum, dan juga aktifitas sosial mereka, yang membuat hasil belajar matematika mereka lebih rendah. Temuan lainnya adalah bahwa siswa-siswa SMA memerlukan guru-guru matematika dengan lebih banyak strategi mengajar  agar mereka dapat memiliki disposisi matematik yang lebih baik.   Kata Kunci: Disposisi Matematik, Hasil Belajar Matematika       One of the evaluation standards given by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM was mathematical disposition. Disposition refers not simply to attitudes but to a tendency to think and to act in positive ways. This study aimed to analyze the mathematical disposition and its correlation with mathematics achievement of senior high school (SMA students. A total of 149 SMA students in Bandung were procured as samples. Statistical analysis was based on the Spearman rank correlation and on the t-test. The findings showed that at average, the mathematical disposition of the SMA

  15. Amongst mathematicians teaching and learning mathematics at university level

    CERN Document Server

    Nardi, Elena

    2008-01-01

    "Amongst Mathematicians" offers a unique perspective on the ways in which mathematicians perceive their students' learning, the way they teach and reflect on those teaching practices. Elena Nardi employs fictional characters to create a conversation on these important issues. While personas are created, the facts incorporated into their stories are based on large bodies of data including intense focus groups comprised of mathematicians and mathematics education.This book further develops analyses of the data and demonstrates the pedagogical potential that lies in collaborative research that engages educators, researchers, and students in undergraduate mathematics education. Nardi also addresses the need for action in undergraduate mathematics education by creating discourse for reform and demonstrating the feasibility and potential of collaboration between mathematicians and researchers. "Amongst Mathematicians" is of interest to the entire mathematics community including teacher educators, undergraduate and ...

  16. Pharmacy students' perceptions of natural science and mathematics subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prescott, Julie; Wilson, Sarah Ellen; Wan, Kai-Wai

    2014-08-15

    To determine the level of importance pharmacy students placed on science and mathematics subjects for pursuing a career in pharmacy. Two hundred fifty-four students completed a survey instrument developed to investigate students' perceptions of the relevance of science and mathematics subjects to a career in pharmacy. Pharmacy students in all 4 years of a master of pharmacy (MPharm) degree program were invited to complete the survey instrument. Students viewed chemistry-based and biology-based subjects as relevant to a pharmacy career, whereas mathematics subjects such as physics, logarithms, statistics, and algebra were not viewed important to a career in pharmacy. Students' experience in pharmacy and year of study influenced their perceptions of subjects relevant to a pharmacy career. Pharmacy educators need to consider how they can help students recognize the importance of scientific knowledge earlier in the pharmacy curriculum.

  17. The Framing Discussion: Connecting Student Experience with Mathematical Knowledge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henning, John E.; Balong, Megan

    2011-01-01

    This article introduces the framing discussion, an informal discussion of a mathematical problem that takes place at the beginning of a lesson or unit. The purpose of the framing discussion is to assess student knowledge, motivate student interest, and to serve as a basis for guiding students to more formal mathematical knowledge. The article…

  18. The Functions of Function Discourse--University Mathematics Teaching from a Commognitive Standpoint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viirman, Olov

    2014-01-01

    This paper addresses a topic within university mathematics education which has been somewhat underexplored: the teaching practices actually used by university mathematics teachers when giving lectures. The study investigates the teaching practices of seven Swedish university teachers on the topic of functions using a discursive approach, the…

  19. Review of Mathematics Interventions for Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marita, Samantha; Hord, Casey

    2017-01-01

    Recent educational policy has raised the standards that all students, including students with disabilities, must meet in mathematics. To examine the strategies currently used to support students with learning disabilities, the authors reviewed literature from 2006 to 2014 on mathematics interventions for students with learning disabilities. The 12…

  20. Adding Structure to the Transition Process to Advanced Mathematical Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelbrecht, Johann

    2010-01-01

    The transition process to advanced mathematical thinking is experienced as traumatic by many students. Experiences that students had of school mathematics differ greatly to what is expected from them at university. Success in school mathematics meant application of different methods to get an answer. Students are not familiar with logical…

  1. Investigating students' perceptions of graduate learning outcomes in mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Deborah; Varsavsky, Cristina; Belward, Shaun; Matthews, Kelly

    2017-11-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions mathematics students have of the knowledge and skills they develop throughout their programme of study. It addresses current concerns about the employability of mathematics graduates by contributing much needed insight into how degree programmes are developing broader learning outcomes for students majoring in mathematics. Specifically, the study asked students who were close to completing a mathematics major (n = 144) to indicate the extent to which opportunities to develop mathematical knowledge along with more transferable skills (communication to experts and non-experts, writing, working in teams and thinking ethically) were included and assessed in their major. Their perceptions were compared to the importance they assign to each of these outcomes, their own assessment of improvement during the programme and their confidence in applying these outcomes. Overall, the findings reveal a pattern of high levels of students' agreement that these outcomes are important, but evidence a startling gap when compared to students' perceptions of the extent to which many of these - communication, writing, teamwork and ethical thinking - are actually included and assessed in the curriculum, and their confidence in using such learning.

  2. Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge of Students

    OpenAIRE

    Kılıç, Hülya

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to present the nature of preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ knowledge of students as emerged from a study investigating the development of their pedagogical content knowledge in a methods course and its associated field experience. Six preservice teachers participated in the study and the data were collected in the forms of observations, interviews and written documents. Knowledge of students is defined as teachers’ knowledge of what mathematical concepts are ...

  3. Mathematical Anxiety among Business Statistics Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    High, Robert V.

    A survey instrument was developed to identify sources of mathematics anxiety among undergraduate business students in a statistics class. A number of statistics classes were selected at two colleges in Long Island, New York. A final sample of n=102 respondents indicated that there was a relationship between the mathematics grade in prior…

  4. Evaluating the Effects of Lesson Study as a Way to Help Student Teachers Learn How to Use Student Thinking when Planning and Revising Mathematics Lesson Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sisofo, Eric Joseph

    2010-01-01

    The use of student thinking in teaching has been linked to improved instruction and learning. It is reasonable to assume that the University of Delaware's undergraduate program might be interested in figuring out ways to develop this skill in its mathematics specialist pre-service teachers. Currently, the student teaching experience at the…

  5. Retention of Differential and Integral Calculus: A Case Study of a University Student in Physical Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jukic Matic, Ljerka; Dahl, Bettina

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports a study on retention of differential and integral calculus concepts of a second-year student of physical chemistry at a Danish university. The focus was on what knowledge the student retained 14 months after the course and on what effect beliefs about mathematics had on the retention. We argue that if a student can quickly…

  6. Teach the Mathematics of Mathematicians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Taylor

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The secondary-school mathematics curriculum is narrow in scope and technical in character; this is quite different from the nature of the discipline itself. As a result, it offers little inspiration to both students and teachers, and provides students with poor preparation for university mathematics courses and indeed for life. Over the past century, recently more than ever, there have been calls for change, for a curriculum that is true to the subject of mathematics as the creation and study of patterns and structures. While there are hopeful responses to this at the elementary level, there is almost nothing at the secondary level. Ironically, it is felt that in order to prepare students for university calculus, the secondary curriculum simply has to be what it is. This is a special case of a myth that needs to be destroyed.

  7. CONTEXT AND EMPIRICAL APPROACH TO FORMATION OF MATHEMATICAL COMPETENCE IN STUDENTS OF HUMANITARIAN TRAINING DIRECTIONS AT UNIVERSITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S V Shcherbatykh

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the formation of students’ mathematical competence in higher humanitarian education. The scientific literature analysis and pedagogical experience has shown that in spite of the numerous studies conducted in this area, the idea of coupling mathematical education of the humanitarians with their cultural, methodological and professional training remains. In our opinion, the design of mathematical training of the humanitarians must rely on the theory of activity, which brings together the main statements of methodology, pedagogy, psychology, such as the principles and methods of teaching, the problems of the peculiarities of students’ thinking, the increase of the level of their cognitive activity, the person’s education as a whole.The article presents the components of mathematical competence, criteria indicators, stages and levels of its formation. For the formation of mathematical competence it is proposed to apply context- empirical approach and developed on the basis of its organizational and pedagogical model (the main elements of this model are described in the article. In conclusion the pedagogical conditions of effective formation of mathematical competence in students in the system profile of humanitarian education are highlighted and revealed.

  8. The Computer Student Worksheet Based Mathematical Literacy for Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manoy, J. T.; Indarasati, N. A.

    2018-01-01

    The student worksheet is one of media teaching which is able to improve teaching an activity in the classroom. Indicators in mathematical literacy were included in a student worksheet is able to help the students for applying the concept in daily life. Then, the use of computers in learning can create learning with environment-friendly. This research used developmental research which was Thiagarajan (Four-D) development design. There are 4 stages in the Four-D, define, design, develop, and disseminate. However, this research was finish until the third stage, develop stage. The computer student worksheet based mathematical literacy for statistics executed good quality. This student worksheet is achieving the criteria if able to achieve three aspects, validity, practicality, and effectiveness. The subject in this research was the students at The 1st State Senior High School of Driyorejo, Gresik, grade eleven of The 5th Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The computer student worksheet products based mathematical literacy for statistics executed good quality, while it achieved the aspects for validity, practical, and effectiveness. This student worksheet achieved the validity aspects with an average of 3.79 (94.72%), and practical aspects with an average of 2.85 (71.43%). Besides, it achieved the effectiveness aspects with a percentage of the classical complete students of 94.74% and a percentage of the student positive response of 75%.

  9. Student Perspectives of Web-Based Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loong, Esther Yook-Kin; Herbert, Sandra

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents the results of a survey conducted with students (N = 97) whose teachers have used the Web in their mathematics classes. Their responses to the use of the Internet for learning mathematics are reported here. Factor analyses were used to determine the constructs that underlie the survey. These constructs were found to be…

  10. The discursive production of classroom mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Kim; Hodson, Elaine; Brown, Tony

    2013-09-01

    School mathematics is a function of its discursive environment where the language being used formats mathematical activity. The paper explores this theme through an extended example in which the conduct of mathematical teaching and learning is restricted by regulative educational policies. It considers how mathematics is discursively produced by student teachers within an employment-based model of teacher education in England where there is a low university input. It is argued that teacher reflections on mathematical learning and teaching within the course are patterned discursively in line with formal curriculum framings, assessment requirements and the local demands of their placement school. Both teachers and students are subject to regulative discourses that shape their actions and as a consequence this regulation influences the forms of mathematical activity that can take place. It is shown how university sessions can provide a limited critical platform from which to interrogate these restrictions and renegotiate them.

  11. Web-Based Implementation of Discrete Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Love, Tanzy; Keinert, Fritz; Shelley, Mack

    2006-01-01

    The Department of Mathematics at Iowa State University teaches a freshman-level Discrete Mathematics course with total enrollment of about 1,800 students per year. The traditional format includes large lectures, with about 150 students each, taught by faculty and temporary instructors in two class sessions per week and recitation sections, with…

  12. Subjective and Objective Assessment of Mathematics Anxiety Levels among College Students

    OpenAIRE

    Baloğlu, Mustafa

    2015-01-01

    The study investigated the relationship between college students’ subjective and objective assessment of mathematics anxiety levels. Students rated their general and current mathematics anxiety levels, mathematical ability levels, and confidence in doing mathematics. The Revised Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale was used as an objective measure of their mathematics anxiety levels. Participants were 559 students, 406 (72.6%) women and 151 (27.0%) men. Results showed that perceived general mathe...

  13. Effects of single-gender mathematics classrooms on self-perception of mathematical ability and post secondary engineering paths: an Australian case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tully, D.; Jacobs, B.

    2010-08-01

    This study focused on a population of female engineering students, probing the influences of their secondary school experience on their choice to pursue an engineering course of study at university. The motivating question is: Do unique opportunities exist in an all-female secondary school mathematics classroom, which impact a young woman's self-perception of her mathematics ability as well as promote a positive path towards an engineering-based university major? Using both qualitative and quantitative data collection instruments, this study examined a sample of Australian engineering students enrolled at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). Demographic statistics show that 40% of UTS' female engineering student population attended a single-gender secondary school, indicating a potential influence of school type (single-gender) on engineering enrolment patterns. Female students were primarily motivated to pursue a post secondary engineering path because of a self-belief that they are good at mathematics. In contrast, male students were more influenced by positive male role models of family members who are practising engineers. In measures of self- perception of mathematical skill and ability, female students from single-gender schools outscored their male engineering counterparts. Additionally, female students seem to benefit from verbal encouragement, contextualisation, same gender problem-solving groups and same gender classroom dynamics.

  14. Construction of the mathematical concept of pseudo thinking students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anggraini, D.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Pramudya, I.

    2018-05-01

    Thinking process is a process that begins with the acceptance of information, information processing and information calling in memory with structural changes that include concepts or knowledges. The concept or knowledge is individually constructed by each individual. While, students construct a mathematical concept, students may experience pseudo thinking. Pseudo thinking is a thinking process that results in an answer to a problem or construction to a concept “that is not true”. Pseudo thinking can be classified into two forms there are true pseudo and false pseudo. The construction of mathematical concepts in students of pseudo thinking should be immediately known because the error will have an impact on the next construction of mathematical concepts and to correct the errors it requires knowledge of the source of the error. Therefore, in this article will be discussed thinking process in constructing of mathematical concepts in students who experience pseudo thinking.

  15. 9th Annual UNCG Regional Mathematics and Statistics Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Chhetri, Maya; Gupta, Sat; Shivaji, Ratnasingham

    2015-01-01

    This volume contains rigorously reviewed papers on the topics presented by students at The 9th Annual University of North Carolina at Greensboro Regional Mathematics and Statistics Conference (UNCG RMSC) that took place on November 2, 2013.  All papers are coauthored by student researchers and their faculty mentors. This conference series was inaugurated in 2005, and it now attracts over 150 participants from over 30 universities from North Carolina and surrounding states. The conference is specifically tailored for students to present their research projects that encompass a broad spectrum of topics in mathematics, mathematical biology, statistics, and computer science.

  16. Contemplating Symbolic Literacy of First Year Mathematics Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardini, Caroline; Pierce, Robyn; Vincent, Jill

    2015-01-01

    Analysis of mathematical notations must consider both syntactical aspects of symbols and the underpinning mathematical concept(s) conveyed. We argue that the construct of "syntax template" provides a theoretical framework to analyse undergraduate mathematics students' written solutions, where we have identified several types of…

  17. Expanding Mathematics Preparation of Elementary and Middle School Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buck, Robert E.

    2004-01-01

    One of the major problems facing education today is the inadequate mathematics' preparation of pre-college students and their teachers. Most colleges and universities have well established programs for students planning to teach mathematics at the secondary schools; however, in many institutions pre-secondary mathematics has been addressed only…

  18. Rwandan grade 6 mathematics teachers' knowledge

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    owner

    1University Rwanda, College of Education, 2 School of Education, University of .... one hand, and Knowledge of Content and Students (KCS) and Knowledge of Content and ..... The nature and development of middle school mathematics ... of freshman science student teachers from different science teaching domains.

  19. Developing Critical Thinking Skills of Students in Mathematics Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Firdaus Firdaus

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Critical thinking skills should be owned by students. Therefore, schools should be responsible to develop and  evaluate critical thinking skills through teaching and learning process in schools. This study aims to identify the effects of mathematical learning modules based on problem-based learning to critical thinking skills at secondary school students in District of Bone. Assessment of critical thinking skills in mathematical problem solving non-routine includes three parts;  the identification and interpretation of information, information analysis, and evaluate of evidence and arguments. This study involved a total of 68 students grade 12 science state secondary school (SMAN in Bone District of South Sulawesi, Indonesia in academic year 2014-2015. The sample consists of 38 students in the city and 30 rural students. The design of the study was quasi experimental one group pretest-posttest. The data was analysed using the inferential t-test with SPSS 20.0 for windows. The study found that there are effects of the use of mathematical learning module based PBL to enhance the ability of critical thinking skills in mathematics students in all three components, namely, identifying and interpreting information, information analysis, and evaluate of evidence and argument.

  20. Exploring Kuwaiti mathematics: student-teachers' beliefs toward using Logo and mathematics education

    OpenAIRE

    Sulaiman, NAJ

    2011-01-01

    The main objective of this study is to explore the effect of one taught course, a Logo module, on Kuwaiti elementary mathematics student-teachers’ beliefs about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Logo. The Logo module incorporated ICT, in particular the Logo programming language, as a cognitive tool, that supports the constructivist perspective for mathematics instruction. The Logo module comprised of 24-sessions (deducted from the hours of the Methods of Teaching Mathematics ...

  1. Open Primary Education School Students' Opinions about Mathematics Television Programmes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yenilmez, Kursat

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine open primary education school students' opinions about mathematics television programmes. This study indicated that to determine differences among open primary education school students' opinions about mathematics television programmes point of view students' characteristics like gender, age, grade,…

  2. Differences in students' mathematics engagement between gender and between rural and urban schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayub, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd; Yunus, Aida Suraya Md.; Mahmud, Rosnaini; Salim, Nur Raidah; Sulaiman, Tajularipin

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore secondary school students' mathematics engagement focusing on the cognitive, affective and behavioural engagement domains. A total of 387 students (186 male and 201 female) from the urban and rural secondary schools in Pahang, Malaysia, were randomly selected. There were 158 students from the urban schools and 229 students from the rural schools. Descriptive analyses for mathematics engagement domains revealed behavioural engagement had the highest mean (M = 3.74, SD = .63), followed by cognitive engagement (M = 3.56, SD = .43) and affective engagement (M = 3.48, SD = .47). The mean for students' overall mathematics engagement was 3.56 (SD = .46). Further analyses showed there were significant differences in each of the engagement domains in mathematics learning (affective, cognitive and behavioural), where students in the urban schools showed significantly better in the mean scores for affective, cognitive, behavioural domains and the overall mathematics engagement as compared to the students in the rural schools. Similar findings also showed there were significant differences in the overall mathematics engagement mean between the genders. The findings indicated girls were significantly better than boys in all (affective, cognitive and behavioural) of the engagement domains in mathematics learning. It was also shown girls had higher overall mathematics engagement mean as compared to boys. However, the study also indicated the overall students' mathematics engagement was at a moderate level. Besides, the rural school students did not show high mathematics engagement as compared to the urban school students. Further analyses showed girls significantly had better mathematics engagement as compared to boys. Hence, it is recommended that in order to optimize students' mathematics engagement, they should be actively engaged in more participative learning activities in mathematics classrooms. Focus should be given to rural schools

  3. An Invitation to Mathematics

    CERN Document Server

    Schleicher, Dierk

    2011-01-01

    This "Invitation to Mathematics" consists of 14 contributions, many from the world's leading mathematicians, which introduce the readers to exciting aspects of current mathematical research. The contributions are as varied as the personalities of active mathematicians, but together they show mathematics as a rich and lively field of research. The contributions are written for interested students at the age of transition between high school and university who know high school mathematics and perhaps competition mathematics and who want to find out what current research mathematics is

  4. EFFECTIVENESS OF FOLK MATHEMATICS ON ACHIEVEMENT AT SECONDARY LEVEL STUDENT

    OpenAIRE

    Mrs. K. K. Sumathi

    2016-01-01

    The present study is aimed at finding the effectiveness of folk mathematics on achievement at secondary level student. It was an experimental method conducted on secondary school students in teaching mathematics for seventh standard. The result concluded by the investigator was that the effect of folk mathematics was better than the traditional method of teaching.

  5. Modelling Mathematical Argumentation: The Importance of Qualification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inglis, Matthew; Mejia-Ramos, Juan; Simpson, Adrian

    2007-01-01

    In recent years several mathematics education researchers have attempted to analyse students' arguments using a restricted form of Toulmina's ["The Uses of Argument," Cambridge University Press, UK, 1958] argumentation scheme. In this paper we report data from task-based interviews conducted with highly talented postgraduate mathematics students,…

  6. How Well Does A-Level Mathematics Prepare Students for the Mathematical Demands of Chemistry Degrees?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darlington, Ellie; Bowyer, Jessica

    2016-01-01

    332 undergraduate chemistry students were surveyed in order to establish whether they had found A-level Mathematics and/or Further Mathematics to be good preparation for their degree. Perceptions of both subjects were found to be positive, with more than 80% of participants describing Mathematics or Further Mathematics as good preparation. In…

  7. Mathematics for What? High School Students Reflect on Mathematics as a Tool for Social Inquiry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brelias, Anastasia

    2015-01-01

    This study examines high school students' views of mathematics as a tool for social inquiry in light of their classroom experiences using mathematics to explore social issues. A critical theoretical perspective on mathematics literacy is used to ascertain the ways in which their views challenge or affirm the dominant image of mathematics in…

  8. Effects of a Mathematics Fluency Program on Mathematics Performance of Students with Challenging Behaviors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitney, Todd; Hirn, Regina G.; Lingo, Amy S.

    2016-01-01

    In the present study, we examined the effects of a fluency-building mathematics program called Great Leaps Math on fluency of basic addition mathematics facts zero to nine and word problem solving using a multiple probe design across participants. Three elementary students with challenging behaviors and mathematics difficulty participated in the…

  9. Financial Literacy: Mathematics and Money Improving Student Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attard, Catherine

    2018-01-01

    The low levels of student engagement with mathematics has been of significant concern in Australia for some time (Attard, 2013). This is a particularly important issue in mathematics education given the current attention to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to ensure "the continued prosperity of Australia on…

  10. Exploring mathematics problem-solving and proof

    CERN Document Server

    Grieser, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Have you ever faced a mathematical problem and had no idea how to approach it? Or perhaps you had an idea but got stuck halfway through? This book guides you in developing your creativity, as it takes you on a voyage of discovery into mathematics. Readers will not only learn strategies for solving problems and logical reasoning, but they will also learn about the importance of proofs and various proof techniques. Other topics covered include recursion, mathematical induction, graphs, counting, elementary number theory, and the pigeonhole, extremal and invariance principles. Designed to help students make the transition from secondary school to university level, this book provides readers with a refreshing look at mathematics and deep insights into universal principles that are valuable far beyond the scope of this book. Aimed especially at undergraduate and secondary school students as well as teachers, this book will appeal to anyone interested in mathematics. Only basic secondary school mathematics is requi...

  11. A course of mathematics for engineerings and scientists

    CERN Document Server

    Chirgwin, Brian H

    1984-01-01

    A Course of Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists, Volume 2 continues the course of pure and applied mathematics for undergraduate science and engineering students. It contains further examples and exercises from examination papers from Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the University of London. The topics covered in this book include differential equations, linear equations, matrices and determinants, vector algebra and coordinate geometry, and differentiation and integration of functions of two or more variables. This book is intended as a reference for students taking science

  12. The Effect of Using a Proposed Teaching Strategy Based on the Selective Thinking on Students' Acquisition Concepts in Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qudah, Ahmad Hassan

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed at identify the effect of using a proposed teaching strategy based on the selective thinking in acquire mathematical concepts by Classroom Teacher Students at Al- al- Bayt University, The sample of the study consisted of (74) students, equally distributed into a control group and an experimental group. The selective thinking…

  13. The Process of Student Cognition in Constructing Mathematical Conjecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Astawa, I. Wayan Puja; Budayasa, I. Ketut; Juniati, Dwi

    2018-01-01

    This research aims to describe the process of student cognition in constructing mathematical conjecture. Many researchers have studied this process but without giving a detailed explanation of how students understand the information to construct a mathematical conjecture. The researchers focus their analysis on how to construct and prove the…

  14. The Relationship between Mathematics Teachers' Teaching Approaches and 9th Grade Students' Mathematics Self

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briede, Liene

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between the teaching approach adopted by mathematics teachers and their 9th grade students' mathematical self. The study searched for the answers on three research questions, namely, about 1) the approaches prevailing in mathematics teachers' beliefs about effective teaching and self-reports…

  15. The Characteristics of a Good Mathematics Teacher in Terms of Students, Mathematics Teachers, and School Administrators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yesildere-Imre, Sibel

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative research aims to examine the opinions of school administrators, teachers, and middle school students about what makes a good mathematics teacher. Interviews were conducted with thirty-five participants: ten school administrators, ten mathematics teachers, and fifteen middle school students. A semi-structured interview form…

  16. Assessment of Primary 5 Students' Mathematical Modelling Competencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Chun Ming Eric; Ng, Kit Ee Dawn; Widjaja, Wanty; Seto, Cynthia

    2012-01-01

    Mathematical modelling is increasingly becoming part of an instructional approach deemed to develop students with competencies to function as 21st century learners and problem solvers. As mathematical modelling is a relatively new domain in the Singapore primary school mathematics curriculum, many teachers may not be aware of the learning outcomes…

  17. Improving Mathematical Communication Ability and Self Regulation Learning of Yunior High Students by Using Reciprocal Teaching

    OpenAIRE

    Qohar, Abdul; Sumarmo, Utari

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the findings from a posttest experiment control group design  by  using reciprocal teaching, conducted  in Indonesia University of Education to investigate students’ ability in mathematical communication and self regulated learning.  Subject of the study were 254 of 9th grade students from three junior high schools of high, medium, and low level in Bojonegoro, East Java.  The instruments of the study were an essay mathematical communication test, and a self regulated learn...

  18. Developing a Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics for primary school students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maree, Jacobus G; Van der Walt, Martha S; Ellis, Suria M

    2009-04-01

    The Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics (Primary) is being developed as a diagnostic measure for South African teachers and counsellors to help primary school students improve their orientation towards the study of mathematics. In this study, participants were primary school students in the North-West Province of South Africa. During the standardisation in 2007, 1,013 students (538 boys: M age = 12.61; SD = 1.53; 555 girls: M age = 11.98; SD = 1.35; 10 missing values) were assessed. Factor analysis yielded three factors. Analysis also showed satisfactory reliability coefficients and item-factor correlations. Step-wise linear regression indicated that three factors (Mathematics anxiety, Study attitude in mathematics, and Study habits in mathematics) contributed significantly (R2 = .194) to predicting achievement in mathematics as measured by the Basic Mathematics Questionnaire (Primary).

  19. Digital games and learning mathematics: Student, teacher and parent perspectives

    OpenAIRE

    Su Ting Yong; Peter Gates; Ian Harrison

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the potential use of digital games in learning mathematics at secondary school level in Malaysia. Three secondary school students, three mathematics teachers and three parents were interviewed in this study. All the participants were asked for their views and experiences in mathematics, technology usage and the use of digital games in learning mathematics. The results suggested that students were supportive and positive towards the use of computer game...

  20. Teaching mathematics to non-mathematicians

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Evangelia; Timcenko, Olga

    2017-01-01

    Over the past years, a number of engineering programs have arisen that transcend the division between technical, scientific and art-related disciplines. Media Technology at Aalborg University, Denmark is such an engineering program. In relation to mathematics education, this new development has...... changed the way mathematics is applied in practice and is taught in these disciplines. This paper discusses a doctoral dissertation that investigated and assessed interventions to increase student motivation and engagement in mathematics among Media Technology students. The results of this dissertation...

  1. Should I take Further Mathematics? Physics undergraduates’ experiences of post-compulsory Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowyer, Jessica; Darlington, Ellie

    2017-01-01

    It is essential that physics undergraduates are appropriately prepared for the mathematical demands of their course. This study investigated physics students’ perceptions of post-compulsory mathematics as preparation for their degree course. 494 physics undergraduates responded to an online questionnaire about their experiences of A-level Mathematics and Further Mathematics. The findings suggest that physics undergraduates would benefit from studying Further Mathematics and specialising in mechanics during their A-level studies. As both A-level Mathematics and Further Mathematics are being reformed, universities should look closely at the benefits of Further Mathematics as preparation for their physics courses and either increase their admissions requirements, or recommend that students take Further Mathematics.

  2. Mathematical physics applied mathematics for scientists and engineers

    CERN Document Server

    Kusse, Bruce R

    2006-01-01

    What sets this volume apart from other mathematics texts is its emphasis on mathematical tools commonly used by scientists and engineers to solve real-world problems. Using a unique approach, it covers intermediate and advanced material in a manner appropriate for undergraduate students. Based on author Bruce Kusse's course at the Department of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University, Mathematical Physics begins with essentials such as vector and tensor algebra, curvilinear coordinate systems, complex variables, Fourier series, Fourier and Laplace transforms, differential and integral equations, and solutions to Laplace's equations

  3. Changing Students Minds and Achievement in Mathematics: The Impact of a Free Online Student Course

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jo Boaler

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available This study reports on the impact of a “massive, open, online course” (MOOC designed to change students' ideas about mathematics and their own potential and improve their mathematics achievement. Many students hold damaging fixed mindsets, believing that their intelligence is unchangeable. When students shift to a growth mindset (believing that their intelligence is malleable, their achievement increases. This study of a MOOC intervention differs from previous mindset research in three ways (1 the intervention was delivered through a free online course with the advantage of being scalable nationwide (2 the intervention infused mindset messages into mathematics, specifically targeting students' beliefs about mathematics (3 the research was conducted with a teacher randomized controlled design to estimate its effects. Results show that the treatment group who took the MOOC reported more positive beliefs about math, engaged more deeply in math in class, and achieved at significantly higher levels on standardized mathematics assessments.

  4. Spatial Visualization as Mediating between Mathematics Learning Strategy and Mathematics Achievement among 8th Grade Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabab'h, Belal; Veloo, Arsaythamby

    2015-01-01

    Jordanian 8th grade students revealed low achievement in mathematics through four periods (1999, 2003, 2007 & 2011) of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This study aimed to determine whether spatial visualization mediates the affect of Mathematics Learning Strategies (MLS) factors namely mathematics attitude,…

  5. Perceptions and Lived Experiences of Traditional Community College Developmental Mathematics Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathai, Mince John

    2014-01-01

    Many students graduate from high school without adequate proficiency in mathematics, which is necessary to successfully undertake the challenges of college-level mathematics courses. As the underprepared students pursue postsecondary education, these institutions are required to provide remediation in mathematics to equip them with basic…

  6. Teacher Practices: How They Promote or Hinder Student Engagement in Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skilling, Karen

    2014-01-01

    With persistent concerns about student engagement, interest and participation in mathematics, this research investigated the range of practices 31 Year 7 mathematics teachers reported using and how they perceived these practices influenced student engagement in mathematics. In-depth interviews revealed similarities in teachers' perceptions of…

  7. Investigating Students' Mathematical Difficulties with Quadratic Equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Bronwyn Reid; Norton, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    This paper examines the factors that hinder students' success in working with and understanding the mathematics of quadratic equations using a case study analysis of student error patterns. Twenty-five Year 11 students were administered a written test to examine their understanding of concepts and procedures associated with this topic. The…

  8. Engaging Primary Students in Working Mathematically within a Virtual Enrichment Programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frid, Sandra

    2002-01-01

    Investigates student learning in a mathematics enrichment program offered via the Internet. Describes a course aimed at fostering students' capabilities to work like a mathematician. Examines students' correspondence and work for evidence of how students were working mathematically. Explains how to design both face-to-face and on-line teaching to…

  9. TDmat--Mathematics Diagnosis Evaluation Test for Engineering Sciences Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinto, J. S.; Oliveira, M. P.; Anjo, A. B.; Pais, S. I. Vieira; Isidro, R. O.; Silva, M. H.

    2007-01-01

    Since 1989, the Mathematics Education Project (PmatE--Projecto Matematica Ensino) has developed several strategies to improve the success of students in Mathematics. The most important of these are mathematical games for all grades above primary school. The online evaluation of Mathematics subjects is one of PmatE's goals. The implementation of an…

  10. Development of mathematics curriculum for Medialogy studentsat Aalborg University

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Timcenko, Olga

    Abstract This paper addresses mathematics curriculum development for Medialogy education. Medialogy as a study line was established in 2002 at Faculty for Engineering and Natural Sciences at Aalborg University, and mathematics curriculum has already been revised tree times. Some of the reasoning...... behind curriculum development, lessons learned and remaining issues are presented and discussed....

  11. Two Project-Based Strategies in an Interdisciplinary Mathematical Modeling in Biology Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ludwig, Patrice; Tongen, Anthony; Walton, Brian

    2018-01-01

    James Madison University faculty team-teach an interdisciplinary mathematical modeling course for mathematics and biology students. We have used two different project-based approaches to emphasize the mathematical concepts taught in class, while also exposing students to new areas of mathematics not formally covered in class. The first method…

  12. The Effect of a Math Emporium Course Redesign in Developmental and Introductory Mathematics Courses on Student Achievement and Students' Attitudes toward Mathematics at a Two-Year College

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishop, Amy Renee

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of computer-based instruction on student mathematics achievement and students' attitudes toward mathematics in developmental and introductory mathematics courses, namely Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra, at a community college. The researcher also examined the…

  13. Adolescent-perceived parent and teacher overestimation of mathematics ability: Developmental implications for students' mathematics task values.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gniewosz, Burkhard; Watt, Helen M G

    2017-07-01

    This study examines whether and how student-perceived parents' and teachers' overestimation of students' own perceived mathematical ability can explain trajectories for adolescents' mathematical task values (intrinsic and utility) controlling for measured achievement, following expectancy-value and self-determination theories. Longitudinal data come from a 3-cohort (mean ages 13.25, 12.36, and 14.41 years; Grades 7-10), 4-wave data set of 1,271 Australian secondary school students. Longitudinal structural equation models revealed positive effects of student-perceived overestimation of math ability by parents and teachers on students' intrinsic and utility math task values development. Perceived parental overestimations predicted intrinsic task value changes between all measurement occasions, whereas utility task value changes only were predicted between Grades 9 and 10. Parental influences were stronger for intrinsic than utility task values. Teacher influences were similar for both forms of task values and commenced after the curricular school transition in Grade 8. Results support the assumptions that the perceived encouragement conveyed by student-perceived mathematical ability beliefs of parents and teachers, promote positive mathematics task values development. Moreover, results point to different mechanisms underlying parents' and teachers' support. Finally, the longitudinal changes indicate transition-related increases in the effects of student-perceived overestimations and stronger effects for intrinsic than utility values. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Mathematical Knowledge and Skills Expected by Higher Education in Engineering and the Social Sciences: Implications for High School Mathematics Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basaran, Mehmet; Özalp, Gülümser; Kalender, Ilker; Alacaci, Cengiz

    2015-01-01

    One important function of school mathematics curriculum is to prepare high school students with the knowledge and skills needed for university education. Identifying them empirically will help making sound decisions about the contents of high school mathematics curriculum. It will also help students to make informed choices in course selection at…

  15. Integrating Universal Design and Response to Intervention in Methods Courses for General Education Mathematics Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchheister, Kelley; Jackson, Christa; Taylor, Cynthia E.

    2014-01-01

    Traditionally, teacher education programs have placed little emphasis on preparing mathematics teachers to work with students who struggle in mathematics. Therefore, it is crucial that mathematics teacher educators explicitly prepare prospective teachers to instruct students who struggle with mathematics by providing strategies and practices that…

  16. Examining the Impact of a Video Case-Based Mathematics Methods Course on Secondary Pre-Service Teachers' Skills at Analysing Students' Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Mara Vanina; Superfine, Alison Castro; Carlton, Theresa; Dasgupta, Chandan

    2015-01-01

    This paper focuses on results from a study conducted with two cohorts of pre-service teachers (PSTs) in a video case-based mathematics methods course at a large Midwestern university in the US. The motivation for this study was to look beyond whether or not PSTs pay attention to mathematical thinking of students, as shown by previous studies when…

  17. Helping all Students Become Einstein’s using Bibliotherapy when Teaching Mathematics to Prepare Students for a STEM World

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph M. Furner

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Today, being confident and having a sound understanding of mathematics is critical in an age of STEM.Teachers must play in important role in seeing that all students display their confidence in their ability to domathematics. This paper explains the process of using bibliotherapy when teaching mathematics to addressboth the math anxious or the math gifted student to build more math confidence in a STEM world. Oftengifted students of mathematics can be made to feel bad by their peers just because they know mathematicsand things come easy to them. Today there are many students in school that have math anxiety. Children'sand adolescent literature has been recognized now as a means to teaching mathematics to students throughthe use of stories to make the mathematics concepts relevant and meaningful. Literature can also be usedas a form of therapy, bibliotherapy, to reach students who may be frustrated with children picking on themfor knowing a lot of mathematics or who are math anxious. Story and picture books such as Counting onFrank, Math Curse and A Gebra Named Al are now available to use in the classroom as forms of bibliotherapyin helping students come to terms with issues that haunt them as it relates to mathematics. Children's bookscan be beneficial to address the math anxious and even the gifted. In this paper the author proposes usingreading and discussion (bibliotherapy to help all students become confident in mathematics in the STEMworld we live in.

  18. The effect of mathematics games to the student perception of mathematics subject: A case study in Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Kuda, Klang

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdul Hadi, Normi; Mohd Noor, Norlenda; Abd Halim, Suhaila; Alwadood, Zuraida; Khairol Azmi, Nurul Nisa'

    2013-04-01

    Mathematics is a basic subject in primary and secondary schools. Early exposure to mathematics is very important since it will affect the student perception towards this subject for their entire life. Therefore, a program called 'Mini Hari Matematik' was conducted to expose the basic mathematics concept through some games which fit the knowledge of Standard four and five students. A questionnaire regarding student perception towards this subject was distributed before and after the program. From the analysis, the program has positively changed the student's perception towards mathematics.

  19. Students discussing their mathematical ideas: the role of the teacher

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pijls, M.; Dekker, R.

    2011-01-01

    This article adds to current research on enhancing student discourse in mathematics teaching specifically in secondary schools but with equal relevance to elementary schools. Three mathematics teachers in secondary education were confronted with the question of how to encourage students to discuss

  20. The Effects of Remedial Mathematics on the Learning of Economics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lagerlöf, Johan N. M.; Seltzer, Andrew J.

    2009-01-01

    The authors examined the effects of remedial mathematics on performance in university-level economics courses using a natural experiment. They studied exam results prior and subsequent to the implementation of a remedial mathematics course that was compulsory for a subset of students...... and unavailable for the others, controlling for background variables. They found that, consistent with previous studies, the level of and performance in secondary school mathematics have strong predictive power on students' performances at university-level economics. However, they found relatively little evidence...

  1. Investigating and Developing Engineering Students' Mathematical Modelling and Problem-Solving Skills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wedelin, Dag; Adawi, Tom; Jahan, Tabassum; Andersson, Sven

    2015-01-01

    How do engineering students approach mathematical modelling problems and how can they learn to deal with such problems? In the context of a course in mathematical modelling and problem solving, and using a qualitative case study approach, we found that the students had little prior experience of mathematical modelling. They were also inexperienced…

  2. Secondary Students Learning Mathematics through Digital Game Building: A Study of the Effects and Students' Perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qing; Vandermeiden, Elise; Lemieux, Collette; Nathoo, Shahista

    2016-01-01

    This study explored secondary students' learning experiences in mathematics through digital game building. In this study, students were asked to become designers and builders in order to coauthor their own mathematics learning. Grounded in enactivism, this study examined the impact of game building on students' achievement. In addition, it…

  3. Latent Class Analysis of Students' Mathematics Learning Strategies and the Relationship between Learning Strategy and Mathematical Literacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Su-Wei; Tai, Wen-Chun

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated how various mathematics learning strategies affect the mathematical literacy of students. The data for this study were obtained from the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data of Taiwan. The PISA learning strategy survey contains three types of learning strategies: elaboration, control, and…

  4. Quantitative Literacy at Michigan State University, 3: Designing General Education Mathematics Courses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel L. Tunstall

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we describe the process at Michigan State University whereby we have created two courses, Math 101 and 102, designed to foster numeracy and alleviate mathematics anxiety. The courses--which are not sequential--provide a means of satisfying the University's general education requirement without taking college algebra or calculus, among other options. They are context-driven and broken into modules such as "The World and Its People" and "Health and Risk." They have been highly successful thus far, with students providing positive feedback on their interest in the material and the utility they see of it in their daily lives. We include background on the courses' history, their current status, and present and future challenges, ending with suggestions for others as they attempt to implement quantitative literacy courses at their own institution.

  5. Las Matematicas: Lenguaje Universal. Nivel 3: La Medida (Mathematics: A Universal Language. Level 3: Measurement).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dissemination and Assessment Center for Bilingual Education, Austin, TX.

    This is one of a series of student booklets designed for use in a bilingual mathematics program in grades 6-8. The general format is to present each page in both Spanish and English. The mathematical topics in this booklet include liquid, dry, linear, weight, and time measures. (MK)

  6. Participation of rural Zimbabwean female students in mathematics: The influence of perception

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Gudyanga

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The study was premised on the influence of perceptions on the participation of Ordinary Level rural African Zimbabwean female students in mathematics. Qualitative research design grounded in the interpretive paradigm was employed. Eighteen Ordinary Level female students and six teachers purposively selected from three rural co-educational secondary schools participated in the study. Data were generated through lesson observations and semi-structured question type interview guide. Findings revealed that rural female students perceived mathematics as a difficult subject, masculine and irrelevant to their future aspirations. Participants outlined that their perceptions were rooted in the prevailing cultural belief that mathematics is a masculine subject and negative stereotypes about girls’ maths abilities. Further findings indicate that female students’ participation in mathematics was highly influenced by their perception towards the subject. These perceptions result in the development of a general negative attitude to the subject that caused fewer female students to participate in mathematics in large numbers. We recommended parents and teachers to work hard to eliminate the negative gender and cultural stereotypes in order to enhance female students’ confidence in mathematics abilities. Schools should employ female mathematics teachers and expose female students to female role models who have succeeded in life in order to encourage more participation of female students in mathematics. Schools are made responsible for smoothing out difficulties generated by the prevailing culture. There is a gap in knowledge base pertaining to the Zimbabwean rural girls’ participation in Mathematics.

  7. Scientific Approach to Improve Mathematical Problem Solving Skills Students of Grade V

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roheni; Herman, T.; Jupri, A.

    2017-09-01

    This study investigates the skills of elementary school students’ in problem solving through the Scientific Approach. The purpose of this study is to determine mathematical problem solving skills of students by using Scientific Approach is better than mathematical problem solving skills of students by using Direct Instruction. This study is using quasi-experimental method. Subject of this study is students in grade V in one of state elementary school in Cirebon Regency. Instrument that used in this study is mathematical problem solving skills. The result of this study showed that mathematical problem solving skills of students who learn by using Scientific Approach is more significant than using Direct Instruction. Base on result and analysis, the conclusion is that Scientific Approach can improve students’ mathematical problem solving skills.

  8. The Impact of Chess Instruction on the Critical Thinking Ability and Mathematical Achievement of Developmental Mathematics Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berkley, Darrin K.

    2012-01-01

    This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study determined whether the game of chess can be used as an educational tool to improve critical thinking skills of developmental mathematics students and improve mathematics achievement for these students. Five research questions were investigated. These questions were as follows: (a) Is there a…

  9. Mathematics Teacher Education: A Model from Crimea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrucci, Beverly J.; Evans, Richard C.

    1993-01-01

    Reports on the mathematics teacher preparation program at Simferopol State University, the largest institution of higher education in the Crimea. The article notes the value of investigating what other countries consider essential in mathematics teacher education to improve the mathematical competence of students in the United States. (SM)

  10. Increasing Mathematical Computation Skills for Students with Physical and Health Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Paula

    2017-01-01

    Students with physical and health disabilities struggle with basic mathematical concepts. The purpose of this research study was to increase the students' mathematical computation skills through implementing new strategies and/or methods. The strategies implemented with the students was utilizing the ten-frame tiles and technology with the purpose…

  11. What Secondary Teachers Think and Do about Student Engagement in Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skilling, Karen; Bobis, Janette; Martin, Andrew J.; Anderson, Judy; Way, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    What teachers' think about student engagement influences the teaching practices they adopt, their responses to students and the efforts they make in the classroom. Interviews were conducted with 31 mathematics teachers from ten high schools to investigate their perceptions and beliefs about student engagement in mathematics. Teachers also reported…

  12. Mathematicians' and Math Educators' Views on "Doing Mathematics"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, Jim; Lunt, Jana; Meilstrup, Gretchen Rimmasch

    2016-01-01

    Educators often argue that mathematics should be taught so that the students in the course are actually "doing mathematics." Is there a consensus among mathematicians and mathematics educators as to the meaning of "doing mathematics?" In an effort to answer this question, we administered a survey to hundreds of university-level…

  13. Making Mathematics Relevant for Students in Bali

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sema, Pryde Nubea

    2008-01-01

    The reactions of students towards mathematics in Bali (in the NW Province of Cameroon) are appalling. This is due to a misconception regarding its uses. The author thinks that these problems derive partly from the influence that the Western curriculum has had in Bali--mathematical contexts are based around train times in Liverpool instead of from…

  14. Student teachers’ perceptions of democracy in the mathematics classroom: Freedom, equality and dialogue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wajeeh Daher

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available This article studies student teachers’ perceptions of the pedagogic and didactic aspects of teaching and learning mathematics in a democratic classroom. It is concerned primarily with issues of democracy in the mathematics classroom, specifically freedom, equality and dialogue. The research was conducted in two mathematics teacher education classes, where students were in their third year of study to major in mathematics. To find these students’ perceptions of democracy in the mathematics classroom the first two stages of the constant comparison method were followed to arrive at categories of democratic and undemocratic acts. The participants in the research emphasised that instructors should refrain from giving some students more time or opportunities to express themselves or act in the mathematics classroom than other students, because this would make them feel unequal and possibly make them unwilling to participate further in the mathematics classroom. The participants also emphasised that instructors should not exert their power to stop the flow of students’ actions in the mathematics classroom, because this would trouble them and make them lose control of their actions. Further, the participants mentioned that instructors would do better to connect to students’ ways of doing mathematics, especially of defining mathematical terms, so that students appreciate the correct ways of doing mathematics and defining its terms.

  15. Factors affecting Mathematics achievement of first-year secondary school students in Central Uganda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henry Nsubuga Kiwanuka

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the sources of variability in Mathematics achievement of Ugandan students at the student, classroom and school level. The Mathematics score and questionnaire responses of 4,819 first-year secondary school students (Grade Seven, about 14-15 years old from 78 classrooms of 49 schools were analysed. A three-level linear model was used. The results indicate that out of the total variance in Mathematics achievement 68.8%, 14.2% and 17.0% are situated at student, classroom and school level, respectively. Of all the considered explanatory variables at the three levels, i.e. socio-economic status, gender, prior Mathematics achievement, parental support, peer influence, class mean of prior Mathematics achievement and of students' perception of good classroom assessment, school mean of class climate (class mean of attitude toward mathematics and of parental support were significant predictors of Mathematics achievement. The relevant factors could explain 7.6%, 73.1% and 84.3%, respectively, of student-, classroom- and school-level differences. Implications of our study are considered.

  16. Student School-Level Math Knowledge Influence on Applied Mathematics Study Courses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rima Kriauzienė

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Purpose—to find out the influence of student school-level math knowledge on courses of applied mathematics studies: what is the importance of having a math maturity exam for students, an estimate of social science students’ motivation to learn math, and attendance of seminars. Students who did take the state exam attended more seminars than the students who did not take math exam, and vice versa. Design/methodology/approach—this work describes research which involved persistent MRU Public Administration degree program second-year students. Doing statistical analysis of the data will be a link between school-level mathematics knowledge and attendance activity in seminars and motivation to learn mathematics. Findings—the research is expected to establish a connection between school-level mathematics knowledge and student motivation to learn mathematics. It was found that there is no correlation between student opinions about school mathematics courses and result of their first test. Determine relationship between attendance of exercises and public examinations. Between the stored type of exam and test results are dependent. Determine relationship between exercise attendance and test results, as shown by the calculated correlation coefficient Based on the results, it’s recommended to increase the number of exercises. A more refined analysis of the data is subject to further investigation. Research limitations/implications—this method is just one of the possible ways of application. Practical implications—that kind of research and its methodology can be applied not only to the subject of applied mathematics studies, but also to other natural or social sciences. Originality/Value—empirical experiment data can be used in other studies of Educology nature analysis.

  17. Student School-Level Math Knowledge Influence on Applied Mathematics Study Courses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tadas Laukevičius

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose—to find out the influence of student school-level math knowledge on courses of applied mathematics studies: what is the importance of having a math maturity exam for students, an estimate of social science students’ motivation to learn math, and attendance of seminars. Students who did take the state exam attended more seminars than the students who did not take math exam, and vice versa.Design/methodology/approach—this work describes research which involved persistent MRU Public Administration degree program second-year students. Doing statistical analysis of the data will be a link between school-level mathematics knowledge and attendance activity in seminars and motivation to learn mathematics.Findings—the research is expected to establish a connection between school-level mathematics knowledge and student motivation to learn mathematics.It was found that there is no correlation between student opinions about school mathematics courses and result of their first test.Determine relationship between attendance of exercises and public examinations.Between the stored type of exam and test results are dependent.Determine relationship between exercise attendance and test results, as shown by the calculated correlation coefficientBased on the results, it’s recommended to increase the number of exercises. A more refined analysis of the data is subject to further investigation.Research limitations/implications—this method is just one of the possible ways of application.Practical implications—that kind of research and its methodology can be applied not only to the subject of applied mathematics studies, but also to other natural or social sciences.Originality/Value—empirical experiment data can be used in other studies of Educology nature analysis.

  18. Adding structure to the transition process to advanced mathematical activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelbrecht, Johann

    2010-03-01

    The transition process to advanced mathematical thinking is experienced as traumatic by many students. Experiences that students had of school mathematics differ greatly to what is expected from them at university. Success in school mathematics meant application of different methods to get an answer. Students are not familiar with logical deductive reasoning, required in advanced mathematics. It is necessary to assist students in this transition process, in moving from general to mathematical thinking. In this article some structure is suggested for this transition period. This essay is an argumentative exposition supported by personal experience and international literature. This makes this study theoretical rather than empirical.

  19. Metacognitive experience of mathematics education students in open start problem solving based on intrapersonal intelligence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sari, D. P.; Usodo, B.; Subanti, S.

    2018-04-01

    This research aims to describe metacognitive experience of mathematics education students with strong, average, and weak intrapersonal intelligence in open start problem solving. Type of this research was qualitative research. The research subject was mathematics education students in Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta in academic year 2017/2018. The selected students consisted of 6 students with details of two students in each intrapersonal intelligence category. The research instruments were questionnaire, open start problem solving task, and interview guidelines. Data validity used time triangulation. Data analyses were done through data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusion. Based on findings, subjects with strong intrapersonal intelligence had high self confidence that they were able to solve problem correctly, able to do planning steps and able to solve the problem appropriately. Subjects with average intrapersonal intelligence had high self-assessment that they were able to solve the problem, able to do planning steps appropriately but they had not maximized in carrying out the plan so that it resulted incorrectness answer. Subjects with weak intrapersonal intelligence had high self confidence in capability of solving math problem, lack of precision in taking plans so their task results incorrectness answer.

  20. Teaching Mathematical Problem Solving to Students with Limited English Proficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Rochelle G.; Patino, Rodrigo A.

    Many mainstreamed students with limited English proficiency continue to face the difficulty of learning English as a second language (ESL) while studying mathematics and other content areas framed in the language of native speakers. The difficulty these students often encounter in mathematics classes and their poor performance on subsequent…

  1. Differentiating Students with Mathematics Difficulty in College: Mathematics Disabilities vs. No Diagnosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGlaughlin, Sean M.; Knoop, Andrew J.; Holliday, Gregory A.

    2005-01-01

    Difficulties with college algebra can be the gatekeeper for earning a degree. Students struggle with algebra for many reasons. The focus of study was to examine students struggling with entry-level algebra courses and differentiate between those who were identified as having a mathematics disability and those who were not. Variables related to…

  2. PROJECTING PRINCIPLES OF «MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL BASICS IN INFORMATICS» MODULE AS PART OF A UNIVERSAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. K. Samerkhanova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This article is a presentation of “Mathematical and Physical Basics in Informatics” Module projected as part of universal baccalaureate model realized in Minin State Pedagogical University, Nizhny Novgorod, within the educational program for an extended group of qualifications “Informatics and Calculating Machines”. Module authors defined a strategy for baccalaureates preparation in the field of informational technology, which is realized due to a bunch of principles: education fundamentalization, learning systematization, activity, integration and student-centration. The principle of education fundamentalization requires consolidation of scientific and methodological preparation of students. The principle of learning systematization guarantees formation of students’ holistic ideology. The principle of integration is directed onto qualitative interdisciplinary conversion based on mutual enrichment of knowledge and skills. The principle of activity considers student personality, its formation and growth with respect to practical activity as a special form of psychical activity. The principle of student-centration is displayed as social-humanistic purpose of the educational process.

  3. Digital games and learning mathematics: Student, teacher and parent perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Su Ting Yong

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore the potential use of digital games in learning mathematics at secondary school level in Malaysia. Three secondary school students, three mathematics teachers and three parents were interviewed in this study. All the participants were asked for their views and experiences in mathematics, technology usage and the use of digital games in learning mathematics. The results suggested that students were supportive and positive towards the use of computer games in learning mathematics. Nevertheless, parents preferred conventional teaching approach, in which they recognized personal communication and socialization as a significant component in learning. Although the teachers did not go on to oppose the idea of using computer games for teaching mathematics, they still perceived the use of discursive approaches as the best teaching approach for learning mathematics with digital technologies at best a possible additional complementary feature. In view of that, the combination of classroom teaching and computer games might the best mathematics pedagogy. 

  4. Mathematics education and students with learning disabilities: introduction to the special series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivera, D P

    1997-01-01

    The prevalence of students with mathematics learning disabilities has triggered an interest among special education researchers and practitioners in developing an understanding of the needs of this group of students, and in identifying effective instructional programming to foster their mathematical performance during the school years and into adulthood. Research into the characteristics of students with mathematics learning disabilities is being approached from different perspectives, including developmental, neurological and neuropsychological, and educational. This diversity helps us develop a broader understanding of students' learning needs and difficulties. Special education assessment practices encompass a variety of approaches, including norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and nonstandardized procedures, depending on the specific assessment questions professionals seek to answer. Students' mathematical knowledge and conceptual understanding must be examined to determine their strengths and weaknesses, curriculum-based progress, and use of cognitive strategies to arrive at mathematical solutions. Research findings have identified empirically validated interventions for teaching mathematics curricula to students with mathematics learning disabilities. Research studies have been grounded in behavioral theory and cognitive psychology, with an emergent interest in the constructivist approach. Although research studies have focused primarily on computational performance, more work is being conducted in the areas of story-problem solving and technology. These areas as well as other math curricular skills require further study. Additionally, the needs of adults with math LD have spurred educators to examine the elementary and secondary math curricula and determine ways to infuse them with life skills instruction accordingly. As the field of mathematics special education continues to evolve, special educators must remain cognizant of the developments in and

  5. University Mathematics Education, Competencies and the Fighting of Syllabusitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højgaard, Tomas

    2016-01-01

    Syllabusitis is a name for a disease that consists of identifying the mastering of a subject with proficiency related to a syllabus. In this paper I argue that using a set of mathematical competencies as the hub of mathematics education can be a means to fight syllabusitis. The introduction and t...... proven to be a crucial element when attempting to put the competency idea into educational practice, and exemplify how that can be done when it comes to mathematics education at university level.......Syllabusitis is a name for a disease that consists of identifying the mastering of a subject with proficiency related to a syllabus. In this paper I argue that using a set of mathematical competencies as the hub of mathematics education can be a means to fight syllabusitis. The introduction...

  6. Improving Mathematical Communication Ability and Self Regulation Learning Of Yunior High Students by Using Reciprocal Teaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Qohar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the findings from a posttest experiment control group design  by  using reciprocal teaching, conducted  in Indonesia University of Education to investigate students’ ability in mathematical communication and self regulated learning.  Subject of the study were 254 of 9th grade students from three junior high schools of high, medium, and low level in Bojonegoro, East Java.  The instruments of the study were an essay mathematical communication test, and a self regulated learning scale. The study found that reciprocal teaching took the best role among school  cluster  and students’ prior mathematics ability on students’ mathematical communication ability and self regulated learning as well.  The other finding were there was interaction between school cluster and teaching approaches, but was no interaction between students’ prior mathematics ability and teaching approaches on mathematical communication ability and  self regulated learning. Moreover, there was association between mathematical communication and self regulated learningKeywords: Reciprocal Teaching, Mathematical Communication, Self Regulated Learning DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22342/jme.4.1.562.59-74

  7. The many faces of the mathematical modeling cycle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perrenet, J.C.; Zwaneveld, B.

    2012-01-01

    In literature about mathematical modeling a diversity can be seen in ways of presenting the modeling cycle. Every year, students in the Bachelor’s program Applied Mathematics of the Eindhoven University of Technology, after having completed a series of mathematical modeling projects, have been

  8. Intellectual and personality factors in the achievement of high exam effectiveness in first-year Russian university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gorchakova, Olesya Yu.

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The goals set forth in regulatory documents for the development of Russian education presuppose quantitative evaluation of factors and conditions that ensure students’ achievement of high competence, personality development, and self-realization. Evaluation of intellectual and personality characteristics of first-year university students and study of the relationship among these characteristics thus become important tasks. The research objective was to evaluate relationships among social and abstractlogical types of intelligence, personality characteristics, and exam effectiveness (performance. The study sample was made up of 900 first-year university students (55.2% female and 44.8% male from Tomsk State University who filled in paper-and-pencil forms in Russian: The Evaluation of Choice in Conflict Situations Questionnaire, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, the Self-Organization of Activity, the Reflexivity Type Assessment Test, the Self-Determination Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the World Assumptions Scale. Scores on the Unified National Examination in Mathematics (UNE in Mathematics and the first exam results at the university were used to measure academic performance. The data were statistically processed using descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and factor analysis. The preference for compromising and collaborating strategies indicates a high level of social intelligence and contributes to socio-psychological adaptation of young people to conditions of university education that are new to them, which require greater independence and activity. Social intelligence and abstract-logical intelligence are relatively independent intelligence types. Social intelligence and personality characteristics are not determinants of scores on the UNE in Mathematics. Probably the process of educating students in mathematics in the graduating classes of Russian secondary schools is replaced by training to solve problems on the UNE, so

  9. Mathematical Interventions for Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities and Mathematics Difficulties: A Meta-Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jitendra, Asha K.; Lein, Amy E.; Im, Soo-hyun; Alghamdi, Ahmed A.; Hefte, Scott B.; Mouanoutoua, John

    2018-01-01

    This meta-analysis is the first to provide a quantitative synthesis of empirical evaluations of mathematical intervention programs implemented in secondary schools for students with learning disabilities and mathematics difficulties. Included studies used a treatment-control group design. A total of 19 experimental and quasi-experimental studies…

  10. The role sports volunteering in the life of university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anastasia Bondar

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: identify the role sports volunteering in the life of university students. Material and Methods: 256 students of the Kharkov state academy of physical culture took part in research. The analysis of literary sources and documents was utillized; questioning (questionnaire, methods of the mathematical processing of data. Conclusions: sports volunteering is inalienable part of life of modern students and the 35% polled already were in a position to prove as helpers of organizers of sporting competitions of different level. In opinion of students, volunteering enables them to purchase experience of public activity, so the 25% polled consider, to find new friends – 20,8%, realized themselves – 18,3%. 34,5% respondents consider it-volunteering perspective direction the volunteers activity, the here 32,4% polled would like to prove as counsels of all of sporting volunteers work assignments

  11. Achievement of Eighth-Grade Students in Korea on the TIMSS 2011 Assessment: Effects of Confidence in Mathematics and Engagement in Mathematics Lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    House, J. Daniel; Telese, James A.

    2016-01-01

    Research studies have identified several factors related to mathematics achievement of students in Korea. Further, results from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assessments have shown that instructional practices and beliefs about mathematics were significantly associated with mathematics achievement of students in…

  12. The Image of Mathematics Held by Irish Post-Primary Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, Ciara; Stynes, Martin; O'Donoghue, John

    2014-01-01

    The image of mathematics held by Irish post-primary students was examined and a model for the image found was constructed. Initially, a definition for "image of mathematics" was adopted with image of mathematics hypothesized as comprising attitudes, beliefs, self-concept, motivation, emotions and past experiences of mathematics. Research…

  13. Encouraging Creativity in Mathematics and Science through Photography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munakata, Mika; Vaidya, Ashwin

    2012-01-01

    Based on the results of a survey of the science and mathematics students at our university, we observed that students do not consider mathematics and science to be creative endeavors, though the traditional artistic disciplines rank high in this regard. To address this problem in perception, the authors used photography as a means to encourage…

  14. Using collective argumentation to engage students in a primary mathematics classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Raymond

    2017-02-01

    This article focuses on using sociocultural theory to support student engagement with mathematics. The sociocultural approach used, collective argumentation (CA), is based on interactive principles necessary for coordinating student engagement in the discourse of the classroom. A goal of the research was to explore the affordances and constraints of using CA to enrich student engagement with mathematics. The design of the research was based on a teaching experiment that sought to capture the influence of social and cultural processes on learning and development. Participants included primary and secondary school teachers and their mathematics classes. This article focuses on the practice of one female primary school teacher. Data sources included interview transcripts, report writings, journal entries and observational records. Data were analysed using a participation framework. Findings suggest that aspects of CA such as students explaining and justifying ideas and presenting ideas to the whole class can be used by teachers to promote student engagement with mathematics.

  15. "My math and me": Nursing students' previous experiences in learning mathematics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Røykenes, Kari

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, 11 narratives about former experiences in learning of mathematics written by nursing students are thematically analyzed. Most students had a positive relationship with the subject in primary school, when they found mathematics fun and were able to master the subject. For some, a change occurred in the transition to lower secondary school. The reasons for this change was found in the subject (increased difficulty), the teachers (movement of teachers, numerous substitute teachers), the class environment and size (many pupils, noise), and the student him- or herself (silent and anonymous pupil). This change was also found in the transition from lower to higher secondary school. By contrast, some students had experienced changes that were positive, and their mathematics teacher was a significant factor in this positive change. The paper emphasizes the importance of previous experiences in learning mathematics to nursing students when learning about drug calculation. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Technology-Enhanced Mathematics Education for Creative Engineering Studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Triantafyllou, Eva; Timcenko, Olga

    2014-01-01

    This project explores the opportunities and challenges of integrating digital technologies in mathematics education in creative engineering studies. Students in such studies lack motivation and do not perceive the mathematics the same way as mathematics students do. Digital technologies offer new...... are conceptualized. Then, we are going to apply this field data in designing learning technologies, which will be introduced in university classrooms. The effect of this introduction will be evaluated through educational design experiments....

  17. Open-Ended Approach: An Effort in Cultivating Students' Mathematical Creative Thinking Ability and Self-Esteem in Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatah, Abdul; Suryadi, Didi; Sabandar, Jozua; Turmudi

    2016-01-01

    The present study aims at examining the use of open-ended approach in cultivating senior high school students' mathematical creative thinking ability (MCTA) and self-esteem (SE) in mathematics viewed from school category. The subjects of this research were the students grade XI at three schools; high, middle and low category in Kota Serang, Banten…

  18. Mathematics Anxiety in College Students in Costa Rica and their Relatonship with Academic Achievement and Socio-Demographic Variables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Islande C. Delgado Monge

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The study tried to determine the relationship between mathematics anxiety and the variables of gender, academic achievement, number of times students have taken the course and type of school in students taking the course MAT-001 General Mathematics of the National University of Costa Rica. To that end, a purposive sample of 472 students of such course was collected and the instrument of Hopko, Mahadevan, Bare and Hunt was adjusted to it (2003. Data collected were analyzed with the statistical program SPSS applying the corresponding hypothesis tests. According with the results, students showed a medium level of math anxiety and women showed a math anxiety significantly higher than men, while student graduated from private schools showed a significantly lower level of math anxiety than those from public schools or from the modality “General Equivalency Diploma”. Besides, the higher the math anxiety of the student is, the lower their academic achievement will be. Finally, there were no statistically significant differences between math anxiety and the number of times students have taken the course.

  19. Self-esteem and organizational values in university students and not university students from Lima

    OpenAIRE

    Loli Pineda, Alejandro E.; López Vega, Ernestina

    2014-01-01

    The selfesteem and the organizationals values in university students and not university students of Lima, is a study developed in a sample of 3215 students belonging to four universities of Lima; and not students conformed by egressions, professional and postgraduados, many of which show off directive charges in public or private companies, with the purpose to know the existing relation among the selfesteem and the values organizational of the same, in Lima Metropolitan, and to determine the ...

  20. Study of university students' attitudes toward office space at universities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.M. Eteadifard

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Office space is the space where students first experience the university. In this paper, the attitude of students toward office space in the public sphere of university is discussed. This article is the result of the research conducted for the “Institute for Social and Cultural Studies” by the author. The main issues in this paper are: university students' attitudes towards quality office space at the universities and mental basis of common issues among students at the universities. Data were collected through individual and group interviews. More than eighty interviews with activists and students of University of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti University, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Sharif University of Technology and Kharazmi University were done. The main indicators of office space in this study include: students’ satisfaction of office space, students’ welfare affairs and students’ feedback about this space. Problems and obstacles relating to the office space and their solutions were also studied in this paper.

  1. Development of Mathematics Learning Strategy Module, Based on Higher Order Thinking Skill (Hots) To Improve Mathematic Communication And Self Efficacy On Students Mathematics Department

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andriani, Ade; Dewi, Izwita; Halomoan, Budi

    2018-03-01

    In general, this research is conducted to improve the quality of lectures on mathematics learning strategy in Mathematics Department. The specific objective of this research is to develop learning instrument of mathematics learning strategy based on Higher Order Thinking Skill (HOTS) that can be used to improve mathematical communication and self efficacy of mathematics education students. The type of research is development research (Research & Development), where this research aims to develop a new product or improve the product that has been made. This development research refers to the four-D Model, which consists of four stages: defining, designing, developing, and disseminating. The instrument of this research is the validation sheet and the student response sheet of the instrument.

  2. Student Engagement and Classroom Variables in Improving Mathematics Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, So-Young

    2005-01-01

    The study explored how much student engagement and classroom variables predicted student achievement in mathematics. Since students were nested within a classroom, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was employed for the analysis. The results indicated that student engagement had positive effects on student academic growth per month in math after…

  3. Exploring science and mathematics teaching experiences in Thailand using reflective journals of an internship program between Vietnamese and Thai students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pruekpramool, Chaninan; Kanyaprasith, Kamonwan; Phonphok, Nason; Diem, Huynh Thi Thuy

    2018-01-01

    An internship program between Vietnamese student teachers from Cantho University and Thai graduate students from Srinakharinwirot University has occurred in June 2016. There were six Vietnamese student teachers and four Thai graduate students participated in this program with the help of science teachers from two schools in Sa Kaeo and Chachoengsao Provinces of Thailand. To explore Vietnamese and Thai students' life experiences and their perceptions in science and Mathematics teaching, reflective journals were used to record their progress as team teaching in primary and lower secondary classrooms in the form of the online format via social media in English language. The data were collected from 54 reflective journals from their eight days experiences at the schools. The data were analyzed qualitatively using Van Manen's level of reflectivity which composed of three levels; 1) Technical Rationality (TR), 2) Practical Action (PA) and 3) Critical Reflection (CR). The results explicitly revealed that the three levels of reflectivity have appeared in the reflective journals. Besides, Vietnamese and Thai students have learned more from each other and can exchange their educational experiences and culture. Certainly, this was the first time for them to teach science and mathematics in English to Thai students. Moreover, they have shared their impressions toward schools, teachers and also students in the schools in their reflective journal as well.

  4. Mathematical learning instruction and teacher motivation factors affecting science technology engineering and math (STEM) major choices in 4-year colleges and universities: Multilevel structural equation modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ahlam

    2011-12-01

    Using the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002/06, this study examined the effects of the selected mathematical learning and teacher motivation factors on graduates' science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related major choices in 4-year colleges and universities, as mediated by math performance and math self-efficacy. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, I analyzed: (1) the association between mathematical learning instruction factors (i.e., computer, individual, and lecture-based learning activities in mathematics) and students' STEM major choices in 4-year colleges and universities as mediated by math performance and math self-efficacy and (2) the association between school factor, teacher motivation and students' STEM major choices in 4-year colleges and universities via mediators of math performance and math self-efficacy. The results revealed that among the selected learning experience factors, computer-based learning activities in math classrooms yielded the most positive effects on math self-efficacy, which significantly predicted the increase in the proportion of students' STEM major choice as mediated by math self-efficacy. Further, when controlling for base-year math Item Response Theory (IRT) scores, a positive relationship between individual-based learning activities in math classrooms and the first follow-up math IRT scores emerged, which related to the high proportion of students' STEM major choices. The results also indicated that individual and lecture-based learning activities in math yielded positive effects on math self-efficacy, which related to STEM major choice. Concerning between-school levels, teacher motivation yielded positive effects on the first follow up math IRT score, when controlling for base year IRT score. The results from this study inform educators, parents, and policy makers on how mathematics instruction can improve student math performance and encourage more students to prepare for STEM careers. Students

  5. Self esteem and assertiveness of final year Turkish university students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karagözoğlu, Serife; Kahve, Emine; Koç, Oznur; Adamişoğlu, Derya

    2008-07-01

    This study developed a quantitative methodology to ascertain the level of self esteem and assertiveness of last year students in baccalaureate degree programs at Cumhuriyet University Nursing School, School for Health Sciences' Midwifery School, Education Faculty's Mathematics Teacher, Classroom Teacher, and Social Sciences Teacher programs and to determine if there is a correlation between self esteem and assertiveness. The research population was a total of 372 students who were in their final year of university in these programs. Sampling was not done in the research, the entire population was studied. However there was a total of 82 students who were not included in the research because of illness, absenteeism, registration on hold, who could not be found on campus or who did not want to participate in the research and who did not correctly complete the survey form. The research was conducted with total of 290 students. Total response rate was 77.9%. The data were collected using a "Personal Information Form," Stanley Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory (SEI) and Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS). Frequency distribution, t test, correlation and variance analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The results of the study were that the nursing students had the highest scores from SEI (80.64+/-15.83). Similarly the nursing students had the highest scores on the RAS (36.29+/-25.33).

  6. Students’ Critical Mathematical Thinking Skills and Character:Experiments for Junior High School Students through Realistic Mathematics Education Culture-Based

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    Anderson L. Palinussa

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the findings of a quasi-experimental with pre-test-post-test design and control group that aims to assess students’ critical mathematical thinking skills and character through realistic mathematics education (RME culture-based. Subjects of this study were 106 junior high school students from two low and medium schools level in Ambon. The instruments of the study are: students’ early math skills test, critical thinking skills mathematical test and perception scale of students’character. Data was analyzed by using t-test and Anova. The study found that: 1 Achievements and enhancement of students’ critical mathematical thinking skills who were treated with by realistic mathematics education is better then students’ skills were treated by conventional mathematics education. The differences are considered to: a overall students, b the level of early math skills, and c schools’ level; 2 Quality of students’ character who were treated by realistic mathematics education is better then students’ character who were treated by conventional mathematics education The differences are considered to: a overall students, b the level of early math skills, and c schools’ level  Keywords: Critical Thinking, Students’ Character, Realistic Mathematics Education Culture-Based DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22342/jme.4.1.566.75-94

  7. The Transition from School to University in Mathematics: Which Influence Do School-Related Variables Have?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rach, Stefanie; Heinze, Aiso

    2017-01-01

    Particularly in mathematics, the transition from school to university often appears to be a substantial hurdle in the individual learning biography. Differences between the characters of school mathematics and scientific university mathematics as well as different demands related to the learning cultures in both institutions are discussed as…

  8. Explanation, Motivation and Question Posing Routines in University Mathematics Teachers' Pedagogical Discourse: A Commognitive Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viirman, Olov

    2015-01-01

    This paper investigates the teaching practices used by university mathematics teachers when lecturing, a topic within university mathematics education research which is gaining an increasing interest. In the study, a view of mathematics teaching as a discursive practice is taken, and Sfard's commognitive framework is used to investigate the…

  9. An epistemic framing analysis of upper level physics students' use of mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bing, Thomas Joseph

    Mathematics is central to a professional physicist's work and, by extension, to a physics student's studies. It provides a language for abstraction, definition, computation, and connection to physical reality. This power of mathematics in physics is also the source of many of the difficulties it presents students. Simply put, many different activities could all be described as "using math in physics". Expertise entails a complicated coordination of these various activities. This work examines the many different kinds of thinking that are all facets of the use of mathematics in physics. It uses an epistemological lens, one that looks at the type of explanation a student presently sees as appropriate, to analyze the mathematical thinking of upper level physics undergraduates. Sometimes a student will turn to a detailed calculation to produce or justify an answer. Other times a physical argument is explicitly connected to the mathematics at hand. Still other times quoting a definition is seen as sufficient, and so on. Local coherencies evolve in students' thought around these various types of mathematical justifications. We use the cognitive process of framing to model students' navigation of these various facets of math use in physics. We first demonstrate several common framings observed in our students' mathematical thought and give several examples of each. Armed with this analysis tool, we then give several examples of how this framing analysis can be used to address a research question. We consider what effects, if any, a powerful symbolic calculator has on students' thinking. We also consider how to characterize growing expertise among physics students. Framing offers a lens for analysis that is a natural fit for these sample research questions. To active physics education researchers, the framing analysis presented in this dissertation can provide a useful tool for addressing other research questions. To physics teachers, we present this analysis so that it

  10. Non-Mathematics Students' Reasoning in Calculus Tasks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jukic Matic, Ljerka

    2015-01-01

    This paper investigates the reasoning of first year non-mathematics students in non-routine calculus tasks. The students in this study were accustomed to imitative reasoning from their primary and secondary education. In order to move from imitative reasoning toward more creative reasoning, non-routine tasks were implemented as an explicit part of…

  11. Student mathematical activity as a springboard to developing teacher didactisation practices

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    Piera Biccard

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article is part of a larger study on teacher development. The main study investigated teacher development within primary school Mathematics teachers’ classrooms to determine if teaching practices could be enhanced through a didactisation-based programme. It sought to develop teachers within their own environments and classrooms. Design research (both designing the conditions for change and studying the results of those conditions enabled the researchers to design a programme that was congruent with teachers’ own needs and experiences. The programme ran for a period of a year with regular contact between the teachers and the researcher conducting the programme (the first author. The programme set out nine didactisation practices: active students, differentiation, mathematisation, vertically aligned lessons, accessing student thinking and ideas, probing student thinking and ideas, connecting student ideas, assessing students and reflecting on practice. One practice, student activity, is the focus of this article. It was found that by initiating discussion and cognitive conflict in teachers by using modelling problems, and further allowing teachers to observe pupils working in groups with modelling problems, teachers were starting to incorporate the didactisation practices within their own classrooms. This article documents specifically the fundamental role of student mathematical activity and the importance of improving student mathematical experiences, both for teacher development and for student mathematical learning. The study may be valuable in structuring and planning further effective teacher development programmes.

  12. Embedded Mathematics in Chemistry: A Case Study of Students' Attitudes and Mastery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preininger, Anita M.

    2017-02-01

    There are many factors that shape students' attitudes toward science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This exploratory study of high school students examined the effect of enriching chemistry with math on chemistry students' attitudes toward math and careers involving math. To measure student attitudes, a survey was administered before and after the 18-week chemistry class; results from the chemistry class were compared to survey results from students in an elective science class that did not emphasize mathematics. At the end of the 18-week period, only the chemistry students exhibited more positive views toward their abilities in mathematics and careers that involve mathematics, as compared to their views at the outset of the course. To ensure that chemistry mastery was not hindered by the additional emphasis on math, and that mastery on state end-of-course examinations reflected knowledge acquired during the math-intensive chemistry class, a chemistry progress test was administered at the start and end of the term. This exploratory study suggests that emphasizing mathematical approaches in chemistry may positively influence attitudes toward math in general, as well as foster mastery of chemistry content.

  13. Swedish Upper Secondary Students' Perspectives on the Typical Mathematics Lesson

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Paul; Larson, Niclas

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a group interview study of Swedish upper secondary students' perspectives on the typical mathematics lesson. Students, from four demographically different schools, constructed a collective synthesis of their many years' experience of mathematics classrooms. Transcriptions were subjected to a constant comparison analysis, which…

  14. Virtual Manipulatives: Tools for Teaching Mathematics to Students with Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Mikyung; Bryant, Diane P.; Bryant, Brian R.; McKenna, John W.; Hou, Fangjuan; Ok, Min Wook

    2017-01-01

    Many students with learning disabilities demonstrate difficulty in developing a conceptual understanding of mathematical topics. Researchers recommend using visual models to support student learning of the concepts and skills necessary to complete abstract and symbolic mathematical problems. Virtual manipulatives (i.e., interactive visual models)…

  15. Computer-Based Mathematics Instructions for Engineering Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Mustaq A.; Wall, Curtiss E.

    1996-01-01

    Almost every engineering course involves mathematics in one form or another. The analytical process of developing mathematical models is very important for engineering students. However, the computational process involved in the solution of some mathematical problems may be very tedious and time consuming. There is a significant amount of mathematical software such as Mathematica, Mathcad, and Maple designed to aid in the solution of these instructional problems. The use of these packages in classroom teaching can greatly enhance understanding, and save time. Integration of computer technology in mathematics classes, without de-emphasizing the traditional analytical aspects of teaching, has proven very successful and is becoming almost essential. Sample computer laboratory modules are developed for presentation in the classroom setting. This is accomplished through the use of overhead projectors linked to graphing calculators and computers. Model problems are carefully selected from different areas.

  16. Trends in Basic Mathematical Competencies of Beginning Undergraduates in Ireland, 2003-2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treacy, Páraic; Faulkner, Fiona

    2015-01-01

    Deficiencies in beginning undergraduate students' basic mathematical skills has been an issue of concern in higher education, particularly in the past 15 years. This issue has been tracked and analysed in a number of universities in Ireland and internationally through student scores recorded in mathematics diagnostic tests. Students beginning…

  17. Effectiveness of Kem Kembara-i on improving the interests of students in mathematical sciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majid, Noriza; Rambely, Azmin Sham; Razman, Nini Nabila bt

    2017-04-01

    Mathematics does not only play an important role in daily life but it is also a compulsory subject that has to be learn from early stage until the highest level of study. However, various issues arise from Mathematic education especially the decline in the interest of students towards Mathematics. This study was carried out to study the level of interest of the students towards Mathematics and the factors that affect the level of their interest. In addition, this study also aims to determine the best approach to help improve students' interest in Mathematics and to study the effectiveness of Kem Kembara-i organized by School of Mathematical Science (PPSM) UKM. A total of 553 respondents from twenty secondary schools around Malaysia attended this camp. Questionnaire has been used as an instrument in this study and Likert scale was used in this questionnaire. The finding shows that most of the students who participated in this camp were interested in Mathematics and the factors that affect their level of interest are such as the parents, peers, teachers and attitude. Recreational approach is the best approach in increasing the interest of students towards Mathematics and the results show that almost all of the activities in this camp, managed to attract the interest of students towards Mathematics. Therefore, it is concluded that this camp is effective in forming positive attitudes toward Mathematics.

  18. The Mathematics Literacy Level of Eighth Grade Students

    OpenAIRE

    Esra UYSAL; Kürşat YENİLMEZ

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine the eighth grade student’s Mathematics Literacy level based on the PISA 2003 Mathematics exam questions and evaluations. Also relationships between distribution of Mathematics Literacy levels and some variables as students’ gender, pre-school education, family’s income and parent’s education level are investigated. Survey method was used in this study. The work group of the study consists of 1047 eighth grade students chosen randomly from 12 primary s...

  19. Learning biology through connecting mathematics to scientific mechanisms: Student outcomes and teacher supports

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuchardt, Anita

    Integrating mathematics into science classrooms has been part of the conversation in science education for a long time. However, studies on student learning after incorporating mathematics in to the science classroom have shown mixed results. Understanding the mixed effects of including mathematics in science has been hindered by a historical focus on characteristics of integration tangential to student learning (e.g., shared elements, extent of integration). A new framework is presented emphasizing the epistemic role of mathematics in science. An epistemic role of mathematics missing from the current literature is identified: use of mathematics to represent scientific mechanisms, Mechanism Connected Mathematics (MCM). Building on prior theoretical work, it is proposed that having students develop mathematical equations that represent scientific mechanisms could elevate their conceptual understanding and quantitative problem solving. Following design and implementation of an MCM unit in inheritance, a large-scale quantitative analysis of pre and post implementation test results showed MCM students, compared to traditionally instructed students) had significantly greater gains in conceptual understanding of mathematically modeled scientific mechanisms, and their ability to solve complex quantitative problems. To gain insight into the mechanism behind the gain in quantitative problem solving, a small-scale qualitative study was conducted of two contrasting groups: 1) within-MCM instruction: competent versus struggling problem solvers, and 2) within-competent problem solvers: MCM instructed versus traditionally instructed. Competent MCM students tended to connect their mathematical inscriptions to the scientific phenomenon and to switch between mathematical and scientifically productive approaches during problem solving in potentially productive ways. The other two groups did not. To address concerns about teacher capacity presenting barriers to scalability of MCM

  20. Effectiveness of POGIL Learning Model with Ethnomathematics Nuance Assisted by Student Worksheet toward Student Mathematical Communication Skill

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hilyatin Farda

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to analyzing the effectiveness of POGIL model learning with ethnomathematics nuance by using student worksheets towards student’s mathematical communication ability in quadraliteral materialand. The population in this research was the students of seventh grade Junior High School 1 Welahan on year 2016/2017. By using simple random sampling, the selected samples were VII-A as control class with PBL model learning and VII-B as experiment class with POGIL model learning with nuance ethnomathematics by using student worksheet. The methods which have been used to collect data were documentation, test, and questionnaire. Data were analyzed using proportion test, independent samples t-test, and linear regression. The result of research showed that (1 Student’s mathematical communication ability which have studied with POGIL model learning with ethnomathematics nuance by using student worksheets reach the minimum score criteria, (2 The average of student’s mathematical communication ability by implementing POGIL model learning with ethnomathematics nuance by using student worksheets better than the average of student’s mathematical communication ability by implementing PBL model learning, (3 Respect to local culture attitude influenced toward mathematical communication ability with the number 55,5%.

  1. The Maths Arcade: A Tool for Supporting and Stretching Mathematics Undergraduates

    OpenAIRE

    Bradshaw, Noel-Ann

    2017-01-01

    The Maths Arcade is an activity which aims simultaneously to support those university mathematics learners who are having difficulties, stretch more confident learners, and encourage the development of a staff-student mathematical community. The first Maths Arcade was set up at the University of Greenwich in September 2010, funded initially by a University grant for innovative teaching and later by the Mathematical Sciences Curriculum Innovation Fund of the UK National Higher Education STEM P...

  2. Undergraduate mathematics competitions (1995–2016) Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

    CERN Document Server

    Brayman, Volodymyr

    2017-01-01

    Versatile and comprehensive in content, this book of problems will appeal to students in nearly all areas of mathematics. The text offers original and advanced problems proposed from 1995 to 2016 at the Mathematics Olympiads. Essential for undergraduate students, PhD students, and instructors, the problems in this book vary in difficulty and cover most of the obligatory courses given at the undergraduate level, including calculus, algebra, geometry, discrete mathematics, measure theory, complex analysis, differential equations, and probability theory. Detailed solutions to all of the problems from Part I are supplied in Part II, giving students the ability to check their solutions and observe new and unexpected ideas. Most of the problems in this book are not technical and allow for a short and elegant solution. The problems given are unique and non-standard; solving the problems requires a creative approach as well as a deep understanding of the material. Nearly all of the problems are originally authored by...

  3. Lectures on constructive mathematical analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Kushner, B A

    1984-01-01

    The basis of this book was a special course given by the author at the Mechanics-Mathematics Faculty of Moscow University. The material presumes almost no previous knowledge and is completely understandable to a reader who is in command of a standard course of mathematical analysis. There are an extensive bibliography and indexes which will be helpful to students.

  4. Secondary School Mathematics Teachers’ and Students’ Views on Computer Assisted Mathematics Instruction in Turkey: Mathematica Example

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    Mehmet Alper Ardıç

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed at determining the secondary school mathematics teachers’ and students’ views on computer-assisted mathematics instruction (CAMI conducted via Mathematica. Accordingly, three mathematics teachers in Adıyaman and nine 10th-grade students participated in the research. Firstly, the researchers trained the mathematics teachers in the Mathematica program, a computer algebra system (CAS and CAMI. Then, they provided a suitable environment for teachers to practice CAMI with their students to teach quadratic functions (parabola. Case study, a qualitative research design, was utilized in the study. Semi-structured interview forms were used as data collection tools. The interview data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis, and the codes and themes related to the topic were obtained. The findings revealed that all the teachers found CAMI implementations interesting as supported by students’ views. While all mathematics teachers wanted to benefit from CAMI in mathematics and geometry courses, most of the students asked that CAMI be used in different courses. It was found that students did not have any problems with the Mathematica used with CAMI activities. However, it was also revealed by one student and one teacher that involving CAMI constantly in the courses would hinder preparations for the university entrance exam.

  5. The Study of the Relationship between Mothers' Anxiety with the Mathematical Performance and Students' Anxiety

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    Sepideh Moradpour

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Today mathematics stress have considered under interesting of many psychologists of mathematics education and cognitive psychologists too so that recognize emotion and mental stimulations of students in mathematics and to find scientific strategies for removing and controlling them. Anxiety is one of important and effective issues of 21th century. This study is done with aim of the study of relationship between mothers' anxiety with mathematics performance and anxiety of their children at first grade of high school at zone one of Tehran. Among population, 97 students and their mothers are chosen. Data of this research are collected by Cattell standard questionnaire for studying mothers' anxiety and standard questionnaire of mathematics anxiety for studying mathematics anxiety and a math exam for studying of students' performance. Research findings indicate that there is significant relationship between mothers' anxiety with mathematics anxiety and performance of students. Also it indicated that there is significant difference between students with high and low mathematics anxiety in term of mathematics performance.

  6. Tracking Developmental Students into Their First College Level Mathematics Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waycaster, Pansy

    2011-01-01

    A recent SACS review at the author's institution prompted an assessment of the school's developmental mathematics program. The author needed to examine the effectiveness of the developmental mathematics courses in preparing students for their first college level mathematics course. Rather than just examine success rates in developmental…

  7. Why Singaporean 8th Grade Students Gain Highest Mathematics Ranking in TIMSS (1999-2011)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lessani, Abdolreza; Yunus, Aida Suraya Md; Tarmiz, Rohani Ahmad; Mahmud, Rosnaini

    2014-01-01

    The international comparison of students' mathematics knowledge and competencies is an effective method of evaluating students' mathematics performance and developing policies to improve their achievements in mathematics. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are among the most well-recognized international comparisons that…

  8. Intelligent mathematics II applied mathematics and approximation theory

    CERN Document Server

    Duman, Oktay

    2016-01-01

    This special volume is a collection of outstanding more applied articles presented in AMAT 2015 held in Ankara, May 28-31, 2015, at TOBB Economics and Technology University. The collection is suitable for Applied and Computational Mathematics and Engineering practitioners, also for related graduate students and researchers. Furthermore it will be a useful resource for all science and engineering libraries. This book includes 29 self-contained and well-edited chapters that can be among others useful for seminars in applied and computational mathematics, as well as in engineering.

  9. Factors affecting Mathematics achievement of first-year secondary school students in Central Uganda

    OpenAIRE

    Kiwanuka, Henry Nsubuga; Van Damme, Jan; Van Den Noortgate, Wim; Anumendem, Dickson Nkafu; Namusisi, Speranza

    2015-01-01

    This study explores the sources of variability in Mathematics achievement of Ugandan students at the student, classroom and school level. The Mathematics score and questionnaire responses of 4,819 first-year secondary school students (Grade Seven, about 14-15 years old) from 78 classrooms of 49 schools were analysed. A three-level linear model was used. The results indicate that out of the total variance in Mathematics achievement 68.8%, 14.2% and 17.0% are situated at student, classroom and ...

  10. A Multi-Method Investigation of Mathematics Motivation for Elementary Age Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linder, Sandra M.; Smart, Julie B.; Cribbs, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the results of a multi-method study examining elementary students with high self-reported levels of mathematics motivation. Second- through fifth-grade students at a Title One school in the southeastern United States completed the Elementary Mathematics Motivation Instrument (EMMI), which examines levels of mathematics…

  11. Food intake of university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Greyce Luci BERNARDO

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This narrative literature review aimed to analyze the results of studies on the food intake of university students. A literature search was conducted in July 2014 and updated in July 2016 in the Scopus, MedLine/PubMed, and SciELO databases, using descriptors related to university students and food intake in English and Portuguese. Overall, 37 studies that analyzed university students’ food intake were included in this review, eight of which were conducted in Brazil. The results demonstrated that most university students have unhealthy eating behaviors, such as high intake of fast foods, snacks, sweets, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages, and low intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and legumes. Undergraduate students of health sciences, such as nursing, nutrition, and medicine, did not have healthier diets. University students’ food intake was characterized as unhealthy, regardless of undergraduate program or sex, especially among students who left the parents’ home and became responsible for their own food. Therefore, there is a need of developing public policies that promote healthy eating habits among students, such as interventions to change their eating habits and increase their access to healthy foods at the university environment.

  12. Sixth form pure mathematics

    CERN Document Server

    Plumpton, C

    1968-01-01

    Sixth Form Pure Mathematics, Volume 1, Second Edition, is the first of a series of volumes on Pure Mathematics and Theoretical Mechanics for Sixth Form students whose aim is entrance into British and Commonwealth Universities or Technical Colleges. A knowledge of Pure Mathematics up to G.C.E. O-level is assumed and the subject is developed by a concentric treatment in which each new topic is used to illustrate ideas already treated. The major topics of Algebra, Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, and Trigonometry are developed together. This volume covers most of the Pure Mathematics required for t

  13. Are Disadvantaged Students Given Equal Opportunities to Learn Mathematics? PISA in Focus. No. 63

    Science.gov (United States)

    OECD Publishing, 2016

    2016-01-01

    Socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged students are not equally exposed to mathematics problems and concepts at school. Exposure to mathematics at school has an impact on performance, and disadvantaged students' relative lack of familiarity with mathematics partly explains their lower performance. Widening access to mathematics content…

  14. Emphasis on Conceptual Knowledge and Its Impact on Mathematics Anxiety for Community College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khoule, Alioune

    2013-01-01

    The study investigated the relationship between conceptual knowledge and mathematics anxiety of remedial mathematics students in an urban community college. The impact that conceptual understanding has on mathematics achievement was also examined. The study sample consisted of 105 remedial mathematics students from four elementary algebra courses.…

  15. The Anxiety of PGSD’s Student In The Teaching of Mathemathics

    OpenAIRE

    Wardana, Mahardika Darmawan Kusuma; Amir, Mohammad Faizal

    2018-01-01

    Mathematics is a subject that has characteristics which different from other subjects. Mathematics subject mostly always splurging on numbers. This causes not all university students like this subject. Many university students are anxious when meeting or even more when teaching these subject. To find out more about the anxiety of students on mathematics, the researchers conducted a research to determine the anxiety that existed in the students while teaching mathematics subject. The method us...

  16. From biology to mathematical models and back: teaching modeling to biology students, and biology to math and engineering students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiel, Hillel J; McManus, Jeffrey M; Shaw, Kendrick M

    2010-01-01

    We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge that they find difficult. To give students a sense of mastery in each area, several complementary approaches are used in the course: 1) a "live" textbook that allows students to explore models and mathematical processes interactively; 2) benchmark problems providing key skills on which students make continuous progress; 3) assignment of students to teams of two throughout the semester; 4) regular one-on-one interactions with instructors throughout the semester; and 5) a term project in which students reconstruct, analyze, extend, and then write in detail about a recently published biological model. Based on student evaluations and comments, an attitude survey, and the quality of the students' term papers, the course has significantly increased the ability and willingness of biology students to use mathematical concepts and modeling tools to understand biological systems, and it has significantly enhanced engineering students' appreciation of biology.

  17. From Biology to Mathematical Models and Back: Teaching Modeling to Biology Students, and Biology to Math and Engineering Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    McManus, Jeffrey M.; Shaw, Kendrick M.

    2010-01-01

    We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge that they find difficult. To give students a sense of mastery in each area, several complementary approaches are used in the course: 1) a “live” textbook that allows students to explore models and mathematical processes interactively; 2) benchmark problems providing key skills on which students make continuous progress; 3) assignment of students to teams of two throughout the semester; 4) regular one-on-one interactions with instructors throughout the semester; and 5) a term project in which students reconstruct, analyze, extend, and then write in detail about a recently published biological model. Based on student evaluations and comments, an attitude survey, and the quality of the students' term papers, the course has significantly increased the ability and willingness of biology students to use mathematical concepts and modeling tools to understand biological systems, and it has significantly enhanced engineering students' appreciation of biology. PMID:20810957

  18. Increasing Access for Economically Disadvantaged Students: The NSF/CSEM & S-STEM Programs at Louisiana State University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Zakiya S.; Iyengar, Sitharama S.; Pang, Su-Seng; Warner, Isiah M.; Luces, Candace A.

    2012-10-01

    Increasing college degree attainment for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is a prominent component of numerous state and federal legislation focused on higher education. In 1999, the National Science Foundation (NSF) instituted the "Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships" (CSEMS) program; this initiative was designed to provide greater access and support to academically talented students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Originally intended to provide financial support to lower income students, this NSF program also advocated that additional professional development and advising would be strategies to increase undergraduate persistence to graduation. This innovative program for economically disadvantaged students was extended in 2004 to include students from other disciplines including the physical and life sciences as well as the technology fields, and the new name of the program was Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM). The implementation of these two programs in Louisiana State University (LSU) has shown significant and measurable success since 2000, making LSU a Model University in providing support to economically disadvantaged students within the STEM disciplines. The achievement of these programs is evidenced by the graduation rates of its participants. This report provides details on the educational model employed through the CSEMS/S-STEM projects at LSU and provides a path to success for increasing student retention rates in STEM disciplines. While the LSU's experience is presented as a case study, the potential relevance of this innovative mentoring program in conjunction with the financial support system is discussed in detail.

  19. Construction and reconstruction concept in mathematics instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mumu, Jeinne; Charitas Indra Prahmana, Rully; Tanujaya, Benidiktus

    2017-12-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe two learning activities undertaken by lecturers, so that students can understand a mathematical concept. The mathematical concept studied in this research is the Vector Space in Linear Algebra instruction. Classroom Action Research used as a research method with pre-service mathematics teacher at University of Papua as the research subject. Student participants are divided into two parallel classes, 24 students in regular class, and remedial class consist of 18 students. Both approaches, construct and reconstruction concept, are implemented on both classes. The result shows that concept construction can only be done in regular class while in remedial class, learning with concept construction approach is not able to increase students' understanding on the concept taught. Understanding the concept of a student in a remedial class can only be carried out using the concept reconstruction approach.

  20. Students, Computers and Mathematics the Golden Trilogy in the Teaching-Learning Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Santillán, Arturo; Escalera-Chávez, Milka Elena; López-Morales, José Satsumi; Córdova Rangel, Arturo

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we examine the relationships between students' attitudes towards mathematics and technology, therefore, we take a Galbraith and Hines' scale (1998, 2000) about mathematics confidence, computer confidence, computer and mathematics interaction, mathematics motivation, computer motivation, and mathematics engagement. 164 questionnaires…

  1. Pre-Service Mathematics Teacher Education in Jordan : Description and Analysis of the Situation at the University of Jordan/Amman ; A Case Study

    OpenAIRE

    Qudah, Ahmad Hassan Al-

    2002-01-01

    ix Introduction The study has the purpose (1) to describe and explore the Mathematics student teachers’ performance inside the classroom during the training course “teaching practice” at the University of Jordan/ Amman, and (2) to include the main factors which influence the development of the professional teaching competence in their mode of action. This study has particularly the aim to investigate the difficulties which face the student teachers’ performance, and the facilities which help ...

  2. Instructional characteristics in mathematics classrooms: relationships to achievement goal orientation and student engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazarides, Rebecca; Rubach, Charlott

    2017-02-01

    This longitudinal study examined relationships between student-perceived teaching for meaning, support for autonomy, and competence in mathematic classrooms (Time 1), and students' achievement goal orientations and engagement in mathematics 6 months later (Time 2). We tested whether student-perceived instructional characteristics at Time 1 indirectly related to student engagement at Time 2, via their achievement goal orientations (Time 2), and, whether student gender moderated these relationships. Participants were ninth and tenth graders (55.2% girls) from 46 classrooms in ten secondary schools in Berlin, Germany. Only data from students who participated at both timepoints were included (N = 746 out of total at Time 1 1118; dropout 33.27%). Longitudinal structural equation modeling showed that student-perceived teaching for meaning and support for competence indirectly predicted intrinsic motivation and effort, via students' mastery goal orientation. These paths were equivalent for girls and boys. The findings are significant for mathematics education, in identifying motivational processes that partly explain the relationships between student-perceived teaching for meaning and competence support and intrinsic motivation and effort in mathematics.

  3. The universe in zero words the story of mathematics as told through equations

    CERN Document Server

    Mackenzie, Dana

    2012-01-01

    Most popular books about science, and even about mathematics, tiptoe around equations as if they were something to be hidden from the reader's tender eyes. Dana Mackenzie starts from the opposite premise: He celebrates equations. No history of art would be complete without pictures. Why, then, should a history of mathematics--the universal language of science--keep the masterpieces of the subject hidden behind a veil? The Universe in Zero Words tells the history of twenty-four great and beautiful equations that have shaped mathematics, science, and society--from the elementary

  4. Facilitating mathematics learning for students with upper extremity disabilities using touch-input system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Kup-Sze; Chan, Tak-Yin

    2015-03-01

    To investigate the feasibility of using tablet device as user interface for students with upper extremity disabilities to input mathematics efficiently into computer. A touch-input system using tablet device as user interface was proposed to assist these students to write mathematics. User-switchable and context-specific keyboard layouts were designed to streamline the input process. The system could be integrated with conventional computer systems only with minor software setup. A two-week pre-post test study involving five participants was conducted to evaluate the performance of the system and collect user feedback. The mathematics input efficiency of the participants was found to improve during the experiment sessions. In particular, their performance in entering trigonometric expressions by using the touch-input system was significantly better than that by using conventional mathematics editing software with keyboard and mouse. The participants rated the touch-input system positively and were confident that they could operate at ease with more practice. The proposed touch-input system provides a convenient way for the students with hand impairment to write mathematics and has the potential to facilitate their mathematics learning. Implications for Rehabilitation Students with upper extremity disabilities often face barriers to learning mathematics which is largely based on handwriting. Conventional computer user interfaces are inefficient for them to input mathematics into computer. A touch-input system with context-specific and user-switchable keyboard layouts was designed to improve the efficiency of mathematics input. Experimental results and user feedback suggested that the system has the potential to facilitate mathematics learning for the students.

  5. Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science: 25 Years of Early College STEM Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sayler, Michael F.

    2015-01-01

    The University of North Texas's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science began admitting students to its 2-year early college entrance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program in the fall of 1988. This program provided accelerated entry for top students in Texas in the areas of mathematics and science. Approximately 200…

  6. Mathematics for natural scientists fundamentals and basics

    CERN Document Server

    Kantorovich, Lev

    2016-01-01

    This book, the first in a two part series, covers a course of mathematics tailored specifically for physics, engineering and chemistry students at the undergraduate level. It is unique in that it begins with logical concepts of mathematics first encountered at A-level and covers them in thorough detail, filling in the gaps in students' knowledge and reasoning. Then the book aids the leap between A-level and university-level mathematics, with complete proofs provided throughout and all complex mathematical concepts and techniques presented in a clear and transparent manner. Numerous examples and problems (with answers) are given for each section and, where appropriate, mathematical concepts are illustrated in a physics context. This text gives an invaluable foundation to students and a comprehensive aid to lecturers. Mathematics for Natural Scientists: Fundamentals and Basics is the first of two volumes. Advanced topics and their applications in physics are covered in the second volume.

  7. "It's been a long journey": Exploring educationally mobile students' transition into STEM majors at a university

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arreygue, Aimee

    Today, one third of all college students are considered educationally "mobile," which means they will change institutions during their undergraduate careers. The concept of educational mobility challenges the traditional idea of students moving through an educational pipeline in a linear fashion, and recognizes that many of today's students, including those in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), will have multiple transition points. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the transitional experiences of educationally mobile students moving into and through the STEM disciplines at a public university. Students who move from one educational environment to another undergo a significant transition process, and understanding this process for individual students and the institution's role in supporting transition has implications for educational policy. Grounded in the conceptual framework guided by Schlossberg's Transition Theory, and Swail, Redd, and Perna's Geometric Model for Student Persistence and Achievement, this study explores the following research question: How do students who are educationally mobile experience academic, social, and institutional support while transitioning into and through STEM disciplines at a four-year public university? Eighteen science and mathematics majors participated in this study, all of whom attended at least one institution of higher education prior to their current attendance at Mountain View University, a four-year comprehensive Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in Southern California. Participants were interviewed utilizing a semi-structured interview protocol and completed a demographic questionnaire as well. Trustworthiness measures included member checking and peer debriefing. The findings of this study show that educationally mobile students are savvy agents of their education, and make personal and professional sacrifices in their pursuit of a STEM degree. They want to connect to like

  8. Which Instructional Practices Most Help First Grade Students with and without Mathematics Difficulties?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Paul L.; Farkas, George; Maczuga, Steve

    2015-01-01

    We used population-based, longitudinal data to investigate the relation between mathematics instructional practices used by 1st grade teachers in the U.S. and the mathematics achievement of their students. Factor analysis identified four types of instructional activities (i.e., teacher-directed, student-centered, manipulatives/calculators, movement/music) and eight types of specific skills taught (e.g., adding two-digit numbers). First-grade students were then classified into five groups on the basis of their fall and/or spring of kindergarten mathematics achievement—three groups with mathematics difficulties (MD) and two without MD. Regression analysis indicated that a higher percentage of MD students in 1st grade classrooms was associated with greater use by teachers of manipulatives/calculators and movement/music to teach mathematics. Yet follow-up analysis for each of the MD and non-MD groups indicated that only teacher-directed instruction was significantly associated with the achievement of students with MD (covariate-adjusted ESs = .05–.07). The largest predicted effect for a specific instructional practice was for routine practice and drill. In contrast, for both groups of non-MD students, teacher-directed and student-centered instruction had approximately equal, statistically significant positive predicted effects (covariate-adjusted ESs = .03–.04). First-grade teachers in the U.S. may need to increase their use of teacher-directed instruction if they are to raise the mathematics achievement of students with MD. PMID:26180268

  9. Effectiveness of mathematics education in secondary schools to meet the local universities missions in producing quality engineering and science undergraduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakar Hasan, Abu; Fatah Abdul, Abdul; Selamat, Zalilah

    2018-01-01

    Critical claims by certain quarters that our local undergraduates are not performing well in Mathematics, Statistics and Numerical Methods needs a serious thinking and actions. Yearly examinations results from the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM equivalent to A-Level) and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM equivalent to O-Level) levels have been splendid whereby it is either increasing or decreasing in a very tight range. A good foundation in mathematics and additional mathematics will tremendously benefit these students when they enter their university education especially in engineering and science courses. This paper uses SPM results as the primary data, questionnaires as secondary, and apply the Fish Bones technique for analysis. The outcome shows that there is a clear correlation between the causes and effect.

  10. Using realistic mathematics education and the DAPIC problem-solving process to enhance secondary school students' mathematical literacy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunisa Sumirattana

    2017-09-01

    This study was based on research and development design. The main purposes of this study were to develop an instructional process for enhancing mathematical literacy among students in secondary school and to study the effects of the developed instructional process on mathematical literacy. The instructional process was developed by analyzing and synthesizing realistic mathematics education and the DAPIC problem-solving process. The developed instructional process was verified by experts and was trialed. The designated pre-test/post-test control method was used to study the effectiveness of the developed instructional process on mathematical literacy. The sample consisted of 104 ninth grade students from a secondary school in Bangkok, Thailand. The developed instructional process consisted of five steps, namely (1 posing real life problems, (2 solving problems individually or in a group, (3 presenting and discussing, (4 developing formal mathematics, and (5 applying knowledge. The mathematical literacy of the experimental group was significantly higher after being taught through the instructional process. The same results were obtained when comparing the results of the experimental group with the control group.

  11. A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Non-Traditional Students in Higher Level Mathematics at a Midwest University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Brian B.

    2017-01-01

    The current literature suggests that the use of Husserl's and Heidegger's approaches to phenomenology is still practiced. However, a clear gap exists on how these approaches are viewed in the context of constructivism, particularly with non-traditional female students' study of mathematics. The dissertation attempts to clarify the constructivist…

  12. Assessing the Relation between Seventh-Grade Students' Engagement and Mathematical Problem Solving Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lein, Amy E.; Jitendra, Asha K.; Starosta, Kristin M.; Dupuis, Danielle N.; Hughes-Reid, Cheyenne L.; Star, Jon R.

    2016-01-01

    In this study, the authors assessed the contribution of engagement (on-task behavior) to the mathematics problem-solving performance of seventh-grade students after accounting for prior mathematics achievement. A subsample of seventh-grade students in four mathematics classrooms (one high-, two average-, and one low-achieving) from a larger…

  13. Enhancing student engagement to positively impact mathematics anxiety, confidence and achievement for interdisciplinary science subjects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everingham, Yvette L.; Gyuris, Emma; Connolly, Sean R.

    2017-11-01

    Contemporary science educators must equip their students with the knowledge and practical know-how to connect multiple disciplines like mathematics, computing and the natural sciences to gain a richer and deeper understanding of a scientific problem. However, many biology and earth science students are prejudiced against mathematics due to negative emotions like high mathematical anxiety and low mathematical confidence. Here, we present a theoretical framework that investigates linkages between student engagement, mathematical anxiety, mathematical confidence, student achievement and subject mastery. We implement this framework in a large, first-year interdisciplinary science subject and monitor its impact over several years from 2010 to 2015. The implementation of the framework coincided with an easing of anxiety and enhanced confidence, as well as higher student satisfaction, retention and achievement. The framework offers interdisciplinary science educators greater flexibility and confidence in their approach to designing and delivering subjects that rely on mathematical concepts and practices.

  14. Universal patterns or the tale of two systems? Mathematics achievement and educational expectations in post-socialist Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodovski, Katerina; Kotok, Stephen; Henck, Adrienne

    2014-09-01

    Although communist ideology claimed to destroy former class stratification based on labor market capitalist relationships, de facto during socialism one social class hierarchy was substituted for another that was equally unequal. The economic transition during the 1990s increased stratification by wealth, which affected educational inequality. This study examines the relationships among parental education, gender, educational expectations, and mathematics achievement of youths in five post-socialist Eastern European countries, comparing them with three Western countries. We employed the 8 th -grade data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1995 and 2007. The findings point to the universal associations between parental education and student outcomes, whereas gender comparisons present interesting East-West differences. The theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.

  15. Mathematical background and attitudes toward statistics in a sample of Spanish college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmona, José; Martínez, Rafael J; Sánchez, Manuel

    2005-08-01

    To examine the relation of mathematical background and initial attitudes toward statistics of Spanish college students in social sciences the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics was given to 827 students. Multivariate analyses tested the effects of two indicators of mathematical background (amount of exposure and achievement in previous courses) on the four subscales. Analysis suggested grades in previous courses are more related to initial attitudes toward statistics than the number of mathematics courses taken. Mathematical background was related with students' affective responses to statistics but not with their valuing of statistics. Implications of possible research are discussed.

  16. Mathematics beliefs and achievement of a national sample of Native American students: results from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 United States assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    House, J Daniel

    2009-04-01

    Recent mathematics assessment findings indicate that Native American students tend to score below students of the ethnic majority. Findings suggest that students' beliefs about mathematics are significantly related to achievement outcomes. This study examined relations between self-beliefs and mathematics achievement for a national sample of 130 Grade 8 Native American students from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 United States sample of (M age = 14.2 yr., SD = 0.5). Multiple regression indicated several significant relations of mathematics beliefs with achievement and accounted for 26.7% of the variance in test scores. Students who earned high test scores tended to hold more positive beliefs about their ability to learn mathematics quickly, while students who earned low scores expressed negative beliefs about their ability to learn new mathematics topics.

  17. Mathematics Education ITE Students Examining the Value of Digital Learning Objects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawera Ngarewa; Wright, Noeline; Sharma, Sashi

    2017-01-01

    One issue in mathematics initial teacher education (ITE) is how to best support students to use digital technologies (DTs) to enhance their teaching of mathematics. While most ITE students are probably using DTs on a daily basis for personal use, they are often unfamiliar with using them for educative purposes in New Zealand primary school…

  18. Effects of Cooperative Learning STAD on Mathematical Communication Ability of Elementary School Student

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maelasari, E.; Wahyudin

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study is to describe the increasing of mathematical communications capability, and difference between students who get STAD cooperative learning and students who receive Direct Instruction. This study is a quasi-experimental study with pretest posttest study design. Subjects in this study in one of the fifth grade elementary school located in Cibeureum District, Kuningan. The research instrument used was a written test mathematical communication skills. The results showed that the improvement of mathematical communication capabilities Direct Instruction students who scored significantly better than students who learned with STAD cooperative learning. By grouping according to the ability of students will show a positive impact on student achievement in the classroom.

  19. The Mathematics of Knots

    CERN Document Server

    Banagl, Markus

    2011-01-01

    The present volume grew out of the Heidelberg Knot Theory Semester, organized by the editors in winter 2008/09 at Heidelberg University. The contributed papers bring the reader up to date on the currently most actively pursued areas of mathematical knot theory and its applications in mathematical physics and cell biology. Both original research and survey articles are presented; numerous illustrations support the text. The book will be of great interest to researchers in topology, geometry, and mathematical physics, graduate students specializing in knot theory, and cell biologists interested

  20. Giftedness and Aesthetics: Perspectives of Expert Mathematicians and Mathematically Gifted Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tjoe, Hartono

    2015-01-01

    Giftedness in mathematics has been characterized by exceptional attributes including strong mathematical memory, formalizing perception, generalization, curtailment, flexibility, and elegance. Focusing on the last attribute, this study examined the following: (a) the criteria which expert mathematicians and mathematically gifted students fleshed…

  1. Developing Students' Mathematical Skills Involving Order of Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali Rahman, Ernna Sukinnah; Shahrill, Masitah; Abbas, Nor Arifahwati; Tan, Abby

    2017-01-01

    This small-scale action research study examines the students' ability in using their mathematical skills when performing order of operations in numerical expressions. In this study, the "hierarchy-of-operators triangle" by Ameis (2011) was introduced as an alternative BODMAS approach to help students in gaining a better understanding…

  2. Problematic topics in first-year mathematics: lecturer and student views

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ní Shé, Caitríona; Mac an Bhaird, Ciarán; Ní Fhloinn, Eabhnat; O'Shea, Ann

    2017-07-01

    In this paper we report on the outcomes of two surveys carried out in higher education institutions of Ireland; one of students attending first-year undergraduate non-specialist mathematics modules and another of their lecturers. The surveys aimed to identify the topics that these students found difficult, whether they had most difficulty with the concepts or procedures involved in the topics, and the resources they used to overcome these difficulties. In this paper we focus on the mathematical concepts and procedures that students found most difficult. While there was agreement between students and lecturers on certain problematic topics, this was not uniform across all topics, and students rated their conceptual understanding higher than their ability to do questions, in contrast to lecturers' opinions.

  3. Understanding engineering mathematics

    CERN Document Server

    Cox, Bill

    2001-01-01

    * Unique interactive style enables students to diagnose their strengths and weaknesses and focus their efforts where needed* Ideal for self-study and tutorial work, building from an initially supportive approach to the development of independent learning skills * Free website includes solutions to all exercises, additional topics and applications, guide to learning mathematics, and practice materialStudents today enter engineering courses with a wide range of mathematical skills, due to the many different pre-university qualifications studied. Bill Cox''s aim is for students to gain a thorough understanding of the maths they are studying, by first strengthening their background in the essentials of each topic. His approach allows a unique self-paced study style, in which students Review their strengths and weaknesses through self-administered diagnostic tests, then focus on Revision where they need it, to finally Reinforce the skills required.The book is structured around a highly successful ''transition'' ma...

  4. Deaf college students' mathematical skills relative to morphological knowledge, reading level, and language proficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Ronald R; Gaustad, Martha G

    2007-01-01

    This study of deaf college students examined specific relationships between their mathematics performance and their assessed skills in reading, language, and English morphology. Simple regression analyses showed that deaf college students' language proficiency scores, reading grade level, and morphological knowledge regarding word segmentation and meaning were all significantly correlated with both the ACT Mathematics Subtest and National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) Mathematics Placement Test scores. Multiple regression analyses identified the best combination from among these potential independent predictors of students' performance on both the ACT and NTID mathematics tests. Additionally, the participating deaf students' grades in their college mathematics courses were significantly and positively associated with their reading grade level and their knowledge of morphological components of words.

  5. Algorithmic mathematics

    CERN Document Server

    Hougardy, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    Algorithms play an increasingly important role in nearly all fields of mathematics. This book allows readers to develop basic mathematical abilities, in particular those concerning the design and analysis of algorithms as well as their implementation. It presents not only fundamental algorithms like the sieve of Eratosthenes, the Euclidean algorithm, sorting algorithms, algorithms on graphs, and Gaussian elimination, but also discusses elementary data structures, basic graph theory, and numerical questions. In addition, it provides an introduction to programming and demonstrates in detail how to implement algorithms in C++. This textbook is suitable for students who are new to the subject and covers a basic mathematical lecture course, complementing traditional courses on analysis and linear algebra. Both authors have given this "Algorithmic Mathematics" course at the University of Bonn several times in recent years.

  6. Profile of prospective bioengineering students at National University of San Juan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez, N; Puzzella, A; Zabala, A; Demartini, H; Alborch, A; Cabrera, L

    2007-01-01

    The low percentage of students (43 % of applicants) that passed the entrance exams for the bioengineering career at the National University of San Juan in 2007, plus the historical situation of desertion in first year (about 50%), motivated the application of a diagnostic test to prospective students of this career. The aim of this test was to obtain information about the competences acquired by students to solve problems in different contexts using basic mathematical tools, reading comprehension skills to understand texts, graphs and tables. Although this test was sat by the entire population of applicants of the current school year, only the results belonging to bioengineering students are the ones presented for the purpose of this work. However, students of other disciplines of the school of engineering also have similar problems. From the analysis of the answers to the different items, it can be observed that there are serious difficulties in the development of basic capacities to successfully take the courses of this career

  7. Profile of prospective bioengineering students at National University of San Juan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, N.; Puzzella, A.; Zabala, A.; Demartini, H.; Alborch, A.; Cabrera, L.

    2007-11-01

    The low percentage of students (43 % of applicants) that passed the entrance exams for the bioengineering career at the National University of San Juan in 2007, plus the historical situation of desertion in first year (about 50%), motivated the application of a diagnostic test to prospective students of this career. The aim of this test was to obtain information about the competences acquired by students to solve problems in different contexts using basic mathematical tools, reading comprehension skills to understand texts, graphs and tables. Although this test was sat by the entire population of applicants of the current school year, only the results belonging to bioengineering students are the ones presented for the purpose of this work. However, students of other disciplines of the school of engineering also have similar problems. From the analysis of the answers to the different items, it can be observed that there are serious difficulties in the development of basic capacities to successfully take the courses of this career.

  8. Profile of prospective bioengineering students at National University of San Juan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lopez, N [School of Engineering. National University of San Juan. Av. San MartIn 1109 (Oeste). CP 5400. San Juan (Argentina); Puzzella, A [School of Philosophy, Humanities and Arts. National University of San Juan. I de la Roza 230 (Oeste). CP 5400. San Juan (Argentina); Zabala, A [School of Engineering. National University of San Juan. Av. San MartIn 1109 (Oeste). CP 5400. San Juan (Argentina); Demartini, H [School of Engineering. National University of San Juan. Av. San MartIn 1109 (Oeste). CP 5400. San Juan (Argentina); Alborch, A [School of Philosophy, Humanities and Arts. National University of San Juan. I de la Roza 230 (Oeste). CP 5400. San Juan (Argentina); Cabrera, L [' Col. Central Universitario Dr. M. Moreno' Secondary School. National University of San Juan. I de la Roza 230 (Oeste). CP 5400. San Juan (Argentina)

    2007-11-15

    The low percentage of students (43 % of applicants) that passed the entrance exams for the bioengineering career at the National University of San Juan in 2007, plus the historical situation of desertion in first year (about 50%), motivated the application of a diagnostic test to prospective students of this career. The aim of this test was to obtain information about the competences acquired by students to solve problems in different contexts using basic mathematical tools, reading comprehension skills to understand texts, graphs and tables. Although this test was sat by the entire population of applicants of the current school year, only the results belonging to bioengineering students are the ones presented for the purpose of this work. However, students of other disciplines of the school of engineering also have similar problems. From the analysis of the answers to the different items, it can be observed that there are serious difficulties in the development of basic capacities to successfully take the courses of this career.

  9. Mathematics for Gifted Students in an Arts- and Technology-Rich Setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gadanidis, George; Hughes, Janette; Cordy, Michelle

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we report on a study of a short-term mathematics program for grade 7-8 gifted students that integrated open-ended mathematics tasks with the arts (poetry and drama) and with technology. The program was offered partially online and partially in a classroom setting. The study sought to investigate (a) students' perceptions of their…

  10. Investigating and developing engineering students' mathematical modelling and problem-solving skills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wedelin, Dag; Adawi, Tom; Jahan, Tabassum; Andersson, Sven

    2015-09-01

    How do engineering students approach mathematical modelling problems and how can they learn to deal with such problems? In the context of a course in mathematical modelling and problem solving, and using a qualitative case study approach, we found that the students had little prior experience of mathematical modelling. They were also inexperienced problem solvers, unaware of the importance of understanding the problem and exploring alternatives, and impeded by inappropriate beliefs, attitudes and expectations. Important impacts of the course belong to the metacognitive domain. The nature of the problems, the supervision and the follow-up lectures were emphasised as contributing to the impacts of the course, where students show major development. We discuss these empirical results in relation to a framework for mathematical thinking and the notion of cognitive apprenticeship. Based on the results, we argue that this kind of teaching should be considered in the education of all engineers.

  11. Accessible mathematics ten instructional shifts that raise student achievement

    CERN Document Server

    Leinwand, Steven

    2009-01-01

    Accessible Mathematics is Steven Leinwand's latest important book for math teachers. He focuses on the crucial issue of classroom instruction. He scours the research and visits highly effective classrooms for practical examples of small adjustments to teaching that lead to deeper student learning in math. Some of his 10 classroom-tested teaching shifts may surprise you and others will validate your thinking. But all will improve students' performance. Read Accessible Mathematics, try its 10 suggestions, and discover how minor shifts in teaching can put learning into high gear.

  12. Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching, Standards-Based Mathematics Teaching Practices, and Student Achievement in the Context of the "Responsive Classroom Approach"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ottmar, Erin R.; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.; Larsen, Ross A.; Berry, Robert Q.

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates the effectiveness of the Responsive Classroom (RC) approach, a social and emotional learning intervention, on changing the relations between mathematics teacher and classroom inputs (mathematical knowledge for teaching [MKT] and standards-based mathematics teaching practices) and student mathematics achievement. Work was…

  13. The Study of the Relationship between Mother's Studies with Study Skills and Mathematics Performance of Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Behnoush Taheri

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Certainly teaching study skills of mathematics has special importance and plays important role in mathematics performance of students. As mothers spend more times with self-children then they can be effect on study and their mathematics performance. Present research implements to study of the relationship between mothers' studies with study skills and mathematics performance of their children. Population of this research is all girl students of first grade in high school at zone one of Tehran and sample is 97 people. For collecting data of this research through standard questionnaire of mathematics studies skills is used for measuring of study skill of mathematics and questions for studying information related to mothers' studies and a math exam for getting information of mathematics performance of students are used. The results indicated that there is not significant relationship between mothers' studies and study skill of mathematics among students. Also, it is indicated that there is positive significant relationship between mothers' studies and mathematic performance of students.

  14. To What Extent Do Teacher-Student Interaction Quality and Student Gender Contribute to Fifth Graders' Engagement in Mathematics Learning?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.; Baroody, Alison E.; Larsen, Ross A. A.; Curby, Timothy W.; Abry, Tashia

    2015-01-01

    This study examines concurrent teacher-student interaction quality and 5th graders' (n = 387) engagement in mathematics classrooms (n = 63) and considers how teacher-student interaction quality relates to engagement differently for boys and girls. Three approaches were used to measure student engagement in mathematics: Research assistants observed…

  15. Use of open-ended problems as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suyitno, A.; Suyitno, H.; Rochmad; Dwijanto

    2018-03-01

    Mathematical creativity is the essence of learning in mathematics. However, mathematical creativity had not yet grown among students. Means there was a gap between needs and reality. This gap must be bridged through by scientific studies, and there were novelty findings, namely the discovery of stages to cultivate of Mathematical Creativity. The problem formulation: How to use of open-ended problems as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student? The goal was to use of open issues as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student. Research method with a qualitative approach. After data was collected then activity in data analysis, include data reduction, data presentation, data interpretation, and conclusion/verification. The results of the research: After the learning by applying the modification of RTTW learning model, then the students were trained to do the open-ended problems and by looking at the UTS and UAS values then qualitatively the results: (1) There was a significant increase of the student's final score. (2) The category of the growth of mathematical creativity of students, the Very Good there were three students, the Good there were six students, There were 17 students, and there were six students. The validation of these results was reinforced by interviews and triangulation. (3) Stage to cultivate mathematical creativity: lecturers should need to provide inputs on student work; Apply an appropriate learning model, and train students to work on the continuing problems.

  16. Developing Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teachers: Secondary Teachers' Evolving Conceptions of Knowing Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Frieda; Bartell, Tonya Gau; Novak, Jodie D.

    2017-01-01

    Research advances in teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment have not changed the continued underperformance of marginalized students in mathematics education. Culturally responsive teaching is a means of addressing the needs of these students. It is sometimes challenging, however, to convince secondary mathematics teachers about the…

  17. Collaborative Workshops and Student Academic Performance in Introductory College Mathematics Courses: A Study of a Treisman Model Math Excel Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, Hollis; Dick, Thomas

    2000-01-01

    Describes the Treisman model which involves supplemental workshops in which college students solve problems in collaborative learning groups. Reports on the effectiveness of Math Excel, an implementation of the Treisman model for introductory mathematics courses at Oregon State University over five academic terms. Reveals a significant effect on…

  18. Some Reasons for the Lack of Success When Learning Mathematics in Technical Universities and Recommendations for Their Overcoming [In Bulgarian

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Dishlieva

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available A brief overview of the objective criteria and unified standards in tertiary technical education, developed and controlled by European professional associations is done. The reasons are given for which engineering mathematics is a serious barrier for the students in technical universities - lack of the constructive relationships between: universities and secondary schools; teachers and students in the learning process; discrepancies in the curricula of different university departments. The interdisciplinary approach is not used as a factor of motivation at different levels, and the contemporary teaching tools and methods are missing as well. The knowledge and skills evaluation and assessment are not organized effectively. Short and long term measures to overcome the math learning problems of the prospective engineers are indicated in respect to the basic educational principles. Experience in this line is shared - computer-based training aids and tests, compulsory term papers and consultations for the students with lower scores, teamwork is recommended. The long-term measures involve introducing the laboratory exercises, teacher's teams from different departments and faculties for common training materials and classes, joint work with faculty and students; attracting and training of good teachers and continuous improvement of their qualification.

  19. Technology-Enhanced Learning in College Mathematics Remediation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foshee, Cecile M.; Elliott, Stephen N.; Atkinson, Robert K.

    2016-01-01

    US colleges presently face an academic plight; thousands of high school graduates are performing below the expected ability for college-level mathematics. This paper describes an innovative approach intended to improve the mathematics performance of first-year college students, at a large US university. The innovation involved the integration of…

  20. Tablet Technology to Facilitate Improved Interaction and Communication with Students Studying Mathematics at a Distance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galligan, Linda; Hobohm, Carola; Loch, Birgit

    2012-01-01

    Teaching and learning of mathematics is challenging when lecturer and students are separated geographically. While student engagement and interaction with the course, with other students and with the lecturer is vital to mathematics learning, it is difficult to facilitate this electronically, because of the nature of mathematics. With tablet…

  1. Pre-service mathematics teachers’ ability in solving well-structured problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paradesa, R.

    2018-01-01

    This study aimed to describe the mathematical problem-solving ability of undergraduate students of mathematics education in solving the well-structured problem. The type of this study was qualitative descriptive. The subjects in this study were 100 undergraduate students of Mathematics Education at one of the private universities in Palembang city. The data in this study was collected through two test items with essay form. The results of this study showed that, from the first problem, only 8% students can solve it, but do not check back again to validate the process. Based on a scoring rubric that follows Polya strategy, their answer satisfied 2 4 2 0 patterns. But, from the second problem, 45% students satisfied it. This is because the second problem imitated from the example that was given in learning process. The average score of undergraduate students mathematical problem-solving ability in solving well-structured problems showed 56.00 with standard deviation was 13.22. It means that, from 0 - 100 scale, undergraduate students mathematical problem-solving ability can be categorized low. From this result, the conclusion was undergraduate students of mathematics education in Palembang still have a problem in solving mathematics well-structured problem.

  2. The analysis of mathematics literacy on PMRI learning with media schoology of junior high school students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wardono; Mariani, S.

    2018-03-01

    Indonesia as a developing country in the future will have high competitiveness if its students have high mathematics literacy ability. The current reality from year to year rankings of PISA mathematics literacy Indonesian students are still not good. This research is motivated by the importance and low ability of the mathematics literacy. The purpose of this study is to: (1) analyze the effectiveness of PMRI learning with media Schoology, (2) describe the ability of students' mathematics literacy on PMRI learning with media Schoology which is reviewed based on seven components of mathematics literacy, namely communication, mathematizing, representation, reasoning, devising strategies, using symbols, and using mathematics tool. The method used in this research is the method of sequential design method mix. Techniques of data collection using observation, interviews, tests, and documentation. Data analysis techniques use proportion test, appellate test, and use descriptive analysis. Based on the data analysis, it can be concluded; (1) PMRI learning with media Schoology effectively improve the ability of mathematics literacy because of the achievement of classical completeness, students' mathematics literacy ability in PMRI learning with media Schoology is higher than expository learning, and there is increasing ability of mathematics literacy in PMRI learning with media Schoology of 30%. (2) Highly capable students attain excellent mathematics literacy skills, can work using broad thinking with appropriate resolution strategies. Students who are capable of achieving good mathematics literacy skills can summarize information, present problem-solving processes, and interpret solutions. low-ability students have reached the level of ability of mathematics literacy good enough that can solve the problem in a simple way.

  3. Transfer students in STEM majors at a Midwestern University: Academic and social involvement factors that influence student success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Carlos

    There is soon-to-be a shortage of qualified U.S. workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As a result, many science-related jobs are being filled by technically-skilled foreign workers. If the U.S wants to maintain its global economic leadership, then it must ensure a continuous growth of highly-trained individuals in STEM disciplines. Therefore, American institutions of higher education, including community colleges, must identify potential factors that contribute to the lack of interest in STEM majors, as well as the low rate of success of students who enter STEM majors but struggle to finish their degrees. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of community college transfer students who are pursuing bachelor degrees in STEM majors at Iowa State University (ISU). What were their transfer experiences and what influenced their academic success in STEM. Participants were encouraged to share their transfer experiences while at the community college as well as their experiences on the ISU campus. They were also asked about their level of academic involvement, their relationships with faculty, and their participation in peer group activities prior to and after transferring. The research design included both quantitative and qualitative components, which provided an in-depth look at the experiences of STEM non-engineering and engineering students. Quantitative data include students' background characteristics, demographic information, and college activities at the community college and ISU. Qualitative data were used to illuminate students' overall transfer experience and their successful journey in STEM fields. The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods allowed a better understanding of the strategies students put into practice once they transfer from a community college to a four-year institution in pursuit of a STEM bachelor's degree. The results of this study suggest that there is an association among the

  4. Emotions in the mathematics knowledge’s desertion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfonso Jiménez Espinosa,

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The natural wearing out of students has become one of the most worrying problems for universities, but underlies another, dropping out of mathematical knowledge, which is one of the causes of the first. The mathematics learning occurs mainly in class and there is where the concept interstructuring, the network of relationships, emotions, attitudes and beliefs among the known and the new, acquire a meaning and where the student learns. This research investigates the relationship between emotions and mathematics’ learning in students at the Geological Engineering Program of the UPTC. Through the case study and the “Theoretically informed” approach is shown the intricate relationship between emotionality and the construction of mathematical structures. Weconclude that emotions, especially negative ones arise because of the inability to achieve a cognitive balance, leading the student to change his action domain, preventing the construction of mathematical knowledge. It is emphasized that these negative emotions have different origin, especially those generated by beliefs about mathematics and the unfortunate attitude of teachers.

  5. Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of the Mathematics Courses Included in the Primary School Teacher Education Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serin, Mehmet Koray; Incikabi, Semahat

    2017-01-01

    Mathematics educators have reported on many issues regarding students' mathematical education, particularly students who received mathematics education at different departments such as engineering, science or primary school, including their difficulties with mathematical concepts, their understanding of and preferences for mathematical concepts.…

  6. Effects of a Mathematics Cognitive Acceleration Program on Student Achievement and Motivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finau, Teukava; Treagust, David F.; Won, Mihye; Chandrasegaran, A. L.

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents the effects of a cognitive acceleration program in mathematics classes on Tongan students' achievements, motivation and self-regulation. Cognitive Acceleration in Mathematics Education (CAME) is a program developed at King's College and implemented worldwide with the aim of improving students' thinking skills, mathematics…

  7. Classroom Learning Environment and Motivation towards Mathematics among Secondary School Students in Uganda

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opolot-Okurut, Charles

    2010-01-01

    This article reports a study of secondary students' perceptions of mathematics classroom learning environment and their associations with their motivation towards mathematics. A sample of 81 students (19 male and 62 female) in two schools were used. Student perceptions of the classroom environment were assessed using a modified What Is Happening…

  8. Developing a study orientation questionnaire in Mathematics for primary school students

    OpenAIRE

    Van Der Walt, Martha

    2009-01-01

    The Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics (Primary) is being developed as a diagnostic measure for South African teachers and counsellors to help primary school students improve their orientation towards the study of mathematics. In this study, participants were primary school students in the North-West Province of South Africa. During the standardisation in 2007, 1,013 students (538 boys: M age = 12.61; SD = 1.53; 555 girls: M age = 11.98; SD = 1.35; 10 missing values) were assessed...

  9. Using Assessment for Learning Mathematics with Mobile Tablet Based Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghislain Maurice Norbert Isabwe

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses assessment for learning in mathematics subjects. Teachers of large classes face the challenge of regularly assessing studentsཿ ongoing mathematical learning achievements. Taking the complexity of assessment and feedback for learning as a background, we have developed a new approach to the assessment for learning mathematics at university level. We devised mobile tablet technology supported assessment processes, and we carried out user studies in both Rwanda and Norway. Results of our study indicated that students found it fruitful to be involved in assessing other studentsཿ mathematics work, i.e. assessing fellow studentsཿ answers to mathematical tasks. By being involved in the assessment process, the students expected mathematical learning gains. Their providing and obtaining of feedback to/from their fellow students using technology supported tools were highly appreciated as regards their own mathematical learning process.

  10. Problem solving of student with visual impairment related to mathematical literacy problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pratama, A. R.; Saputro, D. R. S.; Riyadi

    2018-04-01

    The student with visual impairment, total blind category depends on the sense of touch and hearing in obtaining information. In fact, the two senses can receive information less than 20%. Thus, students with visual impairment of the total blind categories in the learning process must have difficulty, including learning mathematics. This study aims to describe the problem-solving process of the student with visual impairment, total blind category on mathematical literacy issues based on Polya phase. This research using test method similar problems mathematical literacy in PISA and in-depth interviews. The subject of this study was a student with visual impairment, total blind category. Based on the result of the research, problem-solving related to mathematical literacy based on Polya phase is quite good. In the phase of understanding the problem, the student read about twice by brushing the text and assisted with information through hearing three times. The student with visual impairment in problem-solving based on the Polya phase, devising a plan by summoning knowledge and experience gained previously. At the phase of carrying out the plan, students with visual impairment implement the plan in accordance with pre-made. In the looking back phase, students with visual impairment need to check the answers three times but have not been able to find a way.

  11. [Smoking among undergraduate university students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barra C, Lisseth; Fernández P, Paola; Granada G, Felipe; Ávila C, Paula; Mallea M, Javier; Rodríguez M, Yeniffer

    2015-10-01

    Smoking is one of the major Public Health problems worldwide. To study the frequency of tobacco smoking among undergraduate students of a Chilean university. An opinion survey was sent by e-mail to all undergraduate students of a university, registering gender, age, study years, study area, smoking behavior, motivation (reason for smoking), intention to quit and tobacco law perception. 1,008 (57% females) out of 11,679 surveys were answered back. Prevalence of active smoking among respondents was 36%, without association with gender, age or years of study. However, students from scientific areas had a lower prevalence. Seventy seven percent of smokers manifested the intention to quit the habit or have started quitting already. Ninety six percent were acquainted with the tobacco law and by 73% agreed with it. Smoking is highly prevalent among university students. It is necessary to develop strategies for smoking cessation within universities that may prevent or reduce tobacco smoking among students.

  12. Students' Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Level and Its Relationship with Their Mathematics Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acar Güvendir, Meltem

    2016-01-01

    This study focused on the extrinsic and intrinsic motivation levels of eighth grade students and its relationship with their mathematical achievement. The participants of the study included 6,829 students who took TIMSS in 2011 and 239 mathematics teachers. The data obtained from the student and teacher questionnaires that are included in the…

  13. Emotional and cognitive effects of peer tutoring among secondary school mathematics students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alegre Ansuategui, Francisco José; Moliner Miravet, Lidón

    2017-11-01

    This paper describes an experience of same-age peer tutoring conducted with 19 eighth-grade mathematics students in a secondary school in Castellon de la Plana (Spain). Three constructs were analysed before and after launching the program: academic performance, mathematics self-concept and attitude of solidarity. Students' perceptions of the method were also analysed. The quantitative data was gathered by means of a mathematics self-concept questionnaire, an attitude of solidarity questionnaire and the students' numerical ratings. A statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test. The qualitative information was gathered by means of discussion groups and a field diary. This information was analysed using descriptive analysis and by categorizing the information. Results show statistically significant improvements in all the variables and the positive assessment of the experience and the interactions that took place between the students.

  14. Effect of Digital Game Based Learning on Ninth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swearingen, Dixie K.

    2011-01-01

    This experimental study examined the effect of an educational massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) on achievement on a standards-based mathematics exam. It also examined the interaction of student characteristics (gender and socioeconomic status) with digital game play on mathematics achievement. Two hundred eighty ninth grade students from a…

  15. Improving Student Teachers' Attitudes to Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amato, Solange Amorim

    2004-01-01

    The research results presented in this paper were part of an action research performed with the aims of improving primary school student teachers (STs)' understanding of, and attitudes to, mathematics. The teaching strategies used to help STs' improve their understanding and attitudes were similar to the ones suggested for their future use in…

  16. Sociocultural context as a facilitator of student learning of function concepts in mathematics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evangelina Díaz Obando

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In Costa Rica, many secondary students have serious difficulties to establish relationships between mathematics and real-life contexts. They question the utilitarian role of the school mathematics. This fact motivated the research object of this report which evidences the need to overcome methodologies unrelated to students’ reality, toward new didactical options that help students to value mathematics, reasoning and its  applications, connecting it with their socio-cultural context. The research used a case study as a qualitative methodology and the social constructivism as an educational paradigm in which the knowledge is built by the student; as a product of his social interactions. A collection of learning situations was designed, validated, and implemented. It allowed establishing relationships between mathematical concepts and the socio-cultural context of participants. It analyzed the impact of students’socio-cultural context in their mathematics learning of basic concepts of real variable functions, consistent with the Ministry of Education (MEP Official Program.  Among the results, it was found that using students’sociocultural context improved their motivational processes, mathematics sense making, and promoted cooperative social interactions. It was evidenced that contextualized learning situations favored concepts comprehension that allow students to see mathematics as a discipline closely related with their every-day life.

  17. An Investigation of Mathematics Anxiety among Sixth through Eighth Grade Students in Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birgin, Osman; Baloglu, Mustafa; Catlioglu, Hakan; Gurbuz, Ramazan

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the present study is to investigate mathematics anxiety among 220 sixth through eighth grade Turkish students in terms of mathematics achievement levels, perceived enjoyment of the mathematics teaching method, perceived enjoyment of mathematics, and perceived help with mathematics from parents. The Mathematics Anxiety Scale for…

  18. From Biology to Mathematical Models and Back: Teaching Modeling to Biology Students, and Biology to Math and Engineering Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiel, Hillel J.; McManus, Jeffrey M.; Shaw, Kendrick M.

    2010-01-01

    We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge…

  19. A cognitive framework for analyzing and describing introductory students' use and understanding of mathematics in physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuminaro, Jonathan

    Many introductory, algebra-based physics students perform poorly on mathematical problem solving tasks in physics. There are at least two possible, distinct reasons for this poor performance: (1) students simply lack the mathematical skills needed to solve problems in physics, or (2) students do not know how to apply the mathematical skills they have to particular problem situations in physics. While many students do lack the requisite mathematical skills, a major finding from this work is that the majority of students possess the requisite mathematical skills, yet fail to use or interpret them in the context of physics. In this thesis I propose a theoretical framework to analyze and describe students' mathematical thinking in physics. In particular, I attempt to answer two questions. What are the cognitive tools involved in formal mathematical thinking in physics? And, why do students make the kinds of mistakes they do when using mathematics in physics? According to the proposed theoretical framework there are three major theoretical constructs: mathematical resources, which are the knowledge elements that are activated in mathematical thinking and problem solving; epistemic games, which are patterns of activities that use particular kinds of knowledge to create new knowledge or solve a problem; and frames, which are structures of expectations that determine how individuals interpret situations or events. The empirical basis for this study comes from videotaped sessions of college students solving homework problems. The students are enrolled in an algebra-based introductory physics course. The videotapes were transcribed and analyzed using the aforementioned theoretical framework. Two important results from this work are: (1) the construction of a theoretical framework that offers researchers a vocabulary (ontological classification of cognitive structures) and grammar (relationship between the cognitive structures) for understanding the nature and origin of

  20. Mathematics related anxiety: Mathematics bogeyman or not?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Videnović Marina

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Data of the PISA 2003 survey indicate high levels of mathematics anxiety of students in Serbia. More than half of our students worry whether they will have difficulties in mathematics class or whether they will earn poor marks. Aims of this study therefore are: examining relationship between math anxiety and achievement at mathematics literacy scale; establishing possible predictors of math anxiety and identification of students' groups in relations to their relationship towards mathematics as a subject. Mathematics anxiety is statistically negatively correlated with school achievement and achievement at mathematics literacy scale. Socio-demographic factors, motivational and cognitive aspects related to learning mathematics, perception of school and classroom climate explain 40% variance of mathematics anxiety. Based on students' relationship towards mathematics they cam be divided into three groups; while dimensions that apart them are uninterested-interested in mathematics and presence-absence of anxiety. The group displaying anxiety scores lowest among the three. Applying qualitative analysis students' and teachers' attitudes on specific issues related to teaching and learning mathematics was examined.

  1. Student-Made Games to Learn the History of Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huntley, Mary Ann; Flores, Alfinio

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the authors describe how prospective secondary mathematics teachers designed their own adaptations of popular board and computer games to learn the history of mathematics. They begin the article by describing some of the games students designed and used, and follow this with a discussion of factors for successful use of games in…

  2. Students' Perceptions of the Relevance of Mathematics in Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flegg, Jennifer; Mallet, Dann; Lupton, Mandy

    2012-01-01

    In this article, we report on the findings of an exploratory study into the experience of students as they learn first year engineering mathematics. Here we define engineering as the application of mathematics and sciences to the building and design of projects for the use of society [M. Kirschenman and B. Brenner, "Education for Civil…

  3. Fostering Student Entrepreneurship and University Spinoff Companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tony Bailetti

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available A student spinoff company strives to transform knowledge acquired by students into an income-generating business. This article outlines how a university can increase the number of spinoff companies created by its student entrepreneurs. Student spinoff companies are of interest to all forward-thinking universities, particularly those that support research and teaching programs in the field of entrepreneurship. The spinoff companies provide tangible evidence that students acquire viable entrepreneurial skills while studying at the university. In addition, student spinoff companies contribute to regional economic development, commercialize knowledge that otherwise would go undeveloped, help universities attain and expand their core missions, and increase the return on the investments in university R&D. University policies developed specifically for student spinoff companies significantly affect the growth potential of such ventures. This article provides a model and a set of principles that universities can use to support and increase the number of student entrepreneurs at their institutions. The model and principles are grounded in research findings and practical experience. In addition, the article suggests that universities adopt a results-based management approach to plan and deploy initiatives to support student entrepreneurs. The approach is widely used by government agencies interested in increasing the outcomes from their investments.

  4. Mathematics for physicists

    CERN Document Server

    Martin, B R

    2015-01-01

    Mathematics for Physicists is a relatively short volume covering all the essential mathematics needed for a typical first degree in physics, from a starting point that is compatible with modern school mathematics syllabuses. Early chapters deliberately overlap with senior school mathematics, to a degree that will depend on the background of the individual reader, who may quickly skip over those topics with which he or she is already familiar. The rest of the book covers the mathematics that is usually compulsory for all students in their first two years of a typical university physics degree, plus a little more. There are worked examples throughout the text, and chapter-end problem sets. Mathematics for Physicists features: * Interfaces with modern school mathematics syllabuses * All topics usually taught in the first two years of a physics degree * Worked examples throughout * Problems in every chapter, with answers to selected questions at the end of the book and full solutions on a website This text will ...

  5. Unfinished Student Answer in PISA Mathematics Contextual Problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutfianto, Moch.; Zulkardi; Hartono, Yusuf

    2013-01-01

    Solving mathematics contextual problems is one way that can be used to enable students to have the skills needed to live in the 21st century. Completion contextual problem requires a series of steps in order to properly answer the questions that are asked. The purpose of this study was to determine the steps performed students in solving…

  6. Mathematical Literacy in Plant Physiology Undergraduates: Results of Interventions Aimed at Improving Students' Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vila, Francisca; Sanz, Amparo

    2013-01-01

    The importance of mathematical literacy in any scientific career is widely recognized. However, various studies report lack of numeracy and mathematical literacy in students from various countries. In the present work, we present a detailed study of the mathematical literacy of Spanish undergraduate students of Biology enrolled in a Plant…

  7. Students' Conceptions of Function Transformation in a Dynamic Mathematical Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daher, Wajeeh; Anabousy, Ahlam

    2015-01-01

    The study of function transformations helps students understand the function concept which is a basic and main concept in mathematics, but this study is problematic to school students as well as college students, especially when transformations are performed on non-basic functions. The current research tried to facilitate grade 9 students'…

  8. College Readiness: The Evaluation of Students Participating in the Historically Black College and University Program in Pre-Calculus and the Calculus Sequence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Angela Renee

    2011-01-01

    This investigative research focuses on the level of readiness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students entering Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the college Calculus sequence. Calculus is a fundamental course for STEM courses. The level of readiness of the students for Calculus can very well play a…

  9. Elementary Students' Spontaneous Metacognitive Functions in Different Types of Mathematical Problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokos, Evagelos; Kafoussi, Sonia

    2013-01-01

    Metacognition is the mind's ability to monitor and control itself or, in other words, the ability to know about our knowing (Dunlosky & Bjork, 2008). In mathematics education, the importance of the investigation of students' metacognition during their mathematical activity has been focused on the area of mathematics problem solving. This study…

  10. Mexican high school students' social representations of mathematics, its teaching and learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Sierra, Gustavo; Miranda-Tirado, Marisa

    2015-07-01

    This paper reports a qualitative research that identifies Mexican high school students' social representations of mathematics. For this purpose, the social representations of 'mathematics', 'learning mathematics' and 'teaching mathematics' were identified in a group of 50 students. Focus group interviews were carried out in order to obtain the data. The constant comparative style was the strategy used for the data analysis because it allowed the categories to emerge from the data. The students' social representations are: (A) Mathematics is…(1) important for daily life, (2) important for careers and for life, (3) important because it is in everything that surrounds us, (4) a way to solve problems of daily life, (5) calculations and operations with numbers, (6) complex and difficult, (7) exact and (6) a subject that develops thinking skills; (B) To learn mathematics is…(1) to possess knowledge to solve problems, (2) to be able to solve everyday problems, (3) to be able to make calculations and operations, and (4) to think logically to be able to solve problems; and (C) To teach mathematics is…(1) to transmit knowledge, (2) to know to share it, (3) to transmit the reasoning ability, and (4) to show how to solve problems.

  11. Engaging Primary School Students in Mathematics: Can iPads Make a Difference?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilton, Annette

    2018-01-01

    Research on the impact of the integration of technologies such as iPads on primary students' attitudes and engagement in mathematics is limited. Further, there have been claims that teachers' pedagogical choices can strongly influence the effectiveness of iPads for engaging students in mathematics. This paper presents an investigation of the…

  12. Secondary School Students' Attitudes towards Mathematics Computer--Assisted Instruction Environment in Kenya

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mwei, Philip K.; Wando, Dave; Too, Jackson K.

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports the results of research conducted in six classes (Form IV) with 205 students with a sample of 94 respondents. Data represent students' statements that describe (a) the role of Mathematics teachers in a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) environment and (b) effectiveness of CAI in Mathematics instruction. The results indicated…

  13. Effective Strategies for Teaching Mathematics to African American Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, La Donna

    2012-01-01

    As of 2001 with the mandates issued under No Child Left Behind, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) revised its standards to ensure that all students receive a quality mathematics education (NCTM, 2008). The 2009 report from U.S. Department of Education revealed that there is an increase in the number of minority students…

  14. University Student Online Plagiarism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yu-mei

    2008-01-01

    This article reports a study investigating university student online plagiarism. The following questions are investigated: (a) What is the incidence of student online plagiarism? (b) What are student perceptions regarding online plagiarism? (c) Are there any differences in terms of student perceptions of online plagiarism and print plagiarism? (d)…

  15. University of Chicago School Mathematics Project 6-12 Curriculum. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2011

    2011-01-01

    The "University of Chicago School Mathematics Project ("UCSMP") 6-12 Curriculum" is a series of yearlong courses--(1) Transition Mathematics; (2) Algebra; (3) Geometry; (4) Advanced Algebra; (5) Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry; and (6) Precalculus and Discrete Mathematics--emphasizing problem solving, real-world applications, and the use…

  16. A comparison of rural high school students in Germany with rural Tennessee high school students' mathematics and science achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harding, R. Fredrick

    This descriptive study compared the science and mathematics aptitudes and achievement test scores for the final school year students in rural White County and Van Buren County, Tennessee with rural county students in Germany. In accordance with the previous research literature (Stevenson, 2002), German students outperformed U.S. students on The International Trends in Math and Science test (TIMSS). As reform in the U.S. education system has been underway, this study intended to compare German county student final school year performance with White County and Van Buren County (Grade 12) performance in science and mathematics. The entire populations of 176 White and Van Buren Counties senior high final school year students were compared with 120 school final year students from two rural German county high schools. The student responses to identical test and questionnaire items were compared using the t-test statistical analysis. In conclusion after t-test analyses, there was no significant difference (p>.05 level) in student attitudes on the 27 problem achievement and the 35 TIMSS questionnaire items between the sampled population of 120 German students compared with the population of 176 White and Van Buren students. Also, there was no statistically significant difference (p>.05 level) between the German, White, and Van Buren County rural science and math achievement in the TIMSS problem section of the final year test. Based on the research, recommendations to improve U.S. student scores to number one in the world include making changes in teaching methodology in mathematics and science; incorporating pamphlet lessons rather than heavily reliance on textbooks; focusing on problem solving; establishing an online clearinghouse for effective lessons; creating national standards in mathematics and science; matching students' course choices to job aspirations; tracking misbehaving students rather than mainstreaming them into the regular classroom; and designing

  17. The role of students' activities in Indonesian realistic mathematics education in primary schools of Aceh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zubainur, Cut Morina; Veloo, Arsaythamby; Khalid, Rozalina

    2015-05-01

    This study aims to explore the implementation of the Indonesian Realistic Mathematics Education (PMRI) in Aceh primary schools, Indonesia. This study investigates the students' mathematics activities involved in the implementation of PMRI and for this purpose; students' mathematics activities in the classroom were observed. Students were observed three times within five weeks during mathematics class, based on PMRI. A total of 25 year five students from a public school participated in this study. Observation check list was used in this study based on ten items. The observation conducted was based on two different time periods which were 105 minutes for group A and 70 minutes for group B. The observation was conducted every 5 minutes. The results show that PMRI is being practised in Aceh, but not completely. This study shows that mathematics activities for those who were taught using PMRI are higher than for those using the traditional approach. Overall, the findings showed that the number of student activities undertaken in PMRI achieved 90.56%. The higher percentage of activities suggests that the Aceh Education Office expands the implementation of PMRI in all primary schools so that learning of mathematics is more effective. This indirectly increases the mathematics achievement of students in Aceh to a higher level on par with Indonesia's national achievement.

  18. Capturing student mathematical engagement through differently enacted classroom practices: applying a modification of Watson's analytical tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patahuddin, Sitti Maesuri; Puteri, Indira; Lowrie, Tom; Logan, Tracy; Rika, Baiq

    2018-04-01

    This study examined student mathematical engagement through the intended and enacted lessons taught by two teachers in two different middle schools in Indonesia. The intended lesson was developed using the ELPSA learning design to promote mathematical engagement. Based on the premise that students will react to the mathematical tasks in the forms of words and actions, the analysis focused on identifying the types of mathematical engagement promoted through the intended lesson and performed by students during the lesson. Using modified Watson's analytical tool (2007), students' engagement was captured from what the participants' did or said mathematically. We found that teachers' enacted practices had an influence on student mathematical engagement. The teacher who demonstrated content in explicit ways tended to limit the richness of the engagement; whereas the teacher who presented activities in an open-ended manner fostered engagement.

  19. University students' mental health: Aksaray University example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rezzan Gündoğdu

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This study examines whether mental health scores of the university students differ based on gender, whether they study in their ideal majors, whether they are contended with their majors, economic condition perceived and perceptions on employment opportunity after graduation. The sample group of the study constituted 3492 students comprising 2037 female students and 1455 male students attending Faculty of Education (634, Engineering Faculty (1582, Economic and Administrative Sciences Faculty (1097, Faculty of Science and Letters (762, Medical Vocational College (540, Physical Training and Sports College (443 and Aksaray Vocational College (1452 of Aksaray University in 2010-2011 Academic Year. Symptom Checklist (SCL 90-R developed by Deragotis, (1983; eg Öner, 1997 has been used to collect data on mental health level of the students involved in the study. Statistical analysis of the data collected has been carried out using t Test, One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA. Significant differences have been found in students in terms of independent variants according to the general symptom average score and numerous sub-scale scores.

  20. Developing Student-Centered Learning Model to Improve High Order Mathematical Thinking Ability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saragih, Sahat; Napitupulu, Elvis

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to develop student-centered learning model aiming to improve high order mathematical thinking ability of junior high school students of based on curriculum 2013 in North Sumatera, Indonesia. The special purpose of this research was to analyze and to formulate the purpose of mathematics lesson in high order…

  1. The Effect of Teacher and Student Characteristics on TIMSS 2011 Mathematics Achievement of Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Students in Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yalcin, Seher; Demirtasli, Rahime Nükhet; Dibek, Munevver Ilgun; Yavuz, Hatice Cigdem

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated effect of student- and school-level variables on mathematics achievement of fourth- and eighth-grade students using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 data of Turkey. The common variables addressed in student and school questionnaires were compared. Due to nested structure of the TIMSS…

  2. Catalogue of Generators of Interest in Mathematics | Charanchi ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mathematics is a compulsory subject at both primary and secondary schools. A credit pass in mathematics is one of the admission requirements in science and Engineering courses in all Nigeria universities. Unfortunately, students have very low interest in the subject. This paper tries to highlight some of the causes of ...

  3. Effect Of Open Ended Teaching Learning Approach On Secondary School Students Mathematics Achievement In Learning Three Dimensional Geometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chogo C.N.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Mathematics is globally valued for use by an individual and society. It plays a significant role in the development of modern science and technology. Despite its importance students motivation to learn and achievement at national examinations globally and at the KCSE mathematics examination in Kenya particularly has been dismal over the years. The learners low achievement in the subject has been attributed to the didactic teaching methods that the teachers use among other factors. The study of geometry in Mathematics poses a number of difficulties to learners which are different in nature from those of arithmetic and algebra. This is because geometry is primarily abstract in nature. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Open Ended Teaching and Learning Approach OETLA on Secondary School students mathematics achievement in learning Three Dimensional Geometry 3DG. The study employed Solomon four non-equivalent control group design. The two experimental groups E1amp E2 received OETLA treatment while the control groups C1ampC2 were taught using the conventional teaching and learning methods. Only E1amp C1 took a pre-test and a post test for all the groups. The target population for this study was form four 17 year old students of secondary schools in Marani Sub County in Kisii County. Purposive sampling was used to obtain the four county mixed-sex secondary schools for the study. A total of 152 students formed the sample size. Students Mathematics Achievement Test SMAT was used to collect data. The instruments were validated by three experts from the department of curriculum and instruction of Egerton University and three Secondary School Mathematics Heads of Department. The reliability of the instruments were established using Cronbachs Alpha. A reliability coefficient of 0.92 was obtained and thus considered acceptable. The SMAT was administered to two groups as a pretest before the treatment and as a posttest to all the four

  4. Learning Mathematics by Designing, Programming, and Investigating with Interactive, Dynamic Computer-Based Objects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Neil; Buteau, Chantal

    2014-01-01

    As part of their undergraduate mathematics curriculum, students at Brock University learn to create and use computer-based tools with dynamic, visual interfaces, called Exploratory Objects, developed for the purpose of conducting pure or applied mathematical investigations. A student's Development Process Model of creating and using an Exploratory…

  5. Assessment of numeracy in sports and exercise science students at an Australian university

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Simon; McGlynn, Susan; Stuart, Deidre; Fahey, Paul; Pettigrew, Jim; Clothier, Peter

    2018-05-01

    The effect of high school study of mathematics on numeracy performance of sports and exercise science (SES) students is not clear. To investigate this further, we tested the numeracy skills of 401 students enrolled in a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree in SES using a multiple-choice survey consisting of four background questions and 39 numeracy test questions. Background questions (5-point scale) focused on highest level of mathematics studied at high school, self-perception of mathematics proficiency, perceived importance of mathematics to SES and likelihood of seeking help with mathematics. Numeracy questions focused on rational number, ratios and rates, basic algebra and graph interpretation. Numeracy performance was based on answers to these questions (1 mark each) and represented by the total score (maximum = 39). Students from first (n = 212), second (n = 78) and third (n = 111) years of the SES degree completed the test. The distribution of numeracy test scores for the entire cohort was negatively skewed with a median (IQR) score of 27(11). We observed statistically significant associations between test scores and the highest level of mathematics studied (P Mathematics (20 (9)), intermediate in students who studied Year 12 General Mathematics (26 (8)) and highest in two groups of students who studied higher-level Year 12 Mathematics (31 (9), 31 (6)). There were statistically significant associations between test scores and level of self-perception of mathematics proficiency and also likelihood of seeking help with mathematics (P mathematics to SES. These findings reveal that the level of mathematics studied in high school is a critical factor determining the level of numeracy performance in SES students.

  6. Persistence and withdrawal by students in a preservice science and mathematics teacher education course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tulip, David F.; Lucas, Keith B.

    1991-12-01

    At a time when recruitment into preservice teacher education courses in mathematics and science is difficult, one strategy to increase the number of graduates is to minimise the number of students who fail to complete their university courses. This study sought to determine factors which distinguish withdrawers from persisters in the first semester of a B.Ed course. Discriminant analysis was employed; a discriminant function employing seven factors resulted in correct classification in 81% of cases. Further analysis distinguishing between dropouts and transferees resulted in two discriminant functions with some common variables.

  7. University Experiences and Women Engineering Student Persistence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayers, LoAnn Debra Gienger

    Riverside University (a pseudonym), like many universities, has not significantly increased the number of women who graduate with bachelor's degrees in engineering. The purpose of the study is to understand how the university experiences of women students influence the decision to persist in an undergraduate engineering degree and to understand the role of self-perception in how the students perceive experiences as supporting or hindering their persistence in the major. Archival data, documents and artifacts, observations, individual interviews, and a focus group with women engineering students provide insights into students' perceived barriers and supports of student success. Analysis of the data results in two major themes. First, students' self-confidence and self-efficacy influence how women assimilate university experiences as either supportive or diminishing of academic success. Second, university policies and practices shape the campus environment within which student experiences are formed and influence a student's level of institutional, academic, and social integration. The results of the study indicate opportunities for university leadership to enhance strategies that positively shape students' institutional, academic and social integration as precursors toward increasing the number of women students who successfully complete undergraduate engineering degrees at Riverside University. Future research is indicated to better understand how gender and gender identity intersects with other demographic factors, such as socio-economic status, immigration status, and life stage (e.g., traditional versus non-traditional students), to support or deter the persistence of engineering students to degree completion.

  8. Students with ‘Special Rights' for mathematics education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindenskov, Lena; Gervasoni, Ann

    2011-01-01

    The issues of equity and quality have been central to international debates on mathematics in research, policy, curriculum and teaching. This book covers a wide variety of topics in the research and practice of mathematics education, demonstrating how equity and quality are inherently political...... equity and quality within various educational contexts and with a variety of marginalized populations. Written by teachers, researchers and academics from all over the world, this book represents a powerful response to the international call for quality education of all students in mathematics around...... terms whose political bedrock is obscured by them being taken for granted. Mapping Equity and Quality in Mathematics Education is broken into four parts. Section 1 addresses the constructs of equity and quality from a variety of theoretical perspectives and outlines new directions to approach...

  9. Using What Matters to Students in Bilingual Mathematics Problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dominguez, Higinio

    2011-01-01

    In this study, the author represented what matters to bilingual students in their everyday lives--namely bilingualism and everyday experiences--in school-based mathematical problems. Solving problems in pairs, students demonstrated different patterns of organizing and coordinating talk across problem contexts and across languages. Because these…

  10. Classroom Climate among Teacher Education Mathematics Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Polemer M. Cuarto

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Classroom climate has gained prominence as recent studies revealed its potentials as an effective mediator in the various motivational factors as well as an antecedent of academic performance outcome of the students. This descriptive-correlational study determined the level of classroom climate dimensions among teacher education students specializing in Mathematics at Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology. Employing a self-structured questionnaire adapted to the WIHIC (What Is Happening In this Class questionnaire, the surveyed data were treated statistically using Pearson’s r. Result showed that there was high level of classroom climate among the respondents in their Mathematics classes in both teacher-directed and student-directed dimensions specifically in terms of equity, teacher support, cohesiveness, involvement, responsibility and task orientation. Also, it revealed that equity and teacher support were both positively related to the students-directed classroom climate dimensions. With these results, teachers are seen to be very significant determinants of the climate in the classroom. Relevant to this, the study recommended that faculty should develop effective measures to enhance classroom climate dimensions such as equity and teacher support to address the needs of diverse studentsdespite large size classes. Moreover, faculty should provide greater opportunitiesfor the students to achieve higher level of responsibility, involvement, cohesiveness, and task orientation as these could motivate them to develop positive learning attitude, perform to the best of their ability, as well as maximize their full potential in school.

  11. Assessing Senior Secondary School Students' Mathematical Proficiency as Related to Gender and Performance in Mathematics in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awofala, Adeneye O. A.

    2017-01-01

    The study investigated mathematical proficiency as related to gender and performance in mathematics among 400 Nigerian senior secondary school students from 10 elitist senior secondary schools in Lagos State using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of descriptive survey design. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive…

  12. Preparing Experienced Elementary Teachers as Mathematics Specialists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nickerson, Susan D.

    2010-01-01

    High quality teaching is critical to student learning, yet takes considerable time to develop in particular content areas. Students in high-poverty, urban settings are less likely to encounter experienced and trained teachers. Administrators from a large school district and university mathematics education faculty partnered and attempted to…

  13. The development of a valid discovery-based learning module to improve students' mathematical connection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuneni, Erna; Mardiyana, Pramudya, Ikrar

    2017-08-01

    Geometry is the most important branch in mathematics. The purpose of teaching this material is to develop students' level of thinking for a better understanding. Otherwise, geometry in particular, has contributed students' failure in mathematics examinations. This problem occurs due to special feature in geometry which has complexity of correlation among its concept. This relates to mathematical connection. It is still difficult for students to improve this ability. This is because teachers' lack in facilitating students towards it. Eventhough, facilitating students can be in the form of teaching material. A learning module can be a solution because it consists of series activities that should be taken by students to achieve a certain goal. A series activities in this case is adopted by the phases of discovery-based learning model. Through this module, students are facilitated to discover concept by deep instruction and guidance. It can build the mathematical habits of mind and also strengthen the mathematical connection. Method used in this research was ten stages of research and development proposed by Bord and Gall. The research purpose is to create a valid learning module to improve students' mathematical connection in teaching quadrilateral. The retrieved valid module based on media expert judgment is 2,43 for eligibility chart aspect, 2,60 for eligibility presentation aspect, and 3,00 for eligibility contents aspect. Then the retrieved valid module based on material expert judgment is 3,10 for eligibility content aspect, 2,87 for eligibility presentation aspect, and 2,80 for eligibility language and legibility aspect.

  14. The academic merits of modelling in higher mathematics education: A case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perrenet, J.; Adan, I.

    2010-01-01

    Modelling is an important subject in the Bachelor curriculum of Applied Mathematics at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. Students not only learn how to apply their knowledge to solve mathematical problems posed in non-mathematical language, but also they learn to look actively

  15. The academic merits of modelling in higher mathematics education : a case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perrenet, J.C.; Adan, I.J.B.F.

    2010-01-01

    Modelling is an important subject in the Bachelor curriculum of Applied Mathematics at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. Students not only learn how to apply their knowledge to solve mathematical problems posed in non-mathematical language, but also they learn to look actively

  16. Teacher Classroom Practices, Student Motivation and Mathematics Achievements in High School: Evidence from HSLS:09 Data

    OpenAIRE

    Yu, Rongrong

    2015-01-01

    The present study explored the direct influences of teacher classroom practices, including teacher support, conceptual teaching, and procedural teaching, on 9th grade students' mathematics achievement, and the indirect influences of these teacher variables on student mathematics achievement through students' mathematics self-efficacy and interest in mathematics courses. The base year data of High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS: 09) was used for this study. Structural equation modelin...

  17. Mathematics Education for Engineering Technology Students – A Bridge Too Far?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noraishiyah Abdullah

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Trying to decide what is best suited for someone or something is an ever enduring task let alone trying to prepare students with the right engineering mind. So ‘how do you build an engineer?’ if that is the right word. What is the right ingredient? Mathematics has been said as the most important foundation in engineers’ life. Curriculum has been developed and reviewed over the years to meet this target. This work explores how much or lack of it has the curriculum prepares the future technologist to face the world of engineering technology as far as mathematics is concerned. Analysis of mathematics lectures, interviews of engineering technologist students and engineering technology subject lecturer is undertaken. Understand what each contributes help in understanding the picture that the current education is painting. Based on the theory of learning, APOS theory helps in explaining how students bridge their knowledge of mathematics when it comes to solving engineering technology problems. The question is, is it a bridge too far? 

  18. Effects of Teaching Strategies on Student Motivation to Learn in High School Mathematics Classes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toles, Ann

    2010-01-01

    To succeed in an increasing technological and global society, students need to develop strong mathematical and problem-solving skills. This qualitative grounded theory study examined student perceptions of the ways in which teaching strategies in high school mathematics classes affect student motivation to learn the subject. Study participants…

  19. Factors Affecting Student Success in a First-Year Mathematics Course: A South African Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kizito, Rita; Munyakazi, Justin; Basuayi, Clement

    2016-01-01

    In spite of sustained efforts tertiary institutions implement to try and improve student academic performance, the number of students succeeding in first-year mathematics courses remains disturbingly low. For most students, the gap between their mathematical capability and the competencies they are expected and need to develop to function…

  20. Refractive Thinking Profile In Solving Mathematical Problem Reviewed from Students Math Capability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maslukha, M.; Lukito, A.; Ekawati, R.

    2018-01-01

    Refraction is a mental activity experienced by a person to make a decision through reflective thinking and critical thinking. Differences in mathematical capability have an influence on the difference of student’s refractive thinking processes in solving math problems. This descriptive research aims to generate a picture of refractive thinking of students in solving mathematical problems in terms of students’ math skill. Subjects in this study consisted of three students, namely students with high, medium, and low math skills based on mathematics capability test. Data collection methods used are test-based methods and interviews. After collected data is analyzed through three stages that are, condensing and displaying data, data display, and drawing and verifying conclusion. Results showed refractive thinking profiles of three subjects is different. This difference occurs at the planning and execution stage of the problem. This difference is influenced by mathematical capability and experience of each subject.