Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 221-232).

No description available.

Thesis (M.S. in Teaching and Learning)--Vanderbilt University, Dec. 2007. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Recent curriculum reform agendas appear to exert pressure on teachers to incorporate Mathematical Problem Solving (MPS) meaningfully into their lessons, with the view to engaging pupils with real life problems, guessing, discovering, and making sense of mathematics. However, a comprehensive review of both government and academic literature indicate that understanding teachers' reform implementation decisions is largely unexplored, particularly within the Ghanaian context. The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to identify factors contributing to teacher intentions to teach MPS by obtaining quantitative results from a survey of 375 primary teachers and then following up with six purposefully selected teachers to explore those results in more depth through interviews. Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the quantitative phase of the study explored how certain different but interrelated belief variables such as attitudes towards the behaviour (AB), perceived norms (PN) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) lead to an explanation of teacher intentions to teach MPS, and an understanding of the contributions of relevant socio-demographic factors in defining these intentions in this context. In the follow up, qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with six teachers were conducted to explore in depth the results from the statistical analyses. Results indicated that several beliefs about teaching MPS significantly contributed to AB, PN and PBC. Two factors, AB and PBC were found to have significant influences and accounted for 80% of the variance in the teachers' intent to teach MPS. Differences appeared to exist between private and public school teachers' for both intent and the three constructs (AB, PN, and PBC), whilst familiarity with the curriculum had an effect on teachers intentions only. In the qualitative phase, the study addressed some factors found to potentially influence teachers' intentions including MPS conceptions, past experience in mathematics, availability of resources, adequate classroom spaces and professional development opportunities. The quantitative and qualitative findings from the two phases of the study are discussed with reference to prior research. The results provide an understanding of the relevant social-cognitive processes which may influence a teacher's reform decisions, and in particular suggest strong implications for developing the capacity of schools to support teachers' intentions to implement curriculum reform policies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 13, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 275-279). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1996. / Title from title page screen, viewed May 31, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Sally B. Pancrazio, John A. Dossey (co-chairs), Dianne Ashby, Harold E. Ford, Ronald S. Halinski. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-160) and abstract. Also available in print.

This study evaluates literacy levels of education using senior high school mathematics textbooks. It uses content analysis, the latent approach and the evaluation research design, to study the costs and benefits of literacy instruction. The examination discusses demands for a literate society in the year 2000, estimates the level instruction to changes in student behavior, and correlates exposure with assessed student performance. The study specifically observes the codes and contents of mathematics textbooks adopted for use in Maryland's inner city public high school mathematics programs. It compares levels of literacy exposure in the Special Education, Regular and Honors programs. It evaluates mathematics education benefits and costs based on the students performance on functional mathematics tests; completion of minimum requirements for admission to college; and vocational certification. It compares the applicability of the mathematics to the demands of society in the year 2000.

In an era of mathematics and science evaluation, concerns have been raised about the underachievement and underrepresentation of minority students in mathematics. Their opportunities to take advanced courses in these areas could be limited by many factors that only members of a minority group get to experience. Many studies have been concerned about comparing ethnic groups' achievement in the area of mathematics. However, there is a need to study those problems affecting each group individually. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between Hispanic students' attitude toward mathematics and students' academic achievement, program of study, gender and career interests or goals. Six research questions guided the study. Three survey instruments were utilized to gather the information needed to respond to the six research questions guiding the study. The Mathematics Attitude Inventory (MAI) was used to determine students' attitude toward mathematics of secondary school students in grades 10 to 12. The Metropolitan Achievement Test was used to obtain a measure of students' achievement in mathematics in grade 10. The students' Personal Data Form was used to collect the nominal data necessary. One hundred twenty Hispanic students from regular and bilingual programs participated in the study. Frequency counts and percentages were made. Mean scores and standard deviation were computed for the total attitude toward mathematics for each of six subareas. For the Metropolitan Achievement Test, mean scores and standard deviation were computed. They represented the average percentage of items answered correctly. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation coefficients subprogram of SPSSX was utilized to analyze the data collected by the instruments. No significant differences were found regarding the six research questions. However, significant differences were found in the areas of students' attitude. Students participating in the bilingual program showed a more positive attitude toward mathematics and also showed less anxiety toward learning mathematics. The value of mathematics did affect students' attitude toward mathematics. The study has raised more questions than it has answered. Other variables must be considered in future studies if we are to help Hispanic students achieve more and participate in mathematics-related careers and activities.

I begin the thesis with an action research account of an intervention with respect to gender on a mathematics Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course at a northern university in 1989-90. Two years after the intervention, I visited in their schools three of the students (now teachers) who had been involved and I interviewed each of them there, with a view to finding out what impact, if any, this intervention had had on their beliefs, understandings, commitments and practice. In the light of this experience, I sought out three teachers who had followed the course and who I had heard were working for change. I conducted several interviews with each of them. I constructed a model of the ways of knowing of (new) teachers of mathematics and linked one epistemology, that based on the authority of self and reason, to an emancipatory curriculum and to critical mathematics education. I have considered, briefly, the implications for initial teacher education. The research was conducted and this thesis is written as a praxis-orientated inquiry and both have been influenced by feminism, critical theory and postmodern tendencies. In this sense, the thesis itself is a research experiment.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1997. / Title from title page screen, viewed June 12, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Beverly S. Rich (chair), Roger Day, John Dossey, George Padavil, Michael Plantholt. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 318-324) and abstract. Also available in print.