<p>The purpose of this study was to examine teachers? perceptions of the use of AVID in the math classroom in regards to future implementation of AVID in mathematics. To fully examine these perceptions, teachers identified the perceived benefits and drawbacks of AVID as well as the AVID WICOR strategies. This was done in two phases. The first phase was a survey that gathered basic demographic information as well as information that pertained to their initial thoughts on the use of the AVID WICOR strategies. From the survey data, five participants were chosen to be interviewed in phase two of the study to explore their perceptions further. The results from this phase were analyzed and coded to help further identify commonalities amongst interviewees. The data showed that all of the AVID WICOR strategies aligned with effective math teaching practices and offered benefits to students and student achievement if implemented.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2003-05-23Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:52:57Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 benedetti_fc_me_rcla.pdf: 2792195 bytes, checksum: 08c83a047b4cedf94b0fd21d28ece42c (MD5) / Esta pesquisa investiga as potencialidades de um software gráfico no coordenação das representações múltiplas de funções, por dois pares de estudantes de primeira série do Ensino Médio, os quais iniciavam o estudo desse assunto em suas aulas regulares. A relevância da investigação relaciona-se sobretudo à emergência de software gráficos gratuitos, bem como ao tema das representações múltiplas de funções, tanto em termos de currículo quanto ao cotodiano dos alunos. Sendo uma pesquisa qualitativa, a estratégia metodológica esperimentos de ensino foi utilizada ao se observarem ações desses estudantes no estudo das representações múltiplas de certas funções não tradicionalmente estudadas em sala de aula, na série considerada, como aquelas cujas expressões analíticas são...

<p> This mixed-methods study sought to explore the impact the role a mathematics curriculum coach has on teacher efficacy and instructional practice. </p><p> School systems across the country are being asked to do more with less money. At the same time, districts are faced with mathematics standards that require a new approach to instruction. In response to these issues, school districts are choosing to implement the role of a mathematics curriculum coach. As a result, the question is raised, &ldquo;are the funds utilized for math coaches being used effectively?&rdquo; This mixed-methods study compared two schools of similar makeup. School A employs a math curriculum coach, while School B employs a general curriculum coach. Through the use of a survey (MTEBI), curriculum coach journaling, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews, this study sought to answer three research questions: (a) What is the impact of the use of a math curriculum coach on teacher instructional practices in the area of math; (b) What is the impact of the use of a math curriculum coach on teacher perceptions of their instructional practice; and (c) What is the impact of the use of a math curriculum coach on teacher sense of self-efficacy? The survey was administered to all teachers at both schools with an overall response rate of 63.6%. The focus groups and interviews were a small random sample of teachers at each school who provided an in-depth view of their perceptions regarding the impact of the coaches on their instructional practice and self-efficacy as related to mathematics. The teachers had high levels of self-efficacy when teaching math and high outcome expectancy. These measures did not change over the period of the study. This study found that the math curriculum coach did have an impact on teacher instructional practices.</p><p>

abstract: Researchers have documented the importance of seeing a graph as an emergent trace of how two quantities’ values vary simultaneously in order to reason about the graph in terms of quantitative relationships. If a student does not see a graph as a representation of how quantities change together then the student is limited to reasoning about perceptual features of the shape of the graph. This dissertation reports results of an investigation into the ways of thinking that support and inhibit students from constructing and reasoning about graphs in terms of covarying quantities. I collected data by engaging three university precalculus students in asynchronous teaching experiments. I designed the instructional sequence to support students in making three constructions: first imagine representing quantities’ magnitudes along the axes, then simultaneously represent these magnitudes with a correspondence point in the plane, and finally anticipate tracking the correspondence point to track how the two quantities’ attributes change simultaneously. Findings from this investigation provide insights into how students come to engage in covariational reasoning and re-present their imagery in their graphing actions. The data presented here suggests that it is nontrivial for students to coordinate their images of two varying quantities. This is significant because without a way to coordinate two quantities’ variation the student is limited to engaging in static shape thinking. I describe three types of imagery: a correspondence point, Tinker Bell and her pixie dust, and an actor taking baby steps, that supported students in developing ways to coordinate quantities’ variation. I discuss the figurative aspects of the students’ coordination in order to account for the difficulties students had (1) constructing a multiplicative object that persisted under variation, (2) reconstructing their acts of covariation in other graphing tasks, and (3) generalizing these acts of covariation to reason about formulas in terms of covarying quantities. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Mathematics 2017

<p>Vocabulary and communication are essential components of mathematics that should be addressed in the classroom. Knowledge of mathematical vocabulary has been argued as a necessary building block for students to engage in purposeful discourse. However, previous studies primarily focus on vocabulary instruction strategies specifically for English Language Learners and early childhood students. Discourse in mathematics education continues to be a major theme in national standards publications. Both empirical and theoretical studies have shown that discourse allows students to build conceptual knowledge by participating in purposeful conversations. Further, previous research has found that learners are given the opportunity to increase their own ability when using social interactions as a gateway to develop higher mental functions that aid in transitioning from thought to word and visa versa. Since mathematics curricula are often influenced and developed using national standards documents as foundational resources, it is important to explore the types of vocabulary and the levels of discourse that are currently being used in the classroom. This study considers the cases of four mathematics teachers to focus on what types of vocabulary are used and what levels of discourse are evident in high school mathematics classrooms. Data sources included video-recorded observations and classroom artifacts including teacher-created materials and the district-provided curriculum. Qualitative analysis techniques were used in this study. The results of this study showed that the cognitive demand of tasks influenced the level of teacher discourse along with levels of student discourse. Students continued to use the lowest levels of discourse in response to low levels of teacher discourse, cognitive demand of tasks, and discourse interactions. However, students used higher levels of discourse when teachers used high cognitive demand tasks and high levels of teacher discourse. The results of this study also showed that students? use of vocabulary mirrored their teacher?s use of vocabulary. Finally, teachers who used the lowest levels of discourse used technical vocabulary more frequently than their students did and had the highest overall frequency of vocabulary words within their lessons.

Orientador: Marcos Vieira Teixeira / Banca: Sergio Roberto Nobre / Banca: Antonio Carlos Brolezzi / Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar o Curso de Cálculo Diferencial e Integral ministrado no curso básico da Escola Politécnica de São Paulo, no ano de 1904. A proposta foi desenvolvida por meio de uma pesquisa histórico-documental realizada nas bibliotecas da Instituição e em outros Centros da Universidade de São Paulo. Inclui uma análise de conteúdo de um texto didático organizado por um aluno da disciplina nesse período, além de outras informações pertinentes sobre o Curso e a Escola. A intenção é investigar a produção de conhecimento e delinear o fazer matemático na Politécnica na época. / Abstract: The purpose of this project is to analyse the undergraduate course on Differential and Integral Calculus as it was taught in the basic Engineering Course at "Escola Politécnica de São Paulo" in 1904. The study was developed by means of a historical and documentary research in different libraries and departments of University of São Paulo. The work unfolds the contents of an instructive text compiled by a student regularly enrolled in the mentioned course at the time. Moreover, it also brings about some relevant information and distinctive aspects of the course in question. In brief the project aims at investigating the knowledge production, as well as the learning and teaching procedures at "Escola Poltécnica" in the first decade of the XXth Century. / Mestre

Orientador: Miriam Godoy Penteado / Banca: Carmen Lúcia Brancaglion Passos / Banca: Laurizete Ferragut Passos / Resumo: Esta dissertação apresenta uma pesquisa norteada pela seguinte pergunta: Quais as contribuições de um grupo de estudo para o professor que busca conhecer "os porquês" de conteúdos matemáticos? Seus dados são provenientes de um grupo constituído por professoras para estudar "os porquês" do sistema de numeração decimal e das operações fundamentais, assuntos que foram escolhidos por elas, pois, segundo seus depoimentos, são conceitos difíceis de ensinar e que mereciam um maior aprofundamento. Os dados foram coletados por meio de filmagem, caderno de campo, entrevistas semi-estruturadas e fichas de acompanhamento. A análise teve como suporte teórico os estudos sobre formação de professores e grupos de estudos. Os resultados nos mostram que as contribuições têm a ver com troca de experiências, segurança, valorização e reflexão sobre a prática que já vem sendo desenvolvida, e principalmente, contribuições em relação às justificativas dos conteúdos matemáticos mencionados. Considera-se que essas contribuições podem refletir positivamente na atuação do professor em sala de aula o que é um dos principais objetivos da pesquisa. Além de trazer subsídios para estudos em diferentes esferas que tratam de formação de professores e, ainda, contribuir para organizações e estruturações de grupos de estudos. / Abstract: This dissertation reports on a research guided by the following question: What is the benefit of participating in a study group for a teacher who is trying to understand "the why(s) and wherefore(s)" of mathematical content? The research draws on data obtained from a study group constituted by teachers who wanted to study "the why(s) and wherefore(s)" of the decimal system and the four fundamental operations (+, -, *, /), contents which were chosen by them because according to their speech they are difficult conceipts to teach and deserve to be studied. The data where collected through video recordings, interviews, field notes by the researcher and notes by the teachers. The data analysis was based on the literature on teacher education and on study groups. The results show the benefits of participation are related to the possibility of sharing experiences and reflecting on the ongoing practice as well as to the justification of the mathematical content that were studied. All this together helped to increase the teachers’ self confidence. It is considered that this could positively reflect on teacher way of acting in the classroom. Besides offering tools for studies on different fields of teachers’graduation can still contribute to structures and organizations of study groups. / Mestre

Orientador: Miriam Godoy Penteado / Banca: Maria Elizabeth Bianconcini Trindade Morato Pinto de Almeida / Banca: Marcelo de Carvalho Borba / Resumo: O objetivo principal desta pesquisa foi conhecer quais as possibilidades e as limitações do processo de formação de professores de Matemática, processo em que professor capacita professor na área de Informática Educativa. Possibilidades, no sentido de destacarmos aspectos considerados positivos dentro deste processo de capacitação, e limitações, procurando apontar alguns aspectos que devem ser repensados na elaboração de novos processos. Utilizando a abordagem qualitativa de pesquisa, foram entrevistados nove professores que, após receberem uma capacitação em Informática Educativa, tornaram-se responsáveis pela capacitação dos demais colegas da Rede Pública Estadual Paulista, sendo chamados de multiplicadores. Entrevistamos também, com o intuito de conhecer melhor a escolha do multiplicador, uma pessoa ligada ao órgão responsável por esta capacitação no Estado. A análise dos dados foi feita com base na literatura sobre Formação de Professores em Informática Educativa e foi dividida em dois temas: as idéias básicas norteadoras e a organização da estratégia. Com relação às idéias norteadoras, observamos que a relação multiplicador-professor é simétrica e permite uma troca de experiências muito importante. Quanto à sua organização, a falta de continuidade das ações junto ao multiplicador e ao professor é uma das limitações deste processo. Concluímos, até por isso, que esse é um processo que deve ser valorizado, mas precisa incorporar idéias de continuidade e suporte ao trabalho de colaboração entre professores. Esperamos que o presente estudo traga subsídios para a elaboração de novos processos de capacitação de professores para o uso da Informática Educativa na escola. / Abstract: The main objective of this study was to learn about the possibilities and limitations of the process of teaching mathematics teachers; specifically, a process in which teachers train other teachers to in educational computer technology. Regarding the possibilities, we highlight aspects we consider positive within the training process, and with respect to limitations, we seek to point out some aspects that should be re-considered in the development of new processes. Using a qualitative research approach, interviews were conducted with nine teachers who had received training in educational computer technology and had then become responsible for training their colleagues in the public school system, thus becoming multipliers. We also interviewed one person associated with the entity responsible for this training throughout the state (São Paulo), with the intention of understanding better the selection process of these multipliers. The data analysis was carried out in the light of the literature on teacher training in educational computer technology, and was divided into two themes: the basic guiding ideas, and the organization of the strategy. Regarding the guiding ideas, we observed that the multiplier-teacher relation is symmetrical and allows for an exchange of ideas that is very important. With respect to the organization, the lack of continuity of actions together with the multiplier and the teacher is a limitation of this process. We conclude, for this reason, that this process should be considered worthwhile, but that ideas of continuity and support of the collaborative work between teachers should be incorporated. It is our hope that this study will contribute to the elaboration of new processes of training teachers to use computers in the schools. / Mestre

<p> The inspiration for this research came from a question asked of teachers, <i> why do we need to learn this?</i> Although John Dewey promoted the use of real world experiences over one hundred years ago, many mathematics classrooms are still void of relevant connections for students. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of nationally certified mathematics teachers on relevance in order to describe their instructional practice, analyze their motivations and barriers in providing relevant connections, and explain the gap between research-based knowledge and current instructional practices. </p><p> Twelve teachers participated in this research study. Six themes emerged from the data: approaches to relevance, accomplished practitioners, professional development, school culture, student apathy, and instructional planning. After conducting standard qualitative analysis, Bronfenbrenner&rsquo;s ecosystem emerged as an explanation for the external forces affecting students. However, a second similar ecosystem was uncovered that affected the classroom teachers. This expansion of Bronfenbrenner&rsquo;s ecosystem from one to two ecosystems explains the cultural forces impacting the interactions between teachers and students in the classroom. The barriers to effective research-based instructional practice reside in two sets of forces, Dual Ecosystems Affecting Learners and Teachers (DEALT). The implications for leaders desiring academic excellence include looking outside of the classroom to impact school improvement.</p><p>

<p> Increasing individual ecological literacy levels may help citizens make informed choices about the environmental challenges facing society. The purpose of this study was to explore the impacts of an arboretum curriculum incorporating mobile technology and an urban greenspace on the ecological knowledge, environmental attitudes and beliefs, and environmental behaviors of undergraduate biology students and pre-service K-8 teachers during a summer course.</p><p> Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, analyzed, and later merged to create an enhanced understanding of the impact of the curriculum on the environmental attitudes and beliefs of the participants. Quantitative results revealed a significant difference between pre- and post-survey scores for ecological knowledge, with no significant differences between pre- and post-scores for the other variables measured. However, no significant difference in scores was found between experimental and comparison groups for any of the three variables.</p><p> When the two data sets were compared, results from the quantitative and qualitative components were found to converge and diverge. Quantitative data indicated the environmental attitudes and beliefs of participants were unaffected by the arboretum curriculum. Similarly, qualitative data indicated participants&rsquo; perceived environmental attitudes and beliefs about the importance of nature remained unchanged throughout the course of the study. However, qualitative data supporting the theme <i>connecting with the curriculum</i> suggested experiences with the arboretum curriculum helped participants develop an appreciation for trees and nature and led them to believe they increased their knowledge about trees.</p><p>