This thesis reports on a qualitative study that documented one teacher’s research-based practice of teaching students to read in a Grade 9 ESL Academic mathematics course. Specifically, this thesis focuses on the description of the range of strategies and reading-based activities that the teacher used; the experiences and influences that led him to include reading strategies in his regular instructional practice; and, the challenges that he faced when integrating these strategies routinely as part of his daily mathematics program. The complexity of simultaneously teaching mathematics and reading strategies in the context of a Grade 9 ESL Academic course is also discussed. The study was conducted early in the second semester of the 2007-2008 school year. A variety of data collection methods were used: interview, classroom observation, and document collection. The findings of the study provide concrete examples of designing lessons that embed the use of reading strategies (e.g., vocabulary development, reading supplementary text, and reflection) to teach or inform mathematics concepts. The large number of ESL students in the observed class underscored the importance of incorporating reading strategies into the mathematics program in order to facilitate ESL students’ language learning processes. The teacher under study focused on using additional literature as an aid to develop students’ deeper understanding of mathematics concepts and introduced reading strategies as a means to improve students’ reading comprehension of supplementary text; however, he did not apply these strategies to lessons directed at the comprehension of specific mathematics text. The conclusions suggest that mathematics teachers require substantive classroom-based evidence and support from Ministry of Education personnel, subject specialists, school administrators, and peers in order to be convinced of the value of reading in mathematics class and to embark on their own program for implementing reading strategies and reading-based activities into regular mathematics learning activities. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-11-06 13:51:42.326

Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-108).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, December 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-257).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 211 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 202-208).

This study aimed to explore teachers’ and students’ perceptions of metacognition in relation to mathematics teaching and learning in secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. This research adopted an interpretive paradigm. This meant that a socio-cultural perspective was central to examining perceptions of metacognition in relation to mathematics among secondary students and their teachers in Saudi Arabia. The use of case studies was a methodical means to achieve elaborate data and to shed light on issues facing the study. The instruments used for data collection were semi-structured interviews, group discussions and classroom observation. The participants consisted of two case study classes from secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. There were three stages of the study’s fieldwork: the pilot study and the two subsequent stages which comprise the main body of fieldwork. These last two stages were carried out in order to enable the formulation of a clearer and more complete picture of mathematics teaching and learning through metacognition in Saudi Arabia, before and after the implementation of the IMPROVE programme, regardless of improvements in specific strategy or any boost to students’ achievement. Several findings were drawn from the data, the first of these being that the traditional method can hinder mathematics teaching and learning through metacognition. Secondly, although metacognitive mathematics instruction should be planned, the strategy that is introduced should be directly targeted at improving the monitoring and regulation of students’ thought when dealing with mathematics problems. Thirdly, metacognition should be given priority to improve students’ consciousness of the learning processes. This is because conscious reflection enables students to develop an ability to choose the most appropriate strategies for learning concepts and solving mathematics problems. The findings underlined the importance of the student’s role in learning through metacognition. The study presented a perspective for dealing with metacognition along with a practice-based model of metacognitive mathematics teaching and learning. These are in the educational context of Saudi Arabia and are set out after the implementation of the IMPROVE programme. In addition, this study asserts that metacognition can be enhanced through the creation of a suitable socio-cultural context that encourages the social interaction represented through cooperative learning.

This report highlights and explores research surrounding a variety of interventions used in the elementary and secondary mathematics classroom for English Language Learners. Topics discussed include ways to motivate English Language Learners, the use of successful teaching strategies, allowing the use of code-switching, and the use of one-on-one tutoring. Though some interventions used in the research are utilized in the elementary mathematics classroom, they are also widely used in secondary mathematics classrooms. A short discussion regarding the use of such interventions in the secondary mathematics classroom is also included. / text

The classroom learning environment has increasingly been recognised as an important factor in education. However, over recent years the increasing research in this area has focussed on humanities or science classrooms. Virtually no investigations have been reported into the learning environment of the secondary mathematics classroom.The study reported in this thesis focusses on the perceptions of 490 grade 9 mathematics students in 23 classrooms in 14 schools in Adelaide, South Australia. Students' perceptions of their mathematics learning environment were measured using a new classroom environment instrument which has been developed in both a Personal Form (which focusses on students' perceptions of their personal interaction with the learning environment) and a Class Form (which focusses on students' perceptions of the class's interactions with the learning environment).This study confirmed the reliability and validity of both forms of the new instrument in its use with this sample of students, and examined the differences between the Personal and the Class Forms of the instrument. The sub-populations of male and female students were also profiled and differences between their perceptions of the classroom learning environment were examined. Differences between students' perceptions of their teacher's interpersonal behaviour in the classroom were also explored.The study identified associations between students' perceptions of their mathematics classroom learning environment, their perceptions of their teacher's interpersonal behaviour, and student outcomes. The association between students' perceptions of their mathematics classroom environment and attitudinal outcomes was stronger than the association with cognitive outcomes.Finally, the commonality and uniqueness of the two instruments measuring classroom learning environment and teacher's interpersonal behaviour ++ / in terms of predicting outcome variance were established, as were associations between the perceptions of students in these two areas.

South African mathematical teachers are being introduced to the pedagogical tool, Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Objects (MERLO) as formative assessment (FA) practised in the senior phase (Grade 8 and 9), to promote and support teachers’ professional growth in using FA practices in the classroom. Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and meta-didactical transposition (MDT) was used to frame the evolution process of teachers’ praxeologies. This study used qualitative participatory action research that encompassed three phases: pre-MERLO participation, MERLO participation and post-MERLO participation phase. The study was conducted in the northeast of Pretoria in Tshwane district in the province of Gauteng. Twelve senior phase mathematics teachers were purposively sampled in six public schools before workshop training. During workshop training, only five teachers participated due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The data collection instrument in my study used pre-and post-interviews, classroom observations, field notes, teachers’ reflective journals, teachers’ lesson plans learners’ workbooks and learners’ worksheets. From the subsequent MERLO participation, the findings revealed that the participating teachers acquired adequate knowledge and skills of meta-didactical praxeologies that allowed them to structure and integrate the lesson plan of teachers’ didactical praxeologies as FA activities into their mathematics classrooms. Furthermore, the teachers revealed that the learners showed more interest and motivation in the lesson. The learners were also actively involved in the lesson, developed a deeper understanding of mathematics content, and showed increased autonomy in learning. This study contributes to introducing the dynamic evolution of teachers’ praxeology of meta-didactical praxeologies and didactical praxeologies to South African mathematics teachers in the senior phase (Grade 8 and 9), in which the teachers used the pedagogical tool MERLO to support FA activities in the mathematics classroom. However, it is important to note that the effectiveness of MERLO participation training processes used in my study is ongoing research with a current focus on teachers’ professional development, with a future view on implementing the pedagogical tool MERLO in South African schools. In addition, the effectiveness of the training could also be used to empower other teachers globally. / Thesis (PhD (Assessment and Quality Assurance))--University of Pretoria, 2021. / UP doctoral research bursary / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / PhD (Assessment and Quality Assurance) / Restricted

There is a current push for students to reach higher levels of achievement in mathematics in order to compete in today’s technologically changing world—a push that is being led by the Common Core Standards Initiative (CCSI) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The issue with this new push, however, is that most students are disinterested in mathematics, resulting in them choosing to not participate in class. Active participation is a form of behavioral engagement that can lead to cognitive engagement and higher achievement. To improve participation, the expectancy-value theory suggests that the perceived benefit of participation needs to be increased while the cost reduced. Electronic audience response systems (EARS) have the potential to accomplish this, and they have begun to be implemented at the college level with primarily positive results. The purpose of this study is to examine if EARS can similarly improve student participation and achievement in the secondary geometry classroom. Using a quasi- experimental design, this study compared students’ participation using hand raising versus EARS devices in the classroom and found that student participation increased significantly when using EARS. To look at achievement, a treatment and comparison group design was used, and despite that no statistically significant difference was found, the results do support EARS’ potential to improve achievement. Lastly, this study looked at student and teacher perceptions of using the EARS in the classroom, and found mixed results. / Math & Science Education

A sample of 817 Grade 4-5 mathematics students in the diverse school district of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), Florida, USA was involved in an evaluation of the use of hands-on activities in terms of students' achievement, students' attitudes and students' perceptions of the mathematics classroom environment. Other aims included validating generally-applicable measures of classroom learning environments and students' attitudes to mathematics, and investigating associations between the classroom learning environment and the student outcomes of performance and attitudes. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 had a sample of 442 participants and classroom environment was assessed with scales selected from the My Class Inventory, Questionnaire on Teacher lnteraction and Science Laboratory Environment Inventory. Factor analysis provided a degree of support for the factorial validity and internal consistency reliability (using Cronbach's alpha coefficient) for each of five classroom environment scales. Because of the small number of items per scale (15 items in five scales for the My Class Inventory, 12 items in four scales for the Question on Teacher Interaction and 15 items in five scales for the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory) in Phase I, it was not possible to replicate the a priori factor structure of each instrument scale. Scale reliabilities generally were acceptable. Phase 2, involving a sample of 375 Grades 4 and 5 students in four elementary schools, was necessary because questionnaires in Phase 1 had too few items to enable the researcher to establish satisfactory levels of reliability and validity. / The What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) was modified to four scales and 29 questions for use in Phase 2. Factor analysis supported the structure of the WIHIC and internal consistency reliability was satisfactory for two units of analyses, namely, the individual and the class mean. In Phase 1 of the study, differences between an experimental group (that used manipulatives for 60% of the time) and a control group (that used manipulatives for less than 40% of the time), were described in terms of the effect size (magnitude of the difference in standard deviations) and statistical significance for each learning environment, attitude, and achievement scale. Differences between the pretest and posttest for the set of six dependent variables (Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Task Orientation, Cooperation from the WIHIC and Adoption of Mathematical Attitudes and Enjoyment of Mathematics Lessons for the TOMRA) were analyzed in Phase 2 using a MANOVA for repeated measures. Effect sizes were used to describe the magnitude, as distinct from the statistical significance, of prepost changes. In Phase 2, associations between student attitudes and their perceptions of the learning environment were relatively weak for both pretest and posttest data with either the individual or the class mean as the as the unit of analysis. These results were unexpected and are inconsistent with past research, therefore highlighting the need for further research.