Thesis (M. Ed.)--Kutztown State College. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2787. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 33-35).

This qualitative case study describes how two teachers translate communication messages from curriculum statements into classroom practice. These illuminative cases illustrate the perspectives and practices of two teachers who support the spirit of the Ontario Mathematics Curriculum by working to implement communication in the Foundations of Mathematics (MFM1P), Grade 9, Applied course (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005). Data for this study were collected from individual interviews with teachers, classroom observations, and document analysis. Grade 9 Applied mathematics teachers across Ontario indicate on surveys that they support communication in the mathematics classroom (Education Quality and Accountability Office, 2007; Suurtamm & Graves, in press). Despite evidence of support for this aspect of the curriculum, findings from this study point to a need for finer analysis of teachers’ perspectives and practices when it comes to communication in mathematics. The cases presented in this thesis illustrate different images, or meanings, associated with communication in mathematics. Furthermore, even in unique cases where the gap between curriculum developers and teachers images is minimal, the idealized vision of communication may not be realized in classroom practice since teachers may face challenges in implementation. The teachers report that despite additional challenges involved with implementing communication in Grade 9 Applied mathematics, teaching in this context can be a rewarding experience. To minimize the gap between images of communication that are translated from curriculum statements into classroom practice, findings from this study indicate that curriculum developers must find ways to help teachers understand the rationale behind curriculum initiatives. Future research might explore ways to help familiarize teachers with the theory and research underlying communication in mathematics. Research might also examine the impact that these initiatives have on teachers’ perspectives and practices. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-08-27 16:18:13.815

<p>This study investigated real life situations which learners in South Korea grade 8-10 learners would prefer to be used in school mathematics. This thesis is based on the ROSMEII (Relevance&nbsp / of School Mathematics Education) questionnaires and interviews, which was used to examine the preferred mathematical learning contexts for South Korean grade 8-10 learners. The study&nbsp / investigates the affective factors that pupils perceive to be of possible relevance for the learning and teaching of mathematic / and is aimed at providing data that might form part of a basis for a&nbsp / local theory of the mathematics curriculum. The standardized ROSMEII survey questionnaire of 23closeended items that relate to some aspects of mathematics on a 4-point Likert-type scale&nbsp / was administered to Korean grade 8-10 learners at the end of compulsory schooling, and mainly 14 to 16 year old cohorts. The data for this study were collected from a sample of 1839 learners drawn from 26 South Korean schools in the year 2009. Interviews were conducted to gauge the pupils&lsquo / preference of the ROSMEII questionnaire contexts and used to validate learners&lsquo / responses. In&nbsp / analyzing their responses, it became clear that, on the average, views expressed were common to all groups of pupils in South Korea (whether male or female, or from the metropolitan, city, or countryside). The clusters of the most preferred mathematical learning contexts are linked to youth culture, which learners are usually and easily engaged with in one way or another. These&nbsp / clusters include the sports, leisure and recreation cluster / planning a journey/popular youth culture cluster the technology cluster / the making of computer games, storing music and videos on&nbsp / CD&lsquo / s and Ipods. The lowest preferred mathematical learning contexts are: an agricultural cluster which focuses on agricultural matters and traditional games (yut). In conclusion, this study&nbsp / suggests that teachers should use contexts that increase learners&lsquo / interest in classroom activities. Therefore mathematics curricula and textbooks which are appropriate to this context must be&nbsp / provided in order to provide more efficient mathematics education. It is imperative that the Korean school system must develop a particular program for nurturing learners&lsquo / mathematical power.&nbsp / Furthermore, mathematics education policy makers must reconsider whether the current education system is appropriate, and also listen to learners&lsquo / preferences when designing appropriate&nbsp / mathematics curriculum and textbooks.</p>

The study upon which this thesis is based aimed, first of all, to document the history of mathematics curriculum change in Western Australia. Although curriculum development in mathematics in this State has been an ongoing process for at least two decades, the outcome of an extensive literature review conducted as part of the study revealed that only a cursory evaluation of the current upper school mathematics curriculum change process had ever been undertaken. Neither has any formal appraisal of the suitability or otherwise of the variety of new upper school mathematics courses introduced during the last decade ever been carried out.This study was designed to 'fill these gaps' by not only documenting the history of the change process, but also by seeking out teachers' and other educators' views about those curriculum and strategy changes as well as the views of the students who were so intimately involved in the process.Tertiary lecturers' perceptions regarding the mathematical preparedness of first year university students were also considered a relevant source of information in this quest to first, record the events that preceded the establishment of the current State mathematics curriculum, and second, record those events that occurred subsequently. Major reports which have influenced the direction of mathematics education were examined, and underlying didactical principles were identified to determine the origins of previous and current educational policy.To determine upper school mathematics teachers' attitudes to curriculum and strategy changes, and the impact of the present curriculum upon students' choice of mathematics subjects, use was made of a variety of instruments - questionnaires and interview proformas - which were used to interview students prior to questioning them on such matters as their reasons for selecting specific units.Upper school ++ / mathematics teachers were also surveyed and interviewed in order to obtain the practitioners' views on new topics which were introduced, such as complex numbers and vectors. Five of Western Australia's most high profile mathematics educators who played significant roles during the period of this study were interviewed to determine their recollections of major points of discussion and concern in mathematics education at that time. Feedback from these interviews was used to compile a questionnaire for upper high school mathematics teachers to determine their opinion on such issues as the introduction and practicality of the new courses, teaching and learning strategies introduced, and the degree of support for the new curriculum.Ten teachers were interviewed one year after the survey to determine any changes in their perceptions about the new upper school mathematics courses. By means of a questionnaire, students' reasons for choosing specific mathematics subjects in either Year 11 or 12, and their perceived success in mathematics in general were sought. In order to determine the effectiveness of the new curriculum in terms of further studies, students' level of mathematical preparedness was investigated by means of a questionnaire for university mathematics staff. The results of this research indicate that the most recent curriculum change in the upper high school has been successfully introduced by the Education Department of Western Australia, although this has not always been the case with curriculum change in this State.Though initially daunted by the number of new topics which were to be taught, teachers were appreciative of the in-service courses available, the resources present and the general support they received from the Education Department. Traditional teaching strategies, such as 'drill-and-practice' and teacher-centred environments have been largely ++ / replaced by a problem-solving and investigational approach to mathematics in a student-centred classroom environment. Clearly, the constructivist theory of learning has been a major influence on current teaching and learning strategies used in the upper school mathematics classroom. Teachers' opinions about the practicality of the new courses and approaches to teaching them were positive, though the view was held that previous traditional teaching methods should not be discarded.Specific weaknesses in the various mathematics courses introduced were identified (for example, inadequate attention paid to basic algebra and, in particular, to trigonometry), and many teachers were adamant that certain changes should be made for the benefit of the students (for example, reorganisation of parts of the course content). Improvements in the nature of the information provided to students at the time they make their upper school mathematics subject choice were strongly recommended. Information on influential factors regarding students' subject choices was obtained, and interviews with university mathematics staff showed that many first year students remain underprepared because of incorrect mathematics subject choices made in either Year 10 or 11.

Thesis (M.I.T.)--The Evergreen State College, 2007. / Title from title screen viewed (4/10/2008). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-147).

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.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study investigated real life situations which learners in South Korea grade 8-10 learners would prefer to be used in school mathematics.This thesis is based on the ROSMEII (Relevance of School Mathematics ducation) questionnaires and interviews, which was used to examine the preferred mathematical learning contexts for South Korean grade 8-10 learners. The study investigates the affective factors that pupils perceive to be of possible relevance for the learning and teaching of mathematic; and is aimed at providing data that might form part of a basis for a local theory of the mathematics curriculum. The standardized ROSMEII survey questionnaire of 23closeended items that relate to some aspects of mathematics on a 4-point Likert-type scale was administered to Korean grade 8-10 learners at the end of compulsory schooling, and mainly 14 to 16 year old cohorts. The data for this study were collected from a sample of 1839 learners drawn from 26 South Korean schools in the year 2009. Interviews were conducted to gauge the pupils‘ preference of the ROSMEII questionnaire contexts and used to validate learners‘ responses. In analyzing their responses, it became clear that, on the average, views expressed were common to all groups of pupils in South Korea (whether male or female, or from the metropolitan, city, or countryside). The clusters of the most preferred mathematical learning contexts are linked to youth culture, which learners are usually and easily engaged with in one way or another. These clusters include the sports, leisure and recreation cluster; planning a journey/popular youth culture cluster the technology cluster; the making of computer games, storing music and videos on CD‘s and Ipods. The lowest preferred mathematical learning contexts are: an agricultural cluster which focuses on agricultural matters and traditional games (yut). In conclusion, this study suggests that teachers should use contexts that increase learners‘ interest in classroom activities. Therefore mathematics curricula and textbooks which are appropriate to this context must be provided in order to provide more efficient mathematics education. It is imperative that the Korean school system must develop a particular program for nurturing learners‘ mathematical power. Furthermore, mathematics education policy makers must reconsider whether the current education system is appropriate, and also listen to learners‘ preferences when designing appropriate mathematics curriculum and textbooks.

The integration of discrete mathematics into the secondary school curriculum (grades 7-12) is an important consideration because the mathematical area is dynamic and interesting, providing students the development of mathematical thinking. Also, it provides for teachers the opportunity to develop innovative mathematics instruction. Since the publication of the document Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989), it has been difficult to determine how many schools have integrated discrete mathematics as a separate or as an integrated course in the school mathematics curriculum. Moreover, the mathematics education research community has, for the most part, not focused on teachers' perceptions about teaching and learning discrete mathematics as an area of investigation. Because of the lack of research in this area, the researcher investigated preservice secondary mathematics teachers' perceptions about discrete mathematics and their reactions to the integration of discrete mathematics into the school curriculum. The researcher purposely selected four preservice secondary teachers who were enrolled in a mathematics course in the fall of 2005. Various data sources were used to get a deep understanding of each participant, including selected coursework, an online survey, and interviews. Results indicated that these preservice teachers perceive discrete mathematics as meaningful to students, as it emphasizes processes such as problem solving and mathematical thinking, and it provides opportunities to use innovative instruction. Because of this, the preservice teachers believe that discrete mathematics should be integrated in the school mathematics curriculum. In addition, several factors that affect the integration of discrete mathematics in the school were identified. These factors are the state curriculum and testing, the historical emphasis of algebra and calculus in the school curriculum, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1989, 2000) Standards documents' views of discrete mathematics, teachers' views of discrete mathematics, the lack of knowledge of discrete mathematics, and the lack of materials and guidelines for teaching discrete mathematics. / Ph. D.

The 2007 revised mathematics curriculum in Ghana introduced many changes to the way mathematics should be taught and learned. However, before this research started in 2010, very little was known about how this subject is taught and learned. This study aims to investigate mathematics teachers’ teaching practices and students’ learning experiences in junior high schools (12-14 years) using a mixed methods design. The study’s conceptual framework is informed by two different, but interrelated theories: behaviourism and constructivism. Participants in the study were 24 mathematics teachers and 358 students from 12 schools. Semistructured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data about participants’ perceptions, and classroom observations and interviews were used to collect qualitative data about actual classroom practices. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS, STATSDIRECT and ORIGIN software and the qualitative data assessed using a thematic analysis approach. The key findings include: teachers and students espoused the belief that their teaching and learning practices are consistent with the principles and guidelines of the new mathematics curriculum. Teachers perceived teaching practices were complex as they contain both behaviourist and constructivist beliefs; however, their actual teaching practices were didactic. It also emerged that both teachers and students try to avoid making mistakes, despite the importance of correcting students’ misconceptions when promoting effective teaching and learning. The fact that peer influence is a key factor that shapes students’ learning was an important theme that emerged from the interview and the classroom observations. Students were only willing to participate in class discussions if they knew the correct answer, as they would be ridiculed by their peers for giving a wrong answer. The movement towards a more constructivist approach to teaching and learning, which is the prime objective of the new mathematics curriculum, occurred at a slower pace. Thus, a conceptual model for the teaching and learning of mathematics which advocates collaboration and partnership between teachers and students in the classroom is offered.

Computer Algebra Systems (CAS), a powerful mathematical software currently available on hand held calculators, is becoming increasingly available to assist secondary students learn school mathematics. This study investigates how two teachers taught introductory differential calculus to their Year 11 classes using multiple representations in a CAS-supported curriculim. This thesis aism to explore the impact of the teaching on students' understanding of the concept of derivative. Understanding the concept of derivative was gauged using an innovative Differentiation Competency Framework that was developed to describe understanding of the concept of derivative. It consist of eighteen competencies for formulation and interpretation of derivatives with, and without, translation between different representations. It clarifies the objectives of the curriculim, purpose for using particular CAS activities, and also guided the construction of individual test items on the Differentiation Competency Test that enabled individual and class learning about the concept of derivative to be identified. The framework also helped identify each teacher's privileging characteristics and facilitated analysis of the learning in relation to the teaching. This study found that using multiple representations was important in developing understanding of the concept of derivative but that the graphical and the symbolic representations were the most useful and important to emphasize and link. Analysis of the teaching actions showed that the teachers used CAS in ways that were consistent with their teaching approach and preferred use of representations and that a conceptual teaching method and student-centred style supported understanding of the concept of derivative. Teaching is directly linked to learning and each class developed a different understanding of the concept of derivative that related to the combined effect of their teacher's privileging characteristics: calculus content, teaching approach, and use of CAS. This study shows that if a CAS-supported curriculum is to be successfully implemented, it needs to acquire institutional status including a corresponding change in assessment to legitimize new teaching practices.