Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-138). Also available in print.

The objective of this research is to explore the perceptions of UCF Upward Bound Program participants using focus groups and pre-posttest surveys in order to assess students' level of understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related coursework, secondary education preparation in science and mathematics, and their perceptions of barriers to a STEM college education. Also, this study centers on the summer 2010 science and mathematics residential portion of the Upward Bound Program. Program outcomes and effectiveness were evaluated based on the change in student insight of the Upward Bound Program's stake in their secondary education. In addition, pre-posttest measures and interviews allowed a greater understanding of teacher and parent involvement in high school coursework success. Factors that involve self-efficacy, same or other group orientation and perceptions of student college environment were also analyzed. This research facilitated the understanding of first generation, low income and multicultural student's perceptions and what they view as a benefit or a hindrance to entering and successfully completing degrees in post-secondary institutions, specifically in STEM-related disciplines.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T14:16:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jussara Teodoro de Faria.pdf: 549339 bytes, checksum: 41b697984eedfddd0cfe4030d5d115a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present paper intends to analyze the importance of the History of Science with emphasis in History of Mathematics in the formation of teachers of initial series (currently in pedagogy course). Based on this aspect, we seek to verify historical records through primary sources such as Laws, Acts, Resolutions, Guides, Subsidies, Proposals and Parameters, to comprehend in which ways occurred the institutionalization of the History of Mathematics, in the mathematic teaching. Even though it is indicated on the National Curricular Parameters, History of Mathematics must be discussed and properly approached by teachers, so that it doesn t turn to be just another item incorporated on the Curricular contents of mathematics. Future teachers must have contact with the History of mathematics during the formation period in order to get it incorporated to their practices. Through the knowledge of the history of concepts of mathematic it can be shown to students that mathematic is not about eternal, infallible and immutable truths only, but it is in fact a dynamic science / O presente trabalho tem a pretensão de analisar a importância da História da Ciência com ênfase na História da Matemática na formação de professores das séries iniciais (atualmente no curso de Pedagogia). Com base nestes aspectos, buscamos verificar os registros históricos através de fontes primárias como Leis, Decretos, Resoluções, Guias, Subsídios, Propostas e Parâmetros, para compreendermos de que maneira ocorreu a institucionalização da História da Matemática, no ensino da matemática. Apesar de sua indicação no Parâmetro Curricular Nacional, a História da Matemática deve ser discutida e abordada pelo professor de forma adequada, evitando assim, ser apenas mais um item a ser incorporado na lista de conteúdos dos currículos de matemática. Para ser incorporado à sua prática o futuro professor deve ter o contato com a História da Matemática na sua formação, pois através do conhecimento da história dos conceitos matemáticos, pode mostrar aos seus alunos que a matemática não trata de verdades eternas, infalíveis e imutáveis, mas como ciência dinâmica

The author shares some of the findings of the research he conducted in 2007 on grade 11 mathematics learners in two schools, one experimental and the other one control. In his study, the author claims that an open-ended approach towards teaching and learning of mathematics enhances understanding of mathematics by the learners. The outcomes of the study can be summarised as follows: 1. In the experimental school, where the author intervened by introducing an open-ended approach to teaching mathematics (by means of giving the learners an open-ended approach compliant worksheet to work on throughout the intervention period), the performance of the learners in the post-test was better than that of the learners from the control school. Both schools were of similar performance in the pre-test. The two schools wrote the same pre-test and same post-test. Both schools were following common work schedule. 2. Within the experimental school, post-test performance of the learners in the class where the intervention was monitored throughout the intervention period (thus ensuring compliance of the teacher to the open-ended approach) out-performed those in which monitoring was less frequent. 3. There was no significant difference in performance between learners from the unmonitored experimental class and those from the control class.