This qualitative case study examined the prospective mathematics teachers' conception of mathematics, proof, and mathematical definitions. Moreover, it also investigated their proof writing approaches, using mathematical definitions and validation assessment practice. Participants of the study were four prospective mathematics teachers in a large southern research university who had taken a proof transition course as well as Linear Algebra. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. The first interview protocol was designed to determine participants' conception of mathematics, proof, and mathematical definitions. The other three were task-based interviews that were designed to investigate participants' use of mathematical definitions in simple exercises, proof production, and proof validation in three different content areas: Geometry, Set Theory, and Linear Algebra. Ernest's (1989) framework was used to identify the mathematical beliefs of participants, while Raman's (2002) framework guided the analysis of students' proof production and validity assessment practices. Results of the two cases were presented in this study. They were chosen based on their conception of mathematics: one held an instrumentalist view of mathematics and the other held a Platonist perspective of mathematics. The study intended to create a clear picture of the practices of students with different perspectives of mathematics. The results of the study suggested that students' mathematical beliefs might inform their proof production approaches. It was found that the student with an instrumentalist view tended to use heuristic approaches; on the other hand, the student with a Platonist perspective was inclined to use a procedural approach in proof production. Moreover, the study addressed that students' conception of proof was framed within the justification, verification, and occasionally the explanation role of proof. This limited conception of proof constructed their criteria to assess the validity of a given proof. Another finding of the study was that students tend to bypass the concept definitions as long as they can reach a conclusion with their concept images. Lastly, students' experiences within a mathematical context were distinctive in their comfort to make comments and develop connections between mathematical concepts to make logical deductions. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2009. / June 18, 2009. / Proof, Mathematical Definitions, Prospective Mathematics Teachers, Mathematics Education / Includes bibliographical references. / Elizabeth Jakubowski, Professor Directing Dissertation; Alec Kercheval, Outside Committee Member; Leslie Aspinwall, Committee Member; Kathleen Clark, Committee Member.

This thesis explores how well the curriculum Great Explorations in Math and Science Space Science Curriculum Sequence (GEMS SSCS) for 3rd through 5th graders helps mainstream and nonmainstream students develop an informed level of understanding of scientific inquiry and examines whether the curriculum teaches students in an equitable manner. Considering that the population of schools is becoming increasingly more diverse and at the same time there is a large achievement gap between mainstream and nonmainstream students (Muller et al., 2001; O'Sullivan et al., 2003) it is essential to determine if existing curricula such as the GEMS SSCS can help close the achievement gap. Not all students are developing scientific literacy which is the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind needed to succeed in society (AAAS, 1989). To achieve scientific literacy students should understand that scientists review literature, ask questions, answer questions, make predictions, plan investigations, make observations, compare results, create explanations, interpret data, debate, and use tools (NRC, 2000), all of which are components of scientific inquiry. In this study the GEMS SSCS for 3rd through 5th graders was used to teach 4th and 5th grade students about space science. To assess students' understanding of scientific inquiry students were given the Views of Scientific Inquiry-Elementary assessment (VOSI-E) (Schwartz, Lederman, & Lederman, 2008) once before the space science unit, once immediately after the unit, and once 5 months ± 2 weeks after the unit. For each assessment students were categorized as having a naïve or transitional/informed understanding of scientific inquiry. To analyze the data first a series of χ2 tests were run to identify significant relationships between the various student demographics and student knowledge of scientific inquiry as assessed by the VOSI-E assessment. Second, a two proportion confidence interval was computed to compare the proportions of students with a transitional/informed understanding of scientific inquiry with respect to demographics. Finally, a logistic regression was run to model the probability of students being transitional/informed using language proficiency, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity as predictors. The use of the GEMS SSCS with 4th and 5th grade students varied in how it affected mainstream and nonmainstream students. In some cases the curriculum helped close the achievement gap and even helped advance nonmainstream students beyond their mainstream peers. In other cases the curriculum created an achievement gap in favor of mainstream students. Such results could be expected because the GEMS SSCS embodies many important aspects of a reform-based curriculum – it is student-centered, inquiry based, provides students with opportunities to advance literacy, and considers student background knowledge – but lacks some of the basic tenets of instructional congruence including consideration of student language, values, worldviews, and cultures (Lee & Fradd, 1998). As it stands, the GEMS SSCS is designed in a manner that has the potential to be a useful tool in teaching all students about scientific inquiry. However, the findings of this study indicated that the curriculum may not be consistently equitable or produce equitable results until it considers the important tenets of instructional congruence. / A Thesis submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2010. / June 30, 2010. / Science Education, Elementary Education, Curriculum, Equity, Diversity, Mainstream, Instructional Congruence / Includes bibliographical references. / Sherry A. Southerland, Professor Directing Thesis; Victor Sampson, Committee Member; Alejandro Gallard, Committee Member.

This study examined the impact of different types of text on student achievement in elementary school science. Gender was also examined to see if the type of text passage read had any differential effect on boys' and girls' achievement. This study was a pretest/posttest/retention test design. Eighty-four fourth grade students from a public charter elementary school in South Florida were randomly assigned a passage from a physical science textbook, a physical science nonfiction trade book, a physical science fiction trade book, a biological science textbook or a biological science nonfiction trade book. Results in the physical science content area revealed that students in the textbook passage group had higher posttest and retention test results than students in the nonfiction and fiction trade book passage groups. There was no difference on the posttest results of students in the biological science textbook and nonfiction trade book passage groups. Students in the biological science textbook passage group had higher retention results than students in the biological science nonfiction passage group. Gender results in the physical science content area revealed that boys had a higher retention score than girls in the fiction trade book passage group. There were no gender achievement differences as a result of the text passage read in the biological science content area. It was concluded that no definitive answer as to the efficacy of textbooks versus trade books was possible based upon results of the study. Recommendations for future research include examining the effects of different types of texts in conjunction with other authentic teaching methods. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2008. / October 16, 2008. / Elementary Education, Reading, Science / Includes bibliographical references. / Diana Rice, Professor Directing Dissertation; Shouping Hu, Outside Committee Member; Ithel Jones, Committee Member; Angie Davis, Committee Member.

This study is a qualitative inquiry considering the development and facilitation of a science education community of practice according to the definition of Wenger (1998, 1999) through participation in the graduate online science education program (GOSEP) Master's Degree track. Three research questions were considered: 1) In what ways do interactions within the GOSEP community of practice impact development of the teacher/student from outsider to novice to apprentice to master (Wenger, 1999)? 2) In what ways does personal development impact the community of practice? 3) In what ways do the interactions of professors with students impact the development of a community of practice in the GOSEP? The qualitative research frame was Integral Methodological Pluralism along with a hermeneutical approach to textual analysis and an autoethnographic viewpoint. The participants included seven students and two professors from the GOSEP. Data analyzed was in situ Blackboard™ and other online venues from classes dating Fall 2007 through Summer 2009 as well as semi-structured interviews, follow-ups, and member-check surveys. Results supported the assertions that 1) a community of practice (CoP) existed in the GOSEP, 2) the CoP assisted individual learning and growth from apprentice to novice to master, 3) that the CoP was most healthy and supported apprentice to master growth when a diversity of adult developmental levels existed in the group, and 4) the interactions of the professors in allowing the students to take on master roles and limiting their own control within the CoP contributed to the healthy development of students from apprentice to novice to master. Implications of this research suggest that the CoP model of online learning is effective and productive in allowing students to gain experience and knowledge in the skills, background knowledge, theory, and practice of becoming masters in the practice for which the community is designed to study. Future research engaging online CoPs with greater numbers, longer periods of study, and comparative studies with other types of online programs is suggested. / A Dissertation submitted to the Science Education Program in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semeester, 2011. / February 15, 2011. / Community of Practice, Science Education, Online Graduate Program, Qualitative Inquiry, Graduate Online Learning Community / Includes bibliographical references. / Nancy T. Davis, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jeffrey A. Milligan, University Representative; Alejandro J. Gallard Martinez, Committee Member; Lawrence C. Scharmann, Committee Member.

Research indicates that professional development provided over time can have a positive impact on teachers' and on students' learning in physical education (Bechtel & O'Sullivan, 2007; O'Sullivan & Deglau, 2006; Rink & Williams, 2003). The development of the online program under investigation in this study served as one answer to the critical need of providing ongoing, content-specific professional development for K-12 physical education teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the satisfaction of K-12 physical education teachers and their application of course content from a Master of Science online program in physical education teacher education. Twelve students who graduated from the Master's online program participated in this study. Three research questions guided the study: (a) What were the experiences of the physical education teachers during the online program?, (b) What areas of satisfaction in the online program were identified by participants?, and (c) In what ways were the participants implementing what they learned in the online program? Three sources of data were collected to answer the research questions: (a) a comprehensive exam, (b) an online survey, and (c) a 30-minute phone interview. The following techniques were used to ensure methodological rigor: (a) an audit trail, (b) cross-checking interviews, (c) a rich description of the online program, participants, and procedures, and (d) member-checking. The major findings provided reasons why the participants were very satisfied with this online Master's program in physical education teacher education. The data also revealed information concerning suggestions for improvement, implementation of content, and the difficulties related to applying new ideas. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sport Management, Recreation Management, and Physical Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 16, 2012. / Higher Education, Master Degree, Online Education, Physical Education / Includes bibliographical references. / Thomas Ratliffe, Professor Directing Dissertation; Diana Rice, University Representative; Jeffrey James, Committee Member; Sandra Lewis, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of background knowledge and previewing texts on the reading comprehension of native Mandarin-speaking English Language Learners (ELLs). Participating in the study were 20 3rd-5th grade ELL students whose first language is Mandarin. Using a within-subjects design, the participants' reading comprehension was measured after reading culturally familiar and culturally unfamiliar texts, both before and after participating in previewing instructional activities. The previewing activities were designed to provide the students with relevant background knowledge to help them comprehend the texts. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant interaction between the type of book (familiar vs. unfamiliar) and the preview intervention (preview vs no preview). The students had significantly higher reading comprehension scores when they were provided a previewing text before reading a culturally unfamiliar text. The results are discussed in terms of the facilitative effects of previews and culturally familiar texts on ELL students' reading comprehension. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2008. / October 27, 2008. / Mandarin-Speaking ELLs, Chinese ELLs' Reading Comprehension / Includes bibliographical references. / Ithel Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Shouping Hu, Outside Committee Member; Carolyn Piazza, Committee Member; Diana Rice, Committee Member.

This study was conducted to examine the: (a) heterogeneity and prevalence of the language and literacy profiles among first grade students, (b) predictors that optimize the classification of language and literacy profiles, (c) latent transitions comprising students assigned to the mover latent class and students assigned to the stayer latent class across fall and spring and the prevalence of these latent classes, and (d) predictors that significantly characterized the transition of class membership. Mixture modeling was used to address these aims. A sample of 521 first-grade students was drawn from seven schools. As hypothesized using the Simple View of Reading as a theoretical framework, five language and literacy profiles were identified. These were students with: a) the weakest performance on average in literacy but slightly higher language skills (13%), b) weak performance in both language and literacy (31%), c) average performance in language and literacy (27%), d) good (above average) performance on language and literacy (21%), and e) the strongest performance in language and literacy (8%). Unique predictors of class membership differentiation for all groups were phonological awareness, teacher judgment on academic performance, and socioeconomic status. Measures of letter sound fluency and oral language uniquely predicted group differentiation for some groups. There were proportionately more students who were assigned to the mover latent class (higher overall means) than students who were assigned to the stayer latent class (lower overall means). The mover latent class had some probability of moving classes while the stayer latent class had zero probability of moving classes. The mover latent class and stayer latent class were uniquely differentiated by letter sound fluency, phonological awareness, socioeconomic status, and participation in tiered conditions. The policy and practical implications of these results are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / June 25, 2012. / CLASSIFICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY PROFILES, MIXTURE MODELING, READING DISABILITIES, RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION, SIMPLE VIEW OF READING / Includes bibliographical references. / Barbara R. Foorman, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Stephanie Dent Al Otaiba, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Richard K. Wagner, University Representative; Young-Suk Kim, Committee Member; Jeannie Wanzek, Committee Member.

Teacher quality has emerged as a key factor influencing the success of students, both academically, and beyond. The national discussion of teacher quality focuses on determining which teachers are effective and how best to determine which qualities or characteristics lead to increased student achievement gains. In 2012, value-added methods (VAM) have become education's answer to the question of determining teacher efficacy. Value-added methods seek to isolate the contribution teachers have on students' learning gains, which can be compared to the performance measures of other teachers. However, there are many different, competing methods from which to choose. The problem lies with the fact that a consensus has yet to be reached regarding an acceptable method for calculating these value-added scores (VAS). This study investigated the validity of three different VAM by comparing their resulting VAS with other established measures of teaching quality. Results revealed that the three value-added methods did not consistently predict teaching quality (TQ). Specifically, no significant predictors were found when regression analyses were run. Interestingly, the variables typically expected to be associated with higher VAS (teacher knowledge TK and classroom environment TQ), were not associated with higher VAS for Passage Comprehension (PC). The results of this study highlight clear concerns with VAM, albeit with a small sample of teachers (n=37). At the same time, the nation's reliance on VAM continues to increase. Recommendations include a universal, standardized method for calculating VAS. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / June 14, 2012. / Teacher Quality, Value-Added Methods, Value-Added Scores / Includes bibliographical references. / Carol Connor, Professor Directing Dissertation; Christopher Schatschneider, University Representative; Sherry Southerland, Committee Member; Young Suk-Kim, Committee Member.

The development of morality in children has been deemed one of the most important endeavors of parenting (Klein, 2002; Lickona, 1983). Being that children first learn about moral elements from their parents (Lickona, 1992), it is necessary to understand how parents approach teaching the social skills associated with moral elements. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore parents' understanding and application of dialogic reading while teaching their preschoolers the social skills associated with courage, empathy, and love. Literature pertaining to moral development, children's literature and moral development, parents and shared book experiences, the connection between social skills and literacy, and dialogic reading was reviewed in order to inform this study. Three middle class mothers and their five-year-old children participated. Using a qualitative, case study research design, multiple forms of data were collected. All data collected were analyzed using Vygotsky's (1978) Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in order to make sense of the social interactions, which took place between the three mothers and their children during shared book experiences. The findings reveal all participating mothers and their children moved from their initial development level to a more advanced developmental understanding of the social skills associated with courage, empathy, and love in collaboration with more knowledgeable others. Each of the participants demonstrated differences in both cognitive and affective behaviors during shared book experiences from the initial observation to the post dialogic reading training observations. Recommendations for future research are offered. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / January 25, 2012. / Dialogic Reading, Moral Education, Parents, Preschoolers, Social Skills / Includes bibliographical references. / Ithel Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stacey Rutledge, University Representative; Vickie Lake, Committee Member; Diana Rice, Committee Member; Mary Frances Hanline, Committee Member.

In this study, a mixed methods approach was used to gather descriptive exploratory information regarding the teaching of science to middle grades students with learning disabilities within a general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' beliefs and their practices concerning providing equitable opportunities for students with learning disabilities in a general education science classroom. Equitable science teaching practices take into account each student's differences and uses those differences to inform instructional decisions and tailor teaching practices based on the student's individualized learning needs. Students with learning disabilities are similar to their non-disabled peers; however, they need some differentiation in instruction to perform to their highest potential achievement levels (Finson, Ormsbee, & Jensen, 2011). In the quantitative phase, the purpose of the study was to identify patterns in the beliefs of middle grades science teachers about the inclusion of students with learning disabilities in the general education classroom. In the qualitative phase, the purpose of the study was to present examples of instruction in the classrooms of science education reform-oriented middle grades science teachers. The quantitative phase of the study collected data from 274 sixth through eighth grade teachers in the State of Florida during the 2007-2008 school year using The Teaching Science to Students with Learning Disabilities Inventory. Overall, the quantitative findings revealed that middle grades science teachers held positive beliefs about the inclusion of students with learning disabilities in the general education science classroom. The qualitative phase collected data from multiple sources (interviews, classroom observations, and artifacts) to develop two case studies of reform-oriented middle grades science teachers who were expected to provide equitable science teaching practices. Based on their responses to The Teaching Science to Students with Learning Disabilities Inventory, the case study teachers demonstrated characteristics of successful teachers of diverse learners developed by Lynch (2000). Overall, the qualitative findings revealed that the case study teachers were unsure how to provide equitable science teaching practices to all students, particularly to students with learning disabilities. They provided students with a variety of learning experiences that entailed high expectations for all; however, these experiences were similar for all students. Had the teachers fully implemented equitable science teaching practices, students would have had multiple options for taking in the information and making sense of it in each lesson. Teaching that includes using a variety of validated practices that take into account students' individualized learning needs can promote aspects of equitable science teaching practices. Finally, this study provides implications for teacher education programs and professional development programs. As teachers implement science education reform efforts related to equitable science teaching practices, both teacher education programs and professional development programs should include opportunities for teachers to reflect on their beliefs about how students with learning disabilities learn and provide them with a variety of validated teaching practices that will assist them in teaching students with learning disabilities in the general education classroom while implementing science reform efforts. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2011. / October 18, 2011. / equitable teaching practices, science teaching practices, students with learning disabilties / Includes bibliographical references. / Alejandro J. Gallard Martínez, Professor Directing Dissertation; Pamela S. Carroll, Committee Member; Lawrence C. Scharmann, Committee Member; Sandra Lewis, Committee Member.