The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the effect upon the arithmetic computation, concepts, and application skills of pupils when the regular instructional program in arithmetic at the fifth- and seventh-grade levels was supplemented with the Cyclo-Teacher (2) programmed materials; 2) to determine the effect upon the arithmetic computation, concepts, and application skills of pupils when the regular instructional program in arithmetic at the fifth- and seventh-grade levels was supplemented with the Mental Computation (6) materials.

Resumo: Este texto foca as relações de poder-saber e os dispositivos advindos de tais relações que se põem diante do desenvolvimento de práticas educativas constituídas a partir de cenários investigativos, com o propósito de intervir em problemas socioambientais locais. Tais práticas são apresentadas, a partir de um viés libertário, como forma de afrontamento e desestabilização aos dispositivos de controle do ensino tradicional de matemática, que serve à pedagogia panóptica e à ideologia do capital, defensora de uma educação voltada para o consumo. Os objetivos destas práticas são: estrategicamente, subverter o que está posto pelo modelo panóptico de educação; taticamente, pensando globalmente e agindo localmente, intervindo em problemas locais para minimizar os impactos socioambientais que degradam o planeta e nos submetem a valores, preconceitos e discursos de submissão e não-liberdade. Mais do que um grito em prol da liberdade, as práticas propostas visam romper com valores que nos atrelam ao instinto de rebanho comprometendo-se com a construção de conhecimentos em prol da liberdade — enquanto fim. O respeito à vida, ao indivíduo e, conseqüentemente, ao meio ambiente são princípios balizadores deste trabalho, da mesma forma que o afrontamento ao autoritarismo. / Abstract: This thesis focuses on power-knowledge relations and the control mechanisms that are in place in those relations, relations that oppose the development of educational practices built within investigative landscapes, proposed with the aim of intervening on socio and environmental local problems. Such practices are presented from a libertarian perspective, as a way to confront and destabilize the control mechanisms of traditional mathematics teaching, which serves a panoptical pedagogy and the ideology of the Capital. The objectives of those practices are: strategically, to subvert what is pushed by the panoptical educational model; tactically, to think globally and to act locally, intervening on local problems, aiming at minimizing the social and environmental impact of situations that degrade life in the planet and subject us to values, prejudices and discourses of submission and non-freedom. More than a cry for freedom, the proposed practices want to break links that attach us to the instinct of herd, committing themselves with the production of knowledge in favor of freedom taken as an end. Respect for life, the individual and, consequently, the environment, are the principles guiding this work, as well as confronting authoritarianism. / Orientador: Romulo Campos Lins / Coorientador: João Frederico da Costa Azevedo Meyer / Banca: Sonia Maria Clareto / Banca: Antonio Vicente Marafioti Garnica / Banca: Antonio Vidal Nunes / Banca: Romualdo Dias / Doutor

Although early mathematics instruction is predictive of future mathematics achievement, the effects of STEM-based mathematics instruction on mathematics gains in elementary school have been largely unexplored. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether mathematics scores from third grade student state-mandated standardized mathematics test differ between students who were enrolled in STEM schools and students who were enrolled in non-STEM schools in the largest school district located in a Southwestern state in the United States. Polya's problem-solving heuristics formed the theoretical framework because of their relevance to concepts on the third grade mathematics test. Two research questions focused on intraindividual changes and interindividual changes over time in standardized mathematics test scores of third grade students who were enrolled in 18 STEM and 18 non-STEM schools. Analyses included growth curve modeling and a one-way random effect ANOVA to determine individual growth trajectories of mathematics test scores from individual schools over time from 2012 through 2017. The results indicated that there were no intraindividual differences in growth over time within schools, and there were interindividual changes in growth over time between schools, but the changes could not be explained by the independent variables, STEM and non-STEM schools. Findings were not consistent with the literature, which indicated early STEM-based mathematics instruction is more beneficial than traditional instruction. This study offers implications for positive social change by demonstrating equivalent results of STEM to non-STEM instruction, which may encourage more hands-on, inquiry-based learning for all children.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-12-17Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:06:25Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 chaves_r_dr_rcla.pdf: 4450489 bytes, checksum: 5b01117c004393f9739519688d967670 (MD5) / Este texto foca as relações de poder-saber e os dispositivos advindos de tais relações que se põem diante do desenvolvimento de práticas educativas constituídas a partir de cenários investigativos, com o propósito de intervir em problemas socioambientais locais. Tais práticas são apresentadas, a partir de um viés libertário, como forma de afrontamento e desestabilização aos dispositivos de controle do ensino tradicional de matemática, que serve à pedagogia panóptica e à ideologia do capital, defensora de uma educação voltada para o consumo. Os objetivos destas práticas são: estrategicamente, subverter o que está posto pelo modelo panóptico de educação; taticamente, pensando globalmente e agindo localmente, intervindo em problemas locais para minimizar os impactos socioambientais que degradam o planeta e nos submetem a valores, preconceitos e discursos de submissão e não-liberdade. Mais do que um grito em prol da liberdade, as práticas propostas visam romper com valores que nos atrelam ao instinto de rebanho comprometendo-se com a construção de conhecimentos em prol da liberdade enquanto fim. O respeito à vida, ao indivíduo e, conseqüentemente, ao meio ambiente são princípios balizadores deste trabalho, da mesma forma que o afrontamento ao autoritarismo. / This thesis focuses on power-knowledge relations and the control mechanisms that are in place in those relations, relations that oppose the development of educational practices built within investigative landscapes, proposed with the aim of intervening on socio and environmental local problems. Such practices are presented from a libertarian perspective, as a way to confront and destabilize the control mechanisms of traditional mathematics teaching, which serves a panoptical pedagogy and the ideology of the Capital. The objectives of those practices are: strategically, to subvert what is pushed by the panoptical educational model; tactically, to think globally and to act locally, intervening on local problems, aiming at minimizing the social and environmental impact of situations that degrade life in the planet and subject us to values, prejudices and discourses of submission and non-freedom. More than a cry for freedom, the proposed practices want to break links that attach us to the instinct of herd, committing themselves with the production of knowledge in favor of freedom taken as an end. Respect for life, the individual and, consequently, the environment, are the principles guiding this work, as well as confronting authoritarianism.