The purpose of this qualitative case study was to help a second grade student, who struggled with mathematics but excelled in reading, to develop a conceptual understanding of number sense, using a teacher researcher-created intervention. The five-step, one-on-one intervention included the following: (1) use trade books to build mathematical knowledge and vocabulary (2) teacher modeling of concepts, (3) guided practice with manipulatives, (4) review using games and a ?Fact Pack?, and (5) journal writing to explain concepts. The Early Mathematics Assessment-3 (TEMA-3) was used as a pre- and post-test assessment the student?s mathematical knowledge. Other data included transcriptions of audio taped intervention sessions, notes from video-taped intervention sessions, fieldnotes, and artifacts from the classroom and intervention sessions. Data sources were triangulated. On the TEMA-3 Pretest, the student scored at the first grade, fourth month (1.4) level. After 13 Lessons covered in 22 sessions (approximately 11 hours of one-on-one instruction), the student scored at the second grade, second month (2.2) level. She also scored Proficient on the state curriculum test in mathematics. Four aspects of the intervention seem to help the student most in her development of number sense. They included the use of (1) a number line; (2) a number structure, which visually depicted the value of numbers; (3) trade books to provide an anchor for each skill and a memorable context; and (4) journaling. In addition, the data revealed that once the student understood the concept of ten?s and one?s, her ability to count and add extended to include numbers 1 to 100. Recommendations for students who excel in reading and writing, but struggle with mathematics, include the following: the use of trade books and writing may help them better understand mathematics concepts; review of mathematical concepts through enjoyable, meaningful games and the use of a Fact Pack are useful; the use a horizontal number line and number structure, which is consistent with left-to-right directionality of reading and writing, may help students better understand the concepts of more, less, before, and after; and consistent use of vocabulary during instruction may help students better understand number concepts.

This thesis systematically examined the link between developmental dyscalculia, a specific learning difficulty of mathematics, and mathematics anxiety, a negative emotional reaction to mathematics tasks. The link between these maths learning issues was examined by measuring their prevalence in large samples of English primary (N = 1004; N= 830) and secondary school (N = 927) students. Gender differences were also explored. Systematically varying diagnostic criteria for dyscalculia revealed that its prevalence ranged between 0.89-17.23 percent. When absolute performance thresholds were used, there was no gender difference in dyscalculia prevalence. The association of mathematics performance with other cognitive skills and mathematics anxiety was investigated longitudinally in subsamples of children with dyscalculia (n =10), typical mathematics performance (n=10) and high maths ability (n = 11). 80 percent of the children in the dyscalculia group still met the criteria for diagnosis at the final time point. Mathematics performance was positively associated with working memory performance and negatively associated with mathematics anxiety. Furthermore, children with dyscalculia had higher maths anxiety than the other two groups. The relationship between dyscalculia and high maths anxiety was estimated in a larger sample (N = 1757). Relatively few children with dyscalculia had high maths anxiety and the majority of students with high maths anxiety in fact had mathematics performance within or above the average range. Girls had higher maths anxiety than boys, and more girls had both dyscalculia and maths anxiety than boys. There was an expected negative correlation between maths anxiety and maths performance in the total sample, but this correlation was negligible in the children with dyscalculia. Collectively, these results suggest that cognitive and emotional mathematics problems are dissociable, and indicate that children with dyscalculia and maths anxiety likely require different types of intervention. Furthermore there appears to be no gender difference in maths performance or in the prevalence of dyscalculia. However, girls have higher maths anxiety than boys, and are more likely to be affected by maths anxiety alongside developmental dyscalculia. Maths anxiety may be a potential explanation for the underrepresentation of females in careers involving mathematics.

Thesis (Ed.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Curriculum and Instruction. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2009. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 48-02, page: .

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:04:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PabloJSL_DISSERT.pdf: 2748711 bytes, checksum: 25bd52a895ba4efa08fa7fde9c4d4718 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-10 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / This paper discusses aspects related to the mathematical language and its understanding, in particular, by students of final years of elementary school. Accordingly, we aimed to develop a proposal for teaching, substantiated by mathematical modeling activities and reading, which takes advantage of the student of elementary school a better understanding of mathematical language for the content of proportion. We also aim to build / propose parameters for the assessment of reading proficiency of the language of the student in analyzing and modeling process, its ability to develop/improve/enhance this proficiency. For this purpose, we develop a qualitative research, with procedures for an action research whose analysis of the data is configured as Content Analysis. We refer to epistemological and didactic, in the studies: Piaget (1975, 1990), Vygotsky (1991, 2001), Bakhtin (2006), Freire (1974, 1994), Bicudo and Garnica (2006), Smole and Diniz (2001), Barbosa (2001), Burak (1992), Biembengut (2004), Bassanezi (2002), Carrasco (2006), Becker (2010), Zuin and Reyes (2010), among others. We understand that to acquire new knowledge one must learn to read and reading to learn it, this process is essential for the development of reading proficiency of a person. Modeling, in turn, is a process which enables contact with different forms of reading providing elements favorable to the development here mentioned. The evaluation parameters we use to analyze the level of reading proficiency of mathematical language proved to be effective and therefore a valuable tool that allows the teacher an efficient evaluation and whose results can guide you better in the planning and execution of their practice / Este trabalho discute aspectos relacionados ? linguagem matem?tica e ? sua compreens?o, em especial, por estudantes dos anos finais do Ensino Fundamental. Nesse sentido, objetivamos elaborar uma proposta de ensino consubstanciada por atividades de modelagem matem?tica e de leitura, que oportunize ao aluno do Ensino Fundamental uma melhor compreens?o da linguagem matem?tica inerente ao conte?do de propor??o. Visamos tamb?m construir/propor par?metros para a avalia??o da profici?ncia leitora desta linguagem por parte do estudante e analisar no processo de modelagem, a sua capacidade de desenvolver/aprimorar/potencializar esta profici?ncia. Para isso, desenvolvemos uma pesquisa de cunho qualitativo, com procedimentos de uma pesquisa-a??o, cuja an?lise dos dados se configura como An?lise de Conte?do. Referenciamo-nos epistemologicamente e didaticamente, nos estudos de: Piaget (1975, 1990), Vygotsky (1991, 2001), Bakhtin (2006), Freire (1974, 1994), Bicudo e Garnica (2006), Smole e Diniz (2001), Barbosa (2001), Burak (1992), Biembengut (2004), Bassanezi (2002), Carrasco (2006), Becker (2010), Zuin e Reyes (2010), dentre outros. Entendemos que para adquirir um novo conhecimento ? preciso aprender a l?-lo e ler para aprend?-lo, este processo ? indispens?vel para o desenvolvimento da profici?ncia leitora de um sujeito. A modelagem, por sua vez, ? um processo que possibilita o contato com distintas formas de leitura, oferecendo elementos favor?veis ao desenvolvimento ora mencionado. Os par?metros avaliativos que utilizamos para analisar o n?vel de profici?ncia leitora da linguagem matem?tica mostrou-se eficaz e, portanto, um valioso instrumento que permite ao professor uma avalia??o eficiente e cujos resultados podem orient?-lo melhor no planejamento e execu??o de sua pr?tica

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:01:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bernadete Veronica Schaeffer Hoffman.pdf: 4955596 bytes, checksum: 014403bc82016d8545d73400b0d8c601 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-11-28 / Este estudo, inserido no campo da educação matemática, foi desenvolvido no Programa de Pós-Graduação do Centro de Educação da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo PPGE/CE/UFES. Desenvolvemos uma investigação qualitativa do tipo pesquisa-ação com práticas colaborativas que buscavam responder ao questionamento central: o que nós, professores, compreendemos da aprendizagem matemática do aluno quando trabalhamos com diferentes formas de comunicação? Para respondê-la, inserimo-nos em três escolas municipais de Serra e Vitória, atuando junto a três professores e suas turmas, a saber, duas turmas de 5º ano e uma turma de 6º ano do Ensino Fundamental. A produção de dados aconteceu entre maio e dezembro de 2011, em 98 encontros que incluíram: momentos de conversas e planejamentos com os professores; aulas ministradas pelos professores regentes observadas por nós; e aulas ministradas por nós observadas por eles. As compreensões construídas nessas atuações se deram a partir do diálogo com autores que teorizam sobre educação; educação matemática; matemática; leitura, escrita e oralidade como formas de comunicação em matemática. Os experimentos de ensino desenvolvidos nas três escolas sugerem que práticas de diferentes técnicas de leitura ajudaram na compreensão de textos com linguagem matemática, dentre estes os textos de resolução de problemas, ampliando conhecimento também em outras disciplinas escolares. Ao falar e escrever sobre um conceito matemático em outros gêneros discursivos, o aluno organizava seu pensamento de forma a melhor compreendê-lo e aprofundava entendimento de conceitos. Ainda tivemos indícios de que formas variadas de comunicação matemática, tais como a representação pictórica na construção de algoritmos não formais, estimularam a resolução de problemas desafiadores enquanto o aluno criava estratégias próprias de solução. O estudo ainda permitiu aprendizagens aos professores, possibilitandolhes compreender pensamentos e sentimentos do aluno em relação à matemática. Isso favoreceu o desenvolvimento de atividades em que alunos pudessem ressignificar crenças e sentimentos em relação à disciplina através de tarefas de caráter lúdico. Enfim, a pesquisa sugere que alunos e professores aprendem matemática com significado ao entrelaçar diferentes formas de comunicação e construir pequenas comunidades de aprendizagem, em que se oportunizam várias interações em aulas de matemática, tais como, (a) interação aluno/aluno, (b) interação aluno/professor/conhecimento, (c) interação professor/aluno/texto e (d) interação aluno/texto/aluno. Essas interações levavam professores à compreensão do que alunos sabiam e não sabiam, possibilitavam-lhes reflexões sobre práticas docentes e indicavam-lhes possibilidades de intervenções nos processos de ensino, aprendizagem e avaliação de matemática / This study, of the field of mathematics education, was developed in the Graduate Education Program of Center of Education at Federal University of Espírito Santo PPGE/CE/UFES. We have developed a qualitative inquiry as an action research with collaborative practices that seek to answer the main question: What do we comprehend from pupils mathematics learning when we work with different forms of communication? In order to answer it we worked with three municipal schools from Serra and Vitória, acting together with three teachers and their classrooms, respectively, two 5th grade classes and one 6th grade class from elementary school system. The data produced took place between May and December 2011, in 98 meetings that included: moments of conversations and planning with the teachers, teachers lessons observed from us, and teachers observations from our taught lessons. The understandings built up from these performances happened through the dialogue with authors who theorize about education; mathematics education; mathematics; reading, writing and speaking as forms of mathematics communication. The teaching experiments developed in the three schools suggest that the practices of different reading techniques helped to text understanding in mathematics language, among them problem solving texts, also expanding knowledge in other school subject areas. By speaking and writing about a mathematical concept in other discursive genres, the pupil organized his/her thinking in a way to better understand it and also broadened concept understandings. We still had evidences that diverse forms of mathematics communication, such as pictorial representations in the construction of non formal algorithms, have stimulated challenging tasks of problem solving while the student created its own solution strategies. The study also allowed teachers learning, while letting them understand pupil s thoughts and feelings towards mathematics. This favored the development of activities in which students could give new meanings to beliefs and feelings about the subject through the use of playful tasks. Finally, the research suggests that students and teachers learn mathematics with meaning by intertwining various forms of communication and building small learning communities, in which diverse interactions are proposed in mathematics lessons, such as, (a) interaction between student/student, (b) interaction between student/teacher/knowledge, (c) interaction between teacher/ student/text, and (d) interaction between student/text/student. These interactions led teachers to the comprehension of what pupils knew and did not know, allowed them reflections about the teaching practices, and indicated possibilities of intervention in the processes of mathematics teaching, learning and assessment

Elementary students in one school have shown a decline in proficient and advanced performance on statewide assessments. This decline increased for reading and mathematics achievement from 2003--2008, especially for disabled and minority students in grades 3--5. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the extent to which differentiated instruction was implemented in instructional practices to increase student academic performance. Vygotsky's theory of constructivism, Bruner's theory of problem solving, and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences provided the conceptual frameworks for this study. The research questions focused on the instructional strategies and resources used by teachers. Data included interviews, observations, and lesson plans from 2 third-grade, 2 fourth-grade, and 2 fifth-grade teachers. Data were coded using categorical aggregation through the use of inductive analysis to identify patterns. Results included the processes used to determine ability levels, methods used to differentiate instruction, and resources used to supplement instruction. Findings revealed that teachers differentiated instruction using a variety of strategies. It is recommended that a program that features differentiated math instruction could be offered, more time could be allocated for collaborative planning, and support could be offered for classroom management. This research has the potential to effect positive social change by equipping teachers, through professional development opportunities, to implement strategies relative to their students' learning needs.

Reading and mathematics are two essential subjects for academic success and cognitive development. Several studies show a correlation between the reading ability and mathematical ability of pupils (Korpershoek et al., 2015; Ní Ríordáin & O’Donoghue, 2009; Reikerås, 2006; Walker et al., 2008). The didactical part of this thesis presents a study investigating a correlation between reading ability and mathematical ability among pupils in upper secondary schools in Sweden. This study collaborated with Lexplore AB to use machine learning and eye-tracking to measure reading ability. Mathematical ability was measured with Mathematics 1c grades and Stockholmsprovet, which is a diagnostic mathematics test. Although no correlation was found, there are several insights about selection and measures following the result that may improve future studies on the subject. This thesis finds that the result could have been affected by a biased selection of the participants. This thesis also suggests that the measure through machine learning and eye-tracking used in the study may not fully capture the concept of reading ability as defined in previous studies. The technological aspect of this thesis focuses on modifying and improving the model used to calculate users’ reading ability scores. As the model’s estimation tends to plateau after the fifth year of compulsory school, the study aims to maintain the same level of progression observed before this point. Previous research indicates that silent reading, being unconstrained by vocalization, is faster than reading aloud. To address this progression flattening, a grid search algorithm was employed to adjust hyperparameters and assign appropriate weight to silent and aloud reading. The findings emphasize that reading aloud should be prioritized in the weighted average and the corresponding hyperparameters adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, gathering more data for older pupils can improve the machine learning model by accounting for individual reading strategies. Introducing different word complexity factors can also enhance the model’s performance. / Läsning och matematik är två avgörande ämnen för akademisk framgång och kognitiv utveckling. Flera studier visar på ett samband mellan elevers läsförmåga och matematiska förmåga (Korpershoek et al., 2015; Ní Ríordáin & O’Donoghue, 2009; Reikerås, 2006; Walker et al., 2008). Den didaktiska delen av denna rapport presenterar en studie som undersöker sambandet mellan läsförmåga och matematisk förmåga hos elever på gymnasiet i Sverige. Studien samarbetade med Lexplore AB för att använda maskininlärning och ögonspårning för att mäta läsförmåga. Matematisk förmåga mättes genom matematikbetyg och Stockholms provet, som är ett diagnostiskt matematiktest. Trotsatt inget samband hittades uppges insikter om urvalet och åtgärder som kan förbättra framtida studier i ämnet. Rapporten konstaterar att resultatet kan ha påverkats avett sned vridet urval av deltagare. Dessutom föreslår rapporten att mätningen genom maskininlärning och ögonspårning som användes i studien kanske inte helt fångar upp begreppet läsförmåga som används i tidigare studier. Teknikdelen av denna rapport fokuserar på att modifiera och förbättra modellen som används för att beräkna användarnas läsförmågepoäng. Eftersom modellens uppskattning tenderar att avplattas efter femte året i grundskola, syftar studien till att bibehålla samma nivå av progression som observerats före denna punkt. Tidigare forskning indikerar att tyst läsning, som inte begränsas av att uttala orden, är snabbare än högläsning. För att adressera denna avplattning av progression användes en rutnätssöknings-algoritm för att justera hyperparametrar och tilldela rätt viktning åt tyst läsning. Resultaten betonar att högläsning bör prioriteras i viktade medelvärdet och att motsvarande justeringar av hyperparametrar bör implementeras. Dessutom kan insamling av mer data för äldre elever förbättra maskininlärningsmodellen genom att ta hänsyn till individuella lässtrategier. Införandet av olika faktorer för textkomplexitet kan också förbättra modellens prestanda.