The purpose of this study was to investigate, with or without prompts, students’ small group discussions of their solutions to mathematical problems and to determine the extent to which the students demonstrate mathematical power. Mathematical power was defined in terms of student assessment standards (SAS) and their integration. SAS, each of which has associated with it categories of mathematical activities, comprise communication, problem solving, mathematical concepts, mathematical procedures, and mathematical disposition. Other insights perceived to be important from the discussions were also documented. Grade 9 students of the regular school program were used for the study. There were 18 students in the class but only one group of students comprising 2 females and 2 males was the focus of the study. They responded to mathematical problems individually for 20 minutes and then used 40 minutes to discuss, in groups, their solutions to the problems. Also, they responded to questionnaire items. The group discussions were video recorded and analyzed. Data were collected on 7 different occasions using 7 different problems over a period of 3 months. - Results of the study indicate that students demonstrated mathematical power to the extent that at least one category of the mathematical activities associated with each SAS was reflected by the small group discussions of students’ solutions to mathematical problems. Other results indicate that combining students written scripts with students’ talk provides a better insight into the things about which students are talking. Also, monitoring students and providing them with prompts while they work in groups is useful in helping them accomplish tasks in which they are engaged. Finally, when students work in groups, they can shift their viewpoints consensually or conceptually to align their viewpoints with majority viewpoints.

The purpose of this study was to investigate, with or without prompts, students’ small group discussions of their solutions to mathematical problems and to determine the extent to which the students demonstrate mathematical power. Mathematical power was defined in terms of student assessment standards (SAS) and their integration. SAS, each of which has associated with it categories of mathematical activities, comprise communication, problem solving, mathematical concepts, mathematical procedures, and mathematical disposition. Other insights perceived to be important from the discussions were also documented. Grade 9 students of the regular school program were used for the study. There were 18 students in the class but only one group of students comprising 2 females and 2 males was the focus of the study. They responded to mathematical problems individually for 20 minutes and then used 40 minutes to discuss, in groups, their solutions to the problems. Also, they responded to questionnaire items. The group discussions were video recorded and analyzed. Data were collected on 7 different occasions using 7 different problems over a period of 3 months. - Results of the study indicate that students demonstrated mathematical power to the extent that at least one category of the mathematical activities associated with each SAS was reflected by the small group discussions of students’ solutions to mathematical problems. Other results indicate that combining students written scripts with students’ talk provides a better insight into the things about which students are talking. Also, monitoring students and providing them with prompts while they work in groups is useful in helping them accomplish tasks in which they are engaged. Finally, when students work in groups, they can shift their viewpoints consensually or conceptually to align their viewpoints with majority viewpoints. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

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Alice, a secondary teacher from Quebec, Canada is the focal point of this qualitative case-study research. She is a Caucasian, 37 year-old, married woman with three children. Alice is selected for the following reasons: primarily, she is a science teacher, who has received a provincial award Prix de merite de la conservation de la faune for a project, that is a demonstration of creativity in her field. Secondarily, I share many attributes with her including being married with children, and being a science teacher. Data were gathered from July, 1998 to July, 2001. Data sources included five one-to-one interviews with Alice. Additional data sources included one interview with June (mentor-colleague) and Jane (Departmental Head); two classroom observations; 1996 retrieved interview; and artifacts of students' work. All interviews were audio-taped verbatim and then transcribed, and observations videotaped. The overarching themes represented constructs involving community, values, and interpersonal skills. Alice's values, her bent towards community, and her way of life in constructing interpersonal relationships contribute to her creative teaching. Alice's philosophy of grounding education in the community determines who she is, and encompasses her creative process which begins with recycling of community resources and giving back to the community through the creative products developed by her students. Her values guide her practice and teaching decisions. This case study of creative teaching highlights the domain of teaching as different from those addressed by studies on creative giants and presents an inspirational model for individuals in the teaching profession.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Improving the STEM readiness of students from historically underserved groups is a moral and economic imperative requiring greater attention and effort than has been shown to date. The current literature suggests a high school science sequence beginning with physics and centered on developing conceptual understanding, using inquiry labs and modeling to allow students to explore new ideas, and addressing and correcting student misconceptions can increase student interest in and preparation for STEM careers. The purpose of this study was to determine if the science college readiness of historically underserved students can be improved by implementing an inquiry-based high school science sequence comprised of coursework in physics, chemistry, and biology for every student. The study used a retrospective cohort observational design to address the primary research question: are there differences between historically underserved students completing a Physics First science sequence and their peers completing a traditional science sequence in 1) science college-readiness test scores, 2) rates of science college-and-career readiness, and 3) interest in STEM? Small positive effects were found for all three outcomes for historically underserved students in the Physics First sequence.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The aim of this research was to better understand teacher's beliefs about visual literacy and to explore how their beliefs influence their teaching practice. In order to investigate this, a case study was conducted that comprised of lesson observations and semi-structured interviews with two secondary school English home language educators. The backdrop to the research was the implementation of the new national curriculum for grade 10. The participants, though well educated and experienced teachers, felt their training had been inadequate in the area of teaching visual literacy and although they acknowledged the importance of visual literacy, it seemed to have a fairly low priority in their actual teaching practice. In particular, very little attention was given to the production of multimodal texts by learners. The reason for this low priority may be related to the requirements of the formal assessment programme as well as limited lesson time in which to cover an extensive curriculum. The research findings would seem to suggest a need for in-service training in this area as well as access to suitable learning support materials and teacher resources.