Preservice elementary school teachers' knowledge of fractions: a mirror of students' knowledge?

This research analyses preservice teachers' knowledge of fractions. Fractions are notoriously difficult for students to learn and for teachers to teach. Previous studies suggest that student learning of fractions may be limited by teacher understanding of fractions. If so, teacher education has a key role in solving the problem. We first reviewed literature regarding students' knowledge of fractions. We did so because assessments of required content knowledge for teaching require review of the students' understanding to determine the mathematics difficulties encountered by students. The preservice teachers were tested on their conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions, and on their ability in explaining the rationale for a procedure or the conceptual meaning. The results revealed that preservice teachers' knowledge of fractions indeed is limited and that last-year preservice teachers did not perform better than first-year preservice teachers. This research is situated within the broader domain of mathematical knowledge for teaching and suggests ways to improve instruction and student learning

Fostering Mathematical Competences by Preparing for a Mathematical Competition

Mathematical competences are important for mastering the problems that are encoun-tered in a modern society that values knowledge. Such competences are relevant not only for mastering the mathematical problems encountered in school but also for managing everyday life. In practice, mathematical competences are required for finding solutions to society’s major problems (e.g., the prediction of global warming). Mathematical competences are thereby assumed to be individual cognitive abilities and skills as well as the outcomes of learning processes. An individual is ascribed with sophisticated mathematical competences if he or she is able to come up with new mathematical problems by applying previously existing mathematical competences meaningfully. Therewith, fostering mathematical competences is of major importance. Based on a cognitive-socio-constructive understanding of learning in mathematics, students need learn-ing possibilities that lock in their individual potential. Several mechanisms and factors have been shown to drive the acquisition of mathematical competences. To foster mathematical competences, challenging learning opportunities are necessary. Especially for students who are already able to solve curriculum-based tasks. One extracurricular enrichment approach that has been suggested to challenge students are (domain-specific, mathematical) academic competitions. But, to ensure that these students will be able to master the challenging prob-lems they will face in the competition, they must prepare appropriately to solve such prob-lems. Therefore, and to protect them from negative experiences such as failure, corresponding training programs have been suggested and implemented in practice. Such training programs prepare students to participate in a specific academic competition. Paper 1 reviews the appropriateness of academic competitions by summarizing the roles ascribed to academic competitions with regard to the promotion of gifted students. Using the example of the Mathematical Olympiad for elementary school students, a training program that considers the strengths and weaknesses of mathematically gifted elementary school stu-dents is introduced. The training was aimed at enhancing the performance in the Mathemati-cal Olympiad as well as (process-based) mathematical competences. The effectiveness of this particular training was examined in two empirical studies: In Paper 2, a quasi-experimental pre- and posttest design was used to investigate the effects of the training. Dependent variables were success in the Mathematical Olympiad, mathematical competences, and the motivation to do mathematics (i.e., math self-concept and value beliefs for mathematics). A total of 201 third- and fourth-grade students participated in this study. Positive effects were found for third and fourth graders’ performance in the Mathematical Olympiad, their mathematical competences, and the task-specific interest in mathematics of fourth-grade students. In Paper 3, the effects of a training that was aimed at fostering process-based mathe-matical competences on cognitive factors were investigated in detail. Dependent variables were success in the Mathematical Olympiad, content- and process-based mathematical com-petences, as well as domain-general cognitive abilities. Results of a randomized controlled field trial with 97 students indicated significant effects of the training on process-based com-petences but also transfer effects on domain-general abilities. In summary, this dissertation provides evidence for the positive influences of a training for an academic competition in mathematics on students’ performance in the competition and, additionally, their mathematical competences. Based on the results of the studies, questions for further educational research with regard to trainings and academic competitions can be deduced. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of separate core components should be investigated more detailed. Further, some implications for educational practice are summa-rized

SES and executive function : exploring the role of home cognitive stimulation in the ECLS-K:2011

Past findings have established that students from low SES families tend to have poorer academic outcomes in general. What is more concerning is that SES-related differences on academic outcomes between low SES children and high SES children tend to be stable throughout adulthood. Thus, current study attempted to explore the underlying mechanism between socioeconomic status (SES) and executive functioning skills (EF), which contribute to their learning. This study also aimed to examine the mediating role of home cognitive stimulation between socioeconomic status (SES) and executive functioning skills (EF) and its three components: working memory (WM), cognitive flexibility (CF), and inhibitory control (IC) among 5th grade students in the nationally representative dataset, ECLS-K:2011. Results revealed that academic-focused activities partially mediated the relationships between SES and working memory and cognitive flexibility while arts-focused activities fully mediated the relationship between SES and cognitive flexibility. Additionally, findings also indicated that there were differences in biological sex in the mediated pathways between SES and inhibitory control and between SES and cognitive flexibility through academic-focused activities. In sum, findings from the present study highlight the importance of targeting malleable factors to lessen the impact of low SES on children's cognitive development.Includes bibliographical references

Scientific Reasoning in Science Education: From Global Measures to Fine-Grained Descriptions of Students’ Competencies

This book is a reprint of the Special Issue "Scientific Reasoning in Science Education: From Global Measures to Fine-Grained Descriptions of Students’ Competencies" published in the journal Education Sciences. It compiles all manuscripts of the special issue

The Influence of Bilingualism on Mathematical Achievement: An Analysis Across Different Countries

The effects of bilingualism, socioeconomic status, parental education, parental income, and a child’s positive attitude on mathematical achievement have been quite disputed topics during the past decades. Using the foundations of Cummins’ threshold and developmental interdependence hypotheses, Coleman’s theory on social capital, Vygotsky’s theory on language, and the functional attitude theory, this study investigates if and how effectively these attributes predict mathematical achievement in fourth-grade students. Using the latest iteration of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, multiple regression models evaluate the consequences of multiple language use, individual social standing, and positive attitude effects on mathematical achievement with a large sample size including seven countries. With exceptions in country comparisons, the results yielded no mathematical achievement advantages for bilinguals, supporting Strobel’s 2016 study. However, extreme achievement benefits emerged from students who possessed positive attitudes towards mathematics, at least one highly educated parent, and at least one parent obtaining a high income. Additionally, no net gains surfaced from regression models including multiple language use and positive attitudes, presenting new findings in this area of research. These results imply parental education/income are crucial in early development and positive attitudes are highly contagious, both increasing mathematical achievement in young children

The Effectiveness Of Teaching Methods In Traditional Amish Schoolhouses In Lawrence County, TN

The Amish community at Ethridge in Lawrence County, Tennessee is one of a handful in Tennessee, and, with a population of 1,500 and more than ten church districts, is the largest in the South and one of the top 20 in the nation. This particular Amish community was colonized when three families led by Dan Yoder, Joe Yoder, and Joseph Gingerich moved to the area from Ohio in the mid-1940s due to problems with the establishment of their own schools. Swartzentruber Amish are a subgroup within Old Order Amish society and occupy a distinct place on the conservative end of the Amish spectrum. Amish Education—much like it’s nineteenth-century counterpart—is conducted in a traditional one-room schoolhouse with around 30 students and one teacher. Because of limited space in the schoolhouse itself, it is not uncomfor one Amish community to have several different schoolhouses, and therefore, several different teachers. Current research has shown that, while Amish scholars only attend school from grades one through eight and do not learn or speak English until around age six, these scholars are just as successful when completing standardized tests as public school children of the same age range with English as their native language. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to research the existing ESL teaching methods and their effectiveness in traditional Amish schools in Lawrence County, Tennessee. Through my research, I discovered the cultural conditions, teaching methods used by Amish teachers, and other factors that may play a role in English Language Learning in a traditional one-room schoolhouse environment without the use of technology

Elementary Educators\u27 Self-Efficacy, Curiosity, Learning Attainment, Experience, and The Number of Neuromythic Beliefs: A Correlational Study

The advancements in brain research have led to misconceptions in education. These misconceptions, known as neuromyths, can have impacts on the education system. The problem is educators could potentially waste resources on instructional practices or professional development due to neuroscience misconceptions. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to determine if there was a relationship between elementary educators’ self-efficacy, curiosity, learning attainment, experience, and the number of neuromythic beliefs. The sample population (N = 67), collected through a convenience sample, included rural in-service elementary educators from one school district in Missouri. Participants took an online questionnaire that included the following instrumentation Generalized Self-efficacy scale, The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II, and the General Knowledge About the Brain Survey. Pearson’s r and Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients were used to determine if a relationship existed between the predictor and the criterion variables in four null hypotheses. After data analysis, the researcher failed to reject all four null hypotheses, meaning there was not sufficient evidence to conclude a relationship exists between the predictor and criterion variables. This study was significant in that it provided added information to researchers and the field of education concerning the relationship of elementary educators’ motivation to learn and background information regarding their beliefs in neuromyths. Future research should involve quantitative studies including a more diverse population of elementary educators

Business plan: implementation of a school from 1st to 12th grade with integrated arts and sports programs

Since education is so important for the development of any country, Portugal has been encouraging practices that better address students’ needs. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go since many people still see subjects like Portuguese and Mathematics as the only important subjects and defend a traditional classroom. It has been proved by many authors that the arts and sports are fundamental for the education and, because of that, it should have a bigger role in schools. A good education is centered on the student. It uses practices that are adapted to the characteristics of the students and the contexts they are in. The arts and sports can help children acquire skills that they need in their daily personal and professional lives. Academia Geração is a private school that takes advantage of curricular flexibility to include arts and sports programs since the 1st grade, in addition to the academic subjects. Its degree of demand increases and becomes more specific and detailed as the moves forward. Adding to these programs, the school offers subjects less common in the Portuguese curriculum, such as debate, photography, first aid training. With the development of a business plan for this school, it is intended to tackle the lack of offer of alternative plans for students who want to pursue sports or art or just wish to have a more complete education with a wider offer of opportunities.Uma vez a educação ser tão importante para o desenvolvimento de qualquer país, Portugal tem vindo a incentivar práticas que melhor respondem às necessidades dos alunos. No entanto, ainda existe um longo caminho a percorrer uma vez que muitas pessoas ainda veem disciplinas como o Português e a Matemática como as únicas disciplinas importantes e defendem uma sala de aula tradicional. Já foi provado por diversos autores que a arte o desporto são fundamentais para a educação e, por isso, deve ter um maior papel nas escolas. Uma boa educação centra-se no aluno, recorrendo a práticas adaptadas às características dos alunos e contextos em que estão inseridos. A arte e o desporto ajudam as crianças a adquirir competências precisas para o dia-a-dia, na sua vida pessoal e profissional. A Academia Geração é um colégio que aproveita a flexibilidade curricular para introduzir programas de arte e de desporto desde o 1º ano, para além das áreas académicas tradicionais. O seu grau de exigência vai aumentando, tornando-se mais específico e pormenorizado consoante o aluno passa de ano. Para além destes programas, a escola oferece disciplinas menos frequentes no currículo Português mas também essenciais, como debate, fotografia, primeiros socorros. Com o desenvolvimento de um plano de negócios para esta escola, pretende-se colmatar a falta de oferta de planos alternativos para estudantes que queiram seguir a área de deporto ou das artes em Portugal ou que apenas desejam ter uma educação mais completa com uma maior oferta de oportunidades

Mathematics teachers’ beliefs about good teaching: A comparison between Estonia, Latvia and Finland

The article presents results from a cross-cultural NorBa-project “Mathematics teachers’ educational beliefs”. We report Estonian, Latvian and Finnish lower secondary mathematics teachers’ beliefs about good teaching. A principal component analyses identified a two-component structure of teachers’ beliefs about good teaching: (1) Reasoning and conceptual understanding and (2) Mastery of skills and facts. Cross-cultural differences were identified in both of these dimensions. Latvian teachers indicated the strongest agreement with reasoning and conceptual understanding, Estonian teachers with mastery of skills and facts, while Finnish teachers scored lowest on both dimensions. Moreover, we analysed the amount of teachers with different profiles with regard to these two dimensions.Peer reviewe