A Proposal to Enhance Preservice Teacher’s Noticing

ABSTARCT: This paper presents a proposal for the development of ‘Teacher noticing’ with the help of dimensions taken from the teacher’s didactic-mathematical knowledge model, that makes up a Guide for Didactical Reflection. The proposal is based on a study conducted during a time span of two years while the preservice teachers were in their teaching practicum. The methodology was qualitative and data were taken in video, audio, observing rubrics, and interviews formats. The results not only indicate that the Guide can help develop teachers’ noticing, in order to identify and to question several specific domains of teacher knowledge involved in mathematics teaching, but also suggest that prospective teachers are moved into action and translate their noticing in didactic action during class. We hypothesize that preservice effective noticing occurs at the intersection of practice and discussion over the practice, with the help of ‘noticing tools’ with respect to the mathematical activities of students

INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING AND ITS EFFECTS ON MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF COACHING AND CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

Instructional coaching has been a professional learning opportunity that many school districts have employed to support teacher practice. Pairing instructional coaching with on-going workshops is a relatively new approach to professional development. Participants for this study include fourteen middle school teachers that teach either mathematics or collaborate with special needs students. This study examines the effect that pairing instructional coaching with on-going workshops (with a primary focus on proportional reasoning) has on participants’ content knowledge and their perceptions of coaching. Drawing on Wenger’s community of practice theory and post-modern theory of power, this study employs mixed-methods design. Pre- and post-tests for proportional reasoning were administered to analyze the extent to which content knowledge changed over the course of the study. Pre- and post-interviews were conducted with each participant to determine any misconceptions each had on proportional reasoning and their perceptions of coaching (before and after the study’s instructional coaching). Grounded theory and thematic analysis was employed on the pre-and post-interviews to examine the role that power played in the participants’ perceptions of effective coaching attributes. Results suggest that (a) instructional coaching coupled with on-going professional workshops can change content knowledge in participants; (b) perceptions of coaching can change as the result of experiencing a coaching relationship and (c) power dynamics in the coaching experience determine the extent to which participants see the effectiveness of coaching as a professional development activity

Representation of Students with Disabilities in Charter Schools Compared to Traditional Public Schools

There is a perception that charter schools enroll a disproportionately lower number of students with disabilities than traditional public school districts (TPS). Coupled with this perception are antidotal stories of students with disabilities being turned away by charter schools during the enrollment process. This study sought to determine what research has been completed to compare enrollment of students with disabilities in charter schools to enrollment in TPS, complete data comparisons on an entire state education system to see what enrollment differences exist for students with disabilities in charter schools and TPS, and review federal reports regarding students with disabilities to determine if differences exist for implementation of special education law between charter schools and TPS. This research has societal benefits as it assists in determining if charter schools are equivalently learning environments for students with disabilities as far as access and outcomes. This study also provides a framework that can be replicated for any state-level education system for determining equivalency in access for students with disabilities in charter schools. The results of this study can be used to help state departments of education determine targeted training for charter schools or TPS on special education topics to increase equity across school settings. It can also be used at the state-level to help hone charter school legislation and regulations to ensure charter schools don’t develop into separate education settings that demographically differ from TPS

Curriculum –Releasing Maths Anxiety with the Use of Robotics

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Impact of Small Group Intervention Focusing on Operations With Rational Numbers on Students’ Performance in the Florida Algebra I End-of-Course Examination

In Florida, passing the Algebra I end-of-course examination (EOCE) is a graduation requirement. The test measures knowledge of basic algebra. In spring 2015, the Department of Education introduced a different version of the test. For the first two administrations of the new test, the failure rate for 9th-grade students in the state was almost 50%. In contrast, the failure rate for students in the school where this study was implemented exceeded 70%. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcome of small group intervention focusing on operations with rational numbers of high school students’ performance on the Algebra I EOCE. After analyzing several potential methods of instruction, small group instruction with the incorporation of the use of manipulatives, visuals, and guided inquiry was selected. In addition, the focus of the study was chosen to be operations with rational numbers, an area many researchers have identified as critical for student understanding of algebraic concepts. Twenty students from the target population of 600 10th and 11th grade students volunteered to participate in the study. These participants received three to six small group instruction sessions before retaking the test. In Sept 2016, all the students in the target population were administered the Algebra I EOCE again. A t-test yielded no significant difference in the learning gains of those who participated in the study and the other students in the target population. The implications of the results were that the interventions had no significant impact on student achievement. A possible reason for the lack of success could have been that six intervention sessions were not enough to produce significant results. It is recommended that future research includes a substantially larger number of interventions

Digital Teaching and Learning: Technology-Empowered Pedagogy in American Education

This research involved a collected case study of use of technology and digital tools by practitioners in an upper-Midwest, American, education cooperative in the areas identified by International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). This included the knowledge and skills to: (1) facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity, (2) design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments, (3) model digital age work and learning, (4) promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility, and (5) engage in professional growth and leadership (ISTE, 2014). Exemplars for technology-based pedagogy are described in relation to the ISTE framework and an appendix included for application to practice. Analysis results indicated technology use across all standards and in the format of substitution, augmentation, modification and transformation of teaching. Emergent themes included teacher choice and redefining possibilities through access to devices and technology-rich learning experiences