Gender Differences In Mathematics Performance: Some Fresh Insights

The widespread belief that males outperform females has been of interest not only to the social researcher but to the general public as well. It is in this view that the researchers decided to investigate if there is a significance difference in mathematics performance by gender at least at the tertiary level. Data was obtained from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics (UCC). All level 200 students who took mathematics courses constituting of 384 and 416 students for the 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 academic years respectively were used for the study. The analysis made use of the Hotelling's T test of difference of mean vectors and the chi-squared test of independence. The results of the study showed that more males offer mathematics courses more than females. However, the grades obtained did not depend on gender. The research also revealed that there is no significant difference in the performance of mathematics by gender. This and many other interesting findings are presented in this paper. Keywords: Mathematics performance, Hotelling's T2 test, Chi-Squared test of independence Gender and Behaviour Vol. 6 (1) 2008: pp. 1519-153

Information and Communication Technology in Mathematics Education – Integration Readiness in Tanzania Higher Education Institutions

Part 4: Sustainable ICT, Informatics, Education and Learning in a Turbulent World - “Doing the Safari Way”International audienceThe use of ICT tools in mathematics instructions has been proved to have a positive impact on students’ success. However, little is known about the ICT readiness of both teachers and students to incorporate these tools in mathematics teaching-learning process. This study investigates the readiness of teachers and students to integrate ICT in mathematics teaching and learning at a higher education institution in Tanzania. Specifically the study assesses the device, skills and psychological readiness of teachers and students to integrate ICT tools in mathematics instructions. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative methods whereby data are collected through interviews and questionnaires respectively. Seven teachers and 129 bachelor degree students pursuing business studies, form the study population. Descriptive statistics are used to analyze the quantitative data while qualitative data are analyzed through content analysis. Results show that teachers and students have device, skills and psychological readiness to integrate ICT in teaching and learning of mathematics. This is significant as it provides information that will be useful in planning the use of ICT tools to benefit teaching and learning. This study contributes to transfer and diffusion of technology discourses

[[alternative]]Study on the relationships between junior high school mathematics teachers' TPACK and teaching beliefs in Taipei area

碩士[[abstract]]身處二十一世紀，科技已是人們在生活中不可或缺的一部分，資訊運用能力成為教師的必備條件，科技學科教學知識（TPACK）因而成為教育者關心的議題。相關研究發現教師對於教學、學習及資訊融入教學的想法是影響教師運用科技於教學活動中的重要因素，因此若能瞭解教學信念與TPACK的關係，將有助於教師發展TPACK。故本研究將教師對教學與學習、資訊融入教學所持有的觀念及想法列為教學信念主要面向，以問卷調查臺北市與新北市國中數學教師TPACK與教學信念之現況，進一步探討個人背景變項（性別、年齡、任教年資與學校規摸）在TPACK及教學信念的差異情形，並分析TPACK與教學信念之相關性。 問卷抽樣採方便取樣，並考量學校規模，共抽取101學年度臺北市及新北市111位現任國中數學教師參與研究。回收問卷110份，問卷資料經描述性統計分析、t檢驗、單因子變異數分析，得到以下研究結果： 一、臺北市及新北市國中數學教師具有有中上程度的TPACK，但在TPACK 七種知識中，科技教學知識（TPK）方面較需加強。 二、臺北市與新北市國中數學教師具有建構式的教學與學習觀，對資訊融入教學的 認知、評價、感受為正向。 三、不同背景變項的臺北市及新北市國中數學教師TPACK並無顯著差異。 四、不同背景變項的臺北市及新北市國中數學教師教學信念並無顯著差異。 五、臺北市及新北市國中數學教師TPACK與整體教學信念為中度正相關，表示整體教學信念越傾向進步取向的國中數學教師，其TPACK程度也越高。 依據研究結論，研究者建議增加科技教學知識（TPK）課程，持續舉辦建構式教學方面的研習，並積極增加學校科技設備。未來的研究可考慮將其他學科教師納入，以比較不同科目教師的TPACK與教學信念之相關研究。[[abstract]]Living in the 21st century, technology plays an important role in learning and instruction. Studies found that a number of factors, such as gender, age, pedagogical content knowledge and teaching beliefs influence teachers’ use of technology. Recently, educators proposed a Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to help teachers develop knowledge of technology integration. The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationships between junior high school mathematics teachers’ TPACK and teaching beliefs. Based on Koehler and Mishra’s TPACK framework and related studies, a survey with 51 items was developed to measure TPACK and teaching beliefs. 110 junior high school mathematics teachers in Taipei area completed the survey. The data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, t test, ANOVA. The results showed that mathematics teachers have high-intermediate level in TPACK but TPK is lower than other aspects. Mathematics teacher’s teaching beliefs incline to progressive approach, and the TPACK had middle and positive correlation with the teaching beliefs. Based on the study results, it was suggested that educational administration could hold more professional development activities to improve teachers’ TPK and to encourage constructivist teaching.[[tableofcontents]]中文摘要 i 英文摘要ii 目次iii 表次 v 圖次vii 第一章 緒論 1 第一節 研究背景與動機 1 第二節 研究目的與待答問題 5 第三節 名詞釋義 6 第四節 研究範圍與限制 9 第五節 預期研究貢獻 11 第二章 文獻探討 12 第一節 TPACK理論架構之意涵 12 第二節 TPACK相關實證研究 21 第三節 教師教學信念的意義與內涵 27 第四節 教學信念與資訊科技融入教學 35 第三章 研究方法 40 第一節 研究架構 40 第二節 研究對象與樣本選取 41 第三節 研究流程 43 第四節 研究工具 44 第五節 資料處理與分析 65 第四章 研究結果與討論 67 第一節 國中教師科技學科教學知識現況 67 第二節 國中教師教學信念現況 69 第三節 不同背景變項國中教師的科技學科教學知識差異 70 第四節 不同背景變項國中教師的教學信念差異 74 第五節 國中教師科技學科教學知識與教學信念的相關性 76 第六節 綜合討論 78 第五章 結論與建議 85 第一節 結論 85 第二節 建議 86 參考文獻 89 附錄一 預試問卷 97 附錄二 正式問卷 103 表次 表2- 1 傳統主義者與進步主義者教學信念之比較 ............................... 30 表2- 2 教學信念內涵比較 ....................................................................... 34 表3- 1 研究取樣人數及有效樣本次數分配表 ....................................... 41 表3- 2 調查樣本基本資料分析表 ........................................................... 42 表3- 3 研究實施程序表 ........................................................................... 43 表3- 4 預試取樣人數及有效樣本之次數分配表 ................................... 47 表3- 5 CK 量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 ................................. 49 表3- 6 PK 量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 ................................. 50 表3- 7 TK 量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 ................................. 51 表3- 8 PCK 量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 .............................. 53 表3- 9 TPK 量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 ............................... 54 表3- 10 TCK 量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 ............................ 55 表3- 11 TPACK 量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 ........................ 56 表3- 12 教學與學習觀量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 ............. 57 表3- 13 科技信念量表項目分析與因素分析結果摘要表 ..................... 59 表3- 14 CK 量表項目分析結果摘要表 ................................................... 60 表3- 15 PK 量表項目分析結果摘要表 ................................................... 60 表3- 16 TK 量表項目分析結果摘要表 ................................................... 61 表3- 17 PCK 量表項目分析結果摘要表 ................................................ 62 表3- 18 TPK 量表項目分析結果摘要表 ................................................. 62 表3- 19 TCK 量表項目分析結果摘要表 ................................................ 63 表3- 20 TPACK 量表項目分析結果摘要表 ........................................... 63 表3- 21 教學與學習觀量表項目分析結果摘要表 ................................. 64 表3- 22 科技信念量表項目分析結果摘要表 ......................................... 65 表4- 1 臺北市與新北市國中數學教師TPACK 現況摘要表 ................ 68 表4- 2 臺北市與新北市國中數學教師教學信念現況摘要表 ............... 69 表4- 3 不同性別國中數學教師TPACK 獨立樣本t 考驗分析摘要表 . 70 表4- 4 不同年齡國中數學教師TPACK 單因子變異數分析摘要表 .... 71 表4- 5 不同任教年資數學教師TPACK 單因子變異數分析摘要表 .... 72 表4- 6 不同學校規模數學教師TPACK 單因子變異數分析摘要表 .... 73 表4- 7 不同性別國中數學教師教學信念獨立樣本t 考驗分析摘要表 74 表4- 8 不同年齡國中數學教師教學信念單因子變異數分析摘要表 ... 75 表4- 9 不同任教年資數學教師教學信念單因子變異數分析摘要表 ... 75 表4- 10 不同學校規模數學教師教學信念單因子變異數分析摘要表 . 76 表4- 11 國中數學教師TPACK 與教學信念相關係數摘要表............... 77 圖次 圖2- 1 科技學科教學知識（TPACK）架構圖 ...................................... 15 圖2- 2「教學所需的數學知識」架構圖 ................................................ 18 圖3- 1 研究架構圖 .................................................................................. 40[[note]]學號: 700740128, 學年度: 10

Dynamics in multiplicity of Plasmodium falciparum infection among children with asymptomatic malaria in central Ghana

Abstract Background The determinants of malaria parasite virulence is not entirely known, but the outcome of malaria infection (asymptomatic or symptomatic) has been associated with carriage of distinct parasite genotypes. Alleles considered important for erythrocyte invasion and selected as candidate targets for malaria vaccine development are increasingly being shown to have distinct characteristics in infection outcomes. Any unique/distinct patterns or alleles linked to infection outcome should be reproducible for a given malaria-cohort regardless of location, time or intervention. This study compared merozoite surface protein 2 (MSP2) genotypes from children with asymptomatic malaria at same geographical location, from two time periods. Results As the prevalence and incidence of malaria (measured for other studies) significantly reduced between 2004 (time point one) and 2009 (time point two), MSP2 multiplicity of infections (MOI) also reduced significantly from 2.3 at time point (TP) one to 1.9 at TP two. IC/3D7 genotypes out-numbered FC27 genotypes at both time points. At TP2 however, FC27 allele diversity was more than the IC/3D7 allele diversity. A decrease in the IC/3D7:FC27 genotype proportions from 2:1 at TP1 to 1:1 at TP2, seemed to be driven mainly by a decrease in carriage of IC/3D7 alleles. MOI was higher in the dry season than in the subsequent wet season, but the decrease was not significant at TP2. Conclusion MSP2 MOI was higher in the dry season than in the subsequent wet season, while the carriage of IC/3D7 alleles decreased over this time period. It may be that decreases in transmission are related specifically to the IC/3D7 allelic family. The influence of transmission on MSP2 allele diversity needs to be clearly deciphered in studies which should include the use of sensitive methods for the detection of polymorphic parasite markers for both symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria. Such studies will enable better understanding of associations between allelic variants, MOI, transmission, malaria infection and disease