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Holdaway, Emma Lynn. "Mathematical Identities of Students with Mathematics Learning Dis/abilities." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2020. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/8536.
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The majority of research on the mathematics teaching and learning of students with mathematics learning dis/abilities is not performed in the field of mathematics education, but in the field of special education. Due to this theoretical divide, students with mathematics learning dis/abilities are far more likely to be in classes that emphasize memorization, direct instruction, and the explicit teaching of rules and procedures. Additionally, students with mathematics learning dis/abilities are often seen as "unable" to succeed in school mathematics and are characterized by their academic difficulties and deficits. The negative assumptions, beliefs, and expectations resulting from ableistic practices in the education system color the interactions educators, parents, and other students have with students with mathematics learning dis/abilities. These interactions in turn influence how students with mathematics learning dis/abilities view and position themselves as learners and doers of mathematics. My study builds on the theoretical framework of positioning theory (Harré, 2012) in order to better understand the mathematical identities of students with mathematics learning dis/abilities. The results of my study show how these students use their prepositions and enduring positions to inform the in-the-moment positions they take on in the mathematics classroom.
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Smith, Edward Charles. "Reconceptualizing mathematics teaching and learning: Teacher learning in a realistic mathematics context." University of the Western Cape, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/8470.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDIn this study the construct of personal theories is used to represent the teacher's conceptions, which are interpreted as the consciously held beliefs. The teacher's personal theories encompass beliefs, images, values and attitudes as well as understanding about teaching and learning. This study investigates the influence of the teacher's conceptions of mathematics, of the teaching and learning of mathematics and of the context before and after a structured learning experience. The interest in the teacher's conceptions is derived from the assumption that these serve as a primary component that influence how teachers think about their professional responsibilities and how they act in their classrooms. Furthermore, the extent of implementation of a new curriculum has been linked to the scope of congruence between the teachers' conceptions and the underpinning philosophy of the intended curriculum. The study of the teacher's conceptions is especially relevant during a time of educational reform, such as the current transition to an Outcomes Based Education curriculum in South Africa. The participants in this study consist of four primary school mathematics teachers with various educational backgrounds, who teach at schools situated in different physical environments. The conceptions that these teachers have of mathematics, of the teaching and learning of mathematics and the influence of the context are investigated using a variety of instruments. Data collection was done with a questionnaire, a repertory grid, a semi-structured interview and lesson observations. The teachers participated in the Teaching Intervention and Support Programme (TISP), as a structured teacher learning experience. The programme is centred on the integration of the developmental and socio-cultural perspectives on teacher learning. With the developmental perspective the focus is on the acquisition of intellectual skills, while the socio-cultural perspective emphasizes participation in social practice. Both are directed at effecting conceptual change. With the developmental approach the process of conceptual change involves the development of new conceptions from existing conceptions. From the socio-cultural perspective the context is paramount and conceptual change is seen as new ways of being and acting within a particular context. The teachers were invited to attend a two-week intervention session, followed by a six months support programme that was aimed at establishing a teacher learning community. The learning experiences provided during the intervention session were drawn mainly from Realistic Mathematics Education. On completion of the programme, the teachers' conceptions of mathematics, of the teaching and learning of mathematics and the influence of the context were again investigated. The results of this study show that two of the participants had highly mechanistic conceptions of mathematics, and the teaching and learning of mathematics. The remaining two had a more empiristic approach with its high focus on environmental activities. After the programme, the teachers with the mechanistic views adopted a mixed. conception with some of the mechanistic conceptions retained, but now interspersed with some empiristic and realistic conceptions. The participants with the empiristic conceptions adopted a more realistic conception, but again to varying degrees. Thompson's (1991) hierarchical structure for the development of conceptions was also used to describe the extent of conceptual change. However, it was found that a concentric, rather than a hierarchical representation is a more appropriate to describe these changes. With regards to the socio-cultural view of conceptual change, all the participants perceived the context differently. The teachers' actions were also more commensurate with the practices associated with teachers that encourage learner autonomy, mathematical investigations and a facilitative role for the teacher.
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Pietsch, James Roderick. "Collaborative learning in mathematics." University of Sydney, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1088.
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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)This study looked at the implementation of a collaborative learning model at two schools in Sydney designed to realise the principles recommended by reform documents such as the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) and policy documents including Numeracy, A Priority for All (DETYA, 2000). A total of 158 year seven and year eight students ranging in age from 12 to 15 years old from two schools participated in the study. In all, seven classroom teachers participated in the study each completing two topics using the collaborative learning model. Four research questions were the focus of the current study. Three research questions were drawn from eight principles identified in the literature regarding what constitutes effective mathematics learning. These questions related to the nature of collaboration evident in each classroom, the level of motivation and self-regulation displayed by students in the different types of classrooms and the relationship between learning mathematics within the collaborative learning model and real-world mathematics. A final research question examined the degree to which the concerns of teachers relating to preparing students for examinations are met within the collaborative learning model. Several different data collection strategies were adopted to develop a picture of the different forms of activity evident in each classroom and the changes that took place in each classroom during and after the implementation of the collaborative learning model. These included classroom observations, interviews with student and teacher participants, questionnaires and obtaining test results. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to reduce the data collected. Factor scores and test results were compared using t-tests, ANOVAs and Mann Whitney nonparametric tests. Data collected from interviews and classroom observations were analysed using a grounded approach beginning with the open coding of phenomena. Leont’ev’s theoretical approach to activity systems (1972; 1978) was then used to describe the changing nature of classroom activity with the introduction of the collaborative learning model. Within the collaborative classrooms there were a greater number of mathematical voices participating in classroom discussions, a breaking down of traditional roles held by teachers and students, and dominant patterns of collaboration evident in each classroom reflecting pre-existing cultural ways of doing. Furthermore, there was some quantitative evidence suggesting that student levels of critical thinking, self-regulation and help seeking increased and students were also observed regulating their own learning as well as the learning of others. Classroom practice was also embedded in the cultural practice of preparing topic tests, enabling students to use mathematics within the context of a work group producing a shared outcome. Finally, there was quantitative evidence that students in some of the collaborative classes did not perform as well as students in traditional classrooms on topic tests. Comments from students and teachers, however, suggested that for some students the collaborative learning model enabled them to learn more effectively, although other students were frustrated by the greater freedom and lack of direction. Future research could investigate the effectiveness of strategies to overcome this frustration and the relationship between different types of collaboration and developing mathematical understanding.
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Potari, Despina. "Learning approaches in mathematics." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/12130.
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Buie-Collard, Geoffrey. "HELPING STUDENTS AFFECTED WITH MATHEMATICS DISORDERS LEARN MATHEMATICS." Ohio University Art and Sciences Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouashonors1586172168614395.
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Buie-Collard, Geoffrey Brock. "Helping Students Affected with Mathematics Disorders Learn Mathematics." The Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1592387017569857.
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Kilgore, Pelagia Alesafis. "Adult College Students' Perceptions about Learning Mathematics via Developmental Mathematical xMOOCs." Scholar Commons, 2018. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7179.
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Debates over the promising change Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) might offer to traditional online learning now produce significant attention and discourse among the media and higher education. Ample articles discuss the potential benefits of MOOCs from the perspectives of faculty and administration. However, little is known about students’ perceptions of MOOCs. Given the lack of relevant literature and the reality that MOOCs are created to benefit students, it is important to elicit current college students’ perceptions of MOOCs since it is well documented learning mathematics online has its problems (Ashby, Sadera, & McNary, 2011; Frame, 2012; Ho et al., 2010; Hughes et al., 2005; Jameson & Fusco, 2014).
In this descriptive exploratory case study, I explored the perceptions of eight adult college students enrolled in a developmental mathematical xMOOC. I utilized constant comparative methods (open, axial, and selective coding) to analyze the data and identified overarching themes related to student perceptions of learning developmental mathematics via an xMOOC. XMOOCs are structured like large online lecture courses, usually with auto grading features for tests and quizzes and video-recorded lectures. I also employed post structural tenets to scrutinize the data through different lenses. My goals were to explore college students’ perceptions of learning via developmental mathematical xMOOCs, the reasons students chose to learn developmental mathematics via an xMOOC, students’ beliefs of personal characteristics needed to successfully complete a developmental mathematical xMOOC and their ideas about how to improve developmental mathematical xMOOCs. The study provides insights about college students’ learning and success via developmental mathematical xMOOCs and adds needed information to the literature on higher education distance learning.
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Aljundi, Liam. "Moving Mathematics : Exploring constructivist tools to enhance mathematics learning." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Institutionen för konst, kultur och kommunikation (K3), 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-42981.
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The challenges faced by mathematics education reflect the more immense difficulties of the schooling system as a whole. This thesis investigates such challenges in the light of an ethical learning foundation and aims for a transformation through the use of technologies as learning tools. Interaction design methods are used to craft constructivist learning kits that aim to move mathematics students from passive receivers of knowledge to active learners. The proposed tools modify new technologies by adapting them to teachers’ and learners’ needs to be best suited for mathematics classroom adoption. Additionally, social, political, and economic issues that may hinder the adoption of constructivist learning are presented and critically discussed. Finally, this thesis paves the way for future designers who aim to design mathematics educational kits by providing a design framework based on the learning theory and the design process presented in this thesis.
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Alleyn, Suzanne. "Learning the language of mathematics." Thesis, McGill University, 2004. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=81477.
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In this thesis, I describe how interactive journal writing was used to improve the understanding of mathematics, and to foster communication with two groups of remedial grade ten students. Mathematics is a gatekeeper course in high school, and students who are not successful with this subject are at a distinct disadvantage, both in terms of their education and in their future careers. A persistent source of difficulty for these students is related to language; students often struggle both to understand what is being taught, and how to explain concepts or problem solutions in their own words. Interactive journal writing was initiated as a means of addressing this situation, and of meeting the objectives proposed by the Quebec Education Plan, which specifies three closely related competencies: (1) solve situational problems; (2) use mathematical reasoning; (3) and communicate by using mathematical language. There is ample proof in the research literature that communication plays an important role in supporting learners by helping them clarify, refine and consolidate their thinking.This study demonstrates the importance of allowing and encouraging students to use writing as part of their learning processes. By writing about what they are being taught, students are forced to slow down, examine and reflect on the steps they use to solve problems. Sharing what they write promotes meaningful dialogue and personal engagement, essential ingredients of successful learning.
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Perkin, Glynis. "Mathematics learning support and dyslexia." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2007. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/8021.
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This research identifies, through an extensive series of exploratory and explanatory case studies, the mathematical difficulties that might be encountered by dyslexic engineering students. It details support mechanisms that may be put in place to help these students reach their full potential and makes suggestions for the introduction of measures at institutional level to ensure compliance with current legislation. This is an area, identified from the literature search, that has not, until now, been the focus of any substantial research activity and thus the findings form an original and significant contribution to knowledge in this field. The findings are not only intrinsically interesting but will also be of use to practitioners of mathematics, support staff, staff developers and policy makers in higher education. A literature review gives historical background on the development of education in general, and mathematics in particular, in the UK. The main theories and problems associated with developmental dyslexia are also given. Surveys were undertaken to determine the extent of mathematics learning support in UK universities and also to determine the extent of the provision of mathematics support to dyslexic students. Using case study research and by providing one-to-one mathematics support, the difficulties encountered by dyslexic students were investigated. Related work is an exploratory study into the use of different media combinations in Computer Assisted Assessment. Additionally, an in-depth case study of the Mathematics Learning Support Centre at Loughborough University has been undertaken and is reported in detail with recommendations for changes suggested. The results of this research show that mathematics learning support is widespread and often essential to bridge the gap between school mathematics and university level mathematics but specialist mathematical support for dyslexic students is rarely available. It is determined that dyslexic students can be impeded in their learning and understanding of mathematics as a direct result of their dyslexia. Recommendations for further study in some areas and future lines of inquiry in others are suggested.
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Kan, Wing-yuen, and 簡永源. "Small group learning in mathematics." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31960200.
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Kan, Wing-yuen. "Small group learning in mathematics." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B20264628.
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Shaffer, David Williamson. "Expressive mathematics : learning by design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29141.
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Triadafillidis, Triadafillos A. "Practical activities in mathematics learning." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/14578.
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The effectiveness of activity-based learning has been discussed by many authors over the past 4,000 years. Despite the suggested strength of a 'hands-on' approach, learning in secondary school mathematics classes has become abstract and analytic. Students are taught out-of-context and seldom are given the opportunity to act upon their educational experiences. To evaluate the effectiveness of practical activities in classroom situations, materials were developed by the author. These concerned areas from the mathematics syllabus of the first and second years of secondary school. Data were collected from urban and rural schools in both Greece and Scotland. The students' performance on the practical activities was investigated in terms of the cognitive difficulty of the introduced mathematical concepts. Culture was also investigated as a differentiating factor in the performance and attitudes of the students. The results of the study indicated a differentiation in performance and attitudes between students of the two countries, in favour of the Greek students. In some tasks first grade students performed better than the second grade ones, in both countries. Cultural differences, as these are reflected in the educational systems, indicated the existence of a 'classroom culture'. This 'classroom culture' appears as the ethos of a school class, created and sustained by the teacher and the students. To that extent more similarities were found between Greece and Scotland rather than differences. These similarities address the formation of values in the mathematics classroom about the nature of mathematics, about understanding mathematics, about the role of the teacher and about education in general.
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Dagiene, Valentina, and Inga Zilinskiene. "Localization of Learning Objects in Mathematics." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-79623.
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Mathematics learning seems to be a demanding and time-consuming task for many learners. Information and communication technology (ICT) is an attractive tool of learning for students at any level and it can provide an effective atmosphere for understanding mathematics.
The question is how to combine mathematics teaching contents, approaches, curricula, and syllabus with new media. The key issue in European educational policy (and other countries as well) is exchange and sharing digital learning resources (learning objects) among countries. In order to accumulate the practice of various countries and use the best digital resources created by different countries, it is necessary to localize learning objects (LO). The paper deals with some
problems connected with localization of LO, developed for mathematics education, and presents some solution. Software localization is mainly referred to as language translation (e.g., translation of user interface texts and help documents). However, there are many other important elements depending on the country and people who will use the localized software. In this paper, the main
attention is paid to localization of learning objects used for teaching and learning mathematics.
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Lewis, Matthew. "Laboratory Experiences in Mathematical Biology for Post-Secondary Mathematics Students." DigitalCommons@USU, 2016. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/5219.
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In addition to the memorization, algorithmic skills and vocabulary which is the default focus in many mathematics classrooms, professional mathematicians are expected to creatively apply known techniques, construct new mathematical approaches and communicate with and about mathematics. We propose that students can learn these professional, higher level skills through Laboratory Experiences in Mathematical Biology (LEMBs) which put students in the role of mathematics researcher creating mathematics to describe and understand biological data. LEMBs are constructed so they require no specialized equipment and can easily be run in the context of a college math class. Students collect data and develop mathematical models to explain the data. In this work examine how LEMBs are designed with the student as the primary focus. We explain how well-designed LEMBs lead students to interact with mathematics at higher levels of cognition while building mathematical skills sought after in both academia and industry. Additionally, we describe the online repository created to assist in the teaching and further development of LEMBs. Since student-centered teaching is foreign to many post-secondary instructors, we provide research-based, pedagogical strategies to ensure student success while maintaining high levels of cognition.
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Rejniak, Gabrielle. "Improving Student Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2012. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/5455.
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The goal of this study was to investigate ways of improving student learning, par- ticularly conceptual understanding, in undergraduate mathematics courses. This study focused on two areas: course design and animation. The methods of study were the following: Assessing the improvement of student conceptual understanding as a result of team project-based learning, individual inquiry-based learning and the modi ed empo- rium model; and Assessing the impact of animated videos on student learning with the emphasis on concepts. For the first part of our study (impact of course design on student conceptual understanding) we began by comparing the following three groups in Fall 2010 and Fall 2011: 1. Fall 2010: MAC 1140 Traditional Lecture & Fall 2011: MAC 1140 Modi ed Empo- rium 2. Fall 2010: MAC 1140H with Project & Fall 2011: MAC 1140H no Project 3. Fall 2010: MAC 2147 with Projects & Fall 2011: MAC 2147 no Projects Analysis of pre-tests and post-tests show that all three courses showed statistically signifi cant increases, according to their respective sample sizes, during Fall 2010. However, in Fall 2011 only MAC 2147 continued to show a statistically signifi cant increase. Therefore in Fall 2010, project-based learning - both in-class individual projects and out-of-class team projects - conclusively impacted the students' conceptual understanding. Whereas, in Fall 2011, the data for the Modifi ed Emporium model had no statistical signifi cance and is therefore inconclusive as to its effectiveness. In addition the diff erence in percent of increase for MAC 1140 between Fall 2010 - traditional lecture model - and Fall 2011 - modi fied emporium model - is not statistically signi ficant and we cannot say that either model is a better delivery mode for conceptual learning. For the second part of our study, the students enrolled in MAC 1140H Fall 2011 and MAC 2147 Fall 2011 were given a pre-test on sequences and series before showing them an animated video related to the topic. After watching the video, students were then given the same 7 question post test to determine any improvement in the students' understanding of the topic. After two weeks of teacher-led instruction, the students took the same post-test again. The results of this preliminary study indicate that animated videos do impact the conceptual understanding of students when used as an introduction into a new concept. Both courses that were shown the video had statistically signifi cant increases in the conceptual understanding of the students between the pre-test and the post-animation test.ID: 031001440; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Adviser: Cynthia Young.; Error in paging: p. xi followed by a page numbered xi.; Title from PDF title page (viewed June 26, 2013).; Thesis (M.S.)--University of Central Florida, 2012.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-107).
M.S.
Masters
Mathematics
Sciences
Mathematical Science; Industrial Mathematics
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Åkesson, AnnaCarin, and Sara Rudberg. "Teaching and learning mathematics in India." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för matematikdidaktik (MD), 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-32617.
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Våra tre månader i Indien har resulterat i en studie av olika perspektiv på lärande, inom ämnet matematik. De synsätt på lärande som vi observerade hos de indiska lärarna har kopplats till studiens fyra valda perspektiv; det behavioristiska perspektivet, det kognitiva perspektivet, det pragmatiska perspektivet och det sociokulturella perspektivet. Fältstudien genomfördes i en skola i den södra delstaten Kerala. Elever och lärare på skolan deltog under våra observationer, intervjuer och undervisningsförsök. Vår slutsats är att undervisningen innehöll influenser från alla fyra valda perspektiv, och att somliga perspektiv förekom mer än andra.Our three months in India included a field study of different perspectives on learning the subject of mathematics. The chosen perspectives were; the behaviouristic perspective, the cognitive perspective, the pragmatic perspective and the socio-cultural perspective. The study was implemented with teachers and students at a public school in the state of Kerala, which is situated in the southernmost part of the country. They participated in our observations, interviews and teaching experiments. We sought to ascertain which of the four chosen learning perspectives the faculty and students at the host school use for educating. Our conclusion is that the observed teaching methods had influences from all four chosen perspectives, some more than others.
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Lucock, Ricky. "Pupils learning mathematics : beliefs and attitudes." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1988. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/844414/.
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This study investigated whether pupils hold personal beliefs and attitudes which could affect their performance in mathematics lessons in such a way as to either facilitate or impede learning. There were four parts to the study which took place over three years. In the first part, personal constructs about all school subjects were elicited from a group of pupils in their first year of comprehensive school. The interviews were recorded and provided background data for the study. One year later, the same pupils were asked to rate eighteen mathematics topics on the constructs of like/dislike; easy/difficult and useful/not useful. The interviews were again recorded and used to develop categories of pupil beliefs. These were used to develop a number of questions which were later put to the same group. Six weeks later the pupils divided into groups of three and took part in videorecorded problem solving sessions. This provided triangulated observational and oral data to corroborate or refute data from other parts of the study. Finally, approximately one year later, each pupil was asked the questions developed from the second interview categories. These were posed in an open ended form and were also used to develop belief categories. These final categories provided the information on which to compare the beliefs of the study group pupils. The basis for comparison was the pupils' mathematical setting and their positions in yearly examinations. Data from across the study were used to provide case studies of three pupils. The main conclusions were that beliefs and attitudes do affect mathematics performance, but that the effect was not the same for high and low settings; that problem solving ability correlated poorly with setting, and that for individuals it was necessary to examine a constellation of beliefs rather than any single ones.
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Drake, Pat. "Working for learning : mathematics for teaching." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.430957.
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Wei, Quan. "The Effects of Pedagogical Agents on Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Learning." DigitalCommons@USU, 2010. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/624.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the mathematics anxiety treatment messages in a computer-based environment on ninth-grade students' mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. The study also examined whether the impact of the treatment messages would be differentiated by learner's gender and by learner's prior mathematics anxiety levels (High vs. Medium vs. Low). Participants were 161 ninth-grade students, who took a required introductory algebra class in a public high school neighboring Utah State University. The learning environment was integrated with a pedagogical agent (animated human-like character) as a tutor. This study employed a pretest and posttest experimental design. Participants' mathematics anxiety was measured at the beginning and at the end of the intervention; participants' mathematics learning was measured before and after each lesson (four lessons in total). The participants were randomly assigned to work with either an agent presenting mathematics anxiety treatment messages (TR) or an agent without presenting the treatment messages (NoTR). Because of student attrition, only 128 students were included for data analysis. The results suggested that mathematics anxiety treatment messages provided by a pedagogical agent had no impact on student mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. Second, there were no main or interaction effects of the treatment messages and learners' gender on mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. Third, there were significant interaction effects between treatment messages and learner's prior mathematics anxiety levels only on current mathematics anxiety (p < .05). High-anxious students in the TR condition decreased their anxiety more than those in the NoTR condition. Medium-anxious students in the TR condition increased their anxiety whereas those in the NoTR condition decreased their anxiety. Low-anxious students in the TR condition did not change their anxiety whereas those in the NoTR condition increased their anxiety.
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Gür, Hülya. "Learning to teach mathematics and the place of active learning." Thesis, University of Leicester, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/30939.
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This study is concerned with the comparison of "learning to teach' studies in teacher training programmes in Turkey and England with special reference to using active learning approaches and stage theories. It aims to realise the following two main objectives in terms of training programmes: 1. To indicate to what extent the adaptation of an active learning approach in teacher training programmes makes an impact on learning to teach. 2. To describe and compare the similarities and differences in trainees' learning to teach in both training programmes and to make connections with the broader educational policies in Turkish and English Teacher Training Programmes and in Schools. It begins with a literature review of learning to teach and active learning and then examines different aspects of the presentation of the stage theory in terms of the stages trainees go through during their teaching practices in order to reach the "reflective teaching stage'. This present study concludes with the presentation of findings and evaluation of the contribution of this research. The research design combined a qualitative approach in a quantitative framework. Two contrasting training courses were followed through their one-year programmes. Data collection was from classroom observations, examining documents (including official documents and trainees' written documents), semi-structured interview with four trainees and a mathematics subject tutor and questionnaires. English and Turkish versions of the questionnaire were developed, tested and piloted. The English questionnaire was administered (n=12) at the end of the first teaching practice and at the end of the last teaching practice. The Turkish questionnaire was administered (n=57) at the end of the first semester. The aim of conducting the questionnaires was to find out trainees' beliefs and views about teaching and to chart changes in these. In-depth study of how four trainees learn to teach in an English programme is central to the qualitative work in relation to Stage Theory and the place of Active Learning, both in classrooms and university training programmes. Given the centrality of the workplace for training, the study highlights the need to take account of each trainee's learning, in English and Turkish programmes, and to pay more attention to pedagogical content knowledge. If what is learned is influenced by how and where learning occurs, as demonstrated in the present study, then the Active Learning account of the Stage Theory may be an appropriate theoretical model for delimiting the scope of school based training, investigating the practical problems in learning to teach in the English teacher training programme, and adapting the findings to the Turkish Teacher training programme.
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Collins-Browning, Amanda Rashelle. "The Language of Mathematics: Virginia Standards of Learning Mathematical Pictionary for Grades K-3." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2009. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1874.
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My experience teaching in Virginia schools, pacing and aligning instruction to the Virginia Standards of Learning, caused me to recognize the need for a mathematics tool to simplify and transition K-3 mathematics vocabulary usage and instruction. The language of mathematics uses three linguistic tools: words, symbols, and diagrams. Within this thesis I developed an instructional tool, a "Mathematics Pictionary", to accommodate primary grades K-3 and transition mathematical language and vocabulary skills between the primary grades aligned to the instruction and guidelines of the Virginia Standards of Learning. The Pictionary may be used coherently with lesson plans, available from the Virginia Department of Education, for instructional use in teaching mathematical vocabulary usage throughout the primary grade levels, K-3.
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Wong, Yun-yo Chris. "Establishing a virtual learning community for on-line collaborative learning on mathematics /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25148461.
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Graves, Barbara, and Christine Suurtamm. "Disrupting linear models of mathematics teaching|learning." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-79920.
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In this workshop we present an innovative teaching, learning and research setting that engages beginning teachers in mathematical inquiry as they investigate, represent and connect mathematical ideas through mathematical conversation, reasoning and argument. This workshop connects to the themes of teacher preparation and teaching through problem solving. Drawing on new paradigms to think about teaching and learning, we orient our work within complexity theory
(Davis & Sumara, 2006; Holland, 1998; Johnson, 2001; Maturana & Varela, 1987; Varela, Thompson & Rosch, 1991) to understand teaching|learning as a complex iterative process through which opportunities for learning arise out of dynamic interactions. Varela, Thompson and Rosch, (1991) use the term co-emergence to understand how the individual and the environment inform each other and are “bound together in reciprocal specification and selection” (p.174). In particular we are interested in the conditions that enable the co-emergence of teaching|learning collectives that support the generation of new mathematical and pedagogical ideas and understandings. The setting is a one-week summer math program designed for prospective elementary teachers to deepen particular mathematical concepts taught in elementary school. The program is facilitated by recently graduated secondary mathematics teachers to provide them an opportunity to experience mathematics teaching|learning through rich problems. The data collected include
questionnaires, interviews, and video recordings. Our analyses show that many a-ha moments of mathematical and pedagogical insight are experienced by both groups as they work together throughout the week. In this workshop we will actively engage the audience in an exploration of the mathematics problems that we pose in this unique teaching|learning environment. We will present our data on the participants’ mathematical and pedagogical responses and open a discussion of the implications of our work.
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Beckmann, Astrid. "Learning Mathematics through Scientific Contents and Methods." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-79411.
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The basic idea of this paper is to outline a cross-curricular approach between mathematics and science. The aim is to close the often perceived gap between formal maths and authentic experience and to
increase the students’ versatility in the use of mathematical terms. Students are to experience maths as logical, interesting and relevant through extra-mathematical references. Concrete physical or biological correlations may initiate mathematical activities, and mathematical terms are to be understood in logical contexts. Examples: physical experiments can lead to a comprehensive understanding of the concept of functions and of the intersection of medians in triangles. Biological topics can lead to the concepts of similarity and proportion as well as to the construction of pie charts. In the European ScienceMath Project a variety of teaching modules was developed and tested in secondary schools.
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Speer, William R. "Creating Desirable Difficulties to Enhance Mathematics Learning." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-83097.
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Nguyễn. "Learning to teach realistic mathematics in Vietnam." [S.l. : Amsterdam : s.n.] ; Universiteit van Amsterdam [Host], 2005. http://dare.uva.nl/document/18047.
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袁東璇 and Tung-shuen Yuen. "Using ICT in learning and teaching mathematics." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31256570.
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Poon, Ying-ming, and 潘瑩明. "Dialogic learning: experiences in a mathematics club." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2011. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B47055467.
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The reformed Hong Kong mathematics curriculum for the 21st century consists of three components, namely generic skills, values and attitudes and, lastly, traditional cognitive development. The first two are newly emphasized and expanded. Theoretically, these components correspond closely with communication, socioculture and constructivism respectively, which are the central concepts of dialogic learning (DL). In DL, students are autonomously engaged in egalitarian dialogue, in which they share, reflect and form a learning community. Through DL, a student is expected to develop into an all-rounded and life-long learner. Contrary to the reform, dialogue is still deficient in mathematics classrooms. The role of this study is to present examples of students’ experiences in DL, found in the mathematics club of a secondary girls’ school.
This study aims to explore and investigate: (1) the existence of DL in the club, (2) what the members learnt and (3) how they did it. This is an ethnographic research, which emphasizes first hand understanding, grounded theories and thorough intricacies. Therefore, I observed the students’ activities as a participant, interviewed them, and then described, analyzed and interpreted my findings accordingly.
Based on my synthesis of relevant literature and the insight I gained from decades of teaching and otherwise interacting with students, I constructed a pentahedral framework to help investigate DL in a more comprehensive and intensive way. It involves the development of various generic skills and the cultivation of values and attitudes, which are usually unrecognized in examination syllabuses and the old curriculum. It consists of five facets, concerning cognitive knowledge, sharing and negotiation, learning skills, metacognition and values and attitudes.
And here are the findings. All significant elements of DL from literature have been identified to exist in the club. As for what the students learnt, they recalled fruitful experiences in all five facets of the DL pentahedron. These findings were then combined with the learning histories of three subjects to yield four representative learning patterns, namely those of a ‘cognitive developer’, a ‘communicative daily life explorer’, a ‘eureka torchbearer’ and a ‘frustrated sharer-explorer’.
These 4 learning patterns were further combined with (i) the purposes for mathematics study from pure examination results to ‘liberation’ and (ii) the understanding of mathematics learning from pure cognitive knowledge to inclusion of generic skills and values and attitude, to form a conceptual model of learning styles. The styles of the ‘eureka torchbearer’ and the ‘communicative daily life explorer’ were found to be exemplars of the ideals of people who favour the most liberal implementation of the curriculum reform. The ‘frustrated sharer-explorer’ was stuck with the style favoured by conservatives who are against hasty reforms. The ‘cognitive developer’ was somewhere in between.
These findings may contribute to the framework of policy debate on mathematics education. In the school and classroom level, they may help teachers overcome learning disaffection and other difficulties, in both theory and practice. Organizers of extracurricular activities may also be inspired by the students’ rich experiences of dialogic learning.published_or_final_version
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Doctor of Education
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Garner, Brittany. "Impact of Student-Centered Learning in Mathematics." Wittenberg University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=witt1438787129.
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Ausman, Tasha-Ann. "Contested Subjectivities: Loving, Hating, and Learning Mathematics." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/37145.
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This dissertation is a currere study of how five students and their teacher understand their mathematical learning inside a Grade 10 classroom in Quebec. More closely, this research examines how recollections of past, present, and future mathematizing are tied to one’s sense of identity. Through analysing the entries in a teacher journal and the autobiographical stories of former students, identifications with and against common tropes of what it means to be “good” at mathematics were examined. This dissertation thus asks, how do participants in mathematics teaching and learning read their experiences, and why does a study like this matter to the future of the subject or to education overall?
Using the autobiographical Curriculum Studies method of currere, a psychoanalytic stylistic analysis, and a cultural studies component whereby participants were encouraged to respond to the characters in the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory, responses were gathered through individual interviews. Insights were derived from psychoanalytic readings of both transference and countertransference taking place in the learning space and beyond. The researcher’s and participants’ responses were understood through the ways in which the teacher’s emotional world is transferred onto the act of teaching and how, reciprocally, the teacher is addressed through feelings, phantasies, defences, and anxieties. The former students were interviewed with the stages of currere in mind in order to elicit free associative responses that lent insight to the regressive, progressive, and analytic stages. The final, synthetical, stage of currere took place to unpack my identificatory work as a researcher and teacher in the mathematics classroom.
The methodological considerations in this dissertation included outlining the significance of repetitions of language in interviewees’ responses, both individually and collectively. Participants’ responses began to indicate a complex emotional world whereby their categorization in a “lower” mathematics course in high school nevertheless did not trap their identities into common tropes of of negativity, difficulty, and anxiety. Rather, the types of language and frequency of word use signal how the emotional landscape of students’ mathematical lives is shaped by how students perceive teachers to see them as mathematical or not.
This research reveals how mathematics concepts, but more often, pedagogical dynamics, lead to complicated psychological terrain traversed by both teachers and students. I argue that using currere as a methodology readily employable with high school students helps to uncover the complex worlds of mathematical identity formation including the role of societal stereotypes. Furthermore, if educators understand their own dynamics of love and hate in relation to mathematical competence, performance, and pedagogy, they might better foster mutuality between students and teachers overall.
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Liu, Yuting. "Tangram Race Mathematical Game: Combining Wearable Technology and Traditional Games for Enhancing Mathematics Learning." Digital WPI, 2014. https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/etd-theses/1102.
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"The public in general and educational communities are aware of the importance of elementary math education in students' lives, as it establishes a cognitive and motivational foundation to reach higher levels of schooling. However, students usually learn passively in traditional instructivist modes, and tend to get bored and disengaged. In contrast, games can be a useful way to assist education and engage students. This thesis reports on a novel game learning environment for mathematics learning, the Tangrams Race, which attempts to inspire students to learn math, by combining traditional outdoor games and wearable technology in the form of Cyber Watches. The Tangrams Race, a physical game designed for elementary school students to play outdoors, is examined and tested in two studies to show that the game-based learning environment and the technology can enhance learning gains and inspire students interest to learn mathematics."
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Jones, Piet. "Structure learning of gene interaction networks." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86650.
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Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is an ever increasing wealth of information that is being generated regarding biological systems, in particular information on the interactions and dependencies of genes and their regulatory process. It is thus important to be able to attach functional understanding to this wealth of information. Mathematics can potentially provide the tools needed to generate the necessary abstractions to model the complex system of gene interaction. Here the problem of uncovering gene interactions is cast in several contexts, namely uncovering gene interaction patterns using statistical dependence, cooccurrence as well as feature enrichment. Several techniques have been proposed in the past to solve these, with various levels of success. Techniques have ranged from supervised learning, clustering analysis, boolean networks to dynamical Bayesian models and complex system of di erential equations. These models attempt to navigate a high dimensional space with challenging degrees of freedom. In this work a number of approaches are applied to hypothesize a gene interaction network structure. Three di erent models are applied to real biological data to generate hypotheses on putative biological interactions. A cluster-based analysis combined with a feature enrichment detection is initially applied to a Vitis vinifera dataset, in a targetted analysis. This model bridges a disjointed set of putatively co-expressed genes based on signi cantly associated features, or experimental conditions. We then apply a cross-cluster Markov Blanket based model, on a Saccharomyces cerevisiae dataset. Here the disjointed clusters are bridged by estimating statistical dependence relationship across clusters, in an un-targetted approach. The nal model applied to the same Saccharomyces cerevisiae dataset is a non-parametric Bayesian method that detects probeset co-occurrence given a local background and inferring gene interaction based on the topological network structure resulting from gene co-occurance. In each case we gather evidence to support the biological relevance of these hypothesized interactions by investigating their relation to currently established biological knowledge. The various methods applied here appear to capture di erent aspects of gene interaction, in the datasets we applied them to. The targetted approach appears to putatively infer gene interactions based on functional similarities. The cross-cluster-analysis-based methods, appear to capture interactions within pathways. The probabilistic-co-occurrence-based method appears to generate modules of functionally related genes that are connected to potentially explain the underlying experimental dynamics.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is 'n toenemende rykdom van inligting wat gegenereer word met betrekking tot biologiese stelsels, veral inligting oor die interaksies en afhanklikheidsverhoudinge van gene asook hul regulatoriese prosesse. Dit is dus belangrik om in staat te wees om funksionele begrip te kan heg aan hierdie rykdom van inligting. Wiskunde kan moontlik die gereedskap verskaf en die nodige abstraksies bied om die komplekse sisteem van gene interaksies te modelleer. Hier is die probleem met die beraming van die interaksies tussen gene benader uit verskeie kontekste uit, soos die ontdekking van patrone in gene interaksie met behulp van statistiese afhanklikheid , mede-voorkoms asook funksie verryking. Verskeie tegnieke is in die verlede voorgestel om hierdie probleem te benader, met verskillende vlakke van sukses. Tegnieke het gewissel van toesig leer , die groepering analise, boolean netwerke, dinamiese Bayesian modelle en 'n komplekse stelsel van di erensiaalvergelykings. Hierdie modelle poog om 'n hoë dimensionele ruimte te navigeer met uitdagende grade van vryheid. In hierdie werk word 'n aantal benaderings toegepas om 'n genetiese interaksie netwerk struktuur voor te stel. Drie verskillende modelle word toegepas op werklike biologiese data met die doel om hipoteses oor vermeende biologiese interaksies te genereer. 'n Geteikende groeperings gebaseerde analise gekombineer met die opsporing van verrykte kenmerke is aanvanklik toegepas op 'n Vitis vinifera datastel. Hierdie model verbind disjunkte groepe van vermeende mede-uitgedrukte gene wat gebaseer is op beduidende verrykte kenmerke, hier eksperimentele toestande . Ons pas dan 'n tussen groepering Markov Kombers model toe, op 'n Saccharomyces cerevisiae datastel. Hier is die disjunkte groeperings ge-oorbrug deur die beraming van statistiese afhanklikheid verhoudings tussen die elemente in die afsondelike groeperings. Die nale model was ons toepas op dieselfde Saccharomyces cerevisiae datastel is 'n nie- parametriese Bayes metode wat probe stelle van mede-voorkommende gene ontdek, gegee 'n plaaslike agtergrond. Die gene interaksie is beraam op grond van die topologie van die netwerk struktuur veroorsaak deur die gesamentlike voorkoms gene. In elk van die voorgenome gevalle word ons hipotese vermoedelik ondersteun deur die beraamde gene interaksies in terme van huidige biologiese kennis na te vors. Die verskillende metodes wat hier toegepas is, modelleer verskillende aspekte van die interaksies tussen gene met betrekking tot die datastelle wat ons ondersoek het. In die geteikende benadering blyk dit asof ons vermeemde interaksies beraam gebaseer op die ooreenkoms van biologiese funksies. Waar die a eide gene interaksies moontlik gebaseer kan wees op funksionele ooreenkomste tussen die verskeie gene. In die analise gebaseer op die tussen modelering van gene groepe, blyk dit asof die verhouding van gene in bekende biologiese substelsels gemodelleer word. Dit blyk of die model gebaseer op die gesamentlike voorkoms van gene die verband tussen groepe van funksionele verbonde gene modelleer om die onderliggende dinamiese eienskappe van die experiment te verduidelik.
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Hwang, Jihyun. "Bridge the gap between cognitive attributes and mathematics achievement: which cognitive attributes for mathematical modeling contribute to better learning in mathematics?" Diss., University of Iowa, 2018. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/6145.
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Mathematical modeling is a thinking process that applies various sets of cognitive attributes – one component of intellectual resources (i.e., cognitive resources). Students are able to develop cognitive attributes when they engage in mathematical modeling activities. Furthermore, using many of the cognitive attributes developed during the mathematical modeling process, students solve mathematics problems, for example, in assessments. Examining students’ mastery of these cognitive attributes, we can investigate relationships between students’ cognitive development through mathematical modeling practices in classrooms and their performance on mathematics assessments. The purpose of this research is to quantitatively and empirically investigate the relationships between students’ development of mathematics cognitive attributes and their achievement. For the current study, we selected the four cognitive attributes representing different stages of the mathematical modeling practices – select, analyze, compute, and represent. The generalized DINA (deterministic inputs, noisy “and” gate) is applied to generate students’ mastery profiles of the cognitive attributes from their responses to test items. Using students’ mastery profiles as datasets, three secondary analysis studies are conducted with linear regression analysis and multivariate approach to repeated measure ANOVA. The findings show that development of the four cognitive attributes in mathematical modeling is positively related to mathematics achievement. In addition, students, who developed select and compute throughout 4th to 8th grades, scored higher in mathematics assessment with large degrees of effects. The findings suggest important implications to teachers: Students need to have opportunities develop a wide range of cognitive attributes of mathematical modeling, which would result in higher achievement. Teachers need to have instructional emphases on different stages of mathematical modeling depending on grade levels: students’ representing a solution at elementary-school levels; and analyzing a problem situation and selecting strategies at middle-school levels. The study also suggests teachers shift an instructional emphasis from learning mathematics contents to high-order thinking like mathematical modeling to accomplish higher mathematics achievement.
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Du, Buisson Lise. "Machine learning in astronomy." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15502.
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The search to find answers to the deepest questions we have about the Universe has fueled the collection of data for ever larger volumes of our cosmos. The field of supernova cosmology, for example, is seeing continuous development with upcoming surveys set to produce a vast amount of data that will require new statistical inference and machine learning techniques for processing and analysis. Distinguishing between real objects and artefacts is one of the first steps in any transient science pipeline and, currently, is still carried out by humans - often leading to hand scanners having to sort hundreds or thousands of images per night. This is a time-consuming activity introducing human biases that are extremely hard to characterise. To succeed in the objectives of future transient surveys, the successful substitution of human hand scanners with machine learning techniques for the purpose of this artefact-transient classification therefore represents a vital frontier. In this thesis we test various machine learning algorithms and show that many of them can match the human hand scanner performance in classifying transient difference g, r and i-band imaging data from the SDSS-II SN Survey into real objects and artefacts. Using principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis, we construct a grand total of 56 feature sets with which to train, optimise and test a Minimum Error Classifier (MEC), a naive Bayes classifier, a k-Nearest Neighbours (kNN) algorithm, a Support Vector Machine (SVM) and the SkyNet artificial neural network.
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Waswa, Anne, and Mitchelle Wambua. "Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Sweden : Methods, Resources and Assessment in Mathematics." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för utbildningsvetenskap (UV), 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-45007.
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Sylne, Vladimir. "Impact of Inclusion Teachers' Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Self-Efficacy on the Mathematics Achievement of Learning Disabled Students." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1804.
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Learning disabled (LD) students are put in inclusion classrooms in order to experience the mainstream environment and to receive the same level of education as their regular education counterparts. Unfortunately, LD students do not always get the mathematics education that they deserve because inclusion mathematics teachers are not required to be highly qualified in mathematics. The focus of this study was on the relationship between mathematics anxiety and self-efficacy of inclusion teachers and the academic achievement of the LD students they serve. The theoretical framework of this study involved the concepts of student achievement, teacher efficacy, mathematics anxiety, and best practices in teaching. The research questions of this study involved understanding the impact of inclusion teachers' mathematics anxiety and mathematics self-efficacy on the mathematics achievement of LD students. A quantitative survey design was used, and data were collected from 15 volunteered participating inclusion math teachers using the Learning Mathematics Anxiety subscale; the Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy subscale; a demographic questionnaire; and students' school level state standardized test scores and end-of-course final average in Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra I, or Algebra II. Regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between the variables of mathematics teachers' anxiety, mathematics teachers' self-efficacy, and student achievement. The findings of this study revealed that inclusion teachers' mathematics anxiety and teaching efficacy did not significantly predict mathematics achievement of LD students. The implication for social change is that further research that includes variables other than teacher mathematics anxiety and teaching efficacy is needed to understand mathematics performance of learning disabled students.
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Ulrich, Mary Beth Kachur Donald S. "A study of adult participation in mathematics courses as a function of mathematics anxiety and other variables." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1988. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p8907679.
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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1988.Title from title page screen, viewed September 26, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Donald S. Kachur (chair), John A. Dossey, Marcia D. Escott, Ronald S. Halinski, Larry D. Kennedy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-105) and abstract. Also available in print.
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Blum, Kathleen Mary. "Enhancement of student learning and attitude towards mathematics through authentic learning experiences." Curtin University of Technology, Science and Mathematics Education Centre, 2002. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=14659.
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Research suggests that many high school students are not learning mathematics of value from a personal or an employment perspective. School mathematics often consists of applying memorised algorithms to exercises that do not meaningfully connect with the student's experience, and hence do not lead to the construction of meaningful mathematics concepts by the student. Moreover, most high school mathematics curricula give students a false idea of the essence of mathematics: Instead of understanding mathematics as another powerful lens through which to view the world, and a creative, enjoyable endeavour, it is seen as mere calculation or esoteric gobbledegook. Authentic learning experiences involve a different perspective on both what passes as mathematics and how students learn to mathematise. The study examined high school mathematics knowledge from several perspectives, and sought, through an empirical study, to enhance student learning and attitude towards mathematics through authentic learning. A class of Year 8 students learnt several units of mathematics primarily by authentic methods, using problems or interesting phenomena in the students' own experience, or otherwise meaningful to the student. Qualitative data was collected by multiple methods, including video recordings. Surveys were administered to five classes of Year 8 students and their parents at the beginning and at the end of the semester in which most of the empirical research took place. This allowed a comparison of attitudes towards mathematics between the experimental class and the other classes. A comparison of achievement was also made.The results indicate that employing authentic learning experiences may enhance learning and attitude towards mathematics. However, prior transmission teaching methods presented a significant barrier to student acceptance of authentic learning. Furthermore, there remain grave problems with other aspects of current high school mathematics curricula, specifically the mathematics content and the assessment style, which act against the full implementation of authentic learning. These problems are investigated and possible future paths considered.
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Chung, Kwai-mo, and 鍾貴武. "Effects of cooperative learning on mathematics performance for students with learning difficulties." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1999. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31960820.
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Chan, Cho-kui, and 陳祖鉅. "Collaborative learning on Internet: learning applied mathematics through newsgroup on the net." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31959957.
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王潤和 and Yun-wo Chris Wong. "Establishing a virtual learning community for on-line collaborative learning on mathematics." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B3125651X.
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Chung, Kwai-mo. "Effects of cooperative learning on mathematics performance for students with learning difficulties." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1999. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B21305006.
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Chan, Cho-kui. "Collaborative learning on Internet : learning applied mathematics through newsgroup on the net /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B20057428.
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Wang, Chih yoa. "Secondary School Teachers’ Conceptions of Mathematical Proofs and Their Role in the Learning of Mathematics." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/40462.
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Mathematical proofs are a part of mathematics that involves thinking and reasoning, rather than computation. The conceptions of Ontario high school mathematics teachers, of what they consider to be mathematical proofs and the role proofs have in their teaching practice, were examined through the use of individual interviews (60 minutes per participant) and a focus group discussion (one 90 minute session). The transcripts were each analyzed through emergent coding before themes were formed from comparing codes across transcripts. The interpretive lens included looking at teacher beliefs on the nature of mathematics, roles of proofs, and mathematical authority. The participants distinguished their university experiences with mathematical proofs from their high school teaching experiences. They saw proofs through the Mathematical Process Expectation, Reasoning and Proving, and they also used proof-related words when describing how they would enact Reasoning and Proving. The participants valued the development of argumentation and sense-making, based on logic and reasoning, as an enduring life-skill, and outcome of school mathematics. The perspectives of the participants provided insight on how teachers inform their teaching practice with the Ontario Mathematics Curriculum. It also revealed some thoughts, desires, values, and struggles teachers may face when teaching mathematics.
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Verwey, Johanna Cornelia (Hanlie). "Investigating the interaction of mathematics teachers with learners' mathematical errors." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24743.
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This study investigated the interaction of mathematics teachers with learners’ mathematical errors. The teachers’ verbal interaction with learners’ errors during learning periods and their written interaction in assessment tasks were explored. The study was contextualized in grade 9 secondary school classrooms in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The investigation was epistemologically underpinned by constructivism/socio-constructivism. The investigation was qualitatively approached through four case studies. Structured and semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and learners’ written assessment tasks were employed as sources of data. The participating teachers were described in terms of their beliefs about mathematics, their beliefs about learners’ mathematical errors, their observed prevalent teaching approach and their professed and enacted interaction with learners’ mathematical errors. Within-case and cross-case comparisons ensued. The findings proposed that when teachers believed that the value of learners’ errors was vested in the corrections thereof, rather than employing these opportunities for discussion, valuable opportunities for learners to develop and improve their meta-cognitive abilities might potentially be lost. The findings further indicated that a focus on the mere correction of learners’ errors probably denied learners opportunities to develop a mathematical discourse. The results of the investigation illuminated that an emphasis on achievement during assessment, together with a disapproving disposition towards errors among teachers and learners, were hindrances. They acted as barriers to engendering a socio-constructivist learning environment in which interactions with learners’ errors could enhance learning and establish a negotiating mathematical community. A concurrence between the teachers’ prevalent teaching approach and their mathematical beliefs was confirmed. However, in two of the four cases, a dissonance was revealed between their prevalent teaching approach and their interaction with learners’ errors. Interaction with learners’ mathematical errors was hence identified as a separate and discrete component of a teacher’s practice. The findings suggest the explicit inclusion of error-handling in reform-oriented teacher-training and professional development courses to utilize learners’ mathematical errors more constructively.Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
unrestricted
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Linsell, Chris, and n/a. "Learning algebra in an activity-based mathematics programme." University of Otago. Department of Mathematics & Statistics, 2005. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20061016.161725.
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This thesis presents the findings of a research project which explored students� learning during an activity-based mathematics programme. The research investigated what students learnt about solving linear equations and examined the role of activities in this learning.
The investigation of learning in the classroom was guided by the principles of naturalistic enquiry. A longitudinal study was used to investigate students� learning during a unit of work that that made extensive use of activities and contexts. The longitudinal design of the study allowed the development of algebraic thinking to be investigated. The ideas of both Piaget and Vygotsky suggest that it is necessary to study the process of change in order to understand the thinking of students. A group of four students, two girls and two boys, were studied for twenty-seven lessons with each student interviewed individually within six days of each lesson, using the technique of stimulated recall. All lessons and interviews were recorded for subsequent transcription and analysis.
Learning to solve equations formally, using inverse operations, proved to be difficult for all the students. For two of them, their poor understandings of arithmetic structure and inverse operations were impediments that prevented them from doing more than attempt to follow procedures. Two of the students did succeed in using inverse operations to solve equations, but were still reasoning arithmetically. There was little evidence in the data that any of the students got to the point of regarding equations as objects to act on. They consistently focussed on the arithmetic procedures required for inverse operations. Even by the end of the topic the most able student, like the others, was still struggling to write algebraic statements. One of the most striking features of the results was the slow progress of the students. For at least two of the students, lack of prerequisite numeracy skills provided a good explanation of why this was so. However for the other two, poor numeracy did not appear to be a reason. The findings are, however, perhaps not too surprising. For children learning about arithmetic, the change from a process to an object view, from counting strategies to part/whole strategies, seems a particularly difficult transition to make. To move from a process to an object view of equations appears to be a similarly difficult transition.
The way in which the students made use of the contexts showed that the activities did not directly facilitate the students to develop an understanding of formal solution processes. The students did not usually make use of the contexts when solving equations, working at the abstract symbolic level instead. Although it was hoped that, by engaging students in meaningful activities, the students would construct understandings of formal solution processes, this did not occur. None of the activities used in the study provided a metaphor for the formal method of solving equations. It is suggested that, for a context to be of great value for teaching a mathematical concept, the physical activity should act as a metaphor for the intended mathematical activity.
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Bateman, Mark. "The mathematics learning experiences of four immigrant students." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq21058.pdf.
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Ashfeild, Jean E. "Learning to Teach Primary Mathematics : A Case Study." Thesis, Open University, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.518192.
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