Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Mathematics Study and teaching Thailand'

The purpose of this study is to illustrate how teachers, in a private school in Thailand, organize and plan their mathematic teaching, what material they use and how the teachers challenge the students. In the background, we report briefly about Thailand and the school's history. Then a presentation follows of previous research that has been made within our chosen subject. The theories are linked to our research questions, such as mathematic teaching, mathematic material and gifted students, according to Western literature. You can also find a short summary of the curriculum for mathematics, from the government in Thailand. Trough a qualitative method five interviews with mathematic teachers and observations in their classes have been conducted and this result have been analyzed and discussed. Interview and observation guides were used with the purpose to give the respondents room to develop their reasoning with the help of our follow- up questions. Trough our interviews and observations we have come to a result that shows that the teachers organized their teaching according to a Brain based learning pattern and after the governments curriculum. The mathematic material consisted of mathematic books, laminated sticks, bars, number cards and also of computer programs. The mathematic books were not individualized but played a significant part of the teaching. The plastic material was used to concretize the mathematics. The school had the idea that separating the gifted students from the others in the group was positive for their development. The gifted students were challenged by more difficult mathematics meant for older students and had to work at a higher pace than their peers. The results can not be generalized for all schools in Thailand. When the study is relatively small, it only shows how a part of the mathematics teaching is implemented at the school where the study was conducted.

This study aimed to address the need to make informed curriculum decisions by providing information on instructional approaches and learning outcomes in secondary school mathematics, particularly in the topic of function, that offered possibilities for the use of the graphing calculator. The study investigated the implementation of a more active, inductive approach, including the integration of the graphing calculator, with the algebraic topic of function with Thai mathematics students. The teaching approach was designed in response to the requirements of the Thai National Education Act 1999 and contrasts with the traditional transmission approach currently seen in Thai classroom. In order to move from the traditional teaching and learning strategies, learning processes under the Thai National Education Act 1999 focus on the principle that students are most important in the learning processes, and are capable of learning and self-development. The teaching and learning process should enable the students to develop themselves at their own pace and to the best of their potentiality. The study investigated students' responses to a new teaching approach, their use of the graphing calculator and their developing understanding of the function concept. The teaching experiment included two classes of Year 10 Thai mathematics students who studied in a public school located in the north eastern part of Thailand. Twenty-four students volunteered to participate in these two classes, twelve in each. Three students from each class volunteered to take the roles of key informants. The two classes were taught, Class 2 commencing their program two weeks after Class 1. Both classes were taught by the researcher (called teacher-researcher in the report) assisted by one of the regular teachers at the school. The teacher-researcher is a Thai secondary mathematics teacher with more than twenty years experience. The influence of instruction was monitored through analysis of classroom observations, the teacher-researcher's and classroom teacher's field notes, teacher-researcher and classroom teacher discussions, students' diaries and the key informants' interviews after some teaching episodes. This enabled reflection on each teaching episode with Class 1 and some modifications to the materials for Class 2. At the completion of the teaching program, a function concept questionnaire and function test were administered to the six key informants. The questionnaire and the test were designed to investigate students' concept definition and concept image of function, and to assess each of three aspects of the conceptual knowledge of function, including interpreting a function, modelling a functional situation, and translating between different functional representations and within the same representation. Based on a sequence of student cognitive development and the research theoretical framework (ActionProcess- Object perspective), all six key informants' responses to the questionnaire and the test were classified into four categories, namely an action, a process, a pre-object and an object conception of function. Results indicated that the six key informants were able to use action, process and object conceptions of function as required in various situations. They were mostly able to perform actions on functions whenever there were required. In some situations, they were able to link the necessary processes and properties to solve a problem, but in other situations they were not successful. Although the students had experienced all necessary processes and properties, they had not sufficient time to build the quality links that would enable them to solve problems more reliably. The inductive nature of the teaching program was more limited than originally envisaged. The nature of material, based on the Thai mathematics syllabus, made the use of a more inductive approach with the integrated use of the graphing calculator difficult to achieve. When teaching the classes, the teacher-researcher also had difficulties in moving away from his familiar strategies. Both students and teachers needed a greater time to adapt to these changes. The attitude questionnaire was administered with all students in order to investigate students' confidence in using the graphing calculator and their attitudes toward the collaborative use of the graphing calculator. Findings indicated positive attitudes toward integrating the graphing calculator in the teaching and learning of mathematics. They also indicated that they preferred to work using the graphing calculator on their own first, and then discuss and share results shown on its screen with each other, as well as asking for help when facing difficulties. Data from classroom observations and the key informants' interviews after the lessons were used to determine how and why the graphing calculators were employed in the problem contexts and learning situations. The study indicated that the graphing calculator could be used by the students as a tool to promote their conceptions of function in all three views (an action, a process and an object view of function). The study classified three roles of the graphing calculator used by the students, including a conceptual action representation tool (CART), a conceptual process representation tool (CPRT) and a conceptual object representation tool (CORT). However, students in the study usually attempted to use an algebraic or arithmetic strategy to solve a problem, rather than apply the graphing calculator. The study also identified three stages of the students learning to use the graphing calculator, namely "awareness", "learning the process" and "application of the process". In the stage of the application of the process, the study also identified three roles of the students during the period of using the graphing calculators: student as receiver, an assistant and partner. Results from the study were used to formulate a set of recommendations for Thai educational authorities aimed at assisting teachers and students to move towards meeting the requirements of the 1999 Education Act. Please note: The data of this study was collected entirely in Thailand. All lessons and interviews were conducted in the Thai language and teaching materials were also written in the Thai language. The materials presented in the appendices are translations of the printed materials used in the study. Excerpts of dialogue from the lessons and interviews have also been translated into English. The translations are as near as possible to the original statements in Thai.

A new system-wide educational change has been introduced in Thailand requiring, amongst other things, that technologies for education be utilized in all levels of education. This study focuses on Mathematics Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) designed to provide Thai primary school teachers with an innovative method of assessment, one of the effective tools of new technology to be used in Thai primary schools. This study aims to: (1) construct multiple-choice test items for a Mathematics course on the topic of Equations for Year 6 (Prathom Suksa 6) students in Thailand; (2) calibrate the test items using a Rasch Measurement Model, investigate the validity and reliability of the test data, and set up the items in an item bank for use with Computerized Adaptive Testing; (3) create a computer program for Computerized Adaptive Testing, test the program and modify the program as appropriate; (4) construct and develop an attitudinal questionnaire about the Mathematics Computerized Adaptive Testing; (5) investigate the Mathematics abilities and attitudes to the Mathematics Computerized Adaptive Testing of Thailand Year 6 students; (6) compare the test length, testing time, and mathematics competency for different stopping criteria; and (7) compare the test length and testing time among differences in mathematics competency of the examinees.

The need to understand which factors most strongly affect performance in first-year mathematics programs at Khon Kaen University (KKU), in North Eastern Thailand, provided the main focus of the study which is described. First-year mathematics students in the 1990-1991 academic year, from four KKU faculty groups (Medicine and Nursing, Agriculture, Science and Education, and Engineering) were involved in this study. Research literatures addressing variables which were likely to influence performance in early tertiary mathematical study, and variables associated with difficulties in learning mathematics at the transition from upper secondary school to tertiary studies, were reviewed. The first major aim of the study was to identify the variables which were good predictors of first-year mathematics performance at KKU. Results from stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that the following predictor variables were statistically significant and entered the regression equations for most Faculty groups: School Mathematics Achievement, Self-Esteem, Study Habits in Mathematics, and Faculty of Study. Other predictor variables that sometimes entered regression equations (depending on the Faculty group) were Socio-Economic-Status, Mathematics Language Competence, Mathematics Confidence, Attitude Towards Mathematics, and Gender. Depending on Faculty group, the statistically significant variables accounted for between 11% and 74% of scores on fist-year KKU mathematics examinations. The predictor variables contributed much more to the variance of scores on first-semester mathematics examinations than to the variance of scores on second-semester mathematics examinations. It was also found that scores on the Direct Entry Examination Mathematics test (administered by KKU) and the School Mathematics Achievement test (developed and administered by the author) had stronger correlations with first-year KKU mathematics performance than did scores on the National Entry Examination Mathematics tests (administered by the Thai Ministry of University Affairs). Scores on the three pre-university mathematics achievement test instruments were better predictors of first-semester mathematics performance than of second-semester mathematics performance. It was found that the mean Mathematics Confidence of male students was statistically significantly higher than that of female students, but there were no statistically significant gender differences in Mathematics Misplaced Confidence. Only about 30% of the main sample ( 30% of the male and 30% of the female sample groups) had appropriate confidence in mathematics, that is, they thought their answers were correct when they were, in fact, correct, and they thought they were wrong when they were, in fact, incorrect. So far as Faculty performance differences were concerned, Engineering students had the highest Mathematics Confidence scores, followed by the Medicine and Nursing group of students and the Science and Education group students. Agriculture students had the lowest mean Mathematics Confidence score. No statistically significant differences occurred in Mathematics Misplaced Confidence between different Faculty groups. The second main aim of the study was to investigate why many first-year students experienced difficulties in coping with their mathematics units. A small group of senior secondary mathematics teachers, university mathematics lecturers, and first-year mathematics students were interviewed during the first semester of the 1990-1991 academic year. Interviews were conducted by the author according to a questionnaire format, and were aimed at identifying factors causing difficulty in the transition from senior secondary to university mathematical study. The analysis of the quantitative data together with the interview data indicated that the major sources of difficulty were associated with: (a) students' mathematical abilities; (b) curriculum content; (c) course organisation; (d) students' study habits; (e) instructional styles; and (f) assessment procedures. The results of the investigation are discussed in the light of the relevant literature and related research. The study concludes with recommendations which are addressed to mathematics teachers and education administrators in senior secondary schools in Thailand, to the Thai Ministry of Education, and to the KKU Department of Mathematics.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1995.
Title from title page screen, viewed April 24, 2006. Dissertation Committee: John R. McCarthy, Barbara S. Heyl (co-chairs), Patricia H. Klass, Cherly A. Lubinski. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-114) and abstract. Also available in print.

The aim of our case study is to illustrate what teaching methods the teachers in an elementary school in southern Thailand use and if they motivate the students and in that case, how they do it. In the background we briefly report about Thailand, their school system and their development. The following presentation processes previous research that has been made within our chosen subjects. The theories are linked to our research questions, such as teaching methods, learning environments and approaches to motivate the students. Through a qualitative method ten observations have been conducted and the result of our observations have been analyzed and discussed. The result shows that the teachers in our case study use very personal and different teaching methods. The Ministry of education (2006) describes that the educational reform that took place in Thailand should develop teachers’ education methods to be more student-centered. The result of our observation shows that the teachers are in different stages in this development. Some of the teachers have much to develop before they reach this goal. The teachers also motivate the students differently. Some teachers motivated the students through external motivation where the goal was to pass the examiner’s tests, while others used the students’ internal motivation. The results cannot be generalized for all schools in Thailand. Since the study is relatively small, it only shows how a part of the teachers implemented their teaching at the school where the study was conducted.

Mathematics 436 is the advanced mathematics course offered to students in secondary IV in the province of Quebec. Although the course is designed to challenge students in the advanced stream, it has produced a high number of failures. This study examines the relationship between mathematics anxiety and achievement in Mathematics 436. Fifty-six students from an English high school on the island of Montreal took part in the study. The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale for Adolescents was used to measure the level of mathematics anxiety experienced by the students. In addition, grades from the previous year in mathematics were obtained, as well as grades from the present year, and the final examination. The results of the study suggest that students enrolled in Mathematics 436 experience a high level of mathematics anxiety. As well, higher levels of mathematics anxiety experienced by the students are associated with poor performance in mathematics.

This research was conducted in the English Department of a provincial Thai university. It seeks to address the tension between the priority accorded to English by the Thai government and the relatively low levels of English of most Thai people. The study investigates the potential of the Internet to support students’ English language development, in particular the capacity of the Internet to support students’ English reading development. The research was located in Central Thailand at Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University (NPRU), my own work place. Here I investigated students’ Internet practices and the potential offered by one English language program that incorporated use of the Internet. My focus on this one program enabled me to address questions about my own teaching practices, and about the implications of incorporating the Internet for program design and teaching. The research itself was conducted in two stages. Stage One was an ethnographic investigation of students’ current Internet practices, both in and out of University. Outcomes from Stage One then informed the development of an English language program that incorporated extensive use of the Internet. This program was implemented and evaluated in Stage Two of the research. Outcomes from Stage One of the research revealed that the University students had low overall levels of Internet use, low levels of computer and Internet skills, but generally high levels of interest and enthusiasm, and a belief that the Internet could play a positive role in supporting English language learning. Outcomes from Stage Two confirmed that the Internet was potentially a powerful resource for teaching English. However, they also showed that if the Internet was incorporated fully into a program, rather than simply tacked onto a traditional program, then a major rethinking of program design and pedagogical practices was necessary. The implications of such changes in program design and teaching are addressed in the thesis.

This study explores the relationship between university mathematics teachers' beliefs about the nature of reading mathematics and their practices regarding reading mathematics. It is a response to the calls for reform in mathematics education, particularly to the assertion made by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1989 that not all students can read mathematical exposition effectively and that all students need instruction in how to read mathematics textbooks. It presupposes a collaboration between reading and mathematics teachers to help students learn to read mathematics. The objectives were (1) to examine mathematics teachers' beliefs and practices regarding reading, mathematics, and thereby, reading mathematics; (2) to determine whether the theoretical perspectives implicit in those beliefs and practices could be characterized vis-a-vis the theoretical orientations that inform Siegel, Borasi, and Smith's (1989) synthesis of mathematics and reading; and (3) to determine the relationship, if any, that exists between mathematics teachers' beliefs about reading mathematics and their practices regarding reading mathematics. The synthesis presents dichotomous views of both mathematics and reading: Mathematics is characterized as either a body of facts and techniques or a way of knowing; reading, as either a set of skills for extracting information from text, or a mode of learning. The latter view, in each case, can be characterized as constructivist. The researcher was a participant observer in a university sumner program. The primary participants were fourteen mathematics instructors. Interviews were conducted using a heuristic elicitation technique (Black & Metzger, 1969). Field notes were taken during observations of classroom activities and other non-academic summer program activities. The data were coded using a constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) comparative method. Twelve instructors held conceptions of reading that were consistent with their conceptions of mathematics. Of those twelve, two held conceptions that could be characterized as constructivist; ten held conceptions that were not constructivist. Two instructors held conceptions of reading that were not consistent with their conceptions of mathematics. Of those two, one held a constructivist conception of reading but not of mathematics; one held a constructivist conception of mathematics but not of reading. Teachers' practices reflected their theoretical orientations. The study has implications for teacher education: If teachers' beliefs are related to their practices, then teacher education programs should (1) acknowledge the teachers' existing beliefs and (2) address the theoretical orientations implicit in various aspects of pedagogy.

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.

This study investigated the teaching experiences of six elementary preservice teachers (EPTs), three with high mathematics anxiety and three with low mathematics anxiety, during their student teaching semester. The EPTs were selected from an initial pool of 121 EPTs who took the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale. The cases were compared in a cross case analysis to highlight mathematics teaching experiences among EPTs. Data sources included EPT and researcher journal entries, interview transcripts, pre-lesson surveys, field notes, lesson plans, and artifacts of observed lessons. Data were coded using Shulman’s content knowledge, Graeber’s mathematics pedagogical content knowledge, and mathematics anxiety characteristics. Findings revealed both similarities and differences across EPTs as related to four major categories: (a) planning and resources used, (b) role of the cooperating teacher, (c) content knowledge, and (d) pedagogical content knowledge. All EPTs used mostly direct instruction and relied on the course textbook and their respective cooperating teacher as their primary resources for planning. Additionally, across participants, the cooperating teacher influenced EPTs’ perceptions of students and teaching. Also, EPTs with high mathematics anxiety were weaker with respect to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Findings suggest a need to re-design methods courses to address improving the pedagogical content knowledge of EPTs with mathematics anxiety. Findings also suggest a need to develop content specific mathematics courses for EPTs to improve their content knowledge. Future studies could include a longitudinal study to follow highly anxious EPTs who take content specific elementary mathematics courses to observe their content knowledge and mathematics anxiety.

Thesis (MTech (Mechanical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007
Twelve years into a democracy, South Africa still faces many developmental challenges. Since 2002 Universities of Technology in South Africa have introduced Foundational Programmes/provisions in their Science and Engineering programmes as a key mechanism for increasing throughput and enhancing quality. The Department of Education has been funding these foundational provisions since 2005. This Case Study evaluates an aspect of a Foundational provision in Mechanical Engineering, from the beginning of 2002 to the end of 2005, at a University of Technology, with a view to contributing to its improvemenl The Cape Peninsula University of Technology {CPUn, the locus for this Case Study, is the only one of its kind in a region that serves in excess of 4.5 million people. Further, underpreparedness in Mathematics for tertiary level study is a national and intemational phenomenon. There is thus a social interest in the evaluation of a Mathematics course that is part of a strategy towards addressing the shortage in Engineering graduates. This Evaluation of integration of the Foundation Mathematics course into Foundation Science, within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at CPUT, falls within the ambit of this social need. An integrated approach to cunriculum conception, design and implementation is a widely accepted strategy in South Africa and internationally; this approach formed the basis of the model used for the Foundation programme that formed part of this Evaluation. A review of the literature of the underpinnings of the model provided a theoretical framework for this Evaluation Study. In essence this involved the use of academic literacy theory together with learning approach theory to provide a lens for this Case Study.

A new system-wide educational change has been introduced in Thailand that requires English as a foreign language (EFL) to be taught from primary to university level. This study investigates a genre-based method of teaching English to grade 7 secondary students in Thailand. The study was conducted in three phases. In phase 1, Rasch measures of reading comprehension (based on three kinds of genre texts) and of attitudes and behaviour towards genre-based learning of English were created for use in phase 2. An interval scale of 36 items (18 real and 18 ideal perspectives) was created from an original attitude and behaviour questionnaire of 96 items administered to a sample of 300 grade 7 students. With the some sample, an interval scale of reading comprehension for 18 items was created from an original sample of 60 items. In phase 2 of the study, a controlled experiment in teaching reading involving 90 students from three secondary schools in Ratchburi Thailand was implemented. The students from each school were assigned randomly to an experimental group (45) and a control group (45). The experimental group was taught by using genre-based rhetorical structures (narrative, journalistic, expository) while the control group was taught by a traditional teaching method. A great deal of care was taken to treat the experimental group and the control group the same in every respect except for the teaching method. During phase 3 a discussion group comprising the three heads of English departments and the three trainee teachers in the schools evaluated the results through focused discussions. Results indicated that the experimental group improved in English reading comprehension, and in attitudes and behaviour, significantly more than the control group. The discussion group recommended implementation of a genre-based teaching and learning programme for EFL in teacher training, based on the results. The findings have implications for the training of English teachers, administrators, and teacher educators in Thailand, and for future research in the measurement of educational variables.

The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the teaching of history in teachers colleges in the Metropolitan region and other regions in Thailand. Variables examined in this study include the following: salary, teaching experience, degrees held, the number of graduate credit hours in history, the number of graduate credit hours in education, attendance at professional meetings, the number of publications, membership in professional organizations, the number of hours devoted to course preparations, teaching load, and teaching behaviors. The comparison is based on geographical location of the teachers colleges by region. The survey instrument, after intensive review and validation by selected faculty both in Thailand and the United States, was distributed to the 180 history instructors in the teachers colleges in the six major regions of Thailand. The total number of responses was 138, or 76.7 per cent. The statistical procedures used in the analyses of data include frequency and percentage of responses, a chi square test of independence, t test, the Yates* correction for continuity, and Fisher's Exact Probability Test (2-tailed). The data findings from this study indicate that there is a high degree of similarity between the respondents from the Metropolitan region and other regions' history instructors in Thai teachers colleges with respect to the majority of the criteria. Although some significant differences were found, it would be difficult to state that there is a difference between history instructors in the Metropolitan region and other regions groups. Recommendations are made for the history instruction programs in Thailand based on the responses from both groups and the information gathered from a review of the literature.

The major purpose of this study was to determine what differences exist among groups of social studies student-teachers, instructors, and administrators in eight teachers colleges in Northern Thailand regarding their perceptions of the importance of selected social studies teaching competencies.

Thc early years of life arc crucial in shaping long term outcomes for children. Many research studies consistently demonstrate that families have the greatest impllct on the young. In this research. Contemporary parenting was compared with parenting skills based on recent eurobiological research in relation to child development. These new parenting skills were taught through a Brain Development Based - Maternal Training Package (BDB-MTP). The partciipants consisted of 78 Mothers and their 78 preschool children. divided into two equal groups. A range of measures were taken hefore the cummnencement of the program, on cumpletion., and d five months later. For the parents, these measures includeda parent t questionnaire and the Parent Stress Index. Fur the children. the Preschool Readiness Inventury and Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales were used. The findings revealed that the mothers who used the BDB-MTP had significantly higher knowledge of brain developmcnt based parenting than those in the control group immediately after completing the intervention and this difference was maintained five months later. There were no significant differences in mothers' stress levels across time or group.

This thesis investigates the different approaches adopted by two teachers for teaching mathematical content at the upper primary level of education. Questions have been raised by researchers about the impact teachers' philosophical background may have on their perception of how mathematics should be taught. Similarly questions have been asked about the role of content in mathematics education in relation to the process of education. The two teachers held different beliefs about what they were doing when they were teaching mathematics and why they were teaching that way. Their methodological emphases were different; one could be described as being more learner-centred and the other as more content-centred. This case study research analysed classroom observations, and interviews with the teachers and the students, collected over a twelve month period. The results indicated a difference in perception being expressed by the students in each class, about the mathematics they were being taught and its function in their own lives. The outcomes of this study were concerned with the impact of each teaching methodology. The qualitative nature of the research provides readers with data which may help them to make informed choices about approaches to teaching mathematics. Most importantly this study highlights the factors which may have an impact on how a teacher elects and/or feels constrained to deliver set mathematics curriculum.

This qualitative study reports on critical reflective teaching by three mathematics teachers and how it shapes their classroom practice. The study was carried out in three secondary schools in Rundu in northern Namibia. The study employed a case study method. The selection of teachers was based on their rich practical professional knowledge and exemplary teaching practices. Data collection and analysis was done through an interpretive approach. Interviews and document analyses were the two research tools used, not only for the collection of data but for triangulation also. Interpretations of the findings were validated through member checking. Critical reflective teaching involves thought and action, and it raises teachers’ consciousness of what they do. Through critical reflective practice, teachers scrutinize their beliefs and knowledge of the subject and their practice. Furthermore critical reflective practice may get teachers into a disposition to find alternatives to improve their teaching. In this study, the findings are that participants reflect extensively on their classroom practice. The teachers pointed out that reflection on practice enables them to analyse and evaluate their teaching in line with effective mathematics teaching. They emphasised that critical reflection leads to the identification of weaknesses in teachers’ classroom practice. This culminates in better planning whereby alternative approaches to teaching are exercised. Because of its potential to improve teaching and enhance professional development it is therefore recommended that mathematics teachers be exposed to skills that enhance critical reflective teaching practice. Teachers need to familiarise themselves with the concept of critical reflective teaching in mathematics to meet the demands of superior quality teaching.

Federal dollars are utilized to develop instructional programs for students not demonstrating mathematical proficiency on state standardized mathematics assessments, but there is a lack of empirical data on the effectiveness of two different approaches that were used in the local context. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, casual-comparative study was to determine if state achievement test scores of students in fourth grade who received instruction from a Mathematics Specialist (MS) during the 2007-2009 academic years demonstrated a statistically significant difference from the mathematics state achievement test scores of fourth grade students who received instruction from Grades 1-8 credentialed teachers supported by a Math Coach (MC) during the 2012-2014 academic years. The theoretical base includes two components: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and Federal No Child Left Behind educational policy, which focus on standards-based education, curriculum, assessment, and instruction to meet students' mathematical needs. Data was collected from a census sample of 13,671 students' state scores from school years 2007-2008, 2008-2009 (MS) and 2012-2013, 2013-2014 (MC). The research question was whether there is a difference in MS and MC scores. An independent samples t test was used to compare the means of all the scores. The results show that the MS program produced statistically higher math scores than the MC. This supports the limited literature in favor of MS. Positive social change includes supporting increasing the use of the MS program in the local context to increase mathematics test scores and the potential for redistribution of federal funds to develop MS programs nationwide.

The thesis presents the analytical process and the findings of a study on: lecturers teaching practice with first year undergraduate mathematics modules; and lecturers knowledge for teaching with regard to students mathematical meaning making (understanding). Over three academic semesters, I observed and audio-recorded twenty-six lecturers teaching to a small group tutorial of two to eight first year students, and I discussed with the lecturers about their underlying considerations for teaching. The analysis of this thesis focuses on a characterisation of each of three (of the twenty-six) lecturers teaching, which I observed for more than one semester. I chose the teaching of three experienced lecturers, due to diversity in terms of ways of engaging the students with the mathematics, and due to my consideration of their commitment to teaching for students mathematical meaning making. The distinctive nature of the study is concerned with the conceptualisation of university mathematics teaching practice and knowledge within a Vygotskian perspective. In particular, I used for the characterisation of teaching practice and of teaching knowledge the notions tool-mediation and dialectic from Vygotskian theory. I also used a coding process grounded to the data and informed by existing research literature in mathematics education. I conceptualised teaching practice into tools for teaching and actions with tools for teaching (namely strategies). I then conceptualised teaching knowledge as the lecturers reflection on teaching practice. The thesis contributes to the research literature in mathematics education with an analytical framework of teaching knowledge which is revealed in practice, the Teaching Knowledge-in-Practice (TKiP). TKiP analyses specific kinds of lecturer s knowing for teaching: didactical knowing and pedagogical knowing. The framework includes emerging tools for teaching (e.g. graphical representation, rhetorical question, students faces) and emerging strategies for teaching (e.g. creating students positive feelings, explaining), which were common or different among the three lecturers teaching practice. Overall, TKiP is produced to offer a dynamic framework for researcher analysis of university mathematics teaching knowledge. Analysis of teaching knowledge is important for gaining insights into why teaching practice happens in certain ways. The findings of the thesis also suggest teaching strategies for the improvement of students mathematical meaning making in tutorials.

The Teaching Abstract Algebra for Understanding (TAAFU) project was centered on an innovative abstract algebra curriculum and was designed to accomplish three main objectives: to produce a set of multi-media support materials for instructors, to understand the challenges faced by mathematicians as they implemented this curriculum, and to study how this curriculum supports student learning of abstract algebra. Throughout the course of the project I took the lead investigating the teaching and learning in classrooms using the TAAFU curriculum. My dissertation is composed of three components of this research. First, I will report on a study that aimed to describe the experiences of mathematicians implementing the curriculum from their perspective. Second. I will describe a study that explores the mathematical work done by teachers as they respond to the mathematical activity of their students. Finally, I will discuss a theoretical paper in which I synthesize aspects of the instructional theory underlying the TAAFU curriculum in order to develop an analytic framework for analyzing student learning. This dissertation will serve as a foundation for my future research focused on the relationship between teachers' mathematical work and the learning of their students.

This qualitative study addressed the perceptions toward the study of mathematics by middle school students who had formerly been in a remedial mathematics program. The purpose of the study was to explore the past experiences of nine students in order to determine what is needed for them to feel successful in mathematics. The conceptual framework of the study was grounded in philosophies of motivation, including achievement goal theory, self-worth theory, self-efficacy theory, expectancy-value theory, and attribution theory. The study used a phenomenological research design to answer the key research question, which focused upon the experiences of students and the meaning that was given to these experiences. Data were collected and analyzed from individual interviews with 9 students and a focus group session. The findings of the study revealed that participants' past experiences influenced their current attitudes about the study of mathematics. Perceptions of mathematical ability, history of success or failure with grades, and the influence of the teacher and peers in the learning environment most influenced students' attitudes about mathematics. Moreover, current feelings impact the degree to which a student puts forth effort in the study of mathematics, and the relationship with the mathematics teacher had the greatest impact on student attitudes. To improve the perceptions that students have about the study of mathematics, expanded professional development opportunities may bring increased awareness of students' perceptions of the study of mathematics, and develop remedial mathematics programs that remove the negative stigma associated with them. The research study could lead to social change as its purpose is to improve student achievement in mathematics through changes in the remedial mathematics program.

xi, 86 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
After spending the day learning in elementary school, most children across the United States are given homework , assignments to be completed outside of the regular school day. Most research on homework conducted in elementary schools focuses on the relationship between achievement and time spent on homework. Little, if any, research has investigated the types of mathematics homework assigned to elementary students and its relationship to achievement. Given the continued practice of assigning homework and the gap in literature regarding research that investigates type of homework, as well as the paucity of homework research at the elementary level, there is a need for further research. Thus, the focus of this dissertation was to investigate the type of mathematics homework assigned to fifth-grade students, their interaction with the assigned homework and the relationship to achievement on a statewide test. This exploratory descriptive study used a convenience sample of fifth-grade students from a school district in the Pacific Northwest to examine the type of mathematics homework assigned to fifth-grade students, their interaction with the assigned homework, and the relationship between the homework students completed and their achievement on the statewide standardized test in mathematics. The majority of homework collected was correctly completed Direct Contact Practice homework. Furthermore, the mathematical strand of Calculations and Estimations was the most frequently assigned strand. Correlational analysis indicated that weak correlations with student total RIT scores on the statewide standardized test in mathematics existed in several areas. There was a correlation of .29 between the number of correct homework interactions and state test score, a correlation of .36 between the number of Direct Contact Practice homework and the RIT score, a -.28 correlation between the number of Other homework items completed and the RIT score, and a .26 correlation between the total number of homework interactions and RIT score. When the relationship between homework categorized by math strand and the state stranded math score was examined, there was a .36 correlation between the number of Algebra homework interactions and score on the algebra strand of the statewide mathematics assessment. Limitations of the study are discussed and recommendations for future research are presented.
Committee in charge: Gerald Tindal, Chairperson, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Keith Zvoch, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Philip McCullum, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Lou Moses, Outside Member, Psychology

A key issue for the success of students entering a first year mathematics course at tertiary level is whether or not they have an integrated understanding and view of the mathematical concepts acquired at school. Various integrated applications from first year mathematics suggest that a compartmentalised view of mathematics would be detrimental to any student's chances of passing mathematics at this level. This study tried to assess whether learners do have an integrated understanding of mathematics at grade 12 level.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In many countries, due to a growing criticism of the inadequacy of mathematics curricula, reforms have been undertaken across the world for meeting new social and technological needs and many researchers have begun to pay attention to the way mathematics is learned and taught. In the same vein, this study aims to investigate innovative and appropriate teaching strategies to introduce in the Rwandan educational system in order to foster students' mathematical thinking and problem solving skills. For this, a classroom-based research experiment was undertaken, focusing on meticulous observation, description and critical analysis of mathematics teaching and learning situations. In the preparation of the research experiment, three mathematics teachers were helped to acquire proficiency in doing mathematics and to refine their teaching strategies, as well as to enable them to create a mathematics classroom culture that fosters students' understanding of mathematics through the problem solving process. Three classes of 121 students of the second year, their ages ranging from 14 years to 16 years, chosen from three different secondary schools in Rwanda, participated in this research experiment. Students were taught an experimental programme based on solving contextualised algebra problems in line with the constructivist approach towards mathematics teaching and learning. Twenty-four mathematics lessons were observed in the three classes and students' learning activities were systematically recorded, focusing on teacher-students and student-student interaction. The participating teachers experienced many difficulties in implementing new teaching strategies based on a problem solving approach but were impressed and encouraged by their students' abilities to generate different and unexpected ways of solving problem situations. However, the construction of mathematical models of non-routine problems constituted the most difficult task for many students because it required a high level of abstraction, characterising algebraic reasoning. Despite evident cognitive obstacles, a substantial improvement in students' systematic reasoning with respect to the different steps in the problem solving process, namely formulating a mathematical model, solving a model, verifying the solution and interpreting the answer, was progressively observed during the experiment. Many students had to overcome a language problem, which inhibited their understanding and interpretation of mathematical problem situations and deeply affected their active participation in classroom discussions. In this study, small group work and group discussions gave rise to excellent and successful teaching and learning situations which were appreciated and continuously improved up by the teachers. They provided students with opportunities for learning to argue about their mathematical thinking and to communicate mathematically. This kind of classroom organisation created an ideal learning environment for students but an uncomfortable teaching situation for teachers. It required much effort from the teachers to transform the mathematics classroom into a forum of discussion in setting up stimulating and challenging tasks for students, in working efficiently with different groups and in moderating the whole class discussion. It was unrealistic to expect spectacular changes in teaching practices established over years to take place during a period of a month. This type of change requires sufficient time and support. However, teachers did develop a new and practical vision of mathematics teaching strategies focusing on students' full engagement in exploring and grappling with problematic situations in order to solve problems. Teachers made remarkable efforts in internalising and adopting their new role of mediators of students' mathematics learning and in being more flexible in their teaching styles. They learned to communicate with their students, to accept students' explanations and suggestions, to encourage their logical disagreement and to consider their errors and misconceptions constructively. Students' results in the pre-test and the post-test showed their low performance in building mathematical models especially when they had to use symbols but revealed a significant progress in the students' ways of thinking which was observed through the variety and originality of their strategies, their systematic work and their perseverance in solving algebra problems. Students also developed positive attitudes to do mathematics; this was exhibited by their pride and satisfaction to accomplish nonroutine tasks by themselves. Teachers' comments indicated that they work under pressure to cover an overloaded mathematics curriculum and have poor support from educational authorities. For them, mathematics IS socially considered as a difficult subject. For many students, mathematics IS a gatekeeper to access higher levels of education; to fail in mathematics unfortunately implies to fail at school and in life. Students' negative attitudes towards mathematics were mainly due to their repeated failures in mathematics, but also to some mathematics teachers who intimidate and discourage their students. Both educational authorities and teachers should make efforts to rethink an appropriate mathematics curriculum and alternative teaching strategies in order to efficiently prepare students to meet new societal and technological requirements.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: As gevolg van toenemende kritiek oor die kwaliteit van wiskundekurrikula, is bewegings vir hervorming wêreldwyd geïnisieer om nuwe sosiale en tegnologiese behoeftes aan te spreek en baie navorsing is gedoen oor die wyse waarop wiskunde geleer en onderrig word. In lyn hiermee, is die doel van hierdie studie om innoverende en geskikte onderrigstrategieë te ondersoek om in die Rwandese onderwysstelsel in te voer om leerders se wiskundige denke en probleemoplossingsvaardighede te ontwikkel. Om dit te bereik, is 'n klaskamergebaseerde navorsingseksperiment uitgevoer, met die klem op fyn waarneming, beskrywing en kritiese ontleding van wiskunde leer- en onderrigsituasies. As voorbereiding tot die navorsingseksperiment is drie wiskunde-onderwysers gehelp om vaardighede te verwerf in die doen van wiskunde en om hulonderrigstrategieë te verfyn, asook om hulle in staat te stelom 'n wiskunde-klaskamerkultuur te vestig wat leerders se begryping van wiskunde deur die probleemoplossingsproses ontwikkel. Drie klasse van 121 leerders in die tweede jaar, tussen 14 en 16 jaar oud, is uit drie verskillende hoërskole in Rwanda gekies om aan die navorsing deel te neem. Die leerders is deur middel van 'n eksperimentele program onderrig wat gebaseer is op die oplossing van gekontekstualiseerde algebraprobleme in ooreenstemming met 'n konstruktivistiese benadering tot wiskunde-leer en -onderrig. Vier-en-twintig wiskundelesse is in die drie klaskamers waargeneem en leerders se leeraktiwiteite is stelselmatig opgeskryf, met die klem op onderwyser-leerder en leerder-leerder interaksie. Die betrokke onderwysers het baie probleme ondervind om nuwe onderrigstrategieë gebaseer op 'n probleemoplossingsbenadering te implementeer, maar was baie beïndruk en begeesterd deur hulleerders se vermoë om verskillende en onverwagte planne te beraam om probleme op te los. Die opstelling van wiskundige modelle vir nie-roetine probleme was vir baie leerders die moeilikste taak omdat dit 'n hoë vlak van abstraksie wat kenmerkend is van algebraïese denke verteenwoordig. Ten spyte van kognitiewe struikelblokke was daar nogtans 'n merkbare verbetering in leerders se logiese redeneringsprosesse soos geopenbaar in die toepassing van die verskillende stappe van die probleemoplossingsproses, naamlik die formulering van 'n wiskundige model, die oplossing van die model, verifiëring van die oplossing en interpretasie van die antwoord. Baie studente is gekniehalter deur 'n taalprobleem wat hul begrip en interpretasie van wiskundige probleemsituasies en hul vrymoedigheid om aan klaskamergesprekke deel te neem, aan bande gelê het. Inhierdie studie het kleingroepwerk en groepbesprekings suksesvolle onderrig- en leersituasies geskep wat deur die onderwysers raakgesien en verder uitgebou is. Dit het geleenthede geskep vir die leerders om oor hul wiskundige denke te argumenteer en om wiskundig te kommunikeer. Hierdie soort klaskamerorganisasie het 'n ideale leeromgewing vir leerders geskep maar 'n ongemaklike onderrigomgewing vir onderwysers. Dit het baie van onderwysers geverg om die wiskundeklaskamer in 'n gespreksforum te omskep deur stimulerende en uitdagende probleme aan leerders te stel, deur met verskillende groepe te werk en deur die algemene klaskamerbesprekings te fasiliteer. Dit was onrealisties om binne die bestek van 'n maand grootskaalse veranderinge in onderwyspraktyke wat oor 'n tydperk vanjare posgevat het, te verwag. Hierdie soort verandering benodig genoeg tyd en ondersteuning. Onderwysers het nogtans 'n nuwe en praktiese visie ontwikkel van wiskunde-onderrigstrategieë wat fokus op leerders se betrokkenheid by die ondersoek en oplossing van probleme wat vir hulle uitdagend en nie-roetine was. Onderwysers het daadwerklike pogings aangewend om hul nuwe rolle as mediators te internaliseer en te aanvaar, en om meer soepel onderrigstyle te ontwikkel. Hulle het geleer om met hulleerders te kommunikeer, om leerders se verduidelikings en voorstelle te aanvaar, om logiese argumentering aan te moedig en om foute en wankonsepte konstruktief te benader. Leerders se resultate in die voor- en na-toetse dui op swak vermoë om wiskundige modelle te bou veral wanneer hulle simbole moes gebruik, maar wys beduidende vordering in leerders se denke, wat gemanifesteer het in die verskeidenheid en oorspronklikheid van hul strategieë, hul sistematiese werk en hul voortgesette pogings om algebraprobleme op te los. Leerders het ook positiewe instellings teenoor die doen van wiskunde ontwikkel; dit is getoon deur hul trots en tevredenheid wanneer hulle self nie-roetine take opgelos het. Onderwysers se kommentaar openbaar dat hulle onder druk werk om 'n oorlaaide wiskundekurrikulum af te handel en dat hulle min ondersteuning van onderwyshoofde kry. Hulle sê ook dat wiskunde deur die breë gemeenskap as 'n moeilike vak beskou word. Vir baie leerders is wiskunde 'n hekwagter wat toegang tot verdere onderwys en opleiding beheer; om in wiskunde te faal beteken om op skool te faal en om in die lewe te faal. Leerders se negatiewe instellings teenoor wiskunde was hoofsaaklik as gevolg van hul herhaalde mislukkings in skoolwiskunde maar ook as gevolg van sommige wiskunde-onderwysers wat hulleerders intimideer en ontmoedig. Beide onderwyshoofde en onderwysers behoort pogings aan te wend om te besin oor 'n geskikte wiskundekurrikulum en alternatiewe onderrigstrategieë om leerders meer doeltreffend voor te berei om aan nuwe sosiale en tegnologiese eise te voldoen.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of the physics instructors, major-physics students, and nonmajor-physics students regarding actual teaching performance and effective teaching performance. The sample consisted of a total of 56 physics instructors, 120 major-physics students, and 120 nonmajor-physics students at eight public universities in Thailand. A total of 53 physics instructors or 94.64 percent, 101 major-physics students or 84.17 percent, and 107 nonmajor-physics students or 89.17 percent responded in this study. Multivariate analysis of variance, univariate analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple regression were used in the follow-up assessment, with the .05 level of significance. The physics instructors, major-physics students, and nonmajor-physics students perceived actual teaching performance in class to be significantly different from effective teaching performance. The three groups rated actual teaching performance on every factor to be less than sffective teaching. There was a significant difference between the physics instructors' perceptions and the major-physics students' perceptions regarding actual teaching performance, and also there was a significant difference between the physics instructors' perceptions and the nonmajor-physics students' perceptions regarding actual teaching performance. However, there was no significant difference between major-and nonmajor-physics students' perceptions regarding actual teaching performance. There was no significant difference among the perceptions of the physics instructors, major-physics students, and nonmajor-physics students regarding effective teaching performance. The variables of sex and the highest degree were the significant predictors of the physics instructors' perceptions regarding actual teaching performance. The variable of GPA was the significant predictor of the nonmajor-physics students' perceptions regarding actual teaching performance.

The intention of this study was to explore the relationships between Thai middle school girls' and boys' attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and mathematics achievement, future mathematics coursework intentions, and career interests. Participants in this study were 523 students who were enrolled in The Chiang Mai University Demonstration School during the first semester of the 1999 school year. In order to measure the students' attitudes and beliefs about mathematics, a questionnaire was developed from the Fennema-Sherman Attitudes Scale (Mulhern & Rae, 1998) and Indiana Mathematics Beliefs Scale (Kloosterman & Stage, 1992). Students' mathematics achievement was obtained from their final mathematics grades at the end of the semester. Students' future mathematics coursework intentions questionnaire was developed from Throndike-Christ's (1991) study. Finally, students' career interests questionnaire was rated according to Goldman and Hewitt's (1976) science/math continuum. The findings revealed that Thai middle school students had positive attitudes and beliefs about mathematics. The students had good mathematics achievement and demonstrated a moderate likelihood to take optional future mathematics coursework. Many students were interested in careers related to mathematics and science fields. Focusing on grade level, those students in higher grades expressed lower motivation, confidence in learning mathematics, and mathematics achievement. On the other hand, they showed stronger beliefs about mathematics as a male domain and the usefulness of mathematics and had stronger interests in careers related to mathematics and science fields than students in lower grades. Overall, no gender differences in motivation and confidence in learning mathematics surfaced. However, gender differences favoring boys were found in students' beliefs about mathematics as a male domain, the usefulness of mathematics, the importance of understanding concepts in mathematics, and increasing mathematical ability by effort. Boys also indicated more willingness to take optional mathematics coursework and displayed stronger interests in careers related to mathematics and science fields. The only gender difference favoring girls was mathematics achievement. The regression findings revealed that attitudes and beliefs about mathematics variables were predictive of students' mathematics achievement, future mathematics coursework intentions, and career interests.
Graduation date: 2000

The study investigated the impact of Thai preservice middle school mathematics teachers' knowledge of subject matter and of students' conceptions of division of rational numbers with respect to their classroom practices in a teaching environment controlled by a required national curriculum. Four preservice teachers were selected with different knowledge of subject matter and of students' conceptions of division of rational numbers: high knowledge of subject matter and high knowledge of students' conceptions, high knowledge of subject matter and low knowledge of students' conceptions, low knowledge of subject matter and high knowledge of students' conceptions, and low knowledge of subject matter and low knowledge of students' conceptions. Each preservice teacher was observed three weeks, each class day during the teaching of units on division of decimals, representing fractions as decimals, and division of fractions. Formal interviews were conducted with each of the four preservice teachers prior to and after teaching each unit. Informal interviews were conducted prior to and after teaching each lesson. Materials used in the normal teaching of the class were collected. Interviews with the preservice teachers' mentors were conducted before and after each unit. The mentors were interviewed daily before or after the instruction. Interviews with supervisors were conducted each time they supervised the preservice teachers. Results showed that all preservice teachers planned and taught division of rational numbers procedurally following an algorithmically-based national curriculum. The preservice teachers with higher subject matter knowledge used multiple examples. They could make up examples when the students asked questions. In contrast, the lower subject matter knowledge preservice teachers rarely created new examples while they were teaching. The high knowledge of students' conceptions preservice teachers used their knowledge of students' conceptions throughout the lessons more often than the low knowledge of students' conceptions preservice teachers. After teaching the lessons, they all gained knowledge of subject matter and of students' conceptions of division of rational numbers. The depth of knowledge of subject matter and of students' conceptions of division of rational numbers is as essential for preservice middle school mathematics teachers' teaching in a nonvoluntary curriculum as it is in a voluntary curriculum.
Graduation date: 2003

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable, instrument for determining the mathematics subject matter knowledge of Thai preservice elementary teachers at eight (8) teachers' colleges in eight (8) provinces in northern Thailand. The focus of the content of interest was the operation of division of rational numbers in the context of an appropriate taxonomy of the cognitive domain categories suggested by Wilson (1971). The Delphi technique, item analysis, and "known group" techniques were utilized in the instrument development phases of the study. Hypotheses were tested to determine whether significant differences existed between colleges and between teachers with different backgrounds. The dependent variable was the mean test score for preservice teachers at eight Thai teachers' colleges. The study included the testing of significance for colleges, background, and whether there was significant interaction between colleges and teachers' backgrounds (liberal arts and science). The pilot instrument consisted of 52 items representing four cognitive levels (computation, comprehension, application, and analysis). Based on an analysis of pilot test data, 10 items were eliminated. The final draft instrument consisted of 42 items and was administered to 272 preservice elementary teachers. When field test data were analyzed and compared to "known group" data, 10 items were found to be outside of the acceptability range for difficulty. Item difficulty was used for selecting items for inclusion in the final instrument to measure the operation of division of rational numbers with Thai college preservice elementary teachers. This step in the research served to reduce the number of test items to 32, which constituted the content for the final instrument. The internal consistency reliability was .81 for the 42-item instrument. Content and construct validity were verified by various procedures.
Graduation date: 1994

The purpose of this study was to investigate solution strategies that Thai second graders used to solve addition and subtraction word problems. Fifty-eight children participated in this study, 40 children took a written test, and 18 children participated in an interview. In addition, two classrooms were selected for observation, and six second-grade teachers completed a questionnaire regarding their understanding of mathematical problem solving. The results indicated that Thai children in this study were successful in solving addition and subtraction word problems. For addition word problems, the compare problem and the join problem were the easiest problems. The combine problem was moderately difficult. For subtraction word problems, the compare problem and the separate problem were easy while the combine problem was difficult. The join problem was the most difficult subtraction word problem. Since word problems used in this study contained mostly two-digit numbers, Thai children in this study used knowledge such as borrowing, carrying and regrouping to solve two-digit addition and subtraction word problems. Most Thai children in this study used counting strategies with fingers to solve both addition and subtraction word problems. Counting on strategies were most often used for addition word problems and counting up strategies were most often used for subtraction word problems. Counting all strategies were not used by Thai children in this study. Other strategies that were not based on counting strategies were also found. Those strategies were using tallies, using a known number fact, using an invented fingers model, and using a base-ten strategy. The strategies that Thai children used to solve word problems were not different from those used by children in United States and other countries such as Korea. Most children used three basic strategies to solve word problems: counting strategies; using a known number fact; and using a base-ten strategy. However, the base-ten strategy was not usually used by children in United States. The base-ten strategy was used by Thai children in this study and in Asia countries such as Korea. Moreover, the findings showed that Thai children in this study used mostly fingers to represent counting sequences while children in the United States used other physical objects such as cubes and counters. In observing Thai classroom instruction and having Thai teachers complete the questionnaire, the results suggested that Thai teachers in this study viewed problems as routine word problems and viewed problem solving as solving routine word problems. Teachers did not emphasize problem solving, reasoning, and thinking skills. As a result, children developed memorizing skills rather than thinking and reasoning skills. Children had never explored different types of word problems and non-routine problems, so when the children were faced with problems that differed from their school mathematics instruction, for the most part, children were unable to solve the problems.
Graduation date: 1999

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education.
The majority of the world’s learners and teachers of English are located in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts such as Thailand, but related academia, teacher training and textbooks remain for the most part located in English-speaking countries of the Centre. Key assumptions of the latter have been that students wish to enter into the target culture and to work towards native speaker competence; classrooms have consequently reified the native speaking teacher and excluded students’ first language. But in fact, for most EFL contexts such as Thailand, neither those goals nor their associated methods are relevant. This study takes as fundamental to the Thai EFL context the presence of a first language shared by teacher and students, and explores how Thai teachers’ use of both L1 and L2 creates a distinctive bilingual pedagogy. The research takes an ethnographic approach which comprises the observation of ten English classes at a provincial Thai university and interviews with nine teachers on site. The framework for analysis is grounded in systemic-functional linguistics, and integrates this theory of ‘language in use’ with a socio-cultural theory of mind, elements of SLA, and trans-disciplinary perspectives. The study thus seeks to engage with Thai teachers’ voices both as they are heard in the classroom and in dialogue with the researcher. To date, there exist in English no published studies of Thai EFL which have conducted this kind of enquiry. The study produces new ways of describing Thai EFL classrooms. It discusses how L1 contributes to students’ capacity to ‘make meaning’ in L2; how L2 constructs different possibilities of speaker ‘performance’ as well as of speaker ‘reticence’; and how bilingual teachers deal with textbooks which appear exclusively in L1. The study demonstrates that Thai EFL is quite distinct from the ESL domain in which it is usually subsumed, and that on the contrary, it is strongly affiliated with Foreign Language Teaching (FLT) in almost every feature of curriculum, methodology, student participation and teacher bilinguality.

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education.
The majority of the world’s learners and teachers of English are located in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts such as Thailand, but related academia, teacher training and textbooks remain for the most part located in English-speaking countries of the Centre. Key assumptions of the latter have been that students wish to enter into the target culture and to work towards native speaker competence; classrooms have consequently reified the native speaking teacher and excluded students’ first language. But in fact, for most EFL contexts such as Thailand, neither those goals nor their associated methods are relevant. This study takes as fundamental to the Thai EFL context the presence of a first language shared by teacher and students, and explores how Thai teachers’ use of both L1 and L2 creates a distinctive bilingual pedagogy. The research takes an ethnographic approach which comprises the observation of ten English classes at a provincial Thai university and interviews with nine teachers on site. The framework for analysis is grounded in systemic-functional linguistics, and integrates this theory of ‘language in use’ with a socio-cultural theory of mind, elements of SLA, and trans-disciplinary perspectives. The study thus seeks to engage with Thai teachers’ voices both as they are heard in the classroom and in dialogue with the researcher. To date, there exist in English no published studies of Thai EFL which have conducted this kind of enquiry. The study produces new ways of describing Thai EFL classrooms. It discusses how L1 contributes to students’ capacity to ‘make meaning’ in L2; how L2 constructs different possibilities of speaker ‘performance’ as well as of speaker ‘reticence’; and how bilingual teachers deal with textbooks which appear exclusively in L1. The study demonstrates that Thai EFL is quite distinct from the ESL domain in which it is usually subsumed, and that on the contrary, it is strongly affiliated with Foreign Language Teaching (FLT) in almost every feature of curriculum, methodology, student participation and teacher bilinguality.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
科學教育研究所
103
In the traditional mode of teaching, the teacher must be synchronized teaching and having regard to the progress of teaching to an extent not take care of the students, in order to address the shortcomings of traditional teaching group classes, extending new teaching mode: flip the classroom. In flipping the classroom, the teacher must be prepared in advance and put good material on the Internet or mobile carrier, the students must complete classroom and at home need to be discussed prior knowledge of the use of learning, and teachers back to school, students learn to cooperate : makes the subject classroom for students, but also to guide the knowledge of the progress of each student, the classroom teacher is not just about the place, but between a teacher and student, student and student interaction spaces between students and knowledge. 　　To enable students to learn at home to finish this study was to act as a carrier of individual students learning aids. Student in the classroom to discuss the use of cooperative learning from each other with their peers, mutual learning, in order to achieve specific learning objectives. 　　In this study, the northern part of a high school sophomore, 41 students in the experimental group and the control group was 42 students. Experimental group to flip the classroom as a teaching mode, the control group in the traditional group classes about teaching as a teaching mode, two classes were sophomore third volume - triangulation of the unit to teach. The experimental group students to use at home to watch the teacher action vehicle beforehand take good instructional videos, in the control group students use textbooks in the home preparation, and complete textbook exercises. Upon completion of preparation, the experimental group of students to the classroom with the teachers and students learn to cooperate, to discuss knowledge, students have not learned to control in accordance with the traditional teaching model, conduct group classes teaching in the classroom. After teaching is completed, the learning achievement test unit of triangulation, in order to verify the effectiveness of learning groups. 　　The results showed that both teaching method on students in the classroom learning attitude will produce significant differences 　　Teaching students to use Flip learning outcomes in the classroom over the use of traditional teaching group classes. However, no significant differences in technology into mathematics teaching attitude. Teaching classes in a traditional group classes, their attitude towards learning and technology into mathematics teaching attitudes are positively correlated; contrary to flip pedagogy classes, their attitude towards learning and technology into mathematics teaching attitude positively correlated, so the body in the teaching field teachers must reflect on whether the rollover technology into teaching for education this factor to their students in learning attitude may not help, the researchers believe that this is a worthwhile future research to explore the direction of Flip Educational Reflection.

M.Ed.
High school mathematics learners often take mathematics education for granted. They study mathematics simply because it is included in the school curriculum, and thus required for them to pass so that they can obtain a school leaving qualification. They never really succeed in seeing and understanding the relevance of mathematics to their present and future lives. As a result, they fail to relate and apply classroom mathematics to the external environment. They fail to make mathematical connections that would enable them to be confident users of mathematics as an effective tool for solving problems, a means of communication and a way of supporting reasoning. This suggests that there may be some serious constraints associated with the teachers' instructional approaches, which hinder the learners' meaningful learning and understanding of the relevance of mathematics. Thus, there arises the need to examine the relationship between the teachers' instructional approaches and the learners' understanding of the relevance of mathematics. Such an examination may help to expose the strengths and limitations of the instructional approaches, so that the necessary adjustments can be made in the teaching practice to improve the learning of mathematics.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
華語文教學研究所
99
The study focuses on Chinese radical and character component concepts. The second language learners in Thailand acquire Chinese characters without Chinese culture background. It’s difficult to them to understand the relationship between Character itself and radicals, also called Chinese Character Components. In the thesis will discuss visual recognition of Character structure, such us Chinese radicals、component position and meaning. Chinese radicals teaching is one of character teaching methods effectively to help writing problems to the second language learner. It improves errors to writing and missing strokes, also assisting memorize characters. The study goal is researching the writing condition of both teachers and learners in order to set a level curriculum for Thai second language learners. Chinese character acquisition is one of important skills for learning “Huayu”, one kind of Chinese language, also named Mandarin. This language has been spoken and written more than three thousand years by Chinese people , now it’s going to popular to the world under the global economic policy. Many countries language policy just encourage their nationals to study Huayu, included Thailand and other Asia countries. The situation makes Chinese characters must be quickly memorized and comprehend by learnrs.However, to the Second language learner that’s a very complicated work to them cause of character structure, also a challenge to the language teachers. Teachers have to develop more effective teaching methods to the Second language learn with radical cognition. The study set up three research methods: Documentary Analysis、Content Analysis Research、Survey Research. Two research objects in this study, one is Mandarin language teacher experience with international school and college, the other is the student of Thailand College. The research process discusses the education environment to Chinese language learner, especially in writing needs. Researches filed are First language and Second Language. The result points out several learning issues to the Thailand students, such as language transfer、memorizing skills、radical cognition、and Chinese character writing errors . The study and curriculum plan suffer a model to who wants to take part in teaching Chinese as Second Language.

abstract: The research indicated effective mathematics teaching to be more complex than assuming the best predictor of student achievement in mathematics is the mathematical content knowledge of a teacher. This dissertation took a novel approach to addressing the idea of what it means to examine how a teacher's knowledge of mathematics impacts student achievement in elementary schools. Using a multiple case study design, the researcher investigated teacher knowledge as a function of the Mathematics Teaching Cycle (NCTM, 2007). Three cases (of two teachers each) were selected using a compilation of Learning Mathematics for Teaching (LMT) measures (LMT, 2006) and Developing Mathematical Ideas (DMI) measures (Higgins, Bell, Wilson, McCoach, & Oh, 2007; Bell, Wilson, Higgins, & McCoach, 2010) and student scores on the Arizona Assessment Collaborative (AzAC). The cases included teachers with: a) high knowledge & low student achievement v low knowledge & high student achievement, b) high knowledge & average achievement v low knowledge & average achievement, c) average knowledge & high achievement v average knowledge & low achievement, d) two teachers with average achievement & very high student achievement. In the end, my data suggested that MKT was only partially utilized across the contrasting teacher cases during the planning process, the delivery of mathematics instruction, and subsequent reflection. Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching was utilized differently by teachers with high student gains than those with low student gains. Because of this insight, I also found that MKT was not uniformly predictive of student gains across my cases, nor was it predictive of the quality of instruction provided to students in these classrooms.
Dissertation/Thesis
Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2013