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Valtersson, Lisa. "How adult migrant students learn maths. : Adult students understanding and engaging with maths." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för beteendevetenskap och lärande, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-123476.
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The aim of this study is to explore the adult immigrant students’ experience of maths in Sweden. I will present an understanding rather than an explanation on how second language adult students learn maths. It can be argued that people who study maths as adults in a new homeland and in a foreign language face particular challenges. At the same time research reports that people sometimes approach the subject in a more fruitful way as adults compared to their childhood experiences. I want to contribute to the general knowledge of the subject and furthermore provide improved understanding of how mathematics teachers can guide their students towards their goals.I have performed semi-structured qualitative research interviews. My informants are my own maths students on the basic level with incomplete grades in maths from secondary school, or they have failed in their maths studies in upper secondary school due to a low level of know-ledge. They are over 20 years of age and they are all immigrants and have arrived in Sweden as adults. I have used my students statements, written as narratives as the material which is to be interpreted and understood. Because of my use of my own students in the interview, I will not take into account their statements about the teacher’s role in my conclusion.I find that:1. The difficult experience of being forced to leave the home country, together with a wish to take revenge on the failures from their youth, can lead to a kind of struggle for decom-pensation that can be reflected in the participants' positive evaluation of their maths studies.2. Having a family is a great motivational help for studying regardless of the time it takes to take care of the same.3. The memories of previous failures with the incomprehensible, abstract mathematics characterise the students’ inception of the subject.4. It seems possible that adult students can understand themselves in a new way and redefine their relationship with maths and their own ability to study the subject.
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Jordan, S. A. "Mathematical competencies in children with specific maths, reading and comorbid maths and reading difficulty." Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.501291.
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Webb, Paul, and Pam Austin. "Family Maths and Complexity Theory." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-81109.
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The importance of family involvement is highlighted by findings that parents’ behaviours, beliefs and attitudes affect children’s behaviour in a major way. The Family Maths programme, which is the focus of this study, provides support for the transformative education practices targeted by the South African Department of Education by offering an intervention which includes teachers, learners and their families in an affirming learning community. In this study participating parents were interviewed to investigate their perceptions of the Family Maths programme mainly in terms of their engagement, enjoyment and confidence levels. The major themes and ideas that were generated in this study include the development of positive attitudes, parents and children working and talking together, and the skills exhibited by Family Maths facilitators. These findings are analysed within the parameters of complexity science and the pre-requisite conditions for developing a complex learning community, viz. internal diversity, redundancy, decentralized control, organised randomness and neighbour interactions.
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Ashley, Diane. "CBL aids in maths/OR /." Leeds : University of Leeds, School of Computer Studies, 2003. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/library/compst.pl?CAT=BSC&FILE=200304/ashley.pdf.
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Tyndale-Biscoe, Jane. "Young pupils experiencing difficulty with maths : an exploration of their perceptions of maths and an evaluation of the impact of a key stage one maths intervention." Thesis, University of East London, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.550451.
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This mixed methods research involved an original exploration of the views of a small group of children in years one and two, regarding their perceptions of maths and themselves as mathematicians. The views of their teachers were also gathered for additional information. Of particular interest was an evaluation of the effects of a Key Stage One maths intervention, devised by an Educational Psychology Service (EPS), on the pupils' views and their approach to maths. The research was approached from a pragmatic epistemological position which allowed for the flexibility of using a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Social Cognitive theory provided a relevant theoretical background for the research. Within this, the concept of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977,1986) provides a useful framework to aid understanding of the factors which affect learning. Previous research has shown that self-efficacy influences academic motivation, learning, and achievement (e. g. Bandura, 1997). The main emphasis was on the qualitative aspect of the research. This involved the use of semi-structured interviews with the pupils and their teachers which were undertaken before and after the pupils had been involved in the maths intervention group. The data derived from these interviews was then analysed using thematic analysis, following the recommendations specified by Braun and Clarke (2006). Quantitative scaling questions about their views of maths were also carried out with the pupils, before and after they had taken part in the maths intervention. Additional visual resources were provided to facilitate the pupils' responses. Findings from the thematic analysis of the qualitative data indicated that following the intervention, the pupils' perceptions of maths and themselves as mathematicians were more positive. Teachers also perceived an increase in the pupils' confidence and understanding of basic maths skills after the intervention. Statistical analysis of the quantitative data using a Wilcoxon test, revealed a statistical significance in changes between pre and post intervention responses. The limitations and further implications for the research regarding EP practice and the importance of pupils' perceptions for learning in maths are considered.
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Moloko, Oarabile Hope. "FireFly: A Bayesian Approach to Source Finding in Astronomical Data." Master's thesis, Faculty of Science, 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/11427/31797.
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Efficient and rigorous source finding techniques are needed for the upcoming large data sets from telescopes like MeerKAT, LSST and the SKA. Most of the current source-finding algorithms lack full statistical rigor. Typically these algorithms use some form of thresholding to find sources, which leads to contamination and missed sources. Ideally we would like to use all the available information when performing source detection, including any prior knowledge we may have. Bayesian statistics is the obvious approach as it allows precise statistical interrogations of the data and the inclusion of all available information. In this thesis, we implement nested sampling and Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) techniques to develop a new Bayesian source finding technique called FireFly. FireFly employs a technique of switching ‘on’ and ‘off’ sources during sampling to deal with the fact that we don’t know how many true sources are present. It therefore tackles one of the critical questions in source finding, which is estimating the number of real sources in the image. We compare FireFly against a Bayesian evidence-based search method and show on simulated astronomical images that FireFly outperforms the evidence-based approach. We further investigate two implementations of FireFly: the first with nested sampling and the second with MCMC. Our results show that MCMC FireFly has better computational scaling than the nested sampling version FireFly but the nested sampling version of FireFly appears to perform somewhat better than MCMC FireFly. Future work should examine how best to quantify FireFly performance and extend the formalism developed here to deal with multiwavelength data.
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Méndez, Isla Miguel Alfonso. "Dark matter searches with cosmic-ray detectors and the Square Kilometre Array." Doctoral thesis, Faculty of Science, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32379.
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Beyond gravitational evidence for dark matter, a set of search techniques are employed in the present thesis within the particle dark matter paradigm. Under the possibility of dark matter annihilating into particles of the Standard Model of Particle Physics, we study the products of annihilation with cosmic-ray detectors, such as AMS, Fermi-LAT and PAMELA, and radio telescopes, such as the SKA. In this work, we focus on the positron fraction measured in the Solar System due to dark matter annihilating in the dark matter galactic halo, but also on radio signals from the Milky Way and dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Our main purpose is to constrain the dark matter parameter space under the light of the latest experimental data for cosmic-rays and the new sensitivities reached in radio astronomy. Furthermore, we discuss some of the most promising locations and synchrotron frequencies to search for dark matter with masses around the TeV scale. The analysis presented in this thesis lies in setting constraints on modelindependent dark matter. However, some specific dark matter candidates in the context of extra-dimensional theories are considered as well. Indeed, brane fluctuations, dubbed branons, are new degrees of freedom appearing in flexible brane-world models. These new fields behave as standard weakly interacting massive particles with a significant associated thermal relic density and would explain dark matter observational features.
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CAPOZUCCA, ANDREA. "Public engagement, storytelling and complexity in maths communication." Doctoral thesis, Urbino, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11576/2656845.
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Evangelopoulou, Polyxeni. "A case study on Maths Dance : The impact of integrating dance and movement in maths teaching and learning in preschool and primary school settings." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för pedagogik och didaktik, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-117682.
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The use of kinaesthetic experiences associated with dance to support learning of curricular mathematics has been little represented in the available literature. Maths Dance is an approach to teaching and learning mathematics through dance and movement. The objectives of the study are related to assessing the impact of Maths Dance on students’ cognitive, affective and physical developmental areas in preschool and primary school settings. The investigation of the case study on Maths Dance took place in London, UK, with the participation of four teaching staff members, who were interviewed in detail, and thirty students of Reception, Year 2 and Year 3 classes, out of which eleven students were interviewed. All thirty students were observed once during three Maths Dance sessions, one session per each age group. Based on a qualitative research approach, the data are analysed and discussed below around seven themes in relation to the theories of constructivism, Dienes’s theory of learning mathematics, Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences and educational neuroscience. According to the main findings, students and teaching staff members express positive attitudes regarding most aspects of the research questions. Specifically, Maths Dance is believed to improve students’ maths skills, critical thinking and creativity, as well as enhance student motivation, socio-emotional and motor skills. The pleasant nature of the activities is also highlighted, an element that is believed to make this method adequate for students of low achievement in maths. However, the small sample size, in addition to the fact that Maths Dance has recently started being implemented in schools, does not permit generalization of the results.
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Christian, Murray. "Constant Mean Curvature 1/2 Surfaces in H2 × R." Doctoral thesis, Faculty of Science, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31318.
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This thesis lies in the field of constant mean curvature (cmc) hypersurfaces and specifically cmc 1/2 surfaces in the three-manifold H 2 × R. The value 1/2 is the critical mean curvature for H 2 × R, in that there do no exist closed cmc surfaces with mean curvature 1/2 or less. Daniel and Hauswirth have constructed a one-parameter family of complete, cmc 1/2 annuli that are symmetric about a reflection in the horizontal place H 2 × {0}, the horizontal catenoids. In this thesis we prove that these catenoids converge to a singular limit of two tangent horocylinders as the neck size tends to zero. We discuss the analytic gluing construction that this fact suggests, which would create a multitude of cmc 1/2 surfaces with positive genus. The main result of the thesis concerns a key step in such an analytic gluing construction. We construct families of cmc 1/2 annuli with boundary, whose single end is asymptotic to an end of a horizontal catenoid. We produce these families by solving the mean curvature equation for normal graphs off the end of a horizontal catenoid. This is a non-linear boundary value problem, which we solve by perturbative methods. To do so we analyse the linearised mean curvature operator, known as the Jacobi operator. We show that on carefully chosen weighted H¨older spaces the Jacobi operator can be inverted, modulo a finite-dimensional subspace, and provided the neck size of the horizontal catenoid is sufficiently small. Using these linear results we solve the boundary value problem for the mean curvature equation by a contraction mapping argument.
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Kandhai, Sulona. "Investigating the parameter space of viable models for f(R) gravity." Doctoral thesis, Faculty of Science, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31181.
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The accelerated expansion of spacetime intuitively points to the existence of new, unknown energy fields pervading the universe, but it is has also spurred the growth of the research field of modified gravity theories. Of these, f(R) theories of gravity is the first and simplest modification to General Relativity, and have been studied extensively for their astrophysical and cosmological predictions. Power law f(R) modifications have been shown to exhibit desirable characteristics, producing the late time accelerated expansion as well as satisfying local tests of gravity. However, there is wide degeneracy among models in this class, and they are known to suffer from cosmological instabilities, which could lead to curvature singularities at finite times. This thesis addresses questions directly relating to model degeneracy and sudden singularities. Cosmologies and cosmological perturbations, resulting from a general broken power law modification to GR are generated, studied and evolved. Simulations are performed using 1+3 space time decomposition of the field equations and a dynamical systems approach to f(R) cosmology. The parameter space of this model, which includes the HuSawicki [6], Starobinsky [96] and Miranda [7] f(R) forms as subclasses, is investigated. It is found that there are regions in the parameter space which are completely singular and bound by continuous curves. We also investigate regions of the parameter space in which the attractive nature of gravity is preserved, and find that these regions intersect. The results of a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis significantly narrowed the viable region of the exponent parameter space of the general power law f(R) model. Current cosmological distance data; SNIa (Union 2), BAO (6dFGS, BOSS, SDSS, WiggleZ) as well as the LRG power spectrum (SDSS DR9), were used to obtain these constraints. The best fits are compared with the ΛCDM model, and leads to the conclusion that this class is still a candidate for the gravitational interaction.
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Barham, Jo. "Do I count? : conversation analysis of young children's maths talk." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.549450.
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Neovius, Sofia. "Consistency and Quality Control : Differences and similarities regarding exam task constructionand syllabus content between IB Maths SL and Maths 1-4 atthe Swedish Natural Sciences Programme." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Matematiska institutionen, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-294903.
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Panayides, Panayiotis. "Exploring the reasons for aberrant response patterns in classroom maths tests." Thesis, Durham University, 2009. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2042/.
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This study has focused on the investigation of the reasons for aberrant response patterns in classroom maths tests. Data were collected from high schools in Cyprus over two academic years. The assessment instruments used included: three Maths Tests, a Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and a shorter version of it, an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) scale and a Maths Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed no associations between any of the factors investigated and misfit when tests with polytomous items were used. Factors investigated included: student and teacher gender, item order, different schools, different teachers, ability, test anxiety, ADHD, maths self-esteem, motivation, language competency, interest in maths, private tuition in maths, study time and class revision. This finding has led to the investigation whether misfit is an inherent characteristic of students and the conclusion that it is not. The only factors that showed some association with misfit were ability (p = 0.022), the interaction of gender with test anxiety (p = 0.018) and different teachers (p = 0.027), and the first two were only for the test containing 12 (out of 16) dichotomous items. Further investigation of these factors is suggested. Analyses of interviews of 21 misfitting students showed that the main reason given for unexpected responses among high ability students was, as expressed by them, carelessness and among low scorers prior knowledge and to a lesser degree cheating and special preference. The two mean square statistics, infit and outfit were also investigated, and an explanation is given for why high infit is considered more of a threat to measurement than high outfit. The researcher finally argues that students with misfitting patterns with high outfit values should not be considered as invalidly measured without further investigation. Similarly, items with high outfit should not be considered as malfunctioning and removed without further investigation
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Fabian, Ma Khristin. "Maths and mobile technologies : effects on students' attitudes, engagement and achievement." Thesis, University of Dundee, 2018. https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/9e03bf28-d631-476a-932b-e29a298c406a.
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The ubiquity of mobile devices together with their potential to bridge classroom learning to real-world settings has added a new perspective to contextualising mathematics learning, but this needs further exploration. The aim of this thesis is to examine the effects of using mobile technologies on students’ attitudes, engagement and achievement in mathematics. The study starts with a systematic review of maths and mobile learning studies followed by three iterations of data collection. The three studies were mixed-methods studies guided by the micro, meso, macro (M3) Evaluation Framework. The studies included eight mobile learning sessions spread over three months covering topics on geometry and information handling. These sessions were conducted as collaborative learning activities in indoor and outdoor settings. Participants were Primary 6 and 7 students from three different schools in Scotland. In Study 1 (a single-group design, n=24), students had positive evaluations of mobile learning but some technical problems experienced lessened their initially positive views. There was a small effect in student self-confidence (ES=.20) and a significant positive difference between pre and post-test achievement scores. Breakdowns identified via the critical incident analysis in Study 1 informed the activity design of Study 2. In Study 2 (a quasi-experimental design, n=52), students had more positive perceptions about the use of mobile technology. The experimental group had higher gain scores on the maths test than the control group. In Study 3, a randomised controlled trial over six weeks (n=74), students also had positive evaluations of the mobile learning activities but this varied by gender. Analysis of the maths test scores with pre-test as covariate showed both groups had significantly improved their scores, but no significant treatment effect was found. For items relating to common student misconceptions on angles, students in the experimental group had significantly higher gains than the control group. The overall results from the three studies provide some evidence that students can have positive perceptions about the use of mobile technologies and that these can be effective in supporting students’ engagement and performance in mathematics, especially when learning takes place outside the classroom. It also showed that the success of a mobile learning intervention is dependent on various factors, such as student and teacher characteristics, stability of the technology and content compatibility, among other factors. There were several limitations including sample size, length of intervention, and programme fidelity. Implications for practice and future researchers are discussed.
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Walker, Emma. "Understanding the role of metacognition and working memory in maths achievement." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2013. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/358501/.
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Recent increases in youth unemployment have driven reforms to educational provision. This has created an increased focus on gaining a formal qualification in maths because it affects access to jobs/course places. These governmental reforms have placed a heightened responsibility on schools to provide appropriate interventions to meet pupils’ needs. Theoretical models developed to understand what affects maths achievement have highlighted the importance of providing appropriate learning opportunities to develop requisite cognitive skills of Working Memory (WM) and Metacognition (MC). Support has been found for these models through correlational research demonstrating the link between WM, MC and maths. Studies have also shown that anxiety, both general and maths specific can interact with WM and MC to affect performance in maths. A review of research indicated that WM training and MC interventions delivered in a maths context can contribute to improved maths achievement, however none of these studies considered the effect of anxiety. The current empirical study examined the effect on 13 and 14 year olds’ maths achievement of WM training (CogMed) and a MC intervention (in the form of one-to-one tutoring). Maths achievement, WM, MC and anxiety (maths and general) were measured at pre, post and follow-up (8 weeks) to explore their contribution to maths achievement. Significant improvements for both intervention groups from pre to post and from pre to follow-up were found for WM and maths achievement. A significant reduction in maths anxiety was found in both groups over the same timescale, but there were no significant changes in MC or general anxiety. Evidence was found for a link between changes in WM and general anxiety and a link between changes in MC and maths anxiety. Results are discussed in relation to understanding what factors are important in the observed changes, and implications for educational interventions are considered.
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Davies, Lucy Charlotte. "Stereotype threat : the role of question type in female maths performance." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2013. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5745/.
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Contemporary educational environments rely heavily on performance-based evaluations. Indeed, maths performance at GCSE has become a matter of national debate. Stereotype threat (ST) is often cited as an explanation for gender differences in maths performance, yet little research has focused on differential ST susceptibility across question types. Furthermore, despite its high relevance to education, the ST phenomenon has received little attention in real examination settings. This research builds on Jamieson and Harkins (2007) mere effort approach to investigate ST in both lab and field studies. Mere effort theory proposes that ST motivates test-takers to disprove an active negative stereotype. When responding to solve type questions based on prepotent (i.e., well learned) knowledge, activation of a negative stereotype can motivate test-takers and improve performance. However, comparison type questions (requiring logic or estimation), often result in performance decreases, because test-takers seek to disprove the negative stereotype leading to a failure in inhibiting prepotent (i.e. solve) information. Findings from Study 1 supported the mere effort perspective; threatened females maths performance was dependent on question type. Study 2 showed that the effects transferred to educational setting during an undergraduate statistics practise exam. In Study 3, female and male secondary school pupils were tested in a GCSE maths practise exam environment. The interactive effects of ST and question type were replicated in females’ maths performance, whereas males’ maths performance was augmented under ST irrespective of question type. The focus moved to mere effort’s ST processes in Studies 4 and 5. A moderating role of inhibitory ability as a ST protective mechanism was found in Study 4. However this was not specific to comparison question performance, and thus suggested that the overproduction of prepotent responses is not the main processes driving ST effects. In Study 5, ST seemingly increased test-takers performance motivation (i.e., the motivation to perform well and undermine the stereotype), influencing their question type preference for solve versus comparison questions. The present research attests to the important role of maths question type in determining ST effects. However, the motivated application of prepotent responses as an explanatory mechanism is questioned and discussed with reference to the alternative working memory (WM) (Schmader & Johns, 2003) ST explanation.
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Tomlin, Alison. "Participatory approaches to work with adult basic mathematics students." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2001. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/participatory-approaches-to-work-with-adult-basic-mathematics-students(52996d96-6339-4433-a963-476bc57bf169).html.
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Dugmore, Brett. "A framework for homotopy theory and differential geometry in the category of Frölicher spaces." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22698.
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Khoury, Gholam Ghada. "Strategies and errors in secondary mathematics : raising pupils' levels of thinking in geometry (measurement) through intervention." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.300590.
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Brown, Christopher. "Exploring the effects of an obstruction on the evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2018. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/277820.
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This thesis discusses the effect of an obstruction on the evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a confined geometry at low Atwood numbers. Laboratory experiments are the principal method of investigation, though these data are supplemented with implicit large eddy simulations (ILES). The laboratory data are captured using an innovative laser scanning system which is able to simultaneously record density and velocity data in 3D. A new approach for calculating density data from laser induced fluorescence measurements is developed and demonstrated. The technique is used to improve the accuracy of the density measurement from laser induced fluorescence, by correcting for the damage to dye caused by the laser. The introduction of an obstacle at the height of the initial interface results in dramatic changes to the dynamics of mixing, even when this obstacle is only a few percent of the domain width. Two obstructed scenarios are considered. In both of these an obstruction is placed on the interface between an upper heavy layer and lower light layer. In the first case, a single horizontal opening connects the upper and lower layers. A bidirectional flow exchanges fluid through the opening, establishing a circulation cell in each layer. These cells exist quasi-steadily for long periods, constantly recirculating and mixing the fluid in each layer. This acts to increase the time required for mixing compared with the classical unobstructed case, but results in a more uniformly mixed final stratification. The second case has two horizontal openings, one either side of the obstruction. This results in markedly different dynamics. The flow through each of the openings switches back and forth between being bidirectional (as with the single opening case) and unidirectional, with unidirectional exchange reversing direction with a constant period. These results are consistent with the ILES data. For both of these cases a wide range of analytical techniques are used to connect the new obstructed dynamics with previously conducted research, such as calculating the molecular mixing fraction, energetics and mixing efficiency. A multistage mixing process is identified, unique for cases with an obstruction. For the single opening case a hierarchy of models are developed that accurately capture the density change of each layer for both the experimental and numerical data. The effect of changing the aspect ratio of the domain is investigated using ILES, from which different dynamical regimes are observed, discussed and analysed.
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Bloniewski, Tomasz. "Refining the 'maths anxiety' phenotype using cognitive, neuroscientific, and behavioural genetic approaches." Thesis, Goldsmiths College (University of London), 2018. http://research.gold.ac.uk/24286/.
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Research on negative affect in academic performance accelerated in recent years. In particular, the construct of Maths Anxiety (MA) has received substantial attention in the last decade. The present thesis offers an interdisciplinary account on MA as it draws on research from many different domains. Part 1 of the present thesis concerns a comprehensive review of selected findings on MA. These findings range from the definitions of MA, through the aetiology, to the cognitive mechanisms involved in MA. Part 1 is designed to lead the reader into the psychophysiological investigations on MA. Part 2 presents two large experimental studies on the reliability of a new paradigm as well as investigation into altered anticipation and performance under MA. Part 3 presents a behavioural genetic account on the aetiology of MA and its overlap with selected aspects of cognition. The thesis end with a general discussion of the findings and limitations of the current thesis.
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Batashvili, Michael. "The electrophysiological correlates of maths anxiety : exploring the role of gamma activity." Thesis, University of Derby, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10545/618739.
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This thesis set out to investigate the electrophysiological correlates of maths anxiety (MA). Research has shown that those with high MA (HMA) tend to have poorer accuracy and increased reaction time on maths based tasks and that high maths anxious individuals avoid situations where they might have to use maths. This can impact on their future by restricting their degree or job prospects. Previous research has identified the behavioural cognitive and psychological effects of MA and recently studies have begun to examine the associated underlying mechanisms in the brain. Chapter one outlines the background MA behavioural and measurement research before evaluating the neurophysiological methods used in cognitive neuroscience and the use of electroencephalography (EEG) in chapter two. Chapter three continues by outlining previous research concerning the neurophysiological processing of maths and number before evaluating relevant neurophysiological research concerning MA. Four experimental studies are conducted, exploring the neurophysiological underpinnings of MA research using EEG. Each of these recruits 30 participants and measures of electro-cortical (Event Related Potentials (ERPs), Global Field Power, Frequency etc.) and questionnaire measures are implemented. The first study aimed to identify whether the behavioural effects of MA (poorer accuracy and increased reaction time) are consistent with ERP differences (component amplitude and latency differences) in the brain and to understand why these effects are experienced. This revealed no significant comparisons between ERP components and behavioural responses involving low and high maths anxious individuals, but this may have been due to the lack of an anxious response by using a verification task, rather than requiring calculation. Study two introduces the measurement of gamma activity as a neurophysiological measure of anxiety and threat processing and brings three core areas of anxiety research together: Previous studies outline high anxiety in connection with gamma modulation, also showing gamma band activity is associated with the amygdala and finally, that the amygdala is responsible for the processing of threat perception and anxiety. This research has not been brought together when studying MA. Results produced similar ERP findings to the previous study but the introduction of gamma activity into the research provided the first differences between high and low MA (LMA) groups, showing significantly greater gamma activity levels in HMA individuals. However, this study only used numerically-based tasks, thus the third study implemented a non-numerical condition to act as a control. Study three replicates the findings showing a reduced level of gamma activity in high MA individuals for the non-numerical based task, however, this was also reduced for the simple maths task. It was theorised that it is more likely to be the initial threat perception that represents the anxious response and gamma activity increases. To test this and remove any working memory demands, the fourth study implements the presentation of single digit observation (using single digit numbers and letters). Even though there was no demand on working memory, high maths anxious participants displayed similar levels of gamma activity as low maths anxious individuals during letter observation. However, they had significantly greater levels during the observation of number. Findings suggest that HMA individuals may not only struggle with the processing of maths stimuli, but may have a threat-related response to the simple observation of numerical stimuli. This implies that HMA individuals consistently apply an avoidance technique due to a threat response associated with increased levels of gamma activity. The findings of the each study are finally discussed in terms of their contribution to the neurophysiological underpinnings of MA, the first exploration of this using gamma activity, future research and the extent that number anxiety may act as a precursor or sine qua non to MA.
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Cooper, S. J. "An exploratory evaluation of a paired maths intervention with secondary aged pupils." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2016. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/36296/.
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This study presents an exploratory evaluation of a seven week cross-age peer-tutoring mathematics intervention, Paired Maths (based on Topping, Kearney, McGee and Pugh, 2004), as delivered in a UK secondary school. The impact of Paired Maths on the mathematics attainment of tutees, and the self-esteem of both tutees and tutors is evaluated. Paired Maths involves pairs of students, one student in the role of a tutor and one in the role of a tutee, completing mathematics activities together. Tutors are trained to follow a structured process to scaffold their tutee's learning during the activities. Although existing theory and literature suggests that a cross-age, peer-tutoring intervention around mathematics could have a positive impact, no research has experimentally evaluated Paired Maths in the UK secondary school to date. A total of 78 participants, aged 12-15 years, from three secondary schools situated in a small city in England took part. A Randomised Control Trial was used to consider the impact for Year 8 participants in the role of the Tutee. This compared children randomly assigned to either a Paired Maths (Experimental) Group, a Teaching Assistant Led Comparison Group or a Waitlist Control Group. Results showed no statistically significant differences between groups in mathematics attainment or self-esteem. Within the same exploratory evaluation, a Randomised Control Trial was also employed to consider the impact for the Year 10 students in the role of the tutor. This compared children randomly assigned to either the Paired Maths (Experimental) group or a Waitlist Control Group. Although Waitlist Control participants saw a statistically significant decrease on measures of Maths self-concept over time, results showed no other statistically significant differences between groups in self-esteem. Overall, Paired Maths was not considered to have had a positive impact on mathematics attainment for children in the role of the tutee, or on the self-esteem of children either in the role of tutee or tutor. These findings are considered in relation to the literature and methodology adopted, with a number of possible explanations presented. Possible avenues for future research are proposed (within and also beyond the post-positivist paradigm) with the key conclusion that further exploration is needed around what may support the successful implementation of a Paired Maths programme with secondary aged Pupils. Key limitations of the research relate to the measurement of the dependent variables and treatment fidelity.
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Britz, Katarina. "Power constructs and propositional systems." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9053.
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Bibliography : p. 161-176.Propositional systems are deductively closed sets of sentences phrased in the language of some propositional logic. The set of systems of a given logic is turned into an algebra by endowing it with a number of operations, and into a relational structure by endowing it with a number of relations. Certain operations and relations on systems arise from some corresponding base operation or relation, either on sentences in the logic or on propositional valuations. These operations and relations on systems are called power constructs. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the use of power constructs in propositional systems. Some operations and relations on systems that arise as power constructs include the Tarskian addition and product operations, the contraction and revision operations of theory change, certain multiple- conclusion consequence relations, and certain relations of verisimilitude and simulation. The logical framework for this investigation is provided by the definition and comparison of a number of multiple-conclusion logics, including a paraconsistent three-valued logic of partial knowledge.
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Murugan, Jeffrey. "Geometrical and nonperturbative aspects of low dimensional field theories." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7681.
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Bibliography: leaves 84-88We present a collection of results on solitons in low-dimensional classical field theory. We begin by reviewing the geometrical setting of he nonlinear ơ-model and demonstrate the integrability of the theory in two-dimensions on a symmetric target manifold. After reviewing the construction of soliton solutions in the 0(3) ơ-model we consider a class of gauged nonlinear ơ-models on two-dimensional axially-symmetric target spaces. We show that, for a certain choice of self-interaction, these models are all self-dual and analyze the resulting Bogomol'nyi equations in the BPS limit using techniques from dynamical systems theory. Our analysis is then extended to topologically massive gauge fields. We conclude with a deviation into exploring links between four-dimensional self-dual Yang-Mills equations and various lower-dimensional field theories. In particular, we show that at the level of equations of motion, the Euclidean Yang-Mills equations in light-cone coordinates reduce to the two-dimensional nonlinear ơ-model.
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Newling, James. "Novel methods of supernova classification and type probability estimation." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11174.
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Future photometric surveys will provide vastly more supernovae than have presently been observed, the majority of which will not be spectroscopically typed. Key to extracting information from these future datasets will be the efficient use of light-curves. In the first part of this thesis we introduce two methods for distinguishing type Ia supernovae from their contaminating counterparts, kernel density estimation and boosting. In the second half of this thesis we shift focus from classification to the related problem of type probability estimation, and ask how best to use type probabilities.
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Mereku, Kofi Damian. "A comparison of the official primary mathematics curriculum in Ghana with the way in which it is implemented by teachers." Thesis, University of Leeds, 1995. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/698/.
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The official school mathematics curriculum - textbooks, teacher's handbooks, and syllabus - has a powerful influence on classroom practice in a developing country like Ghana, where many teachers with low teaching qualifications hardly ever have access to other sources of information and activity for their teaching. The official mathematics curriculum for Ghanaian primary schools was originally written with the small intellectual elite, who will proceed to secondary and further education, in mind. Concerns have been raised internationally for countries still using such curricula to adjust them, but the Ghanaian official school mathematics curriculum has remained in use in the nation's schools since their introduction in 1975 with no significant revision. The study, on the one hand, involved an investigation of the extent to which primary teachers in Ghana translate the contents of the official mathematics curriculum into classroom reality. On the other hand, it addressed issues related to the nature, and appropriateness, of the current official primary mathematics curriculum, which was an adaptation of the products of the `new-math' project spearheaded by the West African Regional Mathematics Programme in the 1970s. The study used a range of methods for data collection. These include an extensive content and curriculum analysis of the official primary mathematics curriculum materials, and a questionnaire survey of teachers' coverage of the content and teaching methods prescribed by the official curriculum. The questionnaire survey of teachers' coverage of teaching methods involved the observation of teachers in classroom settings. Tape recordings of lessons and instructions from teacher's handbooks were transcribed to provide both qualitative and quantitative data on classroom practice. The analysis of the curriculum revealed several inefficiencies in the Ghanaian primary mathematics curriculum. Though there was rhetoric in the introduction of the curriculum materials on the use of teaching skills that suggest discovery methods, the analysis indicated that learning/teaching activities that would encourage the use of such teaching skills in the materials were not included. It emerged from the findings that neither what the teachers really taught, nor what the official mathematics curriculum prescribed, was found to be adequate enough to meet the full mathematical needs of pupils. It was found that a very substantial part of the content of the curriculum was taught by the teachers, and both the official curriculum and the teachers, who implement it, emphasised expository teaching methods. It was argued in this light that the low pupils' attainment observed in the subject could not be seen simply as a reflection of the teachers' poor coverage of the curriculum, but as a reflection of inefficiencies within it. The findings of this study corroborate what is known about curriculum adaptation in school mathematics. It showed that coverage of textbooks does influence the emphasis on topics presented by teachers in their instruction, and also that topics in arithmetic are the most emphasised by both official mathematics curriculum materials and in teachers' actual classroom practice.
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Murphy, Carol Marjorie. ""We are the maths people, aren't we?" : young children's talk in learning mathematics." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/13857.
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The research for this doctoral study focused on children’s learning in mathematics and its relationship with independent pupil-pupil talk. In particular the interest was in how younger lower attaining children (aged 6-7) exchanged meaning as they talked together within a mathematical task. The data for the doctoral study had been gathered as part of the Talking Counts Project which I directed with colleagues at the University of Exeter. The project developed an intervention to encourage exploratory talk in mathematics with younger lower attaining children. Video material and transcripts of the mathematics lessons from nine classrooms that were part of the TC Project were used as the data set for the doctoral study. The focus of the analysis was on the independent pupil-pupil talk from one pre intervention session and one post intervention session from these nine classrooms. In using an existing data base, analysis was carried out in more depth and from a new perspective. A Vygotskyan sociocultural approach was maintained but analysis of the learning in the doctoral study was refocused in line with theories of situated meaning in discourse and with theories of the emergence of mathematical objects. Hence my examination of the children’s learning for the doctoral study went beyond the original research carried out in the TC Project. Within an interpretivist paradigm the methods of analysis related to the functional use of the children’s language. Interpretations were made of the children’s speech acts and their use of functional grammar. This enabled a study of both social and emotional aspects of shared intentionality as well as personal, social and cultural constructs of mathematical objects. The findings suggested that, where the talk was productive, the children were using deixis in sharing intentions and that this use could be related to the exchange of meaning and objectifying deixis.
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Blair, Andrew Ian. "Learning mathematics through inquiry : the relationship between induction and deduction in Inquiry Maths." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2018. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/learning-mathematics-through-inquiry(c6ccc173-5759-4898-9e6d-9234786e3fb0).html.
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The thesis examines whether an inquiry model of learning mathematics is compatible with the nature of the discipline. Characterising mathematics as a combination of induction and deduction, the research questions focus on whether inquiry, which is associated with inductive processes related to discovery, meaning-making and dialogue, can include the deductive side of the subject. In particular, the thesis addresses the relationship between induction and deduction in a model called Inquiry Maths. The writings of Marx and Vygotsky offer us an understanding of that relationship: induction is ‘sublated’ – that is, simultaneously negated and preserved – in deduction. While drawing on the same sources, Davydov’s mathematics curriculum promotes a one-sided deduction. In Zuckerman’s classroom research, we identify the potential of inquiry to incorporate ‘everyday’ induction in the general movement towards ‘scientific’ deduction. In line with the theoretical positioning of the thesis, the research is carried out as a formative experiment inspired by Vygotsky’s methodology of double stimulation. The stimulus-object acts to generate inquiry, while the stimulus-means mediate between the student and forms of mathematical reasoning. The research employs a novel unit of analysis, the regulatory statement, through which the thesis maps the connections between induction and deduction that occurred in the inquiry lessons of one class during the first two years of secondary school. The thesis confirms the idea that the inquiry teacher promotes deduction by building upon, rather than against, inductive thinking. From the inquiries, the connection is described as linear (with transitional forms acting as a bridge), fragmentary or a zig-zag. The major innovation lies in the development of regulatory cards as stimulus-means. The researcher uses the cards to both form and analyse instances of induction and deduction. While the cards enabled students to express their agency during classroom inquiry, their emergence, paradoxically, signalled a reduction in the teacher’s agency.
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Pausigere, Peter. "Primary maths teacher learning and identity within a numeracy in-service community of practice." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017183.
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This study focuses on the processes of primary maths teacher learning and how their identities and practices evolve in relation to participation in a primary maths focused in-service teacher education programme, called the Numeracy Inquiry Community of Leader Educators (NICLE).Additionally it investigates activities, relations and forms of participation within the Community of Practice (CoP) which enable or constrain evolving primary maths identities and practices and how these relate to the broader context. The study draws from the situative-participationists (Lave, 1996; Wenger, 1998; Sfard & Prusak, 2005; Wenger et al, 2002) theoretical framework supplemented by Bernstein’s (2000) pedagogic identity model. Using a qualitative educational interpretive approach I sampled 8 primary teachers drawn from NICLE and gathered data through participant observations, interactive interviews, document analysis and reflective journals. Analysing the key data themes that emerged from teacher learning stories, which I have called stelos, the study explains the nature of the primary maths teachers’ learning, transformation and participation experiences in NICLE using the synonyms reinvigoration and remediation and activation and relating these semantics to the teachers’ mathematical identities and histories. The study also explains the processes through which primary maths teacher identities evolve in relation to participation in an in-service CoP as ‘insiding’ and ‘outcropping’. Interpreting qualitative data from the empirical field indicates that teachers participating in NICLE mostly took-up into their maths classrooms key numeracy-domain concepts, resources and issues presented by primary maths experts which are informed by research and theory that link to practices. Teachers collaboratively and actively engaged in a range of activities that relate to classroom practices. Teacher learning was also enabled when teachers engaged in maths overlapping communities of practice, shared classroom experiences in friendly ways with fellow NICLE teachers and engaged with NICLE presenters who mutually respected and regarded them as professionals. Such affordances were said to enable teachers to engage learners in maths classes and improve their understanding of specific primary maths concepts. On the other hand teachers felt challenged by the travelling distance, limited time and also raised the tension of how to scale-up maths professional development initiatives to include schools from their community. The study makes a theoretical contribution by illustrating how Bernstein’s pedagogic identity model and its elaboration by Tyler (1999) provides analytical tools to interrogate macro educational changes and connect these to the micro processes and teacher identities.
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Kurt, William C. "Talks in Maths| Visualizing Repetition in Text and the Fractal Nature of Lyrical Verse." Thesis, University of Nevada, Reno, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1565835.
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Using the techniques of Natural Language Processing (NLP), the repetition in the structure of lyrical verse (song lyrics and poetry) can be visualized by comparing the cosine similarity between each line in a given document. This visualization allows novel insight into the structure of repetition in lyrical verse, allows for the ability to see how this repetition can shape the structure of a poem or song, as well as providing a deeper understanding of how the repetition in lyrical works is generated. The key insight arrived at within this work, made clear through this visualization technique, is that the structure of dense repetition in lyrical verse is often fractal in nature. The fractal nature of song lyrics is explored and measured using the mass dimension. Ultimately this leads to a deep insight into the way fractals drive the aesthetic properties of poetry and song lyrics.
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Hole, L. "Microcomputer-based diagnostic interviews in mathematics." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.382518.
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Tee, Andrew. "Chinese whispers : an investigation into the language of the mathematics classroom." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.365091.
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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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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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Cavallaro, Massimo. "Towards large deviations in stochastic systems with memory." Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 2016. http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/18420.
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The theory of large deviations can help to shed light on systems in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics and, more generically, on non-reversible stochastic processes. For this purpose, we target trajectories in space time rather than static configurations and study time-extensive observables. This suggests that the details of the evolution law such as the presence of time correlations take on a major role. In this thesis, we investigate selected models with stochastic dynamics that incorporate memory by means of different mechanisms, devise a numerical approach for such models, and quantify to what extent the memory affects the large deviation functionals. The results are relevant for real-world situations, where simplified memoryless (Markovian) models may not always be appropriate. After an original introduction to the mathematics of stochastic processes, we explore, analytically and numerically, an open-boundary zero-range process which incorporates memory by means of hidden variables that affect particle congestion. We derive the exact solution for the steady state of the one-site system, as well as a mean-field approximation for larger one-dimensional lattices. Then, we focus on the large deviation properties of the particle current in such a system. This reveals that the time correlations can be apparently absorbed in a memoryless description for the steady state and the small fluctuation regime. However, they can dramatically alter the probability of rare currents. Different regimes are separated by dynamical phase transitions. Subsequently, we address systems in which the memory cannot be encoded in hidden variables or the waiting-time distributions depend on the whole trajectory. Here, the difficulty in obtaining exact analytical results is exacerbated. To tackle these systems, we have proposed a version of the so-called 'cloning' algorithm for the evaluation of large deviations that can be applied consistently for both Markovian and non-Markovian dynamics. The efficacy of this approach is confirmed by numerical results for some of the rare non-Markovian models whose large deviation functions can be obtained exactly. We finally adapt this machinery to a technological problem, specifically the performance evaluation of communication systems, where temporal correlations and large deviations are important.
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Rees, Ceri. "Does provision management improve outcomes for pupils with additional learning needs in spelling, reading and maths?" Thesis, Cardiff University, 2015. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/69212/.
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This study investigated the effectiveness of the provision management system through the use of provision maps in improving outcomes for pupils with additional learning needs in spelling, reading and maths compared with pupils on individual education plans. The study used quantitative methods to compare pupils aged from year 2 to year 6 on their end of year spelling, reading and maths standardised scores. Two schools were used for the comparison; they were matched within the local authority for socio-economic status, urban location, size and similar number of pupils identified as having additional learning needs. One school had been using provision maps for the academic year 2010-2011 and the other school had been using individual education plans for the academic year 2010-2011. Both schools had used individual education plans in the academic year 2009-2010 and had recorded standardised scores for spelling, reading and maths for that year for all of the pupils whose data were used in this research. The study also used qualitative research through use of a case study design and also semi-structured interviews, which were tape-recorded. The transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. The study involved triangulation through looking at the perceptions of learning support assistants, the SENCO and head teacher on the effectiveness of provision maps compared to individual education plans. All of the interviews were conducted on an individual basis. Due to the small sample and case study approach the results were not generalizable to the whole population of pupils with additional learning needs who currently have provision maps. The quantitative results indicate that provision mapping is more effective than individual education plans at improving learning outcomes for pupils with additional learning needs based on an analysis of standardised scores in spelling, reading and maths. The qualitative data results indicate that all the staff involved in organising and providing the provision map interventions perceive it as being more effective than the system of individual education plans both in the outcomes of individual pupils and also through increases in self-esteem and the level of engagement pupils are having now with their learning, which in turn is motivating the pupils to want to lean more. Future research possibilities are discussed and implications for schools and educational psychologists are also discussed.
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Vasey, Jocelyn Margot, and n/a. "Sex differences in parent and student attitudes towards mathematics before and after involvement in a family maths program." University of Canberra. Education, 1990. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061109.171039.
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This study examines sex-differences in expressed attitudes of parents and students
towards primary school mathematics before and after involvement in a Family
Maths Program. The study involved the families of Year 3 and 4 students at a
Catholic primary school in the ACT, and used an illuminative evaluation
methodology.
Results suggest that:
the effects of running a Family Maths Program were not confined to the
parents and children who attended the formal sessions;
at this primary school, mothers have a more active involvement than fathers
in the development of attitudes to maths; and
there is need for a more integrated approach to the use of calculators and
computers in the mathematics curriculum at this school.
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Lennartson, Agneta. "”Matematik finns överallt och ingenstans” : Med fokus på pedagogernas arbete." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, Institutionen för pedagogiska studier, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-32584.
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The aim is to find out how teachers apply the knowledge they get from mathematics pilots in preschool and from mathematics developer in the municipality, as well as how they work further towards the children with mathematics. The study is based on qualitative interviews with two teachers, one mathematic pilot and one mathematic developer. I used the semi-structured interview questions. The results show that teachers believe that mathematics pilots will inspire the teachers in their work with mathematics in preschool. One of the teachers who were interviewed said: “Mathematics pilots should be those that have the strongest glasses and coming up with new ideas and they push the rest of the teachers in their work with mathematics in relation to children in preschool”. The teachers use the correct terms for mathematical concepts with the children. They also stressed how important it is to point out to the kids that it is mathematics that they are doing. The conclusion of the study is that the teachers agree that it is their approach towards the children that is important and how they can lead the children’s interest of mathematics forward. To get into the mathematics of everyday life is something that teachers feel is important. The teachers all agree that math is everywhere in daily life and does not always has to be a planned activity.Syftet är att ta reda på hur pedagogerna omsätter kunskapen från matematikpiloterna i förskolan och från matematikutvecklaren i kommunen samt hur pedagogerna arbetar vidare gentemot barnen med matematik. Studien bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med två pedagoger, en matematikpilot och en matematikutvecklare. Jag använde mig av halvstrukturerade intervjufrågor. Av resultaten framgår att pedagogerna anser att matematikpiloterna ska inspirera pedagogerna i deras arbete med matematik i förskolan. En av pedagogerna som intervjuades sa: ”Matematikpiloterna ska vara de som har de starkare glasögonen på sig och som kommer med nya idéer och pushar på de övriga pedagogerna i deras arbete med matematik gentemot barnen i förskolan”. Pedagogerna använder de rätta benämningarna för de matematiska begreppen till barnen. De betonar också hur viktigt det är att poängtera för barnen att det är matematik som de håller på med. Slutsatsen av studien är att pedagogerna är ense om att det är deras förhållningssätt till barnen som är viktig och hur de kan leda barnens intresse framåt för matematik. Att få in matematik i vardagen var något som pedagogerna ansåg viktigt. Att matematik finns överallt i vardagen och inte alltid behöver vara en planerad aktivitet, var pedagogerna överrens om.
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Pausigere, Peter. "CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES IN EMERGENCY EDUCATION: INSIGHTS FOR MATHS TEACHING AND LEARNING AT A JOHANNESBURG REFUGEE SCHOOL." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-82956.
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Austin, Pamela Winifred. "The family maths programme: facilitators' ability to implement inquiry-based teaching and learning with learners and parents." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/471.
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Despite the fact that the facilitation of inquiry learning is a core methodology in the General Education and Training (GET) band of the South African National Curriculum Statement, rote learning and memorization of algorithms remains common practice in many mathematics classrooms. The inquiry-based Family Maths professional development programme, offered by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, attempts not only to support the transformative education practices targeted by the South African National Department of Education, but also to extend them beyond the school walls to the community at large. This study investigates the extent to which the Family Maths professional development programme develops facilitators’ ability to implement inquiry-based learning. It also seeks to explore which aspects of the programme are effective in developing an inquiry-based approach. The research undertaken is an empirical study of 39 facilitators and uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. The facilitators’ inquiry beliefs and ability to implement inquiry learning was measured by means of questionnaires, observation schedules and interviews. As the ‘teacher as facilitator of inquiry-based teaching and learning’ is a requirement of all South African teachers, the findings of this research should make a meaningful contribution to the field of mathematics teacher education in the South African context.
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Hebe, Gasenakeletso Ennie. "Investigating Grade 3 learners’ changing mathematical proficiency in a maths club programme focused on number sense progression." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62200.
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Recent international reports, for example TIMSS (2011 & 2015), point to serious challenges in South African learner performance in Mathematics and Science. Of greatest concern is that research findings (e.g. Graven, Venkat, Westaway and Tshesane 2013) suggest that many South African learners show signs of mathematical knowledge gaps in the lower grades. Hence, there is a need to address challenges of this nature very early in Foundation Phase. This study was undertaken with a view to contribute towards addressing mathematical challenges encountered by learners in Foundation Phase This empirical enquiry was undertaken under the auspices of the South African Numeracy Chair Project (SANCP) at Rhodes University whose mission is to develop sustainable ways of improving quality teaching and learning of Mathematics in South Africa. A relatively new SANCP programme called Pushing for Progression (PfP) run as part of the after-school Maths Clubs to develop the number sense and four Operations in learners was used to achieve the research aims of this study. Research participants were drawn from the Maths Clubs established by the researcher in a small rural town of Ottosdal in the North West Province of South Africa. This Study is grounded on the Vygotskian perspective and uses the interpretivist qualitative research method for data collection and analysis. Sampling was done opportunistically by enlisting participants (12 teachers and 117 learners) on the basis of their availability and willingness to participate. Pre- and post-assessment of learners’ proficiency on the four Basic Operations was conducted at the beginning and at the end of the research project, respectively. This was done to determine the impact of the project on learner performance. Data analysis was done thematically and through the comparison of learner results of the pre- and post-assessment. The findings point to the effectiveness of the PfP Programme in learner performance. This can be deduced from improved scores between pre- and post-assessment and the observations made by participant-teachers on their respective club learners’ mathematical proficiencies. Accordingly, based on the findings, this study recommends, inter alia, that since the PfP programme is still in its early stages, similar research be conducted elsewhere. Additionally, the Department of Basic Education could consider exploring the PfP programme as one of several other strategies to help improve learner proficiency in Mathematics.
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Alhasan, Naeema Abdulrahman. "Developing and evaluating peer tutoring programme (Maths PALS) for trainee teachers of SEN pupils in Saudi Arabia." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/34558.
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Peer tutoring has become well-established in higher education and, with growing interest in peer learning, has started to gain popularity at school level with evident success in a range of settings and subject areas. Specific implementations such as PALS have become commercial successes based on offering attainment gains and social outcomes while reducing teacher workload. However, the impact on children with special educational needs is variable and there remains a lack of consensus on how PALS can affect performance for such students. Similarly, while there are some studies in the Middle East, the supporting literature for peer-tutoring and PALS is highly Western-centric and relies on adoption of constructivist principles in the wider classroom. Such values are uncommon in the Middle East, with the dominance of traditional values presenting a significant barrier to pedagogical innovation in Saudi Arabia. This study is therefore a timely exploration of how peer-tutoring can integrate with a group’s existing traditional pedagogical beliefs, engaging them in more active learning. The study used a mixed methods design to look at three main aspects of the PALS provision: the effectiveness of teacher training as preparation for leading peer tutoring, how fully was the Maths PALS programme implemented, and the impact on students with special educational needs in terms of a range of mathematics attainment and social outcomes. A 3-month intervention model is used to generate comparisons between an intervention and control pupils, helping to locate this study in the context of other quantitative research from Western countries. This is supported by qualitative data looking at the experiences of staff and students to better understand the specific experience of trying such a novel approach in a Saudi Arabian context. It is argued that attainment progress was satisfactory when considered alongside the substantial social progress, suggesting that peer tutoring has the potential to be a long-term learning strategy and, perhaps more importantly, can open the door to Saudi Arabia developing more purposeful and collaborative learning environments. The age grouping common in Saudi Arabia, spanning a much greater age range than is common in other countries, also offers insight into what makes cross-age peer tutoring effective and suggests that measuring progress in such situations requires more advanced statistical techniques. It is also shown that trainee teachers can be efficiently trained in using PALS and highly rate its impact, indicating that teacher training could be a valuable launchpad for pedagogical innovation in Saudi Arabia.
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Daly-Smith, Andrew, M. Hobbs, J. L. Morris, M. A. Defeyter, G. K. Resaland, and J. McKenna. "Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in primary school children: inactive lessons are dominated by maths and English." MDPI, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/18366.
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YesBackground: A large majority of primary school pupils fail to achieve 30-min of daily, in-school moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The aim of this study was to investigate MVPA accumulation and subject frequency during academic lesson segments and the broader segmented school day. Methods: 122 children (42.6% boys; 9.9 ± 0.3 years) from six primary schools in North East England, wore uniaxial accelerometers for eight consecutive days. Subject frequency was assessed by teacher diaries. Multilevel models (children nested within schools) examined significant predictors of MVPA across each school-day segment (lesson one, break, lesson two, lunch, lesson three). Results: Pupils averaged 18.33 ± 8.34 min of in-school MVPA, and 90.2% failed to achieve the in-school 30-min MVPA threshold. Across all school-day segments, MVPA accumulation was typically influenced at the individual level. Lessons one and two—dominated by maths and English—were less active than lesson three. Break and lunch were the most active segments. Conclusion: This study breaks new ground, revealing that MVPA accumulation and subject frequency varies greatly during different academic lessons. Morning lessons were dominated by the inactive delivery of maths and English, whereas afternoon lessons involved a greater array of subject delivery that resulted in marginally higher levels of MVPA.
This research was funded by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
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von, Witt Nathalia. "Codeswitching online: a case study of a bilingual online maths programme for grade 7 learners in Diepsloot, Johannesburg." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/3983.
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There is an education crisis in South Africa. Mathematics and literacy are at the forefront of the problem, as particularly evidenced by Annual National Assessment results (Department of Basic Education, 2014; Spaull, 2014). This research is motivated by the unequal access to quality learning which stems from learners learning through a poorly-understood second language with little to no cognitive academic language proficiency. The vast majority of South African learners learn through their second language, English, from Grade 4 onwards. English is the language of South Africa’s political economy and is a global lingua franca; however, the understanding of concepts and content learnt at school is vital if one is to have any hope of putting one’s English to good use. This research aimed to find a way to equip learners both with English proficiency and mathematical understanding simultaneously. This was done by implementing and evaluating an experimental bilingual course in an existing mathematics programme in the township of Diepsloot in Johannesburg, South Africa. This research used design-based research methodology, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This methodology was chosen as it allows theory and practice to intersect in a real-life setting, and for the successes and shortcomings of this intersection to be evaluated. This study encompasses both the evaluation and creation of the bilingual online mathematics course. The course is made bilingual through the creation of bilingual videos with the use of translanguaging and the creation of a bilingual glossary of terms. The videos were created using a translanguaging ‘model’ informed by theories of basic interpersonal communication skills and cognitive academic language proficiency (Cummins, 1981), common underlying proficiency (Cummins, 1991), codeswitching (Setati, 1998; Ncoko et al., 2000) and translanguaging (Makalela 2015; Creese and Blackledge, 2010a). The aim of this research was to create a successful translanguaging model which facilitates learners’ ability to conceptualise in their first language and then discuss and understand the concept in their second language.
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Vetter, Melanie. "The Effect of Physical Activity on Learning and Academic Achievement in Primary School Children." Thesis, University of Sydney, 2020. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/23640.
Full textAbstract:
Physically active lessons (P) that combine physical activity (PA) with academic content have been introduced into primary schools, but their educational benefit remains unclear. The efficacy of such lessons for learning multiplication facts were explored in this thesis. A systematic review found only 11 studies that investigated learning maths with PA, revealing P were equivocal for learning maths but showed promising results for boosting PA. Therefore, identifying the need for more studies with rigorous assessment of maths and PA. The first study was a randomised crossover trial (RCT) in Year 4 students (n=85, 9.8 ± 0.3 yrs), randomly allocated to either P, or seated classroom lessons (C) for 20 min, 3/week for 6 weeks and then crossed over to the alternate condition for 6 weeks. Only C improved significantly (S) in multiplication (p<0.05) but the difference was not significant (NS) between groups (p=0.86). Only P improved S in general numeracy (p<0.01), S greater than C (p<0.03). Only P improved S in aerobic fitness (p<0.01) but the difference between groups was NS (p=0.06). The second study was a cross-sectional analysis of the relationship between aerobic fitness, maths achievement and body mass index (BMI). Relationships between maths performance and aerobic fitness or BMI were NS. There was an inverse relationship between BMI and fitness. The final study was a crossover RCT similar to the first, but conducted in Year 3 students (n=172, 8.4 ± 0.9 yrs). Accelerometers measured PA in a subset (n=65). Multiplication improved S more in P than C (p=0.045), but were NS in general numeracy (p=0.66). Aerobic fitness improved more in P (p<0.001) and total PA was S higher (p< 0.001). Physically active lessons were effective for learning multiplication and increasing aerobic fitness and PA. More research is needed to identify which skills can effectively be learned while moving.
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Fleming, Hannah. ""What if I get it wrong?" : a psycho-social enquiry into SENCOs' experiences of learning, doing and teaching maths." Thesis, University of Essex, 2016. http://repository.essex.ac.uk/17739/.
Full textAbstract:
This research applies a psycho-social approach to explore how SENCOs think about children with learning difficulties in mathematics, their feelings when performing mathematics tasks, and their own experiences of mathematics learning. Four SENCOs from different schools were interviewed twice. These participants were interviewed using a Free Association Narrative Interviewing (FANI) method, and were asked to complete a mathematics task. The mathematics task provided an experiential element through which participants communicated more unconscious or ‘unpolished’ feelings. This is a qualitative, exploratory piece of research. It comes from a psycho-social ontology, insofar as the participants are theorised in terms of psychoanalytic and societal concepts, and a psycho-social epistemology, in that knowledge of participants is gained through an interaction between a defended subject and researcher. As the researcher I understand people as psychologically defended against anxiety (Klein, 1952). Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis, while keeping in mind the ‘whole’ person. Thought was given to the researcher-participant relationship, to the narrative and to the ‘unspoken’ parts of the narrative which were interpreted using psychoanalytic frameworks. A reflective research diary and psycho-social supervision were used in order to enhance the understanding of the subjective researcher experience of dynamics underlying the interview process. A number of themes emerged from the data: Participants tended to attribute the causes of the children’s learning difficulties to within child difficulties or to teaching or parenting; participants’ negative feelings around mathematics were associated with rivalry, disempowerment and vulnerability, and shame at feeling unable to do something; the participants’ experiences of learning mathematics as a child appeared to have a profound effect on participants and how they approached mathematics tasks, and uncontaining school experiences of mathematics left a lasting impression. Limitations of the research and implications for teachers, SENCOs and EPs are discussed.
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Dodd, Mary Delene. "The influence of previous understanding and relative confidence on adult maths learning : building adult understanding on a brownfield site." Thesis, Open University, 2012. http://oro.open.ac.uk/49111/.
Full textAbstract:
Expansion of Higher Education has resulted in increasing provision of Access and Foundation programmes, often aimed at mature learners. Adults returning to learn mathematics bring with them a wealth of prior understanding and expectations The two common teaching approaches, remedial 'fill in the gaps' or mythical 'start again', are popular with students but argued to be unrealistic because the teaching of adults is better likened to building on a brownfield site. The purpose of this research was to consider what understandings adults brought with them and explore how these understandings interacted with new learning. 203 foundation students were given questions, on proportional reasoning, percentage calculation and over-generalisations. Responses, and response hierarchies, were compared with those from children in the 1970's CSMS survey (Hart, 1981 a). Individual behaviours were then explored through interview using a framework developed from ideas of Schoenfeld (1992) and Leron and Hazzan (1997). It emerged that multiple interactions and choices of behaviour were taking place, indicating final answers, right or wrong, represented only one possibility from a selection of outcomes. Method selection might be influenced by number and beliefs in non-conservation of operation (Greer, 1994) causing potential difficulties for building new learning by method extrapolation. The habit of selt-checkinq and testing for reasonableness might cause difficulties when reasonableness could not be recognised or was counter-intuitive. Other themes identified included: the false recall of certain number calculations with potential for interference with diagnostic practices and the belief in the 'one right method' based on perceived outcome requirements or confidence from previous success, causing reluctance to consider more efficient or appropriate methods. This research highlights the benefits of making processes and choices explicit to teachers and students facilitating the integration of previous understandings with new ways of working without disempowerment and increasing the potential for new learning to be built.
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Warrington, P. "Teaching and learning practices and reported experiences of teachers and students in high, middle and low ability maths classes." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2017. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1575475/.
Full textAbstract:
Much research has been conducted into the effects of ability grouping. Research suggests that there are a number of negative effects of ability grouping for students in low ability groups including: lack of motivation, stigmatisation, low self-esteem and reduced academic progress. Research has attempted to explore the experiences of students and teachers taught in ability groups. This research has highlighted teaching and learning experiences as being variable between ability groups. Relatively little research has attempted to capture the day to day, in class, experiences of students grouped by ability. The research that has done so completed this in a way that prevents replication and does not provide a detailed account. This current research provides a detailed description of the nature of activities and teaching and learning interactions that take place within classrooms set by ability. The research aimed to provide a detailed account of the experiences of both teachers and students in relation to teaching and learning, classroom interactions, classroom environment and student’s self-concept. The research adopts a mixed method study design to explore and describe the experiences of ability grouping in high, middle and low ability maths classrooms in two inner city London secondary schools. The research draws on both quantitative and qualitative data to provide a rich account of the practices and experiences of ability grouped classes including: questionnaires, structured lesson observations, qualitative lesson observations, lesson audio recordings and semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study suggest that students taught in high, middle and low ability groups have varying experiences in relation to: interactions with peers and teachers; classroom environment; teaching and learning experiences and students self-concept. The researcher highlights the complexity of inter-relating factors in this area and considers how the different experiences of students placed in ability groups may relate to outcomes for students.