Guiding Teachers in the Use of a Standards‐Based Mathematics Curriculum: Teacher Perceptions and Subsequent Instructional Practices After an Intensive Professional Development Program

Reforms in mathematics education call for K‐12 teachers to employ standards‐based pedagogies, which embody the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics' principles and standards. In order to effectively support teachers' implementation of standards‐based curricula, professional development must be provided that meets teachers' needs. The professional development program in this study focused on the implementation of a standards‐based mathematics curriculum entitled Investigations in Number, Data, and Space (Investigations). This study uses Guskey's framework as a guide to examining teachers' perceptions of the impact of the professional development that they received; their perceptions of mathematics teaching and learning; and how elements of the professional development translated into practice. Twenty‐two participants were randomly selected from the 53 professional development participants to be interviewed and observed during their mathematics teaching. Using a constant comparison method, the data sources in this study highlighted themes surrounding teachers' experiences with professional development and the implementation of the curricula. The analysis of the data sources in this study highlighted themes surrounding teachers' experiences with professional development: teachers as learners, teachers as self‐evaluators, shifting paradigms, enactment of professional development content into practice, and the influence of the state standardized mathematics test. The results of this study have several implications for future professional development and also highlight some of the more general issues that teachers face when attempting to enact new knowledge and skills into their practice.     

Elementary teachers’ mathematical beliefs and mathematics anxiety: How do they shape instructional practices?

This quantitative study investigated the relationships among practicing elementary teachers’ (N = 153) beliefs about mathematics and its teaching and learning, mathematics anxiety, and instructional practices in mathematics. When viewed singly, the findings reveal the teachers with higher levels of mathematics anxiety tend to use less standards‐based instruction and those with beliefs oriented toward a problem‐solving view of mathematics reported more standards‐based teaching. A combined analysis shows that after controlling for mathematical beliefs, teaching longevity, and educational degree attainment, there is no relationship between teachers’ mathematics anxiety and instructional practices. These findings suggest a spurious relationship between anxiety and practices, with beliefs having the strongest relationship with practices. Several suggestions for positively influencing the mathematical beliefs and affect in general of elementary teachers while learning mathematics are offered.     

Turkish Preservice Primary School Teachers' Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Science: The Effect of a Primary Teacher Education Program

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a primary teacher education program in improving science teaching efficacy beliefs (personal science teaching efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancy beliefs) of preservice primary school teachers. The study also investigated whether the program has an effect on student teachers' attitudes toward science. Data were collected by administering the “Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument” and “Attitudes toward Science Scale” to 282 preservice primary teachers (147 freshmen, 135 seniors). Statistical techniques such as means and t‐test were used to analyze the data. Results of the study showed that the primary teacher education program has a medium positive effect on science teaching efficacy beliefs of the primary preservice teachers (t = 4.791, p = .000) and that there were no gender differences in terms of efficacy beliefs. Results also indicated that preservice primary teachers' attitudes toward science were moderately positive and differ by class level. Fourth‐year preservice teachers' attitudes toward science were found to be significantly more positive than the first years (t = 5.494, p = .000). There were no gender differences in attitudes toward science.     

Multi‐Year Professional Development Grounded in Educative Curriculum Focused on Integrating Technology With Reformed Science Teaching Principles

Visions of science teaching and learning in the newest U.S. standards documents are dramatically different than those found in most classrooms. This research addresses these differences through closely examining one professional development (PD) project that connects teacher learning and teacher practice with student learning/achievement. This study examines the effects on eighth grade science teachers and their students in the context of a PD focused on the integration of information communication technologies and reformed science teaching practices. Findings from this investigation suggest that teachers who participated in PD for two years learned more about technology, improved their practice, and their students’ achievement was significantly higher compared to teachers who participated in one year of the PD or non‐participating peers. Science educators face multiple challenges as they attempt to deliver instruction in fundamentally different ways than what they experienced as learners. The delivery of this professional learning suggest that PD for science teachers should include educative learning experiences if understandings of reforms supported by research are to be realized.     

The Influence of Science Summer Camp on African‐American High School Students' Career Choices

This study explored if a weeklong science camp changed Louisiana African‐American high school students' perception of science. A semi‐structured survey was used before and after the camp to determine the changes in science attitudes and career choices. Among the perceived benefits were parental involvement, increased science academic ability, and deepened scientific knowledge. These perceived benefits influenced the identities that students constructed for themselves in relation to science in their lives. Students who reported doing well in school science courses believed that science was more relevant to their lives. Female students who cited doing well in science reported less parental involvement in their schoolwork than males. This study draws attention to gender differences in science and to designing informal science learning experiences for African‐American high school students that can change attitudes toward career choices in science‐related fields.     

基于属性综合评价系统的科研立项评价模型

利用属性综合评价系统对科研立项评审进行综合评价.给出了科研立项评价的属性综合评价模型,可为科研基金管理单位进行合理的科研立项评价提供决策参考.与一般方法相比,属性综合评价模型严谨、精细,评价结果更合理、更可靠.应用实例表明了模型的科学有效性.     

Factors influencing students’ perceptions of their quantitative skills

There is international agreement that quantitative skills (QS) are an essential graduate competence in science. QS refer to the application of mathematical and statistical thinking and reasoning in science. This study reports on the use of the Science Students Skills Inventory to capture final year science students’ perceptions of their QS across multiple indicators, at two Australian research-intensive universities. Statistical analysis reveals several variables predicting higher levels of self-rated competence in QS: students’ grade point average, students’ perceptions of inclusion of QS in the science degree programme, their confidence in QS, and their belief that QS will be useful in the future. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for designing science curricula more effectively to build students’ QS throughout science degree programmes. Suggestions for further research are offered.     

基于层次分析法的课程表的模糊综合评价

建立了高校课程表的评价指标体系,在此基础上提出了基于层次分析法的课程表的模糊综合评价方法,并用方根法简化模糊评价的权重集求解过程.通过对具体课程表的模糊综合评价,验证了该方法是科学的、可行的.