Potential Benefits and Barriers to Integration

The rhetoric surrounding integration of mathematics and science abounds. Professional organizations’ standards and recommendations for reform in mathematics and science education each point out the need to make connections among various disciplines. However, some remain unconvinced, citing a lack of research supporting the assertion that integration improves student achievement. This article examines the current situation, discusses the growing body of related research, and examines the implementation issues related to integrated curriculum projects. The conclusion calls for mathematics and science educators to work collaboratively to address implementation issues surrounding reform of any kind and to explore further the possibilities of integration.     

Development and Implementation of an Integrated Mathematics/Science Preservice Elementary Methods Course

If integration of mathematics and science is to occur, teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities must provide leadership in developing and modeling methods of teaching integrated content. This paper describes the development and implementation of an integrated mathematics/science preservice elementary methods course at the University of Connecticut. In planning the course several questions were addressed: (a) What does integration of mathematics and science mean? (b) What content should be taught in an integrated mathematics/science (IM/S) elementary methods course? and (c) How should an IM/S elementary methods course be taught? An important element of the course involved enlisting an exemplary elementary teacher who was released from her classroom one day per week to co-teach the methods class. Establishing a definition of integration proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of course development. The authors determined that most difficulties in integration of disciplines result from attempts to “force” the integration. As the team struggled with the philosophical, theoretical and logistical problems in the development of the course, it became apparent why integration has not been more widely implemented. It is believed this model can be adapted to allow for integration of all content areas. Plans are currently underway to incorporate social studies into the methods class for Fall of 1993.     

Searching for the Center on the Mathematics-Science Continuum

The history of mathematics and science integration in American schools can be illustrated through the use of a continuum which runs from math for math's sake at one end to science for science's sake at the other. True integration occurs at the center point. While published examples of integration focusing on process skills are common, those featuring integration of content are less often found. Two such lessons, developed around radioactive decay and efficiency in nature, are presented as examples of science and mathematics concepts taught in concert. Changes in preservice and in-service teacher training must occur if the potential for this type of integration is to be realized.     

A Model for Integrating Technology in Preservice Science and Mathematics Content-Specific Teacher Preparation

A model of a 1-year, graduate level content-specific teacher preparation program is described that integrates learning about and teaching with electronic technologies as an integral component in teaching and learning science and mathematics, grades 3–12. The development of an integrated knowledge structure of science/math, technology, and teaching science/math with technology requires experiences focused on an integration of three important components: planning during the preactive stage, monitoring and regulating during the interactive stage, and assessing and revising in the postactive stage of teaching. The program model features an integration of experiences in incorporating technology in teaching science and math that specifically relate or interconnect their thinking in these three stages of instruction.     

Mathematics and Science Integration: Models and Characterizations

The squeeze on instructional time and other factors increasingly leads educators to consider mathematics and science integration in an effort to be more efficient and effective. Unfortunately, the need for common understandings for what it means to integrate these disciplines, as well as the need for improving disciplinary knowledge, appears to continue to be significant obstacles to an integrated approach to instruction. In this study we report the results of a survey containing six instructional scenarios administered to thirty-three middle grades science and math teachers. Analysis of teacher responses revealed that while teachers applied similar criteria in their reasoning, they did not possess common characterizations for integration. Furthermore, analysis suggested that content knowledge serves as a barrier to recognizing integrated examples. Implications for professional development planners include the need to develop and provide teachers with constructs and parameters for what constitutes mathematics and science integration. Continued emphasis on improving teacher content knowledge in both mathematics and science is also a prerequisite to enabling teachers to integrate content.     

Reviewing Integrated Science and Mathematics: The Search for Evidence and Definitions From New Perspectives

Based upon current research needs indicated from recent literature reviews, this integrative review concentrates on two of the perceived major impediments to integrating science and mathematics: The lack of evidence to support integration and the lack of a definition for integration. Using mixed methodology, this review found quantitative evidence favoring integration from a meta-analysis of 31 studies of student achievement, qualitative evidence revealing the existence of multiple forms of integration, and historical evidence of publishing patterns from across the 20th century. The forms of integration were identified and defined; differential effects were identified both between forms and between science and mathematics when the forms were analyzed by effect size. Additional research implications and suggestions for future research were also identified.     

Sociocultural Factors Influencing Students' Learning in Science and Mathematics: An Analysis of the Perspectives of African American Students

The voices of African American students reveal sociocultural factors that influence their achievement in science and mathematics classes. Using a sociocultural theoretical framework ( Mercer & Covey, 1980 ), this ethnographic study interpreted the perspectives of five African American students as they discussed their learning experiences in science and mathematics classrooms. This framework acknowledges the vulnerability of the educational system to societal influences that inevitably assert cultural values and norms. The students' discussions provided insight into their beliefs about the varied ways in which sociocultural factors impact their learning in science and mathematics classrooms.     

Subject design and factors affecting achievement in mathematics for biomedical science

Reports such as Bio2010 emphasize the importance of integrating mathematical modelling skills into undergraduate biology and life science programmes, to ensure students have the skills and knowledge needed for biological research in the twenty-first century. One way to do this is by developing a dedicated mathematics subject to teach modelling and mathematical concepts in biological contexts. We describe such a subject at a research-intensive Australian university, and discuss the considerations informing its design. We also present an investigation into the effect of mathematical and biological background, prior mathematical achievement, and gender, on student achievement in the subject. The investigation shows that several factors known to predict performance in standard calculus subjects apply also to specialized discipline-specific mathematics subjects, and give some insight into the relative importance of mathematical versus biological background for a biology-focused mathematics subject.     

The Berlin-White Integrated Science and Mathematics Model

Science and mathematics are naturally and logically related in the real world. Educators are trying to capture this relationship in the classroom in an effort to improve students' achievement and attitude in both disciplines. However, the literature abounds with terms and definitions related to the integration of science and mathematics education. The Berlin-White Integrated Science and Mathematics (BWISM) Model was developed to provide a template to characterize current resources, guide in the development of new materials, and provide a common language to advance the research base related to integrated science and mathematics teaching and learning.     

Math clubs and their potentials: making mathematics fun and exciting. A case study of a math club

The purpose of this study is to describe the results obtained from a survey whose goal was to examine the combination of variables that have contributed to the success of a middle school math club. This is a case of a middle school in which the students are extremely successful in mathematics, and where the majority of the students voluntarily attend its math club. The results of the study show that the students have positive attitudes about mathematics and the club, and that some of the reasons that influenced them to attend the club were those of being with friends and eating donuts at the club. The results were similar for students of both genders and all grades. In addition, since positive attitudes are associated with higher levels of math achievement, such clubs have the potential to encourage students to enrol in additional mathematics classes while in high school, as well as pursuing mathematics related careers.     

Relationship Between Professional Development,Teachers' Instructional Practices,and the Achievement of Students in Science and Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between different types of professional development, teachers' instructional practices, and the achievement of students in science and mathematics. The types of professional development studied included immersion, examining practice, curriculum implementation, curriculum development, and collaborative work. Data regarding teachers' instructional practices and the amount of professional development were collected using teacher surveys. Ninety‐four middle school science teachers and 104 middle school mathematics teachers participated in the study. Student achievement was measured using eighth grade state science and mathematics achievement test data. Regression analyses suggested that for both science and mathematics teachers, examining practice and curriculum development were significantly related to the use of standards‐based instructional practices. Only curriculum development for mathematics teachers was significantly related to student achievement. Implications of results for the professional development of science and mathematics teachers are discussed.     

Investigating the impact of an urban community school effort on middle school STEM-related student outcomes over time through propensity score matched methods

This study investigates the impact of an urban community school reform initiative that focuses on an immigrant and refugee population in middle school. A 6th–8th grade cohort of students in the community school are followed over time and compared to a propensity score matched group on overall GPA, mathematics, and science academic outcomes and traditional college preparedness indicators. Further, a deeper dive into the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity was examined on all outcomes. Findings revealed that students in the urban community school demonstrated significantly more preparedness to enroll in college and move into a STEM field if they desired compared to the matched students. All gender/racial groups in the community school performed significantly higher than those in the matched group. Further, all gender/racial groups of students in the urban community school defied standard academic achievement drops common over time in middle school, and instead increase overall, math, and science grades from 6th to 8th grade.     

Mathematics Anxiety and Preservice Elementary Teachers' Confidence to Teach Mathematics and Science

Sixty‐five preservice elementary teachers' math anxiety levels and confidence levels to teach elementary mathematics and science were measured. The confidence scores of subjects in different math anxiety groups were compared and the relationships between their math anxiety levels and confidence levels to teach mathematics and science were investigated. The results suggest that low math anxious preservice teachers are more confident to teach elementary mathematics and science than are their peers having higher levels of math anxiety. Negative correlations were found between preservice teachers' math anxiety and their confidence scores to teach elementary mathematics (r = ?.638) and between preservice teachers' math anxiety and their confidence scores to teach elementary science (r = ‐.417). Also, personal math and science teaching self‐efficacy scores of participants were found to be correlated at .01 level (r =.549).     

Hispanic students’ mathematics achievement in the context of their high school types as STEM and non-STEM schools

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate Hispanic students’ mathematics achievement growth rate in Inclusive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) high schools compared to Hispanic students’ mathematics achievement growth rate in traditional public schools. Twenty-eight schools, 14 of which were Texas STEM (T-STEM) academies and 14 of which were matched non-STEM schools, were included in this study. A hierarchical linear modelling method was conducted. The result of the present study revealed that there was no difference in Hispanic students’ mathematics achievement growth rate in T-STEM academies compared to Hispanic students’ mathematics achievement growth rate in comparison schools. However, in terms of gender, the results indicated that female Hispanic students in T-STEM academies outperformed female Hispanic students in comparison schools in their mathematics growth rate.     

A Review of the Integration of Science and Mathematics: Implications for Further Research

Building on the earlier analysis by Berlin (1991) , this paper reviews various studies on integrating mathematics and science in the 1990s and provides some implications for further research. The areas identified for further exploration include comparison of the nature of mathematics and science, epistemological debates in mathematics and in science education, the bases used to emphasize science over mathematics or vice versa, empirical evidence of effectiveness of integration, connections between teacher education programs for integration and teachers' subsequent classroom teaching practices, perceptions of integration on the part of teacher educators, contextual difficulties in implementing integrated approaches and possible solutions, and rationales of integrating mathematics and science through technology. In order to help all students become scientifically literate, which most reform documents call for, more focused attention on integration of curriculum and instruction is necessary.     

关于数学哲学的新思考

本文以计算机软件 ,程序语言等作类比 ,提出数学命题是一种“概念实在”,以阐明数学对象的本体论地位 ;并根据自然科学只能基于现有的数学理论而建构这一事实 ,对数学在自然科学中的超前性和有效性作出了新的解释 .同时 ,本文勾划了一种新的数学哲学的轮廓 ,它以数学中引入新结构 ,提出猜想等创造性活动为课题 ,以数学史材料研究为方法 ,以探求数学发展的内在统一性为目的 .     

Socio-economic and cultural mediators of mathematics achievement and between-school equity in mathematics education at the global level

This paper aims at identifying and understanding how and to what extent socioeconomic and cultural factors mediate mathematics achievement and between-school equity in mathematics education among countries. First, under the assumption that equity and quality of education are independent constructs, the construct of equity-in-quality in mathematics education is developed. Second, the 18 countries that were identified in the previous work of the author Jurdak in (Toward equity in quality in mathematics education. Springer, New York, 2009) as being diverse in mathematics education will serve as study cases to illustrate, compare, and contrast the mediatory role of socio-economic and cultural factors in mathematics achievement and between-school equity in mathematics education. The results show that the differences in mathematics achievement and between-school equity in mathematics education at the country level are associated with, and can be accounted for in some cases, by socioeconomic and cultural factors.     

Tech Prep Academics: Using Real Life Connections to Develop Scientific and Mathematical Literacy

Based upon the recommendations of professional organizations in science and mathematics education, children at K-6 levels need to be exposed to activities involving scientific methodology, the discovery of new knowledge and the integration of science and mathematics curricula. This study describes several distinct kinds of problem solving investigations identified from real life situations which can be adapted in intellectually honest ways for selected levels of the elementary school curriculum. The activities lend themselves to interactions with businesses and industries in the children's community and involve the children in a variety of non-traditional instructional activities such as oral presentations, small group collaborative efforts, and written reports. Finally, the investigations promote the integration of science and mathematics curricula and suggest the role curricula can play in the lives of children.