Changing Assessment Practices in Science and Mathematics

One recommendation of the national reform movements in mathematics and science is to change the way students are assessed. In this article five formats of alternative assessment forms are described, and suggestions are given on how these methods can be implemented within science and mathematics classrooms. Benefits of each type of assessment are discussed and potential pitfalls are elucidated. Samples of the five formats, journal writing, open-ended problems, portfolios, interviews and performance assessments, are included.     

Classroom Assessment: Teachers’ Conceptions and Practices in Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ conceptions about assessment and their actual assessment practices. The sample for the study consisted of 269 mathematics teachers in Grades 1 through 4 in a southeastern state. The teachers completed a cross-sectional, Likert-scale survey. Using chi-square to examine the relationships between grade level and teachers’ conceptions and between grade level and teachers’ practices, the researchers found several significant differences, transcending an indication of relationship by chance.     

Mathematics for All: Perspectives and Promising Practices

The Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP, 1995) is one of four comprehensive curriculum development projects that, in 1992, were awarded 5-year grants by the National Science Foundation to design, evaluate, and disseminate innovative high school curricula that interpret and implement the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics ( NCTM, 1989 ) and Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics ( NCTM, 1991 ). This article describes CPMP perspectives on a new curriculum organization for high school mathematics, identifies implications of these perspectives for promoting access and equity for all students, and reports some of the supporting oral data from an ongoing formative evaluation of the curriculum.     

Book review of Thinking Practices in Mathematics and Science Learning

The goal of this project, an animation-based tutor for algebra word problems, is to build instructional software to improve estimation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. In this study, we focused on the 2nd (task completion) module, which uses tank-filling problems in which the unknown variable is the time it will take to fill a tank. Students build on the answers to a simple (no leak) problem to estimate, and then calculate, answers to problems in which there is a leak in the bottom of the tank, a leak in the side of the tank, and a delay in starting one of the pipes. We evaluated the software in an intermediate algebra class consisting of a diverse group of students at a community college. We use the findings to discuss what works (estimation and the solution of the simpler problems) and to make recommendations on how to improve use of the decomposition method for solving the more complex problems.     

Crutch or Catalyst: Teachers' Beliefs and Practices Regarding Calculator use in Mathematics Instruction

This study investigated K‐12 teachers' beliefs and reported teaching practices regarding calculator use in their mathematics instruction. A survey was administered to more than 800 elementary, middle and high school teachers in a large metropolitan area to address the following questions: (a) what are the beliefs and practices of mathematics teachers regarding calculator use? and (b) how do these beliefs and practices differ among teachers in three grade bands? Factor analysis of 20 Likert scale items revealed four factors that accounted for 54% of the variance in the ratings. These factors were named Catalyst Beliefs, Teacher Knowledge, Crutch Beliefs, and Teacher Practices. Compared to elementary teachers, high school teachers were significantly higher in their perception of calculator use as a catalyst in mathematics instruction. However, the higher the grade level of the teacher, the higher the mean score on the perception that calculator use may be a way of getting answers without understanding mathematical processes. The mean scores for teachers in all three grade bands indicated agreement that students can learn mathematics through calculator use and using calculators in instruction will lead to better student understanding and make mathematics more interesting. The survey results shed light on teachers' self reported beliefs, knowledge, and practices in regard to consistency with elements of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000) technology principle and the NCTM use of technology position paper (2003). This study extended previous research on teachers' beliefs regarding calculator use in classrooms by examining and comparing the results of teacher surveys across three grade bands.     

Measuring Reform Practices in Science and Mathematics Classrooms: The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol

The National Science Foundation has funded 22 Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation. Despite the remarkable allocation of resources to this effort, it has proven exceptionally difficult to demonstrate the effectiveness of collaborative reform. In large part, this has resulted because of the difficulty of defining and measuring reform. The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) was designed by the Evaluation Facilitation Group of the Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (ACEPT). It is a 25‐item classroom observation protocol that is (a) standards based, (b) inquiry oriented, and (c) student centered. This instrument has provided the definition for reform and the basis for evaluation of the ACEPT collaborative. The data upon which this report is based were collected over a period of more than 2 years from 153 public school, college, and university mathematics and science classrooms. A trained team of observers consisting of two faculty members and seven graduate students was able to achieve exceptionally high levels of interrater reliability. Internal consistency, as estimated by Cronbach's alpha, was also remarkably high. Correlation coefficients ranging from 0.88 to 0.97 between RTOP scores for classrooms, and mean normalized gain scores for students in those classrooms on achievement measures demonstrate that reform, as defined by ACEPT and measured by the RTOP, has been effective.     

数学类课程中开放性作业的研究与实践

在数学类的课程教学中,针对某些开放性问题进行研究,对提升学生数学素质起到了重要作用.本文探讨了开放性作业的内容,组织形式和考核方式.通过教学实践和对学生的问卷调查发现,在大班教学中,开放性作业适合少数学生选做,进一步将研究成果在课堂上分享,所占分数为2-3分,以附加分数的形式计入总分,得到学生的认可度较高,教学效果较好.     

Reflection and Problem Solving: Integrating Methods of Teaching Mathematics and Science

An innovative teacher preparation course which integrates methods of teaching elementary mathematics and science was the context of this study. The course was developed as a prototype for the Teachers As Reflective Problem Solvers model for the preparation of elementary mathematics and science teachers. Data from 35 preservice elementary teachers' performance-portfolios were analyzed to reveal patterns of change in their reflections and problem-solving performance during the semester. Many of the students' reflections changed from task-focused learning to broader teaching applications. No relationship was discerned between changes in students' reflections and changes in their levels of problem-solving performance, although both increased during the semester. A significant correspondence was found, however, between students' perceptions of their problem-solving abilities and their actual performance in solving teaching problems in integrated mathematics and science contexts.     

Examining Instructional Practices of Elementary Science Teachers for Mathematics and Literacy Integration

Integration of content in core disciplines is viewed as an important curricular component in promoting scientific literacy. This study characterized the current practices of a group of elementary teachers relative to their development of interdisciplinary links between science, mathematics, and literacy. A qualitative analysis of survey data showed that there were substantial differences in the use of a well‐developed process for integrating instruction. Teachers also lacked a conceptual connection to integration, showed contradictions in the importance placed on hands‐on experiences, used measurement as the primary interdisciplinary connection between mathematics and science, and did not use instructional strategies designed specifically for nonfiction/expository text. The findings underscore the need for professional development that assists teachers in changing their conceptual perspectives to integration while also building pedagogical knowledge related to integration of science, mathematics, and literacy.     

Numerical Mathematics：Theory,Methods and Applications

Aims and Scope: Numerical Mathematics:Theory, Methods and Applications (NM-TMA) publishes high-quality original research papers on the construction,analysis and application of numerical methods for solving scientific problems.Important research and expository papers devoted to the numerical solution of mathematical problems arising in all areas of science and technology are expected.The journal originates from the journal Numerical Mathematics:A Journal of Chinese Universities (English Edition).     

The Mathematics Writer's Checklist: The Development of a Preliminary Assessment Tool for Writing in Mathematics

The use of writing as a pedagogical tool to help students learn mathematics is receiving increased attention at the college level ( Meier & Rishel, 1998 ), and the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) built a strong case for including writing in school mathematics, suggesting that writing enhances students' mathematical thinking. Yet, classroom experience indicates that not all students are able to write well about mathematics. This study examines the writing of a two groups of students in a college‐level calculus class in order to identify criteria that discriminate “;successful” vs. “;unsuccessful” writers in mathematics. Results indicate that “;successful” writers are more likely than “;unsuccessful” writers to use appropriate mathematical language, build a context for their writing, use a variety of examples for elaboration, include multiple modes of representation (algebraic, graphical, numeric) for their ideas, use appropriate mathematical notation, and address all topics specified in the assignment. These six criteria result in The Mathematics Writer's Checklist, and methods for its use as an instructional and assessment tool in the mathematics classroom are discussed.