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.     

Stepping into iSMART: Understanding Science–Mathematics Integration for Middle School Science and Mathematics Teachers

This paper is based on an online graduate program for middle school science and mathematics teachers in Texas titled Integration of Science, Mathematics and Reflective Teaching (iSMART). Launching the program for its first cohort in fall 2010, the authors attempted to answer the following two questions in this paper: (a) How do the members of the iSMART design team and the first cohort of teacher participants define science and mathematics integration with similar and different emphases? and (b) How would these definitions and concerns impact the ongoing design of the program? The iSMART design team members and the participating cohort teachers had a shared view regarding the importance of integration and its possible impact on student motivation. The findings also revealed that the two groups showed some different points of emphasis in their definitions of integration. These issues will be addressed in the ongoing design of the program in the following three areas: (a) design of the second summer meeting activities, (b) greater emphasis on teacher as researcher and action research, and (c) administrative support for teacher collaboration.     

Relationship Between Science and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy of Preservice Elementary Teachers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in teacher efficacy beliefs about mathematics and science teaching during participation in methods courses and student teaching, as well as the relationship between mathematics and science teaching efficacy. Data revealed that, as science and mathematics teacher education in a methods course progressed, science and mathematics teaching efficacy significantly increased. This effect appeared to decrease slightly by the end of student teaching. Analysis of data indicated a significant difference in both the personal mathematics and personal science teaching efficacy scores, as well as mathematics outcome expectancy. Additionally, preservice teachers' personal mathematics and science teaching efficacies were directly related, as were their mathematics and science teaching outcome expectancies.     

Local Instruction Theories as Means of Support for Teachers in Reform Mathematics Education

This article focuses on a form of instructional design that is deemed fitting for reform mathematics education. Reform mathematics education requires instruction that helps students in developing their current ways of reasoning into more sophisticated ways of mathematical reasoning. This implies that there has to be ample room for teachers to adjust their instruction to the students' thinking. But, the point of departure is that if justice is to be done to the input of the students and their ideas built on, a well-founded plan is needed. Design research on an instructional sequence on addition and subtraction up to 100 is taken as an instance to elucidate how the theory for realistic mathematics education (RME) can be used to develop a local instruction theory that can function as such a plan. Instead of offering an instructional sequence that “works,” the objective of design research is to offer teachers an empirically grounded theory on how a certain set of instructional activities can work. The example of addition and subtraction up to 100 is used to clarify how a local instruction theory informs teachers about learning goals, instructional activities, student thinking and learning, and the role of tools and imagery.     

Local Instruction Theories as Means of Support for Teachers in Reform Mathematics Education

This article focuses on a form of instructional design that is deemed fitting for reform mathematics education. Reform mathematics education requires instruction that helps students in developing their current ways of reasoning into more sophisticated ways of mathematical reasoning. This implies that there has to be ample room for teachers to adjust their instruction to the students' thinking. But, the point of departure is that if justice is to be done to the input of the students and their ideas built on, a well-founded plan is needed. Design research on an instructional sequence on addition and subtraction up to 100 is taken as an instance to elucidate how the theory for realistic mathematics education (RME) can be used to develop a local instruction theory that can function as such a plan. Instead of offering an instructional sequence that "works," the objective of design research is to offer teachers an empirically grounded theory on how a certain set of instructional activities can work. The example of addition and subtraction up to 100 is used to clarify how a local instruction theory informs teachers about learning goals, instructional activities, student thinking and learning, and the role of tools and imagery.     

Integrating Science and Mathematics: Perceptions of Preservice and Practicing Elementary Teachers

One hundred and sixty-one undergraduate elementary education majors and sixty elementary teachers completed an eight-item questionnaire designed to assess their perceptions toward integrating science and mathematics in the elementary grades. The two groups of subjects differed significantly on their responses to five of the eight items. Chi square analyses suggest that practicing elementary teachers felt they had more background in mathematics and science, were more aware of curriculum materials in this area, did not think that integration was currently a common practice, and were more likely to indicate that there was not sufficient time in the school day to integrate the subjects. Preservice teachers were more likely to indicate that integrating the disciplines was preferred to teaching them separately. In addition to the analyses of data, a list of recommendations are provided for teachers, curriculum developers, and policy makers interested in advancing the concept of integrating science and mathematics in instruction.