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Abstract: Abstract This paper reports findings from a study where regional, rural, and remote (RRR) educators were involved in a Queensland Government-funded 3-year Central Queensland (CQ) STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Cluster Project designed to enhance student learning opportunities. This project provided STEM professional development, with a focus on robotics, helping teachers prepare students for a new regional robotics competition via informal school clubs. It was designed to empower RRR teachers to implement engaging, real-world STEM practices in their schools and focused on how aspects of the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum (DTC) learning area connected with student robotics learning. Data were collected using survey responses from teachers participating in the professional development (PD). Attending PD significantly improved teacher confidence in supporting student robotics clubs. The project provides some evidence that access to physical resources (robotics kits), effective PD design (hands-on and differentiated learning), and partnerships (industry involvement) are all important for creating sustainable STEM education ecosystems within regional areas. PubDate: 2023-12-06
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Abstract: Abstract Technology education (TE) has the creating, making, and doing aspects of human activity at its foundation. This article presents a comparison of the teaching sense of efficacy (TSE) of practising TE teachers and teacher candidates (TC) during a forced switch to emergency remote teaching (ERT). In phase 1, the switch to ERT had a significantly negative effect on TE teachers (N = 42; r = −0.60). In phase 2, TE TCs (N = 16) were similarly affected (r = −0.53). Results of a two-way mixed ANOVA in phase 3 suggest that ERT had a greater negative impact on practising TE teachers’ TSE for student engagement (partial eta squared = 0.11) and classroom management (partial eta squared = 0.19) than it did on TE TCs’ TSE. As novice teachers tend to draw more from contextual factors than mastery experiences, this research suggests that experienced teachers were at a greater loss due to the pandemic than TCs. PubDate: 2023-12-06
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Abstract: Abstract This paper examines preservice teachers’ experiences when they engage with tasks using dynamic technological applets to analyse data pertaining to societal issues. We examine two vignettes that discuss preservice teachers’ interaction with dynamic visual representations of data related to plastic pollution and food supply. We analyse this data with an eye toward the relationship between the affordances of the technology and the emergence of participants’ curiosity. We adopt the Embodied Curiosity theoretical lens to show how the foundational construct, relational-curiosity, provides opportunities for curiosity to be visible and recognized as a tool for meaning-making. This research provides insights into how preservice teachers can mitigate the challenges and tensions they face when navigating connections between mathematics and social justice issues. PubDate: 2023-11-28
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Abstract: Abstract This study examines how collaborative activity among students and the teacher to investigate disciplinary questions, which we term ‘joint exploration’, is established and maintained in a secondary mathematics classroom. Although collaborative and active learning is increasingly sought after in mathematics classrooms, studies of instances of joint exploration remain relatively rare. In this study, we use the theoretical perspective of positioning to conceptualize joint exploration as involving the negotiation among participants to position students with epistemic authority and agency. Using a constant comparative method, we use classroom video data of two episodes containing joint exploration and closely analyse the shifts in epistemic positioning within them. We find that shifts in epistemic positioning, especially with respect to students positioning one another with epistemic authority and exercising epistemic agency, help to support continued joint exploration. We also find that the teacher can play an important role in decentring themselves as the epistemic authority. In addition to these findings, this study contributes a distinction in epistemic authority and agency, as we explain how the two concepts are related and involved in establishing and maintaining joint exploration. PubDate: 2023-11-23
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Abstract: Abstract Within Canada, the need for individuals with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills has been well documented. One tactic towards increasing the number of individuals with STEM skills is to focus on the kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) STEM education stakeholders, who can directly and/or indirectly influence a student’s STEM education trajectory. One of those stakeholders is K-12 STEM outreach units (SOUs). The purpose of this research was to contribute to the STEM education literature in Canada by identifying the landscape of university-based K-12 SOUs and exploring their organizational features (mission, target audience, stakeholders, initiatives, capacity, resources, and partnerships). This study used an explanatory two-phase approach involving quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. Phase 1 was an environmental scan of university-based SOUs websites. Phase 2 consisted of an online survey designed to further explore SOUs’ organizational features. The findings from this study suggest commonality in SOUs’ mission and intentionality towards engaging youth, including those underrepresented and underserviced in STEM fields such as Black youth, Indigenous youth, racialized youth, youth from low socio-economic communities, and girls. However, the findings indicate a large variability of other organizational features such as their size, operating budget, and the number of partnerships. Overall, the findings affirm that university-based SOUs have a role to play in the K-12 STEM learning ecosystem, helping students develop STEM knowledge and skills. PubDate: 2023-10-22
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Abstract: Abstract Armed with half a decade of experience as editor of vinculum, 4 years of writing the regular column “Math Ed Matters by MatthewMaddux” for The Variable, and as lead editor of Selected Writings from the Journal of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers’ Society, I can safely say that the reports of the death of the Journal of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers’ Society (SMTS) have been greatly exaggerated — until now. I mean, sure, with all due respect, and as a member of the executive of the SMTS myself, the journal kind of carries on as the subscript, which is a series of links compiled by the SMTS executive. Looked at from an old-man-yells-at-cloud perspective, emailing a few links out is a far cry from the mountain of material found printed in the many, many pages of the Journal of the SMTS, differently named as The Mathematics Newsletter, The SMTS Newsletter, SMTS Journal, Journal of the SMTS, vinculum, and The Variable over the past 60 years. I should know, after all, I led an extensive excavation of math teacher journal materials here in Western Canada. This article, then, is a quasi-autopsy of the journal. Rest in Peace, Journal of the SMTS. You deserve it. PubDate: 2023-09-15 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00286-x
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Abstract: Abstract Students’ high school decisions will always impact efforts to achieve gender parity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at the university level and beyond. Without a comprehensive understanding of gendered disparities in high school course selection, it will be impossible to close completely the gender gap in many STEM disciplines. This study examines 11 years of detailed administrative data to determine gendered enrolment trends in university-stream secondary school STEM courses. Male and female enrolments for all publicly funded secondary schools across the province of Ontario (N = 844) were tracked from the 2007/2008 academic year to 2017/2018. The data reveal a clear trend of growing enrolment in STEM disciplines, with the increase in female students continuing their STEM education significantly outpacing males in almost all courses. However, these results also demonstrate the significant disparities that persist across STEM disciplines. The existing gender gap in physics remains large—in 2018, the median grade 12 Physics class was only \(36.5\pm 0.05\%\) female—with virtually no progress having been made to close this gap. By tracking individual student cohorts, we also demonstrate a newly discovered result showing the continuation rate of male students in biology stream courses has experienced a precipitous drop-off. The proportion of male students continuing from grade 10 Science to grade 12 Biology 2 years later has seen an average yearly decline of \(-0.44\pm 0.08\) percentage points, potentially foreshadowing the emergence of another significant gender gap in STEM. We suggest that researchers and educators cease treating STEM as a monolith when addressing gender disparities, as doing so obscures significant differences between disciplines. Future efforts, particularly those aimed to support women in STEM, must instead adopt a more targeted approach to ensure that they solve existing problems without creating new ones. PubDate: 2023-09-08 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00285-y
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Abstract: Abstract Effective teaching and learning of Nature of Science (NOS) has been a curriculum goal for decades and its inclusion into the science education from K-12 is becoming commonplace worldwide, regardless of the differences in the adapted science curricula. However, less attention, if any, has been paid to the holistic representation of NOS at kindergarten schooling level. This study utilizes the Family Resemblance Approach (FRA) on NOS to investigate how NOS is represented in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) science curriculum documents for the kindergarten school years, and the extent of its alignment with the international benchmarks and educational research evidence. Findings from the FRA-based curriculum analysis have demonstrated that the standards include “the nature of science” as one of the key domains of science education in the kindergarten stage. However, the cognitive-epistemic dimensions of NOS appeared to be more dominant than the social-institutional system dimensions. Specifically, the majority of the standards and learning outcomes emphasize learning of scientific methods, scientific practices, and scientific knowledge, alongside very few NOS aspects related to scientific ethos, social values, professional practices, and social organization. Pedagogical and practical implications of these results for science education are presented, along with recommendations to help structure NOS account into the UAE science standards that is more progressive, holistic, and interactive, all which can be of interest to a broader audience for purposes of curriculum policy reform both locally and internationally. PubDate: 2023-08-30 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00282-1
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Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
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Abstract: Abstract In order to identify the potential benefits and challenges of implementing student portfolios as quality mathematics assessment, a pilot study was conducted with teachers in various secondary school settings. The multi-case study consisted of five teacher participants from geographically and demographically differing contexts, four in the USA and one in Canada. They were interviewed and surveyed, exploring their motivations for utilizing a portfolio system of mathematics assessment for the 2020–2021 school year, the design of their portfolio system, and resultant impacts on student dispositions around mathematics. Each participating teacher implemented different structures of portfolio assessment, including the types of items included and how the items were assessed. Results showed that compared to traditional multiple-choice tests, teachers felt portfolios were a better reflection of their students’ “extra-mathematical” skills, such as problem-solving and persistence. Teacher surveys and interviews also demonstrated confidence that the use of portfolios as assessment was superior to more traditional measures in terms of adhering to good pedagogical practices. Through questionnaire data and interviews, teachers reported portfolios were particularly beneficial for students for whom English is not their primary language, as well as students with special needs. The paper lays the groundwork for additional research studies in the area of student mathematics portfolios based on the provided framework. PubDate: 2023-08-11 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00280-3
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Abstract: Abstract The study investigated the effects of the use of dynamic computer visualizations (DCVs) integrated with the POE (Predict-Observe-Explain) sequence on learners’ understanding and retention of solubility and on their motivation to learn chemistry. In the research, nonequivalent groups pretest–posttest control and comparison group design was used. The study was conducted on 56 freshmen enrolled in the science teacher education program at a mid-sized university in northwestern Turkey. One of the two classes was randomly assigned as an experimental group (n = 31), and the other was assigned as a control group (n = 25). The data were collected using the Solubility Concept Test (SCT), Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire-II (CMQ-II), Molecular Level Visualization Test (MLVT), and Questionnaire of Students’ Perceptions of DCVs (QSP-DCVs). The quantitative data were analyzed using repeated-measures MANOVA, and the qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicated that the use of DCVs integrated with the POE sequence was more effective on learners’ understanding of solubility than the traditional lecturer-centered narrative-based teaching method. It was found that some prior misconceptions were retained or reinforced even though the use of DCVs integrated with the POE sequence was used. This study also found that the use of DCVs integrated with the POE sequence had a considerable significant effect on learners’ retention of what they learned. Although there was no statistically significant difference in the change taking place in motivation towards chemistry between the experimental and control group, experimental group learners’ perceptions of the use of DCVs were quite positive. Based on the study, it is concluded that DCVs integrated with the POE sequence can be used as an effective way to improve learners’ understanding and retention of fundamental chemistry concepts. PubDate: 2023-08-09 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00284-z
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Abstract: Abstract Prospective preschool teachers (PPTs) need to have learning experiences with the practice of scientific modelling to be able to design appropriate lessons as teachers. In the literature on research in science education, scarce experiences of PPTs in scientific modelling can be found. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap about PPTs’ representations of water and its states by means of models. To this end, an analysis is made of the models designed by PPTs and the difficulties they found in such a design process. The participants were 47 PPTs, working in groups of 2 or 3, forming 19 groups in total. The data source for analysis was the report written by each group. The oral presentation of these reports in class also served to clarify any doubts about the models elaborated by the PPTs. The models were analysed and categorized using qualitative content analysis methods, by combining inter- and intra-rater evaluation strategies. The results reveal that PPTs in general used a variety of resources to make models about the water molecule. Nonetheless, they found it harder to model the differences between the three aggregation states of water from a molecular perspective. The PPTs also acknowledged having had difficulties, such as when choosing and handling the materials they used to create the models or when thinking how to adapt them for the explanations to their peers. It is concluded with a discussion and implications of this study towards the PPTs’ training in scientific modelling and its didactics. PubDate: 2023-08-04 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00283-0
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Abstract: Abstract The making of mathematical connections in the classroom plays a dual role. While many studies highlight the importance of connections for the learning of mathematics, others inform of students’ difficulties associated with the making of connections. This study aims to characterise the mathematical connections that arise in habitual classroom practice, using an inductive approach, in the context of introducing integers with pupils aged 12–13. Results show that connections emerge as networks of links resulting from interactions between the teacher and the students. We present a definition of connection, a detailed characterisation of their internal structure as networks of links and a global characterisation which takes into account the role of the connection in the context in which it takes place. The complementarity of the two characterizations allows us to coordinate, from a classroom perspective, existing specific classification proposals for connections with a broader notion of connection used by relevant curricular guidelines. Factors that may determine the complexity of connections and may be related with students’ difficulties when dealing with connections in the classroom are also discussed. PubDate: 2023-07-30 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00281-2
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Abstract: Abstract Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and the assessment framework of PISA, this study aimed to develop a three-dimensional assessment framework to measure junior high school students’ higher order thinking skills in mathematics in China. A total of 28,153 eighth graders from 11 districts and counties in Z city were involved in the test. The results showed that (1) in the Mathematical ability dimension, students scored the lowest in Problem-solving; (2) in the Cognitive level dimension, students scored the lowest in Evaluate; (3) there was little difference between students’ scores on problems in Realistic and Intramathematical situations; (4) there were significant differences in the higher order thinking skills of students at different academic levels; and (5) there were no gender differences in students’ higher order mathematical thinking skills (HOMTS). Implications for assessment in HOMTS and suggestions for future study are discussed. PubDate: 2023-07-28 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00279-w
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Abstract: Fractions remain a challenging area of school mathematics at every stage of education, with impacts that extend far beyond the school years. For this study, researchers engaged in classroom-based design research over a 6-year period to investigate effective strategies for teaching fractions with Canadian students. Participants included 86 teachers (representing 12 collaborative research teams spread across 8 school boards) and over 2000 students from Grades 3–10. Quantitative analyses revealed significant pre-post gains in students’ fraction knowledge. Qualitative findings revealed some best practices in fractions instruction, including the importance of focusing on unit fractions and number lines to facilitate student sense-making. These findings lead to a detailed discussion of the benefits of (1) focusing on unit fractions as a central construct that allows students to meaningfully work with fractions and make connections across ideas of increasing complexity; (2) leveraging powerful representations as objects-to-think-with that combine concrete and abstract thinking about fractions; and (3) using a design research methodology in the context of collaborative work with teachers. PubDate: 2023-07-26 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00278-x
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Abstract: Abstract Worldwide, education jurisdictions are looking for authentic ways to address First Nations perspectives in the K-12 curriculum, including science education. At the same time, there have been ongoing efforts to integrate authentic and engaging approaches to teaching science, including those that are student-centred, inquiry-based, multimodal, and linked to meaningful contexts. Both goals may be realised through the principle of Two-Eyed Seeing (TES), which seeks to integrate the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing with one eye, and Western ways of knowing with the other eye, for the benefit of all students. This theoretical paper presents a Two-Eyed Seeing for Science Education (TESSE) Framework, which brings together two pedagogical models. One is from a contemporary science perspective, the 5Es representation-rich inquiry approach, which scaffolds authentic student-centred conceptually focused learning experiences. The other is from an Indigenous perspective, the 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning, which illustrates different ways of knowing—many of which are familiar with First Peoples across the world (e.g., place-based, visual, holistic). The TESSE Framework aims to act as a strengths-based interface between the two knowledge systems to support a culturally responsive approach to teaching and learning science. It is designed to support meaningful connections through curriculum and pedagogy in ways that are contextually relevant to place. Through empirical investigation and in collaboration with local communities, the Framework has the potential to inform current approaches to science education in schools and universities and provide a pathway towards decolonisation and reconciliation. PubDate: 2023-07-14 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00276-z
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Abstract: Abstract A small but growing body of research confirms that people in the LGBTQ + (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other identities) community are among those underrepresented in STEM (science, technology engineering, and math). This is concerning because diversity and inclusion improves science for all. In response, Canadian institutions have developed initiatives aimed to address issues in which LGBTQ + students disproportionately leave STEM fields. LGBTQ + postdoctoral scholars (postdocs) are of particular interest because they have developed clear professional and LGBTQ + identities, they are significant contributors to their fields, and they work at the intersection of STEM students and faculty. Studies have highlighted poor job satisfaction and career opportunities for this group. This qualitative study explored the values, beliefs, and experiences of 14 Canadian LGBQ + postdocs in STEM through semi-structured interviews about coming out, experiences of LGBQ + mentorship/representation, and their beliefs on staying within science and academia. Interview data was analyzed thematically from a post-structural perspective. Main themes emerged: (1) coming out, (2) representation, and (3) mentorship. This exploratory qualitative study offers insight into how the experiences of this understudied group are helpful in disentangling discourses surrounding coming out, representation, and mentorship for LGBQ + researchers in STEM. PubDate: 2023-07-11 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00275-0
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Abstract: There is an ongoing public debate about mathematics education. This dialogue influences policymakers as well as mathematics teachers who are affected by these public ideas. Consequently, exploring the public debate, for example, by studying news media, is relevant for understanding teaching and learning in mathematics and also pertinent for researchers to actively participate in the debate about mathematics education. Representations of mathematics education, which emerged in a study of three national newspapers in Sweden, were explored. Articles relevant to the study were found in systematic searches in a media archive every fifth year between 1992 and 2017. Findings show that the construction of mathematics education in Swedish newspapers is multifaceted and complex, foregrounded by achievements, measurements and various forms of teaching. Other parts of the construction involve teachers wanting to arouse positive feelings, but their attempts are often unsuccessful. Whilst the construction of mathematics education is increasingly varied, the resulting positive and negative feelings and the tensions between representations contribute new insights, which are important to the field. Résumé L’enseignement des mathématiques fait constamment l’objet d’un débat public. Cette discussion influence les décideurs politiques ainsi que les enseignants de mathématiques touchés par ces idées échangées dans le domaine public. Par conséquent, afin de comprendre l’enseignement et l’apprentissage des mathématiques, en plus de faciliter la participation active des chercheurs à la conversation portant sur l’enseignement des mathématiques, il est pertinent d’étudier ce débat public, par exemple en examinant les médias d’information. Ainsi, nous avons analysé les représentations faites de l’enseignement des mathématiques qui sont ressorties de l’examen de trois journaux nationaux en Suède. Des recherches systématiques effectuées dans des archives médiatiques tous les cinq ans entre 1992 et 2017 ont permis d’identifier des articles pertinents à cette étude. Les résultats montrent que la conception de l’enseignement des mathématiques dans les journaux suédois est multiforme et complexe, qu’elle met l’accent sur les réalisations, les évaluations et diverses formes d’enseignement. D’autres éléments incluent le fait que les enseignants veulent susciter des sentiments positifs, mais que leurs tentatives sont souvent infructueuses. L’accent placé sur les réalisations et les évaluations est conforme aux études antérieures menées au Canada; alors que la représentation de l’enseignement des mathématiques est de plus en plus variée, les sentiments positifs et négatifs qui en résultent, ainsi que les tensions entre les représentations, apportent de nouvelles perspectives, importantes pour le domaine. PubDate: 2023-07-05 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00277-y
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