The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the Iowa Chautauqua Professional Development Program in terms of changes in concept mastery, use of process skills, application of science concept and skills, student attitudes toward science, student creativity, and student perceptions regarding their science classrooms. Participants…

Though the importance of including practicum experiences in programs for the preparation of elementary preservice teachers is generally accepted, the nature of these experiences on the development of skills in teaching science can vary greatly. This study compares the effect of variations in field experiences at two institutions, one which…

This review of literature covers attribution studies in mathematics from 1974 through 2008. Thus far, mathematics education research in this area has been rather limited over the past few years. Attribution is discussed as it is defined by researchers, as being internal or external and its relation to mathematics achievement. In order for teachers…

Recognizing and responding to students' thinking is essential in teaching mathematics, especially when students provide incorrect solutions. This study examined, through a teaching scenario task, elementary preservice teachers' interpretations of and responses to a student's work on a task involving reflective symmetry. Findings revealed that a…

An undergraduate seminar was designed to help preservice teachers focus on students' learning. Preservice teachers planned and conducted weekly tutoring sessions with fourth graders and discussed their experiences in weekly discussions. The author investigated what preservice teachers learned about teaching mathematics from their focus on…

This study determines whether web-based instruction (WBI) represents an improved method for helping preservice teachers learn procedural and conceptual knowledge of fractions.. The purpose was to compare the effectiveness of web-based instruction (WBI) with the traditional lecture in mathematics content and methods for the elementary school…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has set ambitious goals for the teaching and learning of mathematics that include preparing students for both the workplace and higher education. While this suggests that it is important for students to develop strong mathematical competencies by the end of high school, there is evidence to indicate…

The purpose of this research was to evaluate a collaborative concept-mapping technique that was integrated into coteaching in fourth-grade science classes in order to examine students' performance and attitudes toward the experimental teaching method. There are two fourth-grade science teachers and four classes with a total of 114 students…

This paper examines secondary science teachers' perspectives of the role that mentoring by a scientist and science educator pair played in their professional development. Multiple data sources from three years of a professional development project, including interviews, participant reflections, and a focus group, were used to examine the benefits,…

Gender differences in mathematics and science have received substantial attention in the education research since the early 1980s when strong evidence for a male advantage was found in various studies. Given that mathematics is required for a variety of careers, the potential cause(s) of this disparity have generated much research, much of it…

This research examined the presentation of fractions in textbooks used by fifth and sixth graders in Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. The specific textbooks examined were "My Pals Are Here! Maths" (MPHM) in Singapore; "Kung Hsung" (KH) in Taiwan; and "Mathematics in Context" (MiC) in the USA. Results show the problems posed in MiC put…

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers' perceptions about the influence of scholarship on their decision to teach and to teach in a high-needs school were examined using cluster analysis. Three hundred and four STEM scholars, who were currently teaching, and who received funding from 45 institutions located throughout…

This longitudinal, five-year study of teachers and students who had participated in a systemic reform program in science explored if (1) teacher change in practice realized during a three-year program is sustained one, two, and three years following the program, (2) student performance on state science assessments two years following studying with…

Student initiatives play an important role in inquiry-based science with all students, including English language learning (ELL) students. This study examined initiatives that elementary students made as they participated in an intervention to promote science learning and English language development over a three-year period. In addition, the…

Textbooks are a key part of curriculum materials used for guiding students' acquisition of certain culturally valued concepts, procedures, intellectual dispositions, and ways of reasoning (Battista & Clements, 2000). There are many contextual and social factors that influence the ways teachers engage with and use curriculum materials in their…