The study aims to explore the level of suburban 5th grade students' mathematics self-efficacy, math anxiety, and academic achievement, to discover the possible interconnections between these parameters. The measures used to evaluate each included the Math Anxiety Rating Scale, the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and the North Carolina End of Grade…

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the implementation of an adaptive web-based learning environment to personalize geometry instruction and practice for high school students at a private school in North Carolina. This study was guided by the following three research questions: How and to what extent does implementing…

A wide range of efforts has been explored to fill the United States' need for professionals in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Understanding the factors that influence student persistence in out-of-school educational spaces such as outreach programs is important to meeting this demand. Outreach programs are…

This three-article dissertation examined the implementation and impact of corequisite mathematics courses at four North Carolina community colleges located in urban areas. The first article was a multiple case study that examined student and instructor experiences to determine the characteristics of corequisite courses that students and…

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of middle school math teachers, as captured by survey ratings, of the frequency and quality of professional development programs. The study further examined the relationship of these perceptions to the degree to which professional development increased self-efficacy and social connections.…

Preparing students for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is one of the United States' K-12 educational concerns (Gandhi et al., 2016). Despite the National Science Foundation's (NSF) report that the number of students participating in STEM fields continues to increase, the number of underrepresented students…

Community colleges are frequently an affordable, accessible entrance to a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and career, but the transition from a 2-year program to a 4-year institution can be tumultuous. In this mixed-methods study, we explore the experiences of transfer and prospective transfer students. Through…

Recently adopted state standards for middle grades and high school mathematics content have an increased emphasis on statistical topics. With this change, teacher education programs may need to adapt how they prepare preservice secondary mathematics teachers (PSMTs) to teach statistics and require measures related to statistics teaching to assess…

The sample of this study consisted of 1,077 eighth grade students and 442 eighth grade teachers from nine states--Alabama, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and North Carolina during the TIMSS 2011 study. The instrument used to measure student and teacher self-efficacy, student task value, and teacher…

Various personal dimensions of students--particularly motivation, self-efficacy beliefs, and epistemic beliefs--can change in response to teaching, affect student learning, and be conceptualized as learning dispositions. We propose that these learning dispositions serve as learning outcomes in their own right; that patterns of interrelationships…

This study examines the leadership efficacy amongst graduates of The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) for the classes of 2000 through 2007 from a neuroscientific and neuromathematic perspective. NCSSM alumni (as the primary unit of analysis) were examined using a novel neuromathematic post hoc method of analysis. This study…

Successful professional development programs for teachers are necessary conditions for school success. They include those that are scientifically- and/or evidence-based, such as a product-based model. This case study examined the impact of a product-based model of professional development on K-6 students' performances on the North Carolina…

This study developed twelve instructional modules based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress for mathematics content and methods courses for preservice elementary and middle school teachers and examined their impact on PSTs' mathematical content knowledge and self-efficacy beliefs about teaching mathematics. The modules help…

This mixed-methods study investigates the real and perceived barriers that African American male Edgecombe County high school students face when considering college enrollment to inform potential interventions to improve college enrollment of this market segment. Phase I of the study design included a survey of current, African American, male…

Despite the odds, African American women are achieving some success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, a dearth of empirical evidence exists on the mechanisms that contribute to their persistence. This study contributes to understanding how African American women are successful in obtaining baccalaureate degrees…