Download or read book Teachers Perceptions of how One Middle School s Math Teachers Impacted Student Achievement written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Data Driven Instruction written by Stephen J. O'Toole and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 103 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to determine middle school mathematics teachers' perceptions about student achievement data, the structures within the school system that help or hinder their ability to use data, and the teachers' perceptions towards the effect that examining data has on student achievement. This qualitative study investigated the perceptions of 20 middle school mathematics teachers' use of data to drive their instruction. Through the use of constructed response and open-ended survey items, the study identified (1) how teachers use student achievement data, (2) the types of data used most frequently, (3) the supports and impediments to using data, and (4) their beliefs about the effect using data has on their instruction and student achievement. Individual interviews with 6 participants provided additional information pertaining to the 3 research questions. The findings from this research reveal that middle school mathematics teachers frequently use and value course level formative assessments compared to state and district level assessments. The results indicate that teachers believe there are supports in place to help them use data. Supports included data warehouses, meetings with colleagues, and administrative assistance. Response data identified lack of time for analyzing data and for implementing instructional strategies based on data as significant impediments to using data to drive instruction. Teachers believed that using data changed their instruction and raised student achievement of struggling students.
Download or read book Teachers Perceptions of Instruction Rigor and High Achievers written by Diane R. Best and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative study was: (a) to determine the impact of the introduction of the PA Core Standards in mathematics on advanced middle school students and identify the impact of adaptable and rigorous instructional practices currently utilized in schools on high achieving students in mathematics and (b) to determine teachers' perceptions of how a framework, such as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), impacts the instructional practices utilized to meet the needs of advanced learners to increase student achievement. This study examined the instructional practices and frameworks used by middle school mathematics teachers to advance the learning of high achievers. Additionally, this research identified the need for a systematic framework to identify and accommodate the advanced learner's individual student needs. Looking at instructional practices and components of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support/Response to Intervention/Response to Instruction and Intervention (MTSS/RtI/RtII) as self-reported by teachers and comparing the average growth index (AGI) in the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS) for advanced students provided evidence of instructional practice effectiveness. Qualitative data was collected through an online survey and allowed the researcher to study the connection of instructional practices within a systematic framework. The researcher determined the types of instructional practices implemented in the middle school mathematics classes as related to the Depth of Knowledge level that advanced students needed to grow academically. The researcher also identified teacher perceptions of important aspects of the mathematics classroom and collected evidence to support instructional practices and organizational structure of the school.
Download or read book Middle School Teachers Perceptions of Student Self efficacy written by Courtney M. Amersbach and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate middle school mathematics teachers' perceptions of student self-efficacy and its influence on their instructional practices. Fifteen districts from the southeast and south central regions of Pennsylvania agreed to take part in the study. The researcher contacted seventh and eighth grade mathematics teachers from these districts requesting volunteers to complete a self-administered SurveyMonkey questionnaire. Fifty-seven teachers responded to the questionnaire with five of these teachers also participating in the phone interviews. The survey instruments explored the following areas of the construct from the teachers' perspective: 1) examples of student self-efficacy observed in the classroom, 2) the impact of self-efficacy on students' motivation to learn, 3) the selection of instructional practices informed by one's understandings of student self-efficacy, and 4) professional development dedicated to student self-efficacy. Teachers in this study observed student behaviors consistent with prior research. Students demonstrating low self-efficacy gave up easily when they did not experience success while individuals with positive efficacious beliefs showed perseverance in solving challenging tasks. Although the majority of respondents believed that teachers had a role in building students' perceptions of capability, nearly half of these teachers reported little to no formal training on the construct. Teachers emphasized the importance of scaffolding material in an effort to promote mastery experiences, yet perceived students to favor a performance orientation. The assertion disputed earlier studies claiming that teachers guided their students to achievement goals through their selection of instructional practices. Conflicting testimony surfaced as respondents also cited examples of teaching strategies reflecting a performance approach. The study recommends further analysis, including classroom observations and students' perspectives, to resolve some of the disparities that emerged.
Download or read book Teachers Perceptions of a Teaching and Learning Action Plan for the Development and Implementation of Problem Solving Strategies in Middle School Mathematics written by Jessica E. Shambaugh and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Declining standardized test scores due to the increased rigor of curricular standards is a problem for many school districts in the United States. To combat this issue, administrative teams develop plans to better meet the needs of teachers and students. The purpose of this case study is to identify teachers' perceptions of an action plan that addressed declining test scores through the development and implementation of problem-solving strategies in the classroom. The researcher interviewed six middle school teachers and two school administrators regarding their experiences and perceptions working with the math action plan. Open-ended interviews with all 8 participants informed answers to the following research questions: 1) How do middle school math teachers in a residential school perceive the impact of an action plan on their development and implementation of effective teaching strategies for problem-solving in a mathematics classroom? 2) What evidence is there that the action plan influenced teachers' instructional strategies related to teaching problem-solving in the mathematics classroom? 3) What supports, and constraints do teachers identify that benefit or impede their ability to implement components of the action plan? In addition to open-ended interviews, the researcher also analyzed the action plan, teacher lesson plans, and previously analyzed student achievement data. Based on the participants' shared experiences and the researcher's analysis, four themes emerged: shift in curriculum and instructional strategies, time as a negative and positive factor, the effectiveness of professional development, and collaboration. Teachers expressed a strong focus on professional development and the need to increase reading and writing in the math classroom. The researcher determined multiple recommendations to improve instruction through the findings of this study.
Download or read book Teaching Critical Thinking Strategies in Mathematics written by Autumn G. Gabriel Edd and published by . This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is an inconsistency with urban middle school teachers' perceptions about promoting critical thinking skills within middle schools in a large metropolitan area. By implementing differentiated approaches in mathematics classes that incorporates critical thinking skills, such as modeling activities, open-ended questioning, using Bloom's taxonomy, cooperative grouping, computer-based instruction and diagnostic and adaptive teaching, instead of traditional work-book exercises, student's scores in mathematics would increase, but also urban teachers' insight about the importance of critical thinking skills would also give credibility to usefulness. Thinking critically in problem situations is a skill that has received increasing attention as an educational goal (Incikabi, Tuna, & Biber, 2013; Goodchild, Fuglestad, & Jaworski, 2013). The National Commission on Standards declared that the teaching of critical thinking skills was crucial to producing students who were not only ready for college, but also for the workforce (Kaplan & Kies, 1995). The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore urban middle school mathematics teachers' perceptions about incorporating critical thinking skills within mathematics classes daily. The study consisted of fifteen 8th grade mathematics teachers who taught African American males in a large metropolitan city in Georgia. Achieving the purpose may not only assist mathematics teachers in urban middle schools with teaching critical thinking skills, but also provide insight into how urban middle school mathematics teachers feel if teaching critical thinking skills to African American males and other ethnic groups does promote transformation of knowledge. Tsui (2002) suggested that establishing effective critical thinking skills was essential for student's success at the post-secondary level; perhaps these critical thinking skills could also be essential to students' success at the middle school level in a mathematics class. An educational objective of school systems should be to develop students who are independent enough to think critically about academic subjects and real-world situations (Whittaker, 2014; Jensen, 2013). The study contributed to challenges and extend theory by first analyzing which theoretical methods used in public schools in large metropolitan cities in mathematics classes were not effectively working in educating African American males. The descriptive phenomenological study conveyed through questionnaires the lived experiences and perceptions of urban middle school mathematics teachers from their own perspectives, if incorporating critical thinking skills within mathematical lessons assisted with transferring knowledge. The study showed teachers' perception of teaching critical thinking skills did promote transference of knowledge, and the same critical thinking skills employed by middle school mathematics teachers assisted African American males with being successful in middle school mathematics classrooms. This field of study is valuable to leaders because it presented an alternative teaching strategy for not only closing the achievement gap in mathematics, but also enabling African American males to think critically about mathematics. Understanding how teachers felt about teaching critical thinking skills at the middle school level provided leaders with not only valuable information about the necessity of incorporating critical thinking skills in the curriculum, but also challenged the one-size fits all approach to educating African American males.
Download or read book Effectiveness of Problem based Learning in Urban Middle Schools on Mathematics Achievement and School Climate written by Anika Yasin and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of the investigation was to determine if there was a difference in student performance on the NYS Mathematics State Assessment between schools that implemented PBL versus those that did not. The aim was also to determine if there was a difference in students' and teachers' attitudes about the school community, specifically in rigorous instruction and collaborative teachers between schools that implemented PBL versus schools that did not. The last part of the investigation was to see if rigorous instruction, collaborative teachers, and PBL program predicted student achievement scores on the NYS math state test. The middle schools are randomly selected across two districts in New York City, receiving either math instruction through a traditional approach or the PBL method. The superintendent/deputy superintendent approved all schools using the PBL program. The instruments used for analysis include the 2019 Mathematics State assessment and the NYC DOE survey distributed to both the parents and teachers. The two instruments are archived data and are publicly available. The analysis was run on SPSS using the Mann-Whitney U-test and multiple regression. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in the mathematical scores and students' and teachers' perceptions of schools in the PBL and traditional groups. The schools in the PBL group had more incredible significant growth in scores and attitudes than the schools that implemented the conventional approach. Results also showed that collaborative teachers and rigorous instruction did not predict student achievement on the mathematics state assessment. However, the PBL practice did predict student achievement. This helps to show that authenticity, student voice & choice, reflection, critique & revision, and public presentation of projects can help improve student performance on the mathematics state assessments.
Download or read book Middle School Math Teachers Perceptions of the Impact of Professional Development on Their Knowledge Skills and Dispositions to Meet the Needs of At risk Students written by Muditha Warnasuriya and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Exploring Middle School Math Teachers Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Collaborative Learning Teams Within Professional Learning Communities written by Molly Rothermel Rawding and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of what makes a collaborative learning team (CLT) effective for novice and experienced teachers. Professional learning communities have emerged as one approach for job-embedded professional learning so that teachers have the opportunity to collaborate with the end goal of improving their teaching practices as well as promote continuous school improvement. To explore these issues, the research questions that guided this study included: How do CLTs influence middle school math teachers to explore the nature of the mathematics content and pedagogy? What are the perceptions of novice teachers in terms of effective components of their CLT? What are the perceptions of experienced teachers in terms of effective components of their CLT? How does teaching experience influence perception for effective CLTs? Qualitative data were collected through three interviews from four novice and three experienced middle school math teachers in two different middle schools in the mid-Atlantic. The school sites were selected because teachers participated in regularly scheduled CLT meeting.
Download or read book Perceptions of the Impact Mathematics Support Classes Have on Student Achievement written by Charles Cordaryl Middleton and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Author's abstract: Many students today struggle with mastering grade-level mathematics standards. School leaders have implemented mathematics support classes as a possible solution; however, not all students are showing significant improvement. The challenge is determining an effective mathematics support class that has the most positive impact on student achievement. As a result, the purpose of this research study was to examine the perceptions of principals, mathematics teachers, and mathematics support teachers on the impact mathematics support classes had on student achievement. This study employed a qualitative case study research design that consisted of one overarching research question and three sub-research questions that framed this research study that sought to uncover best practices within the mathematics support class, barriers within the mathematics support class, and ways in which the mathematics support class could be improved. Interview data were obtained from middle school personnel consisting of three triads of principals, mathematics teachers, and mathematics support teachers, with a total of nine participants, in a suburban public-school system in the state of Georgia during the Spring of 2020. The findings of this study provided insight of the perceptions of middle school educators on the impact mathematics support classes had on student achievement. Descriptive data analysis was conducted to determine commonalities and provide recommendations regarding mathematics support classes in order to increase student achievement in mathematics. As a result, the analysis of data uncovered six overarching themes: best practices identified were implemented instructional strategies; barriers included lack of students' cognitive ability and skills, lack of educator's subject and pedagogical knowledge, and conditions of the class; and, improvements consisted of structure of the class and recommended instructional strategies. It can be concluded that the implementation of the mathematics support class was not as impactful as expected due to the myriad of barriers that exist. While there was not a mathematics support class that was deemed effective, the findings expressed a need to re-evaluate the current mathematics support class and make adjustments to meet the needs of the students to increase student achievement.
Download or read book Ethnic Matching written by Donald Easton-Brooks and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-03-13 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethnic Matching: Academic Success of Students of Color is an in-depth exploration on the impact of ethnic matching in education, the paring of students of color with teachers of the same race. Research shows that this method has a positive and long-term impact on the academic experience of students of color. This book explores what makes this phenomenon relevant in today’s classrooms. Through interviewing quality teachers of color, this book sheds a light on the impact these teachers make on the academic experience of students of color. This approach is meant to provide all teachers valuable insight into techniques for engaging with diverse learners. Also, from these conversations, the book shows how the intentionality of culturally responsive practice can enhance the academic experience of students of color. Topics such as the challenges of recruiting and retaining quality teachers of color, as well as the valuable work being done on the local, state, and national level to promote diversifying the field of education as a way to provide equitable education for all students is also explored in this book.
Download or read book The Impact of Reform Instruction on Student Mathematics Achievement written by Thomas A. Romberg and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2008-08-15 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Summarizing data derived from a study of the implementation of one standards-based middle school curriculum program, Mathematics in Context, this book demonstrates the challenges of conducting comparative longitudinal research in the reality of school life.
Download or read book Teacher Perceptions of Middle School Concept Implementation and Effect Upon Science Achievement written by Shelly Lindsey Bruce and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The current educational reform intends to enhance our nation's competitiveness through specific focus upon curricular and instructional improvement of math and science education for all students in America. The implementation of nationwide common internationally-benchmarked standards is purposed to advance student academic performance through enriched curriculum and better prepared teachers. This research investigates the relationship between school demographics and implementation of the middle school concept to improved science achievement. A teacher questionnaire and state testing data will be utilized to determine: (1) which middle school concept characteristics, within each of the three domains of curriculum, instruction and advising, and school governance, have a positive relationship to improving science standardized test scores; (2) the effect upon science test scores that may be attributable to such school demographics as enrollment, percentage of economically disadvantaged students, percentage of minority students, school standing with AYP; and (3) which domain of the three (curriculum, instruction and advising, and school governance) has the greatest relationship toward improving science standardized test scores. Above the other items contained within the middle school concept, the overall conclusion is that the school governance domain, and parental/community involvement aspects in particular, has the most positive relation toward advancing science achievement within middle schools.
Download or read book The Impact of the Math Workshop Model on Middle School Classroom Instruction and Student Achievement in a Southeast Suburban School District written by Crystal Heyward Gantt and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Educators are faced with diverse populations, and determining the best way to meet the needs of all students has posed a challenge. This task has been compounded in math classes because nationwide, students have math deficits. The Math Workshop Model provides a classroom structure where the instructional time is chunked into three major components: mini-lesson, student centered, and closure. Each component is focused on strategically and purposefully introducing and practicing content at or near student ability levels. This multimethod research study investigated the impact of the Math Workshop Model on classroom instruction and student achievement in a southeastern suburban school district. The study examined seventh-grade students’ math MAP Growth scores on assessments before and after the implementation of the Math Workshop Model. A Repeated Measures ANOVA test was run to determine if the Math Workshop Model had a significant impact on student achievement based on four spring MAP assessments. Teacher survey data were used to gather information on how teachers use the Math Workshop Model and its effectiveness on student achievement. The results of the study showed that the Math Workshop Model has a significant impact on student achievement. Most subgroups of students’ MAP scores decreased as a result of receiving instruction through the Math Workshop Model structure. Gifted students’ scores increased when the Math Workshop Model was in place. Teacher perception surveys showed that teachers think using the Math Workshop is an effective strategy to increase differentiated instruction, student collaboration, student engagement, and student achievement.
Download or read book The Black White Test Score Gap written by Christopher Jencks and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " The test score gap between blacks and whites—on vocabulary, reading, and math tests, as well as on tests that claim to measure scholastic aptitude and intelligence--is large enough to have far-reaching social and economic consequences. In their introduction to this book, Christopher Jencks and Meredith Phillips argue that eliminating the disparity would dramatically reduce economic and educational inequality between blacks and whites. Indeed, they think that closing the gap would do more to promote racial equality than any other strategy now under serious discussion. The book offers a comprehensive look at the factors that contribute to the test score gap and discusses options for substantially reducing it. Although significant attempts have been made over the past three decades to shrink the test score gap, including increased funding for predominantly black schools, desegregation of southern schools, and programs to alleviate poverty, the median black American still scores below 75 percent of American whites on most standardized tests. The book brings together recent evidence on some of the most controversial and puzzling aspects of the test score debate, including the role of test bias, heredity, and family background. It also looks at how and why the gap has changed over the past generation, reviews the educational, psychological, and cultural explanations for the gap, and analyzes its educational and economic consequences. The authors demonstrate that traditional explanations account for only a small part of the black-white test score gap. They argue that this is partly because traditional explanations have put too much emphasis on racial disparities in economic resources, both in homes and in schools, and on demographic factors like family structure. They say that successful theories will put more emphasis on psychological and cultural factors, such as the way black and white parents teach their children to deal with things they do not know or understand, and the way black and white children respond to the same classroom experiences. Finally, they call for large-scale experiments to determine the effects of schools' racial mix, class size, ability grouping, and other policies. In addition to the editors, the contributors include Claude Steele, Ronald Ferguson, William G. Bowen, Philip Cook, and William Julius Wilson. "
Download or read book Condition of Education written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Pygmalion in the Classroom written by Robert Rosenthal and published by Crown House Publishing. This book was released on 2003 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This reissue of a classic book (the first edition of which sold 50,000 copies) explores the 'Pygmalion phenomenon', the self-fulfilling prophecy embedded in teachers' expectations.
