Research and Supervision in Mathematics and Science Education

Guest Editorial: Science education in the developing world: Issues and considerations

For many years, researchers have bemoaned the fact that practitioners and policy makers take little notice of their findings.As Shymansky and Kyle (1992 p. 756) put it, "Why does so much effort result in such little apparent benefit?"Some time ago, Amabile and Stubbs (1982) addressed the research-practice gap.They pointed out that many objective, quantitative findings were not valued by teachers, who considered that most researchers did not understand life in real classrooms, and, closeted in their ivory tower, wrote research reports and journal articles which "consisted of convoluted prose and specialized terminology which takes far too much time to decode into meaningful material" (Stubbs, 1982, p. 25).Teachers had more interest in anecdotal reports, which they found more meaningful and to which they could relate more readily than traditional research methods (Amabile, 1982).At about the same time, White (1984) responded to what he considered unduly pessimistic criticism of the state of educational research with specific examples of how research has changed to focus more on the role of participants in teaching and learning.More recent comment about bringing the research-practice gap in science education also has focused on changing research methodologies to include teachers as collaborators (Krockover & Shepardson, 1995) or teachers as researchers (Pekarek, Krockover, & Shepardson, 1996).Today, much more of the research in science education, at least, has resemblance to the "anecdotal reports" referred to by Amabile (1982), because, as we shall see, most of the research published in mainstream science education journals in 1996 used qualitative rather than quantitative methodologies (to use a gross oversimplification of research methods).However, the gap between research and practice remains.In his 1997 address, retiring NARST President Tom Koballa quoted teachers' views that science education research was not useful to them.He, too, recommended collaboration with practitioners, but also that "we rethink how science education research is communicated to science teachers" (Koballa, 1997, p. 4) as one way to narrow the research-practice gap.It is the communication of research results that I wish to address herein, and specifically the communication of quantitative results.We cannot simply dispense with approaches to research that provide quantitative results, because there remain questions to be asked that require

This paper reports findings from a study that establishes empirical support for Harel’s (Zentralblatt fur Didaktik der Math 40:893–907 2008b) inclusion of mathematical ways of thinking as a component of teachers’ professional knowledge base. Specifically, we examined the role of quantitative reasoning (Smith and Thompson, in: Kaput, Carraher, Blanton (eds) Algebra in the early grades, Erlbaum, New York 2007; Thompson, in: A theoretical model of quantity-based reasoning in arithmetic and algebra, Center for Research in Mathematics & Science Education: San Diego State University 1990; Thompson, in: Hatfield et al (eds) New perspectives and directions for collaborative research in mathematics education, University of Wyoming, Laramie 2011) on the quality and coherence of an experienced secondary teacher’s instruction of angle measure. We analyzed 37 videos of the teacher’s instruction to characterize the extent to which he attended to supporting students in reasoning about angle measure quantitatively, and to examine the consequences of this attention on the quality and coherence of the meanings the teacher’s instruction supported. Our analysis revealed that the inconsistent meanings the teacher conveyed were occasioned by his lack of awareness of the conceptual affordances of students’ quantitative reasoning on their ability to construct coherent, meaningful understandings of angle measure. Our findings therefore support Harel’s notion that teachers’ mathematical ways of thinking constitute an essential component of their specialized content knowledge.

Following up on efforts to improve the quality and quantity of international publications of lecturers and students of UPI (Indonesia University of Education) Postgraduate Schools, Master Program in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Science and Mathematics Education and Doctor Program in Science and Mathematics Education collaboratively conducted International Conference on Mathematics and Science Education 2019 on Saturday 29 June 2019 at the Grand Mercure Setiabudi Bandung.The theme of the conference was “Mathematics and Science Education Research for Sustainable Development”, with coverage of Mathematics Education, Physics Education and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).The main objective of this conference is to improve the academic atmosphere within the UPI environment, particularly at the UPI Postgraduate School and strengthen the lecturer and student publications through the International Conference on Mathematics and Science Education (ICMScE )2019. Specific objectives to be achieved regarding this conference are (1). Increase the number of scientific publications of lecturers and Postgraduate students in conference proceedings, and (2). Increase the number of citation index lecturers and students of the UPI Graduate School in the Master Program in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Science and Mathematics Education and Doctor Program in Science and Mathematics Education.List of Committees and Conference Photographs are available in this PDF.

References

Children's Mathematics Learning: The Struggle to Link Form and Understanding

The Handbook of Research Design in Mathematics and Science Education is based on results from an NSF-supported project (REC 9450510) aimed at clarifying the nature of principles that govern the effective use of emerging new research designs in mathematics and science education. A primary goal is to describe several of the most important types of research designs that: * have been pioneered recently by mathematics and science educators; * have distinctive characteristics when they are used in projects that focus on mathematics and science education; and * have proven to be especially productive for investigating the kinds of complex, interacting, and adapting systems that underlie the development of mathematics or science students and teachers, or for the development, dissemination, and implementation of innovative programs of mathematics or science instruction. The volume emphasizes research designs that are intended to radically increase the relevance of research to practice, often by involving practitioners in the identification and formulation of the problems to be addressed or in other key roles in the research process. Examples of such research designs include teaching experiments, clinical interviews, analyses of videotapes, action research studies, ethnographic observations, software development studies (or curricula development studies, more generally), and computer modeling studies. This book's second goal is to begin discussions about the nature of appropriate and productive criteria for assessing (and increasing) the quality of research proposals, projects, or publications that are based on the preceding kind of research designs. A final objective is to describe such guidelines in forms that will be useful to graduate students and others who are novices to the fields of mathematics or science education research. The NSF-supported project from which this book developed involved a series of mini conferences in which leading researchers in mathematics and science education developed detailed specifications for the book, and planned and revised chapters to be included. Chapters were also field tested and revised during a series of doctoral research seminars that were sponsored by the University of Wisconsin's OERI-supported National Center for Improving Student Learning and Achievement in Mathematics and Science. In these seminars, computer-based videoconferencing and www-based discussion groups were used to create interactions in which authors of potential chapters served as "guest discussion leaders" responding to questions and comments from doctoral students and faculty members representing more than a dozen leading research universities throughout the USA and abroad. A Web site with additional resource materials related to this book can be found at https://www.soe.purdue.edu/smsc/lesh/ This internet site includes directions for enrolling in seminars, participating in ongoing discussion groups, and submitting or downloading resources which range from videotapes and transcripts, to assessment instruments or theory-based software, to publications or data samples related to the research designs being discussed.

Referebces

This chapter reviews the current research on conceptual change in science education. The review includes research located in the DoRise system (Database of Research in Science Education) in Taiwan and articles published in selected international science education journals (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Science Education, International Journal of Science Education, Research in Science Education, and International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education) between 1982 and 2012. Three hundred and eighty-three articles in the international journals (including 26 English papers from researchers in Taiwan) and eighty-six articles from Taiwan were analyzed (60 and 26 articles from Taiwanese and international journals, respectively). There are five major findings. First, most of the research follows the empirical approach, regardless of it being an international or national article. Second, physics was the main discipline examined both in the international and national studies. Third, about two thirds of the studies from outside of Taiwan used epistemological perspective to frame and present their study. A similar percentage of articles investigated the instructional perspective whereas nearly two thirds of the Taiwanese articles investigated the instructional perspective and only 28 % followed the epistemological perspective. Fourth, as for the research method, we found that qualitative data analysis was ranked first among all the methods we investigated whereas Taiwan appeared to integrate both quantitative and qualitative methods. Fifth, as expected, high percentages of published researchers were from English-speaking countries (i.e., the USA, Australia, and the UK). Taiwan was ranked third out of 31 countries with respect to the number of publications in this study from 1982 to 2012 but was the first non-English-speaking country. Recommendations for researchers and educators are provided.

Differentes recherches ont etabli l'influence des enseignants sur la qualite de l'apprentissage des enfants. La question est de savoir ce qui rend un enseignant plus performant qu'un autre. Quatre indicateurs, etudies par les AA., peuvent etre utilises dans ce but : les acquisitions pedagogiques des enseignants, leurs participations dans les programmes d'etudes, leurs connaissances des matieres enseignees et leurs strategies pedagogiques

THE TERM methodology has a diversity of meanings as used in educational literature. Among the referents for the term are (a) instrumentalities for securing data, (b) statistical techniques for analyzing data, (c) research designs, and (d) the conceptualization and contexts of research. Although it is probably unwise to attempt a rigorous definition of methodology, a few initial comments concerning conceptualization and contexts of research may be needed. Commentators on research in both mathematics and science education address many of their criticisms and recommendations to such matters as the relationship of educational research to the behavioral sciences, the construction and utilization of theory, the design of conceptual models, the identification of researchable problems, persons and organizations conducting research, communication of findings, and the financial support for research. These concerns are not, strictly speaking, matters that refer to specific methods and techniques of research. Some are intertwined with problems of instruments, statistical techniques, and research designs. The conceptualizations and contexts of research frequently form, or contribute to, the underlying rationale for the construction, use, and, at times, the popularity of particular operational procedures. Three aims have been selected for this chapter. The first aim is to cite and to describe briefly recent discussions of matters that have important implications for research methodology. The three topics selected within this first aim include (a) educational research and the behavioral sciences, (b) conceptual models, and (c) theory development. The second aim is to point out a few research studies in both science and mathematics education which illustrate the use of particular conceptualizations and methods. The third aim is to identify a few recent procedures as well as studies illustrative of these procedures in areas not necessarily limited to science and mathematics education. Procedures have been selected that appear to offer promising means for the pursuit of future research in both science and mathematics education.

In this paper, a review of journal articles containing South African research in mathematics and science education in the 2000–2006 period is undertaken, and used to identify significant clusters of research interest on the one hand and areas of under-representation of research on the other. In mathematics education, significant clusters were found relating to: questions of relevance, language issues, mathematics teaching and learning, and mathematics teacher education. In science education, specific clusters of research focused on: tertiary science teaching and learning, school level science teaching and learning, and relevance issues focused on the nature of science and indigenous knowledge systems. Our classification of articles highlighted the paucity of research at the primary level, in rural contexts, and dealing with issues related to language use in multilingual classrooms. Our overview of articles also provided examples of research that linked the issues arising within specific clusters, and considered the consequences of these linked issues for teaching and learning. We conclude by noting examples of research findings within our review that have impacted on policy and practice, and point also to areas where further research appears necessary.

A modern understanding of the cell and its functions has been translated into learning goals for K-12 students by Project 2061's Benchmarks for Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS], 1993 ) and by the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards (NSES) (National Research Council [NRC], 1996 ). Nearly every state has used these national documents to develop their own science standards, so that there is now a fairly broad consensus on what it is that students need to know and be able to do in science generally and in biology more specifically. While this consensus represents an important first step toward improving science education, without curriculum, instruction, and assessments that are well aligned with these goals, teachers will find it extremely difficult to help their students achieve them. Here, we first highlight a few of the key findings regarding cell biology from Project 2061's study of high school textbooks and their alignment with standards. We then describe Project 2061's current efforts to develop new knowledge and tools that educators, researchers, and practitioners can use to help all students become literate in science, mathematics, and technology. Project 2061 is a long-term K–12 education initiative of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

This descriptive article aims to discuss the development of Finnish PhD education in science and mathematics education research over the past 20 years. First, the general aims and structure of PhD education at the national level are introduced. Doctoral studies seek to develop research knowledge and skills as well as the capability to produce novel scientific knowledge. Second, the development of PhD education in the Finnish context of science and mathematics education research is discussed. For the past 20 years, there has been a special focus on improving PhD education through national-level graduate schools and international collaboration. Finally, the recent changes in PhD education, such as the replacement of doctoral programmes at local universities, is discussed through the case of the University of Helsinki.

METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH