The victims of the armed conflict: an understanding from math education

Teachers often enter the profession through a traditional (four-year teacher education program) or an alternative route without an education degree and appropriate testing credentials. Math teachers entering through an alternative route have a higher rate of attrition than math teachers with a traditional license. In addition, math and science teachers have a higher attrition rate than other teachers. This article looks at specific differences between traditionally and alternatively licensed math and science teachers' commitment to teaching and retention intentions. The differences explored can provide school system leaders with an insight into how to differentiate the induction experiences for math and science teachers with alternative and traditional licenses

A narrative review of the literature on the practices of teacher recruitment and retention in rural China, with an emphasis on identifying the tactics employed to do so, served as the basis for this qualitative study. It then showed Tanzania how similar strategies may be applied to guarantee the successful recruitment and retention of Math and Science teachers in rural areas. The study found that while China's position is not as dire as Tanzania's, especially for teachers of science and math, both countries struggle with teacher recruitment and retention in rural areas. This results from the several strategies China has implemented to ensure successful teacher recruitment and retention in both rural and urban areas. Nonetheless, the study has demonstrated that Tanzania, like other Sub-Saharan African nations, lacks a strong framework for teacher policies that connects teacher recruitment and retention. Additionally, Science and Math teachers in Tanzania are not motivated, which leads to a teacher shortage in rural and remote areas. The study, thus, recommends that Tanzania should learn from China through the following; - Firstly, development of policies related to rewards and incentives and, an increase in salary and promotions for science and mathematics teachers recruited in rural areas. Secondly, creating huge investments in urbanizing rural areas to attract and retain afresh employed science and mathematics teachers. Thirdly, the development of teacher exchange and rotation policy. Fourthly, encouraging more gifted form six graduates in science and mathematics to work as teachers in remote regions and providing them with free access to both online and offline higher education. In this regard Tanzania will be able to comprehend the 2030 World Education for Sustainable Development, the SDGs of the UN, the African Union objectives of 2063, and Tanzania Vision 2025. Ultimately, the study concludes that, despite Tanzania's potential to learn from China, several challenges and considerations must be taken into account. These include the need for robust data collection and monitoring systems to assess the impact of adaptive interventions, as well as the importance of engaging local communities and stakeholders in the design and implementation of relevant strategies. Additionally, is essential to recognize the cultural and contextual differences between China and Tanzania, and to adapt strategies in a way that aligns with the unique needs and realities of the Tanzanian education system. This may include considering factors such as community engagement, and local governance structures in the development of adaptive interventions. To carry out frequent orientations for recently employed science and math teachers in rural schools. To establish science and technology centers, agricultural research facilities and environmental conservation projects in rural areas that encourage teachers to engage and advance knowledge in their profession. Resources that are currently spent to train more arts teachers could instead be allocated to training more math and science teachers. Creation of an online learning environment for math and science teachers that links teachers in rural and urban schools for knowledge sharing.

Throughout the 2000s, standards-based education policies decreased the autonomy of public schools across the U.S., deprofessionalizing educators and limiting their participation in the development of curriculum and instructional policy. Many education scholars argue that, rather than professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, standards-based reforms position teachers as technicians, accountable for measurable output in accordance with externally imposed standards. This literature suggests that such education policies may have implications for teachers’ job satisfaction, especially those working in schools or subject fields that are particularly susceptible to standardized curriculum and accountability procedures. Using nationally representative data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018), this thesis explores how working in a nonautonomous public school relates to 7th, 8th, and 9th grade teachers’ job satisfaction, analyzing differences across math and non-math teachers in schools with distinct socioeconomic compositions. Regression analyses of 634 math teachers and 1,519 non-math teachers from 146 public schools indicate that math teachers in nonautonomous mid- and high-SES schools have significantly lower job satisfaction on average than their counterparts in autonomous schools. For math teachers in low SES schools, however, working in nonautonomous environments relates to significantly higher job satisfaction, indicating a protective interaction effect of working in schools that are both nonautonomous and low SES. No significant relationships were found for non-math teachers, supporting previous literature suggesting that professionalization processes associated with instructional standardization may be particularly salient for math educators.

An important feature of the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program of the National Science Foundation is to increase K-12 student achievement in math and science by increasing the quality, quantity, and diversity of the nation's K-12 math and science teachers. Because the underlying supply of math and science teachers is never directly observed, the central premise of this article is that an examination of the extent to which the MSP Program might impact the quantity and quality of math and science teachers requires careful thought and modeling. With that starting point, this study first develops a model that supports a premise that shifts in underlying supply can be inferred from shifts in the percentage of certified math teachers employed when (a) salaries are constrained to be below market clearing salaries and (b) uncertified or “out-of-field” certified teachers can compete as substitutes for certified math teachers. The study then tests the plausibility of the model using data from Texas and in so doing provides preliminary estimates of the extent to which a school or school district's MSP participation affected the supply of certified math teaches available to that school or district. The results, although inconclusive on the question of the labor supply effects of MSP participation by a school or school district, do suggest the reasonableness of the model for future work when more appropriate data will be available.

Considering how spatial thinking connects to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outcomes, recent studies have evaluated how spatial interventions impact elementary students’ math learning. While promising, these interventions tend to overlook other factors affecting math learning; perceptions of math abilities, beliefs about math, and math anxiety can also impact math performance. Additionally, perceptions of spatial skill and spatial anxiety impact spatial performance. This study investigated how elementary teachers’ perceptions of spatial thinking connects with math perceptions. Specifically, we focused on teachers’ attitudes and beliefs around three topics: teaching and learning math, spatial abilities, and spatial thinking in mathematics. We found that lower spatial anxiety related to lower anxiety about teaching math, greater alignment between math beliefs and math standards, and greater efficacy in teaching and learning math. Further, a factor analysis showed one factor that connected stereotypical math thinking with both math and spatial anxiety, and another that connected spatial competencies, teaching and learning math, and spatial thinking within math. To further evaluate spatial thinking in math, we introduced a math categorization and verified it using teachers’ ratings of teaching difficulty, visualization helpfulness, and spatial-thinking involvement. Structural equation models revealed that the level of spatial-thinking categorization was the best model of all three of the teachers’ ratings. Overall, results showed numerous connections between teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and spatial thinking. Future intervention studies should consider teachers who are spatial and/or math-anxious, and future research should investigate the role of stereotypical thinking in spatial and math anxiety.

The present study aimed at identifying mathematics (math) teachers’ attitudes toward low achievers in mathematics, and the degree to which these attitudes are affected by their: sex, stage of school they teach in, years of experience, and their qualifications. For the purpose of the study, the Math Teachers’ Attitudes toward Low Achievers in Mathematics Scale (MTALAMS) was developed. The scale consisted of 30 items, distributed over 3 subscales: feelings, beliefs, and behavior. Validity and reliability of the scale were established. The sample of this study consisted of 217 male and female mathematics teachers in Amman, Jordan in the academic year 2011. The ratio weight of the total of the math teachers’ attitudes toward low achievers in mathematics was (62.3%). The results of the study revealed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of math teachers’ attitudes toward low achievers in mathematics attributed to their years of experience; but no significant differences attributable to the other variables of the study were recorded. A number of suggestions and recommendations were provided.

This article reviews survey findings about the recruitment, preparation, placement and retention of 315 elementary, secondary English, and math teachers prepared to enter New Jersey public schools in fall 1987, either having just completed New Jersey college-based education programs (CB) or entering through the New Jersey alternate route (AR) program. Teachers were surveyed through their sixth year of teaching. The AR program increased the number of teachers for urban and rural schools and diversified the teaching pool. AR teachers held more traditional views than those prepared in CB programs, but neither program recruited teachers with a consistently higher quality profile. Programmatic aspects (i.e., fusing of AR recruitment, preparation, and placement phases) correlated with some differing attitudes of teachers toward teaching and their programs, and qualitatively different experiences in preparing to teach. During the first two years, AR teachers were more likely to teach in urban schools, but differences diminished over the next four years. Three-year retention rates were highest for elementary and CB math teachers and lowest for AR math teachers. Six-year retention rates were highest for CB math teachers and lowest for AR math and English teachers. AR retention rates were higher for males, while CB retention rates were higher for minorities. Attitudes related to retention indicate program, subject matter, and elementary/secondary differences.

The present study aimed at identifying mathematics (math) teachers’ attitudes toward low achievers in mathematics, and the degree to which these attitudes are affected by their: sex, stage of school they teach in, years of experience, and their qualifications. For the purpose of the study, the Math Teachers’ Attitudes toward Low Achievers in Mathematics Scale (MTALAMS) was developed. The scale consisted of 30 items, distributed over 3 subscales: feelings, beliefs, and behavior. Validity and reliability of the scale were established. The sample of this study consisted of 217 male and female mathematics teachers in Amman, Jordan in the academic year 2011. The ratio weight of the total of the math teachers’ attitudes toward low achievers in mathematics was (62.3%). The results of the study revealed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of math teachers’ attitudes toward low achievers in mathematics attributed to their years of experience; but no significant differences attributable to the other variables of the study were recorded. A number of suggestions and recommendations were provided.

This case study investigated math and science teachers’ perceptions about the use of creative drama during a digital story (DS) creation process for educational purposes. A total of 25 secondary science and math teachers were selected according to criterion sampling strategy to participate in the study. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire and unstructured interviews and then analysed through open coding. Study results showed that most of the science and math teachers had positive opinions about the application of creative drama during the DS creation process. Moreover, the teachers indicated a general preference for using creative drama in their classes to capture students’ attention or prompt them to think about their stories at such stages of the DS creation process as scenario design and final presentation. Participants also identified potential obstacles in using creative drama during the DS creation process as teachers not having expertise in creative drama, student inexperience and inappropriate physical conditions of schools.

The Namibian school system puts little emphasis on art subjects such as music and emphasizes STEM subjects instead. Despite heavy focus on math teaching at primary schools, many students are not learning. This study investigates how the rich music oriented indigenous culture of Namibia can be leveraged to assist in math education by teaching math via music. First, previous findings from literature are discussed in the Namibian context. Second, three focus groups (n=12, n=2 and n=3) are interviewed and consulted in order to find the potential benefits and barriers of starting to teach math and music together. The results indicate significant potential in cross-disciplinary math and music education for both learning and motivation. However, equally many barriers for implementing the new form of teaching were discovered. Currently the lack of support from the national school curriculum and teachers hesitation to adopt new teaching methods are the biggest challenges.

Math teachers’ selection is a multi-criteria evaluation decision and has a strategic importance for many institutions. The conventional methods for Math teachers’ selection are inadequate for dealing with the imprecise or vague nature of ­linguistic assessment. To overcome this difficulty, fuzzy multi criteria decision-making methods are proposed. The aim of this study is to use Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (F.AHP) and the Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (F.TOPSIS) methods for the selection of Math teachers’ in education and institutions. The proposed methods have been applied to a Math teachers’ selection problem of education in Iran. After determining the criteria that affect the Math teachers’ decisions, fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methods are applied to the problem and results are presented. The similarities and differences of two methods are also discussed. Keywords: Fuzzy AHP, Fuzzy TOPSIS, Multi-criteria Evaluation Decision, Teachers’ Selection

Gender inequalities perpetuated by educational and occupational segregation may be exacerbated in part by socialization processes that occur in the years leading up to when high school students typically begin considering postsecondary options. Students’ feelings of self-efficacy in certain subjects can be an important factor that informs their decisions to pursue coursework and programs. This study used stereotype theory to understand how students' perceptions of their 9th grade math teacher's fairness affected their 11th grade math efficacy and how this relationship was moderated by the gender of the student and their math teacher. Using the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, linear regression models predicting students’ math efficacy in 2012 indicated that students have higher levels of math efficacy when they perceive their math teachers as more fair, though this relationship was explained away by controls. An additional interaction term between student gender and math teacher gender revealed that girls’ efficacy is more strongly affected by perceptions of their male math teachers than perceptions of their female math teachers. This finding may be explained by the persistence of stereotypes around math that assume male superiority in the subject, which leads students to see their male math teachers as true authorities in math as opposed to their female math teachers.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to find out the current status and difficulties of mathematics education guidance for mothers aged 5 years old, and to explore the meaning of mathematics education and mothers' needs for mathematics education. Methods To this end, 10 mothers of 5-year-old infants living in Seoul were selected as study participants. Data collection was conducted through in-depth personal interviews. In-depth interviews were conducted over a total of two sessions. For data analysis, the interview contents were repeatedly read, coded for each topic, and triangular verification was conducted by two early childhood education experts. Results Mothers of 5-year-olds recognized the purpose of early childhood mathematics education as preparation for elementary school. As a method of math education, it was found that play-type math education using play, math fairy tales, and games in daily life, and math education that relies on private education such as visiting study materials and math institutes. In the process of doing homework for the study paper, mothers wanted to form learning attitudes and habits, but some infants experienced stress. And mothers feel confused about math, thinking, and storytelling math. It was recognized that literacy should be the basis for mathematics education. When providing math education, mothers were found to be based on math subjects in the first grade of elementary school and to have a prior study of about a year. For desirable math education, mothers required specific guidance on the level and content of early childhood math education, information on math education in kindergartens, and cooperation between infants, parents, and teachers for math education. Conclusions This study is meaningful in that it suggested the direction for early childhood mathematics education by grasping the meaning, practice, and difficulties of education recognized by mothers.

Considering the fact that teacher candidates' maths teaching anxiety levels and maths teaching competency levels will affect their maths teaching in future, the desired beliefs should be tried to gain teacher candidates. Therefore, a positive contribution will be made to achieve the desired gains in maths education. In the study, it is aimed to examine the competency levels of pre-school teacher candidates in maths teaching and their maths teaching anxiety levels in terms of various variables and to determine whether there is a relationship between the maths teaching anxiety of the candidates and their level of competency for teaching maths. The research is in relational scanning model. The "Maths Teaching Anxiety Scale" and "Maths Teaching Competencies Scale" were implemented to 104 pre-school pre-service teacher candidates studying in 2019-2020 academic year, which constitutes the sample of the study. As a result of the analysis, it has been found that while teacher candidates' maths teaching anxiety levels do not change by gender, female teacher candidates consider themselves more competent than male teacher candidates in maths teaching and 4th-grade teacher candidates have significantly less anxiety of maths teaching compared to 3rd grades. Besides, it has been determined that there is a statistically significant negative correlation between the maths teaching anxiety scores of the candidates and the average of the maths teaching efficacy scores.

This study aims at identifying the degree of using alternative assessment strategies and its tools by the upper basic stage Math teachers in Mafraq Governorate and revealing their attitudes towards using these strategies. The sample of the study consisted of (180) Math teachers. The researcher adopted two questionnaire for collecting data; the first one consisted of (20) items including the alternative assessment and its tools while the other questionnaire consisted of (30) items addressing the Math teachers’ attitudes towards using the alternative assessment and its tools. The study came up with the following the results: Math teachers’ use of assessment strategies was moderate with a total mean (2.50) and Pencil and Paper strategy came first with a high degree followed respectively by observation strategy with moderate degree, performance based assessment strategy with moderate degree and reflection assessment strategy with low degree. Results also showed that the Math teachers’ use of alternative assessment strategies and its tools was moderate with a mean (2.74) and the teachers’ attitudes towards using these strategies were positive. The study recommended using alternative assessment strategies and its tools as one of the basic evaluative competencies of Mathematics teachers.