Abstract
This study broadens the knowledge base about how to use pedometers to further pre-service teachers’ (PT) understanding of measurement: a key concept in science and mathematics education at the elementary level. Two groups of elementary PT—one enrolled in a science methods and the other enrolled in a mathematics methods course at a major university in the MidAtlantic region of United States— completed instruction on how to use pedometers as a technology tool to teach mathematics and science. Lesson plans developed by the PT were collected, and a 40-item instrument to measure attitudes about pedometers, mathematics and science was administered at the end of each course. Data, measurement, and number were the most common mathematics standards targeted by PT lesson plans. No statistically significant differences were found between PT enrolled in science and mathematics methods courses on their perceptions of technology and pedometers as a technology tool. However, PT in the science methods course rated more highly (F = 4.90, p = .03) science-mathematics integration. Future research should examine more extensively a coordinated pedometer experience where the same cohort of PT pose questions and collect data in science methods, then analyze/represent that data in math methods.
Highlights
Elementary teacher education programs are in great need of consolidating the content and pedagogy courses to meet the requirements of living in the 21st Century
What is the scope of content standards that pre-service teachers’ (PT) set forth in lesson plans that utilize pedometers in elementary science and mathematics instruction? What are PT’s perceptions about using pedometers as a technology tool to teach elementary students? What are the future directions in terms of collaboration between mathematics and science instructors? We are going to answer these questions
Few differences were noted in the procedures for the activities in the lessons developed by PT in the mathematics and science methods courses
Summary
Elementary teacher education programs are in great need of consolidating the content and pedagogy courses to meet the requirements of living in the 21st Century. Elementary school teachers need to be able to create integrated mathematics and science instruction. One of the difficulties faced by methods instructors is to model and provide a tool for pre-service teachers (hereafter referred to as PT) to make connections between mathematics and science content. Cooperation between mathematics and science method instructors could help to resolve this problem that currently is straining both elementary and higher education. We wanted to explore how science and mathematics methods faculty could collaborate through their methods courses to connect mathematics content knowledge and science content knowledge using pedometers in a coherent teaching context. In particular we focused on answering the following research questions:
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