Mathematics Education Faculty Research Articles

Perceived Research Expectations for Mathematics Education Faculty in US Institutions of Higher Education

ABSTRACT This paper reports the results of a survey of 404 US mathematics education faculty regarding their research expectations for obtaining tenure. Survey questions asked about participants’ perceptions of expected numbers of publications per year, and how much different types of publications (e.g. journal articles, book chapters) and scholarly activities (e.g. giving presentations, obtaining funding) were valued. Statistical analyses were used to examine differences in these results across three demographic characteristics (institution type, research commitment, department). We found statistically significant differences related to each of these variables. Research expectations varied substantially across institution type. For example, the average expected number of yearly publications was 2.23, 1.63, and .99 papers at R1, R2, and Other institutions respectively. By contrast, research expectations seldom varied by department. We conclude with implications of these findings for individual faculty, mathematics education programs, and to the broader field of mathematics education. Given the variation that exists across institutions, departments, and percent time doing research, it would seem beneficial to all for expectations documents to make explicit mention of expected number of publications, how much various types of publications count, how much other types of scholarly activities count, and whether those activities are necessary.

Mathematics education faculty members' perceptions of barriers to distance education: Q-method analysis

As a result of the great earthquake disaster in Turkey, mathematics education in universities was reorganized as distance education after the pandemic period. This article aims to identify the barriers to distance education practices in higher education. In line with the aim of this study; Q methodology was used to help determine the perceptions and perspectives of faculty members regarding the barriers to distance education in the process of teaching mathematics in higher education. Q methodology aims to reveal the internal frame of reference of individuals through their preferences. According to the findings of the study, participants identified barriers under 3 factors. These 3 factors, in order of weight, represent student, curriculum and technology barriers. In general, it was seen that the 4 factors revealed by the methodology in the study yielded results compatible with the literature. However, it was determined that the barriers arising from the teacher did not carry a factor load in the study. Another unique result was the identification of barriers arising from the nature of mathematics. It was understood that there are unique obstacles specific to the field of mathematics due to pedagogy and curriculum. In this respect, investigating the barriers to field-specific extended education will provide more accurate findings. In this study, which was conducted with Q methodology and supported by qualitative data, the identified barriers to distance education were consistent with the general literature. Q methodology reveals that it is a compatible tool for various research in similar situations.

Leveraging Mathematics Teacher Leaders in Support of Student and Teacher Learning

ABSTRACT Transforming mathematics learning and teaching toward more equitable and effective approaches is critical to student mathematics learning and identity development. This task at-scale in a district takes time, commitment, and mathematics expertise that may not be widespread in the absence of focused professional development. District and regional mathematics leaders with university mathematics and mathematics education faculty partnered to address this challenge by designing a professional development program that prepared K-12 teachers of mathematics as leaders at the classroom, school, and district level. Described are specific aspects of a professional learning model focused on developing mathematics content, pedagogical, and leadership knowledge and skills. Also provided are findings related to the impact of the project’s professional development on shifts in instructional practice and student achievement.

Introducing an Elective Mathematics Education Course for Mathematics Majors

ABSTRACT Mathematics education faculty working in mathematics departments are commonly involved in teaching undergraduate mathematics courses, teaching and supervising postgraduate students of mathematics education, and developing mathematics teachers (pre-service and/or in-service). This paper proposes a new elective course that can be taken by either undergraduate mathematics majors or by graduate teaching assistants pursuing degrees in mathematics and teaching undergraduates themselves. Twenty-eight topics are suggested, and the rationale for each is briefly described. Offering such a course provides different opportunities for students; for example, familiarizing them with effective ways to teach and learn mathematics, which has the potential to improve their effectiveness as tutors within the department. A similar course has been successfully taught to undergraduate students majoring in mathematics at an Iranian university for nearly two decades.

Faktor Internal Yang Mempengaruhi Tingkat Pemahaman Matematika Sekolah Mahasiswa Pendidikan Matematika FKIP Univeristas Mataram

Mahasiswa pendidikan matematika FKIP Universitas Mataram harus mengusai matematika sekolah sebagai bagian dari kompetensi professional calon guru. Fakta menunjukkan pemahaman matematika mahasiswa sangat rendah sehingga penting untuk mendapatkan data tentang kriteria faktor-faktor internal yang mempengaruhi tingkat pemahaman matematika sekolah mahasiswa pendidikan matematika FKIP Unram. Untuk itu dilakukan penelitian deskriptif kuantitatif dengan populasi mahasiswa pendidikan matematika angkatan 2015 sampai 2019 dengan sampel sebanyak 214 mahasiswa dipilih dengan metode Cluster Random Sampling. Berdasarkan hasil analisis diperoleh sikap mahasiswa terhadap matematika berada pada kategori positif dengan rata-rata 80,7, Minat mahasiswa terhadap matematika berada pada kategori sangat tinggi dengan rata-rata 64,9, motivasi berprestasi mahasiswa berada pada kategori sangat tinggi dengan rata-rata 112,9, dan kebiasaan belajar mahasiswa berada pada kategori baik dengan rata-rata 58. Korelasi antara masing-masing faktor diperoleh minat mahasiswa memiliki korelasi yang kuat dengan kebiasaan belajar yaitu 0,61 sedangkan faktor-faktor internal lain memiliki korelasi sedang dan sikap terhdap kebiasaan belajar memiliki korelasi lemah. Berdasarkan data-data terkait dengan sikap, minat, motivasi berprestasi, dan kebiasaan belajar menunjukkan hal yang positif disebabkan karena sampel penelitian adalah mahasiswa program studi pendidikan matematika. Sehingga perlu diadakan penelitian lanjutan untuk mendapatkan faktor lain yang menyebabkan rendahnya pemahaman mahasiswa pendidikan matematika terhadap matematika sekolah.

Upaya Meningkatkan Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Mahasiswa Menggunakan Bahan Ajar Berbasis Integrasi Interkoneksi

Kemampuan berpikir kritis merupakan salah satu kompetensi yang harus dimiliki mahasiswa. Berpikir kritis merupakan salah satu karakter yang akhir-akhir ini memang menjadi isu pendidikan, selain menjadi bagian dari proses pembentukan akhlak anak bangsa.. Untuk mengembangkan kemampuan berpikir kritis mahasiswa perlu dilakukan inovasi pembelajaran. Berdasarkan pemikiran itulah maka peneliti akan melakukan penelitian upaya meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Matematika Fakultas Sains dan Teknologi menggunakan bahan ajar yang berbasis integrasi interkoneksi. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian tindakan kelas dengan menggunakan desain yang dikembangkan oleh Kemmis dan Mc Taggart. Model tersebut terdiri dari tiga tahap, yaitu tahap perencanaan, tahap perlakuan dan pengamatan, dan tahap refleksi. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa bahan ajar berbasis integrasi interkoneksi telah berhasil meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis mahasiswa dari skor 23 pada tahap pra tindakan, meningkat menjadi 27,7 pada siklus 1, dan 36,6 pada siklus 2.Kata Kunci: Bahan ajar, integrasi interkoneksi, berpikir kritis

Generalizing and Proving in an Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education Program: Moving Beyond Logic

Generalization and proof are a foundation of mathematical practice and as such should be integral to K-12 mathematics instruction. However, if generalizing and proving are to become popular within K-12 mathematics classrooms, we must consider how to effectively enlist pre-service teachers (PSTs) into supporting these activities in their prospective students. Some researchers have suggested that the major challenges to generalization and proving for students in mathematics lie in developing and explicating logical statements. These researchers indicate that children do not have access to these forms of reasoning until adolescence. Those holding such views typically do not advocate for the training of PSTs in elementary education to support mathematical generalizing and proving. This study characterizes the views of and engagement with mathematical generalizing and proving of those principally involved in elementary mathematics education: mathematics faculty, mathematics education faculty, and PSTs. These views and this engagement are analyzed from survey responses and participation in a problem-solving session. Few PSTs provided descriptions of proving as a generalized explanation and demonstrated explicit generalization and proving infrequently. The results suggest that a mathematical focus on logic may be an impediment to proving and generalizing.

ANALISIS KESULITAN MAHASISWA DALAM MENYELESAIKAN SOAL PEMECAHAN MASALAH PADA MATA KULIAH ALJABAR DAN TRIGONOMETRI

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to describe students' difficulties in solving problem solving problems in Algebra and Trigonometry courses. Subjects in this study were students of the Mathematics Education Faculty of Unika Santo Thomas Faculty of Teaching and Education study program in North Sumatra in semester 1 of the 2017-2018 school year, totaling 10 people. The data collection tool used in this study was a test of 5 questions in the form of a description. This type of research is a qualitative descriptive study. Data collection techniques are carried out by tests, observation, interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques were carried out with the stages of data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. The results showed that students had difficulty using the concept of equality and inequality squared, the use of the concepts of trigonometric formulas. Students also have difficulties in using number sequence principles and completing trigonometric equation solving, difficulties in disclosing information from problem solving and calculation errors. The contributing factor is the existence of several concepts and principles of algebra and trigonometry that are used in solving problems that have not been well controlled by students and are less thorough in performing calculations.Keywords: Analysis of Learning Difficulties, Algebra and Trigonometry

Challenges and supports for struggling learners in a student-centered mathematics classroom

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study examines the challenges and supports inherent in a student-centered mathematics curriculum developed for a constructivist environment. Mathematics education faculty and special education faculty from a university college of education collaborated on this study to determine how students responded to specific components of curriculum and instruction. Classroom observation data from a first-grade class and a sixth-grade class identified areas where the respective curriculum and pedagogy promoting student-centered learning posed specific challenges for struggling learners and suggested potential supports that could help students access critical content and processes. The article identifies three areas for consideration and discusses implications for practice.

Reflections on Transformative Experiences with Mathematical Inquiry: The Case of Christine

We present a first-hand, longer-term account of one student’s (Christine’s) experiences in and after a mathematics inquiry course. In this course, students actively posed problems, conducted their own mathematical explorations, and wrote journal entries about their experiences. During the course, Christine found that inquiry helped her develop mathematical content knowledge and a deeper understanding of the nature of research. After the course, Christine became a mathematics education faculty member in a mathematics department and reports that the course impacted the way she teaches mathematics. This provides an illustrative case of the potential long-lasting benefits of an inquiry course.

Mathematicians’ and Math Educators’ Views on “Doing Mathematics”

Educators often argue that mathematics should be taught so that the students in the course are actually “doing mathematics.” Is there a consensus among mathematicians and mathematics educators as to the meaning of “doing mathematics?” In an effort to answer this question, we administered a survey to hundreds of university-level mathematics and mathematics education faculty members. Participants ranked the importance of various mathematical activities and also responded to several open-ended questions. Responses to the open-ended questions were analyzed qualitatively to identify patterns. In this paper, we discuss the patterns we observed in analyzing the survey data, with a particular focus on the similarities and differences between mathematicians and mathematics educators.

Student Reactions to Learning Theory Based Curriculum Materials in Linear Algebra - A Survey Analysis

This report examines students' perceptions of the implementation of carefully designed curriculum materials (called modules) in linear algebra courses at three different universities. The curricular materials were produced collaboratively by STEM and mathematics education faculty as members of a professional learning community (PLC) over several years.

The Community of Practice among Mathematics and Mathematics Education Faculty Members at an Urban Minority Serving Institution in the U.S.

Using narrative inquiry as a research method, four mathematics and mathematics education faculty members explored the integration of theoretical perspectives into their personal narratives as they developed a community of practice. Initially their focus was strictly on improving their students’ mathematical knowledge. As their community of practice matured, however, their work took on a larger meaning as they contributed to the institution’s strategic goal of raising the annual dollar amount of external funding and to the development of their personal and collective identities. This unusual level of inter-departmental collaboration has been recognized by the institution’s highest administrators, who have called upon its members to develop new, collaborative partnerships with regional school districts and community colleges.

IMPLEMENTASI ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAM (OLP) DENGAN MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS MULTIMEDIA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN PEMAHAMAN MATAKULIAH BIOLOGI UMUM PADA MAHASISWA PROGRAM STUDI PENDIDIKAN MATEMATIKA STKIP BINA INSAN MANDIRI SURABAYA

The research was conductedon for the first semester students of mathematics education faculty at STKIP-BIM Surabaya. The purpose of this research included:1) Obtain data on Implementation of Online Learning Program (OLP) with Media Multimedia-Based Learning, 2) Obtaindataonstudentcomprehension, 3) Obtainthe datapassing gradestudents, 4) Obtain data on Student Response. The research method which is used in this research is byusing the Classroom Action Research (Classroom Action Research). The results from this study include: view sof students' understanding forthe learning ability of OLP in the first cycle of 60.2 %, where asin the second cycle of 97% resulting in an increase in the percentage of 36.8% and the learning is successful. View ed from masteryof learning out comes in the first cycle was 68.5% while the second cycle of 80.5%, an increase of 12%. The students response for the Online Learning Program (OLP) model based multimedia which is including positive category. From this case, it can be said already managed to apply the learning for the student.

Increasing awareness of practice through interaction across communities: the lived experiences of a mathematician and mathematics teacher educator

Collaborations between mathematicians and mathematics teacher educators are increasingly being expected, and realized, within the context of mathematics teacher education. Most research related to collaborative efforts between members of the mathematics and mathematics education communities has focused on the products, rather than the process of collaboration. In this article, I present the results of an interpretative phenomenological analysis investigating the lived experiences of a mathematician and a mathematics teacher educator as they team-taught a mathematics content and mathematics methods course for prospective secondary mathematics teachers. I present extracts from interviews to illustrate the instructors’ perceptions that through collaboration and participation in the practice of the “other,” they were able to increase the awareness of their own practice and the practices characterizing their respective communities. The results of this study illustrate the potential of collaboration across these communities as a form of professional development for mathematics and mathematics education faculty.

Modules as Learning Tools in Linear Algebra

This paper reports on the experience of STEM and mathematics faculty at four different institutions working collaboratively to integrate learning theory with curriculum development in a core undergraduate linear algebra context. The faculty formed a Professional Learning Community (PLC) with a focus on learning theories in mathematics and curriculum development. Beginning with an online reading seminar, faculty paired with at least one other STEM faculty member at each institution to develop modules collaboratively with each other and with the group as a whole through regular project meetings. Two representative modules from this collaboration are presented with student and faculty feedback. A link is provided to other modules. We consider this a proof-of-concept paper with broader applicability beyond linear algebra to other mathematics and even STEM courses. We focus on linear algebra because it is widely taught in undergraduate mathematics programs and lends itself easily to a variety of applications and geometric analyses. We intend to continue to apply this approach to other content domains. We chose a particular theoretical framework, Action-Process-Object-Schema (APOS), because the mathematics education faculty in this group had considerable experience in the development and use of the framework.

Preparing Experienced Elementary Teachers as Mathematics Specialists

High quality teaching is critical to student learning, yet takes considerable time to develop in particular content areas. Students in high-poverty, urban settings are less likely to encounter experienced and trained teachers. Administrators from a large school district and university mathematics education faculty partnered and attempted to address this by designing a professional development program that prepared experienced teachers to work as specialists. Teachers engaged in intensive professional development while teaching only mathematics to students in grades 4-6. I describe the program and discuss some of the issues that arose when mathematics specialists taught only mathematics in upper elementary school classrooms. I ground the discussion in research on three years of the mathematics specialist program and share reports from teachers of their experiences.

Embracing the Vision: Our Work with Teachers Implementing GPS

: In 2005, three Kennesaw State University mathematics education faculty members began a series of workshops titled “Implementing the Georgia Performance Standards [GPS]: Embracing the Vision.” This workshop series has been underwritten by Georgia’s Teacher Quality Higher Education Program. The first series of workshops began with 6th grade teachers the first year the GPS was implemented and the project has been funded each subsequent year since its inception. Currently, we are working with Math III teachers as they implement the course for the first time. The initial focus for the project was on conceptual understanding versus procedural understanding, writing tasks that facilitate students’ conceptual understanding, assessment, and resources. While we have maintained these foci, we have found it necessary to emphasize mathematical content development and the process standards due to the needs of the participants. In this paper, we discuss the structure of our workshop series, focusing on process standards and mathematical content. We provide a specific example of a task we used with participants in our first Math III workshop to illuminate the features of our work.

ENHANCING CORE MATHEMATICS COURSES

ABSTRACT The Departments of Mathematics and Statistics at Grand Valley State University are engaged in a project to address the mathematical preparation of all its majors, including prospective elementary and secondary mathematics teachers. In this article, we describe how the mathematics and mathematics education faculty in our mathematics department formed a partnership and worked together to change two (Modern Algebra and Discrete Structures) of the six core mathematics courses that all mathematics majors take in order to make them more relevant for prospective teachers while at the same time maintaining core content and rigor for all majors. In particular, we have used the NSF-supported K-12 curricula projects and NCTM Standards-based materials as a foundation to create college-level mathematics activities. By using activities that incorporate and expand upon these K-12 materials, all majors are reminded of where they have encountered core mathematical concepts in previous courses, concepts are made more relevant as they are set in real-world or concrete settings, and prospective teachers are more motivated to learn the mathematics as they see how their coursework relates to the mathematics they will teach.

Third-Grade Students Investigate and Represent Data

Results of a collaborative project between two mathematics education faculty, a third-grade teacher, and her beginning third-grade students are presented. The purpose of this project was to collect information from these students as they thought through how to ask, collect, and then answer their own data-driven questions. These young students exhibited a growing understanding, sophistication, and comfort with the use and application of data and data terminology as they developed their strategies for collecting, analyzing, and presenting their results.