Mathematics Graduates Research Articles

Reflecting on Professional Development Opportunities: Links Between Conceptions of Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants and Their Self-Efficacy

This study examines the perceptions of first-year, mathematics graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) participating in a six-week summer course designed to deepen their knowledge of collegiate mathematics teaching practices before being assigned to instruct undergraduate students in the subsequent fall semester. Through hybrid deductive-inductive thematic analysis, GTAs’ written reflections were analyzed and matched against changes in their self-efficacy assessed along two conceptual dimensions: self-improvement and stimulation of student learning. Results suggest that GTAs’ conceptualization of teaching practice informs changes in self-efficacy along both conceptual dimensions, with efficacy in self-improvement changing more than that of their ability to stimulate student learning. Therefore, the strength of the efficacy changes may be moderated by features of the professional development course. We explore defining features of the professional development course employed in this study, describing implications for the education and development of novice collegiate mathematics instructors, and the potential to optimize change along both conceptual dimensions of self-efficacy.

Time and Space to Thrive: Mathematics Graduate Students in a Team Teaching Model

Pedagogical training of mathematics graduate students is often disconnected from the actual experience of teaching. Even with the support offered by standard instructor training models, mathematics graduate students find it hard to connect with students, mature pedagogically and contribute meaningfully, especially under the overwhelming conditions of teaching for the first time. In this paper, we discuss features of instructor training that support mathematics graduate students' pedagogical development. Using self-reported experiences of mathematics graduate students who taught in a team teaching model, we single out three features of the model and advocate integrating these features into existing instructor training.

The Effect of a Program based on Gardner's Five Minds Theory on the Development of Undergraduate Mathematics Graduate Students' Creative Thinking at the Faculty of Education - Sana'a University

هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على أثر برنامج قائم على نظرية العقول الخمسة لجاردنر في تنمية التفكير الإبداعي لدى الطلبة الجامعيين بكلية التربية قسم الرياضيات- جامعة صنعاء، واعتمدت الدراسة المنهج التجريبي ذا التصميم شبه التجريبي القائم على المجموعة الواحدة، وتكون مجتمع الدراسة من طلبة قسم الرياضيات بكلية التربية للعام الدراسي 2021-2022م، وبلغت العينة 30 طالبا. ولتحقيق هدف الدراسة تم بناء اختبار للتفكير الإبداعي، تم التحقق من صدقه وثباته، وحللت البيانات إحصائيا عبر الحزمة الإحصائية spss v. 25. وأسفرت نتائج الدراسة أهمها: وجود فرق دال إحصائيا عند مستوى دلالة (0.05) بين متوسطي درجات الطلبة في التطبيقين القبلي والبعدي لاختبار التفكير الإبداعي ككل، ومهاراته- كل على حدة- لصالح التطبيق البعدي، كما أظهرت النتائج وجود أثر قوي للبرنامج القائم على نظرية العقول الخمسة لجاردنر في تنمية التفكير الإبداعي، وقد توصلت الدراسة لعدد التوصيات أهمها: ضرورة اهتمام أعضاء هيئة التدريس بتنمية مهارات التفكير الإبداعي لدى الطلبة، و تدريب معلمي الرياضيات قبل وأثناء الخدمة على كيفية التدريس باستخدام العديد من النماذج التدريسية التي تستند إلى النظريات الحديثة مثل نظرية العقول الخمسة لجاردنر وغيرها من النظريات التربوية التي تعمل على تنمية التفكير بأنواعه المختلفة لدى طلابهم.

Information Literacy Support for Mathematics Graduate Students

Integrated information literacy instruction throughout graduate school supports students as they transition into the role of researcher, but information literacy instruction aimed specifically at mathematics graduate students is not widely studied. This paper reports on the results of a survey of mathematics librarians, which found that a majority of respondents are teaching information literacy classes to mathematics graduate students. Further analysis explores the demographics of both the librarians and students, the skills and resources taught, whether there was faculty-librarian collaboration, and if instruction was assessed.

Authentic By Design: developing mathematicians for the talent economy

The graduate skills expected of mathematics students from employers has changed dramatically over the past decade. Increasingly maths graduates are expected to have communication, creative, programming and teamwork skills in addition to the problem solving and critical thinking skills traditionally sought by employers from mathematics graduates. In this paper we will outline how the Middlesex University undergraduate mathematics programme was designed to enhance students’ communication, creativity and programming skills while maintaining the mathematical rigour that unpins all maths programmes.

How teaching experience and physics and mathematics content knowledge impact professional noticing skills of STEM graduate students

AbstractThe framework of professional noticing describes three components (attending, interpreting, and deciding) that allow teachers to better understand the thinking of their students. Via this method, teachers attend to their classroom by observing relevant cues from students, interpret these cues based on their knowledge of student development, and decide how best to proceed in their lesson. This study utilized an open‐response survey to collect data regarding the professional noticing skills, physics and mathematics content knowledge, and teaching experience of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics graduate students. Participants were given a physics and calculus problem to solve to assess their level of content knowledge and then watched a video‐based scenario of a teacher and student discussing the same problems. After, participants were prompted to answer questions corresponding with the attending, interpreting, and deciding components of professional noticing. We found significant results that suggest teaching experience alone is not enough to employ professional noticing skills when attending physics scenarios, and that possessing content knowledge has a positive impact on professional noticing ability, both overall and within the components.

Increasing Retention of Underrepresented Students in STEM Fields at California Community Colleges: A Study of the STEM2 Program

With the need to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates, higher education institutions need to identify and improve ways to increase underrepresented STEM student retention rates. Cypress College in Southern California implemented a program called STEM2 (Strengthen Transfer Education and Matriculation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to give students the support and the resources to continue with their intended majors. In this study, we examined the impact of the STEM2 participation for 1,113 students on multiple core outcomes of retention, four-year transfer, and associates of arts (AA) degree completion of STEM students. Logistics regression was used to determine the significance of input variables and the odds that the desired outcome was achieved. Results indicated there is a difference in student outcomes based on the students’ ethnicity, enrollment in the STEM2 program, and use of student support programs. Implications for practice and future research were also included.

Same degree but different outcomes: an analysis of labour market outcomes for native and international PhD students in Australia

This paper used data on career destinations over the period 1999–2015 to study the labour market outcomes of native and foreign PhD graduates staying on in Australia as skilled migrants. Natives with an English-speaking background emerge as benefiting from positive employer ‘discrimination’ (a wage premium unrelated to observed characteristics such as gender, age, and previous work experience). The premium is field-specific and applies to graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). In contrast, foreign PhD graduates with a non-English speaking background experience inferior labour market outcomes, especially if they work in the university sector. Against expectations to the contrary, completing the highest degree of education in the host country and staying on in the same sector where one acquired human capital does not appear to eliminate lesser labour market outcomes for the foreign-born.

Self-Direction in Physics Graduate Education: Insights for STEM from David J. Rowe’s Career-Long Methods

The ability to self-direct a research program determines graduate degree completion. Yet, research on incompletion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate programs assumes students’ present level of self-direction adequate and neglects to recognize a lack of self-directed learning (SDL) as key. This essay explores SDL for STEM, presenting the work of theoretical nuclear physicist David J. Rowe as a key example of applying a process of SDL in practice. Rowe focused on this challenge of physics graduate education by promoting SDL through the type of research flow that has been found to bring the greatest satisfaction to researchers regarding their insights. Strategies he explored involved his space, time, open mindedness and theoretical contributions with students and in collaboration with colleagues. A self-directed learner himself, Rowe developed methods of mentoring for encouraging physics graduate students to recognize symmetry as valuable in identifying solutions to problems quickly—helping students take the lead in finding insightful resolutions to complex, multidimensional, mathematical physics uncertainties. These strategies for supporting SDL in this context are examined here, with the use of narrative research to interpret the texts and conversations exchanged with the author. The process of SDL developed by Rowe is presented with recommendations on how Rowe’s methods may be modeled to improve self-direction in STEM graduate education more widely.

From Café Culture to Tweets

From Café Culture to Tweets

Reviewing ESL Roles in STEM Education: Scaffolding STEM Learners’ English Language Competency

The number of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) graduates has been increasing for years, yet the employment rate is still at a worrying level. The main reason for the unemployment rate among the graduates is a lack of English communication proficiency. Therefore, this paper discusses how far English language proficiency is essential for STEM learning and how to scaffold the learners’ English competency in STEM. Document analysis was conducted to identify themes related to the aim. Based on the findings, vocabulary is an essential component for language learners. Some ways to scaffold English proficiency and competency in STEM are through relational thinking and straightforward methods, which are discussed in detail in this paper. This paper contributed to the field of STEM and ESL as an added value, whereby interdisciplinary research is possible. This paper enlightens the possibility of English for STEM as an important subject that could help graduates' future employability. Future research can look into creating modules integrating English with STEM as the first step in bridging the gap between the two disciplines. Researchers in both fields can look into the unexplored issues of STEM learners in preparing them for the future world.

A Current Look at Mathematics Graduate Programs

A Current Look at Mathematics Graduate Programs

Advancing Minority STEM Students’ Communication and Presentation Skills through Cocurricular Training Activities

The competency and professional growth of the workforce in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is significantly impacted by the individuals’ ability to master oral communication skills as well as articulate opinions amid large audiences. However, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates spend approximately 4 years learning technical skills, with little to no time devoted to enhancing oral communication skills. Regrettably, minority STEM students usually face additional interpersonal barriers that require targeted training to foster their leadership and oral communication skills, which in turn reinforce their readiness for the competitive job markets. This research addressed such drawbacks by integrating innovative cocurricular communication skills activities with the aim of advancing minority students’ oral communication and presentation skills. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the growth in students’ oral communication and presentation skills within four construction management courses through the implementation of three cocurricular activities: (1) in-class expert training; (2) virtual reality presentation simulation training; and (3) social media–based communication activity. The research assessed the effectiveness of these activities in three ways. A benchmark survey recorded baseline data of 327 STEM students about their cognitive-communication skill knowledge and self-efficacy in presentation skills. Pre- and postcourse evaluation surveys of 102 of the 327 students highlighted overall skill growth compared with their performance at the beginning of the semester. An exit survey of 87 of the 102 students recorded their feedback about their social learning experiences and the effectiveness of each of the three implemented cocurricular activities. The results of the study indicated that minority STEM students benefited tremendously from the innovative oral communication skill training because the proposed three cocurricular activities promoted interpersonal growth and addressed some of their identified presentation skills deficiencies. The findings of this study contribute to the engineering and construction education bodies of knowledge by emphasizing the effectiveness of cocurricular communication training within formal and informal educational settings, which can help students to thrive in their future careers by developing and reinforcing their oral communication and presentation skills.

Production of STEM PhD Graduates: First decade of the ASTHRD and ERDT Programs

The first decade (2007–2018) of implementation of the Advanced Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program (ASTHRDP) and the Engineering Research & Development for Technology (ERDT) Program was examined to identify possible best practices and continuing challenges encountered in the production of new Filipino PhD graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The ASTHRDP and the ERDT Program, started in 2007 by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in partnership with selected Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs), aimed to produce more STEM PhD and MS graduates. The DOST identified ten (10) and eight (8) out of 1900 HEIs, to partner with, in the initial implementation of ASTHRDP and the ERDT, respectively. From 2008 the total number of PhD and MS scholarships awarded per fiscal year both increased at an average annual rate of 18% (PhD: 302 to 893; MS: 956 to 2,832, respectively). The PhD and MS scholarship packages enable an awardee to study fulltime for three and two academic years, respectively. From 2007 to 2015, 662 ASTHRDP PhD scholarships were awarded and produced 373 PhD graduates from 2007 to 2018, with a graduation efficiency rate of 56.34%. The corresponding ERDT rate was 48.13% with 268 PhD scholarships awarded and 129 PhD scholars graduated. The ASTHRDP partner institutions performed at varying individual efficiencies, with the Visayas State University at 100% (with all 16 PhD scholars graduated), University of the Philippines Diliman at 34.34% (34 out of 99), UP Los Baños at 65.59% (162 out of 247). For ERDT, UP Diliman had a graduation rate of 61.1%. The availability of more dissertation research supervisors was identified as a key factor towards improving the ASTHRD and ERDT PhD graduation rates. A number of recommendations are proposed with the aim of improving the program graduation efficiency and producing more highly trained scientists and researchers to serve the national interest.

Predictors of BSEd Mathematics Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) Performance of One ASEAN State University

Passing the board examination or Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) is a mark of professional accomplishment for teachers. Determining factors that significantly predict LET performance is crucial in every higher education institution. The study investigated the relationship of the Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics (BSEd Math) graduates’ academic performance (General Education, Professional Education, and Specialization) and LET performance. It also determined the significant predictors of their LET performance. The study employed the descriptive-correlational research design with 54 or 58.06% of the total BSEd Math graduates from 2014 to 2019 who were randomly selected as respondents. Data were gathered through interview method and document analysis. Findings disclosed that the academic performance of the graduates has a significant positive relationship with their LET performance across the areas of Specialization (Mathematics), Professional Education and General Education. Moreover, academic performance of the BSEd Math graduates in Professional Education is a significant predictor of LET performance. Those who would perform well in the Professional Education subjects in college would tend to have better performance in LET.

Self-study on Diligence as a Continuous Professional Development: A Teacher Researcher’s Perspectives

Nepali teachers’ professional qualities are discussed from non-socio-cultural perspectives, which seem insufficient for the continuous professional development of Nepali university teachers. Teachers’ professional attributes that influence their professional and pedagogical practices are rarely researched, particularly in Nepal. The purpose of this self-study was to investigate how I, a university teacher, could improve my pedagogical practices to facilitate a Research Methodology course for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) graduates. Adapting a socio-cultural perspective, I purposefully asked myself and my 27 graduate students whom I taught in 2021 from August to October. I collected and analyzed information adapting dialogue as a research method. Making dialogues with myself and my students, I unveiled five ways of improving my pedagogical practices. They were: by (1) creating a supportive learning environment, (2) enhancing curiosity, (3) enhancing inquiry skills, (4) enhancing evaluation skills, and (5) developing continuous learning habits. My reflective journal, classroom discussions, activities, and assignments hold evidence of my improved pedagogical practices. Finally, I learnt that my enhanced diligence contributed to my learning and my student’s learning as my professional development.

Predictors of Employability of the Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Mathematics Graduates

The goal of every program provided by a school or university is to make it more responsive to the needs of fast-changing employment demands. This goal also entails enhancing the students' skills to be prepared for their future jobs. This study identified the predictors of employability of the Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Mathematics graduates of St. Paul University Surigao Academic Year 2005-2015. Descriptive survey research was employed using a researcher-made questionnaire encompassing the personal information, employment status, and exit skills with seven identified subparts. The questionnaire elicited employability through the skills of 81.82% of the participants. Utilizing the employment status variables and the exit skills, Linear Regression Analysis extracted the predictors of employability. The findings revealed that the exit skills of the graduates are the predictors of employability. Thus, the school should create programs and activities which enhance the students' skills, particularly the predictors of employability identified in this study.

Artificial intelligence (AI) for tourism: an European-based study on successful AI tourism start-ups

PurposeThe travel and tourism industry (TTI) could benefit the most from artificial intelligence (AI), which could reshape this industry. This study aims to explore the characteristics of tourism AI start-ups, the AI technological domains financed by Venture Capitalists (VCs), and the phases of the supply chain where the AI domains are in high demand.Design/methodology/approachThis study developed a database of the European AI start-ups operating in the TTI from the Crunchbase database (2005–2020). The authors used start-ups as the unit of analysis as they often foster radical change. The authors complemented quantitative and qualitative methods.FindingsAI start-ups have been mainly created by male Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics graduates between 2015 and 2017. The number of founders and previous study experience in non-start-up companies was positively related to securing a higher amount of funding. European AI start-ups are concentrated in the capital town of major tourism destinations (France, UK and Spain). The AI technological domains that received more funding from VCs were Learning, Communication and Services (i.e. big data, machine learning and natural language processing), indicating a strong interest in AI solutions enabling marketing automation, segmentation and customisation. Furthermore, VC-backed AI solutions focus on the pre-trip and post-trip.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study focussing on digital entrepreneurship, specifically VC-backed AI start-ups operating in the TTI. The authors apply, for the first time, a mixed-method approach in the study of tourism entrepreneurship.

Impacts of COVID-19 on a mathematics graduate programme

ABSTRACT In this study, performance data from students on a mathematics graduate programme from Spring 2019 to Spring 2020 were collected and analysed. The results showed that, if the right course delivery method was implemented, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on students' performance could be minimal. Based on the study, some recommendations are made on how to improve students' performances in graduate-level mathematics courses.

Kemampuan Komunikasi Matematis Ditinjau dari Gender Siswa

One of the problems the important thing in learning Mathematics in Indonesia today is the development of students' mathematical communication skills. Communication development is one of the objectives of learning Mathematics and is one of the competency standards for Mathematics graduates. In Indonesia, the assessment of communication skills includes students' ability to present and interpret Mathematical ideas orally, in writing or in demonstration. Indicators of communication skills in written form are (1) drawing; (2) mathematical expressions; (3) written texts. Differences in gender (gender) certainly cause psychological differences in learning, so that male and female students certainly have differences in the ability to understand and communicate. The type of research used is quantitative research with a descriptive approach. The results showed that basically female students were more accurate and detailed while male students were more critical in various interpretations. There is a difference between the average scores obtained by male students and female students. This shows that the mathematical communication ability of female students is better than that of male students, with an average score of 83.1 for female students compared to an average score for male mathematical communication of 75.7 with a difference of 7.4%.