Difficulties of Grade X students in learning Trigonometry

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (01) ◽  
pp. 90-99
Author(s):  
Tara Nath Adhikari ◽  
Abatar Subedi
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Low Achievers ◽  
Community Schools ◽  
Content Areas ◽  
Achievement Score ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Initial Survey

Abstract This paper aims to explain the difficulties of grade X students in learning trigonometry that were explored from an empirical study in the year 2017 AD. The researcher used explanatory mixed research design where 155 students of grade X were selected randomly from the four schools of Kirtipur municipality to conduct initial survey to find low achievers and most difficult content areas of trigonometry by using achievement test. Then five low achievers and respective three mathematics teachers were selected and interviewed with the help of semi-structured interview guidelines to explore what difficulties had they experienced and encountered in learning trigonometry. The results revealed that mean achievement score of students in institutional schools was greater than that of students of community schools. However, there are some common areas of difficulties of students in both types of schools for learning trigonometry including the difficulties related to memorization of facts; comprehension of new concepts; transformation of verbal problems; derivation and proofs of trigonometric relations and unfamiliarity with the solving process of problems in application level. These difficulties are due to several reasons including abstract nature of contents, poor prerequisites among students, demonstration of teacher centered instruction, and focusing on rote memorization rather than conceptual understanding. Hence, it is recommended that both students and teachers need to focus on conceptual learning rather than rote memorization for meaningful understanding in trigonometry.

scholarly journals The Effect of Formative Assessment on the Academic Achievement Levels of Prospective Teachers

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Davut Hotaman
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Achievement Levels

This study aims to examine the effect of “Formative Assessment (FA)” practices in “Assessment and Evaluation in Education” class on the academic achievement levels of prospective teachers. It uses a mixed research design. Quantitative data were collected by using double pretest-posttest design, which is one of the complete experimental design structures; while a semi-structured Interview Form was used to collect the qualitative data. The study group consists of a total of 220 prospective teachers who participated in a “Teacher Training Course” in Faculty of Education in Yildiz Technical University, Turkey during the 2017-2018 academic year. The data collection instruments included a 40-item multiple-choice achievement test (AT) chosen from a question bank in accordance with the course objectives and a semi-structured interview form. For the achievement test, reliability was achieved by the test-retest method (r=.95), and validity was secured by the “analytical” method based on expert opinion. Following the nine-week FA practices using the complete experimental double pretest-posttest research design, it was found that these practices (what do I recall? and what have I learned?) resulted in a significant difference in favor of the experiment groups. The responses of prospective teachers to the semi-structured interview form developed to collect qualitative data for the study were categorized into common themes, which demonstrate that the quantitative data are confirmed by the qualitative data regarding the FA practices. This harmony between the quantitative and qualitative data showed that FA practices (independent variable) are strong enough to affect the achievements of prospective teachers (dependent variable).

Computation: low achievers' stumbling block or stepping stone?

1969 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 523-528
Author(s):  
Kenneth J. Travers
Keyword(s):  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Low Achievers ◽  
Stepping Stone ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
The Doors

Legend has it that inscribed over Plato's porch were the words, “Let no one ignorant of geometry enter here!” I suspect that as mathematics teachers most of us have shared a measure of this fervor, and in our imaginations have chiseled over the doors of our classrooms mere mortal inscriptions like, “Let no one ignorant of computation pass through these portals!” For it seems that large proportions of students are blocked from appreciable progress in mathematics because of their inability to compute.

scholarly journals A Managerial Decision Making Capability Framework For Adopting Technology Innovation Within Construction SMEs : Analysis and Results

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mazura Mahdzir ◽  
Sharifah Mazlina Syed Khuzzan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Managerial Decision Making ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Multiple Case

The slow adoption of new technology within construction SMEs is influenced by the capability of managers in making decisions. Therefore, this paper aims to report the development of a conceptual framework related to managers’ decision making capability in adopting technological innovation; specifically referring to Building Information Modelling (BIM). The primary data collection involves semi-structured interview, while the multiple-case (holistic) design was used for developing the managerial decision making capability framework.. The development of the framework was analysed using comparative analysis (cross-case ) of thirteen (13) top managers within the construction SMEs organisations. Comparisons were made between existing theories and new concepts raised by top managers. The findings revealed that  regardless of various views obtained from top managers, the adoption of BIM software has been influenced by managerial non-behavioural and behavioural capability, that have been categorised into five (5) main themes.

scholarly journals Pre-service Science Teachers’ Perceptions toward Additional Instructional Strategies in Biology Laboratory Applications: Blended Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-95
Author(s):  
Yusuf Ziya Olpak ◽  
◽  
Huseyin Ates ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Instructional Strategies ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Service Science ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Biology Laboratory

The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service science teachers’ perceptions toward additional instructional strategies in biology laboratory applications in the scope of blended learning. This study used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design model and was conducted with 69 students who study in their 2nd year in the department of science education at a state university in Turkey. Academic achievement test, personal information form, student feedback form, semi-structured interview, and additional instructional strategies were used to collect the data. To determine students’ academic achievements, the scores obtained from the academic achievement test were used from a pre-test and post-test and additional instructional strategies (discussion question, reflection paper, task assignment, and quiz) were used. In addition, students’ views and satisfaction levels toward the course were examined. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, One-way ANOVA, and content analysis were used. The results of the study showed that students’ academic achievement scores showed a significant difference in terms of the additional instructional strategies. In addition, students’ evaluation scores and satisfaction levels about the learning process were high, but there was no significant difference in terms of additional instructional strategies. In the future, conducting similar studies with wider samples could be effective in terms of contributing to the relevant literature at different education levels and different disciplines.

scholarly journals Co-teaching Effectiveness: Students’ Achievement in Mathematical Proficiencies and Content Strands

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Teaching Effectiveness ◽  
Educational Assessment ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
The Public ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Achievement Score ◽  
8Th Grade

In Pakistan Mathematics is being taught by single teacher. In contrast co-teaching has shown its positive effects on students’ academic achievement in Mathematics. Keeping in view the importance of co-teaching, this study was aimed at examining the co-teaching effectiveness to enhance students’ scores in mathematics. An experimental research design, Solomon Four Group was applied in this study to conduct an experiment. A school in the public sector was selected on convenient basis with due permission of headmaster. There were 118 students studying in that school at 8th grade situated in Sargodha district. A teaching module of mathematics was developed on two content strands of 8th grade mathematics i.e. algebra & geometry. The duration for one lesson was one hour. There were 20 lessons in the module and were validated by two mathematics experts. Students’ achievement was measured by using an achievement test of mathematics. Pakistan National Educational Assessment System had developed and validated the items. Data were analyzed by applying Mean, Standard deviation, and independent sample t-test. Co-teaching was found to be more effective than single teacher’s teaching in enhancing students’ achievement score in algebra and geometry with mathematical proficiencies. It was recommended that a topic on co-teaching should be included in courses preparing teachers of Mathematics.

scholarly journals Is mathematics created or discovered? Pre-service teachers’ perception on a classic enigma

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Vita Istihapsari ◽  
Rochmad Rochmad ◽  
Isnarto Isnarto
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Philosophy Of Mathematics ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
First Year ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Nature Of Mathematics ◽  
Potential Impact

There are many classic questions about the nature of mathematics which have been an endless debate among philosophers. One of them is about whether mathematics is created or discovered. This research aims to find out the pre-service mathematics teachers’ perception about the classical enigma of mathematics after joining the course of history and philosophy of mathematics education. It was a descriptive qualitative research involving 45 pre-service mathematics teachers in their first-year training. We collected the data using questionnaire and then deepened the findings using semi-structured interview. The results suggest that 40% of the respondents believed that mathematics is created, while the rest 60% believed that mathematics is discovered. The two claims have their basic reasoning in the perspective of the respondents. Those who believed that mathematics is created argued that mathematics exists because of human activities. Therefore, it will never be founded if it is not created first. Meanwhile, those who believed that mathematics is discovered tended to argue that whether or not there is human activities to prove the mathematics phenomena, it is already there as the God created it. Thus, human just discovered it, not create it. Both arguments are interesting and have a potential impact to the mathematics education practice.

scholarly journals IDENTIFYING BARRIERS WHEN TEACHING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN LOW ECONOMY REGIONS: SWANSEA AND HAKKARI AS CASE STUDIES

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 848-865
Author(s):  
Mukadder Baran
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Teaching Process ◽  
Case Research ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Science And Mathematics Teachers

The purpose of this research was to identify the barriers that upper-secondary school science and mathematics teachers face during the teaching process in economically disadvantaged regions (Hakkari, Turkey and Swansea, UK). The research design was comparative case research and pursues qualitative methodological approach in collecting and analyzing the data about the barriers that teachers are encountering during the teaching process. The research sample consisted of 24 science and mathematics teachers from different upper-secondary schools in Hakkari and Swansea. Semi-structured interview forms, were developed and employed to collect the data. The thematic analysis was used to analyze the obtained data. The results revealed different categories in understanding the situations that science and mathematics teachers confront in both cases; student-related issues, pedagogical issues, teachers’ lack of subject knowledge and socio-economic and cultural-based issues. As student-based barriers, lack of prior knowledge, students`attention span, and interest; and regarding teachers-based barriers, teachers` lack of class management and communication skills, and lack of student-centered methods found as similar barriers. Language and socio-economical problems were also shared barriers for both cities. In addition to those barriers, political and family-based issues which hindered educational attainment found as the main barriers by science and mathematics teachers in Hakkari. Keywords: comparative case research, mathematics teachers, science teachers, teaching barriers.

scholarly journals Increasing Students’ English Language Learning Levels via Lesson Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Remzi Y. Kıncal ◽  
Ceyhun Ozan ◽  
Duygu İleritürk
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Result ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Psychomotor Skills ◽  
English Achievement

The study aims to develop students’ higher cognitive skills e.g. analysis, synthesis and assessment and to increase their academic successes by reflecting their cognitive skills in psychomotor skills in practice with the help of lesson study. Therefore, the aim of the study is to increase students’ English as a foreign language learning level. Action research was used in the study. “English Achievement Test” and “Semi-Structured Interview Form” developed by the researchers were used as data collection instruments. English achievement test was used as pre-test and post-test to define students’ English language levels, and semi-structured interview form was used to determine teachers’ views about lesson study practice. According to research result, lesson study has increased students’ learning levels significantly. Moreover, teachers stated that lesson study was highly beneficial and affected their professional development in a positive way. It was stated by teachers in the study that lesson study had the teachers a chance to observe and assess their teaching qualities and so, it made the students’ learning levels increase significantly. Furthermore, all of the teachers agreed that lesson study as an in-service training model could be an approach used for both other lessons and nationally.

scholarly journals Investigating the Different Dimensions of Preservice Mathematics Teachers’ Understanding – The Case of Factorisation

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 73-94
Author(s):  
Olivia Fitzmaurice ◽  
◽  
Jacqueline Hayes ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Procedural Understanding ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Preservice Mathematics Teachers

This paper reports on a study designed to investigate preservice teachers’ understanding of factorisation, a topic not explicitly taught within their teacher education programme, but one they will be required to teach when they graduate. We query if the knowledge they bring from secondary school, prepares them sufficiently to teach their future students for understanding. 83 preservice secondary school mathematics teachers’ procedural and conceptual understanding of quadratic factorisation were assessed using Usiskin’s Framework for understanding mathematics (2012) which identifies several dimensions of understanding. The study provides evidence that the preservice mathematics teachers have a strong procedural understanding, and while some conceptual understanding does exist, there was very limited conceptual understanding within most of the dimensions of the framework (Usiskin, 2012). We conclude the paper by considering how teacher educators can address the issues of preservice teacher knowledge and understanding of content not formally covered within their teacher education programmes.

Assessment of a Problem-Centered Mathematics Program: Third Grade

1996 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-353
Author(s):  
Terry Wood ◽  
Patricia Sellers
Keyword(s):  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Factorial Design ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Third Grade ◽  
Personal Goals ◽  
Standardized Measures ◽  
Mathematics Program ◽  
Reform In Mathematics Education

Six classes received problem-centered mathematics instruction for 2 years in second and third grade. This instruction was generally reflective of a socioconstructivist theory of knowing and compatible with recommendations for reform in mathematics education. A class-by-instruction factorial design was used to compare students in problem-centered classes for 2 years with students in problem-centered classrooms for 1 year, and with students in textbook classes for 2 years on a standardized achievement test. In addition, classes using problem-centered instruction for 2 years were compared with students in problem-centered classes for 1 year on an instrument designed to assess students' conceptual development in arithmetic and an instrument developed to examine personal goals and beliefs about reasons for success in mathematics. The results of the analyses indicate that significant differences exist in arithmetic learning for students in problem-centered classes for 2 years on the standardized achievement test and the arithmetic test. The results indicate that after 2 years of instruction in reform-based classes, students score significantly higher on standardized measures of computational proficiency as well as conceptual understanding. Additionally, these students hold stronger beliefs about the importance of finding their own or different ways to solve problems.

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