scholarly journals Enhancing Student Motivation in Secondary School Mathematics Courses: A Methodological Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vergara ◽  
Fernández ◽  
Lorenzo

In this paper, a teaching experience carried out within the framework of the subject of mathematics is presented. This subject is taught at several levels in secondary schools. In addition to some specific content related with mathematics (percentages, fractions, graphics, and bank interest), the methodology is designed in order to enhance the development of transversal skills (e.g., oral exposition, poster design and presentation, the analysis of social inequalities, etc.). Survey results based on the responses from over 110 students across four consecutive years, as well as the teacher’s self-assessment, indicate that the proposed methodology enhanced the students’ motivation and was helpful for developing mathematical content in a more pleasant way than in a conventional class based on a master class and problem-solving class.

1928 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 350-352
Author(s):  
Harry C. Barber

Present day demands that each subject justify its existence in the school curriculum are so well known as to need no review in this paper. The bearing of these demands on mathematics, however, presents an interesting situation when considered in relation to the increasing importance of mathematics in modern civilization. It is a curious phenomenon that mathematics should be challenged just at this time when its value in the world is greater and more apparent than ever before. This challenge docs not so much question the value of mathematics itself as the objl?ctives of ntathematics teaching, the content of mathematics courses, and the methods of presentation. The mathematics of the secondary school may well be criticized as being too mechanical, too much concerned with technique, too little concerned with the true kernel of the subject. The leaders within the field of mathematics teaching are in hearty accord with these criticisms, and they are making a constant battle against (1) too meagre a definition of mathematics and too narrow a concept of its possibilities, (2) the use of obsolescent material, (3) the rote method of presentation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 1171-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisela Cebrián ◽  
David Pascual ◽  
Álvaro Moraleda

Purpose This paper aims to present the results from a questionnaire distributed to a group of Spanish postgraduate teacher students pursuing a Master’s Degree in Secondary School Education. The aims of the administered questionnaire were to identify students’ perceptions of the development of sustainability competencies; to analyse the relationship between students’ perceived level of competence and the subject area, previous teaching experience and previous participation in sustainability projects; and to explore the strengths and limitations of the assessment tool used. Design/methodology/approach An ad hoc questionnaire of 18 items was designed to analyse students’ self-conception of the development of four sustainability competencies. A set of six units of competence were identified and three levels of acquisition for each unit Knowledge (referred to conceptual learning), Knowhow (related to practical skills) and Do (linked to the demonstration in action and its transferability to real-life situations). The sample included 183 postgraduate secondary teacher students from different disciplines and subject areas. Findings The findings of this study show that students positioned themselves for the four sustainability competencies in a medium level of competence. No statistical significant differences exist between the subject areas and the level of sustainability competence. A statistically significant difference was found between previous teaching experience and participation in sustainability projects in relation to their perceived level of sustainability competencies. Participation in sustainability projects is clearly shown as a differentiating factor in the levels of sustainability competencies. Originality/value An empirical study has been conducted to investigate preservice teachers’ perceptions on the self-development of four sustainability competencies, considering three levels of acquisition (Know, Knowhow and Do). This study provides insights into ESD teaching and learning approaches and the assessment of Education for Sustainable Development outcomes. It also points out the importance of conceptualising sustainability competencies and operationalising these competencies in assessment tools that can help measure sustainability competencies’ development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-340
Author(s):  
Jeyanthi Subrahmanyam

Classroom climate is an important factor in the teaching and learning process. Both physical and psychological aspects of the classroom should be conducive to learning. Less number of students, student-teacher ratio and undivided attention of the teachers have a great influence on students’ academic performance. The study is conducted to find out whether gender has any impact on the performance of teachers in classrooms and their qualifications based on the subject they studied have any influence on their teaching. Experience enhances everybody’s learning. So, the teaching experience is an important factor that should be considered in managing a class. This study is done with 150 teachers selected from 10 higher secondary schools from the Kancheepuram district. A simple random technique is used to collect the sample. The teaching experience is classified as below 5 years and above 5 years. The tool, Classroom climate inventory, is standardised by the investigator. T-test and Correlation were used to analyse data.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3472
Author(s):  
Shahin Ghaziani ◽  
Delaram Ghodsi ◽  
Gholamreza Dehbozorgi ◽  
Shiva Faghih ◽  
Yeganeh Rajabpour Ranjbar ◽  
...  

Among the common methods of quantifying household food waste, direct measurement is regarded as infeasible due to its prohibitive costs, and self-assessment methods tend to underestimate the actual values. This paper aims to propose a methodological approach to reach a compromise between feasibility and accuracy. Bread was studied, since it is a relatable example. The self-assessment method was used to survey 419 households in Shiraz, Iran, during 2019 to estimate household bread waste (BW) and to identify waste-causing consumption recipes (WCCR). These WCCRs were replicated in the lab, and the resulting BW was measured. The underestimation in the self-assessment method was revealed by comparing the survey results with the lab measurements. The underestimation ratio (UR) ranged between 1.24 and 1.80. The pattern of difference between these four bread types was similar among the survey and lab data. In conclusion, the lab measurements may estimate BW caused by the WCCRs more accurately. This suggests that URs can be applied to correct the underestimation in self-assessment surveys. Such an approach could provide the basis for further research on the development of cost-effective methods to quantify waste across a variety of food commodities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 493-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara M. Moorman ◽  
Emily A. Greenfield ◽  
Sarah Garcia

To advance understanding of how social inequalities from childhood might contribute to cognitive aging, we examined the extent to which school context in adolescence was associated with individuals’ cognitive performance more than 50 years later. Using data from 3,012 participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), we created an aggregate measure of school-level structural advantage, with indicators such as the proportion of teachers who had at least five years of teaching experience and spending per pupil. Multilevel models indicated that secondary school advantage was associated with small benefits in language/executive function at age 65 among older adults who had lower academic achievement in secondary school. Findings suggest that school advantage is a developmental context of adolescence that has modest implications for intracohort differences in aspects of later life cognition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-237
Author(s):  
Doreen Holtsch ◽  
Sebastian Brückner ◽  
Manuel Förster ◽  
Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia

In the commercial sector, which is of crucial importance to the Swiss economy among other countries, a large number of apprentices are trained on a vocational education and training programme every year. Besides other subjects, the subject Economics and Society forms an integral part of the vocational education and training curriculum and serves to prepare apprentices for professional, economic and civic participation. Although content knowledge is widely considered necessary to both teaching quality and student achievement, little is known about the subject-specific content knowledge of Swiss Economics and Society teachers. As previous research has shown a gender gap in the content knowledge of (pre-service) teachers in economics, we focus on the question as to whether Swiss Economics and Society teachers’ economics content knowledge differs, including in relation to gender. As additional influencing factors, our study included teaching experience and teaching load. We measured the economics content knowledge of 153 Economics and Society teachers with a shortened German version of the Test of Understanding College Economics in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Multivariate analyses indicated a gender effect that manifested itself in higher test scores among male Economics and Society teachers. These findings are relevant to the training of vocational education and training teachers.


Author(s):  
O. M. Korchazhkina

The article presents a methodological approach to studying iterative processes in the school course of geometry, by the example of constructing a Koch snowflake fractal curve and calculating a few characteristics of it. The interactive creative environment 1C:MathKit is chosen to visualize the method discussed. By performing repetitive constructions and algebraic calculations using ICT tools, students acquire a steady skill of work with geometric objects of various levels of complexity, comprehend the possibilities of mathematical interpretation of iterative processes in practice, and learn how to understand the dialectical unity between finite and infinite parameters of flat geometric figures. When students are getting familiar with such contradictory concepts and categories, that replenishes their experience of worldview comprehension of the subject areas they study through the concept of “big ideas”. The latter allows them to take a fresh look at the processes in the world around. The article is a matter of interest to schoolteachers of computer science and mathematics, as well as university scholars who teach the course “Concepts of modern natural sciences”.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Khairunnajwa Binti Samsudin ◽  
Mohd Mahzan Bin Awang ◽  
Anuar Bin Ahmad

This article aims to study on the readiness of history teachers to inculcate historical thinking skills among students. This study focused on four aspects which includes 1) Procedural Knowledge, and 2) Pedagogical Knowledge. Thus, to achieve the purpose of the study, quantitative methods are used. Questionnaires were distributed to 30 history teachers in a secondary school in Batu Pahat district. The results showed that there were no significant differences between teachers who were trained to teach History and those who are not. However, there was a significant difference between teachers with ten years of teaching experience with the readiness of history teachers.


Author(s):  
Heidi Hardt

Chapter 1 introduces the subject of institutional memory of strategic errors, discusses why it matters for international organizations (IOs) that engage in crisis management and reviews the book’s argument, competing explanations and methodological approach. One strategic error in the mandate or planning of an operation can increase the likelihood of casualties on the battlefield. Knowledge of past errors can help prevent future ones. The chapter explores an empirical puzzle; there remain key differences between how one expects IOs to learn and observed behavior. Moreover, scholars have largely treated institutional memory as a given without explaining how it develops. From relevant scholarship, the chapter identifies limitations of three potential explanations. The chapter then introduces a new argument for how IOs develop institutional memory. Subsequent sections describe research design and explain why NATO is selected as the domain of study. Last, the chapter identifies major contributions to literature and describes the book’s structure.


Author(s):  
Greg M. Anderson ◽  
David A. Crerar

This textbook and reference outlines the fundamental principles of thermodynamics, emphasizing applications in geochemistry. The work is distinguished by its comprehensive, balanced coverage and its rigorous presentation. The authors bring years of teaching experience to the work, and have attempted to particularly address those areas where other texts on the subject have provided inadequate coverage. A thorough review of the necessary mathematics is presented early on, both as a refresher for those with a background in university calculus, and for the benefit of those coming to the subject for the first time. The text is written for students in advanced undergraduate or graduate-level geochemistry as well as for all researchers in this field.


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