Connecting Research to Teaching: Teaching Trigonometric Functions: Lessons Learned from Research

2008 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-150
Author(s):  
Keith Weber
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
Secondary Mathematics ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Trigonometric Functions ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
School Students ◽  
Newtonian Physics ◽  
First Time

Trigonometry is an important subject in the high school mathematics curriculum. As one of the secondary mathematics topics that are taught early and that link algebraic, geometric, and graphical reasoning, trigonometry can serve as an important precursor to calculus as well as collegelevel courses relating to Newtonian physics, architecture, surveying, and engineering. Unfortunately, many high school students are not accustomed to these types of reasoning (Blackett and Tall 1991), and learning about trigonometric functions is initially fraught with difficulty. Trigonometry presents many first-time challenges for students: It requires students to relate diagrams of triangles to numerical relationships and manipulate the symbols involved in such relationships. Further, trigonometric functions are typically among the first functions that students cannot evaluate directly by performing arithmetic operations.

Sound Off!: Can We Make High School More Relevant?

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 392-393
Author(s):  
Henry Kranendonk
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
American Statistical Association ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Statistical Association ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
School Students ◽  
College Board ◽  
K 12

In “Standards for High School Mathematics: Why, What, How?” in the December 2008/January 2009 issue of Mathematics Teacher, Eric W. Hart and W. Gary Martin summarized a perplexing problem in the U.S. education system—namely, the challenge of reforming high school mathematics. The article referenced a 2007 conference sponsored by the Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum that addressed two important questions concerning mathematics achievement: What should students learn, and when should they learn it? Presenters from Achieve, Inc., the American Statistical Association, the College Board, the Mathematics Association of America (MAA), and NCTM openly discussed and debated the topic questions. The conference provided an excellent format for dialogue about the nuts and bolts of what students should be taught and when these topics should be taught in the K–12 timeline. Several participants acknowledged, however, that additional factors complicate our challenges with high school students.

The High School Student Protagonism through a Research with the Projects Methodology

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 102-138
Author(s):  
Clarissa De Assis Olgin ◽  
Claudia Lisete Oliveira Groenwald ◽  
Carmen Teresa Kaiber
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
School Design ◽  
School Students

Background: Developing autonomy, the ability to solve problem situations, make decisions and act for the benefit of your social environment are modern life skills and can be developed in the school environment, along with mathematical content, and can be viable through the methodology of project projects, using active methodologies and the resources of digital technologies. Objectives: Discuss the Mathematics Curriculum or the work projects as a pedagogical proposition based on the development of three projects with the thematic Cryptography, Music, and Project launching applicable to the High School. Design: Qualitative research that sought to investigate work with projects in High School was used. Setting and Participants: Experiments developed with two classes of high school students in the Rio Grande do Sul state. Data collection and analysis: Data collection took place during the development of the project stages through students' written records and questionnaires. Results: It is considered that the Work Projects developed constituted a possibility to modify the role of the student and the teacher, allowing students to become active, participative, and committed to the development of their knowledge. Conclusions: It is understood that students, their learning and development must be the focus of the educational process. Therefore, the school curriculum must enable students to assume the role and responsibility for their learning.

scholarly journals Junior high school mathematics teachers’ knowledge in calculators

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-93
Author(s):  
Isaac Bengre Taley ◽  
Matilda Sarpong Adusei
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Junior High ◽  
Real Life ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
School Students ◽  
High School Mathematics Teachers

Helping junior high school students to use calculators and computers for problem solving and investigating real-life situations is an objective of the junior high school mathematics curriculum in Ghana. Ironically, there is a technological drought in junior high school mathematics instruction in Ghana, with a suspicion that mathematics teachers’ competency in the use of calculators for teaching may be the source of this lack of use. This study sought to establish a correlation between junior high school mathematics teachers’ competence and the motivation supporting the use of calculators in teaching.  A descriptive survey comprising of a test and questionnaire was used to collect data from junior high school mathematics teachers in an educational district in Ghana. Teacher characteristics such as educational attainment, age, and gender in relation to teachers’ competency in the use of calculators were discussed in the study. The results showed that about 70% of the teachers exhibited a low level of calculator competence. Besides, novice teachers outperformed expert teachers in the calculator competency-based test. Additionally, mathematics teachers’ enthusiasm for using calculators in teaching was directly associated with the teachers’ level of competency. The findings may send a signal to stakeholders in their efforts to revising the Ghana JHS curriculum in order to actualize the curriculum desire for the integration of technology in the teaching and learning of JHS mathematics.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned from Teaching Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing to High School Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (09) ◽  
pp. 13397-13403
Author(s):  
Narges Norouzi ◽  
Snigdha Chaturvedi ◽  
Matthew Rutledge
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Natural Language Processing ◽  
Natural Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Teaching Machine ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
School Students ◽  
Gender Discrepancies

This paper describes an experience in teaching Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to a group of high school students over an intense one-month period. In this work, we provide an outline of an AI course curriculum we designed for high school students and then evaluate its effectiveness by analyzing student's feedback and student outcomes. After closely observing students, evaluating their responses to our surveys, and analyzing their contribution to the course project, we identified some possible impediments in teaching AI to high school students and propose some measures to avoid them. These measures include employing a combination of objectivist and constructivist pedagogies, reviewing/introducing basic programming concepts at the beginning of the course, and addressing gender discrepancies throughout the course.

Teaching Algebra and Geometry Concepts by Modeling Telescope Optics

2008 ◽  
Vol 101 (7) ◽  
pp. 490-497
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Siegel ◽  
Gail Dickinson ◽  
Eric J. Hooper ◽  
Mark Daniels
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Geometer's Sketchpad ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
School Students ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
Teaching Algebra ◽  
Questions And Answers ◽  
Telescope Optics ◽  
Traditional Proof

Preparation and delivery of high school mathematics lessons that integrate mathematics and astronomy through The Geometer's Sketchpad models, traditional proof, and inquiry-based activities. The lessons were created by a University of Texas UTeach preservice teacher as part of a project-based field experience in which high school students construct a working Dobsonian telescope. Eleven investigations with questions and answers are included.

Graphing Calculators Aren't Just for High School Students

1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-196
Author(s):  
Linda J. C. Taylor ◽  
Jeri A. Nichols
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Middle School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Graphing Calculators ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
School Students ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
And Function

Graphing calculators are revolutionizing the learning and teaching of mathematics. Students can view and manipulate graphs of functions in a matter of seconds. Such features as “plot,” “graph,” “trace,” and “zoom” offer opportunities for users to develop an understanding of the terms variable and function. According to the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1989), these concepts are vital aspects of the middle school curriculum. According to the standards document, “[A]n ideal 5-8 mathematics curriculum would expand students' knowledge of numbers,… patterns and functions, and the fundamental concepts of algebra” (pp. 65-66). In addition, “[T]echnology, including calculators, computers, and videos, should be used when appropriate” (p. 67). It stand to reason that tools to aid in understanding such concepts as variable and function, specifically graphing calculators, should not be reserved for high school juniors and seniors. This article discusses the use of graphing calculators by students of middle school age in an enrichment program for academically able, but economically disadvantaged, students. The exercises described helped students develop an understanding about variable and function. Students were actively engaged in problem solving that involved hands-on, real-life activities.

scholarly journals Identity profiles and digital engagement among Finnish high school students

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasmus Mannerström ◽  
Lauri Hietajärvi ◽  
Joona Muotka ◽  
Katariina Salmela-Aro
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
School Students ◽  
Identity Exploration ◽  
Ict Use ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Digital Engagement ◽  
First Time ◽  
Identity Task

Developing a stable personal identity is considered a more precarious task in today’s society than hitherto. Skilful digital engagement may, however, constitute a valuable asset in necessary identity exploration and commitment. Applying a person-oriented approach, we examined for the first time how identity profiles are associated with digital engagement, operationalized as digital competence, gaming seriousness, type of internet activity and excessive ICT use. After controlling for gender, life satisfaction and parental SES, this study of a Finnish high school sample (N = 932) revealed that adolescents with future commitments and some exploration of options (achievement, searching moratorium) were the most advanced in digital skills and, in the former case, least prone to excessive ICT use. By contrast, adolescents desperately trying to solve the identity task (ruminative moratorium) scored highest on friendship-driven internet activity and excessive ICT use, whereas diffused individuals had the weakest digital competence. No differences between the profiles emerged regarding gaming and interest-driven internet activity. The results suggest that the digital world and related devices are purposeful tools for shaping and maintaining healthy identity commitments.

scholarly journals Teaching High School Students Design Process and 3-D Printing: Lessons Learned

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Megri ◽  
Sameer Hamoush ◽  
Rachid Belmasrour ◽  
Gwen Lee-Thomas
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
School Students

scholarly journals Inappropriate Strategies That Senior High School Students Use When Solving Routine Problems in Basic Algebra

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Kwabena Amoakoh
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Senior High School ◽  
Basic Algebra ◽  
Sample Survey ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
School Students ◽  
Test Items ◽  
Mathematics Text

The purpose of the study was to identify the inappropriate strategies that senor high school students used when solving routine problems in basic algebra. The study was conducted with second year students of Eguafo Senior High School, Edinaman Senior High School and Komenda Secondary Technical School; all situated in the Central Region of Ghana. The data used in the analysis were collected form 120 students of the various programmes in the Senior High School. The simple random sampling method was used in the selection of the sample and the descriptive sample survey was the research design used. Essay type achievement tests and interview were used in the data collection. The test involved 20 independent test items under 10 routine problems in basic algebra. The test items were carefully selected from various Senior High School Mathematics text books and WAEC past questions under the supervision of the supervisor. Students were assembled in their classrooms for the administration of the tests. The tests were administered during official school hours. A total of thirty students, ten from each school were interviewed individually on their solutions to the test items. The failure strategies identified were observed to have comprised one or some combinations of a number of errors classified into six types as follows: a. Sign Errors, Misconception, Slip-shod Errors, Misapplication of RulesComputational Errors and Miscellaneous Errors. It was recommended that textbook authors in their text books should caution students on the possible common mistakes students make with each topic.  

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