Pre-Algebra Students’ Performance Locating and Interpreting Data in Graphs and Maps

Introduction Developing graphicacy skills is important for students with visual impairments if they are to succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content. Teachers of students with visual impairments report that they lack resources to use in teaching students graphicacy skills. Methods Forty-one students with visual impairments in grades 5–10 completed a pretest, intervention, and posttest designed to evaluate their skills locating and interpreting graphical data. Videos of the pre- and posttests were scored using a researcher developed instrument. Results Following intervention, there was a significant difference in students’ ability to use descriptors and mathematical terms when exploring graphs and a map. Students answered significantly more questions correctly from pre- to posttest. Discussion Students who receive direct instruction in how to locate and interpret data in graphs and maps can improve their level of independence in STEM classes. Use of an intervention that targets the development of graphicacy skills has been found to be effective. Implications for practitioners More research is needed to determine effective hand strategies students should use when exploring different types of graphics.

Tense of Psychological Distancing Self Talk and Test Performance Among GT High School Students

Test taking is ubiquitous in academic life. Often, a student’s desire to perform well in these evaluative situations leads them to experience test-anxiety. However, test-anxiety has been repeatedly correlated with reduced test performance. Research suggests that reappraisal interventions promote the reduction of test anxiety which may result in improved test performance. But can linguistic tense mediate the effect of these interventions? If so, are these interventions helpful for GT students for whom test anxiety is a significant concern? This intervention study tested whether reading a message containing a type of reappraisal technique, objective psychological distancing, in a certain linguistic tense could reduce test anxiety and improve test performance for high school GT algebra students. Two hours before taking an exam, students read one of three messages: a first-person distancing, a third-person distancing, or a control message. There existed a slight improvement in student test performance from the control condition to the distancing conditions, yet this trend was not statistically significant.

Identifying Student Responsibilities While Watching Mathematics Instructional Videos

This study investigated the ways in which college algebra students watch mathematics instructional videos about completing the square with the goal of identifying student responsibilities within a particular video and across different videos. Guided by the theory of didactic situations that have defined implicit teacher and student responsibilities within the context of the face-to-face mathematics classroom, participants watched three different videos about completing the square and answered interview questions. Using categories previously identified by the didactic contract for the face-to-face classroom, this study expanded the types of student responsibilities identified specifically for video watching and found that participants, regardless of overall prior knowledge but who had prior knowledge of completing the square, held a responsibility to use the specific set of steps they were taught by their teacher to solve problems. Findings may be useful to both mathematics teachers and video creators.

Constructing and Adapting Technology-Infused Lessons

Design principles are used to construct and refine a technology-infused lesson for beginning algebra students learning about systems of linear inequalities.

Students’ Achievement Levels, Gender, and Learning Styles on Abstract Algebra: A Profile of Evidence Developing Ability

Mathematics education students’ ability on developing evidence needs to be reviewed by lecturers. 50% of the subjects in the mathematics education departement require students' accuracy in analyzing mathematical statements. This is increasingly important because the Indonesian National Qualifications Framework (KKNI) for the Bachelor level requires graduates to become technicians / analysts. The diversity of levels of students’ ability, gender, and learning styles are assumsed to be the discrepancy abilities to develop evidence. This study aims to describe the evidence developing ability based on the levels of achievement, gender, and student learning styles. The subjects of this study were abstact algebra students in the mathematics education department. Type of this research was descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques using test and non-test techniques. Students were given five questions about abstact algebra that demanded the evidence developing ability. The achivement levels and gender were obtained from students’ academic achievement data. The learning styles were attained from questionnaires. The results of the study is higher the students’ academic achievement, better the evidence developing ability on Abstract Algebra. The gender does not affect the evidence developing ability on Abstact Algebra. Students with visual learning styles have the ability to develop evidence better than students with other learning styles.

Analyzing Educational Objectives that Include Critical Thinking: Dot Product Problems in Vector Algebra

The primary and secondary school educational system should be stable and any upgrading reforms should be made gradually and consistently. This is especially important in mathematics education, since the element of logical reasoning while learning is more prominent there. Inconsistencies in reforms generate deficiencies in the higher levels of young students’ reasoning skills and this situation continues on the university stage of education. We will report our findings about the reasoning of first-year university students on elements of geometry and associated algebra. We conducted an experiment where students’ understanding of the definition of dot product of two vectors, cosine function and linear (in)dependence of vectors is evaluated, and address their mathematical activity to provide insight into the key elements of the problem they are solving. We use Bloom’s and SOLO taxonomy as a tool for the assessment of our findings. We obtained the data from written exams given to vector algebra students and also from individual interviews.

ANALYZING STUDENTS' LEARNING DIFFICULTIES IN ALGEBRA

This study aimed to describe a type of student learning difficulties in algebra that associated with the indicator based on the dimensions of Bloom's Taxonomy Revision. The method used is descriptive qualitative. The subject research is students of class VIII B at SMPN 7 Kota Serang. Data collection techniques used is a diagnostic test and interview. The analysis technique used is collection, reduction, presentation of data, and conclusion. The results showed that some types of students' learning difficulties in algebra. Students have difficulties in identifying the variables, coefficients, constants, and rates similar, the difficulties in simplifying a form of algebra, the difficulties of using the properties of distributive multiplication and arithmetic operations of mathematics, the difficulties in making a mathematical model of a statement or everyday problems, the difficulties in determining the overall value, per unit, and in part, the difficulties of counting based on the unit value, difficulties in resolving problems using the properties of comparative worth, and the difficulties of reflective thinking, as well as difficulty experienced by students, lies in the factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge.Abstrak:Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan jenis kesulitan belajar siswa pada aljabar berdasarkan dimensi Revisi Taksonomi Bloom. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah deskriptif kualitatif. Subjek penelitian adalah siswa kelas VIII B di SMPN 7 Kota Serang. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan tes diagnostik dan wawancara. Teknik analisis yang digunakan adalah pengumpulan, reduksi, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan jenis kesulitan belajar siswa yaitu kesulitan dalam mengidentifikasi variabel, koefisien, konstanta, dan tingkat yang serupa, kesulitan dalam menyederhanakan bentuk aljabar, menggunakan sifat-sifat perkalian distributif dan operasi matematika aritmatika, membuat model matematika, menentukan nilai keseluruhan, per unit, dan sebagian, kesulitan penghitungan berdasarkan nilai unit, kesulitan menyelesaikan masalah menggunakan sifat-sifat nilai komparatif, dan kesulitan berpikir reflektif, serta kesulitan siswa terletak pada pengetahuan faktual, konseptual, prosedural, dan metakognitif.