SSM Table of Contents & Abstracts

Volume 104 (2), February 2004

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Abstract

Assessing Prospective Elementary School Teachersâ Beliefs About Mathematics and Mathematics Learning: Rationale and Development of a Constructed-Response-Format Beliefs Survey

Rebecca Ambrose, University of California-Davis        

Lisa Clement, Randolph Philipp, and Jennifer Chauvot , San Diego State University

Because of the role beliefs play in the teaching and learning of mathematics, mathematics educators need to consider ways to assess beliefs and belief change. Beliefs, because they must be inferred, can be difficult to measure, particularly with a common metric that enables a comparison of individuals. Because of the limitations of Likert scales, a computer-based survey was developed to assess beliefs. In this survey, prospective teachers interpret scenarios in a free-response format. The survey, used with more than 150 participants, captures qualitative data that are later quantified for purposes of comparison. A systematic method for creating research rubrics was developed in an effort to quantify the qualitative data. Results from a pre/post administration of the survey demonstrated that it is an effective tool for assessing belief change. In this article the theory behind the development of the survey is discussed, as well as some specific information about the survey and the way responses are coded and a description of the process used for developing rubrics. Recommendations are included for researchers interested in developing similar surveys.

An Illumination of the Roles of Hands-On Activities, Discussion, Text Reading , and Writing in Constructing Biology Knowledge in Seventh Grade

Carolyn S. Wallace, The University of Georgia

A previous study (Wallace, Yang, Hand, & Hohenshell, 2001) indicated that seventh-grade life science students using a learning tool known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) performed significantly better on conceptual test questions than did a control group. In the present study, the researcher studied more deeply how students utilized a variety of knowledge sources while engaged in the SWH, including textbook, teacher-led discussions, laboratory activities, peer group discussion, and writing (including their cognitive mechanisms and the nature of their written explanations). Six case students were selected based on a range of high to low achievement according to grades. An interpretive analysis of interview and document data was conducted. Of the 6 students, 3 relied on firsthand observations from laboratory activities as their major source of understanding; these students used listening, explaining, and writing most frequently. One student relied solely on textbook and teacher statements and actively rejected laboratory observations, relying primarily on reading and synthesis. Two students integrated laboratory observations with canonical information found in the textbook and other reading sources. They were able to bridge between the different epistemological bases for firsthand observations and authoritative text and blended these into rich and detailed explanations for biology concepts.

Beliefs and Perspectives of First-Year, Alternative Preparation, Elementary Teachers in Urban Classrooms

Lynn C. Hart, Georgia State University

Results from an earlier study (Hart, 2002) suggested that a group of 14 teachers participating in an alternative preparation program for elementary teachers had developed beliefs that were consistent with current thinking in mathematics education. The current study follows 8 of those teachers into their first year of teaching in an urban classroom. Qualitative data were collected from three sources: reflection logs, mathematics case discussions, and field notes made during classroom observations. This provided a triangulation of perspectives: the teachersâ views of themselves, the teachersâ views of others, and the university faculty memberâs view of them. Also, teachers completed the Standards Belief Instrument (Zollman & Mason, 1996) at the end of Phase I and at the end of Phase II. Results from the instrument and the qualitative analysis suggest that the teachers maintained a strong reform perspective in their beliefs, but they were unable to consistently implement pedagogy that was consistent with those beliefs.

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