SSM Table of Contents & Abstracts

Volume 103 (6), October 2003

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Abstract

Exploring the Role of Individual and Socially Constructed Knowledge Mobilization Tasks in Revealing Preservice Elementary Teachersâ Understandings of a Triangle Fraction Task

Paul J. Bischoff and Constance Feldt Golden

SUNY College at Oneonta 

This study compares the effectiveness of two forms of a knowledge mobilization task on preservice elementary teachersâ (n = 65) performance in solving a triangle fraction problem. The study then identifies the source of the successful solutions by linking solutions to earlier activities. One group worked with the triangle fraction task individually; a second worked with the triangle fraction task in a social constructivist setting; a control group had no knowledge mobilization pretask. Although there was no significant difference in the frequency of successful solutions among treatment groups, a chi-square analysis found that the social-constructivist pretask group applied fewer ideas from the manipulative lessons as solutions to the posttask than did the comparison groups. The social constructivist group was, however, most successful at generating novel solutions to the triangle problem. The potential benefits of individual and socially constructed knowledge mobilization tasks are discussed.    

Encouraging Young Women to Stay in the Mathematics Pipeline: Mathematics Camps for Young Women

Paul Chacon and Hortensia Soto-Johnson

University of Southern Colorado

For two summers, week-long residential mathematics programs were held for high school women, with the primary goal of encouraging them to continue their study of mathematics. The activities were designed to rekindle their excitement about mathematics and to support the idea that women should learn advanced mathematics. This paper reports the findings of the data collected to assess the programs. Statistically significant changes were found in student attitudes, confidence level, willingness to continue working on a problem, and  perception of the value of group work. Journal entries confirmed the statistical analysis. Follow-up surveys also indicated that the summer programs changed the way the participants perceived mathematics and mathematics courses.

Gender Equity in Mathematics: Beliefs of Students, Parents, and Teachers

M. Gail Leedy, Donna LaLonde, and Kristen Runk

Washburn University

The attitudes about mathematics held by girls and boys participating in a regional mathematics contest, their parents, teachers, and mathematics coaches were investigated. Quantitative data regarding mathematics as a male domain, perception of importance of mathematics, confidence in learning mathematics, effectance motivation, and usefulness of mathematics were obtained. It was found that the traditional gender-based differences in the beliefs regarding mathematics persist even in these mathematically talented students. Furthermore, parentsâ responses to the questions regarding the role of mathematics revealed that mothers, more than fathers, focused on the computational aspects of mathematics, while fathers more than mothers mentioned the role of mathematics in science or as a language.  Boys, fathers, and certain mathematics teachers admitted to a low level of gender stereotyping, as evidenced by their scores on the Mathematics as a Male Domain subscale.  However, the girls, mothers, and mathematics coaches did not endorse this stereotyping. Unsolicited responses of girls and mothers, in fact, emphatically denied that gender stereotyping exists. These findings are discussed in terms of the need to resolve the essential conflicts between studentsâ, parentsâ, and teachersâ deeply held beliefs regarding the nature of mathematics, gender differences in mathematical abilities, and the desire for equity within mathematics education.

An Analysis of Incident/Accident Reports from the Texas Secondary School Science Safety Survey, 2001

Amanda L. Stephenson, Sandra S. West, Julie F. Westerlund, and Nancy C. Nelson

Texas State University

This study investigated safety in Texas secondary school science laboratory, classroom, and field settings. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) drew a random representative sample consisting of 199 secondary public schools in Texas . Eighty-one teachers completed Incident/Accident Reports. The reports were optional, anonymous, and open-ended ; thus, they are unique in capturing the strengths and weaknesses of safety practices in school science settings as perceived by the teachers. Pertinent findings include: a) incidents and accidents (mishaps) increased from 8% to 62% as the class enrollment increased from <14 students to >24 students (p < 0.05), b) mishaps increased from 11% to 66% as classroom space per student decreased from >60 ft2 per student to <45 ft2 per student (p < 0.05), c) mishaps increased from 11% to 47% as room size decreased from >1200 ft2 to <800 ft2 (p < 0.05) d) 35% of teachers did not have adequate safety training within the last year, and e) 69% of teachers had a written safety policy. The findings of this study can be used to develop science classroom, lab, and field safety guidelines on a classroom, school, district, state, and a national level.

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