Content Analysis of Gender-related Differential Item Functioning TIMSS Items in Mathematics in Jordan

Hanan Innabi, Hamzeh Dodeen

Issues and Challenges for Middle School Mathematics Teachers in Inclusion Classrooms

Janet R. DeSimone, Rene S. Parmar

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate typical middle school general education mathematics teachers' beliefs and knowledge of students with learning disabilities and inclusive instruction and to gain an understanding of the process of inclusion as it is implemented in middle school classrooms. In-depth interviews, surveys, and classroom observations were conducted with seven teachers. The constant comparative method was used to analyze all interview and observation data. The findings reveal that even teachers who believe that inclusion is being successfully implemented are unclear about their responsibilities towards included students and the learning characteristics and specific mathematics teaching approaches that would be effective. The general educators feel that they were grossly under-prepared during preservice and inservice for the realities of inclusion teaching. The study provides insights that can be used to enhance preservice and inservice programs for teachers and underscores the necessity for building teamwork and collaboration among general and special education middle school teachers.

Argumentative Discourse in a High School Chemistry Classroom

Issam Abi-El-Mona, Fouad Abd-El-Khalick

This study aimed to identify the types of arguments promoted in various contexts common to a high school chemistry classroom, including lecture-discussion and laboratory activities. The study was guided by the following research question: What types of argument structures and schemes, if any, are promoted and engaged by students within various contexts in the participant classroom? Participants were 73 students enrolled in three sections of a Grade 10 high school chemistry classroom. The same teacher taught all three sections and covered the same chemical topics. All regular and laboratory sessions were videotaped over the course of 2 months. Researcher fieldnotes were used to generate selective transcripts of argumentation evident during instruction. Additionally, semistructured interviews were conducted to assess participants' argumentative abilities in an inquiry-oriented context. Student arguments were found to be limited in number and mostly characterized by incomplete structures, especially in terms of warrants within all three target contexts. However, student reasoning schemes varied across the three contexts, with the most developed ones evident in the inquiry-based interview context. It is argued that “traditional” science instruction contexts can be used to promote argumentation if students are afforded certain support and guiding elements.