ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge: Adults Reviewing Fractions
Author: Baker, William J.
Date: 2012-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics,Adult Students,Two Year College Students,Community Colleges,Algebra,Remedial Mathematics,Piagetian Theory,Mixed Methods Research,Models,Concept Formation

In the United States a majority of the students who enroll in community colleges require a review of secondary math before they are eligible for college level mathematics. In the pre-algebra course, that has a high drop-out rate, the most difficult topic for students is fractions. In order to better understand the fraction concept, Kieren separated it into five related sub-constructs. In Kieren's model the foundational sub-construct of part-whole provides a path to the sub-constructs of ratio, operator, quotient and measure. This model was previously investigated and found effective by Charalambous &amp; Pitta Pantazi (2007) with children and Baker, Dias, Doyle, Czarnocha &amp; Prabhu (2009) with adults. This article extends the earlier study of Baker et al. with adults by considering an alternate pathway to competency with operator and measure through multiplication and addition of fractions. This path is based upon Piaget's theories in which concepts develop through reflection upon corresponding procedures. The goal is to show that the path through direct extension of part-whole knowledge and the path through procedural knowledge work together and complement one another in explaining students' competency with operator and measure. An open question of whether measure is part of the multiplicative structure of fractions is also addressed using a mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Integrating Real-World Numeracy Applications and Modelling into Vocational Courses
Author: Hall, Graham
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Numeracy,Adult Vocational Education,Student Motivation,Problem Solving,Adult Students,Models,Case Studies,Algebra,Abstract Reasoning,Postsecondary Education,Foreign Countries,Interviews,Questionnaires,Observation

Practitioner research is in progress at a Further Education college to improve the motivation of vocational students for numeracy and problem solving. A framework proposed by Tang, Sui, &amp; Wang (2003) has been adapted for use in courses. Five levels are identified for embedding numeracy applications and modelling into vocational studies: Extension; Special Subject; Investigation Report; Paper Discussion; and Mini Scientific Research. These levels represent a progression from applications set by the teacher, through increasing student involvement in the solution of real world problems, to totally independent project work. Case studies are presented of the incorporation of the five levels of application in engineering, construction, computing, and environmental science courses. In addition to student motivation, teaching staff observed that improvements have occurred in: use of specialised mathematical vocabulary; the combined use of numerical and algebraic methods in problem solving; and abstract reasoning, and a deeper level of understanding of the mathematics used in problem solving. A difficulty which has not yet been fully resolved is the reconciliation of a problem solving and project based approach to numeracy, and the requirement by some Examination Board numeracy syllabuses to assess specific mathematical methods.
Exploring Parents' Experiences with Standards-Based Mathematics Curricula
Author: Bartlo, Joanna
Date: 2008-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Parents,Experience,Academic Standards,Case Studies,Interviews,Context Effect,Elementary School Mathematics,Informal Education

Parents may have difficulties relating to mathematics curricula that focus on conceptual rather than procedural understanding (Remillard &amp; Jackson, 2006) because such curricula engage students in activities that are different from those that students experienced in previous generations. We report on a case study that explored how parents make sense of conceptual-based curricula by engaging two parents with tasks from their children's curriculum. Our report details both the tasks with which we engaged the parents and their ways of thinking about mathematics that emerged as they interacted with those tasks. Our findings suggest that in some cases parents' previous experiences with their school mathematics interfered with their ability to make sense of the tasks in a manner consistent with the curriculum authors' intent. However, we also found that their previous experiences with informal mathematics could be leveraged to support their endeavour to make sense of tasks from a standards-based curriculum in a manner consistent with that intended by the curriculum authors. Nevertheless, we also believe that the school-based tasks used in the study encouraged parents to interpret their children's curricular materials in terms of their own experiences with school mathematics rather than in terms of their informal knowledge. This study contributes to researchers' understanding of the complex process of sense making that is necessary for parents (and adults in general) to relate to standards-based mathematics curricula, and it raises questions about how parents might be supported in that process.
A Measure of Mathematical Self-Concept in Young Adults 16-24 Years Old: A Cross-Cultural Comparison with a Focus on Gender and Numeracy
Author: Lundetrae, Kjersti
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Concept,Young Adults,Late Adolescents,Gender Differences,Numeracy,Mathematics Skills,Foreign Countries,Cross Cultural Studies,Cultural Differences,Comparative Analysis,Questionnaires,Multiple Regression Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Item Response Theory

Girls attend less education in mathematics than boys when the subject becomes an elective in upper secondary schools and above. One explanation for this might be gender differences in mathematical self-concept, which are the focus of the present study. Data from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) were used to examine whether young adults' mathematical self-concept is dependent on gender. The Norwegian results were compared to findings in Canada, Italy, Switzerland, and USA. The ALL-data presented indicate that in all of these countries, females in general are less likely than males to state that they are good with numbers and calculations. The gender differences in mathematical self-concept were largest within Switzerland and Norway. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that gender influenced mathematical self-concept, even when controlled for numeracy skills. To our knowledge, this is the first time representative cross-country samples are used to explore the relationships between gender, country and young adult's mathematical self-concept.
Specific Quality Criteria for Research Papers on Adults Learning Mathematics?
Author: Wedege, Tine
Date: 2009-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Learning,Mathematics Education,Educational Research,Criteria,Numeracy,Adult Education

Since 1997, the identity of the research field of adults learning mathematics has been debated; the research field has grown in quantity and quality; and the research forum Adults Learning Mathematics (ALM) has established an international journal. In practice, the researchers answer the question about identity and quality of research papers in committees, in editorial teams or as referees in journals. The purpose of this article is to create a starting point for a debate, based on quality criteria in the field of mathematics education research, on specific criteria to locate quality of research papers on practice-related educational research in the field of adults learning mathematics. Following general criteria in mathematics education any research paper has to explain and present its own &quot;problematique&quot; explicitly, i.e. define the problem field and the theoretical/methodological/philosophical approach of the study reported. Additional criteria specific to the field of adults learning mathematics are suggested, namely, the author should position themselves by answering the following three questions: (1) What is adult mathematical knowledge (or adult numeracy)?; (2) How do adults learn mathematics?; and (3) Why teach mathematics to adults?
Trickle down Mathematics: Adult Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Gain Confidence in Mathematics--Enough to Pass It Along?
Author: Ashun, Mary Apea
Date: 2009-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Elementary School Mathematics,Mathematics Instruction,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Practicums,Foreign Countries,Student Teacher Attitudes,Surveys,Likert Scales,Adult Learning,Teaching Methods,Self Efficacy

Much research (Ma, 1999; Cohen &amp; Leung, 2004; English, 2003) has been done on mathematics education and pre-service teachers with special emphasis on how the mathematics is taught and the psychology of the pre-service teachers. While there is concern among North American mathematicians that mathematics instruction in K-12 grades needs to be improved (Ma, 1999), how that can be achieved is an ongoing debate. This study, while recognizing the need for significant changes to the preparation of our elementary teachers seeks to look at a subgroup of pre-service teacher candidates--adult learners who are coming to the profession after accumulating several years of life experiences. Are their experiences similar to non-adults preparing for the same vocation? In what areas are they lacking? In what areas are they more superior? How should a teacher education program be designed to prepare these adult learners to teach mathematics effectively? In this study, we will compare these adult learners to non adult learners in the same class and discuss aspects of the pre-service program that succeeded in affecting their beliefs, confidence and mathematical competency.
Student Participation in Mathematics Lessons Taught by Seven Successful Community College Instructors
Author: Mesa, Vilma
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Mathematics Instruction,College Faculty,Community Colleges,Student Participation,College Preparation,Interviews,Observation,Thematic Approach,Teaching Methods,Adult Learning,Nontraditional Students,Coding,Learning Activities,Developmental Studies Programs,Student Characteristics,Gender Differences

This paper presents results of a qualitative study describing classroom participation in pre-college mathematics classes taught by seven successful community college faculty members. The analysis reveals high levels of student participation coupled with low complexity, which can result in detrimental opportunities for students to learn mathematics. The multiple and competing functions and the diversity of the community college setting makes delivering high quality mathematical instruction more difficult. This paper discusses implications for further research and for practice.
Creating Connections in Foreign Language Education: A Teacher's Perspective
Author: Bridges, Judson
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Instruction,Secondary School Teachers,High Schools,Spanish,Teacher Attitudes,Relevance (Education),Cultural Influences,Elementary Secondary Education,Cultural Awareness,Language Teachers,Teaching Methods

This article is a high school Spanish teacher's perspective on the current state of foreign language education in Georgia. Particularly, the author considers the need for more connections to be made in foreign language education, including explicit links between students' experiences and the relevance of language study, more integration of the fluidity of language and culture, and further dialogue between K-12 practitioners and university faculty.
Methodologies of Research into Gender and Other Social Differences within a Multi-Faceted Conception of Social Justice
Author: Evans, Jeff
Date: 2008-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Research,Research Methodology,Gender Differences,Social Justice,Social Class,Ethnicity,Research Problems,Mixed Methods Research,Power Structure,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Educational Sociology,Mathematics Education,Adult Learning,Popular Culture,Sex Stereotypes,Anxiety,Semi Structured Interviews,Advertising,Equal Education,Foreign Countries

Our discussion of social justice begins by embracing both &quot;distribution&quot; and &quot;recognition&quot; aspects of social relations (Vincent, 2003). The first aspect considers the way that goods, knowledge, skills, rights, etc. are distributed among social groups; the second aspect focuses on aspects of society structuring social encounters and relations--modes of communication, &quot;treatment,&quot; respect. Our approach to social justice focuses not only on the dimension of gender, but also on social class and ethnicity: we consider that concern with these latter forms is crucial for a full appreciation of the structural and the interactional aspects conveyed by the concept (Arnot, 2002; Gillborn &amp; Mirza, 2000). In methodological terms we argue that researching the questions posed by a social justice agenda, will require both &quot;quantitative&quot; and &quot;qualitative&quot; methods--within any substantial research programme, and even within individual studies. Our emphasis on the theoretical aspects of formulating a research problem points to the importance of a third facet of social justice, to do with &quot;representation&quot; and power. We discuss several examples of fruitfully combining different aspects of social justice and multiple methods of research. In particular, we argue that considerations of social justice, and a related &quot;hybrid&quot; methodology, will play a crucial role in our ongoing study of the (re)production of images of mathematics in popular culture, and in particular advertising.
Mapping a Rhizomatic Ecology of Reading
Author: Cole, Leslie
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Instruction,Graduate Students,Reading Strategies,Books,Clubs,Literacy Education,Theories,Environmental Influences,Maps,Group Discussion,Novels,Reader Response,Females,Fiction,Reader Text Relationship,Resistance (Psychology),Popular Culture

Readers, texts, and readings can take unpredictable and seemingly tangential detours that educators might find undesirable and difficult to control. Readers can stray far from the text to seek out desired meanings. In the same way, media outlets can reappropriate favorite literary fictions in ways that can perturb educators and readers alike. Using the theories of an ecology of reading and the rhizome, together with evidence from an adult book club comprised of graduate students studying literacy education, this conceptual piece argues that undisciplined relations among readers, texts, and readings are admittedly tangential but nonetheless vital to the process of meaning-making.
Gender Mainstreaming of Adult Mathematics Education: Opportunities and Challenges
Author: Henningsen, Inge
Date: 2008-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Education,Mainstreaming,Adult Education,Adult Students,Gender Differences,Gender Issues,Stereotypes,Misconceptions,Mathematics Anxiety,Surveys

Mainstreaming as a strategy for equality has been widely adopted by the international community. Mainstreaming of adult mathematics education entails that gender, ethnicity, social class and other difference defining categories are included consciously and explicitly in all activities. A growing body of research explore how pluralism and multiculturalism in mathematics education affect mathematical understanding, attitudes and participation. Gender mainstreaming investigates how cultural and economic factors influence the formation of female and male differences in these areas. In adult mathematics education curriculum, context, instruction and values have a gender dimension that should be acknowledged in teaching, planning and research. Likewise gender should be taken into account in statistics and surveys on adult numeracy. To mainstream successfully means to gather knowledge, analyse processes and suggest changes where necessary. Actual gender mainstreaming of adult mathematics education is not on the agenda anywhere today, but current knowledge on mathematics education points to a number of research questions and to knowledge gaps that have to be filled. Gender mainstreaming is but one aspect of the general mainstreaming strategy that encompasses other difference defining categories; hence research on adults learning mathematics must cut across borders of gender, ethnicity, age and social class. Creating a new and more adequate frame of analysis is a challenge to research in adult mathematics education. Gender mainstreaming is a principle that means bringing gender thinking into the main stream--into all decision making and organizational (…) work. Many have used the image of gender equality as something that flows in its own tributary. Through gender mainstreaming, equal opportunities are brought into the main stream--i.e. the ordinary organizational and political efforts. (Resolution on equal opportunities. The Danish Trade Union Movement 2003).
Is &quot;Connected Teaching&quot; in Mathematics a Gender-Equitable Pedagogy for Adults?
Author: Miller-Reilly, Barbara
Date: 2008-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Adult Education,Mathematics Instruction,Feminism,Sex Fairness,Mathematics Anxiety,Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness,Case Studies,Adult Students,Qualitative Research

&quot;Connected teaching&quot; is a feminist theory first proposed by Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger and Tarule (1996, p. 214) then related to the teaching of mathematics by Becker (1995, 1996), Buerk (1994b) and Morrow (1996). The theory of intellectual development elaborated by Belenky and her colleagues uncovered themes common to many women's lives, for example, those related to &quot;silencing&quot;, &quot;disempowerment&quot; and &quot;lack of voice&quot; (Goldberger, 1996a, p. 7). Such experiences are common amongst adults who fear and avoid mathematics, both men and women. It therefore seems appropriate that this theory informs my teaching practice with such adults. This paper reports on a six-month supervised study course in mathematics taken by Charles, a 33-year-old businessman, who had a debilitating fear of mathematics. Connected teaching emphasizes &quot;seeing the other, the student, in the student's own terms,&quot; hence &quot;trusting their thinking and encouraging them to expand it&quot; (Belenky et al., 1986, p. 227). So Charles and I &quot;shared in the process&quot; of mathematical problem solving (Becker, 1995 p. 168). Opportunities were also created for him to &quot;weave together multiple aspects&quot; of his life (Morrow &amp; Morrow, 1995, p. 18), another goal of connected teaching. Overall there was a very successful outcome for Charles. After this course of study was completed he believed that mathematics was creative and that it involved a search for patterns. He expressed a distinctly more positive belief in himself as a learner of mathematics, more enjoyment of mathematics and, as he said, &quot;general confidence&quot; when it came to using mathematics in his workplace. This case study strongly suggests that connected strategies in teaching mathematics, a pedagogy which enhances women?s mathematical competence and confidence (Kalinowski &amp; Buerk, 1995), can also improve the mathematical competence and confidence of men.
Algebra for All? The Meanings That Mothers Assign to Participation in an Algebra Class
Author: Jackson, Kara
Date: 2008-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Low Income Groups,African Americans,Mothers,Elementary School Students,Mathematics Skills,Adult Education,Parent Education,Video Technology,Audio Equipment,Semi Structured Interviews,Coding,Parent Attitudes,Parent Role,Urban Areas,Parents as Teachers,Observation,Questioning Techniques

In this paper, we report on a series of algebra classes with a group of low-income, African American mothers of elementary-aged children who had limited and negative formal experiences with algebra. We drew from United States reform-oriented elementary mathematics curricular materials in the classes. The women initially arrived to the class out of a desire to support their children's learning but over time also engaged in the class for intellectual purposes. We show how their questions and observations, rooted in their experiences with algebra in secondary education and in their children's elementary mathematics, drove our instruction, and how the women shifted their understandings of who can &quot;do&quot; algebra and of algebraic content. We suggest that the shifts they experienced were supported by three sources of meaning-making specific to algebra: &quot;from within the mathematics, from the problem context, and from that which was exterior to the mathematics/problem context&quot; (Kieran, 2007, p. 711). Our analysis suggests the importance of understanding parents as learners and the potential of reform-oriented elementary curriculum for supporting the learning of adults who had negative experiences with mathematics.
Mathematics in Masons' Workplace
Author: Moreira, Darlinda
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Masonry,Workplace Learning,Mathematics,Semiskilled Workers,Adult Education,Ethnography,Older Workers,Foreign Countries,Educational Attitudes,Adult Learning,Communities of Practice,Semi Structured Interviews,Participant Observation

This paper presents masons' professional practices, which are related to mathematics. It aims to contribute to the area of adult mathematics education and to enlarge knowledge about how mathematics is used at the workplace. Methodologically it was followed an ethnographic approach. The key informants of the study were four masons aged between 40 and 60 years old. Observations and interviews were carried out at the workplace in a civil construction setting in the Lisbon area. Firstly we present masons' views about schooling and mathematics, as well as the importance that masons confer to mathematics in their profession. Then the paper describes and discusses three episodes observed at masons' workplace in their professional practices. As a whole these episodes illustrate how mathematical knowledge is imbedded in professional activities. Independently of schooling, masons daily and implicitly apply mathematics. It is this practical knowledge of mathematics that, after being uncovered, is for us educators of most relevance to adult-learning mathematics contexts, because not only does it connect school content and curricula to labour-market necessities, but it also makes use of adult learning experiences to support new mathematical learning.
Basic Mathematical Skills and Empowerment: Challenges and Opportunities in Finnish Adult Education
Author: Hassi, Marja-Liisa
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Adult Education,Mathematics Skills,Basic Skills,Mathematics Instruction,Numeracy,Empowerment,Interviews,Females,Correctional Education,Adult Students,Adults,Folk Schools,Case Studies

This paper first looks at the contexts and situation of Finnish adult education in basic mathematical skills. Challenges for and observations of adults' learning of basic mathematics in Finland will be illustrated. Studying mathematics and numeracy are considered against its role in social and personal empowerment. Case studies of Finnish adults' experiences of and personal empowerment by learning mathematics are described by using interview data from two different learning contexts. The first case study deals with older women taking basic mathematics courses in a folk high school and the second one describes learning and teaching of basic mathematics in a prison. Finally, suggestions are offered for future perspectives and education research on adults' basic skills in mathematics in Finland.