A Study of Mathematics Infusion in Middle School Technology Education Classes
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| Title: | A Study of Mathematics Infusion in Middle School Technology Education Classes |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Burghardt, M. David, Hecht, Deborah, Russo, Maria, Lauckhardt, James, Hacker, Michael |
| Source: | Journal of Technology Education. Fall 2010 22(1):58-74. |
| Availability: | Journal of Technology Education. Web site: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2010 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Grade 8 Junior High Schools Middle Schools |
| Descriptors: | Middle School Students, Grade 8, Mathematics Instruction, Technology Education, Engineering Education, Integrated Curriculum, Student Attitudes, Knowledge Level, Mathematics Skills, Instructional Effectiveness, Pretests Posttests, Comparative Analysis |
| Geographic Terms: | New York |
| ISSN: | 1045-1064 |
| Abstract: | The present study examined the impact of introducing a mathematics infused engineering/technology education (ETE) curriculum on students' mathematics content knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics. The purpose of the present study was to: (a) compare the effects of a mathematics infused ETE curriculum and a control curriculum on student mathematical content knowledge; (b) compare the effects of a mathematics infused ETE curriculum and a control curriculum on student attitudes toward mathematics; and (c) examine if treatment conditions were equally effective for students' whose mathematical levels were particularly below the average. It was hypothesized that students, even those below average, who participate in mathematics infused ETE curriculum will increase their mathematical conceptual knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics, and will improve these mathematics skills at a greater rate than students who receive the control curriculum. The study used a pre/post design to examine student change in mathematical content knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics following participation in the mathematics infusion curriculum. Data were collected from students in both the infusion and control classes. In terms of mathematical content data, infusion students increased their scores from pre- to posttest for some individual multiple-choice questions, the composite multiple-choice score, all open-ended items, and for the total score assessment. When compared to control students, infusion students scored significantly higher on two multiple-choice questions, all ten open-ended questions, the multiple-choice composite, the open-ended composite, and the entire assessment. This indicates that students in the infusion group showed significant increases in content scores after being exposed to the mathematics infused curriculum. These results are encouraging, indicating that the infusion group students learned content that increased their mathematics knowledge, above and beyond increases that would exist by virtue of being in a typical technology class. (Contains 1 figure and 5 tables.) |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Number of References: | 11 |
| Entry Date: | 2012 |
| Accession Number: | EJ965328 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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