The latest education papers. Last updated Saturday June 22, 2024 at 09:27 PST.
Saturday, 22. June 2024 |
Journal of Teacher Education, Ahead of Print.
Preparing educators to engage families and communities is one of the most promising ways to improve student learning and build equitable schools. In this commentary, authors from the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement explore the landscape of educator preparation for family and community engagement and describe a framework created to reimagine how educators are prepared for this important work. The commentary also highlights outcomes and promising practices from nine collaboratives of educator preparation programs and family, school, and community partners redesigning coursework, clinical experiences, programs, and systems to bring families and communities to the center of the educator preparation process.
Friday, 21. June 2024 | Abstract
As interest in the implementation of active learning practices grows, so too does the body of literature illustrating negative experiences of these practices among some populations of students. These trends necessitate a critical inquiry into how students with identities that are traditionally marginalized in mathematical spaces differentially experience active learning practices. We leverage critical quantitative theories to analyze how shifts in precalculus and calculus students’ math affect are mediated by intersectional race-gender identities and the active learning instructional practices of math engagement, peer collaboration, instructor inquiry, and participation. Drawing on a dataset of over 30,000 U.S. student survey responses, we found that experiencing high levels of all four practices increased math affect for all student identity groups in our dataset. Considering each individual practice revealed variation of students’ affective changes based on race-gender identities, such that not every individual practice benefited every student identity group. These findings emphasize the value in promoting the collective high use of multiple active learning practices, coupled with more in-depth understandings and attention to how these individual practices can differentially impact students.
Thursday, 20. June 2024 |
Educational Researcher, Ahead of Print.
Causal evaluations in teacher education are rare. Underlying reasons include a lack of clearly defined treatments, a lack of research designs that can work in the context of teacher education programs, and a lack of resources for enacting these designs. This article provides a framework for how to fill these gaps. We first propose an approach to conceptualizing treatments and then describe two research designs suited to the needs of the field. Finally, we discuss resources key to advancing causal research in teacher education at scale.
Thursday, 20. June 2024 | Abstract
The use of manipulatives to develop conceptual understanding is a prevalent practice in many mathematical learning experiences, particularly in the early years of schooling. From primary student perspectives, our understanding of the impact of manipulatives in mathematics education on students’ attitudes is limited. This study evaluates the impact of mathematical manipulatives on Young Children’s Attitudes Towards Mathematics (YCATM) by examining children’s drawings, as well as their written and verbal descriptions of their drawings from 106 year 2 and year 3 students. Classroom observations were conducted to investigate how attitudes towards mathematics are enacted during mathematical learning experiences. The modified three-dimensional model of attitude (MTMA) and Bruner’s experiential stages were used to investigate how manipulatives influence YCATM. Data analyses used systematic, numerical coding, and thematic and comparative approaches, employing inductive, deductive, and anticipatory coding for data from both lesson and non-lesson contexts. The findings suggest that young children enjoyed using manipulatives, contributing to their vision of mathematics and perceived competence. However, the transition between enactive, iconic, and symbolic experiences can contribute to the formation of negative attitudes. The present study also emphasizes the importance of context, content, and familiarity with the use of manipulatives.
Wednesday, 19. June 2024 |
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Ahead of Print.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic teachers reported high levels of stress and burnout, raising concerns about a potential increase in teacher turnover and future teacher shortages. We use administrative data from the 2018 to 2019 through 2022 to 2023 school years to examine how the pandemic affected teacher turnover in Arkansas. We find relatively stable turnover entering the 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 school years but an increase of 5 percentage points (20%) over pre-pandemic levels entering the 2022 to 2023 school year, representing both higher rates of transitions out of the education sector but also more likely movements to other positions outside regular teaching within the education sector. Importantly, we also find significant heterogeneity in turnover by teacher and school characteristics suggesting a decline in aggregate teacher quality, diversity, and experience. These results suggest potential lasting effects on the composition and quality of the teacher labor force.
Wednesday, 19. June 2024 |
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Ahead of Print.
Limited literature has investigated the effects of state and institutional merit-based financial aid on student choice of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major fields, an unintended consequence with important implications. By leveraging nationally representative longitudinal data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students, we examined these effects—respectively and jointly—with logistic regressions (LR) and propensity score matching (PSM). Both the LR and PSM results showed that students who receive both state- and institution-awarded merit aid were more likely to major in STEM. For students who only received state-awarded merit aid, the PSM presented significant and positive effects while the LR did not. Institution-only merit aid had no statistically measurable effect. We discuss implications for research, policy, and practice for state- and institution-based financial aid.
Wednesday, 19. June 2024 |
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Ahead of Print.
Little research has examined how K–12 fiscal accountability policies and practices intersect with district finances and student outcomes during periods of economic crises. Employing a critical policy analysis perspective that distinguishes between the concepts of fiscal accountability and fiscal austerity and differences-in-differences and event studies approaches, this study examines the practice of early fiscal intervention in California’s AB 1200 fiscal accountability system during and after the 2008 financial crisis and recession. In particular, the study estimates the relationship between early fiscal intervention, district finances, and student academic outcomes in mathematics and reading and language arts. Findings suggest that intervention led to significant cuts in per-pupil expenditures, resulted in no increase in state or federal revenues and an increase in local revenues through property taxes, and was negatively associated with student outcomes, especially in reading and language arts and for Hispanic/Latinx students. When taken together, the findings imply K–12 fiscal accountability in California was leveraged to promote fiscal austerity in educational spending during and after the 2008 financial crisis. Implications and policy recommendations are discussed.
Wednesday, 19. June 2024 | Abstract
The sanctioned language around “mathematics teacher knowledge” in the US centers pedagogy, content (mathematical knowledge), and students. Yet, this teacher learning approach often promotes (explicitly or implicitly) teaching and learning of mathematics that operationalizes mathematics as rigid, as a gatekeeper, and only useful for global competition in STEM-related fields. These tacit capitalist goals result in teachers being expected to convey “clear and useful” mathematical information to students, not question why mathematics is being taught, who benefits, and/or how to intervene if the learning environment is harmful for students who are Black, Indigenous, students of Color, multilingual, dis/abled, queer, nonbinary, and/or of immigrant backgrounds. In this article, we build upon a form of relational knowing that intertwines mathematics, pedagogies, students, and politics called Political Conocimiento in Teaching Mathematics. Focusing on political knowledge brings the margins to the center by recognizing political issues cannot be separated from other dimensions or added on, as if politics are not already present in mathematics teaching and learning. As three women of Color, we present empirical results from three teacher education programs in the USA with teacher candidates (n = 55) who range in intersectional identities. Using scenario-based activities that support their development of political knowledge, we apply the lens of “The Mirror Test” to highlight how teacher candidates’ intersectional identities influenced the ethical identities they enacted. Some candidates focused more on “accountability” while others focused on “performativity.” We offer implications for future research on ethical identities in mathematics education with teachers and teacher candidates of various intersectional identities.
Tuesday, 18. June 2024 |
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Ahead of Print.
Although the COVID pandemic dramatically expanded K–12 remote learning in its first years, little is known about the lasting effects on virtual schooling policies and practices. Drawing on evolutionary theories of change and qualitative data from 2019 to 2022, we explore this topic in Oregon, a state with a long history of virtual schools. We find that the pandemic contributed to limited change in state virtual schooling policy and some shifts in local organizational practices. Our data also raise questions about the durability of any changes and the implications for marginalized students. Ultimately, this study provides much-needed insights on the impact of the pandemic on policy and practice, and the utility of multi-disciplinary, equity-oriented theory to understand change processes in K–12 education.
Tuesday, 18. June 2024 |
Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, Ahead of Print.
The issue of model uncertainty has been gaining interest in education and the social sciences community over the years, and the dominant methods for handling model uncertainty are based on Bayesian inference, particularly, Bayesian model averaging. However, Bayesian model averaging assumes that the true data-generating model is within the candidate model space over which averaging is taking place. Unlike Bayesian model averaging, the method of Bayesian stacking can account for model uncertainty without assuming that a true model exists. An issue with Bayesian stacking, however, is that it is an optimization technique that uses predictor-independent model weights and is, therefore, not fully Bayesian. Bayesian hierarchical stacking, proposed by Yao et al. further incorporates uncertainty by applying a hyperprior to the stacking weights. Considering the importance of multilevel models commonly applied in educational settings, this paper investigates via a simulation study and a real data example the predictive performance of original Bayesian stacking and Bayesian hierarchical stacking along with two other readily available weighting methods, pseudo-BMA and pseudo-BMA bootstrap (PBMA and PBMA+). Predictive performance is measured by the Kullback–Leibler divergence score. Although the differences in predictive performance among these four weighting methods in Bayesian stacking are small, we still find that Bayesian hierarchical stacking performs as well as conventional stacking, PBMA, and PBMA+ in settings where a true model is not assumed to exist.
Tuesday, 18. June 2024 |
Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, Ahead of Print.
The rank two-parameter logistic (Rank-2PL) item response theory models refer to a set of models applying the 2PL model in a sequential ranking process that occurs in forced-choice questionnaires. The multi-unidimensional pairwise preference with 2PL model (MUPP-2PL) is a Rank-2PL model for items with two statements. Focusing on items with three statements, we develop a maximum marginal likelihood estimation with an expectation-maximization algorithm to estimate item parameters and their standard errors. A simulation study is conducted to check parameter recovery, and then the model is applied to a real dataset. Finally, the findings are summarized and discussed, and future research is suggested.
Tuesday, 18. June 2024 | Abstract
This study uses structural equation modeling to investigate the relationships between pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) course-taking history, beliefs about mathematics, beliefs about students’ mathematical ability, and opinions about (1) how student errors should be addressed when they occur and (2) how much emphasis should be given to various forms of assessment. The results indicate that some types of courses are strongly associated with beliefs about the nature of mathematics. Specifically, PSTs who have taken more mathematics courses are more likely to see mathematics as a set of rules. PSTs’ views about mathematics strongly predict their beliefs about who can do high-level mathematics, how they think student errors should be addressed, and which forms of assessment they think are most appropriate. Implications for teacher preparation programs are discussed.
Monday, 17. June 2024 |
AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
An emerging area of research on the diversification of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is that of queer and trans (QT) students who are interested in STEM education and disciplines. The purpose of our study was to identify differences in high school mathematics educational experiences by sexual orientation and gender identity. We used mathematics identity and Leyva’s STEM as a White cisheteropatriarchal space (WCHPS) as our theoretical frameworks to guide our study. Using data from Waves 1 and 2 of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, our exploratory analyses uncovered significant differences between QT and HC students’ mathematics identity. Regression results showed that ideological and relational dimensions of WCHPS in Grade 9 play a significant role in Grade 11 QT students’ mathematics identity. Given the exploratory approach for our study, we aim for our research to begin critical conversations in mathematics education concerning QT students to promote more enriching and welcoming learning environments.
Monday, 17. June 2024 |
Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, Ahead of Print.
To objectively compare groups on any latent trait using tests, the absence of differential item functioning (DIF) is crucial. While the importance of DIF has been well-established in research, the question of how to identify DIF-free items is still largely open. The fact that item difficulty is not identified from observations may explain this. Recently, DIF tests utilizing the differences between item difficulties across groups, which are identified, were proposed for the Rasch and 2-parameter logistic models. The current paper aims to extend these approaches to the polytomous case using the partial credit model. Performance of the new approach is assessed using a simulation study, and practical recommendations are made.
Monday, 17. June 2024 | Abstract
The interrogation of often unintended practices of marginalisation has gained focus in research on mathematics teaching and mathematics teacher education throughout the last decades. In this introductory survey paper, work against marginalisation in these contexts of mathematics education is viewed in terms of work towards equity, diversity and inclusion. Based on this interpretation, we present a framework on awareness and practice of equity, diversity and inclusion in mathematics teaching and mathematics teacher education research. We then use this framework and a survey method of mapping review to identify and comment on a selection of studies. As a result, we illustrate three research moves towards equity, diversity and inclusion, in the form of interconnected themes: (1) Widening the understanding of the mathematics and the mathematics education curricula (2) Improving the practice and discussion of mathematics teaching (3) Unpacking ideologies in mathematics teaching and mathematics teacher education. We finally examine the themes and the special issue papers together to foreground commonalities regarding awareness of discriminatory discourses and practices of creating and distributing opportunities for all groups, including those historically and currently marginalised. Despite the important increase of equity-driven principles of awareness, we conclude that mathematics education research on teaching and on teacher education needs more examples of practices whose development has been proved to challenge marginalisation.