Browsing by Subject "Math"
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Item Engineering self-efficacy in upper level mathematics(2008-12) Hollingsworth, Taylor; Harris, Gary; Dwyer, Jerry F.; Stevens, TaraA special section of MATH 3350 - Higher Math for Scientists and Engineers (more commonly known as Differential Equations) was developed for Electrical Engineering students to obtain the necessary requisite mathematics for their future courses. The Department of Mathematics and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department agreed upon a curriculum for the special section of MATH 3350 that left much of the content the same, but gave more attention to the skills needed by the Electrical Engineering students. The researchers wanted to assess what benefit, if any, could be measured and attributed to this special section. Since self-efficacy is a good measure of one’s capabilities, has links with personal competence and determination, and can be derived from seeing peers succeed, it was decided to explore the possibility that enhanced student self-efficacy could be attributed to the special section of MATH 3350. According to the data collected in this study there are no statistically significant differences in terms of self-efficacy between the special section and the regular sections. This report concludes with some notable observations based on the data collected, possible reasons for the lack of difference, and suggested items for further study in the subject.Item Exploring methods for finding solutions to polynomial equations(2010-08) Beaver, Donald Wayne; Armendáriz, Efraim P.There are many methods for solving polynomial equations. Dating back to the Greek and Babylonian mathematicians, these methods have been explored throughout the centuries. The introduction of the Cartesian Coordinate Plane by Rene Descartes greatly enhanced the understanding of what the solutions actually represent. The invention of the graphing calculator has been a tremendous aid in the teaching of solutions of polynomial equations. Students are able to visualize what these solutions represent graphically. This report explores these methods and their uses.Item Maximizing the generalized Fekete-Szego functional over a class of hyperbolically convex functions(2006-08) Martin, David R.; Barnard, Roger W.; Williams, G. Brock; Monico, Christopher J.; Pearce, Kent; Solynin, Alexander Y.In this paper, we are attempting to find an extremal for the "generalized" Fekete-Szego functional over the class of hyperbolically convex functions. In trying to find the extremal, the Julia variational formula will be used to reduce the problem to mappings having no more than two proper sides. We will then find a range of t-values for which the one-sided mapping is extremal over all those mappings having non-zero second coefficient.Item Methods of discovering polynomial solutions(2010-08) Vickers, Meagan Brooke; Armendáriz, Efraim P.; Daniels, MarkCurrently, there exist several methods for finding roots of polynomial functions. From elementary processes such as the quadratic formula and the Rational Root Theorem to calculus-based ideas, choosing an appropriate means of solving often depends on the conditions of the given polynomial. This report will explore several solving methods and discuss their advantages as well as their limitations.Item Relationship between Teachers? Beliefs and Student Achievement in Middle School Mathematics(2014-12-08) Balzer, Jill FranceneThe purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between teachers? beliefs and student achievement in middle school mathematics. A total of 35 teachers chose to participate from nine separate middle schools in an urban school district in Texas. Additionally, 1,095 data from students from economically disadvantaged households were analyzed in conjunction with their teacher?s data. The independent variables were two surveys that measured teachers? beliefs about intelligence and classroom goal orientation. The dependent variables were students? scores and yearly progress made on the state math exam (STAAR). Data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations for both dependent variables. Results of the study indicated that there was a statistically significant positive correlation between a teacher?s beliefs and their student?s yearly progress in math. However, no significant relationship was found between a teacher?s beliefs and their students scale scores on the STAAR math exam. Further results revealed that there was a statistically significant negative relationship between a teacher?s classroom goal orientation and student scale scores and progress made in math in one year. These findings show that the beliefs that teachers hold about intelligence and approaches to instruction may be related to student achievement levels in middle school math. The study concludes with implications and limitations of the study and makes recommendations for future research on teacher beliefs and student achievement.Item The role of sex role egalitarianism and attitudes towards math in the math achievement of adolescent girls(2011-12) Blondeau, Lauren Alexandra; Awad, Germine H.; Neff, Kristin D.Despite the fact that boys and girls in the US perform at equal rates on most standardized math exams, girls report lower self-confidence in, positive affect toward, and valuation of this subject. Internationally, the gap between girls’ and boys’ math scores is mostly accounted for by gender socialization and the rights of women in society. The present research uses Eccles’ (Parsons [Eccles] et al., 1983) Expectancy Value framework in considering the importance of math self-confidence, math valuation, and sex role egalitarianism on math achievement. Multiple regression will be used to determine the predictive ability of the independent variables. It is proposed that sex role egalitarianism and attitudes toward math will each significantly predict math achievement scores. Additionally, sex role egalitarianism will add to the prediction of math scores above what attitudes towards math contribute. Implications and future directions are discussed.Item STEM integration : an analysis of an integrated unit(2012-08) Kendrick, Kyle Mason; Petrosino, Anthony J. (Anthony Joseph), 1961-; Marshal, Jill A.In most high school curriculum Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) classes are taught separately but there is increased attention and funding for STEM integration. This paper examines the history of why high schools teach STEM courses separately, how classrooms and curriculum can be integrated, and the benefits and challenges associated with STEM integration. A tool for evaluating integrated units is included with the analysis of a current integrated high school project used in a Precalculus and Scientific Research and Design course taught at a high school.