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Professional Development in Mathematical Modeling: Teacher Engagement, Teacher Knowledge, and Classroom Implementation

Alhammouri, Ahmad Mahmoud Abed Alfattah
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1527243404147734

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education).
When students engage in mathematical modeling, they use mathematics to solve open-ended, real- world problems. This process helps students to make connections and fosters their learning of mathematics itself. Engaging students in mathematical modeling, however, is not an easy task for teachers due to their lack of experience in such teaching. Hence, professional development is needed to advance mathematics teachers’ capacity to enact mathematical modeling. This study examined the Mathematical Modeling and Spatial Reasoning (Modspar) professional development program, designed for high school mathematics teachers in Ohio. Two research questions were asked: (a) What is the nature of the professional development program? and (b) What did the participants learn as a result of participating in the program, and how did the program affect their teaching of modeling? To provide data sources for the research questions, (a) I interviewed each of 5 of the 28 participating teachers three times (once before the summer 2016 Modspar program and twice during the 2016–2017 school year), (b) I observed all of the activities enacted during the summer program and collected daily reflections from the 5 selected participants, and (c) I observed 4 of these participants enacting modeling in their classrooms twice during the 2016–2017 school year. For the first question, I examined the level of engagement and the type of modeling enacted during the summer program as all of the participating teachers completed the 20 institute activities: 8 involving modeling with algebra and 12 related to modeling with geometry. For the second question, I examined how the Modspar program advanced the 5 selected participants’ knowledge and instruction of modeling. I coded the data thematically and constructed case reports. Results for the first question suggest that the algebra activities focused on mathematical modeling (i.e., using mathematics to solve real-world problems); whereas, the geometry activities focused on modeling mathematics (i.e., using real-world objects and software to construct mathematical knowledge), except for one final culminating geometry activity that addressed mathematical modeling. Results for the second question indicate that the Modspar program improved the knowledge and instruction of mathematical modeling for all 5 of the selected participants. However, the improvement varied across the participants based on their prior knowledge and experience with mathematical modeling and how they engaged in Modspar. Professional development programs and university courses on modeling can be effective ways to advance in- and pre-service teachers’ knowledge and instruction of modeling. Ongoing research is needed to develop, evaluate, and refine such programs and courses.
Gregory D. Foley, Ph.D. (Advisor)
484 p.
Mathematics Education
Mathematical modeling; professional development; high school mathematics teachers; modeling mathematics; teacher knowledge; mathematics instruction

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Alhammouri, A. M. A. A. (2018). Professional Development in Mathematical Modeling: Teacher Engagement, Teacher Knowledge, and Classroom Implementation [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1527243404147734

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Alhammouri, Ahmad. Professional Development in Mathematical Modeling: Teacher Engagement, Teacher Knowledge, and Classroom Implementation . 2018. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1527243404147734.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Alhammouri, Ahmad. "Professional Development in Mathematical Modeling: Teacher Engagement, Teacher Knowledge, and Classroom Implementation ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1527243404147734

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1527243404147734
629
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.