National Social Science Journal
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Volume 44 Number 1 2015 NATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL Official Journal of the National Social Science Association Name of Publication: NATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL Issue: Volume 44 # 1 ISSN 2154-1736 Frequency: Quarterly Offices of Publication: National Social Science Association Mailing Address 2020 Hills Lake Drive El Cajon CA 92020 Office Address 9131 Fletcher Parkway, Suite 119 La Mesa CA 91942 On Line journals: http://nssa.us e-mail address: [email protected]; [email protected] The National Social Science Journal is being abstracted in: Cabell's Directory; Eric Clearinghouse; EBSCO, Economic Abstracts; Historical Abstracts; Index to Periodical Articles; Social Science Source; Social Science Index; Sociological Abstracts; the University Reference System. We wish to thank all authors for the licensing of the articles. And we wish to thank all those who have reviewed these articles for publication This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Editor, Barba Patton EDITORIAL BOARD Editorial Board: Nancy Adams., Lamar University Stanley Alexander, Suffolk County Community College Mark Bellnap, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Richard Bieker, Delaware State University Benita Bruster, Austin Peay University Sue Burum, Minnesota State University, Mankato Jose da Cruz, Armstrong Atlantic State University Robert Dewhirst, Northwest Missouri State University Amy Shriver Dreussi, University of Akron Talitha Hudgins, Utah Valley University James Mbuva, National University Barbara Peterson, Austin Peay University Pegly Vaz, Fort Hays State University NATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL Volume 44 #1 Table of Contents Uniting Core Content and Teacher Education: A Necessity for Improving Mathematics Instruction Amelia Allen, Bernadette Casey, Carol Manigault, Elizabeth Uptegrove, Felician College 1 Measuring Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Idealogy Arlin James Benjamin, Jr. , University of Arkansas – Fort Smith 5 Legitimacy Theory in the Federalist Papers Everett Felix Cataldo, Cleveland State University 8 Applying Epidemiological Methods to Assess Health Care Utilization Elias J. Duryea, University of New Mexico 14 Digital Natives: The Revolution in Teacher Education Programs Talitha R. Hudgins, Genan Anderson, Utah Valley University 20 Fourth and Fifth Amendment Decisions: Students and Constitutional Rights Larry L. Kraus, Robert L. Stevens, University of Texas at Tyler 29 Agenda Setting, Policy Entrepreneurs, Media Framing and Ballot Initiatives: Massachusetts Votes “No” on Physician Assistance in Dying Janna C. Merrick, University of South Florida 35 You’re Smiling, You Must Be an Extrovert: The Use of Photographs to Assess Facial Expressions and Personality Traits Mary Radeke, Anthony Stahelski, Central Washington University 48 Smart Grid Architecture for Unobtrusive Home Health Monitoring Samuel H. Russ, Cade C. Cashen, Thomas Thomas, Roma Hanks, University of South Alabama 62 Discovering the Faith Based Organizations of Sacramento, CA Santos Torres, Jr., California State University, Sacramento 69 Student Paper Competition Winner – Graduate Knowledge Development Abhijith Shyandilya, The University of Findlay 76 Uniting Core Content and Teacher Education: A Necessity for Improving Mathematics Instruction Amelia Allen, Bernadette Casey, Carol Manigault, Elizabeth Uptegrove, Felician College Rationale and Introduction Currently there is limited research on the importance of uniting mathematical content and mathematical pedagogy. Richardson (2010) stated that the negative views that pre-service teachers have towards the teaching of mathematics in the elementary grades stems from their own experiences during those formative years. She also talked about the need to intersect the teaching of mathematics with the pedagogy of teaching mathematics. Elementary students across the country primarily learn mathematics in classrooms taught by regular education teachers. Very few of these teachers have formal degrees in mathematics. Therefore, mathematics education at the elementary school level is being taught by teachers who are prepared by one or possibly two individual mathematics courses that they have taken in college and by in-service training or other faculty development opportunities. These factors emphasize both the need and importance for increased communication and collaboration between K-12 schools and colleges and universities, on mathematical content and effective teaching of that content. However it is not only important that these connections be made but that the connections between individual disciplines and teacher education occur within colleges and universities. Our students need to see the connectedness between the disciplines, that the learning in one course complement others as well as relate to high stakes tests, for example, the Praxis II. By coordinating the course work, learning can be enhanced and not just rote. This effort allows time for in depth study, fostering learning of the Common Core, and modeling techniques for our pre-service teachers especially of mathematical expectations. Chard (2013) emphasized that pre-service teacher training must focus content as well as pedagogy. Today’s teachers must not only plan on how to deliver the content to students with varying levels of ability in mathematics but must also keep them engaged and interested in the content. We have recognized this need through not only the results of our pre-service teachers’ Praxis scores but also through our on-going dialogue regarding the mathematical abilities of our students. Added to these concerns is the necessary emphasis on STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Since mathematics is the foundation for each of these other content areas, the learning of mathematics (what is taught and how it is taught) in K-12 becomes extremely important. President Obama has emphasized the administration’s desire to support the graduation of a much higher number of students in the STEM disciplines, to support the preparation of an additional 100,000 teachers in STEM areas, and to encourage a closer communication among K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and employers. The current national budget (White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, 2013) supports these initiatives. President Obama stated, in a 2010 speech titled “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership,” that “…Leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today – especially in science, technology, engineering and math” (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). He further stated in 2013, “We’ll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – the skills today’s employers are looking for to fill jobs right now and in 1 the future.” (“Preparing a 21st Century Workforce: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education in the 2014 Budget”, 2013). Process In August 2013, representatives from Felician College’s Mathematics Department and School of Education, along with representatives from other colleges and universities throughout New Jersey, attended a conference entitled “Beginning the Dialogue: Preparing Pre-service Elementary Teachers for the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics,” held at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. This conference was co-sponsored by the New Jersey Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators and Monmouth University’s School of Arts and Sciences. The primary purpose of the conference was to have the two and four-year colleges and universities in New Jersey come to agreement on the appropriate mathematics education for pre-service elementary teachers. The concept of cooperation and coordination between the mathematics and teacher education faculty of Felician College has been a long- standing tradition, but this conference along with fervor of the faculty members, fostered this renewed discussion. The Mathematics Department within the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education at Felician College have always been in communication. This dialogue has led to discussions of the mathematics program of pre-service teachers majoring in Mathematics, the need for Praxis review, the sharing of instructors across the two disciplines, and the creation of new courses designed specifically for Teacher Education students. The ease with which faculty have been able to converse has been largely due to the collegial relationship coupled with a shared goal on the part of Mathematics faculty and Teacher Education faculty. The shared goal has always been for pre-service elementary teachers to successfully and effectively teach mathematics, knowing the content and pedagogy. However, these connections between the two departments in the past have been more on a random basis rather than through organized efforts or directed projects. A group comprised of two mathematics and two School of Education professors began discussions in August 2013 and met every three weeks or so thereafter, at first brainstorming ideas about the ways our two schools could collaborate. Our goals were to be in this collaborative effort and to determine our expected outcomes. We agreed that there was much that the two areas could do together to improve the curricula in mathematics for pre-service teachers and to set up a framework for working together on an ongoing basis into the future. The initial sessions yielded the following discussion