Using Astrobiology As a Platform to Study The
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Graduate School Professional Papers 2018 USING ASTROBIOLOGY AS A PLATFORM TO STUDY THE IMPACT ON THE MATHEMATICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION MAJORS Meredith Kay Berthelson Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Recommended Citation Berthelson, Meredith Kay, "USING ASTROBIOLOGY AS A PLATFORM TO STUDY THE IMPACT ON THE MATHEMATICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION MAJORS" (2018). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11247. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11247 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. USING ASTROBIOLOGY AS A PLATFORM TO STUDY THE IMPACT ON THE MATHEMATICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION MAJORS By MEREDITH KAY BERTHELSON Bachelor of Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 2008 Master of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 2009 Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies The University of Montana Missoula, MT July 2018 Scott Whittenburg, Dean of The Graduate School Graduate School Ke Wu, Ph.D., Chair, Mathematical Sciences James Hirstein, Ed.D., Mathematical Sciences J. B. Alexander Ross, Ph.D., Chemistry and Biochemistry David R. Erickson, Ph.D., Teaching and Learning William Holben, Ph.D., Division of Biological Sciences Ruben Michael Ceballos, Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas © COPYRIGHT by Meredith Kay Berthelson 2018 All rights reserved. ii Berthelson, Meredith, Ph.D., May 2018 Interdisciplinary Studies Using Astrobiology as a Platform to Study the Impact on the Mathematical Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Elementary Education Majors Chairperson: Ke Wu, Ph.D. Early mathematical skills have long been hailed as a cornerstone and as the best predictor of later success in mathematics and literacy. This perception highlights the importance of elementary educator’s mathematical content knowledge (MCK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study explored a novel approach to motivating and facilitating preservice elementary educators’ engagement in an interdisciplinary context. Astrobiology is a growing interdisciplinary field with extraordinary educational potential. It has the potential to provide an exciting science framework structure to mathematics for preservice educators. Due to its interdisciplinary content, astrobiology offers preservice educators an opportunity to see math content through a science lens, an approach that may appeal to students with diverse interests. Although astrobiology research has been on the rise and has contributed greatly to the science field and to society, more research on astrobiology education in schools and colleges needs to be done to understand the best pedagogical approaches to such a diverse topic that encompasses multiple disciplines. Using a quasi- experimental design, this study examines whether the implementation of astrobiology modules focused on science questions could be used as an effective platform to deliver mathematical instruction that focuses on MCK and PCK. Specifically, this dissertation investigates the impact of such modules on preservice elementary educators’ MCK and PCK, both quantitatively and qualitatively. A comprehensive analysis involving nonparametric statistics and qualitative analysis found insufficient sample evidence at the alpha level of 0.05 (� = 0.05) to warrant rejection that the astrobiology based mathematical modules had no effect on the preservice teachers’ MCK or PCK. However, one test found a positive correlation between the module and an increase in astrobiology knowledge. The qualitative examination exposed a decrease in the quality of responses for the MCK and PCK areas. This affect could be attributed to the limiting factors of the study. These factors have implications for both teaching future research in the intersection of astrobiology education and MCK and PCK. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There have been many people that have been supporters of my journey through graduate school and this dissertation. When I finished my undergraduate degree in mathematics, I never thought that I would ever return to higher academia as a student. However, after being hired as a mathematics instructor at Blackfeet Community College (BCC), I needed a higher degree. Dr. Michael Ceballos was at that time working on his Ph.D. at the University of Montana (UM) and urged me to continue my education. After the passing of my mom and talking to my family, I decided to enroll full-time as a graduate student at UM. I was among a cohort of four Native American Tribal College professors seeking our master's degrees that Dr. Michael Ceballos mentored as we started graduate school fall semester of 2015. We each had our path and mine kept me at UM. At UM, I became one of Dr. Ke Wu's graduate students. She has been a tremendous source of both educational and emotional support. I couldn't have done this without her incredible guidance. I also must thank Dr. James (Jim) Hirstein, whom I met when I was teaching at BCC, he is indeed a role model for all math teachers and an excellent resource. I am fortunate to have been his student many times before his retirement. Dr. David Erickson has helped me gain a better sense of the discipline from the mathematics education seminars and has stretched my thinking not only in class but our discussions. My journey led me to not only work with Dr. Sandy Ross through my committee but also at UM's Graduate School, and the ease at which I could talk and relate to him was incredible. All this work would not have been possible if it weren't for Dr. Bill Holben and the committee taking a chance on me and accepting me to the NSF IGERT – Montana Ecology of Infectious Disease (MEID) Program. I learned so much and was part of a fantastic group of both professors and students. One of which was Dr. Michael Ceballos. He's not just a mentor, but I consider him my champion. I recognize and value his continued support and encouragement. Other faculty and students at the University of Montana have also been incredibly supportive, helpful and encouraging. I enjoyed being a part of multiple departments as each gave me different perspectives on learning, teaching, research, and friendships. This diverse educational background has helped me be a better team member with my current colleagues at the University of Providence. Last but not least, I also would like to thank my family and friends who have been with me through my pursuit of this project and the other life challenges along the way. I would like to thank my parents; my dad was my first math teacher because he needed a cribbage partner. I don't think he envisioned how far those lesson would have taken me. My mom who was always in my corner helping me strive to accomplish anything. I think they both would have been proud of how far I have come. I would also like to thank my partner, Dave Hecker. He has been my biggest cheerleader and confidant. He has watched this unfold and has been patiently waiting until the end, thank you for being so understanding. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... xi LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................xiii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 Context ..................................................................................................................... 1 Interdisciplinary Approach to Mathematics in Conceptual Design................. 2 Role of Astrobiology .................................................................................... 3 Development of Elementary Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching ....................................................................................................... 4 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................. 5 Theoretical Framework of Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics ............................ 6 Mathematical Content ............................................................................................... 7 Problem Statement.................................................................................................. 10 Research Questions ................................................................................................ 10 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................ 11 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........................................................