Learning Mathematics In A Mobile App Supported Math Trail Environment

This brief presents the results of a study on the development of the mobile app-supported math trail program for learning mathematics. This study is a part of the MathCityMap-Project, a project of the MATIS I Team from IDMI Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Germany, that comprises math trails around the city that are supported by the use of GPS-enabled mobile phone technology. The project offers an activity that is designed to support students in constructing their own mathematical knowledge by solving the prepared mathematical tasks on the math trail and interacting with the environment, including the digital environment. The brief focuses specifically on the development of a model for a mobile app-supported math trail programme and the implementation of this programme in Indonesia. It offers both an empirical exploration of its implementation as well as critical assessment of students’ motivation in mathematics, their own performance, as well as teachers’ mathematics beliefs. It concludes with a future-forward perspective by recommending strategies for implementation in schools, among the general public of the existing math trails (including its supporting tool). It also discusses strategies for developing and designing new trails and suggests further research in other geographical regions and contexts for continued project development and implementation. Learning Mathematics in a Mobile App-Supported Math Trail Environment articulates an innovative and exciting future for integrating real mathematical tasks and geographic and digital environment into effective mathematics education.

This book documents ongoing research and theorizing in the sub-field of mathematics education devoted to the teaching and learning of mathematical modelling and applications. Mathematical modelling provides a way of conceiving and resolving problems in people’s everyday lives as well as sophisticated new problems for society at large. Mathematical tradition in China that emphasizes algorithm and computation has now seen a renaissance in mathematical modelling and applications where China has made significant progress with its economy, science and technology. In recent decades, teaching and learning of mathematical modelling as well as contests in mathematical modelling have been flourishing at different levels of education in China. Today, teachers and researchers in China become keener to learn from their colleagues from Western countries and other parts of the world in research and teaching of mathematical modelling and applications. The book provides a dialogue and communication between colleagues from across the globe with new impetus and resources for mathematical modelling education and its research in both West and East with new ideas on modelling teaching and practices, inside and outside classrooms. All authors of this book are members of the International Community of Teachers of Mathematical Modelling and Applications (ICTMA), the peak research body into researching the teaching, assessing and learning of mathematical modelling at all levels of education from the early years to tertiary education as well as in the workplace. The book is of interest to researchers, mathematics educators, teacher educators, education administrators, policy writers, curriculum developers, professional developers, in-service teachers and pre-service teachers including those interested in mathematical literacy.

Teacher and student access to technology in both schools and at home continues to rise. Due to this increase, there is a need to examine how technology is supporting teaching and learning in STEM classrooms from early childhood through college-level mathematics. To ensure it is utilized appropriately, further study on the use of technology in classrooms where students are learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics content is required. Technology Integration and Transformation in STEM Classrooms offers meaningful and comprehensive examples of implementing technology to support STEM teaching and learning and provides a deeper understanding of how to ensure technology is used to enhance the learning environment. The book also details how educators can select effective learning tools for their classrooms. Covering key topics such as student engagement, active learning, teacher leaders, and e-learning, this reference work is ideal for administrators, policymakers, educational leaders, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

This book demonstrates that using visualisation processes in mathematics education can help to enhance teaching and learning and bridge the inequality gap that exists between well-resourced and under-resourced schools in Southern Africa. Drawing on classroom research conducted in the Southern African region, it examines how epistemological access in a context of gross inequality can be constructively addressed by providing research-based solutions and recommendations. The book outlines the visualisation process as an integral but often overlooked process of mathematics teaching and learning. It goes beyond the traditional understanding of visualisation processes such as picture forming and using tools and considers visualisation processes that are semiotic in nature and includes actions such as gestures in combination with language. It adds value to the visualisation in mathematics education research discourse and deliberation in Africa. With a unique focus on Southern Africa and open avenues for further research and collaboration in the region, it will be a highly relevant reading for researchers, academics and post-graduate students of mathematics education, comparative education and social justice education.

Tasks are a key resource in the process of teaching and learning mathematics, which is why task design continues to be one of the main research issues in mathematics education. Different settings can influence the principles underlying the formulation of tasks, and so does the outdoor context. Specifically, a math trail can be a privileged context, known to promote positive attitudes and additional engagement for the learning of mathematics, confronting students with a sequence of real-life tasks, related to a particular mathematical theme. Recently, mobile devices and apps, i.e., MathCityMap, have been recognized as an important resource to facilitate the extension of the classroom to the outdoors. The study reported in this paper intends to identify the principles of design for mobile theme-based math trails (TBT) that result in rich learning experiences in early algebraic thinking. A designed-based research is used, through a qualitative approach, to develop and refine design principles for TBT about Sequences and Patterns. The iterative approach is described by cycles with the intervention of the researchers, pre-service and in-service teachers and students of the targeted school levels. The results are discussed taking into account previous research and data collected along the cycles, conducing to the development of general design principles for TBT tasks.

Game-based resources provide opportunities to consolidate and develop a greater knowledge and understanding of both mathematical concepts and numeracy skills, which present opportunities and challenges for both teachers and learners when engaging with subject content. For learners for whom the language of instruction is not their first or main language, this can present challenges and barriers to their progress. This requires teachers to reconsider and adapt their teaching strategies to ensure the needs of these learners are fully addressed, thereby promoting inclusion and inclusive practices. The Handbook of Research on International Approaches and Practices for Gamifying Mathematics provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in teaching and learning mathematics in bilingual/plurilingual education by using active methodologies, specifically gamification and game-based learning and teaching. Covering a wide range of topics such as e-safety, bilingual education, and multimodal mathematics, this major reference work is ideal for policymakers, researchers, academicians, practitioners, scholars, instructors, and students.

There has been an increasing issue in STEM education as many students lack interest and knowledge in STEM disciplines and fields. Given the high demand for STEM workers, and the projected growth of STEM fields, it is important to expose students to STEM education beginning as early as elementary school. Some K-6 programs are not preparing teacher candidates adequately for STEM content or skills, especially in engineering. Integrating these disciplines and practices throughout elementary education programs could result in more exposure for K-6 students. Using STEM-Focused Teacher Preparation Programs to Reimagine Elementary Education presents anecdotal stories of how elementary education programs have altered their content offerings, field experiences, and curricula to expand their teacher candidates’ knowledge and exposure to STEM disciplines and fields. Covering key topics such as diversity, teacher education, and technology integration, this premier reference source is ideal for industry professionals, policymakers, administrators of K-12 education, pre-service teachers, teacher educators, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Supporting education through digital technology becomes increasingly important. Especially in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, online teaching and learning has been increased massively. In these precarious times, multiple approaches have been developed to enable the delivery of online education. But also for the regular classroom setting, more and more technologies are developed and implemented in educational practice. This volume contains the papers presented at the Research On STEM Education in the Digital Age (ROSEDA) Conference, held in Porto, Portugal, in February 2023. The proceedings summarize and link theoretical consi-derations, practical experiences and ideas, and empirical research on the use of technology to enrich students’ learning. Hereby, the papers focus on the STEM subjects of Mathematics, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The ROSEDA Conference and its proceedings are part of the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership ASYMPTOTE which is co-funded by the European Union.