- Year 2017
- NSF Noyce Award # 1240064
- First Name Cheryl
- Last Name Adeyemi
- Discipline Math
- Co-PI(s)
Andrew Wynn, Virginia State University, ahwynn@vsu.edu
- Presenters
Cheryl Adeyemi, Virginia State U, cadeyemi@vsu.edu
Andre Wynn, Virginia State U, ahwynn@vsu.edu
Erica Stills, Cooperas High School, estills92@gmail.com
Morgan DiBelllo, Virginia State U., MDiB9885@students.vsu.edu
Need
(a) In VA, it is reported that pre-service mathematics teachers (PSTs) take the Praxis 2 an average of 3 times before passing. This project is important because it seeks to provide more insight into the barrier to preservice teacher success, posed by student difficulties in passing the Praxis 2 Mathematics Content Exam.
(b) Numerous Noyce programs have expressed a need to provide effective Praxis prep resources and activities to their preservice teachers that will improve their success on the Praxis 2 math content exam.
(c) There is a gap in the literature related to determining which are the key variables, that impede PSTs Praxis 2 outcomes and their progress towards becoming secondary math teachers.
Goals
Project Goals consist of:
(a) Determining the primary factors that impact upon PSTs Praxis 2 Math content success .
(b) Researching, documenting and analyzing the experience of CVUMSP scholars in passing the Praxis 2.
(c) Developing interventions to improve the outcome of Praxis 2 prep activities for individual scholars and for CVUMSP Praxis Prep learning communities.
(d) Key activities which include analyses of the current trends and outcomes for Noyce scholars in the CVUMSP with respect to the passing of Praxis 2 via surveys and interviews, and subsequently the development and implementation of interventions geared towards improving the Praxis 2 Mathematics outcomes for PSTs.
Approach
Some of the answer to this section appear in the discussion of goals section above. The research used a mixed methodology approach. Quantitative data was secured in the survey by PST frequencies in terms of: (a) attendance record of students at Praxis 2 prep, interventions and activities, (b) the use of technology in preparing for and taking the Praxis 2 exam, and (c) in a comparative analysis of PST pre and post test scores during the intervention (bootcamp or tutoring), and on each of the Praxis 2 exam scores of the scholars. Qualitative data was secured via surveys, interviews, and scholar and instructor reflections. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) was used along with QUAL/QUAN as the key components of the theoretical framework. Grant Pi and CoPis, along with VSU student and faculty and CVUMSP mentor Praxis 2 prep instructors, and most importantly 15 of the 28 CVUMSP scholars were involved in this project.
Outcomes
At the time of the submission of this poster application, data analysis was still underway. However preliminary data analysis suggested that several variables appeared to be key in impacting PST success on Praxis 2, including: (a) praxis one experiences, (b) specific math content courses taken by scholars prior to each Praxis 2 test attempt, (c) time in project group (Praxis 2 Bootcamp), individual study and (d) PSTs involvement with department tutoring lab and level/amount of PST immersion in mathematics activities before each test. The key deliverables will include a set of guidelines and perspectives for designing and improving PST success with the praxis 2 math content exam, and recommendations for exploring additional variables that arose from this study.
Broader Impacts
The broader impacts of the project may be found in PSTs and mathematics educators being able to positively impact upon in-service Noyce scholars, in terms of the mathematics achievement of the students they teach (SOL and other state standardized tests) and PSTs TPCK. New Noyce programs stand to directly benefit from this research (pre and post award), as it may encourage them to build resources into initial grants to cover this need., and once receiving their grants, it can help them design Praxis 2 prep activities for their new scholars. Currently CVUMSP has used only Noyce and QEM conferences to disseminate this information, however grant personnel plan to share the results of their findings at future local, state (VEA), and national conferences (AMTE/NCSM/NCTM/MAA).
