Developing STEM Education Research Practices

1. Developing STEM Education Research Practices EXEMPLARS FROM MATHEMATICS EDUCATION WITHIN THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR PROFESSOR TONY CROFT MATHEMATICS EDUCATION CENTRE LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY DIRECTOR OF SIGMA CETL

2. Three specimen papers • We will look briefly at three pieces of work from the mathematics education research literature: • Lee et al – Engineering students’ knowledge of mechanics upon arrival [at university]. • Croft & Pell – Mathematics Support – Support for all ? • Perkin & Croft – The dyslexic student and mathematics in higher education.

3. A research strategy: start with an idea

4. Formulate Research Questions

5. Who else has done what ?

6. Research design

7. Do the leg work!

8. Analyse your data

9. Tell everyone what you have found

10. Sample of novices’ writing • Leeds Metropolitan University has established a Journal to encourage its staff to write within their academic discipline. • This is available on-line and provides lots of illustrations of how its staff are getting their early work into print. • http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/alt/index_publications.htm

11. Some references • Barbara Jaworski's article in the CETL-MSOR 2007 conference proceedings is good for getting mathematics lecturers into mathematics education research.http://www.mathstore.ac.uk/repository/CETLMSOR2007_Proceedings.pdf • Jean McNiff's internet document on action research is a mine of information (http://www.jeanmcniff.com/booklet1.html) • Lester Jr., F.K., Criteria to Evaluate Research. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 1996. 27(2):130-132 - good to know what to aim for in academic writing in mathematics education research. • Swales, J. M., Genre Analysis: English in academic and research settings, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1990 - good for explaining the principles and conventions of academic writing

12. The examples • (1) Lee et al – Engineering students’ knowledge of mechanics upon arrival [at university] • (2) Croft & Pell – Mathematics Support – Support for all ? • (3) Perkin & Croft – The dyslexic student and mathematics in higher education

13. The research questions • (1) What mechanics is available and being studied in school ? How much mechanics do students have upon entering university ? How much mechanics do academics expect students to have ? • (2) Is it true the those who make good use of mathematics support centres are already quite competent and simply want to do better ? • (3) Can dyslexia impede students’ progress in mathematics ?

14. Methodologies • (1) Quantitative study: Large scale surveys, interviews, diagnostic testing. • (2) Quantitative study: desk analysis of existing data. • (3) Qualitative study: small number of case studies, interviews, documentary evidence, observation.

15. Findings • (1) Many (engineering) students do not have the opportunity at school to study more than the most elementary topics in mechanics. Lack of awareness amongst academic staff. • (2) There is a border-line group of students who benefit. There is another border-line group who don’t take advantage and fail, but were likely to have passed if they had taken up the offer of support. Many able students simply want to do better. • (3) General impediments to success arising through dyslexia can impact negatively on progress in mathematics.

16. Good luck