| 1. |
- Eriksson, Kimmo, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Higher-achieving children are better at estimating the number of books at home: Evidence and implications
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The number of books at home is commonly used as a proxy for socioeconomic status in educational studies. While both parents' and students' reports of the number of books at home are relatively strong predictors of student achievement, they often disagree with each other. When interpreting findings of analyses that measure socioeconomic status using books at home, it is important to understand how findings may be biased by the imperfect reliability of the data. For example, it was recently suggested that especially low-achieving students tend to underestimate the number of books at home, so that use of such data would lead researchers to overestimate the association between books at home and achievement. Here we take a closer look at how students' and parents' reports of the number of books at home relate to literacy among fourth grade students, by analyzing data from more than 250,000 students in 47 countries participating in 2011 PIRLS. Contrary to prior claims, we find more downward bias in estimates of books at home among high-achieving students than among low-achieving students, but unsystematic errors appear to be larger among low-achieving students. This holds within almost every country. It also holds between countries, that is, errors in estimates of books at home are larger in low-achieving countries. This has implications for studies of the association between books at home and achievement: the strength of the association will generally be underestimated, and this problem is exacerbated in low-achieving countries and among low-achieving students.
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| 2. |
- Matta, Corrado, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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The Mechanistic Rewards of Data and Theory Integration for Theory-Based Evaluation
- 2024
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Ingår i: American Journal of Evaluation. - : Sage Publications. - 1098-2140 .- 1557-0878. ; 45:1, s. 110-132
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article, we discuss the methodological implications of data and theory integration for Theory-Based Evaluation (TBE). TBE is a family of approaches to program evaluation that use program theories as instruments to answer questions about whether, how, and why a program works. Some of the groundwork about TBE has expressed the idea that a proper program theory should specify the intervening mechanisms underlying the program outcome. In the present article, we discuss in what way data and theory integration can help evaluators in constructing and refining mechanistic program theories. The paper argues that a mechanism is both a network of entities and activities and a network of counterfactual relations. Furthermore, we argue that although data integration typically provides information about different parts of a program, it is the integration of theory that provides the most important mechanistic insights.
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| 3. |
- Bergwall, Andreas, 1972-
(författare)
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Proof-related reasoning in upper secondary mathematics textbooks : Characteristics, comparisons, and conceptualizations
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Proofs and proving are difficult to learn and difficult to teach. A common problem is that many students use specific examples as evidence for general statements. Difficulties with proofs are also part of the transition problems that exist between secondary and tertiary schooling in mathematics. As mathematics teaching often follows a textbook, the design of textbooks has been pointed out as one possible cause of the problems, and international textbook research suggests that proofs often have only a marginal place in textbooks.This thesis focuses on proofs and proving in upper secondary mathematics textbooks. It also addresses theoretical and methodological questions about what marks an opportunity to develop proving competence, and which properties of such opportunities are relevant to investigate and characterize. The thesis is based on data from four Swedish and Finnish textbook series for upper secondary school, and focuses on sections on logarithms, primitive functions, definite integrals, and combinatorics. It examines how addressed mathematical principles are justified, and whether the textbooks’ exercises offer opportunities to develop proof-related skills such as formulating and investigating hypotheses, developing and evaluating arguments, identifying and correcting errors, and finding counterexamples.The results show that just over half of the mathematical principles addressed in the analyzed textbook material are justified, and that only half of the justifications are general proofs. Few exercises are proof-related (10%), and those that include reasoning about general cases even fewer. General proofs are more common in the Finnish books, but proof-related tasks are more common and of a more varied nature in the Swedish ones. The most common form of proofs are direct derivations of calculation formulas, while reasoning about existence and uniqueness is unusual, as are contrapositive proofs and proofs by contradiction.Based on the results, explicit suggestions are offered as to what teaching can pay more attention to. For the analysis and design of proof-related activities, a framework consisting of four main categories is proposed: develop a statement, investigate a statement, develop an argument, and investigate an argument. Several properties that such activities may have, regardless of which category they belong to, are discussed. Finally, three areas for future research are suggested: how worked examples can support students’ learning of proof, how textbooks can be designed to stimulate formulation as well as the formal proving of hypotheses, and mapping of differences regarding proof between upper secondary and university textbooks.
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| 4. |
- Brehmer, Daniel, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Catalysts for mathematics teachers’ learning from professional development programmes : a review of 64 journal articles in mathematics education
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In their review, Goldsmith, Doerr and Lewis (2014) note that research on professional development programmes (PDPs) for mathematics teachers mostly concerns whether a programme has affected the teachers’ practice or student learning, while the teachers’ learning is treated as a black box. In light of this, they call for a ‘… shared body of knowledge about the nature of teachers’ learning and the catalysts that support it’ (p. 25). In this article, we examine and map 64 articles from mathematics education journals with respect to prerequisites for learning. From this mapping, we identify and describe catalysts for teacher learning from PDPs for mathematics teachers. These learning catalysts are then used to characterize two different types PDPs, based on which learning catalysts are used in them. Typical of PDPs targeting increased teacher knowledge is that they: emphasize knowledge of content and teaching and knowledge of content and students; manage this content through cooperation; and promote insight and/or body of knowledge as catalysts for learning. Typical of PDPs targeting changed instruction is that they: emphasize knowledge of content and teaching as well as following strategies by doing/experimenting when establishing it in the classroom as a catalyst for learning. Conclusions and implications are discussed.
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| 5. |
- Brehmer, Daniel, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Facilities for Mathematics Teachers’ Learning from Professional Development Programmes : A Qualitative Systematic Review
- 2024
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Ingår i: Mathematics Teacher Education and Development. - 1442-3901. ; 26:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is indicated that research on professional development programmes (PDPs) for mathematics teachers mostly concerns whether a programme affects the teachers’ practice or student learning, while the teachers’ learning is treated as a black box. Calls have been made for a shared body of knowledge on teachers’ professional learning and what supports such learning. In this article, 84 articles from mathematics education journals are examined with respect to facilities and catalysts for teacher learning from PDPs for mathematics teachers. Two main types of PDPs were identified—those that target teacher knowledge growth and those that target changed instruction—and it was determined that the types of facilities for catalysing learning linked to them differ. Typical of PDPs targeting teacher knowledge growth is that they emphasise knowledge of content and teaching, knowledge of content and students and specialised content knowledge; following insight and/or body of knowledge as facilities for catalysing the learning. Typical of PDPs targeting changed instruction is that they use more time and have a larger time span than PDPs targeting teacher knowledge growth, emphasise knowledge of content and teaching; and follow strategies by doing/experimenting when establishing them in the classroom as facilities for catalysing the learning.
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| 6. |
- Brehmer, Daniel, 1973-
(författare)
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Problem solving in mathematics textbooks
- 2015
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this study is to analyse how mathematical problem solving (MPS) is represented in mathematical textbooks for Swedish upper secondary school. The analysis comprises dominating Swedish textbook series, and relates to uncovering a) the quantity of tasks that are actually mathematical problems (MPs), b) their location in the chapter, c) their difficulty level, and d) their context. Based on an analysis of 5,722 tasks from the area of calculus, it is concluded that the textbooks themselves contain very few tasks that can be defined as MPs, and that those that are MPs are found at the end of a chapter at the most difficult level, and are presented in a pure mathematical context. Implications are discussed.
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| 7. |
- Brehmer, Daniel, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Problem solving in Swedish mathematics textbooks for upper secondary school
- 2016
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0031-3831 .- 1470-1170. ; 60:6, s. 577-593
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study is to analyse how mathematical problem solving is represented in mathematical textbooks for Swedish upper secondary school. The analysis comprises dominating Swedish textbook series, and relates to uncovering (a) the quantity of tasks that are actually mathematical problems, (b) their location in the chapter, (c) their difficulty level, and (d) their context. Based on an analysis of 5,722 tasks from the area of calculus, it is concluded that the textbooks themselves contain very few tasks that can be defined as mathematical problems, and that those that are mathematical problems are found at the end of a chapter at the most difficult level, and are presented in a pure mathematical context. Implications are discussed.
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| 8. |
- Brehmer, Daniel, 1973-
(författare)
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Support for mathematics teachers’ change : Examining catalysts for teacher learning and role of the teacher in professional development programmes
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- When the perception changes regarding what mathematics students should be able to manage, this is typically addressed through a new national curriculum. To establish and implement this new curriculum in practice, teachers must be given the opportunity to change according to it. For such change, they need support in interpreting and implementing the new curriculum. Typically, there are two common ways to support teacher change: (1) developing and launching curriculum materials that correspond to the national curriculum; and (2) implementing professional development programmes (PDPs) that correspond to the new national curriculum. This thesis includes both aspects and aims to contribute to research on support for mathematics teachers’ change. This aim is operationalized by: (1) studying mathematics textbooks in which tasks and plausible teaching intentions are analysed; (2) studying teacher agency in collegial discussions in relation to the design of a PDP; and (3) mapping and describing catalysts for teacher learning from PDPs in research literature. These studies resulted in five papers, which are included in this thesis. The main results of the papers cover: the distribution of types of tasks in Swedish mathematics textbooks; the type of learning approach advocated in these textbooks; how different types of texts in PDPs relate to teacher agency in collegial discussions; and an identification and description of catalysts for teacher learning from PDPs for mathematics teachers. In the kappa1 of this thesis, these results are merged and discussed in relation to different models of teacher change. The focus in the kappa is on examining catalysts for teacher learning from such initiatives and the role of the teacher in PDPs. This examination suggests elaborations on parts of a conceptual framework for effective PDPs (Desimone, 2009). More precisely, the elaborations concern core critical features for effective PDPs, presented in this framework: Content Focus, Active Learning, Collective Participation, Duration, and Coherence. The main contributions of this thesis concern: a tool for analysing tasks in textbooks with respect to problem-solving tasks; an organizing frame for mapping learning catalysts from articles describing PDPs; a description of catalysts for teacher learning from PDPs as specifications of core critical features for effective PDPs; and the role of the teacher in PDPs as a catalyst for learning. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.___________________________1The Swedish term kappa will be used in this thesis in the absence of an equivalent English term for the introductory chapters of an aggregation dissertation
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| 9. |
- Brehmer, Daniel, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Towards an organizing frame for mapping teachers' learning in professional development
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nordic Research in Mathematics Education. - Göteborg. - 9789198402414 ; , s. 229-237
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In their claim that teachers’ learning is treated as a “black box” in research onprofessional development programs for mathematics teachers, Goldsmith, Doerr,& Lewis (2014) call for “an organizing framework that clearly distinguishesdimensions of teachers’ learning and identifies catalysts of teachers’ learning…”(p. 23). The aim of this study is to present initial efforts to construct a frameworkfor categorizing descriptions of activities designed to support teachers’ learningas presented in research articles within mathematics education. Based on existingliterature on professional development and examination of research articles, anorganizing frame is constructed.
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| 10. |
- Dahlén, Ewa
(författare)
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Rektorn och den dubbla styrningen : en studie om gymnasierektors uppdrag i styrkedjan
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In a global education policy context, school leadership has grown in importance in relation to improving school outcomes as well as equity in education. At the same time, during the last decades, the Swedish school system has undergone several large-scale national education reforms. Reforms that have changed the relations between the different levels in the decentralised Swedish school system and at the same time created debates about the purpose and goals of the school system. These debates are based in different perspectives and shaped by various school discourses. The result discourse connected to the perspective of marketization and the democratic discourse connected to the perspective of social inclusion and equality. These are two central discourses who proclaim different views on how challenges within the school system should best be solved. The purpose of this study is to contribute to knowledge about the mission and responsibilities of principals in upper secondary schools in the Swedish school system. The study takes its point of departure in observations of follow-up meetings between principals within upper secondary schools and the local education authority (LEA). This study has three theoretical contributions. The first contribution concerns knowledge of the principal’s mission, assignment, and work tasks. The second contribution is knowledge of how the result discourse and the democratic discourse are used in conversations about the principal’s mission, assignment, and work tasks. The third contribution is knowledge of the interaction between the principal and the LEA, different levels in the decentralised Swedish school system, in the context of follow-up meetings. The results show that LEAs describe the principal’s mission in three parts – economy, administration, and pedagogy. The two discourses are used in all three of the missions where they sometimes collide, creating a discursive conflict and sometimes co-exist without conflict. The results also show that the LEA and principals often have a common view of the purpose and goal of the school system, but there is seldom a common strategy for how these goals are to be achieved. This study contributes to an understanding how LEAs and political governance shape the role of the principals, but more studies are needed.
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