ECR Projects

Explore past and current fundamental STEM education research projects across the three research areas that NSF's EDU Core Research (ECR) program funds, as well as across ECR funding types. Other search filters draw from both NSF's data and the ECR Hub's hand coding of award abstracts.

Ninth-grade biology students create cell models using clay.

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STEM Learning and Learning Environments STEM Learning and Learning Environments  

Mathematical Record Keeping Supports Cognition and Communication (MaRKS)

Effective Years: 2013-2016

The project conducts an exploration of elements of geometric mathematics tasks that promote students' record keeping (RK) strategies that facilitate student cognition during problem solving and aid in communication about how solutions were obtained. The project addresses three questions: (1) What features of mathematics task presentation promote record keeping that aid middle grades students cognition and communication? (2) What principles can be derived and applied for designing tasks to promote useful record keeping? (3) How does student performance differ on tasks designed with supports for record keeping versus tasks without such supports? Are there different impacts for English Language Learners (ELL) versus non-ELL students?

The project uses the framework of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) to guide the work. A variety of methods will be used in the study, including student observations and interviews, design and testing of tasks and creation of a rubric, and an experiment that uses tasks with and without RK supports, particularly noting impacts for ELL students.

The study's findings has immediate relevance for mathematics instruction.