World Class STEM Education
Projects That Advance
Teacher Proficiency and Student Learning
in Science and Mathematics
Michael E. Martinez, Ph.D.
Professor of Education
University of California, Irvine
Two Challenges
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How Can We Build Excellence in:
– Teaching Science and Mathematics?
– Learning Science and Mathematics?
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How Can We Do So Through the Two
Primary Functions of the University:
– Teaching?
– Research?
CalTeach
A Program of Study Designed to
Prepare Talented UCI
Undergraduates to Become
Excellent Middle and High School
Science and Mathematics Teachers
Two Pathways
Bachelors Degree in a STEM Discipline, and
California Teaching Credential
In Four Years
Bachelors Degree in a STEM Discipline,
Master of Arts in Teaching, and
California Teaching Credential
In Five Years
How Is This Possible?
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Streamlined and highly innovative undergraduate
coursework on teaching in the STEM disciplines.
Effective cross-campus collaboration.
– School of Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, ICS,
Humanities, and the Department of Education
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A $2.5 million grant from the National Math and
Science Initiative (NMSI), along with funding from
the UC Office of the President.
– UCI is one of 13 demonstration sites nationally
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Dedication of UCI faculty and staff
CalTeach Meets
Desperate Needs

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Many science and math courses are staffed by
teachers who are poorly trained in the STEM
discipline they teach.
The University of California needs to do much
more
– About 38% of STEM teachers earn their bachelors
degrees at UC
– Only about 11% earn their teaching credential at UC
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CalTeach, streamlined but intellectually rigorous,
allows students to seek a teaching job immediately
after graduating.
Other Contributing Factors
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Strong program management
Vigorous recruitment of undergraduates
Ongoing support, including scholarships
Launching of new science and math majors,
and major concentrations, aligned with
prospective careers in teaching
Support from school district partners,
including Santa Ana, Newport Mesa, Tustin,
and Anaheim
Spatial Temporal Mathematics at Scale
An Innovative and Fully Developed
Paradigm to Boost Math Achievement
Among All Learners
Traditional Instruction in
Mathematics

Traditional math education relies heavily on
symbolic notation in the form of numerals,
operations, and equations, as well as on
technical terminology.
A Spatial-Temporal Approach

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Instead, mathematical
patterns can be
represented as images
or transformations of
images.
Pattern-finding,
experienced as mental
imagery, is a natural
ability of the human
mind and its
underlying neural
circuitry.
An Exciting Possibility
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Spatial-temporal (ST) reasoning may be a highly
intuitive way of learning fundamental math
concepts.
ST-based mathematics offers the potential for
effective learning among students who experience
frustration with traditional ways of teaching math.
ST Math may be a gateway to far larger numbers of
students gaining high levels of mathematical
proficiency, opening a pipeline of future scientists,
engineers, and medical professionals.
ST Math Software
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Designed to develop deep intuitive
understandings of fundamental mathematical
concepts:
– Fractions, proportions, symmetries, and
functions
Video game metaphor
– Universally motivating
– Games With a Purpose (GWAP)
Activities challenge children to apply spatialtemporal skills to solve problems
Prior Research Results
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ST Math has produced substantial gains in
mathematics achievement in comparison to
control group students.
Learning advantages tend to grow each year.
Effects have been found on standardized tests of
broad mathematics achievement, not only on ST
concepts.
Martinez, M. E., Peterson, M., Bodner, M. Coulson, A., Vuong, S., Hu, W., Earl, T., & Shaw G. L. (2008).
Music training and mathematics achievement: A multiyear iterative project designed to enhance students’
learning. In A. E. Kelly, R. A. Lesh, & J. Y. Baek (Eds.), Handbook of design research methods in education:
Innovations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning and teaching (pp. 396-409). New York:
Routledge.
Findings From Previous
Research
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Our research shows that a large segment of
students, perhaps most, can benefit from an
approach to learning math that uses spatialtemporal reasoning
Spatial-temporal reasoning and representations
might hold special promise for English language
learners
– By de-emphasizing mathematical terms and
explanations expressed in English
A New Project:
ST Math At Scale
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An Innovative and Fully Developed Paradigm to
Boost Math Achievement Among All Learners
Funding
– US Department of Education, Institute of
Education Sciences (IES)
– Four years (2009-2013)
Participating Schools
– 52 elementary schools in Orange County
– Allied with the Orange County Math Initiative
The Collaborating Institutions
University of California,
Irvine
Michael E. Martinez
Peg Burchinal
Lindsey Richland
AnneMarie Conley
Keara Osborne
Melissa Kibrick
Teya Rutherford
Mind Research Institute
Andrew Coulson
Fran Antenore
Abby Daniels
Orange County Department
of Education
Stephanie Schneider
Lauren Duran
A New Paradigm
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Prior research shows that a spatial-temporal (ST)
approach to mathematics learning can open the
gateways to STEM learning
Now it’s time to put this exciting possibility to a
rigorous test
– To understand the nature and magnitude of causal
effects through a large-scale randomized experiment
– To understand whether ST Math offers particular
advantages to specific subgroups of learners
– To understand what implementation factors
moderate the effects of ST math on student learning
Addressing Critical Needs
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The U.S. faces a crucial need for elevated achievement
in math and, more broadly, STEM fields
– To close the achievement gap
– And to increase the pool of highly-trained scientists
and engineers
– Resulting in heightened international
competitiveness
These are longstanding valued goals
– Now we need fresh thinking to achieve them
– The UCI Department of Education is playing a
leading role, locally and nationally