Browsing by Author "Armstrong, Alayne"

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Open Access
A spectrum of possibilities: levels of improvisational behaviour in middle school mathematics.
(Taylor & Francis, 2021) Armstrong, Alayne
In this article, we consider the phenomenon of improvisation by small groups of middle years students while engaged in rich mathematical tasks in classroom settings. Working from the premise that improvisation comprises a spectrum of behaviour, we propose that there is a range of improvisational behaviours that may be observed as the students work together. We discuss four levels along the spectrum – interpretation, embellishment, variation, pure improvisation – and draw on vignettes from our research to illustrate each of their characteristics. We argue that improvisation is a valuable way to view students’ mathematical performance as it highlights how students draw on their own experiences and understandings when problem solving, and how students need to be given opportunities to “stay with” mathematical tasks.
Open Access
Beginner’s mind and the middle years mathematics student
(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Armstrong, Alayne
Being motivated and on task are not enough in themselves for students to engage in meaningful mathematical learning. The Zen concept of beginner’s mind describes how one’s level of awareness can open one’s mind to growth and possibilities. In this case study, two small groups of middle years students who engage in the same mathematical task, one group demonstrating the characteristics of beginner’s mind and the other demonstrating expert’s mind. While the group with expert’s mind focuses on learning how to follow the steps of one proposed solution, the group with beginner’s mind explores the task more fully, noticing mathematically salient details about the task that the other group overlooks completely and that help lead to a successful solution. My findings suggest that groups of students who demonstrate beginner’s mind are more likely to be absorbed in mathematical tasks, and open to sharing ideas and engaging in meaningful mathematical discussion
Open Access
Beyond the Numbers: Gaining Perspective on the Mathematics Problem Towards The Successful Transition of Students into University Mathematics
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2018-07) Braun, Vanessa Karina; Russell, Gale; Armstrong, Alayne; Bazzul, Jesse; Doolittle, Edward
The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how the Mathematics Problem- the issue that students entering precalculus (and other bridging-style) mathematics in university are performing at an extremely poor level- is experienced and perceived by mathematicians. Additionally, this study looks at what effect these perceptions have on precalculus/bridging courses and how this information can be used to influence programming for incoming students in Western Canadian universities. Using hermeneutic phenomenology, this study found that participants view mathematics with a dual lens, which creates unique problems in mathematics lecture halls. Moreover, participants perceive that the dual nature of mathematics in combination with a lack of communication between high school teachers and university professors and lecturers has only contributed to the Mathematics Problem, resulting in a need to bridge the gap between mathematicians and high school mathematics educators. Finally, it is theorized that an asset-based approach to future precalculus/bridging strategies, as opposed to a deficit model, could create the opportunity for influential programming at Western Canadian universities, remedying the Mathematics Problem.
Open Access
How Post-Secondary Students with Mathematics Learning Disabilities Use Their Personal Electronic Devices to Support Their Academic Studies
(2019) Armstrong, Alayne; Gutica, Mirela
Open Access
Language Learning and Social Identity Development: A Narrative Study of Syrian Refugees in Canada
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2020-10) Ghadi, Needal Yasin; Sterzuk, Andrea; Blachford, Dongyan; Armstrong, Alayne; Massing, Christine; Suwannamai Duran, Chatwara
The world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. The United Nations estimates that every minute, 24 people around the world are forced to flee their homes. Ongoing wars and conflicts in many parts of the world have forced millions of individuals to leave their countries and seek safety and protection through different resettlement programs around the world. In response to the current Syrian crisis, the Government of Canada has accepted more than 40,000 Syrian refugees since November 2015. Still, because of their limited language abilities, most of these individuals have been forced to “start over”. This includes defining their social identity, their new world positions, and their ability to become an active part of their society that can access available cultural, emotional and social resources. Framed by Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice, this narrative study focuses on the intersections between language learning experiences, capital, and identities of Syrian refugees now living in Regina, Saskatchewan. In this qualitative study, data were collected during a series of interviews with five Syrian men. Based on the study findings, it was concluded that the participants’ multiple identities as hardworking, employed, independent, Muslim fathers and husbands developed in Syria were gradually eroded or altered by the realities they experienced in Canada, yet they had a strong desire to re-establish their identity constructions from back home in the new context. It is asserted that the loss of their linguistic capital from back home limited their employment prospects, impacted their abilities to form social relationships with native English speakers, and led to a shift in traditional gender roles. Findings from this study concluded that it is imperative to adopt additional social support and language training programs that can further support refugees in re-establishing themselves in their professional fields and daily living activities.
Open Access
Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions And Expectations of K-12 Schooling Locales in Saskatchewan
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2020-08) Nikulak, Patrick Jordan; Russell, Gale; Spooner, Marc; Armstrong, Alayne; Cottrell, Michael
The expectations which teachers hold affect their everyday decisions and, ultimately, the classroom, their instruction, the school, and the communities in which they serve. While there has been research into teachers’ expectations of locales of schooling in other parts of the world, there has been little research into the expectations that undergraduate education students hold towards specific locales of schooling within Saskatchewan. I conducted an exploratory phenomenographical study by interviewing four undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina to learn more about their expectations and perceptions of band, rural, and urban locales of schooling in Saskatchewan. Participants thought most about their expectations of how the locales would affect their personal lives, professional anxieties, professional opportunities, relationships within the context of teaching, and the resources they were expecting to be available. Their knowledge of these locales was either through direct first-hand experience or anecdotally through friends and colleagues, rarely through their university program. Locales not directly accessible to the participants, often band, were most often learned about indirectly, for example, through friends or family members with direct experience. The four participants, regardless of prior education or experience, preferred to teach in urban schools first, rural schools second, and band schools third.