About The Research Laboratory

Head of the Laboratory: Associate Professor Zehavit Kohen is the head of the high school mathematics teaching track.

The laboratory was established in 2019 and conducts research on teacher training and professional development, with an emphasis on modelling problems in combination with technology in a scientific-engineering context.

The laboratory enables high-quality photography of teaching lessons in a designated room that simulates a regular classroom. The room is equipped with suitable furniture, advanced technological equipment including smart panels and robotic cameras that allow photography from different angles, appropriate lighting as well as acoustic equipment that enables high audio quality and more.

The laboratory also includes a control room containing hardware and software that controls equipment which enables control of photographic angles, automatic uploading of video footage and viewing of what is happening in the simulation lab through a one-way window, as well as a dedicated room for graduate students in the MtED research lab group.

Structured mathematical modelling in a scientific-engineering context

A unique framework for structured mathematical modelling, based on scaffolding embedded within the task. This approach aims both to preserve the authenticity of the extra-mathematical context and to make the necessary adaptations to enable the integration of the modelling tasks into the school setting, in full alignment with the curriculum.

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Think like a mathematician

The research of Mathematical Habits of Mind in a hybrid learning environment. In the current research we follow the thematical Habits of Mind of 12th grade mathematics teachers, who teach advanced mathematics (at the 5 units level) using a hybrid learning environment. They use the “Simply mathematics” course which was established at the Technion by Dr. Aviv Censor from the Faculty of Mathematics and is published at the Campus-IL website platform.

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Teachers solve problems in a collaborative forum

The research of the contribution of online forums that apply collaborative problem-solving (PSF: Problem-Solving Forums) of challenging mathematical problems in small groups. This method is used for the professional development of mathematics teachers in light of the theory of self-regulated learning in teaching and learning (SRL/SRT). It is based on the solution of problems for the support and follow-up of the collaborative activity of teachers in the forum.

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High-school Mathematics and future choice of STEM academic learning and professional career

A longitudinal and cross-sectional study. This research examined the distribution of the choice of STEM professions in critical career decision points (high school, academia, and occupation). Further, the long-term impact of studying advanced mathematics and science in high school was explored. Demographic and academic parameters were examined in relation to the future choice of STEM professions. Data for this study was based on records of 534,590 students over one and a half decade, which were retrieved from the Central Bureau of Statistics in Israel.

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Best-instructional practices for teaching mathematical modelling

The research follows the development of effective teaching practices among
pre-service mathematics teachers who participate in the “Views” program in the Technion. The prospective teachers experience teaching and learning of i-MAT modelling tasks in the MtED laboratory. The research aims to examine the effect of instruction-based on mathematical modelling in a scientific-engineering context on the use of effective teaching practices that are beyond the standard classroom teaching.

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For a short TED talk reviewing the research in the laboratory by Associate Professor Zehavit Kohen

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