Education Commons^™

How Informal Stem Learning Opportunities Benefit Diverse Communities, Bridget Musker

Whittier Scholars Program

In today's world, equitable access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education is imperative. However, minority and underrepresented communities often face barriers to participation in formal educational settings. Informal learning, occurring outside of the classroom, presents an opportunity for these communities to engage with STEM subjects in accessible and inclusive environments. Out of School Time (OST) programs and informal learning play a significant role in providing high quality, hands-on, experiential STEM education focused on skill building, and college and career readiness. Despite the importance of STEM learning, persistent disparities exist, particularly among culturally diverse communities, due to systemic discrimination …

How To Spark Bio Curiosity: An Innovative High School Biology Curriculum, Audrie Charles

Graduate Research Showcase

This project is a researched creative endeavor focused around the creation of an exemplary high school biology course. This presentation will showcase an original high school biology curriculum designed to ignite students’ innate curiosity and empower meaningful learning of core concepts like cell structure, genetics, evolution and ecology. Students revisit key ideas through a spiral curriculum that builds complexity, tackling open-ended problems and collaborating on hands-on inquiries like formulating hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting data and drawing evidence-based conclusions. Tangible projects allow students to demonstrate content knowledge in addition to critical thinking abilities like synthesizing concepts, evaluating claims and applying learning …

Performance Outcomes In Introductory Statistics: R Vs. Spss Usage At A Community College, Venessa Singhroy Ph.D., Bianca Sosnovski

Publications and Research

This dataset corresponds to a study investigating the performance outcomes of students enrolled in two sections of an introductory statistics course at a community college in New York. The study, titled "Examining Differences in Performance Outcomes between Statistics Classes using High-coding vs. Low-coding Statistical Software Packages," explores the impact of utilizing different statistical software packages (R and SPSS) on student performance and motivation. The dataset comprises assessments administered to participants, including the Mathematics Motivation Questionnaire, Reading Comprehension Assessment, Algebra Assessment, Statistics Assessment, and Coding Assessment. Participants were divided into two sections: one utilizing R and the other utilizing SPSS for …

Overcoming The Barriers To Teaching Teamwork To Undergraduates In Stem, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Miranda L. Aiken, Hector M. Camarillo-Abad, Kamal Diki, Daniel L. Gardner, Mario Stipčić, Javier F. Espeleta

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

There is widespread recognition that undergraduate students in the life sciences must learn how to work in teams. However, instructors who wish to incorporate teamwork into their classrooms rarely have formal training in how to teach teamwork. This is further complicated by the application of synonymous and often ambiguous terminology regarding teamwork that is found in literature spread among many different disciplines. There are significant barriers for instructors wishing to identify and implement best practices. We synthesize key concepts in teamwork by considering the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) necessary for success, the pedagogies and curricula for teaching those KSAs, …

Variations In Student Approaches To Problem Solving In Undergraduate Biology Education, Jeremy L. Hsu, Rou-Jia Sung, Su L. Swarat, Alexandra J. Gore, Stephanie Kim, Stanley M. Lo

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Existing research has investigated student problem-solving strategies across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; however, there is limited work in undergraduate biology education on how various aspects that influence learning combine to generate holistic approaches to problem solving. Through the lens of situated cognition, we consider problem solving as a learning phenomenon that involves the interactions between internal cognition of the learner and the external learning environment. Using phenomenography as a methodology, we investigated undergraduate student approaches to problem solving in biology through interviews. We identified five aspects of problem solving (including knowledge, strategy, intention, metacognition, and mindset) that define three …

Publications And Other Works By R. F. Diffendal, Jr., Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Articles
Chapters in Books
Books
Field Guides
Geologic Maps
Other Maps
Cover Photographs
Other Photographs
Newspaper and Other Articles
Test-Hole Logs
Television Programs
Geonotes
Abstracts
Reviews
Manuscripts Accepted (A), Submitted (S), or in Preparation (P)
Geologic Maps in Press
Geologic Maps-Nebraska
Public Documents
Miscellaneous Publications
Editing

Updated March 2024

Secondary Math Teachers’ Responses To Errors In The Classroom, Richie Vicinanza

Honors College Theses

This study was conducted in an effort to find out how modern-day secondary math teachers respond to errors in their classrooms and the reasonings behind their responses. To fulfill the purpose of this study, various methods of research were used to gather information. Methods included looking into the scholarly sources surrounding the topic as well as a primary-conducted study in the field. Participants of this study were high school math teachers. The participants engaged in two semi-structured interviews (an initial and a debrief) as well as an observation that was conducted during one of their classes. Through the initial interview, …

Acer’S Mathematics Anxiety And Engagement Strategy (Maes): A Framework, Sarah Buckley, Kate Reid, Catherine Pearn, Shani Sniedze

Student learning processes

The Mathematics Anxiety and Engagement Strategy (MAES) was established by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in 2018 in response to declining mathematics achievement and participation among Australian students. Findings from the 2022 cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that 15-year-old students in Australia had significantly lower levels of mathematical literacy than students in 2003 (De Bortoli et al, 2023). The 2022 results also showed that male students outperformed female students and only 30 percent of students from more disadvantaged backgrounds achieved the National Proficient Standard in mathematics compared to 72 percent of students from …

Family-Centered Theory Of Change: A Conceptual Framework For Improving Teaching And Learning In Undergraduate Stem Courses, Juan Salinas, Parwinder Grewal, Jose J. Gutierrez, Nicolas A. Pereyra, Dagoberto Ramirez, Elizabeth Salinas, Griselda Salinas, Virginia Santanas, Can Saygin

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are often characterized as Hispanic enrolling (rather than serving) that practice deficit-based systems that continue to marginalize Latinx and other underrepresented students, especially in STEM fields. Extant research on HSIs stresses the importance of investigating the value of grassroots advocacy groups as external influencers of institutional servingness through deeper engagement with the Latinx community. Using a novel family-centered theory of change that addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion, we integrated intersectionality and servingness into a family-integrated education serving and transforming academic framework. We investigated the potential transformational impact of this framework on students, families, faculty, and administrators at …

Easy, Bright, Fluorescence Demonstration Of Buffer Action, Mariana Dykstra, Yejin Chung, Mark Muyskens

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

We report an attractive update to the demonstration of acid–base buffer action that is appropriate for ease of use and getting attention in the classroom. The twist is based on new fluorophore information and the recent availability of UV flashlights serving as an ideal, portable excitation light source. The pH-dependent fluorescence comes from a choice among three natural sources, namely narra tree wood extract, kidneywood extract, and scopoletin, which is a purchasable coumarin, that all perform equally well. We provide practical details for performing the buffer demonstration at scales of 100 and 1000 mL and give background information for context.

Seeing Eye To Eye? Comparing Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Biomolecular Visualization Assessments, Josh T. Beckham, Daniel R. Dries, Bonnie L. Hall, Rarchel M. Mitton-Fry, Shelly Engelman, Charmita Burch, Roderico Acevedo, Pamela S. Mertz, Didem Vardar-Ulu, Swati Agrawal, Kristin M. Fox, Shane Austin, Margaret A. Franzen, Henry V. Jakubowski, Walter R. P. Novak, Rebecca Roberts, Alberto I. Roca, Kristen Procko

Chemistry Faculty Publications

While visual literacy has been identified as a foundational skill in life science education, there are many challenges in teaching and assessing biomolecular visualization skills. Among these are the lack of consensus about what constitutes competence and limited understanding of student and instructor perceptions of visual literacy tasks. In this study, we administered a set of biomolecular visualization assessments, developed as part of the BioMolViz project, to both students and instructors at multiple institutions and compared their perceptions of task difficulty. We then analyzed our findings using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analysis was used to answer the following research questions: …

How Mathematicians Characterize And Attempt To Develop Understanding Of Concepts And Definitions In Proof-Based Courses, Rachel Rupnow, Timothy Fukawa-Connelly

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Mathematics education research has long focused on students’ conceptual understanding, including highlighting conceptions viewed as problematic and looking for ways to develop more desirable conceptions. Nevertheless, limited research has examined how mathematicians characterize understanding of concepts and definitions or promote activities beneficial for students. Based on interviews with 13 mathematicians, we present thematic characterizations of what it means to understand a concept and definition, highlight activities mathematicians believe assist students’ learning, and examine their reasons for promoting these activities.

Results include mathematically grounded descriptions of what it means to understand a concept but general descriptions of approaching and supporting learning. …

Pre-Service Teachers Notice Student Thinking: Then What?, Tara Barnhart, Heather J. Johnson, Miray Tekkumru-Kisa

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Research has demonstrated that pre-service teachers (PSTs) can learn to notice students’ thinking in sophisticated ways by analyzing videos of classroom interactions. What is less clear is how PSTs use what they notice about student thinking to inform how they respond. Secondary math and science PSTs from three teacher preparation programs were invited to analyze a video clip identifying noteworthy moments of student thinking and describing an instructional move they might make and why. A qualitative analysis of their responses indicates that the PSTs overwhelmingly noticed both the substance and the source of students’ ideas. However, the patterns in their …

Mentoring Student Teachers For Ambitious And Inclusive Science Teaching, Elizabeth B. Lewis, Elizabeth Hasseler, Karen Covil, Amy Tankersley, Susan Frack

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Introduction: TPP Problem of Practice

Preparing Science Teachers for Teaching in Culturally Diverse Schools ● National average of 70% higher science teacher turnover in Title I versus non-Title I schools (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). ● Mismatch between teacher and student demographics; national teacher workforce is overwhelmingly white (and female) and a student population that has become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. ● Longer, supervised teacher preparation internships have been linked to higher retention rates of new teachers (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017), but… with more science teachers retiring, there are also fewer master science teachers to mentor preservice teachers.

Context: Our …

Initial Growth Of Inclusive Knowledge And Leadership Practices By Science Education Teacher-Leaders, Elizabeth B. Lewis, Elizabeth Hasseler, Rachel Benzoni, Gina S. Matkin

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Introduction & Rationale for Study

● Science teachers are integral to the success of science education reform. ● Science education needs leaders from all parts of the field and system. ● However, science teachers have not been well-positioned for leadership.

Grant-funded Project & Study Focus

Project Phases, Objectives, & Timeline

Conceptual Framework

ACESSE Framework for Equitable Science Learning

Literature Review

Methodology: Approach, Research Question, & Participants, Data Sources & Analytic Methods

Noyce MTFs’ Science Teaching Experience & Certifications

MTFs’ School and District Demographics

Summary of MTFs’ Most Common Leadership Activities

Research Instrument and Analytic Lens

Cohort 1 & 2 Baseline …

Investigating Preservice Secondary Teachers’ Understanding And Enactment Of The Standards‑Based Practices During Microteaching, Deepika Menon, Diana S. Chang, Rosetta W. Ngugi

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Reform efforts in K–12 science education have been gaining pace ever since the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The new vision calls for reconsidering teacher preparation programs to prepare future teachers who are confident and competent in delivering NGSS-based instruction. This study investigated the development of 27 preservice secondary science and mathematics teachers’ (PSTs’) knowledge and skills as they understand, interpret, and implement the NGSS, particularly science and engineering practices (SEPs), within the context of microteaching during a STEM methods course. Primary data sources include 12 videos of 40-minute-long microteaching lessons, self-reflections, semistructured and focus-group interviews, and …

Gender Differences In Achievement, Behavior, And Stem Interest Among Learners Using Minecraft, Maricel A. Esclamado, Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, we analyze how male and female learners differ in their in-game behaviors, knowledge assessment outcomes, and STEM interest using the What-If Hypothetical Implementations using Minecraft (WHIMC). We also investigate how male and female learners’ self-reported levels of frustration and boredom relate to these outcomes. We examine in-game data, out-of-game assessment data, self-reported frustration and boredom, and results of the STEM interest questionnaire (SIQ) from 175 Grade 8 learners from a school in the Philippines. We found that male learners tend to explore more than female learners. Both genders learn more through more exploration, making more observations, and …

Network Science: Activity Guide Introduction

Worlds of Connections Resources

Welcome to the Worlds of Connections network science activity guides. We are

happy to share our fun, engaging, and hands-on activities and hope you enjoy them. College students, teachers, middle school youth in afterschool programs, learning researchers, artists/designers, psychologists, and sociologists helped create these guides over several years. We suggest that you use them to build community in clubs, classrooms, and camps; develop systems thinking and network science knowledge; plus promote curiosity and opportunities to discover.

Snail Races: An Inquiry-Based Approach To Learn Invasive Species Ecology, Emma Grindle, Heather E. Bergan-Roller, Ashton Johnson, Grace Lunaburg, Jennifer A.H. Koop

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Inquiry-based lessons allow learning that is hands-on and student-driven, fostering engagement and retention of knowledge in any discipline. Here, we use this learning framework to engage students in exploring the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on animal dispersal as a means of connecting students to multiple ecological concepts. Instructors are provided with a guided lecture on key ecological concepts including the impacts of invasive species, dispersal mechanisms, and species interactions with the environment. Furthermore, the interactive lecture introduces students to the snail study system and explains the experimental process, which involves low-cost, readily available materials (e.g., kiddie pools). Students …

Steps For Starting A Professional Learning Community (Plc): A Literature Review, John T. Sutton

PROSPECT S-STEM

There are a number of steps that can influence and inform the creation, development, and growth of a professional learning community (PLC). It isn’t necessary to use a lock-step approach, rather it is cyclical and evolving. The steps take into consideration and accommodates the context of the institution and the need to improve for a variety of reasons. The steps allow for quick wins and changes that require significant time, research, and resolution. Always with a plan that reflects member and institutional priorities. It is hoped that by identifying what has been consistently identified as important steps to the success …

From Becoming To Being: How Stem Teachers Develop Leadership Identities, Kelsey Quaisley, Wendy M. Smith, Brett A. Criswell, Rachel Funk, Anna Hutchinson

Secondary Education Faculty Publications

The development of STEM teacher leadership identity empowers K-12 teachers to make changes to improve teaching and learning. Identity development might not be productively supported in all school settings, however. Hence, external professional development programs should offer opportunities to supplement this identity development. We construct and propose a Can't-to-Becoming-to-Being model to describe STEM teacher leadership identity development as a progression of stages from weak to strong identity. Using interview data over two points in time with 127 STEM teacher leaders, we illustrate four stages of development: Can't, Can, Should, and Being. We also elucidate the conditions that teachers identify as …

Factors Predicting Mathematics Achievement In Pisa: A Systematic Review, Xiaofang S. Wang, Laura B. Perry, Anabela Malpique, Tobias Ide

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has become the world’s largest comparative assessment of academic achievement. While hundreds of studies have examined the factors predicting student achievement in PISA, a comprehensive overview of the main predictors has yet to be completed. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review of factors predicting mathematics performance in PISA. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of human development, we synthesized the findings of 156 peer reviewed articles. The analysis identified 135 factors that fall into five broad categories: individual student, household context, school community, education systems and macro society. The analysis …

Exploring Pathways To Food Science Careers In Southern California: A Case Study In Food Science Career Development, Jeremy L. Hsu, Sarah Ahles, Lilian W. Senger, Anuradha Prakash

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Southern California is a diverse region that is home to a high concentration of food science companies, with an increasing demand for additional food scientists and technologists to join this workforce. Despite this abundance of food science companies and the high demand for jobs, there is currently a shortage in the number of qualified food scientists and technologists in the region. This shortage is also observed within higher education, with declining enrollments in the food science graduate and undergraduate programs across Southern California. Here, we conduct a case study to explore the factors that influence students from Southern California to …

Engaging Students In A Genetics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Utilizing Caenorhabditis Elegans In Hybrid Learning To Explore Human Disease Gene Variants, Natalie Forte, Virginia Veasey, Bethany Christie, Amira Carter, Marli Hanks, Alan Holderfield, Taylor Houston, Anil Challa, Ashley Turner

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Genetic analysis in model systems using bioinformatic approaches provides a rich context for a concrete and conceptual understanding of gene structure and function. With the intent to engage students in research and explore disease biology utilizing the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model, we developed a semester-long course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) in a hybrid (online/in-person) learning environment—the gene-editing and evolutionary nematode exploration CURE (GENE-CURE). Using a combination of bioinformatic and molecular genetic tools, students performed structure-function analysis of disease-associated variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in human orthologs. With the aid of a series of workshop-style research sessions, students worked in teams …

Supporting The Quality Of Digital Learning: Project Brief, Abha Bhagat

ACER India

Khan Academy introduced the Science Essentials Course to build a strong foundation in fundamental concepts among learners using deep conceptual videos. The course consists of learning videos and exercises - the videos help strengthen conceptual understanding for students, while the element of focused practice allows learners to retrieve concepts learnt, make mistakes, receive feedback, and in the process, master skills. The Australian Council for Educational Research (India) reviewed a sample of videos and exercises in physics, chemistry, and biology of the Science Essentials Course for students in grades 11 and 12.

Investigating The Influence Of Assessment Question Framing On Undergraduate Biology Student Preference And Affect, Jeremy L. Hsu, Noelle Clark, Kate Hill, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Nearly all undergraduate biology courses rely on quizzes and exams. Despite their prevalence, very little work has been done to explore how the framing of assessment questions may influence student performance and affect. Here, we conduct a quasi-random experimental study where students in different sections of the same course were given isomorphic questions that varied in their framing of experimental scenarios. One section was provided a description using the self-referential term “you”, placing the student in the experiment; another section received the same scenario that used classmate names; while a third section's scenario integrated counterstereotypical scientist names. Our results demonstrate …

Figured Worlds Of Women Mathematics Education Scholars, Lili Zhou, Jill Newton, Brooke Max, Hyunyi Jung, Lindsay M. Keazer, Bimi Kumari Sapkota, Ricki L. Geller-Mckee

Education Faculty Publications

Drawing on the concept of figured worlds (Holland et al., 1998), this project focuses on addressing, responding to, and understanding the self within the figured world of the mathematics education community. Specifically, we examine a group of women with diverse backgrounds in terms of race, class, and cultural contexts, who are engaged in various roles as mathematics education scholars, including teachers, teacher educators, and researchers. Using a dialogical self approach, we facilitate both internal and external discourses, exploring personal histories, narratives, and the development of evolving identities. Our findings reveal that culture and social positions, such as gender, class, and …

Humanizing Online Stemm Education, Emily Faulconer

Publications

The instructor and course design can make a difference in online STEM course persistence.

The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 55, Fall 2023), Elizabeth Joyce Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

Magazine created by and about the WKU Center for Gifted Studies.

Imagination To Innovation: Design Thinking For Young Learners, Lindsey Herlehy, Cassandra Armstrong

Publications & Research

Design thinking is the intersection of engineering design and social-emotional learning. Today’s learners must be empathetic problem solvers capable of defining problems and designing appropriate solutions to meet the needs of the user. In this session, participants will experience design thinking through literature-based scenarios appropriate for early learners. They will analyze and compare their own models to those of others and compose a lesson that will engage students in the design thinking process.