Education Commons^™

Embracing A Culture Of Stem Education: A Qualitative Research Study, Katie L. Laux

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to explore teacher and administrator perspectives on STEM education and how they demonstrate characteristics of STEM education. The five schools in this study are part of a greater network of elementary, middle, and high schools that collaborate and learn together. Data were collected through interviews with teachers and administrators and observational notes from meetings and other events. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and then coded to look for themes in the data. Findings indicate teachers and administrators view a supportive leadership, teacher buy in, and comfort in teaching STEM as essential to the implementation …

Teaching And Assessing College Stem Courses Online During Covid-19: Evidence-Based Strategies And Recommendations, Santanu De, Georgina Arguello

FDLA Journal

Since the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, most schools, colleges, and universities worldwide underwent a paradigm shift by transitioning to digital teaching and learning modalities. This phenomenon was essential to mitigate the contagion; however, the academic institutions needed to quickly come up with ways to ensure that the quality and rigor of education were maintained, especially the active and experiential learning required by undergraduate and graduate courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This paper highlights key approaches reported or proposed to effectively conduct college-level, in-person STEM courses online owing to the pandemic. These would range from synchronous versus asynchronous pedagogies …

Mapping A Language(S) Journey In Science; From Learning Biology To Teaching Biology: An Autoethnography, Primani S. Fernando, Maria Gindidis Dr, Rebecca Cooper Dr.

The Qualitative Report

This paper focuses on my experience as an English as an Additional Language (EAL) student in the context of multiple emigrations and investigates the formation of my identity as an EAL science student, science Education researcher, and science teacher. The study was guided by both my innate curiosity and the research question that sought to explore which factors significantly affected my journey of developing my English language and science knowledge based on my experience as an EAL student. The second and third authors acted as critical friends to provide a layer of reliability to the study. Within the autoethnography methodology …

Environmental Topics In Physics By Inquiry Course: Integration Models Used By Physics Teachers, David A. Kimori, Gillian Roehrig

The Qualitative Report

As we approach the second quarter of the twenty-first century, one may predict the environment will be among the dominant themes in political and educational discourse. This study investigates how three physics teachers integrated environmental topics and issues in their classroom. Data collection methods including field notes taken from observations, teachers’ interviews, and a collection of artifacts and documents were used. The data were coded, analyzed, and organized into categories utilizing Fogarty’s models of curriculum integration. Findings of this study indicate teachers acknowledge the importance of teaching environmental issues in their classrooms; however, implementing and utilizing effective integration strategies and …

A Composite Textual Phenomenological Approach To Cures Versus Traditional Laboratory Experiences, Amie S. Sommers, Dana Richter-Egger, Christine E. Cutucache

The Qualitative Report

Here we present unique perspectives from undergraduate students (n=3) in STEM who have taken both a traditional laboratory iteration and a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) iteration of the same introductory chemistry course. CUREs can be effective models for integrating research in courses and fostering student learning gains. Via phenomenological interviews, we asked students to describe the differences in their perspectives, feelings, and experiences between a traditional lab guided by a lab manual and a CURE. We found that (i.) critical thinking/problem solving, (ii.) group work/collaboration, (iii.) student-led research questions and activities, and (iv.) time management are the top four …

An Autoethnographic Self-Study Navigating The Transition To Becoming A Stem Teacher Educator, Miriam Hamilton Dr

The Qualitative Report

This paper reports on a self-study where I take an autoethnographic stance in narrating my cultural origins, trajectory and identities as a teacher turned teacher educator working in the field of education in Ireland. Using self-study, I explore how my habitus has influenced my experiences of being a biology teacher at second level to teaching STEM education on initial teacher education programmes. Autoethnographic self-study is the hybrid approach used to describe and systematically analyse my experiences and learning as I struggle with a transitioning identity. The integrated use of both self-study and autoethnographic approaches enabled a deepened understanding of my …

Don’T Count – Count On Visual Perception!, Klaus Rödler Dr.

Transformations

Verbal counting is the first step in the child‘s number building and this is why it seems natural to start arithmetic in school based on this competence. Under a cultural historical view, the development of number does not start with verbal counting but rather with ‚concrete counting‘. Number words and the number word sequence developed after experience with concrete numbers.

This article describes the roots, basics, and first practical steps of a didactics based on perception rather than on verbal counting.

This proposed change allows inclusive lessons that prevent all students from misunderstanding calculation as a quick or clever form …

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Transformations

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An Alternative Sudoku Puzzle With Letters While Addressing Math Anxiety, Joseph M. Furner Ph.D.

Transformations

Math anxiety remains a critical issue affecting student performance and confidence across grade levels throughout the world. This paper looks at the impact of math anxiety on students and also how using letters instead of numbers with Sudoku puzzles can perhaps alleviate math anxiety and number anxiety as an alternative to doing Sudoku puzzles and turning students on to the logic of magic squares and Sudoku puzzles. This paper shares data on math anxiety levels by grade level from a study, provides some examples of some Sudoku puzzles with Greek letters and our English alphabet along with much research, and …