Education Commons^™

A Spider's Approach To Steam, Stefan Haesen

The STEAM Journal

In this paper we present an overview of different approaches towards STEAM education, including the choices in methodology and pedagogy. From these various viewpoints we build up a framework for STEAM education and relate it to a real-world problem, namely, how a small spider can catch a prey.

Steam Education Initiatives In Nepal, Shashidhar Belbase

The STEAM Journal

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the status of STEAM education in Nepal. I conducted a literature review focusing on document analysis for generating themes/categories of STEAM initiatives in Nepal from various sources such as websites, brochures, reports, and government publications. The major themes emerged from the analysis of documents were-- focus on integrated education, STEAM projects, STEAM-challenge, awareness to STEAM education, and academic program in STEAM education. I discussed the challenges of STEAM education followed by the conclusion.

Supporting Middle School Students In Tier 2 Math Labs: Instructional Strategies, Emily C. Bouck, Jiyoon Park, Mary Bouck, Jim Alspaugh, Stacey Spitzley, Angela Buckland

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Response to Intervention (RtI) has become a common support system for students; yet, no universal RtI model exists, especially for mathematics and specifically at the middle school level. This article focuses on a specific model for delivering Tier 2 mathematics supports and services at the middle school level: math labs. Evidence–based and research–supported interventions are discussed that support the delivery of Tier 2 services within a middle school math lab RtI structure. A fictionalized vignette, drawing from multiple actual cases, is presented to highlight the use of a Tier 2 math lab within a middle school setting.

Bridging The Gap: Including Cultural Science In Post-Secondary Education To Enhance Learning Within Sciences For Native And Non-Native Students, Tish Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Until seven years ago, there were few mechanisms in place within theWabanaki communities to keep Native students connected from middle school through college if an interest was sparked in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. On average, less than 50 percent of Native Students graduate from high school. The past six years, the Wabanaki Youth in Science program (WaYS) has become a "bridge" for students to learn more at the secondary level about STEM fields. The next phase in the academic journey to aid student learning is to develop a model educational program that will increase Native youth …

A "Choose-Your-Own" Classroom-Based Activity That Promotes Scientific Inquiry About Rna Interference, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

RNA interference (RNAi), the process that results in the degradation of a target gene’s mRNA, is a fundamental part of eukaryotic gene regulation and is also an important molecular technique that allows for experimental manipulation of gene expression without altering DNA sequences. Despite the importance of RNAi, there have been relatively few lecture-based activities designed to teach about the consequences of this process and counter common misconceptions. I present here an inquiry-based activity that is centered around a “choose your own experiment” design where students generate hypotheses and critically evaluate their ideas by choosing several simulated experiments. The activity presents …

Performance In First Year Mathematics And Science Subjects In Australian Universities: Does Senior Secondary Mathematics Background Matter? Final Report, Julie Mcmillan, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

This study explores the extent to which study of mathematics in senior secondary school is a predictor of success in core mathematics and science subjects in the first year of university. The study looked at 16,436 first year students in biology chemistry mathematics and physics from twelve universities covering a range of types. It looked at their pass rates against the level of mathematics that they studied in year 12, including whether they had studied any mathematics of significance to a science degree. The study findings show that, in general, those who study higher levels of mathematics at year 12 …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2019, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge. The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

Escapando Las Trampas: Teacher Preparation For Mexicanas, Larissa Perez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Developing Maestras face and overcome linguistic, academic and cultural forms of gatekeeping while trying to navigate through our current education system. For this Capstone Project, the impact that gatekeeping has on developing Maestras and how it affects their academic and professional aspirations was investigated. This is an important issue for developing Maestras, the University of Gringolandia as well as for the education system of Nepantla county. The success of developing Maestras Mexicanas closes the racial gap and directly impacts the student success rate within Nepantla county. The literature and data results analysis indicate that the gatekeeping practices that keep Mexicanas …

Developing A Theoretical Framework For Visualization-Based Pedagogical Content Knowledge (V-Pck) Based On Middle School Teachers’ Views And Uses Of Visualizations As An Instructional Tool, Jacqueline Samuel

Dissertations

Visualizations is a categorical term that is often used to provide visual imagery to the communication of processes, concepts, exemplar phenomena, and general information. Objects such as graphs, tables, diagrams, animations, and pictures fall in this category. Existing literature focuses primarily on the use of visualizations in the science field at the high school level, collegiate levels, and in pre-service teacher education programs. A gap in the literature exists which examines how science teachers at the middle school level perceive and use visualizations as instructional components in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine science teachers views …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Entomology Incorporation In U.S. Secondary Science Instruction, Erin M. Ingram

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To encourage understanding and appreciation of insects, entomology education advocates have supported and encouraged K-12 teachers to integrate insects and insect-related content into formal science instruction. However, research examining how and why science teachers incorporate entomology into secondary science courses is limited.

A sequential explanatory mixed-methods research study was conducted to address this gap. The study was conducted in two phases. During the first phase, quantitative survey research was conducted with a representative sample of 254 U.S. secondary life science teachers. During the subsequent qualitative phase, follow-up interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 18 survey participants and an …

Promoting Stem Teacher Reflection Through Self-Evaluation, Steven W. Mumford, Kathryn Newcomer

Political Science Faculty Publications

Evaluators face serious challenges assessing the impact of teaching practice on student outcomes, such as for assessing the impact of grant-funded teacher training programs. To overcome these barriers, the evaluators of an NSF-funded teacher scholarship program elected to coach teachers on conducting their own evaluations of student outcomes. To facilitate this process, we collaboratively developed templates and guidance for teachers’ measurement and reporting of student growth, provided training and technical assistance as teachers prepared student outcome data, and guided teachers in reflecting on results to improve their practice. The evaluators then aggregated fellows’ student outcome reports to assess the program’s …

An Investigation Of The Adoption Of Social Media Applications By Faculty Members At A Prominent University In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Saad Alshalawi

Theses and Dissertations

A report by Hootsuite (2018) stated that the average time of daily use of social media applications by Saudis in 2017 was two hours and 34 minutes. Even though statistics show that social media applications are very widespread among students, they also suggest that these media are not being utilized by many faculty members for teaching and learning purposes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of social media applications for teaching and learning purposes by faculty members at a prominent university in Saudi Arabia. The Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) was …

Teacher And Parent Perspectives On Alignment To The Next Generation Science Standards Following Teacher Professional Development, Adam C. Channell

Dissertations

Science teachers are receiving professional development (PD) since the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in 2013. Following PD, teachers are facing several challenges while attempting to implement NGSS in their classroom, some of which include budget constraints, administrative support, and student preparedness (Banilower et al., 2013). Additionally, Channell and Cobern's (2018) study on teachers’ experiences aligning to NGSS following PD adds parent pushback to this list of challenges. This study seeks to address a set of interconnected issues related to teachers creating and administering lessons aligned to the NGSS that they have created following PD, and subsequent …

The Differences Between College Readiness And The Type Of Algebra 1 Course Taken By Male And Female Students Attending A Private School In Southwestern Virginia, Christina M. Perdue

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Algebra 1 is a foundational course for all higher mathematics. Research suggests taking rigorous math courses earlier in a student’s education increases college readiness which leads to a greater economic impact to the community. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine if there is a difference between male and female students’ college readiness as measured by the mathematics test scores of the PSAT/NMSQT of students who have taken an Algebra 1 course, designated as either Honors or Non-Honors section, who attend a private high school. Having early indications of college readiness allows students more time to develop …

Demographic Factors Affecting Freshman Engineering Students’ Attitudes Toward Mathematics At A University In Saudi Arabia, Essa Abdullah Alibraheim

Theses and Dissertations

This study of freshman engineering students enrolled at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) in Saudi Arabia investigated the relationship between the students’ attitudes and their demographic characteristics. Specifically, the study assessed the relationship between students’ demographic characteristics and how the characteristics related to five variables associated with attitudes toward mathematics: attitude toward success in mathematics, confidence in learning mathematics, mathematics anxiety, awareness of the usefulness of mathematics, and effectance motivation in mathematics. A total number of 157 male students enrolled in Calculus 1 participated in the survey. Findings revealed that the freshman engineering students had positive attitudes toward mathematics; …

Observations Of A Multi-Component Intervention For Elementary Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorder After Self-Efficacy Coaching, Anna Kristen Bensinger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD) experience more negative student outcomes compared to other special education disability categories, specifically, higher dropout rates, less access to higher education and incarceration. Mathematically, 73% of students with EBD achieve below the 50th percentile on standardized tests (Wagner, Kutash, Duchnowski, Epstein, & Sumi, 2005). This study focused on the exploration of a multi-component mathematics and behavior intervention targeting student self-efficacy for productive learning behaviors in the general education mathematics classroom setting for elementary students with EBD. Participants for this study were students from two 4th grade classrooms, who have been identified with co-occurring …

The Van Hiele Analysis Of Curricular Materials: A Comparative Study, Vinay Kumar Kalyankar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to investigate K-8 geometry curriculum standards and textbooks for their effectiveness in preparing students for high school geometry. The basis for the study is van Hiele theory pioneered by the Dutch educators and researchers of geometric understanding in adolescents, Dina van Hiele Geldof and Pierre van Hiele. Another driving force for this dissertation is research into mathematics textbooks and curriculum standards of school mathematics as seen in CCSSM and state specific standards documents, both of which influence the mathematics students have the opportunity to learn.

The K-8 geometry curriculum standards and textbook instructional segments …

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Use Of Spatial Diagrams: Investigations Of Unbounded Shearing On Solid Figures, Camden G. Bock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mithala and Balacheff (2019) describe three difficulties with two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional geometrical objects: “it is no longer possible to confuse the representation with the object itself,” visually observed relationships can be misleading, and analysis of the representation requires the use of lower-dimensional theoretical properties. Despite these difficulties, students are routinely expected to learn about three-dimensional figures through interacting with two-dimensional inscriptions. Three-dimensional alternatives include diagrams realized through various spatial inscriptions (e.g., Dimmel & Bock, 2019; Gecu-Parmaksiz & Delialioglu, 2019; Lai, McMahan, Kitagawa & Connolly, 2016; Ng and Sinclair, 2018). Such diagrams are three-dimensional in the sense that they occupy …

Perceptions Of Physics Teachers In Singapore About Curriculum Sequencing, Lay Lean Fong

Doctoral Dissertations

Curricular sequencing is central to instruction design and enactment. If carefully planned for, the order of topics to be taught would determine how the fundamentals of the discipline can be presented and introduced to learners, in a sequence that eases them into more complex ways of reasoning and thinking about the domain. These sequences or learning progressions often reflect the experts’ conceptual schemas of the discipline and are conceived as strategic models for instruction (Duschl et al., 2011).

The varied findings from current research on learning progressions underscore the complexity of teaching and learning, and imply that even ‘well-crafted’, standards-based, …

Digital Simulations For Grade 7 To 10 Mathematics, Ma. Louise Antonette N. De Las Peñas, Debbie Marie Verzosa, Maria Alva Q. Aberin, Len Patrick Dominic M. Garces, Flordeliza F. Francisco, Evangeline P. Bautista, Mark Anthony C. Tolentino, Winfer C. Tabares

Mathematics Faculty Publications

This article describes a Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology (DOST-PCIEERD) project aimed to facilitate the implementation of the mathematical objectives raised by the Department of Education’s (DepEd) K to 12 program in the Philippines through the use of innovative digital technologies. In particular, a selection of application software (“apps”) were created for Grade 7 to 10 mathematics that covered topics indicated in the five strands outlined in the K to 12 program – namely (1) number, (2) geometry, (3) measurement, (4) patterns and algebra, and (5) statistics and probability. The design …

The Effectiveness Of Dynamic Mathematical Software In The Instruction Of The Unit Circle, Edward Simons

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study is attempting to test the effectiveness of dynamic computer models such as GeoGebra and Desmos on high school students’ ability to understand key concepts with regards to the introduction of unit circle and the graphing of the sine and cosine functions.

Algebra two high school students of varying ages were chosen and randomly placed into two groups. Both groups were given the same pre-assessment and an identical lesson. The two groups’ only difference occurred with the individual student practice portion of the lesson where one group did ‘traditional’ paper and pencil practice for graphing and solving while the …

The Pedagogical Impact Of Secondary Science Teacher Efficacy On Blended Learning Implementation: A Phenomenological Study, Allison Willemin

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

As new pedagogical approaches, such as blended learning, are implemented in classrooms, it is important to properly prepare the teachers to ensure fidelity of implementation. The descriptive phenomenological study examined the influence of secondary science teacher efficacy on overcoming obstacles and sustaining the Blended Learning pedagogical approach at a high school in the southern United States. Using purposeful sampling based on specific criteria nine teachers were selected to participate in the study. Through two interviews and a focus group, the researcher collected data based on the participants’ shared experience of implementing the flipped classroom instructional model. The data was themed …

The Impact Of Edwards V. Aguillard On Science Education In Louisiana Public Schools, Abigail Mcdonough

Senior Honors Theses

The landmark Louisiana case Edwards v. Aguillard ushered in a new era of legislation in which certain ideas are discriminated against because of their religious basis. Due to the Court’s misinterpretation of evidence and employment of a faulty test for a secular purpose, the Court is responsible for disastrous and far-reaching implications. This thesis will examine how the 1987 Supreme Court case Aguillard shifted American science education away from the exploration of multiple competing theories of man’s origins in the classroom. Although America was founded on principles such as freedom of religion and thought which should be protected, the Aguillard …

Understanding Second Grader’S Computational Thinking Skills In Robotics Through Their Individual Traits, Youngkyun Baek, Dazhi Yang, Yibo Fan

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigated the relationship between the personal traits and computational thinking skills of second graders within the context of robotics activities. The hypothesized model showed that learning preference, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy were the main predictors of coding achievement and computational thinking skills, while no direct relationship was found between learning preference, intrinsic, or extrinsic motivation. The final path analysis revealed that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation predict self-efficacy, self-efficacy predicts coding achievement, and coding achievement predicts computational thinking skills. Another important finding was the strong impact of self-efficacy on coding achievement as well as computational thinking skills. Results are …

Ratios And Proportional Reasoning Representations In Open Educational Resources, Keisha L. Albritton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed Open Educational Resource (OER) textbooks to determine similarities and differences between the resources in relation to the content addressing ratio and proportional reasoning standards. This study also analyzed whether the selected resources provided opportunities for students to engage with the Standards for Mathematical Practice. Data were collected from tasks within the 6th and 7th-grade textbooks from Engage NY, Open Up Resources and Utah Middle School Math Project. Each task was analyzed according to frameworks from Van de Walle (2007), Lamon (2012), Lesh et al. (1988) Tall and Vinner (1981), and Hunsader et al. (2014). The tasks were …

The Impact Of Structural Supports On The Success Of Students Of Color In The K-16 Educational System, Brandis Jones, Sherry Holmes

Dissertations

Collective Abstract

This collective dissertation contains the efforts of two practitioners in the field of education who possess a shared vision for designing student experiences with the mission of preparing all students for success in secondary and post-secondary education. The researchers believed that by creating structural supports for students in underserved populations, these same students will increase their educational attainment and access to long-term career opportunities. With successful completion of postsecondary education and with increased career opportunities, students can improve their lives, their families’ lives and the lives of members of their community.

Many students struggled on their educational journeys …

Exploring Teacher Candidates' Facilitation Of Common Core Mathematical Practice Three, Andrea Scalzo Willson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM, 2010), refer to eight distinct Mathematical Practices describing what students should be doing for optimal learning during mathematics lessons. Specifically, Mathematical Practice 3 (MP3), “construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others” (CCSSM, 2010, para 4), posits students who are proficient in mathematics are able to compare different solutions, distinguish correct and logically sound answers from those that are incorrect and then explain why the solution is incorrect (CCSSM, 2010). MP3 requires teachers to provide opportunities for students to engage in discussions beyond just “show and tell” talk to develop a …

Environmental Explorations: Integrating Project-Based Learning And Civic Engagement Through An Afterschool Program, Rachel Farmer, Nakayla Greene, Kristen H. Perry, Cindy Jong

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study examined the Community Super Investigators Club, through which we aimed to apply mathematics and literacy skills by using project-based learning (PBL) to investigate elementary students’ interest in learning how to improve the environment for animals. PBL is a teaching method used to improve critical thinking skills around a project that is based on students’ questions. The study used a mixed-method design to examine the following research questions: How do students engage in PBL on topics relevant to their community in an afterschool club? How can critical math and literacy skills be integrated with community engagement? How did the …

Alignment Of Theoretically Grounded Constructs For The Measurement Of Science And Chemistry Identity, Kathryn Nicole Hosbein, Jack Barbera

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Identity has been theorized to aid in student persistence within STEM disciplines. In this study, science and chemistry identity were defined as being recognized as a science or chemistry person within the classroom. To generalize the effects that identity has on student persistence, a measurable construct must be defined, operationalized, and tested in multiple settings with different populations. This project addressed the first step in the process, defining the construct and grounding it in an established theoretical framework. This qualitative project utilized a previously described physics identity framework, with sub-constructs of performance/competence, recognition, and interest, as a starting point for …

The Role Of Number Writing In Early Math Readiness, Giselle Hernandez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how number writing in a class of low-income, pre-kindergarten children (N = 15) developed over the course of a school year, and to see what role that development played in their overall math readiness. This study used a mixed-methods approach. The target class was explicitly taught number writing as part of an early math intervention. Scores on a number writing inventory, and two math readiness assessments (Number Knowledge assessment, State of Florida VPK Assessment) were compared at the end of the year, both within the intervention group, and with a matched …