Education Commons^™

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 …

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 …

Tribal Colleges: Influences On Native American Students Completing Stem Degrees, Daniel J. Henry

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the experiences of 13 Native American higher education students attending a Tribal College and University (TCU) and pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The case study also investigated a focus group of TCU faculty members who taught STEM courses. The case study also contains an observation of 13 Native American students during a bridge program activity at a TCU, used as a recruitment tool and preparation strategy for potential STEM students. The research was intended to explore the influence and strategies currently employed by TCUs to help Native American students successfully …

How Can Zoo Educators Help Individuals In A Community Develop A Deeper Connection To Wildlife, Conservation And The Environment Through Specific Education Programming?, Allison Budnick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that as early as the 1960s, zoos have begun to shift their primary focus from a recreational standpoint to one that is deeply rooted in education, conservation and environmental awareness. Education programming has become an avenue for zoo visitors to gain reliable information about animals, develop awareness about critical species, and understand the human impact on the environment and how our actions can effect change. The curriculum designed for this project enables zoo educators to present a meaningful educational experience in a zoo setting. Each program focuses on a different animal species, allowing for diversity within the …

A Better Understanding Through The Use Of The Nature Journal, Carol L. Anderson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper examines the positive impact that spending time in the natural world has on students. In reviewing the history of environmental education in the United States, the importance of nature on human development, and the impact that journaling and reflective thought processes have in education, this capstone sought to expand upon the research and encourage using nature journals to affect children’s perceptions of the natural world and their place within it. While journaling can facilitate communication, self-expression and personal development, it is also a way to enhance learning by connecting background knowledge to new information, analyzing and synthesizing ideas …

A Culturally Relevant Earth Science Curriculum: Engaging Students In Socioscientific Issues Through Socratic Seminars, Colin Matthew Gettle

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone project is: How can Socratic seminars be used as a culturally relevant tool to increase student engagement and science literacy? This capstone project is based largely off the work of Gloria Ladson-Billings, who promoted the critical idea of culturally responsive teaching in all classrooms to promote equity and social engagement. Through the lens of culturally responsive pedagogy, this project aims to address the large engagement gaps that exist in many diverse academic settings. Specifically, the project is a set of three 8th grade Earth science units. Each unit addresses Minnesota State Eighth Grade …

Movement In Elementary Education, Elizabete Bosse

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Movement in Education explores the impact of movement on the quality of a student’s learning experience in education. This thesis is the culmination of four years of study from 2019-2023 in East Tennessee State University’s education and dance programs. Participating in these programs has provided me with many opportunities to explore the impacts of movement pedagogy in elementary education. The research portion of this thesis focuses on the educational benefits of incorporating movement into classroom activities and assessments. The experiential portion of this thesis focuses on both observations and data collected from students in a 3rd grade classroom who participated …

The Reduction Of Stormwater Runoff Pollution Through Community Service Efforts, Dana Damm

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Damm, D. The Reduction of Stormwater Runoff Pollution Through Community Service Efforts (2019) This capstone project creates a curriculum unit for 8th grade Earth Science students. It utilizes traditional instructional techniques to convey standards-based information and then it elaborates in more detail using hands-on laboratory experiences, modeling and community service work. The goal of this project is to educate students about the water cycle, watersheds, city utilities and the value of community service. Students will work with local residents to adopt storm drains and maintain them in order to prevent runoff pollution from entering the watershed. By encouraging students to …

Integrating Augmented Reality Into Place Based Native Tree Identification, Chase Evertz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that the number of students using cellphones for school is increasing and there are many positive reasons to use apps and other technology to help students in their learning. The needs of the 21st century students are changing and educators need to meet those needs by planning engaging lessons with more technology to better prepare students for life after high school. This project will help address the question, does the use of cell phones outdoors by 12th grade experiential environmental education students have a positive effect on the learning process? This curriculum guide is designed for a …

Integration Of Social Studies And/Or Science Within Your Literacy Workshop Model: A Professional Development Presentation, Karry Helgestad

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question examined for this capstone was “How does the integration of science and/or social studies standards with language arts standards impact the reading comprehension of upper elementary students? Topics explored in the literature review were different models of integration, such as CORI - Concept of Oriented Reading Instruction; Science IDEAs - In-Depth Expanded Application of Science; Dr. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences; and project-based learning. Additional literature was examined on how background knowledge and vocabulary impact reading comprehension. A teacher professional development workshop was developed as the project to educate teachers about the benefits of integrated instruction. …

Increasing The Participation And Success Of Struggling Students In High School Physics Courses, Ian O'Neill

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

O’Neill, I. Increasing the Participation and Success of Struggling Students in High School Physics Courses (2019) Physics is the most mathematically complex science course offered in the high school setting. Due to the higher level of mathematical proficiency needed to succeed in physics, it is common for school districts to place it as the final science course offered to high school students. Minnesota only requires students to take three years of science in order to graduate and has no specific requirement for physics. This has led to low enrollment and the negative stigma that physics is an unnecessary and difficult …

Strategies To Enhance The Positive Effects Of Bilingualism, Danielle Mcmillan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Supporting bilingual students is critical not only for the bilingual students but also for monolingual students. Prominent bilingualism in the classroom can translate to higher test scores, increased engagement, and long-term impacts on brain agility. This capstone project seeks to answer the question: What strategies are available to educators to enhance the positive effects of bilingualism in their students? The final result of this project is a website which includes a series of strategies focused on the four domains of language which seeks to meet the educational needs of both bilingual and mainstream students. The website includes a description of …

What A Waste! A Secondary Environmental Science Unit On Waste Reduction And Management, Megan Wagner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This writing serves as an introductory unit to waste management and reduction to be used in a high school urban environmental education classroom. The research question for this capstone was, does teaching environmental science through waste reduction and management in an urban classroom affect student engagement and connection? The research outlined in this paper explores and examines the concept of an urban classroom environment, the importance of teaching environmental science, and tools and materials to incorporate a unit on waste into an environmental science course. The paper goes on to explain the importance of educating students about the waste crisis …

How Place-Based Education Increases Student Interpretation Of Minnesota's Landscape And Geologic Processes, Jessica Strom

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Gaining perspective on one’s surroundings comes in many ways. One method to connect students to their local area and help them develop a sense of place is through place-based education. Making scientific-based observations and interpretations of a physical landscape and also interviewing community members can help students build an understanding of an area’s past and can help students make better educated decisions about how to take care of an area in the future. This capstone paper and curriculum unit project addressed the topic of how place-based education increases student interpretation of Minnesota's landscape and geologic processes. Place-based education is a …

Teaching Chemistry Through An Environmental Science Lens And The Effect Of Student Understanding And Motivation In Learning High School Science, Sara Peterson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that on average, student motivation for secondary sciences, especially physical sciences, decreases from ages nine to seventeen due to a perceived lack of connection to content. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on using socio-scientific issues (SSI) to relate an introductory knowledge of chemistry to environmental examples. Using SSI and real world, environmental examples has been shown to increase student understanding and interest in secondary science content. The project has combined the two to create a curriculum which lends to both socio-scientific issues and environmental examples to increase scientific relevancy in students. The curriculum will be …

A Curriculum Design For Emergent English Language Learners In Middle School Science, Allison Simpson

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project is to design a curriculum for emergent English Language Learners (ELLs). This subgroup of students typically comes from a different educational background and speaks a different native language than native English-speaking students. This presents a challenge for educators to include modifications to their current curriculum. While most curricula include modifications for educators to use, they are usually not at the level Emergent ELLs need to be successful in the classroom. This curriculum focuses on emergent level students in the middle school science classroom. The research question is How do we meet emergent ELL students …

Action Research: Effective Ways To Group Students In A Middle School Classroom, Shawna Russell

Honors Projects

Effectively grouping students based on the lesson, activity, interests or ability is one of the most challenging things to do in a middle school classroom. This Action Research explores the effectiveness of flexible grouping students in a fifth- grade science classroom, and the impact on the students’ learning and engagement. Students were grouped four ways: mixed readiness, same readiness, learner profile, and interest. Six focus students were selected to be interviewed before and after implementing each method for grouping. Formative assessments and learner profile and interest surveys were used to flexibly group the students and create appropriate and engaging lessons. …

Formative Assessment As A Method To Improve Student Performance In The Sciences, Natalie Miller

Honors Projects

This study focused on utilizing formative assessment to shape student understanding and teaching practices in a junior high science classroom. Students were given a pre-test as a method of formative assessment and their results on the pre-assessment before instruction were compared to their performance on a modified post-test. Students received direct instruction, completed an independent project, and responded to daily “bellringer” questions as a form of additional formative assessment before taking the post-test. Students showed marked improvement on the post-test as average scores increased from a 35.7 percent to a 94.4 percent.

Self-Efficacy And Stem Career Interest In Black And Latino Middle School Students: A Study On The Next Generation Science Standards, Whitney Mccormick

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

With only 11% of the current Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) workforce being Black and Latino men and women, there is a crisis of underrepresented individuals in STEM fields. The construction of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the mantra “all standards, all students,” represents an attempt to increase access to science for more students, and increase their self-efficacy about STEM subjects, as low self-efficacy is cited as one of the main causes of disinterest in STEM subjects. This study examined the relationship between students’ self-efficacy in STEM fields and their career interests, specifically in a population of …

Learning Science In A Second Language, Alisha Tomsen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project addresses the question, how to enrich and expand the vocabulary of kindergarteners in a Spanish immersion program through science lessons and science-focused learning objectives. The project was born from the author’s experience as a language-immersion primary teacher and her desire to create a space for more science in the classroom while also facilitating target language growth. Literature concerning second language acquisition, language immersion education, inquiry-based learning, national science standards, and connections between science and literacy were researched and consulted to create this project. A five-part professional development was created, directed towards primary-level immersion educators that focuses on supporting …

Roots And S.T.E.M.: A Greenhouse Science Curriculum, Jaclyne Jandro

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project addressed the question, how do I design a winter greenhouse curriculum for our high-school aged after-school internship program at Urban Roots that will be highly engaging, increase scientific understanding, and make our interns better farmers? With an exploration into the state of science education in the U.S., available greenhouse curriculum, the benefits of agricultural education, and greenhouse growing practices, and major influences from Larson, Bellevue, and Coleman, a sixteen week greenhouse and science curriculum for high-school aged youth was created. Each week consists of a three-hour, hands-on, inquiry-based lesson with focus on the scientific method and creating a …

Authentic Science Curriculum In An Alternative High School Setting, Julia Brunner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that when students are exposed to authentic inquiry-based curriculum they are more motivated and engaged in the content they are learning. The curriculum designed for this project utilizes Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe’s theory of the need to integrate differentiation and the curriculum model of Understanding by Design. Students in Alternative Learning Programs (AEPs), often have negative experiences within education. Apathy and learning gaps are huge obstacles that need to be overcome in this setting. The project involved creating a curriculum that allowed for individualized learning and more student autonomy in their learning. Using the MN …

Nature Journal Activity Guide - Grades 3-5, Jennifer Ann Hengel

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

If we want adults that are stewards for the environment, we need to include nature in education when they are younger so they can understand and appreciate the natural world. This need prompted the question, How do we utilize nature journals for school-age children to increase students’ understanding and appreciation of the natural world? Prior research has pointed to the benefits of teaching nature to youth, as well as the benefits of journaling in education. Nature journaling covers both sides of this equation, and helps foster sense of place and experiential learning. This capstone project was an activity guide similar …

Using Novels In The Science Classroom To Increase Literacy In Middle School Students, Elizabeth Mae Das

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Literacy in science is an important aspect of a student’s education. However, it is often not explicitly taught by teachers. The material chosen for reading is typically from a textbook, boring, and difficult to comprehend for most students due to the large number of low occurrence vocabulary words and sentence complexity. This is especially true of ELL students who are still developing their general vocabulary. This project was chosen after working in a school with a student population of over 90% ELL students who are mostly below grade level in reading. The research question for this project was how does …

Substituting Traditional Homework With Outdoor Experiences, David Czepa

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has expressed that traditional homework has more negative effects associated with it than positive ones. Scholars have also concluded that frequent exposure to the outdoors greatly helps in the social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and educational development of students of all ages, especially younger ones. This project takes time to answer the question: How can creating and substituting outdoor experiences for traditional homework increase the time students choose to spend outside when not in school? The curriculum designed for this project focuses on utilizing academic instruction during school hours to expose and educate children on the wonders and sophistication of …

Inquiry-Based Learning Science Curriculum For Kindergarteners, Meghan Brady

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project answers the question: How can teachers utilize inquiry-based learning while assessing success in kindergarten science education? The focus of this project was to explore inquiry to aide students in developing a deep understanding of science standards. Many different research studies were reviewed to explore the importance of science education in early elementary school. The research focuses on the areas of Next Generation Science Standards, inquiry-based learnings, and assessments. The project is a two-week unit designed to instruct kindergarten students in the Next Generation Science Standards of weather, engineering, and Earth systems. The major learnings, limitations, and benefits to …

Inquiry-Based Learning As A Strategy To Support Student Success, Jana L. Lepage-Kljajic

Major Papers

In this paper, I look at inquiry-based learning within mathematics and science in the Ontario educational system while making connections to Ontario’s 21^st Century Competencies foundation document. Further to this, I researched whether it might be beneficial for English Language Learners to integrate language and content through inquiry, and also review recommendations on how to best implement this approach. I endeavored to uncover what the current research says about how this pedagogical strategy might be used to support all learners in mathematics and science, and also the associated challenges with implementation of an inquiry approach. This was done through …

College Students’ Experiences With High School Science: Promoting Interest And Achievement In Science, Monica Wyman

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Research in the past ten years has shown that there has been a lack of professionals to fill the jobs available in science. One possible reason for the lack of participation in science fields lies in students’ beliefs in their ability to do science, or science self-efficacy, which is linked to interest and achievement. Their perceptions of science are influenced by prior achievement and experiences, and serve as predictors of future interest and achievement. Since teachers provide much of early scientific experiences, this research looked at the impact of specific instructional practices as well as background factors influencing student attitudes …

Effect Of Service-Learning Participation On High School Attendance And Science Achievement, Julia Roscoe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students at an alternative high school located in a northern Midwest state demonstrated low science achievement and high rates of student absenteeism. Students who do not attend school regularly and achieve in science courses are at risk of not graduating from high school, so teachers at the study school implemented a 16-day service-learning project embedded in a Grade 10 environmental science unit. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of 10th-grade students' participation in the service-learning project on student science achievement and attendance. The theoretical framework was Kearsley and Shneiderman's engagement theory. Archival data from school and …

Using Short-Term Professional Development To Increase Science Teacher Confidence For Integrating The Ngss Engineering Standards, Janet Lalonde

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Teacher professional development has long been acknowledged as a useful tool to improve instructional methods and to increase the likelihood of successful implementation of new standards. The duration of the training is often identified as a factor that determines how successful professional development experiences can be, with the best options taking place over several days and for more than 40 hours. However, with serious limitations in time, funding, and substitute teachers, districts must often consider offering short-term professional development instead.

This case study followed a professional development experience of seven high school science teachers as they spent a day learning …