Education Commons^™

Out Of School Time Science Programs: Examining A Program’S Impacts On The Science Identities Of Middle School Female Participants, Elizabeth Ripley Mactavish

Doctoral Dissertations

Science education reform efforts emphasize teaching science for all Americans, and identify scientific literacy as the principle goal of science education (American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS], 1993; National Research Council [NRC], 1996). Despite the goal of scientific literacy, some students, especially females and minorities, consider science irrelevant to their personal interests or career goals. Additionally, research pinpoints middle school as a period when female students begin to lose interest in science (Farenga, 1999; Hill et al., 2010).

Decades of research have documented the gender achievement gap, yet little research has been focused on the science identity gap …

Teacher And Student Perceptions On High School Science Flipped Classrooms: Educational Breakthrough Or Media Hype?, Rebecca C. Hunley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For years educators have struggled to ensure students meet the rigors of state mandated tests. Challenges that often impede student success are student absences, school closings due to weather, and remediation for students who need additional help while advanced students can move ahead. Many educators, especially secondary math and science teachers, have responded to these issues by implementing a teaching strategy called the flipped classroom where students view lectures, power points, or podcasts outside of school and class time shifts to allow opportunities for collaborative learning.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate teacher and student perceptions of high …

Undergraduate Motivations For Choosing A Science, Technology, Engineering, Or Mathematics (Stem) Major, Preston Taylor Mitchell

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

A Meta-Analysis Of Middle School Science Engagement, Leanna B. Aker

Education Dissertations

Researchers and educational practitioners have long been concerned with declines in science engagement reported by students as they transition into the middle school setting. Though the operationalization of engagement is still nascent, an emerging consensus on a three-faceted model of student engagement has recently emerged in the research literature (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). Thus, a synthesis of existing primary research of early adolescents’ science engagement under this emerging conceptualization was warranted. The results of this meta-analysis indicate that instructional methods, class characteristics and competence predictors had the strongest relationship with self-reported science engagement in early adolescence. These predictors also …

The Relationship Of General Science Grades To Program Completion In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Catherine Edlebeck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High attrition of nursing students in the United States may contribute to a shortage of registered nurses and inefficient use of scarce resources. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between nursing student grades in 3 science prerequisites and length of time to program completion on each of the study college's 4 campuses. Ausubel's theory of subsumption, wherein a learner's ability to meaningfully learn new data depends on the existing cognitive structure within which the new material is assimilated, was used as a theoretical framework. Prerequisite science course grades for 575 nursing students attending a Midwestern technical …

Teachers' Perceptions Of African American Middle School Girls' Interest In Mathematics And Science, Bonnie Marie Best

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research into African American female underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has become an area of interest due to the fact that a majority of African American middle school females do not possess the high levels of mathematics and science knowledge because of social and cultural barriers both inside and outside school that challenge their academic success. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore teachers' shared, lived experiences of teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school girls. Delgado and Stefancic's critical race theory, Pratt-Clarke's critical race feminism, and Baker-Miller's relational-cultural theory …

Preschool Teachers' Attitudes And Beliefs Toward Science, Sharon Henry Lloyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, a current initiative, Advancing Active STEM Education for Our Youngest Learners, aims to advance science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in early childhood. The purpose of this study was to understand preschool teachers' proficiency with science and address the problem of whether or not science learning opportunities are provided to young children based on teachers' attitudes and beliefs. A theoretical framework for establishing teachers' attitudes toward science developed by van Aalderen-Smeets, van der Molen, and Asma, along with Bandura's theory of self-efficacy were the foundations for this research. Research questions explored preschool teachers' attitudes and …

Argumentation In Science Class: Its Planning, Practice, And Effect On Student Motivation, Anju Taneja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown an association between argumentative discourse in science class, better understanding of science concepts, and improved academic performance. However, there is lack of research on how argumentation can increase student motivation. This mixed methods concurrent nested study uses Bandura's construct of motivation and concepts of argumentation and formative feedback to understand how teachers orchestrate argumentation in science class and how it affects motivation. Qualitative data was collected through interviews of 4 grade-9 science teachers and through observing teacher-directed classroom discourse. Classroom observations allowed the researcher to record the rhythm of discourse by characterizing teacher and student speech as …

Revealing Undergraduates' Conceptual Use Of The Nature Of Science When Evaluating Scientific Information In The Media, Michele A. Snyder

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explored undergraduate students’ conceptual use of the nature of science (NOS) when evaluating scientific information presented in the media. Cognitive flexibility theory was used to explain how NOS understanding can be transferred to new learning situations such as those presented in the media. A mixed methods approach was used to assess participants’ NOS conception. Pre and post NOS conceptions were measured using the Student Understanding of Science and Scientific Inquiry (SUSSI) questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to explore the level of NOS conception (naïve, transitional, informed) college-level non-science majors have about NOS and what impact, if any, does …

One-To-One Ipad Technology In The Middle School Mathematics And Science Classrooms, Sharon G. Bixler

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become an emphasized component of PreK-12 education in the United States. The US is struggling to produce enough science, mathematics, and technology experts to meet its national and global needs, and the mean scores of science and mathematics students are not meeting the expected levels desired by our leaders (Hossain & Robinson, 2011). In an effort to improve achievement scores in mathematics and science, school districts must consider many components that can contribute to the development of a classroom where students are engaged and growing academically. Computer technology (CT) for student use …

How Can The 5-E Learning Cycle Model Of Instruction Be Used To Develop A Differentiated Science Unit On Evolution Based On Six Minnesota Evolution Standards?, Monica Christine Digre

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can the 5-E Learning Cycle Model of Instruction be used to develop a differentiated science unit on evolution based on six Minnesota evolution standards? The capstone documents a middle school life science teacher’s experience developing a curriculum for teaching evolution in a nontraditional way. The author explores the difficulties in teaching evolution with a traditional approach by researching experts in the field of both Evolutionary Biology and secondary science instruction. Through the use of the 5-E Learning Cycle Model of Instruction, the author develops an inquiry-based and hands-on curriculum to teach …

How Can The Relationship Between Climate Change And The Coast Redwood Forest Be Incorporated Into Fifth And Sixth Grade Environmental Education Programs?, Dorea Eve Martin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The question for this research is: how can the relationship between climate change and the coast redwood forest be incorporated into fifth and sixth grade environmental education programs? Climate change is a real, global problem, and this capstone is intended as a resource for environmental educators to incorporate climate change into their programs. It includes a literature review of scientific research on climate change impacts on coast redwood forests and presents a lesson plan for teaching climate change in the redwood setting. The lesson plan covers basic climate science, dendrochronology, and carbon footprints, and was conducted at Westminster Woods, a …

The Confluence Of Stem Education And Language Learning: Curriculum Integration To Benefit Language Learners, Christian Joseph Engelbret

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The number of elementary STEM schools has risen dramatically in the last decade. The national government has identified goals for preparing learners for the workforce in the STEM areas, while also decreasing the achievement gap between white students and their non-white peers. This research paper seeks to answer three central questions: 1) How can these various STEM disciplines be integrated in an effective and meaningful manner to improve both academic language and content area knowledge of English Learners? 2) What lesson design format best prepares teachers to implement a project-based or integrated curriculum? 3) How can partnerships between higher education …

Investigating Teachers' Content Knowledge And Pedogogical Content Knowledge In A Middle School Physical Science Curriculum On Force And Motion, Daniel Patrick Laverty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching is a profession that requires the incorporation of many types of knowledge in order to create effective instructional experiences that promote student learning. Teachers need to blend their knowledge of the content with the methods for delivering that content and an understanding of their students' thinking. With increasing concern in the United States over student achievement in science and mathematics, there is ongoing discussion about which elements of teacher knowledge most directly correlate with effective instruction. How do specific strands of teacher knowledge blend to influence student learning outcomes? This study explores the roles of teacher content knowledge (CK) …

Analysis Of Nominalization In Elementary And Middle School Science Textbooks, Breanna Marie Mueller

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research in this capstone examines the existence and implications of nominalizations through a text analysis of first through fifth grade and middle school science textbooks. This study utilizes various tools based on Systemic Functional Linguistics to determine the quantity and types of nominalizations found in various text levels, to reveal how frequently nominalizations are modified by a prepositional phrase that shows agency or force, to uncover how nominalization might affect the syntax and semantics of a text, and to deduce how nominalization might contribute to lexical density. The author also compares the results to address what nominalizations look like …

Impacting Science Observation Skills Through Drawing Training, Andrew Keith Hale

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research addressed was, how does drawing training impact the observational abilities of students? The list of motivating factors for this capstone includes students exhibiting a lack of ability to sit still and observe details of the world around them as well as exhibiting a lack of ability to design and communicate through drawings used in engineering. The author teaches art and science and has experienced these deficiencies. The author used an in-class project currently in the curriculum as the basis for the research. This project involved observing a reptile habitat as a subject for drawing. Betty Edwards’ book Drawing …

Use Of Inquiry-Based Learning In A Content-Based Physical Science Course For English Language Learners, Otto Joseph Kraus

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can inquiry-based learning be used in a content-based physical science class for English language learners? The project provides one teacher’s creation of seven lessons that incorporate inquiry-based learning techniques into a content-based physical science course for English language learners. The lessons are intended to concurrently teach state physical science standards and WIDA language standards. The methods and rationale for the lessons are based on the importance of experience to the learning of language (Jackson, 2013; Robinson, 2011), as well as the overlapping pedagogies of inquiry learning and language learning, known as …

Variables In The Introduction Of The Species, Streptocephalus Sealii, Spinytail Fairy Shrimp Into A Local Seasonal Wetland, Jane Anne Porterfield

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this capstone is what factors play a role in the introduction of a wingless aquatic invertebrate to a recently restored mitigation wetland. The motivation for this capstone was the discovery of a fairy shrimp, Streptocephalus sealii in a Rosemount, Minnesota wetland in 2012. This organism was previously recorded from two other sites in Minnesota at least 35 miles from this location. Its appearance in a mitigation wetland generated questions as to whether restoration materials brought in the species or the mitigation created the environment in which the organism could thrive. This study investigates both of …

Presenting Evolution In Public Schools; Is It Indisputable?, Paul Andrew Erdman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed is, how do 10 public school teachers present the theory of evolution? The motivation of this capstone was my experience with teachers presenting evolution (all life having evolved from a simple single celled organism) to students as indisputable, and the seemingly lack of discussion about any problems with the theory or unanswered questions. A key influence was an older sibling, a mechanical engineer, who often provides scientific answers for me and provided many resources that challenge the so-called indisputability and possibilities of evolution. This study interviewed 10 public school teachers to identify how they present the …

The Effect Of The Mastery Learning Approach On Student Motivation In Middle Level Science, Phillip Jeffrey Hutcheson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed was, How does mastery learning approach affect the motivation of students in a middle level science classroom? The project studied a group of 7th grade students' motivation as they completed a science unit using the mastery learning approach. Data were collected through pre- and post-surveys, observation, and assessment of benchmarks. The collected data showed that students had an increase in motivation after the mastery learning approach. Students' self reported motivation increased. The observed behaviors indicating motivation occurred more frequently. In the assessments, over seventy percent of all students showed mastery of the benchmarks. This paper provides …

Food Waste And Behavior Change Through Project-Based Learning, Patrick Cary Crawford

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to find if food waste behavior can be changed through project-based learning. Food is a valuable resource that is being thrown into landfills; I question how we can change that? After compiling research on food waste, pro-environmental behavioral psychology, and project based learning I have constructed a theoretical framework that can be used to teach behavior change through project-based learning. The following were created to attain this goal: (a) a project unit plan, (b) assessments designed to evaluate students content knowledge on food waste, and (c) assessments designed to evaluate students pro-environmental behavior based on Blake, 1999. …

Assessing High School Science Students’ Abilities To Use Cross Cutting Literacy Skills And Scientific Argumentative Writing Skills In A Mid-Western School District, Ellen M. Karel

Masters Theses

This study sought to determine to what extent a centrally focused initiative concentrated on how to teach students to not just write, but how to think, read, and speak about real world problems in a persuasive manner based on multiple sets of data related to science concepts, increased scientific argumentative writing proficiencies among high school students. A secondary area this study attempted to explore was the correlation between the implemented processes in the initiative and high school students’ scientific argumentative writing proficiencies. The study was conducted in a mid-western high school, population 1,088, with a select group of students in …

Transformative Professional Development: Unraveling The Complexities Of Knowledge, Practice, And Beliefs, Janette Smith

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of a comprehensive professional development project focused on inquiry-based integrated lessons to improve the quality of science instruction for elementary teachers. Eleven teachers from three Northwest school districts participated in this quasi-experimental design study. A focus of the study was to investigate the intricate relationship between four components of a professional development model: the professional development intervention, teacher practice, student outcomes, and teachers’ self-efficacy for science instruction. Five different measures were used both before and after the intervention: The Local Systemic Change Observation Protocol, a content knowledge assessment, a self-efficacy survey, a student content test, …

The Educational Benefits Of Cultural Institutions, Brian Kisida

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A significant portion of the education children receive occurs outside of the traditional classroom and produces outcomes not typically captured by standardized achievement tests. This dissertation is part of an effort to expand the educational venues and outcomes educational researchers rigorously examine. In particular, I present the key results from experimental studies of the effects of school tours to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR., and to the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, AR.

Chapter 1 focuses on arts exposure and critical thinking outcomes. A problem for the arts’ role in education has been a …

Differentiation In The Classroom Using Chromebooks And Google Applications, Allison Carney

Honors Projects

The purpose of this research was to differentiate using Chromebook and Google technology to improve engagement and grades in the classroom. Chromebooks have been implemented into classrooms all over the country, but the use of Google applications in order to differentiate instruction and assessment is not as prominent in schools. I created four assignments on the Chromebooks that differentiated instruction and assessment based on interest and ability levels. I used a total of six applications and differentiated for forty-four students in a sixth grade math and science classroom. I found that differentiating using Chromebooks and Google applications boosted student engagement, …

Exit Tickets' Effect On Engagement And Concept Attainment In High School Science, Amy Mastromonaco

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Many high school students struggle to stay engaged in their science class. As a result, student learning often suffers. The purpose of this study was to implement one additional strategy (Exit Tickets) to the teacher’s pedagogy in order to help better engage students and promote student learning. The teacher then evaluated the efficacy of the strategy by: comparing both participant behavioral engagement and assessment results prior to and during/after the implementation of the Exit Tickets. The data was disaggregated to compare students who were typically behaviorally disengaged to those who were consistently behaviorally engaged so as to better determine the …

Adoption, Adaptation, And Abandonment: Appropriation Of Science Education Professional Development Learning, Max L. Longhurst

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding factors that influence teachers to use certain practices from training they receive will help improve learning experiences for students. This study examined how two teachers with the same teacher training experience use learning from that training in their instruction differently. This research attempted to account for multiple factors that influenced teachers learning. Educator’s incorporation of teaching practices can vary from teacher to teacher and from training to training. This variability is understood in terms of their appropriation of new teaching practices into their teaching and delivery of learning. Two teachers were selected as a result of their participation in …

The Relationship Between Teacher Collaboration And Teachers' Level Of Knowledge, Implementation, And Confidence Related To Common Core State Standards For Literacy In History/Social Studies, Science And Technical Subject Areas, Talia Shaunte' Lock

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between elements of teacher collaboration and teachers’ level of knowledge, level of implementation, and level of confidence related to CCSS for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subject Areas in grades 6-12. The study included an extensive literature that included an introduction, pertinent literature and research regarding literacy in the 21^st century, CCSS, cross curriculum, teacher collaboration, the role of leadership, and the theoretical framework. The study also included the methodology, research results, the conclusions, recommendations for policymakers and practitioners, and recommendations for further research.

It was discovered …

The Perceived Effectiveness Of Mixed Reality Experiences In A Master Of Arts In Teaching (Mat) Program For Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Degreed Individuals, Chana Speir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived effectiveness of mixed reality experiences on resident teachers who successfully completed an undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) degree and were enrolled in a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program as part of RTP3 at a large research university in Orlando, Florida. The population for this study consisted of those selected to be in the RTP3, which included being in the Masters in the Art of Teaching (MAT) and becoming a middle or high school science, mathematics, or engineering teacher. The resident teachers experienced mixed reality as …

An Examination Of The Relationship Among Iraqi High School Students' Science Achievement And Perceptions Of The Value Of Education, Parent Support, And Peer Support In The United States, Samir F. Al-Mandwee

Wayne State University Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to quantitatively study Iraqi students (N=90) who arrived in the U.S.A. in the last 20 years. A non-experimental, descriptive research design was used for this study, which took place in one of three high schools in a large Midwestern suburban school district, during the 2013-2014 academic year. Three factors, including the students' perception of the value of education, the parental support, and the peer support, were examined using the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire. The three subscales were part of a larger self-administered questionnaire used by McInerney (1997). In addition to the FCQ survey, a student …