Education Commons^™

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Enrollment In Middle School Challenge Courses On Advanced Placement Exams In Social Studies And Science, Katherine Glaude-Bolte

Dissertations

Educators seek to guide students through appropriate programs and courses that prepare them for future success, in more advanced coursework and in other challenges of life. Some middle schools offer Challenge, or honors, courses for students who have demonstrated high ability. High schools often offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are taught at the college level. This study examined the correlation between enrollment in middle school Challenge courses and subsequent AP exam category scores in social studies and science in a suburban school district. The independent variables were the number of years of enrollment in middle school social studies or …

The Teaching Of Food Technology In Secondary Schools, Angela Turner, Kurt W. Seemann

Dr Angela Turner

This paper presents a summary of findings from a recent Australian study that investigated perceptions of ‘food technology’ as viewed by teachers in secondary schools compared to a wider professional view. Maintaining and fostering a coherent and accurate perception throughout the food technology career, from school leaver to professional undergraduate studies, is critical for both the evolution of the field of knowledge and the need to keep up with increasing world demand for food technologists and food innovation. While ‘food technology’ has been well established in most secondary school curriculum offerings, a contradiction has emerged between the ‘school view’ of …

Is Competition Making A Comeback? Discovering Methods To Keep Female Adolescents Engaged In Stem: A Phenomenological Approach, Kathryn B. Notter

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The decreasing number of women who are graduating in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a major concern. Despite national support in the form of grants provided by National Science Foundation, National Center for Information and Technology and legislation passed such as the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 that encourages women to enter the STEM fields, the number of women actually graduating in these fields is surprisingly low. This research study focuses on a robotics competition and its ability to engage female adolescents in STEM curricula. Data have been collected to help explain why young …

The Teaching Of Food Technology In Secondary Schools, Angela Turner, Kurt W. Seemann

Dr Angela Turner

This paper presents a summary of findings from a recent Australian study that investigated perceptions of ‘food technology’ as viewed by teachers in secondary schools compared to a wider professional view. Maintaining and fostering a coherent and accurate perception throughout the food technology career, from school student to professional undergraduate studies, is critical for both the evolution of the field of knowledge and the need to keep up with increasing world demand for food technologists and food innovation. While ‘food technology’ has been well established in most Australian secondary school curriculum, a contradiction has emerged between the ‘school view’ of …

The Teaching Of Food Technology In Secondary Schools, Angela Turner, Kurt W. Seemann

Dr Angela Turner

This paper presents a summary of findings from a recent Australian study that investigated perceptions of ‘food technology’ as viewed by teachers in secondary schools compared to a wider professional view. Maintaining and fostering a coherent and accurate perception throughout the food technology career, from school leaver to professional undergraduate studies, is critical for both the evolution of the field of knowledge and the need to keep up with increasing world demand for food technologists and food innovation. While ‘food technology’ has been well established in most secondary school curriculum offerings, a contradiction has emerged between the ‘school view’ of …

A Systematic Approach To Literacy Support For First Year Preservice Teachers: Implications For Practice, Pauline Taylor

Associate Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy

Can Experiential Education Strategies Improve Elementary Science Teachers’ Perceptions Of And Practices In Science Teaching?, Kasey D. Sindel

Dissertations

This study was prompted by the growing amount of research that is in support of science reform and from this researcher’s personal experience and concern that science instructions is no longer a top priority in elementary schools nor are young scientists given the opportunities to act as scientists in a real world setting. This study uses experiential education strategies in a workshop format to try and affect change in the attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of elementary science teachers. Experiential education is not new, but the methods of teaching can span a wide range of topics. The main focus of the …

Qepr Review Of Progress: Review Of Progress Towards Implementing The Government Response To The Queensland Education Performance Review And Related State School Initiatives In Literacy, Numeracy And Science, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment and Reporting

This review was undertaken at the request of the Director-General of the Queensland Department of Education and Training. It reviews progress and makes recommendations ‘about initiatives aimed at improving the performance of Queensland students in literacy, numeracy and science’. More specifically, the Terms of Reference for the review requested an analysis and recommendations relating to:

• the effectiveness of the initiatives implemented in the Government response to the five recommendations of the Queensland Education Performance Review (QEPR); and
• the effectiveness of identified key initiatives in Queensland state primary schools to improve performance in literacy, numeracy and science.

The review was asked …

Supply Issues For Science Academics In Australia: Now And In The Future, Daniel Edwards, Fred Smith

Dr Daniel Edwards

Australia, like the rest of the developed world, is in the midst of dealing with notable issues related to the age structure of its academic workforce. These issues are widespread and have been articulated in the Australian context most comprehensively by Hugo (2008). This paper investigates issues with demographic change and other key

factors related to the desirability of a science or mathematics academic career within

Australian universities. It draws on the findings of a research project undertaken in 2008

for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The findings show that while demographic issues are not as dire …

Ecology – Energy Flow, Environments, And Habitats [7th Grade], Alex Wallender

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

By the end of this unit students will understand that life depends on energy flow through systems. They will recognize the many energy transformations that take place, and focus especially on the transformation of radiant energy to chemical energy in the process of photosynthesis. Students will also understand that as energy is transferred throughout an ecosystem and is used or transformed along the way. They will be able to diagram the flow of energy in a number of manners including: food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids. Lastly, students will leave this unit understanding that organisms and their environments; both …

Third Grade Hands On Science Curriculum, Douglas Ray Cornwell

All Graduate Projects

In 2009, Washington State issued a new set of science standards. These new standards focus on building scientific literacy. With the emphasis now on scientific literacy rather than the traditional emphasis on fact memorization, many teachers must now find new ways to teach their science programs that reinforce understanding in science concepts rather than simple fact recollection. A science program that focuses on the constructivist learning philosophy and that offers students "hands on" activities as well as teacher led demonstrations is offered here to fill the role as an example of one of these new programs.

The Nucleus 2009-2010, Rosalie A. Richards

Science Education Center

No abstract provided.

Stem Talent: Moving Beyond Traditional Boundaries, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

The future well-being, prosperity and sustainability of our nation, the global community and our planet resides in igniting and nurturing decidedly different STEM minds that can advance both the new STEM frontier and the human future.

The Interface Of Neoliberal Globalization, Science Education And Indigenous African Knowledges In Africa, Edward Shizha

Edward Shizha

In a globalized neo-colonial world, an insidious and often debilitating crisis of knowledge construction and legitimation does not only continue to undermine the local and indigenous knowledge systems, but it also perpetuates a neo-colonial and oppressive socio-cultural science educational system that debilitates the social and cultural identity of the indigenous African student. As Schissel and Wotherspoon (2003: vii) argue, "Educational relations are critical elements of our humanity and sociability." This paper explores the homogenizing effects of globalization and the oppressive forces of neo-colonialism that continue to work together to privilege "western-based scientific knowledge" at the expense of indigenous knowledge systems. …

Hard Science And Soft Interpersonal Skills, L. Mills, James Mcdowelle, William Rouse Jr.

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

Carl Carter is a professional photographer who once worked as a grip in movies filmed in New York City. The job of the grip is to install the tracks upon which cameras are mounted and also performs other manual labor as needed on a movie set. Carl was hired many times by both Woody Allen and Sidney Lumet, directors and movie makers who filmed most of their movies in New York City. Allen and Lumet made movies that were very different. Allen is famous for light, romantic comedies, such as Annie Hall, Bullets over Broadway and Everybody says I Love …

The 5 Rs: A New Teaching Approach To Encourage Slowmations (Studentgenerated Animations) Of Science Concepts, Garry Hoban, Wendy Nielsen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

“Slowmation” (abbreviated from “Slow Animation”) is a simplified way of making an animation so that students can create one as a new way of learning about a science concept. The teaching approach guiding slowmation encourages students to create a sequence of five multimodal representations (the 5 Rs) by making: (i) written notes being background knowledge from researching a topic or from direct instruction; (ii) a storyboard to design the animation; (iii) 2D or 3D models; (iv) images from digital still photographs of the models; and (vi) the final animation. The 5 Rs helps students to develop understanding of a science …

Articulating Constructionism: Learning Science Through Designing And Making "Slowmations" (Student-Generated Animations), Garry Hoban, Wendy Nielsen, Charles Carceller

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This conceptual paper analyses several theoretical frameworks for “learning through making” using technology. First, the theoretical framework of Constructionism, which was proposed by Seymour Papert (1987), is discussed which is based on an integration of constructivist views of learning and social views of learning. Second, several instructional design frameworks are analysed and finally a theoretical framework based on Peirce‟s (1931) Semiotic Triad is explained. An example of learning through making is provided in the form of a “Slowmation” (abbreviated from “Slow Animation”), which is a new way for preservice teachers to learn science by making a narrated animation. It is …

Slowmation As A Pedagogical Scaffold For Improving Science Teaching And Learning, Stephen Keast, Rebecca Cooper, Amanda Berry, John Loughran, Garry Hoban

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In this study, two classes of General Science Teaching Method preservice secondary teachers at Monash University (n = 38 in 2007 and n = 34 in 2008) developed Slowmation movies as part of their course work, then introduced Slowmation into the their science classrooms during their school practicum. On returning to university following their practicum these preservice teachers shared the Slowmations created by their students during the practicum, and discussed the impact of introducing this procedure on their students’ learning about science concepts. The classroom presentations and discussions of school students’ Slowmation movies post practicum provided valuable feedback to the …

Data Dumping, After The Test You Forget It All: Seeking Deep Approaches To Science Learning With Slowmation (Student-Generated Animations), Garry Hoban

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

It Is not uncommon for university students to role learn facts and formulae to memorise information for a test. Unfortunately, these surface approaches to learning are encouraged by the complex teaching and learning system embedded in the context of university courses. Where possible, academics should encourage students to develop a deep approach to learning in their subJects. ' Slowmation" (abbreviated from Slow Animation) is an innovative teaching strategy that encourages students to design and make their own narrated digital animation that is played slowly at 2 frames/second to explain a concept. It is a simplified way of making animations that …

Imaginative Science Education: Exploring The Wonders Of Water, Emily R. Fletcher

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The imagination is central to all learning. This paper provides science educators with a better understanding of imagination's role in learning and how it may be routinely engaged in the education of budding scientists. Both theoretical and practical dimensions are addressed. Part one defines the imagination, provides an overview of Kieran Egan's (1997) theory of lmaginative Education, introduces Egan's framework for developing lessons using Imaginative Education, and provides an argument for imaginative science education. Part two provides an example of science curriculum that shows practical application of lmaginative Education in a museum science camp setting. The curriculum explores the scientific …

Examining Preservice Science Teacher Understanding Of Nature Of Science: Discriminating Variables On The Aspects Of Nature Of Science, William I. Jones

Faculty Dissertations

This study examined the understanding of nature of science among participants in their final year of a 4-year undergraduate teacher education program at a Midwest liberal arts university. The Logic Model Process was used as an integrative framework to focus the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of the data for the purpose of (1) describing participant understanding of NOS and (2) to identify participant characteristics and teacher education program features related to those understandings. The Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire form C (VNOS-C) was used to survey participant understanding of 7 target aspects of Nature of Science (NOS). A …

An Exploration Of Strategy-Based Reading Instruction Using Expository Science Text In Grades 2-5, Carol Fetters

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored reading strategy-based reading instruction using science expository text between grades 2-5. The exploration revealed that elementary teachers used a variety of reading strategies using expository text for science instruction in grades 2-5, and that time barriers exist for strategy-based instruction using informational text. Spradley’s (1980) Developmental Reading Sequence, interviews, observations, and case studies of elementary science teachers in grades 2-5 were research techniques utilized for this study. This study centered on case studies of six elementary teachers and how they used reading strategies during science instruction. The findings of the study revealed that although the teachers’ use …

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Lisa De Bortoli

No abstract provided.