Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Science and Mathematics Education Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 9 of 9
Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education
Detecting A Possible Correlation Between Hands-On Experimentation And Scientific Data Analysis In 8th Grade Students, Breana Dobesh, Phu Vu
Detecting A Possible Correlation Between Hands-On Experimentation And Scientific Data Analysis In 8th Grade Students, Breana Dobesh, Phu Vu
Middle Grades Review
This Practitioner Perspective reports on action research that examined the impact of integrating hands-on experimentation on eighth- grade students skills of scientific data analysis and interpretation in a science middle school class. The intervention given to the treatment group was tasking students with completing scientific experiments during their daily lessons, along with collecting and analyzing data from those experiments. Collected data through both control and treatment groups indicated that there was no significant difference in mean test scores between the two groups. Discussions and suggestions for future studies were included.
The Condensed Stem Survey As A Tool For Extension Educators, Jafeth E. Sanchez
The Condensed Stem Survey As A Tool For Extension Educators, Jafeth E. Sanchez
The Journal of Extension
One Extension Specialist implemented a STEM pilot robotics program across three middle school settings. A program evaluation to provide guidance and recommendations for future development, implementation, and continued evaluation was conducted as part of a larger study. This process led to the development of a condensed STEM survey that can be used by Extension professionals on STEM dispositions among middle school youth.
Evolving Scientific Vocabulary And Language In Middle School Classrooms: Babbling And Gargling On The Way To Scientific Understanding, Merryn Cole, Thomas Ryan, Jennifer Wilhelm
Evolving Scientific Vocabulary And Language In Middle School Classrooms: Babbling And Gargling On The Way To Scientific Understanding, Merryn Cole, Thomas Ryan, Jennifer Wilhelm
Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education
While scientific vocabulary is important, it can often become problematic for students. Sometimes, those words can become a barrier to participation or act as a gatekeeper to success in the science classroom. Under the Next Generation Science Standards, middle school students are expected to model Earth-Moon-Sun motions to explain Moon phases, eclipses, and seasons (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Using a phenomenography lens, we investigated the ways in which students seeing the Moon in nature and related classroom experiences translate into a mental model of lunar phases and how vocabulary is used to communicate these models. Eighth-grade students from three urban …
Gender Differences In Socio-Emotional And Socio-Cultural Perspectives Of Middle School Students In Stem Learning, Danielle A. Riney, Heng-Yu Ku
Gender Differences In Socio-Emotional And Socio-Cultural Perspectives Of Middle School Students In Stem Learning, Danielle A. Riney, Heng-Yu Ku
Journal of Educational Research and Innovation
This study investigated the socio-emotional and socio-cultural perspectives of 137 middle school students toward STEM learning in the U.S. Through a 27-item 5-point Likert scale, students’ responses were gathered to complete factor analysis, compute descriptive analysis, and calculate statistical differences found between genders. In socio-emotional learning, female participants scored higher than male participants in the grit and social-awareness factors, while both genders scored similarly in the self-efficacy factor. In socio-cultural learning, male participants scored higher than female participants in the socio-cultural influences factor while both genders scored similarly in the personal focus in STEM factor. However, a statistically significant difference …
Argument-Driven Engineering In Middle School Science: An Exploratory Study Of Changes In Engineering Identity Over An Academic Year, Lawrence Chu, Victor Sampson, Todd L. Hutner, Stephanie Rivale, Richard H. Crawford, Christina L. Baze, Hannah S. Brooks
Argument-Driven Engineering In Middle School Science: An Exploratory Study Of Changes In Engineering Identity Over An Academic Year, Lawrence Chu, Victor Sampson, Todd L. Hutner, Stephanie Rivale, Richard H. Crawford, Christina L. Baze, Hannah S. Brooks
Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)
The goal of this study was to examine how the use of a new instructional model is related to changes in middle school students’ engineering identity. The intent of this instructional model, which is called argument-driven engineering (ADE), is to give students opportunities to design and critique solutions to meaningful problems using the core ideas and practices of science and engineering. The model also reflects current recommendations found in the literature for supporting the development or maintenance of engineering identity. This study took place in the context of an eighth-grade science classroom in order to explore how middle school students’ …
The Potential Of Socio-Biologically Relevant Mobile Applications To Attract Girls To Stem, Vanaja Nethi, Santanu De
The Potential Of Socio-Biologically Relevant Mobile Applications To Attract Girls To Stem, Vanaja Nethi, Santanu De
FDLA Journal
Stimulating girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) when they are in school, and sustaining that interest, is critical in motivating girls to choose STEM-related disciplines in higher education and enter STEM careers. Research indicates that girls show an interest in STEM until about 11-12 years of age, but this starts to wane by the time they are 15-16 years. Thus, there is a clear need to focus on sustaining the interest of girls in STEM at middle or high school levels. Research has shown that one of the main drivers that impact girls’ interest in STEM is …
Exploring Problem-Based Learning For Middle School Design And Engineering Education In Digital Fabrication Laboratories, Monica M. Chan, Paulo Blikstein
Exploring Problem-Based Learning For Middle School Design And Engineering Education In Digital Fabrication Laboratories, Monica M. Chan, Paulo Blikstein
Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning
This is a research study of design and engineering classes that use a problem-based learning (PBL) approach in digital fabrication makerspaces in two middle schools. In these studies, teachers employ a PBL approach and provide an ill-structured problem scenario to facilitate design and engineering lessons in the FabLab (fabrication laboratory). Students in each school tackled different challenges that they defined for themselves in groups. This study provides examples of student-student interactions separated into key themes—defining specifications with teammates, personal exploration, and communication about discoveries. This study also provides examples of teacher-student interactions, and themes include demonstrations with tangible objects, discussing …
A Study On Science Achievement And Motivation Using Computer-Based Simulations Compared To Traditional Hands-On Manipulation, Stacey L. Hannel, Joshua Cuevas
A Study On Science Achievement And Motivation Using Computer-Based Simulations Compared To Traditional Hands-On Manipulation, Stacey L. Hannel, Joshua Cuevas
Georgia Educational Researcher
This study was conducted to investigate whether or not computer-based simulations had a greater impact on science achievement compared to traditional hands-on methods for middle school students in an on-level science course. The study also sought to determine if either method had an impact on retention as well as motivation. The participants in the study were 6th grade students attending a public middle school in suburban metro-Atlanta. A variety of statistical analyses were utilized to measure science achievement, retention, and motivation. Results indicated that there was no significant difference on science achievement between the traditional hands-on method and the …
Middle Level Preservice Teachers Experience A Natural History Arts-Integrated Interdisciplinary Thematic Unit, Carolyn A. Weber, Audrey C. Rule
Middle Level Preservice Teachers Experience A Natural History Arts-Integrated Interdisciplinary Thematic Unit, Carolyn A. Weber, Audrey C. Rule
Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions
Curricular demands and best practices for middle school require interdisciplinary units. Arts integration can provide motivation and a new pathway to learning. This unit focused on inquiry into the natural history of artifacts and rocks recovered from the exposed subsoil of an area near Cedar Falls, Iowa that had been bulldozed as part of subdivision development. The described unit involved preservice teachers in exploration of all subject areas (language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies) with arts-integrated projects (agate watercolor painting, stone tool graphing, acrylic polymer clay agate keyring making, and stone tool drawings). The content area activities for social …