Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Community Engagement And A Preservice Teachers Mathematics Course, Jean M. Mistele

eJournal of Public Affairs

This article focuses on a civic engagement experience, as defined by Ehrlich (2000), between preservice teachers enrolled in a math class and a local community-based partner located in a mid-Atlantic state in rural Appalachia. The mathematics course is one of three required for graduation and it is taught in the Mathematics and Statistics department. The content includes algebra, probability, and statistics for grades K-8. Some of the mathematics lessons include social issues such as water quality and endangered species using real world data, which is the foundation for the two semester project options: 1) research or 2) community engagement. The …

A Sneak Peek Into Prehistory: Curating An Interactive Fossil Display To Spark Interest In The Ua Little Rock Natural History Museum, Syd Joheim, Rene Shroat-Lewis

Research and Creative Works Expo

Arkansas does not currently have a dedicated natural history museum, creating a unique opportunity for UA Little Rock following the recent donation of an expansive fossil collection. In response, the university established a natural history museum initiative intended to benefit both the campus community and the broader public across Arkansas. This initiative provides accessible resources for learning about natural science, evolution, and the state’s prehistoric past, areas that are often underrepresented in informal science education. It also serves as a platform for outreach, student engagement, and undergraduate research, strengthening UA Little Rock’s role in science education, workforce development, and community …

Fmea Reveals Ppe Noncompliance As The Priority Grinding Machine Accident Risk In An Indonesian Vocational School Workshop, Salman Fawwas Albaihaqi, Marsono Marsono, Imam Muhtarom, Mingchang Wu

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in vocational school workshops represents an urgent priority given that students interact directly with high-risk equipment such as grinding machines, yet often demonstrate low compliance with safety protocols. This research aims to identify failure modes on grinding machines in SMKN 1 Jenangan workshop and formulate evidence-based risk control recommendations. A quantitative descriptive approach using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was employed, involving 10 purposively selected respondents (practical instructors and technicians). The research instrument was validated using Content Validity Index (CVI) by three experts in occupational safety and mechanical engineering. Results identified 15 failure modes …

Sustainable Landscaping And Sustainability Education On A College Campus: A Case Study In Place-Based, Collaborative Ecosystem Science, Christine S. O'Connell, Shannon Hahn, Evelyn Jauregui, Michael V. Frazier, Anika R. Bratt, Mary A. Heskel, Megan Butler, Christie M. Manning

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Sustainability education on college campuses can leverage interdisciplinary collaborations between facilities services, sustainability offices, environmental studies researchers, and students to provide hands-on opportunities for place-based learning. In an effort led by student researchers that could be replicated in academic practice at other academic institutions, we collaborated across campus groups to improve campus landscaping and turfgrass management. Turfgrass is an ideal cover for high-traffic areas and recreation, but is energy intensive to maintain, inefficient at carbon sequestration, and requires fertilizing which contributes to nutrient pollution. Here, we outline a student-led research effort that combined experiential learning, using a college campus as …

From Anatomy To Safe Action: The A2d And Scope-D Frameworks For Teaching Clinical Reasoning And Referral Communication In Physical Therapist Education, Arvie Vitente, Pamela Taylor, Christopher Dela Rosa, Art Lubinski

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

Introduction. Physical therapist learners may accurately recall anatomy yet struggle to translate it into testable hypotheses, recognize discordant findings, select proportionate actions, and communicate uncertainty within scope. Existing frameworks address clinical reasoning or structured communication, but limited guidance connects anatomy-based hypothesis testing directly to patient-centered referral communication when findings do not fit. This theory piece pairs Anatomy-to-Decision (A2D) with SCOPE-D to address that curricular gap.

Methods. Integrative conceptual design drew on literature concerning physical therapist clinical reasoning, illness scripts, cognitive load, dual-process reasoning, hypothesis-oriented patient management, safety screening, and communication of diagnostic uncertainty. These foundations were translated into features intended …

The Teaching Stem Center Online: Enhancing Instructional Methods For Underprepared Students' Success, Bassey Akpan, Jan Duncan

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

This study investigates the experiences and academic outcomes of underprepared and underrepresented undergraduate students enrolled in introductory STEM courses at Texas College, a minority‑serving institution committed to advancing equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. The research focuses on STEM faculty across Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Mathematics and how the Teaching STEM Center Online (TSC) enhances instructional methods to support this student population.

Using a mixed‑methods design, the study evaluates the implementation and impact of the TSC initiative. This includes faculty development workshops, structured instructional coaching, and the integration of evidence‑based teaching practices. Quantitative data from faculty surveys …

From Homes To Classrooms: Cultural Wisdom As A Guide For Stem Lesson Planning, Miriam Ortiz, Uma Ganesan, Angela Chapman, William Medina-Jerez, Ruby Lynch Arroyo, Mourat Tchoshanov

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This article describes innovative elementary science instructional approaches based on cultural wisdom developed by preservice teachers enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a university in the U.S.-Mexico border region. As a part of a larger study, three Latina preservice elementary teachers were a part of a teacher residency in conducting community interviews and reflection activities to uncover cultural backgrounds that could inform culturally relevant STEM lesson planning, centering on family and home knowledge. This project began with family interviews during winter break and culminated in lesson planning and implementation during their science methods course in the spring semester. The …

Confidence Intervals As A Quantcrit Method: Reframing Longitudinal Educational Data Through Estimation, Uncertainty, And Within-Group Analysis, Jamaal Young, Jemimah Young, Kristian Edosomwan

Journal of Research Initiatives

Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) calls researchers to reconsider not only what quantitative analyses report, but also how analytic choices reproduce or disrupt racialized ways of knowing. This methods-focused article develops confidence interval analysis as a practical statistical strategy within a QuantCrit methodological framework. Confidence intervals are not inherently critical or anti-racist. Their value for QuantCrit emerges from how researchers use estimation, uncertainty, comparison, visualization, and interpretation. We demonstrate this approach with National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Long-Term Trend mathematics data for Black students ages 9, 13, and 17 from 1978 to 2012. Rather than treating White performance as …

The Use Of Gadgets And Learning Motivation Among Grade Xi Students In Biology Learning At Sma Negeri 5 Palu, Yulia Citra, Mohammad Jamhari, Masrianih Masrianih, Lestari M.P Alibasyah, Mursito S. Bialangi, Yulia Windarsih

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aims to describe the profile of gadget use and learning motivation among Grade XI students in biology learning at SMA Negeri 5 Palu and to explore students’ and teachers’ experiences of gadgets as learning support tools and potential sources of digital distraction. A qualitative descriptive design was employed, supported by descriptive questionnaire profiling. A total of 74 students completed a 50-item questionnaire on gadget use and learning motivation, while 10 students and two biology teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Questionnaire data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, while interview data were analyzed thematically. The descriptive findings showed that …

Readiness Of Biology Teachers In West Palu District In Implementing The Deep Learning Approach In The Merdeka Curriculum, Mutia Mutia, Gamar Shamdas, Hayyatun Mawaddah, Rafiqa Rafiqa, Raya Agni, Musdalifah Nurdin

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aimed to examine the readiness of biology teachers in West Palu District to implement the deep learning approach within the Merdeka Curriculum and to identify factors associated with their readiness. A descriptive quantitative approach was employed, with data collected through questionnaires and interviews. The study involved all six biology teachers who were actively teaching at senior high schools in West Palu District. Teacher readiness was examined across cognitive, mental, and physical dimensions. The results indicated that the teachers were generally ready to very ready to implement the deep learning approach. Cognitive readiness was particularly high, with 60% of …

Preliminary Evidence Of Systems Thinking Skills In Gamelan-Based Ethnoscience Booklet-Integrated Collaborative Problem Solving, Ayu Nuryani Aprilia, Suciati Suciati

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

Students’ systems thinking skills (STS) can be difficult to develop when science learning provides limited opportunities to connect relationships among system components with contextual phenomena. Integrating local wisdom into learning materials, such as a gamelan-based ethnoscience booklet, may provide a meaningful context for developing these skills. This study aimed to compare students’ STS performance, adjusted for pretest scores, between a class receiving Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) instruction integrated with a gamelan-based ethnoscience booklet and a class receiving CPS instruction alone. This quantitative study employed a pretest–posttest control group design with class-level random allocation of treatment and involved 56 Grade VIII …

Access In Teaching Stem Subjects To The Blind, Ashley E. Neybert

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

There are still many gaps in the literature regarding the difficulties faced by instructors of students who are blind and low vision and who teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects. We surveyed 26 K-12 STEM teachers about accessible materials they are aware of versus which accessible materials they use in their classrooms, their thoughts on how common challenges identified in the extent literature affect them in their teaching, and their perspective on how much extra time may be required for blind and low vision students (if any) to effectively learn STEM subjects.

Designing A Technology-Enhanced Curriculum For Preservice Mathematics Teachers: A Practice-Based Reflection, Alaa Karem Abd-El-Hafez

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Preparing preservice secondary mathematics teachers in a post-pandemic, AI-driven digital landscape presents unique pedagogical challenges. As a teacher educator and former secondary mathematics teacher, I aim for preservice candidates to harness technology as a vehicle for high-leverage, evidence-based teaching strategies while prioritizing software accessibility and affordability. This practice-based article details the comprehensive redesign of a technology in mathematics education course structured around five modular units and three project-based assessments. Guided by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, I articulate the rationale for tool selection, instructional design decisions, and assessment strategies. Ultimately, this course model offers higher education programs an …

Differential Equation Modeling For Sustainable Resource Management: A Steady-State Optimal Harvesting Approach, Iordanka N. Panayotova, Aleksei Talonov

CODEE Journal

Mathematical models based on differential equations provide a powerful framework for connecting real-world data to informed decision-making. In this work, we present a student-accessible project that uses an optimal-control framework to study the sustainable management of biological resources.

Motivated by fisheries management, we examine a predator--prey system in which harvesting decisions must balance ecological and economic considerations. The model is formulated as an optimal control problem that seeks to maximize the total discounted net revenue from harvesting. Rather than solving for the complete time-dependent harvesting trajectory, we restrict the analysis to positive controlled coexistence equilibria and characterize an interior stationary …

Exploring Evolution As A Unifying Theme In The General Biology For Majors Course Sequence, While Iteratively Examining Attitudes And Decisions About Learning: An Application Of Lonergan’S Transcendental Method, Christine E. Gray

San Jose - Lonergan Chair in Catholic Philosophy

As I reflect upon my journey as an educator, I recognize it has been shaped, in large part, by my own foundational roots in the Catholic Liberal Arts tradition. As I prepare for another academic year, I find myself, once again, considering how my pedagogical practice can better meet my students “where they are” in my General Biology for Majors I and II courses. Since that “place” is shaped by a student’s prior experiences, both in and out of the classroom, I also recognize that “place” is unique for each student. This is precisely why each term pushes me to …

Analysis Of Needs For Web-Based Mobile Learning Development Based On Universal Design For Learning For Students With Special Needs, Murni Winarsih, Mayasari Manar, Rohmah Ageng Mursita, Mita Septiani

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Higher education institutions still have substantial challenges when it comes to accommodating students with special needs, especially those who are visually or aurally impaired. Access to learning resources is still an issue, as are the limitations of adaptive learning media and the dominance of more conventional verbal and visual methods of information transmission. Hence, not all pupils are given the same chances throughout the learning process. With its emphasis on providing a variety of representational, interactive, and expressive tools, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) aims to meet the requirements of students with a wide range of learning styles. In order …

Already Successful: Enacting A Rasquache Mathematics Pedagogy, Melissa Adams Corral, Gladys Krause, Luz A. Maldonado Rodríguez

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

In this article, we braid together conversations from a multilingual third-grade mathematics classroom in the U.S. with a Chicanx art exhibit to illustrate the generative power of a rasquache mathematics pedagogy—one that centers people, place, and possibility. This pedagogy takes shape through practices grounded in making do with what is at hand, maintaining a lens of abundance rather than deficiency. Through an analysis of a single day’s Number Talk (Parrish, 2011), we explore the mathematics classroom as a space of creative, relational, and political possibility. We use Chicanx art to reframe classroom mathematics as already sufficient—as more than enough. Our …

Broadening The Community Of Nudibranch Enthusiasts Through Multilingual Educational Programming To Increase Climate Advocacy Engagement, Richelle Li Tanner, Cintya Felix Mendivil, Ashley Lam, Lorena Muñoz, Micah Kim, Elena G. Morales Poot, Gabrielle Keeler-May

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Environmental literacy and advocacy for environmental protections are essential components of responsible stewardship. For coastal communities, stewardship requires knowledge of ocean processes and the biological communities living within these ecosystems. While many studies highlight difficulties in engaging American audiences in environmental concern and stewardship due to hyper-individualistic societal values, tidepooling is one recreational pathway to coastal community engagement that strengthens sense of place, and therefore, responsibility to protect natural resources. We sought to broaden the tidepooling community to include more diverse voices through a participatory science program with inland city-dwelling, multilingual, and non-English speaking adults. Using nudibranchs as an environmental …

Cultivating Collaboration In Biomolviz: Key Attributes For Building A Stem Educator Community Of Practice, Pamela S. Mertz, Charmita Burch, Roderico Acevedo, Josh T. Beckham, Didem Vardar-Ulu, Kristin M. Fox, Lauren A. Genova, Rachel M. Mitton-Fry, Swati Agrawal, Daniel R. Dries, Kristen Procko

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

BioMolViz is an educational community of practice (CoP) focused on creating resources to improve biomolecular visual literacy instruction and assessment. The community of life science instructors developed in three phases, beginning with a small Core Team that emerged from a conference session and established the domain of interest for the CoP. In-person workshops, supported by short-term funding, drove the initial expansion of the community and the development of shared activities in Phase 2. This CoP was sustained through intentional choices about how members interact, collaborate, and share work. As the community matured in Phase 3, it was supported by longer-term …

Using Approximations Of Practice To Support Calculus Instructors’ Enactment Of Equitable Active Learning Teaching Practices, Kaitlyn Stephens Serbin, Karina Uhing

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We implemented a semester-long professional development workshop series to help Calculus I and II instructors implement active learning and equitable teaching practices. The workshops actively engaged instructors in approximations of practice (Grossman et al., 2009) in which they learned to enact various teaching practices like designing tasks; eliciting, noticing, and responding to evidence of student thinking; orchestrating class discussions; fostering inclusive social norms; and equitably managing student participation. After they participated in the workshops, we interviewed the instructors about their decisions to implement the teaching practices from the approximations of practice in their teaching. We analyzed the instructors’ resources, orientations, …