Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Evaluation Of Lncluding Writing In An Introductory Statistics Course, Katherine G. Johnson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research evaluates including write to learn activities in an introductory statistics course. A review of literature has shown writing is an effective tool for shrdent's learning; it also indicated which types of writing have been more effective for student learning, and the difficulties of successfully including writing in statistics curriculum. Based on these findings, writing activities were designed and incorporated into statistics courses taught at a university. A research study was carried out to determine if including rvrite to learn activities in statistics curriculum would be beneficial for nontraditional students, and to obtain feedback on students'perceptions of the write …

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 …

The Impact Of A Professional Development Program On Teachers' Practice And How Context Variables Influenced Such Practice: A Case Study, Sandra Lynn Yarema

Wayne State University Dissertations

This case study investigated how context variables influenced the impact of a state-funded longitudinal professional development (PD) program on the participant teachers' practice. Data was collected to compare differences in Science Content Knowledge, Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge, and the teachers' practice over the course of the PD program. Contextual variables related to district restructuring and school implementation of district policy evidence a direct effect on time spent on science instruction, specific instructional strategies used, and on the development of a professional community among the participants. This case study substantiates the implication that districts and school policies must provide adequate support …

Elementary Teachers Committed To Actively Teaching Science And Engineering, Julianne Radkowski Opperman Phd

All Student Scholarship

Committed elementary teachers of science and engineering, members of a professional learning community called Collaborative Conversations in STEM, were studied to elicit their perceptions of experiences that influenced their commitment to, and their pedagogical content knowledge of, STEM teaching and learning.

Promise Programs: Providing Opportunities For Mathematics And Science Enrichment, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Promise Programs

IMSA is committed to serving historically underrepresented and underserved students who have talent and interest in mathematics and science. To accomplish this goal, we actively recruit prospective students from all regions of Illinois. In addition, through the PROMISE Programs, we provide academic opportunities for underserved students who express an interest in attending the Academy.

Success After Failure: An Examination Of Credit Recovery Options And Their Effect On College- And Career-Readiness, Kathryn B. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

More than ever before, educators and researchers are keeping a keen eye on student college- and career-readiness. The widely adopted Common Core State Standards were written with the explicit goal of helping students to be college- or career-ready by the time they graduate from high school. However, many students experience setbacks, such as course failure, within their educational career placing them at risk for not reaching this goal. Because the ACT can predict student success in college, states often use benchmark scores from the exam to measure student college- and career-readiness. A student who fails to learn fundamental concepts in …

Ability Grouping Interventions And Math Performance Among Inner-City School, Vladimir Sreckovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the city selected for this study, only 29% of inner-city students scored proficiently on standardized tests, whereas 71% of their peers at nearby suburban and affluent schools achieved the proficiency level. To address the gap, the local district implemented ability grouping in one charter school. The purpose of this ex post facto quasi-experimental study was to examine the effect of ability grouping among inner-city students in mathematics as an instructional intervention for improving student achievement. Ability grouping theory as an instructional strategy was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The criterion measure of mathematics improvement was provided …

Extended Instruction In Business Courses To Enhance Student Achievement In Math, Lessie Mcnabb Houseworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor achievement on standardized math tests negatively impacts high school graduation rates. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate if math instruction in business classes could improve student achievement in math. As supported by constructivist theory, the students in this study were encouraged to use prior knowledge and experiences to make new connections between math concepts and business applications. The key research question examined if there was a significant increase in the standardized mathematics test scores of students enrolled in business classes with extended mathematics instruction compared to the standardized test scores of students not enrolled in business …

Engaging College Students In Online Remedial Mathematics Courses With Video Instruction, Elizabeth Henley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many students entering college in the United States need assistance in at least one academic area, causing remedial courses to be commonplace in higher education. This study evaluated the impact of video instruction in learning the content found in an online remedial math course. The instructional videos were created using the guidelines of Universal Design and cognitive load theory. A quantitative, quasi-experimental method was used to evaluate a dataset made available by a regionally accredited private New England college's online division. The online division offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certifications, and the students are located all over the …

Restructuring High School Science Curriculum: A Program Evaluation, Cathy Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One rural Midwestern high school discovered a discrepancy among school, state, and national science skill attainment, verified by ACT scores. If students do not acquire vital science skills, they may not perform proficiently on science tests, thus impacting future college options. Inquiry based instruction and constructivism provided the basis for the theoretical framework. This study questioned associations between ACT scores, inquiry science technique usage, and ACT standard usage (Phase 1), and teachers' views on science instruction (Phase 2). This sequential explanatory mixed methods program evaluation included 469 ACT scores, surveys sent to 9 science teachers, and 8 interviews. Phase 1 …

The Short Grit Scale: A Dimensionality Analysis, Caihong Li

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

This study aimed to examine the internal structure, score reliability, scoring, and interpretation of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009) using a sample of engineering students (N = 610) from one large southeastern university located in the United States. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare four competing theoretical models: (a) a unidimensional model, (b) a two-factor model, (c) a second-order model, and (d) a bi-factor model. Given that researchers have used Grit-S as a single factor, a unidimensional model was examined. Two-factor and second-order models were considered based upon the work done by Duckworth, Peterson, …

Science Teaching Reform Through Professional Development: Teachers’ Use Of A Scientific Classroom Discourse Community Model, Elizabeth Lewis, Dale R. Baker, Brandon Helding

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This report outlines a two-year investigation into how secondary science teachers used professional development (PD) to build scientific classroom discourse communities (SCDCs). Observation data, teacher, student and school demographic information were used to build a hierarchical linear model. The length of time that teachers received PD was the exclusive predictor of change over time, while a schools’ percentage of low socioeconomic students predicted of how much PD was initially implemented. Prior to PD teachers expressed a desire to increase opportunities for students to engage in SCDCs, but found some aspects more challenging than others to implement. Generally, there were three …

Bringing Space Science Down To Earth For Preservice Elementary Teachers, Toni A. Ivey, Nicole M. Colston, Julie A. Thomas

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This article reports on a collaborative enterprise between Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) NASA Education Projects and OSU’s College of Education preservice elementary teachers (PSTs) to engage approximately 400 middle school students for a 20-minute live downlink with Commander Kevin Ford from the International Space Station (ISS). NASA supports this opportunity through a competitive proposal process (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2014). The project’s theme, Pioneers in Space: STEM Careers on the Space Frontier, engaged both PSTs and middle school students in discussing the benefits of space research, while drawing on themes relevant to students’ regional history. PSTs prepared Pioneers in …

Under-Represented Students' Engagement In Secondary Science Learning: A Non-Equivalent Control Group Design, Joy J. Vann-Hamilton

Dissertations

Problem.

A significant segment of the U.S. population, under-represented students, is under-engaged or disengaged in secondary science education. International and national assessments and various research studies illuminate the problem and/or the disparity between students’ aspirations in science and the means they have to achieve them. To improve engagement and address inequities among these students, more contemporary and/or inclusive pedagogy is recommended. More specifically, multicultural science education has been suggested as a potential strategy for increased equity so that all learners have access to and are readily engaged in quality science education. While multicultural science education emphasizes the integration of students’ …

Drug-Induced Cardiotoxicity Of Oncological Agents: Monitoring Parameters, Prevention, And Future Chemotherapy, Sarah Nguyen, Mary Nguyen, Laura Tsu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The goal of this article is to educate pharmacists of the impact of cardiotoxicity on chemotherapy regimens including key cancer agents, monitoring parameters, prevention, and the future of chemotherapy.

Using Diagrams Versus Text For Spaced Restudy: Effects On Learning In 10th Grade Biology Classes, Bradley W. Bergey, Jennifer G. Cromley, Amanda Kirchgessner, Nora S. Newcombe

Publications and Research

BackgroundandAim. Spacedrestudyhasbeentypicallytestedwithwrittenlearning materials, but restudy with visual representations in actual classrooms is under- researched. We compared the effects of two spaced restudy interventions: A Diagram- Based Restudy (DBR) warm-up condition and a business-as-usual Text-Based Restudy (TBR) warm-up condition.

Sample. One hundred and twenty-eight consented high school students in 15 classes.

Methods. Students completed daily warm-ups over a 4-week period. Students were randomly assigned to conditions within classrooms. Warm-ups were independently completed at the start of class meetings and consisted of questions about content covered 1–10 days prior to each warm-up. Students received feedback on their answers each week. A series …

Teaching High School Biology Students To Coordinate Text And Diagrams: Relations With Transfer, Effort, And Spatial Skill, Bradley W. Bergey, Jennifer G. Cromley, Nora S. Newcombe

Publications and Research

There is growing evidence that targeted instruction can improve diagram comprehension, yet one of the skills identified in the diagram comprehension literature—coordinating multiple representations —has rarely been directly taught to students and tested as a classroom intervention. We created a Coordinating Multiple Representation (CMR) intervention that was an addition to an intervention focused on Conventions of Diagrams (COD) and tested their joint effects on diagram comprehension for near transfer (uninstructed biology diagrams), far transfer (uninstructed geology diagrams), and content learning (biology knowledge). The comparison group received instruction using a previously validated intervention that focused exclusively on COD. Participants were 9th–10th …

Population Genetic Structure Of Asclepias Tuberosa In Northwest Iowa: A Comparison Within And Between Remnant Prairies And Commercially Available Seed, Jeffrey T. Ploegstra, Brittany De Ruyter, Tony Jelsma

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Isolated in scattered remnants, less than 0.1% of Iowa’s original tallgrass prairie remains. The small populations remaining are at risk for reduced genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, and outbreeding depression. In light of these concerns, we used microsatellite analysis to assess the genetic structure of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) populations on prairie remnants in northwest Iowa. We compared remnant populations with a restoration population at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, and with an Oklahoma seed source. Microsatellites identified for use in common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) had sufficient polymorphism information content (PIC) across the butterfly milkweed ( …

Comte’S Positivist Doctrine And Reform Of Secondary Science Education In Nineteenth-Century Brazil, Karl M. Lorenz

Education Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the influence of the Positivist Philosophy on the teaching of science in the National Gymnasium, formerly the College Pedro II, in Brazil. With the proclamation of the Republic in 1889 and the subsequent educational reform of Minister Benjamin Constant in 1890, the curriculum of the college, and in particular the teaching of the sciences, was profoundly affected by the positivist ideas of Comte. An analysis of the programs of scientific studies adopted in the Gymnasium from 1890 to 1900 demonstrates that these were organized in accordance with the hierarchy of abstraction of human knowledge proposed by Comtean …

Women Of Faith In Science: The Double Glass Ceiling, K. Y. Michael

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The majority of female pre-service elementary school teachers pursuing licensure is choosing English as their cognate rather than mathematics or science. The reason females are not choosing science as their cognate may be due to the fact that science has long been considered a masculine pursuit. To complicate the issue, pre-service female teachers of deep religious faith are further challenged to navigate the dichotomy of science and religion. As a result, women, and especially women of deep religious faith, are at risk of not participating in science studies. The author suggests that there is room in the science classroom for …