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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 …

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 …

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 …

Motivating Second-Order Differential Equation Models Beyond The Spring–Mass System, Katherine E. Rutherford, John C. Borger

CODEE Journal

Students in introductory differential equations courses often learn to associate specific equation types with familiar physical systems. While this approach supports procedural fluency, it can inhibit transfer learning: students recognize familiar forms rather than construct models from first principles. This paper presents a modeling-first instructional approach designed to help students recognize the shared structure of second-order differential equations across diverse contexts. Students derive governing equations from fundamental physical laws for multiple systems, including an Inductor, Resistor, and Capacitor (LRC) electrical circuit, a simple pendulum, and viscous pipe flow. Through guided comparison, students identify common components such as inertia, damping, restoring …

A Mixed-Method Study To Determine The Relationships Between Academic Confidence, Anxiety And Success In College Physics I At A Small Midwestern University, Jason Fenske

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study is to examine the effect of a variety of factors on student success in College Physics I. These factors include the transfer of knowledge from both high school physics and prerequisite mathematics courses for use in physics as well as anxiety, academic confidence, physics confidence, and methods designed to address these. The experiment occurred in a medium-sized midwestern university in two different classrooms. The results of this experiment showed that there is a direct correlation between mathematics confidence and physics confidence and therefore between these and student success. The study found that students who …

Shifting To Using Desmos Or Geogebra Graphing Calculators In High School Mathematics Classrooms, Nancy Lin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Most high school math classrooms in Long Island use the Texas Instruments TI-84+ CE graphing calculator in the three Regents math courses. Texas Instruments holds approximately 80% of the market share of the international graphing calculator market. At a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $150 per TI-84+ CE, an inequitable situation exists for math learning, as underfunded schools and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds cannot afford to purchase one for home use. Such students have less experience using the handheld graphing calculator when they take high-stakes math exams. Through case studies of four suburban school districts in New York that …

Introducing The Math Narrative Project, Liza Bondurant, Sarah Salisbury, Darolyn Flaggs, Belinda Edwards, Uchenna Miles, Daniel Kaufmann

Publications

Whether you teach calculus to engineering students, algebra to future teachers, or developmental math to first-generation college students, the students in your classroom carry narra- tives about mathematics—about whether they belong, wheth- er it matters, and whether asking for help is safe. You carry narratives too. We authors are mathematics educators who work across university classrooms, secondary schools, and teacher preparation programs in Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, and Pennsylvania. In this piece, we introduce the Math Nar- rative Project (2026), a professional development initiative led by the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity ([BranchED], n.d.) that we participated in as field testers. …

Scientific Uncertainty As Political Aggression: A Manifesto For Those Who Value Science And Want To Save It From State And Corporate Control, Stephen Demeo

Publications and Research

A manifesto is an opportunity to publicly express strongly held beliefs about a topic that is personally important to an author. It is analytical as it is creative. “Scientific Uncertainty as Political Aggression” is a manifesto that intersects science and politics. It urges those interested in science to examine two different but related topics: scientific uncertainty in measurement—what it is, how it is determined, why it’s important— and the magnification of uncertainty through legal and linguistic tactics used by right-wing politicians and politically supported corporations.

For some time now, the Republican Establishment has cast excessive doubt on scientific findings through …

What Makes An Analogy Effective For Students’ Learning Of Mathematics? Conceptualising Analogy Effectiveness For Teaching Mathematics, Vesife Hatisaru, Steven Richardson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Analogies are commonly used in mathematics teaching as a means to promote understanding of new potentially abstract concepts, by linking them to well-understood contexts. Despite strong intuition that analogies are helpful in supporting students’ learning of mathematics, there is a lack of agreement on how to objectively judge the utility or conceptual affordances of these analogies. In this paper, we aim to conceptualise how to assess the effectiveness of an analogy by employing Gentner’s structure-mapping theory to analogies and explore two teacher-made analogies (the ‘child-mother’ and the ‘machine’) for learning the formal definition of a function as illustrative examples. By …

The Difficulty In Defining The Construct Of Perseverance, Davon W. Ferrara, Linda W. Jones

Papers

Perseverance is a character virtue necessary for flourishing in the STEM disciplines; however, there are competing definitions of perseverance in scientific literature, which makes measuring the trait and researching its impact difficult. This work provides a review of the definitions of construct found within the literature and compares it to conflated terms such as grit, persistence, resilience, and self-efficacy that have related, but distinct meanings. Finally, we summarize the role of perseverance in STEM and what factors may influence its formation.

The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Belmont Formation Collaborative and the Formation Scholars Cohort for Character Research and …

Solving For X: Centering Black Girls’ Experiences In Mathematics Education, Natasha A. Fortes

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Black girls can grow up, attend school, and move through their math classes without ever feeling seen as capable mathematical thinkers. Their teachers may not affirm their brilliance. Their voices may even go unheard. Math classes may not be a space where they can imagine themselves belonging. These experiences do not reflect ability. Instead, they reflect on the conditions in which they are expected to learn. This study centers the voices of Black girls and asks what they deserve from their mathematics education and instructors to develop a mathematics identity. The study is grounded in Black feminist traditions and draws …

Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions Of Equity And Interactive Digital Tasks: Implications For Initial Teacher Education, Kate Roscioli, Liza Bondurant

Publications

Interactive digital tasks have the potential to aid mathematics educators in providing equitable mathematics learning experiences. However, research indicates that mathematics educators may not be aware of how interactive digital tasks can promote equitable teaching practices. This study reports on a design-based research project exploring pre-service teachers’ perceptions of equity and interactive digital tasks. Over three cycles of design, implementation, evaluation, and revision, 57 pre-service teachers participated; this article focuses on data from the third cycle, involving 25 pre-service teachers. Using lesson analyses grounded in the Equity-centered Transformative Technology Lesson Analysis Tool (EqT-tech LAT; Suh et al., 2022), we …

How Planning For Engineering Instruction Supported Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Pedagogy For Prek–12 Teachers, Kristen V. Napolitano, Amanda M. Gunning, Meghan E. Marrero

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

With the wide adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards across the United States and an increased focus on growing a diverse engineering workforce, learning to teach precollege engineering has become more important than ever. Yet limited precollege engineering certification pathway exists, leaving preK–12 teachers to integrate engineering with few resources or professional learning support. In high-need districts, where teachers are already underresourced and stretched thin, engineering may not make its way into the classroom at all. As a result, access to engineering and other STEM opportunities is disproportionately low among Black and Brown and/or low-income students in these communities, …

Fast-Track Ode: A Student-Centered, Game-Based Summer Differential Equations Course, Chamila D. Malagoda Gamage

CODEE Journal

This article describes a student-centered and game-based redesign of an Elementary Differential Equations course taught during a six-week summer session. In this compressed setting, students had to move through the standard course content quickly while still developing procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, and confidence with applications. To support these goals, the course used real-time feedback tools, collaborative problem solving, applications connected to students' fields, and mathematical games. The paper describes the course context, major activities, implementation details, and student feedback. Student responses suggest that the activities were well received and helped students stay engaged, participate regularly, prepare for exams, and see …

Designing Inclusive Stem Curricula: A Design-Based Study Of Teacher Learning And A Queer Inclusive Framework, Kyle Nolting

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has historically marginalized queer identities, shaping inaccurate curricula and fostering unwelcoming classroom environments. To address this, my research uses design-based research to investigate the design of queer-inclusive STEM curricular resources. I partnered with in-service secondary STEM teachers amidst a series of professional development courses to co-create curricular resources. My research is grounded in queer theory, using a Gender Inclusive Framework to collaboratively develop inclusive design principles. My findings revealed a strong desire by teachers for more authentic and fluid representations of gender and sexuality in STEM curricula, particularly beyond the biological science discipline. …

A Bibliometric And Descriptive Analysis Of The Disciplinary Affiliations Of Research About Students With Disabilities In College-Level Science Education, Tongriang N. Daspan M.Ed, Aaron C. Wenger Phd, Brandy Pleasants Phd

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Despite the global emphasis on equity and the need for inclusive science education, students with disabilities (SwDs) encounter persistent barriers in college-level science learning environments. While prior research has explored isolated challenges faced by SwDs, few studies have examined how these challenges vary across science disciplines. Yet, science education research is often situated within distinct disciplinary traditions, such as biology education research or geoscience education research, known collectively as Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER). Understanding the disciplinary distribution of research on SwDs is essential to identifying gaps and fostering cross-disciplinary learning. This study maps trends and patterns in the disciplinary affiliations …

Remixing Dialogue: A Case Study On Perceptions Of Hip Hop Pedagogy In A Professional Learning Course, Kelly J. Thelen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This qualitative case study examines how teachers’ decision-making and professional autonomy shift while participating in a Hip Hop Pedagogy Professional Learning course supported by structured FIXIT (Lo & Wachter, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d; Wachter & Lo, 2024) game-facilitated dialogue in a rural, culturally and linguistically diverse Midwest community. Grounded in Freire’s (1970) Critical Pedagogy, Ladson-Billings’ (1995) Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris and Alim, 2017), and Adult Learning Theory (Knowles et al., 2005), the study explores the reclamation of agency by teachers in a time of constrained creativity and educator autonomy shaped by strict policy environments, an emphasis on …

Imsa Summer Symposium 2026, Student Inquiry And Research(Sir)

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

For nearly four decades, IMSA has worked to advance the human condition through educational innovation. The Summer Symposium is our annual showcase for the research projects that were conducted in IMSA’s experiential learning programs between May and August. These programs include Student Inquiry and Research (SIR), IN2 Business Internships, and the Student Research and Experiential Learning Opportunity (SRELO) program. For the first time, we are also excited to welcome IMSA Research, Inquiry Skills, and Experimentation (RISE) students to present at the Summer Symposium.

Imsa Summer Symposium 2026, Student Inquiry And Reserach Reserach (Sir)

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

For nearly four decades, IMSA has worked to advance the human condition through educational innovation. The Summer Symposium is our annual showcase for the research projects that were conducted in IMSA’s experiential learning programs between May and August. These programs include Student Inquiry and Research (SIR), IN2 Business Internships, and the Student Research and Experiential Learning Opportunity (SRELO) program. For the first time, we are also excited to welcome IMSA Research, Inquiry Skills, and Experimentation (RISE) students to present at the Summer Symposium.

Cover Design

Luke Berryman

A Modeling Scenario For Cooling A Hot Vehicle In Florida, Jared Bunn, Bernadette Mullins, Elizabeth Hale, Jaeyoun Oh

CODEE Journal

This paper presents a group project assigned in a Calculus 2 course that has students work to develop, analyze, and draw conclusions about a modeling scenario for cooling a hot car. Using a modeling-first approach, instructors supported the students in class throughout the beginning of the project, enabling the groups to complete the remainder of the project on their own. Students used parameter estimation to tune their models to provided data: one for windows being up, and one for windows being down. This project provides an example of how modeling can be introduced early in a calculus course, rather than …