Education Commons^™

Examining The Influence Of Secondary Math And Science Teacher Preparation Programs On Graduates' Instructional Quality And Persistence In Teaching, Danielle M. Rhemer, Will Rogers, Sherry Ann Southerland

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This quantitative, non-experimental study explored the relationship between the features of math and science teachers’ preparation programs and their graduates’ instructional rigor and persistence in teaching. Five math and science teacher preparation programs from across the United States were examined. Six sets of instructional tasks were collected from forty-six recent graduates of these programs to provide insights into novices’ instructional rigor, and employment data were collected for thirty-seven of these graduates three to eight years after graduation. Regardless of the program’s features, all teachers could design and implement instruction with moderate to high rigor. However, this ability was not the …

Exploring How Advanced-Level Biology Teachers Integrate Ict In Teaching And Learning,A Case Of One Public Secondary School In Songwe Region, Tanzania, Rose John Shiyo

Theses & Dissertations

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has pedagogical advantages that can help teachers design, teach, and assess biology lessons. The aim of this study was to explore how teachers integrate ICT during the teaching of Biology at A-level classes in Songwe region, Southern Tanzania. The research site of this study is one public advanced-level secondary school in the Mbozi district. The purposive sampling technique was used to get the sample comprising two, A-level biology teachers, one ICT technician, one laboratory technician, and six students from A-level classes who were persuing a science subject combination known as CBG (Chemistry Biology Geography). This …

Why Do Students Attend Stem Clubs, What Do They Get Out Of It, And Where Are They Heading?, Margaret R. Blanchard, Kristie S. Gutierrez, Kylie J. Swanson, Karen M. Collier

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This research investigated what motivated and sustained the involvement of 376 students in culturally relevant, afterschool STEM clubs at four rural, under-resourced schools. A longitudinal, convergent parallel mixed methods research design was used to investigate participants’ participation in and perceptions of the clubs, their motivations to attend, and their future goals, over three years. Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) served as a guiding theoretical and analytical framework. Overall, students who attended the clubs were African American (55%), female (56%), and 6th graders (42%), attended approximately half of the clubs (43%), and agreed with quality measures on the STEM Club Survey (M …

Regulation Of A Shared Focus In Open-Ended Collaborative Inquiry, Simona Pesaresi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Essential to a flourishing society in a changing environment, knowledge creation has become pervasive across social sectors. Creative work with knowledge and ideas requires dynamic forms of collaboration in which individuals adapt goals as new advances and problems emerge. To prepare students for creative knowledge work, new classroom designs using knowledge building pedagogy engage learners in a process of open-ended inquiry as a community. This type of inquiry involves students taking the responsibility for identifying and pursuing ever-evolving knowledge goals that lead to deeper conceptual understanding through a path not known in advance. However, a major challenge is to understand …

Creative Stem Learning By Third Grade Students, Devon Marques, Jennifer Curry, Rebecca Kreider

STEM Month

At Sandshore School, STEM is infused in students’ week through the engagement of challenges and project based learning activities created and planned by our media specialist. For students, these hands-on learning activities allow time for students to collaborate with peers, express their individual ideas, learn through trial and error, and critically think using problem solving skills. Students thrive in this type of learning environment while learning skills to build self-esteem, confidence and communication. STEM education is not only engaging for all types of learners, it also provides students with real life skills targeted for success.

YouTube Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6edisr7YAc&feature=youtu.be

Pandemic Pivot: Designing A Participatory Simulation To Support Social Distancing And Remote Learning, K. K. Lamberty, Paul Friederichsen, Audrey Le Meur, Joseph Moonan Walbran

Computer Science Publications

Participatory simulations usually aim to bring simulations off screen into a shared physical space with people acting as agents in the simulation. In this paper, we describe considerations and design decisions related to creating a participatory simulation for use in learning settings with restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic where typical classroom interactions were no longer allowed. We describe how our design decisions might help children both “dive in” and “step out” to understand more about pollinators and the prairie in spite of various restrictions on how exactly they can interact with each other. Our simulation, Buzz About, uses …

How Instructors Can Enhance Biology Students' Motivation, Learning, And Grades Through Brief Relevance Writing And Worked-Example Interventions, Kyle R. Mara, Avi Kaplan, Michael J. Balsai, Jennifer G. Cromley, Tony Perez, Ting Dai

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The high failure rate of students in "gateway" science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses has been a persistent problem for biology programs nationwide. Common wisdom contends that addressing this problem requires major curricular overhauls. While desirable, such large systematic changes are often expensive or impractical. We propose an alternative approach: supplementing the regular instruction with brief online modules targeting specific cognitive (learning) and motivational mechanisms. We conducted an intervention study to test the effects of different combinations of cognitive and motivational modules on undergraduate introductory biology students' learning, motivation, achievement, and intentions to remain in science. Introductory biology students …

Opportunity And Access To Informal Stem Learning Environments, Abigail Fowler, Caitlyn Yost, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder

Posters-at-the-Capitol Presentations

The University of Kentucky (UK) STEM Experiences is a collaboration amongst the UK Colleges of Education, Engineering, and Arts & Sciences. Our goal is to expose students to a variety positive learning experiences and career options in the STEM fields. Additionally, the summer experiences.

Me, Myself, And I: The Impact Of Metacognitive Strategies On Student Locus Of Control And Critical Thinking Skills, Danielle Kuchler

All Master's Theses

We live in an era when a college degree is essentially required for entry into good-paying careers, and yet achievement of a college degree is unacceptably low. Only 60% of students who enroll go on to graduate from 4-year colleges and universities in 6 years or fewer (National Center for Higher Education 2018). Why is this happening? What are the long-term intellectual and economic implications of ill-prepared students? We must ask ourselves if students are really prepared with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be successful in college and whether those attributes are developed while in college. Two of the …

Exploring Zimbabwean Mathematics Teachers’ Integration Of Ethnomathematics Approaches Into The Teaching And Learning Of Geometry., Gladys Sunzuma, Aneshkumar Maharaj Prof

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article reports on a study that explored how a group of in-service mathematics teachers integrated ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry. The study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, which combined both quantitative and qualitative methods, to provide a deeper understanding of how the participants integrate ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry. The data for the study were gathered from 40 in-service mathematics teachers through the use of questionnaires and focus group discussions. Results showed that the in-service teachers integrate ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry as learning …

Android-Based Learning Media On Human Respiratory System Material For High School Students, Dwi Maihidin Pahlifi, Mirra Fatharani

Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan IPA

This research was aimed to produce a product in the form of android-based learning media on the material of the human respiratory system for the Science Class students in XI Grade of High School. This research was performed in SMA Negeri 2 Bantul. The biology learning through the utilization of this android-based learning media has a characteristic which utilizes technology in learning, therefore, it could be used by anyone, anywhere, and anytime. The method used in this development research was based on the adaptation of ADDIE development model which consists of five stages, namely analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. …

Exposing Students To Stem Careers Through Hands-On Activities With Drones And Robots, Vukica M. Jovanović, George Mcleod, Thomas E. Alberts, Cynthia Tomovic, Otilia Popescu, Tysha Batts, Ms. Mary Louise Sandy

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Autonomous robots have been used in a variety of ways from collecting specimen in hazardous environments to space exploration. These robots can be found in various manufacturing systems as Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to transport parts and assemblies throughout the manufacturing system. They have also been used as a vehicle to convey design thinking and other STEM-related concepts in mechanical engineering/mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering/electrical engineering technology, computer science, and computer engineering. Various outreach events have included robotics based activities that engage students in building and programming autonomous robots for the purpose of achieving a specific task. These events are …

Combining Different Motivation And Cognitive Supports In Undergraduate Biology In Different Contexts: Lessons Learned, Avi Kaplan, Jennifer G. Cromley, Tony Perez, Ting Dai, Kyle R. Mara, Michael Balsai

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Researchers acknowledge that students’ learning and achievement requires both effective cognition and the motivation to apply it. In addition, both cognition and motivation are multidimensional, each involving different processes that may be less or more salient in different contexts. However, most basic research and intervention studies focus on either cognition OR motivation, and commonly only target a single process. We designed an intervention to investigate the role of different combinations of cognitive and motivational supports in first-year undergraduate introductory biology courses. We sought an online delivery approach with minimal burden on the instructor that can accompany any such course. Building …

Peer-Leaders’ Perceptions Of Learning After A Semester Of Peer Facilitation, Yasmine A. Soofi, Nadia Kennedy

Publications and Research

The study examines the perceptions of a group of new peer-leaders of their learning during a semester of peer-leading training and experience working with a group of students. Data was collected through individual interviews in the beginning of the semester and through administering a survey at the end of the semester. The data was organized, analyzed and presented at the poster session.

Adapting Practices Of Science Journalism To Foster Science Literacy, Joseph L. Polman, Alan Newman, E. Wendy Saul, Cathy Farrar

Wendy Saul

In this paper, the authors describe how the practices of expert science journalists enable them to act as "competent outsiders" to science. We assert that selected science journalism practices can be used to design reform-based science instruction; these practices not only foster science literacy that is useful in daily life, but also complement practices of scientists that already have been incorporated into science education. We describe and illustrate science journalism practices for educational activities that can be adapted and used. We argue that such experiences enable students to better use science information for personal decision-making and help them contribute meaningfully …

Zooming Into A Tinkering Project: The Progression Of Learning Through Transitional Objects, Priyanka Parekh, Elisabeth R. Gee

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The Maker Movement has been received by the field of K–12 education with great enthusiasm as a way of teaching STEM content to children. We call attention to and identify learning opportunities in children’s projects created in a playful, informal environment with easily available materials. In keeping with research in the field of maker education and learning sciences, we describe tinkering as a constructionist learning activity in which meaning making is captured through transitional objects (Bamberger, 1995). First, we examine one specific tinkering project and identify transitional objects within the project. Next, we discuss the process of meaning making as …

Student Attitudes On Cooperative Learning And Individual Learning In My Mathematics, Jessica Thompson

Honors Projects

The main purpose of this research is to see which learning style, individual or cooperative, is better for student attitudes in my classroom when implemented correctly. When students work within cooperative learning groups, research has found that they have more positive attitudes as well as higher performance levels. However, the students in my classroom did not have a significant change in attitude when in cooperative learning groups versus learning individually.

Kids Inspire Kids For Steam, Kristof Fenyvesi, Tony Houghton, José Manuel Diego-Mantecón, Elizabeth Crilly, Adrian Oldknow, Zsolt Lavicza, Teresa F. Blanco

The STEAM Journal

The goal of the Kids Inspiring Kids in STEAM (KIKS) project was to raise students’ awareness towards the multi- and transdisciplinary connections between the STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics), and make the learning about topics and phenomena from these fields more enjoyable. In order to achieve these goals, KIKS project has popularized the STEAM-concept by projects based on the students inspiring other students-approach and by utilizing new technologies, tools, open educational resources, and everyday items and materials. Through the students-inspiring-other-students-approach, we have aimed to get participating students developing STEAM activities for other students in their own local …

Emphasis On Test Scores In Education, Lindsay Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

This article discusses how too much emphasis on standardized testing can affect student learning as well as teaching in the classroom. It includes a personal interview with a high school teacher as well as an article from the Washington Post regarding a study that was completed involving testing students.

Real Data Is Messy... And Manageable, Beverly Wood, Carl Clark

Publications

Using real data in an introductory statistics course is a delicate balance between reality and manageability. The internet is awash with data that is useful for students to answer questions of interest to them but it is not always formatted as neatly as textbook data. The ASA's recently endorsed GAISE College Report 2016 points to the plausibility of considering multivariable thinking even if only at a rudimentary level. With both messy and multivariable data in mind, we present some activities/projects and sources for data to give introductory students the opportunity to engage with real data.

Mathematics Discourse And Its Relationship To The Development Of Collective And Individual Student Knowledge In The Context Of Limits, Patterson Rogers

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Observing a group discussion, it is not possible to infer an individual student’s understanding from the dialogue. When students discuss, they share their individual ideas to develop a collective understanding which in turn informs students’ individual understanding. Clarifying the relationship between collective and individual understanding provides insight into how individuals construct mathematical thinking. This study presented an embedded case study to answer three questions regarding the role discourse plays in student development of mathematical knowledge: (1) how individual students construct mathematical knowledge through discourse, (2) the nature of discourse which supports the development of mathematical knowledge, and (3) the relationship …

Toys Redesigned: The Intersection Of Industrial Technology And Service-Learning Principles, Jill Stefaniak, Petros Katsioloudis, Basim Matrood

STEMPS Faculty Publications

To provide students with a situated learning experience that encouraged them to develop creative design solutions, the authors created a service-learning activity that required industrial technology students to apply design principles and procedures to design and develop toys to be given to pediatric patients at a local children's hospital. The following are excerpts from student reflections addressing the technological skills used and key takeaways from the project: * "I was able to use my mechanical skills in this project by knowing how to operate the drill press and by cutting all the pieces that were needed and assembling them." * …

An Examination Of Accessible Hands-On Science Learning Experiences, Self-Confidence In One’S Capacity To Function In The Sciences, And Motivation And Interest In Scientific Studies And Careers., Mick D. Isaacson, Cary Supalo, Michelle Michaels, Alan Roth

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This study examined the potential relationship of accessible hands-on science learning experiences to the development of positive beliefs concerning one’s capacity to function in the sciences and motivation to consider science as a college major and career. Findings from Likert survey items given before and after engaging in accessible hands-on science laboratories show that students who were blind or had low vision (BLV) were more likely to agree with the following items after engaging in accessible science experiences: 1) I plan on enrolling as a science major in college; 2) My educational experiences, so far, have given me the …

Multivariate Thinking In An Intro Stats Course – Is It Possible?, Beverly Wood

Publications

Many of our students have an intuitive sense that there is more to the story than univariate or bivariate data can tell us. We can acknowledge and encourage that habit of digging deeper by demonstrating some ways to look at additional variables. Simpson’s paradox and side-by-side scatter plots are ways to provide a glimpse of more complex analysis that are accessible to students in an introductory course with or without strong quantitative skills.

Using Relevance To Inspire Engagement In Disengaged Secondary Mathematics Students, Cherie Lynn Burkett

MSU Graduate Theses

With the advances being made in technology, our nation is in dire need of a work force degreed with mathematics and science. In the past few decades, the United States has seen a decline in the proportion of college graduates who majored in mathematics-intensive subjects. If our demand is high, why is our supply decreasing? Research suggests that traditional teaching methods using skills-based curricula make it difficult for students to take an interest in a confusing topic like mathematics in which they see no immediate relevance. I have spent a semester engaged in action research taking steps to increase student …

How Social Presence On Twitter Impacts Student Engagement And Learning In A Grade 8 Mathematics Classroom, Shelly Vohra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media for personal use has evolved rapidly among adolescents, changing the way they communicate with each other. However, little research has been conducted about how teachers use social media in the classroom to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how social presence on Twitter impacts student engagement and learning when a mathematics teacher integrates this social media tool into an instructional unit. The conceptual framework was based on social presence theory developed by Short, Williams, and Christie. This qualitative study used a single case study design. Participants included 6 students and 1 classroom …

From Stem To Steam: Reframing What It Means To Learn, Nicole M. Radziwill, Morgan C. Benton, Cassidy Moellers

The STEAM Journal

Although involvement in art and design have been shown to play an essential role in catalyzing STEM research, true integration is still an area of active research. The realization of STEM education via STEAM lends itself to interactive and participatory dialogic art; this juncture provides a nonjudgmental space to cultivate the question-making aspect of inquiry, the ability to comfortably hold uncertainty, and a sensitivity to the process of discovery. Even though STEM education can (and often is) inquiry-based, assessments still tend to focus on whether knowledge or skills have been obtained, and this is no different than the current general …

Model Of The Use Of Evolutionary Trees (Muet), Yi Kong, Trevor Anderson, Nancy Pelaez

PIBERG Instructional Innovation Materials

This Glossary is intended for both teachers and their students who are learning about evolutionary trees. To improve K-14 teachers’ and students’ as well as non-biology major undergraduate students’ understanding of trees, the Model of the Use of Evolutionary Trees (MUET) was developed based on professional biologists’ use of evolutionary trees in their scientific publications in 2012-2013. Definitions of terminology in this Glossary are referenced to published literature listed at the end of this Glossary. In addition to the Glossary and the MUET in html format, below as an additional link to a file giving you the Glossary in MSWord …

High School Mathematics Teachers' Connective Knowledge Of The Challenges And Possibilities In Implementing The Flipped Learning Model: An Embedded Mixed-Methods Study, Karla Huereca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The impact of technology advancements in our current society continues to transform the ways in which we interact with each other, and the educational field has not been exempt from this transformation. Integration of technology in schools has influenced educators to seek new ways of teaching that adapt to the needs of students who are impacted by a digital wave. That is the case of a new instructional approach, which is being known as the Flipped Learning Model (FLM). The FLM intends to use pre-recorded video lessons to teach outside the classroom and incorporate homework and problem solving inside the …

The Effect Of Asian Origin, Culture And Learning Beliefs On High School Students' Physical Science Learning Beliefs, Xiaolan Li

Dissertations

Asian Americans have been recognized as the model minority in the United States since the 1960s. Students from Asian countries are winning in international competitions, especially in science and mathematics. Modern Western scholars working within the constructivist learning theory advocate malleable intelligence and effort, which actually corresponds to Asian learning beliefs and learning behaviors. This research is designed to test if American high school students and Chinese students from the mainland of China who are motivated to attend American universities are different in their learning beliefs of physical science and what accounts for the difference if there is any.