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Full-Text Articles in Education

Enhancing Rural Science Education Through School District-University Partnership, Venicia A. Ferrell, Alexis S. Tharpe Jan 2024

Enhancing Rural Science Education Through School District-University Partnership, Venicia A. Ferrell, Alexis S. Tharpe

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

This instrumental case study describes the steps taken to establish and implement a university–school partnership to improve rural science teachers’ content knowledge and teaching practices and students’ achievement in elementary science and high school biology courses. Our research questions explored the impact of professional development and place-based learning on student outcomes, with the study’s methodology involving needs assessments, teacher training, and continuous support through modeling and coaching. The findings include gains in achievement and substantial gains in science education. The findings have implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of university–school partnerships designed to build teachers’ capacity to deliver high-quality …


Cs As A Graduation Requirement: Catalyst For Systemic Change, Lucia Dettori, Ronald I. Greenberg, Steven Mcgee, Dale Reed, Brenda Wilkerson, Don Yanek Feb 2018

Cs As A Graduation Requirement: Catalyst For Systemic Change, Lucia Dettori, Ronald I. Greenberg, Steven Mcgee, Dale Reed, Brenda Wilkerson, Don Yanek

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Since President Obama's announcement of the Computer Science for All Initiative in 2016, there has been a surge in the number of districts that are planning for or newly implementing computer science (CS) offerings at their schools. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the first large school district to have adopted Computer Science as a high school graduation requirement, taking this significant step along the path towards systemic change. The foundation was laid eight years ago when an informal alliance was formed between a CPS high school CS teacher, a CPS administrator, and three university computer scientists.


Science Teaching Reform Through Professional Development: Teachers’ Use Of A Scientific Classroom Discourse Community Model, Elizabeth Lewis, Dale R. Baker, Brandon Helding Jan 2015

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 …


Seeking Research-Enhanced Geoscience Outreach That Complements Subject Knowledge With Pedagogical Expertise (Book Review), Elizabeth Lewis Sep 2014

Seeking Research-Enhanced Geoscience Outreach That Complements Subject Knowledge With Pedagogical Expertise (Book Review), Elizabeth Lewis

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

This new volume in Springer’s series on Innovations in Science Education and Technology, edited by Tong, provides a window into geoscience education outreach projects and programs developed and implemented by geoscientists for the public, schools, teachers and students, and community members. In his introduction, Tong advocates for geoscientists to employ a ‘research-enhanced outreach model’ versus a ‘research-dissemination model’, in which both scientific and educational research findings inform outreach to schools and the general public. Tong proposes a long-term goal of inclusiveness when building relationships among geoscientists, educational systems and programs, and the public in response to his own critique of …


Facilitating Inquiry-Based Science Learning Online In A Virtual University, Rosalind Kam, Bernard (None) Hoop Jr. Jun 2013

Facilitating Inquiry-Based Science Learning Online In A Virtual University, Rosalind Kam, Bernard (None) Hoop Jr.

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The authors reviewed their approaches to facilitating inquiry-based science courses from 2005 through 2010 in a fully online master's degree program at Walden University designed to help teachers bring inquiry-based science to their students. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate their interaction-engagement approach in facilitating online courses, which focused on a guided inquiry approach to build understanding of core science concepts using hands-on experimental science investigations.