Education Commons^™

Are They Ready? Implementing 21st-Century Learning Skills Integration Into Indonesia Science Instruction, Esty Haryani

Dissertations

Science and technology education are essential subjects for achieving the desired workforce skills for the 21st century (Bybee & Fuchs, 2006). In 2017, Indonesia adopted the 21st century learning and innovation framework into its national curriculum to address the demand to improve students’ readiness for the complexity of the future whether for the work environment or in their personal lives. This learning and innovation skills framework focuses on the development the skills of creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, and communication, known as the 4Cs. However, there is little knowledge on the integration of these skills into …

Female Graduate Students’ Experiences And Career Orientations In Stem: A Comparative Case Study, Jasvir K. Pannu

Dissertations

Regardless of implementation of government policies to promote STEM education and eradicate the underrepresentation of women and minorities, the number of women choosing STEM throughout their educational career remains low. In 2018 65% doctorate degrees were awarded to men and only 35% to women. Moreover, 40% of all students enrolled in doctorate programs drop out before completion. The process of socialization in graduate school and students’ non academic responsibilities play critical roles in graduate students’ success and future career orientations. Processes of socialization involve interactions with faculty, peers, and administration while taking courses and conducting dissertation research. Non academic engagements …

A Quantitative Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of A Global Online Professional Development Course To Enhance 21st Century Skills In Stem Instructional Design, Chris Link

Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are becoming increasingly important in the 21st century workforce, but there is currently a shortage of STEM professionals around the world. Even when students graduate with STEM degrees, many lack basic interpersonal skills such as communication and problem solving that would position them for success in the marketplace. The New York Academy of Science developed the STEM Education Framework to help ensure that STEM curricula teach the Essential Skills that students need in order to thrive in the modern workplace. In order for educators to proficiently utilize the STEM Education Framework, they must …

Middle School Algebra As A College And Career Readiness Indicator, Carrie M. Renfroe

Dissertations

A goal of historic and current educational policy in American public schools has been to increase middle school student completion of Algebra I. The purpose of this study was to investigate equitable strategies for mathematics acceleration of diverse populations of middle school students. The context of this inquiry was a mid-sized school district that offers accelerated mathematics pathways to select middle school students throughout the district. My study demonstrated outcomes that align with current college and career readiness literature and support school-wide implementation of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) system.

The Relationship Between The Next Generation Content Area Reading Professional Development Program On The Effectiveness Of Teaching Literacy Strategies In High School Biology Classes, Tia Pridgen Brown

Dissertations

The need for effective content area reading teachers have continued to increase since the introduction of one public school districts’ Content Area Reading Professional Development (CAR-PD) in 2006. In 2011, modifications were made to improve the program, and it became known as the Next Generation Content Area Reading Professional Development (NGCAR-PD). The purpose of this program evaluation is to investigate the relationship between NGCAR-PD certified Biology teachers and their ability to implement reading strategies with science content effectively. The context of this inquiry is a mid-sized public school district that has implemented the program since 2006 at the middle and …

The Construction Of Student Mathematical Identity And Its Relationship To Academic Achievement, Ann Trescott

Dissertations

The California university and state college systems (UC and CSU) are committed to accepting a diverse student body. Although there has been some growth in the percentage of minority students admitted each year, a low number of minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students meet minimum entrance requirements. For example, in 2018, only 33% of socioeconomically disadvantaged African American students and 39% Hispanic/Latinx students who graduated from California public high schools met minimum UC/CSU requirements (CDE, 2019).

Explanations for ineligibility include the fact that many high school students have not completed the requisite mathematics classes due in part to the inequitable practice …

Student Perceptions Of Their Undergraduate Science Laboratories, Eva N. Nyutu

Dissertations

The science laboratory learning environment has been a distinctive area in science education since the 19th century. The science laboratory environment has been examined extensively at the high school level using the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI). There are, however, very few studies about the science laboratory environment done at the college level. An instrument that may be helpful for college instructors is one that assesses the degree to which students perceive the laboratory as intended by their science instructors. An examination of the literature indicated that there are no validated and reliable instruments for measuring student perceptions of what …

Measuring The Impact Of Cognitive Behavioral Coaching With Nonverbal Immediacy On The Self-Efficacy Of Undergraduate Students In Stem Courses, Christopher Miller, Melissa Joy Benton

Dissertations

A quasi-experimental study explored whether the practice of cognitive behavioral coaching with an intentional focus on nonverbal immediacy has an impact on the self-efficacy of undergraduate students taking college-level STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses. A positive impact to self-efficacy for students who receive the coaching intervention was anticipated. The research took place at a public research university located in the Midwest. Subjects included students who were required to work with a success coach as a condition of their enrollment and/or financial aid eligibility. Information obtained included perception of nonverbal immediacy of the coaches and self-efficacy of the student, …

The Development Of Science Identity In Undergraduate Stem Majors: A Case Study Of Urban High School Students, Charles Mcwilliams, Benjamin Nims, Kathleen Dwyer

Dissertations

The STEM fields, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, face a significant challenge: the underrepresentation of women and minority racial groups entering STEM degree programs and careers. Addressing this STEM gap requires more than quality curriculum and educational supports; there is a need to understand the social psychological processes that influence students’ perceptions, motivation, and interest in STEM. The concept of science identity has been posed as a research perspective to understand participation and persistence in STEM. Enacting a science identity may include describing oneself as a scientist, having a high sense of self-efficacy to do scientific work, displaying an interest …

Participation In Sporting Activities As A Mechanism For Enhancing Science Instruction, Erin Roades

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

After students have taken years of science classes, they still believe science content is disconnected to the “real” world or to their lives. Teaching without attention to relevance results in decreased motivation for learning and negative attitudes toward science. An instructional method incorporating physical, sport-related activities was used to develop relevance and enhance achievement in science compared to typical/traditional science instructional methods. In the typical method, science lessons consisted of front-loading science content through direct instruction followed by a laboratory activity to confirm lesson content. The experimental teaching strategy used was “Relevance Integration for Teaching Science using Sports Exploration” …

The Effect Of Using Virtual Manipulatives On Students’ Ability To Mentally Compare Proper Fractions, William Wilson Mcneary Iii

Dissertations

This study proposes a method to analyze the effects of the use of virtual fraction models (circle/bar/number line) on students’ ability to mentally compare proper fractions. Since developing a sense of magnitude with both whole numbers and rational numbers is highly correlated with improved performance on standardized assessments and improved performance in later algebra classes, special attention is directed to the bar and number line as they are linear representations.

The study used an experimental pretest/posttest group design by randomly assigning subjects within class sections to a control group (physical fraction circles) and treatment groups with seven different methods of …

An Investigation Of The Impacts Of Traditional, Virtual, And Hybrid Biological Laboratories On College Students’ Achievement And Motivation To Learn Biology, Shavonda Jackson

Dissertations

Virtual courses function in a different manner than traditional courses, therefore they require teaching methods and assessment techniques geared specifically to maximize this learning experience. Internet-based learning and distance-education are no longer new concepts in the science field. Because of this, many collegiate biology programs have created courses that can be taken virtual or hybrid. A number of experimental studies have had great influence in terms of the effects and impacts of educational technology in relation to virtual laboratories.

However, not many studies emphasize the impact of hybrid laboratories on student achievement or assess students’ motivation to learn in a …

A Study Of The Impact Of Site-Based Mathematics Professional Development On Student Mathematics Achievement, Christine Attenhofer

Dissertations

Student achievement at one suburban elementary school under study dropped notably in mathematics in one school year, as measured by the state standards assessment. The purpose of this inquiry was to determine what impact ongoing, on-demand, job-embedded, site-based professional development opportunities provided by a full-time, site-base math content area specialist had on teachers' instructional practices and students' mathematics achievement. I implemented a mixed methods approach to this inquiry. I analyzed the end of the year state mathematics standards assessments for second through fifth grade students following the implementation of full-time, site-based professional development provided by a math content area specialist …