Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Incorporating Worksheets To Enhance Active Learning In A Laboratory Course, Zakiya S. Kelley

STEM Instructional Graduate Teaching Assistant Posters

Study Goals:

To create worksheets that would aid the students in properly completing the required experiments and challenge them to do more than just follow the instructions. Each week there were often multiple experiments to be completed and pre-made samples to be observed within the class period. By providing the worksheet, I ensured the students completed all tasks and comprehended the covered material before class ended.

Objectives:

• To improve student participation and information retention when completing laboratory experiments in the classroom
• To emphasize key points of the topic being explored

Implementation Of A Biology Summer Bridge Program For First-Year Biology Majors, Madelyn Aittama

Honors Theses

Students are entering higher education at an escalated rate, but many are unprepared for the rigorous coursework that lies ahead of them. As nationwide programs are continuously being implemented throughout high schools to better prepare students for college life, many students are still not equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in obtaining a bachelor’s degree. Many students feel discouraged and inadequate when they perform below their academic expectations, and for a large portion of students pursuing higher education, this results in discontinuing their education. While retention rates amongst STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students are particularly low, the …

Assessing The Impact Of Historical Story Telling On Student Learning Of Natural Selection, Janice Marie Fulford

Dissertations

Research suggests that because of its historical nature, the learning of evolutionary biology is problematic compared to that of other science disciplines. While explanations used in historical sciences often employ historical narratives, which are distinct from narratives in other contexts, such as stories, the two types of narratives have structural similarities that suggest the potential role of stories based in the history of science for the teaching of evolutionary biology. Stephen Klassen, a prominent science educator, has studied how stories from the history of physics can promote the learning of and attitudes towards science. Klassen’s pioneering work identifies structural components …

To What Extent Is The Established Conceptual Framework Of Animal Behaviour Portrayed In Textbooks?, Andrea M. K. Bierema, Renee S. Schwartz

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

In 1963, Tinbergen revolutionized the study of animal behaviour by revamping the conceptual framework of the discipline. His framework suggests an integration of four questions: causation, ontogeny, survival value, and evolution. The National Research Council Committee on Undergraduate Biology Education to Prepare Research Scientists for the 21st Century (2003) suggests alignment between current research and undergraduate education. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to determine if the conceptual framework used by animal behaviour scientists, as presented in current primary literature, aligns with what students are exposed to in undergraduate biology education. After determining the most commonly listed textbooks from …

Enseñanza De Las Ciencias Y Contextos Culturales: Un Testimonio De Vida, William W. Cobern, Adela Molina-Andrade, Gonzalo Peñaloza-J.

Scientific Literacy and Cultural Studies Project

William W. Cobern es PhD en Educación en Ciencias, de la Universidad de Colorado Boulder. En la actualidad es profesor en la Western Michigan University. Su trabajo ha girado en torno a la relación entre cultura tradicional y enseñanza-aprendizaje de las ciencias. Por varios años trabajó en Nigeria y desarrolló propuestas de formación de profesores y de programas educativos dirigidos a grupos nómadas. A partir de su experiencia propuso su concepto de “visión del mundo”, que es tanto un marco teórico como metodológico para entender y abordar el vínculo entre ciencia y cultura. Su trabajo ha motivado investigaciones en diferentes …

An Account Of Novice Phylogenetic Tree Construction From The Problem-Solving Research Tradition, Terrance E. Brisbin

Dissertations

Both the content and strategic knowledge used in phylogenetic tree construction are described to account for novice performance. A review of the literature is used to place this research with respect to studies in: problem solving studies (both expert, and novice), the history and practice of evolutionary systematics, and the teaching of evolution. The computer-based problem-solving environment is discussed along with model problems used for the research.

Each of the five research problems consists of an encoded matrix containing phylogenetic data organized by taxa and characters. Twelve participants (high school students) volunteered to solve the research problems, on their own …

A Limnological Investigation Of A Tropical Fresh-Water Ecosystem: The Belize River, Belize, Central America, Victor J. Gonzalez

Dissertations

The limnology of the Belize River, from the region of Spanish Lookout to the region of Belize City, was investigated from 1977 through 1979. The investigation was done primarily during the months of May through August, covering the two seasonal changes--wet and dry--that occur in this tropical region. The investigation sought to describe various parameters of the Belize River so as to gain an understanding of this tropical fresh-water ecosystem and to provide basic information needed for the development of management programs.

Water samples were collected from eight stations and analyzed for acidity, alkalinity, carbon dioxide, chloride, sodium chromate, hexavalent …

Introducing Aquatic Ecology To Ninth Graders, Inez P. Sutton

Masters Theses

Chapter I

Introduction

In discussing the basis for teaching high school biology, Van Deventer¹ states, "...the present typical course in high school biology serves adequately neither the terminal student nor the college entrance student." He holds that today's courses present watered-down versions of college courses to the student before the intelligence of the student has matured enough to grasp such subject matter. As a result there is very little carry-over value from such courses, and the students may even develop a dislike for biology. This study constitutes an effort to understand these problems and to devise ways of solving …

A Review Of The Status Of The Teaching Of Genetics And Evolution In High School Biology Courses With Suggestions For Improving The Teaching Of These Subjects, Carl Jay Bajema

Masters Theses

Introduction

It is the purpose of this thesis to: (1) discuss the place of genetics and evolution in high school biology courses; (2) specify the objectives that should be attained in teaching genetics and evolution; (3) discuss the current status of the teaching of genetics and evolution in high school biology courses; (4) suggest means of overcoming the three problems which have resulted in the poor teaching of genetics and evolution on the high school level -- first, the problem of religious opposition to the teaching of evolution; second, the problem of a lack of knowledge on the part of …