Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Teachers' Professional Knowledge And Formative Assessment Practices: An Empirical Study From Middle School Earth Science Instruction In The Context Of An Education Improvement Community, Laura Millay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While there is widespread agreement that effective formative assessment supports student learning in science, the knowledge teachers need in order assess learning remains sparsely studied. In 1999, Magnusson, Krajcik, and Borko (MKB) proposed that Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK, Shulman 1986, 1987) is a distinct knowledge domain that synthesizes three base domains that include science subject matter, pedagogy, and context. The MKB model identified Assessment Knowledge as one of five components of PCK. Since 1999, several studies have used the MKB framework, but have left Assessment Knowledge underdefined. In 2012, Avargil, Herscovitz, and Dori proposed a revision based on empirical study, …

Career And Technical Education On Mathematics And Reading Achievement For Students In North Central Arkansas, Kimberley Sartain

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine the effects of gender and Career and Technical Education (CTE) participation level on the mathematics and reading achievement as measured by the ACT Aspire for 10th-grade students and ACT subtest assessments for 11th-grade students in 2 5-A high schools in North Central Arkansas. While researching the effects of gender and CTE participation level, this scholar found no statistically significant difference between gender and CTE participation level on student achievement. This researcher explored the literature relating to the mathematic and reading achievement of males and females as well as whether they …

Young Women In Stem: An Analysis Of Outreach Programs For Middle School Girls, Rachel Lundeen

Honors Projects

Historically, and still presently, women face many obstacles when attempting to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Women have been systematically barred from entering STEM programs at universities and today face cultural obstacles, resulting in marginalization. Research points to adolescence as the age where this sense of marginalization begins to develop. As a result, many outreach programs for young women interested in STEM are targeted toward the middle school age group. This study adds to this research by examining two such outreach programs for young women in STEM to determine their effectiveness, including Camp GEMS at Ohio Northern …

Teacher Perception And Their Understanding Of Progress Monitoring Throughout A Longitudinal Assessment System, Rena A. Duewel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the phenomenon of teacher perception and their understanding of progress monitoring throughout a longitudinal assessment system. This monitoring of student progress is to enhance their academic skills in mathematics and provide necessary interventions for growth as measured on a longitudinal assessment system through fidelity of implementation of interventions processed through progress monitoring. Data was collected from participant responses through interviews, a demographic survey, and focus groups. Interview respondents participated in a closed-door, face-to-face interview. The survey was used to collect specific demographic data to provide a concise snapshot of each individual …

School Shouldn’T End When The Bell Rings: An Exploratory Homeschooling Study, Mackenzie Dukelow

MA Research Paper

Homeschooling has experienced significant growth over the last several decades, yet little to no research has explored the relationship between homeschoolers and the public education system. Being the first to explore this relationship, the current study collected and examined data from 3 semi-structured interviews and 15 online homeschooling blogs in order to understand the growth of homeschooling in Ontario and the relationship between homeschooling and the public education system. The results of this study reveal the relationship between homeschoolers and the public education system varies significantly over time and locale, the challenges within each system and the difficulty of transitioning …

Understanding Student Development Of Science Literacy Skills In An Undergraduate Environmental Science Course, Molly Picillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators are expected to instill a variety of skills in their students that are necessary to be competent citizens of society. One such set of skills, science literacy skills, broadly encompass the ability of an individual to evaluate reliability of data and information and critically analyze and interpret them (Gormally Brickman, Hallar, & Armstrong, 2009). These skills are utilized in everyday decision-making and given their pertinence, there is a need for citizens to be scientifically literate. Thus, educators need tools and assessments to help students develop these skills and analyze their science literacy. The aim of this study was to …

School Climate: A Comparison Of Teachers, Students, And Parents, James A. Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the benefits of positive school climate and to measure the perceptions of school climate for intermediate grades in a Northeast Tennessee School district. An online school climate survey was used to collect responses from participants in intermediate grades and focused on the 3 major components of school climate: school engagement, school environment, and school safety. Data were collected for 2 consecutive years in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Response totals included 1,955 student responses, 116 teacher responses, and 210 parent responses that were analyzed and used for this study. Of the student totals, some students that …

La Resolución De Problemas Como Estrategia De Enseñanza Para Favorecer El Desarrollo De Habilidades De Pensamiento Científico. Una Experiencia Con Estudiantes Y Docentes De Grado Cuarto De Las Instituciones Educativas Centro Social Y Lorgio Rodríguez, Yenci Durán Olivos, Rony Alejandro Álvarez Florez

Maestría en Docencia (Yopal)

La presente investigación está inscrita en el macro proyecto “Estrategias para la comprensión lectora en Ciencias Naturales, Matemáticas, Ciencias Sociales y Lenguaje” Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación del programa de Maestría en Docencia extensión El Yopal, Universidad de La Salle. Surgió de la pregunta problema ¿De qué manera la Resolución de Problemas, como estrategia de enseñanza favorece el desarrollo de habilidades de Pensamiento científico en estudiantes de grado cuarto de las instituciones educativas Centro Social y Lorgio Rodríguez del municipio de El Yopal - Casanare? La investigación es de enfoque cualitativo siguiendo el método de etnografía educativa en la …

The Effects Of Stem Education On Economic Growth, Mallory Croak

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to build on existing studies of human capital and returns to education with a focus on innovation-fueling, STEM-based education, to answer: How does STEM education affect macroeconomic growth across different countries? A review of literature reveals that many studies account for human capital in growth equations, measured as average years of education. However, educational attainment as a measure of human capital leaves out the additional impact of research, technological know-how and innovation on growth. This thesis seeks to bridge some of the overlap between education and innovation as it affects productivity by focusing on education in STEM—fields …

Comparing The Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (Pogil) Method To An Independently Developed Guided Inquiry Method (Indgim) In A High School Academic Chemistry Course., Scott Zgraggen

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

A nonequivalent, control group, pretest-posttest design was used to investigate student achievement in secondary chemistry. This study investigated the effects of process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) pedagogy in high school chemistry classes compared to that of an independently designed guided inquiry method (InDGIM). Data were collected from chemistry students from four college-prep chemistry classes in the same high school, over the course of the academic year, using the Particulate Nature of Matter (ParNoMA2) test, the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT), unit tests, and the final exam. DataAll data waswere analyzed using a 2 x 2 Factorial Analysis of …

Success Rates Of Second Semester Anatomy Students In Online And On-Ground Classes At A Community College In East Tennessee, William Sproat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators expect the number of institutions offering online courses and the number of students enrolling in these courses to increase as many students, particularly nontraditional students, discover the advantages of online content delivery. Online courses require new methods of communication between students and faculty as well as discovering new ways to build relationships, earn student trust, conduct appropriate assessment, and deliver useful course content. Many institutions—public, private, and for-profit—offer a wide variety of online coursework but faculty, employers, and the public have expressed concerns about the quality of online course content. In particular, online delivery of coursework in the natural …

Formal Learning In An Informal Setting: The Cognitive And Affective Impacts Of Visiting A Science Center During A School Field Trip, Charlie Belin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the pressures of budget cuts, many schools--particularly schools serving low-income students--are eliminating school field trips to museums, zoos, and other cultural institutions despite their widely reported utility. First, through a systematic review of the literature, I examine the findings from 17 international studies on the benefits of visiting an informal science education institution during a K-12 school field trip. Almost all pre-post studies reported a positive change in both cognitive and affective outcomes after visiting an ISEI. However, studies that also included a control group to compare students who visited the ISEI with students who had yet to visit …

Advancing Professional Development Strategies For Chemistry And Biochemistry Undergraduates, Christian A. Brown

Senior Theses

In the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina (the Department), most curriculum-driven professional development is reserved for third- and fourth-year students. Classroom learning occurs at all levels, but the context comes late. Early exposure to career options and hands-on training is imperative for undergraduates to obtain maximum experiential learning. The purpose of this project is to advance the current professional development strategies of the Department, specifically targeting second- and third-year students. The study surveyed students' current involvement in professional development activities. The data on extracurricular experience and post-graduation interest was used to design a workshop …

Middle Grades Science In Florida: A Comparison Of Student Achievement In Comprehensive And Subject-Specific Science Courses 2013-2017, Kenneth Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As with U.S. student achievement on national and international science assessments, Florida's 8th grade student achievement on the 2013–2017 8th grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) 2.0 Science/Statewide Science Assessment (SSA) was stagnant. To break this stagnation, many Florida school districts have changed middle grades science course offerings from traditional, subject-specific, discipline-based, layered, or field-specific science courses to comprehensive, integrated, spiraled, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, thematic, or general science courses. There was a lack of research showing if either type of science course improved student achievement on standardized science assessments. Controlling for school district student population, low socio-economic status (SES) student percentage, …

A Tale Of Two Contexts: Mathematics Self-Efficacy Development Among Rural And Urban Students, Brianna L. Weidner

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Self-efficacy, or a belief in one’s ability to complete a task, has been shown to predict student success and persistence. Rural students have a history of lower college enrollment and degree attainment than urban students. However, no studies have compared self-efficacy or its sources across rural and urban groups. The purpose of this study is to examine differences in how rural and urban middle school students develop self-efficacy and self-efficacy for self-regulated learning in the domain of math. Data were collected from 174 rural students and 1743 urban students in grades 6-8 in the southeastern United States. Measurement invariance analyses …

An Examination Of The Algebra 1 Achievement Of Black And Hispanic Student Participants In A Large Urban School District's Mathematics Intervention Program, Elethia Bronson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The mathematics achievement gap between Black and White as well as Hispanic and White students has been well documented nationwide and in the school district of study. Much has been written in observance of the achievement gap, yet markedly less research has focused on practices and interventions that have improved mathematics performance for Black and Hispanic students. Consequently, this study examined the Algebra 1 achievement (indicated by student scale scores on the Florida Standards Assessments Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam) of Black and Hispanic students participating in a mathematics intervention program as compared to the Algebra 1 achievement of their similar …

A Watershed Moment: Implementing State Environmental Literacy Policy Into A Central Virginia School District, Melinda J. Vandevelder

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

A WATERSHED MOMENT: IMPLEMENTING STATE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY POLICY INTO A CENTRAL VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

By Melinda J. VanDevelder, Ph.D.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2018

Director: Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Educational Leadership

Policy goals may be impossible to achieve at the classroom level (Ravitch, 2014), as policy depends on those who implement it (Lipsky, 1980). The purpose of this research was to investigate how the voluntary environmental educational executive order, EO42, was implemented and executed in a Central Virginia …

Girls Only Science: Motivating Adolescent Females To Pursue Stem Careers, Madeline Cuckow

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Over the last five years, much attention has been drawn to the large deficit of females in STEM careers and fields. Most attribute this failure to colleges not turning out enough female STEM majors. Contrary to this belief, research suggests a young woman's aptitude for STEM related fields begins much earlier, and declines without intervention.

This project details the research of why there is a gender gap in STEM, what is being done educationally, my unique case study to test the research conducted, and the implications of that research.