Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Using Smartphones To Innovate Laboratories In Introductory Physics Courses, E. Bernardini, M. Carli, M.Y. Elkhashab, Andrea Ferroglia, Miguel C. N. Fiolhais, L. Gabelli, H. Jessen Munch, Darya Krym, P. Mastrolia, Giovanni Ossola, O. Pantano, J. Postiglione, J.S. Poveda Correa, C. Sirignano, F. Soramel

Publications and Research

The SmartPhysics project involved two higher education institutions, one in Italy and one in the US, with the aim of exploring the use of smartphones for laboratory experiments in introductory Physics courses. Here we present and discuss two experiments that were developed in the project: the pendulum experiment, consisting in the measurement of the gravitational constant using a proximity stopwatch, and the ‘bouncing ball’ experiment, aimed at measuring the energy lost in inelastic collisions with a hard surface. Both experiments were tested with the students in the academic year 2021-22. Our results and didactical reflections contain suggestions for the use …

1st Place Contest Entry: Examining Students’ Perception Of & Experiences In Stem Course Office Hours, Gabriella Dauber

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Gabriella Dauber's submission for the 2024 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a summary of their research project on students’ perception of and experiences in their STEM course office hours.

Gabriella is a fourth-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Biological Sciences. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Cassandra Zalman.

An Evaluation Of The Equitable Practices For Stem Education To Prepare All Students For The 21st Century, Elizabeth Simpson

Dissertations

We are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, yet most education institutions do not provide STEM education for all students. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been a special focus of both industry and federal education initiatives in recent years. STEM is a proven way of building student skills needed for the workforce of tomorrow. The purpose of this study is to determine why education decision-makers resist implementing STEM programs equitably for all students. The context of this inquiry is district and school-based leaders throughout the United States, from elementary to high school, who have …

The Impact Of Using Embedded Learning Assistants In Mathematics Courses, Lyyne Y. O'Dell

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study’s purpose was to determine whether the use of course-embedded learning assistants compared to sections that did not use course-embedded learning assistants in intermediate algebra courses impacted student performance at a community college. The sample was composed of 5,738 students who were enrolled in an intermediate algebra course between fall 2016 and fall 2019. The study’s research methodology was considered causal-comparative, and a non-probability, convenient, and purposive sampling technique was used for all students using archived pre and post-test scores for all participants, then by student demographics African American and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Statistically significant treatment effects were observed …

Mutualism As Mutual Trust: An Ethnographic Case Study On An Elementary-School Teacher-Team Participation In A Science Pd Program, Olga Gould-Yakovleva, Xiufeng Liu

The Qualitative Report

This grounded in social constructivism yearlong ethnographic case study was conducted at the final stage of a larger, longitudinal, multisite, and multi-year project. The current research focused on a group of urban public elementary schoolteachers who volunteered to participate in the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded interdisciplinary science and engineering partnership (ISEP) project. These teachers were enrolled in the professional development (PD) college courses in physics and engineering design, summer research in university laboratories, and interdisciplinary science inquiry (ISI) pedagogy sessions. This research sought to understand the factors which contributed to successful teamwork at the elementary school under investigation. Additionally, this …

From The Editors, Michele H. Koomen, Thomastine A. Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

JSESD remains a venue for the dissemination of research and practice related to the education of students with disabilities in the science classroom and laboratory since 1998. Volumes #1 through 11 were published in a print format. Starting with Volume #12, the journal has been published online and Open Access. Having JSESD in the Open Access format maximizes access for readers and authors and allows the journal to remain economically sustainable. JSESD is proud to now be publishing articles in both PDF and HTML formats (the HTML versions can be accessed through a link from the main articles’ web-page).

Undergraduate Biology Lecture Courses Predominantly Test Facts About Science Rather Than Scientific Practices, Crystal Uminski, Sara M. Burbach, Brian A. Couch

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Scientific practices are the skills used to develop scientific knowledge and are essential for careers in science. Despite calls from education and government agencies to cultivate scientific practices, there remains little evidence of how often students are asked to apply them in undergraduate courses. We analyzed exams from biology courses at 100 institutions across the United States and found that only 7% of exam questions addressed a scientific practice and that 32% of biology exams did not test any scientific practices. The low occurrence of scientific practices on exams signals that undergraduate courses may not be integrating foundational scientific skills …

Casar Public Lecture: "Women & Stem Education In Egypt & The Us: Stepping Into A Man's World Of Science & Technology", The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar, Yasmeen El Ghazaly, Mark W. Deets

Performances, Events, and Presentations

In celebration of International Women's Day this Month, we held a public lecture titled: "Women & STEM Education in Egypt & the US : Stepping into a Man's World of Science & Technology " on Thursday March 28th, 2024 from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm (assembly hour) – Conference and Visitor Center, Mary Cross Hall AUC New Cairo Despite a plethora of advances made by women in the world we live in today, they are still woefully underrepresented in the realm of STEM education and the associated career paths. At this event, we uncovered the history, reasons & challenges women …

An Analysis And Ontology Of Teaching Methods In Cybersecurity Education, Sarah Buckley

LSU Master's Theses

The growing cybersecurity workforce gap underscores the urgent need to address deficiencies in cybersecurity education: the current education system is not producing competent cybersecurity professionals, and current efforts are not informing the non-technical general public of basic cybersecurity practices. We argue that this gap is compounded by a fundamental disconnect between cybersecurity education literature and established education theory. Our research addresses this issue by examining the alignment of cybersecurity education literature concerning educational methods and tools with education literature.

In our research, we endeavor to bridge this gap by critically analyzing the alignment of cybersecurity education literature with education theory. …

An Argument For Expanding Research On Quantitative Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Randall E. Groth

Numeracy

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) traditionally has been used in research concerning prospective and practicing classroom teachers. This essay argues that PCK is also relevant to other professions including those advancing quantitative reasoning (QR). To illustrate, the case of PCK for teaching QR is considered. Those in fields such as public health, journalism, meteorology, and government increasingly find themselves responsible for helping the public understand an ever-growing amount of quantitative information that has a bearing on societal well-being. Several examples illustrate how such professionals’ responsibilities require knowing prevalent QR patterns in society, strategies for fostering sound reasoning, and the general nature …

A Mathematics Textbook Analysis Of Content And Representation, Salam R. Ahmad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation study, I recognized the crucial role of mathematics educators’ utilization of instructional materials for effective teaching. I highlighted the significance of content that is taught to students through relevant mathematical tasks and representations. Through a detailed examination, I analyzed the similarities and differences in two editions of a precalculus textbook published by the same publishing company. Following a state-wide mathematics textbook ban in Florida, the precalculus textbook was placed on the Florida Department of Education’s (FLDOE) Instructional Materials Not-Recommended List in 2020. It was later revised and subsequently included to the FLDOE Instructional Materials Adopted List document …

Intersectionalities Of Systematic Barriers Set Upon Underrepresented Students In Stem: Capturing The Potential Benefits Of Online Modality, Raiyasha Aiyanna Paris

University Honors Theses

The prevalence of racism and microaggressions in STEM disciplines within colleges presents significant hurdles to the academic success and well-being of underrepresented students. Microaggressions, encompassing subtle biases and stereotyping, have a cumulative impact, inducing heightened stress, diminished motivation, and reduced self-efficacy among minority students, thereby impeding cognitive functioning and hindering academic progress (Ogunyemi et al., 2020). The existence of these negative emotional responses creates a less conducive learning environment for academic achievement. Additionally, structural inequalities within STEM institutions contribute to disparities in resource access, limited mentorship opportunities, and support networks crucial for success in STEM fields (Atkins et al., 2020). …

Development Of An Experiential Learning Lab Activity On Skeletal Muscle Physiology In Undergraduate Md Pre-Clerkship Curriculum, Meyer B. Maddox, Angela Martinez, Daniel Salinas, Kelsey Potter-Baker, Amin Shah

Research Symposium

Background: Experiential learning is an important part of the medical education curriculum. Due to the clinical relevance of skeletal muscle strength in evaluating patients’ complaints of muscle weakness or imbalance, skeletal muscle physiology is an important concept with extensive potential for experiential learning opportunities. Our goal was to establish an experiential learning skeletal muscle physiology lab activity that would improve undergraduate MD pre-clerkship students’ skill to collect muscle force measurements using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) and understanding of core physiological concepts.

Methods: As part of the Musculoskeletal and Dermatology (MSKD) Module in the undergraduate MD pre-clerkship curriculum, we developed a …

In-Person, Hybrid, Or Remote: Exploring The Effectiveness Of Teacher Practices On Student Performance During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ashley M. Segalla

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Schools and universities had to make unexpected changes beginning in Spring 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Spring 2021, one university in the southern region of the United States implemented hybrid teaching formats in College Algebra courses, where students attended half of the classes in-person, and the remaining half of classes were attended synchronously and remotely. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if students’ attendance methods (virtual or in-person) impacted their academic performance in the course. Additionally, the study sought to determine how students and the instructor felt student performance was impacted by hybrid attendance. …

“Educational Facials”: A Healing Tool For The Beautiful Struggle, Kari Kokka, Michelle Cody

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

Critical educators of Color often work to support their students to work toward justice. However, because we live and work in a society imbued with white supremacy, cisheteropatriarchy, and additional systems of oppression, students and colleagues may resist efforts toward equity and racial justice, especially in mathematics education with women of Color instructors. In this paper, two mathematics educators, a Japanese American woman and a Black woman, elaborate a theory of educational facials, first coined by the second author in 2015. The theory of educational facials is an analytic tool for healing from and navigating harmful school climates. The authors …

Faculty Mentors' Influence On Latino/A/X Stem Undergraduates' Stem Identity Development, Sandy Cerda-Lezama

Dissertations and Theses

Despite Latino/a/x college student attendance rising substantially over the past decades, their graduation rates do not match the increased admission rates. In addition, Latino/a/x students are considerably under-represented in STEM. However, research suggests that when these students are encouraged by social partners to have meaningful participation and given resources such as mentoring, this eases the barriers they experience. The current study utilized interviews with 11 Latino/a/x STEM undergraduates (aged 18-29) to understand how faculty mentors influence their STEM identity development. Students shared answers about how faculty promoted and inhibited their STEM identity development through conversations about their sense of competence, …

Overcoming The Barriers To Teaching Teamwork To Undergraduates In Stem, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Miranda L. Aiken, Hector M. Camarillo-Abad, Kamal Diki, Daniel L. Gardner, Mario Stipčić, Javier F. Espeleta

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

There is widespread recognition that undergraduate students in the life sciences must learn how to work in teams. However, instructors who wish to incorporate teamwork into their classrooms rarely have formal training in how to teach teamwork. This is further complicated by the application of synonymous and often ambiguous terminology regarding teamwork that is found in literature spread among many different disciplines. There are significant barriers for instructors wishing to identify and implement best practices. We synthesize key concepts in teamwork by considering the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) necessary for success, the pedagogies and curricula for teaching those KSAs, …

Variations In Student Approaches To Problem Solving In Undergraduate Biology Education, Jeremy L. Hsu, Rou-Jia Sung, Su L. Swarat, Alexandra J. Gore, Stephanie Kim, Stanley M. Lo

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Existing research has investigated student problem-solving strategies across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; however, there is limited work in undergraduate biology education on how various aspects that influence learning combine to generate holistic approaches to problem solving. Through the lens of situated cognition, we consider problem solving as a learning phenomenon that involves the interactions between internal cognition of the learner and the external learning environment. Using phenomenography as a methodology, we investigated undergraduate student approaches to problem solving in biology through interviews. We identified five aspects of problem solving (including knowledge, strategy, intention, metacognition, and mindset) that define three …

Level Of Including The Fields Of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, And Mathematics (Steam) In The Omani Science Curricula Content For Grades 5-8, Ahmed M. Al-Shukaili, Mohamed A. Shahat, Sameh S. Ismail

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

This study aimed to determine the level of including the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) in the Omani science curricula content for Grades 5-8. To achieve the objectives of the study, a content analysis card was prepared by using the educational literature of previous studies and research. It consisted of six main areas with (34) indicators. To ensure the content analysis card's validity, it was presented to a group of experts specialized in the field of education. Cohen Kappa equation was used to ensure the instrument's reliability, which was (0.87) across individuals and (0.92) over time. …

Help Or Hindrance: Latinx College Graduates’ From Stem Majors Perceptions Of University Culture Following Vincent Tinto’S Theoretical Framework Of Student Persistence, Carmen Gonzalez, Carmen Lucia Gonzalez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how Latinx college graduates who have achieved STEM degrees perceive the culture of their university and the STEM program they were enrolled in as supporting or not supporting a Latinx college student’s persistence to graduation.

Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological approach was the methodology selected for this study. This phenomenological research captured and described the lived experiences of study participants through interviews and artifacts.

Findings: The findings of this research illustrate (a) Research participants all perceived that creating relationships with STEM program faculty was important in supporting them toward degree completion, …

Publications And Other Works By R. F. Diffendal, Jr., Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Articles
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Geologic Maps
Other Maps
Cover Photographs
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Newspaper and Other Articles
Test-Hole Logs
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Geonotes
Abstracts
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Manuscripts Accepted (A), Submitted (S), or in Preparation (P)
Geologic Maps in Press
Geologic Maps-Nebraska
Public Documents
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Updated March 2024

Acer’S Mathematics Anxiety And Engagement Strategy (Maes): A Framework, Sarah Buckley, Kate Reid, Catherine Pearn, Shani Sniedze

Student learning processes

The Mathematics Anxiety and Engagement Strategy (MAES) was established by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in 2018 in response to declining mathematics achievement and participation among Australian students. Findings from the 2022 cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that 15-year-old students in Australia had significantly lower levels of mathematical literacy than students in 2003 (De Bortoli et al, 2023). The 2022 results also showed that male students outperformed female students and only 30 percent of students from more disadvantaged backgrounds achieved the National Proficient Standard in mathematics compared to 72 percent of students from …

The West Dallas Stem School, Karen Pierce, Kristi Flanders, Rolonda Washington

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Secondary Math Teachers’ Responses To Errors In The Classroom, Richie Vicinanza

Honors College Theses

This study was conducted in an effort to find out how modern-day secondary math teachers respond to errors in their classrooms and the reasonings behind their responses. To fulfill the purpose of this study, various methods of research were used to gather information. Methods included looking into the scholarly sources surrounding the topic as well as a primary-conducted study in the field. Participants of this study were high school math teachers. The participants engaged in two semi-structured interviews (an initial and a debrief) as well as an observation that was conducted during one of their classes. Through the initial interview, …

Examination Of The Delphi Method For Establishing A Quantitative Literacy Framework In Undergraduate Mathematics Course, Emily Elrod, Joo Young Park

Numeracy

The increased relevancy and importance of quantitative literacy (QL) have called for educational reform in undergraduate mathematics course offerings. However, lack of clear guidelines has led to wide variability in the content and outcomes of math courses meant to address QL. Therefore, having an expert consensus regarding content and outcomes for an undergraduate mathematics course focusing on QL would advance the quantitative literacy initiative in higher education. The authors propose the Delphi Method to aid in developing a framework based on expert opinions. The authors explain the Method and suggest the result of this process should yield a research-based framework …

Family-Centered Theory Of Change: A Conceptual Framework For Improving Teaching And Learning In Undergraduate Stem Courses, Juan Salinas, Parwinder Grewal, Jose J. Gutierrez, Nicolas A. Pereyra, Dagoberto Ramirez, Elizabeth Salinas, Griselda Salinas, Virginia Santanas, Can Saygin

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are often characterized as Hispanic enrolling (rather than serving) that practice deficit-based systems that continue to marginalize Latinx and other underrepresented students, especially in STEM fields. Extant research on HSIs stresses the importance of investigating the value of grassroots advocacy groups as external influencers of institutional servingness through deeper engagement with the Latinx community. Using a novel family-centered theory of change that addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion, we integrated intersectionality and servingness into a family-integrated education serving and transforming academic framework. We investigated the potential transformational impact of this framework on students, families, faculty, and administrators at …

Social, Cultural, And Psychological Obstacles To Advancing Stem Agendas In Rural Texas, Brandon Bretl

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2023)

No abstract provided.

Social-Emotional Learning (Sel) State Policy & Stem Education: Examining Equity & Investigating Implementation, E. Anthony Muhammad, Ashley Griffin-Gilchrist

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2023)

No abstract provided.

Food Security: At The Intersection Of Entrepreneurship, Engineering, And Agriculture, Noe Vargas Hernandez, Sylvia Robles, Joanne Rampersad-Ammons

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2023)

No abstract provided.

Mitosis Mystery!, Lluvia Garcia

Critical Proceedings of the STEM ED Conference (2023)

No abstract provided.