Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Teacher Led Tier Two Intervention To Increase Student Academic Achievement, Cynthia Shepherd

Education Masters Papers

The purpose of this action research was to determine if the implementation of a tier two teacher led intervention would increase student academic achievement. A small group of ten students in a ninth-grade physical science class participated in the study. Data was collected over a period of three weeks using pre- and post- intervention surveys, an exit slip for self-assessment, researcher observations, comparisons of work completion and grades from previous grading periods, participant performance self-assessment, and a goal setting activity. Results show an inconclusive connection between the tier two teacher led intervention and student academic achievement. This is possibly due …

An Optimal Control Problem Solution For Chemical Reactor, Dias Nurmagambetov

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we describe one of the solutions of a nonlinear optimal control problem for a chemical reactor. A solution on finding a chemical reactor’s optimal temperature regime for having a maximum concentration of final product is presented. The optimal control has been found by immersion method for boundary value problem with a phase and control restrictions. This method is reducing the original boundary value problem to a special optimal control problem, using the general solution of the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. With this method's solution had been created a software for the problem calculations. Analysis …

Theoretical Study Of Mach Number And Compressibility Effect On The Slender Airfoils, Abrar Hoque, Masudar Rahman, Ashabul Hoque

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Theoretical development of the velocity potential equation for compressible flow and its various consequences has been presented. The geometrical interpretation of potential equation and conformal mapping technique are discussed where the mappings link the flow around a circular cylinder of a slender airfoil. The lift and drag coefficients are determined for the slender airfoils based on the Mach number and compressibility effects. The calculated lift coefficients show that with the increasing of attack angle it increases linearly and a higher lift coefficient is found for a smaller Mach number for any certain attack angle. Similarly, the drag profiles are determined …

Real-Life Conundrums In The Struggle For Institutional Transformation, Julia Mcquillan, Nestor Hernandez

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Intersecting systems of inequality (i.e., gender and race/ethnicity) are remarkably resistant to change. Many universities, however, seek National Science Foundation Institutional Transformation awards to change processes, procedures, and cultures to make science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments more inclusive. In this article we describe a case study with observations for eight years of before (2000–2007), five during (2008–2013), and seven after (2014–2020) intensive efforts to increase women through reducing barriers and increasing access to women. Finally, we reflect on flawed assumptions built into the proposal, the slow and uneven change in the proportion of women over time, the strengths …

Research Trend On Ethnoscience Through Bibliometric Analysis (2011-2020) And The Contribution Of Indonesia, Nadi Suprapto, Binar Kurnia Prahani, Utama Alan Deta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper aims to analyze the scientific trend of research on ethnoscience through bibliometric study and to explore how the contribution of Indonesian researchers in the Scopus database from 2011 to 2020. The sample was composed of 536 documents in total. The results revealed that scientific publication on ethnoscience has been increasing. The USA contributed the most documents on ethnoscience as well as Indonesia’s institutions dominated in this area. Indeed, Indonesia put its two representative’s institutions: Universitas Negeri Semarang and Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, among the big ten institutions in the world. All Indonesian documents produced by teacher-producing universities and public …

Hands-On 3d Printed Dynamics Activities, Dakota Baker, Jacob Lindberg, Andrew Meyenberg, Junnior Rodriguez

Mechanical Engineering

The advancement of 3D printing has allowed everyday individuals to rapid prototype and manufacture in a more efficient, cost-effective, and timely manner. This has paved the way for a more adaptable educational model, by allowing instructors to easily access alternative instruments for teaching. By providing students with tangible tools, they will better be able to grasp complex principles. Dynamics professors need a way in which they can easily access these academic tools, transport them to and from class, and teach multiple dynamics principles through variations of a single 3D printed kit. Interviews with professors and students were conducted to gain …

The Attributes Of Mathematics Learning Which Ghanaian Senior High School Students Value, Ernest Kofi Davis, Wee Tiong Seah, Nathaniel Howard, Eric Magnus Wilmot

Journal of Global Education and Research

Valuing constitutes an important aspect of mathematics pedagogy and hence student learning outcomes. This study surveyed 416 students from Cape Coast, Ghana to explore what senior high school students in this country in West Africa valued in their study of mathematics. The data collected were analyzed using principal component analysis. The results suggest that Ghanaian senior high school students found connections, understanding, fluency, learning technologies, feedback, instructional materials, open-endedness and problem-solving important in their mathematics learning. Implications of the findings for curriculum delivery in mathematics and future research opportunities are also discussed.

The Social Support Networks Of Students Who Identify As Black And Latino/A/X In Stem And Sbe Graduate Programs At Predominantly White Institutions, Kristi A. Tullis

Dissertations

Graduate students from historically underrepresented minority (URM) groups (those who identify as Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino/a/x, Native American, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders and/or Alaska Natives) encounter systemic and institutional hindrances to degree completion when enrolled in STEM doctoral programs at predominantly white institutions (Guiffrida & Douthit, 2010). Support networks have been identified as an important component for retention and success for graduate students from URM groups (Carlone & Johnson, 2007; Clewell, 1987; Johnson-Bailey, Valentine, Cervero, & Bowles, 2008; Joseph, 2012; Sweitzer, 2009). This study investigates the composition and structure of URM graduate students’ support networks, where their support comes from, in what capacity, …

Biodiversity Monitoring And Volunteer Motivations: A Case Study On The Imagined Communities Of Citizen Scientists In Meinung, Taiwan, Serena May Calcagno

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Asia Pacific’s biodiversity is under threat. One significant step that can improve conservation is gathering data on what species exist in different areas over time, which can provide insight into ecosystem health. This is especially important in biodiversity hotspots, where high levels of endemism and anthropogenic risk overlap. Though it is one of the few places in the Pacific not classified as a biodiversity hotspot, Taiwan has an unusually high saturation in terms of biodiversity data points. Investigating the motives of biodiversity monitoring volunteerism is already a topic of growing scholarly interest, but relatively few studies have focused on …

Setting Empirically Informed Policy Benchmarks For Physical Science Teaching, Elizabeth B. Lewis, Ana Rivero, Lyrica L. Lucas, Aaron Musson, Brandon Helding

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

In the United States, research on beginning science teachers provides little guidance regarding empirical minimum levels of discipline-specific science coursework for sufficient subject matter knowledge to teach science. Accordingly, in this study we analyzed secondary physical science teachers' science coursework for subject matter knowledge (SMK) and resulting misconceptions of chemistry and physics concepts. Findings were compared with state-level science teacher certification policies. Participants had either: (a) completed a master's level teacher preparation program with an undergraduate degree in science, (b) completed an undergraduate teacher preparation program with a minor degree or more in science, or (c) were undergraduate students enrolled …

Temperature-Sensitive Holograms With Switchable Memory, Muhammad Irfan Dr, Suzanne Martin Dr, Izabela Naydenova Prof

Articles

Abstract

Herein, the dynamics and reversibility of temperature-induced changes in volume phase holographic gratings (VPHGs) recorded in the low-toxicity self-processing photopolymer poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (poly-NIPA) are reported on. Transmission and reflection gratings are exposed to temperatures ranging 8–60 °C to study the effect of temperature on their properties. First, the role of the photopolymer chemical composition is investigated by comparing layers containing NIPA with those containing acrylamide (AA) and measuring the normalized diffraction efficiency (DE) at 60 °C; higher thermal sensitivity is observed for poly-NIPA gratings (24% drop) versus low sensitivity for AA gratings (2% increase). The impact of …

The Ingenuity Of Everyday Practice: A Framework For Justice-Centered Identity Work In Engineering In The Middle Grades, Angela M. Calabrese Barton, Kathleen Schenkel, Edna Tan

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Inequities in opportunities to learn and become in engineering, especially for minoritized youth, are enduring and systemic. How students experience engineering education, through curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher/student interactions, all shape opportunities for identity development. In this paper we draw upon cultural studies and critical ethnography to explore how and why students engage in engineering for sustainable communities and its relationship to their identity work. We ground our work in a justice-centered asset-based stance that centers how people’s lived lives and community wisdom yield powerful forms of cultural knowledge/practice relevant to learning and engaging in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We …

Examining Adolescence Science And Mathematics Teachers' Views Of The Characteristics Of Effective Professional Development: A Q-Methodological Study, Dominick Fantacone

Dissertations - ALL

The design and implementation of secondary teacher professional development (PD) has been a focus of researchers for decades. Often viewed as the way to increase the quality of teaching and to improve student achievement, billions of dollars are invested in PD within the United Stated every year. As such, researchers continue to seek new avenues to understand and to improve the benefits of PD.An area of inquiry that has drawn specific interest amongst some investigators are the characteristics of effective PD. Numerous studies purport the need for these characteristics to be included in the design of PD. Yet, teachers' perspectives …

Exploring The Nature Of The Co-Emergence Of Students' Representational Fluency And Functional Thinking, Nigar Altindis

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract In this dissertation, I explore ways to support secondary school students' meaningful understanding of quadratic functions. Specifically, I investigate how students co-developed representational fluency (RF) and functional thinking (FT), when they gained meaningful understanding of quadratic functions. I also characterize students' co-emergence of RF and FT on each representation (e.g., a graph, a symbolic equation, and a table) and across multiple representations. To accomplish these goals, I employed a design research methodology: a teaching experiment with eight Turkish-American secondary school students in an after-school context at a Turkish Community Center. I constructed the design principles and design elements for …

Examining Adolescence Science And Mathematics Teachers’ Views Of The Characteristics Of Effective Professional Development: A Q-Methodological Study, Dominick Fantacone

Dissertations - ALL

The design and implementation of secondary teacher professional development (PD) has been a focus of researchers for decades. Often viewed as the way to increase the quality of teaching and to improve student achievement, billions of dollars are invested in PD within the United Stated every year. As such, researchers continue to seek new avenues to understand and to improve the benefits of PD.An area of inquiry that has drawn specific interest amongst some investigators are the characteristics of effective PD. Numerous studies purport the need for these characteristics to be included in the design of PD. Yet, teachers’ perspectives …

Exploring The Nature Of The Co-Emergence Of Students’ Representational Fluency And Functional Thinking, Nigar Altindis

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract In this dissertation, I explore ways to support secondary school students’ meaningful understanding of quadratic functions. Specifically, I investigate how students co-developed representational fluency (RF) and functional thinking (FT), when they gained meaningful understanding of quadratic functions. I also characterize students’ co-emergence of RF and FT on each representation (e.g., a graph, a symbolic equation, and a table) and across multiple representations. To accomplish these goals, I employed a design research methodology: a teaching experiment with eight Turkish-American secondary school students in an after-school context at a Turkish Community Center. I constructed the design principles and design elements for …

Modeling Functions: Modified Falling Ladder Task, Nakia Salam

Symposium of Student Scholars

Modeling Functions: Modified Falling Ladder Task

By the time students graduate from high school, the knowledge of functions has shifted from a conceptual understanding to a procedural approach, where the understanding of functions is based upon memorized computational steps that can’t be modeled. A focus on the computational aspect of functions can have a long-term effect on students’ ability to understand the meaning of functional relationships, negatively affecting their overall ability to reason mathematically. Without educators making a conscious decision to recognize the value of modeling and force its’ inclusion, there are few opportunities to experience the application of functional …

Exploring Adolescents’ Critical Thinking Aptitudes When Reading About Science In The News, Marianne Bissonnette, Pierre Chastenay, Chantal Francoeur

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This research studies the critical thinking skills of six teenagers in their final years of high school. It looks at the way those students use a set of cognitive skills in order to analyze scientific and pseudoscientific information available in online news articles. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six students chosen according to their results in a questionnaire about interest in science topics. Results show a large gap between participants’ use of critical thinking skills. Most of these skills were mainly used for text comprehension, evoking general knowledge, numeracy, arguments assessment and production, and life skills (open-mindedness and metacognition). The …

Use Of Artificial Intelligence To Identify Predictors Of Functional Outcomes In Patients With Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy, Natalie K. Katz

Research Days

Background: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy characterized by slowly progressive muscle weakness. Symptoms initially involve the facial and shoulder girdle muscles, with later involvement of the distal lower extremities, pelvic girdle and proximal lower extremities. FSHD type 1 (FHSD1) is the most common form (~95% of individuals) and is caused by deletion of microsatellite repeats in the D4Z4 region on chromosome 4 (4q35). Normal individuals have >10 repeats whereas individuals with FSHD1 have 1-10 repeats. There is significant variability in regards to disease severity, rates of progression and functional outcomes, but …

Prevalence Of Adolescent Sexual Health Outcomes At Children’S Hospitals During Covid-19, Margarita Abella

Research Days

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic mitigation strategies, including social distancing, decreased structured environments, and decreased sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care access, could negatively impact adolescent SRH behaviors and related outcomes. To date, little is known regarding changes in adolescent SRH outcomes during COVID-19.

Objectives/Goal: Our goals were to assess changes in adolescent SRH outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy, and sexual assault in the hospital (emergency department [ED] and inpatient [IP]) during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19.

Methods/Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adolescent (11-18 years old) IP or ED hospital visits using the Pediatric …

Effectiveness And Safety Of Repeat Dexamethasone For Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Christian Oliveros

Research Days

Background: Although a short course of steroids maybe beneficial in infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, response to treatment is variable. In infants with persistent lung disease despite initial treatment, repeat courses of steroids have been described but not well-studied. This 10-year observational study from a single tertiary referral center evaluates the effectiveness and safety of repeat steroid treatment for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Objectives/Goal: To describe effectiveness of repeat dexamethasone treatment for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and to evaluate potential detrimental effects on growth and neurodevelopment.

Methods/Design: This was a 10-year single-center observational study of infants <30 >weeks’ gestational age at birth …

A Study Examining The Safety And Efficacy Of Ferric Carboxymaltose In A Large Pediatric Cohort, Chandni Dargan Md, David Simon Do

Research Days

Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is common in the pediatric population with varying high-risk factors. Intravenous (IV) iron supplementation has become more desirable in patients with moderate to severe anemia and in patients who are either unresponsive to or have adverse side-effects secondary to oral iron. Iron sucrose and Iron dextran have been traditionally used in pediatrics while ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) has only been FDA approved in adults. One of the major advantages of FCM is the ease of dosing and efficacy. Though FCM was approved for adults in 2013 and there have been no safety concerns, it is not …

Portable Low Field Strength Mri: Preliminary Experience In Neonates And Children, Johnston Fite

Research Days

Background: High field strength MRI (HF-MRI) is a pediatric imaging staple. However, HF-MRI access is limited by strong (1.5 – 3.0 T) magnetic fields with associated safety concerns, space requirements, and cost. To address these limitations, Hyperfine (Guilford, CT) developed a low magnetic field (0.064 T) portable MRI device, named Swoop. Preliminary data in adults shows benefits despite decreased image quality. In this study, initial evaluation of Swoop’s image quality in pediatric patients was assessed.

Objectives/Goal: The objective in this study was the initial evaluation of Swoop’s image quality in pediatric patients to serve as a baseline.

Methods/Design: The study …

Variability In Blood Gas Levels During Non-Invasive Ventilatory Support Following Planned Extubation And Association To 36-Week Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia In Preterm Neonates, Michelle Klueppelberg

Research Days

Background: Despite shifts to non-invasive support, as of 2012, 87% of preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) continued to receive some form of invasive mechanical ventilation1 . As a result, research around how prolonged respiratory support may impact the development of chronic lung disease, specifically bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) has flourished. To date, literature has established associations between the time on invasive mechanical ventilation and incidence BPD2,3. Resulting in the development of standardized extubation strategies and bringing with them objective measures of extubation readiness4,5. Yet, due to their volatile conditions, some neonates will inevitably need to be …

Antibiotic Durations For Skin And Soft Tissue Infections In Pediatric Urgent Care Clinics, Megan Hamner

Research Days

Background: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are the second most common diagnosis leading to pediatric antibiotic prescriptions in the outpatient setting after respiratory diagnoses. However, most antibiotic stewardship programs have mainly focused on the latter. Children seen in the ambulatory setting for SSTIs often receive >7 days of antibiotics, although current society guidelines recommend 5-7 days for most diagnoses.

Objectives/Goal: To determine the baseline percentage of patients receiving antibiotic prescriptions for >7 days for SSTIs in Children’s Mercy urgent care clinics (UCC)s and to evaluate factors that influence providers towards longer durations.

Methods/Design: We built a report that extracted …

Developing An Inquiry-Based Laboratory Project For Chem 142l Course At Bsu, Manuel Pina

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In addition to content knowledge, critical and independent thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem-solving skills are essential in preparing next generation of successful workforce. Since one of the biggest advantages of STEM disciplines is a “must-have” hands-on laboratory experience, it is intuitive to exploit this learning space to reinforce afore-mentioned skills. In this context, project-based (PBL) or inquiry-based (IBL) laboratory experiences are rapidly becoming mainstream pedagogical choice for many STEM instructors across United States.^[1-4] PBL, and IBL are learning experiences that offer students an opportunity to experience realistic scientific process of discovery through carefully designed inquiry-driven and/or open-ended investigative laboratory …

The Effects That A Flipped Classroom Has On Engagement And Academic Performance For High School Mathematics Students, Jordan Geraets

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Flipped classrooms continue to spark educator’s attention and curiosity as an alternative to the traditional teaching and engagement in a classroom, especially during the time of a global pandemic. New, innovative technology has allowed for educators to be able to evolve their classrooms into new learning environments. Research into how flipped classrooms can impact mathematics classrooms and how students engage and perform differently than in a traditional mathematics classroom was expanded on in this study to determine what benefits there could be for students and how effective the teaching model can be in a class where students often struggle. As …

A New Paradigm: Ecmo Therapy In Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Patients, Igor Areinamo

Research Days

Background: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for support of pediatric patients has significantly increased in the past years. Patients with known oncologic diseases, immunodeficiencies, or bone marrow transplants (BMT) have traditionally not been considered candidates for Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) due to perceived high risk for mortality. Ongoing advances have continued to push the boundaries of ECMO use and we report our recent experience with this patient population

Objectives/Goal: To evaluate survival to discharge of pediatric patients who require ECMO support and who also have an underlying hematologic or oncologic disease process. To determine specific patient characteristics that …

Low Dose Doxorubicin Inhibits Immune Checkpoint Upregulation In Acute Leukemias, Bradley C. Stockard

Research Days

Background: Evasion of drug and immune response in therapy-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs) is a major cause of relapse. A previous study has identified an alternative mechanism of action for low-dose doxorubicin (DXR) that inhibits upregulation of immune checkpoints (IC) in LSCs.

Objectives/Goal: The objective of this study is to establish the DXR dose range that will achieve the inhibition of immune checkpoint expression in leukemic cell lines.

Methods/Design: Cells were analyzed for expression of CTLA-4, LAG-3, PD-1, TIGIT, and TIM-3 via flow cytometry. Analysis was performed on days 3, 5, and 8 of treatment at concentrations identified as low, …

Levofloxacin Versus Ciprofloxacin Prophylaxis In Pediatric Cancer Patients At High Risk Of Infection, Chandni Dargan Md, Amy Johnson Md, Mba

Research Days

Background: Patients with cancer and those undergoing chemotherapy are at risk of developing bacterial infections due to myelosuppression. Patients undergoing the most intensive chemotherapy regimens are at a higher risk for morbidity and mortality due to profound neutropenia. Antibacterial prophylaxis is given to reduce the incidence of infection in those at highest risk. Starting March 1, 2016 our institution used ciprofloxacin for antibacterial prophylaxis however recent literature, including the COG trial ACCL0934, supports using levofloxacin in certain high risk (HR) populations due to greater efficacy in reducing neutropenic fever (NF) and bacteremia. Therefore, we switched to this April 1, 2019. …