Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Walking The Walk: Authentic Science And Mathematics Research Conducted By Preservice And Inservice Teachers, Cherie Mccollough, Tonya D. Jeffery, Kim Moore

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Stem Integration: Math, Meet Biology!, Lindsey Herlehy, Karen Togliatti

Publications & Research

Join us for three hands-on, inquiry-based activities integrating mathematical and scientific thinking. First, explore patterns in the powers of ten and use this information to sort a set of images and design a scale model of an E. coli's DNA. Then, simulate a colorful biotechnology application using new tools and laboratory skills. Art, science, and math intersect in an activity merging coordinate geometry, symmetry, and biotechnology skills. NGSS and CCSS practice standards will be demonstrated.

Photosynthesis: An Integrated, Hands-On Approach Supporting The Ngss And Ccss Ela, Laura Robertson, Chih-Che Tai, Renee Rice Moran, Lashay Jennings, Kari Eubanks, S. Honeycutt

ETSU Faculty Works

We will combine hands-on science investigations with supporting literacy activities to help students build conceptual models of photosynthesis.

Cultural Institutions As Partners In Initial Elementary Science Teacher Preparation, Lara Smetana, Daniel Birmingham, Heidi Rouleau, Jenna Carlson, Shannon Phillips

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Despite an increased recognition of the role that ‘informal’ learning spaces (e.g. museums, aquariums, other cultural institutions) have in children’s science education (NRC, 2015), there remains a gap between the goals and values of ‘informal’ and ‘formal’ (i.e. school-based) learning sectors. Moreover, the potential for informal spaces and institutions to also play a role in initial teacher preparation is only beginning to be realized. Here, we present our Science Teacher Learning Ecosystem model and explain how it frames the design of our elementary science teacher education coursework. We then use this framework to describe learning experiences that are collaboratively planned …

Amplify Your Teaching Impact: Capitalizing On 1-On-1 Instruction, Abby D. Benninghoff

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The objective of this essay, which is based on a keynote presentation delivered at the 2016 Empowering Teaching Excellence Conference at Utah State University, is to address this central question: how faculty can make a positive, substantive impact on students through 1-on-1 instruction? The consensus answer derived from experiences and anecdotes offered by this author, her colleagues, and students is to be deliberate in 1-on-1 interactions with students. This simple message is expanded through discussion of 10 key concepts that can help faculty amplify their teaching impact: 1) be available, 2) help students feel comfortable, 3) be a model, 4) …

Blending Community And Content Through Place-Based Science, Terri Hebert, Judith L. Lewandowski

Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice

Place-based education connects the learner to the local environment through diverse strategies that increase awareness and connectedness to the community, and ultimately to the world (Sobel, 2004). Constructivist principles of learning – the belief that individuals “construct their own knowledge by engaging in the learning process, interacting and collaborating with teachers and other students, reflecting on the content, and meaningfully integrating the new information with prior knowledge” (Sowan & Jenkins, 2013, p. 316) – run deep within place-based education as the learner constructs meaning through personal interactions with the local environment. In other words, the “landscape shapes [one’s] mindscape” (Haas …

Session E-2: Sharing Analogies And Demonstrations To Reinforce Chemistry Concepts, Dave Devol, Angela Ahrendt

Professional Learning Day

Chemistry concepts can often be difficult for students to understand, in part due to the fact that we are discussing with students things that cannot be seen (atoms and molecules!). Analogies that relate chemistry concepts to things that students are more familiar with can be a powerful way to help them understand concepts, as can demonstrations that make concepts come to life visually. We will share a few of our favorite analogies/demos, and ask that each participant share one of their favorite analogies or demos. As we realize it would be difficult for visiting teachers to bring what they need …

Session E-4: Labs For Next Generation Science Standard: Waves And Electromagnetic Radiation, Brooke Schmidt

Professional Learning Day

Participants will have the opportunity to participate in two labs aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards for Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation. The first explores the relationship between the speed, frequency, and wavelength of a wave while changing the medium, and the second lab demonstrates the wave nature of light through interference.

Session B-2: Forensic Metallurgy – A Challenge In Basic Measurements, Patrick Young

Professional Learning Day

Chinese antiquities may be readily found for sale on eBay. Ancient coins may be purchased for very reasonable prices. Are these authentic artifacts, or modern forgeries? An investigation will include measurements and calculations to identify the metals involved. Using only inexpensive, school-grade equipment, participants will be challenged to solve the mystery. Success will hinge on careful measurement, deductive reasoning, and a thoughtful consideration of experimental uncertainty.

Session C-1: Modeling Stem Activities Into Classroom Practice, Sowmya Anjur

Professional Learning Day

Students understand concepts better when they have had a chance to work hands on with relevant material. Examples will be presented from my classroom where difficult concepts have been modeled into simple experiments with considerable success in enhancing student understanding. Special focus will be given to selected topics that students seem to have the most difficulty grasping. The objective is to enable students to transfer their understanding to solve complex problems with considerable ease and apply their understanding to real world scenarios on assessments. Suggestions will also be provided for implementation of various concepts into the high school classroom.

Impact Report 2017: Imsa30, The Promise And Power Of Imsa, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Impact Reports

The State of Illinois launched the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), which is recognized as the world's leading teaching and learning lab for imagination and inquiry, in collaboration with business, education, and science leaders. For 30 years, IMSA has pioneered the future of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education through its two legislative charges: 1) to provide a uniquely challenging education for students talented in the areas of mathematics and science and 2) to stimulate further excellence for all Illinois schools in mathematics and science. IMSA champions these goals through:

New STEM teaching models: leading the charge to …

From The Co-Editors..., Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

A Universal Design For Robotics Education, Mustafa Şahin Bülbül

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

In this century technological and educational needs increase drastically. Out of local language, educators need to teach robotic language and use necessary technologies to design robots like Arduino set. This set let users to know less code/computer language and knowledge about electronics. Users may develop their own robots with this set. It also improves design and implementation skills. However, it is not a suitable design for blinds. Universal design approach suggests educators to design courses in a way to meet the needs of all participants. By this approach, learning environments are helpful and useful for participants with special needs. With …

How Do Undergraduate Stem Mentors Reflect Upon Their Mentoring Experiences In An Outreach Program Engaging K-8 Youth?, Kari L. Nelson, Jamie Sabel, Cory Forbes, Neal Grandgenett, William E. Tapprich, Christine E. Cutucache

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Many university students are becoming involved in mentoring programs, yet few studies describe the impact of mentoring on the mentor. Additionally, many studies report that students graduating from college are not prepared to enter the workforce in terms of key career skills and/or content knowledge. Herein, we examine the impact of our program, NE STEM 4U (Nebraska Science, Technology, Engineering and Math for You), in which undergraduate (UG) mentors engage K-8 youth in after-school STEM experiments. The UGs reflected upon their experiences using post-mentoring evaluations, 12- and 24-week interviews, and exit surveys. Many of the questions asked of …

Exploring Mathematics Teacher Education Fieldwork Experiences Through Storytelling, Melody Jeane Elrod

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the history of teacher education, the final fieldwork experience has often been called the single most influential experience in teacher preparation programs (Burns, Jacobs, & Yendol-Hoppey, 2016; Feiman-Nemser & Buchmann, 1986; Parker-Katz & Bay, 2008). Though this experience has been expanded to include fieldwork experiences throughout many teacher education programs (Guyton & McIntyre, 1990), the final fieldwork experience remains the closing activity and the lasting image of teacher preparation (Feiman-Nemser & Buchmann, 1986; Rosaen & Florio-Ruane, 2008). Given its importance, though, researchers know relatively little about it. “The knowledge thus produced is akin to the quantum theory of physics; …

Stem High School Teachers’ Views Of Implementing Pbl: An Investigation Using Anecdote Circles, Aimée L. Dechambeau, Susan E. Ramlo

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been gaining in popularity, especially within the context of STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) schools. Program assessments for these schools typically focus on student standardized test scores rather than the needs of the teachers. This study utilized anecdote circles, storytelling via moderated group discussions, to investigate teachers’ needs related to developing and implementing authentic, interdisciplinary PBL activities in an urban, public STEM high school. Teacher experiences and viewpoints were explored within three broad themes: assessment; coaching and training; and authentic learning. The analyses provide insights for transitioning a school for effective PBL implementation as well …

High School Earth And Space Science Should Be Taught By Geoscientists, Elizabeth Lewis

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

A recent survey of U.S. science teachers’ understanding, perspectives and teaching of climate change — an important earth and space science (ESS) standard included in the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) — revealed that teachers spend an average of only one to two hours per year teaching students about climate change. The survey study’s authors concluded that “[science] teachers may not be very knowledgeable about a wide range of evidence and how climate models work.” However, the authors did not distinguish between qualified ESS teachers and other teachers, like biology, physics or chemistry teachers who might be charged with …

A Model Of The Use Of Evolutionary Trees (Muet) To Inform K-14 Biology Education, Yi Kong, Ankita Thawani, Trevor R. Anderson, Nancy Pelaez

PIBERG Publications

Evolutionary trees are powerful tools used in modern biological research, and also commonly used in textbooks and classroom instruction. Studies have shown that K-14 students have difficulties interpreting evolutionary trees. To improve student learning about this topic, it is essential to teach them how to understand and use trees like professional biologists. Unfortunately, few currently used teaching frameworks for evolution instruction are designed for this purpose. In this study we developed the Model of the Use of Evolutionary Trees (MUET), a conceptual model that characterizes how evolutionary trees were used by professional biologists as represented in their research publications. The …

“Science Is Not My Thing”: Exploring Deaf Non-Science Majors’ Science Identities, Cara L. Gormally, Amber Marchut

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing are underrepresented in science majors, yet we know little about why. Students from other underrepresented groups in science—women and people of color—tend to highly value altruistic or communal career goals, while perceiving science as uncommunal. Research suggests that holding stereotypical conceptions about scientists and perceptions of science as uncommunal may strongly hinder recruitment into science majors. This study sought to explore the science identities of students who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing signers. The study focused on non-science majors in bilingual (American Sign Language and written English) biology laboratory courses. This study is the …

Providing Annotated Examples Increases Science Learning, Elana A. Paladino

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Students consistently score low in the areas of application of scientific results, critical analysis of results, proper citation usage, and poster design

The Perceptions Of Stem From Eighth-Grade African-American Girls In A High Minority Middle School, Lachanda Nichole Hare

Education Dissertations and Projects

Even with the existence of STEM curriculum and STEM programs that target women and minorities, African-American females still lag behind other ethnic groups in STEM fields. Reasons for the underrepresentation of females in STEM fields can be traced back to the early years of schooling. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that impact African-American females’ perspectives of STEM subjects and STEM careers. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach was used for data collection with a survey, focus group, and interview. Forty male (N=12) and female (N=28) students from different ethnic groups were surveyed. The focus group and …

Preparing Today To Empower Future Learners: Pre-Service Teachers’ Experiences Selecting & Evaluating Children’S Literature For Quality And Use In Prek-6th Grade Integrated Literacy/Science Instruction, Carolyn Stone, Deborah Conrad

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

The use of quality texts in elementary classrooms plays a major role in children’s literacy development. Quality children’s literature helps learners develop into skilled readers and writers with increased gains in vocabulary knowledge and comprehension. This paper demonstrates how pre-service teachers gained an understanding of the educational value of evaluating texts for quality. Using a mentor teacher assigned science topic, the pre-service teachers reviewed and evaluated texts and electronic based resources on specific science topics. The data highlights pre-service teachers’ reflections on how quality texts can be a powerful tool in supporting literacy success in their future teaching. It also …

One-To-One Technology In Middle School Science, Jenny A. Finnegan

Projects

This paper reports on the ongoing digital implementation of one-to-one digital devices in the middle school science classroom, examining existing goals, the history and use, and offers a professional development course designed to engage teachers to improve their practices. This work examines teacher efficacy in the classroom and highlights teachers’ views on the emerging push for one-to-one student centered learning. Results suggest the importance of methodologies that increase student achievement and reduce teacher driven curriculum. The combination of teacher engagement through professional development and practice promote both teacher and students’ interest and learning goals with the use of one-to-one devices, …

Epistemology Shock: English Professors Confront Science, Ian Barnard, Jan Osborn

English Faculty Articles and Research

This article raises questions and concerns regarding students from the sciences working with faculty in the humanities in interdisciplinary settings. It explores the experience of two English professors facing the privileging of "facts" and a science-based understanding of the world in their own classrooms. It poses both questions and pedagogical possibilities for addressing conflicts around epistemologies, scholarship, and teaching and learning.

Instructional Coaching And Its Effects On Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions Of Coaching And Content Knowledge: A Mixed Methods Study, Jamie-Marie Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Instructional coaching has been a professional learning opportunity that many school districts have employed to support teacher practice. Pairing instructional coaching with on-going workshops is a relatively new approach to professional development. Participants for this study include fourteen middle school teachers that teach either mathematics or collaborate with special needs students. This study examines the effect that pairing instructional coaching with on-going workshops (with a primary focus on proportional reasoning) has on participants’ content knowledge and their perceptions of coaching. Drawing on Wenger’s community of practice theory and post-modern theory of power, this study employs mixed-methods design. Pre- and post-tests …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 41, Winter 2017), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Science Education For The Future: Five Recommendations A Policy Brief For Pakistan, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

High quality education and particularly in the area of what is generally called STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is the greatest indicator of quality of life. Sustainable human development, eradication of poverty and removing unequal distribution of resources all depend on high quality education. High quality education in the area of science has been defined as far back as 1962 by Schwab and Brandwein as teaching through inquiry-based methods. Continuing to teach science content through rote memorization produces teachers who know of no better method to teach other than memorization. These teachers themselves lack conceptual understanding of science content …

High School Students' Views Of Science In A University Science Internship With Cogenerative Dialogues, Gabriel M. Hayes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this Thesis is to determine how participation in long term university science internships affect nature of science (NOS) conceptual change in high school students. The study was conducted on high school students who volunteered to participate in a seven month university science internship in west Texas. Student views of NOS were measured by pre- and post-internship interviews using five questions about NOS. Internship and no internship student responses were qualitatively analyzed to show change in views of NOS. Findings indicated that participation in long term science internships with cogenerative dialogues improved students conceptualizations of the social dimensions …

The Effects Of Integrating Lego Robotics Into A Mathematics Curriculum To Promote The Development Of Proportional Reasoning, Shelli L. Casler-Failing

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This mixed methods, action research case study sought to investigate the effects of incorporating LEGO robotics into a seventh grade mathematics curriculum focused on the development of proportional reasoning through the lens of Social Constructivist Theory. Quantitative data was collected via pre- and post-tests from the mathematics class of six students. Qualitative data was collected from each of the students as they worked in groups of two to complete purposefully designed investigations, activities, from whole class discussions, and student artifacts. In addition, four students were purposefully chosen to participate as embedded case studies. The quantitative analysis showed development of proportional …

Students’ Out-Of-School Experiences, Job Priorities, And Perceptions Toward Themselves As A Scientist: A Cross-Cultural Study, Hunkar Korkmaz, Julie Anna Thomas, Nilgun Tatar, Serpil Altunay

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

The purpose of this study was to examine middle school students’ out-of-school experiences related to science, priorities related to their future job, and perception toward themselves as a scientist. One intact school was assigned randomly from each country. The study involved 479 students (363 Turkish students; 116 American students), aged between 11 and 13. It used the survey instrument “Relevance of Science Education” developed by an international team. Results show that for this sample there continue to be significant gender and cultural differences in science experiences and perceptions toward scientists and of careers. It is thought that the findings of …