Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 51, Fall 2021), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman, Editor, Erika Solberg, Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Supporting And Retaining Early Career Mathematics Teachers Using An Online Community Of Practice, Paula Jakopovic, Travis Weiland, Maria Campitelli, Lorraine Males, Lisa Amick

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

This study reports on efforts over several years to design and implement a yearlong intervention intended to support secondary mathematics teachers in their early years of teaching. The intervention is designed to retain early career mathematics teachers in the professions by engaging them in the development of meaningful professional relationships with a school-based mentors, and by creating an online community of practice for support with other professionals. The intervention itself consists of early career teachers and their mentors participating in monthly professional learning activities such as online meetings, videoconferencing panels with experts, and collaborative reading and discussing timely, purposeful, and …

Making Scientific And Technical Materials Pervasively Accessible, Jason J.G. White

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

In this paper, the question is explored of what policies, standards and practices are desirable to ensure that hardware, software and publications in the sciences and associated disciplines are created from the outset to be accessible to people with disabilities. Insight into this question can be obtained by considering the unique accessibility challenges that these materials pose, including complexities of notation, language, and graphical representation.

Having analyzed what sets this problem apart from broader issues of accessibility, the advantages and limitations of current international standards are reviewed, and contemporary developments in standards and policies are considered from a strategic perspective. …

The Perceptions Of Teachers Of Students With Visual Impairments On Students With Visual Impairments And Graphing: How To Teach, Ashley N. Nashleanas Ph.D.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Many gaps exist in what is known around teaching students with visual impairments (SVI) about how to use graphs (Rosenblum et al., 2018; Rosenblum & Herzberg, 2015; Zebehazy & Wilton, 2014a;2014b;2014c). When teachers first experience a student with a visual impairment, some of the questions that come to mind are: How can I be sure this student understands what I am saying about these graphs I show on the board? Will this student be able to keep up? The study herein, based on findings from Author (2018), serves as a guide for teachers to consider in the case that SVI …

Build Your Own Body Mod: Empowerment Through Prototyping And Design, Anaiss Arreola, Katherine R. Ganim

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

When you don’t have a hand, what could you have instead? This article introduces the impact of inviting youth with disabilities to learn tools and technology to design their own solutions and advocate for their own future. This approach to programming is rooted in a mindset of designing WITH, not FOR. Not only are design outcomes improved when users are incorporated into the process, but this approach has been shown to improve confidence in creating one’s own solutions. These programs include hands-on “design-your-own-body-mod” workshops, as well as a budding inclusive design consultancy led by youth with disabilities. Through this programming, …

Scope Process: Fostering Students' Design Outcome Effectiveness, Andrew J. Hughes, Cameron D. Denson

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to help Technology and Engineering Educators scaffold engineering design and problem-solving experiences so that students taking technology and engineering courses will develop an improved ability to design. Technology and Engineering Education seems to increasingly focus on problem-solving, design, and engineering. Technology and Engineering Education is not the only discipline with this focus. The fact that both Science and Technology and Engineering Education are similarly focused on the teaching and learning of engineering begs the question of what separates technology and engineering educators from science educators in the teaching of engineering? Lewis (2004) cautioned that …

Tech & Toys To Teach Linear Algebra, Kelly W. Remijan

Publications & Research

6th - 12 Grade Math teachers will Discover activities involving tech and/or toys:

1. CNC Machines- graphing points & line segments
2. Desmos/GeoGebra & flags- graphing linear equations/inequalities w/ domain/range
3. CBR & movement- graphing/analyzing lines
4. Push toys- systems of equations
5. Water growing toys- growth rate
6. Ziplines, Balloons, Barbie, & Lego People - slope & linear equations

Student Perceptions Of Authoring A Publication Stemming From A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure), Ashley N. Turner, Anil K. Challa, Katelyn M. Cooper

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage students in authentic research experiences in a course format and can sometimes result in the publication of that research. However, little is known about student-author perceptions of CURE publications. In this study, we examined how students perceive they benefit from authoring a CURE publication and what they believe is required for authorship of a manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal. All 16 students who were enrolled in a molecular genetics CURE during their first year of college participated in semistructured interviews during their fourth year. At the time of the interviews, students had been authors …

Community Roles For Supporting Emerging Education Researchers, Christopher A. F. Hass, Emilie Hancock, Samantha Wilson, Shams El-Adawy, Eleanor C. Sayre

Mathematics Faculty Scholarship

DBER attracts many faculty from other STEM disciplines, and these faculty have little or no specific training in DBER. DBER requires a mastery of quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed methodologies, and also a nuanced understanding of breadth of topic, research questions, and theoretical frameworks. This interdisciplinarity is particularly challenging for emerging DBER researchers who often switch into DBER with only discipline specific content and research training. As part of a large study about how STEM faculty become involved with DBER, we interviewed a number of emerging DBER faculty about their pathways into DBER. We conducted a thematic analysis of these interviews …

Elementary School Library Collections: A Content Analysis Of Science Trade Books, Sandra W. Watson, Sheila F. Baker

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In this study, science trade books from the libraries of 10 elementary schools across the United States were evaluated using the modified Hunsader rubric for their overall quality pertaining to science content, literacy, and critical literacy criteria. Findings indicate that 62% of the books met the overall science content criterion, 99% met the overall literacy criterion, and 41% met the overall critical literacy criterion. The majority of science trade books in each school were life science books, and the majority of books across all schools were 18–23 years old, with many being much older. Implications and recommendations are provided.

Investigating The Relationship Between Departmental Support Structures, Self-Efficacy And Intention To Persist: An Examination Of Students' Experience In 19 Physics Graduate Programs Across The United States, Diana Sachmpazidi

Dissertations

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduate programs experience consistently high attrition rates. Moreover, persistent disparities exist in racial and gender representation. Women and People of Color are significantly underrepresented and have higher attrition rates than men and white and Asian American students. To date, little work is done to understand graduate student attrition or persistence. There is also a lack of information regarding the causes of demographic disparities in attrition. Most past studies in this context have focused on students' attributes, undergraduate preparation, and mentoring relationships. Moreover, student self-efficacy is a contributing factor for undergraduate student retention. Yet, there …

Advances In Global Education And Research: Volume 4, Waynne B. James, Cihan Cobanoglu, Muhittin Cavusoglu

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This is the fourth volume of the Advances in Global Education and Research Book Series. This volume has the following parts:

• Part 1: Adult Education
• Part 2: Curriculum and Instruction Development
• Part 3: Educational Technology
• Part 4: Education in Other Specialties
• Part 5: English as a Second Language
• Part 6: Global Competence
• Part 7: Higher Education and Educational Leadership
• Part 8: Inclusive Education
• Part 9: International Education
• Part 10: PreK-12
• Part 11: Research Methods in Education

ISBN: 978-1-955833-04-2

Adult Education

• Teaching for knowledge transfer: Best practices from a graduate-level educational psychology distance learning program
  • Bobby Hoffman
• A study on the …

Understanding And Addressing Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Misconceptions In Science Education, Nicole Juliana Thomas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prior research has demonstrated that both children and adults alike hold misconceptions about various scientific phenomena (Snyder & Sullivan, 1995; Driver et al., 1985). These misconceptions range from a variety of different fields, including astronomy and space science, environmental biology, and geology, among others (Miller & Brewer, 2010; Wandersee et al., 1994; Ritger & Cummins, 1991). Research suggests that the vast majority of misconceptions are formed early in a students’ educational career, and these misconceptions could be held throughout adulthood unless they are sufficiently addressed (Coley & Tanner, 2012; Posner et al., 1982; Nehm & Reilly, 2007; Sadler et al., …

Virtual Vs. In-Person Instruction: The Impact Of Teachers' Understanding Of Physics, Madelyn Johnson, Jeff Morgan Ph.D., Lawrence Escalada Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Covid-19 forced nearly all U.S. schools to switch to virtual instruction in March of 2020. With students around the country and world now “Zooming” into class, it begs the question, does this new learning environment impact student learning? Conceptual assessments and observations were used to make conclusions about the differing effectiveness of instructional methods for professional development programs. Although results may indicate in-person instruction is more effective, I believe the most effective method of instruction is hybrid as it takes advantage of both virtual and in-person methods. To enable screen reader support, press Ctrl+Alt+Z To learn about keyboard shortcuts, press …

Addressing Student Engagement During Covid-19: Secondary Stem Teachers Attend To The Affective Dimension Of Learner Needs, Tiffany Roman, Laurie Brantley-Dias, Michael Dias, Belinda Edwards

Faculty Articles

This case study examines how a cohort of eleven induction secondary STEM teachers engaged learners during the onset of COVID-19 and their designs for student engagement given an online or blended teaching context in fall 2020. Participants attended a summer professional development workshop guided by trauma-informed teaching practices and learner engagement conceptual frameworks. Through the analysis of teacher artifacts and interviews, we identified dimensions of student engagement that teachers prioritized. Results indicate a marked increase in teachers’ attention to affective and social dimensions of learner engagement. We argue that teacher awareness and action in the affective domain of student engagement …

Growing Capacity In Gifted And Talented Education Through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, And Mathematics (Steam), Sheron Mark, Chin-Wen Jean Lee, Peter A. Azmani

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

A graduate-level gifted and talented education (GTE) course for in-service teachers was revised aiming to prepare teachers to integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education into existing curricula to create challenging learning experiences for students identified as gifted and talented. Two university-based teacher educators in science education and GTE, respectively, engaged in action research in order to develop and refine a semester-long STEAM project in the GTE course to accomplish this goal. In all, two elementary, one Music, and one World History teacher participated. Case study analysis explored the teachers’ approaches to developing STEAM-based lessons to expand their …

Critical Turning Points During Lesson Study: Student Misconceptions Spark Teacher Learning, Krystal A. Barber

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

During lesson study teachers collaborate to design, teach, observe, and reflect on a lesson with the overarching goals of improving instruction and increasing student learning. This article examines how a 6th grade mathematics lesson study project challenged teachers’ ideas and assumptions about their students’ understanding of fraction concepts. Significant misconceptions were revealed during the teaching of the lesson, prompting teacher learning and changes to instruction. The results highlight critical turning points during the process where evidence collected during lesson observations revealed student struggles and changed how teachers supported their students’ thinking moving forward. This article also documents one teacher’s journey …

Saudi High School Science Teachers' Perceptions Towards The Integration Of Digital Game-Based Learning Into Their Teaching Practice, Jawaher A. Alsultan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The switch to distant learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic demanded an immediate adaptation of technology platforms to improve students' online learning. Science teachers were suddenly required to teach their classes virtually with little time and preparation. This breakneck shift to remote learning raised the question of how teachers can provide instruction to their students in the practices of science using virtual technologies. This embedded case study investigates an intervention to support Saudi science teachers facing the unprecedented challenge posed by COVID-19 in teaching the practices of science in the virtual school platform, Madrasati, through the engagement in digital game-based …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

A Pediatric Case Of Treatment-Related Myelodysplastic Syndrome While On Therapy For Pre-B All, Sara Mcelroy

Research Days

Background: Treatment-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS) is a known, but rare, late effect of cancer therapy, specifically radiation, alkylating agents or topoisomerase II inhibitors. When secondary to treatment with alkylating agents, t-MDS typically occurs 4 to 7 years after therapy, and common cytogenetics include chromosomes 5 and 7 abnormalities. Treatment in children with t-MDS is typically allogeneic stem cell transplant, but the prognosis remains poor.

Objectives/Goal: To describe a rare case of a pediatric patient who developed t-MDS while receiving treatment for Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (pre-B ALL) and to outline the treatment regimen that he received.

Methods/Design: Case Report …