Proving or Improving Science Learning? Understanding High School Students' Conceptions of Science Assessment in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Min-Hsien; Lin, Tzung-Jin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2013-01-01

Classroom assessment is a critical aspect of teaching and learning. In this paper, Taiwanese high school students' conceptions of science assessment and the relationship between their conceptions of science assessment and of science learning were investigated. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. First, 60 students were…

Wolves Are Beautiful and Proud: Science Learning from a School Field Trip

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glick, Marilyn Petty; Samarapungavan, Ala

2008-01-01

This research examines the impact of related classroom activities on fourth grade students' science learning from a school field trip. The current study draws upon research in psychology and education to create an intervention that is designed to enhance what students learn from school science field trips. The intervention comprises a set of…

Investigating Your School's Science Teaching and Learning Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sato, Mistilina; Bartiromo, Margo; Elko, Susan

2016-01-01

The authors report on their work with the Academy for Leadership in Science Instruction, a program targeted to help science teachers promote a science teaching and learning culture in their own schools.

Project LEO Studies of Science Learning Environments and Outcomes, 1968-1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Charles; And Others

Presented is a summary of the 1977-80 Project LEO studies, which focused on science teaching strategies and learning outcomes for disruptive elementary school children and on more refined application of the "student-structured learning in science" (SSLS) teacher behavioral pattern in secondary school science classrooms. Included within…

Designing Science Learning in the First Years of Schooling. An Intervention Study with Sequenced Learning Material on the Topic of "Floating and Sinking"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leuchter, Miriam; Saalbach, Henrik; Hardy, Ilonca

2014-01-01

Research on learning and instruction of science has shown that learning environments applied in preschool and primary school rarely makes use of structured learning materials in problem-based environments although these are decisive quality features for promoting conceptual change and scientific reasoning within early science learning. We thus…

Designing Science Laboratories: Learning Environments, School Architecture and Teaching and Learning Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veloso, Luísa; Marques, Joana S.

2017-01-01

This article on secondary schools science laboratories in Portugal focuses on how school space functions as a pedagogical and political instrument by contributing to shape the conditions for teaching and learning dynamics. The article places the impact of changes to school layouts within the larger context of a public school renovation programme,…

An opportunity for success: Understanding motivation and learning from urban youth participation in an after school science program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catlin, Janell Nicole

This dissertation is an ethnographic study that documents through student voice the untold stories of urban student motivation to learn and engage in science through the contexts of an after school science program and the students' in-school science classrooms. The purpose of this study is to add to the literature in science education on motivation of urban youth to learn and engage in science through thick and rich descriptions of student voice. This study addresses issues in educational inequity by researching students who are historically marginalized. The focus of the study is four middle school students. The methodology employed was critical ethnography and case study. The data sources included participant observations and field notes, interviews, student artifacts, Snack and Chat, autophotography, and the researcher's reflective journal. The findings of this study state that motivating factors for urban middle school students' learning and engaging in science include a flexible and engaging curriculum, that students are empowered and motivated to learn when teachers are respectful, that urban middle school science students hold positive images about scientists, themselves and knowing science, and that urban teachers of the dominant culture believe that their urban middle school science students are motivated. In using Sociotransformative Constructivism (STC) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) the researcher informs the issues of inequity and racism that emerge from historical perspectives and students' stories about their experiences inside and outside of school. The implications state that allowing for a flexible curriculum that motivates students to make choices about what and how they want to learn and engage in science are necessary science teaching goals for urban middle school students, it is necessary that teachers are conscious of their interactions with their students, diversifying the science field through educating and empowering all students through learning science is key, and to get teachers to the point of an anti-deficit view of urban education more positive stories told by and research done with White urban science teachers must be documented.

Effects of South Korean High School Students' Motivation to Learn Science and Technology on Their Concern Related to Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Eunsang

2017-01-01

This study investigated the gender difference among South Korean high school students in science learning motivation, technology learning motivation, and concern related engineering, as well as the correlation between these factors. It also verified effects of the sub-factors of science learning motivation and technology learning motivation on…

Ecocultural Factors in Students' Ability to Relate Science Concepts Learned at School and Experienced at Home: Implications for Chemistry Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oloruntegbe, Kunle Oke; Ikpe, Adakole

2011-01-01

Making connections between science concepts taught in school and real-world phenomena is considered important in engaging students in learning. The present study examines students' abilities to relate their in-school science learning to everyday experiences at home. The sample comprised 200 senior secondary chemistry students drawn from Ondo…

Measuring Choice to Participate in Optional Science Learning Experiences during Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sha, Li; Schunn, Christian; Bathgate, Meghan

2015-01-01

Cumulatively, participation in optional science learning experiences in school, after school, at home, and in the community may have a large impact on student interest in and knowledge of science. Therefore, interventions can have large long-term effects if they change student choice preferences for such optional science learning experiences. To…

Identity and science learning in African American students in informal science education contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Sylvia M.

2007-12-01

Science education researchers are recognizing the need to consider identity and other sociocultural factors when examining causes of the science achievement gap for African American students. Non-school settings may hold greater promise than formal schooling to promote identities that are conductive to science learning in African Americans. This mixed-methods study explored the relationship between participation in out-of-school-time (OST) science enrichment programs and African American middle and high school students' racial and ethnic identity (RED, social identity as science learners, and achievement. Pre-post questionnaires used a previously validated model of REI combined with an original subscale that was developed to measure social identity as science learners. Case studies of two programs allowed for an analysis of the informal learning setting. The treatment group (N = 36) consisted of African American middle and high school students in five OST science programs, while the control group (N = 54) students were enrolled in science classes in public schools in the mid-Atlantic region. Results of a t-test of independent means indicated that there was no significant difference between the treatment and control group on measures of REI or science identity. However, the treatment group earned significantly higher science grades compared to the control group, and an ANOVA revealed a significant relationship between science identity and the intention to pursue post-secondary science studies. Although not significant, MANOVA results indicated that students who participated in OST programs exhibited gradual increases in RD and science identity over time according to grade level and gender. Follow-up analysis revealed significant relationships between awareness of racism, gender, and length of time in OST programs. The case studies illustrated that a unique community of practice exists within the OST programs. Access to authentic science learning experiences, youth development, social interactions, and relationships with staff emerged as key elements of successful science enrichment programs, Collectively, the results suggest that informal learning settings are supportive environments for science learning. Further study is needed to examine the pattern of increasing REI and science identity over time, the impact of youth development and agency, and potential implications for science in school and informal learning contexts.

Informal Learning of Science. Monograph in the Faculty of Education Research Seminar and Workshop Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dynan, Muredach B., Ed.; Fraser, Barry J., Ed.

Some researchers have argued that students often learn to operate in two domains, the domain of the science context in school, and the domain of everyday life outside of school. Outside of school, students are exposed to many media from which to learn science concepts. This document is one of a series on research seminars at the Western Australian…

A study of the latent effects of family learning courses in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gennaro, Eugene D.; Hereid, Nancy; Ostlund, Karen

It is well documented that students' exposure to science in the middle school is critical for their later selection of science courses, yet instruction time and course offerings in science during the middle school years are often limited. Out-of-School Science Experiences with funds from the National Science Foundation (DISE No. 07872) produced five short science courses intended for children in middle school grades (6, 7, and 8) and their parents that supplement normal science instruction based on topics that are integral to traditional science teaching. The courses were offered through Community Education programs and through informal science learning centers (e.g., zoos, museums, and planetariums). An added strength of the program is that it employs the family as a motivator and reinforcer in a cooperative learning venture. The study reported here is an attempt to determine participant reaction two to three years after having taken the courses, to the course experience, the influence that the courses had on subsequent learning behavior, and the relationship between parents and children.

America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Susan R., Ed.; Hilton, Margaret L., Ed.; Schweingruber, Heidi A., Ed.

2005-01-01

Laboratory experiences as a part of most U.S. high school science curricula have been taken for granted for decades, but they have rarely been carefully examined. What do they contribute to science learning? What can they contribute to science learning? What is the current status of labs in our nation s high schools as a context for learning…

Associations of Middle School Student Science Achievement and Attitudes about Science with Student-Reported Frequency of Teacher Lecture Demonstrations and Student-Centered Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odom, Arthur Louis; Bell, Clare Valerie

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of middle school student science achievement and attitudes about science with student-reported frequency of teacher lecture demonstrations and student-centered learning. The student sample was composed of 602 seventh- and eighth-grade students enrolled in middle school science. Multiple…

Geological field study for science education on Elementary and Junior high school student, in Shimane prefecture, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, I.

2011-12-01

The importance of learning at field has been increasing in the elementary and the junior high school in Japan. And, an environmental education is one of the important subjects even in the school education, too. It was important, as for science education, understanding with actual feeling and learning were specified as for the Teaching outlines (the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) of the new science textbook of the elementary and the junior high school as well. However, It is a little actual situation that there is in an opportunity for the field learning enforced in the school lesson by the investigation of JST (Japan Science and Tecnology Agency). This tendency is strong as much as school of the city and that circumference. I have this cause think that there are a few suitable places for learning to observe geological and biological field near school. In addition, below two is pointed out as a big problem to obstruct the execution of field learning. 1) A natural experience isn't being done sufficient as much as a teacher can teach to the student. 2) It doesn't have the confidence that a teacher teaches a student geology and biology at the field. I introduce the practical example of geological field learning at the public elementary school of the Shimane prefecture by this research. Though it is the place where nature is comparatively rich even in Japan, it can't be said that field learning is popular in Shimane prefecture. A school teacher has to learning experience at field, and he must settle confidence to guide a student at the field. A specialist in the university and the museum must support continuous learning for that to the school teacher.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a Means for School-Based Science Curriculum Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browne, Christi L.

The challenge of school-based science curriculum change and educational reform is often presented to science teachers and departments who are not necessarily prepared for the complexity of considerations that change movements require. The development of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on a science department's curriculum change efforts, may provide the necessary tools to foster sustainable school-based curriculum science changes. This research presents a case study of an evolving science department PLC consisting of 10 middle school science teachers from the same middle school and their efforts of school-based science curriculum change. A transformative mixed model case study with qualitative data and deepened by quantitative analysis, was chosen to guide the investigation. Collected data worked to document the essential developmental steps, the occurrence and frequency of the five essential dimensions of successful PLCs, and the influences the science department PLC had on the middle school science department's progression through school-based science curriculum change, and the barriers, struggles and inhibiting actions of the science department PLC. Findings indicated that a science department PLC was unique in that it allowed for a focal science departmental lens of science curriculum change to be applied to the structure and function of the PLC and therefore the process, proceedings, and results were directly aligned to and driven by the science department. The science PLC, while logically difficult to set-up and maintain, became a professional science forum where the middle school science teachers were exposed to new science teaching and learning knowledge, explored new science standards, discussed effects on student science learning, designed and critically analyzed science curriculum change application. Conclusions resulted in the science department PLC as an identified tool providing the ability for science departmental actions to lead to outcomes of science curriculum change improvements with the consideration but not the dictation of the larger school community and state agendas. Thus, the study's results work to fuse previously separated research on general PLCs and curriculum change efforts into a cohesive understanding of the unexplored potential of a science PLC and school-based science curriculum change.

A Cross-Grade Comparison to Examine the Context Effect on the Relationships among Family Resources, School Climate, Learning Participation, Science Attitude, and Science Achievement Based on TIMSS 2003 in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Shin-Feng; Lin, Chien-Yu; Wang, Jing-Ru; Lin, Sheau-Wen; Kao, Huey-Lien

2012-01-01

This study aimed to examine whether the relationships among family resources, school climate, learning participation, science attitude, and science achievement are different between primary school students and junior high school students within one educational system. The subjects included 4,181 Grade 4 students and 5,074 Grade 8 students who…

From Doing to Learning: Changed Focus during a Pre-School Learning Study Project on Organic Decomposition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ljung-Djärf, Agneta; Magnusson, Andreas; Peterson, Sam

2014-01-01

We explored the use of the learning study (LS) model in developing Swedish pre-school science learning. This was done by analysing a 3-cycle LS project implemented to help a group of pre-school teachers (n?=?5) understand their science educational practice, by collaboratively and systematically challenging it. Data consisted of video recordings of…

Project-Based Learning versus Textbook/Lecture Learning in Middle School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Main, Sindy

2015-01-01

As schools continue to become more diverse, it is important to look at science teaching methods that will meet the needs of all students. In this study, 172 students in a middle school in Northwestern Illinois were taught using two methods of teaching science. Half of the students were taught using project-based science (PBS) and the other half of…

Making the Science Literacy Connection: After-School Science Clubs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore-Hart, Margaret A.; Liggit, Peggy; Daisey, Peggy

2004-01-01

Children make discoveries spontaneously while participating in hands-on science learning experiences. The students in this study were attending an after-school science program that was organized around authentic literacy activities and hands-on science learning experiences related to the theme of wetlands. Literacy connections formed natural…

From a Sense of Stereotypically Foreign to Belonging in a Science Community: Ways of Experiential Descriptions About High School Students' Science Internship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Pei-Ling; Roth, Wolff-Michael

2010-05-01

Science educators often suggest that students should learn science in ways and settings that bear family resemblance with “the real thing.” Internship in science laboratories constitutes one such way in which students may learn science and learn about science. However, very little is known about how participants experience a science internship in an “authentic” science setting (i.e., a science laboratory). Our study was designed to understand the nature of participants’ experiences of “authentic science.” Participants included 11 high school students, one high school teacher, five laboratory technicians, and two scientists. High school students practiced science alongside technicians (young scientists) in real ongoing projects of a biology laboratory. Data sources include 19 semi-structured and video-recorded interviews held after the 2-month science internship. Drawing on phenomenographic method, we identified five categories of experiential descriptions: (a) authenticity of university science, (b) channeling and connecting different communities, (c) advanced knowledge required in and lengthy procedures mobilized by university science, (d) self-exploration and reflection, and (e) comprehensive science learning. Each category’s meaning for participants and implications for science education are illustrated and discussed. This study demonstrates positive evidence of the science internship on helping students learn different dimensions of science and reflect their relationship with science. Suggestions on facilitating the partnership between secondary and postsecondary education are provided.

A Study on Learning Effect among Different Learning Styles in a Web-Based Lab of Science for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Koun-tem; Lin, Yuan-cheng; Yu, Chia-jui

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the learning effect related to different learning styles in a Web-based virtual science laboratory for elementary school students. The online virtual lab allows teachers to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into science lessons. The results of this experimental teaching method…

Use of Digital Game Based Learning and Gamification in Secondary School Science: The Effect on Student Engagement, Learning and Gender Difference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Amna; Ahmad, Farzana Hayat; Malik, Muhammad Muddassir

2017-01-01

This study aimed to identify the impact of a game based learning (GBL) application using computer technologies on student engagement in secondary school science classrooms. The literature reveals that conventional Science teaching techniques (teacher-centered lecture and teaching), which foster rote learning among students, are one of the major…

Evaluating Primary School Student's Deep Learning Approach to Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ilkörücü Göçmençelebi, Sirin; Özkan, Muhlis; Bayram, Nuran

2012-01-01

This study examines the variables which help direct students to a deep learning approach to science lessons, with the aim of guiding programmers and teachers in primary education. The sample was composed of a total of 164 primary school students. The Learning Approaches to Science Scale developed by Ünal (2005) for Science and Technology lessons…

Cooperative learning in science: intervention in the secondary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topping, K. J.; Thurston, A.; Tolmie, A.; Christie, D.; Murray, P.; Karagiannidou, E.

2011-04-01

The use of cooperative learning in secondary school is reported - an area of considerable concern given attempts to make secondary schools more interactive and gain higher recruitment to university science courses. In this study the intervention group was 259 pupils aged 12-14 years in nine secondary schools, taught by 12 self-selected teachers. Comparison pupils came from both intervention and comparison schools (n = 385). Intervention teachers attended three continuing professional development days, in which they received information, engaged with resource packs and involved themselves in cooperative learning. Measures included both general and specific tests of science, attitudes to science, sociometry, self-esteem, attitudes to cooperative learning and transferable skills (all for pupils) and observation of implementation fidelity. There were increases during cooperative learning in pupil formulation of propositions, explanations and disagreements. Intervened pupils gained in attainment, but comparison pupils gained even more. Pupils who had experienced cooperative learning in primary school had higher pre-test scores in secondary education irrespective of being in the intervention or comparison group. On sociometry, comparison pupils showed greater affiliation to science work groups for work, but intervention pupils greater affiliation to these groups at break and out of school. Other measures were not significant. The results are discussed in relation to practice and policy implications.

Co-constructing cultural landscapes for disciplinary learning in and out of school: the next generation science standards and learning progressions in action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Córdova, Ralph A.; Balcerzak, Phyllis

2016-12-01

The authors of this study are teacher-researchers, the first is a university researcher and former third and fourth grade teacher, while the second author is a university-based science educator. They report findings from a community-based study that Ralph, the first author, and his students conducted across two academic years (2001-2003) in order to illustrate the ways in which the next generation science standards and learning progressions can be appropriated as social-constructed practices inside and outside of school. The authors argue that what constitutes science learning in school is not a `state of grace' dictated by standards. Rather, becoming a scientist within a community of learners is a cultural phenomenon that teachers and students co-construct and as such teachers can approach the next generation science standards and learning progressions as opportunities to create intentional, disciplinary practice-based learning communities inside and outside of school.

Status of teaching elementary science for English learners in science, mathematics and technology centered magnet schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Alyson Kim

According to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (2001), one in three students speaks a language other than English. Additionally, the Commission stated that a student is considered to be an English learner if the second language acquisition is English. In California more than 1.4 million English learners enter school speaking a variety of languages, and this number continues to rise. There is an imminent need to promote instructional strategies that support this group of diverse learners. Although this was not a California study, the results derived from the nationwide participants' responses provided a congruent assessment of the basic need to provide effective science teaching strategies to all English learners. The purpose of this study was to examine the status of elementary science teaching practices used with English learners in kindergarten through fifth grade in public mathematics, science, and technology-centered elementary magnet schools throughout the country. This descriptive research was designed to provide current information and to identify trends in the areas of curriculum and instruction for English learners in science themed magnet schools. This report described the status of elementary (grades K-5) school science instruction for English learners based on the responses of 116 elementary school teachers: 59 grade K-2, and 57 grade 3-5 teachers. Current research-based approaches support incorporating self-directed learning strategy, expository teaching strategy, active listening strategies, questioning strategies, wait time strategy, small group strategy, peer tutoring strategy, large group learning strategy, demonstrations strategy, formal debates strategy, review sessions strategy, mediated conversation strategy, cooperative learning strategy, and theme-based instruction into the curriculum to assist English learners in science education. Science Technology Society (STS) strategy, problem-based learning strategy, discovery learning strategy, constructivist learning strategy, learning cycle strategy, SCALE technique strategy, conceptual change strategy, inquiry-based strategy, cognitive academic language learning approach (CALLA) strategy, and learning from text strategy provide effective science teaching instruction to English learners. These science instructional strategies assist elementary science teachers by providing additional support to make science instruction more comprehensible for English learners.

Boys' and girls' involvement in science learning and their self-efficacy in Taiwan.

PubMed

Hong, Zuway-R; Lin, Huann-shyang

2013-01-01

This cross-sectional study investigated the significant differences in students' self-efficacy and their involvement in learning science. Nine hundred and twenty-two elementary school fifth graders, 499 junior high school eighth graders, and 1455 senior or vocational high school eleventh graders completed the students' questionnaire. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and independent t-tests compared the significant similarities and differences across school levels and genders. The initial findings were as follows: A sharp decline in boys' and girls' self-efficacy scores from elementary to secondary school levels; boys have significantly higher self-efficacy scores than girls at vocational and senior high school levels; students with more involvement in science learning presented significantly higher self-efficacy scores than those with less involvement. The significant discrepancies in terms of gender and age in students' self-efficacy and involvement in learning science need to be addressed. Implications and limitations are provided.

Learning with Web Tools, Simulations, and Other Technologies in Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Todd; Wang, Shaing Kwei; Hsu, Hui-Yin; Duffy, Aaron M.; Wolf, Paul G.

2010-10-01

This position paper proposes the enhancement of teacher and student learning in science classrooms by tapping the enormous potential of information communication and technologies (ICTs) as cognitive tools for engaging students in scientific inquiry. This paper serves to challenge teacher-held assumptions about students learning science `from technology' with a framework and examples of students learning science `with technology'. Whereas a high percentage of students are finding their way in using ICTs outside of school, for the most part they currently are not doing so inside of school in ways that they find meaningful and relevant to their lives. Instead, the pedagogical approaches that are most often experienced are out-of-step with how students use ICTs outside of schools and are not supportive of learning framed by constructivism. Here we describe a theoretical and pedagogical foundation for better connecting the two worlds of students' lives: life in school and life outside of school. This position paper is in response to the changing landscape of students' lives. The position is transformative in nature because it proposes the use of cyber-enabled resources for cultivating and leveraging students new literacy skills by learning `with technology' to enhance science learning.

Finding science in students' talk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeo, Jennifer

2009-12-01

What does it mean to understand science? This commentary extends Brown and Kloser's argument on the role of native language for science learning by exploring the meaning of understanding in school science and discusses the extent that science educators could tolerate adulterated forms of scientific knowledge. Taking the perspective of social semiotics, this commentary looks at the extent that school science can be represented with other discourse practices. It also offers an example to illustrate how everyday language can present potential hindrance to school science learning.

A learning performance study between the conventional approach and augmented reality textbook among secondary school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopalan, Valarmathie; Zulkifli, Abdul Nasir; Bakar, Juliana Aida Abu

2016-08-01

Malaysia is moving towards becoming a developed nation by 2020. As such, the need for adequate human resources in science-related fields is one of the requirements to achieve a developed nation status. Unfortunately, there is a downward trend in the number of students pursuing the science stream at the secondary school level. This paper introduces an enhanced science textbook using Augmented Reality (eSTAR) that is intended to motivate students to be interested in science. The eSTAR was implemented to provide a supplement to the conventional science teaching and learning methods in the secondary schools. A learning performance study with a control group was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the eSTAR for science learning among a sample of 140 Form Two secondary school students. The results indicate that the learning performance of the students in both groups had a significant difference in mean scores between the pre-test and post-test. Students using the eSTAR have a better score in the post-test and eventually resulted in a better learning performance compared to those who were exposed to the conventional science learning. Overall, the results show that the students benefited from the use of the conventional and eSTAR learning approaches.

A study of students' motivation using the augmented reality science textbook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopalan, Valarmathie; Zulkifli, Abdul Nasir; Bakar, Juliana Aida Abu

2016-08-01

Science plays a major role in assisting Malaysia to achieve the developed nation status by 2020. However, over a few decades, Malaysia is facing a downward trend in the number of students pursuing careers and higher education in science related fields. Since school is the first platform where students learn science, a new learning approach needs to be introduced to motivate them towards science learning. The aim of this study is to determine whether the intervention of the enhanced science textbook using augmented reality contributes to the learning process of lower secondary school students in science. The study was carried out among a sample of 70 lower secondary school students. Pearson Correlation and Regression analyses were used to determine the effects of ease of use, engaging, enjoyment and fun on students' motivation in using the augmented reality science textbook for science learning. The results provide empirical support for the positive and statistically significant relationship between engaging, enjoyment and fun and students' motivation for science learning. However, Ease of use is not significant but positively correlated to Motivation.

Science education as a civil right: Urban schools and opportunity-to-learn considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tate, William

2001-11-01

In this article I make the case that urban science education is a civil rights issue and that to effectively address it as such we must shift from arguments for civil rights as shared physical space in schools to demands for high-quality academic preparation that includes the opportunity to learn science. The argument is organized into two sections: first, a review of the school desegregation literature to make the case that urban science education for all is a civil rights issue; and second, an examination and critique of opportunity-to-learn literature, including an analysis of three opportunity-to-learn constructs to illustrate their potential as civil rights tools in science education.

Understanding Misconceptions: Teaching and Learning in Middle School Physical Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard

2016-01-01

In this study the authors set out to better understand the relationship between teacher knowledge of science and student learning. The authors administered identical multiple-choice assessment items both to teachers of middle school physical science and to their students throughout the school year. The authors found that teachers who have strong…

Schools and Informal Science Settings: Collaborate, Co-Exist, or Assimilate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Jennifer D.; Gupta, Preeti; DeFelice, Amy

2012-01-01

In this metalogue we build on the arguments presented by Puvirajah, Verma and Webb to discuss the nature of authentic science learning experiences in context of collaborations between schools and out-of-school time settings. We discuss the role of stakeholders in creating collaborative science learning practices and affordances of out of school…

Writing to Learn by Learning to Write during the School Science Laboratory: Helping Middle and High School Students Develop Argumentative Writing Skills as They Learn Core Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Victor; Enderle, Patrick; Grooms, Jonathon; Witte, Shelbie

2013-01-01

This study examined how students' science-specific argumentative writing skills and understanding of core ideas changed over the course of a school year as they participated in a series of science laboratories designed using the Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) instructional model. The ADI model is a student-centered and writing-intensive approach to…

An Examination of Science High School Students' Motivation towards Learning Biology and Their Attitude towards Biology Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kisoglu, Mustafa

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine motivation of science high school students towards learning biology and their attitude towards biology lessons. The sample of the study consists of 564 high school students (308 females, 256 males) studying at two science high schools in Aksaray, Turkey. In the study, the relational scanning method, which is…

Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration.

PubMed

Raja, Aarti; Lavin, Emily Schmitt; Gali, Tamara; Donovan, Kaitlin

2016-05-01

A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K-12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach.

Investigating the Impact of Snacks on Secondary School Students' Science Learning and Science Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowles, Reco T.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of Snacks on secondary school students' science learning and science self-efficacy. This study also explored the relationship between teacher science self-efficacy and confidence. The study utilized thirteen (13) teachers participating in an inquiry science professional development that…

The Analysis of High School Students' Conceptions of Learning in Different Domains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadi, Özlem

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether or not conceptions of learning diverge in different science domains by identifying high school students' conceptions of learning in physics, chemistry and biology. The Conceptions of Learning Science (COLS) questionnaire was adapted for physics (Conceptions of Learning Physics, COLP), chemistry…

Evaluation of the Effects of the Medium of Instruction on Science Learning of Hong Kong Secondary Students: Students' Self-Concept in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yip, Din Yan; Tsang, Wing Kwong

2007-01-01

A longitudinal study has been conducted to explore the impact of a new language policy for Hong Kong secondary schools on science learning. According to this policy, only schools that recruit the best 25% of students can teach science in English, the students' second language, while the other schools have to teach science in Chinese, the students'…

Teacher learning from girls' informal science experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birmingham, Daniel J.

School science continues to fail to engage youth from non-dominant communities (Carlone, Huan-Frank & Webb, 2011). However, recent research demonstrates that informal science learning settings support both knowledge gains and increased participation in science among youth from non-dominant communities (Dierking, 2007; Falk et al., 2007; HFRP, 2010). Despite the success, little is known about how teachers can learn from informal science practices to support student engagement in science. In this study, I examine the impact informal science experiences has for the teaching and learning of science in school contexts. This study is focused on eliciting girls' stories of informal science learning experiences and sharing these stories with science teachers to examine what they notice and make meaning of in connection with their classroom practices (van Es & Sherin, 2002). I co-constructed cases of informal science experiences with middle school females who participate in an after school science program in an urban area. These cases consisted of the girls' written stories, their explicit messages to science teachers, examples of actions taken when investigating community based science issues and transcripts of conversations between the girls and researchers. These cases were shared with local science teachers in order to investigate what they "notice" (van Es & Sherin, 2002) regarding girls' participation in informal science learning, how they make meaning of youths' stories and whether the stories influence their classroom practices. I found that the girls' use their cases to share experiences of how, where and why science matters, to express hope for school science and to critique stereotypical views that young, female, students of color from lower SES backgrounds are not interested or capable of making contributions to scientific investigations. Additionally, I found that teachers noticed powerful messages within and across the girls' cases. The messages include; 1) students' desire to be active participants in science investigations, 2) the need to provide spaces for students to leverage their strengths when learning and doing science, 3) the importance of building connections between science and community, and 4) expanding the outcomes of scientific investigations beyond traditional school measures. However, their individual meaning making was influenced by tensions between what they found powerful in the cases, the institutional narratives that often guide practice in schools and the societal and personal narratives connected to participation of girls from non dominant communities in science. Thus, each of the three teachers took different pathways as they implemented new science learning experiences based upon what each found most salient in the girls' stories as well as the influence of institutional, societal and personal narratives, resulting in varied learning experiences for their students.

Implementation literacy strategies on health technology theme Learning to enhance Indonesian Junior High School Student's Physics Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feranie, Selly; Efendi, Ridwan; Karim, Saeful; Sasmita, Dedi

2016-08-01

The PISA results for Indonesian Students are lowest among Asian countries in the past two successive results. Therefore various Innovations in science learning process and its effectiveness enhancing student's science literacy is needed to enrich middle school science teachers. Literacy strategies have been implemented on health technologies theme learning to enhance Indonesian Junior high school Student's Physics literacy in three different health technologies e.g. Lasik surgery that associated with application of Light and Optics concepts, Ultra Sonographer (USG) associated with application of Sound wave concepts and Work out with stationary bike and walking associated with application of motion concepts. Science learning process involves at least teacher instruction, student learning and a science curriculum. We design two main part of literacy strategies in each theme based learning. First part is Integrated Reading Writing Task (IRWT) is given to the students before learning process, the second part is scientific investigation learning process design packed in Problem Based Learning. The first part is to enhance student's science knowledge and reading comprehension and the second part is to enhance student's science competencies. We design a transformation from complexity of physics language to Middle school physics language and from an expensive and complex science investigation to a local material and simply hands on activities. In this paper, we provide briefly how literacy strategies proposed by previous works is redesigned and applied in classroom science learning. Data were analysed using t- test. The increasing value of mean scores in each learning design (with a significance level of p = 0.01) shows that the implementation of this literacy strategy revealed a significant increase in students’ physics literacy achievement. Addition analysis of Avarage normalized gain show that each learning design is in medium-g courses effectiveness category according to Hake's classification.

Not Driven by High-Stakes Tests: Exploring Science Assessment and College Readiness of Students from an Urban Portfolio Community High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleshman, Robin Earle

This case study seeks to explore three research questions: (1) What science teaching and learning processes, perspectives, and cultures exist within the science classroom of an urban portfolio community high school? (2) In what ways does the portfolio-based approach prepare high school students of color for college level science coursework, laboratory work, and assessment? (3) Are portfolio community high school students of color college ready? Is there a relationship between students' science and mathematics performance and college readiness? The overarching objectives of the study are to learn, understand, and describe an urban portfolio community high school as it relates to science assessment and college readiness; to understand how the administration, teachers, and alumni perceive the use of portfolios in science learning and assessment; and to understand how alumni view their preparation and readiness for college and college science coursework, laboratory work, and assessments. The theoretical framework of this study encompasses four theories: critical theory, contextual assessment, self-regulated learning, and ethic of care. Because the urban high school studied partnered with a community-based organization (CBO), it identifies as a community school. Therefore, I provide context regarding the concept, culture, and services of community schools. Case study is the research design I used to explore in-depth this urban portfolio community high school, which involved mixed methods for data collection and analysis. In total, six alumni/current college students, five school members (administrators and teachers), and three CBO members (administrators, including myself) participated in the study. In addition to school artefacts and student portfolios collected, classroom and portfolio panel presentation observations and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the portfolio-based approach as it pertains to science learning and assessment and college science readiness. Data from the transcripts of two graduating classes were analyzed and the interview transcripts were coded and analyzed as well. Analysis of qualitative data revealed key findings: (1) the school's Habits of Mind, authentic scientific inquiry, self-regulated learning triggers and strategies, and teacher feedback practices driven by an ethic of care supported students' science learning and portfolio assessment; and (2) the cyclical and extensive portfolio processes of writing, revision, and submission well prepared alumni for college science laboratory work and coursework, to a certain extent, but not for the traditional assessments administered in college science courses. Analysis of quantitative data revealed that, if based solely on the City University of New York's Regents score criteria for college readiness, the majority of students from these two graduating classes studied would not have been considered college ready even though all participants, including interviewed alumni, believed the school prepared them for college. The majority of these students, however, were transitioning to college readiness based on their Regents-level science and mathematics coursework. Findings of this study have implications for science assessment, professional development in science, education policy reform, and high school partnerships with CBOs and postsecondary institutions as they pertain to college and college science readiness for students of color in urban portfolio community high schools.

From Doing to Learning: Changed focus during a pre-school learning study project on organic decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ljung-Djärf, Agneta; Magnusson, Andreas; Peterson, Sam

2014-03-01

We explored the use of the learning study (LS) model in developing Swedish pre-school science learning. This was done by analysing a 3-cycle LS project implemented to help a group of pre-school teachers (n = 5) understand their science educational practice, by collaboratively and systematically challenging it. Data consisted of video recordings of 1 screening (n = 7), 1 initial planning meeting, 3 analysis meetings, 3 interventions, and 78 individual test interviews with the children (n = 26). The study demonstrated that the teachers were initially uncomfortable with using scientific concepts and with maintaining the children's focus on the object of learning without framing it with play. During the project, we noted a shift in focus towards the object of learning and how to get the children to discern it. As teachers' awareness changed, enhanced learning was noted among the children. The study suggests that the LS model can promote pre-school science learning as follows: by building on, re-evaluating, and expanding children's experiences; and by helping the teachers focus on and contrast critical aspects of an object of learning, and to reflect on the use of play, imagination, and concepts and on directing the children's focus when doing so. Our research showed that the LS model holds promise to advance pre-school science learning by offering a theoretical tool useable to shift the focus from doing to learning while teaching science using learning activities.

Learning and Engagement through Natural History Museums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mujtaba, Tamjid; Lawrence, Martin; Oliver, Mary; Reiss, Michael J.

2018-01-01

This review examines how natural history museums (NHMs) can enhance learning and engagement in science, particularly for school-age students. First, we describe the learning potential of informal science learning institutions in general, then we focus on NHMs. We review the possible benefits of interactions between schools and NHMs, and the…

News Conference: Serbia hosts teachers' seminar Resources: Teachers TV website closes for business Festival: Science takes to the stage in Denmark Research: How noise affects learning in secondary schools CERN: CERN visit inspires new teaching ideas Education: PLS aims to improve perception of science for school students Conference: Scientix conference discusses challenges in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-07-01

Conference: Serbia hosts teachers' seminar Resources: Teachers TV website closes for business Festival: Science takes to the stage in Denmark Research: How noise affects learning in secondary schools CERN: CERN visit inspires new teaching ideas Education: PLS aims to improve perception of science for school students Conference: Scientix conference discusses challenges in science education

Understanding the Science-Learning Environment: A Genetically Sensitive Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haworth, Claire M. A.; Davis, Oliver S. P.; Hanscombe, Ken B.; Kovas, Yulia; Dale, Philip S.; Plomin, Robert

2013-01-01

Previous studies have shown that environmental influences on school science performance increase in importance from primary to secondary school. Here we assess for the first time the relationship between the science-learning environment and science performance using a genetically sensitive approach to investigate the aetiology of this link. 3000…

Preparation Model of Student Teacher Candidate in Developing Integrative Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiyanto; Widiyatmoko, Arif

2016-01-01

According to 2013 Curriculum in Indonesia, science learning process in Junior High School is integrally held between physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science. To successfully implementing the 2013 Curriculum in school, the education institution which generates science teacher should prepare the student, so that they can develop integrative…

Inquiry-Based Science Instruction in High School Biology Courses: A Multiple Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aso, Eze

2014-01-01

A lack of research exists about how secondary school science teachers use inquiry-based instruction to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how science teachers used inquiry-based instruction to improve student learning in high school biology courses. The conceptual framework was based on Banchi and Bell's…

The Influence of Teachers' Knowledge on Student Learning in Middle School Physical Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Coyle, Harold P.; Cook-Smith, Nancy; Miller, Jaimie L.

2013-01-01

This study examines the relationship between teacher knowledge and student learning for 9,556 students of 181 middle school physical science teachers. Assessment instruments based on the National Science Education Standards with 20 items in common were administered several times during the school year to both students and their teachers. For items…

Problems with Science Teaching and Learning for English Language Learners in One Diverse Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Karen Margaret

2012-01-01

This qualitative study centered on science instruction and learning that occurred in a Title I elementary school in a suburban district in southeast Texas. Twelve teachers were interviewed in order to understand their perceptions of their classroom practices in terms of science instruction and learning for English Language Learners (ELL). This…

Investigating the Interrelationships among Conceptions of, Approaches to, and Self-Efficacy in Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Lanqin; Dong, Yan; Huang, Ronghuai; Chang, Chun-Yen; Bhagat, Kaushal Kumar

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between primary school students' conceptions of, approaches to, and self-efficacy in learning science in Mainland China. A total of 1049 primary school students from Mainland China participated in this study. Three instruments were adapted to measure students' conceptions of learning science,…

Beginning science teachers' strategies for communicating with families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloom, Nena E.

Science learning occurs in both formal and informal spaces. Families are critical for developing student learning and interest in science because they provide important sources of knowledge, support and motivation. Bidirectional communication between teachers and families can be used to build relationships between homes and schools, leverage family knowledge of and support for learners, and create successful environments for science learning that will support both teaching and student learning. To identify the communication strategies of beginning science teachers, who are still developing their teaching practices, a multiple case study was conducted with seven first year secondary science teachers. The methods these teachers used to communicate with families, the information that was communicated and shared, and factors that shaped these teachers' continued development of communication strategies were examined. Demographic data, interview data, observations and documentation of communication through logs and artifacts were collected for this study. Results indicated that the methods teachers had access to and used for communication impacted the frequency and efficacy of their communication. Teachers and families communicated about a number of important topics, but some topics that could improve learning experiences and science futures for their students were rarely discussed, such as advancement in science, student learning in science and family knowledge. Findings showed that these early career teachers were continuing to learn about their communities and to develop their communication strategies with families. Teachers' familiarity with their school community, opportunities to practice strategies during preservice preparation and student teaching, their teaching environment, school policies, and learning from families and students in their school culture continued to shape and influence their views and communication strategies. Findings and implications for teacher preparation programs, teachers, schools and organizations are discussed.

The Costa Rica GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Project as a Learning Science Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro Rojas, María Dolores; Zuñiga, Ana Lourdes Acuña; Ugalde, Emmanuel Fonseca

2015-12-01

GLOBE is a global educational program for elementary and high school levels, and its main purpose in Costa Rica is to develop scientific thinking and interest for science in high school students through hydrology research projects that allow them to relate science with environmental issues in their communities. Youth between 12 and 17 years old from public schools participate in science clubs outside of their regular school schedule. A comparison study was performed between different groups, in order to assess GLOBE's applicability as a learning science atmosphere and the motivation and interest it generates in students toward science. Internationally applied scales were used as tools for measuring such indicators, adapted to the Costa Rican context. The results provide evidence statistically significant that the students perceive the GLOBE atmosphere as an enriched environment for science learning in comparison with the traditional science class. Moreover, students feel more confident, motivated and interested in science than their peers who do not participate in the project. However, the results were not statistically significant in this last respect.

The Roles of Aesthetic Experience in Elementary School Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobson, Britt; Wickman, Per-Olof

2008-01-01

The role of aesthetic experiences for learning was examined in elementary school science. Numerous authors have argued for a science education also involving aesthetic experiences, but few have examined what this means empirically. Recordings of children’s talk with each other and with the teacher during hands-on activities in nine different science units were made. How the children and teachers used aesthetic judgements and how these judgements were part of aesthetic experiences of the science assignments were analysed. For the analysis a pragmatist perspective was used, especially drawing on Dewey and the later Wittgenstein. The results showed how aesthetic judgements occurred in moments of anticipation and moments when the science activities were brought to fulfilment. In this way children used aesthetic judgements normatively about what belonged in science class and what to include and exclude. In this way aesthetic judgements were an important part of learning how to proceed in science class. In using aesthetic judgements the children also talked about their own place in science class and whether they belonged there or not. In this way aesthetic experience is tightly related to learning science as participation. Learning science also meant learning a special kind of aesthetics, that is, learning how to distinguish the science context from other contexts. The fact that children liked or disliked something outside school did not necessarily mean that it was experienced aesthetically in the same way in school, but needed to be re-learnt. What these results mean for science education is discussed at length. The connection between aesthetics and learning to observe is also briefly discussed.

The Effect of Using Problem-Based Learning in Middle School Gifted Science Classes on Student Achievement and Students' Perceptions of Classroom Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horak, Anne Karen

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) units developed by a large suburban school district in the mid-Atlantic for the middle school gifted science curriculum on: a) students' performance on standardized tests in middle school Science, as measured by a sample of relevant test questions from a…

University-Urban High School Partnership: Math and Science Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ndunda, mutindi; Van Sickle, Meta; Perry, Lindsay; Capelloni, Alison

2017-01-01

This study focused on science and math professional learning communities (PLCs) that were implemented through a university-urban high school partnership. These PLCs were part of mandated school-wide, content-based PLCs implemented as part of the reform efforts initiated in an urban school to address the school's failure to meet Adequate Yearly…

Improving the primary school science learning unit about force and motion through lesson study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phaikhumnam, Wuttichai; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

The study aimed to develop primary school science lesson plan based on inquiry cycle (5Es) through lesson study. The study focused on the development of 4 primary school science lesson plans of force and motion for Grade 3 students in KKU Demonstration Primary School (Suksasart), first semester of 2015 academic year. The methodology is mixed method. The Inthaprasitha (2010) lesson study cycle was implemented in group of KKU Demonstration Primary School. Instruments of reflection of lesson plan developing included participant observation, meeting and reflection report, lesson plan and other document. The instruments of examining students' learning include classroom observation and achievement test. Data was categorized from these instruments to find the issues of changing and improving the good lesson plan of Thai primary school science learning. The findings revealed that teachers could develop the lesson plans through lesson study. The issues of changing and improving were disused by considering on engaging students related to societal issues, students' prior knowledge, scientific concepts for primary school students, and what they learned from their changing. It indicated that the Lesson Study allowed primary school science teachers to share ideas and develop ideas to improve the lesson. The study may have implications for Thai science teacher education through Lesson Study.

Elementary school children's science learning from school field trips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glick, Marilyn Petty

This research examines the impact of classroom anchoring activities on elementary school students' science learning from a school field trip. Although there is prior research demonstrating that students can learn science from school field trips, most of this research is descriptive in nature and does not examine the conditions that enhance or facilitate such learning. The current study draws upon research in psychology and education to create an intervention that is designed to enhance what students learn from school science field trips. The intervention comprises of a set of "anchoring" activities that include: (1) Orientation to context, (2) Discussion to activate prior knowledge and generate questions, (3) Use of field notebooks during the field trip to record observations and answer questions generated prior to field trip, (4) Post-visit discussion of what was learned. The effects of the intervention are examined by comparing two groups of students: an intervention group which receives anchoring classroom activities related to their field trip and an equivalent control group which visits the same field trip site for the same duration but does not receive any anchoring classroom activities. Learning of target concepts in both groups was compared using objective pre and posttests. Additionally, a subset of students in each group were interviewed to obtain more detailed descriptive data on what children learned through their field trip.

Uncovering Black/African American and Latina/o students' motivation to learn science: Affordances to science identity development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahfood, Denise Marcia

The following dissertation reports on a qualitative exploration that serves two main goals: (1) to qualitatively define and highlight science motivation development of Black/African American and Latina/o students as they learn science in middle school, high school, and in college and (2) to reveal through personal narratives how successful entry and persistence in science by this particular group is linked to the development of their science identities. The targeted population for this study is undergraduate students of color in science fields at a college or university. The theoretical frameworks for this study are constructivist theory, motivation theory, critical theory, and identity theories. The methodological approach is narrative which includes students' science learning experiences throughout the course of their academic lives. I use The Science Motivation Questionnaire II to obtain baseline data to quantitatively assess for motivation to learn science. Data from semi-structured interviews from selected participants were collected, coded, and configured into a story, and emergent themes reveal the important role of science learning in both informal and formal settings, but especially in informal settings that contribute to better understandings of science and the development of science identities for these undergraduate students of color. The findings have implications for science teaching in schools and teacher professional development in science learning.

Approaches to Learning and School Readiness in Head Start: Applications to Preschool Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bustamante, Andres S.; White, Lisa J.; Greenfield, Daryl B.

2017-01-01

Approaches to learning are a set of domain-general skills that encompass curiosity, persistence, planning, and engagement in group learning. These skills play a key role in preschoolers' learning and predict school readiness in math and language. Preschool science is a critical domain for early education and facilitates learning across domains.…

Perceived impact on student engagement when learning middle school science in an outdoor setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbatiello, James

Human beings have an innate need to spend time outside, but in recent years children are spending less time outdoors. It is possible that this decline in time spent outdoors could have a negative impact on child development. Science teachers can combat the decline in the amount of time children spend outside by taking their science classes outdoors for regular classroom instruction. This study identified the potential impacts that learning in an outdoor setting might have on student engagement when learning middle school science. One sixth-grade middle school class participated in this case study, and students participated in outdoor intervention lessons where the instructional environment was a courtyard on the middle school campus. The outdoor lessons consisted of the same objectives and content as lessons delivered in an indoor setting during a middle school astronomy unit. Multiple sources of data were collected including questionnaires after each lesson, a focus group, student work samples, and researcher observations. The data was triangulated, and a vignette was written about the class' experiences learning in an outdoor setting. This study found that the feeling of autonomy and freedom gained by learning in an outdoor setting, and the novelty of the outdoor environment did increase student engagement for learning middle school science. In addition, as a result of this study, more work is needed to identify how peer to peer relationships are impacted by learning outdoors, how teachers could best utilize the outdoor setting for regular science instruction, and how learning in an outdoor setting might impact a feeling of stewardship for the environment in young adults.

Why Implementing History and Philosophy in School Science Education Is a Challenge: An Analysis of Obstacles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hottecke, Dietmar; Silva, Cibelle Celestino

2011-01-01

Teaching and learning with history and philosophy of science (HPS) has been, and continues to be, supported by science educators. While science education standards documents in many countries also stress the importance of teaching and learning with HPS, the approach still suffers from ineffective implementation in school science teaching. In order…

Enhancement of Elementary School Students' Science Learning by Web-Quest Supported Science Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Min-Hsiung, Chuang; Jeng-Fung, Hung; Quo-Cheng, Sung

2011-01-01

This study aimed to probe into the influence of implementing Web-quest supported science writing instruction on students' science learning and science writing. The subjects were 34 students in one class of grade six in an elementary school in Taiwan. The students participated in the instruction, which lasted for eight weeks. Data collection…

Teaching controversial issues in the secondary school science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Rooy, Wilhelmina

1993-12-01

A sample of fourteen secondary school biology teachers chosen from twelve schools were interviewed. The purpose was to determine their views on how controversial issues in science might be handled in the secondary school science classroom and whether the issues of surrogacy and human embryo experimentation were suitable controversial issues for discussion in schools. In general, teachers indicated that controversial issues deserve a more prominent place in the science curriculum because they have the potential to foster thinking, learning, and interest in science. The issues of surrogacy and human embryo experimentation were seen as appropriate contexts for learning, provided that teachers were well informed and sensitive to both the students and to the school environment.

Investigating the interrelationships among conceptions of, approaches to, and self-efficacy in learning science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Lanqin; Dong, Yan; Huang, Ronghuai; Chang, Chun-Yen; Bhagat, Kaushal Kumar

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between primary school students' conceptions of, approaches to, and self-efficacy in learning science in Mainland China. A total of 1049 primary school students from Mainland China participated in this study. Three instruments were adapted to measure students' conceptions of learning science, approaches to learning science, and self-efficacy. The exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were adopted to validate three instruments. The path analysis was employed to understand the relationships between conceptions of learning science, approaches to learning science, and self-efficacy. The findings indicated that students' lower level conceptions of learning science positively influenced their surface approaches in learning science. Higher level conceptions of learning science had a positive influence on deep approaches and a negative influence on surface approaches to learning science. Furthermore, self-efficacy was also a hierarchical construct and can be divided into the lower level and higher level. Only students' deep approaches to learning science had a positive influence on their lower and higher level of self-efficacy in learning science. The results were discussed in the context of the implications for teachers and future studies.

Meanings teachers make of teaching science outdoors as they explore citizen science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benavides, Aerin Benavides

This descriptive case study examined the meanings public elementary school teachers (N = 13) made of learning to enact citizen science projects in their schoolyards in partnership with a local Arboretum. Utilizing Engestrom's (2001) framework of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), the Arboretum's outreach program for area Title 1 schools was viewed as an activity system composed of and acting in partnership with the teachers. The major finding was that teachers designed and mastered new ways of teaching (expansive learning) and transformed their citizen science activity to facilitate student engagement and learning. I highlight four important themes in teachers' expansive learning: (a) discussion, (b) inclusion, (c) integration, and (d) collaboration. Teacher learning communities formed when colleagues shared responsibilities, formed mentor/mentee relationships, and included student teachers and interns in the activity. This program could serve as a model for elementary school citizen science education, as well as a model for professional development for teachers to learn to teach science and Environmental Education outdoors.

Supporting the Development of Science Communication Skills in STEM University Students: Understanding Their Learning Experiences as They Work in Middle and High School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Brooke L.; Liu, Xiufeng; Gardella, Joseph A.

2015-01-01

This paper examines the roles that 52 university Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students play in an Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership that connects several middle schools, high schools, institutions of higher learning, businesses, and community institutions. It also examines the support these students…

An Examination of High School Social Science Students' Levels Motivation towards Learning Geography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildirim, Tahsin

2017-01-01

This aim of this research was to examine the levels of motivation among high school social science students towards learning geography. The study group consisted of 397 students from different classes at Aksaray Ahmet Cevdet Pasa High School in the College of Social Science. The research was carried out with a scanning model, with data obtained…

Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration†

PubMed Central

Raja, Aarti; Lavin, Emily Schmitt; Gali, Tamara; Donovan, Kaitlin

2016-01-01

A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K–12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach. PMID:27158309

Teachers' Mastery Goals: Using a Self-Report Survey to Study the Relations between Teaching Practices and Students' Motivation for Science Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vedder-Weiss, Dana; Fortus, David

2018-02-01

Employing achievement goal theory (Ames Journal of Educational psychology, 84(3), 261-271, 1992), we explored science teachers' instruction and its relation to students' motivation for science learning and school culture. Based on the TARGETS framework (Patrick et al. The Elementary School Journal, 102(1), 35-58, 2001) and using data from 95 teachers, we developed a self-report survey assessing science teachers' usage of practices that emphasize mastery goals. We then used this survey and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses to study the relations between 35 science teachers' mastery goals in each of the TARGETS dimensions, the decline in their grade-level 5-8 students' ( N = 1.356) classroom and continuing motivation for science learning, and their schools' mastery goal structure. The findings suggest that adolescents' declining motivation for science learning results in part from a decreasing emphasis on mastery goals by schools and science teachers. Practices that relate to the nature of tasks and to student autonomy emerged as most strongly associated with adolescents' motivation and its decline with age.

Project Clarion: Three Years of Science Instruction in Title I Schools among K-Third Grade Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyung Hee; VanTassel-Baska, Joyce; Bracken, Bruce A.; Feng, Annie; Stambaugh, Tamra; Bland, Lori

2012-10-01

The purpose of the study was to measure the effects of higher level, inquiry-based science curricula on students at primary level in Title I schools. Approximately 3,300 K-3 students from six schools were assigned to experimental or control classes ( N = 115 total) on a random basis according to class. Experimental students were exposed to concept-based science curriculum that emphasized `deep learning' though concept mastery and investigation, whereas control classes learned science from traditional school-based curricula. Two ability measures, the Bracken Basic Concept Scale-Revised (BBCS-R, Bracken 1998) and the Naglieri Nonverbal Intelligence Test (NNAT, Naglieri 1991), were used for baseline information. Additionally, a standardized measure of student achievement in science (the MAT-8 science subtest), a standardized measure of critical thinking, and a measure for observing teachers' classroom behaviors were used to assess learning outcomes. Results indicated that all ability groups of students benefited from the science inquiry-based approach to learning that emphasized science concepts, and that there was a positive achievement effect for low socio-economic young children who were exposed to such a curriculum.

Deep Knowledge: Learning to Teach Science for Understanding and Equity. Teaching for Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Douglas B.

2013-01-01

"Deep Knowledge" is a book about how people's ideas change as they learn to teach. Using the experiences of six middle and high school student teachers as they learn to teach science in diverse classrooms, Larkin explores how their work changes the way they think about students, society, schools, and science itself. Through engaging case stories,…

Learning Environment, Attitudes and Achievement among Middle-School Science Students Using Inquiry-Based Laboratory Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Stephen J.; Fraser, Barry J.

2008-01-01

This study compared inquiry and non-inquiry laboratory teaching in terms of students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment, attitudes toward science, and achievement among middle-school physical science students. Learning environment and attitude scales were found to be valid and related to each other for a sample of 1,434 students in…

Characterizing the learning styles and testing the science-related attitudes of African American middle school students: Implications for the underrepresentation of African Americans in the sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perine, Donald Ray

African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and women are underrepresented among the population of scientists and science teachers in the United States. Specifically, the shortage of African Americans teaching math and science at all levels of the educational process and going into the many science-related fields is manifested throughout the entire educational and career structure of our society. This shortage exists when compared to the total population of African Americans in this country, the population of African American students, and to society's demand for more math and science teachers and professionals of all races. One suggestion to address this problem is to update curricular and instructional programs to accommodate the learning styles of African Americans from elementary to graduate school. There is little in the published literature to help us understand the learning styles of African American middle school students and how they compare to African American adults who pursue science careers. There is also little published data to help inform us about the relationship between learning styles of African American middle school students and their attitudes toward science. The author used a learning styles inventory instrument to identify the learning style preferences of the African American students and adults. The preferences identified describe how African American students and African American adult science professionals prefer to function, learn, concentrate, and perform in their educational and work activities in the areas of: (a) immediate environment, (b) emotionality, (c) sociological needs, and (d) physical needs. The learning style preferences for the students and adults were not significantly different in key areas of preference. A Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA) was used to measure seven distinct science-related attitudes of the middle school students. A comparison of the profile of the mean scores for the students in this study to a national norm, comprised of students of all races, showed no significant differences. The attitudes that African American middle school students have toward science are influenced by science professionals (role models), their parents, and their teachers. This correlates directly with the high preference for Parent Motivated and Teacher Motivated learning style preferences.

Science inquiry learning environments created by National Board Certified Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saderholm, Jon

The purpose of this study was to discern what differences exist between the science inquiry learning environments created by National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and non-NBCTs. Four research questions organized the data collection and analysis: (a) How do National Board Certified science teachers' knowledge of the nature of science differ from that of their non-NBCT counterparts? (b) How do the frequencies of student science inquiry behaviors supported by in middle/secondary learning environments created by NBCTs differ from those created by their non-NBCT counterparts? (c) What is the relationship between the frequency of students' science inquiry behaviors and their science reasoning and understanding of the nature of science? (d) What is the impact of teacher perceptions factors impacting curriculum and limiting inquiry on the existence of inquiry learning environments? The setting in which this study was conducted was middle and high schools in Kentucky during the period between October 2006 and January 2007. The population sampled for the study was middle and secondary science teachers certified to teach in Kentucky. Of importance among those were the approximately 70 National Board Certified middle and high school science teachers. The teacher sample consisted of 50 teachers, of whom 19 were NBCTs and 31 were non-NBCTs. This study compared the science inquiry teaching environments created by NBCTs and non-NBCTs along with their consequent effect on the science reasoning and nature of science (NOS) understanding of their students. In addition, it examined the relationship with these science inquiry environments of other teacher characteristics along with teacher perception of factors influencing curriculum and factors limiting inquiry. This study used a multi-level mixed methodology study incorporating both quantitative and qualitative measures of both teachers and their students. It was a quasi-experimental design using non-random assignment of participants to treatment and control groups and dependent pre- and post-tests (Shadish, Cook, & Campbell, 2002). Teacher and student NOS understanding was measured using the Student Understanding of Science and Science Inquiry (SUSSI) instrument (Liang, et. al, 2006). Science inquiry environment was measured with the Elementary Science Inquiry Survey (ESIS) (Dunbar, 2002) which was given both to teachers and their students. Science inquiry environment measurements were triangulated with observations of a stratified random sub-sample of participating teachers. Observations were structured using the low-inference Collaboratives for Excellence in Teaching Practice (CETP) Classroom Observation Protocol (COP) (Lawrenz, Huffman, & Appleldoorn 2002), and the high-inference Reform Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) (Piburn & Sawada, 2000). NBCTs possessed more informed view of NOS than did non-NBCTs. Additionally, high school science teachers possessed more informed views regarding NOS than did middle school science teachers, with the most informed views belonging to high school science NBCTs. High school science NBCTs created learning environments in which students engaged in science inquiry behaviors significantly more frequently than did high school science non-NBCTs. Middle school science NBCTs, on the other hand, did not create learning environments that differed in significant ways from those of middle school science non-NBCTs. Students of high school science NBCTs possessed significantly higher science reasoning than did students of high school science non-NBCTs. Middle school students of science NBCTs possessed no more science reasoning ability than did middle school students of science non-NBCTs. NOS understanding displayed by students of both middle school and high school science NBCTs was not distinguished from students of non-NBCTs. Classroom science inquiry environment created by non-NBCTs were correlated with science teachers' perceptions of factors determining the curriculum, and the factors limiting inquiry. NBCT classroom science inquiry environment were not correlated with science teacher perceptions. They were, however, strongly correlated with science teacher attendance at science workshops and negatively correlated with teacher perception that experience limits inquiry. The results of this study have implications for policy, practice, and research. Having a science teacher who is an NBCT appears to benefit high school students; however, the benefit for students of middle school science NBCTs appears only when the teacher is also experienced. Additionally, science NBCTs appear to be able to create more controlled science inquiry learning environments than do science non-NBCTs. At the high school level the practice of using data to explain patterns appears to positively affect student science reasoning. Implications results of this study have for further research include examining the differences of the NBPTS certification process for middle and high school teachers; deeper investigation of the causes of the differences in science reasoning between students of NBCTs and non-NBCTs; and studies of the relationship between the NBPTS certification process and teacher efficacy and personal agency.

Knowing and Learning about Science in Primary School "Communities of Science Practice": The Views of Participating Scientists in the "MyScience" Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Anne; Skamp, Keith

2013-01-01

"MyScience" is a primary science education initiative in which being in a community of practice is integral to the learning process. One component of this initiative involves professional scientists interacting with primary school communities which are navigating their way towards sustainable "communities of practice" around the "domain" of…

Eliciting and utilizing rural students' funds of knowledge in the service of science learning: An action research study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lloyd, Ellen M.

Several researchers have pointed out the failures of current schooling to adequately prepare students in science and called for radical reform in science education to address the problem. One dominant critique of science education is that several groups of students are not well served by current school science practices and discourses. Rural students represent one of these underserved populations. Yet, there is little in the literature that speaks specifically to reforming the science education of rural students. Utilizing action research as a methodology, this study was designed to learn more about the unique knowledge and life experiences of rural students, and how these unique knowledge, skills and interests could suggest new ways to improve science education in rural schools. Informed by this ultimate goal, I created an after school science club where the participating high school students engaged in solving a local watershed problem, while explicitly bringing to bear their unique backgrounds, local knowledge and life experiences from living in a rural area of Upstate New York. Using Funds of Knowledge as the theoretical framework, this after-school club served as the context to investigate the following research questions: (1) What science-related funds of knowledge do rural high school students have? (2) How were these funds of knowledge capitalized on to support science learning in an after-school setting?

Perceptions versus Realities: Exploring Needs and Science Learning Outcomes In the Mississippi Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitts, Lacey S.

The Mississippi Delta (MS Delta) is a high-poverty region in northwestern Mississippi located between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers. The Delta is home to sixteen rural counties with over seventy failing or underperforming schools. Many of these schools lack the resources necessary to ensure adequate opportunities for all students. Learning outcomes for the state are among the lowest in the nation, and scores in the rural Delta are far below the state average. Graduating seniors take the ACT college entrance exam, with about 10% of Mississippi seniors scoring as "college-ready" in science. The region has a critical shortage of science teachers, and many schools do not offer advanced science courses. This study assessed teachers' needs, identified key characteristics of the secondary science programs in which they teach, and sought to understand conditions affecting science learning outcomes. An inventory of science teachers' needs was administered to teachers in the region. The greatest needs were material resources, high quality training, and strategies for improving poor reading and problem-solving skills of students. Of the factors examined, the percentage of students receiving free lunch had the strongest correlation with science learning outcomes in the school, higher than access to resources, number of science courses offered, and level of self-reported teacher need. A three-tiered approach to improving science learning outcomes has been developed, emphasizing community relationships, targeted professional development, and relevant science curriculum.

Understanding a High School Physics Teacher's Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jianlan; Buck, Gayle A.

2016-01-01

Scientific argumentation is an important learning objective in science education. It is also an effective instructional approach to constructivist science learning. The implementation of argumentation in school settings requires science teachers, who are pivotal agents of transforming classroom practices, to develop sophisticated knowledge of…

Cooperative Learning in Science: Intervention in the Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topping, K. J.; Thurston, A.; Tolmie, A.; Christie, D.; Murray, P.; Karagiannidou, E.

2011-01-01

The use of cooperative learning in secondary school is reported--an area of considerable concern given attempts to make secondary schools more interactive and gain higher recruitment to university science courses. In this study the intervention group was 259 pupils aged 12-14 years in nine secondary schools, taught by 12 self-selected teachers.…

The Aims and Learning Attainments of Secondary and High School Students Attending Science Festivals: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kececi, Gonca

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the aims and learning attainments of secondary school and high school students participating in science festivals. A case study approach which is one of the qualitative research methods was used in the research. This study was carried out in the science festival held in Elazig, Turkey. The sampling consists of…

Effect of Child Centred Methods on Teaching and Learning of Science Activities in Pre-Schools in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andiema, Nelly C.

2016-01-01

Despite many research studies showing the effectiveness of teacher application of child-centered learning in different educational settings, few studies have focused on teaching and learning activities in Pre-Schools. This research investigates the effect of child centered methods on teaching and learning of science activities in preschools in…

Career-Related Learning and Science Education: The Changing Landscape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchinson, Jo

2012-01-01

Pupils ask STEM subject teachers about jobs and careers in science, but where else do they learn about work? This article outlines career-related learning within schools in England alongside other factors that influence pupils' career decisions. The effect of the Education Act 2011 will be to change career learning in schools. The impact on…

Enriching Students' Education Using Interactive Workstations at a Salt Mine Turned Science Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meissner, Barbara; Bogner, Franz

2011-01-01

Although teachers in principle are prepared to make use of science centers, such excursions often fail to facilitate learning processes. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the link between science centers and schools. The design and evaluation of valuable outreach projects may enhance students' out-of-school science learning. In our study, we…

Understanding Motivational Structures That Differentially Predict Engagement and Achievement in Middle School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Christine S.; Hayes, Kathryn N.; Seitz, Jeffery; DiStefano, Rachelle; O'Connor, Dawn

2016-01-01

Middle school has been documented as the period in which a drop in students' science interest and achievement occurs. This trend indicates a lack of motivation for learning science; however, little is known about how different aspects of motivation interact with student engagement and science learning outcomes. This study examines the…

Science in Action: How Middle School Students Are Changing Their World through STEM Service-Learning Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Jane L.; Dantzler, John; Coleman, April N.

2015-01-01

The purpose of Science in Action (SIA) was to examine the relationship between implementing quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) service-learning (SL) projects and the effect on students' academic engagement in middle school science, civic responsibility, and resilience to at-risk behaviors. The innovative project funded by…

Learning nanotechnology with texts and comics: the impacts on students of different achievement levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Shu-Fen; Lin, Huann-shyang

2016-05-01

Comics are popular with adolescents because of their features of humor, narrative, and visual imagery. The purposes of this study were to examine the learning outcomes and emotional perceptions of reading a science comic book and a science text booklet for students of different levels of achievement, and to explore the main factors of the two media which attract high-school students to learn science. A mixed-method quasi-experimental design was adopted. The participants were 697 grade ten students from eight schools with different levels of academic achievement. Two similar classes in each of the eight schools were assigned as the comic group or the text group. The results indicated that the science comic book benefited medium achievers more than the science text booklet did, but the contrary result was found for the high achievers. In comparison, the two media benefited the low achievers equally, but both had only a limited effect due to the students' lack of prior knowledge. We conclude four kinds of evidence, including perceived difficulty of comprehension, reasons for interest/disinterest, emotional perceptions of learning science, and learning time, to support the phenomenon of the learning benefit of media specific to certain achievers' science learning.

Effective Practices for Evaluating STEM Out-of-School Time Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkerson, Stephanie B.; Haden, Carol M.

2014-01-01

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in out-of-school time (OST) are designed to supplement school work, ignite student interest, and extend STEM learning. From interactive museum exhibits to summer-long science camps, opportunities for informal student engagement in STEM learning abound. The differences these programs…

High School Students "Do" and Learn Science through Scientific Modeling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Susan Smetzer; Farnsworth, Valerie

2000-01-01

This document describes the research project Modeling for Understanding in Science Education (MUSE) which focuses on the improvement of high school students' learning. MUSE research investigated how lower and high achieving students learned to reason, inquire, present, and critique scientific arguments in a genetics course taught during the spring…

The Changing Roles of Science Specialists during a Capacity Building Program for Primary School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbert, Sandra; Xu, Lihua; Kelly, Leissa

2017-01-01

Science education starts at primary school. Yet, recent research shows primary school teachers lack confidence and competence in teaching science (Prinsley & Johnston, 2015). A Victorian state government science specialist initiative responded to this concern by providing professional learning programs to schools across Victoria. Drawing on…

High School Students' Implicit Theories of What Facilitates Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Eileen Carlton; Miles, Rhea; Petersen, Michael

2011-01-01

Background: Research has primarily concentrated on adults' implicit theories about high quality science education for all students. Little work has considered the students' perspective. This study investigated high school students' implicit theories about what helped them learn science. Purpose: This study addressed (1) What characterizes high…

A Science Club Takes Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeDee, Olivia; Mosser, Anna; Gamble, Tony; Childs, Greg; Oberhauser, Karen

2007-01-01

The after-school science club at Galtier Math, Science, and Technology Elementary Magnet School in St. Paul, Minnesota, learned some valuable lessons when they took newfound knowledge about pollution into their homes. After learning about the effects of various contaminants on health and what informed citizens can do about it, students tested…

The Effect of the Video Game Quizlet on the Acquisiton of Science Vocabulary for Children With Learning Disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, Kelsey Claire

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine if using the video learning game Quizlet in a middle school resource classroom increases science vocabulary acquisition of students with learning disabilities, (b) to determine if using the video learning game Quizlet in a middle school resource classroom increases the student engagement/on-task behavior of students with learning disabilities, and (c) to evaluate student comfort and satisfaction in using the video learning game Quizlet in a middle school resource classroom. Six middle school students, three female and three male participated in the study. A single subject design with ABAB phases was utilized over eight weeks. Results show that all students increased their science vocabulary acquisition and increased their on-task behaviors. A follow-up student satisfaction survey determined that the intervention was acceptable to all students. Further research to assess the effects of Quizlet is recommended.

Investigating engagement, thinking, and learning among culturally diverse, urban sixth graders experiencing an inquiry-based science curriculum, contextualized in the local environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Sybil Schantz

This mixed-methods study combined pragmatism, sociocultural perspectives, and systems thinking concepts to investigate students' engagement, thinking, and learning in science in an urban, K-8 arts, science, and technology magnet school. A grant-funded school-university partnership supported the implementation of an inquiry-based science curriculum, contextualized in the local environment through field experiences. The researcher worked as co-teacher of 3 sixth-grade science classes and was deeply involved in the daily routines of the school. The purposes of the study were to build a deeper understanding of the complex interactions that take place in an urban science classroom, including challenges related to implementing culturally-relevant instruction; and to offer insight into the role educational systems play in supporting teaching and learning. The central hypothesis was that connecting learning to meaningful experiences in the local environment can provide culturally accessible points of engagement from which to build science learning. Descriptive measures provided an assessment of students' engagement in science activities, as well as their levels of thinking and learning throughout the school year. Combined with analyses of students' work files and focus group responses, these findings provided strong evidence of engagement attributable to the inquiry-based curriculum. In some instances, degree of engagement was found to be affected by student "reluctance" and "resistance," terms defined but needing further examination. A confounding result showed marked increases in thinking levels coupled with stasis or decrease in learning. Congruent with past studies, data indicated the presence of tension between the diverse cultures of students and the mainstream cultures of school and science. Findings were synthesized with existing literature to generate the study's principal product, a grounded theory model representing the complex, interacting factors involved in teaching and learning. The model shows that to support learning and to overcome cultural tensions, there must be alignment among three main forces or "causal factors": students, teaching, and school climate. Conclusions emphasize system-level changes to support science learning, including individualized support for students in the form of differentiated instruction; focus on excellence in teaching, particularly through career-spanning professional support for teachers; and attention to identifying key leverage points for implementing effective change.

How Should Students Learn in the School Science Laboratory? The Benefits of Cooperative Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raviv, Ayala; Cohen, Sarit; Aflalo, Ester

2017-07-01

Despite the inherent potential of cooperative learning, there has been very little research into its effectiveness in middle school laboratory classes. This study focuses on an empirical comparison between cooperative learning and individual learning in the school science laboratory, evaluating the quality of learning and the students' attitudes. The research included 67 seventh-grade students who undertook four laboratory experiments on the subject of "volume measuring skills." Each student engaged both in individual and cooperative learning in the laboratory, and the students wrote individual or group reports, accordingly. A total of 133 experiment reports were evaluated, 108 of which also underwent textual analysis. The findings show that the group reports were superior, both in terms of understanding the concept of "volume" and in terms of acquiring skills for measuring volume. The students' attitudes results were statistically significant and demonstrated that they preferred cooperative learning in the laboratory. These findings demonstrate that science teachers should be encouraged to implement cooperative learning in the laboratory. This will enable them to improve the quality and efficiency of laboratory learning while using a smaller number of experimental kits. Saving these expenditures, together with the possibility to teach a larger number of students simultaneously in the laboratory, will enable greater exposure to learning in the school science laboratory.

Teaching and Learning Science for Transformative, Aesthetic Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girod, Mark; Twyman, Todd; Wojcikiewicz, Steve

2010-11-01

Drawing from the Deweyan theory of experience (1934, 1938), the goal of teaching and learning for transformative, aesthetic experience is contrasted against teaching and learning from a cognitive, rational framework. A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate teaching and learning of fifth grade science from each perspective across an entire school year including three major units of instruction. Detailed comparisons of teaching are given and pre and post measures of interest in learning science, science identity affiliation, and efficacy beliefs are investigated. Tests of conceptual understanding before, after, and one month after instruction reveal teaching for transformative, aesthetic experience fosters more, and more enduring, learning of science concepts. Investigations of transfer also suggest students learning for transformative, aesthetic experiences learn to see the world differently and find more interest and excitement in the world outside of school.

Learning by Experience in a Standardized Testing Culture: Investigation of a Middle School Experiential Learning Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scogin, Stephen C.; Kruger, Christopher J.; Jekkals, Regan E.; Steinfeldt, Chelsea

2017-01-01

Standardized testing pressure sometimes discourages schools from broadly implementing experiential learning opportunities. However, some K-12 schools are challenging the trend with greater commitment to learning by experience. STREAM (science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, mathematics) school is a project-based program providing students…

Effect of Self Regulated Learning Approach on Junior Secondary School Students' Achievement in Basic Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nwafor, Chika E.; Obodo, Abigail Chikaodinaka; Okafor, Gabriel

2015-01-01

This study explored the effect of self-regulated learning approach on junior secondary school students' achievement in basic science. Quasi-experimental design was used for the study.Two co-educational schools were drawn for the study through simple random sampling technique. One school was assigned to the treatment group while the other was…

Interactions between Classroom Discourse, Teacher Questioning, and Student Cognitive Engagement in Middle School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smart, Julie B.; Marshall, Jeff C.

2013-01-01

Classroom discourse can affect various aspects of student learning in science. The present study examines interactions between classroom discourse, specifically teacher questioning, and related student cognitive engagement in middle school science. Observations were conducted throughout the school year in 10 middle school science classrooms using…

The Pre-Instructors in Math and Science (PIMAS) Program at the University of Arizona’s Flandrau Science Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brissenden, G.; Slater, T. F.; Colodner, D.; Johnson, S.

2003-12-01

The Pre-Instructors in Math and Science (PIMAS) Program at the University of Arizona's Flandrau Science Center offers high school students the opportunity to explore careers in science teaching through on-the-job training in informal science teaching, both at Flandrau and in the community. The goal of the PIMAS program is to encourage these students to consider pursuing science teaching careers as they transition from high school to college. Students become members of the Flandrau Science Center staff, learning how to present several astronomy demonstrations. These demonstrations include: A Journey to Pluto, Robots on Mars, and Constructing the Seasons. Students also learn how to host star parties. They then offer these presentations at Flandrau on Saturdays and public viewing nights. During the Fall semester, students have the opportunity to learn about best practices in informal science education. They participate, as peers, in the U of A's Science Teachers Colloquium Series. They meet with astronomers, planetary scientists, engineers, and amateur astronomers to learn more about the science behind the demonstrations they are learning. In the Spring semester, students take what they've learned "on the road." They plan and execute Space Nights for their communities-at their schools, their siblings' schools, their churches, their scouting troupes, etc. We believe that by letting the students go into their own communities, they have a greater sense of ownership and pride in these events. The PIMAS Program is now entering its third year. We present both our successes and our lessons learned, as well as what the PIMAS students have to say about the program. We greatly appreciate, and acknowledge, the support of the Arizona Teacher Education Coalition, which is funded by the US Department of Education.

Interpreting the Relationships between Single Gender Science Classes and Girls' Academic Motivation and Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Sonya L.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how and to what extent single gender science classes affect motivation to learn scientific concepts, interest in science, and college major intent among high school and middle school girls. This study was designed to determine whether students' motivation to learn science changes when they are placed in a…

Learning from a Distance: High School Students' Perceptions of Virtual Presence, Motivation, and Science Identity during a Remote Microscopy Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Childers, Gina; Jones, M. Gail

2017-01-01

Through partnerships with scientists, students can now conduct research in science laboratories from a distance through remote access technologies. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that contribute to a remote learning environment by documenting high school students' perceptions of science motivation, science identity, and virtual…

Elementary Science Education in Classrooms and Outdoors: Stakeholder views, gender, ethnicity, and testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrier, Sarah J.; Thomson, Margareta M.; Tugurian, Linda P.; Tate Stevenson, Kathryn

2014-09-01

In this article, we present a mixed-methods study of 2 schools' elementary science programs including outdoor instruction specific to each school's culture. We explore fifth-grade students in measures of science knowledge, environmental attitudes, and outdoor comfort levels including gender and ethnic differences. We further examine students' science and outdoor views and activity choices along with those of adults (teachers, parents, and principals). Significant differences were found between pre- and posttest measures along with gender and ethnic differences with respect to students' science knowledge and environmental attitudes. Interview data exposed limitations of outdoor learning at both schools including standardized test pressures, teachers' views of science instruction, and desultory connections of alternative learning settings to 'school' science.

Investigation the opinions of the primary science teachers toward practice of teaching and learning activities in science learning area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamnanwong, Pornpaka; Thathong, Kongsak

2018-01-01

In preparing a science lesson plan, teachers may deal with numerous difficulties. Having a deep understanding of their problems and their demands is extremely essential for the teachers in preparing themselves for the job. Moreover, it is also crucial for the stakeholders in planning suitable and in-need teachers' professional development programs, in school management, and in teaching aid. This study aimed to investigate the primary school science teachers' opinion toward practice of teaching and learning activities in science learning area. Target group was 292 primary science teachers who teach Grade 4 - 6 students in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand in the academic year of 2014. Data were collected using Questionnaire about Investigation the opinions of the primary science teachers toward practice of teaching and learning activities in science learning area. The questionnaires were consisted of closed questions scored on Likert scale and open-ended questions that invite a sentence response to cover from LS Process Ideas. Research findings were as follow. The primary science teachers' level of opinion toward teaching and learning science subject ranged from 3.19 - 3.93 (mean = 3.43) as "Moderate" level of practice. The primary school science teachers' needs to participate in a training workshop based on LS ranged from 3.66 - 4.22 (mean = 3.90) as "High" level. The result indicated that they were interested in attending a training course under the guidance of the Lesson Study by training on planning of management of science learning to solve teaching problems in science contents with the highest mean score 4.22. Open-ended questions questionnaire showed the needs of the implementation of the lesson plans to be actual classrooms, and supporting for learning Medias, innovations, and equipment for science experimentation.

Understanding the science-learning environment: A genetically sensitive approach.

PubMed

Haworth, Claire M A; Davis, Oliver S P; Hanscombe, Ken B; Kovas, Yulia; Dale, Philip S; Plomin, Robert

2013-02-01

Previous studies have shown that environmental influences on school science performance increase in importance from primary to secondary school. Here we assess for the first time the relationship between the science-learning environment and science performance using a genetically sensitive approach to investigate the aetiology of this link. 3000 pairs of 14-year-old twins from the UK Twins Early Development Study reported on their experiences of the science-learning environment and were assessed for their performance in science using a web-based test of scientific enquiry. Multivariate twin analyses were used to investigate the genetic and environmental links between environment and outcome. The most surprising result was that the science-learning environment was almost as heritable (43%) as performance on the science test (50%), and showed negligible shared environmental influence (3%). Genetic links explained most (56%) of the association between learning environment and science outcome, indicating gene-environment correlation.

High school students presenting science: An interactional sociolinguistic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bleicher, Robert

Presenting science is an authentic activity of practicing scientists. Thus, effective communication of science is an important skill to nurture in high school students who are learning science. This study examines strategies employed by high school students as they make science presentations; it assesses students' conceptual understandings of particular science topics through their presentations and investigates gender differences. Data are derived from science presentation given by eight high school students, three females and five males who attended a summer science program. Data sources included videotaped presentations, ethnographic fieldnotes, interviews with presenters and members of the audience, and presenter notes and overheads. Presentations were transcribed and submitted to discourse analysis from an interactional sociolinguistic perspective. This article focuses on the methodology employed and how it helps inform the above research questions. The author argues that use of this methodology leads to findings that inform important social-communicative issues in the learning of science. Practical advice for teaching students to present science, implications for use of presentations to assess conceptual learning, and indications of some possible gender differences are discussed.Received: 14 April 1993; Revised: 15 February 1994;

Differentiating Science Instruction: Success Stories of High School Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maeng, Jennifer Lynn Cunningham

2011-01-01

This study investigated the characteristics and practices of high school science teachers who differentiate instruction. Specifically teachers' beliefs about science teaching and student learning and how they planned for and implemented differentiated instruction in their classrooms were explored. Understanding how high school science teachers…

An Investigation into Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Learning Primary School Science Using the Method of Problem Based Learning (PBL)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohamed, Musa El Sharief

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the pre-service teachers' perceptions into learning primary school science using the method of Problem Based Learning (PBL). This learning strategy has been introduced into the B.Ed. programme at the University of Trinidad and Tobago for pre-service teachers who are expected to implement it in their…

Exploring the Effects of Concreteness Fading across Grades in Elementary School Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaakkola, Tomi; Veermans, Koen

2018-01-01

The present study investigates the effects that concreteness fading has on learning and transfer across three grade levels (4-6) in elementary school science education in comparison to learning with constantly concrete representations. 127 9- to 12-years-old elementary school students studied electric circuits in a computer-based simulation…

Valuing difference in students' culture and experience in school science lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banner, Indira

2016-12-01

Susan Harper writes about how a cross-cultural learning community can be formed where people from different cultures are not simply assimilated into a school science community but are seen and heard. This makes learning reciprocal and meaningful for both recent refugees and the dominant population. Although maybe not refugees, students from poorer backgrounds in many countries are less likely to choose science at a post-compulsory level. This article discusses some of the potential barriers that are faced by many of these students, that prevent them from participating in school science. It suggests how people involved in school science might address these issues to allow a smoother cultural border crossing between the students' cultures and school science culture by reducing the significance of the crossing.

Student Motivation in Science Subjects in Tanzania, Including Students' Voices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mkimbili, Selina Thomas; Ødegaard, Marianne

2017-12-01

Fostering and maintaining students' interest in science is an important aspect of improving science learning. The focus of this paper is to listen to and reflect on students' voices regarding the sources of motivation for science subjects among students in community secondary schools with contextual challenges in Tanzania. We conducted a group-interview study of 46 Form 3 and Form 4 Tanzanian secondary school students. The study findings reveal that the major contextual challenges to student motivation for science in the studied schools are limited resources and students' insufficient competence in the language of instruction. Our results also reveal ways to enhance student motivation for science in schools with contextual challenges; these techniques include the use of questioning techniques and discourse, students' investigations and practical work using locally available materials, study tours, more integration of classroom science into students' daily lives and the use of real-life examples in science teaching. Also we noted that students' contemporary life, culture and familiar language can be utilised as a useful resource in facilitating meaningful learning in science in the school. Students suggested that, to make science interesting to a majority of students in a Tanzanian context, science education needs to be inclusive of students' experiences, culture and contemporary daily lives. Also, science teaching and learning in the classroom need to involve learners' voices.

Co-op students' access to shared knowledge in science-rich workplaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munby, Hugh; Taylor, Jennifer; Chin, Peter; Hutchinson, Nancy L.

2007-01-01

Wenger's (1998) concepts community of practice, brokering, and transfer explain the challenges co-operative (co-op) education students face in relating the knowledge learned in school with what they learn while participating as members of a workplace. The research for this paper is set within the contexts of the knowledge economy and increased collaboration in the workplace. The paper draws on several qualitative studies of work-based education to examine the similarities and differences between learning in the workplace and learning in school, with a focus on science education and science-rich workplaces. Barriers to connecting school knowledge and workplace knowledge include the nature of science (its purpose, accountability, and substance), the structure of knowledge in each setting, the form content knowledge takes, the sequence that the curriculum is presented in, and the gatekeeping that occurs when knowledge is accessed. The paper addresses implications for interventions in school and the workplace, with attention to the transition from school to work, and concludes by pointing to profound obstacles to connecting school knowledge with workplace knowledge.

History and Social Studies Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia State Dept. of Education, Richmond.

In 1995, the Virginia Board of Education published Virginia state Standards of Learning in English, mathematics, science, and history and social science for kindergarten through grade 12. The Standards of Learning provide a framework for instructional programs designed to raise the academic achievement of all Virginia public school students. The…

Online Learning Tools for Middle School Science: Lessons Learned from a Design-Based Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Knox, Carolyn; Strycker, Lisa A.; Walden, Emily D.

2017-01-01

This article reports on how design-based research methodology was used to guide a line of intervention research that developed, implemented, revised, and evaluated online learning science curricula for middle school students, including general education students and English language learners (primarily of Hispanic origin). The iterative,…

Measuring University Students' Perceived Self-Efficacy in Science Communication in Middle and High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chi, Shaohui; Liu, Xiufeng; Gardella, Joseph A.

2016-01-01

Service learning typically involves university students in teaching and learning activities for middle and high school students, however, measurement of university students' self-efficacy in science communication is still lacking. In this study, an instrument to measure university students' perceived self-efficacy in communicating science to…

Relationships Between Classroom Behavior and Cognitive Development Characteristics in Elementary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Good, Ron; And Others

1976-01-01

Studied classroom behaviors and conservation ability of elementary school science students taught by either Student-Structured Learning in Science (SSLS) or Teacher-Structured Learning in Science (TSLS). Reports on how behavior of conservers and nonconservers differs in SSLS and TSLS with respect to observing, following directions, and inventing…

Examining Teacher Framing, Student Reasoning, and Student Agency in School-Based Citizen Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Emily Mae

2017-01-01

This dissertation presents three interrelated studies examining opportunities for student learning through contributory citizen science (CS), where students collect and contribute data to help generate new scientific knowledge. I draw on sociocultural perspectives of learning to analyze three cases where teachers integrated CS into school science,…

Using Learning Stories to Capture "Gifted" and "Hard Worker" Mindsets within a NYC Specialized High School for the Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pride, Leah D.

2014-01-01

All science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators working in urban public school systems are expected to provide opportunities for students to develop foundational scientific literacy skills in mathematics and science learning. However, the demands on STEM educators teaching the "gifted" or…

Change over a service learning experience in science undergraduates' beliefs expressed about elementary school students' ability to learn science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goebel, Camille A.

This longitudinal investigation explores the change in four (3 female, 1 male) science undergraduates' beliefs expressed about low-income elementary school students' ability to learn science. The study sought to identify how the undergraduates in year-long public school science-teaching partnerships perceived the social, cultural, and economic factors affecting student learning. Previous service-learning research infrequently focused on science undergraduates relative to science and society or detailed expressions of their beliefs and field practices over the experience. Qualitative methodology was used to guide the implementation and analysis of this study. A sample of an additional 20 science undergraduates likewise involved in intensive reflection in the service learning in science teaching (SLST) course called Elementary Science Education Partners (ESEP) was used to examine the typicality of the case participants. The findings show two major changes in science undergraduates' belief expressions: (1) a reduction in statements of beliefs from a deficit thinking perspective about the elementary school students' ability to learn science, and (2) a shift in the attribution of students, underlying problems in science learning from individual-oriented to systemic-oriented influences. Additional findings reveal that the science undergraduates perceived they had personally and profoundly changed as a result of the SLST experience. Changes include: (1) the gain of a new understanding of others' situations different from their own; (2) the realization of and appreciation for their relative positions of privilege due to their educational background and family support; (3) the gain in ability to communicate, teach, and work with others; (4) the idea that they were more socially and culturally connected to their community outside the university and their college classrooms; and (5) a broadening of the way they understood or thought about science. Women participants stated that the experience validated their science and science-related career choices. Results imply that these changes have the potential to strengthen the undergraduate pursuit of science-related careers and will contribute positive influences to our education system and society at large.

Ideas for Integrating the Microcomputer with High School Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Podany, Zita

This report discusses how computers are being used in high school science classrooms. For this report, four high school science teachers were interviewed. The approach to science instruction described in these four interviews deals with the areas of scientific and technological literacy, making science learning fun and attractive, and stimulating…

GeoBus: bringing experiential Earth science learning to secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pike, C. J.; Robinson, R. A. J.; Roper, K. A.

2014-12-01

GeoBus (www.geobus.org.uk) is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and it is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary (middle and high) schools by providing teaching support to schools that have no or little expertise of teaching Earth science, to share the outcomes of new science research and the experiences of young researchers with school pupils, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 160 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Over 30,000 pupils will have been involved in experiential Earth science learning activities by December 2014, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The challenge with secondary school experiential learning as outreach is that activities need to be completed in either 50 or 80 minutes to fit within the school timetables in the UK, and this can limit the amount of hands-on activities that pupils undertake in one session. However, it is possible to dedicate a whole or half day of linked activities to Earth science learning in Scotland and this provides a long enough period to undertake field work, conduct group projects, or complete more complicated experiments. GeoBus has developed a suite of workshops that all involve experiential learning and are targeted for shorter and longer time slots, and the lessons learned in developing and refining these workshops to maximise the learning achieved will be presented. Three potentially unsurprising observations hold true for all the schools that GeoBus visits: young learners like to experiment and use unfamiliar equipment to make measurements, the element of competition stimulates learners to ask questions and maintain focus and enthusiasum, and role playing is an effective way to get learners to participate in group projects and to communicate with each other. Examples of our workshops and experiential learning activities for a range of ages will be presented along with feedback from teachers and young learners.

Investigation of guided school tours, student learning, and science reform recommendations at a museum of natural history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox-Petersen, Anne M.; Marsh, David D.; Kisiel, James; Melber, Leah M.

2003-02-01

A study of docent-led guided school tours at a museum of natural history was investigated. Researchers engaged in naturalistic inquiry to describe how natural history content was conveyed to students and what students gained from this model of touring. They also investigated how the content and pedagogy within the guided tour complemented recommendations from formal science standards documents and informal learning literature. About 30 visiting school groups in Grades 2-8 were observed. Teachers (n = 30) and select students (n = 85) were interviewed. Researchers found that tours were organized in a didactic way that conflicted with science education reform documents and research related to learning within informal contexts. Students' responses to interview questions indicated high satisfaction with the tours but low levels of science learning.

Science in an Indigenous School: Insight into Teacher Beliefs about Science Inquiry and Their Development as Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rofe, Craig; Moeed, Azra; Anderson, Dayle; Bartholomew, Rex

2016-01-01

School science aspires for students to develop conceptual, procedural and nature of science understandings as well as developing scientific literacy. Issues and complexities surrounding the development of science curriculum for Indigenous schools in New Zealand is a concern as little is known about these aspects of science learning in…

Designing Web-Based Science Lesson Plans That Use Problem-Based Learning To Inspire Middle School Kids: KaAMS (Kids as Airborne Mission Scientists).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koszalka, Tiffany A.; Grabowski, Barbara; Kim, Younghoon

Problem-based learning (PBL) has great potential for inspiring K-12 learning. KaAMS (Kids as Airborne Mission Scientists), an example of PBL, was designed to help teachers inspire middle school students to learning science, math, technology, and geography. The children participate as scientists investigating environmental problems using NASA…

Reciprocal Education Experiences In Two GK-12 Programs: Teachers Learning And Students Teaching In Diverse Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, M.; Williams, C.; Rodriguez, T.; Greely, T.; Pyrtle, A. J.; Rivera-Rentas, A. L.; Vilches, M.

2004-12-01

The National Science Foundation's Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program has enabled science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate schools across the country to become more active in local area K-12 schools. An overview of a graduate student's experiences, insights gained and lessons learned as a Fellow in the 2003-2004 Universidad Metropolitana's (UMET) environmental science and the 2004-2005 University of South Florida's (USF) ocean science GK-12 Programs is presented. The major goals of the 2003-2004 UMET GK-12 Program were 1) to enrich environmental science teaching and learning via a thematic approach in eight local public schools and 2) to provide UMET graduate students with exposure to teaching methodologies and practical teaching experience. Utilizing examples from local environments in and nearby Carolina, Puerto Rico to teach key science principles at Escuela de la Comunidad Juana Rodriguez Mundo provided numerous opportunities to relate science topics to students' daily life experiences. By 2004, the UMET GK-12 Program had successfully engaged the entire student body (primarily comprised of bilingual minority kindergarten to sixth graders), teachers and school administrators in environment-focused teaching and learning activities. Examples of such activities include tree planting projects to minimize local erosion, conducting a science fair for the first time in many years, and numerous opportunities to experience what "real scientists do" while conducting environmental science investigations. During the 2004-2005 academic year, skills, insights and lessons learned as a UMET GK-12 Fellow are being further enhanced through participation in the USF GK-12 OCEANS Program. The overall objectives of the 2004-2005 USF GK-12 OCEANS assignment at Madeira Beach Elementary School in Saint Petersburg, Florida are to 1) engage students from various ethnic backgrounds and cultures in hands-on science activities, 2) enhance the school's third grade ocean science education curriculum, and 3) foster dialog between students at Madeira Beach Elementary School and Escuela de la Comunidad Juana Rodriguez Mundo, via exchange of pictures, video recordings, letters and emails related to environment-focused learning activities being undertaken at the two schools. In addition to these objectives, during the 2004-2005 academic year several ocean science-focused activities, the majority of which were adapted and/or identified from either the UMET GK-12 or USF OCEAN GK-12 Programs, will be utilized to further stimulate Madeira Beach Elementary School third graders' critical thinking skills. Examples of such activities, including hands-on exercises, case studies, games and field trips are highlighted in this presentation.

Designing Science Learning in the First Years of Schooling. An intervention study with sequenced learning material on the topic of `floating and sinking'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leuchter, Miriam; Saalbach, Henrik; Hardy, Ilonca

2014-07-01

Research on learning and instruction of science has shown that learning environments applied in preschool and primary school rarely makes use of structured learning materials in problem-based environments although these are decisive quality features for promoting conceptual change and scientific reasoning within early science learning. We thus developed and implemented a science learning environment for children in the first years of schooling which contains structured learning materials with the goal of supporting conceptual change concerning the understanding of the floating and sinking of objects and fostering students' scientific reasoning skills. In the present implementation study, we aim to provide a best-practice example of early science learning. The study was conducted with a sample of 15 classes of the first years of schooling and a total of 244 children. Tests were constructed to measure children's conceptual understanding before and after the implementation. Our results reveal a decrease in children's misconceptions from pretest to posttest. After the curriculum, the children were able to produce significantly more correct predictions about the sinking or floating of objects than before the curriculum and also relative to a control group. Moreover, due to the intervention, the explanations given for their predictions implied a more elaborated concept of material kinds. All in all, a well-structured curriculum promoting comparison and scientific reasoning by means of inquiry learning was shown to support children's conceptual change.

Factors affecting construction of science discourse in the context of an extracurricular science and technology project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, Horace P.

Doing and learning science are social activities that require certain language, activities, and values. Both constitute what Gee (2005) calls Discourses. The language of learning science varies with the learning context (Lemke, 2001,1990). Science for All Americans (AAAS, 1990) and Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 2000) endorse inquiry science learning. In the United States, most science learning is teacher-centered; inquiry science learning is rare (NRC, 2000). This study focused on 12 high school students from two suburban high schools, their three faculty mentors, and two engineering mentors during an extracurricular robotics activity with FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). FRC employed student-centered inquiry focus to teach science principles integrating technology. Research questions were (a) How do science teachers and their students enact Discourses as they teach and learn science? and (b) How does the pedagogical approach of a learning activity facilitate the Discourses that are enacted by students and teachers as they learn and teach science? Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study examined participants' language during robotic activities to determine how language used in learning science shaped the learning and vice versa. Data sources included videorecordings of participant language and semi-structured interviews with study participants. Transcribed recordings were coded initially using Gee's (2005) linguistic Building Tasks as a priori codes. CDA was applied to code transcripts, to construct Discourses enacted by the participants, and to determine how context facilitated their enactment. Findings indicated that, for the students, FRC facilitated elements of Science Discourse. Wild About Robotics (W.A.R.) team became, through FRC, part of a community similar to scientists' community that promoted knowledge and sound practices, disseminated information, supported research and development and encouraged interaction of its members. The public school science classroom in the U.S. is inimical to inquiry learning because of practices and policies associated with the epistemological stance that spawned the standards and/or testing movement and No Child Left Behind (Baez & Boyles, 2009). The findings of this study provided concrete ideas to accommodate the recommendations by NRC (1996) and NSES (2000) for creating contexts that might lead to inquiry science learning for meaningful student engagement.

An emerging research framework for studying informal learning and schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Laura M. W.

2004-07-01

In recognition of the fact that science centers and other informal educational institutions can play a role in the reform of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, several major research and professional programs are currently underway. This article discusses one such effort, the Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS), a collaboration of the Exploratorium, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and King's College, London and the need for a theoretical framework based on socio-cultural theory to link discussion of varied efforts characterizing science learning in informal settings. The article discusses two key problematics related to developments in the science education field of the past decade: (1) integrating studies that are undertaken from multiple disciplinary perspectives, namely, science education, developmental psychology, and cultural studies, and (2) characterizing critical properties of informal learning in museums. It reviews work that has been conducted in nonschool settings and, using examples from research conducted by the Center for Informal Learning and Schools, it reviews questions currently under investigation.

Young children's emergent science competencies in family and school contexts: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, Kathryn Jean

To address the lack of research in early science learning and on young children's informal science experiences, this 6-month long case study investigated an 8-year-old boy's emergent science competencies and his science experiences in family and school contexts. The four research questions used to guide this investigation were: (1) What are Nathan's emergent science competencies? (2) What are Nathan's science experiences in a family context? How does family learning contribute to his emergent science competencies? (3) What are Nathan's science experiences in school? How does school learning contribute to his emergent science competencies? (4) What is the role of parents and teachers in fostering emergent science competencies? My intensive 6-month fieldwork generated multiple data sources including field notes of 12 classroom observations, one parent interview, eight child interviews, one classroom teacher interview, and observation of eight family produced videos. In addition, I collected a parent journal including 38 entries of the child's how and why questions, a child digital photo journal including 15 entries of when Nathan saw or participated in science, and 25 various documents of work completed in the classroom. First, I analyzed data through an on-going and recursive process. Then, I applied several cycles of open coding to compare and contrast science learning between home and school, establish clear links between research questions and data, and form categories. Finally, I applied a cycle of holistic coding to categorized data that eventually culminated into themes. As a method of quality control, I shared my interpretations with the family and classroom teacher throughout the study. Findings revealed, Nathan's pre-scientific views of science were fluid and playful, he saw differences between the science he did at home and that he did in school, but he was able to articulate a relatively complex understanding of scientists' collaborative efforts. Nathan's emergent science competencies were a result of his experiences both in the home and classroom. His science experiences at home often involved engaging in conversation with his parents about the world around him and was driven by the things he was interested in or wondered about. He enjoyed daily family activities like cooking, playing, and building models with his dad. These experiences contributed to his naive conceptions of science. By contrast, his science experiences in school were also collaborative but less facilitated by Mrs. Young. His wide range of experiences at home and in the classroom illustrated that doing, learning, knowing, and demonstrating knowledge are intertwined and not easily distinguished from each other. Nathan's emergent science competencies were fueled by a child-environment loop. The child-environment loop is a concept that captures the reciprocal nature between a child's curiosities and his or her environment. As his curiosities were met, new questions and activity were produced. As a result, Nathan's activity continually influenced the environment in which his emergent science competencies emerged. Likewise, the changing environment contributed to new curiosities, interest, and science competencies. Findings extend current research of informal science learning by illustrating how family learning contributed to a child's naive scientific views through the development of non-spontaneous concepts. Findings also extend current research by illustrating how a child with a solid foundation of spontaneous concepts might be unable to further develop non-spontaneous concepts in a classroom where learning took a similar form (working with others and talking about ideas) as learning in the classroom was less mediated. Main implications of this project include a call for research and practice to more aggressively contribute to a learning progressions approach to provide a map of educational opportunities that neither under- or overestimate children's ability. Curriculum ought to view naive science conceptions developed in family learning as a necessary element in the learning continuum rather than a deficit in science knowledge to contend with during the development of non-spontaneous concepts in classroom learning to achieve this goal. Finally, to extract meaningful experiences from inquiry-based science learning, teachers need to incorporate students' naive science conceptions by explicitly connecting everyday family learning to science through disciplinary engagement where inquiry is mediated.

Strategic Note-Taking for Middle-School Students with Learning Disabilities in Science Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Joseph R.

2010-01-01

While today's teachers use a variety of teaching methods in middle-school science classes, lectures and note-taking still comprise a major portion of students' class time. To be successful in these classes, middle-school students need effective listening and note-taking skills. Students with learning disabilities (LD) are poor note-takers, which…

The Effect of Online Collaborative Learning on Middle School Student Science Literacy and Sense of Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wendt, Jillian Leigh

2013-01-01

This study examines the effects of online collaborative learning on middle school students' science literacy and sense of community. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pretest/posttest control group design was used. Following IRB approval and district superintendent approval, students at a public middle school in central Virginia completed a…

Transforming a School Learning Exercise into a Public Engagement Event: "The Good, the Bad and the Algae"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redfern, James; Burdass, Dariel; Verran, Joanna

2013-01-01

School science laboratory classes and hands-on public engagement activities share many common aims and objectives in terms of science learning and literacy. This article describes the development and evaluation of a microbiology public engagement activity, "The Good, the Bad and the Algae", from a school laboratory activity. The school…

The Effect of an Experiential Learning Program on Middle School Students' Motivation toward Mathematics and Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinberg, Andrea E.; Basile, Carole G.; Albright, Leonard

2011-01-01

A mixed methods design was used to evaluate the effects of four experiential learning programs on the interest and motivation of middle school students toward mathematics and science. The Expectancy-Value model provided a theoretical framework for the exploration of 336 middle school student participants. Initially, participants were generally…

The impact of computer-based versus "traditional" textbook science instruction on selected student learning outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothman, Alan H.

This study reports the results of research designed to examine the impact of computer-based science instruction on elementary school level students' science content achievement, their attitude about science learning, their level of critical thinking-inquiry skills, and their level of cognitive and English language development. The study compared these learning outcomes resulting from a computer-based approach compared to the learning outcomes from a traditional, textbook-based approach to science instruction. The computer-based approach was inherent in a curriculum titled The Voyage of the Mimi , published by The Bank Street College Project in Science and Mathematics (1984). The study sample included 209 fifth-grade students enrolled in three schools in a suburban school district. This sample was divided into three groups, each receiving one of the following instructional treatments: (a) Mixed-instruction primarily based on the use of a hardcopy textbook in conjunction with computer-based instructional materials as one component of the science course; (b) Non-Traditional, Technology-Based -instruction fully utilizing computer-based material; and (c) Traditional, Textbook-Based-instruction utilizing only the textbook as the basis for instruction. Pre-test, or pre-treatment, data related to each of the student learning outcomes was collected at the beginning of the school year and post-test data was collected at the end of the school year. Statistical analyses of pre-test data were used as a covariate to account for possible pre-existing differences with regard to the variables examined among the three student groups. This study concluded that non-traditional, computer-based instruction in science significantly improved students' attitudes toward science learning and their level of English language development. Non-significant, positive trends were found for the following student learning outcomes: overall science achievement and development of critical thinking-inquiry skills. These conclusions support the value of a non-traditional, computer-based approach to instruction, such as exemplified by The Voyage of the Mimi curriculum, and a recommendation for reform in science teaching that has recommended the use of computer technology to enhance learning outcomes from science instruction to assist in reversing the trend toward what has been perceived to be relatively poor science performance by American students, as documented by the 1996 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

Long-Term Self-Regulation of Biology Learning Using Standard Junior High School Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eilam, Billie; Reiter, Shoshi

2014-01-01

In today's world of information explosion, independent lifelong self-regulated learning (SRL) is becoming a necessity. However, opportunities in schools to experience such learning modes are relatively rare. This long-term explorative field study examined students' SRL of science. Changes in students' self-reported and enacted SRL…

Pupils' Beliefs in Cultural Interpretations of "Heat" Associated with Anger: A Comparative Study of Ten Ethnic Communities in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okere, Mark I. O.; Keraro, Fred N.; Anditi, Zephania

2012-01-01

Emerging evidence indicates that culture influences pupils learning of science. However, the influence of culture on science learning is usually not considered when developing science curricular for both primary and secondary schools. This study investigated the extent to which primary and secondary school pupils believe in cultural…

Time on Text and Science Achievement for High School Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyss, Vanessa L.; Dolenc, Nathan; Kong, Xiaoqing; Tai, Robert H.

2013-01-01

The conflict between the amount of material to be addressed in high school science classes, the need to prepare students for standardized tests, and the amount of time available forces science educators to make difficult pedagogical decisions on a daily basis. Hands-on and inquiry-based learning offer students more authentic learning experiences…

Turning the Tide: Transforming Science Learning and Teaching in Rural and Remote Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldous, Carol

2008-01-01

A recent national study into Science, ICT and Mathematics education in rural and regional Australia (SiMERR) highlighted the disadvantages faced by rural and remote communities in terms of science learning and teaching. Focus group interviews conducted in rural primary schools in South Australia identified a lack of resources and of access to…

Celebrating Science with the Community: An Approach to Science Fairs Intended to Create Learning Celebrations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittman, Jason

2016-01-01

Learning celebrations are increasingly common in schools looking to put more emphasis on community and efficacy in place formulaic science fair projects. The celebration aspect is in the community's participation and interaction with the learners. Students are the main event, performing as they would in a school play or applying acquired knowledge…

What are the Effects of Implementing Learning-Focused Strategies in Biology and Physical Science Classrooms?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, Robin

The objective of this study was to determine if Learning-Focused Strategies (LFS) implemented in high school science courses would affect student achievement and the pass rate of biology and physical science Common District Assessments (CDAs). The LFS, specific teaching strategies contained in the Learning-Focused Strategies Model (LFSM) Program were researched in this study. The LFSM Program provided a framework for comprehensive school improvement to those schools that implemented the program. The LFSM Program provided schools with consistent training in the utilization of exemplary practices and instruction. A high school located in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia was the focus of this investigation. Twelve high school science classrooms participated in the study: six biology and six physical science classes. Up-to-date research discovered that the strategies contained in the LFSM Program were research-based and highly effective for elementary and middle school instruction. Research on its effectiveness in high school instruction was the main focus of this study. This investigation utilized a mixed methods approach, in which data were examined qualitatively and quantitatively. Common District Assessment (CDA) quantitative data were collected and compared between those science classrooms that utilized LFS and those using traditional instructional strategies. Qualitative data were generated through classroom observations, student surveys, and teacher interviews. Individual data points were triangulated to determine trends of information reflecting the effects of implementing LFS. Based on the data collected in the research study, classrooms utilizing LFS were more successful academically than the classrooms using traditional instructional methods. Derived from the quantitative data, students in LFS classrooms were more proficient on both the biology and physical science Unit 1 CDAs, illustrating the effectiveness of LFS in the science classroom. Key terms: Cognitive teaching strategies, College readiness, Common District Assessments (CDAs), Concept maps, Constructivism, Curriculum, Differentiated Instruction, Instruction, Formative assessments, Learning-Focused Strategies (LFS), Learning-Focused Strategies Model (LFSM), No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Post-secondary institution, Remediation courses, School improvement grant, School reform, Secondary institution, Traditional instructional strategies.

Exploring students' conceptions of science learning via drawing: a cross-sectional analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, Wen-Min; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2017-02-01

This cross-sectional study explored students' conceptions of science learning via drawing analysis. A total of 906 Taiwanese students in 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade were asked to use drawing to illustrate how they conceptualise science learning. Students' drawings were analysed using a coding checklist to determine the presence or absence of specified attributes. Data analysis showed that the majority of students pictured science learning as school-based, involving certain types of experiment or teacher lecturing. In addition, notable cross-sectional differences were found in the 'Activity' and 'Emotions and attitudes' categories in students' drawings. Three major findings were made: (1) lower grade level students conceptualised science learning with a didactic approach, while higher graders might possess a quantitative view of science learning (i.e. how much is learned, not how well it is learned), (2) students' positive and negative emotions and attitudes toward science learning reversed around middle school, and (3) female students expressed significantly more positive emotions and attitudes than their male counterparts. In conclusion, higher graders' unfruitful conceptions of science learning warrant educators' attention. Moreover, further investigation of girls' more positive emotions and attitudes found in this study is needed.

Problem-based learning in a health sciences librarianship course.

PubMed Central

Dimitroff, A; Ancona, A M; Beman, S B; Dodge, A M; Hutchinson, K L; LaBonte, M J; Mays, T L; Simon, D T

1998-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been adopted by many medical schools in North America. Because problem solving, information seeking, and lifelong learning skills are central to the PBL curriculum, health sciences librarians have been actively involved in the PBL process at these medical schools. The introduction of PBL in a library and information science curriculum may be appropriate to consider at this time. PBL techniques have been incorporated into a health sciences librarianship course at the School of Library and Information Science (LIS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to explore the use of this method in an advanced Library and Information Science course. After completion of the course, the use of PBL has been evaluated by the students and the instructor. The modified PBL course design is presented and the perceptions of the students and the instructor are discussed. PMID:9681169

Effective educational practice of river learning by using of Hiikawa-river of elementary school, Shimane prefecture, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomoyuki, U.; Matsumoto, I.

2012-12-01

The importance of field learning has been increasing at elementary school and junior high school in Japan. However, In Japan, it is little actual situation that there is in an opportunity for the field learning enforced in the school science lesson. This tendency is strong as much as school of the city and that circumference. I think that this cause is that there are few suitable places for educational tool to observe geological field near the school. Children learn about "Function of running water" in Grade 5 of elementary school in Japan. Therefore, In this study, We remark the river called "Hiikawa-river" which flow in Izumo city, Shimane prefecture as the science teaching materials. Hiikawa is the river which flowing through the granitic rock district. Therefore We can observe granitic rock from in the upper stream, midstream, to the down stream. That is, we can observe the function of running water and diameter (size) of granitic boulders. It is mean that Hiikawa is the one of good educational tool for Children to learn the function of running water. Though it is the place where nature is comparatively rich even in Japan, it can't be said that field learning is relatively popular in Shimane prefecture. I think that teacher has to learning experience at field, because teacher should settle confidence to guide to the student at the field. That is, if it is not, you can not teach children with truly important of curriculum view point of natural and field science. In this research, we introduce practice of geological field learning at the public elementary school of the Shimane prefecture by using of Hiikawa as educational tool which children learn about the function of running water in grade 5, elementary school. In addition, we hope that this study contribute to teachers teaching method and to children natural science literacy.

High School Students' Meta-Modeling Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortus, David; Shwartz, Yael; Rosenfeld, Sherman

2016-12-01

Modeling is a core scientific practice. This study probed the meta-modeling knowledge (MMK) of high school students who study science but had not had any explicit prior exposure to modeling as part of their formal schooling. Our goals were to (A) evaluate the degree to which MMK is dependent on content knowledge and (B) assess whether the upper levels of the modeling learning progression defined by Schwarz et al. (2009) are attainable by Israeli K-12 students. Nine Israeli high school students studying physics, chemistry, biology, or general science were interviewed individually, once using a context related to the science subject that they were learning and once using an unfamiliar context. All the interviewees displayed MMK superior to that of elementary and middle school students, despite the lack of formal instruction on the practice. Their MMK was independent of content area, but their ability to engage in the practice of modeling was content dependent. This study indicates that, given proper support, the upper levels of the learning progression described by Schwarz et al. (2009) may be attainable by K-12 science students. The value of explicitly focusing on MMK as a learning goal in science education is considered.

STEM Integration in Middle School Life Science: Student Learning and Attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzey, S. Selcen; Moore, Tamara J.; Harwell, Michael; Moreno, Mario

2016-08-01

In many countries around the world, there has been an increasing emphasis on improving science education. Recent reform efforts in the USA call for teachers to integrate scientific and engineering practices into science teaching; for example, science teachers are asked to provide learning experiences for students that apply crosscutting concepts (e.g., patterns, scale) and increase understanding of disciplinary core ideas (e.g., physical science, earth science). Engineering practices and engineering design are essential elements of this new vision of science teaching and learning. This paper presents a research study that evaluates the effects of an engineering design-based science curriculum on student learning and attitudes. Three middle school life science teachers and 275 seventh grade students participated in the study. Content assessments and attitude surveys were administered before and after the implementation of the curriculum unit. Statewide mathematics test proficiency scores were included in the data analysis as well. Results provide evidence of the positive effects of implementing the engineering design-based science unit on student attitudes and learning.

How Technicians Can Lead Science Improvements in Any School: A Small-Scale Study in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Beth; Quinnell, Simon

2015-01-01

This article describes how seven schools in England improved their science provision by focusing on the professional development of their science technicians. In September 2013, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation funded the National Science Learning Centre to lead a project connecting secondary schools with experienced senior science technicians…

The Effects of an After-School Science Program on Middle School Female Students' Attitudes towards Science, Mathematics and Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferreira, Maria M.

This study examined the impact of an after-school science program that incorporated cooperative learning, hands-on activities, mentoring, and role models on a group of minority female students' attitudes toward science, engineering, and mathematics. Eighteen African American middle school students participated in the study. Seven female engineers…

School Innovation in Science: A Model for Supporting School and Teacher Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tytler, Russell

2007-01-01

"School Innovation in Science" represents a model, developed through working with more than 200 Victorian schools, to improve science teaching and learning. SIS works at the level of the science team and the teacher, providing resources to challenge and support the change process. Its emphasis is on strategic planning supported by a…

Identifying Information Behavior in Information Search and Retrieval through Learning Activities Using an E-learning Platform Case: Interamerican School of Library and Information Science at the University of Antioquia (Medellin-Colombia)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tirado, Alejandro Uribe; Munoz, Wilson Castano

2011-01-01

This text presents the future of librarian education as exemplified by the Interamerican School of Library and Information Science at the University of Antioquia (Medellin-Colombia), using an online learning platform-LMS (Moodle) and through different personalized and collaborative learning activities and tools that help students identify their…

The academic and nonacademic characteristics of science and nonscience majors in Yemeni high schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anaam, Mahyoub Ali

The purposes of this study were: (a) to identify the variables associated with selection of majors; (b) to determine the differences between science and nonscience majors in general, and high and low achievers in particular, with respect to attitudes toward science, integrated science process skills, and logical thinking abilities; and (c) to determine if a significant relationship exists between students' majors and their personality types and learning styles. Data were gathered from 188 twelfth grade male and female high school students in Yemen, who enrolled in science (45 males and 47 females) and art and literature (47 males and 49 females) tracks. Data were collected by the following instruments: Past math and science achievement (data source taken from school records), Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (1985), Integrated Science Process Skills Test, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Attitude Toward Science in School Assessment, Group Assessment of Logical Thinking, Yemeni High School Students Questionnaire. The Logistic Regression Model and the Linear Discriminant Analysis identified several variables that are associated with selection of majors. Moreover, some of the characteristics of science and nonscience majors that were revealed by these models include the following: Science majors seem to have higher degrees of curiosity in science, high interest in science at high school level, high tendency to believe that their majors will help them to find a potential job in the future, and have had higher achievement in science subjects, and have rated their math teachers higher than did nonscience majors. In contrast, nonscience majors seem to have higher degrees of curiosity in nonscience subjects, higher interest in science at elementary school, higher anxiety during science lessons than did science majors. In addition, General Linear Models allow that science majors generally demonstrate more positive attitudes towards science than do nonscience majors and they outperform nonscience majors on integrated science process skills and logical thinking abilities. High achievers in science majors have a significantly higher attitude toward science, higher integrated science process skills, and higher logical thinking abilities than high and low achievers in nonscience majors. No gender differences were found on these variables. Chi-Square tests indicate that no significant relationships exist between students' majors and their personality types and learning styles. However, it was found that majority of students prefer extroversion over introversion, sensing over intuition, thinking over feeling, and judging over perceiving. Moreover, the most common learning styles among science and nonscience majors were the divergent and the assimilative learning styles. Finally, the educational implication of these findings were discussed and future research that need to be conducted were proposed.

Cultivating Attitudes and Trellising Learning: A Permaculture Approach to Science and Sustainability Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lebo, Nelson; Eames, Chris

2015-01-01

This article reports on an inquiry that used permaculture design thinking to create a science and sustainability education intervention for a secondary science class. The aims were to cultivate student attitudes towards science, towards learning science in school, and towards the environment, and to trellis learning of science and sustainability.…

How Teaching Science Using Project-Based Learning Strategies Affects the Classroom Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hugerat, Muhamad

2016-01-01

This study involved 458 ninth-grade students from two different Arab middle schools in Israel. Half of the students learned science using project-based learning strategies and the other half learned using traditional methods (non-project-based). The classes were heterogeneous regarding their achievements in the sciences. The adapted questionnaire…

From a Sense of Stereotypically Foreign to Belonging in a Science Community: Ways of Experiential Descriptions about High School Students' Science Internship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Pei-Ling; Roth, Wolff-Michael

2010-01-01

Science educators often suggest that students should learn science in ways and settings that bear family resemblance with "the real thing." Internship in science laboratories constitutes one such way in which students may learn science and learn about science. However, very little is known about "how" participants experience a…

Redesigning Problem-Based Learning in the Knowledge Creation Paradigm for School Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeo, Jennifer; Tan, Seng Chee

2014-01-01

The introduction of problem-based learning into K-12 science classrooms faces the challenge of achieving the dual goal of learning science content and developing problem-solving skills. To overcome this content-process tension in science classrooms, we employed the knowledge-creation approach as a boundary object between the two seemingly…

Urban High School Teachers' Beliefs Concerning Essential Science Teaching Dispositions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miranda, Rommel

2012-01-01

This qualitative study addresses the link between urban high school science teachers' beliefs about essential teaching dispositions and student learning outcomes. The findings suggest that in order to help students to do well in science in urban school settings, science teachers should possess essential teaching dispositions which include…

The Effectiveness of Traditional and 21st Century Teaching Tools on Students' Science Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellflower, Julie V.

Any student seeking a high school diploma from the public school system in one U.S. state must pass the state's high school graduation test. In 2009, only 88% of students at one high school in the state met the basic proficiency requirements on the science portion of the test. Because improved science education has been identified as an explicit national goal, the purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine whether traditional teaching tools (notes, lecture, and textbook) or 21st century teaching tools (online tutorials, video games, YouTube, and virtual labs) lead to greater gains in students' science learning. Bruner's constructivist and Bandura's social cognitive theories served as the foundations for the study. Quantitative research questions were used to investigate the relationship between the type of teaching tools used and student learning gains. Quantitative data from students' pre and posttests were collected and analyzed using a dependent samples t-test. Qualitative data were collected through a focus group interview and participant journals. Analysis of the qualitative data included coding the data and writing a descriptive narrative to convey the findings. Results showed no statistically significant differences in students' science achievement: both types of teaching tools led to student learning gains. As a result, an action plan was developed to assist science educators in the implementation of traditional and 21st century teaching tools that can be used to improve students' science learning. Implications for positive social change included providing science educators with a specific plan of action that will enhance students' science learning, thereby increasing science scores on the state and other high stakes tests.

Redesigned High Schools for Transformed STEM Learning: Performance Assessment Pilot Outcome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernst, Jeremy Vaughn; Glennie, Elizabeth J.

2015-01-01

This performance assessment pilot study was a major research component of the overall National Science Foundation funded Redesigned High Schools for Transformed STEM Learning Project. Secondary Earth/Environmental Science students' abilities to translate cognitive knowledge into demonstrable performance-based proficiencies were specifically…

Urban Schools' Teachers Enacting Project-Based Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tal, Tali; Krajcik, Joseph S.; Blumenfeld, Phyllis C.

2006-01-01

What teaching practices foster inquiry and promote students to learn challenging subject matter in urban schools? Inquiry-based instruction and successful inquiry learning and teaching in project-based science (PBS) were described in previous studies (Brown & Campione, [1990]; Crawford, [1999]; Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx, Bass, & Fredricks,…

Girls and science education in Mauritius: a study of science class practices and their effects on girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naugah, Jayantee; Watts, Mike

2013-11-01

Background: The population of Mauritius consists of 52% females and scientific literacy is seen to be of vital importance for all young people if they are to be sufficiently equipped to meet the challenges of a fast changing world. Previous research shows, however, that science is not popular among girls. This paper explores one of many reasons why few girls opt for science subjects after compulsory schooling. Purpose: This study investigated the approaches to teaching in four science classrooms in Mauritius, with particular emphases on the preferences of girls as they learn science. Sample: A total of 20 student interviews and 16 teacher interviews were conducted in four schools in Mauritius. The four mixed-faith schools comprised two all-girl schools (one state, one fee-paying), and two mixed-sex schools (one state, one fee-paying), within urban, suburban and rural situations. Design and method: 80 non-participant lessons were observed, of which 60 were science lessons while the remaining 20 non-science lessons were in economics, accounts and commerce. Group interviews with five pupils in each of the four schools were conducted and 16 individual interviews with teachers in the four schools gave an insight into the pedagogic approaches used for the teaching and learning of science. Results: Transmissive approaches to teaching, giving little opportunity for collaborative or activity-based learning, were found to be the most important factors in alienating the girls from science. Conclusions: There need to be radical changes in approaches to teaching to retain young girls' interest in the sciences.

Investigating elementary principals' science beliefs and knowledge and its relationship to students' science outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Uzma Zafar

The aim of this quantitative study was to investigate elementary principals' beliefs about reformed science teaching and learning, science subject matter knowledge, and how these factors relate to fourth grade students' superior science outcomes. Online survey methodology was used for data collection and included a demographic questionnaire and two survey instruments: the K-4 Physical Science Misconceptions Oriented Science Assessment Resources for Teachers (MOSART) and the Beliefs About Reformed Science Teaching and Learning (BARSTL). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to assess the separate and collective contributions of background variables such as principals' personal and school characteristics, principals' science teaching and learning beliefs, and principals' science knowledge on students' superior science outcomes. Mediation analysis was also used to explore whether principals' science knowledge mediated the relationship between their beliefs about science teaching and learning and students' science outcomes. Findings indicated that principals' science beliefs and knowledge do not contribute to predicting students' superior science scores. Fifty-two percent of the variance in percentage of students with superior science scores was explained by school characteristics with free or reduced price lunch and school type as the only significant individual predictors. Furthermore, principals' science knowledge did not mediate the relationship between their science beliefs and students' science outcomes. There was no statistically significant variation among the variables. The data failed to support the proposed mediation model of the study. Implications for future research are discussed.

The effects of contextual learning instruction on science achievement of male and female tenth-grade students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingram, Samantha Jones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the contextual learning method on science performance, attitudes toward science, and motivational factors that influence high school students to learn science. Gender differences in science performance and attitudes toward science were also investigated. The sample included four tenth-grade classes of African-American students enrolled in Chemistry I. All students were required to review for the Alabama High School Graduation Exam in Science. Students were administered a science pretest and posttest to measure science performance. A two-way analysis of covariance was performed on the test data. The results showed a main effect of contextual learning instruction on science achievement and no significant differences between females' and males' performance in science. The Science Attitude and the Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE) Review Class Surveys were administered to assess students' beliefs and attitudes toward science. The Science Attitude Survey results indicated a control effect in three subscales: perception of guardian's attitude, attitude toward success in science, and perception of teacher's attitude. No significant differences resulted between males and females in their beliefs about science from the attitude survey. However, students' attitudes toward science were more favorable in the contextual learning classes based on the results of the Review Class Survey. The survey data revealed that both males and females in the contextual classes had positive attitudes toward science and toward being active participants in the learning process. Qualitative data on student motivation were collected to examine the meaningfulness of the contextual learning content and materials. The majority of the students in the treatment (96%) and the control groups (86%) reported high interest in the lesson on Newton's three laws of motion. Both the treatment and the control groups indicated their interest ratings were a result of their prior experiences. This study shows that contextual learning instruction positively influences student motivation, interest, and achievement in science. Student achievement in science improved in the contextual learning classes as a result of increased interest due to learning that emphasized relevancy and purposeful meaning.

High School Students' Scientific Epistemological Beliefs, Motivation in Learning Science, and Their Relationships: A Comparative Study within the Chinese Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Tzung-Jin; Deng, Feng; Chai, Ching Sing; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2013-01-01

This study explored the differences in high school students' scientific epistemological beliefs (SEBs), motivation in learning science (MLS), and the different relationships between them in Taiwan and China. 310 Taiwanese and 302 Chinese high school students' SEBs and MLS were assessed quantitatively. Taiwanese students generally were more prone…

Putting Making into High School Computer Science Classrooms: Promoting Equity in Teaching and Learning with Electronic Textiles in "Exploring Computer Science"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fields, Deborah Ann; Kafai, Yasmin; Nakajima, Tomoko; Goode, Joanna; Margolis, Jane

2018-01-01

Recent discussions of making have focused on developing out-of-school makerspaces and activities to provide more equitable and enriching learning opportunities for youth. Yet school classrooms present a unique opportunity to help broaden access, diversify representation, and deepen participation in making. In turning to classrooms, we want to…

Digital Game-Based Learning in High School Computer Science Education: Impact on Educational Effectiveness and Student Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papastergiou, Marina

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the learning effectiveness and motivational appeal of a computer game for learning computer memory concepts, which was designed according to the curricular objectives and the subject matter of the Greek high school Computer Science (CS) curriculum, as compared to a similar application, encompassing identical…

Creating a Multimedia Enhanced Problem-Based Learning Environment for Middle School Science: Voices from the Developers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Min; Horton, Lucas; Lee, Jaejin; Kang, Jina; Rosenblum, Jason; O'Hair, Matthew; Lu, Chu-Wei

2014-01-01

This paper describes the design and development process used to create Alien Rescue, a multimedia-enhanced learning environment that supports problem-based learning (PBL) in middle school science. The goal of the project is to further our understandings of technology, pedagogy, and instructional theories as they relate to the application of PBL…

The Development of Discovery-Inquiry Learning Model to Reduce the Science Misconceptions of Junior High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tompo, Basman; Ahmad, Arifin; Muris, Muris

2016-01-01

The main objective of this research was to develop discovery inquiry (DI) learning model to reduce the misconceptions of Science student level of secondary school that is valid, practical, and effective. This research was an R&D (research and development). The trials of discovery inquiry (DI) learning model were carried out in two different…

Exploring Problem-Based Learning in the Context of High School Science: Design and Implementation Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodnough, Karen; Cashion, Marie

2006-01-01

This paper reports on the experiences of a small collaborative inquiry group consisting of a high school science teacher, Deidre, and two university researchers, the authors of this paper, as they explored an active, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning referred to as Problem-Based Learning or PBL (Barrows, 1994; Barrows & Tamblyn,…

Delaware GK-12: Improvement of Science Education in Vocational Technical High Schools Through Collaborative Learning and Coteaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, J.; Skalak, K.; Watson, G.; Scantlebury, K.; Allen, D.; Quillen, A.

2006-12-01

With funding from the National Science Foundation, the University of Delaware (UD) in partnership with the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District (NCCoVoTech) in Delaware has initiated a GK-12 Program. In each of year this program, nine full time UD graduate students in the sciences, who have completed all or most of their coursework, will be selected to serve as fellows. Participation in the GK-12 program benefits the graduate fellows in many ways. In addition to gaining general insight into current issues of science education, the fellows enhance their experience as scientific researchers by directly improving their ability to effectively communicate complex quantitative and technical knowledge to an audience with multiple and diverse learning needs. In the first year of this project, fellows have been paired with high school science teachers from NCCoVoTech. These pairs, along with the principal investigators (PIs) of this program have formed a learning community that is taking this opportunity to examine and to reflect on current issues in science education while specifically addressing critical needs in teaching science in vocational technical high schools. By participating in summer workshops and follow-up meetings facilitated by the PIs, the fellows have been introduced to a number of innovative teaching strategies including problem-based learning (PBL). Fellow/teacher pairs have begun to develop and teach PBL activities that are in agreement with State of Delaware science standards and that support student learning through inquiry. Fellows also have the opportunity to engage in coteaching with their teacher partner. In this "teaching at the elbow of another", fellows will gain a better understanding of and appreciation for the complexities and nuances of teaching science in vocational technical high schools. While not taught as a stand-alone course in NCCoVoTech high schools, earth science topics are integrated into the science curriculum at nearly all levels from the freshman through the senior year. Three of the current group of nine fellows are engaged in Ph.D.-level research within the disciplines of astronomy and hydrology. They will bring this expertise into their collaboration with their practicing teachers with the goal of improving the understanding of earth science topics by high school students within a vocational technical school setting.

Learning and engagement through natural history museums*

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Martin; Oliver, Mary; Reiss, Michael J.

2018-01-01

Abstract This review examines how natural history museums (NHMs) can enhance learning and engagement in science, particularly for school-age students. First, we describe the learning potential of informal science learning institutions in general, then we focus on NHMs. We review the possible benefits of interactions between schools and NHMs, and the potential for NHMs to teach about challenging issues such as evolution and climate change and to use digital technologies to augment more traditional artefacts. We conclude that NHMs can provide students with new knowledge and perspectives, with impacts that can last for years. Through visits and their on-line presence, NHMs can help students see science in ways that the school classroom rarely can, with opportunities to meet scientists, explore whole topic exhibitions, engage with interactive displays and employ digital technologies both in situ and to support learning in the school science classroom. Although these interactions have the potential to foster positive cognitive, affective and social outcomes for students, there is a lack of reliable measures of the impact of NHM experiences for students. Opportunities to foster relationships between NHM staff and teachers through professional development can help articulate shared goals to support students’ learning and engagement.

Learning and engagement through natural history museums.

PubMed

Mujtaba, Tamjid; Lawrence, Martin; Oliver, Mary; Reiss, Michael J

2018-01-01

This review examines how natural history museums (NHMs) can enhance learning and engagement in science, particularly for school-age students. First, we describe the learning potential of informal science learning institutions in general, then we focus on NHMs. We review the possible benefits of interactions between schools and NHMs, and the potential for NHMs to teach about challenging issues such as evolution and climate change and to use digital technologies to augment more traditional artefacts. We conclude that NHMs can provide students with new knowledge and perspectives, with impacts that can last for years. Through visits and their on-line presence, NHMs can help students see science in ways that the school classroom rarely can, with opportunities to meet scientists, explore whole topic exhibitions, engage with interactive displays and employ digital technologies both in situ and to support learning in the school science classroom. Although these interactions have the potential to foster positive cognitive, affective and social outcomes for students, there is a lack of reliable measures of the impact of NHM experiences for students. Opportunities to foster relationships between NHM staff and teachers through professional development can help articulate shared goals to support students' learning and engagement.

Science Learning in Rural Australia: Not Necessarily the Poor Cousin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tytler, Russell; Symington, David

2015-01-01

There is considerable evidence suggesting that students in rural schools lag behind their city counterparts in measures of science literacy and attitude to science learning. If we are to address this situation we need to build as full a picture as we can of the key features of what is a complex and varied rural schooling context. In this article…

Analysis of Primary School Student's Science Learning Anxiety According to Some Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karakaya, Ferhat; Avgin, Sakine Serap; Kumperli, Ethem

2016-01-01

On this research, it is analyzed if the science learning anxiety level shows difference according to variables which are gender, grade level, science lesson grade, mother education, father education level. Scanning Design is used for this study. Research working group is consisted of 294 primary school from 6th, 7th and 8th graders on 2015-2016…

Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: Issues, Reflections, and Ways Forward. Teaching and Learning in Science Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rennie, Leonie, Ed.; Venville, Grady, Ed.; Wallace, John, Ed.

2012-01-01

How can curriculum integration of school science with the related disciplines of technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) enhance students' skills and their ability to link what they learn in school with the world outside the classroom? Featuring actual case studies of teachers' attempts to integrate their curriculum, their reasons for doing…

Application of Model Project Based Learning on Integrated Science in Water Pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamin, Y.; Permanasari, A.; Redjeki, S.; Sopandi, W.

2017-09-01

The function of this research was to analyze the influence model Project Based Learning (PjBl) on integrated science about the concept mastery for junior high school students. Method used for this research constitutes the quasi of experiment method. Population and sample for this research are the students junior high school in Bandung as many as two classes to be experiment and control class. The instrument that used for this research is the test concept mastery, assessment questionnaire of product and the questionnaire responses of the student about learning integrated science. Based on the result of this research get some data that with accomplishment the model of PjBl. Learning authority of integrated science can increase the concept mastery for junior high school students. The highest increase in the theme of pollution water is in the concept of mixtures and the separation method. The students give a positive response in learning of integrated science for the theme of pollution of the water used model PjBL with questionnaire of the opinion aspect in amount of 83.5%, the anxiety of the students in amount of 95.5%, the profit learning model of PjBL in amount of 96.25% and profit learning of integrated science in amount of 95.75%.

Kitchen Science Investigators: Promoting Identity Development as Scientific Reasoners and Thinkers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clegg, Tamara Lynnette

2010-01-01

My research centers upon designing transformative learning environments and supporting technologies. Kitchen Science Investigators (KSI) is an out-of-school transformative learning environment we designed to help young people learn science through cooking. My dissertation considers the question, "How can we design a learning environment in which…

Approximations of Practice in the Preparation of Prospective Elementary Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Michele M.

2011-01-01

Elementary teacher education involves learning to teach science. Even in elementary school, teaching science is demanding work--teachers must orchestrate a complex set of teaching practices to support students' science learning. This dissertation examines the application of Grossman and colleagues' (2009) cross-professional learning framework,…

Note-taking skills of middle school students with and without learning disabilities.

PubMed

Boyle, Joseph R

2010-01-01

For middle school students with learning disabilities (LD), one major component of learning in content area classes, such as science, involves listening to lectures and recording notes. Lecture learning and note-taking are critical skills for students to succeed in these classes. Despite the importance of note-taking skills, no research has been reported on the problems that school-age students with LD encounter when recording notes during science lectures. Using a sample size of 90 middle school students, the performance of students with LD was compared to students with no learning disabilities (NLD). Results found that students with LD performed significantly worse than students with NLD in terms of the type and amount of notes recorded and test performance.

Exploring the Impact of an Out-of-School Science Program on the Science Learning of Upper Elementary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Karen Benn

2009-01-01

This study sought to explore qualitatively how participation in an informal science program might affect the following aspects of upper elementary school children's scientific thinking: conceptual understanding, epistemology of science, and the formation of their identity as science learners. A purposefully selected, maximum variation sample of…

Saudi Elementary School Science Teachers' Beliefs: Teaching Science in the New Millennium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alghamdi, Amani K. Hamdan; Al-Salouli, Misfer Saud

2013-01-01

This study explored Saudi elementary school science teachers' beliefs about the process of teaching and learning science. This involved the exploration of their views about the new Saudi science curriculum, which emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving. Comprehensive interviews were held in 8 schools with 4 male and 6 female--2 of whom…

Science That Matters: Exploring Science Learning and Teaching in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Angela; Smith, Kathy

2016-01-01

To help support primary school students to better understand why science matters, teachers must first be supported to teach science in ways that matter. In moving to this point, this paper identifies the dilemmas and tensions primary school teachers face in the teaching of science. The balance is then readdressed through a research-based…

Who Wants to Learn More Science? The Role of Elementary School Science Experiences and Science Self-Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aschbacher, Pamela R.; Ing, Marsha

2017-01-01

Background/Context: Much science education reform has been directed at middle and high school students; however, earlier experiences in elementary school may well have an important impact on young people's future science literacy and preparation for possible STEM careers. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study explores the…

Using Science to Take a Stand: Action-Oriented Learning in an Afterschool Science Club

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagenah, Sara

This dissertation study investigates what happens when students participate in an afterschool science club designed around action-oriented science instruction, a set of curriculum design principles based on social justice pedagogy. Comprised of three manuscripts written for journal publication, the dissertation includes 1) Negotiating community-based action-oriented science teaching and learning: Articulating curriculum design principles, 2) Middle school girls' socio-scientific participation pathways in an afterschool science club, and 3) Laughing and learning together: Productive science learning spaces for middle school girls. By investigating how action-oriented science design principles get negotiated, female identity development in and with science, and the role of everyday social interactions as students do productive science, this research fills gaps in the understanding of how social justice pedagogy gets enacted and negotiated among multiple stakeholders including students, teachers, and community members along what identity development looks like across social and scientific activity. This study will be of interest to educators thinking about how to enact social justice pedagogy in science learning spaces and those interested in identity development in science.

Presenting Science in a Video-Delivered, Web-based Format: Comparing Learning Settings To Get the Most Out of Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urven, Lance E.; Yin, L. Roger; Eshelman, Bruce D.; Bak, John D.

2000-01-01

Describes a high school course entitled "Science Technology in Society". High school students use live video presentations and world wide web courseware. Concludes that distance learning students performed as well as traditionally instructed students. (SAH)

The Level of Utilizing Blended Learning in Teaching Science from the Point of View of Science Teachers in Private Schools of Ajman Educational Zone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Derbashi, Khaled Y.; Abed, Osama H.

2017-01-01

This study aims to define the level of utilizing blended learning in teaching science from the point of view of science teachers (85 male and female teachers) who are working in private schools of Ajman Educational Zone. The study also aims to find if there are significant differences according to gender, years of experience, or the fact that…

Understanding motivational structures that differentially predict engagement and achievement in middle school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Christine S.; Hayes, Kathryn N.; Seitz, Jeffery; DiStefano, Rachelle; O'Connor, Dawn

2016-01-01

Middle school has been documented as the period in which a drop in students' science interest and achievement occurs. This trend indicates a lack of motivation for learning science; however, little is known about how different aspects of motivation interact with student engagement and science learning outcomes. This study examines the relationships among motivational factors, engagement, and achievement in middle school science (grades 6-8). Data were obtained from middle school students in the United States (N = 2094). The theoretical relationships among motivational constructs, including self-efficacy, and three types of goal orientations (mastery, performance approach, and performance avoid) were tested. The results showed that motivation is best modeled as distinct intrinsic and extrinsic factors; lending evidence that external, performance based goal orientations factor separately from self-efficacy and an internal, mastery based goal orientation. Second, a model was tested to examine how engagement mediated the relationships between intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and science achievement. Engagement mediated the relationship between intrinsic motivation and science achievement, whereas extrinsic motivation had no relationship with engagement and science achievement. Implications for how classroom practice and educational policy emphasize different student motivations, and in turn, can support or hinder students' science learning are discussed.

Science Learning Cycle Method to Enhance the Conceptual Understanding and the Learning Independence on Physics Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sulisworo, Dwi; Sutadi, Novitasari

2017-01-01

There have been many studies related to the implementation of cooperative learning. However, there are still many problems in school related to the learning outcomes on science lesson, especially in physics. The aim of this study is to observe the application of science learning cycle (SLC) model on improving scientific literacy for secondary…

Free-Choice Science Education: How We Learn Science outside of School. Ways of Knowing in Science and Mathematics Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falk, John H., Ed.

This book describes the nature and extent of science learning in America with particular attention to the innumerable sources of science education existing outside the formal education system. Examples are provided from research and practice on how to better understand, facilitate, and communicate about free-choice science learning including…

Variables that impact the implementation of project-based learning in high school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, Kellie

Wagner and colleagues (2006) state the mediocrity of teaching and instructional leadership is the central problem that must be addressed if we are to improve student achievement. Educational reform efforts have been initiated to improve student performance and to hold teachers and school leaders accountable for student achievement (Wagner et al., 2006). Specifically, in the area of science, goals for improving student learning have led reformers to establish standards for what students should know and be able to do, as well as what instructional methods should be used. Key concepts and principles have been identified for student learning. Additionally, reformers recommend student-centered, inquiry-based practices that promote a deep understanding of how science is embedded in the everyday world. These new approaches to science education emphasize inquiry as an essential element for student learning (Schneider, Krajcik, Marx, & Soloway, 2002). Project-based learning (PBL) is an inquiry-based instructional approach that addresses these recommendations for science education reform. The objective of this research was to study the implementation of project-based learning (PBL) in an urban school undergoing reform efforts and identify the variables that positively or negatively impacted the PBL implementation process and its outcomes. This study responded to the need to change how science is taught by focusing on the implementation of project-based learning as an instructional approach to improve student achievement in science and identify the role of both school leaders and teachers in the creation of a school environment that supports project-based learning. A case study design using a mixed-method approach was used in this study. Data were collected through individual interviews with the school principal, science instructional coach, and PBL facilitator. A survey, classroom observations and interviews involving three high school science teachers teaching grades 9--12, were also used in the data collection process. The results of the study indicated that the use of PBL increased student engagement, ability to problem-solve, and to some extent academic performance. The results also revealed several factors that impacted the implementation of project-based learning: (a) Student attributes such as high student absenteeism, lack of motivation, and poor behavior prevented teachers from completing the PBL unit in a timely fashion. (b) Certain school and district policies and requirements were not conducive to PBL implementation. Policies and practices impacting instructional time and teaching supplies acquisition made it difficult for teachers to plan lessons and obtain necessary supplies. (c) Teachers did not receive PBL training in a timely fashion. Teachers received training approximately two months prior to implementation. (d) Teacher collaboration influenced PBL implementation as it enabled teachers to share and discuss ideas, resources, and lessons. Implications for practice include: (a) School and district leaders must create and follow policies and procedures that support conditions that support inquiry learning, (b) Teachers need resources to overcome the challenges associated with project-based learning, (c) Teachers must have the freedom to have a vision for the implementation of PBL that fits their particular classroom context, and (d) Steps should be taken to ensure students have the prior knowledge and skills to successfully engage in PBL.

Home culture, science, school and science learning: is reconciliation possible?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Aik-Ling

2011-09-01

In response to Meyer and Crawford's article on how nature of science and authentic science inquiry strategies can be used to support the learning of science for underrepresented students, I explore the possibly of reconciliation between the cultures of school, science, school science as well as home. Such reconciliation is only possible when science teachers are cognizant of the factors affecting the cultural values and belief systems of underrepresented students. Using my experience as an Asian learner of WMS, I suggest that open and honest dialogues in science classrooms will allow for greater clarity of the ideals that WMS profess and cultural beliefs of underrepresented students. This in-depth understanding will eliminate guesswork and unrealistic expectations and in the process promote tolerance and acceptance of diversity in ways of knowing.

Influence of Career Motivation on Science Learning in Korean High-School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Sein; Lee, Jun-Ki; Ha, Minsu

2017-01-01

Motivation to learn is an essential element in science learning. In this study, the role of career motivation in science learning was examined. In particular, first, a science motivation model that focused on career motivation was tested. Second, the role of career motivation as a predictor of STEM track choice was examined. Third, the effect of…

Building Science-Relevant Literacy with Technical Writing in High School

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Girill, T R

2006-06-02

By drawing on the in-class work of an on-going literacy outreach project, this paper explains how well-chosen technical writing activities can earn time in high-school science courses by enabling underperforming students (including ESL students) to learn science more effectively. We adapted basic research-based text-design and usability techniques into age-appropriate exercises and cases using the cognitive apprenticeship approach. This enabled high-school students, aided by explicit guidelines, to build their cognitive maturity, learn how to craft good instructions and descriptions, and apply those skills to better note taking and technical talks in their science classes.

Engaging Karen refugee students in science learning through a cross-cultural learning community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, Susan G.

2017-02-01

This research explored how Karen (first-generation refugees from Burma) elementary students engaged with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) practice of constructing scientific explanations based on evidence within the context of a cross-cultural learning community. In this action research, the researcher and a Karen parent served as co-teachers for fourth- and fifth-grade Karen and non-Karen students in a science and culture after-school programme in a public elementary school in the rural southeastern United States. Photovoice provided a critical platform for students to create their own cultural discourses for the learning community. The theoretical framework of critical pedagogy of place provided a way for the learning community to decolonise and re-inhabit the learning spaces with knowledge they co-constructed. Narrative analysis of video transcripts of the after-school programme, ethnographic interviews, and focus group discussions from Photovoice revealed a pattern of emerging agency by Karen students in the scientific practice of constructing scientific explanations based on evidence and in Karen language lessons. This evidence suggests that science learning embedded within a cross-cultural learning community can empower refugee students to construct their own hybrid cultural knowledge and leverage that knowledge to engage in a meaningful way with the epistemology of science.

Astrobiology: A pathway to adult science literacy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, C. A.; Fergusson, J.

2007-10-01

Adult science illiteracy is widespread. This is concerning for astrobiology, or indeed any other area of science in the communication of science to public audiences. Where and how does this scientific illiteracy arise in the journey to adulthood? Two astrobiology education projects have hinted that science illiteracy may begin in high school. This relationship between high school science education and the public understanding of science is poorly understood. Do adults forget their science education, or did they never grasp it in the first place? A 2003 science education project raised these questions when 24 16-year-olds from 10 Sydney high schools were brought into contact with real science. The unexpected results suggested that even good high school science students have a poor understanding of how science is really undertaken in the field and in the laboratory. This concept is being further tested in a new high school science education project, aimed at the same age group, using authentic astrobiology cutting-edge data, NASA Learning Technologies tools, a purpose-built research Information and Communication Technology-aided learning facility and a collaboration that spans three continents. In addition, a first year university class will be tested for evidence of science illiteracy immediately after high school among non-science oriented but well-educated students.

Problem Solving Model for Science Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alberida, H.; Lufri; Festiyed; Barlian, E.

2018-04-01

This research aims to develop problem solving model for science learning in junior high school. The learning model was developed using the ADDIE model. An analysis phase includes curriculum analysis, analysis of students of SMP Kota Padang, analysis of SMP science teachers, learning analysis, as well as the literature review. The design phase includes product planning a science-learning problem-solving model, which consists of syntax, reaction principle, social system, support system, instructional impact and support. Implementation of problem-solving model in science learning to improve students' science process skills. The development stage consists of three steps: a) designing a prototype, b) performing a formative evaluation and c) a prototype revision. Implementation stage is done through a limited trial. A limited trial was conducted on 24 and 26 August 2015 in Class VII 2 SMPN 12 Padang. The evaluation phase was conducted in the form of experiments at SMPN 1 Padang, SMPN 12 Padang and SMP National Padang. Based on the development research done, the syntax model problem solving for science learning at junior high school consists of the introduction, observation, initial problems, data collection, data organization, data analysis/generalization, and communicating.

Being, Doing, Knowing, and Becoming: Science and Opportunities for Learning in the Out-of-School-Time Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bevan, Bronwyn

2010-01-01

This dissertation addresses the question of how structured out-of-school-time settings, such as afterschool programs and summer camps, are positioned to support children's engagement and learning in science. This study addresses a gap in the research literature that does not fully specify the nature of the out-of-school-time (OST) setting and that…

Success in introductory college physics: The role of gender, high school preparation, and student learning perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jean Chi-Jen

Physics is fundamental for science, engineering, medicine, and for understanding many phenomena encountered in people's daily lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between student success in college-level introductory physics courses and various educational and background characteristics. The primary variables of this study were gender, high school mathematics and science preparation, preference and perceptions of learning physics, and performance in introductory physics courses. Demographic characteristics considered were age, student grade level, parents' occupation and level of education, high school senior grade point average, and educational goals. A Survey of Learning Preference and Perceptions was developed to collect the information for this study. A total of 267 subjects enrolled in six introductory physics courses, four algebra-based and two calculus-based, participated in the study conducted during Spring Semester 2002. The findings from the algebra-based physics courses indicated that participant's educational goal, high school senior GPA, father's educational level, mother's educational level, and mother's occupation in the area of science, engineering, or computer technology were positively related to performance while participant age was negatively related. Biology preparation, mathematics preparation, and additional mathematics and science preparation in high school were also positively related to performance. The relationships between the primary variables and performance in calculus-based physics courses were limited to high school senior year GPA and high school physics preparation. Findings from all six courses indicated that participant's educational goal, high school senior GPA, father's educational level, and mother's occupation in the area of science, engineering, or computer technology, high school preparation in mathematics, biology, and the completion of additional mathematics and science courses were positively related to performance. No significant performance differences were found between male and female students. However, there were significant gender differences in physics learning perceptions. Female participants tended to try to understand physics materials and relate the physics problems to real world situations while their male counterparts tended to rely on rote learning and equation application. This study found that participants performed better by trying to understand the physics material and relate physics problems to real world situations. Participants who relied on rote learning did not perform well.

Place-Based Learning: Interactive Learning and Net-Zero Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holser, Alec; Becker, Michael

2011-01-01

Food and conservation science curriculum, net-zero design and student-based building performance monitoring have come together in the unique and innovative new Music and Science Building for Oregon's Hood River Middle School. The school's Permaculture-based curriculum both informed the building design and was also transformed through the…

Influence of Culture and Home Environment on Science Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giddings, Geoff J.

This paper has the potential for identifying and codifying the home learning environment and parental factors in a unique multicultural setting within Australian schools, and for the establishment of research-based initiatives for more effective collaboration between schools and parents. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study…

Learning Science-Based Fitness Knowledge in Constructivist Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Haichun; Chen, Ang; Zhu, Xihe; Ennis, Catherine D.

2012-01-01

Teaching fitness-related knowledge has become critical in developing children's healthful living behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a science-based, constructivist physical education curriculum on learning fitness knowledge critical to healthful living in elementary school students. The schools (N = 30) were randomly…

Elementary School Garden Programs Enhance Science Education for All Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rye, James A.; Selmer, Sarah J.; Pennington, Sara; Vanhorn, Laura; Fox, Sarah; Kane, Sarah

2012-01-01

A national movement is underway to establish elementary school gardens, which can serve both academic and social purposes. These gardens can positively impact students' science achievement and provide the thematic and hands-on approach especially conducive to learning for students with disabilities. Garden-based learning (GBL) broadens the scope…

Californian Science Students' Perceptions of Their Classroom Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

den Brok, Perry; Fisher, Darrell; Rickards, Tony; Bull, Eric

2006-01-01

This study utilised the "What Is Happening In this Class" (WIHIC) questionnaire to examine factors that influence Californian students' perceptions of their learning environment. Data were collected from 665 USA middle school science students in 11 Californian schools. Several background variables, such as gender, socioeconomic status,…

It's a Zoo out There!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henson, Kate

2008-01-01

Zoos can provide exciting educational opportunities for students to learn about a wide range of science subject matter. Zoos and similar nonschool sites have the added advantage of getting students out of school and into another environment, demonstrating that science learning can take place anywhere--not only in formal school settings. Through…

Influence of Out-of-School Experiences and Learning Styles on Interest in Biology, Chemistry and Physics among Higher Secondary Boys and Girls in Kerala

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gafoor, K. Abdul

2017-01-01

Adopting an experiential learning explanation for varying student interest in the three sciences, out-of-school experience questionnaire, scale of interest in science and Kolb's learning style inventory were administered on 775 higher secondary students in Kerala. Despite their similar achievement levels, boys had higher interest in physics, and…

Investigating the Quality of Project-Based Science and Technology Learning Environments in Elementary School: A Critical Review of Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thys, Miranda; Verschaffel, Lieven; Van Dooren, Wim; Laevers, Ferre

2016-01-01

This paper provides a systematic review of instruments that have the potential to measure the quality of project-based science and technology (S&T) learning environments in elementary school. To this end, a comprehensive literature search was undertaken for the large field of S&T learning environments. We conducted a horizontal bottom-up…

Using Web 2.0 Technology to Enhance the Science Curriculum in Your School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hainsworth, Mark

2017-01-01

The author shares his vision of what 21st century science education might look like in the future and discusses how to develop an e-learning capability to shape the science curriculum in your school. Good teaching and learning should always be a teacher's first priority but there is little doubt in the author's mind that the implementation of an…

Teachers' Mastery Goals: Using a Self-Report Survey to Study the Relations between Teaching Practices and Students' Motivation for Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vedder-Weiss, Dana; Fortus, David

2018-01-01

Employing achievement goal theory (Ames "Journal of Educational psychology," 84(3), 261-271, 1992), we explored science teachers' instruction and its relation to students' motivation for science learning and school culture. Based on the TARGETS framework (Patrick et al. "The Elementary School Journal," 102(1), 35-58, 2001) and…

The Costa Rica GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Project as a Learning Science Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro Rojas, María Dolores; Zuñiga, Ana Lourdes Acuña; Ugalde, Emmanuel Fonseca

2015-01-01

GLOBE is a global educational program for elementary and high school levels, and its main purpose in Costa Rica is to develop scientific thinking and interest for science in high school students through hydrology research projects that allow them to relate science with environmental issues in their communities. Youth between 12 and 17 years old…

A Problem-Based Learning Scenario That Can Be Used in Science Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sezgin Selçuk, Gamze

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to introduce a problem-based learning (PBL) scenario that elementary school science teachers in middle school (5th-8th grades) can use in their in-service training. The scenario treats the subjects of heat, temperature and thermal expansion within the scope of the 5th and 6th grade science course syllabi and has been…

Writing-to-Learn in High-School Chemistry: The Effects of Using The Science Writing Heuristic to Increase Scientific Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nurnberg, Denae

2017-01-01

Writing-to-Learn in High-School Chemistry: The Effects of Using the Science Writing Heuristic to Increase Scientific Literacy The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) as an instructional tool to improve academic achievement and writing in the context of scientific literacy. This…

Improving Science Pedagogic Quality in Elementary School Using Process Skill Approach Can Motivate Student to Be Active in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sukiniarti

2016-01-01

On global era todays, as the professional teacher should be improving their pedagogic competency, including to improve their science pedagogy quality. This study is aimed to identify: (1) Process skill approach which has been used by Elementary School Teacher in science learning; (2) Teacher's opinion that process skill can motivate the student to…

GeoBus: bringing Earth science learning to secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Ruth; Roper, Kathryn; Pike, Charlotte

2015-04-01

GeoBus (www.geobus.org.uk) is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and it is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary (middle and high) schools by providing teaching support to schools that have no or little expertise of teaching Earth science, to share the outcomes of new science research and the experiences of young researchers with school pupils, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 160 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Almost 35,000 pupils will have been involved in experiential Earth science learning activities by April 2015, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The challenge with secondary school experiential learning as outreach is that activities need to be completed in either 50 or 80 minutes to fit within the school timetables in the UK, and this can limit the amount of hands-on activities that pupils undertake in one session. However, it is possible to dedicate a whole or half day of linked activities to Earth science learning within the Scotland Curriculum for Excellence, and this provides a long enough period to undertake field work, conduct group projects, or complete more complicated experiments. GeoBus has developed a suite of workshops that all involve experiential learning and are targeted for shorter and longer time slots, and the lessons learned in developing and refining these workshops to maximise the learning achieved will be presented. A key aim of GeoBus is to incorporate research outcomes directly into workshops, and to involve early career researchers in project development. One example that is currently in progress is a set of hydrology workshops that focus on the water cycle, groundwater flow and aqueous geochemistry arising from a 3rd year PhD student's research. One workshop will include some fieldwork which is an important part of the Scottish curriculum, and hydrology provides the ideal platform for pupils to develop their investigative skills, and collect and manipulate field data. Our presentation will provide examples of these hands-on GeoBus activities that introduce basic concepts in hydrology and hydrogeology.

Creating a virtual community of practice to investigate legitimate peripheral participation by African American middle school girls in science activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Leslie D.

How do teenage girls develop an interest in science? What kinds of opportunities can science teachers present to female students that support their engagement with learning science? I studied one aspect of this issue by focusing on ways students could use science to enhance or gain identities that they (probably) already valued. To do that I created technology-rich activities and experiences for an after school class in science and technology for middle school girls who lived in a low socio-economic urban neighborhood. These activities and experiences were designed to create a virtual community of practice whose members used science in diverse ways. Student interest was made evident in their responses to the activities. Four conclusions emerged. (1) Opportunities to learn about the lives and work of admired African American business women interested students in learning by linking it to their middle-class aspirations and their interest in things that money and status can buy. (2) Opportunities to learn about the lives and work of African American women experts in science in a classroom context where students then practiced similar kinds of actual scientific tasks engaged students in relations of legitimate peripheral participation in a virtual and diverse community of practice focused on science which was created in the after-school classes. (3) Opportunities where students used science to show off for family, friends, and supporters of the after-school program, identities they valued, interested them enough that they engaged in long-term science and technology projects that required lots of revisions. (4) In response to the opportunities presented, new and enhanced identities developed around becoming a better student or becoming some kind of scientist.

How WebQuests Can Enhance Science Learning Principles in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subramaniam, Karthigeyan

2012-01-01

This article examines the merits of WebQuests in facilitating students' in-depth understanding of science concepts using the four principles of learning gathered from the National Research Council reports "How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School" (1999) and the "How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom" (2005) as an analytic…

Enacting Informal Science Learning: Exploring the Battle for Informal Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clapham, Andrew

2016-01-01

Informal Science Learning (ISL) is a policy narrative of interest in the United Kingdom and abroad. This paper explores how a group of English secondary school science teachers, enacted ISL science clubs through employing the Periodic Table of Videos. It examines how these teachers "battled" to enact ISL policy in performative conditions…

`Teaching What I Learned': Exploring students' Earth and Space Science learning experiences in secondary school with a particular focus on their comprehension of the concept of `geologic time'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Sae Yeol; Peate, David W.

2015-06-01

According to the national survey of science education, science educators in the USA currently face many challenges such as lack of qualified secondary Earth and Space Science (ESS) teachers. Less qualified teachers may have difficulty teaching ESS because of a lack of conceptual understanding, which leads to diminished confidence in content knowledge. More importantly, teachers' limited conceptual understanding of the core ideas automatically leads to a lack of pedagogical content knowledge. This mixed methods study aims to explore the ways in which current secondary schooling, especially the small numbers of highly qualified ESS teachers in the USA, might influence students' learning of the discipline. To gain a better understanding of the current conditions of ESS education in secondary schools, in the first phase, we qualitatively examined a sample middle and high school ESS textbook to explore how the big ideas of ESS, particularly geological time, are represented. In the second phase, we quantitatively analyzed the participating college students' conceptual understanding of geological time by comparing those who had said they had had secondary school ESS learning experience with those who did not. Additionally, college students' perceptions on learning and teaching ESS are discussed. Findings from both the qualitative and quantitative phases indicate participating students' ESS learning experience in their secondary schools seemed to have limited or little influence on their conceptual understandings of the discipline. We believe that these results reflect the current ESS education status, connected with the declining numbers of highly qualified ESS teachers in secondary schools.

Secondary Science Teachers' and Students' Involvement in a Primary School Community of Science Practice: How It Changed Their Practices and Interest in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbes, Anne; Skamp, Keith

2016-02-01

MyScience is a primary science education initiative in which being in a community of practice is integral to the learning process. In this initiative, stakeholder groups—primary teachers, primary students and mentors—interact around the `domain' of `investigating scientifically'. This paper builds on three earlier publications and interprets the findings of the views of four secondary science teachers and five year 9 secondary science students who were first-timer participants—as mentors—in MyScience. Perceptions of these mentors' interactions with primary students were analysed using attributes associated with both `communities of practice' and the `nature of science'. Findings reveal that participation in MyScience changed secondary science teachers' views and practices about how to approach the teaching of science in secondary school and fostered primary-secondary links. Year 9 students positively changed their views about secondary school science and confidence in science through participation as mentors. Implications for secondary science teaching and learning through participation in primary school community of science practice settings are discussed.

A Brick and Mortar Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tretter, Thomas; Ardasheva, Yuliya; Bookstrom, Eric

2014-01-01

Literacy skills are critical for building science knowledge. For English Language Learners (ELLs)--the fastest growing population in U.S. schools (Goldenberg 2008)--learning English compounds the challenge of learning complex science concepts. This challenge is particularly acute for learning academic, science-specific English words and language…

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE OUTLINE, A GUIDE TO SUGGESTED CURRICULUM PRACTICES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

KARTSOTIS, A. THOMAS; MESSERSCHMIDT, RALPH M.

THE COMMITTEE ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY SCHOOL STUDY COUNCIL REPORTS THEIR WORK ON SUGGESTED CURRICULUM FOR GRADES 1-6. THE BELIEF IS THAT SCIENCE IS A MAJOR STUDY AREA IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO ALL PUPILS IN A PLANNED LEARNING SEQUENCE, WITH DUE CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN TO THE MATURITY OF THE CHILD.…

Validity and Worth in the Science Curriculum: Learning School Science Outside the Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braund, Martin; Reiss, Michael

2006-01-01

It is widely acknowledged that there are problems with school science in many developed countries of the world. Such problems manifest themselves in a progressive decline in pupil enthusiasm for school science across the secondary age range and by the fact that fewer students are choosing to study the physical sciences at higher levels and as…

Using the Delphi questionnaire technique to create a reading comprehension resource guide for middle school science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegner, Molly F.

As students begin middle school, they are expected to possess and apply a wide array of nonfiction reading strategies if they are to comprehend new concepts from nonfiction texts. Although strategies and resource guides for fiction reading are available, an effective nonfiction reading comprehension resource guide tailored to middle school science teachers is lacking. The conceptual framework guiding this study is based on schema theory that supports the use of prior knowledge as a foundation for learning. The purpose of this project study was to address this local problem by providing middle school science teachers with a user-friendly resource for nonfiction reading comprehension strategies in a science context. The research question examined nonfiction reading comprehension strategies that could supplement middle school science teachers' instructional practices to increase student comprehension in science, as reflected on the results of state standardized tests. This project study consulted science and language arts teachers using a Delphi questionnaire technique to achieve a consensus through multiple iterations of questionnaires. Science teachers identified 7 areas of concern as students read nonfiction texts, and language arts teachers suggested effective reading comprehension strategies to address these areas. Based on the consensus of reading comprehension strategies and review of literature, a resource guide for middle school science teachers was created. By improving reading comprehension in content areas, teachers may not only increase student learning, but also underscore the importance of literacy relating to life-long learning through future occupations, academic endeavors, and society as well.

Korean Students' Perceptions of Scientific Practices and Understanding of Nature of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Sae Yeol; Suh, Jee Kyung; Park, Soonhye

2014-11-01

Korean students have shown relatively little interest and confidence in learning science, despite being ranked in the top percentile in international evaluations of academic achievement in science such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. Although research indicates a positive relationship between student perceptions of science and their science learning, this area has not been sufficiently explored in Korea. Particularly, even though both students' perceptions of scientific practice and their understanding of the nature of science (NOS) are influenced by their science learning experiences at schools, little research examines how this perception, understanding, and experience are related to one another. This study aimed to uncover Korean students' perceptions of school scientific practice through exploring their drawings, writings, and responses to questionnaires. Participants were 500 Korean students in 3rd, 7th, and 10th grades who were asked to complete an open-ended questionnaire. The results indicated that Korean students typically viewed school scientific practices as experimental activities or listening to lecture; and that most participants held an insufficient understanding of the NOS. Overall, no significant relationship emerged between students' perceptions of school scientific practice and their understanding of the NOS. Our findings highlight the need to help both teachers and students understand the potential breadth of school scientific practices, beyond simple 'activity mania.' This study also suggests that teachers must balance implicit and explicit instructional approaches to teaching about the NOS through scientific practices in school science contexts.

Influence of Joyful Learning on Elementary School Students’ Attitudes Toward Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anggoro, S.; Sopandi, W.; Sholehuddin, M.

2017-02-01

This study investigated the effects of joyful learning approach on elementary school students’ attitudes toward science. The method used is quasy experiment with the participants were divided into two groups. Thirty three of 4th grade students volunteered as an experimental group, and the other forty two act as a control group. The data was collected by questionnaire that are given before and after the lesson, observation sheet, and interview. The effect of joyful learning on students’ attitude was obtained by determining the n-gain and independent t-test. Observation and interview results were used to triangulate and support the quantitative findings. The data showed that the gain scores of the experimental group students’ attitudes toward science were significantly higher than the gain scores of control group. In addition, the experimental group made significantly greater progress in their cognitive, affective and conative experiences. Interviews and observations indicated that their attitude toward science changed over the intervention. This indicated that joyful learning approach can enhance the elementary school students’ attitudes toward science. According to these findings, it can be concluded that joyful learning approach can be used as an alternative approach to improve student’s attitude toward science.

High School Teachers and Students Knowledge and Views about Climate Change, a Nice NASA Example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bleicher, R. E.; Lambert, J. L.

2014-12-01

One factor for some Americans being confused about climate change is their lack of understanding its underlying science concepts (Somerville & Hassol, 2011). In spite of this, climate change has been under-emphasized in school curricula (Bardsley & Bardsley, 2007). This is an important challenge for science educators, especially given the increasing public awareness of climate change impacts in their everyday lives (NCADAC, 2013).One way to address this challenge is to involve teachers in professional learning projects with the expectation that their enhanced content and pedagogical knowledge about climate change will transfer into more effective instruction resulting in increased student learning. For teacher educators, this translates into providing vibrant professional learning activities that energize and engage science teachers to develop interesting lessons that stimulate their students to learn important science concepts and develop positive attitudes to science. This study examined content knowledge and views about climate change of 33 high school science teachers and their1050 students who participated in lessons developed in a NASA-funded professional learning project. The teachers participated in a seven-day climate change summer institute and received in-classroom follow-up support throughout the school year. Teacher data sources included a background survey (undergraduate majors, number of years teaching science), science teaching self-efficacy (STEBI-A) scores, Climate Science Inventory of Knowledge (CSIK), and Six-America's Views on Climate Change. Student data included journal entries, and pre-post measures using the CSIK and Six-Americas instruments. T-tests and ANOVA showed that both students and their teachers increased in climate science knowledge. Teachers' views about climate change were more aligned to climate scientists' views. Teachers also increased in their science teaching self-efficacy and those with higher self-efficacy demonstrated higher climate change science knowledge. In addition to these data, the professional learning model and examples of the hands-on activities utilized by teachers will be shared in this presentation. The Logic Model is included below to provide an overall picture of the project.

An Initial Analysis of Learning Styles Exhibited by High School Science Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donelson, Frederick; Bensel, H.; Miller, D.; Seebode, S.; Ciardi, D. R.; Howell, S. B.

2014-01-01

Educational research magazines are filled with information on learning styles and how they affect the learning process, but few studies have been conducted to specifically look at learning styles exhibited by high school science students. This project attempted to obtain a general “snapshot” of learning styles found in the high school science classroom, and then compare that to one derived from a subgroup of highly motivated science students involved in a NITARP student team. Control students (N=54) from elective science courses at four high schools (urban, suburban, and rural) were administered the Felder Learning Style (FLS) assessment and rated on Likert scales in four learning constructs: Active/Reflective, Sensing/Intuitive, Visual/Verbal, and Sequential/Global. NITARP student team members (N=7) were given the FLS before project work began, and then re-tested approximately three months later, after project work concluded. Chi Square Analysis showed no clear significant difference between the general group and the NITARP group (p = .52). Both groups tended to be very visual and sequential, but more reflective than active. The results suggest several concerns that science teachers may need to address: (1) Research shows best practice science classes often are hands on, yet a majority of students are more reflective than active; (2) Big ideas tend to be better understood by global students, but a majority are more sequential; (3) Since a majority of students are visual, information given verbally may not be very effective. Further research is indicated for these areas of discontinuity. This research was conducted as part of the NASA/IPAC Training in Archival Research Project (NITARP) and was funded by NASA Astrophysics Data Program and Archive Outreach funds.

Learning Activities That Combine Science Magic Activities with the 5E Instructional Model to Influence Secondary-School Students' Attitudes to Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Jang-Long; Cheng, Meng-Fei; Chang, Ying-Chi; Li, Hsiao-Wen; Chang, Jih-Yuan; Lin, Deng-Min

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how learning materials based on Science Magic activities affect student attitudes to science. A quasi-experimental design was conducted to explore the combination of Science Magic with the 5E Instructional Model to develop learning materials for teaching a science unit about friction. The participants…

Universal Design for Learning and Elementary School Science: Exploring the Efficacy, Use, and Perceptions of a Web-Based Science Notebook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rappolt-Schlichtmann, Gabrielle; Daley, Samantha G.; Lim, Seoin; Lapinski, Scott; Robinson, Kristin H.; Johnson, Mindy

2013-01-01

Science notebooks can play a critical role in activity-based science learning, but the tasks of recording, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data create barriers that impede science learning for many students. This study (a) assessed in a randomized controlled trial the potential for a web-based science notebook designed using the Universal…

The inseparable role of emotions in the teaching and learning of primary school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siry, Christina; Brendel, Michelle

2016-09-01

In this paper, we seek to explore the inseparable role of emotions in the teaching and the learning of science at the primary school level, as we elaborate the theoretical underpinnings and personal experiences that lead us to this notion of inseparability. We situate our perspectives on the complexity of science education in primary schools, draw on existing literature on emotions in science, and present arguments for the necessity of working towards positive emotions in our work with young children and their teachers. We layer our own perspectives and experiences as teachers and as researchers onto methodological arguments through narratives to emerge with a reflective essay that seeks to highlight the importance of emotions in our work with children and their teachers in elementary school science.

The Implementation of Levels of Inquiry With Writing-To-Learn Assignment To Improve Vocational School Student’s Science Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amarulloh, R. R.; Utari, S.; Feranie, S.

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of writing-to-learn assignment in a levels of inquiry learning to improve vocational school student’s science literacy competence and knowledge on the subject of temperature and heat. This study used quasi experiment research methods. The data were obtained using 16 item of science literacy instrument with essay format. The result shows that there was a significant difference on the improvement of science literacy ability between the experimental class and control class. A significant difference occurred in the evaluating and designing experiments competency, interpretating data and science evidence competency, and procedural knowledge. Therefore it can be concluded that the implementation of levels of inquiry with writing-to-learn assignment can improve vocational student’s science literacy competence and knowledge.

High-School Students' Epistemic Knowledge of Science and Its Relation to Learner Factors in Science Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fang-Ying; Liu, Shiang-Yao; Hsu, Chung-Yuan; Chiou, Guo-Li; Wu, Hsin-Kai; Wu, Ying-Tien; Chen, Sufen; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Tsai, Meng-Jung; Lee, Silvia W.-Y.; Lee, Min-Hsien; Lin, Che-Li; Chu, Regina Juchun; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an online contextualized test for assessing students' understanding of epistemic knowledge of science. In addition, how students' understanding of epistemic knowledge of science interacts with learner factors, including time spent on science learning, interest, self-efficacy, and gender, was also explored. The participants were 489 senior high school students (244 males and 245 females) from eight different schools in Taiwan. Based on the result of an extensive literature review, we first identified six factors of epistemic knowledge of science, such as status of scientific knowledge, the nature of scientific enterprise, measurement in science, and so on. An online test was then created for assessing students' understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science. Also, a learner-factor survey was developed by adopting previous PISA survey items to measure the abovementioned learner factors. The results of this study show that; (1) by factor analysis, the six factors of epistemic knowledge of science could be grouped into two dimensions which reflect the nature of scientific knowledge and knowing in science, respectively; (2) there was a gender difference in the participants' understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science; and (3) students' interest in science learning and the time spent on science learning were positively correlated to their understanding of the epistemic knowledge of science.

A qualitative study of middle school students' perceptions of factors facilitating the learning of science: Grounded theory and existing theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spector, Barbara S.; Gibson, Charles W.

The purpose of this study was to explore middle school students' perceptions of what factors facilitated their learning of science. Florida's Educational Reform Act of 1983 funded programs providing the state's precollege students with summer learning opportunities in science. mathematics, and computers. The programs were intended to encourage the development of creative approaches to the teaching of these disciplines. Under this program, between 50 and 60 high-achieving middle school students were in residence on the University of South Florida campus for 12 consecutive days of study in the World of Water (WOW) program. There were two sessions per summer involving a total of 572 participants. Eighi specially trained teachers were in residence with the students. Between 50 and 70 experts from the university, government. business, and industry interacted with the students each year in an innovative science/technology/society (STS) program. An assignment toward the close of the program asked students to reflect on their experiences in residence at the university and write an essay comparing learning in the WOW program to learning in their schools. Those essays were the base for this study. This was a qualitative study using a discursive approach to emergent design to generate grounded theory. Document review, participant observation, and open-ended interviews were used to gather and triangulate data in five phases. Some of the factors that middle school students perceived as helpful to learning science were (a) experiencing the situations about which they were learning; (b) having live presentations by professional experts; (c) doing hands-on activities: (d) being active learners; (e) using inductive reasoning to generate new knowledge; (f) exploring transdisciplinary approaches to problem solving; (g) having adult mentors; (h) interacting with peers and adults; (i) establishing networks; (j) having close personal friends who shared their interest in learning; (k) trusting the individuals in their learning environment, including adults and students; and (1) experiencing a sense of self-reliance. The preceding information was used to generate a series of hypotheses which were woven into a theoretical model. This model suggests that middle school science teacher education would be enhanced by helping prospective and in-service teachers develop and implement strategies that build trust, provide immersion in learning, and use inductive reasoning. This model is currently being used as the theoretical base to convert a traditional junior high school in the South to a middle school.

Students' self-regulation and teachers' influences in science: interplay between ethnicity and gender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elstad, Eyvind; Turmo, Are

2010-11-01

The purpose of this study is to explore students' self-regulation and teachers' influence in science and to examine interplay between ethnicity and gender. Analysis of data from seven Oslo schools (1112 sampled students in the first year of high school) shows that the ethnic minority students reported using learning strategies in science more intensively than ethnic majority students and they had a stronger motivation to learn science. Ethnic majority students are defined here as students who were born in Norway and have at least one parent born in Norway. The study also shows that minority students generally evaluate their science teacher's influence on their learning more positively than the majority. The strongest interplay effects between gender and ethnicity are found in students' perceptions of the relevance of science, as well as their degree of negative responses to the pressure to learn science.

Linking Classroom Environment with At-Risk Engagement in Science: A Mixed Method Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Stephen Craig

This explanatory sequential mixed-method study analyzed how the teacher created learning environment links to student engagement for students at-risk across five science classroom settings. The learning environment includes instructional strategies, differentiated instruction, positive learning environment, and an academically challenging environment. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in the form of self-reporting surveys and a follow-up interview. The researcher aimed to use the qualitative results to explain the quantitative data. The general research question was "What are the factors of the teacher-created learning environment that were best suited to maximize engagement of students at-risk?" Specifically explaining, (1) How do the measured level of teacher created learning environment link to the engagement level of students at-risk in science class? and (2) What relationship exists between the student perception of the science classroom environment and the level of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement for students at-risk in science class? This study took place within a large school system with more than 20 high schools, most having 2000-3000 students. Participating students were sent to a panel hearing that determined them unfit for the regular educational setting, and were given the option of attending one of the two alternative schools within the county. Students in this alternative school were considered at-risk due to the fact that 98% received free and reduced lunch, 97% were minority population, and all have been suspended from the regular educational setting. Pairwise comparisons of the SPS questions between teachers using t-test from 107 students at-risk and 40 interviews suggest that each category of the learning environment affects the level of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement in science class for students at-risk in an alternative school setting. Teachers with higher student perceptions of learning environment showed increased levels of all types of engagement over the teachers with a lower perception of learning environment. Qualitative data suggested that teachers who created a more positive learning environment had increased student engagement in their class. Follow-up questions also revealed that teachers who incorporated a wider variety of classroom instructional strategies increased behavioral engagement of students at-risk in science class.

The HSP, the QCN, and the Dragon: Developing inquiry-based QCN instructional modules in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, K. H.; Liang, W.; Chang, C.; Yen, E.; Lin, C.; Lin, G.

2012-12-01

High Scope Program (HSP) is a long-term project funded by NSC in Taiwan since 2006. It is designed to elevate the quality of science education by means of incorporating emerging science and technology into the traditional curricula in senior high schools. Quake-Catcher Network (QCN), a distributed computing project initiated by Stanford University and UC Riverside, encourages the volunteers to install the low-cost, novel sensors at home and school to build a seismic network. To meet both needs, we have developed a model curriculum that introduces QCN, earthquake science, and cloud computing into high school classrooms. Through professional development workshops, Taiwan cloud-based earthquake science learning platform, and QCN club on Facebook, we have worked closely with Lan-Yang Girl's Senior High School teachers' team to design workable teaching plans through a practical operation of seismic monitoring at home or school. However, some obstacles to learning appear including QCN installation/maintain problems, high self-noise of the sensor, difficulty of introducing earthquake sciences for high school teachers. The challenges of QCN outreach in Taiwan bring out our future plans: (1) development of easy, frequently updated, physics-based QCN-experiments for high school teachers, and (2) design of an interactive learning platform with social networking function for students.

Examine Middle School Students' Constructivist Environment Perceptions in Turkey: School Location and Class Size

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yigit, Nevzat; Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa; Cinemre, Yasin; Balcin, Bilal

2017-01-01

This study aims to examine the middle school students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment in the science course in Turkey in terms of school location and class size. In the study the Assessing of Constructivist Learning Environment (ACLE) questionnaire was utilized to map students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment.…

Exploring How Families Do Science Together: Adult-Child Interactions at Community Science Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuttle, Nicole; Mentzer, Gale A.; Strickler, Lacey; Bloomquist, Debra; Hapgood, Susanna; Molitor, Scott; Kaderavek, Joan; Czerniak, Charlene M.

2017-01-01

Promoting family learning around science represents an important opportunity to reinforce science learning during out-of-school time. Evidence suggests that parent-child discourse around science can promote inferential thinking by children and help solidify their understanding of science concepts. While teacher professional development that…

Field Learning as a powerful tool of Education for geoscience, environment and disaster prevention.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, I.; LI, W.

2015-12-01

Field learning in through elementary school to University is very important for cultivation of science, environment and disaster prevention literacy. In Japan, we have various natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes based on its geological settings ( Island-arc with subduction zone settings). And, it is a challenge environmental problem such as global warming prevention and energy problem to be solved by a human. For the above problem solving, it said that science education plays very important role. Especially learning with direct experience in the field is not only to get the only knowledge, we believe that greater development of science literacy, environmental literacy and disaster prevention literacy. In this presentation, we propose the new teaching method of field learning not only provided by school but also provided by outside school. We show following four studies that are (1) function of running water and origin of the land (science education and disaster prevention), (2) environmental consciousness of student (environmental education), (3) radiation education (scientific technology and its utilization) and (4) astronomical observation (acquisition of time and space concept). We were led to the preliminary conclusion of above four categories in practice research in and out of school. That is, the teacher is teaching the essence and phenomena of science to focus on science learning of school, in addition to environmental awareness, disaster prevention awareness, use of scientific technology are also important to teach at the same time. To do this, it is to make effective use of field learning. It can be said that the field study is a perfect and power place to perform learning such simultaneity. Because, natural field is originally the place can learn along with the feeling through the five senses of human. It is important especially for the growth stage of the student.

Challenging the Science Curriculum Paradigm: Teaching Primary Children Atomic-Molecular Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haeusler, Carole; Donovan, Jennifer

2017-11-01

Solutions to global issues demand the involvement of scientists, yet concern exists about retention rates in science as students pass through school into University. Young children are curious about science, yet are considered incapable of grappling with abstract and microscopic concepts such as atoms, sub-atomic particles, molecules and DNA. School curricula for primary (elementary) aged children reflect this by their limitation to examining only what phenomena are without providing any explanatory frameworks for how or why they occur. This research challenges the assumption that atomic-molecular theory is too difficult for young children, examining new ways of introducing atomic theory to 9 year olds and seeks to verify their efficacy in producing genuine learning in the participants. Early results in three cases in different schools indicate these novel methods fostered further interest in science, allowed diverse children to engage and learn aspects of atomic theory, and satisfied the children's desire for intellectual challenge. Learning exceeded expectations as demonstrated in the post-interview findings. Learning was also remarkably robust, as demonstrated in two schools 8 weeks after the intervention and, in one school, 1 year after their first exposure to ideas about atoms, elements and molecules.

The Way up, down under: Innovations Shape Learning at Science and Math School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bissaker, Kerry; Davies, Jim; Heath, Jayne

2011-01-01

Professor John Rice, a pioneer of the Australian Science and Mathematics School (ASMS), recognized that schools' curricula were at odds with the kind of science and mathematics driving the new economy. In addition to curriculum that lacked relevance to contemporary life, negative student attitudes and a shortage of qualified science and…

The Rural Girls in Science Project: from Pipelines to Affirming Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginorio, Angela B.; Huston, Michelle; Frevert, Katie; Seibel, Jane Bierman

The Rural Girls in Science (RGS) program was developed to foster the interest in science, engineering, and mathematics among rural high school girls in the state of Washington. Girls served include American Indians, Latinas, and Whites. This article provides an overview of the program and its outcomes not only for the participants (girls, teachers, counselors, and schools) but the researchers. Lessons learned from and about the participants are presented, and lessons learned from the process are discussed to illustrate how RGS moved from a focus on individuals to a focus on the school. The initial guiding concepts (self-esteem and scientific pipeline) were replaced by “possible selves” and our proposed complementary concepts: science-affirming and affirming science education.

Communicating Science to Impact Learning? A Phenomenological Inquiry into 4th and 5th Graders' Perceptions of Science Information Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelmez Burakgazi, Sevinc; Yildirim, Ali; Weeth Feinstein, Noah

2016-04-01

Rooted in science education and science communication studies, this study examines 4th and 5th grade students' perceptions of science information sources (SIS) and their use in communicating science to students. It combines situated learning theory with uses and gratifications theory in a qualitative phenomenological analysis. Data were gathered through classroom observations and interviews in four Turkish elementary schools. Focus group interviews with 47 students and individual interviews with 17 teachers and 10 parents were conducted. Participants identified a wide range of SIS, including TV, magazines, newspapers, internet, peers, teachers, families, science centers/museums, science exhibitions, textbooks, science books, and science camps. Students reported using various SIS in school-based and non-school contexts to satisfy their cognitive, affective, personal, and social integrative needs. SIS were used for science courses, homework/project assignments, examination/test preparations, and individual science-related research. Students assessed SIS in terms of the perceived accessibility of the sources, the quality of the content, and the content presentation. In particular, some sources such as teachers, families, TV, science magazines, textbooks, and science centers/museums ("directive sources") predictably led students to other sources such as teachers, families, internet, and science books ("directed sources"). A small number of sources crossed context boundaries, being useful in both school and out. Results shed light on the connection between science education and science communication in terms of promoting science learning.

Learning to teach science in urban schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, Kenneth; Roth, Wolff-Michael; Zimmermann, Andrea

2001-10-01

Teaching in urban schools, with their problems of violence, lack of resources, and inadequate funding, is difficult. It is even more difficult to learn to teach in urban schools. Yet learning in those locations where one will subsequently be working has been shown to be the best preparation for teaching. In this article we propose coteaching as a viable model for teacher preparation and the professional development of urban science teachers. Coteaching - working at the elbow of someone else - allows new teachers to experience appropriate and timely action by providing them with shared experiences that become the topic of their professional conversations with other coteachers (including peers, the cooperating teacher, university supervisors, and high school students). This article also includes an ethnography describing the experiences of a new teacher who had been assigned to an urban high school as field experience, during which she enacted a curriculum that was culturally relevant to her African American students, acknowledged their minority status with respect to science, and enabled them to pursue the school district standards. Even though coteaching enables learning to teach and curricula reform, we raise doubts about whether our approaches to teacher education and enacting science curricula are hegemonic and oppressive to the students we seek to emancipate through education.

The Design of Collaborative Learning for Teaching Physics in Vocational Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismayati, Euis

2018-04-01

Vocational secondary school (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan or SMK) is a vocational education that is based on the principle of human resource investment (human capital investment) referring to the quality of education and productivity to compete in the global job market. Therefore, vocational education relates directly to business world/industry which fulfills the needs of the skilled worker. According to the results of some researches, the work ethics of vocational graduates are still unsatisfying. Most of them are less able to perform their works, to adapt to the changes and development of technology and science, to be retrained, to develop themselves, to collaborate, and to argue. Meanwhile, the employers in the world of work and industries require their employees to have abilities to think creatively and working collaboratively. In addition, the students’ abilities to adapt to the technology in working environment are greatly influenced by the learning process in their schools, especially in science learning. The process of science learning which can help the students to think and act scientifically should be implemented by teachers using a learning approach which is appropriate to the students’ need and the material taught to the students. To master technology and industry needs science mastery. Physics, as a part of science, has an important role in the development of technology since the products of technology strongly support further development of science. In order to develop the abilities to think critically and working collaboratively, education should be given to the students through the learning process using learning model which refers to a collaborative group discussion system called Collaborative Learning. Moreover, Collaborative learning for teaching Physics in vocational secondary school should be designed in such a way that the goal of teaching and learning can be achieved. Collaborative Learning is advantageous to improve the students’ creative thinking and collaborative working.

Promoting Single-Parent Family Children's Attitudes toward Science and Science Performance through Extracurricular Science Intervention in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Zuway-R.; Lin, Huann-shyang; Lawrenz, Frances

2008-01-01

This study investigated the efficacy of extracurricular science intervention in promoting students' science learning performance and attitudes toward science. The Junior High School Student Questionnaire (JSSQ) was used to measure attitudes toward science, sexist attitudes and perceptions of the classroom learning environment. Twenty-eight eighth…

Development of Contextual Mathematics teaching Material integrated related sciences and realistic for students grade xi senior high school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helma, H.; Mirna, M.; Edizon, E.

2018-04-01

Mathematics is often applied in physics, chemistry, economics, engineering, and others. Besides that, mathematics is also used in everyday life. Learning mathematics in school should be associated with other sciences and everyday life. In this way, the learning of mathematics is more realstic, interesting, and meaningful. Needs analysis shows that required contextual mathematics teaching materials integrated related sciences and realistic on learning mathematics. The purpose of research is to produce a valid and practical contextual mathematics teaching material integrated related sciences and realistic. This research is development research. The result of this research is a valid and practical contextual mathematics teaching material integrated related sciences and realistic produced

A Study on Developing a Guide Material for Science Classes Supported by Out-of-School Learningi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakioglu, Büsra; Karamustafaoglu, Orhan

2017-01-01

The main purpose of this research was to develop a guide material in line with learning outcomes of the unit for the 5th Graders titled Solving the Puzzle: Our Body in order to be utilized during out-of-school learning activities by science teachers. There is no guide material developed in our country for science teachers to be used in out-of…

Integrating to Learn and Learning to Integrate: A Case Study of an Online Master's Program on Science-Mathematics Integration for Middle School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mimi Miyoung; Chauvot, Jennifer; Plankis, Brian; Vowell, Julie; Culpepper, Shea

2011-01-01

iSMART (Integration of Science, Mathematics, and Reflective Teaching) Program is an online science and mathematics integrated graduate program for middle school teachers across the state of Texas. As part of a large design-based research project, this paper describes the initial stages of the design process of the iSMART program for its first…

Race and Ethnicity: Powerful Cultural Forecasters of Science Learning and Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwater, Mary M.; Lance, Jennifer; Woodard, UrLeaka; Johnson, Natasha Hillsman

2013-01-01

This article addresses the impact of race and ethnicity on students' science learning in US schools. Specifically, it discusses (a) the constructs of race, ethnicity, and culture, and the racial and ethnic student composition in US public schools; (b) effective classroom practices for curriculum, instruction, and assessment related to race…

Does the Modality Principle for Multimedia Learning Apply to Science Classrooms?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harskamp, Egbert G.; Mayer, Richard E.; Suhre, Cor

2007-01-01

This study demonstrated that the modality principle applies to multimedia learning of regular science lessons in school settings. In the first field experiment, 27 Dutch secondary school students (age 16-17) received a self-paced, web-based multimedia lesson in biology. Students who received lessons containing illustrations and narration performed…

Introducing Science Experiments to Rote-Learning Classes in Pakistani Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pell, Anthony William; Iqbal, Hafiz Muhammad; Sohail, Shahida

2010-01-01

A mixed-methods sequential research design has been used to test the effect of introducing teacher science demonstrations to a traditional book-learning sample of 384 Grade 7 boys and girls from five schools in Lahore, Pakistan. In the quasi-experimental quantitative study, the eight classes of comparable ability were designated either…

Design Principles for "Thriving in Our Digital World": A High School Computer Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veletsianos, George; Beth, Bradley; Lin, Calvin; Russell, Gregory

2016-01-01

"Thriving in Our Digital World" is a technology-enhanced dual enrollment course introducing high school students to computer science through project- and problem-based learning. This article describes the evolution of the course and five lessons learned during the design, development, implementation, and iteration of the course from its…

Preparing High School Students for the Interdisciplinary Nature of Modern Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagle, Barbara

2013-01-01

Fostering interdisciplinary learning in biology will require significant changes in the way one teaches science to K-12 students. The perspective on interdisciplinary biology teaching and learning in this essay is based on the author's experiences as a former research cell biologist, high school science teacher, and developer of secondary science…

Family and Consumer Sciences Program Recruitment: An Interdisciplinary Service-Learning Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roofe, Nina; Ryburn, Renee

2013-01-01

The family and consumer sciences (FCS) teacher shortage is one need that can be mitigated by exposing high school students to professional trends and future work settings via service-learning. Such exposure can affect student recruitment by influencing high school students' knowledge and attitudes toward FCS careers. This study explored the impact…

Learning Computer Science Concepts with Scratch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meerbaum-Salant, Orni; Armoni, Michal; Ben-Ari, Mordechai

2013-01-01

Scratch is a visual programming environment that is widely used by young people. We investigated if Scratch can be used to teach concepts of computer science (CS). We developed learning materials for middle-school students that were designed according to the constructionist philosophy of Scratch and evaluated them in a few schools during two…

The Effectiveness of Three Experiential Teaching Approaches on Student Science Learning in Fifth-Grade Public School Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Kristin; Wells, Marcella

2002-01-01

Compares the effects of three experiential science lessons in meeting the objectives of the Colorado model content science standards. Uses Kolb's (1984) experiential learning model as a framework for understanding the process by which students engage in learning when participating in experiential learning activities. Uses classroom exams and…

Teaching and Learning Science through Song: Exploring the Experiences of Students and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Governor, Donna; Hall, Jori; Jackson, David

2013-01-01

This qualitative, multi-case study explored the use of science-content music for teaching and learning in six middle school science classrooms. The researcher sought to understand how teachers made use of content-rich songs for teaching science, how they impacted student engagement and learning, and what the experiences of these teachers and…

Fifth Graders' Flow Experience in a Digital Game-Based Science Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Meixun

2012-01-01

This mixed methods study examined the flow experience of 5th graders in the CRYSTAL ISLAND game-based science learning environment. Participants were 73 5th graders from a suburban public school in the southeastern US. Quantitative data about students' science content learning and attitudes towards science was collected via pre-and post surveys.…

Learning from a distance: high school students' perceptions of virtual presence, motivation, and science identity during a remote microscopy investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childers, Gina; Jones, M. Gail

2017-02-01

Through partnerships with scientists, students can now conduct research in science laboratories from a distance through remote access technologies. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that contribute to a remote learning environment by documenting high school students' perceptions of science motivation, science identity, and virtual presence during a remote microscopy investigation. Exploratory factor analysis identified 3 factors accounting for 63% of the variance, which suggests that Science Learning Drive (students' perception of their competence and performance in science and intrinsic motivation to do science), Environmental Presence (students' perception of control of the remote technology, sensory, and distraction factors in the learning environment, and relatedness to scientists), and Inner Realism Presence (students' perceptions of how real is the remote programme and being recognised as a science-oriented individual) were factors that contribute to a student's experience during a remote investigation. Motivation, science identity, and virtual presence in remote investigations are explored.

Integrating Physics and Literacy Learning in a Physics Course for Prospective Elementary and Middle School Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Zee, Emily H.; Jansen, Henri; Winograd, Kenneth; Crowl, Michele; Devitt, Adam

2013-06-01

The ability to listen closely, speak clearly, write coherently, read with comprehension, and to create and critique media offerings in science contexts is essential for effective science teaching. How might instructors develop such abilities in a physics course for prospective elementary and middle school teachers? We describe here such a course, involving collaboration among physics, science education, and literacy faculty members and two graduate assistants. Meeting twice a week for 10 weeks, the course emphasized questioning, predicting, exploring, observing, discussing, writing, and reading in physical science contexts. We report common themes about aspects that fostered or hindered science and literacy learning, changes in views about science teaching and learning, and positive shifts in interest in science and intended teaching practices.

Explicitly Linking Human Impact to Ecological Function in Secondary School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyner, Yael; Becker, Johnathan; Torff, Bruce

2014-01-01

Both the old National Science Education Standards (NSES) and the recent "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) devote significant resources to learning about human environmental impact. Whereas the NSES advocate learning about human environmental impact in a section apart from the science- content learning strands, the NGSS embed…

Exploring English Language Learners (ELL) experiences with scientific language and inquiry within a real life context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Algee, Lisa M.

English Language Learners (ELL) are often at a distinct disadvantage from receiving authentic science learning opportunites. This study explored English Language Learners (ELL) learning experiences with scientific language and inquiry within a real life context. This research was theoretically informed by sociocultural theory and literature on student learning and science teaching for ELL. A qualitative, case study was used to explore students' learning experiences. Data from multiple sources was collected: student interviews, science letters, an assessment in another context, field-notes, student presentations, inquiry assessment, instructional group conversations, parent interviews, parent letters, parent homework, teacher-researcher evaluation, teacher-researcher reflective journal, and student ratings of learning activities. These data sources informed the following research questions: (1) Does participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increase ELL use of scientific language? (2) Does participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increase ELL understanding of scientific inquiry and their motivation to learn? (3) What are parents' funds of knowledge about the local ecology and does this inform students' experiences in the science project? All data sources concerning students were analyzed for similar patterns and trends and triangulation was sought through the use of these data sources. The remaining data sources concerning the teacher-researcher were used to inform and assess whether the pedagogical and research practices were in alignment with the proposed theoretical framework. Data sources concerning parental participation accessed funds of knowledge, which informed the curriculum in order to create continuity and connections between home and school. To ensure accuracy in the researchers' interpretations of student and parent responses during interviews, member checking was employed. The findings suggest that participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increased ELL use of scientific language and understanding of scientific inquiry and motivation to learn. In addition, parent' funds of knowledge informed students' experiences in the science project. These findings suggest that the learning and teaching practices and the real life experiential learning contexts served as an effective means for increasing students' understandings and motivation to learn.

It takes a village: supporting inquiry- and equity-oriented computer science pedagogy through a professional learning community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryoo, Jean; Goode, Joanna; Margolis, Jane

2015-10-01

This article describes the importance that high school computer science teachers place on a teachers' professional learning community designed around an inquiry- and equity-oriented approach for broadening participation in computing. Using grounded theory to analyze four years of teacher surveys and interviews from the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program in the Los Angeles Unified School District, this article describes how participating in professional development activities purposefully aimed at fostering a teachers' professional learning community helps ECS teachers make the transition to an inquiry-based classroom culture and break professional isolation. This professional learning community also provides experiences that challenge prevalent deficit notions and stereotypes about which students can or cannot excel in computer science.

Resiliency and collateral learning in science in some students of cree ancestry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, Dawn

2005-07-01

In the context of schooling, resiliency refers to the ability to thrive academically despite adverse circumstances. In this study the relationship between academic resilience and student's collateral learning is explored in 20 students of Cree ancestry. The individual resilience of each student was examined by identifying protective factors for school leaving within the microsystem of each student's ecological framework. Student responses to questions related to motivation and engagement were ranked. In addition, students' perception of the influence of family and peers on individual attributes toward schooling was ranked.To gain insight into the collateral learning aspects of science learning in Cree students, the participants in this study were asked to reflect on their learning strategies through the use of critical incidents. The relationship between collateral learning and resiliency was also explored.This study found that students possessing a greater number of protective factors were more likely to learn science in a way described by Jegede's collateral learning theory. Responses to critical incidents indicate some Cree students hold at least two sources of knowledge to explain some science concepts and therefore may adopt a collateral learning strategy. The importance these students place on earned or experiential knowledge is evident in the interviews. Some suggestions for classroom instruction are offered in conclusion.

A Space-Based Learning Service for Schools Worldwide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Norman A.; Gibson, Alan

2002-01-01

This paper outlines a scheme for international collaboration to enrich the use of space in school education, to improve students' learning about science and related subjects and to enhance the continuity of science-related studies after the age of 16. Guidelines are presented for the design of an on-line learning service to provide schools worldwide with:- interactive curriculum-related learning resources for teaching about space and through - access to a purpose-designed education satellite or satellites; - opportunities for hands-on work by students in out-of-school hours; - news about space developments to attract, widen and deepen initial interest among teachers - support services to enable teachers to make effective use of the learning service. The Learning Service is the product of almost twenty years of experience by a significant number of UK schools in experimenting with, and in using, satellites and space to aid learning; and over four years of study and development by the SpaceLink Learning Foundation - a private-sector, not- for-profit UK registered charity, which is dedicated to help in increasing both the supply of scientists and engineers and the public understanding of science. This initiative provides scope for, and could benefit from, the involvement of relevant/interested organisations drawn from different countries. The Foundation would be ready, from its UK base, to be among such a group of initiating organisations.

Unpacking the Paradox of Chinese Science Learners: Insights from Research into Asian Chinese School Students' Attitudes towards Learning Science, Science Learning Strategies, and Scientific Epistemological Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, May Hung May; Wan, Zhi Hong

2016-01-01

Chinese students' excellent science performance in large-scale international comparisons contradicts the stereotype of the Chinese non-productive classroom learning environment and learners. Most of the existing explanations of this paradox are provided from the perspective of teaching and learning in a general sense, but little work can be found…

Students' motivational beliefs in science learning, school motivational contexts, and science achievement in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Cheng-Lung; Liou, Pey-Yan

2017-05-01

Taiwanese students are featured as having high academic achievement but low motivational beliefs according to the serial results of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Moreover, given that the role of context has become more important in the development of academic motivation theory, this study aimed to examine the relationship between motivational beliefs and science achievement at both the student and school levels. Based on the Expectancy-Value Theory, the three motivational beliefs, namely self-concept, intrinsic value, and utility value, were the focuses of this study. The two-level hierarchical linear model was used to analyse the Taiwanese TIMSS 2011 eighth-grade student data. The results indicated that each motivational belief had a positive predictive effect on science achievement. Additionally, a positive school contextual effect of self-concept on science achievement was identified. Furthermore, school-mean utility value had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between utility value and science achievement. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the functioning of motivational beliefs in science learning among Taiwanese adolescents with consideration of the school motivational contexts.

Unintended Learning in Primary School Practical Science Lessons from Polanyi's Perspective of Intellectual Passion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Jisun; Song, Jinwoong; Abrahams, Ian

2016-01-01

This study explored, from the perspective of intellectual passion developed by Michael Polanyi, the unintended learning that occurred in primary practical science lessons. We use the term "unintended" learning to distinguish it from "intended" learning that appears in teachers' learning objectives. Data were collected using…

Earthquake!: An Event-Based Science Module. Teacher's Guide. Earth Science Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school earth science teachers to help their students learn about earthquakes and scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event- based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork,…

Laptop Use, Interactive Science Software, and Science Learning among At-Risk Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Binbin; Warschauer, Mark; Hwang, Jin Kyoung; Collins, Penelope

2014-01-01

This year-long, quasi-experimental study investigated the impact of the use of netbook computers and interactive science software on fifth-grade students' science learning processes, academic achievement, and interest in further science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) study within a linguistically diverse school district in…

Oil Spill!: An Event-Based Science Module. Teacher's Guide. Oceanography Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school earth science or general science teachers to help their students learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event- based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork,…

The Relationships among High School STEM Learning Experiences, Expectations, and Mathematics and Science Efficacy and the Likelihood of Majoring in STEM in College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Alpaslan; Ekmekci, Adem; Waxman, Hersh C.

2017-01-01

This study examines college students' science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) choices as they relate to high school experiences, parent, teacher, and self-expectations, and mathematics and science efficacy. Participants were 2246 graduates of a STEM-focused public Harmony Public Schools in Texas, Harmony Public Schools (HPS).…

Student’s STEM Literacy in Biotechnology Learning at Junior High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurlaely, N.; Permanasari, A.; Riandi, R.

2017-09-01

A considerable study to student’s STEM literacy achievement profile, especially in biotechnology learning, has been conducted to make the innovation of the STEM-based learning. The study aims to find out the STEM literacy. The sample is taken through purposive sampling technique to 45 students of 9th grade of a junior high school in Tasikmalaya district. The instruments are multiple choice questions. Data are analysed by calculating mean score of students’ STEM literacy achievement. The results show that student’s STEM literacy achievement was low. Science literacy aspect was the lowest, while mathematical literacy gained better than another aspect. The low achievement of students’ STEM literacy was because of learning activities that have not been able to integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in science learning. The literacy profile indicates the importance of applying STEM approach to science learning, and it is recommended to improve students’ STEM literacy achievement.

Scientists Overnight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pike, Lisa

2017-01-01

In this article, the author describes how a partnership was established to bring science and education majors together with elementary school children in an after-school STEM program. This partnership allowed preservice teachers and science majors to have fun with science and to learn science informally, in a nonclassroom, low-stress…

Mapping Our City: Learning To Use Spatial Data in the Middle School Science Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWilliams, Harold; Rooney, Paul

Mapping Our City is a two-year project in which middle school teachers and students in Boston explore the uses of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in project-based science, environmental education, and geography. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and is being field tested in three Boston middle school science classrooms.…

A Cross-Cultural Study of the Effect of a Graph-Oriented Computer-Assisted Project-Based Learning Environment on Middle School Students' Science Knowledge and Argumentation Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, P.-S.; Van Dyke, M.; Chen, Y.; Smith, T. J.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how seventh graders in a suburban school in the United States and sixth graders in an urban school in Taiwan developed argumentation skills and science knowledge in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a graph-oriented, computer-assisted application (GOCAA). A total of 42…

Investigating the experience: A case study of a science professional development program based on Kolb's experiential learning model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Brian L.

Professional development for educators has been defined as the process or processes by which teachers achieve higher levels of professional competence and expand their understanding of self, role, context and career (Duke and Stiggins, 1990). Currently, there is limited research literature that examines the effect a professional development course, which uses David Kolb's experiential learning model, has on the professional growth and teaching practice of middle school science teachers. The purpose of this interpretive case study is to investigate how three science teachers who participated in the Rivers to Reef professional development course interpreted the learning experience and integrated the experience into their teaching practice. The questions guiding this research are (1) What is the relationship between a professional development course that uses an experiential learning model and science teaching practice? (2) How do the Rivers to Reef participants reflect on and describe the course as a professional growth experience? The creation of the professional development course and the framework for the study were established using David Kolb's (1975) experiential learning theory and the reflection process model designed by David Boud (1985). The participants in the study are three middle school science teachers from schools representing varied settings and socioeconomic levels in the southeastern United States. Data collected used the three-interview series interview format designed by Dolbere and Schuman (Seidman, 1998). Data was analyzed for the identification of common categories related to impact on science teaching practice and professional growth. The major finding of this study indicates the years of teaching experience of middle school science teachers significantly influences how they approach professional development, what and how they learn from the experience, and the ways in which the experience influences their teaching practices.

Middle School Teacher Misconceptions and Anxieties Concerning Space Science Disciplinary Core Ideas in NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Kristine

2017-01-01

The Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are grouped into the broad disciplinary areas of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, and Engineering, Technology and Application of Science, and feature learning progressions based on endpoint targets for each grade band. Since the Middle School DCIs build on the expected learning achievements to be reached by the end of Fifth Grade, and High School DCI similarly build on the expected learning achievements expected for the end of Eighth Grade, the Middle School grade band is of particular importance as the bridge between the Elementary and High School curriculum. In states where there is not a special Middle School Certification many of these science classes are taught by teachers prepared to teach at the Elementary level (and who may have limited content background). As a result, some pre-service and in-service teachers have expressed reduced self-confidence in both their own science content knowledge and their ability to apply it in the NGSS-based classroom, while decades of research has demonstrated the pervasiveness of science misconceptions among teachers. Thus the adoption of NGSS has the potential to drive talented teachers out of the profession who feel that they are ill-prepared for this sweeping transition. The key is providing rigorous education in both content and pedagogy for pre-service teachers and quality targeted professional development for in-service teachers. This report focuses on the Middle School Space Sciences grade band DCIs and presents research on specific difficulties, misconceptions and uncertainties with the material demonstrated by pre-service education students over the past four years in a required university science content course, as well as two year-long granted workshop series for current Middle School teachers. This information is relevant to the development of both new content courses aligned with NGSS for pre-service teachers and professional development for in-service teachers.

Technology and Communications Coursework: Facilitating the Progression of Students with Learning Disabilities through High School Science and Math Coursework.

PubMed

Shifrer, Dara; Callahan, Rebecca

2010-09-01

Students identified with learning disabilities experience markedly lower levels of science and mathematics achievement than students who are not identified with a learning disability. Seemingly compounding their disadvantage, students with learning disabilities also complete more credits in non-core coursework-traditionally considered non-academic coursework-than students who are not identified with a learning disability. The Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a large national dataset with both regular and special education high school students, is utilized to determine whether credit accumulation in certain types of non-core coursework, such as Technology and Communications courses, is associated with improved science and math course-taking outcomes for students with learning disabilities. Results show that credit accumulation in Technology and Communications coursework uniquely benefits the science course-taking, and comparably benefits the math course-taking, of students identified with learning disabilities in contrast to students who are not identified with a learning disability.

Technology and Communications Coursework: Facilitating the Progression of Students with Learning Disabilities through High School Science and Math Coursework

PubMed Central

Shifrer, Dara; Callahan, Rebecca

2016-01-01

Students identified with learning disabilities experience markedly lower levels of science and mathematics achievement than students who are not identified with a learning disability. Seemingly compounding their disadvantage, students with learning disabilities also complete more credits in non-core coursework—traditionally considered non-academic coursework—than students who are not identified with a learning disability. The Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a large national dataset with both regular and special education high school students, is utilized to determine whether credit accumulation in certain types of non-core coursework, such as Technology and Communications courses, is associated with improved science and math course-taking outcomes for students with learning disabilities. Results show that credit accumulation in Technology and Communications coursework uniquely benefits the science course-taking, and comparably benefits the math course-taking, of students identified with learning disabilities in contrast to students who are not identified with a learning disability. PMID:27695150

A Comparative Study Teaching Chemistry Using the 5E Learning Cycle and Traditional Teaching with a Large English Language Population in a Middle-School Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWright, Cynthia Nicole Pendleton

2017-01-01

For decades science educators and educational institutions have been concerned with the status of science content being taught in K-12 schools and the delivery of the content. Thus, educational reformers in the United States continue to strive to solve the problem on how to best teach science for optimal success in learning. The constructivist…

Improving Science Process Skills for Primary School Students Through 5E Instructional Model-Based Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choirunnisa, N. L.; Prabowo, P.; Suryanti, S.

2018-01-01

The main objective of this study is to describe the effectiveness of 5E instructional model-based learning to improve primary school students’ science process skills. The science process skills is important for students as it is the foundation for enhancing the mastery of concepts and thinking skills needed in the 21st century. The design of this study was experimental involving one group pre-test and post-test design. The result of this study shows that (1) the implementation of learning in both of classes, IVA and IVB, show that the percentage of learning implementation increased which indicates a better quality of learning and (2) the percentage of students’ science process skills test results on the aspects of observing, formulating hypotheses, determining variable, interpreting data and communicating increased as well.

Students' science process skill and analytical thinking ability in chemistry learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irwanto, Rohaeti, Eli; Widjajanti, Endang; Suyanta

2017-08-01

Science process skill and analytical thinking ability are needed in chemistry learning in 21st century. Analytical thinking is related with science process skill which is used by students to solve complex and unstructured problems. Thus, this research aims to determine science process skill and analytical thinking ability of senior high school students in chemistry learning. The research was conducted in Tiga Maret Yogyakarta Senior High School, Indonesia, at the middle of the first semester of academic year 2015/2016 is using the survey method. The survey involved 21 grade XI students as participants. Students were given a set of test questions consists of 15 essay questions. The result indicated that the science process skill and analytical thinking ability were relatively low ie. 30.67%. Therefore, teachers need to improve the students' cognitive and psychomotor domains effectively in learning process.

Science for All: Empowering Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plonczak, Irene

2008-01-01

This article addresses issues that are related to the empowerment of elementary teachers through teaching and learning science in socially and culturally meaningful contexts. It is based on the analysis of the attitudes and relationship to science of 10 elementary school teachers from inner city schools in Caracas, Venezuela. In the context of a…

The Australian Science and Mathematics School, Flinders University, South Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

PEB Exchange, 2002

2002-01-01

Describes the design of the secondary school named in the title, including the educational context and design goals. In conjunction with the science faculty of Flinders University, the school will offer adult learning approaches and develop curriculum based on new sciences such as nano- technology. Describes the design innovations that incorporate…

High School Physics: An Interactive Instructional Approach That Meets the Next Generation Science Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Shaobo; Mejia, Joel Alejandro; Becker, Kurt; Neilson, Drew

2015-01-01

Improving high school physics teaching and learning is important to the long-term success of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Efforts are currently in place to develop an understanding of science among high school students through formal and informal educational experiences in engineering design activities…

Undergraduate science research: a comparison of influences and experiences between premed and non-premed students.

PubMed

Pacifici, Lara Brongo; Thomson, Norman

2011-01-01

Most students participating in science undergraduate research (UR) plan to attend either medical school or graduate school. This study examines possible differences between premed and non-premed students in their influences to do research and expectations of research. Questionnaire responses from 55 premed students and 80 non-premed students were analyzed. No differences existed in the expectations of research between the two groups, but attitudes toward science and intrinsic motivation to learn more about science were significantly higher for non-premed students. Follow-up interviews with 11 of the students, including a case study with one premed student, provided explanation for the observed differences. Premed students, while not motivated to learn more about science, were motivated to help people, which is why most of them are pursuing medicine. They viewed research as a way to help them become doctors and to rule out the possibility of research as a career. Non-premed students participated in research to learn more about a specific science topic and gain experience that may be helpful in graduate school research. The difference in the reasons students want to do UR may be used to tailor UR experiences for students planning to go to graduate school or medical school.

Undergraduate Science Research: A Comparison of Influences and Experiences between Premed and Non–Premed Students

PubMed Central

Pacifici, Lara Brongo; Thomson, Norman

2011-01-01

Most students participating in science undergraduate research (UR) plan to attend either medical school or graduate school. This study examines possible differences between premed and non–premed students in their influences to do research and expectations of research. Questionnaire responses from 55 premed students and 80 non–premed students were analyzed. No differences existed in the expectations of research between the two groups, but attitudes toward science and intrinsic motivation to learn more about science were significantly higher for non–premed students. Follow-up interviews with 11 of the students, including a case study with one premed student, provided explanation for the observed differences. Premed students, while not motivated to learn more about science, were motivated to help people, which is why most of them are pursuing medicine. They viewed research as a way to help them become doctors and to rule out the possibility of research as a career. Non–premed students participated in research to learn more about a specific science topic and gain experience that may be helpful in graduate school research. The difference in the reasons students want to do UR may be used to tailor UR experiences for students planning to go to graduate school or medical school. PMID:21633068

Conversations Around Practice: Mediating Opportunities to Learn about Teaching Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricketts, Amy Rene

This study contributes to the knowledge base regarding the ways in which school-based, ongoing, professional learning communities mediate teacher learning. Specifically, it investigates an organic learning group as they met in various contexts over a full school year, engaging in conversations around their teaching practices that focused on supporting students' explanations of scientific phenomena. The group consisted of ten middle school science teachers from three schools in the same public school district, their district science coordinator and a professor of science education. Drawing on traditions of ethnography and discourse analysis, this case study: 1) characterizes each episode of the group's conversations around practice in terms of its potential for generating transformative learning opportunities, 2) identifies which spontaneous and designed features of those conversations accounted for differences in the generative nature of the talk, and 3) explains how those features mediated the generative nature of the talk. In this group, the differences between more- and less- generative talk could be attributed to five features: the context of the conversation; the tools participants used to represent their practice; the stance with which they represented and took up one another's practices in the talk; the resources they drew on (in terms of expertise); the conversational routines in which they engaged. These five features interacted in complex, patterned ways to mediate the generative nature of the group's talk.

A quantitative study of the summer slide in science of elementary school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, Giovanna Guadagno

Concerned parents and educators agree children learn best when the rhythm of instruction is continuous with practice and application of skills. Long summer breaks may interrupt the flow of formal school learning leading some students to forget previous instruction. A review of the previous school work is generally required in the fall upon return from the summer vacation. Investigating summer vacation and equity issues, Jamar (1994) noted that more affluent students may "return to school in the fall with a considerable educational advantage over their less advantaged peers as a result of either additional school-related learning, or lower levels of forgetting, over the summer months (p. 1)". The population of 402 fifth grade students from a suburban New England school district participated in this study. The district administered the science subtest of the TerraNova 2 (TN2) assessment in late May 2007 (pre-test data) and in September 2007 (post-test data). These archived data, including gender and student socioeconomic status (SES) levels (as referenced by free or reduced lunch status), were analyzed for an ex-post facto causal comparison study to identify the phenomenon of summer slide in science of fifth graders enrolled in six elementary schools. The ANOVA statistical model was used calculating the repeated measures factor of time (pre/post summer vacation) on the science content area. Subsequent two-way ANOVAS, with one repeated-measures factor (time of testing) explored the existence of similar/different patterns by gender and by SES levels. Two questions guided this study. First, does the summer slide phenomenon exist in science education? Second, if the summer slide in science phenomenon exists in science education, then does SES impact it? Does the summer slide in science phenomenon differ between genders? Findings suggest that the summer slide phenomenon exists in science; SES and gender does not affect the overall science test scores. However, SES impacts the summer slide phenomenon in science but gender does not impact summer slide in science. Furthermore, the school does not statistically impact the summer slide phenomenon in science and the impact of school does not differ across SES and genders.

Promoting of Thematic-Based Integrated Science Learning on the Junior High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pursitasari, Indarini Dwi; Nuryanti, Siti; Rede, Amran

2015-01-01

This study was conducted to explain the effect of thematic based integrated science learning to the student's critical thinking skills and character. One group pretest-posttest design is involving thirty students in one of the junior high school in the Palu city. A sample was taken using purposive sampling. Data of critical thinking skills…

The Role of Science Museum Field Trips in the Primary Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morentin, Maite; Guisasola, Jenaro

2015-01-01

School visits and field trips to museums and science centres are considered a powerful learning resource given their recreational and educational potential, but visits need to be integrated into classroom programming to optimize learning. In this study, we have attempted to design and build bridges between what a school needs and what a museum can…

Valuing Difference in Students' Culture and Experience in School Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banner, Indira

2016-01-01

Susan Harper writes about how a cross-cultural learning community can be formed where people from different cultures are not simply assimilated into a school science community but are seen and heard. This makes learning reciprocal and meaningful for both recent refugees and the dominant population. Although maybe not refugees, students from poorer…

Effects of Collaborative Preteaching on Science Performance of High School Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornton, Amanda; McKissick, Bethany R.; Spooner, Fred; Lo, Ya-yu; Anderson, Adrienne L.

2015-01-01

Investigating the effectiveness of inclusive practices in science instruction and determining how to best support high school students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in the general education classroom is a topic of increasing research attention in the field. In this study, the researchers conducted a single-subject multiple probe across…

Profiling Interest of Students in Science: Learning in School and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dierks, Pay O.; Höffler, Tim N.; Parchmann, Ilka

2014-01-01

Background: Interest is assumed to be relevant for students' learning processes. Many studies have investigated students' interest in science; most of them however have not offered differentiated insights into the structure and elements of this interest. Purpose: The aim of this study is to obtain a precise image of secondary school students'…

Active Learning Institute: Energizing Science and Math Education. A Compilation of Lesson Plans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuyahoga Community Coll. - East, Cleveland, OH.

The middle school and high school lessons featured in this collection were crafted by science and math teachers who participated in a week-long seminar sponsored by the Eisenhower Professional Development Program administered by the Ohio Board of Regents. The lessons showcase a variety of active learning strategies from using hands-on, low-tech…

Sex, Grade-Level and Stream Differences in Learning Environment and Attitudes to Science in Singapore Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peer, Jarina; Fraser, Barry J.

2015-01-01

Learning environment research provides a well-established approach for describing and understanding what goes on in classrooms and has attracted considerable interest in Singapore. This article reports the first study of science classroom environments in Singapore primary schools. Ten scales from the What Is Happening In this Class?,…

Using Rain Gardens to Promote Service Learning and Climate Science Education with Urban Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinsey, Sharon B.; Haberland, Michael W.

2012-01-01

The Jersey Roots, Global Reach 4-H Climate Science Program conducted in Camden, New Jersey introduces middle school students to the evidence, impacts, and potential solutions to climate change. For their service learning project, students installed two rain gardens at the school. Rain gardens are shallow landscaped depressions in the soil that can…

An Exploratory Analysis of a Middle School Science Curriculum: Implications for Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Gregory S.; Hord, Casey

2016-01-01

An exploratory study of a middle school curriculum directly aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards was conducted with a focus on how the curriculum addresses the instructional needs of students with learning disabilities. A descriptive analysis of a lesson on speed and velocity was conducted and implications discussed for students with…

"Small Science": Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Science in Everyday Family Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikder, Shukla; Fleer, Marilyn

2015-01-01

Vygotsky (1987) stated that the restructured form of everyday concepts learned at home and in the community interact with scientific concepts introduced in formal school settings, leading to a higher level of scientific thinking for school-aged children. But, what does this mean for the scientific learning of infants and toddlers? What kinds of…

Relationships between High School Chemistry Students' Perceptions of a Constructivist Learning Environment and their STEM Career Expectations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wild, Andrew

2015-09-01

Considerable attention has been devoted to factors affecting the persistence of women and historically underrepresented ethnic groups in their science education trajectories. The literature has focused more on structural factors that affect longitudinal outcomes rather than classroom experiences. This exploratory survey study described relationships among high school chemistry students' perceptions of a constructivist learning environment (CLE) and STEM career expectations. The sample included 693 students from 7 public high schools within the San Francisco Bay Area. Students' perceptions of a CLE predicted their expectations of entering a science career, but not engineering, computer, health, or mathematics-related careers. When all groups of students perceived the learning environment as more constructivist, they were more likely to expect science careers.

After-School Spaces: Looking for Learning in All the Right Places

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnittka, Christine G.; Evans, Michael A.; Won, Samantha G. L.; Drape, Tiffany A.

2016-06-01

After-school settings provide youth with homework support, social outlets and fun activities, and help build self-confidence. They are safe places for forming relationships with caring adults. More after-school settings are starting to integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) topics. What science skills and concepts might youth learn in engineering design-based after-school settings? Traditional assessments often fail to capture the ways youth learn in informal settings, and deep science understandings are notoriously difficult to measure. In this study, we examined three after-school settings where 65 youth were learning science through engineering design challenges. In this informal setting, we examined storyboards, social networking forum (SNF) chat logs, videos of whole-class interactions, interviews with groups and single participants, and traditional multiple-choice pre- and posttest results. As we looked for evidence of learning, we found that the social networking forum was rich with data. Interviews were even more informative, much more so than traditional pencil and paper multiple-choice tests. We found that different kinds of elicitation strategies adopted by site leaders and facilitators played an important role in the ways youth constructed knowledge. These elicitation strategies also helped us find evidence of learning. Based on findings, future iterations of the curricula will involve tighter integration of social networking forums, continued use of videotaped interviews for data collection, an increased focus on training site leaders and facilitators in elicitation strategies, and more open-ended pencil and paper assessments in order to facilitate the process of looking for learning.

Enhancing Postgraduate Learning and Teaching: Postgraduate Summer School in Dairy Science

PubMed Central

Gabai, Gianfranco; Morgante, Massimo; Gallo, Luigi

2014-01-01

Dairy science is a multidisciplinary area of scientific investigation and Ph.D. students aiming to do research in the field of animal and/or veterinary sciences must be aware of this. Ph.D. students often have vast spectra of research interests, and it is quite challenging to satisfy the expectation of all of them. The aim of this study was to establish an international Ph.D. training program based on research collaboration between the University of Sydney and the University of Padova. The core component of this program was a two-week Postgraduate Summer School in Dairy Science, which was held at the University of Padova, for Ph.D. students of both universities. Therefore, we designed a program that encompassed seminars, workshops, laboratory practical sessions, and farm visits. Participants were surveyed using a written questionnaire. Overall, participants have uniformly praised the Summer School calling it a rewarding and valuable learning experience. The Ph.D. Summer School in Dairy Science provided its participants a positive learning experience, provided them the opportunity to establish an international network, and facilitated the development of transferable skills. PMID:24575312

Guidelines for Science Curriculum in Washington Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duxbury, Alyn, Ed.

This document contains guidelines for science curriculum in Washington State schools. Statements of philosophy and program goals are presented and explained. Four major program goals (which address societal demands) operationally describe science education toward the learning of: (1) factual and theoretical knowledge; (2) applied science skills;…

The Need for Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margolis, Jane; Goode, Joanna; Bernier, David

2011-01-01

Broadening computer science learning to include more students is a crucial item on the United States' education agenda, these authors say. Although policymakers advocate more computer science expertise, computer science offerings in high schools are few--and actually shrinking. In addition, poorly resourced schools with a high percentage of…

Case study of science teaching in an elementary school: Characteristics of an exemplary science teacher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kao, Huey-Lien

Improving the quality of science teaching is one of the greatest concerns in recent science education reform efforts. Many science educators suggest that case studies of exemplary science teachers may provide guidance for these reform efforts. For this reason, the characteristics of exemplary science teaching practices have been identified in recent years. However, the literature lacks research exploring exemplary teacher beliefs about the nature of science and science pedagogy, the relationships between their beliefs and practices, or how outstanding teachers overcome difficulties in order to facilitate their students' science learning. In this study, Sam-Yu, an identified exemplary science teacher who teaches in an elementary school in Pintung, Taiwan, was the subject. An interpretative research design (Erickson, 1986) based on principles of naturalistic inquiry (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) was used. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in this case study. The qualitative method involved conducting interviews with the teacher and students, observing classroom activities and analyzing the structure of the learning materials. The quantitative methods involved using the Learning Climate Inventory (LCI) (Lin, 1997) instrument to assess the learning environment of the exemplary science classroom. This study found that Sam-Yu had a blend of views on the nature of science and a varied knowledge about science pedagogy. Personal preferences, past experiences, and the national science curriculum all played important roles in the development and refinement of Sam-Yu's beliefs about science and pedagogy. Regarding his teaching practices, Sam-Yu provided the best learning experiences, as evidenced in both classroom observations and the survey results, for his students by using a variety of strategies. In addition, his classroom behaviors were highly associated with his beliefs about science and pedagogy. However, due to school-based and socio-cultural constraints, Sam-Yu could not always translate his beliefs about science and pedagogy into practice. Nevertheless, Sam-Yu's personal traits, support from colleagues and his school, and research played an influential role in helping him overcome constraints and evolve into an exemplary science teacher.

Teacher collaboration and elementary science teaching: Using action research as a tool for instructional leadership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Sara Hayes

The primary purpose of this action research study was to explore an elementary science program and find ways to support science education as an administrator of an elementary school. The study took place in a large suburban school system in the southeastern United States. Seven teachers at a small rural school volunteered to participate in the study. Each participant became an active member of the research by determining what changes needed to take place and implementing the lessons in science. The study was also focused on teacher collaboration and how it influenced the science instruction. The data collected included two interviews, ten observations of science lessons, the implementation of four science units, and informal notes from planning sessions over a five month period. The questions that guided this study focused on how teachers prepare to teach science through active learning and how instruction shifts due to teacher collaboration. Teachers were interviewed at the beginning of the study to gain the perceptions of the participants in the areas of (a) planning, (b) active learning, (c) collaboration, and (d) teaching science lessons. The teachers and principal then formed a research team that determined the barriers to teaching science according to the Standards, designed units of study using active learning strategies, and worked collaboratively to implement the units of study. The action research project reviewed the National Science Education Standards, the theory of constructivism, active learning and teacher collaboration as they relate to the actions taken by a group of teachers in an elementary school. The evidence from this study showed that by working together collaboratively and overcoming the barriers to teaching science actively, teachers feel more confident and knowledgeable about teaching the concepts.

Designing for expansive science learning and identification across settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stromholt, Shelley; Bell, Philip

2017-10-01

In this study, we present a case for designing expansive science learning environments in relation to neoliberal instantiations of standards-based implementation projects in education. Using ethnographic and design-based research methods, we examine how the design of coordinated learning across settings can engage youth from non-dominant communities in scientific and engineering practices, resulting in learning experiences that are more relevant to youth and their communities. Analyses highlight: (a) transformative moments of identification for one fifth-grade student across school and non-school settings; (b) the disruption of societal, racial stereotypes on the capabilities of and expectations for marginalized youth; and (c) how youth recognized themselves as members of their community and agents of social change by engaging in personally consequential science investigations and learning.

Brain-Based Learning and Standards-Based Elementary Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konecki, Loretta R.; Schiller, Ellen

This paper explains how brain-based learning has become an area of interest to elementary school science teachers, focusing on the possible relationships between, and implications of, research on brain-based learning to the teaching of science education standards. After describing research on the brain, the paper looks at three implications from…

Retrospective Evaluation of a Collaborative LearningScience Module: The Users' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeWitt, Dorothy; Siraj, Saedah; Alias, Norlidah; Leng, Chin Hai

2013-01-01

This study focuses on the retrospective evaluation of collaborative mLearning (CmL) Science module for teaching secondary school science which was designed based on social constructivist learning theories and Merrill's First Principle of Instruction. This study is part of a developmental research in which computer-mediated communication (CMC)…

A Cross Age Study of Elementary Students' Motivation towards Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guvercin, Ozge; Tekkaya, Ceren; Sungur, Semra

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of grade level and gender on elementary school students' motivation towards science learning. A total of 2231 sixth and eight grade students participated in the study. Data were collected through Students' Motivation towards Science Learning Questionnaire. Two-way Multivariate Analysis of…

Impact of Science-Technology Learning Environment Characteristics on Learning Outcomes: Pupils' Perceptions and Gender Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doppelt, Yaron

2004-01-01

Science and technology are connected to each other and are mutually inspiring. The science-technology curriculum for junior-high school in Israel suggests that teachers integrate these subjects. In addition, this curriculum calls for infusing thinking competencies into the learning subjects and for implementing alternatives in assessment methods…

Validity of Learning Module Natural Sciences Oriented Constructivism with the Contain of Character Education for Students of Class VIII at Yunior Hight School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oktarina, K.; Lufri, L.; Chatri, M.

2018-04-01

Referring to primary data collected through observation and interview to natural science teachers and some students, it is found that there is no natural science teaching materials in the form of learning modules that can make learners learn independently, build their own knowledge, and construct good character in themselves. In order to address this problem, then it is developed natural science learning module oriented to constructivism with the contain of character education. The purpose of this study is to reconstruct valid module of natural science learning materials. This type of research is a development research using the Plomp model. The development phase of the Plomp model consists of 3 stages, namely 1) preliminary research phase, 2) development or prototyping phase, and 3) assessment phase. The result of the study shows that natural science learning module oriented to constructivism with the contain of character education for students class VIII of Yunior High School 11 Sungai Penuh is valid. In future work, practicality and effectiveness will be investigated.

Using a modified argument-driven inquiry to promote elementary school students' engagement in learning science and argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lu, Ying-Yan; Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R.

2016-01-01

This study explored the effects of a modified argument-driven inquiry approach on Grade 4 students' engagement in learning science and argumentation in Taiwan. The students were recruited as an experimental group (EG, n = 36) to join a 12-week study, while another 36 Grade 4 students from the same schools were randomly selected to be the comparison group (CG). All participants completed a questionnaire at the beginning and end of this study. In addition, four target students with the highest and the other four students with the lowest pretest engagement in learning science or argumentation to be observed weekly and interviewed following the posttest. Initial results revealed that the EG students' total engagement in learning science and argumentation and the claim and warrant components were significantly higher than the CG students. In addition, the EG students' anxiety in learning science significantly decreased during the study; and their posttest total engagement in learning science scores were positively associated with their argumentation scores. Interview and observation results were consistent with the quantitative findings. Instructional implications and research recommendations are discussed.

Untapped Potential: The Status of Middle School Science Education in California. Strengthening Science Education in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartry, Ardice; Dorph, Rena; Shields, Patrick; Tiffany-Morales, Juliet; Romero, Valeria

2012-01-01

Despite the expressed need for high-quality science education, very little research has been conducted on what middle school science learning opportunities look like in practice. This study was conducted in support of "Strengthening Science Education in California", a research, policy, and communications initiative. Partners in this…

School Science and the Language Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

2014-01-01

An integrated science curriculum assists pupils to retain learnings better than to separate academic disciplines. Too frequently, science teachers teach each academic discipline as separate entities. However, there is much correlating of science with language, for example which might well be implemented in teaching and learning situations. Thus,…

Earthquake!: An Event-Based Science Module. Student Edition. Earth Science Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school students to learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event-based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork, independent research, hands-on investigations, and…

Exploring Science at the Museum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, Joyce; Kilpatrick, Kay M.

2001-01-01

Science centers and children's museums, such as the New York Hall of Science and the Orlando (Florida) Science Center, offer rich programs linked to students' classroom learning and provide an informal, inquiry-based setting for exploring major concepts. School/museum partnerships can further teachers' and students' lifelong learning progress.…

Contestation and possibilities: Experiences in the 'other' urban classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimes, Nicole K.

The research presented in this dissertation is a response to the general lack of research conducted in independent urban schools. In my work, I present varied vignettes that aim to provide a glimpse into the lifeworlds of students within such schools and how they too struggle to learn science. There are two major goals of this study. First, I encourage readers to rethink current conceptions of urban schooling and redefine what it means to be an urban learner. Secondly, I intend to demonstrate how the cogenerated action plans of coteachers and cogenerative dialogue groups can serve to make science accessible to students whom are diagnosed and placed in mainstreamed educational settings. The idea is to show that by transforming science learning contexts into cosmopolitan learning communities, students can become successful in science. Through a three-year ethnographic study of middle science classrooms in an independent school in New York City, I present explorations of the culture and context of the independent urban classroom as a chief means to meet my stated goals. By utilizing cogenerative dialogues and coteaching, I show how students and teachers can work together as co-researchers and coteachers that engage in a dual process of creating structures that support science success.

The Effectiveness of Traditional and 21st Century Teaching Tools on Students' Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellflower, Julie V.

2012-01-01

Any student seeking a high school diploma from the public school system in one U.S. state must pass the state's high school graduation test. In 2009, only 88% of students at one high school in the state met the basic proficiency requirements on the science portion of the test. Because improved science education has been identified as an explicit…

Exploring the Influences of Elementary School Students' Learning Motivation on Web-Based Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin-Fei, Huang; Chia-Ju, Liu

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the influences of students' learning motivation on Web-based collaborative learning. This study conducted learning materials of Web pages about science and collaborative learning, a motivation questionnaire and interviews were used for data collection. Eighty Grade 5 students and a science teacher were…

The Integration of Environmental Education in Science Materials by Using "MOTORIC" Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sukarjita, I. Wayan; Ardi, Muhammad; Rachman, Abdul; Supu, Amiruddin; Dirawan, Gufran Darma

2015-01-01

The research of the integration of Environmental Education in science subject matter by application of "MOTORIC" Learning models has carried out on Junior High School Kupang Nusa Tenggara Timur Indonesia. "MOTORIC" learning model is an Environmental Education (EE) learning model that collaborate three learning approach i.e.…

Inquiry-Based Learning in China: Lesson Learned for School Science Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuangchalerm, Prasart

2014-01-01

Inquiry-based learning is widely considered for science education in this era. This study aims to explore inquiry-based learning in teacher preparation program and the findings will help us to understanding what inquiry-based classroom is and how inquiry-based learning are. Data were collected by qualitative methods; classroom observation,…

Why Teaching Is Not an Exact Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson-Loy, Lynne

2016-01-01

Lynne Anderson-Loy teaches science to sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders in the Contemporary School and the Regional Safe School at Woodruff Career and Technical Center in the Peoria (Illinois) Public Schools District. In this article, she describes her experience of learning how to manage student behavior in various schools throughout her…

Impact of the 3-D model strategy on science learning of the solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alharbi, Mohammed

The purpose of this mixed method study, quantitative and descriptive, was to determine whether the first-middle grade (seventh grade) students at Saudi schools are able to learn and use the Autodesk Maya software to interact and create their own 3-D models and animations and whether their use of the software influences their study habits and their understanding of the school subject matter. The study revealed that there is value to the science students regarding the use of 3-D software to create 3-D models to complete science assignments. Also, this study aimed to address the middle-school students' ability to learn 3-D software in art class, and then ultimately use it in their science class. The success of this study may open the way to consider the impact of 3-D modeling on other school subjects, such as mathematics, art, and geography. When the students start using graphic design, including 3-D software, at a young age, they tend to develop personal creativity and skills. The success of this study, if applied in schools, will provide the community with skillful young designers and increase awareness of graphic design and the new 3-D technology. Experimental method was used to answer the quantitative research question, are there significant differences applying the learning method using 3-D models (no 3-D, premade 3-D, and create 3-D) in a science class being taught about the solar system and its impact on the students' science achievement scores? Descriptive method was used to answer the qualitative research questions that are about the difficulty of learning and using Autodesk Maya software, time that students take to use the basic levels of Polygon and Animation parts of the Autodesk Maya software, and level of students' work quality.

Blight! An Event-Based Science Module. Teacher's Guide. Plants and Plant Diseases Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school life science or physical science teachers to help their students learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event- based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork,…

Fire!: An Event-Based Science Module. Teacher's Guide. Chemistry and Fire Ecology Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school earth science or physical science teachers to help their students learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event- based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork,…

Science Teaching and Learning Activities and Students' Engagement in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampden-Thompson, Gillian; Bennett, Judith

2013-01-01

The purpose of this analysis is to describe the variation in students' reports of engagement in science across science teaching and learning activities. In addition, this study examines student and school characteristics that may be associated with students' levels of engagement in science. Data are drawn from the Programme for International…

PSQM--Reflections of a PSQM Hub Leader

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Sue

2011-01-01

Primary Science Quality Mark Scheme is a joint project led by the Association for Science Education, the national network of Science Learning Centres and Barnet Local Authority. The Primary Science Quality Mark is an award scheme to develop and celebrate the quality of science teaching and learning in primary schools. It encourages teachers to let…

Fostering Spaces of Student Ownership in Middle School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Tara B.

2010-01-01

A critical challenge in urban science education is determining how to provide empowering science learning experiences for all students. In an effort to address the achievement gap in science education, I have focused on the concept of ownership, specifically when and how students gain ownership in science learning. This paper presents a teacher…

Teachers, Research, and Reform: Improving Teaching and Learning in High School Science Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaiser, Bonnie

One of the challenges issued by the National Science Education Standards is for students to learn the content and process of modern scientific inquiry by engaging in research and entering science competitions. The Rockefeller University Precollege Science Education Outreach Programs (Science Outreach) provide access for about 70 students from…

Engaging Nature of Science to Preservice Teachers through Inquiry-Based Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuangchalerm, Prasart

2013-01-01

Inquiry-based classroom is widely distributed in the school science based on its useful and effective instruction. Science teachers are key elements allowing students to have scientific inquiry. If teachers understand and imply inquiry-based learning into science classroom, students will learn science as scientific inquiry and understand nature of…

Not Driven by High-Stakes Tests: Exploring Science Assessment and College Readiness of Students from an Urban Portfolio Community High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleshman, Robin Earle

2017-01-01

This case study seeks to explore three research questions: (1) What science teaching and learning processes, perspectives, and cultures exist within the science classroom of an urban portfolio community high school? (2) In what ways does the portfolio-based approach prepare high school students of color for college level science coursework,…

The Scientific Approach Learning: How prospective science teachers understand about questioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiyanto; Nugroho, S. E.; Hartono

2017-04-01

In the new curriculum, questioning is one of theaspects of scientific approach learning. It means teachers should facilitate students to ask their questions during science learning. The purpose of this research was to reveal the prospective science teachers’ understanding about questioning and how the science teachers implement of that in the scientific approach learning. Data of the prospective science teachers’ understanding was explored from their teaching plan that produced during microteaching. The microteaching is an activity that should be followed by students before they conduct partnership program in school. Data about theimplementation of questioning that conducted by theteacher was be collected by video-assisted observation in junior school science class. The results showed that majority of the prospective science teachers had difficulty to write down in their teaching plan about how to facilitate students to ask their questions, even majority of them understood that questioning is not students’ activity, but it is an activity that should be done by teachers. Based on the observation showed that majority of teachers did not yet implement a learning that facilitates students to ask their questions.

Influence of science and technology magnet middle schools on students' motivation and achievement in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, David

Some informal discussions among educators regarding motivation of students and academic performance have included the topic of magnet schools. The premise is that a focused theme, such as an aspect of science, positively affects student motivation and academic achievement. However, there is limited research involving magnet schools and their influence on student motivation and academic performance. This study provides empirical data for the discussion about magnet schools influence on motivation and academic ability. This study utilized path analysis in a structural equation modeling framework to simultaneously investigate the relationships between demographic exogenous independent variables, the independent variable of attending a science or technology magnet middle school, and the dependent variables of motivation to learn science and academic achievement in science. Due to the categorical nature of the variables, Bayesian statistical analysis was used to calculate the path coefficients and the standardized effects for each relationship in the model. The coefficients of determination were calculated to determine the amount of variance each path explained. Only five of 21 paths had statistical significance. Only one of the five statistically significant paths (Attended Magnet School to Motivation to Learn Science) explained a noteworthy amount (45.8%) of the variance.

Development of contextual teaching and learning based science module for junior high school for increasing creativity of students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniasari, H.; Sukarmin; Sarwanto

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research are to analyze the the properness of contextual teaching and learning (CTL)-based science module for Junior High School for increasing students’ creativity and using CTL-based science module to increase students’ learning creativity. Development of CTL-based science module for Junior High School is Research and Development (R&D) using 4D Model consist of 4 steps: define, design, develop, and disseminate. Module is validated by 3 expert validators (Material, media, and language experts), 2 reviewer and 1 peer reviewer. . Based on the results of data analysis, it can be concluded that: the results of the validation, the average score of CTL-based science module is 88.28%, the value exceeded the value of the cut off score of 87.5%, so the media declared eligible for the study. Research shows that the gain creativity class that uses CTL-based science module has a gain of 0.72. Based on the results of the study showed that CTL-based science module effectively promotes creativity of students

Engaging Girls' Sociohistorical Identities in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Jessica

2014-01-01

What does it mean for ethnic minority girls, who have historically been marginalized by schools, to "see themselves" in science? Schools fail to create spaces for students to engage their identity resources in the learning of science or to negotiate and enact new science-related identities. This study investigates relationships among…

Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Soil Science Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langley-Turnbaugh, S. J.; Murphy, Kate; Levin, E.

2004-01-01

Soil science education is lacking in terms of accommodations for persons with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are often excluded from soil science activities in school, and from soil science careers. GLOBE (Global Learning Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on primary and secondary school-based education and…

Making Learning Interesting and Its Application to the Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jack, Brady Michael; Lin, Huann-shyang

2017-01-01

Generations of students are graduating from secondary school disinterested in post-secondary study of science or pursuing careers in science-related fields beyond formal education. We propose that destabilising such disinterest among future students requires science educators to begin listening to secondary school students regarding their views of…

The journey of a science teacher: Preparing female students in the Training Future Scientists after school program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson-Hill, Rona M.

What affect does female participation in the Training Future Scientist (TFS) program based on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and Maslow's Hierarchies of Needs have on female adolescents' achievement levels in science and their attitude toward science and interest in science-based careers? The theoretical framework for this study was developed through a constructivist perspective, using dialogic engagement, coinciding with Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural learning theory. This action research project used mixed methods research design, targeted urban adolescent females who were members of Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis (BGCGSTL) after-school program. The data collection measures were three qualitative instruments (semi-structured interviews, reflective journal entries and attitudinal survey open-ended responses) and two quantitative instruments (pre-test and posttests over the content from the Buckle-down Curriculum and attitudinal survey scaled responses). The goal was to describe the impact the Training Future Scientist (TFS) after-school program has on the girls' scientific content knowledge, attitude toward choosing a science career, and self-perception in science. Through the TFS after-school program participants had access to a secondary science teacher-researcher, peer leaders that were in the 9th--12th grade, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) role models from Washington University Medical School Young Scientist Program (YSP) graduate and medical students and fellows as volunteers. The program utilized the Buckle-down Curriculum as guided, peer-led cooperative learning groups, hands-on labs and demonstrations facilitated by the researcher, trained peer leaders and/or role models that used constructivist science pedagogy to improve test-taking strategies. The outcomes for the TFS study were an increase in science content knowledge, a positive trend in attitude change, and a negative trend in choosing a science career. Keywords: informal science programs, urban girls, self-efficacy, cooperative learning, peer learning, female adolescents, and after-school urban education This dissertation study was funded by two grants, the 2013 spring dissertation grant from the University of Missouri St. Louis and a philanthropic grant from Dr. Courtney Crim.

Glitch game testers: The design and study of a learning environment for computational production with young African American males

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiSalvo, Elizabeth Betsy

The implementation of a learning environment for young African American males, called the Glitch Game Testers, was launched in 2009. The development of this program was based on formative work that looked at the contrasting use of digital games between young African American males and individuals who chose to become computer science majors. Through analysis of cultural values and digital game play practices, the program was designed to intertwine authentic game development practices and computer science learning. The resulting program employed 25 African American male high school students to test pre-release digital games full-time in the summer and part-time in the school year, with an hour of each day dedicated to learning introductory computer science. Outcomes for persisting in computer science education are remarkable; of the 16 participants who had graduated from high school as of 2012, 12 have gone on to school in computing-related majors. These outcomes, and the participants' enthusiasm for engaging in computing, are in sharp contrast to the crisis in African American male education and learning motivation. The research presented in this dissertation discusses the formative research that shaped the design of Glitch, the evaluation of the implementation of Glitch, and a theoretical investigation of the way in which participants navigated conflicting motivations in learning environments.

Content analysis of science material in junior school-based inquiry and science process skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patonah, S.; Nuvitalia, D.; Saptaningrum, E.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research is to obtain the characteristic map of science material content in Junior School which can be optimized using inquiry learning model to tone the science process skill. The research method used in the form of qualitative research on SMP science curriculum document in Indonesia. Documents are reviewed on the basis of the basic competencies of each level as well as their potential to trace the skills of the science process using inquiry learning models. The review was conducted by the research team. The results obtained, science process skills in grade 7 have the potential to be trained using the model of inquiry learning by 74%, 8th grade by 83%, and grade 9 by 75%. For the dominant process skills in each chapter and each level is the observing skill. Follow-up research is used to develop instructional inquiry tools to trace the skills of the science process.

From Guide to Practice: Improving Your After School Science Program to Increase Student Academic Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, J.

2013-12-01

Numerous science organizations, such as NASA, offer educational outreach activities geared towards after school. For some programs, the primary goal is to grow students' love of science. For others, the programs are also intended to increase academic achievement. For those programs looking to support student learning in out-of-school time environments, aligning the program with learning during the classroom day can be a challenge. The Institute for Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse, put together a 'Practice Guide' for maximizing learning time beyond the regular school day. These practice guides provide concrete recommendations for educators supported by research. While this guide is not specific to any content or subject-area, the recommendations provided align very well with science education. After school science is often viewed as a fun, dynamic environment for students. Indeed, one of the recommendations to ensure time is structured according to students' needs is to provide relevant and interesting experiences. Given that our after school programs provide such creative environments for students, what other components are needed to promote increased academic achievement? The recommendations provided to academic achievement, include: 1. Align Instruction, 2. Maximize Attendance and Participation, 3. Adapt Instruction, 4. Provide Engaging Experiences, and 5. Evaluate Program. In this session we will examine these five recommendations presented in the Practice Guide, discuss how these strategies align with science programs, and examine what questions each program should address in order to provide experiences that lend themselves to maximizing instruction. Roadblocks and solutions for overcoming challenges in each of the five areas will be presented. Jessica Taylor will present this research based on her role as an author on the Practice Guide, 'Improving Academic Achievement in Out-of-School Time' and her experience working in various informal science programs for NASA.

Ocean Sciences as a Foundation for Curriculum Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakhmenkulova, I.; Gorshkalev, S.; Odriozola, A.; Dominguez, A.; Greely, T.; Pyrtle, A.; Keiper, T.; Watkins, J.

2005-05-01

The GK-12 OCEANS program is an initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF). This program provides marine science graduate students within the College of Marine Science, USF, weekly interactions with K-12 teachers and students in Pinellas County schools with the overall purpose of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of science teaching. The GK-12 OCEANS program provides hands-on and minds-on ocean science learning inquiries. Campbell Park Elementary is a Marine Science attractor school designed to provide a child-centered approach to learning that integrates marine science activities into the daily curriculum while meeting the required state education standards. In 2003-04 a GK-12 Fellow helped third and fourth grade teachers design new teaching curricula that integrated ocean sciences. The current 2004-04 Fellow and teachers are implementing the new curriculum, assessing feasibility and impact on students' learning. One characteristic of the new curriculum includes several field trips to local natural settings during which students have the opportunity to collect data the way scientists do, and use real scientific instruments and approaches. The information collected is then used in different activities within the classroom. These activities encourage the students to use inquiry as the basis of their learning experience, in which the application of scientific thinking and methods are keys. This process also requires the students to apply skills from other disciplines such as writing, reading, and math. Towards the end of the school year the students have the opportunity to highlight their accomplishments through two projects, 1) a hall display of different ocean zones, which includes habitat characteristics and species adaptations, and 2) a marine science experiment presented at the school science fair. The results and accomplishments from the implementation of these new curricula will be presented at the conference.

Integration of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy into the Science Learning Progression Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernardo, Cyntra

2017-01-01

This study integrated elements of culturally relevant pedagogy into a science learning progression framework, with the goal of enhancing teachers' cultural knowledge and thereby creating better teaching practices in an urban public high school science classroom. The study was conducted using teachers, an administrator, a science coach, and…

Project Learning in Science: 6th Graders' Scientific Investigations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shea, Mary; Shea, Brian

2013-01-01

This article presents rationale for an enhanced inquiry approach to science education that authentically integrates content knowledge and application skills in a middle school science curriculum. Such pedagogy ensures students' attainment of national and state standards for learning science and multiple literacies (e.g. language arts and…

Teaching Science to the Gifted.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scher, Joyce L.

Science teaching practices at the Long Island School for the Gifted emphasize hands-on experiments where children do the work and the teacher assists learning. This approach bypasses the reading/writing barrier that prevents some children from learning science. Many science experiments are described, including a first-grade lesson on using…

Tornado! An Event-Based Science Module. Teacher's Guide. Meteorology Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school earth science teachers to help their students learn about problems with tornadoes and scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event-based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning,…

Volcano!: An Event-Based Science Module. Teacher's Guide. Geology Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school earth science teachers to help their students learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event-based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork, independent research,…

Teacher Learning from Girls' Informal Science Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birmingham, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

School science continues to fail to engage youth from non-dominant communities (Carlone, Huan-Frank & Webb, 2011). However, recent research demonstrates that informal science learning settings support both knowledge gains and increased participation in science among youth from non-dominant communities (Dierking, 2007; Falk et al., 2007; HFRP,…

Learning Science in a Second Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindquist, Bill; Loynachan, Courtney

2016-01-01

Courtney Loynachan was a student in Dr. Lindquist's summer 2014 "Teaching Science in the Elementary School" methods course at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The course included an exploration of the power of writing as a learning tool for science with a particular focus on the use of science notebooks. Throughout the…

Science Literacy in School and Home Contexts: Kindergarteners' Science Achievement and Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mantzicopoulos, Panayota; Patrick, Helen; Samarapungavan, Ala

2013-01-01

We examined science learning and motivation outcomes as a function of children's participation in the classroom and classroom-plus-home components of the Scientific Literacy Project (SLP). The sample was comprised of kindergarten children in 4 low income, neighboring schools. Children in Schools 1 and 2 (n = 120) participated in the SLP science…

Towards a More Authentic Science Curriculum: The Contribution of Out-of-School Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braund, Martin; Reiss, Michael

2006-01-01

In many developed countries of the world, pupil attitudes to school science decline progressively across the age range of secondary schooling while fewer students are choosing to study science at higher levels and as a career. Responses to these developments have included proposals to reform the curriculum, pedagogy, and the nature of pupil…

A Review of Computer Science Resources for Learning and Teaching with K-12 Computing Curricula: An Australian Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falkner, Katrina; Vivian, Rebecca

2015-01-01

To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age…

The Factors that Affect Science Teachers' Participation in Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roux, Judi Ann

Scientific literacy for our students and the possibilities for careers available in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are important topics for economic growth as well as global competitiveness. The achievement of students in science learning is dependent upon the science teachers' effectiveness and experienced science teachers depend upon relevant professional development experiences to support their learning. In order to understand how to improve student learning in science, the learning of science teachers must also be understood. Previous research studies on teacher professional development have been conducted in other states, but Minnesota science teachers comprised a new and different population from those previously studied. The purpose of this two-phase mixed methods study was to identify the current types of professional development in which experienced, Minnesota secondary science teachers participated and the factors that affect their participation in professional development activities. The mixed-methods approach s utilized an initial online survey followed by qualitative interviews with five survey respondents. The results of the quantitative survey and the qualitative interviews indicated the quality of professional development experiences and the factors which affected the science teachers' participation in professional development activities. The supporting and inhibiting factors involved the availability of resources such as time and money, external relationships with school administrators, teacher colleagues, and family members, and personal intrinsic attributes such as desires to learn and help students. This study also describes implications for science teachers, school administrators, policymakers, and professional development providers. Recommendations for future research include the following areas: relationships between and among intrinsic and extrinsic factors, science-related professional development activities within local school districts, the use of formal and informal professional development, and the needs of rural science teachers compared to urban and suburban teachers.

The Effectiveness of Guided Inquiry-based Learning Material on Students’ Science Literacy Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aulia, E. V.; Poedjiastoeti, S.; Agustini, R.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research is to describe the effectiveness of guided inquiry-based learning material to improve students’ science literacy skills on solubility and solubility product concepts. This study used Research and Development (R&D) design and was implemented to the 11th graders of Muhammadiyah 4 Senior High School Surabaya in 2016/2017 academic year with one group pre-test and post-test design. The data collection techniques used were validation, observation, test, and questionnaire. The results of this research showed that the students’ science literacy skills are different after implementation of guided inquiry-based learning material. The guided inquiry-based learning material is effective to improve students’ science literacy skills on solubility and solubility product concepts by getting N-gain score with medium and high category. This improvement caused by the developed learning material such as lesson plan, student worksheet, and science literacy skill tests were categorized as valid and very valid. In addition, each of the learning phases in lesson plan has been well implemented. Therefore, it can be concluded that the guided inquiry-based learning material are effective to improve students’ science literacy skills on solubility and solubility product concepts in senior high school.

Grade Level Differences in High School Students' Conceptions of and Motives for Learning Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ya-Ling; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2017-08-01

Students' conceptions of learning science and their relations with motive for learning may vary as the education level increases. This study aimed to compare the quantitative patterns in students' conceptions of learning science (COLS) and motives for learning science (MLS) across grade levels by adopting two survey instruments. A total of 768 high school students were surveyed in Taiwan, including 204 eighth graders, 262 tenth graders, and 302 12th graders. In the current research, memorizing, testing, and calculating and practicing were categorized as reproductive conceptions of learning science, while increase of knowledge, applying, understanding and seeing-in-a-new-way were regarded as constructivist conceptions. The results of multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) revealed that conceptions of learning science are more constructivist as education level increases. Both tenth graders and 12th graders endorsed understanding, seeing-in-a-new-way, and the constructivist COLS composite more strongly than the eighth graders did. In addition, the results of multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicated that the positive relations between testing and reproductive COLS were stronger as the grade level increased, while the negative relations between reproductive COLS and deep motive were tighter with the increase in grade level.

Lessons Learned: Implementation of the Milwaukee Urban Systemic Initiative in Years One and Two. Report for the Milwaukee Public Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, Lynn H.; Huinker, DeAnn

The Urban Systemic Initiatives (USI) program is an effort sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that targets large urban school systems with the goal of sustainable implementation of high-quality, standards-based teaching for the purpose of attaining system-wide increases in students' learning of challenging mathematics and science.…

Using Inquiry and Tenets of Multicultural Education to Engage Latino English-Language Learning Students in Learning about Geology and the Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Xenia S.; Capps, Daniel K.; Crawford, Barbara A.; Ross, Robert

2012-01-01

Traditional school science instruction has been largely unsuccessful in reaching diverse student groups and students from, in particular, underrepresented backgrounds. This paper presents a case study of an urban, dual-language middle school classroom in which the teacher used an alternative instructional approach, involving her students in an…

Changes in Primary School Pupils' Conceptions of Water in the Context of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Havu-Nuutinen, Sari; Kärkkäinen, Sirpa; Keinonen, Tuula

2018-01-01

Pupils' conceptual change processes that have led to long-term changes in learning processes can be very challenging and interwoven with several issues. Meanwhile, school learning is often determined as fragmented, without providing connections to pupils' different life and societal contexts. In this study, Science, Technology, and Society (STS)…

Learning Nature of Science Concepts through a Research Apprenticeship Program: A Comparative Study of Three Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgin, Stephen R.; Sadler, Troy D.

2016-01-01

The merits of three approaches (explicit, reflective and implicit) to Nature of Science (NOS) teaching and learning in the context of a summer research experience on high school student participants' NOS ideas were explored in this study. The effectiveness of explicit over implicit approaches has been demonstrated in school contexts, but less…

Small Schools Student Learning Objectives, K-8: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics. K-3; Science, Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Developed by 40 primary teachers and 10 elementary principals from small school districts in Washington, this handbook contains sequenced student learning objectives for grades K-3 in science and social studies and for grades K-8 in reading, language arts, and mathematics. The handbook is designed to assist teachers with the improvement of…

Examining the Sustainability of Teacher Learning Following a Year-Long Science Professional Development Programme for Inservice Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drits-Esser, Dina; Gess-Newsome, Julie; Stark, Louisa A.

2017-01-01

This two-year, mixed-methods study explored teacher learning during a year-long professional development programme and during the year following the programme. The study examined patterns of change in primary school teachers' inquiry practices, inquiry beliefs and physical science content knowledge during both years as well as the effects of…

Does Applied STEM Course Taking Link to STEM Outcomes for High School Students with Learning Disabilities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfried, Michael A.; Sublett, Cameron

2018-01-01

Over the most recent two decades, federal policy has urged high schools to embed applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses into the curriculum to reinforce concepts learned in traditional math and science classes as well as to motivate students' interests and long-term pursuits in STEM areas. While prior research has…

Exploring Identities to Deepen Understanding of Urban High School Students' Sexual Health Decision-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brotman, Jennie S.; Mensah, Felicia Moore; Lesko, Nancy

2010-01-01

Sexual health is a controversial science topic that has received little attention in the field of science education, despite its direct relevance to students' lives and communities. Moreover, research from other fields indicates that a great deal remains to be learned about how to make school learning about sexual health influence the real-life…

Making mathematics and science integration happen: key aspects of practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ríordáin, Máire Ní; Johnston, Jennifer; Walshe, Gráinne

2016-02-01

The integration of mathematics and science teaching and learning facilitates student learning, engagement, motivation, problem-solving, criticality and real-life application. However, the actual implementation of an integrative approach to the teaching and learning of both subjects at classroom level, with in-service teachers working collaboratively, at second-level education, is under-researched due to the complexities of school-based research. This study reports on a year-long case study on the implementation of an integrated unit of learning on distance, speed and time, within three second-level schools in Ireland. This study employed a qualitative approach and examined the key aspects of practice that impact on the integration of mathematics and science teaching and learning. We argue that teacher perspective, teacher knowledge of the 'other subject' and of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), and teacher collaboration and support all impact on the implementation of an integrative approach to mathematics and science education.

Analysis of Former Learning Assistants' Views on Cooperative Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Kara E.; Otero, Valerie K.

2009-11-01

The University of Colorado Learning Assistant (LA) program integrates a weekly education seminar, meetings with science faculty to review content, and a semester-long teaching experience that hires undergraduates to work with groups of students in university science courses. Following this three-pronged learning experience, some of the LAs continue into the teacher certification program. While previous research has shown that this model has more than doubled the number of science and math majors graduating with a teaching certification, the question remains whether these teachers are better prepared to teach. The analysis presented here addresses this question by comparing the views of former LAs to the views of comparable teachers on the issue of cooperative learning. Interviews were conducted with ten middle school and high school science teachers throughout their first year of teaching. Results suggest differences in former LAs views toward group work and their purposes for using group work.

Using immersive healthcare simulation for physiology education: initial experience in high school, college, and graduate school curricula.

PubMed

Oriol, Nancy E; Hayden, Emily M; Joyal-Mowschenson, Julie; Muret-Wagstaff, Sharon; Faux, Russell; Gordon, James A

2011-09-01

In the natural world, learning emerges from the joy of play, experimentation, and inquiry as part of everyday life. However, this kind of informal learning is often difficult to integrate within structured educational curricula. This report describes an educational program that embeds naturalistic learning into formal high school, college, and graduate school science class work. Our experience is based on work with hundreds of high school, college, and graduate students enrolled in traditional science classes in which mannequin simulators were used to teach physiological principles. Specific case scenarios were integrated into the curriculum as problem-solving exercises chosen to accentuate the basic science objectives of the course. This report also highlights the historic and theoretical basis for the use of mannequin simulators as an important physiology education tool and outlines how the authors' experience in healthcare education has been effectively translated to nonclinical student populations. Particular areas of focus include critical-thinking and problem-solving behaviors and student reflections on the impact of the teaching approach.

Developing Instruments Concerning Scientific Epistemic Beliefs and Goal Orientations in Learning Science: A Validation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Tzung-Jin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate two survey instruments to evaluate high school students' scientific epistemic beliefs and goal orientations in learning science. The initial relationships between the sampled students' scientific epistemic beliefs and goal orientations in learning science were also investigated. A final valid…

Entering the Conversation: Exploratory Talk in Middle School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervetti, Gina N.; DiPardo, Anne L.; Staley, Sara J.

2014-01-01

Much has been written recently about the role of talk in content-area learning, including science learning. However, there is still much to be learned about how teachers begin to engage students in the kinds of peer-to-peer conversations that help them make sense of their investigations in science and that advance their conceptual understandings.…

Teaching and Learning Science with Understanding to Limited English Proficient Students: Excellence through Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutman, Francis X.; Guzman, Ana

This paper, which considers effective science teaching and learning for limited English proficient (LEP) students in U.S. schools, is based on the assumption that science and English language can be effectively learned together without excessive emphasis on students' native language, although teachers and aides who have knowledge of LEP students'…

What Are the Effects of Implementing Learning-Focused Strategies in Biology and Physical Science Classrooms?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, Robin

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine if Learning-Focused Strategies (LFS) implemented in high school science courses would affect student achievement and the pass rate of biology and physical science Common District Assessments (CDAs). The LFS, specific teaching strategies contained in the Learning-Focused Strategies Model (LFSM) Program…

Science education through informal education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Mijung; Dopico, Eduardo

2016-06-01

To develop the pedagogic efficiency of informal education in science teaching, promoting a close cooperation between institutions is suggested by Monteiro, Janerine, de Carvalho, and Martins. In their article, they point out effective examples of how teachers and educators work together to develop programs and activities at informal education places such as science museums. Their study explored and discussed the viability and relevancy of school visits to museums and possibilities to enhance the connection between students' visits in informal contexts and their learning in schools. Given that students learn science by crossing the boundaries of formal and informal learning contexts, it is critical to examine ways of integrated and collaborative approach to develop scientific literacy to help students think, act and communicate as members of problem solving communities. In this forum, we suggest the importance of students' lifeworld contexts in informal learning places as continuum of Monteiro, Janerine, de Carvalho, and Martins' discussion on enhancing the effectiveness of informal learning places in science education.

Profiling interest of students in science: Learning in school and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dierks, Pay O.; Höffler, Tim N.; Parchmann, Ilka

2014-05-01

Background:Interest is assumed to be relevant for students' learning processes. Many studies have investigated students' interest in science; most of them however have not offered differentiated insights into the structure and elements of this interest. Purpose:The aim of this study is to obtain a precise image of secondary school students' interest for school and out-of-school learning opportunities, both formal and informal. The study is part of a larger project on measuring the students' Individual Concept about the Natural Sciences (ICoN), including self-efficacy, beliefs and achievements next to interest variables. Sample:Next to regular school students, a specific cohort will be analyzed as well: participants of science competitions who are regarded as having high interest, and perhaps different interest profiles than regular students. In the study described here, participants of the International Junior Science Olympiad (N = 133) and regular students from secondary schools (N = 305), age cohorts 10 to 17 years, participated. Design and methods:We adapted Holland's well-established RIASEC-framework to analyze if and how it can also be used to assess students' interest within science and in-school and out-of-school (leisure-time and enrichment) activities. The resulting questionnaire was piloted according to quality criteria and applied to analyze profiles of different groups (boys - girls, contest participants - non-participants). Results:The RIASEC-adaption to investigate profiles within science works apparently well for school and leisure-time activities. Concerning the interest in fostering measures, different emphases seem to appear. More research in this field needs to be done to adjust measures better to students' interests and other pre-conditions in the future. Contrasting different groups like gender and participation in a junior science contest uncovered specific interest profiles. Conclusions:The instrument seems to offer a promising approach to identify different interest profiles for different environments and groups of students. Based on the results, further studies will be carried out to form a solid foundation for the design of enrichment measures.

Russian Bilingual Science Learning: Perspectives from Secondary Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemberger, Nancy; Vinogradova, Olga

2002-01-01

Describes one secondary Russian/English bilingual science teacher's practice and her literate students' experiences as they learn science and adapt to a new school. Discusses the notion of whether literacy skills in the native language are transferable to a second language. (Author/VWL)

Elementary Preservice Teachers' Science Vocabulary: Knowledge and Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrier, Sarah J.

2013-01-01

Science vocabulary knowledge plays a role in understanding science concepts, and science knowledge is measured in part by correct use of science vocabulary (Lee et al. in "J Res Sci Teach" 32(8):797-816, 1995). Elementary school students have growing vocabularies and many are learning English as a secondary language or depend on schools to learn…

Long-Term Participants: A Museum Program Enhances Girls' STEM Interest, Motivation, and Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Jennifer D.; Gupta, Preeti; Cotumaccio, Alix

2014-01-01

Out-of-school time (OST) science programs, such as the Lang Science Program, play an important role in influencing the trajectory of science learning for many young people. OST programs are especially important for students from groups underrepresented in science, who, more often than not, attend schools with inadequate science education…

Analysing the physics learning environment of visually impaired students in high schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toenders, Frank G. C.; de Putter-Smits, Lesley G. A.; Sanders, Wendy T. M.; den Brok, Perry

2017-07-01

Although visually impaired students attend regular high school, their enrolment in advanced science classes is dramatically low. In our research we evaluated the physics learning environment of a blind high school student in a regular Dutch high school. For visually impaired students to grasp physics concepts, time and additional materials to support the learning process are key. Time for teachers to develop teaching methods for such students is scarce. Suggestions for changes to the learning environment and of materials used are given.

Twenty-first Century Space Science in The Urban High School Setting: The NASA/John Dewey High School Educational Outreach Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fried, B.; Levy, M.; Reyes, C.; Austin, S.

2003-05-01

A unique and innovative partnership has recently developed between NASA and John Dewey High School, infusing Space Science into the curriculum. This partnership builds on an existing relationship with MUSPIN/NASA and their regional center at the City University of New York based at Medgar Evers College. As an outgrowth of the success and popularity of our Remote Sensing Research Program, sponsored by the New York State Committee for the Advancement of Technology Education (NYSCATE), and the National Science Foundation and stimulated by MUSPIN-based faculty development workshops, our science department has branched out in a new direction - the establishment of a Space Science Academy. John Dewey High School, located in Brooklyn, New York, is an innovative inner city public school with students of a diverse multi-ethnic population and a variety of economic backgrounds. Students were recruited from this broad spectrum, which covers the range of learning styles and academic achievement. This collaboration includes students of high, average, and below average academic levels, emphasizing participation of students with learning disabilities. In this classroom without walls, students apply the strategies and methodologies of problem-based learning in solving complicated tasks. The cooperative learning approach simulates the NASA method of problem solving, as students work in teams, share research and results. Students learn to recognize the complexity of certain tasks as they apply Earth Science, Mathematics, Physics, Technology and Engineering to design solutions. Their path very much follows the NASA model as they design and build various devices. Our Space Science curriculum presently consists of a one-year sequence of elective classes taken in conjunction with Regents-level science classes. This sequence consists of Remote Sensing, Planetology, Mission to Mars (NASA sponsored research program), and Microbiology, where future projects will be astronomy related. This program has been well received by both students and parents and has motivated some students to consider careers in the field of space science and related areas. [This program is partially supported by NASA MU-SPIN NCC5-330 and NASA Space Science/Minority Initiative NAG5-10142

Construction of teacher knowledge in context: Preparing elementary teachers to teach mathematics and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowery, Maye Norene Vail

1998-12-01

The purposes of this study were to further the understanding of how preservice teacher construct teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of elementary mathematics and science and to determine the extent of that knowledge in a school-based setting. Preservice teachers, university instructors, inservice teachers, and other school personnel were involved in this context-specific study. Evidence of the preservice teachers' knowledge construction (its acquisition, its dimensions, and the social context) was collected through the use of a qualitative methodology. Collected data included individual and group interviews, course documents, artifacts, and preservice teaching portfolios. Innovative aspects of this integrated mathematics and science elementary methods course included standards-based instruction with immediate access to field experiences. Grade-level teams of preservice and inservice teachers planned and implemented lessons in mathematics and science for elementary students. An on-site, portable classroom building served as a mathematics and science teaching and learning laboratory. A four-stage analysis was performed, revealing significant patterns of learning. An ecosystem of learning within a constructivist learning environment was identified to contain three systems: the university system; the school system; and the cohort of learners system. A mega system for the construction of teacher knowledge was revealed in the final analysis. Learning venues were discovered to be the conduits of learning in a situated learning context. Analysis and synthesis of data revealed an extensive acquisition of teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge through identified learning components. Patience, flexibility, and communication were identified as necessities for successful teaching. Learning components included: collaboration with inservice teachers; implementation of discovery learning and hands-on/minds-on learning; small groupwork; lesson planning; classroom management; and application of standards-based instruction. Prolonged, extensive classroom involvement provided familiarity with the ability levels of elementary students. Gains in positive attitudes and confidence in teaching mathematics and science were identified as direct results of this experience. This may be attributed to the immersion in the school-based setting (hands-on) and the standards-based approach (minds-on) methods course. The results are written in case study form using thick description with an emphasis on preservice teachers.

Science school and culture school: improving the efficiency of high school science teaching in a system of mass science education.

PubMed

Charlton, Bruce G

2006-01-01

Educational expansion in western countries has been achieved mainly by adding years to full-time education; however, this process has probably reduced efficiency. Sooner or later, efficiency must improve, with a greater educational attainment per year. Future societies will probably wish more people to study science throughout high school (aged c. 11-19 years) and the first college degree. 'Science' may be defined as any abstract, systematic and research-based discipline: including mathematics, statistics and the natural sciences, economics, music theory, linguistics, and the conceptual or quantitative social sciences. Since formal teaching is usually necessary to learn science, science education should be regarded as the core function of high schools. One standard way to improve efficiency is the 'division of labour', with increased specialization of function. Modern schools are already specialized: teachers are specialized according to age-group taught, subject matter expertise, and administrative responsibilities. School students are stratified by age and academic aptitude. I propose a further institutional division of school function between science education, and cultural education (including education in arts, sports, ethics, social interaction and good citizenship). Existing schools might split into 'science school' and 'culture school', reflected in distinct buildings and zones, separate administrative structures, and the recruitment of differently-specialized teaching personnel. Science school would be distinguished by its focus on education in disciplines which promote abstract systematic cognition. All students would spend some part of each day (how much would depend on their aptitude and motivation) in the 'science school'; experiencing a traditional-style, didactic, disciplined and rigorous academic education. The remainder of the students' time at school would be spent in the cultural division, which would focus on broader aspects, and aim to generate a more rounded and social individual. For this to happen depends upon a recognition that science is relatively difficult to teach, requiring non-spontaneous and un-natural cognitive processes from students. Furthermore, it is much easier to learn science when young--if science is missed at school, it can be difficult or impossible to make up the ground later. Modern schools currently try to do too many things, and end-up doing none very well: the one big thing all schools should do for all students is to teach them science. For this to happen, schools need to specialize in their core function.

Online Software Applications for Learning: Observations from an Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tay, Lee Yong; Lim, Cher Ping; Nair, Shanthi Suraj; Lim, Siew Khiaw

2014-01-01

This exploratory case study research describes the integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) into the teaching and learning of English, mathematics and science in an elementary school in Singapore. The school in this case study research is one of the first primary-level future schools that was set up under the…

Today's Students, Tomorrow's Citizens: Pathways for Learning, Science. Alabama High School Graduation Exam.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery. Div. of Instructional Services.

This document introduces the Alabama Graduation Examination Program (AGEP) which provides learning opportunities for high school students to meet the minimum competency requirements to earn a high school diploma in the state of Alabama. The Alabama High School Graduation Examination (AHSGE) content includes the subject areas of reading…

Applied STEM Coursework, High School Dropout Rates, and Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plasman, Jay Stratte; Gottfried, Michael A.

2018-01-01

Applied science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) coursetaking is becoming more commonplace in traditional high school settings to help students reinforce their learning in academic STEM courses. Throughout U.S. educational history, vocational education has been a consistent focus for schools to keep students on the school-to-career…

Emerging Engineers Design a Paper Table

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enderson, Mary C.; Grant, Melva R.

2013-01-01

With the advancement of specialized middle schools and high schools focusing on the arts, communication, engineering, mathematics, and science, many students who attend traditional schools miss out on valuable learning opportunities--in particular, when it comes to learning mathematics. Mathematics classrooms can be filled with real-world…

"We Learn How to Predict and Be a Scientist": Early Science Experiences and Kindergarten Children's Social Meanings about Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mantzicopoulos, Panayota; Samarapungavan, Ala; Patrick, Helen

2009-01-01

We examine kindergarten children's emerging social meanings about science as a function of their participation in integrated science inquiry and literacy activities associated with the Scientific Literacy Project (SLP). We describe changes in 123 SLP kindergarten children's narrative accounts of learning science in school during three different…

Identification of the Most Critical Content Knowledge Base for Middle School Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saderholm, Jon C.; Tretter, Thomas R.

2008-01-01

Much has been said about what science content students need to learn (e.g., "Benchmarks for Science Literacy, National Science Education Standards"). Less has been said about what science content teachers need to know to teach the content students are expected to learn. This study analyzed four standards documents and assessment frameworks to…

History of Science as an Instructional Context: Student Learning in Genetics and Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sun Young; Irving, Karen E.

2010-01-01

This study (1) explores the effectiveness of the contextualized history of science on student learning of nature of science (NOS) and genetics content knowledge (GCK), especially interrelationships among various genetics concepts, in high school biology classrooms; (2) provides an exemplar for teachers on how to utilize history of science in…

Examining the Effects of Field Trips on Science Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Leila A.; Katzman, William

2015-01-01

The purpose of this work-in-progress study is to examine science identity of elementary school students in relation to participation in science. The questions asked in this initial analysis were: How will a field trip to a science research and learning center affect students' desires to learn and participate in science and does interviewing…

Effects of Engineering Design-Based Science on Elementary School Science Students' Engineering Identity Development across Gender and Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capobianco, Brenda M.; Yu, Ji H.; French, Brian F.

2015-01-01

The integration of engineering concepts and practices into elementary science education has become an emerging concern for science educators and practitioners, alike. Moreover, how children, specifically preadolescents (grades 1-5), engage in engineering design-based learning activities may help science educators and researchers learn more about…

Participation in a Multi-Institutional Curriculum Development Project Changed Science Faculty Knowledge and Beliefs about Teaching Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Deborah A.; Borda, Emily J.; Hanley, Daniel M.; Landel, Carolyn C.

2015-01-01

Despite significant pressure to reform science teaching and learning in K12 schools, and a concurrent call to reform undergraduate courses, higher education science content courses have remained relatively static. Higher education science faculty have few opportunities to explore research on how people learn, examine state or national science…

Context of Teaching and Learning School Science in Finland: Reflections on PISA 2006 Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavonen, Jari; Laaksonen, Seppo

2009-01-01

Finnish students' opinions about the frequency of learning activities and communication in the Finnish science classroom, their interest in science and science studies and careers, their sense of self-efficacy, and their beliefs about their own competence as well as their performance in science are analyzed based on PISA 2006 Scientific Literacy…

High-School Students' Epistemic Knowledge of Science and Its Relation to Learner Factors in Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Fang-Ying; Liu, Shiang-Yao; Hsu, Chung-Yuan; Chiou, Guo-Li; Wu, Hsin-Kai; Wu, Ying-Tien; Chen, Sufen; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Tsai, Meng-Jung; Lee, Silvia W.-Y.; Lee, Min-Hsien; Lin, Che-Li; Chu, Regina Juchun; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an online contextualized test for assessing students' understanding of epistemic knowledge of science. In addition, how students' understanding of epistemic knowledge of science interacts with learner factors, including time spent on science learning, interest, self-efficacy, and gender, was…

Work-Based Curriculum to Broaden Learners' Participation in Science: Insights for Designers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bopardikar, Anushree; Bernstein, Debra; Drayton, Brian; McKenney, Susan

2018-05-01

Around the globe, science education during compulsory schooling is envisioned for all learners regardless of their educational and career aspirations, including learners bound to the workforce upon secondary school completion. Yet, a major barrier in attaining this vision is low learner participation in secondary school science. Because curricula play a major role in shaping enacted learning, this study investigated how designers developed a high school physics curriculum with positive learning outcomes in learners with varied inclinations. Qualitative analysis of documents and semistructured interviews with the designers focused on the curriculum in different stages—from designers' ideas about learning goals to their vision for enactment to the printed materials—and on the design processes that brought them to fruition. This revealed designers' emphases on fostering workplace connections via learning goals and activities, and printed supports. The curriculum supported workplace-inspired, hands-on design-and-build projects, developed to address deeply a limited set of standards aligned learning goals. The curriculum also supported learners' interactions with relevant workplace professionals. To create these features, the designers reviewed other curricula to develop vision and printed supports, tested activities internally to assess content coverage, surveyed states in the USA receiving federal school-to-work grants and reviewed occupational information to choose unit topics and career contexts, and visited actual workplaces to learn about authentic praxis. Based on the worked example, this paper offers guidelines for designing work-based science curriculum products and processes that can serve the work of other designers, as well as recommendations for research serving designers and policymakers.

Growth Mindset and Motivation: A Study into Secondary School Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bedford, Susannah

2017-01-01

Motivation in science in school is a national issue but is often overlooked in educational reform (Usher, A., and N. Kober. 2012. "Student motivation -- An overlooked piece of school reform". Centre on Education Policy, Graduate School of Education and Human Development. The George Washington University). Despite new curriculum content…

Mapping Curriculum Innovation in STEM Schools to Assessment Requirements: Tensions and Dilemmas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Aik-Ling; Leong, Woon Foong

2014-01-01

Specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools create niche areas in an attempt to attract the best students, establish the school status, and justify their privilege to valuable resources. One Singapore STEM school does this in applied science learning to differentiate its curriculum from the national prescribed…

Improving Health with Science: Exploring Community-Driven Science Education in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leak, Anne Emerson

This study examines the role of place-based science education in fostering student-driven health interventions. While literature shows the need to connect science with students' place and community, there is limited understanding of strategies for doing so. Making such connections is important for underrepresented students who tend to perceive learning science in school as disconnected to their experiences out of school (Aikenhead, Calabrese-Barton, & Chinn, 2006). To better understand how students can learn to connect place and community with science and engineering practices in a village in Kenya, I worked with community leaders, teachers, and students to develop and study an education program (a school-based health club) with the goal of improving knowledge of health and sanitation in a Kenyan village. While students selected the health topics and problems they hoped to address through participating in the club, the topics were taught with a focus on providing opportunities for students to learn the practices of science and health applications of these practices. Students learned chemistry, physics, environmental science, and engineering to help them address the health problems they had identified in their community. Surveys, student artifacts, ethnographic field notes, and interview data from six months of field research were used to examine the following questions: (1) In what ways were learning opportunities planned for using science and engineering practices to improve community health? (2) In what ways did students apply science and engineering practices and knowledge learned from the health club in their school, homes, and community? and (3) What factors seemed to influence whether students applied or intended to apply what they learned in the health club? Drawing on place-based science education theory and community-engagement models of health, process and structural coding (Saldana, 2013) were used to determine patterns in students' applications of their learning. Students applied learning across health topics they identified as interesting and relevant to their community: hand-washing, disease-prevention, first aid, balanced diet, and water. Students' application of their learning was influenced by internal, external, and relational factors with the community, science education factors, and cultural factors. Some factors, which may have been barriers for students to apply their learning, were turned into supports via bridging strategies used by the students and teacher. Bridging strategies allowed students to connect between their place and science in meaningful ways in the classroom. These strategies were critical in bringing students' place into the classroom and enabling students to apply their learning toward place. The model resulting from the identified factors informed existing models for sociocultural considerations in community-based health interventions. The community-engagement applied practices of science (CAPS) model serves to conceptualize findings in this study and informs an integrated method for using community-engagement education as a stimuli for students to become cultural brokers and improve community health. In addition to focusing on teaching practices of science and encouraging students to apply their learning, this research suggests that bridging strategies can be used to connect science with a students' place in meaningful ways that serve both students and their local communities.

Big Bang! An Evaluation of NASA's Space School Musical Program for Elementary and Middle School Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haden, C.; Styers, M.; Asplund, S.

2015-12-01

Music and the performing arts can be a powerful way to engage students in learning about science. Research suggests that content-rich songs enhance student understanding of science concepts by helping students develop content-based vocabulary, by providing examples and explanations of concepts, and connecting to personal and situational interest in a topic. Building on the role of music in engaging students in learning, and on best practices in out-of-school time learning, the NASA Discovery and New Frontiers program in association with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center, and KidTribe developed Space School Musical. Space School Musical consists of a set of nine songs and 36 educational activities to teach elementary and middle school learners about the solar system and space science through an engaging storyline and the opportunity for active learning. In 2014, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory contracted with Magnolia Consulting, LLC to conduct an evaluation of Space School Musical. Evaluators used a mixed methods approach to address evaluation questions related to educator professional development experiences, program implementation and perceptions, and impacts on participating students. Measures included a professional development feedback survey, facilitator follow-up survey, facilitator interviews, and a student survey. Evaluation results showed that educators were able to use the program in a variety of contexts and in different ways to best meet their instructional needs. They noted that the program worked well for diverse learners and helped to build excitement for science through engaging all learners in the musical. Students and educators reported positive personal and academic benefits to participating students. We present findings from the evaluation and lessons learned about integration of the arts into STEM education.

How Teachers Learn: The Roles of Formal, Informal, and Independent Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, W. Monty; Dexter, Sara

2014-01-01

A qualitative study of math and science teachers at two middle schools identifies how their system for learning to integrate technology into their teaching goes beyond what school leaders typically consider when planning for teachers' learning. In addition to (a) the district-initiated, or formal, system of professional development (PD) and…

An evaluation of meaningful learning in a high school chemistry course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bross, April J.

This study utilized an action research methodology to examine students' understandings of science knowledge, and meaningful learning using the SLD (Science Lecture Demonstration) and laboratory instructional method in a high school chemistry classroom. This method was a modification of the Science Lecture Demonstration Method as developed by Majerich and Schmuckler (2004, in press), the modification due to the addition of a laboratory component. The participants in this study represented a convenience sample which included one class of twenty-two, middle to high socio-economic status students (Mean family income over $75,000/year in 2005 U.S. dollars) in an honors chemistry course at a public high school in the state of New Jersey. These participants included nine girls and thirteen boys. The results of this study indicated what the students' understandings of science knowledge were, how the understandings differed among students, and to what extent those understandings were indicative of meaningful learning. These results were obtained by careful analysis of student generated concept maps, narratives from demonstration quizzes, laboratory reports, and test questions, as well as a teacher/researcher reflection upon the classroom experience. A simple taxonomy for analyzing students' understandings of science knowledge was developed, based upon the work of Majerich (2004). Findings indicated that the students' understanding of science knowledge, as well as the extent of meaningful learning that occurs in the chemistry classroom may be influenced by the roles of: explicit directions, pre-existing knowledge from elementary and middle school science classes, using examples vs. non-examples, macroscopic vs. microscopic views of nature, time for reflection, and everyday vs. scientific language. Results obtained from high school student responses confirmed Novak's observation of elementary students' lack of differentiation between the terms vapor and gas (Novak, 1998).

NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) Professional Development and NASA Connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Backman, D. E.; Clark, C.; Harman, P. K.

2017-12-01

NASA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program is a three-part professional development (PD) experience for high school physics, astronomy, and earth science teachers. AAA PD consists of: (1) blended learning via webinars, asynchronous content learning, and in-person workshops, (2) a STEM immersion experience at NASA Armstrong's B703 science research aircraft facility in Palmdale, California, and (3) ongoing opportunities for connection with NASA astrophysics and planetary science Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). AAA implementation in 2016-18 involves partnerships between the SETI Institute and seven school districts in northern and southern California. AAAs in the current cohort were selected by the school districts based on criteria developed by AAA program staff working with WestEd evaluation consultants. The selected teachers were then randomly assigned by WestEd to a Group A or B to support controlled testing of student learning. Group A completed their PD during January - August 2017, then participated in NASA SOFIA science flights during fall 2017. Group B will act as a control during the 2017-18 school year, then will complete their professional development and SOFIA flights during 2018. A two-week AAA electromagnetic spectrum and multi-wavelength astronomy curriculum aligned with the Science Framework for California Public Schools and Next Generation Science Standards was developed by program staff for classroom delivery. The curriculum (as well as the AAA's pre-flight PD) capitalizes on NASA content by using "science snapshot" case studies regarding astronomy research conducted by SOFIA. AAAs also interact with NASA SMEs during flight weeks and will translate that interaction into classroom content. The AAA program will make controlled measurements of student gains in standards-based learning plus changes in student attitudes towards STEM, and observe & record the AAAs' implementation of curricular changes. Funded by NASA: NNX16AC51

The cultural production of "science" and "scientist" in high school physics: Girls' access, participation, and resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlone, Heidi Berenson

2000-10-01

For over three decades, the gender gap in science and science education has received attention from teachers, policy makers, and scholars of various disciplines. During this time, feminist scholars have posited many reasons why the gender gap in science and science education exists. Early feminist discourse focused on girls' "deficits," while more recent work has begun to consider the problems with science and school science in the quest for a more gender inclusive science. Specifically, feminist scholars advocate a transformation of both how students learn science and the science curriculum that students are expected to learn. This study was designed to examine more deeply this call for a changed science curriculum and its implications for girls' participation, interest, and scientist identities. If we reinvisioned ways to "do" science, "learn" science, and "be a scientist" in school science, would girls come to see science as something interesting and worth pursuing further? This question framed my ethnographic investigation. I examined the culturally produced meanings of "science" and "scientist" in two high school physics classrooms (one traditional and one non-traditional class framed around real-world themes), how these meanings reproduced and contested larger sociohistorical (and prototypical) meanings of science and scientist, and how girls participated within and against these meanings. The results complicate the assumption that a classroom that enacts a non-traditional curriculum is "better" for girls. This study explained how each classroom challenged sociohistorical legacies of school science in various "spaces of possibility" and how prototypical meanings pushed the potential of these spaces to the margins. Girls in the traditional physics class generally embraced prototypical meanings because they could easily access "good student" identities. Girls in the non-traditional class, though attracted to alternative practices, struggled with the conflicting promoted student identities that did not allow them easy access to "good student" identities. In neither class were girls' perceptions of what it meant to do science and be a scientist challenged. And, in neither class did girls connect to a legitimate scientist identity. These findings leave unanswered the question of whether changes in pedagogy and curriculum alone will produce more gender fair school science.

The Knowledge and Practices of High School Science Teachers in Pursuit of Cultural Responsiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Julie C.; Crippen, Kent J.

2017-01-01

Scholars argue that bridging students' backgrounds with canonical science is necessary for students of color by reducing incongruences between home and school and increasing the authenticity of science learning. However, science teachers often struggle with enacting culturally responsive pedagogies (CRP). This paper utilizes data from classroom…

Using Educative Assessments to Support Science Teaching for Middle School English-Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buxton, Cory A.; Allexsaht-Snider, Martha; Suriel, Regina; Kayumova, Shakhnoza; Choi, Youn-jeng; Bouton, Bobette; Baker, Melissa

2013-01-01

Grounded in Hallidayan perspectives on academic language, we report on our development of an educative science assessment as one component of the language-rich inquiry science for English-language learners teacher professional learning project for middle school science teachers. The project emphasizes the role of content-area writing to support…

How Does a Community of Principals Develop Leadership for Technology-Enhanced Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerard, Libby F.; Bowyer, Jane B.; Linn, Marcia C.

2010-01-01

Active principal leadership can help sustain and scale science curriculum reform. This study illustrates how principal leadership developed in a professional learning community to support a technology-enhanced science curriculum reform funded by the National Science Foundation. Seven middle school and high school principals in one urban-fringe…

The Impact of a Geospatial Technology-Supported Energy Curriculum on Middle School Students' Science Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulo, Violet; Bodzin, Alec

2013-01-01

Geospatial technologies are increasingly being integrated in science classrooms to foster learning. This study examined whether a Web-enhanced science inquiry curriculum supported by geospatial technologies promoted urban middle school students' understanding of energy concepts. The participants included one science teacher and 108 eighth-grade…

Science for the Elementary School. Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Victor, Edward

This book has been revised to reflect changes that have taken place in elementary science and to present the latest thinking and philosophy for teaching science in the elementary school. The book is intended to be useful for both prospective and experienced teachers to organize and conduct meaningful science learning experiences in the elementary…

"Probably True" Says the Expert: How Two Types of Lexical Hedges Influence Students' Evaluation of Scientificness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiebach, Monja; Mayweg-Paus, Elisabeth; Jucks, Regina

2015-01-01

Contemporary school learning typically includes the processing of popular scientific information as found in journals, magazines, and/or the WWW. The German high school curriculum emphasizes that students should have achieved science literacy and have learned to evaluate the substance of text-based learning content by the end of high school.…

29 CFR 541.301 - Learned professionals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction... knowledge; (2) The advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning; and (3) The advanced... deductions from varying facts or circumstances. Advanced knowledge cannot be attained at the high school...

29 CFR 541.301 - Learned professionals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction... knowledge; (2) The advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning; and (3) The advanced... deductions from varying facts or circumstances. Advanced knowledge cannot be attained at the high school...

29 CFR 541.301 - Learned professionals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction... knowledge; (2) The advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning; and (3) The advanced... deductions from varying facts or circumstances. Advanced knowledge cannot be attained at the high school...

29 CFR 541.301 - Learned professionals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction... knowledge; (2) The advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning; and (3) The advanced... deductions from varying facts or circumstances. Advanced knowledge cannot be attained at the high school...

29 CFR 541.301 - Learned professionals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction... knowledge; (2) The advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning; and (3) The advanced... deductions from varying facts or circumstances. Advanced knowledge cannot be attained at the high school...

Executive functions predict conceptual learning of science.

PubMed

Rhodes, Sinéad M; Booth, Josephine N; Palmer, Lorna Elise; Blythe, Richard A; Delibegovic, Mirela; Wheate, Nial J

2016-06-01

We examined the relationship between executive functions and both factual and conceptual learning of science, specifically chemistry, in early adolescence. Sixty-three pupils in their second year of secondary school (aged 12-13 years) participated. Pupils completed tasks of working memory (Spatial Working Memory), inhibition (Stop-Signal), attention set-shifting (ID/ED), and planning (Stockings of Cambridge), from the CANTAB. They also participated in a chemistry teaching session, practical, and assessment on the topic of acids and alkalis designed specifically for this study. Executive function data were related to (1) the chemistry assessment which included aspects of factual and conceptual learning and (2) a recent school science exam. Correlational analyses between executive functions and both the chemistry assessment and science grades revealed that science achievements were significantly correlated with working memory. Linear regression analysis revealed that visuospatial working memory ability was predictive of chemistry performance. Interestingly, this relationship was observed solely in relation to the conceptual learning condition of the assessment highlighting the role of executive functions in understanding and applying knowledge about what is learned within science teaching. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

A review of Computer Science resources for learning and teaching with K-12 computing curricula: an Australian case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falkner, Katrina; Vivian, Rebecca

2015-10-01

To support teachers to implement Computer Science curricula into classrooms from the very first year of school, teachers, schools and organisations seek quality curriculum resources to support implementation and teacher professional development. Until now, many Computer Science resources and outreach initiatives have targeted K-12 school-age children, with the intention to engage children and increase interest, rather than to formally teach concepts and skills. What is the educational quality of existing Computer Science resources and to what extent are they suitable for classroom learning and teaching? In this paper, an assessment framework is presented to evaluate the quality of online Computer Science resources. Further, a semi-systematic review of available online Computer Science resources was conducted to evaluate resources available for classroom learning and teaching and to identify gaps in resource availability, using the Australian curriculum as a case study analysis. The findings reveal a predominance of quality resources, however, a number of critical gaps were identified. This paper provides recommendations and guidance for the development of new and supplementary resources and future research.

Original Science-Based Music and Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smolinski, Keith

2010-01-01

American middle school student science scores have been stagnating for several years, demonstrating a need for better learning strategies to aid teachers in instruction and students in content learning. It has also been suggested by researchers that music can be used to aid students in their learning and memory. Employing the theoretical framework…

Science on Television: Storytelling, Learning and Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dhingra, Koshi

2006-01-01

The three major educational sectors in which learning occurs are often taken to be the formal education sector (schools, colleges, universities and so on), the workplace, and the free-choice learning sector (Falk, 2002). This review is concerned with science on television, understood as a significant component of the free-choice learning sector.…

The Learning Benefits of Being Willing and Able to Engage in Scientific Argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bathgate, Meghan; Crowell, Amanda; Schunn, Christian; Cannady, Mac; Dorph, Rena

2015-07-01

Engaging in science as an argumentative practice can promote students' critical thinking, reflection, and evaluation of evidence. However, many do not approach science in this way. Furthermore, the presumed confrontational nature of argumentation may run against cultural norms particularly during the sensitive time of early adolescence. This paper explores whether middle-school students' ability to engage in critical components of argumentation in science impacts science classroom learning. It also examines whether students' willingness to do so attenuates or moderates that benefit. In other words, does one need to be both willing and able to engage critically with the discursive nature of science to receive benefits to learning? This study of middle-school students participating in four months of inquiry science shows a positive impact of argumentative sensemaking ability on learning, as well as instances of a moderating effect of one's willingness to engage in argumentative discourse. Possible mechanisms and the potential impacts to educational practices are discussed.

Solar cell and photonics outreach for middle school students and teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilchrist, Pamela O.; Alexander, Alonzo B.

2017-08-01

This paper will describe the curriculum development process employed to develop a solar cell and photonics curriculum unit for students underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Information will explain how the curriculum unit was piloted with middle and high school teachers from public schools in North Carolina, high school students from underrepresented groups in an informal science program, and workshop settings. Measures used to develop the curriculum materials for middle school students will be presented along with program findings documenting students' urban versus rural interest in STEM, career aspirations, and 21st century learning skills in informal learning settings.

Affordances of ICT in Science Learning: Implications for an Integrated Pedagogy. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Mary E.

2005-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of how affordances of ICT-rich environments identified from a recent review of the research literature can support students in learning science in schools within a proposed framework for pedagogical practice in science education. Furthermore other pedagogical and curriculum innovations in science education…

STEM Integration in Middle School Life Science: Student Learning and Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzey, S. Selcen; Moore, Tamara J.; Harwell, Michael; Moreno, Mario

2016-01-01

In many countries around the world, there has been an increasing emphasis on improving science education. Recent reform efforts in the USA call for teachers to integrate scientific and engineering practices into science teaching; for example, science teachers are asked to provide learning experiences for students that apply crosscutting concepts…

The Design and Development of a Collaborative mLearning Prototype for Malaysian Secondary School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeWitt, Dorothy; Alias, Norlidah; Siraj, Saedah

2014-01-01

Collaborative problem-solving in science instruction allows learners to build their knowledge and understanding through interaction, using the language of science. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools facilitate collaboration and may provide the opportunity for interaction when using the language of science in learning. There seems to be…

Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenichel, Marilyn; Schweingruber, Heidi A.

2010-01-01

Practitioners in informal science settings--museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, libraries, aquariums, zoos, and botanical gardens--are interested in finding out what learning looks like, how to measure it, and what they can do to ensure that people of all ages, from different backgrounds and cultures,…

Multimodal Teacher Input and Science Learning in a Middle School Sheltered Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Ying

2016-01-01

This article reports the results of an ethnographic research about the multimodal science discourse in a sixth-grade sheltered classroom involving English Language Learners (ELLs) only. Drawing from the perspective of multimodality, this study examines how science learning is constructed in science lectures through multiple semiotic resources,…

Transformations in Kenyan Science Teachers' Locus of Control: The Influence of Contextualized Science and Emancipated Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, D.; Nashon, S.; Namazzi, E.; Okemwa, P.; Ombogo, P.; Ooko, S.; Beru, F.

2015-01-01

This study investigated Kenyan science teachers' pedagogical transformations, which manifested as they enacted and experienced a reformed contextualized science curriculum in which students' learning experiences were critical catalysts of teacher change. Twelve high school teachers voluntarily participated in the study and were interviewed about…

Toward a critical approach to the study of learning environments in science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorsbach, Anthony; Tobin, Kenneth

1995-03-01

Traditional learning environment research in science classrooms has been built on survey methods meant to measure students' and teachers' perceptions of variables used to define the learning environment. This research has led mainly to descriptions of learning environments. We argue that learning environment research should play a transformative role in science classrooms; that learning environment research should take into account contemporary post-positivist ways of thinking about learning and teaching to assist students and teachers to construct a more emancipatory learning environment. In particular, we argue that a critical perspective could lead to research playing a larger role in the transformation of science classroom learning environments. This argument is supplemented with an example from a middle school science classroom.

Quality knowledge of science through virtual laboratory as an element of visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizman Herga, Natasa

Doctoral dissertation discusses the use of virtual laboratory for learning and teaching chemical concepts at science classes in the seventh grade of primary school. The dissertation has got a two-part structure. In the first theoretical part presents a general platform of teaching science in elementary school, teaching forms and methods of teaching and among modern approaches we highlight experimental work. Particular emphasis was placed on the use of new technologies in education and virtual laboratories. Scientific findings on the importance of visualization of science concepts and their triple nature of their understanding are presented. These findings represent a fundamental foundation of empirical research presented in the second part of the doctoral dissertation, whose basic purpose was to examine the effectiveness of using virtual laboratory for teaching and learning chemical contents at science from students' point of view on knowledge and interest. We designed a didactic experiment in which 225 pupils participated. The work was conducted in the experimental and control group. Prior to its execution, the existing school practice among science and chemistry teachers was analysed in terms of: (1) inclusion of experimental work as a fundamental method of active learning chemical contents, (2) the use of visualization methods in the classroom and (3) the use of a virtual laboratory. The main findings of the empirical research, carried out in the school year 2012/2013, in which 48 science and chemistry participated, are that teachers often include experimental work when teaching chemical contents. Interviewed science teachers use a variety of visualization methods when presenting science concepts, in particular computer animation and simulation. Using virtual laboratory as a new strategy for teaching and learning chemical contents is not common because teachers lack special-didactic skills, enabling them to use virtual reality technology. Based on the didactic experiment, carried out over a period of two school years (2012/2013 and 2013/2014) in ten primary schools, the effectiveness of teaching carried out with the support of a virtual laboratory was analyzed. The obtained empirical findings reveal that the use of virtual laboratory has great impact on the pupils' knowledge and interest. At the end of the experiment, pupils in the experimental group had an advantage according to knowledge of chemical contents in science. Also, the use of virtual laboratory had an impact on the sustainability of the acquired knowledge of science contents and pupils' interest at the end of the experiment, because the pupils in the experimental group had a higher interest for learning science contents. The didactic experiment determined, that the use of virtual laboratory enables quality learning and teaching chemical contents of science, because it allows: (1) experimental work as an active learning method, (2) the visualization of abstract concepts and phenomena, (3) dynamic sub micro presentations (4) integration of all three levels of the chemical concept as a whole and (5) positively impacts pupils' interest, knowledge and sustainability of the acquired knowledge.

`You Actually Feel like You're Actually Doing Some Science': Primary Students' Perspectives of Their Involvement in the MyScience Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbes, Anne; Skamp, Keith

2017-07-01

MyScience is a primary science education initiative in which being in a community of practice (CoP) is integral to the learning process. Stakeholder groups—primary teachers, primary students and scientist mentors—interact around the CoP domainof investigating scientifically and learn from each other through participation. This paper is the fifth in a series and reports 27 year 5/6 students' (from three schools) perceptions of how their views were influenced through their involvement in a MyScience CoP. Semi-structured interviews, guided by a phenomenographic framework, were the substantive data source. Primary students' perceptions about science, science learning and science teaching were analysed using attributes associated with both communities of practice and the nature of science. Findings reveal that students' perceptions of what it means to be doing science' were transformed through their participation and students were able to identify some of the contributing factors. Where appropriate, students' views were compared with the published views of their participating scientist mentors and teachers from earlier papers. Implications for science teaching and learning in primary school community of practice settings are discussed.

Atom Surprise: Using Theatre in Primary Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peleg, Ran; Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet

2011-10-01

Early exposure to science may have a lifelong effect on children's attitudes towards science and their motivation to learn science in later life. Out-of-class environments can play a significant role in creating favourable attitudes, while contributing to conceptual learning. Educational science theatre is one form of an out-of-class environment, which has received little research attention. This study aims to describe affective and cognitive learning outcomes of watching such a play and to point to connections between theatrical elements and specific outcomes. "Atom Surprise" is a play portraying several concepts on the topic of matter. A mixed methods approach was adopted to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of children (grades 1-6) from two different school settings who watched the play. Data were gathered using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Analysis suggested that in both schools children's knowledge on the topic of matter increased after the play with younger children gaining more conceptual knowledge than their older peers. In the public school girls showed greater gains in conceptual knowledge than boys. No significant changes in students' general attitudes towards science were found, however, students demonstrated positive changes towards science learning. Theatrical elements that seemed to be important in children's recollection of the play were the narrative, props and stage effects, and characters. In the children's memory, science was intertwined with the theatrical elements. Nonetheless, children could distinguish well between scientific facts and the fictive narrative.

The Effects of Aesthetic Science Activities on Improving At-Risk Families Children's Anxiety About Learning Science and Positive Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Zuway-R.; Lin, Huann-shyang; Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lin, Chia-Jung

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of aesthetic science activities on improving elementary school at-risk families' children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and decreasing their anxiety about learning science. Thirty-six 4th-grade children from at-risk families volunteered to participate in a 12-week intervention and formed the experimental group; another 97 typical 4th graders were randomly selected to participant in the assessment and were used as the comparison group. The treatment for experimental group children emphasized scaffolding aesthetic science activities and inquiry strategies. The Elementary School Student Questionnaire was administered to assess all children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and anxiety about learning science. In addition, nine target children from the experimental group with the lowest scores on either positive thinking, or attitudes toward science, or with the highest scores on anxiety about learning science in the pre-test were recruited to be interviewed at the end of the intervention and observed weekly. Confirmatory factor analyses, analyses of covariance, and content theme analysis assessed the similarities and differences between groups. It was found that the at-risk families' children were motivated by the treatment and made significant progress on positive thinking and attitudes toward science, and also decreased their anxiety about learning science. The findings from interviews and classroom observations also revealed that the intervention made differences in children's affective perceptions of learning science. Implication and research recommendation are discussed.

The Effect of Differentiating Instruction Using Multiple Intelligences on Achievement in and Attitudes towards Science in Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomaa, Omema Mostafa Kamel

2014-01-01

This study investigated the effect of using differentiated instruction using multiple intelligences on achievement in and attitudes towards science in middle school students with learning disabilities. A total of 61 students identified with LD participated. The sample was randomly divided into two groups; experimental (n= 31 boys )and control (n=…

Connecting Teachers and Students to the Natural World through "Operation Spider": An Aspirations Citizen Science Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paige, Kathy; Lloyd, David; Zeegers, Yvonne; Roetman, Philip; Daniels, Chris; Hoekman, Brad; Linnell, Lisa; George, Ann-Louise; Szilassy, David

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a year-long citizen science project that focused on improving learning for students identified as most at risk of not succeeding at school. This project was one element of a broader university-based aspirations Initiative which aimed to engage students from low socio-economic schools in rigorous learning in order to increase…

Implementing a Context-Based Environmental Science Unit in the Middle Years: Teaching and Learning at the Creek

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Donna; Ginns, Ian

2015-01-01

Engaging middle school students in science continues to be a challenge in Australian schools. One initiative that has been tried in the senior years but is a more recent development in the middle years is the context-based approach. In this ethnographic study, we researched the teaching and learning transactions that occurred in one ninth grade…

Researching the Effectiveness of a Science Professional Learning Programme Using a Proposed Curriculum Framework for Schools: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paige, Kathryn; Zeegers, Yvonne; Lloyd, David; Roetman, Philip

2016-01-01

This paper reports on an action research-based professional learning programme (PLP) in which early career teachers volunteered to identify and then research an aspect of their science teaching practice. The PLP was facilitated by academics from the School of Education and the Barbara Hardy Institute at the University of South Australia. The…

Using a Modified Argument-Driven Inquiry to Promote Elementary School Students' Engagement in Learning Science and Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lu, Ying-Yan; Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R

2016-01-01

This study explored the effects of a modified argument-driven inquiry approach on Grade 4 students' engagement in learning science and argumentation in Taiwan. The students were recruited as an experimental group (EG, n?=?36) to join a 12-week study, while another 36 Grade 4 students from the same schools were randomly selected to be the…

Retooling Chinese Primary School Teachers to Use Technology Creatively to Promote Innovation and Problem Solving Skills in Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Kar-Tin; Chalmers, Christina; Vinesh, Chandra; Yeh, Andy; Nason, Rod

2014-01-01

This paper reports on the initial phase of a Professional Learning Program (PLP) undertaken by 100 primary school teachers in China that aimed to facilitate the development of adaptive expertise in using technology to facilitate innovative science teaching and learning such as that envisaged by the Chinese Ministry of Education's (2010-2020)…

Interpreting the relationships between single gender science classes and girls' academic motivation and interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Sonya L.

The purpose of this study was to determine how and to what extent single gender science classes affect motivation to learn scientific concepts, interest in science, and college major intent among high school and middle school girls. This study was designed to determine whether students' motivation to learn science changes when they are placed in a single gender science class. The study also measured whether the students' level of interest in science and desire to major in science changes based on their enrollment in a single gender class. Finally, the study investigated the career and college major intentions of the sample population used in the study. Girls in single gender groupings engage in more academic risk taking and participate more than girls in coeducational classes. This benefit alone responds to reform efforts and supports the abolition of gender-based obstacles. Single gender grouping could help encourage more girls to take interest in majoring in science, a field that is considered to be masculine. By increasing students' interest in science while enrolled in single gender classes, students may become more motivated to learn science. This study was conducted using seven, eighth, ninth and tenth grade girls from single sex and coeducational science classes. The students participated in 2 surveys, the Science Motivational Survey and the Test of Science Related Attitudes, at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. In respect to girls in high school single gender science classes, results were contrary to recent studies that state that girls who received science education in a single gender setting have an increase in motivation and attitude towards science. The results did show that middle school girls in single gender science classes did show an increase in motivation.

Using blended learning and out-of-school visits: pedagogies for effective science teaching in the twenty-first century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coll, Sandhya Devi; Coll, Richard Kevin

2018-04-01

Background: Recent research and curriculum reforms have indicated the need for diversifying teaching approaches by drawing upon student interest and engagement in ways which makes learning science meaningful. Purpose: This study examines the integration of informal/free choice learning which occurred during learning experiences outside school (LEOS) with classroom learning using digital technologies. Specifically, the digital technologies comprised a learning management system (LMS), Moodle, which fits well with students' lived experiences and their digital world. Design and Method: This study examines three out-of-school visits to Informal Science Institutes (ISI) using a digitally integrated fieldtrip inventory (DIFI) Model. Research questions were analysed using thematic approach emerging along with semi-structured interviews, before, during and after the visit, and assessing students' learning experiences. Data comprised photographs, field notes, and unobtrusive observations of the classroom, wiki postings, student work books and teacher planning diaries. Results: We argue, that pre- and post-visit planning using the DIFI Model is more likely to engage learners, and the use of a digital learning platform was even more likely to encourage collaborative learning. The conclusion can also be drawn that students' level of motivation for collaborative learning positively correlates with their improvement in academic achievement.

Students' Views About Secondary School Science Lessons: The Role of Practical Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toplis, Rob

2012-06-01

This paper reports an interpretive study that sought students' views about the role that practical work plays in their school science lessons. Twenty-nine students aged between 13 and 16 years were selected from three secondary schools in England. Data were collected from initial lesson observations and in-depth interviews in order to explore students' views about practical work. The findings suggest that students have three main reasons why practical work is important in their school science lessons: for interest and activity, including social and personal features such as participation and autonomy; as an alternative to other forms of science teaching involving a pedagogy of transmission, and as a way of learning, including memorizing and recall. The findings are discussed in the context of a critical view of previous work on the role of practical work, work on attitudes to science and on the student voice. The paper concludes that practical work is seen to provide opportunities for students to engage with and influence their own learning but that learning with practical work remains a complex issue that needs further research and evaluation about its use, effectiveness and of the role of scientific inquiry as a component of practical activity.

Teachers' Learning in an Innovative School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bissaker, Kerry; Heath, Jayne

2005-01-01

The successful establishment of a purpose-built innovative school designed to support new ways of teaching and learning in the senior secondary years, particularly in the area of science and mathematics, required a comprehensive and research-based professional development policy and program. Planning professional learning opportunities for the…

Analysis on the science literacy ability of vocational school physics teacher using NOSLiT indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahayu, P. P.; Masykuri, M.; Soeparmi

2018-04-01

Professional Physics teacher must be able to manage science learning process by associating science itself with the daily life. At first the teacher must have competency in the ability of science literacy. The target of this research is vocational school Physics teachers for the purpose to describe their ability on science literacy. This research is a survey research using test method. The test instrument is The NOSLiT by Wenning.Research results are: 1) Scientific Nomenclature : 38.46 %, 2) Basic experimental and observational abilities : 38.46 %, 3) Rules of scientific evidence : 0%, 4) Postulate science: 15.38%, 5) scientific disposition: 7. 69%.Conclusion: The result of each indicator shows that the ability of science literacy of vocational school Physics teachers has not met the expectations yet. It’s can be used as the reflection for education experts to improve their science literacy ability so that can be applied to the learning process that directly or indirectly will have an impact on improving the students’ science literacy.

Opportunities to Learn in School and at Home: How can they predict students' understanding of basic science concepts and principles?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Su; Liu, Xiufeng; Zhao, Yandong

2012-09-01

As the breadth and depth of economic reforms increase in China, growing attention is being paid to equalities in opportunities to learn science by students of various backgrounds. In early 2009, the Chinese Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology jointly sponsored a national survey of urban eighth-grade students' science literacy along with their family and school backgrounds. The present study focused on students' understanding of basic science concepts and principles (BSCP), a subset of science literacy. The sample analyzed included 3,031 students from 109 randomly selected classes/schools. Correlation analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and two-level linear regression were conducted. The results showed that having a refrigerator, internet, more books, parents purchasing books and magazines related to school work, higher father's education level, and parents' higher expectation of the education level of their child significantly predicted higher BSCP scores; having siblings at home, owning an apartment, and frequently contacting teachers about the child significantly predicted lower BSCP scores. At the school level, the results showed that being in the first-tier or key schools, having school libraries, science popularization galleries, computer labs, adequate equipment for teaching, special budget for teacher training, special budget for science equipment, and mutual trust between teachers and students significantly predicated higher BSCP scores; and having science and technology rooms, offering science and technology interest clubs, special budget for science curriculum development, and special budget for science social practice activities significantly predicted lower BSCP scores. The implications of the above findings are discussed.

Effects of the Digital Game-Development Approach on Elementary School Students' Learning Motivation, Problem Solving, and Learning Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chu, Hui-Chun; Hung, Chun-Ming

2015-01-01

In this study, the game-based development approach is proposed for improving the learning motivation, problem solving skills, and learning achievement of students. An experiment was conducted on a learning activity of an elementary school science course to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. A total of 59 sixth graders from two…

Students' Application of Chemical Concepts When Solving Chemistry Problems in Different Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broman, Karolina; Parchmann, Ilka

2014-01-01

Context-based learning approaches have been implemented in school science over the last 40 years as a way to enhance students' interest in, as well as learning outcomes from, science. Contexts are used to connect science with the students' lives and to provide a frame in which concepts can be learned and applied on a…

Elementary School Students' Emotions When Exploring an Authentic Socio-Scientific Issue through the Use of Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolaou, Chr. Th.; Evagorou, M.; Lymbouridou, Chr.

2015-01-01

Despite the belief that emotions are important in the learning process, research in the area of emotions and learning, especially in science, is scant. Modelling and SSI argumentation have shared with respect to the emphasis in recent science standards reports as core scientific practices that need to be part of science teaching and learning. Even…

Abductive Science Inquiry Using Mobile Devices in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Sohaib; Parsons, David

2013-01-01

Recent advancements in digital technology have attracted the interest of educators and researchers to develop technology-assisted inquiry-based learning environments in the domain of school science education. Traditionally, school science education has followed deductive and inductive forms of inquiry investigation, while the abductive form of…

How well do middle school science programs measure up? Findings from Project 2061's curriculum review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kesidou, Sofia; Roseman, Jo Ellen

2002-08-01

The purposes of this study were to examine how well middle school programs support the attainment of key scientific ideas specified in national science standards, and to identify typical strengths and weaknesses of these programs using research-based criteria. Nine widely used programs were examined by teams of teachers and specialists in research on teaching and learning. Reviewers found that whereas key ideas were generally present in the programs, they were typically buried between detailed or even unrelated ideas. Programs only rarely provided students with a sense of purpose for the units of study, took account of student beliefs that interfere with learning, engaged students with relevant phenomena to make abstract scientific ideas plausible, modeled the use of scientific knowledge so that students could apply what they learned in everyday situations, or scaffolded student efforts to make meaning of key phenomena and ideas presented in the programs. New middle school science programs that reflect findings from learning research are needed to support teachers better in helping students learn key ideas in science. The criteria and findings from this study on the inadequacies in existing programs could serve as guidelines in new curriculum development.

Elementary teachers' perceptions of science inquiry and professional development challenges and opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Kathleen M.

Inquiry science, including a focus on evidence-based discourse, is essential to spark interest in science education in the early grades and maintain that interest throughout children's schooling. The researcher was interested in two broad areas: inquiry science in the elementary classroom and the need/desire for professional development opportunities for elementary teachers related to science education, and specifically professional development focused on inquiry science. A cross sectional survey design was prepared and distributed in May 2005 and usable responses were received from 228 elementary teachers from the south-central area of Pennsylvania which was a representative sample of socio-economical and geographical factors. Areas of particular interest in the results section include: (1) The use of Science Kits which is popular, but may not have the desired impact since they are "adjusted" by teachers often removing the opportunity for evidence-based discourse by the students. This may be partly based on the lack of time dedicated to science instruction and, secondly, the teachers' lack of comfort with the science topics. Another issue arising from science kits is the amount of preparation time required to utilize them. (2) Teachers demonstrated understanding of the high qualities of professional development but, when it came to science content professional development, they were more inclined to opt for short-term opportunities as opposed to long-term learning opportunities. Since elementary teachers are generalists and most schools are not focusing on science, the lack of attention to a subject where they are least comfortable is understandable, but disappointing. (3) There is a great need for more training in evidence--based discourse so teachers can implement this needed skill and increase students' understanding of science content so they are more able to compete in the international science and math measurements. (4) Professional development, especially in the science area, needs to be a long-term, grass-roots effort in all schools. We need to dedicate funding, and make time available for teachers to participate in long-term collaborative learning opportunities. Teachers want to observe each other and collaborate on lessons but, unless it becomes a priority of the school, it will not happen. Time must be dedicated throughout the day that allows small groups of teachers across the board to get together and share, learn, attempt new approaches, reflect and revise. Various forms of professional learning are available, and each school must choose the one that works for them. (5) The principal as the educational leader in the school needs to be more fully engaged with the learning process of the teachers and the students. The principal should not be viewed only as the evaluator of teachers, but as a collaborator of learning and teaching. Suggestions for further research include longitudinal studies of the impact on students of long term professional development of the teachers that specifically targets science content, inquiry and evidence--based discourse.

Advanced High School Biology in an Era of Rapid Change: A Summary of the Biology Panel Report from the NRC Committee on Programs for Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in American High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, William B.

2002-01-01

A recently released National Research Council (NRC) report, "Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools", evaluated and recommended changes in the Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and other advanced secondary school science programs. As part of this study,…

Impacts of an Inquiry Teaching Method on Earth Science Students' Learning Outcomes and Attitudes at the Secondary School Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mao, Song-Ling; Chang, Chun-Yen

This paper summarizes two companion studies that were designed to investigate the impacts of an inquiry teaching method on Earth science students' achievement and attitudes towards Earth science in secondary schools. Subjects were 557 students (9th grade) enrolled in 14 Earth science classes. Two Earth science units, including topics of astronomy…

Broadening conceptions of learning science: A case study of Latina students in middle school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czech, Maria Antonina

2001-07-01

Low representation of Latinas in science research and professions, have prompted studies that document forces that promote or deter Latinas' participation. Short-term intervention studies of minority girls in secondary school sciences corroborate these findings. However, few studies examine middle school Latinas' science learning experiences that consider their ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status and language. This dissertation examines the social organization of learning in a gifted science teacher's eighth grade classroom, and the experiences of four eighth grade Latinas, as they develop their identity as science learners. Multiple ethnographic tools were utilized to collect data. The analysis of the organization of learning in the classroom, through the lenses of sociocultural and feminist theories, reflects a cohesive use of multiple social practices to promote scientific literacy. High interaction characterizes this classroom, providing positive results for the participants as science learners. The exceptionally talented science teacher scripted students' ideas on chart paper, used realia and experimentation, utilized the Spanish language as resource, maximized physical space for access to learning, and built caring relationships. The four case studies portray the diversity in the social organization of learning through the experiences of four Latinas. Individually, they developed their identity as science learners in unique ways---e.g., they utilized discourse, sought out mentoring, confronted their ethnic identity, expanded the notion of learning beyond traditional norms, became language brokers, all to achieve a level of scientific literacy. The implications of this study on research of Latinas in science education are (1) increase the use of social practice and identity in analysis, (2) include diverse groups, especially Latina scholars in research, (3) examine the benefits of primary language and translation in classrooms, (4) research mixed gender classes where discourse is encouraged, and (5) incorporate students' voice. The implications of this study on teaching are (1) develop a community of discourse and inquiry, (2) define "normal" learning in a classroom more broadly to include those labeled with learning disabilities, (3) foster caring relationships between teachers, students, and among students, (4) provide mentorship of girls and minorities within classrooms, and (5) produce assessments that align with classroom culture.

Examining motivational shifts in middle school: What deepens science motivation and what attenuates its decline?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bathgate, Meghan Elizabeth

While motivational decline towards science is common during adolescence, this dissertation asks if there are beneficial science experiences that buffer against the loss of motivation and even promote its growth. The dissertation consists of two papers (Chapter 2 & 3) with additional analyses in Chapter 4 and a summary of findings in Chapter 5. The first paper examines whether classroom science experiences are differentially associated with motivational change and science content knowledge. Using self-reports from a sample of approximately 3,000 middle school students, this study investigates the influence of perceived science classroom experiences (student engagement & perceived success), on motivational change (fascination, values, competency belief) and content learning. Controlling for demographic information, school effects, and initial levels of motivation and content knowledge, we find that dimensions of engagement (affect, behavioral-cognitive) and perceived success are differentially associated with changes in particular motivational constructs and learning. The second paper examines one of these motivational outcomes (value) in more detail. Valuing science is associated with positive learning outcomes and is often used to motivate engagement in the sciences, but less is known about what influences its development and maintenance, particularly during the critical middle school years. Using multinomial regression applied to longitudinal data from approximately 2,600 middle-school students, I test the relationship of the perceived science experiences examined in Paper 1 (affective engagement, behavioral-cognitive engagement, & perceived success) and optional formal and optional informal experiences to changes in science utility value. Furthermore, we address whether the same factors that predict growth in science value also predict absence of decline. Overall, we find that all five factors are associated with changes in value, but some have different relationships with growth vs. decline outcomes. Chapter 4 extends these findings to examine drivers of growth and decline for fascination and competency beliefs. Together, these findings provide a more nuanced view of the factors associated with science motivation and learning (both in and out of the science classroom), as well as the practical implications for educational practice.

Expanding our view of authentic learning: bridging in and out-of-school experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quigley, Cassie

2014-03-01

In this review, I explore the affordances of Wolff-Michael Roth and Pei-Ling Hsu's article, "Space, relations and the learning of science" which brings attention to a largely unexplored area of science education research—the importance of spatial organization within the laboratory. This forum piece examines the four components of authentic learning and how these components relate to the experiences presented in the original article. Then, it highlights the differences for in and out-of-school experiences as they relate to both authentic learning and episodes presented by Roth and Hsu.

Promoting interest and performance in high school science classes.

PubMed

Hulleman, Chris S; Harackiewicz, Judith M

2009-12-04

We tested whether classroom activities that encourage students to connect course materials to their lives will increase student motivation and learning. We hypothesized that this effect will be stronger for students who have low expectations of success. In a randomized field experiment with high school students, we found that a relevance intervention, which encouraged students to make connections between their lives and what they were learning in their science courses, increased interest in science and course grades for students with low success expectations. The results have implications for the development of science curricula and theories of motivation.

Concept Learning through Image Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cifuentes, Lauren; Yi-Chuan, Jane Hsieh

This study explored computer-based image processing as a study strategy for middle school students' science concept learning. Specifically, the research examined the effects of computer graphics generation on science concept learning and the impact of using computer graphics to show interrelationships among concepts during study time. The 87…

Metacognitive and Multimedia Support of Experiments in Inquiry Learning for Science Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruckermann, Till; Aschermann, Ellen; Bresges, André; Schlüter, Kirsten

2017-01-01

Promoting preservice science teachers' experimentation competency is required to provide a basis for meaningful learning through experiments in schools. However, preservice teachers show difficulties when experimenting. Previous research revealed that cognitive scaffolding promotes experimentation competency by structuring the learning process,…

The Potential Impacts of Upcoming High-Stakes Testing on the Teaching of Science in Elementary Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pringle, Rose M.; Martin, Sarah Carrier

2005-09-01

In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education in the United States issued a report called A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. This report and other policy initiatives such as the No Child Left Behind Legislation recommended that the individual states institute assessments to hold schools accountable. This research explored the potential impact of impending standardised testing on teaching science in elementary schools in one school district in Florida. We explored the teachers' concerns about the upcoming high-stakes tests in science, possible impact on their curriculum and what changes, if any, will be made in the approach to science teaching and learning in their classrooms. As the teachers look toward the implementation of high-stakes testing in science, they have recognised the need to teach science. This recognition is not borne out of the importance of science learning for elementary school children, but rather out of fear of failure and the effects of tangible rewards or punishments that accompany high-stakes testing. In anticipation, the teachers are preparing to align their teaching to the science standards while aggressively searching for test preparatory materials. Schools are also involved in professional development and structural changes to facilitate teaching of science.

A comparative study teaching chemistry using the 5E learning cycle and traditional teaching with a large English language population in a middle-school setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McWright, Cynthia Nicole

For decades science educators and educational institutions have been concerned with the status of science content being taught in K-12 schools and the delivery of the content. Thus, educational reformers in the United States continue to strive to solve the problem on how to best teach science for optimal success in learning. The constructivist movement has been at the forefront of this effort. With mandatory testing nationwide and an increase in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs with little workforce to fulfill these needs, the question of what to teach and how to teach science remains a concern among educators and all stakeholders. The purpose of this research was to determine if students' chemistry knowledge and interest can be increased by using the 5E learning cycle in a middle school with a high population of English language learners. The participants were eighth-grade middle school students in a large metropolitan area. Students participated in a month-long chemistry unit. The study was a quantitative, quasi-experimental design with a control group using a traditional lecture-style teaching strategy and an experimental group using the 5E learning cycle. Students completed a pre-and post-student attitude in science surveys, a pretest/posttest for each mini-unit taught and completed daily exit tickets using the Expert Science Teaching Educational Evaluation Model (ESTEEM) instrument to measure daily student outcomes in main idea, student inquiry, and relevancy. Analysis of the data showed that there was no statistical difference between the two groups overall, and all students experienced a gain in content knowledge overall. All students demonstrated a statistically significant difference in their interest in science class, activities in science class, and outside of school. Data also showed that scores in writing the main idea and writing inquiry questions about the content increased over time.

Teaching Triple Science: GCSE Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Learning and Skills Network (NJ3), 2007

2007-01-01

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has contracted with the Learning and Skills Network to support awareness and take-up of Triple Science GCSEs through the Triple Science Support Programme. This publication provides an introduction to teaching and learning approaches for the extension topics within GCSE Chemistry. It…

Tornado! An Event-Based Science Module. Student Edition. Meteorology Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school students to learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event-based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork, independent research, hands-on investigations, and…

Volcano!: An Event-Based Science Module. Student Edition. Geology Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school students to learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event-based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork, independent research, hands-on investigations, and…

Discussing Science in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Emily; Rosenman, Amelia

2017-01-01

Teachers who participate in the Teacher Institute on Science and Sustainability (TISS) at the California Academy of Sciences commit to intensive professional development--that is, two two-week summer sessions, four evening workshops, and four Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings throughout each school year--focused on creating more…

Promising Teacher Practices: Students' Views about Their Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moeed, Azra; Easterbrook, Matthew

2016-01-01

Internationally, conceptual and procedural understanding, understanding the Nature of Science, and scientific literacy are considered worthy goals of school science education in modern times. The empirical study presented here reports on promising teacher practices that in the students' views afford learning opportunities and support their science…

Oil Spill! An Event-Based Science Module. Student Edition. Oceanography Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Russell G.

This book is designed for middle school students to learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event-based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork, independent research, hands-on investigations, and…

Listening to middle-school Spanish-speaking English language learners: A qualitative study of their perspectives of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Ferrao, Julio E.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding and explanation of the science achievement gap between Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) and their mainstream peers. The sample of purposefully selected participants (N = 23) included students representing eight Spanish-speaking countries who attended three middle schools (grades 6th-8th), 11 boys and 12 girls, with different years of schooling in the United States, English proficiency levels, and science achievement levels. Data gathering strategies included individual interviews with participants, classroom observations, and analysis of secondary data sources on students' English language proficiency and science achievement. Data interpretation strategies using a critical-interpretive perspective consisted of coding and narrative analysis, including analyses of excerpts and case studies. Two major findings emerge from the study: (1) An inverse relation between participants' number of years of exposure to science learning in an English-only learning environment and their science achievement levels; and (2) specific participant-identified problems, such as learning the science vocabulary, writing in science, the use of mathematics in science, and the lack of sense making in the science classroom. Key recommendations comprise: (1) Acknowledging the value of dual language education; (2) supporting the science-literacy connection; (3) ensuring high-quality science through research-informed instructional strategies; and (4) assessing ELLs' science achievement.

Integrating Reading into Middle School Science: What We Did, Found and Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fang, Zhihui; Lamme, Linda; Pringle, Rose; Patrick, Jennifer; Sanders, Jennifer; Zmach, Courtney; Charbonnet, Sara; Henkel, Melissa

2008-01-01

Recent calls for border crossing between reading and science have heightened the need to support science teachers in integrating reading into science and to verify the robustness of this approach in the context of inquiry-based science. In this paper, we share what we did, found, and learned in a collaborative project in which a team of…

The Effects of Aesthetic Science Activities on Improving At-Risk Families Children's Anxiety about Learning Science and Positive Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Zuway-R.; Lin, Huann-Shyang; Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lin, Chia-Jung

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of aesthetic science activities on improving elementary school at-risk families' children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and decreasing their anxiety about learning science. Thirty-six 4th-grade children from at-risk families volunteered to participate in a 12-week intervention…

Planetary Science Educational Materials for Out-of-School Time Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barlow, Nadine G.; Clark, Joelle G.

2017-10-01

Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science (PLANETS) is a five-year NASA-funded (NNX16AC53A) interdisciplinary and cross-institutional partnership to develop and disseminate STEM out-of-school time (OST) curricular and professional development units that integrate planetary science, technology, and engineering. The Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL) and Department of Physics and Astronomy (P&A) at Northern Arizona University, the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center (USGS ASC), and the Museum of Science Boston (MoS) are partners in developing, piloting, and researching the impact of three out-of-school time units. Planetary scientists at USGS ASC and P&A have developed two units for middle grades youth and one for upper elementary aged youth. The two middle school units focus on greywater recycling and remote sensing of planetary surfaces while the elementary unit centers on exploring space hazards. All units are designed for small teams of ~4 youth to work together to investigate materials, engineer tools to assist in the explorations, and utilize what they have learned to solve a problem. Youth participate in a final share-out with adults and other youth of what they learned and their solution to the problem. Curriculum pilot testing of the two middle school units has begun with out-of-school time educators. A needs assessment has been conducted nationwide among educators and evaluation of the curriculum units is being conducted by CSTL during the pilot testing. Based on data analysis, the project is developing and testing four tiers of professional support for OST educators. Tier 1 meets the immediate needs of OST educators to teach curriculum and include how-to videos and other direct support materials. Tier 2 provides additional content and pedagogical knowledge and includes short content videos designed to specifically address the content of the curriculum. Tier 3 elaborates on best practices in education and gives guidance on methods, for example, to develop cultural relevancy for underrepresented students. Tier 4 helps make connections to other NASA or educational products that support STEM learning in out of school settings.

The Role of High School Racial Composition and Opportunities to Learn in Students' STEM College Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottia, Martha Cecilia; Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin; Giersch, Jason; Stearns, Elizabeth; Moller, Stephanie

2018-01-01

We analyze longitudinal data from students who spent their academic careers in North Carolina (NC) public secondary schools and attended NC public universities to investigate the importance of high school racial composition and opportunities to learn in secondary school for choosing a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major.…

Understanding the Complexity of Teacher Interaction in a Teacher Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjoer, Ellen; Meirink, Jacobiene

2016-01-01

In this study, we examine a professional learning community of primary school teachers developing a joint school-based curriculum for science and technology (S&T) education. Team meetings were observed over the course of one school year and the participating teachers and school head were interviewed. An essential factor in the team's…

Re-Examining the Way We Teach: The Earth System Science Education Alliance Online Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botti, J. A.; Myers, R. J.

2003-12-01

Science education reform has skyrocketed over the last decade thanks in large part to the technology of the Internet, opening up dynamic new online communities of learners. It has allowed educators worldwide to share thoughts about Earth system science and reexamine the way science is taught. The Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) is one positive offshoot of this reform effort. This developing partnership among universities, colleges, and science education organizations is led by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies and the Center for Educational TechnologiesTM at Wheeling Jesuit University. ESSEA's mission is to improve Earth system science education. ESSEA has developed three Earth system science courses for K-12 teachers. These online courses guide teachers into collaborative, student-centered science education experiences. Not only do these courses support teachers' professional development, they also help teachers implement Earth systems science content and age-appropriate pedagogical methods into their classrooms. The ESSEA semester-long courses are open to elementary, middle school, and high school educators. After three weeks of introductory content, teachers develop content and pedagogical and technological knowledge in four three-week learning cycles. The elementary school course focuses on basic Earth system interactions between land, life, air, and water. The middle school course stresses the effects of real-world events-volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, rainforest destruction-on Earth's lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, using "jigsaw" to study the interactions between events, spheres, and positive and negative feedback loops. The high school course uses problem-based learning to examine critical areas of global change, such as coral reef degradation, ozone depletion, and climate change. This ESSEA presentation provides examples of learning environments from each of the three courses.

Lost Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California Middle Schools. CenterView

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd, 2012

2012-01-01

California's middle schools have a critical role to play in furthering their students' pursuit of science learning, in high school and beyond. The rapidly changing economy, advances in technology, and the press of global challenges only increase the importance of this responsibility. The potential is there for California's middle schools to…

Effects of Web based inquiry on physical science teachers and students in an urban school district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Joanne

An inquiry approach in teaching science has been advocated by many science educators for the past few decades. Due to insufficient district funding for science teaching, inadequate science laboratory facilities, and outdated science materials, inquiry teaching has been difficult for many science teachers, particularly science teachers in urban settings. However, research shows that the availability of computers with high speed Internet access has increased in all school districts. This study focused on the effects of inservice training on teachers and using web based science inquiry activities with ninth grade physical science students. Participants were 16 science teachers and 474 physical science students in an urban school district of a large southern U.S. city. Students were divided into control and experimental groups. The students in the experimental group participated in web based inquiry activities. Students in the control group were taught using similar methods, but not web based science activities. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected over a nine-week period using instruments and focus group interviews of students' and teachers' perceptions of the classroom learning environment, students' achievement, lesson design and classroom implementation, science content of lesson, and classroom culture. The findings reported that there were no significant differences in teachers' perception of the learning environment before and after implementing web based inquiry activities. The findings also reported that there were no overall significant differences in students' perceptions of the learning environment and achievement, pre-survey to post-survey, pre-test to post-test, between the control group and experimental group. Additional findings disclosed that students in the experimental group learned in a collaborative environment. The students confirmed that collaborating with others contributed to a deeper understanding of the science content. This study provides insights about utilizing technology to promote science inquiry teaching and learning. This study describes students' and teachers' perceptions of using web based inquiry to support scientific inquiry.

Identifying Key Components of Teaching and Learning in a STEM School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Judith; Roth McDuffie, Amy; French, Brian

2015-01-01

This study was conducted at an innovative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics high school, providing a rich contextual description of the teaching and learning at the school, specifically focusing on problem solving and inquiry approaches, and students' motivation, social interactions, and collaborative work. Data were collected…

Impact of interactive online units on learning science among students with learning disabilities and English learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Gallard M., Alejandro J.; Strycker, Lisa A.; Walden, Emily D.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to document the design, classroom implementation, and effectiveness of interactive online units to enhance science learning over 3 years among students with learning disabilities, English learners, and general education students. Results of a randomised controlled trial with 2,303 middle school students and 71 teachers across 13 schools in two states indicated that online units effectively deepened science knowledge across all three student groups. Comparing all treatment and control students on pretest-to-posttest improvement on standards-based content-specific assessments, there were statistically significant mean differences (17% improvement treatment vs. 6% control; p < .001); no significant interactions were found between treatment condition and learning disability or English learner status, indicating that these two groups performed similarly to their peers; students with learning disabilities had significantly lower assessment scores overall. Teachers and students were moderately satisfied with the units.

Note-Taking Skills of Middle School Students with and without Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Joseph R.

2010-01-01

For middle school students with learning disabilities (LD), one major component of learning in content area classes, such as science, involves listening to lectures and recording notes. Lecture learning and note-taking are critical skills for students to succeed in these classes. Despite the importance of note-taking skills, no research has been…

Towards Primary School Physics Teaching and Learning: Design Research Approach. Research Report 256

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juuti, Kalle

2005-01-01

This thesis describes a project to design a primary school physics learning environment which takes into account teachers' needs, design procedures, properties of the learning environment, and pupil learning outcomes. The project's design team has wide experience in research and development work in relation to science education, the use of ICT in…

Bringing Science Public Outreach to Elementary Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Lucas; Speck, A.; Tinnin, A.

2012-01-01

Many science "museums” already offer fantastic programs for the general public, and even some aimed at elementary school kids. However, these venues are usually located in large cities and are only occasionally used as tools for enriching science education in public schools. Here we present preliminary work to establish exciting educational enrichment environments for public schools that do not easily have access to such facilities. This program is aimed at motivating children's interest in science beyond what they learn in the classroom setting. In this program, we use the experience and experiments/demonstrations developed at a large science museum (in this case, The St. Louis Science Center) and take them into a local elementary school. At the same time, students from the University of Missouri are getting trained on how to present these outreach materials and work with the local elementary schools. Our pilot study has started with implementation of presentations/demonstrations at Benton Elementary School within the Columbia Public School district, Missouri. The school has recently adopted a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) centered learning system throughout all grade levels (K-5), and is therefore receptive to this effort. We have implemented a program in which we have given a series of scientific demonstrations at each grade level's lunch hour. Further enrichment ideas and plans include: addition demonstrations, hands-on experiments, and question and answer sessions. However, the application of these events would be to compliment the curriculum for the appropriate grade level at that time. The focus of this project is to develop public communications which links science museums, college students and local public schools with an emphasis on encouraging college science majors to share their knowledge and to strengthen their ability to work in a public environment.

Outdoor Adventures: Tracking Eastern Box Turtles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somers, Ann Berry; Matthews, Catherine E.; Bennett, Kristin R.; Seymour, Sarah; Rucker, John

2003-01-01

A thematic and hands-on approach to learning ensures that students develop a deeper understanding and retain information longer. Bouillion and Gomez (2001) argue that real-world problems and school-community partnerships help engage students to connect with school science. When there is a disconnect between the activities of school science and…