An Exploration of Teachers' Efforts to Understand Identity Work and its Relevance to Science Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. Cecil; Darfler, Anne

2012-06-01

US educators express concern that students are turning away from the study of science and have little interest in pursuing science careers. Nationally, science achievement scores for 8th graders are unchanged since 1996, but 12th graders' scores have significantly decreased. A shortcoming of education reform efforts is lack of attention to students' developmental needs. Science study should enable students to learn about themselves—to develop and refine their skills, define their values, explore personal interests, and understand the importance of science to themselves and others. Effective secondary science instruction requires attention to students' identity development—the key developmental task of adolescence. Secondary science teachers participated in an 8-week course focused on understanding adolescent identity development and methods for addressing identity. Transcripts of the teachers' online discussions of salient issues were analyzed to determine their perceptions regarding classroom identity work. Teachers identified several assets and obstacles to identity work that were organized into two broad categories: teacher knowledge, training opportunities, and administrative support, or lack of these; and, presence of inflexible curricula, standardized testing regimes, and increased teacher accountability. Implications for student growth and science teacher professional development are discussed.

Engaging Undergraduates in Social Science Research: The Taking the Pulse of Saskatchewan Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berdahl, Loleen

2014-01-01

Although student involvement in research and inquiry can advance undergraduate learning, there are limited opportunities for undergraduate students to be directly involved in social science research. Social science faculty members typically work outside of laboratory settings, with the limited research assistance work being completed by graduate…

Cooperative Learning about Nature of Science with a Case from the History of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfensberger, Balz; Canella, Claudia

2015-01-01

This paper reports a predominantly qualitative classroom study on cooperative learning about nature of science (NOS) using a case from the history of science. The purpose of the research was to gain insight into how students worked with the historical case study during cooperative group work, how students and teachers assessed the teaching unit,…

Findings from Five Years Investigating Science Literacy and Where Students Get their Information about Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Impey, C. D.; Nieberding, M. N.; Romine, J. M.; Antonellis, J. C.; Llull, J.; Tijerino, K.; Collaborations of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS)

2014-01-01

Supported by funding from NSF, we have been investigating the science literacy of undergraduate students using data collected from 1980 -2013. To date, we have collected over 12,000 surveys asking students about their foundational science knowledge as well as their attitudes towards science and technology topics. In 2012, we began investigating where students get their information about science and we have collected 30 interviews and almost 1000 survey responses. Our findings reveal that students’ science literacy, as measured by this instrument, has changed very little over the 23 years of data collection despite major educational innovations offered to students. A fraction of students continue to hold onto non-scientific beliefs, coupled with faith-based attitudes and beliefs, which are resistant to formal college instruction. Analysis of students’ open-ended responses show that although students use words often associated with science, they lack understandings of key aspects of science including the importance of evidence to support arguments and the need for replication of results. These results have important implications about how we teach science and how we assess students’ scientific understandings during class. Our recent work has shown that students use online sources to gain information about science for classes their own interests. Despite this, they rate professors and researchers as more reliable sources of scientific knowledge than online sources. This disconnect raises questions about how educators can work with students to provide knowledge in ways that are both accessible and reliable and how to help students sort knowledge in an age where everything can be found online. This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

The effect of a science work experience program for teachers on the classroom environment: A qualitative program evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frazier, Wendy Michelle

Science Work Experience Programs for Teachers (SWEPTs) provide an opportunity for science and math teachers to work in research laboratories during the summer to experience science as it is practiced in the laboratory-setting. Through the use of interviews with teachers and students, classroom observations, and an analysis of printed student sheets and student work, the lived experience of a cohort of program participants in Columbia University's Summer Research Program for Secondary School Science Teachers was recorded in an effort to describe the effect of experience in a SWEPT on the classroom environment of teacher participants and student outcomes. Relying on Social Learning Theory and science education reform documentation as a theoretical framework the following dimensions of the classroom were examined: (1) emergent themes that include the participants' perceptions of the importance of technology in the classroom, (2) interpersonal relationships with the teachers at the participants' schools, fellow program participants, research scientists, and students, and (3) changes in epistemological structure, curriculum, instructional strategies, and classroom practices. Methodological and theoretical implications are addressed with respect to future studies, and suggestions for refinement of SWEPTs are provided.

Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume VI, 2006

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

Faletra, P.; Schuetz, A.; Cherkerzian, D.

Students who conducted research at DOE National Laboratories during 2005 were invited to include their research abstracts, and for a select few, their completed research papers in this Journal. This Journal is direct evidence of students collaborating with their mentors. Fields in which these students worked include: Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Engineering; Environmental Science; General Sciences; Materials Sciences; Medical and Health Sciences; Nuclear Sciences; Physics; and Science Policy.

Sharing Ideas: Making Earth and Space Science Accessible

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runyon, C. J.; Guimond, K.; Atkinson, C.

2005-12-01

There are nearly six million K-12 students with some form of disability in the U.S. and the majority of them are required to achieve the same academic levels as their non-impaired peers. Historically, students with disabilities have experienced difficulties in fully accessing and participating in middle school and high school science programs. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and increasing focus on reading and math performance, many students with exceptional needs are now being taught science by mainstream science teachers, who have little to no training on how to work with students with exceptional needs. For the past 5 years, SERCH has engaged in organizing and hosting a series of Exceptional Space Science Materials for Exceptional Students Workshops (ENWS) focused on educating students with special needs about the space sciences. Each workshop has focused on a different aspect of formal and informal education and working with the various special needs. In all of these workshops, participants experience what a person or student with special needs might encounter when working through educational activities or exhibits by experiencing it first-hand. In addition to making many of NASA's education materials accessible for all learners, a top-ten list of "best practices" has been compiled by the professional educators as a result of our working together for five years and their formal and informal educational experiences.

Integrating the history of science into a middle school science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huybrechts, Jeanne Marie

This study examined the effect of incorporating the history of science into a middle school physical science curriculum on student attitudes toward science and the work of scientists. While there is wide support for including some science history in middle school science lessons within both the science and science-education communities, there is little curriculum designed to meet that objective. A series of five lessons was written specifically for the study. Each lesson included a brief biography of a scientist whose work was of historical significance, and a set of directions for duplicating one or more of the experiments done by that scientist. A thirty-question, Likert scale survey of the attitudes of middle school students toward science and the work of scientists was also written for this study. The survey was administered to two groups of students in a single middle school: One group---the experimental group---subsequently used the science history curriculum; the second (control) group did not. The same attitude survey was readministered to both groups of students after study of the science-history curriculum was completed. The results of the study indicate that there was no statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of either the experimental or control group students. Further analysis was done to determine whether there were differences between the pretest and posttest scores of boys and girls, or between "regular" or "honors" students. In both cases no statistically significant difference was found.

What Students Say about Homework--Views from a Secondary School Science Classroom in Trinidad and Tobago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maharaj-Sharma, Rawatee; Sharma, Amrit

2016-01-01

Students' experiences with homework started the moment they enter the schooling system, yet very little is known about how students view homework. In this work, science students' views of homework, and the factors or experiences that have influenced their views of homework are explored. The participants for this work were 34 secondary school…

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…

Meeting the Capstone Challenge in Postgraduate Food Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McSweeney, Peter; Calvo, Joaquin; Santhanam-Martin, Michael; Billman-Jacobe, Helen

2017-01-01

Project work and work placements can help prepare tertiary food science students for the workplace. Programs in the curriculum should support the development of transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving, and planning. This paper describes a case study of a new capstone project for Masters of Food Science students based on a work…

Enhancing the Student Experiment Experience: Visible Scientific Inquiry Through a Virtual Chemistry Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Dermot; O'Reilly, John; McGarr, Oliver

2013-08-01

Practical work is often noted as a core reason many students take on science in secondary schools (high schools). However, there are inherent difficulties associated with classroom practical work that militate against scientific inquiry, an approach espoused by many science educators. The use of interactive simulations to facilitate student inquiry has emerged as a complement to practical work. This study presents case studies of four science teachers using a virtual chemistry laboratory (VCL) with their students in an explicitly guided inquiry manner. Research tools included the use of the Inquiry Science Implementation Scale in a `talk-aloud' manner, Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol for video observations, and teacher interviews. The findings suggest key aspects of practical work that hinder teachers in adequately supporting inquiry and highlight where a VCL can overcome many of these difficulties. The findings also indicate considerations in using the VCL in its own right.

From the Field to the Classroom: Developing Scientifically Literate Citizens Using the Understanding Global Change Framework in Education and Citizen Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toupin, C.; Bean, J. R.; Gavenus, K.; Johnson, H.; Toupin, S.

2017-12-01

With the copious amount of science and pseudoscience reported on by non-experts in the media, it is critical for educators to help students develop into scientifically literate citizens. One of the most direct ways to help students develop deep scientific understanding and the skills to critically question the information they encounter is to bring science into their daily experiences and to contextualize scientific inquiry within the classroom. Our work aims to use a systems-based models approach to engage students in science, in both formal and informal contexts. Using the Understanding Global Change (UGC) and the Understanding Science models developed at the Museum of Paleontology at UC Berkeley, high school students from Arizona were tasked with developing a viable citizen science program for use at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies in Homer, Alaska. Experts used the UGC model to help students define why they were doing the work, and give context to the importance of citizen science. Empowered with an understanding of the scientific process, excited by the purpose of their work and how it could contribute to the scientific community, students whole-heartedly worked together to develop intertidal monitoring protocols for two locations while staying at Peterson Bay Field Station, Homer. Students, instructors, and scientists used system models to communicate and discuss their understanding of the biological, physical, and chemical processes in Kachemak Bay. This systems-based models approach is also being used in an integrative high school physics, chemistry, and biology curriculum in a truly unprecedented manner. Using the Understanding Global Change framework to organize curriculum scope and sequence, the course addresses how the earth systems work, how interdisciplinary science knowledge is necessary to understand those systems, and how scientists and students can measure changes within those systems.

Developing Student Science and Information Literacy through Contributions to the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) Wiki

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guertin, L. A.; Farley, I.; Geary, A.

2016-12-01

Introductory-level Earth science courses provide the opportunity for science and non-science majors to expand discipline-specific content knowledge while enhancing skill sets applicable to all disciplines. The outcomes of the student work can then benefit the education and outreach efforts of an international organization - in this case, a wiki devoted exclusively to the geosciences, managed by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). The course Environment Earth at Penn State Brandywine is a general education science course with the overarching course goal for students to understand, communicate examples, and make informed decisions relating to big ideas and fundamental concepts of Earth science. To help accomplish this goal, students carry out a semester-long digital engaged scholarship project that benefits the users of the SEG Wiki (http://wiki.seg.org/). To begin with developing the literacy of students and their ability to read, interpret, and evaluate sources of scientific news, the first assignment requires students to write an annotated bibliography on a specific topic that serves as the foundation for a new SEG Wiki article. Once students have collected and summarized information from reliable sources, students learn how writing for a wiki is different than writing a term paper and begin drafting their wiki page. Students peer review each other's work for content and clarity before publishing their work on the SEG wiki. Students respond positively to this project, reporting a better understanding of and respect towards the authors of online wiki pages, as well as an overall satisfaction of knowing their work will benefit others. Links to student-generated pages and instructional materials can be found at: http://sites.psu.edu/segwiki/.

An Outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis among Veterinary Science Students Who Work with Calves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preiser, Gary; Preiser, Lynda; Madeo, Leslie

2003-01-01

The authors describe an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis among students working with calves as part of their veterinary science technology program. After an off-campus provider identified an index case, school authorities requested cryptosporidium (crypto) as part of the stool ova and parasite examination of all students presenting to the college…

Real Science, Real Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Becky

2017-01-01

The Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) was set up to give science students the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research projects. Teachers and students can access data and equipment that enable them to tackle real-life issues. As a result, not only do students gain in confidence and experience in their scientific work, they are also able…

An Ongoing Investigation of Science Literacy: Results of a 22-Year Study Probing Students' Knowledge and Attitude Towards Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, C.; Buxner, S.; Antonellis, J.; CATS

2013-04-01

This talk presents findings related to our ongoing work investigating students' knowledge and attitudes towards science and technology. We present an overview of research studies and findings including a comparison of the science literacy measures of University of Arizona students compared to national studies, conceptions related to astrology, views of radiation, and students' pseudoscience and religious beliefs. We discuss implications for instructors and researchers interested in improving students' science literacy scores and diagnosing alternative beliefs.

Where do Students Go Wrong in Applying the Scientific Method?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubbo, Louis; Moore, Christopher

2015-04-01

Non-science majors completing a liberal arts degree are frequently required to take a science course. Ideally with the completion of a required science course, liberal arts students should demonstrate an improved capability in the application of the scientific method. In previous work we have demonstrated that this is possible if explicit instruction is spent on the development of scientific reasoning skills. However, even with explicit instruction, students still struggle to apply the scientific process. Counter to our expectations, the difficulty is not isolated to a single issue such as stating a testable hypothesis, designing an experiment, or arriving at a supported conclusion. Instead students appear to struggle with every step in the process. This talk summarizes our work looking at and identifying where students struggle in the application of the scientific method. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1244801.

Urban Middle School Students' Reflections on Authentic Science Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivera Maulucci, María S.; Brown, Bryan A.; Grey, Salina T.; Sullivan, Shayna

2014-01-01

This study explores the experiences of six urban middle school students in an authentic science inquiry program. Drawing on data including teaching journal entries, student work folders, and semi-structured focus group interviews of six participants, the findings explore six dimensions of authentic science inquiry, an approach to science inquiry…

Students' Representations of Scientific Practice during a Science Internship: Reflections from an Activity-Theoretic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Pei-Ling; van Eijck, Michiel; Roth, Wolff-Michael

2010-01-01

Working at scientists' elbows is one suggestion that educators make to improve science education, because such "authentic experiences" provide students with various types of science knowledge. However, there is an ongoing debate in the literature about the assumption that authentic science activities can enhance students' understandings…

Regiomontanus or learning how to play with science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marian, Anca-Catalina

2016-04-01

Although at the international school competitions, Romanian students are in the top, but few students decide to learn science in school. The major problem is "how to motivate students to study science?" In cooperation with Meridian Zero Astroclub, Oradea, we provide students non-formal space where non-formal activities can approach them to the work of a researcher. Five days in September, ten to fifteen students are invited in a journey through the science world. • Formation of the Moon's craters • Solar radiation • Solar cycles • Constellations • Solar System • Eratosthenes experiment These topics are examples from our activities. Working with students from 4 years old to 18 years old, all activities are developed in the form of games, combining mathematical skills with physics or astronomy. Older students are put in the position of teachers for younger students. Results: A better understanding of physical processes, a higher interest in science, a better application of mathematical concepts in class.

Ocean Science in a K-12 setting: Promoting Inquiry Based Science though Graduate Student and Teacher Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodico, J. M.; Greely, T.; Lodge, A.; Pyrtle, A.; Ivey, S.; Madeiros, A.; Saleem, S.

2005-12-01

The University of South Florida, College of Marine Science Oceans: GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program is successfully enriching science learning via the oceans. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program provides a unique opportunity among scientists and K-12 teachers to interact with the intention of bringing ocean science concepts and research to the classroom environment enhance the experience of learning and doing science, and to promote `citizen scientists' for the 21st century. The success of the program relies heavily on the extensive summer training program where graduate students develop teaching skills, create inquiry based science activities for a summer Oceanography Camp for Girls program and build a relationship with their mentor teacher. For the last year and a half, two graduate students from the College of Marine Science have worked in cooperation with teachers from the Pinellas county School District, Southside Fundamental Middle School. Successful lesson plans brought into a 6th grade Earth Science classroom include Weather and climate: Global warming, The Geologic timescale: It's all about time, Density: Layering liquids, and Erosion processes: What moves water and sediment. The school and students have benefited greatly from the program experiencing hands-on inquiry based science and the establishment of an after school science club providing opportunities for students to work on their science fair projects and pursuit other science interests. Students are provided scoring rubrics and their progress is creatively assessed through KWL worksheets, concept maps, surveys, oral one on one and classroom discussions and writing samples. The year culminated with a series of hands on lessons at the nearby beach, where students demonstrated their mastery of skills through practical application. Benefits to the graduate student include improved communication of current science research to a diverse audience, a better understanding of the perspective of teachers and their content knowledge, and experience working with children and youth. The GK-12 teacher mentor benefits include a resource of inquiry based ocean science activities and increased knowledge of current scientific ocean research. The K-12 students gain an opportunity to be engage with young passionate scientists, learn about current ocean science research, and experience inquiry based science activities relating to concepts already being taught in their classroom. This program benefits all involved including the graduate students, the teachers, the K-12 students and the community.

Using the Science Writing Heuristic to Improve Students' Understanding of General Equilibrium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudd, James A., II; Greenbowe, Thomas J.; Hand, Brian M.

2007-01-01

This study compared the performance of students using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach and students using a standard or traditional laboratory curriculum on lecture exams and a laboratory practical exam on a specific topic, chemical equilibrium. The SWH helps students do inquiry science laboratory work by structuring the laboratory…

First-Year University Science and Engineering Students' Understanding of Plagiarism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeo, Shelley

2007-01-01

This paper is a case study of first-year science and engineering students' understandings of plagiarism. Students were surveyed for their views on scenarios illustrating instances of plagiarism in the context of the academic work and assessment of science and engineering students. The aim was to explore their understandings of plagiarism and their…

Computer Technology-Integrated Projects Should not Supplant Craft Projects in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klopp, Tabatha J.; Rule, Audrey C.; Suchsland Schneider, Jean; Boody, Robert M.

2014-03-01

The current emphasis on computer technology integration and narrowing of the curriculum has displaced arts and crafts. However, the hands-on, concrete nature of craft work in science modeling enables students to understand difficult concepts and to be engaged and motivated while learning spatial, logical, and sequential thinking skills. Analogy use is also helpful in understanding unfamiliar, complex science concepts. This study of 28 academically advanced elementary to middle-school students examined student work and perceptions during a science unit focused on four fossil organisms: crinoid, brachiopod, horn coral and trilobite. The study compared: (1) analogy-focused instruction to independent Internet research and (2) computer technology-rich products to crafts-based products. Findings indicate student products were more creative after analogy-based instruction and when made using technology. However, students expressed a strong desire to engage in additional craft work after making craft products and enjoyed making crafts more after analogy-focused instruction. Additionally, more science content was found in the craft products than the technology-rich products. Students expressed a particular liking for two of the fossil organisms because they had been modeled with crafts. The authors recommend that room should be retained for crafts in the science curriculum to model science concepts.

An analysis of factors that lead to better learning in an integrated and interdisciplinary course on climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, D. E.; Lyford, M.; Schmidt, L. O.; Bowles-Terry, M.

2012-12-01

Climate change education presents many challenges to college educators due to the interdisciplinary nature of the issue as well as the social and political context and implications. This presents multiple barriers to learning for the student, both because it is difficult to address all scientific components in one course, and because many students have strong preconceived feelings or beliefs about climate change. A further barrier to learning for non-science majors is that very often the number of required science courses is low and a highly complex issue such as climate change is difficult to address in introductory science courses. To attempt to address these issues a course for non-science majors, Life Science 1002, Discovering Science, at the University of Wyoming was created as an interdisciplinary and integrated science course that includes a lecture component as well as weekly lab and discussion sections. Our previous work has shown a clear change in the reference sources used by non-science majors when referring to complex topics; namely, students increase their use of scientific journals when they are shown how to use scientific journals and students also report a correlated decrease in non-peer reviewed sources (ie, radio, newspapers, TV). We seek to expand on this work by using pre- and post-topic student surveys in the course at the University of Wyoming to directly measure student performance in different components of the course. The course has enrollment between 120 and 130 students, with nearly equal distribution between grade levels and a wide sampling of non-science majors or undeclared majors. For this work we will use a non-quantitative survey of students to find out which part of the course (lecture, lab or discussion) is most effective for student learning. Further, quantitative analysis of which factors of the student body (class standing, major, gender, background and personal beliefs) will be correlated to help predict who achieved the best and we will apply a non-quantitative analysis to determine which section of the student body had difficulties and why. This work will show other higher education instructors both the methodology and results from this study of the interdisciplinary course on climate change. While this work is limited in only focusing on one introductory course, the large number of students and the diversity of those students allow for a study of which factors in the course are best for student learning.

Teaching Galileo? Get to Know Riccioli! What a Forgotten Italian Astronomer Can Teach Students about How Science Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graney, Christopher M.

2012-01-01

What can physics students learn about science from those scientists who got the answers wrong? Your students probably have encountered little science history. What they have encountered probably has portrayed scientists as "The People with the Right Answers." But those who got the wrong answers can teach students that in science, answers are often…

Student Journalists in the Field: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glotch, T. D.; Jones, A. P.; Bleacher, L.; Selvin, B.; Firstman, R.

2015-12-01

The Remote, In Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration (RIS4E) team is one of nine nodes of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. A core goal of the RIS4E Education and Communication (E&C) plan is to increase the accessibility of science to the general public, both by teaching scientists how to communicate their work to the public and by training the next generation of science journalists. During the Spring 2015 semester, eight Stony Brook University journalism students, ranging from Sophomores through M.A. students, participated in a new Science Journalism course in the School of Journalism. During the semester, the students learned about the science being conducted by the RIS4E team, took field trips to labs, interviewed scientists and graduate students, and produced print and video pieces about the science and the scientists. As a capstone project, five of the students, along with a professor and TA, were embedded with the RIS4E field geology team during their 2015 field season at the 1974 Kilauea lava flow on the Big Island of Hawaii. During their time in Hawaii, the journalism students had complete access to the field team, both during work and after-work hours. For each of the students, it was their first exposure to the practice of science, made possible through the experience of watching scientists formulate and test hypotheses in real time. They posted daily blog updates about the work being done by the field team and acquired dozens of hours of video footage to be produced into longer pieces. This presentation will describe the unique Stony Brook Science Journalism course and the experiences of the students both in the classroom and in the field. We will highlight both the successes and the lessons learned, for both the students and the scientists involved, and discuss our plans to conduct a second class in 2017, when the students will accompany the RIS4E field team to the Potrillo Volcanic Field in New Mexico.

Mars mission program for primary students: Building student and teacher skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathers, Naomi; Pakakis, Michael; Christie, Ian

2011-09-01

The Victorian Space Science Education Centre (VSSEC) scenario-based programs, including the Mission to Mars and Mission to the Orbiting Space Laboratory, utilize methodologies such as hands-on applications, immersive learning, integrated technologies, critical thinking and mentoring. The use of a scenario provides a real-life context and purpose to what students might otherwise consider disjointed information. These programs engage students in the areas of maths and science, and highlight potential career paths in science and engineering. The introduction of a scenario-based program for primary students engages students in maths and science at a younger age, addressing the issues of basic numeracy and science literacy, thus laying the foundation for stronger senior science initiatives. Primary students absorb more information within the context of the scenario, and presenting information they can see, hear, touch and smell creates a memorable learning and sensory experience. The mission also supports development of teacher skills in the delivery of hands-on science and helps build their confidence to teach science. The Primary Mission to the Mars Base gives primary school students access to an environment and equipment not available in schools. Students wear flight suits for the duration of the program to immerse them in the experience of being an astronaut. Astronauts work in the VSSEC Space Laboratory, which is transformed into a Mars base for the primary program, to conduct experiments in areas such as robotics, human physiology, microbiology, nanotechnology and environmental science. Specialist mission control software has been developed by La Trobe University Centre for Games Technology to provide age appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based problem solving and support the concept of a mission. Students in Mission Control observe the astronauts working in the space laboratory and talk to them via the AV system. This interactive environment promotes high order thinking skills such as problem solving, team work, communication skills and leadership. To promote the teaching of science in the classroom, and prepare the students for their mission, the program includes a pre-visit program. These classroom-based lessons model best practice in effective science teaching and learning to support the development of confident primary science teachers.

Investigating Elementary Teachers' Thinking About and Learning to Notice Students' Science Ideas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luna, Melissa Jo

Children naturally use observations and everyday thinking to construct explanations as to why phenomena happen in the world. Science instruction can benefit by starting with these ideas to help children build coherent scientific understandings of how the physical world works. To do so, science teaching must involve attending to students' ideas so that those ideas become the basis for learning. Yet while science education reform requires teachers to pay close attention to their students' ideas, we know little about what teachers think this means in practice. To examine this issue, my dissertation research is two-fold. First, I examine teacher thinking by investigating how teachers understand what it means to pay attention to students' science ideas. Specifically, using new digital technology, three participating teachers captured moments of student thinking in the midst of instruction. Analysis of these moments reveals that teachers capture many different kinds of moments containing students' ideas and think about students' science ideas in different ways at different times. In particular, these three teachers most often think about students' ideas as being (a) from authority, (b) from experience, and (c) under construction. Second, I examine teacher learning through the development of an innovative science teaching video club model. The model differs from previous research on video clubs in several key ways in an attempt to focus teachers on student thinking in a sustained way. I investigate the ways in which this model was effective for engaging teachers in noticing and making sense of their students' science ideas during one implementation. Results indicate that teachers talked about student thinking early, often, and in meaningful ways. Science education leaders have recognized the potential of science teaching video clubs as a form of professional development, and the model presented in this work promotes the conditions for successful teacher learning. This work contributes to research on teacher cognition by advancing what we know about teachers' understanding of attending to students' science ideas. In addition, it provides practical information concerning the design of teacher professional development supporting their learning to attend closely to the ideas students raise about scientific phenomena.

`Am I Like a Scientist?': Primary children's images of doing science in school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Junqing; Jocz, Jennifer Ann; Tan, Aik-Ling

2014-03-01

A considerable body of evidence highlights how inquiry-based science can enhance students' epistemic and conceptual understanding of scientific concepts, principles, and theories. However, little is known about how students view themselves as learners of science. In this paper, we explore primary children's images of doing science in school and how they compare themselves with 'real' scientists. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire, drawing activity, and interviews from 161 Grade 4 (ages 9-10) students in Singapore. Results indicate that 'doing science as conducting hands-on investigations', 'doing science as learning from the teacher', 'doing science as completing the workbook', and 'doing science as a social process' are the images of learning science in school that most of the students held. In addition, students reported that they need to be well behaved first and foremost, while scientists are more likely to work alone and do things that are dangerous. Moreover, students often viewed themselves as 'acting like a scientist' in class, especially when they were doing experiments. Nevertheless, some students reported that they were unlike a scientist because they believed that scientists work alone with dangerous experiments and do not need to listen to the teacher and complete the workbook. These research findings further confirm the earlier argument that young children can make distinctions between school science and 'real' science. This study suggests that the teaching of science as inquiry and by inquiry will shape how students view their classroom experiences and their attitudes towards science.

The effect of historical, non-fiction, trade books on third-grade students' perceptions of scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farland, Donna Lynn

Researchers do not know what, if any, specific influence such stereotypical images have on the shaping of children's perceptions in science (Schibeci & Sorenson, 1983), but the indications are that stereotypical images translate into negative perceptions of science. Commonly held stereotypic images are in direct opposition to what students should understand about science as identified by the National Science Education Standards (1996) in which learning about 'Science as a Human Endeavor' begins as early as grades K--4. Nationally, many schools are moving toward kit-based science instruction, which generally consists of a series of guided discovery activities that lead children toward description and understanding of scientific phenomena. It is proposed that by supplementing these kits with historical, non-fiction, trade books, children will gain a broader understanding of the diversity of scientists, their work, and the variety of places science is done. No studies, to date, have been conducted to examine students' understanding of the concepts included in 'Science as a Human Endeavor' as they receive kit-based science instruction. This research has been designed to answer the following question: Does the inclusion of historical, non-fiction, trade books, presenting scientists as people working with or developing an idea, as part of kit-based science instruction influence third grade students' representations of the contemporary scientist and his/her work? It was found that students who were read historical, non-fiction, trade books in conjunction with kit-based instruction demonstrated significant differences in their drawings of scientists from those produced by students who were not exposed to the trade books with respect to two criteria; appearance of scientists, and the activity performed by scientists. This study also revealed that students were able to maintain the improvement in their representations of scientists four weeks after the intervention had ended. This study indicates that there is a need for explicit teaching of the concepts of 'Science as a Human Endeavor'. It is suggested that historical, non-fiction, trade books provide the means by which third grade students gain a broader understanding of who does science and what their work involves. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The Technology and Society Internship Directory. A Comprehensive Guide to Washington, DC Internships, 1985-1986. First Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabonis-Chafee, Terry, Ed.

Information is presented on internships in the Washington, D.C., area that enable students to explore the effects of technology and science on society. Science and engineering student interns work in nonlaboratory environments, and nontechnical students may work in issue areas and newly emerging public policy challenges. The directory includes…

Identifying and Addressing Student Difficulties and Misconceptions: Examples from Physics and from Materials Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenblatt, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Here I present my work identifying and addressing student difficulties with several materials science and physics topics. In the first part of this thesis, I present my work identifying student difficulties and misconceptions about the directional relationships between net force, velocity, and acceleration in one dimension. This is accomplished…

The Impact of Work-Integrated Learning Experiences on Attaining Graduate Attributes for Exercise and Sports Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Melinda; Pascoe, Deborah; Charity, Megan

2017-01-01

Exercise and Sports Science (E&SS) programs at Federation University Australia provide work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for students to develop, apply and consolidate theoretical knowledge in the workplace. This study aimed to determine the influence of WIL experiences on achieving common graduate attributes for E&SS students.…

Increasing Engagement in Science through an Authentic Crop Protection Experiment for Year 9 School Students Working with Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Richard; Rybak, Kasia; Gruber, Cornelia; Nicholls, Graeme; Roberts, Graeme; Mengler, Janet; Oliver, Mary

2011-01-01

Practical work is often considered to be a highlight of science classes for students. However, there are few opportunities for students to engage in an investigation which is situated in a real world problem and students are required to contribute their own ideas to the design and conduct of an experiment. This paper reports on a Scientists in…

A program to enhance k-12 science education in ten rural New York school districts.

PubMed

Goodell, E; Visco, R; Pollock, P

1999-04-01

The Rural Partnership for Science Education, designed by educators and scientists in 1991 with funding from the National Institutes of Health, works in two rural New York State counties with students and their teachers from kindergarten through grade 12 to improve pre-college science education. The Partnership is an alliance among ten rural New York school districts and several New York State institutions (e.g., a regional academic medical center; the New York Academy of Sciences; and others), and has activities that involve around 4,800 students and 240 teachers each year. The authors describe the program's activities (e.g., summer workshops for teachers; science exploration camps for elementary and middle-school students; enrichment activities for high school students). A certified science education specialist directs classroom demonstrations throughout the academic year to support teachers' efforts to integrate hands-on activities into the science curriculum. A variety of evaluations over the years provides strong evidence of the program's effectiveness in promoting students' and teachers' interest in science. The long-term goal of the Partnership is to inspire more rural students to work hard, learn science, and enter the medical professions.

From Bench to Bedside: A Communal Utility Value Intervention to Enhance Students' Biomedical Science Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Elizabeth R.; Smith, Jessi L.; Thoman, Dustin B.; Allen, Jill M.; Muragishi, Gregg

2015-01-01

Motivating students to pursue science careers is a top priority among many science educators. We add to the growing literature by examining the impact of a utility value intervention to enhance student's perceptions that biomedical science affords important utility work values. Using an expectancy-value perspective, we identified and tested 2…

Students' Regulation of Their Emotions in a Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomas, Louisa; Rigano, Donna; Ritchie, Stephen M.

2016-01-01

Research aimed at understanding the role of the affective domain in student learning in classrooms has undergone a recent resurgence due to the need to understand students' affective response to science instruction. In a case study of a year 8 science class in North Queensland, students worked in small groups to write, film, edit, and produce…

The Role of Humor in Learning Physics: A Study of Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berge, Maria

2017-01-01

We all know that they do it, but what do students laugh "about" when learning science together? Although research has shown that students do use humor when they learn science, the role of humor in science education has received little attention. In this study, undergraduate students' laughter during collaborative work in physics has been…

Engaging Students in Science: Turtle Nestwatch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Elaine; Baudains, Catherine; Mansfield, Caroline

2009-01-01

Involving students in authentic science work is one way to enhance their interest in science. This paper reports a project in which Year 4-7 students actively participated in a study that involved the provision of a suitable nesting site for local turtles. The students collected data on turtle nests at the site and evidence of turtle hatchlings at…

What do primary students know about science, scientists and how they do their work?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartels, Selina L.

The teaching of scientific literacy is the primary goal of elementary science education. Scientific literacy is composed of the overall understanding of what science is and how scientific knowledge is developed. The purpose of this study was to see if elementary students' understandings of science, scientists and how scientists do their work changes from grade one to grade five of elementary school. Furthermore, the study attempts to determine whether there is a difference in scientific literacy between students taught using a textbook curriculum versus a kit-based curriculum. The study draws on a sample of 338 students from 18 different classrooms situated in six different schools in both urban and suburban areas of a large Midwestern city. Students' understandings of science, scientists and how they do their work was measured through a valid and reliable oral protocol entitled Young Children's Views of Science (YCVS) (Lederman, J., Bartels, Lederman, & Ganankkan, 2014). The YCVS assesses students' understandings of the aspects of scientific inquiry (SI) and the nature of science (NOS) that young elementary students are able to understand. These aspects are; science, scientists, multiple methods, observation/inference, begins with a question, empirical, subjectivity, tentativeness and creativity. The YCVS was administered orally for grade one students, and a paper-and-pencil version was given to grades three and five. Results indicated that there are very few gains in NOS and SI understandings between grades one and five in the schools included in this study. None of the schools in this study made significant gains for all of the nine aspects measured in this study. Examining curriculum's affect on NOS and SI understandings, understanding of only one aspect was significantly impacted by curriculum differences. Subjectivity understanding was impacted by kit-based instruction. Overall, students' understandings of science, scientists and how they do their work did not significantly change from grade one to grade five regardless of what type of curriculum they followed. This study shows that students' scientific literacy is not being developed throughout elementary school. Therefore, the teaching of scientific literacy in an explicit and reflective manner should be the focus of preservice elementary school education.

Energy matters: An investigation of drama pedagogy in the science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alrutz, Megan

The purpose of this study is to explore and document how informal and improvisational drama techniques affect student learning in the science classroom. While implementing a drama-based science unit, I examined multiple notions of learning, including, but not limited to, traditional notions of achievement, student understanding, student participation in the science classroom, and student engagement with, and knowledge of, science content. Employing an interpretivist research methodology, as outlined by Fredrick Erickson for qualitative analysis in the classroom, I collected data through personal observations; student and teacher interviews; written, artistic and performed class work; video-recorded class work; written tests; and questionnaires. In analyzing the data, I found strong support for student engagement during drama-based science instruction. The drama-based lessons provided structures that drew students into lessons, created enthusiasm for the science curriculum, and encouraged meaningful engagement with, and connections to, the science content, including the application and synthesis of science concepts and skills. By making student contributions essential to each of the lessons, and by challenging students to justify, explain, and clarify their understandings within a dramatic scenario, the classroom facilitators created a conducive learning environment that included both support for student ideas and intellectual rigor. The integration of drama-based pedagogy most affected student access to science learning and content. Students' participation levels, as well as their interest in both science and drama, increased during this drama-based science unit. In addition, the drama-based lessons accommodated multiple learning styles and interests, improving students' access to science content and perceptions of their learning experience and abilities. Finally, while the drama-based science lessons provided multiple opportunities for solidifying understanding of the science content, the data also revealed missed opportunities for sense-making within the delivery of several drama-based science lessons. In conclusion, this study demonstrates how the integration of drama and science prepares students for seeking, accessing, and organizing information in different ways, providing multiple means for students to build knowledge and understanding for actively participating in the changing world around us.

Studying Students' Science Literacy: Non-Scientific Beliefs and Science Literacy Measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, C.; Buxner, S.

2015-11-01

We have been conducting a study of university students' science literacy for the past 24 years. Based on the work of the National Science Board's ongoing national survey of the US public, we have administered the same survey to undergraduate science students at the University of Arizona almost every year since 1989. Results have shown relatively little change in students' overall science literacy, descriptions of science, and knowledge of basic science topics for almost a quarter of a century despite an increase in education interventions, the rise of the internet, and increased access to knowledge. Several trends do exist in students' science literacy and descriptions of science. Students who exhibit beliefs in non-scientific phenomenon (e.g., lucky numbers, creationism) consistently have lower science literacy scores and less correct descriptions of scientific phenomenon. Although not surprising, our results support ongoing efforts to help students generate evidence based thinking.

Read Like a Scientist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mawyer, Kirsten K. N.; Johnson, Heather J.

2017-01-01

Scientists read, and so should students. Unfortunately, many high school teachers overlook science texts as a way to engage students in the work of scientists. This article addresses how to help students develop literacy skills by strategically reading a variety of science texts. Unfortunately, most science teachers aren't trained to teach…

Student and Faculty Outcomes of Undergraduate Science Research Projects by Geographically Dispersed Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Lawton; Kennepohl, Dietmar

2013-01-01

Senior undergraduate research projects are important components of most undergraduate science degrees. The delivery of such projects in a distance education format is challenging. Athabasca University (AU) science project courses allow distance education students to complete research project courses by working with research supervisors in their…

Modeling Student Learning Behavior Patterns in an Online Science Inquiry Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brenner, Daniel G.; Matlen, Bryan J.; Timms, Michael J.; Gochyyev, Perman; Grillo-Hill, Andrew; Luttgen, Kim; Varfolomeeva, Marina

2017-01-01

This study investigated how the frequency and level of assistance provided to students interacted with prior knowledge to affect learning in the "Voyage to Galapagos" ("VTG") science inquiry-learning environment. "VTG" provides students with the opportunity to do simulated science field work in Galapagos as they…

NASA's Student Launch Projects: A Government Education Program for Science and Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepherd, Christena C.

2009-01-01

Among the many NASA education activities, the Student Launch projects are examples of how one agency has been working with students to inspire math, science and engineering interest. There are two Student Launch projects: Student Launch Initiative (SLI) for middle and high school students and the University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) for college students. The programs are described and website links are provided for further information. This document presents an example of how an agency can work with its unique resources in partnership with schools and communities to bring excitement to the classroom.

From professional development for science teachers to student learning in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinoca, Luis Fonseca

This study investigates the effects of professional development for science teachers on student learning. It is usually expected that professional development programs positively impact student learning, however this dimension is not commonly incorporated in the programs evaluation. It is simply assumed that students will be indirectly impacted through their participating teachers in the work with their students. Two main research questions are addressed: (1) Are professional development programs effective in enhancing student learning in science? (2) What are the characteristics of the most and least effective programs? To answer these questions a meta-analysis of 37 professional development programs reporting their impact on student learning was performed. Program characteristics have been defined according to the categories defined by Loucks-Horsley et al (1998), the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996), as well as new categories developed by us analyzing other variables such as the programs length. A significant impact of professional development for science teachers on student learning has been found in the form of an overall correlation effect size of r = 0.22 (p < 0.001). Moreover, a Fixed Effects Model was used to differentiate between the impacts of the different characteristics of professional development programs for science teachers. In particular, programs emphasizing work on curriculum development, replacement, or implementation, scientific inquiry, pedagogical content knowledge, lasting over 6 month and with a total duration of at least 100 hours have been identified as having a larger impact on student learning. To enhance the findings vignettes have been developed based on the attained effect sizes describing possible professional development programs. Recommendations for present and future professional development programs are made based on what works best in order to maximize their impact on student learning.

Evaluating How Universities Engage School Students with Science: A Model Based on the Analysis of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cridge, B. J.; Cridge, A. G.

2015-01-01

Every year fewer students are electing to take university level science courses, particularly physics. This situation has led universities and employers to try and encourage more students into science subjects through the development of numerous science outreach initiatives such as guest lectures and summer schools. Much of this work is of an…

The Impact of an Informal Science Program on Students' Science Knowledge and Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zandstra, Anne Maria

2012-01-01

In this sequential explanatory mixed methods study, quantitative and qualitative data were used to measure the impact of an informal science program on eleventh grade students' science knowledge and interest. The local GEAR UP project has been working for six years with a cohort of students who were in eleventh and twelfth grade during the time of…

A Study on the Evaluation of Science Projects of Primary School Students Based on Scientific Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gungor, Sema Nur; Ozer, Dilek Zeren; Ozkan, Muhlis

2013-01-01

This study re-evaluated 454 science projects that were prepared by primary school students between 2007 and 2011 within the scope of Science Projects Event for Primary School Students. Also, submitted to TUBITAK BIDEB Bursa regional science board by MNE regional work groups in accordance with scientific research methods and techniques, including…

Cool Science: Using Children's Art to Communicate Climate Change (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lustick, D. S.; Lohmeier, J.; Chen, R. F.

2013-12-01

Cool Science is a K-12 Climate Change Science Art Competition. Working with teachers, parents, and students, the project aims to identify outstanding works of art by students about climate change and display the art throughout public mass transit. Cool Science has three distinct goals: 1) provide a convenient means for art and science teachers to incorporate climate change into their curriculum, 2) support teacher/student learning about climate change science, and 3) foster informal learning about climate change among people riding mass transit. By efficiently connecting formal and informal learning with one project, Cool Science is an innovative project that expands the way we engage and evaluate students. Using children's artwork to communicate complex scientific issues such as climate change is a powerful learning experience for the artist, teacher, and audience. Last year, Cool Science received nearly 600 entries from students representing 36 teachers from 32 school districts. Six winning entries went on public display with one highlighted each month from January through June. In addition, there were 6 Runner Ups and 12 Honorable Mentions. For the winning students, it is an unforgettable experience to see a nine-foot version of their artwork traveling around the streets on the side of a bus!

From Bench to Bedside: A communal utility value intervention to enhance students' biomedical science motivation.

PubMed

Brown, Elizabeth R; Smith, Jessi L; Thoman, Dustin B; Allen, Jill M; Muragishi, Gregg

2015-11-01

Motivating students to pursue science careers is a top priority among many science educators. We add to the growing literature by examining the impact of a utility value intervention to enhance student's perceptions that biomedical science affords important utility work values. Using an expectancy-value perspective we identify and test two types of utility value: communal (other-oriented) and agentic (self-oriented). The culture of science is replete with examples emphasizing high levels of agentic value, but communal values are often (stereotyped as) absent from science. However, people in general want an occupation that has communal utility. We predicted and found that an intervention emphasizing the communal utility value of biomedical research increased students' motivation for biomedical science (Studies 1-3). We refined whether different types of communal utility value (working with, helping, and forming relationships with others) might be more or less important, demonstrating that helping others was an especially important predictor of student motivation (Study 2). Adding agentic utility value to biomedical research did not further increase student motivation (Study 3). Furthermore, the communal value intervention indirectly impacted students' motivation because students believed that biomedical research was communal and thus subsequently more important (Studies 1-3). This is key, because enhancing student communal value beliefs about biomedical research (Studies 1-3) and science (Study 4) was associated both with momentary increases in motivation in experimental settings (Studies 1-3) and increased motivation over time among students highly identified with biomedicine (Study 4). We discuss recommendations for science educators, practitioners, and faculty mentors who want to broaden participation in science.

How Not to Write for Peer-Reviewed Publications: Talking to Everyone Else

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, C. M.; Lippsett, L.

2012-12-01

In an era when pressing societal issues demand scientific knowledge, science deniers and deriders are increasing, science education is deteriorating, and science in traditional media is diminishing. Scientists are challenged more than ever to explain their work beyond their peers, but they are not encouraged nor trained to do this. Rather, they can be isolated from society at large and trained to communicate in a prescribe style that the public often finds incomprehensible or can't relate to. We created a voluntary course for graduate students in the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography to encourage young scientists to venture beyond their laboratories and add much-needed clear and accurate scientific information to critical issues under public debate. The course is team-taught by a scientist with extensive experience dealing with the media, policymakers, legislators, and benefactors, and a journalist with decades of experience writing about science and working with scientists. Together, we expose students to the cultures, perspectives, motivations, and timelines of various stakeholders with whom they may communicate. With guests that include graphic designers, web gurus, and working journalists, the students learn editorial processes and skills to enhance effective communication with non-scientists, including the use of graphics, illustrations, photography and multimedia. Each student is also connected with a mentor: a working science journalist who volunteers personal attention throughout the student's process of writing an article explaining their research. (e.g. Dick Kerr of /Science/ and Peter Spotts of /The Christian Science Monitor/). In short, the course helps students become comfortable and facile outside the ivory tower.

Sport science internships for learning: a critical view.

PubMed

Malone, James J

2017-12-01

Sport science has gained vast popularity with students who have an interest in both physiology and the underpinning mechanisms of exercise concerning performance and health. The high numbers of graduates each year, coupled with the low number of graduate positions working in sports, has led to a high level of competition between students. To stand out from the crowd, sport science students may undertake an internship placement as part of their course, designed to enhance theoretical, practical, and soft skills in an applied setting. In the present article, we highlight some of the positives and negatives of sport science internships and ways in which they can be implemented and facilitated. Suggestions have also been provided to make students more aware of the reality of working in professional sports, which includes awareness of the potential for long and unsociable hours of work. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Educational Revolution on the Reservation: A Working Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Pete

1993-01-01

Since 1986, Navajo Community College (NCC) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have collaborated to improve science and technical education on the Navajo Reservation through equipment loans, faculty exchanges, summer student work at LLNL, scholarships for NCC students, summer workshops for elementary science teachers, and classroom…

Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume VIII, 2008

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

Stiner, K. S.; Graham, S.; Khan, M.

Th e Journal of Undergraduate Research (JUR) provides undergraduate interns the opportunity to publish their scientific innovation and to share their passion for education and research with fellow students and scientists. Fields in which these students worked include: Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Engineering; Environmental Science; General Sciences; Materials Sciences; Medical and Health Sciences; Nuclear Sciences; Physics; Science Policy; and Waste Management.

Development of Environmental Knowledge, Team Working Skills and Desirable Behaviors on Environmental Conservation of Matthayomsuksa 6 Students Using Good Science Thinking Moves Method with Metacognition Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ladawan, Charinrat; Singseewo, Adisak; Suksringarm, Paitool

2015-01-01

The research aimed to investigate environmental knowledge, team working skills, and desirable behaviors of students learning through the good science thinking moves method with metacognition techniques. The sample group included Matthayomsuksa 6 students from Nadoon Prachasan School, Nadoon District, Maha Sarakham Province. The research tools were…

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.

True Tales of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melber, Leah M.

2003-01-01

There's no better way to understand the work of a scientist than to have it explained in the scientist's own words. Scientific journals, personal accounts of research projects, and documentaries can give students an authentic view of the scientific process. It's an important step towards getting students excited about science and the work of…

Science Students Creating Hybrid Spaces when Engaging in an Expo Investigation Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramnarain, Umesh; de Beer, Josef

2013-02-01

In this paper, we report on the experiences of three 9th-grade South African students (13-14 years) in doing open science investigation projects for a science expo. A particular focus of this study was the manner in which these students merge the world of school science with their social world to create a hybrid space by appropriating knowledge and resources of the school and home. Within this hybrid space they experienced a deeper, more meaningful and authentic engagement in science practical work. This hybrid space redefined the landscape of the science learning experience for these students, as they could derive the twofold benefit of appropriating support when necessary and at the same time maintain their autonomy over the investigation. For South Africa and quite probably other countries; these findings serve as a guideline as to how opportunities can be created for students to do open science investigations, against prevailing school factors such as large classes, a lack of physical resources, the lack of time for practical work and the demands of syllabus coverage.

Science Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odell, Bill

2005-01-01

The spaces and structures used for undergraduate science often work against new teaching methods and fail to provide environments that attract the brightest students to science. The undergraduate science building often offers little to inspire the imaginations of young minds. The typical undergraduate science building also tends to work against…

The University of Texas Science and Engineering Apprentice Program as a Model for an REU Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, M. B.; Blankenship, D. D.; Ellins, K. E.

2004-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics at (UTIG) is one of five research labs in the Austin area that hosts recent high school graduates for summer research projects through the Applied Research Lab Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP). The SEAP is a program designed to provide summer research opportunities to recent high school undergraduates who excel in science and math. UTIG has been a large proponent of the SEAP and has typically mentored two to four students each year and a total alumni of about twenty. The program has successfully targeted groups that are typically underrepresented in sciences and engineering. Current statistics show that 25% of past SEAP students are members of an ethnic minority and 80% of SEAP students are female. Many of these students have stayed on after the summer program and continued to work part-time or return during summers to UTIG while completing their undergraduate careers. A significant portion of these students present results at professional meetings and ultimately commit to careers in science and engineering, both in industry and academia. SEAP students at UTIG work alongside scientists and graduate students as part of a team, and, through this interaction, improve their scientific knowledge and problem solving skills. Both graduate and undergraduate students involved in NSF-funded research grants mentor the SEAP students, giving them the opportunity to work on their own research problem while contributing data and interpretation to a more fundamental research problem. By uniting student research under the umbrella of Antarctic ice sheet research, students learn how their individual research projects relate to the more unifying science problem centered on ice sheet variability, and Antarctic continental evolution. They also gain an understanding of how research is carried out. At the same time, scientists and graduate students learn how to communicate their knowledge so that it is interesting and relevant to student learning. We are interested in expanding the SEAP model for student research to a scale that can support multidisciplinary REU site activities by extending research possibilities into polar research, marine studies, seismology, planetary science, and science education at UTIG in future years.

The Student/Library Computer Science Collaborative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hahn, Jim

2015-01-01

With funding from an Institute of Museum and Library Services demonstration grant, librarians of the Undergraduate Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign partnered with students in computer science courses to design and build student-centered mobile apps. The grant work called for demonstration of student collaboration…

Using cogenerative dialogue to afford the teaching and learning of biology in an urban high school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otulaja, Femi Segun

The body of research work presented in this dissertation integrates critical ethnography with video and conversation analyses in order to provide ways to articulate and understand the complexities associated with social life enactment as it unfolds during cogenerative dialogues and in the science classroom as the teacher and her students engage in science teaching and learning. The primary goal is to improve the teaching and learning of science in an urban science classroom at a public high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In order to understand what is going on in the classroom and why, I worked with a female science teacher who identify as an African-American and her culturally diversified students in a biology class to examine teacher's and students' conscious and unconscious patterned actions, (i.e., classroom practices, that structure teaching and learning in the classroom. It is my belief that to improve science teaching and learning in the classroom, it is salient to improve science teacher's practices as a precursor to transforming students' practices. In order to ameliorate breaches in the fluency of encounters in the classroom, the teacher and her students need to establish and sustain critical, collaborative and collective conversations through cogen. I employ theoretical lenses of cultural sociology that I triangulate with sociology of emotions and critical pedagogy. I focus on culture as schemas and associated practices layered with the triple dialectics of agency, passivity and structure as new or hybridized/interstitial cultures that are produced get enacted in the science classroom to transform teacher's and her students' encounters with each other. The salient implication is that since encounters are imbued with emotions, teacher and her students learn to generate positive emotional energy during cogen that gets reproduced and transformed in the science classroom. Positive emotional energy creates resources that help to initiate and sustain interaction ritual chains that support synchrony, solidarity, sense of affiliation and identity that are necessary for the teacher to be successful as a science teacher and her students to be successful as science learners. Salient to the findings in this study is the need for teachers to envision teaching and learning as a collaborative and collective endeavor with their students. Teachers need the perspectives of others; and students are in the best position to provide the teacher with the authentic perspectives she needs to improve her practice. By being with and working with their teacher, students and teacher share their classroom experiences with each other, in an environment void of hegemony, in order to achieve their individual goals and collective motives in the urban science classroom. Teacher and her students get to know more about each other socially and culturally and are able to work through their differences to achieve success.

Listening to their voices: The essence of the experience of special and regular education students as they learn monarch, Danaus plexippus, biology and ecology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koomen, Michele Jean Hollingsworth

This dissertation reports on a phenomenological study of nine regular and special education students as they studied insect biology and ecology in their inclusive seventh grade life science class. Three fundamental data collection methods of interpretive research (student observations, interviews and artifact analysis) framed the data collection of this study. Hermeneutic phenomenological analysis and a seven-step framework, beginning with establishment of the unit of analysis and ending in theory generation, were used to systematically analyze the data resulting in the emergence of four main themes. The essence of the lived experience of the study participants reveal a variety of ways working with others in groups supported their learning. Students reported that it was easier to share ideas, ask questions and complete their work when they worked together with other classmates. A second finding of this study, It's kind of hard in learning science, exposes some of the anxiety and the challenges that are part of the experiences of both regular and special education students in learning science. A third finding reveals that for the students in this study the practice of inquiry learning in science is fragile. Despite daily opportunities in inquiry activities, many students are fixated in finding the "right" answers and just getting their "work done." The practice of inquiry is also fragile because of the perceptions of how we go about doing and learning science. The perception of practicing science for the special education students was moderated and limited by their viewpoint that science is coupled with language arts. The last major theme describes the manner in which both student groups navigate through science learning using various strategies that contribute to their learning or engaging in behaviors that seem to conceal their learning differences. The results of this research have implication for inclusive classroom teachers, special educators, teacher educators and administrators. Listening to their voices serves to "prime" us to consider and value their perspectives as we make decisions that affect their learning and their lives.

Are Students More Engaged When Schools Offer Extracurricular Activities? PISA in Focus. No. 18

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

Are students more engaged and do they perform better in science if their school encourages them to work on science projects, participate in science fairs, belong to a science-related club or go on science-related field trips--in addition to teaching them the mandatory science curriculum? To find out, PISA (Programme for International Student…

Small-Group Learning in an Upper-Level University Biology Class Enhances Academic Performance and Student Attitudes Toward Group Work

PubMed Central

Nakonechny, Joanne; Cragg, Jacquelyn J.; Ramer, Matt S.

2010-01-01

To improve science learning, science educators' teaching tools need to address two major criteria: teaching practice should mirror our current understanding of the learning process; and science teaching should reflect scientific practice. We designed a small-group learning (SGL) model for a fourth year university neurobiology course using these criteria and studied student achievement and attitude in five course sections encompassing the transition from individual work-based to SGL course design. All students completed daily quizzes/assignments involving analysis of scientific data and the development of scientific models. Students in individual work-based (Individualistic) sections usually worked independently on these assignments, whereas SGL students completed assignments in permanent groups of six. SGL students had significantly higher final exam grades than Individualistic students. The transition to the SGL model was marked by a notable increase in 10th percentile exam grade (Individualistic: 47.5%; Initial SGL: 60%; Refined SGL: 65%), suggesting SGL enhanced achievement among the least prepared students. We also studied student achievement on paired quizzes: quizzes were first completed individually and submitted, and then completed as a group and submitted. The group quiz grade was higher than the individual quiz grade of the highest achiever in each group over the term. All students – even term high achievers –could benefit from the SGL environment. Additionally, entrance and exit surveys demonstrated student attitudes toward SGL were more positive at the end of the Refined SGL course. We assert that SGL is uniquely-positioned to promote effective learning in the science classroom. PMID:21209910

Small-group learning in an upper-level university biology class enhances academic performance and student attitudes toward group work.

PubMed

Gaudet, Andrew D; Ramer, Leanne M; Nakonechny, Joanne; Cragg, Jacquelyn J; Ramer, Matt S

2010-12-29

To improve science learning, science educators' teaching tools need to address two major criteria: teaching practice should mirror our current understanding of the learning process; and science teaching should reflect scientific practice. We designed a small-group learning (SGL) model for a fourth year university neurobiology course using these criteria and studied student achievement and attitude in five course sections encompassing the transition from individual work-based to SGL course design. All students completed daily quizzes/assignments involving analysis of scientific data and the development of scientific models. Students in individual work-based (Individualistic) sections usually worked independently on these assignments, whereas SGL students completed assignments in permanent groups of six. SGL students had significantly higher final exam grades than Individualistic students. The transition to the SGL model was marked by a notable increase in 10th percentile exam grade (Individualistic: 47.5%; Initial SGL: 60%; Refined SGL: 65%), suggesting SGL enhanced achievement among the least prepared students. We also studied student achievement on paired quizzes: quizzes were first completed individually and submitted, and then completed as a group and submitted. The group quiz grade was higher than the individual quiz grade of the highest achiever in each group over the term. All students--even term high achievers--could benefit from the SGL environment. Additionally, entrance and exit surveys demonstrated student attitudes toward SGL were more positive at the end of the Refined SGL course. We assert that SGL is uniquely-positioned to promote effective learning in the science classroom.

Teaching Galileo? Get to Know Riccioli! What a Forgotten Italian Astronomer Can Teach Students About How Science Works

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graney, Christopher M.

2012-01-01

What can physics students learn about science from those scientists who got the answers wrong? Your students probably have encountered little science history. What they have encountered probably has portrayed scientists as ``The People with the Right Answers.'' But those who got the wrong answers can teach students that in science, answers are often elusive--not found in the back of a book or discovered in a bold stroke of genius.

A Report on the Science Summer Camp for the Gifted 9th Grade Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyeonggi Province Board of Education, Suweon (Republic of Korea).

A summer science camp was held in Korea for 30 ninth grade students gifted in science. Students were divided into three groups (physics, chemistry, and biology) for activities which included problem solving, brainstorming, and experimental work. The experiments of the physics group addressed the use of solar energy, the chemistry group focused on…

Effect of an Exercise and Weight Control Curriculum: Views of Obesity among Exercise Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Laura A.; Fister, Carrie L.; Ramlo, Susan E.

2015-01-01

Awareness of effective weight management strategies is necessary to prepare exercise science students for future work with obesity. Exercise science faculty members developed a course related to exercise as a therapeutic tool and options available for weight loss. The purpose of the present study was to investigate student views of weight…

Gender issues in graduate science success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Maria M.

Investigators have developed various explanations for the under-representation of women in science. While some feminist scholars postulate that the Western practices of scientific inquiry make their pursuit by females unattractive, others have investigated various aspects of the education process and their influence in students' interest in science. Research indicates that women continue to drop out of science even after choosing a science major. This trend continues in graduate school. However, few researchers have tried to examine, in a comprehensive manner, the various factors that may contribute to student attrition, particularly female, from graduate science programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of graduate students on their work environment in two science departments. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used to determine gender and departmental differences in students' perspectives in four areas: (1) the nature of science, (2) students' relationships with their colleagues, (3) students' relationships with their advisors, and (4) students' perceptions of the overall environment in their departments. Results of the study include: (a) female and male students entered graduate school with comparable levels of self-confidence and undergraduate GPAs; (b) female and male students maintained comparable GPAs during their stay in the program and spent equal number of hours doing research in their laboratories; (c) while in graduate school female students experienced a significantly greater decrease in self-confidence than their male colleagues; (d) the attrition rate among female students was significantly greater than among their male counterparts; (e) in general, female students perceived their working environment more negatively than their male colleagues; and (f) the science department with the highest overall graduate student attrition rate (36% vs. 22%) also had a smaller percentage of female students (30% vs. 43%) and female faculty (0% vs. 19%), and was seen by female students, but not by male students or by faculty, as a less supportive environment.

Making Science Homework Work: The Perspectives of Exemplary African American Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Jianzhong; Coats, Linda T.; Davidson, Mary L.

2012-01-01

Background/Context: Despite the best intentions to close the achievement gap, the underachievement of African American students in science is a persistent problem. It is surprising to note, however, that research on science education has often failed to consider students' cultural diversity as it relates to science education. On the few occasions…

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…

A Study to Determine Whether There Is an Improvement in Attitude in Students Involved in Cooperative Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Testa, Donna M.

A study was conducted at Herkimer County Community College to determine whether a 40-hour work study experience affected the work attitudes of secretarial science students. The study population consisted of a group of June 1984 secretarial science degree candidates who had not yet participated in the work study program, and a group of 1982 and…

Student use of Web 2.0 tools to support argumentation in a high school science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weible, Jennifer L.

This ethnographic study is an investigation into how two classes of chemistry students (n=35) from a low-income high school with a one-to-one laptop initiative used Web 2.0 tools to support participation in the science practice of argumentation (i.e., sensemaking, articulating understandings, and persuading an audience) during a unit on alternative energy. The science curriculum utilized the Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Tools for Science Education as a pedagogical framework (Kim, Hannafin, & Bryan, 2007). Video recordings of the classroom work, small group discussions, and focus group interviews, documents, screen shots, wiki evidence, and student produced multi-media artifacts were the data analyzed for this study. Open and focused coding techniques, counts of social tags and wiki moves, and interpretive analyses were used to find patterns in the data. The study found that the tools of social bookmarking, wiki, and persuasive multimedia artifacts supported participation in argumentation. In addition, students utilized the affordances of the technologies in multiple ways to communicate, collaborate, manage the work of others, and efficiently complete their science project. This study also found that technologically enhanced science curriculum can bridge students' everyday and scientific understandings of making meaning, articulating understandings, and persuading others of their point of view. As a result, implications from this work include a set of design principles for science inquiry learning that utilize technology. This study suggests new consideration of analytical methodology that blends wiki data analytics and video data. It also suggests that utilizing technology as a bridging strategy serves two roles within classrooms: (a) deepening students' understanding of alternative energy science content and (b) supporting students as they learn to participate in the practices of argumentation.

A controlled experiment to evaluate the impact of summer research experiences on attitudes towards science in high school aged students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, M. A.; Tcherednichenko, I.; Hamar, M.; Taylor, M. J.; Litizzette, L.

2006-12-01

United States funding agencies increasingly are supporting activities designed to increase the enrollment of United States high school students in science, math, or engineering careers. However, in many cases, the likely outcomes of educational activities are unknown. A common approach within the physical and natural sciences is to provide high school aged students with a summer research experience, with the expectation that such experiences will increase student interest in science, possibly as a career choice. With funding support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration New Investigator Grant program, we conducted a controlled experiment to test this assumption. In collaboration with Mountain Crest High School in Logan, UT, we recruited 40 students currently enrolled in science courses, assessed attitudes towards science (with informed consent), and randomly assigned 20 students to a control group and 20 students to an experimental group. Students in the experimental group were paired with faculty and graduate students in a wide range of field and laboratory research groups in natural resources and biology. Students were employed in at least two different research groups for an average of 30-40 hours per week for eight weeks in the summer of 2006. Following the completion of the summer work experience, we again assessed attitudes towards science in both groups and gathered additional information from the experimental group on satisfaction with the work experience and reasons for participating. Results are presented and discussed.

Digital collaborative learning: identifying what students value

PubMed Central

Hemingway, Claire; Adams, Catrina; Stuhlsatz, Molly

2015-01-01

Digital technologies are changing the learning landscape and connecting classrooms to learning environments beyond the school walls.  Online collaborations among students, teachers, and scientists are new opportunities for authentic science experiences.  Here we present findings generated on PlantingScience ( www.plantingscience.org), an online community where scientists from more than 14 scientific societies have mentored over 14,000 secondary school students as they design and think through their own team investigations on plant biology.  The core intervention is online discourse between student teams and scientist mentors to enhance classroom-based plant investigations.  We asked: (1) what attitudes about engaging in authentic science do students reveal, and (2) how do student attitudes relate to design principles of the program? Lexical analysis of open-ended survey questions revealed that students most highly value working with plants and scientists.  By examining student responses to this cognitive apprenticeship model, we provide new perspectives on the importance of the personal relationships students form with scientists and plants when working as members of a research community. These perspectives have implications for plant science instruction and e-mentoring programs. PMID:26097690

Digital collaborative learning: identifying what students value.

PubMed

Hemingway, Claire; Adams, Catrina; Stuhlsatz, Molly

2015-01-01

Digital technologies are changing the learning landscape and connecting classrooms to learning environments beyond the school walls.  Online collaborations among students, teachers, and scientists are new opportunities for authentic science experiences.  Here we present findings generated on PlantingScience ( www.plantingscience.org), an online community where scientists from more than 14 scientific societies have mentored over 14,000 secondary school students as they design and think through their own team investigations on plant biology.  The core intervention is online discourse between student teams and scientist mentors to enhance classroom-based plant investigations.  We asked: (1) what attitudes about engaging in authentic science do students reveal, and (2) how do student attitudes relate to design principles of the program? Lexical analysis of open-ended survey questions revealed that students most highly value working with plants and scientists.  By examining student responses to this cognitive apprenticeship model, we provide new perspectives on the importance of the personal relationships students form with scientists and plants when working as members of a research community. These perspectives have implications for plant science instruction and e-mentoring programs.

Working and Learning in a Field Excursion.

PubMed

Hole, Torstein Nielsen

2018-06-01

This study aimed to discern sociocultural processes through which students learn in field excursions. To achieve this aim, short-term ethnographic techniques were employed to examine how undergraduate students work and enact knowledge (or knowing) during a specific field excursion in biology. The students participated in a working practice that employed research methods and came to engage with various biological phenomena over the course of their work. A three-level analysis of the students' experiences focused on three processes that emerged: participatory appropriation, guided participation, and apprenticeship. These processes derive from advances in practice-oriented theories of knowing. Through their work in the field, the students were able to enact science autonomously; they engaged with peers and teachers in specific ways and developed new understandings about research and epistemology founded on their experiences in the field. Further discussion about the use of "practice" and "work" as analytical concepts in science education is also included.

Guiding science expeditions: The design of a learning environment for project-based science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polman, Joseph Louis

Project-based pedagogy has been revived recently as a teaching strategy for promoting students' active engagement in learning science by doing science. Numerous reform efforts have encouraged project-based teaching in high schools, along with a range of supports for its implementation, often including computers and the Internet. History has shown, however, that academic research and new technologies are not enough to effect real change in classrooms. Ultimately, teachers accomplish activity with their students daily in classrooms. Putting the idea of project-based teaching into practice depends on many particulars of teachers' situated work with students. To better understand the complexity of project-based science teaching in schools, I conducted an interpretive case study of one exceptional teacher's work. The teacher devotes all class time after the beginning of the year to open-ended, student-designed Earth Science research projects. Over four years of involvement with the Learning through Collaborative Visualization (CoVis) reform effort, this teacher has developed, implemented, and refined strategies for supporting and guiding students in conducting open-ended inquiry. Through a close examination of the teacher's work supporting student projects, I explore the design issues involved in such an endeavor, including affordances, constraints, and tradeoffs. In particular, I show how time constrains both student and teacher action, how the traditional school culture and grading create stumbling blocks for change, and how conflicting beliefs about teaching and learning undermine the accomplishment of guided inquiry. I also show how Internet tools including Usenet news, email, and the World Wide Web afford students an opportunity to gather and make use of distributed expertise and scientific data resources; how an activity structure, combined with a corresponding structure to the artifact of the final written product, supports student accomplishment of unfamiliar practices; and how the teacher guides students in real time through mutually transformative communication. I synthesize the important design elements into a framework for conducting project-based science, especially in settings where such pedagogy is relatively new. This study will inform teachers and reformers of the practical and complex work of implementing project-based teaching in schools.

Scientifically speaking: Identifying, analyzing, and promoting science talk in small groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holthuis, Nicole Inamine

In this dissertation I define, document, and analyze the nature of students' science talk as they work in cooperative learning groups. Three questions form the basis of this research. First, what is science talk? Second, how much and what kind of science talk did students do? And, third, what conditions help promote or inhibit students' science talk? This study was conducted in a total of six classrooms in three high schools. I videotaped and audiotaped students as they worked in small groups during the course of an ecology unit. I analyzed this videotape data and field notes using both quantitative and qualitative methods. I define science talk as talk that serves to move students along in terms of the science (both content and process) required or suggested by the activity. More specifically, I identified five epistemological characteristics that delineate what counts as scientific knowledge and, subsequently, science talk. From this definition, I developed an analytic framework and science talk observation instrument to document the quantity and level of student and teacher talk during groupwork. Analysis of the data from this instrument indicates that the overall level of students' science talk is considerable and students do significantly more science talk than school talk. I also found that while the overall level and type of science talk does not vary by class or by school, it does vary by activity type. Finally, my analysis suggests that science talk does not vary by gender composition of the group. I explored the classroom conditions that promote or inhibit science talk during groupwork. My findings suggest that, among other things, teachers can promote science talk by delegating authority to students, by emphasizing content and the big idea, by implementing open-ended tasks, and by modeling science talk. In conclusion, the findings described in this dissertation point teachers and researchers toward ways in which they may improve practice in order to foster more science talk. In addition, my Science Talk Instrument and analytic framework provides teachers, teacher educators, and researchers a means of understanding and evaluating student talk in small groups.

Participation in Science Practices while Working in a Multimedia Case-Based Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Hosun; Lundeberg, Mary A.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how two female students participated in science practices as they worked in a multimedia case-based environment: interpreting simulated results, reading and writing multiple texts, role-playing, and Internet conferencing. Using discourse analysis, the following data were analyzed: students' published…

Enhancing the Student Experiment Experience: Visible Scientific Inquiry through a Virtual Chemistry Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donnelly, Dermot; O'Reilly, John; McGarr, Oliver

2013-01-01

Practical work is often noted as a core reason many students take on science in secondary schools (high schools). However, there are inherent difficulties associated with classroom practical work that militate against scientific inquiry, an approach espoused by many science educators. The use of interactive simulations to facilitate student…

More than "Cool Science": Science Fiction and Fact in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Vandana

2014-02-01

The unfortunate negative attitude toward physics among many students, including science majors, warrants creative approaches to teaching required physics courses. One such approach is to integrate science fiction into the curriculum, either in the form of movies or the written word. Historically this has been done since at least the 1970s, and by now many universities and colleges have courses that incorporate science fiction stories or film. The intent appears to be to a) increase student interest in physics, b) increase the imaginative grasp of the student, and c) enable a clearer understanding of physics concepts. Reports on these experiments, from Freedman and Little's classic 1980 paper to more recent work like that of Dubeck et al.,2 Dark,3 and Smith,4 indicate that such innovative approaches do work. I was curious as to whether a combination of science fiction and science fact (in the form of a science news article) might enhance the benefits of including science fiction. Below I describe how I used a science fiction story along with a science article on a related theme to pique the interest of students in a new and exciting area of research that was nevertheless connected to the course material.

Developing Mathematical Concepts through Orientation and Mobility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Derrick W.

2006-01-01

The National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM; 2000) encourages students to experience mathematics in multiple contexts, including science, history, physical education, business sciences, and agricultural sciences. All educators, including professionals such as orientation and mobility specialists who work with students who are visually…

Scientists at Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trautmann, Nancy M.; MaKinster, James G.

2014-01-01

The introduction to the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") calls for students to learn science within the context of practice because "practices alone are activities and content alone is memorization. It is through integration that science begins to make sense and allows students to apply the material" (NGSS…

Teaching Evolution with the Aid of Science Fiction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bixler, Andrea

2007-01-01

Students obtain much misinformation from TV and movies. Teachers can use the analysis of science fiction to correct misconceptions about biology and spur students' interests in the subject. Suggestions for discussions and assignments based on literary-quality science fiction works are included.

Bringing Art, Music, Theater and Dance Students into Earth and Space Science Research Labs: A New Art Prize Science and Engineering Artists-in-Residence Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, M.; Mexicotte, D.

2017-12-01

A new Arts/Lab Student Residence program was developed at the University of Michigan that brings artists into a research lab. Science and Engineering undergraduate and graduate students working in the lab describe their research and allow the artists to shadow them to learn more about the work. The Arts/Lab Student Residencies are designed to be unique and fun, while encouraging interdisciplinary learning and creative production by exposing students to life and work in an alternate discipline's maker space - i.e. the artist in the engineering lab, the engineer in the artist's studio or performance space. Each residency comes with a cash prize and the expectation that a work of some kind will be produced as a response to experience. The Moldwin Prize is designed for an undergraduate student currently enrolled in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning or the School of Music, Theatre and Dance who is interested in exchange and collaboration with students engaged in research practice in an engineering lab. No previous science or engineering experience is required, although curiosity and a willingness to explore are essential! Students receiving the residency spend 20 hours over 8 weeks (February-April) participating with the undergraduate research team in the lab of Professor Mark Moldwin, which is currently doing work in the areas of space weather (how the Sun influences the space environment of Earth and society) and magnetic sensor development. The resident student artist will gain a greater understanding of research methodologies in the space and climate fields, data visualization and communication techniques, and how the collision of disciplinary knowledge in the arts, engineering and sciences deepens the creative practice and production of each discipline. The student is expected to produce a final work of some kind within their discipline that reflects, builds on, explores, integrates or traces their experience in the residency. This talk will describe the program, the inaugural year's outcomes, and plans to expand the program to other research labs.

Ninth Grade Student Responses to Authentic Science Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellison, Michael Steven

This mixed methods case study documents an effort to implement authentic science and engineering instruction in one teacher's ninth grade science classrooms in a science-focused public school. The research framework and methodology is a derivative of work developed and reported by Newmann and others (Newmann & Associates, 1996). Based on a working definition of authenticity, data were collected for eight months on the authenticity in the experienced teacher's pedagogy and in student performance. Authenticity was defined as the degree to which a classroom lesson, an assessment task, or an example of student performance demonstrates construction of knowledge through use of the meaning-making processes of science and engineering, and has some value to students beyond demonstrating success in school (Wehlage et al., 1996). Instruments adapted for this study produced a rich description of the authenticity of the teacher's instruction and student performance. The pedagogical practices of the classroom teacher were measured as moderately authentic on average. However, the authenticity model revealed the teacher's strategy of interspersing relatively low authenticity instructional units focused on building science knowledge with much higher authenticity tasks requiring students to apply these concepts and skills. The authenticity of the construction of knowledge and science meaning-making processes components of authentic pedagogy were found to be greater, than the authenticity of affordances for students to find value in classroom activities beyond demonstrating success in school. Instruction frequently included one aspect of value beyond school, connections to the world outside the classroom, but students were infrequently afforded the opportunity to present their classwork to audiences beyond the teacher. When the science instruction in the case was measured to afford a greater level of authentic intellectual work, a higher level of authentic student performance on science classwork was also measured. In addition, direct observation measures of student behavioral engagement showed that behavioral engagement was generally high, but not associated with the authenticity of the pedagogy. Direct observation measures of student self-regulation found evidence that when instruction focused on core science and engineering concepts and made stronger connections to the student's world beyond the classroom, student self-regulated learning was greater, and included evidence of student ownership. In light of the alignment between the model of authenticity used in this study and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the results suggest that further research on the value beyond school component of the model could improve understanding of student engagement and performance in response to the implementation of the NGSS. In particular, it suggests a unique role environmental education can play in affording student success in K-12 science and a tool to measure that role.

Popular Science Writing to Support Students' Learning of Science and Scientific Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelger, Susanne; Nilsson, Pernilla

2016-01-01

In higher natural science education, the scientific report is the prevailing genre of writing. Despite the fact that communicative skills are highly valued in working life, earlier studies have shown deficiencies among science students. In this paper, we highlight the need for varied communication training, in particularly arguing for the…

A behavioral science/behavioral medicine core curriculum proposal for Japanese undergraduate medical education.

PubMed

Tsutsumi, Akizumi

2015-01-01

Behavioral science and behavioral medicine have not been systematically taught to Japanese undergraduate medical students. A working group under the auspices of Japanese Society of Behavioral Medicine developed an outcome-oriented curriculum of behavioral science/behavioral medicine through three processes: identifying the curriculum contents, holding a joint symposium with related societies, and defining outcomes and proposing a learning module. The behavioral science/behavioral medicine core curriculum consists of 11 units of lectures and four units of practical study. The working group plans to improve the current core curriculum by devising formative assessment methods so that students can learn and acquire attitude as well as the skills and knowledge necessary for student-centered clinical practice.

Attitudes of Radiologic Science Students, Technologists, and Clinical Instructors Regarding Their Experiential Learning and Career Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Caroline

2012-01-01

Radiologic science is an essential part of the healthcare continuum and preparing radiologic science students with experiential learning is essential. It is from this experience working with the patient that students begin to prepare for entry-level practice. The purpose of the study was to examine the attitudes of current radiologic science…

Improving Science Instruction for Students with Disabilities: Proceedings. Working Conference on Science for Persons with Disabilities (Anaheim, California, March 28-29, 1994).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stefanich, Greg P.; Egelston-Dodd, Judy, Ed.

This proceedings report includes papers presented at a conference on teaching science to students with disabilities. In the first paper, "Family Pedigrees: A Model Lesson Illustrating Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities in a Mainstreamed High School Biology Class" (Kathleen Ball and Edward C. Keller, Jr.), strategies are described…

Science Literacy and Prior Knowledge of Astronomy MOOC Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, Chris David; Buxner, Sanlyn; Wenger, Matthew; Formanek, Martin

2018-01-01

Many of science classes offered on Coursera fall into fall into the category of general education or general interest classes for lifelong learners, including our own, Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space. Very little is known about the backgrounds and prior knowledge of these students. In this talk we present the results of a survey of our Astronomy MOOC students. We also compare these results to our previous work on undergraduate students in introductory astronomy courses. Survey questions examined student demographics and motivations as well as their science and information literacy (including basic science knowledge, interest, attitudes and beliefs, and where they get their information about science). We found that our MOOC students are different than the undergraduate students in more ways than demographics. Many MOOC students demonstrated high levels of science and information literacy. With a more comprehensive understanding of our students’ motivations and prior knowledge about science and how they get their information about science, we will be able to develop more tailored learning experiences for these lifelong learners.

The Effects of Science Models on Students' Understanding of Scientific Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berglin, Riki Susan

This action research study investigated how the use of science models affected fifth-grade students' ability to transfer their science curriculum to a deeper understanding of scientific processes. This study implemented a variety of science models into a chemistry unit throughout a 6-week study. The research question addressed was: In what ways do using models to learn and teach science help students transfer classroom knowledge to a deeper understanding of the scientific processes? Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-science interest inventories, observations field notes, student work samples, focus group interviews, and chemistry unit tests. These data collection tools assessed students' attitudes, engagement, and content knowledge throughout their chemistry unit. The results of the data indicate that the model-based instruction program helped with students' engagement in the lessons and understanding of chemistry content. The results also showed that students displayed positive attitudes toward using science models.

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.

Taking an active stance: How urban elementary students connect sociocultural experiences in learning science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upadhyay, Bhaskar; Maruyama, Geoffrey; Albrecht, Nancy

2017-12-01

In this interpretive case study, we draw from sociocultural theory of learning and culturally relevant pedagogy to understand how urban students from nondominant groups leverage their sociocultural experiences. These experiences allow them to gain an empowering voice in influencing science content and activities and to work towards self-determining the sciences that are personally meaningful. Furthermore, tying sociocultural experiences with science learning helps generate sociopolitical awareness among students. We collected interview and observation data in an urban elementary classroom over one academic year to understand the value of urban students' sociocultural experiences in learning science and choosing science activities.

The comparative effect of individually-generated vs. collaboratively-generated computer-based concept mapping on science concept learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, So Young

Using a quasi-experimental design, the researcher investigated the comparative effects of individually-generated and collaboratively-generated computer-based concept mapping on middle school science concept learning. Qualitative data were analyzed to explain quantitative findings. One hundred sixty-one students (74 boys and 87 girls) in eight, seventh grade science classes at a middle school in Southeast Texas completed the entire study. Using prior science performance scores to assure equivalence of student achievement across groups, the researcher assigned the teacher's classes to one of the three experimental groups. The independent variable, group, consisted of three levels: 40 students in a control group, 59 students trained to individually generate concept maps on computers, and 62 students trained to collaboratively generate concept maps on computers. The dependent variables were science concept learning as demonstrated by comprehension test scores, and quality of concept maps created by students in experimental groups as demonstrated by rubric scores. Students in the experimental groups received concept mapping training and used their newly acquired concept mapping skills to individually or collaboratively construct computer-based concept maps during study time. The control group, the individually-generated concept mapping group, and the collaboratively-generated concept mapping group had equivalent learning experiences for 50 minutes during five days, excepting that students in a control group worked independently without concept mapping activities, students in the individual group worked individually to construct concept maps, and students in the collaborative group worked collaboratively to construct concept maps during their study time. Both collaboratively and individually generated computer-based concept mapping had a positive effect on seventh grade middle school science concept learning but neither strategy was more effective than the other. However, the students who collaboratively generated concept maps created significantly higher quality concept maps than those who individually generated concept maps. The researcher concluded that the concept mapping software, Inspiration(TM), fostered construction of students' concept maps individually or collaboratively for science learning and helped students capture their evolving creative ideas and organize them for meaningful learning. Students in both the individual and the collaborative concept mapping groups had positive attitudes toward concept mapping using Inspiration(TM) software.

Constructing Artificial Rock Outcrops as Tools for Fostering Earth and Environmental Science Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Totten, I. M.; Hall, F.; Buxton, C.

2004-12-01

The Earth and Environmental Science Education Group at the University of New Orleans has created an innovative visualization teaching tool. Through funding made available by the National Science Foundation a 12'x10'x5' artificial rock outcrop was fabricated at the University of New Orleans. An accompanying curriculum, which includes a series of artificial rock outcrop labs, was also created for the outcrop. The labs incorporated fundamental concepts from the geosciences and the field of science education. The overarching philosophy behind the unity of the content knowledge and the pedagogy was to develop a more inclusive and deliberate teaching approach that utilized strategies known to enhance student learning in the sciences. The artificial outcrop lab series emphasized the following geoscience topics: relative dating, rock movement, and depositional environments. The series also integrated pedagogical ideas such as inquiry-based learning, conceptual mapping, constructivist teaching, pattern recognition, and contextualized knowledge development. Each component of the curriculum was purposefully designed to address what the body of research in science education reveals as critical to science teaching and learning. After developing the artificial rock outcrop curriculum a pilot study was done with 40 pre-service elementary education undergraduates. In the pilot study students completed the following assessments: three outcrop labs, journal reflections for each lab, pre/post attitude surveys, group video-recordings, and preconception and final interviews. Data from these assessments were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The following conclusions were revealed from the data: student's attitudes towards learning earth science increased after working with the artificial rock outcrop, students conceptual understanding of the concepts were clearer after working with the outcrop, students were able to answer multifaceted, higher order questions as a result of working with the outcrop, and students confidence in their abilities to think scientifically improved after their experience with the outcrop. The artificial rock outcrop has consequently been incorporated into several courses that have large enrollments from the following student populations: pre-service elementary education majors, undergraduate non-science majors, geology majors, and in-service MAST (Masters of Art in Science Teaching) students. Approximately, 1300 college students and 500 students in the 4th-12th grade levels from the local metropolitan school area work with the artificial rock outcrop annually. The artificial rock outcrop curriculum was a much-needed teaching tool in New Orleans considering the absence of natural rock outcrops along the entire coastal plain province.

A Multidimensional Approach to Examine Student Interdisciplinary Learning in Science and Engineering in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spelt, Elisabeth Jacoba Hendrika; Luning, Pieternelleke Arianne; van Boekel, Martinus A. J. S.; Mulder, Martin

2017-01-01

Preparing science and engineering students to work in interdisciplinary teams necessitates research on teaching and learning of interdisciplinary thinking. A multidimensional approach was taken to examine student interdisciplinary learning in a master course on food quality management. The collected 615 student experiences were analysed for the…

Examining Teacher Talk in an Engineering Design-Based Science Curricular Unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aranda, Maurina L.; Lie, Richard; Selcen Guzey, S.; Makarsu, Murat; Johnston, Amanda; Moore, Tamara J.

2018-03-01

Recent science education reforms highlight the importance for teachers to implement effective instructional practices that promote student learning of science and engineering content and their practices. Effective classroom discussion has been shown to support the learning of science, but work is needed to examine teachers' enactment of engineering design-based science curricula by focusing on the content, complexity, structure, and orchestration of classroom discussions. In the present study, we explored teacher-student talk with respect to science in a middle school curriculum focused on genetics and genetic engineering. Our study was guided by the following major research question: What are the similarities and differences in teacher talk moves that occurred within an engineering design-based science unit enacted by two teachers? Through qualitative and quantitative approaches, we found that there were clear differences in two teachers' use of questioning strategies and presentation of new knowledge that affected the level of student involvement in classroom discourse and the richness and details of student contributions to the conversations. We also found that the verbal explanations of science content differed between two teachers. Collectively, the findings in this study demonstrate that although the teachers worked together to design an engineering designed-based science curriculum unit, their use of different discussion strategies and patterns, and interactions with students differed to affect classroom discourse.

China Report, Science & Technology.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-03-23

equipment to researchers , and to date, some 100 specialists have worked at the institute as visiting researchers , and have made and transferred more...recent machine industry work conference experts denounced the tendency of society to look down on research in applied science and the dislocation...established a 3-term school year to give students about 5 weeks to gain experience in a factory or to make social surveys. Students have completed work for

Broadening Participation in the Life Sciences with Social-Psychological Interventions.

PubMed

Tibbetts, Yoi; Harackiewicz, Judith M; Priniski, Stacy J; Canning, Elizabeth A

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have recently documented the positive effects of social-psychological interventions on the performance and retention of underrepresented students in the life sciences. We review two types of social-psychological interventions that address either students' well-being in college science courses or students' engagement in science content. Interventions that have proven effective in RCTs in science courses (namely, utility-value [UV] and values-affirmation [VA] interventions) emphasize different types of student values-students' perceptions of the value of curricular content and students' personal values that shape their educational experiences. Both types of value can be leveraged to promote positive academic outcomes for underrepresented students. For example, recent work shows that brief writing interventions embedded in the curriculum can increase students' perceptions of UV (the perceived importance or usefulness of a task for future goals) and dramatically improve the performance of first-generation (FG) underrepresented minority students in college biology. Other work has emphasized students' personal values in brief essays written early in the semester. This VA intervention has been shown to close achievement gaps for women in physics classes and for FG students in college biology. By reviewing recent research, considering which interventions are most effective for different groups, and examining the causal mechanisms driving these positive effects, we hope to inform life sciences educators about the potential of social-psychological interventions for broadening participation in the life sciences. © 2016 Y. Tibbetts et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

NITARP: Changing Perceptions of Science Among Secondary Students and Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohrs, Russell; Kilts, Kelly; Urbanowski, Vincent; Rutherford, Thomas; Gorjian, Varoujan

2017-01-01

The NASA/IPAC Teacher Archival Research Program (NITARP) provides secondary teachers and their students with an authentic, high-level research experience. NITARP participants work alongside one another as colleagues, allowing both teachers and students to experience the challenges of actual research. Teachers and students learn that science doesn’t always follow the prescriptive methodology taught in most high schools. Current NITARP students and teachers were interviewed on how their perceptions of the methods by which science is really conducted changed over the course of the program. Following participation in the NITARP program, both teacher and student perceptions of how science operates were found to have changed in many ways.

An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis among veterinary science students who work with calves.

PubMed

Preiser, Gary; Preiser, Lynda; Madeo, Leslie

2003-03-01

The authors describe an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis among students working with calves as part of their veterinary science technology program. After an off-campus provider identified an index case, school authorities requested cryptosporidium (crypto) as part of the stool ova and parasite examination of all students presenting to the college health center with significant gastroenteritis. Thirteen students submitted stool specimens that were examined for crypto; 7 were positive, and all were from veterinary science students. One of the calves used in the program also tested positive for crypto. All of the students were immunocompetent and recovered uneventfully. The outbreak was contained by strictly enforcing infectious-disease precautions in the calf barn. The authors recommend considering crypto as a cause of gastroenteritis, especially among farm-animal workers, and urge strict infectious disease precautions for those who attend to livestock.

Cross-cultural comparisons of university students' science learning self-efficacy: structural relationships among factors within science learning self-efficacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ya-Ling; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2018-04-01

Science learning self-efficacy could be regarded as a multi-factor belief which comprises different aspects such as cognitive skills, practical work, and everyday application. However, few studies have investigated the relationships among these factors that compose science learning self-efficacy. Also, culture may play an important role in explaining the relationships among these factors. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate cultural differences in science learning self-efficacy and examine the relationships within factors constituting science learning self-efficacy by adopting a survey instrument for administration to students in the U.S. and Taiwan. A total of 218 university students (62.40% females) were surveyed in the U.S.A, and 224 university students (49.10% females) in Taiwan were also invited to take part in the study. The results of the structural equation modelling revealed cultural differences in the relationships among the factors of science learning self-efficacy. It was found that U.S. students' confidence in their ability to employ higher-order cognitive skills tended to promote their confidence in their ability to accomplish practical work, strengthening their academic self-efficacy. However, the aforementioned mediation was not found for the Taiwanese participants.

Effect of an Experiential and Work-Based Learning Program on Vocational Identity, Career Decision Self-Efficacy, and Career Maturity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esters, Levon T.; Retallick, Michael S.

2013-01-01

This exploratory study examined the effect of an agriculturally-based experiential and work-based learning program, Science With Practice (SWP), on the vocational identity, career decision self-efficacy, and career maturity of undergraduate agriculture and life sciences students. The SWP experience helped clarify students' career interests and…

Investigating the Use of Integrated Instructions to Reduce the Cognitive Load Associated with Doing Practical Work in Secondary School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haslam, Carolyn Yvonne; Hamilton, Richard Joseph

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effects of integrated illustrations on understanding instructions for practical work in science. Ninety-six secondary school students who were unfamiliar with the target content knowledge and practical equipment took part. The students were divided into two conditions: (1) modified instructions containing integrated…

Astronomy Resources for Intercurricular Elementary Science (ARIES): Exploring Motion and Forces. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

2012-01-01

"ARIES: Exploring Motion and Forces" is a physical science curriculum for students in grades 5-8 that employs 18 inquiry-centered, hands-on lessons called "explorations." The curriculum draws upon students' curiosity to explore phenomena, allowing for a discovery-based learning process. Group-centered lab work is designed to…

Science Teachers' Satisfaction: Evidence from the PISA 2015 Teacher Survey. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 168

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mostafa, Tarek; Pál, Judit

2018-01-01

In 2015, for the first time in its history, PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment) asked teachers to describe the various aspects of their working environment and teaching practices. This paper examines how teacher, student, and school characteristics are related to science teachers' satisfaction in 19 PISA-participating…

Topics in Safety--Topic 2: Teaching Health and Safety through Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 2016

2016-01-01

Science teachers always teach students the safety precautions that are necessary to carry out practical work as safely as possible. This article suggests that teachers can use these opportunities to teach students about health and safety so that they both understand why such precautions are needed and how working safely can be applied beyond the…

Socio-Scientific Issues--A Way to Improve Students' Interest and Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindahl, Britt; Rosberg, Maria; Ekborg, Margareta; Ideland, Malin; Malmberg, Claes; Rehn, Agneta; Ottander, Christina; Silfver, Eva; Winberg, Mikael

2011-01-01

According to many documents, there is a strong need to renew science education. One way could be to work with SSI (socio-scientific issues). This paper reports on both students' and teachers' experiences and learning when working with socio-scientific issues in science education in secondary school (aged from 13 to 16). The approach is…

Successful Schools: How School-Level Factors Influence Success with Urban Advantage. Working Paper #01-14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinstein, Meryle; Whitesell, Emilyn Ruble; Leardo, Michele

2014-01-01

Informal science education institutions have been identified as critical participants in helping students succeed in science by working in collaboration with school systems across the country. The results of one such collaboration, the Urban Advantage (UA) program found that participation in UA improved student achievement, on average, by 0.6…

Greek primary school students' images of scientists and their work: has anything changed?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emvalotis, Anastassios; Koutsianou, Athina

2018-01-01

Background: A growing interest in student's perceptions of scientists has been identified in the literature, relying on the argument that stereotypical perceptions of scientists may affect student attitudes towards science and their willingness to pursue a science-related career. Thus, over the past 30 years, many studies have investigated students' images of scientists through students' drawings.

Gliding into Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Patrick

2014-01-01

A rich science learning experience not only captures students' attention but also motivates them to investigate and solve problems and investigate how scientists carry out their work. This article describes how secondary science coordinator Patrick Brown's found success teaching students the nature of science by engaging them in…

Friction. Learning in Science Project. Working Paper No. 19.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stead, Keith; Osborne, Roger

One area explored in the second (in-depth) phase of the Learning in Science Project was "children's science," defined as views of the world and the meanings for words that children have and bring with them to science lessons. The investigation reported focuses on students' thinking regarding their views on friction. Students (N=47) were…

Authentic Science Research in Elementary School After-School Science Clubs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Allan; Pirog, Kelly

2011-01-01

In this paper we report on teachers' and students' participation in authentic science research in out of school time science clubs at elementary schools. In the program four to five teachers worked alongside practicing scientists as part of their research groups. Each teacher facilitated a club with 10-15 students who, by extension, were members…

Gravity. Learning in Science Project. Working Paper No. 20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stead, Keith; Osborne, Roger

One area explored in the second (in-depth) phase of the Learning in Science Project was "children's science," defined as views of the world and the meanings for words that children have and bring with them to science lessons. The investigation reported focuses on students' thinking regarding their views on gravity. Students (N=42) were…

Entrenched Compartmentalisation and Students' Abilities and Levels of Interest in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Billingsley, Berry; Nassaji, Mehdi; Abedin, Manzoorul

2017-01-01

This article explores the notion that asking and exploring so-called "big questions" could potentially increase the diversity and number of students who aspire to work in science and science-related careers. The focus is the premise that girls are more interested than boys in the relationships between science and other disciplines. The…

Exploring Aesthetic Experiences in the Undergraduate General Education Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biscotte, Stephen Michael

Citizens must have a minimal level of STEM-literacy to work alongside scientists to tackle both current and future global challenges. How can general education, the one piece of the undergraduate experience every student completes, contribute to this development? And science learning is dependent on having transformative aesthetic experiences in the science classroom. These memorable experiences involve powerful connection between students and the world around them. If these types of experiences are necessary for science learning and growth, are students in introductory science courses having them? If so, what relationship might they have with students' desires to pursue further science study? This dissertation explores these questions through two manuscripts. The first, a theoretical piece published in the Journal of General Education in 2015, argues that non-STEM students must have transformative aesthetic experiences in their undergraduate general education science course to develop the level of understanding needed to engage with challenging scientific issues in the future. This claim is substantiated by bringing together the work of Dewey and Deweyan scholars on the nature and impact of aesthetic experiences in science and science education with the general education reform efforts and desired outcomes for an informed and engaged citizenry. The second manuscript, an empirical piece, explores the lived experience of non-STEM students in an introductory geosciences course. A phenomenological research methodology is deployed to capture the 'essence' of the lived experience of a STEM-philic student in general education science. In addition, Uhrmacher's CRISPA framework is used to analyze the participants' most memorable course moments for the presence or absence of aesthetic experiences. In explication of the data, it shows that students are in fact having aesthetic experiences (or connecting to prior aesthetic experiences) and these experiences are related to their desires to pursue further STEM study.

Preparing College Students to Teach an Environmental Problem Solving Curriculum to Middle School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powers, S. E.

2001-12-01

An NSF-funded project-based program was implemented by Clarkson University in 2000 to increase the interest and knowledge of middle school students in science, math and technology through the solution of an environmental problem that is relevant to their local school community. Clarkson students developed curricula for 7th and 8th grade science and technology classes and then worked with the middle school students throughout the year to reduce to transform solid waste into healthy soil for plant growth. The solution to this problem provided a vehicle to teach fundamental science and math content as well as the process of doing science and solving problems. Placing college science and engineering students in the classroom proved to be a great mechanism for engaging students in science topics and providing mentoring experiences that differ greatly from those that a practicing professional can provide. It is clear, however, that the students must be well prepared for this experience to maximize the benefits of university - school district partnership programs. The objective of this presentation will be to describe the training program that has been developed to prepare Clarkson students to work effectively in middle school classrooms. The Clarkson students are trained for their classroom experiences during the summer before they enter the classroom. They receive three credits for the training, curriculum development, and teaching efforts. It is expected that the students have the necessary background in science and technology to teach themselves the content and environmental relevance of the problem they will be teaching. Lectures and workshops focus on how to transform this knowledge into a project-based curriculum that meets the needs of the teachers, while also exciting the students. Lecture/workshops include: team work; components of an effective class and teacher; project planning and management; problem solving process; inquiry based learning, deductive/inductive learning; creating unit/lesson plan; defining learning objectives; incorporating mentoring into program; NYS standards and science exam; and, assessment techniques. Journals are used to encourage the fellows to reflect on their learning and own educational experiences. An evaluation of the program by both Clarkson students and their partner teachers indicated that this training was appropriate for the students to enter the classroom as professional scientists and engineers. Their classroom interaction skills improved throughout the year.

Internet Links for Science Education: Student-Scientist Partnerships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Karen C., Ed.

This volume focuses on Student-Scientist Partnerships (SSPs) and illustrates the workings and effectiveness of this new paradigm and growing force in science education. The chapters are: chapter 1, "Student-Scientist Partnerships: Shrewd Maneuvers" (Robert F. Tinker); chapter 2, "The GLOBE Program: A Model for International Environmental…

Students' perceptions of laboratory science careers: changing ideas with an education module.

PubMed

Haun, Daniel; Leach, Argie; Lawrence, Louann; Jarreau, Patsy

2005-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of a Web-based education module in changing students' perceptions of laboratory science careers. Perception was measured with a short examination and then a Web-based exercise was presented. Following the exercise, the test was administered again. Frequency data from the pre-test and post-test were compared for changes in perception. The correlated pre-test/post-test pairs were also examined for opinion changes and these were analyzed for significance. Large parochial high schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. A small team visited the schools during their appointed class times for biology. Study participants were high school biology students in grades 9-10. Two-hundred-forty-five students participated (149 male and 96 female). A Web-based exercise on blood film examination was presented to the students in a classroom setting (www.mclno.org/labpartners/index_03.htm). The exercise contained focused messages about: (1) the numbers of healthcare workers acquiring AIDS from on-the-job exposure and (2) common career paths available to the laboratory science workforce. The shift in perception of: What medical service generates the most diagnostic data. Which professional group performs laboratory tests. The risk of acquiring AIDS while working in the healthcare setting. Interest in a science-related career. How much education is required to work in a science-related field. The intervention significantly shifted perception in all areas measured except that of interest in a science-related career. Many students perceive that the risk of acquiring AIDS while working in the healthcare setting is "high". Web-based presentations and similar partnerships with science teachers can change perceptions that might lead to increased interest in clinical laboratory science careers.

Understanding children's science identity through classroom interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Mijung

2018-01-01

Research shows that various stereotypes about science and science learning, such as science being filled with hard and dry content, laboratory experiments, and male-dominated work environments, have resulted in feelings of distance from science in students' minds. This study explores children's experiences of science learning and science identity. It asks how children conceive of doing science like scientists and how they develop views of science beyond the stereotypes. This study employs positioning theory to examine how children and their teacher position themselves in science learning contexts and develop science identity through classroom interactions. Fifteen students in grades 4-6 science classrooms in Western Canada participated in this study. Classroom activities and interactions were videotaped, transcribed, and analysed to examine how the teacher and students position each other as scientists in the classroom. A descriptive explanatory case analysis showed how the teacher's positioning acted to develop students' science identity with responsibilities of knowledge seeking, perseverance, and excitement about science.

Where Does the Water Go? Development of Students' Questions Through the Use of Their Photography of Local Water Catchments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Marj; Paige, Kathryn; Hardy, Graham

2016-01-01

An invitation to be part of a small research project with science teacher educators focusing on the Australian Curriculum--Science as a Human Endeavour strand provided an opportunity for professional learning in science for an early career teacher working with Year 1-2 students. This article explores how the use of students' photography of local…

Interpretive investigation of the science-related career decisions of three African-American college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Bradford F.; Collins, Angelo

2001-05-01

Reports published since 1977 indicate that African Americans are underrepresented among Ph.D.-holding scientists. Although researchers have identified numerous factors that correlate with career choice, they have failed to address students' reasons for choosing or not choosing science and science-related careers. This study examines the career decisions of three African-American college students. All three students began college aspiring toward science-related careers. However, by the end of data collection only one student was working toward a science-related career. Data were collected by means of eight, open-ended, 1-hour interviews conducted over a period of 6 months. Findings indicate that students' interest in a science-related career is directly related to the degree to which they perceive that career as being supportive of deep-seated life goals; and that a deeper view of the nature of science better enables students to perceive a science-related career as supportive of life goals.

Reach for Reference: Elementary-Middle School Science Reference Collections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safford, Barbara Ripp

2005-01-01

This article presents a brief review of some new school science reference works. Two of the sources are traditional, while one is considered experimental. The two traditional reference works reviewed are "The American Heritage Children's Science Dictionary" for upper elementary grades, and "The American Heritage Student Science Dictionary" for…

Enhancing Science Literacy and Art History Engagement at Princeton Through Collaboration Between the University Art Museum and the Council on Science and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riihimaki, C. A.; White, V. M.

2016-12-01

The importance of innovative science education for social science and humanities students is often under-appreciated by science departments, because these students typically do not take science courses beyond general education requirements, nor do they contribute to faculty research programs. However, these students are vitally important in society—for example as business leaders or consultants, and especially as voters. In these roles, they will be confronted with decisions related to science in their professional and personal lives. The Council on Science and Technology at Princeton University aims to fill this education gap by developing and supporting innovative programs that bring science to cross-disciplinary audiences. One of our most fruitful collaborations has been with the Princeton University Art Museum, which has an encyclopedic collection of over 92,000 works of art, ranging from antiquity to the contemporary. Our work includes 1) bringing introductory environmental science courses to the Museum to explore how original works of art of different ages can serve as paleo-environmental proxies, thereby providing a means for discussing broader concepts in development of proxies and validation of reconstructions; 2) sponsoring a panel aimed at the general public and composed of science faculty and art historians who discussed the scientific and art historical contexts behind Albert Bierstadt's Mount Adams, Washington, 1875 (oil on canvas, gift of Mrs. Jacob N. Beam, accession number y1940-430), including the landscape's subjects, materials, technique, and style; and 3) collaborating on an installation of photographs relevant to a freshman GIS course, with an essay about the artwork written by the students. This first-hand study of works of art encourages critical thinking and an empathetic approach to different historical periods and cultures, as well as to the environment. Our collaboration additionally provides an opportunity to engage more students in science and art history concepts, energizes the faculty by providing new opportunities for them to interact with colleagues across the University, and enhances funding requests by broadening the typical audience for Art Museum and science departments.

Student and Community Engagement in Earth, Space, and Environmental Sciences Through Experiential Learning and Citizen Science as Part of Research Broader Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Alaa; Ahmed, Yasmin

2015-04-01

Fulfilling the broader impact of a research project in Earth and environmental sciences is an excellent opportunity for educational and outreach activities that connect scientists and society and enhance students and community engagement in STEM fields in general and in Earth, space, and environmental sciences in particular. Here we present the experience developed in this endeavor as part of our Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) project sponsored by USAID/NSF/NAS. The project introduced educational and outreach activities that included core curriculum course development for university students from all majors, community-based learning projects, citizen science and outreach programs to school students and community members. Through these activities, students worked with the project scientists on a variety of activities that ranged from citizen science and undergraduate research to run mass experiments that measure the quality of air, drinking water, and ultraviolet level in greater Cairo, Egypt, to community awareness campaigns through the production of short documentaries and communicating them with stakeholders and target groups, including schools and TV stations. The activities enhanced students learning and the public awareness on climate change and the underlying role of human activities. It also connected effectively the project scientists with college and university students a well as the wider segments of the society, which resulted in a host of benefits including better scientific literacy and appreciation to the role of scientists, promoting scientists as role models, sharing the values of science, and motivating future generations to puruse a career in science This work is part of the PEER research project 2-239 sponsored by USAID/NSF/NAS Project Link (at National Academies website): http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/dsc/peerscience/PGA_084046.htm website: http://CleanAirEgypt.org Links to cited work: Core Curriculum Course: http://bit.ly/FutureLife Citizen Science Project: Quality of Air, Drinking Water, and U.V. Level in Greater Cairo: Map 1: http://bit.ly/AirWaterLightMap1 Map 2: http://bit.ly/AirWaterLightMap2 Short Documentaries Student Projects: https://vimeo.com/science2society/videos Project video: https://vimeo.com/100427525

Connecting Self-Efficacy and Views about the Nature of Science in Undergraduate Research Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quan, Gina M.; Elby, Andrew

2016-01-01

Undergraduate research can support students' more central participation in physics. We analyze markers of two coupled shifts in participation: changes in students' views about the nature of science coupled to shifts in self-efficacy toward physics research. Students in the study worked with faculty and graduate student mentors on research projects…

Relations among Grade 4 Students' Perceptions of Autonomy, Engagement in Science, and Reading Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taboada Barber, Ana; Buehl, Michelle M.

2013-01-01

The authors extend previous work on students' perceptions of teachers' autonomy-enhancing and autonomy-suppressing behaviors in relation to students' engagement to a more situated context (i.e., two Grade 4 science instructional conditions instead of school in general) and a linguistically diverse population (i.e., Hispanic students). They also…

Chinese and US Middle-School Science Teachers' Autonomy, Motivation, and Instructional Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Laura; Jones, M. Gail

2013-06-01

This study examined Chinese and US middle-school science teachers' perceptions of autonomy support. Previous research has documented the link between teachers' perceptions of autonomy and the use of student-oriented teaching practices for US teachers. But is not clear how the perception of autonomy may differ for teachers from different cultures or more specifically how motivation factors differ across cultures. The survey measured teachers' motivation, perceptions of constraints at work, perceptions of students' motivation, and level of autonomy support for students. Exploratory factor analysis of responses for the combined teacher sample (n = 201) was carried out for each of the survey assessments. Significance testing for Chinese (n = 107) and US (n = 94) teachers revealed significant differences in teachers' motivation and perceptions of constraints at work and no significant differences for perceptions of students' motivation or their level of autonomy support for students. Chinese teachers' perceptions of constraints at work, work motivation, and perceptions of student motivation were found to significantly predict teachers' autonomy support. For the US teachers, teacher motivation was the only significant predictor of teachers' autonomy support. A sub-sample of teachers (n = 19) was interviewed and results showed that teachers in both countries reported that autonomy was important to their motivation and the quality of science instruction they provided to students. The primary constraints on teaching reported by the US teachers related to materials and laboratory space while the Chinese teachers reported constraints related to the science curriculum and standards.

Making Space Science and Exploration Accessible

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runyon, C. J.; Guimond, K. A.; Hurd, D.; Heinrich, G.

There are currently 28 million hard of hearing and deaf Americans, approximately 10 to 11 million blind and visually impaired people in North America, and more than 50 million Americans with disabilities, approximately half of whom are students. The majority of students with disabilities in the US are required to achieve the same academic levels as their non-impaired peers. Unfortunately, there are few specialized materials to help these exceptional students in the formal and informal settings. To assist educators in meeting their goals and engage the students, we are working with NASA product developers, scientists and education and outreach personnel in concert with teachers from exceptional classrooms to identify the types of materials they need and which mediums work best for the different student capabilities. Our goal is to make the wonders of space science and exploration accessible to all. As such, over the last four years we have been hosting interactive workshops, observing classroom settings, talking and working with professional educators, product developers, museum and science center personnel and parents to synthesize the most effective media and method for presenting earth and space science materials to audiences with exceptional needs. We will present a list of suggested best practices and example activities that can help engage and encourage a person with special needs to study the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Changing the Face of Astronomy Through Authentic Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coble, K. A.; Bell, K'Maja; Jafri, J.; Lyon, G.; Hammergren, M.

2012-05-01

Project Exploration is a Chicago-based science outreach organization that works to ensure communities traditionally overlooked by science, particularly minority youth and girls, have access to personalized experiences with science and scientists. 85% of students participating in Project Exploration come from low-income families, primarily African-American and Latino, and 74% are girls. We particularly target students who may not be academically successful. The results of a recent 10-year retrospective study demonstrate that Project Exploration students are significantly more likely than their peers to graduate from high school (95%), go to college (50%), and major in science (60%); and they attribute their persistence in science and education to their Project Exploration experience. Furthermore, Project Exploration works with the scientists involved (including graduate students and post-docs) to help them understand what it means to do effective educational outreach and how to put the interests of the youth at the center of outreach work. In this poster, we describe the details of the Project Exploration model, as well as several projects in astronomy that our students and scientists have carried out. KB and KC are supported by NASA ROSES E/PO Grant #NNX1OAC89G. KC is also supported by the Illinois Space Grant Consortium.

Professional Development for Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerard, Libby F.; Varma, Keisha; Corliss, Stephanie B.; Linn, Marcia C.

2011-01-01

The knowledge integration framework is used to analyze studies on professional development in technology-enhanced science involving more than 2,350 teachers and 138,0000 students. The question of how professional development enhances teachers' support for students' inquiry science learning is the focus of the work. A literature search using the…

Cell Phones Transform a Science Methods Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madden, Lauren

2012-01-01

A science methods instructor intentionally encouraged cell phone use for class work to discover how cell phones can be used as research tools to enhance the content and engage the students. The anecdotal evidence suggested that students who used their smartphones as research tools experienced the science content and pedagogical information…

Do Biology Majors "Really" Differ from Non-STEM Majors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotner, Sehoya; Thompson, Seth; Wright, Robin

2017-01-01

Recent calls to action urge sweeping reform in science education, advocating for improved learning for "all" students--including those majoring in fields beyond the sciences. However, little work has been done to characterize the differences--if any exist--between students planning a career in science and those studying other…

SCAMPERing into Engineering!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flannagan, Jenny Sue; Sawyer, Margaret

2015-01-01

In this article the authors describe what they call their "Snapshots of Science" program. These mini-lessons of science are taught once a week to all students in the school library. Over the last two years, they have been working to extend the experiences students have in their science classroom into the library. Each week, students…

Earth System Science Online: An Innovative Course for Non-traditional Students, Offered by Hampton University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, D. Q.; Kozusko, F.; Maggi, B. H.

2003-12-01

Hampton University (HU), a historically black university, is currently offering an innovative online course, Earth System Science Online, for teachers, future teachers, non-science undergraduate majors, and mature non-traditional students continuing their education. Supported by NASA and offered by the Interdisciplinary Science Center at HU, this course targets students interested in an asynchronous web-based learning environment. Often these students are working adults, such as those in the HU religious studies program, or undergraduate athletes who need the flexibility of taking their courses online in the evenings. Participants of this course earn three hours of science credit either graduate or undergraduate through their online explorations of the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The incorporation of specific problem-based case studies, allows students to investigate weather phenomena, deforestation, and the various instruments and satellite data systems that are used to collect and analyze this data. This web-based course utilizes the unique capabilities of the web allowing students to work at a self-regulated pace and at times most convenient to their schedules. The course delivers all lectures, text readings, and course assignments online. Assignments are given on a weekly basis, and participants are expected to conduct independent research that will enrich their online experience. The nature of the web allows the students to easily integrate text and graphics into their assignments and have access to their classmate's work. Participants meet online weekly and interact as a team.

Boundary-Work in Science Education: A Case Study of GM Food

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yin-Ling

2016-01-01

The term "boundary-work" is used to refer to the constant effort to draw and re-draw the boundary of science; it has long been portrayed as constructed by the stakeholders of science to demarcate science from non-science to establish the authority of science. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews were carried out with students from one…

D. Carlos de Bragança, a Pioneer of Experimental Marine Oceanography: Filling the Gap Between Formal and Informal Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faria, Cláudia; Pereira, Gonçalo; Chagas, Isabel

2012-06-01

The activities presented in this paper are part of a wider project that investigates the effects of infusing the history of science in science teaching, toward students' learning and attitude. Focused on the work of D. Carlos de Bragança, King of Portugal from 1889 to 1908, and a pioneer oceanographer, the activities are addressed at the secondary Biology curriculum (grade 10, ages 15, 16). The proposed activities include a pre-visit orientation task, two workshops performed in a science museum and a follow-up learning task. In class, students have to analyse original historical excerpts of the king's work, in order to discuss and reflect about the nature of science. In the museum, students actively participate in two workshops: biological classification and specimen drawing. All students considered the project relevant for science learning, stating that it was important not only for knowledge acquisition but also for the understanding of the nature of science. As a final remark we stress the importance of creating activities informed by the history of science as a foundation for improving motivation, sustaining effective science teaching and meaningful science learning, and as a vehicle to promote a closer partnership between schools and science museums.

Astrobiology outreach and the nature of science: the role of creativity.

PubMed

Fergusson, Jennifer; Oliver, Carol; Walter, Malcolm R

2012-12-01

There is concern in many developed countries that school students are turning away from science. However, students may be choosing not to study science and dismissing the possibility of a scientific career because, in the junior secondary years, they gain a false view of science and the work of scientists. There is a disparity between science as it is portrayed at school and science as it is practiced. This paper describes a study to explore whether engaging in science through astrobiology outreach activities may improve students' understanding of the nature and processes of science, and how this may influence their interest in a career in science. The results suggest that the students attending these Mars research-related outreach activities are more interested in science than the average student but are lacking in understanding of aspects of the nature of science. A significant difference was detected between pre- and posttest understandings of some concepts of the nature of science.

The Impact of Wireless Keypads in an Interprofessional Education Context with Health Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Brett; Lewis, Belinda; Boyle, Malcolm; Brown, Ted

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify if wireless keypads could facilitate interprofessional interaction among undergraduate paramedic, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, health science, social work and midwifery students. Secondary research aims included the examination of students' perceptions of interprofessional education and how…

Digging into Inquiry-Based Earth Science Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, Bryan; Yates, Crystal; Schultz, Jayne M.

2008-01-01

To help eighth-grade students experience the excitement of Earth science research, the authors developed an inquiry-based project in which students evaluated and cataloged their campus geology and soils. Following class discussions of rock-weathering and soil-forming processes, students worked in groups to excavate multiple soil pits in the school…

Inclusive Science Education: Learning from Wizard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koomen, Michele Hollingsworth

2016-01-01

This case study reports on a student with special education needs in an inclusive seventh grade life science classroom using a framework of disability studies in education. Classroom data collected over 13 weeks consisted of qualitative (student and classroom observations, interviews, student work samples and video-taped classroom teaching and…

Designing Automated Guidance to Promote Productive Revision of Science Explanations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tansomboon, Charissa; Gerard, Libby F.; Vitale, Jonathan M.; Linn, Marcia C.

2017-01-01

Supporting students to revise their written explanations in science can help students to integrate disparate ideas and develop a coherent, generative account of complex scientific topics. Using natural language processing to analyze student written work, we compare forms of automated guidance designed to motivate productive revision and help…

Does paired mentoring work? A study of the effectiveness and affective value of academically asymmetrical peer mentoring in supporting disadvantaged students in school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharpe, Rachael; Abrahams, Ian; Fotou, Nikolaos

2018-04-01

In England, there is a growing need to improve the lives of secondary school students who are defined as disadvantaged and to support these students in their attainment and attitudes to secondary school science.

The "CSI" Effect: Changing the Face of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Richard; Bangert, Arthur

2006-01-01

The authors suggest that "CSI," a public mass media product, and other television programming have greatly influenced how students, especially female students, perceive scientists at work. Perhaps the increased airing of television programs focusing on laboratory sciences has caused student perceptions of scientists to shift away from the "mad…

Laboratory Barriers in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics for Students with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heidari, Farzin

This report addresses the barriers college students with disabilities face in the laboratory setting. In engineering, mathematics, and science education most courses require laboratory work which may pose challenges to those with disabilities. Instructors should be aware of the individual needs of students with disabilities and make necessary…

National Center for Mathematics and Science - what we do

Science.gov Websites

. teachers need more substantive professional development about student thinking and subject matter student thinking is a cornerstone of professional development. In our work with teachers, we have observed the ways that teachers examined student thinking about important mathematics and science ideas, and

Individual to collaborative: guided group work and the role of teachers in junior secondary science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, Dennis; Lui, Wai-mei

2016-05-01

This paper, through discussion of a teaching intervention at two secondary schools in Hong Kong, demonstrates the learning advancement brought about by group work and dissects the facilitating role of teachers in collaborative discussions. One-hundred and fifty-two Secondary Two (Grade 8) students were divided into three pedagogical groups, namely 'whole-class teaching', 'self-directed group work' and 'teacher-supported group work' groups, and engaged in peer-review, team debate, group presentation and reflection tasks related to a junior secondary science topic (i.e. current electricity). Pre- and post-tests were performed to evaluate students' scientific conceptions, alongside collected written responses and audio-recorded discussions. The results indicate that students achieved greater cognitive growth when they engaged in cooperative learning activities, the interactive and multi-sided argumentative nature of which is considered to apply particularly well to science education and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development framework. Group work learning is also found to be most effective when teachers play a role in navigating students during the joint construction of conceptual knowledge.

The Effect of Executive Function on Science Achievement Among Normally Developing 10-Year Olds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lederman, Sheri G.

Executive function (EF) is an umbrella term used to identify a set of discrete but interrelated cognitive abilities that enable individuals to engage in goal-directed, future-oriented action in response to a novel context. Developmental studies indicate that EF is predictive of reading and math achievement in middle childhood. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between EF and science achievement among normally developing 10 year olds. A sample of fifth grade students from a Northeastern suburban community participated in tests of EF, science, and intelligence. Consistent with adult models of EF, principal components analysis identified a three-factor model of EF organization in middle childhood, including cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibition. Multiple regression analyses revealed that executive function processes of cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibition were all predictive of science performance. Post hoc analyses revealed that high-performing science students differed significantly from low-performing students in both cognitive flexibility and working memory. These findings suggest that complex academic demands specific to science achievement rely on the emergence and maturation of EF components.

Investigating Changes in Student Attitudes and Understanding of Science through Participation in Citizen Science Projects in College Coursework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardamone, Carolin; Cobb, Bethany E.

2018-01-01

Over the last decade, web-based “citizen science” projects such as the Zooniverse have allowed volunteers and professional scientists to work together for the advancement of science. While much attention has been paid to the benefits to science from these new projects, less attention has been paid to their impact on the participants and, in particular, to the projects’ potential to impact students who might engage in these projects through coursework. We report on a study engaging students in introductory astronomy classes at the George Washington University and Wheelock College in an assignment in which each student individually contributed to a “physics” or “space” citizen science project of their choice, and groups of students worked together to understand and articulate the scientific purpose of a citizen science project to which they all contributed. Over the course of approximately four weeks, the students kept logs of their individual contributions to the project, and recorded a brief reflection on each of their visits (noting, for example, interesting or confusing things they might encounter along the way). The project culminated with each group delivering a creative presentation that demonstrated their understanding of both the science goals of the project and the value of their own contributions to the project. In this talk, we report on the experience of the students with the project and on an assessment of the students’ attitudes toward science and knowledge of the process of science completed before the introduction of the assignment and again at its conclusion.

"I Was Told It Was Going to Be Hard Work but I Wasn't Told It Was Going to Be This Much Work": The Experiences and Aspirations of Undergraduate Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Emma; Cooke, Sandra

2011-01-01

The recruitment and training of scientists is an area of international concern. Much of the research and policy focus around this issue in the UK has been on how science is taught in schools and in particular on the structure of the school science curriculum. Much less attention has been devoted to the undergraduate student experience and the…

Impact of "Grassroots on Work" (GROW) Extension Program to the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science Students' Sense of Civic Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paga, Mark Leo Huit

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the medium term effect of service-learning program or "Grassroots on Work" extension program to civic responsibility of AB Political Science students. Methodology: This study employed an impact evaluation research design and both qualitative and quantitative. The data on goals and…

A case study of two exemplary biology teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treagust, David F.

Research has indicated that most science classrooms are not intellectually demanding and place little emphasis on small group discussions and laboratory activities. However, successful science programs and competent science teaching that can provide models for other science teachers do exist. This study sought to document the teaching practices of two exemplary biology teachers of grades 11 and 12 by means of an interpretive research methodology. Both teachers had a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the content they were to teach and had a range of teaching strategies that could be used without a great deal of thought. Their expectations for student performance were high, consistent, and firm. Students were expected to complete a high level of academic work in discussions, in problem work, and in laboratory activities, and were encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. A distinctive feature of these biology classes was the high level of managerial efficiency, where lessons were busy occasions for both teacher and students; students had little opportunity for off-task behavior. Both teachers actively monitored the behavior of both high- and low-ability students by moving around the room and speaking with individuals, while still maintaining control of the entire class. By manipulating questioning and the social environment, both teachers encouraged students to engage in work, gave effective praise to the whole class and to individuals, encouraged student input by referring to it, helped students to effectively use their time, and gave marks for completion of set work. Compared to research with less-successful teachers, these teaching behaviors contributed to exemplary practice.

Doctoral programs to train future leaders in clinical and translational science.

PubMed

Switzer, Galen E; Robinson, Georgeanna F W B; Rubio, Doris M; Fowler, Nicole R; Kapoor, Wishwa N

2013-09-01

Although the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made extensive investments in educational programs related to clinical and translational science (CTS), there has been no systematic investigation of the number and characteristics of PhD programs providing training to future leaders in CTS. The authors undertook to determine the number of institutions that, having had received NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs), currently had or were developing PhD programs in CTS; to examine differences between programs developed before and after CTSA funding; and to provide detailed characteristics of new programs. In 2012, CTS program leaders at the 60 CTSA-funded institutions completed a cross-sectional survey focusing on four key domains related to PhD programs in CTS: program development and oversight; students; curriculum and research; and milestones. Twenty-two institutions had fully developed PhD programs in CTS, and 268 students were earning PhDs in this new field; 13 institutions were planning PhD programs. New programs were more likely to have fully developed PhD competencies and more likely to include students in medical school, students working only on their PhD, students working on a first doctoral degree, and students working in T1 translational research. They were less likely to include physicians and students working in clinical or T2 research. Although CTS PhD programs have similarities, they also vary in their characteristics and management of students. This may be due to diversity in translational science itself or to the relative infancy of CTS as a discipline.

Doctoral Programs to Train Future Leaders in Clinical and Translational Science

PubMed Central

Switzer, Galen E.; Robinson, Georgeanna F.W.B.; Rubio, Doris M.; Fowler, Nicole R.; Kapoor, Wishwa N.

2013-01-01

Purpose Although the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made extensive investments in educational programs related to clinical and translational science (CTS), there has been no systematic investigation of the number and characteristics of PhD programs providing training to future leaders in CTS. The authors undertook to determine the number of institutions that, having had received NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs), currently had or were developing PhD programs in CTS; to examine differences between programs developed before and after CTSA funding; and to provide detailed characteristics of new programs. Method In 2012, CTS program leaders at the 60 CTSA-funded institutions completed a cross-sectional survey focusing on four key domains related to PhD programs in CTS: program development and oversight; students; curriculum and research; and milestones. Results Twenty-two institutions had fully developed PhD programs in CTS, and 268 students were earning a PhD in this new field; 13 institutions were planning a PhD program. New programs were more likely to have fully developed PhD competencies and more likely to include students in medical school, students working only on their PhD, students working on a first doctoral degree, and students working in T1 translational research. They were less likely to include physicians and students working in clinical or T2 research. Conclusions Although CTS PhD programs have similarities, they also vary in their characteristics and management of students. This may be due to diversity in translational science itself or to the relative infancy of CTS as a discipline. PMID:23899901

"Why bother so incredibly much?": student perspectives on PISA science assignments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serder, Margareta; Jakobsson, Anders

2015-09-01

Large-scale assessment, such as the Programme for International Assessment (PISA), plays an increasingly important role in current educational practice and politics. However, many scholars have questioned the validity and reliability of the tests and the extent to which they actually constitute trustworthy representations of students' knowledge. In the light of such critical voices the present article adopts a sociocultural perspective of human knowledge and action in order to explore the encounters between students and the science test assignments with which their knowledge is tested. Of particular interest in this study are the described "real-life situations" presented as the relevant background in which scientific literacy is assessed in PISA. According to the sociocultural theoretical onset the methodology used to approach the students' meaning making of the image of science as portrayed in the test were collaborative situations in which students work in small groups with units of PISA assignments, enabling a study of student-assignment encounters in action. The data we worked with consists of video-recordings from 71 Swedish 15-year-old students working with three released units from the PISA science test. According to our analysis, the "real-life situations" described in the test emerge as problematic in the students' meaning-making. This is demonstrated for instance by the students' positioning themselves as being different from and opposed to the fictional pictured students who appear in the backstories of the test. This article provides examples of how the scientific and academic language used by the fictional students in the assignments mediates distance and resistance among the students. The fictional students' use of strict scientific language and methods in day-to-day life situations leads them to be perceived as "little scientists" and as elite stereotypes of the scientific culture. We conclude that, by using assignments of this type, measurements of students' knowledge in science run the risk of becoming a measurement of cultural consistency regarding how well students will overcome the hurdles of scientific cultures. We mean that all though understanding the scientific culture is an important goal for science education, there is a problem that the assessment organizations communicate the results as representations of students' knowledge in science. This study adheres to research that advises caution in not over-interpreting the PISA results and stresses that understanding students' "knowledge" about science is much more complex than what is communicated by the international assessment organizations.

Investigating the intrinsic and extrinsic work values of 10th grade students in science-oriented charter schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozer, Ozgur

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent gender, achievement level, and income level predict the intrinsic and extrinsic work values of 10th grade students. The study explored whether group differences were good predictors of scores in work values. The research was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted on 131 10th graders who attended science-oriented charter schools. Students took Super's Work Values Instrument, a Likert-type test that links to 15 work values, which can be categorized as intrinsic and extrinsic values (Super, 1970). Multiple regression analysis was employed as the main analysis followed by ANCOVA. Multiple regression analysis results indicated that there is evidence that 8.9% of the variance in intrinsic work values and 10.2% of the variance in extrinsic work values can be explained by the independent variables ( p < .05). Achievement Level and Income Level may help predict intrinsic work value scores; Achievement Level may also help predict extrinsic work values. Achievement Level was the covariate in ANCOVA. Results indicated that males (M = .174) in this sample have a higher mean of extrinsic work values than that of females (M = -.279). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the intrinsic work values by gender. One possible interpretation of this might be school choice; students in these science-oriented charter schools may have higher intrinsic work values regardless of gender. Results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference among the means of extrinsic work values by income level (p < .05). However, free lunch students (M = .268) have a higher mean of intrinsic work values than that of paid lunch students ( M = -.279). A possible interpretation of this might be that lower income students benefit greatly from the intrinsic work values in overcoming obstacles. Further research is needed in each of these areas. The study produced statistically significant results with little practical significance. Students, parents, teachers, and counselors may still be advised to consider the work value orientations of students during the career choice process.

Using Solar System Topics to Teach the Scientific Method in an Age of Science Denial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo Presto, M. C.

2013-04-01

A number of excellent opportunities to remind students of the scientific method and how the process of science works come about during coverage of common topics in a Solar System “unit” in an introductory college astronomy course. With the tremendous amount of misinformation about science that students are exposed to through the Internet and other forms of media, this is now more important than ever. If non-science majors can leave introductory astronomy, often the only science course they will take, with a decent appreciation of, or at least an exposure to, how science works, they will then be better able to judge the validity of what they hear about science in the media throughout their lives.

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.

Engaging Students with the Nature of Science and the Nature of Technology by Modeling the Work of Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruse, Jerrid W.; Wilcox, Jesse L.

2013-01-01

Just as science education is too often limited to the acquisition of facts, technology education is too often limited to proficient use of technology. Neither of these goals fully realize a robust definition of science and technology literacy. To achieve greater science and technology literacy, students must understand the natures of both science…

What to do when the Universities reject High School Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Norden, W.

2011-12-01

It is hard to imagine a state of the union more affected by Earth processes than the state of California. However, the University of California actively discourages High School students from taking Earth Science courses. For admission into the University of California students are required to take at least 2 years of courses that offer a fundamental knowledge in at least two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry, and physics. Earth Science courses simply don't qualify as laboratory science courses. The UC Admissions will sometimes make an exception for an Earth Science course only if it is shown to contain a large component of biology, chemistry and physics topics. Since students don't get credit for admission for taking Earth Science, High Schools are quick to drop Earth Science courses for their college-bound students. A group of teachers and University professors have been working to reverse this policy by creating a rigorous capstone Earth Science course that clearly merits laboratory status. Getting this course accepted by the University of California is well on its way, but getting the course into the High Schools will take a lot of work and probably some extra funding.

The effects of inquiry-based summer enrichment activities on rising eighth graders' knowledge of science processes, attitude toward science, and perceptions of scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Juanita Martin

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of summer science enrichment on eighth-graders' science process skills knowledge, attitude toward science and perceptions of scientists. A single group pre- and post-test design was used to test participants in a summer science enrichment camp, which took place over a three-week period in the summer of 2000. Participants, all of whom were residents of the Mississippi area known as the Delta, lived on the campus of Mississippi Valley State University for the entire course of the camp. Activities included several guided inquiry-based projects such as water rocket design and solar or battery-powered car design. Participants also took trips to an environmental camp in north Mississippi and to the Stennis Space Center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Participants worked on their projects in groups, supervised by an undergraduate student "mentor". Participants were encouraged to keep journals of their experiences throughout the camp, and the researcher developed a rubric to evaluate student journals for process knowledge, evidence of planning, reflective thought, and disposition toward science. Tests were used to evaluate student knowledge of process skills, attitude toward science, and perceptions of scientists. On the Test of Integrated Process Skills (Dillashaw & Okey, 1983), the students showed significant improvement overall, but when evaluated separately, males showed significant improvement while females did not. On the Attitude toward Science in School Assessment (Germane, 1988), data indicated that attitude toward science improved significantly for the group as a whole, but upon closer inspection, indicated a significant improvement for the female students only. On Chamber's Draw-a-Scientist Test (1983), analysis of student drawings indicated no significant change in stereotypical images of scientists for the group overall. However, boys' scores indicated a significant improvement when analyzed separately. Journal analysis revealed a need for instruction in their use, but provided an interesting glimpse into students' thoughts. The researcher concluded that summer enrichment camps have potential m terms of helping students improve their science knowledge and their thinking about science. Further research on summer opportunities, inquiry-based instruction, work with mentors, and use of journals is suggested by this work.

Production of a Science Documentary and its Usefulness in Teaching the Nature of Science: Indirect Experience of How Science Works

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sun Young; Yi, Sang Wook; Cho, Eun Hee

2014-05-01

In this study, we produced a documentary which portrays scientists at work and critically evaluated the use of this film as a teaching tool to help students develop an understanding of the nature of science. The documentary, "Life as a Scientist: People in Love with Caenorhabditis elegans, a Soil Nematode" encompasses the entire process of a scientific investigation by exploring the everyday life of a particular group of scientists. We explored the effectiveness of this documentary in teaching the nature of science by examining the epistemological views of college students toward science before and after viewing. In addition, we collected written responses from the students where they described which aspect of the nature of science they learned from the documentary. The scores of epistemological views toward science increased between the pretest and the posttest ( p < 0.01) with the most significant increase being in their views of the role of social negotiation. In the written responses, approximately half of the students suggested that they had learned more about the role which cooperation and collaboration play in the development of scientific knowledge by watching the documentary. The documentary overall provides a valuable instructional context so that students are able to discuss and reflect on various aspects of nature of science within authentic scientific research.

`Hard science': a career option for socially and societally interested students? Grade 12 students' vocational interest gap explored

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Struyf, Annemie; Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle; Van Petegem, Peter

2017-11-01

A key theme in science education research concerns the decline in young peoples' interest in science and the need for professionals in hard science. Goal Congruity Theory posits that an important aspect of the decision whether to pursue hard science for study or as a career is the perception that hard science careers do not fulfil social (working with people) and societal (serving or helping others) interests. In this qualitative study, we explore grade 12 students' perceptions about the social and societal orientation of hard science careers. Furthermore, we investigate the variation in students' social and societal interests. Six focus groups were conducted with 58 grade 12 students in Flanders. Our results indicate that a number of students hold stereotypical views about hard science careers' social orientation, while others believe cooperation with others is an important aspect of hard science careers nowadays. Furthermore, our results show that students believe hard science careers can be societally oriented in the sense that they often associate them with innovation or societal progress. Finally, our results indicate that students may differentiate direct versus indirect societal orientation. These findings contribute to literature regarding social and societal interests and students' perceptions of hard science careers.

Item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES-S) using a sample of Japanese university and college students majoring medical science, nursing, and natural science.

PubMed

Tsubakita, Takashi; Shimazaki, Kazuyo; Ito, Hiroshi; Kawazoe, Nobuo

2017-10-30

The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students has been used internationally to assess students' academic engagement, but it has not been analyzed via item response theory. The purpose of this study was to conduct an item response theory analysis of the Japanese version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students translated by authors. Using a two-parameter model and Samejima's graded response model, difficulty and discrimination parameters were estimated after confirming the factor structure of the scale. The 14 items on the scale were analyzed with a sample of 3214 university and college students majoring medical science, nursing, or natural science in Japan. The preliminary parameter estimation was conducted with the two parameter model, and indicated that three items should be removed because there were outlier parameters. Final parameter estimation was conducted using the survived 11 items, and indicated that all difficulty and discrimination parameters were acceptable. The test information curve suggested that the scale better assesses higher engagement than average engagement. The estimated parameters provide a basis for future comparative studies. The results also suggested that a 7-point Likert scale is too broad; thus, the scaling should be modified to fewer graded scaling structure.

Gender differences in the use of computers, programming, and peer interactions in computer science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoilescu, Dorian; Egodawatte, Gunawardena

2010-12-01

Research shows that female and male students in undergraduate computer science programs view computer culture differently. Female students are interested more in the use of computers than in doing programming, whereas male students see computer science mainly as a programming activity. The overall purpose of our research was not to find new definitions for computer science culture but to see how male and female students see themselves involved in computer science practices, how they see computer science as a successful career, and what they like and dislike about current computer science practices. The study took place in a mid-sized university in Ontario. Sixteen students and two instructors were interviewed to get their views. We found that male and female views are different on computer use, programming, and the pattern of student interactions. Female and male students did not have any major issues in using computers. In computing programming, female students were not so involved in computing activities whereas male students were heavily involved. As for the opinions about successful computer science professionals, both female and male students emphasized hard working, detailed oriented approaches, and enjoying playing with computers. The myth of the geek as a typical profile of successful computer science students was not found to be true.

Fostering Autonomy through Work-Based Experiences: Challenges for University Educators and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Karen; Clegg, Sue; Lawrence, Elizabeth; Todd, Malcolm J.

2004-01-01

Higher education is increasingly recognizing the importance of developing students' skills for work during their university careers; however work-based placements within the social sciences, whilst growing in popularity, remain relatively rare and little is known about how students experience this type of learning. This article describes the…

Social competence and collaborative guided inquiry science activities: Experiences of students with learning disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Jennifer Anne

This thesis presents a qualitative investigation of the effects of social competence on the participation of students with learning disabilities (LD) in the science learning processes associated with collaborative, guided inquiry learning. An inclusive Grade 2 classroom provided the setting for the study. Detailed classroom observations were the primary source of data. In addition, the researcher conducted two interviews with the teacher, and collected samples of students' written work. The purpose of the research was to investigate: (a) How do teachers and peers mediate the participation of students with LD in collaborative, guided inquiry science activities, (b) What learning processes do students with LD participate in during collaborative, guided inquiry science activities, and (c) What components of social competence support and constrain the participation of students with LD during collaborative, guided inquiry science activities? The findings of the study suggest five key ideas for research and teaching in collaborative, guided inquiry science in inclusive classrooms. First, using a variety of collaborative learning formats (whole-class, small-group, and pairs) creates more opportunities for the successful participation of diverse students with LD. Second, creating an inclusive community where students feel accepted and valued may enhance the academic and social success of students with LD. Third, careful selection of partners for students with LD is important for a positive learning experience. Students with LD should be partnered with academically successful, socially competent peers; also, this study suggested that students with LD experience more success working collaboratively in pairs rather than in small groups. Fourth, a variety of strategies are needed to promote active participation and positive social interactions for students with and without LD during collaborative, guided inquiry learning. Fifth, adopting a general approach to teaching collaborative inquiry that crosses curriculum borders may enhance success of inclusive teaching practices.

A Comparison of the Performance of Online versus Traditional On-Campus Earth Science Students on Identical Exams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werhner, Matthew J.

2010-01-01

In this paper I compare the performance of online versus traditional on-campus students on identical exams in an earth science class. The number of college level distance learning classes offered online continues to increase as they offer greater scheduling flexibility to students, they appeal to students who like to work independently, and allow…

Establishing Astronomy in the Curriculum at a Teacher Preparation College: Some Successes and Some Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, L. M.; Borkovitz, D.

1999-12-01

At Wheelock College, a liberal arts college in Boston which prepares students for careers in elementary and early childhood teaching and social work, we are developing science and mathematics courses designed to prepare our students for their work with children while teaching them adult-level math and science. Our students arrive with varying skill levels and, often, a great deal of math and science anxiety. We must address the anxiety in order for the students to make progress as learners and, eventually, teachers of math and science. Two courses have been notable successes. A one-semester course entitled The Solar System has become a staple in the curriculum. Major topics covered include finding our way around the sky, the nature of light and color, the size and scale of the solar system, and the causes of the Earth’s seasons and the phases of the moon. Students report that it changes their minds about how science can be taught by modeling a style of teaching which is more interactive than the way they were taught. In the graduate school, astronomy is the focus for a course entitled Teaching and Learning. Co-taught by an education faculty member and an astronomer, the course immerses students in learning a new content area and asks them to consider their own learning process. Observations play an important role here, with students keeping journals of their own sky observations. We also describe two challenges. One is the establishment of more advanced courses; although an astrophysics class has been offered twice to overwhelmingly positive student reviews, it is not easy to “sell”. The other challenge is the establishment of an introductory level course in stars and galaxies for non-science majors. This work has been supported in part by a grant from the DUE of the National Science Foundation.

Hampshire College Center for Science Education. Final Report on Activities Supported by the Department of Energy Grant No. DE-FG02-06ER64256

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

Stillings, Neil; Wenk, Laura

Hampshire College's Center for Science Education (Center) focuses on teacher professional development, curriculum development, and student enrichment programs. The Center also maintains research programs on teacher change, student learning and instructional effectiveness. The Center's work promotes learning that persists over time and transfers to new situations in and out of school. The projects develop the implications of the increasing agreement among teachers and researchers that effective learning involves active concept mastery and consistent practice with inquiry and critical thinking. The Center's objective is to help strengthen the pipeline of U.S. students pursuing postsecondary study in STEM fields. The Center achievesmore » this by fostering an educational environment in which science is taught as an active, directly experienced endeavor across the K-16 continuum. Too often, young people are dissuaded from pursuing science because they do not see its relevance, instead experiencing it as dry, rote, technical. In contrast, when science is taught as a hands-on, inquiry-driven process, students are encouraged to ask questions grounded in their own curiosity and seek experimental solutions accordingly. In this way, they quickly discover both the profound relevance of science to their daily lives and its accessibility to them. Essentially, they learn to think and act like real scientists. The Center’s approach is multi-faceted: it includes direct inquiry-based science instruction to secondary and postsecondary students, educating the next generation of teachers, and providing new educational opportunities for teachers already working in the schools. Funding from the Department of Energy focused on the last population, enabling in-service teachers to explore and experience the pedagogy of inquiry-based science for themselves, and to take it back to their classrooms and students. The Center has demonstrated that the inquiry-based approach to science learning is compatible with existing state curriculum frameworks and produces students who understand and are positively inclined toward science. Funds from this Department of Energy grant supported three projects that involved K-16 science outreach: 1. Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology (TIEE). TIEE a peer-reviewed online journal and curriculum resource for postsecondary science teachers. 2. The Collaboration for Excellence in Science Education (CESE). CESE is a partnership with the Amherst, Massachusetts school system to foster the professional development of science teachers, and to perform research on student learning in the sciences and on teacher change. The project draws on Hampshire's long experience with inquiry-oriented and interdisciplinary education, as well as on its unique strengths in cognitive science. The project is run as design research, working with teachers to improve their practices and studying student and/or teacher outcomes. 3. Day in the Lab. Grant funds partially supported the expansion of the ongoing science outreach activities of the School of Natural Science. These activities are focused on local districts with large minority enrollments, including the Amherst, Holyoke and Springfield Public School Districts, and the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School (PVPA). Each of the three projects supported by the grant met or exceeded its goals. In part, the successes we met were due to continuity and communication among the staff of the programs. At the beginning of the CESE project, a science outreach coordinator was recruited. He worked throughout the grant period along with a senior researcher and the project's curriculum director. Additionally, the director and an undergraduate student conducted research on teacher change. The science outreach coordinator acted as a liaison among Hampshire College, the school districts, and a number of local businesses and agencies, providing organizational support, discussion facilitation, classroom support for teachers, and materials purchase. His presence in the schools kept teachers engaged and supported. He also brought the PVPA Charter School into the project. He worked closely with the educational outreach coordinator at Hampshire who oversaw the Day in the Lab program. Together, they have ensured the continuity of support to the schools through the use and placement of student interns. Finally, the director and coordinators worked with the Hitchock Center for the Environment to bring the two science professional development efforts in Amherst together. The joint development of workshops for elementary teachers was extremely successful. A major reason for the successes of the CESE program was the strength of the teacher outreach team and the sheer number of hours spent building relationships, talking about teaching and learning, planning projects, developing curriculum, and working with experts throughout the Pioneer Valley.« less

Integrating teaching and research in the field and laboratory settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Kaseke, K. F.; Daryanto, S.; Ravi, S.

2015-12-01

Field observations and laboratory measurements are great ways to engage students and spark students' interests in science. Typically these observations are separated from rigorous classroom teaching. Here we assessed the potential of integrating teaching and research in the field and laboratory setting in both US and abroad and worked with students without strong science background to utilize simple laboratory equipment and various environmental sensors to conduct innovative projects. We worked with students in Namibia and two local high school students in Indianapolis to conduct leaf potential measurements, soil nutrient extraction, soil infiltration measurements and isotope measurements. The experience showed us the potential of integrating teaching and research in the field setting and working with people with minimum exposure to modern scientific instrumentation to carry out creative projects.

Construct-a-Catapult. Science by Design Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pulis, Lee

This book is one of four books in the Science-by-Design Series crated by TERC and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It integrates history, physics, mathematics, and technology in its challenge to high school students to design and build a working catapult system. Students investigate elasticity, projectile launching, and learn about…

Science Books, A Quarterly Review, Volume 7 Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC.

"Science Books" is published quarterly to review trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in the elementary school, secondary school, and first two years of college. It includes selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members. The approximately 200…

Science Books, A Quarterly Review, Volume 7 Number 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Books A Quarterly Review, 1971

1971-01-01

Science Books is published quarterly to review trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in the elementary school, secondary school, and first two years of college. It includes selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members. The approximately 234 titles…

Science Books, A Quarterly Review, Volume 7 Number 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC.

"Science Books" is published quarterly to review trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in the elementary school, secondary school, and first two years of college. It includes selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members. The approximately 240…

Construct-a-Boat. Science by Design Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baroway, William

This book is one of four books in the Science-by-Design Series created by TERC and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It challenges high school students to investigate the physics of boat performance and work with systems and modeling. Through research, design, testing, and evaluation of a model boat, students experience the…

Direction Discovery: A Science Enrichment Program for High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikes, Suzanne S.; Schwartz-Bloom, Rochelle D.

2009-01-01

Launch into education about pharmacology (LEAP) is an inquiry-based science enrichment program designed to enhance competence in biology and chemistry and foster interest in science careers especially among under-represented minorities. The study of how drugs work, how they enter cells, alter body chemistry, and exit the body engages students to…

A Problem-Based Learning Approach to Teaching Introductory Soil Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amador, Jose A.; Gorres, Josef H.

2004-01-01

At most land-grant universities in the USA, Introduction to Soil Science is traditionally taught using a combination of lecture and laboratory formats. To promote engagement, improve comprehension, and enhance retention of content by students, we developed a problem-based learning (PBL) introductory soil science course. Students work in groups to…

Levers and Mixtures: An Integrated Science and Mathematics Activity to Solve Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa

2017-01-01

In recent years, the integration of science and mathematics has become popular among educators because of its potential benefits for student learning. The purpose of this study is to introduce a two-day interdisciplinary lesson that brings science and mathematics concepts together, actively engaging students in working with percentages of the…

Composing Science: A Facilitator's Guide to Writing in the Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Leslie Atkins; Jaxon, Kim; Salter, Irene

2016-01-01

Offering expertise in the teaching of writing (Kim Jaxon) and the teaching of science (Leslie Atkins Elliott and Irene Salter), this book will help instructors create classrooms in which students use writing to learn and think scientifically. The authors provide concrete approaches for engaging students in practices that mirror the work that…

Intergenerational Transfers of Preferences for Science Careers in Comparative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikora, Joanna; Pokropek, Artur

2012-01-01

Using data from 24 countries, which participated in the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), we examine the relationship between parental science employment and students' career expectations. In contrast to prior PISA-based studies, we find that the link between parental employment and adolescent plans to work in science is…

The pursuit of understanding: A study of exemplary high school students' conceptions of knowledge validation in science and history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boix Mansilla, Veronica Maria

The study presented examined 16 award-winning high school students' beliefs about the criteria by which scientific theories and historical narratives are deemed trustworthy. It sought to (a) describe such beliefs as students reasoned within each discipline; (b) examine the degree to which such beliefs were organized as coherent systems of thought; and (c) explore the relationship between students' beliefs and their prior disciplinary research experience. Students were multiple-year award-winners at the Massachusetts Science Fair and the National History Day---two pre-collegiate State-level competitions. Two consecutive semi-structured interviews invited students to assess and enhance the trustworthiness of competing accounts of genetic inheritance and the Holocaust in science and history respectively. A combined qualitative and quantitative data analysis yielded the following results: (a) Students valued three standards of acceptability that were common across disciplines: e.g. empirical strength, explanatory power and formal and presentational strength. However, when reasoning within each discipline they tended to define each standard in disciplinary-specific ways. Students also valued standards of acceptability that were not shared across disciplines: i.e., external validity in science and human understanding in history. (b) In science, three distinct epistemological orientations were identified---i.e., "faith in method," "trusting the scientific community" and "working against error." In history students held two distinct epistemologies---i.e., "reproducing the past" and "organizing the past". Students' epistemological orientations tended to operate as collections of mutually supporting ideas about what renders a theory or a narrative acceptable. (c) Contrary to the standard position to date in the literature on epistemological beliefs, results revealed that students' research training in a particular discipline (e.g., science or history) was strongly related to the ways in which they interpreted problems, methods, and satisfactory solutions in each domain. Students trained in science favored a sophisticated "working against error" epistemology of science and a naive "reproducing the past" epistemology of history. Students trained in history revealed a sophisticated "organizing the past" epistemology in that discipline and a naive "faith in methods" in one in science. Students trained in both domains revealed sophisticated epistemologies in both disciplines.

Teaching science through literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barth, Daniel

2007-12-01

The hypothesis of this study was that a multidisciplinary, activity rich science curriculum based around science fiction literature, rather than a conventional text book would increase student engagement with the curriculum and improve student performance on standards-based test instruments. Science fiction literature was chosen upon the basis of previous educational research which indicated that science fiction literature was able to stimulate and maintain interest in science. The study was conducted on a middle school campus during the regular summer school session. Students were self-selected from the school's 6 th, 7th, and 8th grade populations. The students used the science fiction novel Maurice on the Moon as their only text. Lessons and activities closely followed the adventures of the characters in the book. The student's initial level of knowledge in Earth and space science was assessed by a pre test. After the four week program was concluded, the students took a post test made up of an identical set of questions. The test included 40 standards-based questions that were based upon concepts covered in the text of the novel and in the classroom lessons and activities. The test also included 10 general knowledge questions that were based upon Earth and space science standards that were not covered in the novel or the classroom lessons or activities. Student performance on the standards-based question set increased an average of 35% for all students in the study group. Every subgroup disaggregated by gender and ethnicity improved from 28-47%. There was no statistically significant change in the performance on the general knowledge question set for any subgroup. Student engagement with the material was assessed by three independent methods, including student self-reports, percentage of classroom work completed, and academic evaluation of student work by the instructor. These assessments of student engagement were correlated with changes in student performance on the standards-based assessment tests. A moderate correlation was found to exist between the level of student engagement with the material and improvement in performance from pre to post test.

Science Fiction for Geographers: Selected Works.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elbow, Gary S.; Martinson, Tom L.

1980-01-01

Explains how college level teachers of geography can use works of science fiction to help students understand geographical settings and create impressionistic pictures of a given region in their minds. Particular areas in which science fiction is useful include invented terrestrial landscapes, specialized extraterrestrial landscapes, disaster…

Toward Solutions: The Work of the Biology Action-Research Group. Learning in Science Project. Working Paper No. 29.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boe, Robyn; And Others

Many students, even after formal science instruction, have not developed a scientifically acceptable concept of "living,""animal," or "plant." Therefore, as part of the action-research phase of the Learning in Science Project, a working group was formed to explore (with teachers) some possible strategies aimed at…

Using the history of research on sickle-cell anemia to affect preservice teachers' conceptions of the nature of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howe, Eric M.

Preservice elementary teachers enrolled in an elective biology course participated in an eight-class unit of instruction based on the history of research in understanding the disease sickle-cell anemia. Students were introduced to the disease as a "mystery" for them to solve, and subsequently developed an understanding of the disease from several disciplines in biology (e.g., genetics, ecology, evolution, molecular biology). The unit involved open-ended problems in which students examined evidence and developed explanations in a manner analogous to the reasoning used by Anthony C. Allison and his colleagues during the early to middle part of the twentieth century. Throughout the unit, students were challenged to explicitly and reflectively connect their work with the historical material to more general conclusions about aspects of the nature of science. These aspects included (a) the nature of scientific theories, (b) the tentative nature of science, (c) the difference between scientific theories and laws, (d) the validity of observational methods in science, and (e) the subjective (theory-laden) nature of science. The research measured students' pre- and post-instruction views by using both an open-ended survey (VNOS) and follow-up, semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that an appreciable number of students underwent a change or enrichment in their views for some of the nature of science aspects. Moreover, change or enrichment in students' views was directly attributable to their work in the sickle-cell unit as evidenced from the specific examples students articulated in their post-instruction responses in support of their more informed views. In general, the findings of this research lend empirical support to the value of having students actively recapitulate the history of science to improve their nature of science conceptions. This is facilitated when the lessons challenge students to explicitly and reflectively develop views of the nature of science in tandem with their examinations of the problems taken from the history of science.

Science Sublime: The Philosophy of the Sublime, Dewey's Aesthetics, and Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanaugh, Shane

2014-01-01

Feelings of awe, wonder, and appreciation have been largely ignored in the working lives of scientists and, in turn, science education has not accurately portrayed science to students. In an effort to bring the affective qualities of science into the classroom, this work draws on the writings of the sublime by Burke, Kant, Emerson, and Wordsworth…

Environmental and Conservation Volunteering as Workplace Integrated Learning for University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Rowena H.; van Etten, Eddie

2013-01-01

This research paper introduces the concept and practice of tertiary sciences students doing environmental volunteering, also known as conservation volunteering, as a core part of their course. First year Natural Sciences students at Edith Cowan University do five days environmental volunteer work with community groups as a practicum, currently…

More than Just Chemistry: The Impact of a Collaborative Participant Structure on Student Perceptions of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patchen, Terri; Smithenry, Dennis W.

2015-01-01

Researchers have theorized that integrating authentic science activities into classrooms will help students learn how working scientists collaboratively construct knowledge, but few empirical studies have examined students' experiences with these types of activities. Utilizing data from a comparative, mixed-methods study, we considered how…

Enhancing Student Performance through Cooperative Learning in Physical Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Madan L.

2004-01-01

Students in a physical sciences course were introduced to cooperative learning at the University of Queensland, Gatton Campus. Groups of four to five students worked together in tutorial and practical sessions. Mid-term and practical examinations were abolished and 40% of total marks were allocated to the cooperative learning activities. A peer-…

Metaphoric Perception of Gifted Students about Physical Education Course and Physical Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Aynur; Esenturk, Oguz Kaan; Demir, Gonul Tekkursun; Ilhan, Ekrem Levent

2017-01-01

It is to determine the perception of the gifted students who participate to "Science and Art Center" about "Physical Education Course" and "Physical Education Teachers" via metaphors. The working group of the research consists of 48 students who participate Science and Art Center in 2014-2015 school years. Among the…

Getting Students in the Safety Zone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Ken

2010-01-01

Students coming into science labs need initial and ongoing training about safety standards and best practices. They also need to develop good attitudes about their work and the health and safety of their teachers and fellow students. The "School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide" is a resource for science teachers and school administrators to help…

Conceptions of Research: The Doctoral Student Experience in Three Domains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stubb, Jenni; Pyhältö, Kirsi; Lonka, Kirsti

2014-01-01

This study investigates how doctoral students perceive research work in the context of their own PhD projects. Thirty-two students from a Finnish university were interviewed, representing three disciplines: medicine, natural sciences and behavioural sciences. Their conceptions of research varied in terms of describing research as "a job to…

The Acquisition of Stereochemical Knowledge by Algerian Students Intending to Teach Physical Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boukhechem, Mohamed-Salah; Dumon, Alain; Zouikri, Mohamed

2011-01-01

In this work we evaluated the level of difficulty found in learning stereochemistry concepts, by students intending to teach physical sciences at the Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS) Kouba (Algeria). A paper and pencil questionnaire was administered to 170 students to evaluate: their familiarity with Newman representations; their ability of linking…

An Introduction to Dynamic Systems and Feedback.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabins, Michael J.

This introduction to dynamic systems is intended for freshman and sophomore students in engineering, physical science, or social science. Material has been class tested and has led to increased student interest in further work in systems analysis and operations research. Notes are written for the student and are self-contained. Material can be…

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…

Collaborative Creativity Processes in a Wiki: A Study in Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pifarré, Manoli; Marti, Laura; Guijosa, Alex

2014-01-01

This paper explores how wiki may be used to support secondary education students' collaborative creativity processes and how such interaction can promote critical and creativity thinking. A science case-based project in which 81 secondary students participated was designed, implemented and evaluated. Students worked in the science wiki project…

Indian Summer: A "Hands-On, Feet-Wet" Approach to Science Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galindo, Ed; Barta, Jim

2001-01-01

A summer fish recovery program along the Salmon River (Idaho) involves Native American high school students in science, technology, and research within a cultural and environmental context. The positive attitudes and work ethic of Native students and the research and study skills they acquired demonstrate that Native students succeed when their…

Effects of academic-industry relations on the professional socialization graduate science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holleman, Margaret Ann Phillippi

This study asks if there has been a change in graduate student socialization in the biological sciences given the increased commercialism of life sciences. Drawing on the work of Steven Brint (1994) and Sheila Slaughter and Larry Leslie (1997) and Sheila Slaughter and Gary Rhoades (2004), this study asks if graduate student socialization has shifted emphasis from the social and moral dimensions of work (social trustee professionalism) to the practical, technical, and commercial dimensions (expert professionalism). Building on the survey results of the Acadia Project (Swazey, Louis, & Anderson, 1994; Louis, Anderson & Rosenberg, 1995), this qualitative study uses interviews with 25 graduate science students at two A.A.U. research universities that have been heavily involved in academic-industry relations to see how the students were professionally socialized throughout their educational careers. The student configuration compares males and females, U.S. and international students, and those funded by the government versus those receiving at least partial support from industry. It uses critical professionalization theory as a framework. The study found that students' career goals and values were usually set before graduate school primarily by females in non-elite institutions, such as community colleges, women's and liberal arts colleges, and non-flagship state universities. Also, university science faculty tend to continue to socialize students---even those planning to go into industry---for the professoriate, as their prestige is based on placing proteges into other elite schools. U.S. females and most students going into academics or government labs had the values of social trustee professionals while those going into industry held those of expert professionals. The former were more likely to recognize situations involving conflicts of interest or commitment. Almost all the students were disillusioned by the grants and promotion and tenure systems. They feel both tend to erode scientific norms. Both also require mentors to maintain large labs. International students tend not to get training in research ethics. In the conclusion, recommendations are made about recruiting more students into science careers, changing the mentoring and grants processes, and requiring ethics classes and work in undergraduate labs.

New FINESSE Faculty Institutes for NASA Earth and Space Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, Stephanie; Marshall, Sunette Sophia; Stork, Debra; Pomeroy, J. Richard R

2014-06-01

In a systematic effort to improve the preparation of future science teachers, scholars coordinated by the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research are providing a series of high-quality, 2-day professional development workshops, with year-round follow-up support, for college and university professors who prepare future science teachers to work with highly diverse student populations. These workshops focus on reforming and revitalizing undergraduate science teaching methods courses and Earth and Space science content courses that future teachers most often take to reflect contemporary pedagogies and data-rich problem-based learning approaches steeped in authentic scientific inquiry, which consistently demonstrate effectiveness with diverse students. Participants themselves conduct science data-rich research projects during the institutes using highly regarded approaches to inquiry using proven models. In addition, the Institute allocates significant time to illustrating best practices for working with diverse students. Moreover, participants leave with a well-formulated action plan to reform their courses targeting future teachers to include more data-rich scientific inquiry lessons and to be better focused on improving science education for a wide diversity of students. Through these workshops faculty use a backwards faded scaffolding mechanism for working inquiry into a deeper understanding of science by using existing on-line data to develop and research astronomy, progressing from creating a valid and easily testable question, to simple data analysis, arriving at a conclusion, and finally presenting and supporting that conclusion in the classroom. An updated schedule is available at FINESSEProgram.org

Authentic scientific data collection in support of an integrative model-based class: A framework for student engagement in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorensen, A. E.; Dauer, J. M.; Corral, L.; Fontaine, J. J.

2017-12-01

A core component of public scientific literacy, and thereby informed decision-making, is the ability of individuals to reason about complex systems. In response to students having difficulty learning about complex systems, educational research suggests that conceptual representations, or mental models, may help orient student thinking. Mental models provide a framework to support students in organizing and developing ideas. The PMC-2E model is a productive tool in teaching ideas of modeling complex systems in the classroom because the conceptual representation framework allows for self-directed learning where students can externalize systems thinking. Beyond mental models, recent work emphasizes the importance of facilitating integration of authentic science into the formal classroom. To align these ideas, a university class was developed around the theme of carnivore ecology, founded on PMC-2E framework and authentic scientific data collection. Students were asked to develop a protocol, collect, and analyze data around a scientific question in partnership with a scientist, and then use data to inform their own learning about the system through the mental model process. We identified two beneficial outcomes (1) scientific data is collected to address real scientific questions at a larger scale and (2) positive outcomes for student learning and views of science. After participating in the class, students report enjoying class structure, increased support for public understanding of science, and shifts in nature of science and interest in pursuing science metrics on post-assessments. Further work is ongoing investigating the linkages between engaging in authentic scientific practices that inform student mental models, and how it might promote students' systems-thinking skills, implications for student views of nature of science, and development of student epistemic practices.

Secondary science teachers' use of the affective domain in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grauer, Bette L.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore (a) the types of student affective responses that secondary science teachers reported emerged in science classes, (b) how those teachers worked with student affective responses, and (c) what interactions were present in the classroom when they worked with student affective responses. The study was motivated by research indicating that student interest and motivation for learning science is low. Eight secondary science teachers participated in the case study. The participants were selected from a pool of teachers who graduated from the same teacher education program at a large Midwest university. The primary sources of data were individual semi-structured interviews with the participants. Krathwohl's Taxonomy of the Affective Domain served as the research framework for the study. Student affective behavior reported by participants was classified within the five levels of Krathwohl's Affective Taxonomy: receiving, responding, valuing, organization, and characterization. Participants in the study reported student behavior representing all levels of the Affective Taxonomy. The types of behavior most frequently reported by participants were identified with the receiving and responding levels of the Affective Taxonomy. Organization behavior emerged during the study of perceived controversial science topics such as evolution. Participants in the study used student affective behavior to provide feedback on their lesson activities and instructional practices. Classroom interactions identified as collaboration and conversation contributed to the development of responding behavior. The researcher identified a process of affective progression in which teachers encouraged and developed student affective behavior changes from receiving to responding levels of the Affective Taxonomy.

Teaching the process of science: faculty perceptions and an effective methodology.

PubMed

Coil, David; Wenderoth, Mary Pat; Cunningham, Matthew; Dirks, Clarissa

2010-01-01

Most scientific endeavors require science process skills such as data interpretation, problem solving, experimental design, scientific writing, oral communication, collaborative work, and critical analysis of primary literature. These are the fundamental skills upon which the conceptual framework of scientific expertise is built. Unfortunately, most college science departments lack a formalized curriculum for teaching undergraduates science process skills. However, evidence strongly suggests that explicitly teaching undergraduates skills early in their education may enhance their understanding of science content. Our research reveals that faculty overwhelming support teaching undergraduates science process skills but typically do not spend enough time teaching skills due to the perceived need to cover content. To encourage faculty to address this issue, we provide our pedagogical philosophies, methods, and materials for teaching science process skills to freshman pursuing life science majors. We build upon previous work, showing student learning gains in both reading primary literature and scientific writing, and share student perspectives about a course where teaching the process of science, not content, was the focus. We recommend a wider implementation of courses that teach undergraduates science process skills early in their studies with the goals of improving student success and retention in the sciences and enhancing general science literacy.

Teaching the Process of Science: Faculty Perceptions and an Effective Methodology

PubMed Central

Coil, David; Wenderoth, Mary Pat; Cunningham, Matthew

2010-01-01

Most scientific endeavors require science process skills such as data interpretation, problem solving, experimental design, scientific writing, oral communication, collaborative work, and critical analysis of primary literature. These are the fundamental skills upon which the conceptual framework of scientific expertise is built. Unfortunately, most college science departments lack a formalized curriculum for teaching undergraduates science process skills. However, evidence strongly suggests that explicitly teaching undergraduates skills early in their education may enhance their understanding of science content. Our research reveals that faculty overwhelming support teaching undergraduates science process skills but typically do not spend enough time teaching skills due to the perceived need to cover content. To encourage faculty to address this issue, we provide our pedagogical philosophies, methods, and materials for teaching science process skills to freshman pursuing life science majors. We build upon previous work, showing student learning gains in both reading primary literature and scientific writing, and share student perspectives about a course where teaching the process of science, not content, was the focus. We recommend a wider implementation of courses that teach undergraduates science process skills early in their studies with the goals of improving student success and retention in the sciences and enhancing general science literacy. PMID:21123699

Improving Group Work Practices in Teaching Life Sciences: Trialogical Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tammeorg, Priit; Mykkänen, Anna; Rantamäki, Tomi; Lakkala, Minna; Muukkonen, Hanni

2017-08-01

Trialogical learning, a collaborative and iterative knowledge creation process using real-life artefacts or problems, familiarizes students with working life environments and aims to teach skills required in the professional world. We target one of the major limitation factors for optimal trialogical learning in university settings, inefficient group work. We propose a course design combining effective group working practices with trialogical learning principles in life sciences. We assess the usability of our design in (a) a case study on crop science education and (b) a questionnaire for university teachers in life science fields. Our approach was considered useful and supportive of the learning process by all the participants in the case study: the students, the stakeholders and the facilitator. Correspondingly, a group of university teachers expressed that the trialogical approach and the involvement of stakeholders could promote efficient learning. In our case in life sciences, we identified the key issues in facilitating effective group work to be the design of meaningful tasks and the allowance of sufficient time to take action based on formative feedback. Even though trialogical courses can be time consuming, the experience of applying knowledge in real-life cases justifies using the approach, particularly for students just about to enter their professional careers.

Formative assessment and equity: An exploration of opportunities for eliciting, recognizing, and responding within science classroom conversations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, Deb

Educational inequity can be seen in both student participation and achievement outcomes. In science education, as in many other areas of education, disparities in equity of achievement (NCES, 2011) and equity of participation in science learning environments (Brown & Ryoo, 2008; Calabrese Barton, 2003) have been well documented. Some of these studies highlight the need to understand the components of effective science classroom talk as a way to bridge everyday and scientific discourse practices, to engage students in the intellectual work of sense-making in science. The National Research Council ([NRC]; 2012) specifically named the everyday to scientific connections of science classroom discourse as a focus for work on science learning equity. Formative assessment practices in science classrooms may provide an entree for teachers to improve their connections between everyday and science classroom discourses (Black & Wiliam, 1998b). In this study I examined science classroom conversations during formative assessment discussions in 10th grade biology contexts to determine where opportunities might exist to improve science learning. I engaged a theoretical framework focused on discourse (Gee, 2012) and classroom talk (Michaels, O'Connor, & Resnick, 2008) to socially situate student-teacher interactions in a community of learners (Rogoff, 1994). I used qualitative analysis (Gee, 2011; Carspecken, 1996) to locate patterns of talk during whole class and small group discussions of two science teachers, Robyn and Lisa, as they engaged in a two-year professional development focused on formative assessment. Both teachers' classroom conversation practices showed a number of opportunities to promote equity. Robyn and Lisa used common formative assessment tools to reorganize the way that students participated in their classroom conversations, allowing students individual thinking time prior to classroom talk. While Robyn often expanded reasoning herself, Lisa tended to press students for reasoning instead. Robyn and Lisa linked everyday to scientific language in their classrooms. Additionally, Lisa built on students' everyday experiences in her talk with students. Both teachers framed students' science ideas as misconceptions, however, Robyn did this more often than Lisa. Finally, this study suggested ways in which teachers may be further supported to increase these practices.

Hypothetical biotechnology companies: A role-playing student centered activity for undergraduate science students.

PubMed

Chuck, Jo-Anne

2011-01-01

Science students leaving undergraduate programs are entering the biotechnology industry where they are presented with issues which require integration of science content. Students find this difficult as through-out their studies, most content is limited to a single subdiscipline (e.g., biochemistry, immunology). In addition, students need knowledge of the ethical, economic, and legal frame work in which the industry operates. This article presents an approach to deliver these outcomes in a collaborative and active learning modality which promotes deep learning. In the model, groups of final year undergraduate students form hypothetical biotechnology companies and identify real issues of interest to industry, make integrative team decisions, use professional level technology, and develop appropriate communication skills. The final successful teaching paradigm was based on self reflection, observation, and student feedback to ensure appropriate attainment of content, group work skills and increased confidence in professional decision-making. It is these outcomes which will facilitate life long learning skills, a major outcome applicable for all tertiary education. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

What Can a Teacher Do to Support Students' Interest in Science? A Study of the Constitution of Taste in a Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderhag, Per; Hamza, Karim Mikael; Wickman, Per-Olof

2015-01-01

In this study, we examined how a teacher may make a difference to the way interest develops in a science classroom, especially for students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. We adopted a methodology based on the concept of "taste for science" drawing on the work of John Dewey and Pierre Bourdieu. We investigated through…

A Geograns update. New experiences to teach earth sciences to students older than 55

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerdà, A.; Pinazo, S.

2009-04-01

How to teach earth science to students that have access to the university after the age of 55 is a challenge due to the different background of the students. They ranged from those with only basic education (sometimes they finished school at the age of 9) to well educate students such as university professors, physicians or engineers. Students older than 55 are enrolled in what is called the university programme NauGran project at the University of Valencia. They follow diverse topics, from health science to Arts. Since 2006 the Department of Geography and the NauGran project developed the Club for Geographers and Walkers called Geograns. The objective is to teach Earth Science in the field as a strategy to improve the knowledge of the students with a direct contact with the territory. This initiative reached a successful contribution by the students, with 70 students registered. The successful strategy we have developed since then is to base our teaching on field work. Every lecture is related to some visits to the field. A pre-excursion lecture introduces the key questions of the study site (hydrology, geology, botany, geomorphology…). During the field work we review all the topics and the students are encouraged to ask and discuss any of the topics studied. Finally, a post-excursion lecture is given to review the acquired knowledge. During the last academic year 2007-2008 the excursion focussed on: (i) energy sources: problems and solutions, with visit to nuclear, wind and hydraulic power stations; (i) human disturbances and humankind as landscaper, with visits to wetlands, river gorges and Iberian settlements; and (iii) human activities and economical resources, with visits to vineyards and wineries and orange fields devoted to organic farming. This is being a positive strategy to teach Earth Science to a wide and heterogeneous group of students, as they improve their knowledge with a direct contact with the landscape, other colleagues and teachers in the field. Key Words: Teaching, Earth Science, Field work, Earth Science, Environment.

Explore Mediterranean in classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balesevic, Ivana

2017-04-01

I am a science teacher at a primary school and my students are very interested in science. Through this year I will work with my students, organizing several workshops and or results will be presented on poster. I will work with several groups (4-6) students 8th grade. In this poster all activities will be presented, showing how science is easy to learn even in a classroom. 1. Workshop > Chemical characteristic of sea water Using school laboratory each group of students will analyze the physical and chemical characteristic of sea water and they have to explain the results to younger student's 5th and 6th grade. The final result will be presented on poster. 2. Workshop> Meet the Mediterranean life During this workshop students will work in different groups. The aim of the workshop is to meet lots of species that we can find in Mediterranean using movies, phone applications, internet explorer, science books and school collections of invertebrates … 3. Workshop>Stop the pollution Several groups of students have to debate about causes of pollution and possibilities for prevention. At the end of workshop we will organize a quiz. Student's answers and suggestions will be shown on the poster. 4. Workshop> How we see the Mediterranean During this workshop students will make models of Mediterranean in 2d and 3d perspective, using different materials. They can show on models parts of Mediterranean area, country, sea... After making models students need to visit 5th and 6th grade classes, to show them and explain the final results. Few models will be presented on poster

Bringing Real Solar Physics to the High School Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seaton, Daniel

2006-06-01

UNH's Partnership for Research Opportunities to Benefit Education (PROBE) project sends graduate students into high school classrooms across New Hampshire in order to help introduce students to authentic scientific inquiry. As one of ten graduate fellows, I worked with students in in ninth through twelfth grades in physical science, physics, earth science, and astronomy classes; helping students carry out individual and class projects on physics and solar physics. Projects related to solar physics included the production and analysis of plasma using a microwave oven, measurement of the solar constant, measurement of the solar rotation rate, solar spectroscopy, analysis of data from TRACE and SOHO, and the construction of various solar-powered devices. This work was generously supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation's GK-12 initiative (NSF#0338277).

Scientists and Classroom Teachers Working Together, a Win-win Scenario Demonstrated Over a Ten Year Period of Collaboration Through Arctic Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvellas, B.; Grebmeier, J. M.; Cooper, L. W.

2016-02-01

From 2002-2012 NSF and NOAA have supported a Vermont high school biology teacher to work with Dr. Jackie Grebmeier on 8 research cruises to the Arctic. Not only was the teacher embedded in Dr. Grebmeier's research team efforts, but her students were able to follow the work on board through her daily journals and photos. Subsequently, Dr. Grebmeier traveled to Vermont for a personal visit to students in multiple classes, grades 4-12. The opportunity for teachers to be teamed with a researcher, especially over an extended period of time as we will discuss in our presentation, allows their students to share in the tremendous learning experience and gain a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of science. The result is that the students begin to understand how the content they learn in the classroom is utilized in a real world setting. We will also discuss the more subtle benefits that occurred throughout the school year through connecting academic content with personal examples of "real" science. Note that the recently released Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), when fully implemented, will change the way students learn science. Appendix A of the NGSS lists 7 Conceptual Shifts in these new standards. #1 states "K-12 Science Education Should Reflect the Interconnected Nature of Science as it is Practiced and Experienced in the Real World" and #4 calls for a "Focus on Deeper Understanding of Content as well as Application of Content." What better way to address the standards than bringing real world science research into the classroom? Many K-12 science teachers, particularly those in elementary classrooms, have never had the opportunity to pursue their own research and even fewer have experienced first hand the real world work of a research scientist. This presentation will provide insights about our successful collaboration and value-added aspects to enhance the educational experience.

Astrobiology Outreach and the Nature of Science: The Role of Creativity

PubMed Central

Oliver, Carol; Walter, Malcolm R.

2012-01-01

Abstract There is concern in many developed countries that school students are turning away from science. However, students may be choosing not to study science and dismissing the possibility of a scientific career because, in the junior secondary years, they gain a false view of science and the work of scientists. There is a disparity between science as it is portrayed at school and science as it is practiced. This paper describes a study to explore whether engaging in science through astrobiology outreach activities may improve students' understanding of the nature and processes of science, and how this may influence their interest in a career in science. The results suggest that the students attending these Mars research–related outreach activities are more interested in science than the average student but are lacking in understanding of aspects of the nature of science. A significant difference was detected between pre- and posttest understandings of some concepts of the nature of science. Key Words: Science education—School science—Creativity—Nature and processes of science—Attitudes—Astrobiology. Astrobiology 12, 1143–1153. PMID:23134090

The effectiveness of constructivist science instructional methods on middle school students' student achievement and motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, John

A problem facing science educators is determining the most effective means of science instruction so that students will meet or exceed the new rigorous standards. The theoretical framework for this study was based on reform and research efforts that have informed science teachers that using constructivism is the best method of science instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the constructivist method of science instruction affected student achievement and student motivation in a sixth grade science classroom. The guiding research question involved understanding which method of science instruction would be most effective at improving student achievement in science. Other sub-questions included the factors that contribute to student motivation in science and the method of science instruction students receive that affects motivation to learn science. Quantitative data were collected using a pre-test and post-test single group design. T-test and ANCOVA were used to test quantitative hypotheses. Qualitative data were collected using student reflective journals and classroom discussions. Students' perspectives were transcribed, coded and used to further inform quantitative findings. The findings of this study supported the recommendations made by science reformists that the best method of science instruction was a constructivist method. This study also found that participant comments favored constructivist taught classes. The implications for social change at the local level included potential increases in student achievement in science and possibly increased understanding that can facilitate similar changes at other schools. From a global perspective, constructivist-oriented methods might result in students becoming more interested in majoring in science at the college level and in becoming part of a scientifically literate work force.

Increasing Student Engagement with Practical Classes through Online Pre-Lab Quizzes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cann, Alan J.

2016-01-01

Laboratory practicals classes are an essential component of all science degrees, but are a pinch point because of rising student numbers, rising student expectations and falling student exposure to laboratory work prior to entering higher education. Augmentation of physical laboratory work with online interventions is not new, but as virtual…

The formation of science choices in secondary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleaves, Anna

2005-04-01

In this paper I examine the formation of post-16 choices over 3 years among higher achieving students with respect to enrolment in post-compulsory science courses. Transcripts from four interviews carried out over 3 years with 72 secondary school students were qualitatively analysed. Students were found to shape their choices for science in a variety of ways across time. The situation regarding science choices hinges on far more dynamic considerations than the stereotypical image of the potential advanced science student, committed to becoming a scientist from an early age. There is an interplay of self-perception with respect to science, occupational images of working scientists, relationship with significant adults and perceptions of school science The findings are informative for science educators and for career guidance professionals who may need to take into account the complexity of young people's choices.

Life Stories of Graduate Students in Chile and the United States: Becoming a Scientist from Childhood to Adulthood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva Fernandez, Marta A.

The purpose of this cross-national study was to gain a more comprehensive understanding about doctoral students in the United States and Chile and how their decisions to pursue a career in the life sciences field occurred throughout their lives. . I interviewed 15 doctoral students from the Seven Lakes University (Chile) and 15 students from the West Coast University (US), using a life history approach. Analyses revealed that the degree of flexibility in the schooling system and the degree of individualism and collectivism of the social groups in which the students were learning science seemed to influence the informants' vocational decisions in three interrelated processes: (1) Deciding the informants' degree of interest and ability in science by the opportunity of choosing science classes and activities. The highly tracked Chilean system socializes students to science at an early age. The more flexible school system in the US enabled the interviewees to gradually decide about pursuing their interest in science; (2) Experiencing science as a collective learning process for the Chilean informants and an individualistic learning process for the US students; (3) Perceiving science differently at each life stage for both groups of interviewees including: Playing science, Studying science, Doing science, Working in science, Practicing Science in their doctoral programs.

Environmental Discourse: Helping Graduate Students Build Effective Deliberation and Communication Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntzinger, D. N.; Downard, J.; Nielsen, E.

2015-12-01

The environmental sciences are at the forefront of critical issues facing society in the coming decades. As a result, many graduates in the environmental sciences find themselves working with the public to help inform the democratic process of making reasonable public policies. In order to be successful, students need to be confronted with the same kinds of questions and problems that practicing scientists face when they are working at the intersection of science and public policy. Otherwise, they lack the skills and confidence needed to work effectively with the public—especially on hotly contested environmental issues when the skills are needed the most. As part of a new Professional Science Master's (PSM) Program in Climate Science and Solutions at Northern Arizona University we have developed a three-semester course series focused on framing discussions on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Each semester, students use a deliberative model to design, frame, and facilitate a public discussion on a targeted issue of regional and local interest. The deliberative model is built around an approach to practical dilemmas that enables students to isolate and clarify the various sources of conflict around the issue. Working in an iterative manner, students learn to identify and untangling some of the sources of disagreement (e.g., policy, ethics and ideals, difference in scientific understanding) around and issue. As a result, students are in a much better position to clarify the key questions and sort through the competing solutions. The course series helps to improve the communication skills of students and promote productive public discourse with individuals from diverse backgrounds within the community. This type of experiential learning provides unique training to our students that not only broadens there understanding of complex issues surrounding climate change, but also provides them with professional skills that are transferrable to their careers.

Equity Conscious Instruction in Problem-based Multilingual Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Elizabeth

This dissertation examines the instructional and relational moves implemented by an equity-conscious teacher in service of supporting discursive participation among her English Learners specifically in a problem-based science classroom. The research included also examines the evolution of discursive participation among English Learners as well as the nature of collaboration among English Learners and their English Fluent peers. Initial findings suggest that there were productive, unproductive, and problematic responses to the teacher's caring approach. Students saw the teacher as approachable and accessible which resulted in students seeking the teacher out, which in turn meant that the teacher was able to scaffold instruction for her students. Students recognized and appreciated teacher strategies, but did not generally take up or adopt her instructional supports when working with their peers. English Fluent students shielded English Learners from more rigorous participation in an effort to prevent them from feeling uncomfortable. Furthermore, English Learners and their English Fluent peers defined "help" in the context of group work differently. The implications for this work include further addressing the ways in which teachers support and scaffold science instruction, thinking more critically about the ways in which teachers are explicit in modeling instructional strategies, and working with students to better understand the implications of differences in the ways that they define help and collaborate.

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.

Science for all: What will it take?

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

DeBerry, P.W.

1994-12-31

There is growing momentum in the US for science education reform. Science for All implies that we are willing to acknowledge that what we have done in the past has not worked for large segments of our population. If we are to provide science literacy for all people, then we must teach students in ways that are economic and efficient. If we are going to provide science for all, then we must recognize and honor the cultural diversity of our students. Achieving science equity requires involvement beyond our local community or school. Changes in policy making and decision making aboutmore » who does science must extend to the state and national levels. We must work through the national science standards and organizations to provide the leadership that will ensure an integrative approach to science education and make science for all a reality.« less

Science in action: An interdisciplinary science education program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horton, Linda L.

1992-01-01

Science in Action is an education outreach program for pre-collegiate students. It is based on the concept that, in order to interest students in science, they must see science and scientists at work. The program encompasses the full range of scientific disciplines - the core sciences, engineering, and mathematics. A unique aspect of the program is the involvement and support of scientists and engineers representing local professional societies, industries, business, and academic institutions. An outline of the program is given.

Linking Science Education to the Workplace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurd, Paul Dehart

1998-12-01

This article examines the issue of linking education in the sciences with the world of work for all students. Traditionally, science teaching has been limited to preparing student for research career in science at the university level. The reform movement in science education is focused on intellectual skills that serve to fortify the human capital of all students and the economic productivity of the nation. The educational issue arises from evolutionary changes that are taking place in the practice of science, the development of a global economy, the nation's entrance into an Information Age, and the changing nature of the workplace. To identify and integrate these factors in the practice of science teaching is the goal of this article.

Able Scientists--Disabled Persons. Biographical Sketches Illustrating Careers in the Sciences for Able Disabled Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stearner, Phyllis

This book describes the lives and achievements of 27 disabled scientists and students of science who are overcoming obstacles and are carrying on careers and studies in their chosen field of science or engineering, graphically showing that individuals with physical disabilities can succeed in scientific and technical work. The book presents a…

EASI Street to Science and Math for K-12 Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Carmela; Noble, Steve

This paper discusses the poor preparation of children with disabilities in math and science fields, and the perception that students with disabilities are not capable of doing work in science and math, which is often reinforced by teachers and parents. It is argued that the low expectations and waived requirements for children with disabilities…

Investigating Elementary Teachers' Thinking about and Learning to Notice Students' Science Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luna, Melissa Jo

2013-01-01

Children naturally use observations and everyday thinking to construct explanations as to why phenomena happen in the world. Science instruction can benefit by starting with these ideas to help children build coherent scientific understandings of how the physical world works. To do so, science teaching must involve attending to students'…

Avenues to Inspiration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Ashley

2011-01-01

Integrating the worlds of art and science can be a perfect tool for engaging students who wouldn't be initially interested in a science class. Even those students who love science may delve deeper into the subject when it's associated with art. One way to make this connection is to explore the life and work of great nature artists of the past and…

Focus on Process Skills. Learning in Science Project. Working Paper No. 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tasker, Ross; And Others

The first (exploratory) phase of the Learning in Science Project focused on science teaching/learning in the Form 1 to 4 level (ages 10 to 14) and sought to identify problems and difficulties in several areas. Provided in this paper are comments obtained during structured/unstructured interviews (from students, ex-students, teachers, headmasters,…

Focus on Attitudes. Learning in Science Project. Working Paper No. 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stead, Keith; And Others

The first (exploratory) phase of the Learning in Science Project focused on science teaching/learning in the Form 1 to 4 level (ages 10 to 14) and sought to identify problems and difficulties in several areas. Provided in this paper are comments obtained during structured/unstructured interviews (from students, ex-students, teachers, headmasters,…

Co-Teaching as an Approach to Enhance Science Learning and Teaching in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Colette; Beggs, Jim

2006-01-01

In this article, we explore some of the experiences of student teachers, classroom teachers, science teacher educators, and children in co-teaching contexts in primary schools. The model of co-teaching adopted enabled student teachers (science specialist), classroom teachers, and university tutors to share expertise and work as equals, without…

Assessing the Discipline: Aligning Curricular Structures and Student Learning with Disciplinary Goals in Political Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desmond, Katie

2010-01-01

Four identifiable disciplinary goals can be discerned from the development of political science as a discipline. These goals indicate that political science students will (1) attain knowledge about political systems (national and international); (2) gain an understanding of how politics works; (3) develop critical thinking skills; and, (4) learn…

Astronomy Remote Observing Research Projects of US High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadooka, M.; Meech, K. J.

2006-08-01

In order to address the challenging climate for promoting astronomy education in the high schools we have used astronomy projects to give students authentic research experiences in order to encourage their pursuit of science and technology careers. Initially, we conducted teacher workshops to develop a cadre of teachers who have been instrumental in recruiting students to work on projects. Once identified, these students have been motivated to conduct astronomy research projects with appropriate guidance. Some have worked on these projects during non-school hours and others through a research course. The goal has been for students to meet the objectives of inquiry-based learning, a major US National Science Standard. Case studies will be described using event-based learning with the NASA Deep Impact mission. Hawaii students became active participants investigating comet properties through the NASA Deep Impact mission. The Deep Impact Education and Public Outreach group developed materials which were used by our students. After learning how to use image processing software, these students obtained Comet 9P/ Tempel 1 images in real time from the remote observing Faulkes Telescope North located on Haleakala, Maui for their projects. Besides conducting event-based projects which are time critical, Oregon students have worked on galaxies and sunspots projects. For variable star research, they used images obtained from the remote observing offline mode of Lowell Telescope located in Flagstaff, Arizona. Essential to these projects has been consistent follow-up required for honing skills in observing, image processing, analysis, and communication of project results through Science Fair entries. Key to our success has been the network of professional and amateur astronomers and educators collaborating in a multiplicity of ways to mentor our students. This work-in-progress and process will be shared on how to inspire students to pursue careers in science and technology with these projects.

Making Science Misconceptions Work for Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Katrina; Pillman, Anne

2016-01-01

This paper explores strategies for teachers to work with science conceptions, both those consistent and those inconsistent with western science understanding. It emphasises the value of teachers checking their own and their students' prior understanding of concepts to be learnt. A past approach of educators has been to replace old beliefs with new…

How to Teach High-School Students "How Science Really Works?"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Losiak, Anna; Students, High-School; Winiarska, Anna; Parys-Wasylkiewicz, Magdalena

2016-04-01

One of the largest problems in Poland (as well as in the large part of the developed world) is that people do not understand how science works. Based on what they learned at school, they think that science is an aggregation of facts that you need to learn by heart. Based on media coverage of the science topics, they think it is a collection of curiosities about the two-headed-snakes. Based on the way in which science is shown in movies and TV series, they envision science as a magic performed in a white coat with usage of colorful fluids and magic spells such as "transformative hermeneutics of quantum gravity". As a result, our societies include a large number of people who "do not believe" in evolution, think that vaccinations are causing autism and that anthropogenic global warming is a myth. This is not very surprising, given that most people never had a chance to perform a real scientific experiment. Most of people, if they are lucky, are able to see some science demonstrations in the classrooms. They are of course very useful, but it is quite clear for everyone that (if everything goes well) the demonstration can end up in one, pre-defined way. The "real" scientific experiment, as a part of the scientific process, is when the outcome is unknown until the end of the entire process. In order to teach high-school students "How Science Really Works" we have developed a project lasting one year (grant from Foundation for Polish Science 26/UD/SKILLS/2015): 1) At first students learned about scientific method, science history and performed a simple scientific experiment. 2) Later, students developed an experiment that was answering a real, unanswered scientific problem (the problem was given by the Leading Scientist). The aim of the project was to determine influence of albedo and emissivity of rock particles laying on a surface of a glacier on the rate of cryoconite holes formation. The results of this experiment can be used to better determine the rate of melting terrestrial glaciers and Martian North Polar Residual Cap. 3) Students were responsible for physically preparing scientific equipment (within a given budget). 4) Students prepared detailed procedures which were used during the experiment. The experiment was performed by the Austrian Space Forum analog astronauts during the Mars Analog Mission AMADEE-15 between 2nd and 14th of August 2015 at the Kaunertal Glacier in Austria. 5) During and after the mission students analyzed data collected during the experiment. 6) Students presented their findings during the regional science fair (Dolnoslaski Festiwal Nauki). Despite the fact the quality of the data produced during the experiment was not satisfactory, the project was a success in terms of explaining students "How Science Really Works" (e.g., how much depends on the properly designed and executed procedures).

Assessing Student Attitudes Towards Science in an Adaptive Online Astrobiology Course: Comparing Online and On-Campus Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, S.; Perera, V.; Mead, C.; Horodyskyj, L.; Semken, S. C.; Lopatto, D.; Anbar, A. D.

2016-12-01

General-education Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses are considered essential to a college education, in part, to train students to think critically and to make informed decisions about complex scientific issues such as climate change and public health. Therefore, the goals of these STEM courses go beyond content knowledge to include generating positive attitudes towards science, developing competence in evaluating scientific information in everyday life, and understanding the nature of science. The Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) survey is frequently used to measure these attitudes, but it has not previously been used in an online, general education course. In this work, we administered the CURE survey for three semesters (N = 774) before and after completion of an online astrobiology course called Habitable Worlds. We compare students taking this course as part of fully-online degree programs (o-course) with those taking it as part of traditional undergraduate programs (i-course). More females and older students were among the o-course group, while overall the course had more white students than the Arizona State University average. Mean course grades were similar between the two groups but attitudes toward science differred significantly. O-course students began the course with more positive attitudes than i-course students, and o-course students also showed more positive changes at the end of the course. These differences suggest lesser intrinsic motivation among the i-course students. Additionally, pre-course attitudes correlated with final course grade for o-course students, but not for i-course students, which implies that success among o-course students is influenced by different factors than i-course students. Thus, effective student support strategies may differ for online-only students. Future work will include student interviews to better calibrate the CURE survey to online science courses.

Pre-college experiences in and out of the classroom lead to first-year barriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, D. E.; Kaplita, E.; McKenzie, D. A.; Jones, R.; May, L. W.

2015-12-01

Students often enter college with preconceived notions about science. These misconceptions, coupled with a potential for a limited number of science classes during college for non-science majors, can make correcting misconceptions a very daunting challenge. In order to efficiently commutate climate science in a limited number of science classes, instructors need to understand the student experiences that have created their preconceived notions. In many cases, a lack of data about student's experiences leads to instructors simply guessing at how students are thinking about and interacting with science. Student surveys were used in our work to quantify pre-college experiences, both in and out of the classroom, in order to examine the connection to both academic major and choice of college or university students attended. Surveys were given to nearly 400 students across 4 different schools in the Oklahoma City Metro area. The location of students (rural or urban) affected science experiences as well as what types of actives (local libraries, museums, or parks) were available to the students. Connections between the timing of experience (elementary through high school) and the type of experience (in the classroom, with family/friends, or on their own) may influence choice of college or university as well as academic major. A better understating of positive student science experiences will allow instructors to better tailor their pedagogy and facilitate better connections between climate science and students.

Evaluation of Authentic Science Projects on Climate Change in Secondary Schools: A Focus on Gender Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dijkstra, Elma; Goedhart, Martin

2011-01-01

Background and purpose: This study examines secondary-school students' opinions on participating in authentic science projects which are part of an international EU project on climate change research in seven countries. Partnerships between schools and research institutes result in student projects, in which students work with and learn from…

Teaching Students to Make Better Decisions about the Environment: Lessons from the Decision Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arvai, Joseph L.; Campbell, Victoria E. A.; Baird, Anne; Rivers, Louie

2004-01-01

One of the fundamental goals of environmental education (EE) is to equip students with the skills to make more thoughtful decisions about environmental issues. Many examples of environmental and science education curricula work to address this goal by providing students with up-to-date information about a myriad of environmental issues from a…

Oh, Deer!: Predator and Prey Relationships--Students Make Natural Connections through the Integration of Mathematics and Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeder, Stacy; Moseley, Christine

2006-01-01

This article describes an activity that integrates both mathematics and science while inviting students to make connections between the two and learn significant concepts in a meaningful way. Students work within the real-world context of wildlife population scenarios to make predictions, test their hypotheses, and determine and construct graphs…

In a Word...It's a Bird. Science Safari.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Donald; And Others

This is the first program in the Science Safari series produced by the Fairfax Network of the Fairfax County Public Schools. The series and the accompanying print materials are designed to show students a broad spectrum of animal life, introduce students to a variety of people who work with animals, and help students become aware of the important…

Hey! Have You Heard about Herds? Science Safari.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheldon, Louisa; And Others

This is the second program in the Science Safari series produced by the Fairfax Network of the Fairfax County Public Schools. The series and the accompanying print materials are designed to show students a broad spectrum of animal life, introduce students to a variety of people who work with animals, and help students become aware of the important…

Becoming a Professional: Why Family and Consumer Sciences Students Participate in Campus Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witt, Susan D.; Witt, David D.; Clark, Cassie R.

2012-01-01

It is well established that college students who participate in campus professional organizations report that their educational experience is enhanced and they are better able to make a successful transition to the world of work. In this study, family and consumer sciences students in three major areas of study--child and family development;…

Greek Primary School Students' Images of Scientists and Their Work: Has Anything Changed?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emvalotis, Anastassios; Koutsianou, Athina

2018-01-01

Background: A growing interest in student's perceptions of scientists has been identified in the literature, relying on the argument that stereotypical perceptions of scientists may affect student attitudes towards science and their willingness to pursue a science-related career. Thus, over the past 30 years, many studies have investigated…

Record Number of Summer Students Work at Ames in 2014

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-09-16

NASA's Ames Research Center concluded the 2014 summer student program session that featured a record number of participants from around the globe. More than 1,100 students with high school- to graduate-level education took part in a wide variety of science activities. Some of the activities included robotics, aeronautics, biology, computer science, engineering and astrophysics.

The Importance of Science Policy and its Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preis, Benjamin

2015-03-01

I worked for physicist and Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) as the Mather Public Policy Intern through the American Institute of Physics and the Society of Physics Students during the summer of 2014. This internship is meant to connect undergraduate physics students with the policy process in Washington DC. As a Mather Public Policy Intern, I worked for Congressman Foster researching policy initiatives such as science funding, STEM education, and environmental regulations. This talk will discuss my experience and many of the things that I learned as an undergraduate physicist working on Capitol Hill. For example, through my experience with the internship, I attended lectures and hearings that illuminated for me how members of Congress conceive of scientific research. I also met with many physicists on Capitol Hill working to improve government interest in physics research -- AAAS Fellows, Members of Congress, and Government Relations Specialists -- and I will talk about how I saw physicists impacting governmental policies relating to scientific research and development. This internship is part of the Society of Physics Students internship program and was funded by the John and Jane Mather Foundation for Science and the Arts. This work was part of the Society of Physics Students internship Program.

The introduction of an interprofessional education module: students' perceptions.

PubMed

Cusack, Tara; O'Donoghue, Grainne

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine health science students' perceptions of an interprofessional education (IPE) module delivered by means of problem-based learning (PBL). Ninety-two students from four health science disciplines (medicine, physiotherapy, nursing and diagnostic imaging) elected to participate in this IPE PBL module. An evaluation was undertaken using a questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative components completed at the end of the module. Students were asked to evaluate aspects of the module relating to learning objectives, intellectual stimulation, resources, library information skills, work load and overall satisfaction. Open-ended questions asked students to comment on the best aspects of the module and areas for improvement. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 18 and qualitative data using framework analysis methodology. Of the 92 students that participated in the module, 70 (78%) completed the questionnaire. Over 70% (n = 49) of students positively endorsed the module in terms of the statements posed. Overall satisfaction with the module was high, with 63 (91%) students reporting that they agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the module. Analysis of qualitative data revealed the following emerging themes in relation to the module: (1) collaboration (learning together with others from different professions); (2) structure (small group work, discussion, teamwork assessment procedures); and (3) content (problem diversity). The introduction of this IPE module for health science students was well received. Students valued the opportunity to work in small groups with individuals from other health science disciplines. Students highlighted module structure and content as being important elements for consideration when developing IPE. Further research is required in order to define whether improving communication and collaboration skills will ultimately lead to improved quality in patient care.

Tides, Krill, Penguins, Oh My!: Scientists and Teachers Partner in Project CONVERGE to Bring Collaborative Antarctic Research, Authentic Data, and Scientific Inquiry into the Hands of NJ and NY Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter-thomson, K. I.; Kohut, J. T.; Florio, K.; McDonnell, J. D.; Ferraro, C.; Clark, H.; Gardner, K.; Oliver, M. J.

2016-02-01

How do you get middle and high school students excited about scientific inquiry? Have them join a collaborative research team in Antarctica! A comprehensive education program brought ocean science, marine ecology, and climate change impact research to more than 950 students in 2014-15 to increase their exposure to and excitement of current research. The program was integrated into a collaborative research project, involving five universities, that worked to characterize the connection between ocean circulation, plankton distribution, penguin foraging behavior, and climate change around Palmer Station, Antarctica. The scientists and education team co-led a weeklong workshop to expose 22 teachers to the research science, build relationships among the teachers and scientists, and refine the program to most effectively communicate the research to their students. In the fall, teachers taught NGSS-aligned, hands-on, data-focused classroom lessons to provide their students the necessary content to understand the project hypotheses using multiple science practices. Through a professional science blog and live video calls from Antarctica, students followed and discussed the science teams work while they were in the field. To apply the science practices the students had learned about, they designed, conducted, and analyzed their own ocean-related, inquiry-based research investigation as the culminating component of the program (results were presented at a Student Research Symposium attended by the science team). Of their own choosing, roughly half of the students used raw data from the CONVERGE research (including krill, CODAR, penguin, and glider data) for their investigations. This presentation will focus on the evaluation results of the education program to identify the aspects that successfully engaged teachers and students with scientific inquiry, science practices, and authentic data as well as the replicability of this integrated scientist-teacher partnership and education program.

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…

A Heterogeneous High-Performance System for Computational and Computer Science

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-15

Patents Submitted Patents Awarded Awards Graduate Students Names of Post Doctorates Names of Faculty Supported Names of Under Graduate students supported...team of research faculty from the departments of computer science and natural science at Bowie State University. The supercomputer is not only to...accelerated HPC systems. The supercomputer is also ideal for the research conducted in the Department of Natural Science, as research faculty work on

From Bench to Bedside: A communal utility value intervention to enhance students’ biomedical science motivation

PubMed Central

Brown, Elizabeth R.; Smith, Jessi L.; Thoman, Dustin B.; Allen, Jill M.; Muragishi, Gregg

2015-01-01

Motivating students to pursue science careers is a top priority among many science educators. We add to the growing literature by examining the impact of a utility value intervention to enhance student’s perceptions that biomedical science affords important utility work values. Using an expectancy-value perspective we identify and test two types of utility value: communal (other-oriented) and agentic (self-oriented). The culture of science is replete with examples emphasizing high levels of agentic value, but communal values are often (stereotyped as) absent from science. However, people in general want an occupation that has communal utility. We predicted and found that an intervention emphasizing the communal utility value of biomedical research increased students’ motivation for biomedical science (Studies 1–3). We refined whether different types of communal utility value (working with, helping, and forming relationships with others) might be more or less important, demonstrating that helping others was an especially important predictor of student motivation (Study 2). Adding agentic utility value to biomedical research did not further increase student motivation (Study 3). Furthermore, the communal value intervention indirectly impacted students’ motivation because students believed that biomedical research was communal and thus subsequently more important (Studies 1–3). This is key, because enhancing student communal value beliefs about biomedical research (Studies 1–3) and science (Study 4) was associated both with momentary increases in motivation in experimental settings (Studies 1–3) and increased motivation over time among students highly identified with biomedicine (Study 4). We discuss recommendations for science educators, practitioners, and faculty mentors who want to broaden participation in science. PMID:26617417

Sharing Polar Science with Secondary Students: Polartrec and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, N. E.

2014-12-01

This session will provide a variety of resources and lesson ideas for educators interested in effectively communicating polar science. Ms. Herrmann will share evidence of the direct impacts on secondary students that resulted from her collaboration with polar scientists in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Ms. Herrmann's interest in polar science began in 2009, when she worked as a field assistant in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland for scientists examining the effects of climate change on caribou. In 2011, she was selected to participate in PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating), a professional development program for teachers and researchers, funded by NSF and coordinated by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS). The opportunity provides teachers opportunities to collaborate with scientists and to share real world science with students. Ms. Herrmann will discuss her experience working with researchers at Palmer Station, Antarctica and how it led to her continued professional development with the Palmer Station Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program and with Polar Eduators (PEI), including a recent Master Class she presented with Dr. Richard Alley. She will also discuss her development of a program called Polar Ambassadors, in which older students become mentors to younger students in the field of polar science.

Online Higher Education in the Natural Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, Karen; Liddicoat, Joseph

2013-04-01

Online courses in higher education allow traditional and non-traditional students to complete course work in all disciplines with great flexibility. Courses in the Natural Sciences are no exception because the online environment allows students to collapse time and space; to access a course anywhere; to get immediate feedback, tutoring and coaching; and to receive real-time interaction between themselves and the instructor. This presentation will highlight successful examples of course content from the areas of astronomy, environmental, and earth and physical sciences. Content examples will focus on helping students use their 'environment' as part of the laboratory experience in courses traditionally thought of as lecture and laboratory courses. These examples will include real and virtual field trips, use of multimedia content, collaboration between students and faculty to design and conduct experiments and field work, and modifications to traditional lecture methods for the online environment. Dr. Karen Pearson former director of Online-Learning and Academic Technologies and Professor Science and Mathematics at the Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY) and Dr. Joseph Liddicoat will focus on how courses in the Natural Sciences can be delivered in the online environment while maintaining high academic standards and not losing the "hands" on experience students need while completing a laboratory science course as part of a liberal arts curriculum.

SEA Change: Bringing together Science, Engineering and the Arts at the University of Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perfit, M. R.; Mertz, M. S.; Lavelli, L.

2014-12-01

A group of interested and multifaceted faculty, administrators and students created the Science, Engineering, Arts Committee (SEA Change) two years ago at the University of Florida (UF). Recognizing that innovative ideas arise from the convergence of divergent thinkers, the committee seeks to bring together faculty in Science, Engineering, the Arts and others across campus to develop and disseminate innovative ideas for research, teaching and service that will enhance the campus intellectual environment. We meet regularly throughout the year as faculty with graduate and undergraduate students to catalyze ideas that could lead to collaborative or interdisciplinary projects and make recommendations to support innovative, critical and creative work. As an example, the Department of Geological Sciences and the School of Art and Art History collaborated on a competition among UF undergraduate painting students to create artistic works that related to geoscience. Each student gathered information from Geological Sciences faculty members to use for inspiration in creating paintings along with site-specific proposals to compete for a commission. The winning work was three-story high painting representing rock strata and the Florida environment entitled "Prairie Horizontals" that is now installed in the Geoscience building entrance atrium. Two smaller paintings of the second place winner, depicting geologists in the field were also purchased and displayed in a main hallway. Other activities supported by SEA Change have included a collaborative work of UF engineering and dance professors who partnered for the Creative Storytelling and Choreography Lab, to introduce basic storytelling tools to engineering students. A campus-wide gathering of UF faculty and graduate students titled Creative Practices: The Art & Science of Discovery featured guest speakers Steven Tepper, Victoria Vesna and Benjamin Knapp in spring 2014. The Committee plans to develop and foster ideas that will lead to more collaborative or interdisciplinary projects and make recommendations to the administration to support a creative environment across disciplines on UF campus.

The Acadia Learning Project: Lessons Learned from Engaging High School Teachers and Students in Citizen Science Supporting National Parks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, S. J.; Zoellick, B.; Davis, Y.; Lindsey, E.

2009-12-01

In 2007 the authors initiated a citizen science research project, supported with funding from the Maine Department of Education, designed to extend research at Acadia National Park to a broader geographic area while also providing high school students and teachers with an opportunity to engage in authentic research in cooperation with working scientists. The scientific focus of the work has been on providing information about the mercury burden of organisms at different trophic levels across different geographic and environmental settings. The pedagogical focus has been on providing students with immersion in a substantial, field-based project, including background research, hypothesis formulation, data collection and analysis, and presentation of research findings. Starting work with 6 teachers in two schools the first year, the project expanded to involve more than 20 teachers and 350 students in a dozen schools in its second year. In coming years, with support from NOAA and cooperation from other National Parks in the region, the project will expand to include work in other states along the coast of the Gulf of Maine. In this paper the authors describe evolution in the use of the Internet over the first two years of the project, a sharpened focus on professional development for teachers, survey results regarding student views of the nature of science, the importance of focusing on rigorous, useful data collection from an educational perspective, success in establishing that samples collected by students are useful in research, the disjuncture between scientific and pedagogical outcomes, an assessment of the value of student poster presentations, and lessons learned about preparation and use of curriculum support materials. The authors also describe future directions, which include an increased focus on professional development and student work with graphs, a narrower focus in sample collection, and increased use of the Internet to provide participating teachers and students with a picture of how their fieldwork contributes to overall objectives. The authors describe the expected course of research supported by this citizen science project and the work, now underway, on developing learning progressions to support such research.

Scientific Visualization & Modeling for Earth Systems Science Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaudhury, S. Raj; Rodriguez, Waldo J.

2003-01-01

Providing research experiences for undergraduate students in Earth Systems Science (ESS) poses several challenges at smaller academic institutions that might lack dedicated resources for this area of study. This paper describes the development of an innovative model that involves students with majors in diverse scientific disciplines in authentic ESS research. In studying global climate change, experts typically use scientific visualization techniques applied to remote sensing data collected by satellites. In particular, many problems related to environmental phenomena can be quantitatively addressed by investigations based on datasets related to the scientific endeavours such as the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). Working with data products stored at NASA's Distributed Active Archive Centers, visualization software specifically designed for students and an advanced, immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environment, students engage in guided research projects during a structured 6-week summer program. Over the 5-year span, this program has afforded the opportunity for students majoring in biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering and science education to work collaboratively in teams on research projects that emphasize the use of scientific visualization in studying the environment. Recently, a hands-on component has been added through science student partnerships with school-teachers in data collection and reporting for the GLOBE Program (GLobal Observations to Benefit the Environment).

An investigation of components of the studio model and supplemental online materials, on student achievement and attitudes in science at the high school level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faro, Salvatore T.

With the increase of the student population, and meeting the demands driven by society public schools are scrambling to find ways to enhance learning and improve student achievement (Lee, 1993). Schools are examining and investing more time in the development of new approaches needed to strengthen, reach, and spark the interest of students both in and outside of classroom. One direction public schools are taking is to incorporate technology and more peer-directed group activities into instruction. Technological advancements today have enhanced the learning process by providing alternatives that stimulate the interest of the learner. Having these technology options available, allows the student to move at his or her own pace giving them time to reflect and make connections between what they already know and what they have learned in class. Using the conceptual framework of the Studio Model, which was developed in the 1980s at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for undergraduate and graduate level science courses, this study investigated the nature and extent to which the components in the Studio Model (cooperative collaboration and online materials) can be extended to the high school science level. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design was selected for this study. Classes were randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups, an experimental "Studio Model" condition in which students worked cooperatively and had access to online materials, an "Augmented Only" condition in which students had access to online materials only, a "Cooperative Only" condition in which students worked in cooperative groups only, and a "Control" condition in which students neither had access to online materials nor worked cooperatively. The data was collected for this study using 77 ninth-grade students studying Earth Science. Students were trained for a period of 20 weeks in the procedures of their particular treatment. To determine the effects of each treatment on student achievement three separate tests (aptitude, pretest and posttest) were administered over a seven-month period. Twelve interviews were also carried out at the end of the eight weeks to determine whether the students' attitude about science had changed since the beginning of the year. This study provides evidence supporting the usage of the Studio Model to raise student achievement and student attitudes about science at the high school level.

Writing in science: Influences of professional development on teachers' beliefs, practices, and student performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulton, Lori

Science education reform calls for learners to be engaged in hand-on, minds-on activities related to science. As a part of this reform effort, learners are encouraged to use writing as a means of documenting their work and developing their understandings. This qualitative case study employed the Conceptual Change Perspective and Sociocultural Perspective to examine the impact on three elementary teachers' beliefs, practices, and student outcomes, as they relate to science notebooks, based on their participation in a professional study group. Data sources included teacher and student interviews, video of the study group meetings, video of classroom lessons, and student work in the form of science notebooks and pre- and posttests. Results show that the study group discussions focused on the science notebook as a tool, the teacher's role, the students' struggle to write, and the content of the notebook. Individual cases were developed and then a cross-case analysis was conducted. Results of this analysis suggest that the longer a teacher is involved in a study group, the greater the impact on her beliefs and practices, which resulted in students being able to define a purpose for the notebook, having a higher percentage of the parts of a conclusion within their notebooks, and demonstrating an understanding of the scientific content. Based on the analysis, a substantive theory on the development of insightful implementation of science notebooks was developed. This study has implications for both the elementary classroom and teacher education programs in helping teachers learn reform-based practices that facilitate student learning. Finally, suggestions for future research are considered.

Developing Elementary Math and Science Process Skills Through Engineering Design Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strong, Matthew G.

This paper examines how elementary students can develop math and science process skills through an engineering design approach to instruction. The performance and development of individual process skills overall and by gender were also examined. The study, preceded by a pilot, took place in a grade four extracurricular engineering design program in a public, suburban school district. Students worked in pairs and small groups to design and construct airplane models from styrofoam, paper clips, and toothpicks. The development and performance of process skills were assessed through a student survey of learning gains, an engineering design packet rubric (student work), observation field notes, and focus group notes. The results indicate that students can significantly develop process skills, that female students may develop process skills through engineering design better than male students, and that engineering design is most helpful for developing the measuring, suggesting improvements, and observing process skills. The study suggests that a more regular engineering design program or curriculum could be beneficial for students' math and science abilities both in this school and for the elementary field as a whole.

Group Projects as a Method of Promoting Student Scientific Communication and Collaboration in a Public Health Microbiology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Kristen L. W.; Baker, Jason C.

2009-01-01

Communication of scientific and medical information and collaborative work are important skills for students pursuing careers in health professions and other biomedical sciences. In addition, group work and active learning can increase student engagement and analytical skills. Students in our public health microbiology class were required to work…

Evaluating virtual STEM mentoring programs: The SAGANet.org experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Som, S. M.; Walker, S. I.; Miller, E.; Anbar, M.; Kacar, B.; Forrester, J. H.

2014-12-01

Many school districts within the United States continue to seek new ways of engaging students within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. SAGANet.org, a web-based 501c3 Astrobiology outreach initiative, works with a number of schools, partnering K-12 students and their families with professional scientist mentors from around the world to teach and inspire students using virtual technology platforms. Current programs include two mentoring partnerships: pairing scientist-mentors with at-risk youth at the Pittsburg Community School in Pittsburg CA, and pairing scientist-mentors with families from the Kyrene del Cielo Elementary School in Chandler AZ. These programs represent two very different models for utilizing the virtual media platform provided by SAGANet.org to engage K-12 students and their families in STEM. For the former, scientists mentor the students of the Pittsburg School as part of the formal in-class curriculum. For the latter, scientists work with K-5 students and their families through Cielo's Science & Engineering Discovery Room to develop a science project as part of an informal learning experience that is independent of the formal curriculum. In this presentation, we (1) discuss the challenges and successes of engaging these two distinct audiences through virtual media, (2) present the results of how these two very-different mentoring partnership impact K-12 students science self-efficacy, interest in science, and STEM career awareness, and (3) share the impact of the mentoring experience on the mentor's confidence and self-efficacy with communicating science to the public.

From wanna-be reporter to Voice of America journalist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossiter, Dione

2011-11-01

After four busy summers studiously measuring the minute details of clouds, I spent my last summer as a graduate student in a newsroom, far away from the cockpit of a cloud-probing airplane. It was not just any newsroom but Voice of America's politically charged newsroom in Washington, D. C. Almost overnight, this California-for-lifer was living and working amid the hustle and bustle of the nation's capital. As a half researcher-half science educator and wanna-be science writer, I had long dreamt about working as a science reporter for a summer. I had spent the past 5 years as a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department working on my thesis research on the microphysics of summertime marine clouds.

A Model for the Development of Web-Based, Student-Centered Science Education Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murfin, Brian; Go, Vanessa

The purpose of this study was to evaluate The Student Genome Project, an experiment in web-based genetics education. Over a two-year period, a team from New York University worked with a biology teacher and 33 high school students (N=33), and a middle school science teacher and a class of students (N=21) to develop a World Wide Web site intended…

Does Paired Mentoring Work? A Study of the Effectiveness and Affective Value of Academically Asymmetrical Peer Mentoring in Supporting Disadvantaged Students in School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharpe, Rachael; Abrahams, Ian; Fotou, Nikolaos

2018-01-01

Background: In England, there is a growing need to improve the lives of secondary school students who are defined as disadvantaged and to support these students in their attainment and attitudes to secondary school science. Purpose: This paper reports on a project designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds by pairing them with…

Student Interns Work on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowman, C. D.; Bebak, M.; Bollen, D. M.; Curtis, K.; Daniel, C.; Grigsby, B.; Herman, T.; Haynes, E.; Lineberger, D. H.; Pieruccini, S.

2004-01-01

The exceptional imagery and data acquired by the Mars Exploration Rovers since their January 2004 landing have captured the attention of scientists, the public, and students and teachers worldwide. One aspect of particular interest lies with a group of high school teachers and students actively engaged in the Athena Student Interns Program. The Athena Student Interns Program (ASIP) is a joint effort between NASA s Mars Public Engagement Office and the Athena Science Investigation that began in early 1999 as a pilot student-scientist research partnership program associated with the FIDO prototype Mars rover field test . The program is designed to actively engage high school students and their teachers in Mars exploration and scientific inquiry. In ASIP, groups of students and teachers from around the country work with mentors from the mission s Athena Science Team to carry out an aspect of the mission.

Students' Representations of Scientific Practice during a Science Internship: Reflections from an activity-theoretic perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Pei-Ling; van Eijck, Michiel; Roth, Wolff-Michael

2010-06-01

Working at scientists' elbows is one suggestion that educators make to improve science education, because such "authentic experiences" provide students with various types of science knowledge. However, there is an ongoing debate in the literature about the assumption that authentic science activities can enhance students' understandings of scientific practice. The purpose of the study is to further address the debate in terms of the ethnographic data collected during an internship programme for high school students right through to their public presentations at the end. Drawing on activity theory to analyse these presentations, we found that students presented scientific practice as accomplished by individual personnel without collaboration in the laboratory. However, our ethnographic data of their internship interaction show that students have had conversations about the complex collaborations within and outside the laboratory. This phenomenon leads us to claim that students experienced authentic science in their internships, but their subsequent representations of authentic science are incomplete. That is, participating in authentic science internships and reporting scientific practice are embedded activities that constitute different goals and conditions rather than unrefracted reflections of one another. The debate on the influence on students' understanding of science practice is not simply related to situating students in authentic science contexts, but also related to students' values and ideology of reporting their understanding of and about science. To help students see these "invisible" moments of science practice is therefore crucial. We make suggestions for how the invisible in and of authentic science may be made visible.

Broadening Participation in the Life Sciences with Social–Psychological Interventions

PubMed Central

Tibbetts, Yoi; Harackiewicz, Judith M.; Priniski, Stacy J.; Canning, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have recently documented the positive effects of social–psychological interventions on the performance and retention of underrepresented students in the life sciences. We review two types of social–psychological interventions that address either students’ well-being in college science courses or students’ engagement in science content. Interventions that have proven effective in RCTs in science courses (namely, utility-value [UV] and values-affirmation [VA] interventions) emphasize different types of student values—students’ perceptions of the value of curricular content and students’ personal values that shape their educational experiences. Both types of value can be leveraged to promote positive academic outcomes for underrepresented students. For example, recent work shows that brief writing interventions embedded in the curriculum can increase students’ perceptions of UV (the perceived importance or usefulness of a task for future goals) and dramatically improve the performance of first-generation (FG) underrepresented minority students in college biology. Other work has emphasized students’ personal values in brief essays written early in the semester. This VA intervention has been shown to close achievement gaps for women in physics classes and for FG students in college biology. By reviewing recent research, considering which interventions are most effective for different groups, and examining the causal mechanisms driving these positive effects, we hope to inform life sciences educators about the potential of social–psychological interventions for broadening participation in the life sciences. PMID:27543632

Does Like Seek Like?: The Formation of Working Groups in a Programming Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanou Gozalo, Eduard; Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Arias, Marta; Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon

2017-01-01

In a course of the degree of computer science, the programming project has changed from individual to teamed work, tentatively in couples (pair programming). Students have full freedom to team up with minimum intervention from teachers. The analysis of the working groups made indicates that students do not tend to associate with students with a…

Teaching science to English Language Learners: Instructional approaches of high school teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Betty-Vinca N.

Students who are English Language Learners (ELLs) form the fastest growing segment of the American school population. Prompted by the call for scientific literacy for all citizens, science educators too have investigated the intersection of language and science instruction of ELLs. However these studies have typically been conducted with elementary students. Few studies have explored how high school science teachers, particularly those who have not received any special training, approach science instruction of ELLs and what supports them in this endeavor. This was a qualitative case study conducted with five science teachers in one small urban high school that predominantly served ELLs. The purpose of this study was to examine instructional approaches used by teachers to make science accessible to ELLs and the factors that supported or inhibited them in developing their instructional approaches. This goal encompassed the following questions: (a) how teachers viewed science instruction of ELLs, (b) how teachers designed a responsive program to teach science to ELLs, (c) what approaches teachers used for curriculum development and instruction, (d) how teachers developed classroom learning communities to meet the needs of ELLs. Seven instructional strategies and five perceived sources of support emerged as findings of this research. In summary, teachers believed that they needed to make science more accessible for their ELL students while promoting their literacy skills. Teachers provided individualized attention to students to provide relevant support. Teachers engaged their students in various types of active learning lessons in social contexts, where students worked on both hands-on and meaning-making activities and interacted with their peers and teachers. Teachers also created classroom communities and learning spaces where students felt comfortable to seek and give help. Finally, teachers identified several sources of support that influenced their instructional approaches including, the structure of the school, working on instructional teams, collaborating and working with other teachers especially English teachers and including science teachers, and participating in various professional development activities. The findings indicated that the instructional approaches used by teachers were largely supported by literacy education and science education done at elementary level. Findings also revealed that teachers in this study encouraged their ELLs to participate in classroom conversations and involved them in answering open-ended questions. However, not all teachers in this study had the same repertoire of instructional strategies for their ELL students and some teachers demonstrated a better understanding of these approaches than others. All teachers perceived that the structure of the school as well as collaborating and working with other teachers, especially English teachers, as their main source of support in designing instructional approaches. This study suggests that teacher educators and professional development providers need to develop courses and programs to help high school teachers learn about how to design instructional activities that simultaneously promote both academic science and English literacy. Also, administrators need to create conditions at their schools that would allow teachers to interact, collaborate, and learn from each other.

Education and Training in Forensic Science: A Guide for Forensic Science Laboratories, Educational Institutions, and Students. Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Justice, 2004

2004-01-01

Forensic science provides scientific and foundational information for investigators and courts, and thus plays a crucial role in the criminal justice system. This guide was developed through the work of the Technical Working Group on Education and Training in Forensic Science (TWGED) to serve as a reference on best education and training practices…

Prerequisites in behavioral science and business: opportunities for dental education.

PubMed

Dunning, David G; Lange, Brian M; Madden, Robert D; Tacha, Koko K

2011-01-01

There is increasing pressure on recent dental school graduates to understand and successfully utilize patient management and business management strategies to run a productive dental office. Dental schools are faced with the dilemma to either add more credit hours in their already crowded curriculum or adjust predental school requirements. All fifty-nine U.S. dental schools were assessed online to determine admission requirements in the areas of behavioral science and business education. Results show that only 11.9 percent of the schools require prerequisite course work in behavioral science and no school requires prerequisite course work in business. However, 64.4 percent and 30.5 percent of schools encouraged or recommended prerequisite course work in behavioral science and business, respectively. We suggest that the dental education community involve key stakeholders to discuss the incorporation of prerequisite course work in behavioral science and business. Additional courses in these disciplines would provide dental students better backgrounds from which the dental curriculum could build a more advanced and applied perspective to better prepare students for practice.

A study examining senior nursing students' expectations of work and the workforce.

PubMed

Saber, Deborah A; Anglade, Debbie; Schirle, Lori M

2016-03-01

This study explored traditional and accelerated Bachelor of Science nursing students' expectations of nursing work and the workforce. Role transition difficulty is blamed for much of the 15-60% newly licensed registered nurse turnover in their first 3 years of employment. This qualitative study consisted of 14 focus groups (n = 98) to determine Bachelor of Science nursing students' expectations of work as newly licensed registered nurses. Two overriding themes for accelerated and traditional students emerged: stressors and coping strategies. Students believe four stressors will affect their progression into the newly licensed registered nurse role and have developed coping strategies. This study suggests that students have experienced stressors in the clinical environment and anticipate them in the newly licensed registered nurse role. During transition, strategies such as 'fitting in' and 'staying safe' will be employed to ensure work success. Younger generations value a healthy work-life balance and a positive working environment. These nurses will not tolerate positions that do not align with their values. With the aging of citizens in the USA and the predicted nursing shortage, nursing management needs to employ strategies to retain newly licensed registered nurses. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Integrated Contextual Learning and Food Science Students' Perception of Work Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coorey, Ranil; Firth, Ann

2013-01-01

The expectation that universities will produce graduates with high levels of work readiness is now a commonplace in government policies and statements from industry representatives. Meeting the demand requires that students gain industry related experience before graduation. Traditionally students have done so by undertaking extended work…

Students' Experience of Working with Socioscientific Issues - a Quantitative Study in Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ottander, Christina; Ekborg, Margareta

2012-12-01

This research project aims to investigate how students in lower secondary school experience work with socioscientific issues (SSI). The six socioscientific cases developed and used in this project are relevant according to characteristics of SSI and to the national curriculum. Approximately 1,500 students in Sweden have worked with one SSI case chosen by the teachers. A questionnaire-based instrument was used to measure the affective domain of students' attitudes towards and interest in science before starting to work with the case and a second questionnaire after finishing a case. The second student questionnaire, measured the situational characteristics of the SSI work and perceived cognitive and affective outcomes. According to the students' self-reported experience, all cases were interesting and related to a current issue. Most cases were equally interesting to boys and girls, the only exception was You are what you eat, which girls found more interesting than boys did. Almost all students claim that they learnt new facts, learnt to argue for their standpoint and to search and evaluate information during the work with the cases. The girls' average scores were higher on several aspects of learning outcomes. Furthermore the students, especially the girls, perceived that the outcome of working with SSI had relevance for their future, with some cases more relevant than others. The more interesting the student found the case, the more they claimed they learnt. The students do not, however, claim that they learnt more science than during ordinary lessons.

Preparing Graduate Students as Science Communicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knudson, K.; Gutstein, J.

2012-12-01

Our presentation introduces our interdisciplinary curriculum that teaches graduate students at our R-1 university to translate their research to general audiences. We also discuss the challenges we have faced and strategies we have employed to broaden graduate education at our campus to include preparation in science communication. Our "Translating Research beyond Academia" curriculum consists of three separate thematically based courses taught over the academic year: Education and Community Outreach, Science Communication and Writing, Communicating with Policy- and Decision-makers. Course goals are to provide professional development training so that graduate students become more capable professionals prepared for careers inside and outside academia while increasing the public understanding of science and technology. Open to graduate students of any discipline, each course meets weekly for two hours; students receive academic credit through a co-sponsoring graduate program. Students learn effective strategies for communicating research and academic knowledge with the media, the general public, youth, stakeholders, and decision- and policy-makers. Courses combine presentations from university and regional experts with hands-on work sessions aimed towards creating effective communications, outreach and policy plans, broader impacts statements, press releases, blogs, and policy briefs. A final presentation and reflections are required. Students may opt for further training through seminars tailored to student need. Initial results of our analyses of student evaluations and work indicate that students appreciate the interdisciplinary, problem-based approach and the low-risk opportunities for learning professional development skills and for exploring non-academic employment. Several students have initiated engaged work in their disciplines, and several have secured employment in campus science communication positions. Two have changed career plans as a direct result of our courses, opting for master's degrees to pursue science communications-related positions. One received a prestigious fellowship in science communication and media. Yet, while we are successful with students, our programs are not without challenges. Our Translating Research interdisciplinary curriculum that encourages students' exploration of non-academic career options can create problems with faculty advisors in the current environment of graduate education; Carnegie scholars and other researchers argue that the traditional master-apprentice system requires a thorough overhaul to address high attrition rates and low rates of academic employment. Secondly, we situated our communications training within our environmental research institute and outside of any graduate program's degree requirements. While this gives access to motivated graduate students and creates enriching interactions within the course context, it presents problems with campus recognition and institutionalization. We are identifying new pathways and exploring the creation of a certificate program through our University Extension. Graduate student perception can also be an issue. Our courses tend to attract a particular kind of graduate student: female, early in her academic career, in the sciences, and interested in a career outside of academia. Attracting more male graduate students to science communication remains a challenge.

Pedagogical experimentations about participating science, in a european class, in France.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgio, Marion

2015-04-01

A european class is, in France, a class in which we teach a subject in a foreign language, for example science in English. I led, in my European class, during a seven weeks session, group work activities about different participating science actions. There were groups composed of three or four 16 years old students. Each group chose one type of participating science activity among : - Leading a visioconference with an IODP mission on board the Joides Resolution. - Being part of a "science songs community" with Tom Mc Fadden They divided the work and some of them studied the websites and contacted the actors to present the pedagogical or scientific background of their subject. Others had a concrete production like the organization of a visioconference with the Joides Resolution or the creation of a pedagogical song about geology. I will present some results of their work and explain the students motivation linked to this active learning method.

Learning style preferences of Australian health science students.

PubMed

Zoghi, Maryam; Brown, Ted; Williams, Brett; Roller, Louis; Jaberzadeh, Shapour; Palermo, Claire; McKenna, Lisa; Wright, Caroline; Baird, Marilyn; Schneider-Kolsky, Michal; Hewitt, Lesley; Sim, Jenny; Holt, Tangerine-Ann

2010-01-01

It has been identified that health science student groups may have distinctive learning needs. By university educators' and professional fieldwork supervisors' being aware of the unique learning style preferences of health science students, they have the capacity to adjust their teaching approaches to best fit with their students' learning preferences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning style preferences of a group of Australian health science students enrolled in 10 different disciplines. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory was distributed to 2,885 students enrolled in dietetics and nutrition, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, paramedics, pharmacy, physiotherapy, radiation therapy, radiography, and social work at one Australian university. A total of 752 usable survey forms were returned (response rate 26%). The results indicated the converger learning style to be most frequently preferred by health science students and that the diverger and accommodator learning styles were the least preferred. It is recommended that educators take learning style preferences of health science students into consideration when planning, implementing, and evaluating teaching activities, such as including more problem-solving activities that fit within the converger learning style.

77 FR 64794 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-23

... join in a partnership to encourage outstanding undergraduate students to pursue careers in science and engineering. The Program also provides research opportunities for students to work with internationally known... in science and engineering. The information is used for evaluation and selection, and includes...

Becoming Responsible Learners: Community Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiersema, Janice A.; Licklider, Barbara L.; Ebbers, Larry

2013-01-01

Students at Iowa State University had the opportunity to enroll in a two-year National Science Foundation (NFS) Scholarship for Service (SFS) leadership development program, in addition to their work within their majors. This interdisciplinary program included faculty and students in computer engineering, computer science, mathematics, political…

A Bioethics Course for Biology and Science Education Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, John; la Velle, Linda Baggott

2003-01-01

Points out the importance of awareness among biologists and biology teachers of the ethical and social implications of their work. Describes the bioethics module established at the University of Exeter mainly targeting students majoring in biology and science education. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/YDS)

Measuring Growth on a Museum Field Trip: Dinosaur Bones and Tree Cross Sections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedzielarz, Maija; Robinson, Christopher

2007-01-01

The MathPacks program at the Science Museum of Minnesota provides students with in-depth understanding of real-world applications of mathematics and science. Students measure museum specimens and investigate ratios, patterns, and mapping while simulating the work of scientists.

Science Students' Classroom Discourse: Tasha's Umwelt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, Jenny

2012-04-01

Over the past twenty-five years researchers have been concerned with understanding the science student. The need for such research is still grounded in contemporary issues including providing opportunities for all students to develop scientific literacy and the failure of school science to connect with student's lives, interests and personal identities. The research reported here is unusual in its use of discourse analysis in social psychology to contribute to an understanding of the way students make meaning in secondary school science. Data constructed for the study was drawn from videotapes of nine consecutive lessons in a year-seven science classroom in Melbourne, post-lesson video-stimulated interviews with students and the teacher, classroom observation and the students' written work. The classroom videotapes were recorded using four cameras and seven audio tracks by the International Centre for Classroom Research at the University of Melbourne. Student talk within and about their science lessons was analysed from a discursive perspective. Classroom episodes in which students expressed their sense of personal identity and agency, knowledge, attitude or emotion in relation to science were identified for detailed analysis of the function of the discourse used by students, and in particular the way students were positioned by others or positioned themselves. This article presents the discursive Umwelt or life-space of one middle years science student, Tasha. Her case is used here to highlight the complex social process of meaning making in science classrooms and the need to attend to local moral orders of rights and duties in research on student language use, identity and learning in science.

Feminist teacher research and students' visions of science: Listening as research and pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howes, Elaine Virginia

In this dissertation, I bring together methodologies deriving from teacher research and feminist research to study students' visions of the content and processes of science. Through listening intently to students' talk and studying their writing, I address the following questions: (1) What can intensive listening to students tell us about students' thinking and beliefs concerning their images of science as a social enterprise? (2) What kinds of classroom situations encourage and support students' expressions of their lives and beliefs in connection to science? (3) How can feminist theories of education and critiques of science inform our efforts for "science for all"? This study is organized by focusing on the connection between national standards for science education and feminist theories of pedagogy and feminist critiques of science. From this starting point, students' ideas are presented and interpreted thematically. The resonances and dissonances between students' ideas, standards' goals, and feminist theory are explicated. Current best practice in science education demands that science teachers attend to what their students are thinking. For this dissertation, I have taken a perspective that is slightly askew from that of listening to students in order to support or challenge their thinking about natural phenomena. During my teaching, I set up situations in which students could speak about their images of science; these situations are integral to this study. My research goal was to listen in order to learn what students were thinking and believing--but not necessarily in order to change that thinking or those beliefs. My work is meant to cultivate common ground between feminist scholarship and science education, while deepening our understanding of students' thinking about the activities and knowledge of science. I hope that this dissertation will open up conversations between science educators and their students around issues concerning students' relationship to science, and their clear-eyed view of its current and potential role in our egalitarian democracy. The exploration of our students', as well as our own, images of science as a social enterprise are central to any effort that claims to make science education welcome to all American students.

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…

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,…

Becoming (Less) Scientific: A Longitudinal Study of Students' Identity Work from Elementary to Middle School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlone, Heidi B.; Scott, Catherine M.; Lowder, Cassi

2014-01-01

Students' declining science interest in middle school is often attributed to psychological factors like shifts of motivational values, decrease in self-efficacy, or doubts about the utility of schooling in general. This paper adds to accounts of the middle school science problem through an ethnographic, longitudinal case study of three…

Investigating the Integration of Everyday Phenomena and Practical Work in Physics Teaching in Vietnamese High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Wan; Nguyen, Van Thanh

2006-01-01

Making science relevant in students' learning is an important aspect of science education. This involves the ability to draw in examples from daily contexts to begin with the learning or to apply concepts learnt into familiar everyday phenomena that students observe and experience around them. Another important aspect of science education is the…

The Effects of an Energy-Environment Simulator Upon Selected Energy-Related Attitudes of Science Students and In-Service Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlop, David L.

This document is the outcome of a study designed to investigate the energy-related attitudes of several different groups of science students and science teachers both before and after working with an energy-environment simulator for approximately an hour. During the interaction with the simulator, the participants decided upon the variables they…

Partial Support of MAST Academy Outreach Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-25

of studies and level of expertise required for a career in marine science . Lastly, by providing this educational stimulus to students from ethnic...Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) and from staff scientists at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories of the National...enabled high school students the opportunity to work in a marine science research environment and to more accurately appraise career opportunities in

Dorm Room Labs for Introductory Large-Lecture Science Classes for Nonscience Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moldwin, Mark B.

2018-01-01

Many large-lecture introductory science courses for nonscience majors do not have a lab component and hence do not provide much opportunity for students to engage in the practice of science. I have developed a new instructional activity called Dorm Room Labs that enables students to conduct hands-on activities as homework (or dorm room work) to…

Identity, culture and shared experiences: The power of cogenerative dialogues in urban science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayne, Gillian Ursula

2007-05-01

The research presented in this dissertation details four major examples of work that took place during a three-year longitudinal study in a small urban New York City public high school for high achieving youth. It aims to play a role in contributing to the understanding of the breakdown between and amongst those parties involved in urban science education. The work outlined herein responds to the calls for improvement within urban education, utilizing the experiences, knowledge and practices of its students, in order to help inform and improve science teaching and learning. Theoretical lenses upon which this critical ethnographic research is grounded primarily involve those that are socio-cultural in nature and examine the sociology of emotions. In this research, I address how urban students, who have been historically alienated by science, develop forms of culture, enact them in science classes and then make transitions from participating marginally toward participating more centrally, demonstrating increasing science and science-like practices with higher levels of expertise. This work involves investigating human agency and its expansion as it becomes increasingly incorporated and internalized into individual and collective habitus. The protocol utilized in this critical ethnography (videotapes of cogenerative dialogues, classroom practices and interviews; journal entries, field notes, student and teacher generated artifacts) facilitates the exploration and understanding of the ways by which aligning culture and expanding student roles, both inside and outside of the classroom can occur. The results of this study include concrete examples and interpretations of these expansions and, provide suggestions by which more adaptable forms of teaching and learning can be enacted. These practices ultimately benefit a wider variety of students who as result will become better at creating their own structures to succeed.

Using the First-Year English Class to Develop Scientific Thinking Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, B. J.; Burnham, C.; Green, S.; Ball, E.; Schryer, A.

2002-12-01

This poster presents the preliminary results from an experimental approach to teaching first-year writing using the scientific method as an organizing theme. The approach presumes a close connection between the classical scientific method: observing, hypothesis forming, hypothesis testing, and generalizing from the results of the testing, and the writing process: inventing and prewriting, drafting, and revising. The project has four goals: 1. To introduce students to the relations between scientific method, academic inquiry, and the writing process; 2. To help students see that academic inquiry, the work of generating, testing, and validating knowledge and then applying that knowledge in real contexts, is actually a hybrid form of the scientific method; 3. To encourage students to connect the work they are doing in the writing classroom with the work they are doing in other classes so they can transfer the skills learned in one context to the other; and 4. To cause students who have previously been alienated by science and science teaching to reconsider their attitudes, and to see the powerful influence of science and scientific thinking in our world. In short, we are teaching science literacy in a humanities classroom. The materials we use include science-based reading and the kinds of writing typically required in science classes. The poster presents the basic premises of the project, samples of class materials, and preliminary results of a controlled pre- and post-test of student attitudes toward science and writing, analyzed especially according to gender and minority status. We also present insights by participating instructors including a female graduate teaching assistant who had been trained as a scientist and a male who had not.

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 Woods Hole Partnership Education Program (PEP): Broadening Participation in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, O.; Jearld, A., Jr.; Liles, G.; Gutierrez, B.

2015-12-01

In March 2009, the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative launched the Partnership Education Program (PEP), a multi-institutional effort to increase diversity in the student population (and ultimately the work force) in the Woods Hole science community. PEP, a summer research internship program, is open to students of all backgrounds but is designed especially to provide opportunities for URM in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). PEP is a 10-week program which provides intensive mentored research, a credit-bearing course and supplemental career and professional development activities. Students have opportunities to work in various research areas of geosciences. PEP is emerging as an effective and sustainable approach to bringing students into the STEM research community. PEP is carefully structured to provide critical support for students as they complete their undergraduate experience and prepare for geosciences careers and/or graduate school. The PEP experience is intended to provide students with an entry into the Woods Hole science community, one of the most vibrant marine and environmental research communities in the world. The program aims to provide a first-hand introduction to emerging issues and real-world training in the research skills that students need to advance in science, either as graduate students or bachelors-level working scientists. This is a long-recognized need and efforts are being made to ensure that the students begin to acquire skills and aptitudes that position them to take advantage of a wide range of opportunities. Of note is that the PEP is transitioning into a two year program where students are participating in a second year as a research intern or employee. Since 2013, at least four partner institutions have invited PEP alumni to participate in their respective programs as research assistants and/or full-time technicians.

A study of science leadership and science standards in exemplary standards-based science programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, Wendy Renae

The purpose for conducting this qualitative study was to explore best practices of exemplary standards-based science programs and instructional leadership practices in a charter high school and in a traditional high school. The focus of this study included how twelve participants aligned practices to National Science Education Standards to describe their science programs and science instructional practices. This study used a multi-site case study qualitative design. Data were obtained through a review of literature, interviews, observations, review of educational documents, and researcher's notes collected in a field log. The methodology used was a multi-site case study because of the potential, through cross analysis, for providing greater explanation of the findings in the study (Merriam, 1988). This study discovered six characteristics about the two high school's science programs that enhance the literature found in the National Science Education Standards; (a) Culture of expectations for learning-In exemplary science programs teachers are familiar with a wide range of curricula. They have the ability to examine critically and select activities to use with their students to promote the understanding of science; (b) Culture of varied experiences-In exemplary science programs students are provided different paths to learning, which help students, take in information and make sense of concepts and skills that are set forth by the standards; (c) Culture of continuous feedback-In exemplary science programs teachers and students work together to engage students in ongoing assessments of their work and that of others as prescribed in the standards; (d) Culture of Observations-In exemplary science programs students, teachers, and principals reflect on classroom instructional practices; teachers receive ongoing evaluations about their teaching and apply feedback towards improving practices as outlined in the standards; (e) Culture of continuous learning-In exemplary science programs teachers value continuous personal development, teachers are provided on-going science professional development opportunities to improve instructional practices, teachers reflect and share professional practices, and teachers establish professional learning communities within their classrooms; and (f) Culture of shared leadership-In exemplary science programs instructional leadership purposes and values are consistently shared among all stakeholders which are outlined in the standards. These results are potentially useful for understanding exemplary standards-based science programs and science instructional leadership practices as a model for science programs trying to improve science education so that all students can have a true scientific learning experience.

Exploring Science in the Studio: NSF-Funded Initiatives to Increase Scientific Literacy in Undergraduate Art and Design Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, C. A.

2015-12-01

The project Exploring Science in the Studio at California College of the Arts (CCA), one of the oldest and most influential art and design schools in the country, pursues ways to enable undergraduate students to become scientifically literate problem-solvers in a variety of careers and to give content and context to their creative practices. The two main branches of this National Science Foundation-funded project are a series of courses called Science in the Studio (SitS) and the design of the Mobile Units for Science Exploration (MUSE) system, which allow instructors to bring science equipment directly into the studios. Ongoing since 2010, each fall semester a series of interdisciplinary SitS courses are offered in the college's principal areas of study (architecture, design, fine arts, humanities and sciences, and diversity studies) thematically linked by Earth and environmental science topics such as water, waste, and sustainability. Each course receives funding to embed guest scientists from other colleges and universities, industry, or agriculture directly into the studio courses. These scientists worked in tandem with the studio faculty and gave lectures, led field trips, conducted studio visits, and advised the students' creative endeavors, culminating in an annual SitS exhibition of student work. The MUSE system, of fillable carts and a storage and display unit, was designed by undergraduate students in a Furniture studio who explored, experimented, and researched various ways science materials and equipment are stored, collected, and displayed, for use in the current and future science and studio curricula at CCA. Sustainable practices and "smart design" underpinned all of the work completed in the studio. The materials selected for the new Science Collection at CCA include environmental monitoring equipment and test kits, a weather station, a stream table, a rock and fossil collection, and a vertebrate skull collection. The SitS courses and MUSE system provide two new, easily transferable models for scientific inquiry for other similarly sized colleges of art and design. Additionally, the MUSE provide a replicable model for bringing science instructional materials and equipment directly into classrooms at colleges that do not have stand-alone science departments or facilities.

Learning science in a cooperative setting: Academic achievement and affective outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazarowitz, Reuven; Hertz-Lazarowitz, Rachel; Baird, J. Hugh

A learning unit in earth science was taught to high school students, using a jigsaw-group mastery learning approach. The sample consisted of 73 students in the experimental group and 47 students who learned the topic in an individualized mastery learning approach. The study lasted 5 weeks. Pretests and posttests on academic achievement and affective outcomes were administered. Data were treated with an analysis of covariance. The results show that students of the experimental group achieved significantly higher on academic outcomes, both normative and objective scores. On the creative essay test, the differences in number of ideas and total essay score were not significant between the groups, although the mean scores for number of words were higher for the individualized mastery learning group. On the affective domain, jigsaw-group mastery learning students scored significantly higher on self-esteem, number of friends, and involvement in the classroom. No differences were found in cohesiveness, cooperation, competition, and attitudes toward the subject learned. The results are discussed through the evaluation and comparison of the two methods of instruction used in this study.The cooperative learning movement began in junior high schools as part of the desegregation process, aiming at facilitating positive ethnic relations and increasing academic achievement and social skills among diverse students (Aronson, Stephan, Sikes, Blaney, & Snapp, 1978; Sharan & Hertz-Lazarowitz, 1980; Slavin, 1980). However, elementary teachers quickly recognized the potential of cooperative methods, and such methods were adopted freely in elementary schools before becoming widespread on the junior and senior high level. It has only been during the past few years that application of cooperative learning has been studied extensively with these older students.Cooperative learning methods generally involve heterogeneous groups working together on tasks that are deliberately structured to provide specific assignments and individual contributions from each group member. Cognitive as well as social benefits are expected, as students clarify their own understanding and share their insights and ideas with each other as they interact within the group (Deutsch, 1949).Experiments in the science laboratory have always required students to work in groups of two to four, due to the constraints of experimental processes and limited equipment and sup- plies. Thus, science courses are a natural curriculum area for examining cooperative learning practices. Now that cooperative methods are being refined to develop particular capabilities in the students, science teachers need to examine ways of structuring specific tasks to achieve the academic, affective, and socialization goals for their students. Although most of the studies of cooperative learning in the high school science classroom have centered around the cognitive outcomes of achievement testing and process skills, affective and social outcomes are also significant with students of this age. But few studies in science classes have attempted to assess such aspects of students' progress.As part of a previous revision, the science faculty at the high school where this study was conducted developed an exemplary individualized mastery learning (1ML) program for teaching science. This program seemed to alleviate the severe motivational problems and the extreme individual differences among the students in this rural/bhe-collar community. Students learned to work independently on their science studies. They had almost no lectures and few large group activities. As they worked through their assignments, however, they were free to interdct with other students. Looking in on a typical class, one would see several clusters of two or three students working together, sometimes tutoring each other, sometimes just talking through an assignment. Yet at least half of the class members would be working all alone. The importance of the overall social setting in the classroom as it relates to learning (Bruner, 1986, p. 86) and the central function of social interaction as learning occurs (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 106) seemed to have been ignored. Therefore, group mastery learning (GML), a cooperative learning tech- nique, was suggested as an antithesis to IML for teaching science over short periods. The cooperative mode of instruction considers learning as a cognitive as well as a social process, where students interact with each other as well as the teacher.To bring the social dimension back to science classrooms, the researchers chose to imple- ment GML in Grades 1 I and 12. The goal of the study was to investigate the GML's impact of the method on the individual student's academic achievement, creativity, self-esteem, and number of friends and on the overall learning environment of the classrooms. The researchers were also concerned with the students' attitudes toward earth science, the course being taught at the time of the experiment. Both cognitive and affective outcomes for students who participated in the cooperative GML approach were compared with outcomes for students who studied the same topic in an IML approach.The study addressed a number of questions related to academic and nonacademic outcomes of the two methods of study. First, it sought to determine whether academic achievement of the students taught in the cooperative GML mode would be different from the achievement of students who learned in an individualized method. Second, it sought to determine whether gains or losses would be seen in nonacademic outcomes, such as classroom learning environment, social relations, and students' self-esteem experienced by the students. The results of this study may support more use of cooperative learning in high school science.

Factors that affect the physical science career interest of female students: Testing five common hypotheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Lock, Robynne M.; Lung, Florin; Sonnert, Gerhard; Sadler, Philip M.

2013-12-01

There are many hypotheses regarding factors that may encourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using multivariate matching methods on national data drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project (n=7505), we test the following five commonly held beliefs regarding what factors might impact females’ physical science career interest: (i) having a single-sex physics class, (ii) having a female physics teacher, (iii) having female scientist guest speakers in physics class, (iv) discussing the work of female scientists in physics class, and (v) discussing the underrepresentation of women in physics class. The effect of these experiences on physical science career interest is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including prior science interests, prior mathematics interests, grades in science, grades in mathematics, and years of enrollment in high school physics. No significant effects are found for single-sex classes, female teachers, female scientist guest speakers, and discussing the work of female scientists. However, discussions about women’s underrepresentation have a significant positive effect.

Knowledge, beliefs and pedagogy: how the nature of science should inform the aims of science education (and not just when teaching evolution)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taber, Keith S.

2017-03-01

Lisa Borgerding's work highlights how students can understand evolution without necessarily committing to it, and how learners may come to see it as one available way of thinking amongst others. This is presented as something that should be considered a successful outcome when teaching about material that many students may find incompatible with their personal worldviews. These findings derive from work exploring a cause célèbre of the science education community—the teaching of natural selection in cultural contexts where learners feel they have strong reasons for rejecting evolutionary ideas. Accepting that students may understand but not commit to scientific ideas that are (from some cultural perspectives) controversial may easily be considered as a form of compromise position when teaching canonical science prescribed in curriculum but resisted by learners. Yet if we take scholarship on the nature of science seriously, and wish to reflect the nature of scientific knowledge in science teaching, then the aim of science education should always be to facilitate understanding of, yet to avoid belief in, the ideas taught in science lessons. The philosophy of science suggests that scientific knowledge needs to be understood as theoretical in nature, as conjectural and provisional; and the history of science warns of the risks of strongly committing to any particular conceptualisation as a final account of some feature of nature. Research into student thinking and learning in science suggests that learning science is often a matter of coming to understand a new viable way of thinking about a topic to complement established ways of thinking. Science teaching should then seek to have students appreciate scientific ideas as viable ways of making sense of the currently available empirical evidence, but should not be about persuading students of the truth of any particular scientific account.

Improving Student Writing: Methods You Can Use in Science and Engineering Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hitt, S. J.; Bright, K.

2013-12-01

Many educators in the fields of science and engineering assure their students that writing is an important and necessary part of their work. According to David Lindsay, in Scientific Writing=Thinking in Words, 99% of scientists agree that writing is an integral part of their jobs. However, only 5% of those same scientists have ever had formal instruction in scientific writing, and those who are also educators may then feel unconfident in teaching this skill to their students (2). Additionally, making time for writing instruction in courses that are already full of technical content can cause it to be hastily and/or peremptorily included. These situations may be some of the contributing factors to the prevailing attitude of frustration that pervades the conversation about writing in science and engineering classrooms. This presentation provides a summary of past, present, and ongoing Writing Center research on effective writing tutoring in order to give science and engineering educators integrated approaches for working with student writers in their disciplines. From creating assignments, providing instruction, guiding revisions, facilitating peer review, and using assessments, we offer a comprehensive approach to getting your students motivated to improve their writing. Our new research study focuses on developing student writing resources and support in science and engineering institutions, with the goal of utilizing cross-disciplinary knowledge that can be used by the various constituencies responsible for improving the effectiveness of writing among student engineers and scientists. We will will draw upon recent findings in the study of the rhetoric and compositional pedagogy and apply them to the specific needs of the science and engineering classroom. The fields of communication, journalism, social sciences, rhetoric, technical writing, and philosophy of science have begun to integrate these findings into classroom practice, and we will show how these can also benefit educators in science and engineering, with the goal of producing more effective student writing.

ASPIRE: Teachers and researchers working together to enhance student learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yager, P. L.; Garay, D. L.; Warburton, J.

2016-02-01

Given the impact of human activities on the ocean, involving teachers, students, and their families in scientific inquiry has never been more important. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines have become key focus areas in the education community of the United States. Newly adopted across the nation, Next Generation Science Standards require that educators embrace innovative approaches to teaching. Transforming classrooms to actively engage students through a combination of knowledge and practice develops conceptual understanding and application skills. The partnerships between researchers and educators during the Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE) offer an example of how academic research can enhance K-12 student learning. In this presentation, we illustrate how ASPIRE teacher-scientist partnerships helped engage students with actual and virtual authentic scientific investigations. Scientists benefit from teacher/researcher collaborations as well, as funding for scientific research also depends on effective communication between scientists and the public. While contributing to broader impacts needed to justify federal funding, scientists also benefit by having their research explained in ways that the broader public can understand: collaborations with teachers produce classroom lessons and published work that generate interest in the scientists' research specifically and in marine science in general. Researchers can also learn from their education partners about more effective teaching strategies that can be transferred to the college level. Researchers who work with teachers in turn gain perspectives on the constraints that teachers and students face in the pre-college classroom. Crosscutting concepts of research in polar marine science can serve as intellectual tools to connect important ideas about ocean and climate science for the public good.

Reaching New Heights in Middle School Science: Straw Tower Competition Builds Student Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pliskow, Tia

2008-01-01

Science educators face the challenge of piquing students' interest in subjects whose concepts are often entirely foreign to them. The author wanted to give her students a hands-on, "real world" experience rooted in scientific concepts. What evolved was an engineering design competition. The point of the project was two-fold: to work on real-world…

Graduate Students from Developing Countries in U.S. Science Departments. A Handbook for Department Chairs and Faculty Members.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC.

This guide is intended to assist college faculty members working with graduate students from developing nations who may need help bridging the gap between their educational backgrounds and the requirements of graduate science programs which are primarily planned for U.S. students. Differences are noted in the pre-graduate school training of such…

Linking the Experiential, Affective and Cognitive Domains in Biology Education: A Case Study--Microscopy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vlaardingerbroek, Barend; Taylor, Neil; Bale, Colin; Kennedy, John

2017-01-01

A greater emphasis in school curricula on the technology of science would encourage teachers to engage their students more in practical work. This in turn might be expected to improve students' attitudes towards science and enhance cognitive outcomes. The paper presents findings from a study on first-year university students' school experience of,…

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.

Measuring more than we know? An examination of the motivational and situational influences in science achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haydel, Angela Michelle

The purpose of this dissertation was to advance theoretical understanding about fit between the personal resources of individuals and the characteristics of science achievement tasks. Testing continues to be pervasive in schools, yet we know little about how students perceive tests and what they think and feel while they are actually working on test items. This study focused on both the personal (cognitive and motivational) and situational factors that may contribute to individual differences in achievement-related outcomes. 387 eighth grade students first completed a survey including measures of science achievement goals, capability beliefs, efficacy related to multiple-choice items and performance assessments, validity beliefs about multiple-choice items and performance assessments, and other perceptions of these item formats. Students then completed science achievement tests including multiple-choice items and two performance assessments. A sample of students was asked to verbalize both thoughts and feelings as they worked through the test items. These think-alouds were transcribed and coded for evidence of cognitive, metacognitive and motivational engagement. Following each test, all students completed measures of effort, mood, energy level and strategy use during testing. Students reported that performance assessments were more challenging, authentic, interesting and valid than multiple-choice tests. They also believed that comparisons between students were easier using multiple-choice items. Overall, students tried harder, felt better, had higher levels of energy and used more strategies while working on performance assessments. Findings suggested that performance assessments might be more congruent with a mastery achievement goal orientation, while multiple-choice tests might be more congruent with a performance achievement goal orientation. A variable-centered analytic approach including regression analyses provided information about how students, on average, who differed in terms of their teachers' ratings of their science ability, achievement goals, capability beliefs and experiences with science achievement tasks perceived, engaged in, and performed on multiple-choice items and performance assessments. Person-centered analyses provided information about the perceptions, engagement and performance of subgroups of individuals who had different motivational characteristics. Generally, students' personal goals and capability beliefs related more strongly to test perceptions, but not performance, while teacher ratings of ability and test-specific beliefs related to performance.

Revising Laboratory Work: Sociological Perspectives on the Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jobér, Anna

2017-01-01

This study uses sociological perspectives to analyse one of the core practices in science education: school children's and students' laboratory work. Applying an ethnographic approach to the laboratory work done by pupils at a Swedish compulsory school, data were generated through observations, field notes, interviews, and a questionnaire. The…

Cool Science: Year 2 of Using Children's Artwork about Climate Change to Engage Riders on Mass Transit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lustick, D. S.; Lohmeier, J.; Chen, R. F.

2014-12-01

A team of educators and scientists from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Massachusetts Boston will report on the second year of an informal science learning research project using mass transit spaces in Lowell, MA. Cool Science (CS) conducts a statewide art competition for K-12 students in the fall challenging them to express climate science understanding through the visual arts. An inter-disciplinary panel of judges evaluates entries and identifies the top 24 works of art. The best six student works of art are then put on public display throughout the spring on the Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA). Displaying student artwork in Out of Home Multi-Media (OHMM) such as bus placards and posters is intended to engage riders with opportunities to learn informally. CS aims to promote and evaluate learning about climate change science among the general public and k-12 students/teachers. The goals of CS are: 1) Engage teachers, students, and parents in a climate change science communication competition. 2) Display the winning 6 artworks from K-12 students throughout the LRTA. 3) Assess the impact of Cool Science on the teaching and learning of climate science in K-12 formal education. 4) Assess the impact of Cool Science artwork on attitudes, awareness, and understanding of climate change among adult bus riders. A naturalistic inquiry employing a mixed methodology approach best describes our research design. The evaluation focuses on providing feedback regarding the potential learning outcomes for the K-12 students who create the media for the project and the general riding public who engage with the student artwork. To identify possible outcomes, data was collected in the several forms: survey, interviews, and online analytics. We see an urgent need to improve both the public's engagement with climate change science and to the profile of climate change science in formal education settings. The Cool Science (CS) project is an opportunity to bring formal and informal science learning settings together for mutual engagement in the science of climate change. The research that will be presented should be of interest to both informal and formal science educators, art and science educators, and environmental education advocates.

Between a rock and a hard place: Learning to teach science-for-all in an urban district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galosy, Jodie A.

2005-07-01

Science-for-all, a contemporary science education reform initiative, envisions science classrooms where all students have opportunities to deepen their understanding of scientific concepts and practices. However, national science achievement tests indicate the reality of science-for-all is still very much a work-in-progress. Science-for-all demands much of teachers, especially those working with student populations typically underserved by science education---students of color, students with limited English proficiency, and those from families with limited economic means. A large proportion of those students attend urban districts where they are likely to encounter novice science teachers. This qualitative study investigated learning to teach science-for-all in an urban school district. Seven early career middle and high school science teachers participated in the study. Data collection took place over a period of fourteen months, through interviews and observations with teacher participants, their schools, and in their professional development activities (including new teacher support induction programs). The study examines how new teachers' use of their personal, social, and conventional resources influenced their beliefs and practices relative to science-for-all. Three reform ideals serve as the study's focal points: content goals that emphasize understanding scientific concepts and practices, hands-on activities that support students' intellectual engagement, and literacy strategies that provide access for all students to scientific content. Few novices developed beliefs and practices that supported science-for-all. Those who did brought several key personal resources to their teaching. While these personal resources were important for teacher development, they were not sufficient; novices needed additional resources. Some teachers had access to reform-based conventional resources others did not have. However, personal and social resources shaped how novices used those resources and, in turn, their beliefs about students and teaching practices. Context-specific assistance was a particularly important social resource that was in short supply for most novices. The study provides evidence that progress towards science-for-all will require substantial attention to, and investment in, teacher learning across all dimensions of the professional continuum---pre-service, induction, and in-service. The study also provides insights in two critical areas: strengthening the resources available to early career urban science teachers and shaping resource use towards the goals envisioned in science-for all.

Inspired by Fieldwork: A Teacher Research Experience Energizes and Ignites a Group of Elementary Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munroe, C. H.

2010-12-01

Through involvement in authentic research experiences teachers improve their content knowledge, deepen their understanding of the research process, and rejuvenate their interest in science. These positive results of fieldwork transfer into the classroom, directly benefiting students. The ARMADA project provided me with a three week research experience aboard the Amundsen (Canadian Coast Guard science vessel) which enriched and strengthened me professionally. Guided by master and early career scientists, I took part in specific research techniques and deep scientific discourse. My immersion in ocean science was so stimulating that I was inspired to share that excitement with my students. The fascination my students showed for basic experiments and ocean related activities fueled my interest further and I began to research more deeply which led to Climate Literacy and Polar Studies as essentials in my science curriculum. Over the following years I continued to expand and refine the workshops and activities students take part in. Three years after the research experience students still love the science explorations we embark upon together. This past year a group of students became so excited about Polar Science and Climate that they authored a 36 page non fiction book for upper elementary and middle school students entitled, "Changing Poles, Changing Planet: Climate Change vs. The Earth". Seven of the authors decided to continue their science outreach work by creating an educational video focusing on the basics of climate science and what children can do to lower carbon emissions. The book and video were distributed to educators as well as scientists at the International Polar Year Science Conference in June, 2010. In August some of these students presented their work at a Sustainability festival that was organized by M-CAN a local climate action group. Two of these students (who have left my class and started 6th grade at the middle school)recently decided to form a Climate Club and their goal is to continue to research and teach others about climate science. Their enthusiasm and desire to teach others is a result of exposure to authentic science issues in school and my research experience is what changed the way I teach science which made this possible.

Understanding Children's Science Identity through Classroom Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Mijung

2018-01-01

Research shows that various stereotypes about science and science learning, such as science being filled with hard and dry content, laboratory experiments, and male-dominated work environments, have resulted in feelings of distance from science in students' minds. This study explores children's experiences of science learning and science identity.…

Assessing the impact of Native American elders as co-educators for university students in STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alkholy, Sarah Omar

Introduction: Minorities are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, post-secondary STEM education, and show high academic attrition rates. Academic performance and retention improve when culturally relevant support is provided. The interface of Western Science and Indigenous Science provides an opportunity for bridging this divide. This three parts project is an example of Community-based participatory research (CBPR) that aims to support academic institutions that serve minority students in STEM, and implement educational components (pedagogy) to serve the needs of the underserved community. Method: Part 1: was a cross-sectional used a survey given to participants designed to assess prevalence of natural health products use by students, and to determine how students learn about NHPs. Part 2: was a longitudinal survey pilot study based upon an online STEM course offer at four universities to determine the differences between U.S. vs. Canadian and minority vs. non-minority university students regarding their perceptions of traditional Elders as STEM co-educators, interest in STEM, and science identity by using a pre-and post- course survey. Part 3: was a longitudinal quasi-experiment based upon an online STEM course offered at four universities show what Indigenous science claims regarding: Elders are viewed as valuable STEM co-educators; Elders increase student interest in STEM; students exposed to Indigenous science improve their identity as a scientist; students exposed to Indigenous Science/Elders show improved learning outcomes. Result: We found that Native/Aboriginal students learn information about natural health products from traditional Elders significantly more so than non-Native/Aboriginal students. There were no statistically significant results from the pilot study. Findings from the quasi-experiment show that students taught with Indigenous science Elder co-educators have significantly greater interest in STEM than students not exposed to Elders' teachings. Minority students reported significantly less self-identification as a scientist than did White students at pre-course, but report similar identity as a scientist to White students post-course. Discussion: Future work should investigate the role of Elder traditional educators to convey NHPs information directed specifically to Aboriginal university students. We expect that Elder co-educators may then impact student science identity and interest in STEM. We expect that Elder co-educators may then impact student science identity and interest in STEM. Although there were no statistically significant results from the pilot study, the observed trends suggest that Indigenous science Elder educators merit involvement in novel pedagogical approaches and delivery modalities to reach minority students and to increase students' interest in STEM. From quasi-experiment we attribute these findings to the impact of culturally competent course content to minority students especially, in a post-secondary STEM class. This work establishes the need for convergence of Indigenous science and Western STEM in academia.

Bringing Seismological Research into the School Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlis, G. L.; Hamburger, M. W.

2004-12-01

One of the primary goals of educational seismology programs is to bring inquiry-based research to the middle- and high-school classroom setting. Although it is often stated as a long-term goal of science outreach programs, in practice there are many barriers to research in the school setting, among them increasing emphasis on test-oriented training, decreasing interest and participation in science fairs, limited teacher confidence and experience for mentoring research, insufficient student preparedness for research projects, and the short term of university involvement (typically limited to brief one-day encounters). For the past three+ years we have tried to address these issues through a focused outreach program we have called the PEPP Research Fellows Program. This is treated as an honors program in which high school teachers in our group nominate students with interests in science careers. These students are invited to participate in the program, and those who elect to take part participate in a one-day education and training session in the fall. Rather than leave research projects completely open, we direct the students at toward one of two specific, group-oriented projects (in our case, one focusing on local recordings of mining explosions, and a second on teleseismic body-wave analysis), but we encourage them to act as independent researchers and follow topics of interest. The students then work on seismic data from the local educational network or from the IRIS facilities. Following several months of informal interaction with teachers and students (email, web conferencing, etc.), we bring the students and teachers to our university for a weekend research symposium in the spring. Students present their work in oral or poster form and prizes are given for the best papers. Projects range from highly local projects (records of seismic noise at school X) to larger-scale regional projects (analysis of teleseismic P-wave delays at PEPP network stations) From 20 to 40 students and teachers have participated in the program in the past three years and independent work by students has been outstanding including several students' work that have won awards at regional and national science fairs. The program is feasible because we had a pool of dedicated teachers with experience in using seismographs in schools as a legacy of the Princeton Earth Physics Program (PEPP). It provides a model for focused outreach to top science students to give them an early research experience.

Differentiating the Sources of Taiwanese High School Students' Multidimensional Science Learning Self-Efficacy: An Examination of Gender Differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tzung-Jin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2017-04-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate Taiwanese high school students' multi-dimensional self-efficacy and its sources in the domain of science. Two instruments, Sources of Science Learning Self-Efficacy (SSLSE) and Science Learning Self-Efficacy (SLSE), were used. By means of correlation and regression analyses, the relationships between students' science learning self-efficacy and the sources of their science learning self-efficacy were examined. The findings revealed that the four sources of the students' self-efficacy were found to play significant roles in their science learning self-efficacy. By and large, Mastery Experience and Vicarious Experience were found to be the two salient influencing sources. Several gender differences were also revealed. For example, the female students regarded Social Persuasion as the most influential source in the "Science Communication" dimension, while the male students considered Vicarious Experience as the main efficacy source. Physiological and Affective States, in particular, was a crucial antecedent of the female students' various SLSE dimensions, including "Conceptual Understanding," "Higher-Order Cognitive Skills," and "Science Communication." In addition, the variations between male and female students' responses to both instruments were also unraveled. The results suggest that, first, the male students perceived themselves as having more mastery experience, vicarious experience and social persuasion than their female counterparts. Meanwhile, the female students experienced more negative emotional arousal than the male students. Additionally, the male students were more self-efficacious than the females in the five SLSE dimensions of "Conceptual Understanding," "Higher-Order Cognitive Skills," "Practical Work," "Everyday Application," and "Science Communication."

Differentiating the Sources of Taiwanese High School Students' Multidimensional Science Learning Self-Efficacy: An Examination of Gender Differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tzung-Jin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2018-06-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate Taiwanese high school students' multi-dimensional self-efficacy and its sources in the domain of science. Two instruments, Sources of Science Learning Self-Efficacy (SSLSE) and Science Learning Self-Efficacy (SLSE), were used. By means of correlation and regression analyses, the relationships between students' science learning self-efficacy and the sources of their science learning self-efficacy were examined. The findings revealed that the four sources of the students' self-efficacy were found to play significant roles in their science learning self-efficacy. By and large, Mastery Experience and Vicarious Experience were found to be the two salient influencing sources. Several gender differences were also revealed. For example, the female students regarded Social Persuasion as the most influential source in the "Science Communication" dimension, while the male students considered Vicarious Experience as the main efficacy source. Physiological and Affective States, in particular, was a crucial antecedent of the female students' various SLSE dimensions, including "Conceptual Understanding," "Higher-Order Cognitive Skills," and "Science Communication." In addition, the variations between male and female students' responses to both instruments were also unraveled. The results suggest that, first, the male students perceived themselves as having more mastery experience, vicarious experience and social persuasion than their female counterparts. Meanwhile, the female students experienced more negative emotional arousal than the male students. Additionally, the male students were more self-efficacious than the females in the five SLSE dimensions of "Conceptual Understanding," "Higher-Order Cognitive Skills," "Practical Work," "Everyday Application," and "Science Communication."

Becoming a scientist: A qualitative study of the educational experience of undergraduates working in an American and a Brazilian research laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascoa, Maria Beatriz Amorim

Because the production of scientific and technological innovations has been at the center of debates for economic growth, scientists are recognized as important actors in the current global market. In this study, I will examine the undergraduate education of future scientists by focusing on students working in research projects of faculty members. This research activity has been promoted by American and Brazilian public agencies as an attempt to attract more college students to scientific careers as well as to improve their future performance in science. Evaluations of these programs have focused on important quantitative indicators focusing mainly on the amount of students that later choose to pursue scientific careers. However, these studies fail to address important educational aspects of undergraduates' experience. In this research, I explore the educational processes taking place as students are introduced to the making of science in order to understand how and what they are learning. Three bodies of literature illuminates the formulation and the analysis of the research questions: (1) theories of globalization situate the education of scientists within the dynamics of a broader social, economic, cultural, and historical framework; (2) the critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire is the basis for the understanding of the pedagogical processes shaping undergraduate students' experiences within the research site; (3) Critical and Cultural Studies of Science and Technology illuminate the analysis of the complex interactions and practices constructed within the laboratory. In order to understand the educational processes shaping the experiences of undergraduate students engaged in research activities, I conducted a qualitative investigation based on participant-observation and in-depth interviews in an American and a Brazilian laboratories. The two sites constituted insightful case studies that illuminated the understanding of inquires about the training of students in science. In addition, the study of two countries enriched the research inquiry, adding to the findings reflections on the ways differences in national contexts affects scientific training and scientific practices. Mainly, this qualitative research of students in laboratories offers some concrete recommendations and illuminating reflections for science educators, science policy makers, and for those working in the understanding of science epistemologies.

Theory and practice in medical education--expectations and development of skills experienced by students of human medicine compared with students in other disciplines.

PubMed

Piedmont, Silke; Robra, Bernt-Peter

2015-01-01

The aim of this article is to compare students of human medicine (HM) with students specialising in the MINT disciplines (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and engineering), the humanities and social sciences as well as law and economic sciences with regard to their expectations of their university study and career and the areas of competence where they feel they have been supported by their education. We present in detail issues particularly relevant to prospective physicians, which are discussed with the main focus on the "theoretical and practical orientation of medical education". We used the database in the Public Use File of the "11th Student Survey", a written survey of randomly selected students studying at 25 German tertiary institutions during the 2009/2010 winter term, which was supplied by the Tertiary Education Research working group at the University of Constance. Data on 7536 students was included, of which 488 (6.5%) were prospective physicians. Human medicine students have a clear career aim and want to complete their education quickly. They have a far above-average interest in working with and for people. About one student in two is interested in a career in science or research (53% in each case - close to the average for all subjects). Compared with the other disciplines, HM students are most likely to consider their university education to have practical and research relevance and are most likely to feel prepared for their profession. Yet over half of all students (Ø 53.3%; HM 54.5%) do not consider their education to have fostered their research skills. MINT students in particular are better able to enhance their skills through independent experimentation, while theory and practice are more likely to be communicated academically in the regular teaching of human medicine. Accordingly, the HM students feel less well supported in some areas of competence required for their later work than students in other disciplines, in developing independence, problem-solving ability, critical ability and capacity for teamwork for example. The high expectations held by human medicine students of being prepared for practical work with/on people are met to an above-average degree according to their assessments of the "practical relevance" and "career preparation" offered by their medical education. However the perceived development of skills in theory and practice does not respond sufficiently well to the demands of the complex, responsible profession they aspire to. Medical students should be better supported in developing both practical and academic independence.

Writing Skills for Science Labs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vargas, Marjorie Fink

1986-01-01

Describes a 50-minute session designed to improve students' writing of science laboratory reports. Using an improperly worded description of how to make a peanut butter sandwich, the students work in groups to improve "point of view" and "voice." The changes are then used to create better reports. (TW)

A "CASE" Study on Developing Science Communication and Outreach Skills of University Graduate Student Researchers in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tedesche, M. E.; Conner, L.

2015-12-01

Well rounded scientific researchers are not only experts in their field, but can also communicate their work to a multitude of various audiences, including the general public and undergraduate university students. Training in these areas should ideally start during graduate school, but many programs are not preparing students to effectively communicate their work. Here, we present results from the NSF-funded CASE (Changing Alaska Science Education) program, which was funded by NSF under the auspices of the GK-12 program. CASE placed science graduate students (fellows) in K-12 classrooms to teach alongside of K-12 teachers with the goal of enhancing communication and teaching skills among graduate students. CASE trained fellows in inquiry-based and experiential techniques and emphasized the integration of art, writing, and traditional Alaska Native knowledge in the classroom. Such techniques are especially effective in engaging students from underrepresented groups. As a result of participation, many CASE fellows have reported increased skills in communication and teaching, as well as in time management. These skills may prove directly applicable to higher education when teaching undergraduate students.

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.

"I am Not a Statistic": Identities of African American Males in Advanced Science Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Diane Wynn

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (2010) expects new industries to generate approximately 2.7 million jobs in science and technology by the year 2018, and there is concern as to whether there will be enough trained individuals to fill these positions. A tremendous resource remains untapped, African American students, especially African American males (National Science Foundation, 2009). Historically, African American males have been omitted from the so called science pipeline. Fewer African American males pursue a science discipline due, in part; to limiting factors they experience in school and at home (Ogbu, 2004). This is a case study of African American males who are enrolled in advanced science courses at a predominantly African American (84%) urban high school. Guided by expectancy-value theory (EVT) of achievement related results (Eccles, 2009; Eccles et al., 1983), twelve African American male students in two advanced science courses were observed in their science classrooms weekly, participated in an in-depth interview, developed a presentation to share with students enrolled in a tenth grade science course, responded to an open-ended identity questionnaire, and were surveyed about their perceptions of school. Additionally, the students' teachers were interviewed, and seven of the students' parents. The interview data analyses highlighted the important role of supportive parents (key socializers) who had high expectations for their sons and who pushed them academically. The students clearly attributed their enrollment in advanced science courses to their high regard for their science teachers, which included positive relationships, hands-on learning in class, and an inviting and encouraging learning environment. Additionally, other family members and coaches played important roles in these young men's lives. Students' PowerPoint(c) presentations to younger high school students on why they should take advanced science courses highlighted these African American males' interest, motivation, and enjoyment for science. They also focused on the personal importance they placed on doing well on a task (attainment value), or how useful the students believe the course relates to their current or future goals (utility value). Students who strongly or moderately identified with science were more likely to stress the value of the advanced science course(s), in terms of enjoyment, utility for their futures, and personal importance, and to downplay the work involved. Students who had low or no identification with science were more likely to stress the social enjoyment of the course they were enrolled in, relating to the other students, the fun activities, the teacher, and more likely to address the difficulty of the course. However, all of the students stressed the value of the course for their future as college students. Regardless of the level of identification with science, students were effusive in their respect for and praise of their science teacher(s) and the role he and/or she played in their interest in the subject matter, providing interesting and engaging work in class. The teacher as a role model, especially the Black male teacher, was critical to the learning of science for these students. Parents of all of these African American males conveyed the importance of academic achievement, and participated in school events as well as monitored their students' activities outside of school. All of the parents of the students in this study were supportive of their sons and had high expectations for academic success, regardless of whether they had attended college or completed a degree. In contrast to the literature on African American males, these students had a sense of academic excellence, high self-esteem, and their families and science teachers had high academic expectations for them. This study addresses a group often missing from the literature: successful African American male high school students. The study highlights the critical role of knowledgeable, well prepared teachers who connected with students and provided high quality, stimulating science experiences and role models, especially the Black male science teacher. Additionally, the high expectations and involvement of parents was key to driving the success of these males, as well as their socially-fueled desire not to become "a statistic." Ever mindful of their role as successful Black males, these students were achieving for more than themselves, but as role models for Black males in society. This was a major factor underlying their motivation to succeed, and seemed to trump the hard work involved in the challenging academic choices they made. These Black males were beating the stereotypes by being well dressed, successful scholar athletes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Development of activities to promote the interest in science and technology in elementary and middle school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sicardi-Segade, A.; Campos-Mejía, A.; Solano, C.

2016-09-01

Innovation through science and technology will be essential to solve important challenges humanity will have to face in the years to come, regarding clean energies, food quality, medicine, communications, etc. To deal with these important issues, it is necessary to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in children. In this work, we present the results of the strategies that we have implemented to increase the elementary and middle school students interest in science and technology by means of activities that allow them to use and develop their creativity, team work, critical thinking, and the use of the scientific method and the engineering design process.

Environmental Change Science Literacy Through Writing: Successes in an Undergraduate Writing and Composition Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Small, J. D.

2007-12-01

Basic science literacy, especially with regards to environmental change science, is often lacking in traditional K- 12 and undergraduate education. This generally leads to broad misconceptions based on distorted presentations of science in the media. Current educational research suggests that the teaching and learning of science can happen in many ways, whether it is through lectures, labs, research, inquiry or informal learning activities. This study was motivated by the desire to investigate the ability to teach environmental change science content in the non-traditional mode of an undergraduate composition and writing course. This technique offers educators another option for the integration of climate and environmental change material into their curriculum. The study incorporates the assessment and evaluation of student writing, in-class participation and student self- evaluations from "Writing about Change: Global Environmental Change and Society" a writing course that fulfils a requirement to graduate from the University of California - Santa Cruz. The course was taught Winter Quarter 2007 with a total of 28 days of instruction and the participation of 20 undergraduate students. The overarching goals of this study can be broadly classified as attitudinal, skills development and content retention. This study was designed to address three broad questions related to the above broad goals: i) Did students leave the class more comfortable and confident with environmental change issues and content? ii) Did students develop skills that are useful for reading and writing about scientific material? iii) What did students learn (retain): more general concepts or specific facts regarding climate and environmental change? Preliminary analysis and coding of student work clearly show that students were successful in developing skills for understanding and utilizing scientific information via writing and making thoughtful judgments regarding the reliability of environmental change science in various media. More detailed analysis of student work and responses are necessary in order to fully evaluate the depth and breadth of student understanding and retention of scientific content and concepts.

Production of a Science Documentary and Its Usefulness in Teaching the Nature of Science: Indirect Experience of How Science Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sun Young; Yi, Sang Wook; Cho, Eun Hee

2014-01-01

In this study, we produced a documentary which portrays scientists at work and critically evaluated the use of this film as a teaching tool to help students develop an understanding of the nature of science. The documentary, "Life as a Scientist: People in Love with 'Caenorhabditis elegans,' a Soil Nematode" encompasses the…

Philosophy as Literature: A Step beyond Convention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchal, Michael H.

1986-01-01

Describes a course in which students read works by such philosophers as Plato, Descartes, and William James from a literary point of view. States that teachers should look beyond works considered literature to see if a work of philosophy, history, or political science might benefit students' intellectual and personal development. (EL)

An Oceanographer's Journey into the World of Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, R. H.

2001-12-01

For most of my career, I was a research oceanographer. For the past eleven years, I have been a professor, and for the past four years I have been working to improve teaching of the geosciences, especially oceanography at all levels from elementary school through graduate school. My work has centered primarily on improving middle- and high- school curriculum, and on improving teaching at the upper undergraduate and beginning graduate levels. I wish to share the lessons I have learned about improving K-12 education: 1) Teach interesting subjects which build on student interest--this may seem obvious, but few textbooks are built around themes such as global warming, hurricanes, tornados, whales, or earthquakes. 2) Don't limit your work to your particular specialty--think of the geosciences first in their broadest context--after all, global warming involves far more than meteorology or oceanography. 3) Work on a team with educators and students--we may be experts in science, but how much do we know about teaching K-12 students, their vocabulary, and their ability to understand each topic? 4) Work on projects that reach the most teachers and students--this is perhaps best done through NSF-funded, statewide systemic initiatives. 5) Be aware of national and state standards, including but not limited to math and science--the AAAS Project 2061 has published much useful material. 6) Teach special sections of science courses for preservice teachers--teach the way they will teach after they graduate. 7) Build assessment into your work--we think we have good ideas, but we need to prove we are really improving education. 8) Get to know your state education agency--they often seek expert help, and they have great influence on education. Have I made a difference? I think so--10,000 students and teachers visit our web site each month; I have been asked to help review questions on the certification test given all middle-school teachers in the state; and a graduate student who worked with me for three years is now teaching four sections of science methods each semester to preservice teachers. I am assured all her students will be learning about the geosciences.

Teaching habitat and animal classification to fourth graders using an engineering-design model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marulcu, Ismail

2014-05-01

Background: The motivation for this work is built upon the premise that there is a need for research-based materials for design-based science instruction. In this paper, a small portion of our work investigating the impact of a LEGOTM engineering unit on fourth grade students' preconceptions and understanding of animals is presented. Purpose: The driving questions for our work are: (1) What is the impact of an engineering-design-based curricular module on students' understanding of habitat and animal classification? (2) What are students' misconceptions regarding animal classification and habitat? Sample: The study was conducted in an inner-city K-8 school in the northeastern region of the United States. There were two fourth grade classrooms in the school. The first classroom included seven girls and nine boys, whereas the other classroom included eight girls and eight boys. All fourth grade students participated in the study. Design and methods: In answering the research questions mixed-method approaches are used. Data collection methods included pre- and post-tests, pre- and post-interviews, student journals, and classroom observations. Identical pre- and post-tests were administered to measure students' understanding of animals. They included four multiple-choice and six open-ended questions. Identical pre- and post-interviews were administered to explore students' in-depth understanding of animals. Results: Our results show that students significantly increased their performance after instruction on both the multiple-choice questions (t = -3.586, p = .001) and the open-ended questions (t = -5.04, p = .000). They performed better on the post interviews as well. Also, it is found that design-based instruction helped students comprehend core concepts of a life science subject, animals. Conclusions: Based on these results, the main argument of the study is that engineering design is a useful framework for teaching not only physical science-related subjects, but also life science subjects in elementary science classrooms.

The Nature of Students' Chemical Reasoning Employed in Scientific Argumentation in Physical Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moon, A.; Stanford, C.; Cole, R.; Towns, M.

2016-01-01

Recent science education reform efforts have emphasized scientific practices in addition to scientific knowledge. Less work has been done at the tertiary level to consider students' engagement in scientific practices. In this work, we consider physical chemistry students' engagement in argumentation and construction of causal explanations.…

Teaching Complex Dynamic Systems to Young Students with StarLogo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klopfer, Eric; Yoon, Susan; Um, Tricia

2005-01-01

In this paper, we report on a program of study called Adventures in Modeling that challenges the traditional scientific method approach in science classrooms using StarLogo modeling software. Drawing upon previous successful efforts with older students, and the related work of other projects working with younger students, we explore: (a) What can…

Group Work and Leadership: Perception of FCS Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendt, Susan W.; Gregoire, Mary B.

2006-01-01

No known studies have examined the perception of family and consumer science (FCS) students related to group work in the classroom and its relationship to leadership. In this qualitative study, two groups of FCS students--hospitality management and dietetics--viewed group projects as exercises in leadership skills that had many barriers.…

The role and working conditions of Movement Science students employed in sport and recreational facilities: An Italian multicenter study.

PubMed

Gallè, Francesca; Di Onofrio, Valeria; Arpesella, Marisa; Bacci, Silvia; Bianco, Antonino; Brandi, Giorgio; Bruno, Stefania; Anastasi, Daniela; Carraro, Elisabetta; Flacco, Maria Elena; Giampaoli, Saverio; Izzotti, Alberto; Leoni, Erica; Bertoncello, Chiara; Minelli, Liliana; Napoli, Christian; Nobile, Carmelo; Pasquarella, Cesira; Liguori, Giorgio; Romano Spica, Vincenzo

2015-01-01

In Italy, students from Movement Science (MS) Degree Courses often work in sport and recreational facilities before graduation. The employment conditions of Movement Science students working in sport/recreational facilities were investigated, and the management and structural features of the facilities were evaluated, including safety policies. Regional differences were also considered. Questionnaires were administered to undergraduate and graduate students (N = 4,217) in 17 Universities. Students' perceptions of the quality of the facilities where they had been employed was evaluated using multivariate analysis. A latent class model with covariates was used to evaluate how variables relating to participants, employment facilities or regions influence their opinions. A high proportion of MS students were employed in sporting facilities (undergraduate level: 33% ; graduate level: 55%), in most cases without any formal employment contracts. Both the structural and hygienic features, as well as the professional knowledge of the staff, were considered good to excellent by the majority of participants (about 70%). Communication of the basic behavioral rules was considered adequate by 61-63% of undergraduate students and 71-75% of graduate students, while nearly half of the participants were dissatisfied with the staff safety training. Correlations between the perceived good structural/hygienic conditions, the presence of regulations and training programs for the staff were investigated. Differences regarding occupational level and safety training among different regions of Italy were also observed. Italian students in Movement Science were easily employed in sport/recreational facilities, but frequently without a formal contract. This is a consequence of the lack of specific regulations in the field of recreational/leisure employment and could have negative implications, especially in terms of safety.

Music Education and the Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beauregard, J. L.

2011-12-01

Capturing the interest of non-science majors in science classes can be very difficult, no matter what type of science course it is. At Berklee College of Music, this challenge is especially daunting, as all students are majoring in some type of music program. To engage the Berklee students, I am trying to link the material in Earth science courses to music. The connection between Earth science and music is made in several different ways within the curriculum of each class, with the main connection via a final project. For their projects, students can use any creative outlet (or a standard presentation) to illustrate a point related to the course. Many students have chosen to compose original music and perform it for the class. Some examples of their work will be presented. These original compositions allow students to relate course material to their own lives. Additionally, since many of these students will enter professional careers in the performance and recording industries, the potential exists for them to expose large audiences to the issues of Earth sciences through music.

Altering conditions for student participation and motive development in school science: learning from Helena's mistake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrée, Maria

2012-06-01

Previous research on science education has described various factors influencing students' participation and produced categorizations of students based on e.g. cultural background. In this article it is argued, theoretically and empirically, that an understanding of students' participation in science education needs to begin with an analysis of what activity students are engaged in. The aim is to explore how altering conditions of classroom work may open up opportunities for students mainly participating in an activity of education or schooling to engage in an activity of science learning. Activity is conceptualized in a Cultural-Historical Activity Theory perspective as object-oriented and transformative. Drawing on an ethnographic study in a Swedish compulsory school, a critical incident of the participation in science education of a 7th grade girl called Helena is analyzed. The results show that altered conditions of classroom practice may produce new possibilities for student participation, and point to the impossibility of determining students as `different kinds of students' based on a priori categories e.g. sex, ethnicity, socio-economic background.

ACCESS Earth: Promoting Accessibility to Earth System Science for Students with Disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Locke, S. M.; Cohen, L.; Lightbody, N.

2001-05-01

ACCESS Earth is an intensive summer institute for high school students with disabilities and their teachers that is designed to encourage students with disabilities to consider careers in earth system science. Participants study earth system science concepts at a Maine coastal estuary, using Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, and field observations to evaluate the impacts of climate change, sea level rise, and development on coastal systems. Teachers, students, and scientists work together to adapt field and laboratory activities for persons with disabilities, including those with mobility and visual impairments. Other sessions include demonstrations of assistive technology, career discussions, and opportunities for students to meet with successful scientists with disabilities from throughout the U.S. The summer institute is one of several programs in development at the University of Southern Maine to address the problem of underrepresentation of people with disabilities in the earth sciences. Other projects include a mentoring program for high school students, a web-based clearinghouse of resources for teaching earth sciences to students with disabilities, and guidebooks for adaptation of popular published earth system science curricula for disabled learners.

Addressing an Overlooked Science Outreach Audience: Development of a Science Mentorship Program Focusing on Critical Thinking Skills for Adults Working toward a High School Equivalency Degree

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagnon, Nicole L.; Komor, Anna J.

2017-01-01

Adult learners seeking a high school equivalency degree are a highly motivated group of students that almost universally meet outreach audience goals of serving minority, low-income, and other disadvantaged populations. Despite the demonstrated need of this population, these students are not commonly served by university-sponsored science outreach…

Emotional and Motivational Outcomes of Lab Work in the Secondary Intermediate Track: The Contribution of a Science Center Outreach Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Itzek-Greulich, Heike; Vollmer, Christian

2017-01-01

Students' interest in science declines in secondary school. Therefore, motivating students to become competent and engaged in science topics that are relevant for their everyday lives is an important goal, so they can be better citizens and decision makers with socioscientific issues (e.g., climate change and waste disposal). The present study…

Sex and Science: How Professor Gender Perpetuates the Gender Gap. NBER Working Paper No. 14959

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrell, Scott E.; Page, Marianne E.; West, James E.

2009-01-01

Why aren't there more women in science? Female college students are currently 37 percent less likely than males to obtain a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and comprise only 25 percent of the STEM workforce. This paper begins to shed light on this issue by exploiting a unique dataset of college students who…

Techniques and Measurements. Seychelles Integrated Science. [Teacher and Pupil Booklets]. Unit 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, M.; Fryars, M.

Seychelles Integrated Science (SIS), a 3-year laboratory-based science program for students (ages 11-15) in upper primary grades 7, 8, and 9, was developed from an extensive evaluation and modification of previous P7-P9 materials. This P7 SIS unit is designed to: (1) introduce students to and familiarize them with working in the school laboratory;…

The role of cultural identity as a learning factor in physics: a discussion through the role of science in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurgel, Ivã; Pietrocola, Mauricio; Watanabe, Graciella

2016-06-01

In recent decades, changes in society have deeply affected the internal organization and the main goals of schools. These changes are particularly important in science education because science is one of the major sources of change in peoples' lives. This research provided the opportunity to investigate how these changes affect the way teachers develop their classroom activities. In this work, we focus on science as part of the cultural identity of a society and how this identity affects the process of teaching and learning inside the classroom. Other works have shown that certain social characteristics such as gender, race, religion, etc., can create a cultural barrier to learning science. This results in an obstacle between those particular students and the science that is taught, hindering their learning process. We first aim to present the notion of identity in education and in other related fields such as social psychology and sociology. Our main purpose is to focus on identity in a school setting and how that identity affects the relationship students have with the science content. Next, we present and analyze an intervention in the subject of Modern and Contemporary Physics composed by a sequence of activities in a private school in the region of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. This intervention serves to illustrate how scientific topics may be explored while considering aspects of cultural differences as an obstacle. The intervention was completed in two steps: first, in the classroom with a discussion concerning scientific works and nationality of scientists, with one being a Brazilian physicist; second, taking students to visit a particle collider at the University of São Paulo. One of the results of our research was realizing that students do not perceive science as something representative of the Brazilian cultural identity. At the same time, the activity gave the students the opportunity to make the connection between doing physical sciences at an international level and the national level in Brazil. The findings of this study suggest that it is possible to reshape the cultural identity of Brazilian students.

Science Inquiry as Knowledge Transformation: Investigating Metacognitive and Self-regulation Strategies to Assist Students in Writing about Scientific Inquiry Tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Timothy A.

2011-12-01

Science inquiry is central to the science education reform efforts that began in the early 1990's. It is both a topic of instruction and a process to be experienced. Student engagement in the process of scientific inquiry was the focus of this study. The process of scientific inquiry can be conceived as a two-part task. In the initial part of the task, students identify a question or problem to study and then carry out an investigation to address the issue. In the second part of the task, students analyze their data to propose explanations and then report their findings. Knowing that students struggle with science inquiry tasks, this study sought to investigate ways to help students become more successful with the communication demands of science inquiry tasks. The study took place in a high school chemistry class. Students in this study completed a total of three inquiry tasks over the course of one school year. Students were split into four experimental groups in order to determine the effect of goal setting, metacognitive prompts, and sentence stems on student inquiry tasks. The quality of the student written work was assessed using a scoring rubric familiar to the students. In addition, students were asked at four different times in the school year to respond to a self-efficacy survey that measured student self-efficacy for chemistry content and science inquiry processes. Student self-efficacy for the process of scientific inquiry was positive and did not change over the course of the study while student scores on the science inquiry tasks rose significantly. The metacognitive prompts and instruction in goal setting did not have any effect on student inquiry scores. Results related to the effect of the sentence stems were mixed. An analysis of student work indicated that students who received high marks on their initial inquiry task in this study were the ones that adopted the use of the sentence stems. Students who received low marks on their initial inquiry task did not tend to use the sentence stems. An analysis of word counts that compared the number of words used in the Framing section to the number of words used in the Analysis section indicated that students may have been using insufficient writing strategies. This study concludes with implications for classroom practice and recommendations for future research around student writing in the science classroom.

Actions of the Burkina Faso women in physics working group at the University of Ouagadougou

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafando, Pétronille; Zerbo, Issa

2013-03-01

At the University of Ouagadougou, the largest university in Burkina Faso, the percentage of female student enrollment in the Exact and Applied Sciences Unit was 5.1% (for all the levels) from 2006 to 2009-this rate was 2.3% for physics. For the same period, 22 women out of 455 students (4.8%) were enrolled in PhD (all the fields of the Exact and Applied Sciences Unit) and three women out of 180 students (1.7%) registered in physics PhD. During the 3rd IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics in 2008, the Burkina Faso Working Group proposed some strategies to attract more women to physics and all the sciences. Some actions were initiated at the University of Ouagadougou as well as in secondary schools. These actions and the feedback of female students are presented.

Science teachers' mission impossible?: a qualitative study of obstacles in assessing students' practical abilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sund, Per

2016-09-01

Science teachers regard practical work as important and many claim that it helps students to learn science. Besides theoretical knowledge, such as concepts and formulas, practical work is considered to be an integral and basic part of science education. As practical work is perceived and understood in different ways, comparing the results between classes and schools is difficult. One way of making the results comparable is to develop systematic inquiries to be assessed in national large-scale tests. However, introducing similar testing conditions in a laboratory environment is not always possible. Although the instructions and assessment guides for such tests are detailed, many obstacles need to be overcome if equality in the overall test situation is to be achieved. This empirical case study investigates two secondary school science teachers' assessments of 15-16 years old students in three separate groups in the practical part of a Swedish national test in chemistry. Data are gathered using two video cameras and three pairs of spy camera glasses. The results show that individual and independent assessments are difficult due to the social interactions that take place and the physical sources of errors that occur in this type of setting.

Life science students' attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouch, Catherine H.; Wisittanawat, Panchompoo; Cai, Ming; Renninger, K. Ann

2018-06-01

In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students' attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students' skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students' attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students' attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students' attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students' interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

Teaching advanced science concepts through Freshman Research Immersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahila, M. J.; Amey-Proper, J.; Jones, W. E.; Stamp, N.; Piper, L. F. J.

2017-03-01

We have developed a new introductory physics/chemistry programme that teaches advanced science topics and practical laboratory skills to freshmen undergraduate students through the use of student-led, bona fide research activities. While many recent attempts to improve college-level physics education have focused on integrating interactive demonstrations and activities into traditional passive lectures, we have taken the idea of active-learning several steps further. Working in conjunction with several research faculty at Binghamton University, we have created a programme that puts undergraduate students on an accelerated path towards working in real research laboratories performing publishable research. Herein, we describe in detail the programme goals, structure, and educational content, and report on our promising initial student outcomes.

Effectiveness of interprofessional education in renal physiology curricula for health sciences graduate students.

PubMed

Harrison-Bernard, Lisa M; Naljayan, Mihran V; Eason, Jane M; Mercante, Donald E; Gunaldo, Tina P

2017-12-01

The primary purpose of conducting an interprofessional education (IPE) experience during the renal physiology block of a graduate-level course was to provide basic science, physical therapy, and physician assistant graduate students with an opportunity to work as a team in the diagnosis, treatment, and collaborative care of a patient with acute kidney injury. The secondary purpose was to enhance the understanding of basic renal physiology principles with a patient case presentation of renal pathophysiology. The overall purpose was to assess the value of IPE integration within a basic science course by examining student perceptions and program evaluation. Graduate-level students operated in interprofessional teams while working through an acute kidney injury patient case. The following Interprofessional Education Collaborative subcompetencies were targeted: Roles/Responsibilities (RR) Behavioral Expectations (RR1, RR4) and Interprofessional Communication (CC) Behavioral Expectations (CC4). Clinical and IPE stimulus questions were discussed both within and between teams with assistance provided by faculty facilitators. Students were given a pre- and postsurvey to determine their knowledge of IPE. There were statistically significant increases from pre- to postsurvey scores for all six IPE questions for all students. Physical therapy and physician assistant students had a statistically significant increase in pre- to postsurvey scores, indicating a more favorable perception of their interprofessional competence for RR1, RR4, and CC4. No changes were noted in pre- to postsurvey scores for basic science graduate students. Incorporating planned IPE experiences into multidisciplinary health science courses represents an appropriate venue to have students learn and apply interprofessional competencies. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Ready, Set, SCIENCE!: Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michaels, Sarah; Shouse, Andrew W.; Schweingruber, Heidi A.

2007-01-01

What types of instructional experiences help K-8 students learn science with understanding? What do science educators, teachers, teacher leaders, science specialists, professional development staff, curriculum designers, and school administrators need to know to create and support such experiences? "Ready, Set, Science!" guides the way with an…

A Sky-High Classroom Provides a New Perspective for Earth Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolb, Albert C.

1969-01-01

Describes an earth science program conducted from an airplane for 8th grade students of Carmel Middle School, Carmel, California. The steps involved in getting the program started, the classroom work and the preparatory field trips, as well as the airborne lesson itself, are described. (LC)

Teaching Science: Seat Belt Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leyden, Michael B.

1994-01-01

Describes activities that will help students understand how car seat belts work, the limited reaction time available to passengers in an automobile accident, and the force of impact in a car collision. These activities will provide students with hands-on experiences that demonstrate the importance of always wearing seat belts while in an…

Science Books, Volume 9 Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolff, Kathryn, Ed.

This quarterly journal reviews trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in elementary and secondary schools and in the first two years of college. Included are selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members. A listing of detailed subject fields is…

Science Books, Volume 10 Number 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolff, Kathryn, Ed.

This quarterly journal reviews trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in elementary and secondary schools and in the first two years of college. Included are selected advanced and professional books useful to students and faculty members. A listing of detailed subject fields is provided including…

Science Books: A Quarterly Review, Volume 5 Number 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deason, Hilary J.

This publication reviews tradebooks, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in the elementary schools, secondary schools, and in the first two years of college. Included are selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members. Evaluations and annotations of books…

Science Books, Volume 10 Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolff, Kathryn, Ed.

This quarterly journal reviews trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in elementary and secondary schools and in the first two year of college. Included are selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members. A listing of detailed subject fields is…

Science Books: A Quarterly Review, Volume 8, Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC.

This quarterly journal reviews trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in kindergartens, elementary schools, secondary schools, and in the first two years of college. Also included are selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members. Annotations are…

Students As Environmental Consultants Simulating Life Science Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Megan; Zydney, Janet Mannheimer

2004-01-01

This article describes a project in which eighth graders at East Side Middle School in New York City used an interactive multimedia program called "Pollution Solution" in a science unit on environmental pollution. Students assumed the role of environmental consultants working at fictional corporations which were being investigated for…

Controlled Volcanism in the Classroom: A Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogan, Ibrahim

2005-01-01

In this extended earth science activity, students create a hands-on model of a volcano to achieve an understanding of volcanic structure, lava flows, formation of lava layers, and the scientific work of archaeologists and geoscientists. During this simulation activity, students have opportunities to learn science as inquiry and the nature of…

Promoting Inquiry through Science Reflective Journal Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towndrow, Phillip Alexander; Ling, Tan Aik; Venthan, A. M.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this research paper is to detail how reflective journal writing can be used to facilitate science students' curiosity and engagement in laboratory work. This study advocates reflective journal writing as an instructional tool and a student-created learning resource that can serve additional formative assessment purposes. The…

Interpersonal Behaviour Styles of Primary Education Teachers during Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Darrell; den Brok, Perry; Waldrip, Bruce; Dorman, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

This study reports the first development in Australia of primary science teacher typologies of teacher-student interpersonal behaviour, which was measured by students' perceptions using the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI). Earlier work with the QTI in The Netherlands has revealed eight different interpersonal styles, which were later…

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…

Experiential Learning through Integrated Project Work: An Example from Soil Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mellor, Antony

1991-01-01

Describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an integrated student soil science project. Reports that the course was designed to develop student-centered approaches to learning and to develop transferable skills and personal qualities at the same time. Explains that the project included fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data…

Designing for student engagement in middle school science: Collaborative problem-solving in environmental science, using nanotechnology and electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmer, Andrea J.

Engaging middle-school students in scientific inquiry is typically recognized as important, but difficult. Designed to foster learner engagement, this method used an online, problem-based, science inquiry that investigated the Lehigh Gap, Palmerton Superfund Site during five weeks of collaborative classroom sessions. The inquiry prototype was authored in WISE, the Web-Based Science Inquiry Environment headquartered at UC, Berkeley. Online materials, readings, and class sessions were augmented with remote access to an electron microscope to analyze Lehigh Gap samples and an introduction to nanoscale science and nanotechnology through the ImagiNations Web site at Lehigh University. Students contributed the artifacts they generated during their research to a university database and presented them to researchers at the university working on the same problem. This approach proved highly engaging and generated design and development guidelines useful to others interested in designing for student engagement and introducing nanoscale science and electron microscopy in middle school science. This study further found that students' engaged in science inquiry both behaviorally and emotionally and on several different levels. The various levels appeared to create two hierarchies of engagement, one based on behavioral criteria and the other based on emotional criteria. For students involved in the collaborative, problem-solving science, which included experts and access to their microscopes, the highest levels of engagement seemed to empower students and create in them a passion towards science. These hierarchies are illustrated with students' direct quotes, which prove that students engaged in this particular design of science inquiry. Students' engagement in the inquiry led to their achievements in understanding nanoscale science, nanotechnology, and electron microscopy and initiated positive attitude changes towards learning science.

Training MSSW Students for Military Social Work Practice and Doctoral Students in Military Resilience Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuMars, Tyler; Bolton, Kristin; Maleku, Arati; Smith-Osborne, Alexa

2015-01-01

The demand for social workers with military-related practice and research experience exceeds the current supply. To advance military social work education, we developed an interlevel master's of science in social work (MSSW) field practicum and doctoral research practicum that provides military social work field experiences and contributes to…

Using Students' Explanatory Models as Sources of Feedback: Conceptualizing Ocean Acidification and Its Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sezen-Barrie, A.; Stapleton, M.; Wolfson, J.

2017-12-01

This qualitative study focuses on students evidence-based explanatory models on how ocean acidification impacts oysters. Explanatory models are the crucial components of scientific endeavors as it helps scientists explain how the natural world functions and the reasons for the ways it functions. Moreover, these models assemble individual practices to understand how they work together to reach clear conclusions through scientific investigations. Due to their critical roles in making sense of authentic science, recent studies in science education suggest that these models should be part of the curriculum aligned with new science standards, i.e. Next Generation Science Standards, which stress the importance of engaging students in scientific practices. By collecting data from 400 secondary school students in Maryland, we aim to respond to the question: How can we use secondary school students' explanatory models to provide students with constructive feedback for more comprehensive learning of ocean acidification (the related evidence, causes and impact)? The data were analyzed through discourse analysis method. We highlighted and coded students' inscriptions (e.g., drawings, writings, and representations) that are signs of students' understanding (or lack thereof) of ocean acidification. These signs included explanations of pH levels, drawings of oyster growth, and inclusions of relevant data. The findings showed that the explanatory models can be critical forms of feedback as they reveal a) students' alternative conceptions on how ocean acidification impacts oysters or how acidification works in general; b) students' interpretations of oceans' (non)connectedness to Earth system; c) the choice of scientific representations and their sources; and d) the way students' integrate evidence or data from the investigations. Our work tackles an understanding of one of the most vital signs of modern climatic changes. Recent scientific evidence shows that if the change in ocean pH becomes too extreme, many organisms may not be able to adjust to this change. Based on our findings, we suggest that teachers can use explanatory models as sources of feedback to recognize how well their students conceptualize ocean acidification, integrate scientific practices, and use cultural artifacts of doing science.

A critical hermeneutic study: Third grade elementary African American students' views of the nature of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walls, Leon

Nature of Science is one of the most fundamental aspects of understanding science. How different cultures, races and ethnicities see and interpret science differently is critical. However, the NOS views specific to African American teachers and learners have gone largely unresearched. The views of a purposeful sample of African American third grade children reported in this study contribute to efforts to make science equitable for all students. Conducted in two Midwest urban settings, within the students' regular classrooms, three instruments were employed: Views of Nature of Science Elementary (an interview protocol), Elementary Draw a Scientist Test (a drawing activity supplemented by an explicating narrative), and Identify a Scientist (a simple select-a-photo technique supported by Likert-measured sureness). The responses provided by twenty-three students were coded using qualitative content analysis. The findings are represented in three main categories: Science - is governed by experimentation, invention and discovery teach us about the natural world, school is not the only setting for learning science; Scientists - intelligent, happy, studious men and women playing multiple roles, with distinct physical traits working in laboratories; Students - capable users and producers of science and who view science as fun. This study advocates for: use of such instruments for constant monitoring of student views, using the knowledge of these views to construct inquiry based science lessons, and increased research about students of color.

Determining discourses: Constraints and resources influencing early career science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grindstaff, Kelly E.

This study explores the thinking and practices of five early-career teachers of grades eight to ten science, in relation to their histories, schools, students, and larger cultural and political forces. All the teachers are young women, two in their fourth year of teaching, who teach together in an affluent suburb, along with one first-year teacher. The other two are first-year teachers who teach in an urban setting. All of these teachers most closely associated good science teaching with forming relationships with students. They filtered science content through a lens of relevance (mostly to everyday life) and interest for students. Thus they filtered science content through a commitment to serving students, which makes sense since I argue that the primary motivations for teaching had more to do with working with students and helping people than the disciplines of science. Thus, within the discourse of the supremacy of curriculum and the prevalence of testing, these teachers enact hybrid practices which focus on covering content -- to help ensure the success of students -- and on relevance and interest, which has more to do with teaching styles and personality than disciplines of science. Ideas of good teaching are not very focused on science, which contradicts the type of support they seek and utilize around science content. This presents a challenge to pre- and in-service education and support to question what student success means, what concern for students entails and how to connect caring and concern for students with science.

Controversy in the classroom: How eighth-grade and undergraduate students reason about tradeoffs of genetically modified food

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seethaler, Sherry Lynn

Current issues in science provide a rich context for learning because they can involve complex tradeoffs that cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Despite this potential benefit, and the need for citizens to make decisions about such issues, science controversy remains rare in the classroom. Consequently, there is much unknown about how students make sense of complex, multidisciplinary science. This research examined eighth-grade (n = 190) and undergraduate (n = 9) students' reasoning about tradeoffs in the genetically modified food controversy (main study). To extend the findings from the main study, undergraduate students' reasoning was followed as they learned about ten additional science controversies (extension). The studies took place in the context of curricula designed on the basis of the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration Framework, which posits a set of design principles that help students form a rich, integrated network of ideas about a topic. Two new methodologies were developed for this work. The Embedded Perspective of Science Controversy was used to study students' integration of content in their written arguments (main study) and oral and written questions (extension). The Perspective views science controversy as a set of nested levels, where tradeoffs are one of the levels, but connecting to other levels (underlying scientific details, bigger picture context, etc.) is important for the weighing of tradeoffs. A scheme based on Toulmin's (1958) work on argumentation provided a way of comparing the structure of students' arguments. As indicated by pre and post test scores, the curriculum helped both eighth-grade students (t = 11.7, p < 0.0001) and undergraduates (t = 13.9, p < 0.0001) learn about genetically modified food. In their final papers, both eighth-grade and undergraduate students presented evidence for and against their positions, in contrast with prior literature showing individuals have difficulty coming up with evidence against their positions. The students were also moving across the levels in the Embedded Perspective, also in contrast with work that has shown individuals fail to consider tradeoffs in an appropriate context. There were differences in eighth-grade and undergraduate students' reasoning, including how well they weighed tradeoffs. These differences were linked to differences in content knowledge, metacognition, and students' views of what constitutes good evidence.

Integrating Explicit Learning about the Culture of Science into the Pre-Service Teacher Curriculum through Readings and Reflections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egger, A. E.

2014-12-01

Teachers provide foundational science experiences that spark interest in some students to pursue science and serve as an endpoint for others. For both groups, getting a glimpse into the culture of science is important to their futures as citizens, but this glimpse is not something all teachers are equipped to offer. Explicit instruction in the culture of science is generally not part of college-level science courses; to reach future teachers, it should be incorporated into the curriculum for pre-service teachers. I have incorporated readings from Visionlearning's peer-reviewed, freely available, web-based Process of Science series (http://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Process-of-Science/49) into my class for pre-service middle-level and secondary science teachers. The readings describe the development of the culture and process of science using deeply embedded examples of scientists and their work. Students reflected on each reading by describing what they learned and something they will use in their future teaching. Responses were graded for thoughtfulness and completeness and later compiled. In general, students with more science courses had a better initial understanding of the culture of science and found the readings engaging stories that explained in more depth what they already knew. However, all students reported learning some fundamental aspects of the culture and nature of science. Most commonly, they learned scientific language, often words with both colloquial and scientific definitions: theory, hypothesis, law, uncertainty, error, confidence. Other learning gains were reported in defining the difference between scientific controversy and social controversy over science, interactions between historical events and the scientific enterprise, how much scientists work in groups and interact at meetings, and the role that funding plays in guiding research. On their own, students struggled to describe explicit ways to incorporate these concepts into their teaching, though many felt it was very important to do so. In follow-up discussions and activities, we developed strategies to promote bringing the culture of science explicitly into the middle-level and secondary science classroom. The readings gave them ideas and are a resource they and their students can continue to access.

Supporting Academic Language Development in Elementary Science: A Classroom Teaching Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Karl Gerhard

Academic language is the language that students must engage in while participating in the teaching and learning that takes place in school (Schleppegrell, 2012) and science as a content area presents specific challenges and opportunities for students to engage with language (Buxton & Lee, 2014; Gee, 2005). In order for students to engage authentically and fully in the science learning that will take place in their classrooms, it is important that they develop their abilities to use science academic language (National Research Council, 2012). For this to occur, teachers must provide support to their students in developing the science academic language they will encounter in their classrooms. Unfortunately, this type of support remains a challenge for many teachers (Baecher, Farnsworth, & Ediger, 2014; Bigelow, 2010; Fisher & Frey, 2010) and teachers must receive professional development that supports their abilities to provide instruction that supports and scaffolds students' science academic language use and development. This study investigates an elementary science teacher's engagement in an instructional coaching partnership to explore how that teacher planned and implemented scaffolds for science academic language. Using a theoretical framework that combines the literature on scaffolding (Bunch, Walqui, & Kibler, 2015; Gibbons, 2015; Sharpe, 2001/2006) and instructional coaching (Knight, 2007/2009), this study sought to understand how an elementary science teacher plans and implements scaffolds for science academic language, and the resources that assisted the teacher in planning those scaffolds. The overarching goal of this work is to understand how elementary science teachers can scaffold language in their classroom, and how they can be supported in that work. Using a classroom teaching experiment methodology (Cobb, 2000) and constructivist grounded theory methods (Charmaz, 2014) for analysis, this study examined coaching conversations and classroom instruction to identify and understand what scaffolds are planned and implemented, and how that planning and implementation occurred through an instructional coaching partnership. Findings from this study showed the elementary science teacher planned and implemented a number of scaffolds for science academic language, focusing primarily on the use of sentence starters as a scaffolding strategy. The findings also indicated that the instructional coaching partnership played a vital role as the main resource that assisted the planning of scaffolds. These findings provide insights into the types of scaffolds that elementary science teachers can implement to scaffold science academic language, and the role that instructional coaching can play in supporting teachers as they work to provide instruction that scaffolds their students' language use and development.

An After School Education Program on the Tohono O'odham Nation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, R. T.; Garmany, K.; Siquieros, J. M.; Austin, C. L.; Pompea, S. M.; Walker, C. E.

2013-04-01

The Education and Public Outreach Group (EPO) group of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory has started a partnership with Indian Oasis Baboquivari Unified School District (IOBUSD) on the Tohono O'odham Nation to participate in after school science education programs. IOBUSD has started an after school program for K-5 students as part of their state mandated school improvement program. The first semester has approximately 50 students in K-5 participating in the after school program from Monday through Thursday. Several organizations are working with IOBUSD to provide after school educational programs focusing on a variety of topics including study skills, art, nutrition, bullying, study skills and science. NOAO has been working primarily with the fourth and fifth grade students during the spring of 2012 once a week providing science programs in optics, dark skies and astronomy. We are currently planning to continue this partnership in the fall of 2012 when the school district is planning to invite more students to join the program. We will discuss many the challenges of working with a school district in a remote location as well as the activities we have been using with the students. We will also outline plans for future directions in the program.

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.

Competency-based reforms of the undergraduate biology curriculum: integrating the physical and biological sciences.

PubMed

Thompson, Katerina V; Chmielewski, Jean; Gaines, Michael S; Hrycyna, Christine A; LaCourse, William R

2013-06-01

The National Experiment in Undergraduate Science Education project funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a direct response to the Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians report, which urged a shift in premedical student preparation from a narrow list of specific course work to a more flexible curriculum that helps students develop broad scientific competencies. A consortium of four universities is working to create, pilot, and assess modular, competency-based curricular units that require students to use higher-order cognitive skills and reason across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Purdue University; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and the University of Miami are each developing modules and case studies that integrate the biological, chemical, physical, and mathematical sciences. The University of Maryland, College Park, is leading the effort to create an introductory physics for life sciences course that is reformed in both content and pedagogy. This course has prerequisites of biology, chemistry, and calculus, allowing students to apply strategies from the physical sciences to solving authentic biological problems. A comprehensive assessment plan is examining students' conceptual knowledge of physics, their attitudes toward interdisciplinary approaches, and the development of specific scientific competencies. Teaching modules developed during this initial phase will be tested on multiple partner campuses in preparation for eventual broad dissemination.

Astronomy Education through the NSF GK-12 Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, A. G.

2004-05-01

The National Science Foundation's GK-12 program encourages graduate students in science to be active in public education at the middle school and high school levels. As a GK-12 fellow at the University of Colorado-Boulder (CU), I worked with a local 8th-grade science teacher and his students during the 2003-2004 school year. In the Boulder Valley School District, 8th-grade science covers Earth history, meteorology, astronomy, and oceanography. There are many special challenges for this school district and 8th-grade education in Colorado, including a large number of English as a second language (ESL) students and the administration of standardized tests during March, before students have completed much of the relevant material. As a GK-12 Fellow, my responsibilities included work with the Earth history Full Option Science System (FOSS) kit, guest lecturing, aid in hands-on exercises, and the creation of new activities and assignments. Astronomy activities accomplished through this program include sunspot viewing and a field trip to the Colorado Scale Model Solar System on the CU campus. The GK-12 program at CU will continue for at least two more years, possibly placing future GK-12 fellows who are astronomy grad students into classes that are astronomy- or physics-specific.

Community Laboratory in Political Science. Profiles of Promise 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bilek, Robert; Haley, Frances

The Community Laboratory in Political Science (CLIPS) is a unique combination of American government and exploratory work experience. Each semester 16 seniors from four high schools in Salinas work in community agencies and receive credit for both government and work experience. The major objective of the program is to provide students with…

Group Work in Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGregor, Debbie; Tolmie, Andrew

2009-01-01

This article considers how students might work together in small groups, from two to eight, in either a primary or secondary science classroom. The nature of group work can vary widely and could include, for example, a pair carrying out an illustrative experiment, a trio or quad debating climate change, or six or seven rehearsing how they will…

The ASSURE Summer REU Program: Introducing research to first-generation and underserved undergraduates through space sciences and engineering projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barron, Darcy; Peticolas, Laura; Multiverse Team at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Lab

2018-01-01

The Advancing Space Science through Undergraduate Research Experience (ASSURE) summer REU program is an NSF-funded REU site at the Space Sciences Lab at UC Berkeley that first started in summer 2014. The program recruits students from all STEM majors, targeting underserved students including community college students and first-generation college students. The students have little or no research experience and a wide variety of academic backgrounds, but have a shared passion for space sciences and astronomy. We will describe our program's structure and the components we have found successful in preparing and supporting both the students and their research advisors for their summer research projects. This includes an intensive first week of introductory lectures and tutorials at the start of the program, preparing students for working in an academic research environment. The program also employs a multi-tiered mentoring system, with layers of support for the undergraduate student cohort, as well as graduate student and postdoctoral research advisors.

What Can a Teacher Do to Support Students' Interest in Science? A Study of the Constitution of Taste in a Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderhag, Per; Hamza, Karim Mikael; Wickman, Per-Olof

2015-10-01

In this study, we examined how a teacher may make a difference to the way interest develops in a science classroom, especially for students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. We adopted a methodology based on the concept of taste for science drawing on the work of John Dewey and Pierre Bourdieu. We investigated through transcripts from video recordings how such a taste is socially constituted in a 9th grade (ages 15-16) science classroom, where there was evidence that the teacher was making a positive difference to students' post-compulsory school choice with regard to science. Salient findings regarding how this teacher supported students' interest are summarized. For example, the teacher consistently followed up how the students acknowledged and enjoyed purposes, norms, and values of the science practice and so ensuing that they could participate successfully. During these instances, feelings and personal contributions of the students were also acknowledged and made continuous with the scientific practice. The results were compared with earlier research, implications are discussed, and some suggestions are given about how these can be used by teachers in order to support student interest.

Evaluation of authentic science projects on climate change in secondary schools: a focus on gender differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dijkstra, Elma; Goedhart, Martin

2011-07-01

Background and purpose This study examines secondary-school students' opinions on participating in authentic science projects which are part of an international EU project on climate change research in seven countries. Partnerships between schools and research institutes result in student projects, in which students work with and learn from scientists about the global carbon cycle. This study focuses in particular on differences between male and female students, as female students normally like traditional school science less than male students. Sample and design Data, drawn from 1370 students from 60 secondary schools across Europe, were collected through questionnaires taken at the end of the projects. The evaluated aspects were: organization; enjoyment; difficulty; and impact of the projects. Results The findings suggest that authentic science education is appreciated very much by both male students and even more by female students. The projects had positive impacts on climate change ideas, in particular for female students. Female students felt that they had learned many new things more often than male students. Conclusions Both male and female students have positive opinions about the authentic science projects. The results further point to positive effects of activities in which students have an active role, like hands-on experiments or presentation of results. The findings are placed in the international context of science education and their implications for policy are discussed.

Classroom-Based Science Research at the Introductory Level: Changes in Career Choices and Attitude

PubMed Central

Harrison, Melinda; Dunbar, David; Ratmansky, Lisa; Lopatto, David

2011-01-01

Our study, focused on classroom-based research at the introductory level and using the Phage Genomics course as the model, shows evidence that first-year students doing research learn the process of science as well as how scientists practice science. A preliminary but notable outcome of our work, which is based on a small sample, is the change in student interest in considering different career choices such as graduate education and science in general. This is particularly notable, as previous research has described research internships as clarifying or confirming rather than changing undergraduates’ decisions to pursue graduate education. We hypothesize that our results differ from previous studies of the impact of engaging in research because the students in our study are still in the early stages of their undergraduate careers. Our work builds upon the classroom-based research movement and should be viewed as encouraging to the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education movement advocated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Foundation, and other undergraduate education stakeholders. PMID:21885824

Classroom-based science research at the introductory level: changes in career choices and attitude.

PubMed

Harrison, Melinda; Dunbar, David; Ratmansky, Lisa; Boyd, Kimberly; Lopatto, David

2011-01-01

Our study, focused on classroom-based research at the introductory level and using the Phage Genomics course as the model, shows evidence that first-year students doing research learn the process of science as well as how scientists practice science. A preliminary but notable outcome of our work, which is based on a small sample, is the change in student interest in considering different career choices such as graduate education and science in general. This is particularly notable, as previous research has described research internships as clarifying or confirming rather than changing undergraduates' decisions to pursue graduate education. We hypothesize that our results differ from previous studies of the impact of engaging in research because the students in our study are still in the early stages of their undergraduate careers. Our work builds upon the classroom-based research movement and should be viewed as encouraging to the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education movement advocated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Foundation, and other undergraduate education stakeholders.

Continued multidisciplinary project-based learning - implementation in health informatics.

PubMed

Wessel, C; Spreckelsen, C

2009-01-01

Problem- and project-based learning are approved methods to train students, graduates and post-graduates in scientific and other professional skills. The students are trained on realistic scenarios in a broader context. For students specializing in health informatics we introduced continued multidisciplinary project-based learning (CM-PBL) at a department of medical informatics. The training approach addresses both students of medicine and students of computer science. The students are full members of an ongoing research project and develop a project-related application or module, or explore or evaluate a sub-project. Two teachers guide and review the students' work. The training on scientific work follows a workflow with defined milestones. The team acts as peer group. By participating in the research team's work the students are trained on professional skills. A research project on a web-based information system on hospitals built the scenario for the realistic context. The research team consisted of up to 14 active members at a time, who were scientists and students of computer science and medicine. The well communicated educational approach and team policy fostered the participation of the students. Formative assessment and evaluation showed a considerable improvement of the students' skills and a high participant satisfaction. Alternative education approaches such as project-based learning empower students to acquire scientific knowledge and professional skills, especially the ability of life-long learning, multidisciplinary team work and social responsibility.

In the Physics Class: University Physics Students' Enactment of Class and Gender in the Context of Laboratory Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danielsson, Anna T.

2014-01-01

This article explores how the doing of social class and gender can intersect with the learning of science, through case studies of two male, working-class university students' constitutions of identities as physics students. In doing so, I challenge the taken-for-granted notion that male physics students have an unproblematic relation to…

The discovery of student experiences using the Frayer model map as a Tier 2 intervention in secondary science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Cory D.

The purpose of this study was to discover the student experiences of using the Frayer model map as a Tier 2 intervention in science. As a response to the criticized discrepancy model and the mandates contained in NCLB and the IDEA, response to intervention (RtI) has been implemented in education to increase achievement for all students and to discover what students need further interventions. Based on Cronbach's (1957) aptitude X treatment interaction theory, RtI assumes that progress over time can be measured when interventions are applied. While RtI has been actively implemented in reading and math, it has not been implemented in science. Therefore, it was not known what the experiences of students are using the Frayer model map as a Tier 2 intervention to impact science achievement. The multiple case study used a qualitative methodology that included pre-intervention and post-intervention web-based surveys, field notes during observations, and student work that were collected during the course of the study. The population that was studied was seventh- and eighth-grade students considered at-risk and attend a Title I school in Florida. The sample of the studied population was purposively selected according to a set of criteria similar to Tier 2 selection in RtI. The research question was, "What are the experiences of middle grades students using the Frayer model map as an instructional intervention in science?" The answer to the research question was that the experiences of students using the Frayer model map as a Tier 2 intervention in secondary science can be described as participants perceived the Frayer model map as use as a tool to organize tasks and create meaning while they completed the work independently and with accuracy. Even though there were limitations to quantity of data, the research question was adequately answered. Overall, the study fills a gap in the literature related to RtI and science education.

Nuclear Science Teaching Aids and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodburn, John H.

This publication is a sourcebook for science teachers. It provides guides for basic laboratory work in nuclear energy, suggesting various teacher and student demonstrations. Ideas for science clubs, science fairs, and project research seminars are presented. Problem-solving activities for both science and mathematics classes are included, as well…

The Potential Improvement of Team-Working Skills in Biomedical and Natural Science Students Using a Problem-Based Learning Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nowrouzian, Forough L.; Farewell, Anne

2013-01-01

Teamwork has become an integral part of most organisations today, and it is clearly important in Science and other disciplines. In Science, research teams increase in size while the number of single-authored papers and patents decline. Team-work in laboratory sciences permits projects that are too big or complex for one individual to be tackled.…

Exploring science teachers' perceptions of experimentation: implications for restructuring school practical work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Bing; Li, Xiaoxiao

2017-09-01

It is commonly recognised that practical work has a distinctive and central role in science teaching and learning. Although a large number of studies have addressed the definitions, typologies, and purposes of practical work, few have consulted practicing science teachers. This study explored science teachers' perceptions of experimentation for the purpose of restructuring school practical work in view of science practice. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 87 science teachers at the secondary school level. In the interviews, science teachers were asked to make a comparison between students' experiments and scientific experiments. Eight dimensions of experimentation were generated from the qualitative data analysis, and the distributions of these eight dimensions between the two types of experiments were compared and analysed. An ideal model of practical work was suggested for restructuring practical work at the secondary school level, and some issues related to the effective enactment of practical work were discussed.

Measuring the Coefficient of Restitution and More: A Simple Experiment to Promote Students' Critical Thinking and Autonomous Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González, Manuel Á.; González, Miguel Á.; Vegas, Jesús; Llamas, César

2017-01-01

A simple experiment on the determination of the coefficient of restitution of different materials is taken as the basis of an extendable work that can be done by students in an autonomous way. On the whole, the work described in this paper would involve concepts of kinematics, materials science, air drag and buoyancy, and would help students to…

Student and Community Engagement in Earth, Space, and Environmental Sciences Through Experiential Learning and Citizen Science as Part of Research Broader Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, A. I.; Tutwiler, R.; Zakey, A.; Shokr, M. E.; Ahmed, Y.; Jereidini, D.; Eid, M.

2014-12-01

Fulfilling the broader impact of a research project in Earth and environmental sciences is an excellent opportunity for educational and outreach activities that connect scientists and society and enhance students and community engagement in STEM fields in general and in Earth, space, and environmental sciences in particular. Here we present the experience developed in this endeavor as part of our Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) project sponsored by USAID/NSF/NAS. The project introduced educational and outreach activities that included core curriculum course development for university students from all majors, community-based learning projects, citizen science and outreach programs to school students and community members. Through these activities, students worked with the project scientists on a variety of activities that ranged from citizen science and undergraduate research to run mass experiments that measure the quality of air, drinking water, and ultraviolet level in greater Cairo, Egypt, to community awareness campaigns through the production of short documentaries and communicating them with stakeholders and target groups, including schools and TV stations. The activities enhanced students learning and the public awareness on climate change and the underlying role of human activities. It also connected effectively the project scientists with college and university students a well as the wider segments of the society, which resulted in a host of benefits including better scientific literacy and appreciation to the role of scientists, promoting scientists as role models, sharing the values of science, and motivating future generations to puruse a career in science Note: This presentation is a PEER project sponsored by USAID/NSF/NAS Project Link (at National Academies website): http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/dsc/peerscience/PGA_084046.htmwebsite: http://CleanAirEgypt.orgLinks to cited work: Core Curriculum Course: http://bit.ly/FutureLife Citizen Science Project: Quality of Air, Drinking Water, and U.V. Level in Greater Cairo: Map 1: http://bit.ly/AirWaterLightMap1 Map 2: http://bit.ly/AirWaterLightMap2 Short Documentaries Student Projects: https://vimeo.com/science2society/videos Project video: http://CleanAirEgypt.org

Science in General Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Read, Andrew F.

2013-01-01

General education must develop in students an appreciation of the power of science, how it works, why it is an effective knowledge generation tool, and what it can deliver. Knowing what science has discovered is desirable but less important.

An elective course in aromatherapy science.

PubMed

Esposito, Emily R; Bystrek, Mary V; Klein, JoAnn S

2014-05-15

To evaluate the impact of an innovative team-taught elective course on second-year (P2) students' knowledge and skills relating to the relationship between aromatherapy and pharmacy. An Aromatherapy Science elective course was offered to P2 students in an accelerated doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree program and was designed to provide an elective course experience while focusing on active-learning skills such as group work, student-led presentations, and in-class activities. Lectures were designed to reinforce core curricular threads from the basic sciences within the pharmaceutical sciences department while highlighting key aromatherapy principles. Course evaluations, grades, and student self-assessments were used to evaluate student fulfillment and knowledge gained. Students agreed this hands-on course integrated pharmaceutical science experiences, enriched their pharmacy education, and provided knowledge to enhance their confidence in describing essential oil uses, drug interactions, and key aromatherapy clinical implications. Students agreed this course prepared them to identify essential oil therapeutic uses and potential essential oil-drug interactions, and interpret literature. The introduction of aromatherapy principles to pharmacy students will prepare a new generation of healthcare professionals on the role of alternative medicines.

Discover science: Hands-on science workshops for elementary teachers and summer science camps for elementary students

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

Gotlib, L.; Bibby, E.; Cullen, B.

1994-12-31

Teams of local mentor teachers (assisted by college students in the NC Teaching Fellows Program) run week-long workshops for elementary teachers (at four sites in 1993, six in 1994). Major funding for the camps is provided through The Glaxo Foundation, supplemented with local funds. The workshops focus on hands-on science (using inexpensive materials) and provide familiarity and experience with the new NC science curriculum and assessment program. The use of local resources is stressed (including visiting scientists and readily available store-bought materials). Each camp has its own theme and provides teachers with a variety of resources to be used withmore » students of all abilities. The mentor teachers then run week-long, all expense paid, non-residential science camps for elementary students (open to all students, but with females and minorities as target groups). Students take part in long-and short-term projects, working individually and in groups. Pre and post participation surveys of all participants were conducted and analyzed, with favorable results for both the student and teacher weeks. Additional activities include parent nights, and follow-up workshops. Eighty-nine teachers and 208 students participated in 1993.« less

Water and Social Justice in Bangladesh: A Transdisciplinary and Intercultural Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilligan, J. M.; Ackerly, B.; Ahmed, K.; Benneyworth, L.; Goodbred, S. L.; Hall, M.; Jacobi, J. H.; Mondal, D. R.; Pickering, J.; Rogers, K. G.; Roy, K.; Wallace Auerbach, L.

2013-12-01

Effectively addressing environmental problems---at local, national, and global scales---requires actively crossing disciplinary boundaries between natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and policymaking. The best technical solution is useless if it cannot win political support from the people it is intended to help. Enacted policies are too often hindered either by misunderstanding or ignorance of scientific and technical aspects of the problem or by misunderstanding the behavior of the population they address. Environmental problems at the international scale also require understanding of cultural and social differences across national boundaries. To prepare graduate students to be professionally effective at addressing major environmental problems, Vanderbilt University has created a transdisciplinary, intercultural course that brings students from the US and Bangladesh together, both through online connections such as blogs and Skype sessions, and in person in a week-long joint field trip in which students and faculty from universities in both countries, and representing many disciplines work side-by-side to study water as both a natural resource and a natural hazard. Activities included studying sources of drinking water, observing areas affected by flooding from cyclone storm surges, cataloging physical infrastructure, and conducting interviews with residents of vulnerable areas. Few if any students can simultaneously master the social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering skills necessary to comprehensively address major environmental problems, but students can learn to work and communicate effectively with peers in other disciplines, working together to understand the complex interactions between different aspects of their problem. We will report on the structure of the course; our experiences as faculty and student participants; and connections between this class, graduate curricula in environmental sciences, and international transdisciplinary research projects.

Autonomy and self-determination theory in different contexts: A comparison of middle school science teachers' motivation and instruction in China and the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Laura Elizabeth

This study examined factors that contribute to Chinese and United States middle school science teachers' perceptions of autonomy support. Autonomy is one component of self-determination theory and has been associated with intrinsic motivation. The study used a mixed methods design including quantitative data collected through an online survey and qualitative data collected through open-ended interview questions. The online survey consisted of four assessments related to teachers' self-determination, perceptions of constraints at work, perceptions of students' self-determination, and level of autonomy support for students and allowed for the testing of the structural model developed by Pelletier, Seguin-Levesque, and Legault (2002). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of responses for the combined teacher sample (n=201) was carried out for each of the survey assessments. Significance testing for Chinese (n=107) and U.S. (n=94) teachers, based on the factors resulting from EFA, revealed significant differences in teachers' self-determination and perceptions of constraints at work. No significant differences were found for teachers' perceptions of students' self-determination or level of autonomy support for students. Multiple regression was used to predict teachers' autonomy support for students. For the Chinese teachers, perceptions of constraints at work, teachers' self-determination, and teachers' perceptions of student motivation were found to significantly predict teachers' autonomy support. For the U.S. teachers, teacher motivation was the only significant predictor of teachers' autonomy support. A sub-sample of the Chinese and U.S. science teachers (n=19) were interviewed about their perceived levels of autonomy support, constraints at work, and their students' self determination. The analyses of the interviews showed that teachers in both countries reported that autonomy was important to their motivation and the quality of instruction they provided to students. Teachers from the two countries differed in their satisfaction with current levels of autonomy and reported different constraints on teaching science related to materials, lab space, curriculum standards, and assessment.

Spatially Resolved Measurements Of Plasma Density Irregularities In The Ionosphere F Region For Scintillation Studies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spencer, E. A.; Russ, S.; Clark, D. C.; Latif, S.; Montalvo, C.

2016-12-01

This qualitative study focuses on students evidence-based explanatory models on how ocean acidification impacts oysters. Explanatory models are the crucial components of scientific endeavors as it helps scientists explain how the natural world functions and the reasons for the ways it functions. Moreover, these models assemble individual practices to understand how they work together to reach clear conclusions through scientific investigations. Due to their critical roles in making sense of authentic science, recent studies in science education suggest that these models should be part of the curriculum aligned with new science standards, i.e. Next Generation Science Standards, which stress the importance of engaging students in scientific practices. By collecting data from 400 secondary school students in Maryland, we aim to respond to the question: How can we use secondary school students' explanatory models to provide students with constructive feedback for more comprehensive learning of ocean acidification (the related evidence, causes and impact)? The data were analyzed through discourse analysis method. We highlighted and coded students' inscriptions (e.g., drawings, writings, and representations) that are signs of students' understanding (or lack thereof) of ocean acidification. These signs included explanations of pH levels, drawings of oyster growth, and inclusions of relevant data. The findings showed that the explanatory models can be critical forms of feedback as they reveal a) students' alternative conceptions on how ocean acidification impacts oysters or how acidification works in general; b) students' interpretations of oceans' (non)connectedness to Earth system; c) the choice of scientific representations and their sources; and d) the way students' integrate evidence or data from the investigations. Our work tackles an understanding of one of the most vital signs of modern climatic changes. Recent scientific evidence shows that if the change in ocean pH becomes too extreme, many organisms may not be able to adjust to this change. Based on our findings, we suggest that teachers can use explanatory models as sources of feedback to recognize how well their students conceptualize ocean acidification, integrate scientific practices, and use cultural artifacts of doing science.

Discerning selective traditions in science education: a qualitative study of teachers' responses to what is important in science teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sund, Per

2016-06-01

Science teachers have differing views about what students should learn. Their teaching experience often leads them to develop habitual answers to students' questions, such as—why should I learn this? Some teachers argue that students need to learn more `canonical' science knowledge so that they can become scientists, while others tell students to apply scientific knowledge in order to make their everyday lives easier. If a group of teachers argue and act in similar ways in similar situations, they can be described as working in a similar collective habit. In this study these are called selective traditions in science teaching. In practical terms they work well in everyday, multifaceted, hectic teaching situations. However, the traditions can obstruct the inclusion of socio-scientific issues in national science education tests. Some research has been conducted on selective traditions in written curriculum material, although little is known about how they can be discerned in teachers' descriptions of their science teaching. This study draws on Dewey's discussion of the interplay between individual and collective habits to discern teaching traditions by regarding them as institutionalized teaching habits. A firmly developed analytical tool is applied to the extensive data consisting of twenty-nine Swedish science teachers' responses in semi-structured interviews. The methodology used in this study is inspired by earlier environmental and sustainability education research. The results are discussed in relation to earlier research on `scientific literacy' and how research can support teachers' changes of practice to encourage students to perform better in large-scale tests.

Analyzing students' attitudes towards science during inquiry-based lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostenbader, Tracy C.

Due to the logistics of guided-inquiry lesson, students learn to problem solve and develop critical thinking skills. This mixed-methods study analyzed the students' attitudes towards science during inquiry lessons. My quantitative results from a repeated measures survey showed no significant difference between student attitudes when taught with either structured-inquiry or guided-inquiry lessons. The qualitative results analyzed through a constant-comparative method did show that students generate positive interest, critical thinking and low level stress during guided-inquiry lessons. The qualitative research also gave insight into a teacher's transition to guided-inquiry. This study showed that with my students, their attitudes did not change during this transition according to the qualitative data however, the qualitative data did how high levels of excitement. The results imply that students like guided-inquiry laboratories, even though they require more work, just as much as they like traditional laboratories with less work and less opportunity for creativity.

Greek Students' Science-related Interests and Experiences: Gender differences and correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christidou, Vasilia

2006-08-01

This paper explores the science-related interests and out-of-school experiences of 583 ninth-grade Greek students. The instrument of data collection consisted of a questionnaire including items on science-related topics that could be of interest to students and on everyday, out-of-school, science-related experiences. Factor analysis yielded six distinct fields of interest and five types of science-related experiences. Significant gender differences emerge: girls are more interested in topics related to human biology, health, and fitness, and are more familiar with using instruments and devices, seeking information about nature, and doing cuisine and handicraft; while boys are more interested in science, technology, and their social dimension, and the threatening aspects of science and technology, and tend to engage more in manual work and computer use. The results of this study indicate that there is a need for the Greek science curriculum to become more appealing to students, by integrating topics and experiences that are interesting and relevant to them.

Associations between school-level environment and science classroom environment in secondary schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorman, Jeffrey P.; Fraser, Barry J.; McRobbie, Campbell J.

1995-09-01

This article describes a study of links between school environment and science classroom environment. Instruments to assess seven dimensions of school environment (viz., Empowerment, Student Support, Affiliation, Professional Interest, Mission Consensus, Resource Adequacy and Work Pressure) and seven dimensions of classroom environment (viz., Student Affiliation, Interactions, Cooperation, Task Orientation, Order & Organisation, Individualisati n and Teacher Control) in secondary school science classrooms were developed and validated. The study involved a sample of 1,318 students in 64 year 9 and year 12 science classes and 128 teachers of science in Australian secondary schools. Using the class mean as the unit of analysis for student data, associations between school and classroom environment were investigated using simple, multiple and canonical correlational analyses. In general, results indicated weak relationships between school and classroom environments and they reinforced the view that characteristics of the school environment are not transmitted automatically into science classrooms.

Student-Authored Hypermedia in Veterinary Anatomy: Teaching and Learning Outcomes of Group Project Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garvin, Anthony; Carrington, Stephen

1997-01-01

Describes the Directed-Self Education program at the University of Bristol (England) for undergraduate small-group project work in veterinary science that was designed to support students in developing personal study and information technology skills. It also produced student-authored hypermedia tools which could be repurposed by staff as teaching…

Scaffolding Students' Use of Learner-Generated Content in a Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Dijk, Alieke M.; Lazonder, Ard W.

2016-01-01

Having students inspect and use each other's work is a promising way to advance inquiry-based science learning. Research has nevertheless shown that additional guidance is needed for students to take full advantage of the work produced by their peers. The present study investigated whether scaffolding through an integrated support tool could bring…

EarthLabs Meet Sister Corita Kent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quartini, E.; Ellins, K. K.; Cavitte, M. G.; Thirumalai, K.; Ledley, T. S.; Haddad, N.; Lynds, S. E.

2013-12-01

The EarthLabs project provides a framework to enhance high school students' climate literacy and awareness of climate change. The project provides climate science curriculum and teacher professional development, followed by research on students' learning as teachers implement EarthLabs climate modules in the classroom. The professional development targets high school teachers whose professional growth is structured around exposure to current climate science research, data observation collection and analysis. During summer workshops in Texas and Mississippi, teachers work through the laboratories, experiments, and hand-on activities developed for their students. In summer 2013, three graduate students from the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics with expertise in climate science participated in two weeklong workshops. The graduate students partnered with exemplary teacher leaders to provide scientific content and lead the EarthLabs learning activities. As an experiment, we integrated a visit to the Blanton Museum and an associated activity in order to motivate participants to think creatively, as well as analytically, about science. This exercise was inspired by the work and educational philosophy of Sister Corita Kent. During the visit to the Blanton Museum, we steered participants towards specific works of art pre-selected to emphasize aspects of the climate of Texas and to draw participants' attention to ways in which artists convey different concepts. For example, artists use of color, lines, and symbols conjure emotional responses to imagery in the viewer. The second part of the exercise asked participants to choose a climate message and to convey this through a collage. We encouraged participants to combine their experience at the museum with examples of Sister Corita Kent's artwork. We gave them simple guidelines for the project based on techniques and teaching of Sister Corita Kent. Evaluation results reveal that participants enjoyed the activity and saw its value for enhancing their own appreciation of climate science. However, participants expressed skepticism about using the exercise with their own students. Teachers' perception was that students would not make the same connections that they did. From our perspective and participants' enthusiasm we encourage collaboration between art and science teachers in joint activities that emphasize the link between art and science.

Case studies of fifth-grade student modeling in science through programming: Comparison of modeling practices and conversations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louca, Loucas

This is a descriptive case study investigating the use of two computer-based programming environments (CPEs), MicroWorlds(TM) (MW) and Stagecast Creator(TM) (SC), as modeling tools for collaborative fifth grade science learning. In this study I investigated how CPEs might support fifth grade student work and inquiry in science. There is a longstanding awareness of the need to help students learn about models and modeling in science, and CPEs are promising tools for this. A computer program can be a model of a physical system, and modeling through programming may make the process more tangible: Programming involves making decisions and assumptions; the code is used to express ideas; running the program shows the implications of those ideas. In this study I have analyzed and compared students' activities and conversations in two after-school clubs, one working with MW and the other with SC. The findings confirm the promise of CPEs as tools for teaching practices of modeling and science, and they suggest advantages and disadvantages to that purpose of particular aspects of CPE designs. MW is an open-ended, textual CPE that uses procedural programming. MW students focused on breaking down phenomena into small programmable pieces, which is useful for scientific modeling. Developing their programs, the students focused on writing, testing and debugging code, which are also useful for scientific modeling. SC is a non-linear, object-oriented CPE that uses visual program language. SC students saw their work as creating games. They were focused on the overall story which they then translated it into SC rules, which was in conflict with SC's object-oriented interface. However, telling the story of individual causal agents was useful for scientific modeling. Programming in SC was easier, whereas reading code in MW was more tangible. The latter helped MW students to use the code as the representation of the phenomenon rather than merely as a tool for creating a simulation. The analyses also pointed to three emerging "frames" that describe student's work focus, based on their goals, strategies, and criteria for success. Emerging "frames" are the programming, the visualization, and the modeling frame. One way to understand the respective advantages and disadvantages of the two CPEs is with respect to which frames they engendered in students.

The "art" of science communication in undergraduate research training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatemi, F. R.; Stockwell, J.; Pinheiro, V.; White, B.

2016-12-01

Student creation of well-designed and engaging visuals in science communication can enhance their deep learning while streamlining the transmission of information to their audience. However, undergraduate research training does not frequently emphasize the design aspect of science communication. We devised and implemented a new curricular component to the Lake Champlain NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in Vermont. We took a holistic approach to communication training, with a targeted module in "art and science". Components to the module included: 1) an introduction to environmental themes in fine art, 2) a photography assignment in research documentation, 3) an overview of elements of design (e.g., color, typography, hierarchy), 4) a graphic design workshop using tools in Powerpoint, and 5) an introduction to scientific illustration. As part of the REU program, students were asked to document their work through photographs, and develop an infographic or scientific illustration complementary to their research. The "art and science" training culminated with a display and critique of their visual work. We report on student responses to the "art and science" training from exit interviews and survey questions. Based on our program, we identify a set of tools that mentors can use to enhance their student's ability to engage with a broad audience.

Research Microcultures as Socialization Contexts for Underrepresented Science Students.

PubMed

Thoman, Dustin B; Muragishi, Gregg A; Smith, Jessi L

2017-06-01

How much does scientific research potentially help people? We tested whether prosocial-affordance beliefs (PABs) about science spread among group members and contribute to individual students' motivation for science. We tested this question within the context of research experience for undergraduates working in faculty-led laboratories, focusing on students who belong to underrepresented minority (URM) groups. Longitudinal survey data were collected from 522 research assistants in 41 labs at six institutions. We used multilevel modeling, and results supported a socialization effect for URM students: The aggregate PABs of their lab mates predicted the students' own initial PABs, as well as their subsequent experiences of interest and their motivation to pursue a career in science, even after controlling for individual-level PABs. Results demonstrate that research labs serve as microcultures of information about the science norms and values that influence motivation. URM students are particularly sensitive to this information. Efforts to broaden participation should be informed by an understanding of the group processes that convey such prosocial values.

Agriscience Student Engagement in Scientific Inquiry: Representations of Scientific Processes and Nature of Science.

PubMed

Grady, Julie R; Dolan, Erin L; Glasson, George E

2010-01-01

Students' experiences with science integrated into agriscience courses contribute to their developing epistemologies of science. The purpose of this case study was to gain insight into the implementation of scientific inquiry in an agriscience classroom. Also of interest was how the tenets of the nature of science were reflected in the students' experiments. Participants included an agriscience teacher and her fifteen students who were conducting plant experiments to gain insight into the role of a gene disabled by scientists. Data sources included classroom observations, conversations with students, face-to-face interviews with the teacher, and students' work. Analysis of the data indicated that the teacher viewed scientific inquiry as a mechanical process with little emphasis on the reasoning that typifies scientific inquiry. Students' participation in their experiments also centered on the procedural aspects of inquiry with little attention to scientific reasoning. There was no explicit attention to the nature of science during the experiments, but the practice implied correct, incorrect, and underdeveloped conceptions of the nature of science. Evidence from the study suggests a need for collaboration between agriscience and science teacher educators to design and conduct professional development focused on scientific inquiry and nature of science for preservice and practicing teachers.

Teaching Nature of Science to K-2 Students: What understandings can they attain?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerson, Valarie; Donnelly, Lisa A.

2010-01-01

This study explored the influence of a Saturday Science program that used explicit reflective instruction through contextualized and decontextualized guided and authentic inquiry on K-2 students' views of nature of science (NOS). The six-week program ran for 2.5 hours weekly and emphasized NOS in a variety of science content areas, culminating in an authentic inquiry designed and carried out by the K-2 students. The Views of Nature of Science Form D was used to interview K-2 students pre- and post-instruction. Copies of student work were retained for content analysis. Videotapes made of each week's science instruction were reviewed to ensure that explicit reflective NOS instruction took place. Explicit NOS teaching strategies included (1) introducing NOS through decontextualized activities, (2) embedding NOS into science content through contextualized activities, (3) using children's literature, (4) debriefings and embedded NOS assessments, and (5) guided and student-designed inquiries. Results indicate that K-2 students improved their NOS views over the course of the program, suggesting that they are developmentally ready for these concepts. Students developed adequate views of the distinction between observation and inference, the creative NOS, the tentative NOS, the empirical NOS, and to a lesser degree, the subjective NOS.

Connecting Teachers and Students with Science Experts: NASA's Expedition Earth and Beyond Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graff, P. V.; Stefanov, W. L.; Willis, K. J.; Runco, S.; McCollum, T.; Baker, M.; Mailhot, M.; Lindgren, C. F.

2010-12-01

Classroom teachers are challenged with engaging and preparing today’s students for the future. Activities are driven by state required skills, education standards, and high stakes testing. How can educators teach required standards and motivate students to not only learn essential skills, but also acquire a sense of intrigue to want to learn more? One way is to allow students to take charge of their learning and conduct student-driven research. NASA’s Expedition Earth and Beyond program, based at the NASA Johnson Space Center, is designed to do just that. The program, developed by both educators and scientists, promotes inquiry-based investigations in classrooms (grades 5-14) by using current NASA data. By combining the expertise of teachers, who understand the everyday challenges of working with students, and scientists, who work with the process of science as they conduct their own research, the result is a realistic and useable means in which to promote authentic research in classrooms. NASA’s Expedition Earth and Beyond Program was created with the understanding that there are three important aspects that enable teachers to implement authentic research experiences in the classroom. These aspects are: 1) Standards-aligned, inquiry based curricular resources and an implementation structure to support student-driven research; 2) Professional development opportunities to learn techniques and strategies to ensure seamless implementation of resources; and 3) Ongoing support. Expedition Earth and Beyond provides all three of these aspects and adds two additional and inspiring motivators. One is the opportunity for student research teams to request new data. Data requested and approved would be acquired by astronauts orbiting Earth on the International Space Station. This aspect is part of the process of science structure and provides a powerful way to excite students. The second, and perhaps more significant motivator, is the creation of connections between science experts and classrooms. Scientists are able to connect with participating classrooms on a variety of different levels, including being a mentor. These powerful connections provide extraordinary opportunities for students to develop the rigor and relevance of their research, along with encouraging them to have a sense of pride in the work they are doing in school. Providing teachers with skills and the confidence to promote authentic research investigations in the classroom will equip them to create science literate students, and by extension, improve the public understanding of science. The opportunity to connect classrooms with science experts creates personal experiences that are engaging, motivating and impactful. These impactful experiences will help prepare today’s students to become the next generation of scientists or perhaps science educators who can help continue these powerful connections for generations to come.

Science Writer-At-Sea: A New InterRidge Education Outreach Project Joining Scientists and Future Journalists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusek, K. M.; Freitag, K.; Devey, C.

2005-12-01

The Science Writer-at-Sea program is one small step in a marathon need for improved coverage of science and environmental issues. It targets two significant links in the Earth science communication pipeline: marine scientists and journalists; and attempts to reconnect people with the Earth by boosting their understanding of Earth science and its relevance to society. How it works: Journalism graduate students are invited to participate in oceanographic expeditions affiliated with InterRidge, an international organization dedicated to promoting ocean ridge research. InterRidge's outreach coordinator and science writer prepares each student for the expedition experience using materials she developed based on years of at-sea reporting. The students work side-by-side with the science writer and the scientists to research and write innovative journalistic stories for a general audience that are featured on a uniquely designed multimedia website that includes videos and images. The science, journalism and public communities benefit from this cost-effective program: science research is effectively showcased, scientists benefit from interactions with journalists, science outreach objectives are accomplished; student journalists enjoy a unique hands-on, `boot camp' experience; and the website enhances public understanding of `real' Earth science reported `on scene at sea.' InterRidge completed its first pilot test of the program in August 2005 aboard a Norwegian research cruise. A student writer entering the science journalism program at Columbia University participated. The results exceeded expectations. The team discovered the world's northernmost vent fields on the cruise, which expanded the original scope of the website to include a section specifically designed for the international press. The student was inspired by the cruise, amazed at how much she learned, and said she entered graduate school with much more confidence than she had prior to the program. The site, translated into German, and is being showcased in a museum in Germany. Given the great response from a diverse suite of reviewers, the team is now pursuing long term funding; additional partners in the science, education and journalism communities; and partnerships with marine science and education magazines.

Science Books, A Quarterly Review, Volume 6 Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deason, Hilary J.

1971-01-01

For the improvement of science education and to facilitate the public understanding of science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science publishes this quarterly review of science books. Evaluations and annotations are given for trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences. Books are for students in…

Inspire Your Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pine, William E.; Taylor, William W. L.

1991-01-01

Describes a science project, Interactive Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiments (INSPIRE), that allows students to work with physicists to address unanswered questions about the physics of space. (ZWH)

The Role of Work-Integrated Learning in Developing Students' Perceived Work Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reddan, Gregory

2016-01-01

The notion of work self-efficacy is significant as the self-efficacy beliefs of an individual have considerable influence on his/her level of motivation and performance in the workplace. This paper aims to determine the effects of the learning activities of a work-integrated learning course in Exercise Science in relation to students' perceived…

Video-Based Analyses of Motivation and Interaction in Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moeller Andersen, Hanne; Nielsen, Birgitte Lund

2013-04-01

An analytical framework for examining students' motivation was developed and used for analyses of video excerpts from science classrooms. The framework was developed in an iterative process involving theories on motivation and video excerpts from a 'motivational event' where students worked in groups. Subsequently, the framework was used for an analysis of students' motivation in the whole class situation. A cross-case analysis was carried out illustrating characteristics of students' motivation dependent on the context. This research showed that students' motivation to learn science is stimulated by a range of different factors, with autonomy, relatedness and belonging apparently being the main sources of motivation. The teacher's combined use of questions, uptake and high level evaluation was very important for students' learning processes and motivation, especially students' self-efficacy. By coding and analysing video excerpts from science classrooms, we were able to demonstrate that the analytical framework helped us gain new insights into the effect of teachers' communication and other elements on students' motivation.

The Relationship of the Supportiveness of the Academic Environment to the Self-Confidence and Assertiveness in Academic Work for Men and Women Graduate Students in Science and Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stansbury, Kendyll

Situational influences on self-confidence and assertiveness in female and male graduate students in science and engineering were studied, based on responses from 328 Stanford University students (155 males and 173 females). Two dependent variables were used: an index of items measuring an individual's self-confidence in the ability to perform…

Youth Engagement through Science (YES!) - Engaging Underrepresented Minorities in Science through High School Internships at the National Museum of Natural History

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, G.; Cruz, E.; Selvans, M. M.

2014-12-01

The Smithsonian's Youth Engagement through Science (YES!) program at the National Museum of Natural History gives young people from the Washington, D.C. area the opportunity to engage in science out of school through 16-week internships. We will present the program's successful strategies and lessons learned around recruiting and engaging young people from underserved communities, and maintaining relationships that help to support their pursuit of STEM and other career paths. The YES! program connects Smithsonian collections, experts, and training with local DC youth from communities traditionally underrepresented in science careers. YES! is now in its fifth year and has directly served 122 students; demographics of alumni are 67% female, and 51% Latino, 31% African-American, 7% Asian, 5% Caucasian and 6% other. The program immerses students in science research by giving them the opportunity to work side-by-side with scientists and staff from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Gardens, and National Zoo. In addition to working on a research project, students have college preparatory courses, are trained in science communication, and apply their skills by interacting with the public on the exhibit floor.

Duplex Design Project: Science Pilot Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing, Los Angeles, CA.

Work is reported towards the completion of a prototype duplex-design assessment instrument for grade-12 science. The student course-background questionnaire and the pretest section of the two-stage instrument that was developed were administered to all 134 12th-grade students at St. Clairsville High School (Ohio). Based on the information obtained…

Operation STEM: Increasing Success and Improving Retention among Mathematically Underprepared Students in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carver, Susan D.; Van Sickle, Jenna; Holcomb, John P.; Jackson, Debbie K.; Resnick, Andrew H.; Duffy, Stephen F.; Sridhar, Nigamanth; Marquard, Antoinette M.; Quinn, Candice M.

2017-01-01

In 2012, Cleveland State University implemented a comprehensive program, called Operation STEM (OpSTEM), funded by two National Science Foundation grants, federal work study, and Cleveland State University. Its goal is to increase retention and graduation rates among Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students by helping them…

Science Books, Volume 10 Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolff, Kathryn, Ed.

This quarterly journal reviews trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in elementary and secondary schools and in the first two years of college. Included are selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and teachers. Each book is reviewed and annotated by a qualified…

Science Books, Vol. 10 No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolff, Kathryn, Ed.

This quarterly journal reviews trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in elementary and secondary schools and in the first two years of college. Included are selected advanced and professional books useful for reference to students and teachers. Each book is reviewed and annotated by a qualified…

Science Books, A Quarterly Review, Volume 7 Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deason, Hilary J., Ed.

Approximately 200 trade books, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in the elementary school, in secondary school and in the first two years of college, including selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members, are reviewed in this issue of the quarterly publication. The…

Science Books, A Quarterly Review, Volume 8 Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC.

This quarterly journal reviews trade books, textbooks, and reference works in the pure and applied sciences for students in the elementary schools, in secondary school and in the first two years of college. Included are selected advanced and professional books useful for reference by students and faculty members. Annotations are listed in order of…

It Takes a Village to Make a Scientist: Reflections of a Faculty Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervato, Cinzia; Gallus, William; Flory, Dave; Moss, Elizabeth; Slade, Michael; Kawaler, Steve; Marengo, Massimo; Woo, Keith; Krumhardt, Barbara; Clough, Mike; Campbell, Alexis; Acerbo, Martin

2015-01-01

Lab components of undergraduate science courses typically have students complete highly directed cookbook-like laboratory activities. These experiences rarely engage students in a meaningful manner and do not accurately convey what the work of science entails. With funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), we have created more…

Testing Program Reveals Deficient Mathematics for Health Science Students Commencing University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNaught, Keith; Hoyne, Gerard

2013-01-01

In response to staff concerns about literacy and numeracy standards of commencing students, the School of Health Sciences at the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) Fremantle campus worked with academic support staff from the University's Academic Enabling and Support Centre (AESC) to develop a Post Entrance Numeracy Assessment (PENA). The…

The Development of a Model for Designing Carrel Experiences for Science Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, James Douglas

A description of the systems approach to designing of carrel experiences for science students is presented to provide a logical sequence and structure for instructional decisions. A brief historical discussion dating from 1961 and Postlethwait's work at Purdue University is given, and a rationale for the carrel approach is provided. The…

Teaching Bioethics via the Production of Student-Generated Videos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willmott, Christopher J. R.

2015-01-01

There is growing recognition that science is not conducted in a vacuum and that advances in the biosciences have ethical and social implications for the wider community. An exercise is described in which undergraduate students work in teams to produce short videos about the science and ethical dimensions of current developments in biomedicine.…

Taking an Active Stance: How Urban Elementary Students Connect Sociocultural Experiences in Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Upadhyay, Bhaskar; Maruyama, Geoffrey; Albrecht, Nancy

2017-01-01

In this interpretive case study, we draw from sociocultural theory of learning and culturally relevant pedagogy to understand how urban students from nondominant groups leverage their sociocultural experiences. These experiences allow them to gain an empowering voice in influencing science content and activities and to work towards…

Learning by Creating and Exchanging Objects: The SCY Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Jong, Ton; Van Joolingen, Wouter R.; Giemza, Adam; Girault, Isabelle; Hoppe, Ulrich; Kindermann, Jorg; Kluge, Anders; Lazonder, Ard W.; Vold, Vibeke; Weinberger, Armin; Weinbrenner, Stefan; Wichmann, Astrid; Anjewierden, Anjo; Bodin, Marjolaine; Bollen, Lars; D'Ham, Cedric; Dolonen, Jan; Engler, Jan; Geraedts, Caspar; Grosskreutz, Henrik; Hovardas, Tasos; Julien, Rachel; Lechner, Judith; Ludvigsen, Sten; Matteman, Yuri; Meistadt, Oyvind; Naess, Bjorge; Ney, Muriel; Pedaste, Margus; Perritano, Anthony; Rinket, Marieke; Von Schlanbusch, Henrik; Sarapuu, Tago; Schulz, Florian; Sikken, Jakob; Slotta, Jim; Toussaint, Jeremy; Verkade, Alex; Wajeman, Claire; Wasson, Barbara; Zacharia, Zacharias C.; Van Der Zanden, Martine

2010-01-01

Science Created by You (SCY) is a project on learning in science and technology domains. SCY uses a pedagogical approach that centres around products, called "emerging learning objects" (ELOs) that are created by students. Students work individually and collaboratively in SCY-Lab (the general SCY learning environment) on "missions" that are guided…

The Effect of Asian Origin, Culture and Learning Beliefs on High School Students' Physical Science Learning Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Xiaolan

2013-01-01

Asian Americans have been recognized as the "model minority" in the United States since the 1960s. Students from Asian countries are winning in international competitions, especially in science and mathematics. Modern Western scholars working within the constructivist learning theory advocate malleable intelligence and effort, which…

Science and Superheroes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolenc, Nathan; Wood, Aja; Washburn, Megan; Batson, Yarden; Fan, Brittany; Dickens, Victoria; Armstrong, Shannon

2016-01-01

Role-play has been shown to increase student engagement and improve the overall classroom environment. When used effectively, role-play can transform a task or assignment to appear more like play than work. In this four-part lesson, role-play was used as a teaching strategy to engage students in learning the science and application of several…

Inquiry-Based Teaching: An Example of Descriptive Science in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehorek, Susan J.

2004-01-01

Inquiry-based learning is more work than passive learning, and there is a body of students who prefer to take the easier route. But there is also a body of students who wish to explore science. Two descriptive evolutionary experiments conducted by university freshman/sophomore biology majors, enrolled in General Zoology are described.

Lost in Translation? Deconstructing Science in the News through an Inquiry-Based Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rangachari, P. K.

2006-01-01

This report describes an experiment to introduce freshmen science students to inquiry-based learning. The overarching theme was the communication of scientific information to the public by the mass media. Students, working in groups, deconstructed news items (many dealing with basic biomedical issues) and assessed the veracity of statements with…

Design of a Food Chemistry-Themed Course for Nonscience Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Patrice

2014-01-01

The physical science curriculum design at Georgia Gwinnett College requires a theme-based course (lecture and group work, and laboratory) for nonscience majors. Increased student engagement is anticipated when science topics are taught in the context of a topic of which students can select during course registration. This paper presents the course…

Alliance for Computational Science Collaboration, HBCU Partnership at Alabama A&M University Final Performance Technical Report

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

Deng, Z.T.

2001-11-15

The objective of this project was to conduct high-performance computing research and teaching at AAMU, and to train African-American and other minority students and scientists in the computational science field for eventual employment with DOE. During the project period, eight tasks were accomplished. Student Research Assistant, Work Study, Summer Interns, Scholarship were proved to be one of the best ways for us to attract top-quality minority students. Under the support of DOE, through research, summer interns, collaborations, scholarships programs, AAMU has successfully provided research and educational opportunities to minority students in the field related to computational science.

Student use of narrative and paradigmatic forms of talk in elementary science conversations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurth, Lori A.; Kidd, Raymond; Gardner, Roberta; Smith, Edward L.

2002-11-01

The purpose of this work was to examine and characterize student use of narrative and paradigmatic expression in elementary science discourse. This interpretive study occurred over a 2-year period in a professional development school with a largely international population. This analysis focused on the narrative and paradigmatic modes of expression used by combined first-second- and second-grade students in a semistructured, fairly autonomous, whole-class conversational format. Students demonstrated competence with both modes of talk at the beginning of the year. Over time, students moved toward more paradigmatic talk, but narrative examples continued to be key components of the science conversations. Topically, students used narrative more often for life sciences and paradigmatic talk for physical sciences. For gender there were no qualitative differences in narrative or paradigmatic expression. However, boys obtained more opportunities to practice their use of both discourse forms by either receiving more speaking turns or expressing more language features per turn. These conversations show that narrative and paradigmatic modes in science need not be in opposition but can, in fact, be used together in complementary ways that are mutually enhancing.

Verbal and social interaction patterns among elementary students during self-guided "I Wonder Projects"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huziak, Tracy Lynn

National standards for science teaching stress the use of inquiry teaching methods. One example of inquiry teaching is the I Wonder Project, which has been used in the Madison, WI Metropolitan School District for over ten years. The purpose of the I Wonder Project is to promote scientific discourse among elementary students through the publication of their research in a journal, similar in some ways to the scientific discourse within a community of scientists. This research study utilizes the I Wonder Project method to encourage student communication and self-guided project work. Approximately fifteen students ages 6--12 participated in a six-week self-guided inquiry project called I Wonder. Students worked as a cohort to learn science process skills and to build a scientific community. During this time, each student designed and carried out a self-guided inquiry project and wrote an article about their findings, which was presented on the last day of summer camp. A mixed method approach was used conduct this study. Participants were given a pretest and a posttest to determine the changes in scientific process skills as a result of participation in the project. The students were interviewed to determine their ideas about science and how those ideas changed over the time of participation in summer camp. Also the students were observed by the researchers, as well as audio- and video-taped to capture the verbal conversations and debates that take place as a result of discussion of ideas during the program. Students participated in this study as individuals and group members. Teacher and student interactions were noted to follow three main interaction styles: structured, guided and open-ended. These interactions work much like the inquiry levels described in the literature. Students also interacted with each other in three different ways: independently, dependently, and multifunctioning. Some students wished to work alone, while others preferred others to contribute to their work as well. Finally, there were five main types of science talk described by this study based on Gee's (1997) four types of science talk: design and debate, anomaly talk, everyday speculation talk, and explanation talk. What was also noted was an overwhelming amount of prior experience talk. Because students were given free choice in their topics of study, many chose to study topics that they had some interest or prior experience with. This led to a comparison of current findings to those they had already anticipated or expected. This study shows that self-guided inquiry projects require a range of interaction styles between students and also teachers. Many students need differing levels of support in order to be successful. In addition, it is important that students have an opportunity to select a topic of choice so that they have the opportunity to build on their scientific knowledge from their prior experiences.

Teaching Long-Term Science Investigations: A Matter of Talk, Text, and Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bills, Patricia Susan

2013-01-01

Science educators regard long-term investigations as one impactful form of teaching science through inquiry in K-12 classrooms. While we have idealized notions of what this work looks like, we have few, if any, descriptive studies about investigations that engage students in sustained, focused work over a period of time longer than a few days or…

Attracting STEM talent: do STEM students prefer traditional or work/life-interaction labs?

PubMed

DeFraine, William C; Williams, Wendy M; Ceci, Stephen J

2014-01-01

The demand for employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to increase, yet the number of Millennial students pursuing STEM is not keeping pace. We evaluated whether this shortfall is associated with Millennials' preference for flexibility and work/life-interaction in their careers-a preference that may be inconsistent with the traditional idea of a science career endorsed by many lab directors. Two contrasting approaches to running STEM labs and training students were explored, and we created a lab recruitment video depicting each. The work-focused video emphasized the traditional notions of a science lab, characterized by long work hours and a focus on individual achievement and conducting research above all else. In contrast, the work/life-interaction-focused video emphasized a more progressive view - lack of demarcation between work and non-work lives, flexible hours, and group achievement. In Study 1, 40 professors rated the videos, and the results confirmed that the two lab types reflected meaningful real-world differences in training approaches. In Study 2, we recruited 53 current and prospective graduate students in STEM fields who displayed high math-identification and a commitment to science careers. In a between-subjects design, they watched one of the two lab-recruitment videos, and then reported their anticipated sense of belonging to and desire to participate in the lab depicted in the video. Very large effects were observed on both primary measures: Participants who watched the work/life-interaction-focused video reported a greater sense of belonging to (d = 1.49) and desire to participate in (d = 1.33) the lab, relative to participants who watched the work-focused video. These results suggest Millennials possess a strong desire for work/life-interaction, which runs counter to the traditional lab-training model endorsed by many lab directors. We discuss implications of these findings for STEM recruitment.

Attracting STEM Talent: Do STEM Students Prefer Traditional or Work/Life-Interaction Labs?

PubMed Central

DeFraine, William C.; Williams, Wendy M.; Ceci, Stephen J.

2014-01-01

The demand for employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to increase, yet the number of Millennial students pursuing STEM is not keeping pace. We evaluated whether this shortfall is associated with Millennials' preference for flexibility and work/life-interaction in their careers-a preference that may be inconsistent with the traditional idea of a science career endorsed by many lab directors. Two contrasting approaches to running STEM labs and training students were explored, and we created a lab recruitment video depicting each. The work-focused video emphasized the traditional notions of a science lab, characterized by long work hours and a focus on individual achievement and conducting research above all else. In contrast, the work/life-interaction-focused video emphasized a more progressive view – lack of demarcation between work and non-work lives, flexible hours, and group achievement. In Study 1, 40 professors rated the videos, and the results confirmed that the two lab types reflected meaningful real-world differences in training approaches. In Study 2, we recruited 53 current and prospective graduate students in STEM fields who displayed high math-identification and a commitment to science careers. In a between-subjects design, they watched one of the two lab-recruitment videos, and then reported their anticipated sense of belonging to and desire to participate in the lab depicted in the video. Very large effects were observed on both primary measures: Participants who watched the work/life-interaction-focused video reported a greater sense of belonging to (d = 1.49) and desire to participate in (d = 1.33) the lab, relative to participants who watched the work-focused video. These results suggest Millennials possess a strong desire for work/life-interaction, which runs counter to the traditional lab-training model endorsed by many lab directors. We discuss implications of these findings for STEM recruitment. PMID:24587044

Why Do They Stay? A Phenomenological Study of Secondary Science Teacher Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lastica, Joelle Ramirez

In 2004, The U.S. Department of Education reported that 20% of schoolteachers (public and private) leave their classrooms during the first year of teaching, and nearly twice as many leave within the first three years of teaching (Koppich, 2004). According to the 2007 Condition of Education report, the U.S. Department of Education estimated there were nearly 380,000 public school math and science teachers during the 2003-2004 school year, and of those, approximately 23,000 left the teaching profession the following school year. Yet despite these reports, in 2004-2005, approximately 360,000 public school math and science teachers remained in their classrooms. In this phenomenological dissertation study, I sought to discover how eight secondary science teachers (whose years of teaching experience range from five to 30 years) make meaning of their decisions to remain in teaching. Through semi-structured interviews, these teacher participants and I discussed how each of them decided to become a science teacher, how each of them think of themselves as a science teacher, and how each of them decided to remain teaching despite the ever-growing list of challenges (s)he faces in and out of his/her classroom. These teacher participants chose to become science teachers because they loved their subject area and working with secondary students. These teachers enjoyed working with their students and their teaching colleagues. However, they acknowledged there were also tensions and frustrations in their work, including not feeling supported by school and district administrators and being overwhelmed with the demands of their workload and time. These eight science teachers chose to remain classroom teachers because they have a profound love for their students, a deep admiration for their colleagues, and a strong sense of mission in their work. It is my intent that the stories shared by the teacher participants in this study will shed light upon concerns, tensions and experiences that are critical in supporting, encouraging and sustaining the work of new and experienced science teachers in their classrooms. This work also contributes to the research literature in the realms of teacher education, teacher attrition and retention, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.

The effects of hands-on-science instruction on the science achievement of middle school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, Felita

Student achievement in the Twenty First Century demands a new rigor in student science knowledge, since advances in science and technology require students to think and act like scientists. As a result, students must acquire proficient levels of knowledge and skills to support a knowledge base that is expanding exponentially with new scientific advances. This study examined the effects of hands-on-science instruction on the science achievement of middle school students. More specifically, this study was concerned with the influence of hands-on science instruction versus traditional science instruction on the science test scores of middle school students. The subjects in this study were one hundred and twenty sixth-grade students in six classes. Instruction involved lecture/discussion and hands-on activities carried out for a three week period. Specifically, the study ascertained the influence of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the science test scores of middle school students. Additionally, this study assessed the effect of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the attitudes of sixth grade students toward science. The two instruments used to collect data for this study were the Prentice Hall unit ecosystem test and the Scientific Work Experience Programs for Teachers Study (SWEPT) student's attitude survey. Moreover, the data for the study was treated using the One-Way Analysis of Covariance and the One-Way Analysis of Variance. The following findings were made based on the results: (1) A statistically significant difference existed in the science performance of middle school students exposed to hands-on science instruction. These students had significantly higher scores than the science performance of middle school students exposed to traditional instruction. (2) A statistically significant difference did not exist between the science scores of male and female middle school students. (3) A statistically significant difference did not exist between the science scores of African American and non-African American middle school students. (4) A statistically significant difference existed in the socioeconomic status of students who were not provided with assisted lunches. Students with unassisted lunches had significantly higher science scores than those middle school students who were provided with assisted lunches. (5) A statistically significant difference was not found in the attitude scores of middle school students who were exposed to hands-on or traditional science instruction. (6) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of middle school students who were exposed to either hands-on or traditional science instruction by their socioeconomic status. (7) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of male and female students. (8) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of African American and non African American students.

Earth Science Outreach: A Move in the Right Direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLarty Halfkenny, B.; Schröder Adams, C.

2009-05-01

There is concern within the Geoscience Community about the public's limited understanding of Earth Science and its fundamental contribution to society. Earth Science plays only a minor role in public school education in Ontario leaving many students to stumble upon this field of study in post-secondary institutions. As the Earth Sciences offer relevant advice for political decisions and provide excellent career opportunities, outreach is an increasingly important component of our work. Recruitment of post-secondary students after they have chosen their discipline cannot remain the sole opportunity. Outreach must be directed to potential students at an early stage of their education. High school teachers are influential, directing students towards professional careers. Therefore we are first committed to reach these teachers. We provide professional development, resources and continued support, building an enthusiastic community of educators. Specific initiatives include: a three day workshop supported by a grant from EdGEO introducing earth science exercises and local field destinations; a resource kit with minerals, rocks, fossils, mineral identification tools and manuals; a CD with prepared classroom exercises; and in-class demonstrations and field trip guiding on request. Maintaining a growing network with teachers has proven highly effective. Direct public school student engagement is also given priority. We inspire students through interaction with researchers and graduate students, hand-on exercises, and by providing opportunities to visit our department and work with our collections. Successful projects include our week-long course "School of Rock" for the Enrichment Mini-Course Program, classroom visits and presentations on the exciting and rewarding career paths in geology during Carleton University open houses. Outreach to the general public allows us to educate the wider community about the Geoheritage of our region, and initiate discussions about science and global issues such as climate science and stewardship of our natural resources. A new initiative for Science and Technology Week, 'Explore Geoheritage Day' introduced the public to the geological history of the National Capital Region. We have found collaborations with other agencies very effective. We work with PDAC's "Mining Matters", LTS, the Ottawa Gatineau Geoheritage Project, Ottawa Heritage, STAO, local school boards, naturalist groups, and other community organizations to promote Earth Science education. Our efforts over the last 5 years have brought tangible results in: a) a considerable increase in student enrolment at the university level in our department; b) increased teaching of the Grade 12 Earth and Space Sciences course at local high schools through teachers who were inspired by our workshops; c) a flourishing network of enthusiastic earth science educators sharing ideas with us to define each other's needs; and d) a growing interaction with the general public. Future initiatives need to consider lobbying for curriculum changes to give Earth Science a prominent place in the public education system. As well, only few university education departments currently allow Earth Science graduates into their programs, requiring them to first take additional courses in other "teachable" subjects. This must change. University graduates with an Earth Science degree and an interest in teaching must be permitted direct entry into these programs so that their skills will be passed on to the next generation of science students.

Using the Process and Excitement of Science and Technology to Empower Teachers and Engage their Students

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crannell, Carol Jo

2002-01-01

Students United with NASA Becoming Enthusiastic About Math and Science (SUNBEAMS) is a Partnership between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). It empowers teachers and inspires students with the process and excitement of science and technology. SUNBEAMS is being developed as a model urban intervention program for sixth grade teachers and their students. The teachers come to Goddard for five weeks during the summer. They partner with Goddard mentors and work much the same way that summer students do. In addition, the teachers are responsible for developing lesson plans that they pilot at their schools and post on the SUNBEAMS web site. During the school year, each teacher brings one class to Goddard for a full week of total immersion in math and science.

On the Shoulders of Giants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janes, Barbara

2004-01-01

It is important for students to understand that what they learn in science class is the product of the hard work of those who have come before them. It is the author's job to help them understand this work and to encourage them to be future contributors to the understanding of how nature works. As stated in the National Science Education…

Interactive Teaching as a Recruitment and Training Tool for K-12 Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, J. L.

2004-12-01

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP) program at the University of Colorado has been designed to recruit and train prospective K-12 science teachers while improving student learning through interactive teaching. The program has four key goals: (1) recruit undergraduate students into K-12 science education, (2) provide these prospective teachers with hands-on experience in an interactive teaching pedagogy, (3) create an intergrated program designed to support (educationally, socially, and financially) and engage these prospective science teachers up until they obtain liscensure and/or their masters degree in education, and (4) improve student learning in large introductory science classes. Currently there are 31 students involved in the program and a total of 72 students have been involved in the year and a half it has been in existence. I will discuss the design of the STEMTP program, the success in recruiting K-12 science teachers, and the affect on student learning in a large lecture class of implementing interactive learning pedagogies by involving these prospective K-12 science teachers. J. L. Rosenberg would like to acknowledge the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship for support for this work. The course transformation project is also supported by grants from the National Science Foundation.

University of Maine's Follow a Researcher Program™, Expedition 3: Antarctica, Using Graduate Student Fieldwork Experiences as a framework to Incorporate Next Generation Science Standard Practices in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaluzienski, L. M.; Kranich, G.; Wilson, L.; Hamley, C.

2016-12-01

For the past three years the University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H has connected K-12 students in Maine and around the country to UMaine researchers in the field as part of its Follow a Researcher (FAR) Program™. This program aims to provide middle and high school students with a look into future science career paths. FAR™ selects one student engaged in university level research per year to showcase their work. Previous years have selected graduate students with field-work intensive research. During the graduate student's field expedition, a weekly education science video is released based on the Next Generation Science Standards. Similarly, classroom students are encouraged to ask questions during weekly Twitter session hosted live from the field. Past expeditions have taken students to the Quelccaya Ice Cap in Peru as well as the Falkland Islands. This year's expedition shared graduate student Lynn Kaluzienski's expedition to the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Highlights include obtaining GPS observations in a remote setting using helicopter support, as well acquiring scientific measurements from a heavily crevassed area through the use of robotically towed ground penetrating radar (GPR). Future program plans include connecting K-12 students with graduate students with a focus in lab-intensive research as well as engineering. We also are developing a training program for university outreach staff and a Follow a Researcher™ network that would allow other universities to host their own program while tapping into a larger national K-12 audience.

Laboratory Activities in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mamlok-Naaman, Rachel; Barnea, Nitza

2012-01-01

Laboratory activities have long had a distinctive and central role in the science curriculum, and science educators have suggested that many benefits accrue from engaging students in science laboratory activities. Many research studies have been conducted to investigate the educational effectiveness of laboratory work in science education in…

Project-Based Learning as a Vehicle for Teaching Science at the University Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courtney, A. R.; Wade, P.

2012-12-01

In a typical science course learning is teacher directed. Students are presented with knowledge and concepts via textbooks and lecture and then given the opportunity to apply them. Project-based learning (PBL) creates a context and reason to learn information and concepts. In PBL, learning is student directed and teacher facilitated. Students take ownership of their learning by finding, evaluating and synthesizing information from a variety of resources and via interaction between each other. In PBL, the project is central rather than peripheral to the curriculum. It is not just an activity that provides examples, additional practice or applications of the course content, but rather, the vehicle through which major concepts are discovered. The PBL process requires students to do revision and reflection encouraging them to think about what and how they are learning. PBL projects also allow students to develop important life-work skills such as collaboration, communication and critical thinking within the discipline. We have employed PBL in both Liberal Arts courses for non-science majors and upper division courses for science students. Three examples will be discussed. The first will be the production of video documentaries in a non-science major course; the second, a student generated electronic textbook in a 300-level energy course for science students; and lastly, a student designed analysis project in a chemistry major capstone laboratory course. The product in each of these examples was used to deliver knowledge to others in the class as well as members of the public providing motivation for students to do high-quality work. In our examples, student documentaries are publicly screened as part of a university-wide Academic Excellence Showcase; the student generated electronic textbook is available for public use on the internet; and the results of the student designed analysis were communicated to the real-world clients via letters and reports. We will discuss various technology tools employed in these projects such as the internet, wikis for collaborative writing, bookmarking management tools for sharing literature resources, photo sharing sites, and electronic literature searching tools. Also described will be assessment methods to gauge how the projects affected student learning.

Connected Curriculum for sharing science with alumni, industry partners and charitable organizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, V.

2015-12-01

The Connected Curriculum (CC) is the institutional framework for research-based education at University College London. Undergraduate and graduate students across the research-intensive university are given the opportunities to produce inquiry-based work to connect with professors, fellow students from different faculties, alumni around the world, as well as industry partners and charitable organizations. Through the development of cross-faculty theme-based online networks, the CC encourages students and academics to share and communicate their science to a broad range of interested audience. In this presentation, I discuss how an institutional research-based education initiative can provide a powerful platform for engaging students and academics in communicating the importance and societal relevance of their scientific work to the wider world.

Mars Exploration Student Data Teams: Building Foundations and Influencing Students to Pursue STEM Careers through Experiences with Authentic Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turney, D.; Grigsby, B.; Murchie, S. L.; Buczkowski, D.; Seelos, K. D.; Nair, H.; McGovern, A.; Morgan, F.; Viviano, C. E.; Goudge, T. A.; Thompson, D.

2013-12-01

The Mars Exploration Student Data Teams (MESDT) immerses diverse teams of high school and undergraduate students in an authentic research Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based experience and allows students to be direct participants in the scientific process by working with scientists to analyze data sets from NASA's Mars program, specifically from the CRISM instrument. MESDT was created by Arizona State University's Mars Education Program, and is funded through NASA's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars or CRISM, an instrument onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Students work with teacher mentors and CRISM team members to analyze data, develop hypotheses, conduct research, submit proposals, critique and revise work. All students begin the program with basic Mars curriculum lessons developed by the MESDT education team. This foundation enables the program to be inclusive of all students. Teachers have reported that populations of students with diverse academic needs and abilities have been successful in this program. The use of technology in the classroom allows the MESDT program to successfully reach a nationwide audience and funding provided by NASA's CRISM instrument allows students to participate free of charge. Recent changes to the program incorporate a partnership with United States Geological Survey (USGS) and a CRISM sponsored competitive scholarship for two teams of students to present their work at the annual USGS Planetary Mappers Meeting. Returning MESDT teachers have attributed an increase in student enrollment and interest to this scholarship opportunity. The 2013 USGS Planetary Mappers Meeting was held in Washington DC which provided an opportunity for the students to meet with their Senators at the US Capitol to explain the science work they had done throughout the year as well as the impact that the program had had on their goals for the future. This opportunity extended to the students by the United States Senate was a chance for students to practice high level communication and presentation skills and was reported to have made a strong impression on the participating students. MESDT develops foundational abilities needed by all students such as critical thinking, problem solving, cooperative group work, and communication skills. The implications of having students involved in authentic data analysis from an orbiting spacecraft include increased technical abilities as well as increased confidence to pursue a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) major or career. Formative assessments and teacher, parent, and student testimonials show MESDT has had a definite impact on students and their decisions to pursue STEM related majors and careers, in addition to leading to student scholarships and awards.

Entrepreneurial Earth Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lacy, Carol

1997-01-01

Presents an activity in which groups of students form land-use companies that work for a client who is seeking land suitable for an all-season resort. Involves students working together and drawing on their knowledge of contour lines, topography, land forms, climate, natural disasters, geology, and hydrology. (JRH)

Contemporary Issues in Group Learning in Undergraduate Science Classrooms: A Perspective from Student Engagement.

PubMed

Hodges, Linda C

2018-06-01

As the use of collaborative-learning methods such as group work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes has grown, so has the research into factors impacting effectiveness, the kinds of learning engendered, and demographic differences in student response. Generalizing across the range of this research is complicated by the diversity of group-learning approaches used. In this overview, I discuss theories of how group-work formats support or hinder learning based on the ICAP (interactive, constructive, active, passive) framework of student engagement. I then use this model to analyze current issues in group learning, such as the nature of student discourse during group work, the role of group learning in making our classrooms inclusive, and how classroom spaces factor into group learning. I identify key gaps for further research and propose implications from this research for teaching practice. This analysis helps identify essential, effective, and efficient features of group learning, thus providing faculty with constructive guidelines to support their work and affirm their efforts.

Co-opting Science: A preliminary study of how students invoke science in value-laden discussions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, Jan Alexis

2012-01-01

Letting students deliberate on socio-scientific issues is a tricky affair. It is yet unclear how to assess whether, or even support that, students weave science facts into value-laden socio-scientific deliberations without committing the naturalistic fallacy of deducing 'ought' from 'is'. As a preliminary step, this study investigated how Danish upper secondary biology students actually interwove science facts and values in socio-scientific discussions. In particular, the focus was the argumentative effects of different ways of blurring the fact-value distinction. The data consisted of the transcriptions of three 45-60 minute discussions among 4-5 students about whether human gene therapy should be allowed. The data were analysed from a normative pragmatics perspective-with a focus on how the students designed and elicited messages to influence the decisions of others. It was found that the students regularly co-opted science to make it appear that their evaluative claims were more solidly supported than those of their opponents. Further, the students tended to co-opt science content so as to redefine what the issue or object of contention should be. The findings suggest that assessment of whether students properly used correct science facts in socio-scientific learning activities is very difficult. From the perspective of teachers, this means that much more work needs to be done in order to sort out how the fact-value distinction should be addressed appropriately. From the perspective of researchers, it means a continued negotiation of what they mean when they say that students should become able to use science on issues from outside science.

An Investigation of Student Engagement in a Global Warming Debate: Proof of Concept for K-12 Outreach at UCSB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweizer, D. M.; Kelly, G. J.; Gautier, C.

2001-05-01

As part of a community outreach program, the first author worked with a physical science teacher to co-create and co-teach a nine week global warming for his three seventh grade classes. The nine week program culminated in a debate on the causes of global warming. Students were divided into three groups: scientists supporting human contributions to global warming; scientists opposed to human contributions to global warming; and leaders of nations. In this study we investigate how using debate as a pedagogical tool for addressing earth system science concepts can both promote active student learning and present a realistic and dynamic view of science. Grounded in the perspective of science as sociocultural practices, our investigation draws from studies of school science focusing on the socially constructed nature of knowing and the use of argument as a pedagogical tool. We present evidence illustrating how the use of argument provided opportunities for students to interpret data sets, formulate and defend arguments, challenge competing interpretations and unearth relevant scientific questions about the environment. We also provide evidence of how students were able to use scientific evidence to support their thought processes. The results of this outreach experience serve as a foundation for the development of a new K-12 outreach program, Earth Connection, scheduled to begin at the University of California Santa Barbara, in Summer, 2001. Through the Earth Connection Visiting Teacher Program, UCSB science educators will visit local schools to work directly with teachers in their classroom settings. The Visiting Teacher Program provides a mutual benefit to teachers and students. Students gain the experience of having an expert come into their classroom to involve them in the process of science. Teachers are provided with professional development opportunities to help them continue addressing relevant earth system science issues in their classrooms.

Relationship Between Teacher Inquiry Science Instruction Self-Efficacy and Student Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanners, Grace D.

Standardized test data indicate that student achievement in science is a problem both nationally and locally. At the study site, only a small percentage of fifth-grade students score at the advanced level on the Maryland state science assessment (MSA). In addition, the performance of African American, economically disadvantaged, and special education students is well below that of the general student population. Some studies have shown that teacher self-efficacy affects student achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fifth-grade teacher inquiry science instruction self-efficacy scores and the scores of their students on the MSA. Bandura's work on the effect of self-efficacy on human behavior provided the theoretical basis for this study. The research questions examined the relationship between teacher inquiry science instructional self-efficacy scores and students' science MSA scores as well as the relationship by student subgroups. A correlational research design was used. The Teaching Science as Inquiry survey instrument was used to quantify teacher self-efficacy, and archival MSA data were the source for student scores. The study included data from 22 teachers and 1,625 of their students. A 2-tailed Pearson coefficient analysis revealed significant, positive relationships with regard to overall student achievement ( r20 = .724, p < .01) and the achievement of each of the subgroups (African American: r20 = .549, p < .01; economically disadvantaged: r20 = .655, p < .01; and special education: r18 = .532, p < .05). The results of this study present an opportunity for positive social change because the local school system can provide professional development that may increase teacher inquiry science instruction self-efficacy as a possible means to improve overall science achievement and to reduce achievement gaps.

Report on a Boston University Conference December 7-8, 2012 on How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary US Science Teaching?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garik, Peter; Benétreau-Dupin, Yann

2014-09-01

This is an editorial report on the outcomes of an international conference sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (REESE-1205273) to the School of Education at Boston University and the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University for a conference titled: How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary US Science Teaching? The presentations of the conference speakers and the reports of the working groups are reviewed. Multiple themes emerged for K-16 education from the perspective of the history and philosophy of science. Key ones were that: students need to understand that central to science is argumentation, criticism, and analysis; students should be educated to appreciate science as part of our culture; students should be educated to be science literate; what is meant by the nature of science as discussed in much of the science education literature must be broadened to accommodate a science literacy that includes preparation for socioscientific issues; teaching for science literacy requires the development of new assessment tools; and, it is difficult to change what science teachers do in their classrooms. The principal conclusions drawn by the editors are that: to prepare students to be citizens in a participatory democracy, science education must be embedded in a liberal arts education; science teachers alone cannot be expected to prepare students to be scientifically literate; and, to educate students for scientific literacy will require a new curriculum that is coordinated across the humanities, history/social studies, and science classrooms.

Building Interdisciplinary Research and Communication Skills in the Agricultural and Climate Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson-Maynard, J.; Borrelli, K.; Wolf, K.; Bernacchi, L.; Eigenbrode, S.; Daley Laursen, D.

2015-12-01

Preparing scientists and educators to create and promote practical science-based agricultural approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation is a main focus of the Regional Approaches to Climate Change (REACCH) project. Social, political and environmental complexities and interactions require that future scientists work across disciplines rather than having isolated knowledge of one specific subject area. Additionally, it is important for graduate students earning M.S. or Ph.D. degrees in agriculture and climate sciences to be able to communicate scientific findings effectively to non-scientific audiences. Unfortunately, university graduate curricula rarely adequately prepare students with these important skills. REACCH recognizes the need for graduate students to have thorough exposure to other disciplines and to be able to communicate information for outreach and education purposes. These priorities have been incorporated into graduate training within the REACCH project. The interdisciplinary nature of the project and its sophisticated digital infrastructure provide graduate students multiple opportunities to gain these experiences. The project includes over 30 graduate students from 20 different disciplines and research foci including agronomy, biogeochemistry, soil quality, conservation tillage, hydrology, pest and beneficial organisms, economics, modeling, remote sensing, science education and climate science. Professional develop workshops were developed and held during annual project meetings to enhance student training. The "Toolbox" survey (http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/toolbox/) was used to achieve effective interdisciplinary communication. Interdisciplinary extension and education projects were required to allow students to gain experience with collaboration and working with stakeholder groups. Results of student surveys and rubrics developed to gauge success in interdisciplinary research and communication may provide a helpful starting point for future projects involving graduate student training.

Critical Elements for Successful Implementation and Adoption of Authentic Scientific Research Programs: Lessons Learned from NASA's Mars Student Imaging Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klug Boonstra, S.; Swann, J.; Boonstra, D.; Manfredi, L.; Christensen, P. R.

2016-12-01

Recent research identifies the most effective learning as active, engaged learning in which students interact with phenomena, other students, and the teacher/leader to derive meaning and construct understanding of their surroundings. "Similarly, an engaging and effective science education goes well beyond the low-level factual recall that is emphasized in many science classes. It must develop the skills that students need to solve complex problems, work in teams, make and recognize evidence-based arguments, and interpret and communicate complex information" (emphasis added). Authentic science research projects provide active, engaged learning in which students interact with authentic science data in an authentic problem-solving context to derive meaning and construct understanding of the world. In formal (and many informal) settings, the teacher/leader is effectively the gatekeeper who determines the learning experiences in which the students will participate. From our experience of nearly a decade and a half of authentic science programming for 5thgrade through early college students working with NASA Mars data, supporting and enabling the teacher is perhaps the most critical and foundational element for designing a successful authentic research experience. Yet, a major barrier to this type of learning are teacher/leaders who are too often not equipped or who lack confidence to succeed in facilitating authentic research projects. The Mars Student Imaging Project has implemented an iterative process of design, testing, and redesign that has identified and implemented critical teacher/leader-enabling elements that have led to increasingly successful adoptions within formal and informal educational settings - allowing more students to gain the benefits of immersive research experience.

Eco-Driven Chemical Research in the Boundary Between Academia and Industry. PhD Students' Views on Science and Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sjöström, Jesper

2013-10-01

This paper examines and discusses the views on science and society held among PhD students working in two different industrially and environmentally driven research programmes in the broad area of green chemistry. It is based on thirteen in-depth interviews. The analysis shows three main ways of handling the situation as "post-academic" PhD student: (1) the student sees the PhD work mainly as a job and does not reflect about his/her research or the research funding, (2) the student is satisfied with the post-academic situation, accepts the established innovation policy discourse and is sceptical to traditional academic research, and (3) the student sees collaborative research programmes as a way to get funding, which can be used for secretly done basic research. Most PhD students either emphasise usefulness—in line with the dominating research policy discourse—or they adopt the positivistic view of science as objective and independent of the surrounding society. However, there are only a few signs of "double problematisation", that is a critical view where both disciplinary-oriented and industry-dependent research are problematised.

Nurturing Soft Skills Among High School Students Through Space Weather Competition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, Mardina; Abd Majid, Rosadah; Bais, Badariah; Syaidah Bahri, Nor

2016-07-01

Soft skills fulfill an important role in shaping an individual's personality. It is of high importance for every student to acquire adequate skills beyond academic or technical knowledge. The objective of this project was to foster students' enthusiasm in space science and develop their soft skills such as; interpersonal communication, critical thinking and problem-solving, team work, lifelong learning and information management, and leadership skills. This is a qualitative study and the data was collected via group interviews. Soft skills development among high school students were nurtured through space weather competition in solar flare detection. High school students (16 to 17 years old) were guided by mentors consisting of science teachers to carry out this project based on a module developed by UKM's researchers. Students had to acquire knowledge on antenna development and construct the antenna with recyclable materials. They had to capture graphs and identify peaks that indicate solar flare. Their findings were compared to satellite data for verification. They also presented their work and their findings to the panel of judges. After observation, it can be seen that students' soft skills and interest in learning space science had become more positive after being involved in this project.

Gregor Mendel's classic paper and the nature of science in genetics courses.

PubMed

Westerlund, Julie F; Fairbanks, Daniel J

2010-12-01

The discoveries of Gregor Mendel, as described by Mendel in his 1866 paper Versuche uber Pflanzen-Hybriden (Experiments on plant hybrids), can be used in undergraduate genetics and biology courses to engage students about specific nature of science characteristics and their relationship to four of his major contributions to genetics. The use of primary source literature as an instructional tool to enhance genetics students' understanding of the nature of science helps students more clearly understand how scientists work and how the science of genetics has evolved as a discipline. We offer a historical background of how the nature of science developed as a concept and show how Mendel's investigations of heredity can enrich biology and genetics courses by exemplifying the nature of science. © 2010 The Authors.

Theory and practice in medical education – expectations and development of skills experienced by students of human medicine compared with students in other disciplines

PubMed Central

Piedmont, Silke; Robra, Bernt-Peter

2015-01-01

Aim: The aim of this article is to compare students of human medicine (HM) with students specialising in the MINT disciplines (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and engineering), the humanities and social sciences as well as law and economic sciences with regard to their expectations of their university study and career and the areas of competence where they feel they have been supported by their education. We present in detail issues particularly relevant to prospective physicians, which are discussed with the main focus on the “theoretical and practical orientation of medical education”. Methods: We used the database in the Public Use File of the “11th Student Survey”, a written survey of randomly selected students studying at 25 German tertiary institutions during the 2009/2010 winter term, which was supplied by the Tertiary Education Research working group at the University of Constance. Data on 7536 students was included, of which 488 (6.5%) were prospective physicians. Results: Human medicine students have a clear career aim and want to complete their education quickly. They have a far above-average interest in working with and for people. About one student in two is interested in a career in science or research (53% in each case – close to the average for all subjects). Compared with the other disciplines, HM students are most likely to consider their university education to have practical and research relevance and are most likely to feel prepared for their profession. Yet over half of all students (Ø 53.3%; HM 54.5%) do not consider their education to have fostered their research skills. MINT students in particular are better able to enhance their skills through independent experimentation, while theory and practice are more likely to be communicated academically in the regular teaching of human medicine. Accordingly, the HM students feel less well supported in some areas of competence required for their later work than students in other disciplines, in developing independence, problem-solving ability, critical ability and capacity for teamwork for example. Conclusion: The high expectations held by human medicine students of being prepared for practical work with/on people are met to an above-average degree according to their assessments of the “practical relevance” and “career preparation” offered by their medical education. However the perceived development of skills in theory and practice does not respond sufficiently well to the demands of the complex, responsible profession they aspire to. Medical students should be better supported in developing both practical and academic independence. PMID:25699111

Teaching Planetary Science as Part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margot, Jean-Luc; Greenberg, Adam H.

2017-10-01

In Spring 2016 and 2017, UCLA offered a course titled "EPSS C179/279 - Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and Applications". The course is designed for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students in the science, technical, engineering, and mathematical fields. Each year, students designed an observing sequence for the Green Bank telescope, observed known planetary systems remotely, wrote a sophisticated and modular data processing pipeline, analyzed the data, and presented their results. In 2016, 15 students participated in the course (9U, 5G; 11M, 3F) and observed 14 planetary systems in the Kepler field. In 2017, 17 students participated (15U, 2G; 10M, 7F) and observed 10 planetary systems in the Kepler field, TRAPPIST-1, and LHS 1140. In order to select suitable targets, students learned about planetary systems, planetary habitability, and planetary dynamics. In addition to planetary science fundamentals, students learned radio astronomy fundamentals, collaborative software development, signal processing techniques, and statistics. Evaluations indicate that the course is challenging but that students are eager to learn because of the engrossing nature of SETI. Students particularly value the teamwork approach, the observing experience, and working with their own data. The next offering of the course will be in Spring 2018. Additional information about our SETI work is available at seti.ucla.edu.

4th Annual Conference for African-American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS4). Preliminary Program

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

Tapia, Richard

1998-06-01

In June, The Center for Research on Parallel Computation (CRPC), an NSF-funded Science and Technology Center, hosted the 4th Annual Conference for African-American Reserachers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS4) at Rice University. The main goal of this conference was to highlight current work by African-American researchers and graduate students in mathematics. This conference strengthened the mathematical sciences by encouraging the increased participation of African-American and underrepresented groups into the field, facilitating working relationships between them and helping to cultivate their careers. In addition to the talks there was a graduate student poster session and tutorials on topics in mathematics andmore » computer science. These talks, presentations, and discussions brought a broader perspective to the critical issues involving minority participation in mathematics.« less

29 CFR 519.12 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... or university, a junior college, or a professional school of engineering, law, library science, social work, etc. It is one that is recognized by a national accrediting agency or association as... biological sciences which is designed to prepare the student to work as a technician and at a semi...

29 CFR 519.12 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... or university, a junior college, or a professional school of engineering, law, library science, social work, etc. It is one that is recognized by a national accrediting agency or association as... biological sciences which is designed to prepare the student to work as a technician and at a semi...

Wetlands Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messina, Linda; Blanchard, Pamela Borne

2004-01-01

This article describes how a biology teacher's search for a cross-curricular project in science, math, history, and environmental science, that would help her students connect what they were learning in the classroom to their everyday life, resulted in an ongoing stewardship project. Working together with the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program…

Inspiring Inquiry: Scientists, science teachers, and GK-12 students learning climate science together

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stwertka, C.; Blonquist, J.; Feener, D.

2010-12-01

A major communication gap exists between climate scientists, educators, and society. As a result, findings from climate research, potential implications of climate change, and possible mitigation strategies are not fully understood and accepted outside of the climate science community. A good way to begin bridging the gap is to teach climate science to students in public schools. TGLL (Think Globally, Learn Locally) is an NSF GK-12 program based at the University of Utah, which partners graduate students in the biological, geological and atmospheric sciences with middle and high school teachers in the Salt Lake City School District to improve the communication skills of Fellows and enhance inquiry-based science teaching and learning in the classroom. Each TGLL Fellow works in the same classroom(s) throughout the year, developing his or her scientific communication skills while providing teachers with content knowledge, resources, classroom support, and enhancing the experience of students such that science becomes an interesting and accessible tool for acquiring knowledge. The TGLL Fellows work closely as a group to develop inquiry-based teaching modules (a series of lessons) and a field trip that involve students in doing authentic science. Lessons are designed to apply national and Utah core curriculum concepts to broader scientific issues such as habitat alteration, pollution and disturbance, invasive species, and infectious disease, with the focus of the 2010-2011 school year being climate change. The TGLL Global Climate Change module contains lesson plans on climate temporal and spatial scales, temperature variation, energy balance, the carbon cycle, the greenhouse effect, climate feedback loops, anthropogenic climate change indicators, climate change consequences and impacts, and actions students can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The capstone experience for the module is a “Backyard Climate Change” field trip to a local pristine canyon. Students will map and measure the carbon dioxide flux of various ecosystem components, measure the albedo of various surfaces, learn about micro-scale climates and atmospheric pollen transport, measure water and air quality, and observe habitat alteration. Through the module and fieldtrip, TGLL Fellows aim to build student and teacher knowledge about climate change and create lasting projects that are adapted into the core science curriculum.

Broadening Educational Horizons: The National Science Foundation GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program at the University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, K. R.; Kelley, J. T.

2005-12-01

The future of meaningful scientific research in the United States depends heavily upon the quality of the science and mathematics education received by students in our grade K-12 education system. The National Science Foundation's GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program provides opportunities for scientific enrichment for students and their teachers at the K-12 level. Currently in its fifth year at the University of Maine, Orono, the program is one of over 100 such programs in the country. Last year, the program was honored by the New England Board of Higher Education with a Regional Award for Excellence in Project Achievement. The program has three broad goals: to enrich the scientific education of students by providing equipment, role models, and expertise that they may not otherwise be exposed; to provide professional development for teachers through curriculum enrichment and participation at scientific conferences; and to improve the teaching and communication skills of fellows. Fellows represent a broad spectrum of research interests at the University of Maine, including Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Forestry, Geological Sciences, and Marine Science. This past year, 13 graduate students and 1 undergraduate student worked with 52 teachers and 2300 students in 26 schools across the state of Maine. The benefits of this program are tangible and substantial. New awareness of the innovative ways that K-12 and University education systems can work together to promote hands-on science and the scientific method, is one of the major contributions of the NSF GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program.

Identifying with Science: A case study of two 13-year-old `high achieving working class' British Asian girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Billy

2012-01-01

This paper provides an in-depth, 'case study' style analysis of the experiences of two 13-year-old British Asian girls from a larger qualitative study investigating minority ethnic students' aspirations in science. Through the lens of identity as performativity and Bourdieu's notions of habitus and capital, the ways in which two girls engage with the field of science is examined. Samantha is British Indian and Fay is British Bangladeshi and they are both 'top set' students in science, but only one aspired to study triple science, while the other desired to be 'famous'. The experiences of the two girls are explicated in this paper, teasing out their experiences and constructions of science. It is argued that cultural discourses of family, peers and teacher expectations can shape students' perceptions of science and education.

Orchestrating student discourse opportunities and listening for conceptual understandings in high school science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinard, Melissa Grass

Scientific communities have established social mechanisms for proposing explanations, questioning evidence, and validating claims. Opportunities like these are often not a given in science classrooms (Vellom, Anderson, & Palincsar, 1993) even though the National Science Education Standards (NSES, 1996) state that a scientifically literate person should be able to "engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about important issues in science and technology" (National Research Council [NRC], 1996). Research further documents that students' science conceptions undergo little modification with the traditional teaching experienced in many high school science classrooms (Duit, 2003, Dykstra, 2005). This case study is an examination of the discourse that occurred as four high school physics students collaborated on solutions to three physics lab problems during which the students made predictions and experimentally generated data to support their predictions. The discourse patterns were initially examined for instances of concept negotiations. Selected instances were further examined using Toulmin's (2003) pattern for characterizing argumentation in order to understand the students' scientific reasoning strategies and to document the role of collaboration in facilitating conceptual modifications and changes. Audio recordings of the students' conversations during the labs, written problems turned in to the teacher, interviews of the students, and observations and field notes taken during student collaboration were used to document and describe the students' challenges and successes encountered during their collaborative work. The findings of the study indicate that collaboration engaged the students and generated two types of productive science discourse: concept negotiations and procedure negotiations. Further analysis of the conceptual and procedure negotiations revealed that the students viewed science as sensible and plausible but not as a tool they could employ to answer their questions. The students' conceptual growth was inhibited by their allegiance to the authority of the science laws as learned in their school classroom. Thus, collaboration did not insure conceptual change. Describing student discourse in situ contributes to science education research about teaching practices that facilitate conceptual understandings in the science classroom.

Young Engineers and Sciences (YES) - Mentoring High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boice, Daniel C.; Asbell, E.; Reiff, P. H.

2008-09-01

Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) is a community partnership between Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), and local high schools in San Antonio, Texas (USA) during the past 16 years. The YES program provides talented high school juniors and seniors a bridge between classroom instruction and real world, research experiences in physical sciences (including space science) and engineering. YES consists of two parts: 1) an intensive three-week summer workshop held at SwRI where students experience the research environment first-hand; develop skills and acquire tools for solving scientific problems, attend mini-courses and seminars on electronics, computers and the Internet, careers, science ethics, and other topics; and select individual research projects to be completed during the academic year; and 2) a collegial mentorship where students complete individual research projects under the guidance of their mentors during the academic year and earn honors credit. At the end of the school year, students publicly present and display their work, acknowledging their accomplishments and spreading career awareness to other students and teachers. During these years, YES has developed a website for topics in space science from the perspective of high school students, including NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) (http://yesserver.space.swri.edu). High school science teachers participate in the workshop and develop space-related lessons for classroom presentation in the academic year. Student evaluations indicate the effectiveness of YES on their academic preparation and choice of college majors. Over the past 16 years, all YES graduates have entered college, several have worked for SwRI, one business has started, and three scientific publications have resulted. Acknowledgements. We acknowledge funding and support from the NASA MMS Mission, Texas Space Grant Consortium, Northside Independent School District, SwRI, and several local charitable foundations.

Effects of a novel science curriculum versus traditional science curriculum on problem solving skills and attitudes for 10th grade students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauchat, Carrie

This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods in investigating how a novel science curriculum, geared towards the 21 st century student, affected skills and attitudes towards science for tenth grade students. The quantitative portion of the study was a quasi-experimental design since random groups were not possible. This portion of the study used a pretest/posttest design to measure any improvement in science skills, and a Likert scale survey to measure any improvements in students' attitudes. Statistical tests revealed no significant differences between students who received the novel curriculum versus those students who received a traditional curriculum. Both groups showed significant improvements in all skill areas. Qualitatively, the researcher used informal teacher interviews and student surveys to identify the most relevant and effective curriculum components for the 21st century student. The findings suggest that the task of creating a meaningful and relevant curriculum based on the necessary skills of this century is not an easy task. There is much more work to be done in this area, but according to the qualitative findings integrated design and student technology are promising.

Big Data Science Cafés: High School Students Experiencing Real Research with Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, C. E.; Pompea, S. M.

2017-12-01

The Education and Public Outreach group at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory has designed an outside-of-school education program to excite the interest of talented youth in future projects like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the NOAO (archival) Data Lab - their data approaches and key science projects. Originally funded by the LSST Corporation, the program cultivates talented youth to enter STEM disciplines and serves as a model to disseminate to the 40+ institutions involved in LSST. One Saturday a month during the academic year, high school students have the opportunity to interact with expert astronomers who work with large astronomical data sets in their scientific work. Students learn about killer asteroids, the birth and death of stars, colliding galaxies, the structure of the universe, gravitational waves, dark energy, dark matter, and more. The format for the Saturday science cafés has been a short presentation, discussion (plus food), computer lab activity and more discussion. They last about 2.5 hours and have been planned by a group of interested local high school students, an undergraduate student coordinator, the presenting astronomers, the program director and an evaluator. High school youth leaders help ensure an enjoyable and successful program for fellow students. They help their fellow students with the activities and help evaluate how well the science café went. Their remarks shape the next science café and improve the program. The experience offers youth leaders ownership of the program, opportunities to take on responsibilities and learn leadership and communication skills, as well as foster their continued interests in STEM. The prototype Big Data Science Academy was implemented successfully in the Spring 2017 and engaged almost 40 teens from greater Tucson in the fundamentals of astronomy concepts and research. As with any first implementation there were bumps. However, staff, scientists, and student leaders all stepped up to make the program a success. The project achieved many of its goals with a relatively small budget, providing value not only to the student leaders and student attendees, but to the scientists and staff as well. Staff learned what worked and what needed more fine-tuning to successfully launch and run a big data academy for teens in the years that follow.

Girls Doing Science: A Case Study of Science Literacy in All-Female Middle Grade Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faller, Susan Elisabeth

In the face of low adolescent literacy rates (NCES, 2012), concerns about the nation's prospects of remaining competitive in science and technology (Hill, Corbett, & St. Rose, 2010), a persistent gender gap in science (NCES, 2012; Reilly, 2012), and the continued rollout of college- and career-ready standards, there is a need to focus on adolescent girls' science literacy. Such science literacy involves not only general knowledge about science, but also the ability to engage in the advanced reading and writing practices fundamental to doing science (Norris & Phillips, 2003). In this thesis, I present three articles with findings that respond to this need. They are the results of a multiple-case embedded (Yin, 2009) study that I conducted over the course of 7 months in four science classrooms (grades 5 through 8; 50 students) taught by a single teacher in a small all-female middle school. I collected in-depth data focused on science literacy from multiple sources, including (a) fieldnotes (Emerson, Fretz & Shaw, 2011), (b) videorecorded classroom observations (102 classes, 113 hours, recorded on 29 days), (c) a survey of all students, (d) semi-structured interviews with the subsample of 12 focal students (ranging from 18 to 37 minutes) and (e) photographs of classroom artifacts and student work. In the first article, I provide a window into standard literacy practices in science classrooms by examining the reading and writing genres to which students are exposed. In the second article, I examine how a teacher's language and instructional practices within her classrooms, and popular images of science from the world beyond their classrooms might shape adolescent girls' science identities. Finally, in the third article, I explore different aspects of science identity using the words of three case study students. Taken together, these studies fill gaps in the literature by investigating science literacy in an understudied context, all-female classrooms. In addition, they give voice to a group often underrepresented in studies of science (i.e., primarily nonwhite girls from working class families, many of whom speak English as a second language.) Thus this thesis provides new insights for researchers as well as teachers interested in science literacy and persistent gaps in science achievement.

The Summer School Alpbach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gitsch, Michaela; Manoharan, Periasamy K.

2015-02-01

Sixty young, highly qualified European science and engineering students converge annually for stimulating 10 days of work in the Austrian Alps. Four teams are formed, each of which designs a space mission, which are then judged by a jury of experts. Students learn how to approach the design of a satellite mission and explore new and startling ideas supported by experts. The Summer School Alpbach enjoys more than 30 years of tradition in providing in-depth teaching on different topics of space science and space technology, featuring lectures and concentrated working sessions on mission studies in self-organised working groups. The Summer School is organised by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and co-sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA), the International Space Science Institute (ISSI), and the national space authorities of its member and cooperating states.

The opportunities and challenges of guided inquiry science for students with special needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Marianne

Research in science education has been conducted with various goals for instruction. Four outcomes identified include: immediate and delayed recall, literal comprehension, science skills and processes, and conceptual understanding. The promise of developing important thinking skills exists for all students if science instruction is designed to teach students the products of science and the principled process of inquiry. Guided inquiry science seeks to develop conceptual understanding through the pursuit of meaningful questions using scientific problem solving to conduct investigations that are thoughtfully generated and evaluated. Using a social constructivist perspective, this study examines the learning experiences of four students, identified by their teachers as learning disabled or underachieving. Four case studies are presented of the students' participation in a guided inquiry investigation of the behavior of light. Measures of conceptual understanding included pre- and post-instruction assessments, interviews, journal writing, videotapes, and fieldnotes. All four students demonstrated improved conceptual understanding of light. Five patterns of relationships influenced the development of the students' thinking. First, differences in the culture of the two classrooms altered the learning environment, Second, the nature of teacher interaction with the target students affected conceptual understanding. Third, interactions with peers modified the learning experiences for the identified students. Fourth, the conceptual and procedural complexity of the tasks increased the tendency for the students to lose focus. Finally, the literacy requirements of the work were challenging for these students.

Science laboratory behavior strategies of students relative to performance in and attitude to laboratory work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okebukola, Peter Akinsola

The relationship between science laboratory behavior strategies of students and performance in and attitude to laboratory work was investigated in an observational study of 160 laboratory sessions involving 600 class five (eleventh grade) biology students. Zero-order correlations between the behavior strategies and outcome measures reveal a set of low to strong relationships. Transmitting information, listening and nonlesson related behaviors exhibited low correlations with practical skills and the attitude measure. The correlations between manipulating apparatus and observation with practical skills measures were found to be strong. Multiple correlation analysis revealed that the behaviors of students in the laboratories observed accounted for a large percentage of the variance in the scores on manipulative skills and a low percentage on interpretation of data, responsibility, initiative, and work habits. One significant canonical correlation emerged. The loadings on this canonical variate indicate that the practical skills measures, i.e., planning and design, manipulative skills and conduct of experiments, observation and recording of data, and attitude to laboratory work made primary contributions to the canonical relationship. Suggestions as to how students can be encouraged to go beyond cookbook-like laboratories and develop a more favorable attitude to laboratory work are made.