Browsing by Subject "Conceptual Understanding"
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Item Differential Effects of the Manipulation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Data Sets Using Image J Analysis Software for Conceptual Understanding in a College Biology Course(2012-02-14) Lane, Cleveland O., Jr.There has been an influx of funding in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) allocated to adapting educational systems that engage, motivate and train learners with new and innovative techniques. This exploratory research project investigated the student outcomes associated with undergraduate biology learner' engagements in the ER Project. Thirty-one students interacted in small groups within an inquiry-learning environment supported by an innovative technology that introduced a database of images of green florescent endoplasmic reticulum and golgi apparatus. The aim of the ER Project was to increase learners' conceptual understanding of cell structure and movement and engage in scientific processes in an authentic inquiry setting. To identify relationships between and among independent and dependent variables in a causal model hypothesizing relationships among Prior Knowledge, Learning Preference, Attitudes toward Computers, Inquiry Task Performance and Conceptual Understanding were tested using path analysis. The study found that while prior knowledge was a strong predictor for conceptual understanding, it was not as effective for observing the inquiry task performance. But, the Motivation towards Computers and their Inquiry Task Performance indicated that learners understood the scientific processes and were able to communicate their results.Item The Impact of Science Notebook Writing on ELL and Low-SES Students' Science Language Development and Conceptual Understanding(2013-04-05) Huerta, MargaritaThis quantitative study explored the impact of literacy integration in a science inquiry classroom involving the use of science notebooks on the academic language development and conceptual understanding of students from diverse (i.e., English Language Learners, or ELLs) and low socio-economic status (low-SES) backgrounds. The study derived from a randomized, longitudinal, field-based NSF funded research project (NSF Award No. DRL - 0822343) targeting ELL and non-ELL students from low-SES backgrounds in a large urban school district in Southeast Texas. The study used a scoring rubric (modified and tested for validity and reliability) to analyze fifth-grade school students? science notebook entries. Scores for academic language quality (or, for brevity, language) were used to compare language growth over time across three time points (i.e., beginning, middle, and end of the school year) and to compare students across categories (ELL, former ELL, non-ELL, and gender) using descriptive statistics and mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA). Scores for conceptual understanding (or, for brevity, concept) were used to compare students across categories (ELL, former ELL, non-ELL, and gender) in three domains using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. A correlational analysis was conducted to explore the relationship, if any, between language scores and concept scores for each group. Students demonstrated statistically significant growth over time in their academic language as reflected by science notebook scores. While ELL students scored lower than former ELL and non-ELL students at the first two time points, they caught up to their peers by the third time point. Similarly, females outperformed males in language scores in the first two time points, but males caught up to females in the third time point. In analyzing conceptual scores, ELLs had statistically significant lower scores than former-ELL and non-ELL students, and females outperformed males in the first two domains. These differences, however, were not statistically significant in the last domain. Last, correlations between language and concept scores were overall, positive, large, and significant across domains and groups. The study presents a rubric useful for quantifying diverse students? science notebook entries, and findings add to the sparse research on the impact of writing in diverse students? language development and conceptual understanding in science.Item Using Simulations in Physics to Teach Newton's Third Law to High School Learners with Limited English Proficiency: A Mixed Methods Study(2014-04-18) Head, Mary JaneMy intent in this study was to investigate computer simulations as an instructional approach for high school physics English Language Learners (ELLs). Comparison-group research was employed to assess differences in ELLs? learning with computer simulations demonstrating Newton's Third Law in comparison to learning with a traditional hands-on laboratory approach. My expectations were that computer simulations would be advantageous to ELLs, regardless of the individual learners' language proficiency levels. I expected that a comparison ELL group engaged in hands-on laboratory experiments would not perform as well as learners in the computer simulations group. A total of 44 ELL students were randomly assigned to two treatment groups (computer simulations group, n = 22; traditional laboratory group, n = 22). Within each treatment group, smaller groups of 3 to 4 students were randomly assigned to work together, resulting in 7 smaller computer simulations groups and 7 smaller traditional hands-on laboratory groups (Appendix D). Attrition resulted in a total of 30 students distributed into treatment groups (computer simulations group, n = 20; traditional laboratory group, n = 10). Data collected for comparison included two measures of conceptual understanding. Gain scores were calculated for pre- and posttest FCI questions. Student journal entries and videotaped speech transcriptions were analyzed and transformed into quantitative frequencies and percentages. Results confirmed simulations assisted ELLs in grasping concepts but didn?t support simulations as encouraging conceptual conversation. Results indicated that ELLs learning with simulations were not at a disadvantage in understanding concepts even though they discussed and made fewer journal entries than ELLs learning with traditional hands-on approach. Exploratory in nature, this comparative study was the first of its kind to explore ELLs? conceptual understanding comparing computer simulations and hands-on instructional approaches. The results of this study lead to recommendations for a more extensive examination of ELLs' use of computer simulations to reinforce ELLs' learning of abstract physics concepts. However, several implications for classroom practices emerged from the findings of this exploratory study. Implications, which are discussed in the final section of the dissertation, include classroom practices related to misconceptions, scaffolding, assisting learners in grasping abstract concepts, and reinforcing conceptual understanding.