Browsing by Subject "Inquiry"
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Item A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO TEACHING PHYSICS AS INQUIRY: AN EXAMINATION OF IN-SERVICE EXEMPLARS(2012-04-19) Evans, Paige K.; Craig, Cheryl J.; Busch, Steven; Warner, Allen R.; Hutto, NoraEvans, Paige K. "A Narrative Inquiry into Teaching Physics as Inquiry: An Examination of In-Service Exemplars." Unpublished Doctor of Education Doctoral Thesis, University of Houston, May, 2011. ABSTRACT Studies show that teachers who have experienced inquiry are more likely to practice the inquiry method in their own classrooms (McDermott, 2007; Olson, 1995; Pereira, 2005; Windschitl, 2002). This study explores changes in science teachers’ personal practical knowledge (Clandinin, 1986) after participating in a graduate level physics inquiry course and subsequent professional development throughout the school year. In addition, teacher participants were studied to determine the roadblocks they encountered when altering curriculum mandates in ways that would enable them to work with the inquiry method. The results of this course and subsequent professional development sessions were analyzed for the benefits of using the inquiry method to teacher learning and to ascertain whether the teacher participants would be more apt to employ the inquiry method in their own classrooms. Moreover, the results of this study were analyzed to inform my personal practice as a leader preparing undergraduate science teachers in the teachHOUSTON program as well as in my continuing work with in-service teachers. An inquiry course may be added to the teachHOUSTON course sequence, based on the discoveries unearthed by this thesis study. This research study is conducted as a narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 1992, 2000; Craig, 2011; Polkinghorne, 1995) where story works as both a research method and a form of representation (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990). Narrative inquiry is strongly influenced by John Dewey (1938) who believed that one must rely on past experiences and knowledge to solve current and future problems and that life experience is in fact education. This study inquires into the narratives of two teachers who are teaching secondary science in public schools. These stories illuminate the teachers’ lived experiences as they co-constructed curriculum with their students. The images of teacher as a curriculum maker vs. teacher as a curriculum implementer (Craig & Ross, 2008; Craig, 2010) demonstrate what needs to be taken into account when teachers live physics curriculum alongside their students in physics classroom settings. The exemplars featured in this thesis illuminate teachers’ developing knowledge as they expand their understandings of inquiry in a physics inquiry course undertaken for professional development purposes and their subsequent enactment of science curriculum in their own classrooms with their students as they, too, inquire into physics.Item Comparative study of authentic scientific research versus guided inquiry in affecting middle school students' abilities to know and do genetics(Texas A&M University, 2006-08-16) Scallon, Jane MettyThis exploratory mixed methods study addressed the types of gains students made when engaged in one of two forms of inquiry. Gains were measured on three levels: conceptual understanding, the process of scientific investigation, and use of practical reasoning skills. One hundred-thirty 8th grade students from a rural public school in East Texas participated in this study. Classes of students were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: guided inquiry or authentic student research learning. Non parametric statistical analysis and constant comparative qualitative analysis were used to triangulate pre-tests and post-tests, student journals, and student drawings to address the research questions. Findings support greater gains in conceptual understanding of domain specific content in a highly scaffolded guided inquiry. Further authentic scientific research learning was more effective for developing understanding of scientific investigation as a process and application of knowledge through practical reasoning skills.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 John Dewey's theory of inquiry: an interpretation of a classical American approach to logic(Texas A&M University, 2006-08-16) Deters, Troy NicholasDuring the 20th century, John Dewey introduced a new idea with respect to the nature of logical theory: He presented a portrait of logic as a theory about how organisms interact and maintain an integrated balance between themselves and their environment. He wrote many texts on what he called his theory of inquiry, including Essays in Experimental Logic (1916), Studies in Logical Theory (1903), and How We Think (1910). However, the book where he most closely detailed his theory of inquiry is in his Logic: The Theory of Inquiry (1938). These texts by Dewey have served as the source for much recent discussion and commentary in Dewey scholarship. Most of these interpretations on Dewey??s theory of inquiry, I maintain, misunderstand Dewey in some fundamental way. I argue that these commentators have gone wrong in interpreting Dewey and his works by failing to understand some aspect of his theory of inquiry. I illustrate the flaws in their interpretations and subsequently integrate the conclusions I reach into a single, cohesive perspective on Dewey??s account of inquiry. The final chapter presents a new interpretation of Dewey that emphasizes the role of phenomenal, contextual, and social factors in the foundations of his logical works.Item Mentored Engagement of Secondary Science Students, Plant Scientists, and Teachers in an Inquiry-Based Online Learning Environment(2012-10-19) Peterson, CherylPlantingScience (PS) is a unique web-based learning system designed to develop secondary students' scientific practices and proficiencies as they engage in hands-on classroom investigations while being mentored online by a scientist. Some students' teachers had the opportunity to attend PS professional development (PD). In this dissertation, I developed a process of assessing student learning outcomes associated with their use of this system and evaluated inquiry engagement within this system. First, I developed a valid and reliable instrument (Online Elements of Inquiry Checklist; OEIC) to measure participants' (students, scientists, and teachers) engagement in scientific practices and proficiencies embedded within an inquiry cycle I collaborated with an expert-group to establish the OEIC's construct and content validities. An inter-rater reliability coefficient of 0.92 was established by scientists and a split half analysis was used to determine the instruments' internal consistency (Spearman-Brown coefficient of 0.96). Next, I used the OEIC to evaluate inquiry cycle engagement by the participants who used the PS online platform designed by the Botanical Society of America which facilitated communication between participants. Students provided more evidence of engagement in the earlier phases of an inquiry cycle. Scientists showed a similar trend but emphasized experimental design and procedures. Teachers rarely engaged online. Exemplary students' outcomes followed similar inquiry cycle trends, but with more evidence of engagement with one notable difference. Exemplary students provided evidence for extensive engagement in immersion activities, implicating immersion as a crucial component of successful inquiry cycle engagement. I also compared engagement outcomes of students whose teachers attended the PD experience to the students of teachers who did not attend PD. Differences found between the two groups occurred throughout the inquiry cycle, typically associated with experiences provided during the PD. As a result of this research I have several recommendations about revisions to the PS online platform and use of approaches to assure students development of scientific practices and proficiencies. The recommendations include additional scaffolding of the platform, explicit inquiry cycle instruction, and continued opportunities for teachers to engage in PD experiences provided by PS.Item Science teaching anxiety : the impact of beliefs on teacher preferences of instructional strategies(2014-05) Hodgin, Claire Marie; Barufaldi, James P.The purpose of this descriptive, mixed-method study was to explore a possible relationship between teacher beliefs and their philosophy of teaching. A theoretical framework depicted connections among levels of science anxiety and science teaching self-efficacy, and their influences on elementary teacher instructional preferences for a traditional or inquiry-based model of instruction. A card-sorting methodology was adapted to create an interview protocol that examined teacher instructional practices within the framework of an inquiry continuum. Teacher groups were identified quantitatively with two existing instruments to examine science anxiety and science teaching self-efficacy. Subtests of both the Science State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) were administered through an online survey and completed by 86 elementary teachers of science in a large urban school district. From the survey data teachers were grouped by levels of anxiety and self-efficacy in order to further examine their beliefs. Results identified three groups of teachers meriting additional investigation - low anxiety and high self-efficacy, high anxiety and low self-efficacy, and high anxiety and high self-efficacy. From these groups, eight total participants were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol consisting of a science teaching scenario card sort and open-ended questions to classify groups of teachers as primarily learner- or teacher-centered, and preferring a traditional or inquiry-based method of instruction. Based on qualitative coding for levels of inquiry and responses to questions probing teacher beliefs and practices, all of the teachers were classified as preferring a primarily teacher-centered model of instruction, thus upholding the theoretical framework for the high anxiety groups. In contradiction to the expectations described in the theoretical framework, the low anxiety and high self-efficacy group stated one of the strongest preferences for traditional instruction. In conclusion the low anxiety group may have preferred a traditional approach in order to meet campus expectations of instructional strategies that promote passing scores on standardized tests. Implications suggest that explicit instruction is needed on the essential features of inquiry for teachers during the preservice and induction phase of their careers, and additional professional development support for practicing elementary teachers.Item Understanding complex Earth systems: volatile metabolites as microbial ecosystem proxies and student conceptual model development of coastal eutrophication(2009-05-15) McNeal, Karen SueUnderstanding complex Earth systems is challenging for scientists and students alike, because of the characteristics (e.g. bifurcations, self-organization, chaotic response) that are associated with these systems. This research integrates two research strands which contribute to the scientific and pedagogical understanding of complex Earth systems. In the first strand, a method that characterizes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as ecological proxies of soil microbial ecosystems was validated. Unlike other measures of microbial community structure (e.g. Biolog and FAME), VOCs are advantageous because they are non-destructive and can provide temporal and spatial data. Additionally they are rich sources of information that describe the microbial metabolism, community structure, and organic carbon substrates utilized by soil microorganisms. Statistical results indicate that the detected and identified VOCs were significant (p < 0.05) indicators of microbial community composition shift in soil microcosm studies. Geographical information systems (GIS) illustrates that VOCs varied with space and time in south Texas soils. The second strand focuses on a geoscience education study exploring student conceptual model development of complex Earth systems. The efficacy of multiple representations and inquiry was tested as the pedagogical strategy in upper and lower level undergraduate courses to support students? conceptual model development of complex Earth systems. Comparisons in student performance were based on prior knowledge (low and high) and on exposure to the implemented pedagogy (control and experimental groups). Results indicate that an inquiry-based learning model coupled with the use of multiple representations had significant positive performance impacts on students? conceptual model development and content knowledge. This dissertation model integrates science and education research and is particularly useful for graduate students who intend to pursue a career in academia and envision teaching as part of their professional duties. It allows for synergy between teaching and research to be achieved where the classroom becomes a laboratory for research. Ultimately, the research conducted in the classroom informs pedagogy and enhances scholarship. Graduates learn to bridge the gap between education and science departments where they become leaders in science who conduct cutting-edge scientific research and also value making a broader impact on society through enhancing public education.Item The Walk : holding space in the face of crisis, failure, and fear(2015-05) Hutchinson, Jessica Rae; Rasmussen, Sarah; Carlson, Andrew; Dietz, Steven; Engelman, ElizabethThis thesis is about fear, failure, and faith. The tools I have developed during my graduate study have enabled me first to tolerate and then to welcome the energy of these forces into my artistic process. By examining and establishing Structure, creating and empowering Ensembles, and insisting upon an Inquiry-driven process, I can encounter fear and failure as I seek out the unpredictable, unrepeatable transcendence of the living play. By cultivating and inviting uncertainty, I hold space for the emergence of grace.