Browsing by Subject "Science Education"
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
Results Per Page
Sort Options
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 Unpublished Doctor of Education Doctoral Thesis, University of Houston, May, 2011.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 A Pathway to STEM Education: Investigating Pre-Service Mathematics and Science Teachers at Turkish Universities in Terms of Their Understanding of Mathematics Used in Science(2012-07-16) Corlu, MehmetReforms in education of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines have been particularly critical for the economic competitiveness of Turkey. STEM education includes the set of knowledge, skills, and beliefs which are collaboratively constructed by students and teachers at the intersection of more than one STEM subject area. The overall purpose for all three studies comprising this dissertation was to investigate whether prospective Turkish mathematics and science teachers were ready to implement STEM education in terms of their integrated teaching knowledge (ITK), teaching self-efficacy beliefs, and attitudes toward mathematics and science integration. The dissertation employed a quantitative research methodology to investigate ITK and attitudes whereas teaching self-efficacy beliefs were investigated with an explanatory mixed methods study. Results from the first study suggested that the pre-service mathematics and science teachers, who were educated in an integrated teaching education program, outperformed peers in the departmentalized teacher education program in terms of their ITK. There was evidence in the second study that practical teaching experiences helped pre-service mathematics and science teachers develop high self-efficacy beliefs for mathematics and science integration. The findings of the third study indicated that the integrated teacher education program provided noteworthy benefits for pre-service attitudes toward mathematics and science integration when compared to pre-service mathematics teachers in the departmentalized program. The unique attributes of integrated mathematics and science teacher education programs, such as balanced coursework of content, pedagogy, and pedagogical content knowledge, integrated teaching courses, and the increased peer stimulation in classrooms were discussed as possible factors that explain the results. Overall, the three studies demonstrated that the pre-service mathematics and science teachers in the integrated teacher education program were ready to implement STEM education aligned with the reforms enacted by the K-12 policy-making organization while the departmentalized teacher education program, which was recommended by the higher education policy making organization, was preparing pre-service teachers as content experts of individual STEM subjects. Policy coordination in K-12 and higher education emerged as a critical factor for the success of Turkish education reforms.Item In the Foot Steps of Madame Curie: A Cross-Case Study of Female Undergraduate Physics MajorsJaladanki, Vani SavithriItem Learning and Transfer in a Complex Professional Development Setting: A Cross-Case Analysis of the Perceptions and Practices of Science Teachers(2010-07-14) Brooks, Lisa A.In this dissertation the relationships among teachers' classroom contexts, teaching practices, personal practice theories and their learning from reform-based professional development were examined. This study is based on the cases of three high school science teachers whose participation in the Information Technology in Science (ITS) Center's professional development experience (PDE) resulted in different perceptions and interpretations. Qualitative and quantitative data, including classroom observations, in-depth interviews, teacher-generated written work from the PDE, and student classroom perceptions were analyzed and compared. The within-case analyses revealed that each teacher's thoughts, actions and perceptions were highly congruent. The cross-case analysis illuminated variations among the cases. Bandura's (1999) model of triadic reciprocal causation was applied as an interpretive frame. This frame was used to connect five indicators used in the study to coherently compare and evaluate the alignment of each teacher's thoughts, actions, and perceptions with the vision of reformbased teaching promoted by the ITS Center's PDE. Results of this interpretation show that the differences among the cases stemmed from the different problems the teachers believed reform-based teaching methods addressed. Recommendations for the design of PDEs include the importance of (a) focusing on flexible learning goals that can be meaningful and appropriate for all teachers, (b) understanding and engaging teachers' prior knowledge, (c) making changes in teachers' thinking visible and (d) keeping in mind the challenges involved in changing practice to reflect the recommendations of reform. Recommendations for future research include the development of learning trajectories for teachers with different orientations toward reform and deepening our current understandings of teacher educator expertise.Item Overcoming the obstacles: life stories of scientists with learning disabilities(2009-05-15) Force, Crista MarieScientific discovery is at the heart of solving many of the problems facing contemporary society. Scientists are retiring at rates that exceed the numbers of new scientists. Unfortunately, scientific careers still appear to be outside the reach of most individuals with learning disabilities. The purpose of this research was to better understand the methods by which successful learning disabled scientists have overcome the barriers and challenges associated with their learning disabilities in their preparation and performance as scientists. This narrative inquiry involved the researcher writing the life stories of four scientists. These life stories were generated from extensive interviews in which each of the scientists recounted their life histories. The researcher used narrative analysis to ?make sense? of these learning disabled scientists? life stories. The narrative analysis required the researcher to identify and describe emergent themes characterizing each scientist?s life. A cross-case analysis was then performed to uncover commonalities and differences in the lives of these four individuals. Results of the cross-case analysis revealed that all four scientists had a passion for science that emerged at an early age, which, with strong drive and determination, drove these individuals to succeed in spite of the many obstacles arising from their learning disabilities. The analysis also revealed that these scientists chose careers based on their strengths; they actively sought mentors to guide them in their preparation as scientists; and they developed coping techniques to overcome difficulties and succeed. The cross-case analysis also revealed differences in the degree to which each scientist accepted his or her learning disability. While some demonstrated inferior feelings about their successes as scientists, still other individuals revealed feelings of having superior abilities in areas such as visualization and working with people. These individuals revealed beliefs that they developed these special abilities as a result of their learning differences, which made them better than their non-learning disabled peers in certain areas. Finally, the researcher discusses implications of these findings in the light of special accommodations that can be made by teachers, school counselors, and parents to encourage learning disabled children who demonstrate interest in becoming scientists.Item Teacher Participation in Professional Activities and Job Satisfaction: Prevalence and Associative Relationship to Retention for High School Science Teachers(2012-02-14) Bozeman, Todd DaneIn this dissertation, I used survey response data from 385 science teachers situated in 50 randomly selected Texas high schools to describe the prevalence of high school science teacher participation in professional activities and levels of job satisfaction. Using relative risk statistics, I determined the direction and significance of multiple associative relationships involving teachers? participation in professional activities, satisfaction with working conditions, and retention state. Finally, I used these results to make specific policy recommendations. Teachers participate in diverse professional activities. Descriptive analyses of responses from teachers revealed higher rates of participation in development activities than in maintenance or management activities. Relative risk statistics exposed several positive and significant associative relationships between participation in specific professional activities (i.e., observation of other science teachers, involvement in a science education study group) and teacher retention. Additionally, results of risk analyses suggest teacher participation in maintenance activities, more than development or management, is associated with teacher retention. Researchers consider job satisfaction an important factor in teacher retention. Descriptive analyses revealed high rates of satisfaction with occupational choice and the interpersonal relationships shared with professional colleagues and administrators. Conversely, teachers expressed low rates of satisfaction with their school?s science laboratory facilities and equipment or support for student involvement in informal science activities. Results of risk analyses exposed no positive associations between job satisfaction and retention for teachers. The interaction between teacher participation in professional activities and satisfaction with occupational choice was also examined. Descriptive analyses of responses from retained teachers (n=291) revealed high rates of participation in development activities in comparison to maintenance or management activities. Results of risk analyses exposed both positive and negative associations between teacher participation in professional activities and satisfaction with occupational choice, suggesting an interactive effect exists between participation in activities and satisfaction with occupational choice on retention. I used results from analyses to make state and school level policy recommendations, which included: (a) development of state standards for classroom equipment and facilities; (b) greater state involvement in defining teacher professional activities; and, (c) increasing school support for teacher participation in maintenance activities.Item Teacher Perceptions of Change in Leadership Roles and Activities as a Result of Participation in a Science Education Leadership Program(2010-10-12) Hobson, MargaretTeacher leadership has emerged as a component of the movement to increase student achievement in science and mathematics. The Information Technology in Science Center for Teaching and Learning (ITS Center) was funded by the National Science Foundation with the goal of developing science education leaders. This study explored the changes in teachers' descriptions of their leadership in their school settings before and after their participation in a science education leadership program and the aspects of their science education leadership. A study of teacher-participants in Cohort II of the ITS Center was conducted to investigate how they demonstrated leadership in their school settings and to what extent these teachers attributed changes in their leadership to their ITS Center experience. Participants in this study were 15 classroom teachers who participated in Cohort II of the ITS Center. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used. These teacher-participants completed a Teacher Leadership Roles Survey as a part of their application to participate and then again one year after their ITS Center participation. Their primary leadership roles were to serve as a source of knowledge and a generator of new ideas for their fellow teachers. Their major activity was to develop curricular/instructional materials. However, the change in their leadership roles and activities was highly variable. As the literature indicates, demonstration of teacher leadership is highly dependent on context. The participants who greatly increased their leadership roles and activities moved into new, formal leadership roles following their ITS Center experience. Participants who greatly decreased their leadership roles and activities had changed school campuses or districts. A case study was conducted of two teachers demonstrating a great increase in leadership. They identified the components of the ITS Center experience that contributed to increased leadership roles and activities as: relationships developed with fellow teachers, graduate students, and university faculty; extended time for engagement in ITS Center activities; accountability for implementation of ITS Center Instructional Frameworks and Practitioner Research Plan; and their increased understanding of educational research and the role it plays in evidence-based decision making.Item The Effects of a Standards-Based Curriculum on Science Teachers' Instructional Decisions(2011-10-21) Metty, Jane MaureenTeachers are an essential link between the curriculum and student achievement. Teachers make instructional decisions that (1) determine the success or failure of a curricular intervention and (2) can result in either alignment or disconnect between the written and enacted curricula. Despite overwhelming evidence linking the success or the failure of a curricular intervention to the classroom teacher, little is known about the instructional decisions teachers make when using a standards-based curriculum. The use of standards-based curriculum is becoming common, therefore, it is essential to know how teachers are using it. This study focused on three questions. First, can the factors that influence instructional decisions be consolidated into manageable, representative, and useful categories? Second, what instructional decisions did six science teachers in a rural central Texas school district make when using the standards-based curriculum, CSCOPE? Finally, what steps did one district take to select and adopt the SBC, CSCOPE? This study found that the factors that influence instructional decisions could be clustered into four categories: (1) working conditions, (2) pedagogical content knowledge, (3) prior experiences, and (4) beliefs. Further, that teachers made instructional decisions both to use CSCOPE as intended and to modify CSCOPE lessons. Modifications to CSCOPE were made despite (1) an administrative mandate not to modify CSCOPE, (2) good administrative support, and (3) the stated intention of these teachers to adhere to CSCOPE. Teachers omitted, replaced and/or supplemented lessons and/or parts of lessons in order to (1) accommodate the needs of their students and (2) prepare students for the state assessment. Finally, several steps taken by Bluecat ISD administrators assisted teachers in using CSCOPE as intended. This study makes three contributions to the educational literature. First, no useful categorization exists of the factors that influence teachers? instructional decisions. Chapter II provides an initial categorization of these factors that is manageable, representative, and useful. Second, administrators need to be able to anticipate how teachers may use a standards-based curriculum. Chapter III identifies the instructional decisions made by these six science teachers. Chapter IV identifies the measures put in place to support teachers as they adjusted to CSCOPE.