Browsing by Subject "science education"
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Item Ethnographic Studies of School Science and Science Communities(2012-07-16) Ayar, MehmetIn this dissertation I used the anthropological and sociocultural perspectives to examine the culture of school science and science communities. I conducted three independent studies. The first study is a meta-ethnography of three well-known case studies published in the literature. I analyzed these studies in order to identify the distinct characteristics of scientific communities and portray a picture of how science is practiced. The meta-ethnographic analysis reveals aspects of scientific practice that are insightful for the science educators and curriculum developers because these aspects are often neglected in school science even though they explain how science is done and accomplished in science communities. In the second study, I conducted an ethnographic research to explore the distinct characteristics of a scientific-engineering community. How the community members worked in collaboration as they conducted their research, how they negotiated and mutually agreed upon as they interacted and communicated with one and another and what they have learned through the process of these interactions were the units of the analyses. Findings reveal that the lead scientists' different working styles in the research center orchestrated learning and research. Ongoing communication and interdisciplinarity initiated collaborative partnerships with other communities and allowed the research groups to generate a shared repertoire to pursue the novelty in the process of knowledge generation. Mentorship was a catalyst for enculturation process, and it was on the trajectory of becoming an engineering university faculty. In the third study, I observed a science classroom over a period of time to explore the socio-cultural aspects of learning. I examined the social practices and the participants' interactions that establish and maintain participation, community, and meaning. In my analysis I investigated the extent to which students' participation and interaction formed a community of practice and fostered learning science. The three studies highlight the distinct characteristics of school science communities and science communities that are of importance for the efforts to better design learning environments. Translating the everyday activities of scientists and engineering researchers into school science communities can help enhance students' science learning experiences and cultivate a more informed understanding of science and engineering.Item Motivating Learners in Secondary Science Classrooms: Analysis of a Computer-Supported, Inquiry-Based Learning Environment Using Self-Determination Theory(2014-07-29) Scogin, Stephen C.In spite of generally poor student reports about science instruction in K-12 classrooms and decreasing interest in STEM careers, some curricular programs have successfully motivated and engaged students. One such program is PlantingScience, an inquiry-based, computer-supported learning curriculum developed by the Botanical Society of America. PlantingScience uniquely utilizes professional scientists who serve as online mentors to K-12 students engaged in classroom inquiry projects. In an effort to determine why PlantingScience is successful, I began this dissertation with an extensive literature review discussing how technology and mentoring affect student motivation. Additionally, I conducted two original research studies using multiple data streams including classroom observations, teacher interviews, a focus group of teachers and scientists, and online dialogues between students and scientists. In the first study, I used Elliot Eisner?s Connoisseurship/Critique model of qualitative analysis to describe, interpret, and evaluate PlantingScience. More specifically, I created a grounded theory explaining how PlantingScience motivates and engages students. I subsequently compared these findings with self-determination theory to determine how the results could be explained in regard to autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In the second study, I used mixed methods to create a rubric measuring scientists? online motivational support from the perspective of self-determination theory. I also measured student inquiry engagement using a preexisting rubric specifically designed for the PlantingScience program. Using these two measures, I investigated the associations between scientist-mentors? motivational support and student inquiry engagement. The findings in this dissertation provided evidence that students are motivated to engage in PlantingScience in part because of student empowerment, online mentor interaction, and authentic scientific experiences. In particular, the relationships developed between students and scientists in the online asynchronous environments were critical to the success of the program. As a general rule, students engaged in the inquiry projects more thoroughly as their scientist-mentors? motivational support increased. Perhaps the online mentoring partnership model offered by PlantingScience can be used on a wider scale to address the challenges of students? lack of interest in classroom science and STEM career fields.Item Opening the Pipeline for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Health Education: Perceptions of Teacher Preparatory Program Participants(2013-10-15) Bentley, Kimberly MarieIt is undeniably obvious that the United States has fallen behind many other industrialized countries in terms of STEM education of its citizenry. While many explanations, rationales, and solutions have been offered in the pursuit of resolution, along with a litany of research into the topic, little research has examined the preconceived notions or perceptions of pre-service teachers; especially of those who have committed to working in high-need schools/districts and with a diverse student population. The purpose of this research study was to examine how the perceptions of new teachers dictated their teaching styles and potential effectiveness related to understanding and dealing with the unique needs of students of color in high-needs schools. With the understanding that these perceptions play a role in the disproportionate representation of people of color in STEM majors and fields. Understanding that perceptions play a role in overall academic success was the primary premise of this study, and that it is vital to understand the perceptions of teachers who are obligated to teach the most underrepresented students in the most underserved academic settings. This research study serves as a foundational beginning to the concept of that teacher perceptions have a direct affect on their attitudes toward teaching, communicating, and developing strategies to equip and empower students of color in STEM education can improve the experience for both students and teachers.Item Recruitment Experiences and Decision Factors of High School Science Teachers in Texas(2012-08-02) Richardson, Rasheedah 1978-The state of Texas reflects the teacher shortages experienced by the rest of the United States. The three studies included in this dissertation use exploratory mixed-methods and qualitative research designs to understand experiences of Texas high school science teachers at the entry stage of the teacher professional continuum (TPC): recruitment. Little is understood about the relationship between recruitment, job satisfaction and retention of teachers. A conceptual framework (i.e., teacher-to-school match, realistic job previews, decision factors) was used to guide the inquiry process and help draw connections between the literature and findings from this study regarding teacher recruitment, job satisfaction, and retention. This research was completed in collaboration with the PRISE Research Group at Texas A&M University. The first study describes recruitment activities of new-to-school science teachers for their current positions. A content analysis of teachers' interviews suggested that schools are not maximizing valuable resources supporting teacher-to-school match and realistic job previews (RJP). Further analyses indicated teachers' interview experiences and participation in various types of RJP activities were associated with minority student enrollment profile (MSEP) and size of school. The second study explores reasons for teachers' decisions to accept their positions. New-to-school teachers indicated 12 categories of reasons. Subjective factors relating to non-pecuniary aspects of the job were reported by teachers more frequently than objective or critical contact factors. Teachers' responses for accepting their positions were found to be associated with MSEP and size of school. The third study describes recruitment experiences of highly satisfied and retained new-to-school teachers. Trends were identified regarding teachers' match to schools, engagement in RJP activities, and use of decision factors. Findings from this study direct researchers towards new questions with regard to teacher recruitment as a leveraging factor for job satisfaction and retention. The final chapter provides a summary of all three studies. Recommendations are made to stakeholders regarding progressive recruitment practices and policies for high school science teachers. Concurrently, themes in this chapter provide researchers with a topology for the design of future studies addressing teacher shortages on campus using the initial stage of the TPC: recruitment.Item Scaffolding in Technology-Enhanced Science Education(2011-08-08) Wu, Hui-LingThis dissertation focuses on the effectiveness of scaffolding in technology-enhanced science learning environments, and specifically the relative merits of computer- and teacher-based scaffolding in science inquiry. Scaffolding is an instructional support that helps learners solve problems, carry out tasks, or achieve goals that they are unable to accomplish on their own. Although support such as scaffolding is necessary when students engage in complex learning environments, many issues must be resolved before educators can effectively implement scaffolding in instruction. To achieve this, this dissertation includes two studies: a systematic literature review and an experimental study. The two studies attempted to reveal some important issues which are not widely recognized in the existing literature. The primary problem confronting the educator is how to determine which of the numerous kinds of scaffolding will allow them to educate students most effectively. The scaffolding forms that researchers create are often confusing, overlapping, or contradictory. In response to this, the first study critically analyzed the ways that researchers have defined and applied scaffolding, and provided suggestions for future scaffolding design and research. Moreover, studies tend to focus only on computer-based scaffolding rather than examining ways to integrate it with teacher-based instruction. Although researchers generally recognize that teacher-based support is important, research in this area is limited. The second study of this dissertation employed a quasi-experimental design with four experimental conditions, each of which include a type of computer-based procedural scaffolding (continuous vs. faded) paired with a type of teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding (early vs. late). Each class was assigned to use one of the four conditions. The findings indicated that students receiving continuous computer-based procedural and early teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding performed statistically better at learning scientific inquiry skills than other treatment groups. Students using faded computer-based procedural and early teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding showed the worst performance. However, among the four groups there existed no statistically significant difference in terms of the effect on students? ability to learn science knowledge. Moreover, teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding did not have a significant impact on either science content knowledge or scientific inquiry skills.Item Science Teaching in Texas: Investigating Relationships among Texas High School Science Teachers' Working Conditions, Job Satisfaction, and Retention(2012-02-14) Hollas, VictoriaIn many critical subject areas our schools are facing a need for teachers, particularly in the "high-need" areas of mathematics, science, and bilingual education. Educators and researchers alike have identified teacher turnover as a major contributor to the challenge of finding and keeping highly-qualified teachers in American classrooms. The purpose of the three studies in this dissertation was to investigate the potential role of working conditions in explaining the turnover rates of high school science teachers. I used data collected by the Policy Research Initiative in Science Education (PRISE) Research Group during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 academic years, from their random, stratified sample of 50 Texas high schools and their 385 science teachers. The first study focuses on the development of a rubric assessing individual science teachers' working conditions, which involved the examination of multiple data sources, including school master schedules and AEIS reports to determine the working conditions of 385 science teachers. Analyses from this study suggested that (a) science teachers from small schools experience tougher working conditions than science teachers from both medium and large schools; (b) veteran science teachers experience tougher working conditions than both induction and mid-career teachers; and (c) science teachers from lower minority schools experience tougher working conditions than science teachers from schools with higher MSEPs. The second study focuses on the relationship between high school science teachers? working conditions and their levels of job satisfaction. Findings included that (1) science teachers from small schools experienced tougher working conditions, even though they were more satisfied with their jobs; (2) veteran science teachers experienced tougher working conditions and were more satisfied with their jobs; and (3) science teachers from lower minority schools experienced tougher working conditions and were more satisfied with their jobs. The final study focuses on the relationship between high school science teachers' school size, MSEP, teacher type, working condition scores, job satisfaction scores, and retention status. Results of independent samples T-test revealed no significant difference in working condition scores for "stayers" versus "non-stayers." Pearson's correlation revealed school size and the experience level of the science teacher as significant predictors of working condition and job satisfaction scores. Results of the discriminant analysis revealed (a) working condition scores and job satisfaction scores as not significantly predicting science teacher retention; and (b) teacher type (beginning, mid-career, and veteran) as the only significant predictor of teacher retention.Item Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Science, Technology, and Mathematics Professional Development and Changes in Classroom Practices(2013-04-11) Boriack, Anna ChristineThe purpose of this study is to examine teachers? perceptions of professional development and changes in classroom practice. A proposed conceptual framework for effective professional development that results in changes in classroom practices was developed. Data from two programs that provided professional development to teachers in the areas of technology, mathematics, and science was used to inform the conceptual framework. These two programs were Target Technology in Texas (T3) and Mathematics, Science, and Technology Teacher Preparation Academies (MSTTPA). This dissertation used a multiple article format to explore each program separately, yet the proposed conceptual framework allowed for comparisons to be made between the two programs. he first study investigated teachers? perceptions of technology-related professional development after their districts had received a T3 grant. An online survey was administrated to all teachers to determine their perceptions of technology-related professional development along with technology self-efficacy. Classroom observations were conducted to determine if teachers were implementing technology. The results indicated that teachers did not perceive professional development as being effective and were not implementing technology in their classrooms. Teachers did have high technology self-efficacy and perceived adequate school support, which implies that effective professional development may be a large factor in whether or not teachers implement technology in their classrooms. The second study evaluated participants? perceptions of the effectiveness of mathematics and science professional development offered through a MSTTP academy. Current and former participants completed an online survey which measured their perceptions of academy activities and school environment. Participants also self-reported classroom implementation of technology. Interviews and open-ended survey questions were used to provide further insight into academy activities. The results indicated that academy participants perceived effective academy activities along with a supportive school environment. Additionally, participants reported sometimes implementing technology in their classrooms. These findings suggest that several factors might influence the successful classroom implementation of professional development. The data which supports the conceptual framework shows that effective professional development may play a key role in successful classroom implementation. Future professional development activities should be designed around characteristics for effective professional development to increase the likelihood that classroom implementation might occur.Item Use of a web-based delphi for identifying critical components of a professional science master's program in biotechnology(Texas A&M University, 2005-02-17) Kantz, Jeannine WellsThe primary purpose of this research was to develop a model for a professional science master?s program combining biotechnology and business. The objectives were to identify stakeholder preferences for various dimensions of a professional science master?s program combining biotechnology and business and to identify differences in priorities between subgroups. A secondary purpose was to examine user preferences between Web-based and traditional methods of conducting a Delphi study and the panelist?s impressions of its usefulness for program development. Prior to the first round, demographic data were collected on panelists regarding their gender, age, years experience in their current field, position title and education levels. Round 1 started with eight open-ended questions designed to investigate (a) learning objectives, (b) internships, (c) thesis vs. nonthesis degrees, (d) program focus (e) possible entry level positions, (f) roles for the industry advisory board, (g) recommended hours of hands-on experience and (h) other issues of importance. The final round ended with three questions to assess the panelists? perception of the usefulness of the Delphi for program development in higher education. Twenty-four panelists started Round 1 and participation in subsequent rounds varied from 17 in Round 2 to 11 in Round 4. Education level varied and included all levels of education in science and business. Issues emerged early in the study regarding development of different program tracks and the program goals, which were clarified in subsequent rounds. Significant differences occurred between industry and academic subgroups for two tracks, six skills designated for tracks, method of evaluating the internship, and entry-level positions appropriate for new graduates. When analyzed by level of confidence (high confidence vs. low confidence), significant differences occurred for (a) the number of semesters of hands-on experience students should have upon graduation, (b) skills recommended for core curriculum, (c) skills recommended for tracks, (d) compensation level and (e) entry level positions for new graduates. Perceived usefulness of the Delphi for program development was varied with only 10 panelists responding--five in favor, three undecided, and two against.