Utilization-focused evaluation of a STEM enrichment program

<p>Student learning in upper-division physics courses is a growing area of research in the field of Physics Education. Developing effective new curricular materials and pedagogical techniques to improve student learning in upper-division courses requires knowledge of both what material students struggle with and what curricular approaches help to overcome these struggles. To facilitate the course transformation process for one specific content area -- upper-division electrostatics -- this thesis presents two new methodological tools: (1) an analytical framework designed to investigate students' struggles with the advanced physics content and mathematically sophisticated tools/techniques required at the junior and senior level, and (2) a new multiple-response conceptual assessment designed to measure student learning and assess the effectiveness of different curricular approaches. We first describe the development and theoretical grounding of a new analytical framework designed to characterize how students use mathematical tools and techniques during physics problem solving. We apply this framework to investigate student difficulties with three specific mathematical tools used in upper-division electrostatics: multivariable integration in the context of Coulomb's law, the Dirac delta function in the context of expressing volume charge densities, and separation of variables as a technique to solve Laplace's equation. We find a number of common themes in students' difficulties around these mathematical tools including: recognizing when a particular mathematical tool is appropriate for a given physics problem, mapping between the specific physical context and the formal mathematical structures, and reflecting spontaneously on the solution to a physics problem to gain physical insight or ensure consistency with expected results. We then describe the development of a novel, multiple-response version of an existing conceptual assessment in upper-division electrostatics courses. The goal of this new version is to provide an easily-graded electrostatics assessment that can potentially be implemented to investigate student learning on a large scale. We show that student performance on the new multiple-response version exhibits a significant degree of consistency with performance on the free-response version, and that it continues to provide significant insight into student reasoning and student difficulties. Moreover, we demonstrate that the new assessment is both valid and reliable using data from upper-division physics students at multiple institutions. Overall, the work described in this thesis represents a significant contribution to the methodological tools available to researchers and instructors interested in improving student learning at the upper-division level.

Emerging technologies provide impetus for supplements to the way chemistry is taught. Students of the current generation are conditioned to expect high-quality visual images to reinforce other informational media. Multimedia teaching tools can take advantage of this pre-conditioning. The World Wide Web (WWW) provides new opportunities for multimedia distribution. Supplemental materials for chemical education have been developed to take advantage of these emerging technologies. Molecular animations have been developed for use in lecture and for distribution via the WWW. These animations were designed to demonstrate chemistry from a "Big Picture" view. Interactive, exploratory tutorials have also been developed as student study aids. These tutorials promote concept understanding within a hands-on, trial-and-error atmosphere. The WWW has also been utilized as a low-cost avenue for implementation of a laboratory exercise emphasizing the importance of chemical structure and its impact upon chemical reactivity through computational chemistry.

This study examined the amount of emphasis given by Arizona high school biology teachers to the topics of evolutionary theory and special creation, as explanations for the origin and diversity of life on earth. A questionnaire was mailed to all Arizona public high school biology teachers in March of 2000, to gather data on teachers' classroom practices and attitudes towards evolution and creation, information on teachers' educational and professional backgrounds, their religious preferences, and any perceptions of pressure regarding the teaching of evolution or creation from outside sources. Sixty-five percent (final n = 419) of the questionnaires were returned. Analysis confirmed that, while a strong majority (96%) of Arizona teachers gave some coverage to evolutionary theory, a significant proportion (33%) reported fewer than three class periods per semester in which evolution was a major topic; 10% left it out entirely. Fourteen percent of the teachers reported that they gave moderate-to-strong emphasis to religious explanations of the origins and diversity of life. It was unclear whether this was presented as an alternative scientific theory, or as religion or philosophy. Between ten and thirty percent also rejected the scientific validity of evolutionary theory, rejected the evolution of humans from ape-like ancestors, thought that religious explanations should be taught as part of high school biology classes, or agreed that creationism has a valid scientific foundation. The amount of emphasis given evolution by a teacher correlated positively with teaching experience, number of college classes in evolutionary biology taken by the teacher, the amount of in-service training a teacher had had on teaching evolutionary theory, and age. It correlated negatively with membership in Conservative Christian religious denominations and with degree of religious fervor. Interestingly, the possession of a degree in biological sciences (e.g., versus a degree in education) had no effect. When teacher attitudes (as measured by a series of opinion questions) were taken into account in multiple regression models, all variables except specific evolutionary biology coursework became non-significant. The only variables that correlated with teacher emphasis on creationism were Conservative Christian church membership and religious fervor---both positive correlations. Again, education had no effect.

The purpose of this study was to explore the course conditions that support the development of meaningful student learning in an introductory undergraduate human anatomy and physiology course. The study was conducted during an 8-week summer-session at a small mid-western university. Classroom observations and taped recordings of class sessions were used to determine content episodes within the instructional unit, opportunities for learning created by the instructor, demonstrations of information processing by the students, and the ways in which the instructor used the Personal Response System (PRS). Student interviews were used to determine students' level of understanding of pre-test and post-test items. Student interviews and a questionnaire were used to determine students' perceptions of the PRS as a learning tool. Findings reveal that the instructor had different expectations of students when posing verbal questions in-class than he had when posing PRS questions. The use of verbal questions did not permit demonstrations of student understanding; however, the use of the PRS did result in demonstrations of student understanding. Questions posed via the use of the PRS were categorized according to cognitive level. The cognitive level of the questions increased with time over the instructional unit and within the content episodes. Students demonstrated deeper understanding of the topics after instruction than they did before instruction. Students reported more in-class thinking about the content, more discussion of the content with their neighbors, more regular class attendance, more opportunities for deeper learning, and a general preference for the PRS over traditional lectures. Findings of the study indicate that the instructional decisions about the use of questions influences the opportunities for students to process information and demonstrate their understanding of the content and that students valued these opportunities. A better understanding of the conditions that promote meaningful student learning may help us make decisions that result in improved student learning in our own classes.

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.

It has become increasingly important for individuals to understand infections disease, as there has been a tremendous rise in viral and bacterial disease. This research examines systematic misconceptions regarding the characteristics of viruses and bacteria present in individuals previously educated in biological sciences at a college level. 90 pre-nursing students were administered the Knowledge Acquisition Device (KAD) which consists of 100 True/False items that included statements about the possible attributes of four entities: bacteria, virus, amoeba, and protein. Thirty pre-nursing students, who incorrectly stated that viruses were alive, were randomly assigned to three conditions. (1) exposed to information about the ontological nature of viruses, (2) Information about viruses, (3) control. In the condition that addressed the ontological nature of a virus, all of those participants were able to classify viruses correctly as not alive; however any items that required inferences, such as viruses come in male and female forms or viruses breed with each other to make baby viruses were still incorrectly answered by all conditions in the posttest. It appears that functional knowledge, ex. If a virus is alive or dead, or how it is structured, is not enough for an individual to have a full and accurate understanding of viruses. Ontological knowledge information may alter the functional knowledge but underlying inferences remain systematically incorrect.

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore two elementary teachers' implementation of engineering design over two academic years and to describe how their teaching practice changed over the two instructional cycles. This study used field notes and audio transcripts of the teachers during their engineering design teaching, written reflections, and a final interview to generate data that were analyzed for emerging themes and patterns. These data answered the following research questions: (a) How do two fifth grade science teachers implement an engineering design activity? (b) How do these same two fifth grade science teachers' instructional practices change as they implement the same engineering design activity for a second time the following academic year? And, (c) What factors do the teachers identify as to why their practice changed? The findings of this study concluded that with experience teachers made more explicit connections to science and engineering content and practices. Additionally, they more actively facilitated deeper questioning and troubleshooting. An additional finding was that teacher change is not an isolated event, but a system of interacting influences. The findings in this research study provide insight and implication for supporting teacher change in practice in K-12 educational reform efforts as we move to implement engineering and engineering design into the K-12 science curriculum.</p>

<p> Shifts in attitudes regarding academic program accessibility to provide the most rigorous academic opportunities to all students will not occur smoothly without departmental level leaders who believe in the potential benefits of accelerating larger numbers of students. Without the support and the belief of the department level leadership, practices such as open enrollment and universal acceleration that target school equity will be doomed to failure. This study was conducted using a questionnaire developed by the researcher called the Perceptions of Acceleration and Leadership Survey. The survey was distributed to all math and science department leaders within a suburban region of New York. The survey sought to determine how the perceptions of acceleration, job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and role longevity for the department level leaders are impacted by their personal demographics, professional characteristics, and community characteristics. The study did not reveal any statistically significant differences among department level leaders' personal, professional, and community characteristics with respect to perceptions of acceleration. There were significant differences for job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and role longevity for several intervening and independent variables within the study. Statistically significant correlations were found between beliefs in college preparation and perceptions of acceleration as well as relationships with the community and perceptions of acceleration. The results indicate the importance of hiring department leaders who recognize the potential for accelerating more students, hiring more ethnically diverse candidates for these leadership positions, affording department level leaders with significant professional development, and evaluation of administrative structures to maximize student success.</p>

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa affirms the right to freedom and security for the people of South Africa, as well as the right to education. However, these rights are violated in schools by occurrences of violence. The media regularly report incidences of school violence that take place in some schools across the country. Even in schools that never attract the attention of the media, school violence is everâpresent. In many schools school violence is normalised and stakeholders feel powerless to deal with the problem. However, because school violence has a detrimental effect on teaching and learning at schools and violates the learnersâ right to education in a safe environment, roleâplayers have to face school violence and take steps to deal with it. This can only be done if school violence is fully understood. The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of school violence in South Africa. I worked from the assumption that schoolâviolence roleâplayers are not passive conduits, but that they have certain inner capabilities, which give them individual judgement and decisionmaking autonomy. I did three independent studies to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of school violence in the South African context in a triangulation mixedmethod design. Burkeâs dramatism theory was used as a framework for analysis. Firstly, I did a media analysis of articles on school violence that appeared in South African newspapers during the course of one year. The objective of this study was to understand the perceptions that are created, and the sense that is made of school violence through media reporting. The second study is a literature study to understand how school violence is reported on in research publications. I limited my literature study to mainly publications that focused on the South African context in peerâreviewed journals. The third study is a survey that was conducted in 11 secondary schools from 3 provinces. The aim of this study was to understand school violence through the experiences of learners as victims and onlookers. An international questionnaire, adapted for the South African demographical context, was administered to a nonâprobability sample of 690 learners. School violence is complex and it has many faces, some of which are hard to notice. Consequently newspaper reports on school violence are very limited and they fail to sensitise the public. Scientific knowledge on the topic is also limited. Although the kinds of acts vary in various school contexts, school violence is a common occurrence in South African schools. Results from the survey refute stereotypical thinking about soâcalled vulnerable schools, but confirm findings based on the literature study that large schools, in particular, are susceptible to school violence. The results from the three studies suggest that, while outsiders in various capacities are sometimes involved in school violence dramas, most actors are those that spend their days at school. An examination of the three studies in juxtaposition clearly revealed that learners and staff members are all alike guilty of school violence, although they are also the victims and the onlookers. Sexual school violence is a constant menace, and so is corporal punishment. Weapons and other instruments are brought to school and used on others, and this phenomenon is not limited to certain categories of schools. Although there are many reasons for school violence, there is no single explanation for the everâpresent threat of school violence at schools. Most acts of school violence seem to happen randomly, often in instant retaliation. Based on my research, I recommend that schools should sensitise roleâplayers to the many faces of school violence, and regularly explore the state of affairs at their own schools so that they can make informed decisions. All schools should take steps to prevent any armed person from entering the school premises, and they should also be aware of how everyday objects are used to victimise others. Furthermore, schools should realise that acts of school violence can happen at any time and in any place; therefore, they have to ensure that there is adequate supervision in all possible areas. Every school should take steps to strengthen support for all individuals in the school so as to make roleâplayers feel accepted and respected.