In AP Biology, the course goal, with respect to scientific acts and reasoning, has recently shifted toward a reform goal of science practice, where the goal is for students to have a scientific perspective that views science as a practice of a community rather than a body of knowledge. Given this recent shift, this study is interested in the gaps that may exist between an individual teacher’s instructional goal and the goals of the AP Biology course. A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) methodology and perspective is used to analyze four teachers’ knowledge, practice, and learning. Teachers have content knowledge for teaching, a form of knowledge that is unique for teaching called specialized content knowledge. This specialized content knowledge (SCK) defines their instructional goals, the student outcomes they ultimately aim to achieve with their students. The study employs a cultural-historical continuum of scientific acts and reasoning, which represents the development of the AP Biology goal over time, to study gaps in their instructional goal. The study also analyzes the contradictions within their teaching practice and how teachers address those contradictions to shift their instructional practice and learn. The findings suggest that teachers have different interpretations of the AP Biology goals of science practice, placing their instructional goal at different points along the continuum. Based on the location of their instructional goal, different micro-communities of teachers exist along the continuum, comprised of teachers with a shared goal, language, and culture of their AP Biology teaching. The in-depth study of one teacher’s AP Biology teaching, using a CHAT perspective, provides a means for studying the mechanisms that connect SCK to classroom actions and ultimately to instructional practice. CHAT also reveals the nature and importance of contradictions or cognitive dissonance in teacher learning and the types of support teachers need to recognize contradictions and to internalize and set their instructional goal, facilitating their learning. Without recognition of contradictions, some of these micro-communities are not aware that their instruction is not in line with the AP Biology goal of science practice. An in-depth look at teacher learning revealed the criticality of reflective practice and the need for an “expert” within a teacher’s community to facilitate = learning and develop SCK to incorporate science practice in classroom instruction.

Statistics indicate that students who reside in forgotten places do not engage in science-related careers. This is problematic because we are not tapping into diverse talent that could very well make scientific strides and because there is a moral obligation for equity as discussed in Science for all (AAAS, 1989). Research suggests that one of the reasons for this disparity is that students feel alienated from science early on in their K-12 education due to their inability to connect culturally with their teachers (Tobin, 2001). Urban students share an urban culture, a way of knowing and being that is separate from that of the majority of the teacher workforce whom have not experienced the nuances of urban culture. These teachers have challenges when teaching in urban classrooms and have a myriad of difficulties such as classroom management, limited access to experienced science colleagues and limited resources to teach effectively. This leads them to leaving the teaching profession affecting already high teacher attrition rates in urban areas (Ingersol, 2001). In order to address these issues a culturally relevant pedagogy, called reality pedagogy (Emdin, 2011), was implemented in an urban science classroom using a bricolage (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005) of different theories such as social capital (Bourdieu, 1986) and critical race theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995), along with reality pedagogy to construct a qualitative sociocultural lens. Reality pedagogy has five tools, which are cogenerative dialogues, coteaching, cosmopolitanism, context, and content. In this longitudinal critical ethnography a science teacher in an alternative teaching certification program was supported for two years as she implemented the tools of reality pedagogy with her urban students. Findings revealed that the science teacher enacted four racial microaggressions against her students, which negatively affected the teacher-student relationship and science teaching and learning. As the tools of reality pedagogy were implemented the teacher-student relationship in the science classroom changed from negative to positive. This then impacted the teachers’ decision whether to stay in the teaching profession. Where initially she wanted to leave teaching due to the disconnect with her culturally diverse urban students she decided to stay teaching in urban schools as a consequence of implementing reality pedagogy. In addition, students together with their science teacher were able to redefine the traditional science curriculum by including their community health and science concerns. This led to an increase in students’ interest in school science because their urban science interests were incorporated in the science curriculum. Moreover, in order to inform other science teacher educators and teachers on how to implement reality pedagogy this study describes how it was implemented, the challenges that were encountered, and recommendations of an effective sequence of the tools.

The purpose of this study was to gather information about how students learn the foundational concept of conservation of matter during a non-chemistry unit on the rock cycle. The unit covered the rock cycle, rock types, and the law of conservation of matter and took place in a sixth grade classroom of 30 students. A mixed methods, quasi-experimental, pre-post, delayed post design was used to measure student understanding of the concept of conservation of matter as it relates to the rock cycle. Students made significant learning gains from pre-test to post-test and showed mastery in less complex subject areas, but struggled to learn the more complex concept of conservation of matter. More research is needed in order to gain a greater understanding of how students learn difficult foundational concepts such as conservation of matter, and how they are able to apply their understanding across disciplines in science. This study offers suggestions for future work including a series of questions to assess student misconceptions about matter, and how to use those questions to measure students' ability to transfer knowledge to different learning contexts. The recommended questions ask students to transfer knowledge from the conservation of matter as it applies to the rock cycle to chemistry concepts including conservation of matter, mass and volume.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how novice students solved computer programming problems in a beginning college level computer science (CS) course with an introduction to object-oriented programming (OOP) and what knowledge they obtained about OOP and computer problem solving (CPS) as a result of their experiences. Additionally, this descriptive study attempted to characterize the instruction provided to students in a beginning CS course as well as students' CPS strategies. An introduction to computer science class at the college level was selected for the sample. One experienced instructor and four students participated in this study. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews with the instructor and students, classroom documents and researcher's journals. The analysis of the results revealed a teacher-centered instruction focused on syntactical details with an emphasis on the imperative paradigm and an introduction to object-oriented aspects of the C++ language. Results revealed that to develop the solution code for the given problems, students consistently approached them without a comprehensive written plan/design. The process students typically used in developing a solution for the given computer problem involved: (1) problem understanding, (2) preliminary problem analysis, (3) reliance on examples and (4) trial-and-error. Students typically approached debugging syntax and logic errors by (1) following the compiler generated messages, (2) using trial-and-error, (3) performing a desk-check strategy and (4) using the VISUAL C++ debugger. This study identified the features of CPS and OOP learning that can be studied for identifying how students approach CPS and OOP processes in other object-oriented languages (such as JAVA) and how their CPS and OOP processes develop as compared to C++. Differences in programming performances were found among males and females. Males in this study were more comfortable with the mechanical-orientation of programming as compared with their female counterparts. Future research is needed in CPS and OOP to explore gender issues in learning OOP languages. This study identified potential student CPS and OOP learning processes and factors using a qualitative approach. Future research should investigate the factors effecting introductory CS problem solving using a quantitative methodology or perhaps a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. / Graduation date: 2003

Computing education requires qualified computing teachers. The reality is that too few high schools in the U.S. have computing/computer science teachers with formal computer science (CS) training, and many schools do not have CS teacher at all. Moreover, teacher retention rate is often low. Beginning teacher attrition rate is particularly high in secondary education. Therefore, in addition to the need for preparing new CS teachers, we also need to support those teachers we have recruited and trained to become better teachers and continue teaching CS. Teacher education literature, especially teacher identity theory, suggests that a strong sense of teacher identity is a major indicator or feature of committed, qualified teachers. However, under the current educational system in the U.S., it could be challenging to establish teacher identity for high school (HS) CS teachers, e.g., due to a lack of teacher certification for CS. This thesis work centers upon understanding the sense of identity HS CS teachers hold and exploring ways of supporting their identity development through a professional development program: the Disciplinary Commons for Computing Educators (DCCE). DCCE has a major focus on promoting reflection on teaching practice and community building. With scaffolded activities such as course portfolio creation, peer review and peer observation among a group of HS CS teachers, it offers opportunities for CS teachers to explicitly reflect on and narrate their teaching, which is a central process of identity building through their participation within the community. In this thesis research, I explore the development of CS teacher identity through professional development programs. I first conducted an interview study with local HS CS teachers to understand their sense of identity and factors influencing their identity formation. I designed and enacted the professional program (DCCE) and conducted case studies with DCCE participants to understand how their participation in DCCE supported their identity development as a CS teacher. Overall,I found that these CS teachers held different teacher identities with varied features related to their motivation and commitment in teaching CS. I identified four concrete factors that contributed to these teachers' sense of professional identity as a CS teacher. I addressed some of these issues for CS teachers' identity development (especially the issue of lacking community) through offering professional development opportunities with a major focus on teacher reflection and community building. Results from this work indicate a potential model of supporting CS identity development, mapping the characteristics of the professional development program with particular facets of CS teacher identity. This work offers further understanding of the unique challenges that current CS teachers are facing in their CS teaching, as well as the challenges of preparing and supporting CS teachers. My findings also suggest guidelines for teacher education and professional development program design and implementation for building committed, qualified CS teachers in ways that promote the development of CS teacher identity.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether playing a problem-based learning (PBL) computer game, Alien Rescue III, would promote continuing motivation (CM) to learn science, and to explore the possible sources of CM. Another goal was to determine whether CM and interest to learn science in the classroom were identical constructs. CM was defined as the pursuit of academic learning goals in noninstructional contexts that were initially encountered in the classroom. Alien Rescue was played for a total of 9 hours in the seventh grade of a private middle school with 44 students, total, participating. The study used a design-based research approach that attempted to triangulate quantitative and qualitative methods. A science knowledge test, and two selfreport questionnaires--one measuring motivation and one measuring CM--were administered preintervention, postintervention, and follow-up. Qualitative data was also collected, including student interviews, classroom observations, written responses, and a science teacher interview. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to determine any significant changes in scores. A multiple regression analysis was used to explore whether a model of CM could be determined using the Eccles’ expectancy-value achievement motivation model. The constant comparative method was used to obtain relevant information from the qualitative data. Based on contradictory quantitative and qualitative findings, results were mixed as to whether students exhibited an increase in CM to learn space science. Students continued to freely engage Alien Rescue during the mid-class break, but this does not strictly adhere to the definition of CM. However, many students did find space science more interesting than anticipated and developed increased desire to learn more in class, if not outside of class. Results also suggest that CM and interest in learning more in class are separate but related constructs. Finally, no satisfactory model emerged from the multiple regression analysis but based on students’ interviews, continuing interest to learn is influenced by all the components of Eccles’ expectancy-value model. Response effects may have confounded quantitative results. Discussion includes challenges of researching in classrooms, CM, and Eccles’ motivational model, and the tension between PBL and game based approaches. Future design recommendations and research directions are provided. / text

This study explores the use of wiki in supporting a science project undertaken in a Hong Kong secondary school through a mixed method approach involving triangulation of questionnaire survey, interviews, and analysis of students? wikis. The findings showed positive results on students? motivations, enjoyments, effort input, and perceived value. More important, the results highlighted the fact that satisfaction of students? perceived needs from teacher?s autonomy support improves their attributes, attitudes, and expectations of learning outcomes in general. The researcher identifies a discrepancy between students? expectations and their actual achievements of the learning outcomes. Specifically, students think in a higher order and construct knowledge at a wider level when comparing with what they have expected whereas their expectations of generic skills development significantly outweighed what they have actually achieved. To bridge this discrepancy, the researcher suggested that (a) flexibly balancing the structure and freedom of wiki, (b) carefully planning the project duration, (c) scaffolding in wiki project, (d) carefully choosing of the project topics, (e) explicitly emphasizing the learning outcomes, and (f) raising students? information literacy are all essential. The findings also indicated the exists of limitations in this small scale study and thus further investigations on the pedagogical challenges of integrating wiki in science project learning are required. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

Instructional congruence (IC) is a conceptual framework which emphasizes that the linguistic and cultural problems of ethnic minority students are to be addressed in order to enhance their learning. IC has been developed and implemented during the most recent two decades, and adopted and recognized for its improvement on student motivation and academic performance in many countries. In Hong Kong, there are designated schools which specifically cater to ethnic minority students. In this study, three science teachers in a designated school have been evaluated on their awareness of IC in teaching ethnic minority students. However, none of the three teachers have received any professional training on teaching ethnic minority students. Through classroom observations and interviews with teacher-respondents, the results show that they have scant knowledge on catering to the different linguistics and culturally diversified problems of ethnic minority students. Although one of the teachers has some knowledge which allowed the consideration of student literacy development and application of cultural relevance in the instructional curriculum, his practices are not systematic and effective, which means that they fall far from the proposed IC practices. Educators and policymakers are strongly recommended to promote and adopt the IC framework in Hong Kong. If the implementation of IC in Hong Kong as a means to address the needs of ethnic minority students is familiarized and acknowledged, IC would very likely improve their academic achievements and provide them with equal opportunities in education. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education