Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xxii, 299 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Arthur White, College of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-228).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--York University, 2002. Graduate Programme in Education. / Typescript. Title on certificate page: Teaching question-based learning in elementary science education. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-102). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ71573.

Thesis (M.I.T.)--The Evergreen State College, 2007. / Title from title screen viewed (6/25/2008). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-107).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Duquesne University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-131) and abstract.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2010. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-108). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Copy 2 lacks bibliography. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-118).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-118). Also available in print.

Efforts to improve education - more concretely science education - by creating fundamental shifts in standards for students and teachers have been launched by educators and policy makers in recent years. The new standards for science instruction address improvements in student learning, program development, assessment, and professional development for teachers, with the goal to prepare US students for the academic demands of the 21st century. The study examined teachers' knowledge and practices in science instruction with English language learning (ELL) students. It also examined relationships among key domains of science instruction with ELL students, as well as profiles of teaching practices. The four domains included: (1) teachers' knowledge of science content, (2) teaching practices to promote scientific understanding, (3) teaching practices to promote scientific inquiry, and (4) teaching practices to support English language development during science instruction. The study was part of a larger 5-year research and development intervention aimed at promoting science and literacy achievement of ELL students in urban elementary schools. The study involved 32 third grade, 21 fourth grade, and 17 fifth grade teachers participating in the first-year implementation of the intervention. Based on teachers' questionnaire responses, classroom observation ratings, and post-observation interviews, results indicated that (1) teachers' knowledge and practices were within the bounds of the intervention, but short of reform-oriented practices and (2) relationships among the four domains existed, especially at grade 5. These findings can provide insights for professional development and future research, along with accountability policies.

Desiring to examine the performance of science process skills such as data analysis and conclusion synthesis in sixth grade Life Science students, I used an inquiry strategy called "guided inquiry" in a series of six laboratory assignments during the normal county-mandated order of instruction for Life Science. I based my analysis upon these laboratory exercises, a survey of student attitudes towards science done before the study began and after the study completed, an assessment of inquiry understanding done before and after the study was finished, routine material tests, and a science final class evaluation done after the study was finished. Emphasis was placed upon examining the content of the laboratory reports which required students to analyze their experiments and draw a conclusion based upon their findings. The study found that while most students did grasp the desired scientific principles the labs were designed to teach, they had difficulty in formulating a structured and detailed account of their experiences without guidance. The study helped to further understanding of student performance and learning in science process skills such as data analysis and conclusion synthesis.

The purpose of this study was to examine belonging at classroom and academic domain levels, extending research that has primarily investigated general school and classroom-level belonging. This examination accounts for the context-specific, instructional, and domain experiences of students’ belonging. More specifically, the goals of the research were to investigate the relations between belonging in science class with engagement, and to contrast students’ perspectives of science classroom belonging in traditional compared to inquiry curricular contexts. Middle school students from traditional and inquiry science contexts completed self-reported measures of science classroom belonging and science engagement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to evaluate students’ experiences of belonging in science class. Science classroom belonging was correlated with science engagement, with students from inquiry contexts reporting higher belonging and engagement quality. In both contexts, students reported common social, academic and contextual sources of belonging, with additional emphasis on content-based and interpersonal interactions. In comparing justifications between contexts on the role of competence for experienced belonging, students in traditional contexts reflected on self-focused, intrapersonal competence, while students in inquiry contexts reflected on interpersonal forms of competence. Students’ differentiated reports and conceptualization of belonging were related to contextual supports for involvement in authentic disciplinary practice and peer responsiveness.