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Concept mapping is a metacognitive learning strategy which often improves a learner's ability to construct new knowledge. This action research project was intended to determine the level of effectiveness of concept mapping as a student learning intervention. Students in two high school science classes constructed concept maps before and after instruction during a unit of study about volcanoes. The maps were analyzed for increases in complexity and indications of learning. The concept maps were then compared for differences by groups based on volcano unit test scores. Based on the analysis of the matched pairs of concept maps, those maps which contained a higher amount of prior knowledge of the subject matter were associated with maps which showed greatest amount of increase in knowledge after instruction. These results are supported by the many researchers who contend that the most important factor in learning new information and gaining new knowledge is the amount of prior knowledge a learner brings into the learning situation. The results of this action research project will be applied to the development of future science courses by this researcher.

This project addresses the question: does computer based instruction enhance student learning when compared to traditional lecture or teacher based instruction? The overall purpose of this project was an assessment of student performance before and after using computer based instruction versus a before and after assessment using traditional teacher based instruction.

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal impacts of the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach on student science achievement measured by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). A number of studies have reported positive impact of an inquiry-based instruction on student achievement, critical thinking skills, reasoning skills, attitude toward science, etc. So far, studies have focused on exploring how an intervention affects student achievement using teacher/researcher-generated measurement. Only a few studies have attempted to explore the long-term impacts of an intervention on student science achievement measured by standardized tests. The students' science and reading ITBS data was collected from 2000 to 2011 from a school district which had adopted the SWH approach as the main approach in science classrooms since 2002. The data consisted of 12,350 data points from 3,039 students. The multilevel model for change with discontinuity in elevation and slope technique was used to analyze changes in student science achievement growth trajectories prior and after adopting the SWH approach. The results showed that the SWH approach positively impacted students by initially raising science achievement scores. The initial impact was maintained and gradually increased when students were continuously exposed to the SWH approach. Disadvantaged students who were at risk of having low science achievement had bigger benefits from experience with the SWH approach. As a result, existing problematic achievement gaps were narrowed down. Moreover, students who started experience with the SWH approach as early as elementary school seemed to have better science achievement growth compared to students who started experiencing with the SWH approach only in high school. The results found in this study not only confirmed the positive impacts of the SWH approach on student achievement, but also demonstrated additive impacts found when students had longitudinal experiences with the approach. By engaging in the argument-based classrooms where teachers value students' prior knowledge, encourage students to take control of their learning, and provide non-threatening environment for students to developing big ideas through negotiation, student's achievement can be enhanced. The results also started to shed some light on sustainability of the SWH approach within the school district.

The purpose of this study was to explore how students view the use of representation in science classroom. Representation, as a disciplinary language of science, has long been promoted as a way to develop students’ scientific literacy and is closely linked to engaging students in scientific practices through the use of models in science. However, previous research studies have mostly focused on the use of representation and models as outcome measure of an implementation task and little is known about the learner’s perspectives. The study aimed to fill this missing gap by investigating how students view the use of representation in science classroom and how these perception are linked to the epistemic practice and cognitive/conceptual practice of science learning. In this respect, the study involved (1) developing an instrument, namely, a Representation Survey, to assess students’ views on the use of representation and (2) examining the relationship between students’ views on representation and their understanding of models in science, science content knowledge, and critical thinking skills. The Representation Survey was developed in three phases as a pencil-and-paper questionnaire with 1-5 Likert scales, and grounded in the empirical data and a literature review. An exploratory factor analysis of the Representation Survey with 619 middle school students identified two distinct ways students view the use of representation: multiple modes of representation and uni-mode of representation. Correlation analysis with a modified version of the Student’ Understanding of Models (SUMS) Survey revealed a strong relationship between students’ perception on using multiple-mode of representation and their understanding of models in science, while how students perceive uni-modal representation was shown to be related to students’ performances in assessments of science content knowledge. Lastly, students’ critical thinking skills, as measured by the Cornell Critical Thinking Test, showed no evident relationship with students’ perceptions of the use of representation. A validity argument for the newly developed Representation Survey and modified SUMS instrument is presented, followed by a discussion of broader implications and limitations of the study.

We will share ways to adapt interactive notebooks for electronic formats. The session will highlight Google Science Journal and will include tips, example notebook entries, and time to explore resources.

In this chapter, the authors discuss teachers' perspectives on science and literacy integration in secondary classrooms. Beginning with teacher belief, the authors posit that teachers must first believe in the value of science and literacy integration to themselves, their students, or to district, curriculum, or assessment goals in order to implement integration. After belief in the value of integration is established, teachers vary in their approaches to implementation. Analysis of focus group data from middle and high school English language arts (ELA) and science teachers reveals patterns in frequency, strategies, and barriers to integration by subject area. In conclusion, the authors offer a framework for integration that explains teachers' approaches to integration at the classroom and team levels and suggests methods for advancing science and literacy integration.

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