This qualitative, multi-case study examined the process of lyric creation and nontraditional modes of communication (using themes from hip-hop and battle rap) as a mechanism for developing a teaching and learning strategy in STEM education. This manuscript style dissertation, examines the experiences of 24 postsecondary students and five battle rappers who created science-themed lyrics, used them as a learning strategy, and delivered content in a college and community setting. Insights into teaching and learning were revealed through the study of these lyrics from a constructivist and intellectual warrior theoretical framework. This research showed that as a result of utilizing battle rap, learning spaces were improved. Students’ interviews, lyrics, and reflections uncovered that they appreciated the opportunity to be more creative in class were more engaged, communicated and networked more than they did in their traditional science classroom. The battle rappers discussed and displayed the characteristics that allow them to engage audiences in hopes that teachers can learn how to incorporate engaging techniques within their own classrooms. Through interviews and a performance, battle rappers’ attempt to keep students engaged revealed their transparency; ability to freestyle; get hyped; and demonstrate charisma, presence, character, and energy. This information helped to explain, describe, and understand the experiences of both students and battle rappers and their potential relationships to science and the community. This work supports arguments for the use of culture (art/music/experiences) through music in the science classroom.

The importance of the contribution of science to modern civilization is an accepted concept. Science has had an increasingly profound influence upon the society and upon the individuals who compose it. This paper attempts to point out significant objectives and procedures in science teaching for the purpose of improving the health of boys and girls in a rural area in West Florida. It is the purpose of this paper to point out that the science instruction which is concerned with improving the health of young people can also improve home, school, and community living in Walton County. It is the earnest desire of this student that the youth of Walton County will not have dwarfed or distorted personalities because of an impoverished environment at home, at school, or in the community. / Typescript. / "August, 1949." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts under Plan II." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-63).

"The purpose of this paper is to report some learning experiences planned by a teacher and her third grade pupils that led to a better understanding of community resources and community life. To give a clear, yet brief, picture of how this third grade project developed, the writer has found it advisable: (1) to present some reasons why planning for community study is important; (2) to describe the scope of the study undertaken with a third grade group, and to list some of the major activities; (3) to tell briefly what the study meant to the children and to the teacher who guided them. In organizing the project which did so much to enrich the social living of the pupils, it was found that subject matter material from history, health and science contributed a great deal. Thus the project while not text-book centered did not eliminate the use of printed material of many kinds including the state adopted text books"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1958." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Advisor: W. Edwards, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 27-28).

"The American public is being inundated by newspaper and magazine articles conveying the message that schools in the United States must develop and improve their science curricula if the nation is to compete successfully with ideologies inimical to that taught in this country. Some of these articles concern themselves with immediate remedies, such as more frequent testing of scientific aptitude and progress from the seventh grade on, and providing more teaching materials for all grade levels. Others analyze the present trend of awarding large numbers of college scholarships to high school students. A few of the articles are more philosophical in content: some of these, for example, decry the national habit of secrecy in scientific research. This study has grown out of this widespread concern. It seems reasonable to assume that one significant factor in determining the quality of instruction in science in a senior high school is the adequacy of the instructional materials accessible to the students and teachers of that school. It has seemed timely and pertinent, then, to examine such materials in the four white senior high schools of Broward County and to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses"--Introduction. / "August, 1958." / At head of title: Florida State University. / Typescript. / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." / Advisor: Sara K. Srygley, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-33).

"Science and healthful living go hand in hand. Science has furnished us the knowledge to improve our health and is adding to this knowledge daily. Countless numbers of men and women have spent and are spending their entire lives in furthering this knowledge. That scientific knowledge alone has not cured all of our ills is easily established. There is a shortage of hospital beds, doctors and nurses are overworked, and still many people for one reason or another are suffering from a lack of medical treatment. Of course, there are many ills which do not respond to the treatments known today, but many more could be prevented by applying the knowledge we have. In a large measure, it is the responsibility of the school to bring this knowledge to growing boys and girls, as well as adults, and to help them to apply it in their daily lives. We cannot evade this responsibility nor can we cease to look for better ways and means of doing it. There is a challenge here for all school people--a challenge which must be met"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1950." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts under Plan II." / Advisor: Mode L. Stone, Major Professor. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-37).

This is a study of teachers transition after a professional development (PD). The purpose was to document and characterize the teachers’ experiences as they transitioned toward use of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and more learner-centered teacher practices. The teachers participated in a PD workshop that provided information on the use of the NGSS (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Following the PD workshop, the teachers’ experiences as they transitioned in their classroom teaching practices were documented and analyzed. This study used a mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative evidence) design and emphasized two of the eight science practices: Asking questions and Engaging in argument from evidence. To examine the teachers’ transition to learner-centeredness, Webb’s depth of knowledge chart and learner-centered rubric and the Survey of Science Instructional Practices were used. Four high school science teachers volunteered to participate in this study and were observed, audio-recorded, and interviewed over 9 weeks to document and analyze their transition toward a more learner-centered classroom. Classroom observations started after the teachers participated in a full-day PD workshop. Classroom observations, recordings, and interviews were used to note the frequency with which the participants and their students engaged in the target science practices over the 9 weeks of the study and to identify factors that facilitated or inhibited the teachers’ transition toward learner-centered instruction. The teachers demonstrated a mostly transitional approach over the 9-week observational period. The results showed that during the first through the final classroom observation, the teachers’ practices became more learner centered, but the pattern of progress varied. There was no linear progression from the first through the last observation. The teachers provided a rich and informative narrative about the factors that facilitated or inhibited their transition from a traditional- to a student-centered learning environment. For example, all of the participants stated that the PD was integral in helping them implement the target practices but that they did not receive enough support from colleagues and administrators to fully transition to learner-centered instruction. In addition, the New York State Regents Examinations in June 2019 seemed incompatible with the new science and engineering practices of the NGSS. This study provides insight into teachers’ challenges as they adopt the NGSS and implement the NGSS science and engineering practices in their classrooms. The research is particularly beneficial to teachers who have been textbook-oriented and seek a shift to a learner-centered classroom using the science practices of Asking questions and Engaging in argument from evidence.

As part of their initial teacher education, most aspiring middle and high school science teachers take one or more semesters of coursework in the methods of teaching science. Surprisingly little is known about the curriculum of secondary science methods courses, however. This exploratory study aimed to better understand the goals and content of secondary science methods courses, especially regarding their adoption of two important schools of reform in science education: the vision of instruction conveyed by the Framework for K-12 Science Education, and calls to foreground diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in science instruction. Three forms of data were collected. First, institutions were surveyed regarding which science teacher preparation standards their methods courses addressed (n = 27). Faculty at a subset of these institutions (n = 15) participated in a semi-structured interview about their methods courses, and provided, in most cases, syllabi for the courses in their science methods sequence (n = 35 course syllabi, from 13 institutions). All three pools of data were analyzed individually and then compared. Data suggest that secondary science methods courses may be taking on more goals than they can practically achieve, rendering them unable to engage sufficiently with reforms like the Framework and DEI. More significant engagement with these reforms seems likely to require two things: more coherent teacher education programs that allow methods courses to focus on fewer goals in greater depth, and networks of science teacher educators dedicated to promoting better, more equitable science teaching among candidates.

This study explores the challenges that elementary science educators face when teaching science in a time of crisis, as well as how to best provide elementary teachers with ongoing support for their science teaching during the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Using a phenomenological approach, this research focuses on elementary science teachers, educators, and formal and informal leaders to understand their experiences during the pandemic and how to best support them during remote and in-person science teaching. Using data collected from questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions, findings discuss the specific experiences and challenges faced by elementary science first-year teachers, early career teachers, and leaders. Following the transactional model of stress and coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and the buffering effect of social support (Cohen & McKay, 1984), first-year and early career elementary science teachers used multiple coping mechanisms to handle the stress of science teaching during the pandemic, including problem solving and collaborating with other educators. From a distributed leadership perspective (Spillane, Halverson, & Diamond, 2001b), district-level elementary science curriculum specialists and coaches act as leaders in science education. When faced with constraints and challenges due to the pandemic, these district-level leaders used this opportunity to reimagine what their leadership work could look like, including rethinking what supports they can offer classroom teachers when they cannot easily access classrooms, how to design effective science curricula for remote teaching, and how to collaborate with other educators in new ways.

Orientador: Monica Abrantes Galindo / Banca: Ana Maria Klein / Banca: Maria Inês Ribas Rodrigues / Resumo: Historicamente, o material apostilado no Brasil surgiu para atender cursos preparatórios e vestibulares, inicialmente, era proposto somente pelo ensino privado. Com a municipalização do ensino fundamental, que se consolidou nos primeiros anos do século XXI, o material teve maior adesão pelas redes municipais paulistas. Considerando que ensinar ciências é dar acesso aos alunos a uma educação científica que contribui para o desenvolvimento intelectual, na construção da cidadania, na aprendizagem de outras áreas do conhecimento e é um direito de todos os alunos, é necessário o compromisso do professor com o progresso dos alunos e o ensino de ciências com qualidade. Nosso problema de pesquisa é: "O que pensam os professores do Ensino Fundamental I sobre o material apostilado para o ensino de ciências?." O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar as percepções de um grupo de professoras sobre o material apostilado no ensino de ciências nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental I. A abordagem da pesquisa foi qualitativa. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram sete professoras que participaram de uma entrevista semiestruturada, organizada a partir de um roteiro de questões e o recurso metodológico utilizado para análise das respostas foi a análise de conteúdo. As percepções das professoras sobre o material para o ensino de ciências foram divididas em nove categorias - e, no âmbito de cada uma delas, em aspectos positivos e negativos. Dentre todos os pontos levantados sobre o material apostilado,... / Abstract: Historically, the apostille material in Brazil appeared to attend preparatory and vestibular courses; initially, it was proposed only by private education. With the municipalization of elementary education, which was consolidated in the first years of the 21st century, the material had greater adhesion by the municipal networks of São Paulo. Considering that teaching science is giving students access to a scientific education that contributes to intellectual development, the construction of citizenship, learning in other areas of knowledge and is a right of all students, it is necessary the teacher's commitment to progress of the students and the teaching of sciences with quality. Our research problem is: "What do the teachers of Elementary School I think about the apostilled material for science teaching ?." The objective of this work was to verify the perceptions of a group of teachers about the atilled material in science teaching in the years of elementary education I. The research approach was qualitative. The subjects of the research were seven teachers who participated in a semistructured interview, organized from a questionnaire and the methodological resource used to analyze the answers was content analysis. The teachers' perceptions of the material for science teaching were divided into nine categories - and within each of them, in both positive and negative aspects. Among all the points raised about the apostilled material, the teachers' perception is that the ... / Mestre

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Science Education) Johannesburg, 2017 / Over the past three years, National Senior Certificate diagnostic reports reported that learner performance in key chemistry topics remains an aspect for concern. In these reports, poor understanding of stoichiometry is identified as an underlying factor. On the other hand, the status of mathematics and science teaching has been under critique by several education researchers, pointing to poor teacher training in the subjects. One possible way to respond to the challenge in science education is to introduce and emphasize the development of Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TSPCK) as the professional knowledge for teaching science topics in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme. TSPCK is renowned for enabling teachers to pedagogically transform difficult content of specific science topics into forms best understandable by learners. This study examined the impact on the quality of TSPCK following an intervention that explicitly targeted the development of the competence to transform content knowledge using stoichiometry as a topic of learning. This examination happened as teacher plan to teach the topic. The study followed a Mixed Method research design and a case study as a research strategy. It was located in the methodology class of physical science IV. The participants were 10 pre-service teachers who were in their final year of Bachelor study in education (B. Ed). They were bound by the requirements of the course and their common choice of physical science as their major subject. These pre-service teachers were exposed to a TSPCK based intervention that explicitly targeted the development of TSPCK component interaction. More evidence of component interactions was comprehended as developing quality of TSPCK. Quantitative data was collected as a set of pre- and post-intervention TSPCK tests using existing, specially designed tools that were developed and validated in a separate study. Five (5) of the then pre-service were followed a year later after the intervention to measure the quality of TSPCK in the topic of intervention in order to determine the extent of retention of the quality of TSPCK since the intervention. Qualitative data was collected through face to face interviews to confirm observed patterns of retention. The findings in this study indicated that pre-service teachers experienced a visible improvement in the quality of their TSPCK in stoichiometry as a direct result of the intervention. Pre-service teachers showed more evidence of component interactions post the intervention. The results further indicated that pre-service teachers experienced the components of TSPCK to have different levels of difficulty when using them to transform the content in stoichiometry during planning. The component of ―conceptual teaching strategies‖ was found to be the most difficult. A year later, the quality of TSPCK in planning to teach the topic of the intervention was found to have been retained by the then pre-service teachers. Recommendations about the implementation of TSPCK in core topics in ITE are made. Firstly, for initial teacher education, it is recommended that courses such as methodology for teaching chemistry be structured as TSPCK based intervention. Secondly, more work need to be done in the examination of retention span of TSPCK. Thus, similar studies must be conducted in an effort to increase empirical evidence about the extent at which TSPCK is retained by beginning teachers. / MT 2017