Visual problem solving with multiple representations is a critical component of chemistry learning and communication. Understanding how students comprehend and utilize visual representations is key to improving chemistry education, and a multimodal approach to understanding how students tackle visual stoichiometry problems offers insight into misconceptions and difficulties that they face. A mixed methods approach was used, employing multimodal data (eye-tracking, drawings, oral responses, and visual problem solving scores) to study participant interaction with representations and develop a framework for understanding college general chemistry students' metavisualization skills. Student performance during a PhET interactive simulation chemistry game was investigated using eye-tracking and qualitative analyses of a talk aloud protocol to isolate key mental blocks contributing to the participants' misconceptions. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis of gaze patterns revealed that participants follow coherent patterns when solving visual problems with multiple representations with respect to the equation, submicroscopic representations, and numbers provided in the question. Participants were divided into high and low score groups based on quantitative analysis of responses to key questions associated with the conservation of mass in stoichiometric analysis and the groups were further investigated using the of multimodal responses from individuals within each group. Eye-tracking and cluster analysis were found to be valuable tools for framing how students solve chemistry problems with multiple representations.

There are few studies exploring the impact and effectiveness of the science specialist model or its implementation specifically in urban schools. This ethnography explores the roles and responsibilities of science specialists in urban elementary schools, drawing upon interviews with the science specialists, classroom teachers, and building administrators to portray the science-teaching identity and characteristics of the science specialists according to Social Identity Theory (Gee, 2000-2001) as well as classroom teacher science-teaching motivation, according to Expectancy Theory (Vroom, 1964). In this role, specialists provide science instruction, curriculum coordination and communication, and support of classroom teachers. The expectations and limits of leadership from the science specialist are also discussed. The use of science specialists to provide pull-out instruction, wherein a classroom teacher drops off her class for instruction by the specialist, results in a decreased sense of classroom teacher instrumentality. This model of science specialist instruction can also undercut other science-teaching motivation components like expectancy of success, science-teaching identity, self-efficacy and valence for science teaching. Science specialist instruction in a pull-out model can result in teacher disengagement from science instruction. Additionally, hierarchies flowing from school and district-level policy and practice are described and analyzed according to how they mediate and are mediated by a science specialist model.

Mathematical problem posing and creativity are important areas within mathematics education, and have been connected by mathematicians, mathematics educators, and creativity theorists. However, the relationship between the two remains unclear, which is complicated by the absence of a formal definition of creativity. For this study, the Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT) was used to investigate different raters' views of posed mathematical problems. The principal investigator recruited judges from three different groups: elementary school mathematics teachers, mathematicians who are professors or professors emeriti of mathematics, and psychologists who have conducted research in mathematics education. These judges were then asked to rate the creativity of mathematical problems posed by the principal investigator, all of which were based on the multiplication table. By using Cronbach's coefficient alpha and the intraclass correlation method, the investigator measured both within-group and among-group agreement for judges' ratings of creativity for the posed problems. Previous studies using CAT to measure judges' ratings of creativity in areas other than mathematics or mathematics education have generally found high levels of agreement; however, the main finding of this study is that agreement was high only when measured within-group for the psychologists. The study begins with a review of the literature on creativity and on mathematical problem posing, describes the procedure and results, provides points for further consideration, and concludes with implications of the study along with suggested avenues for future research.

The following dissertation reports on a qualitative exploration that serves two main goals: (1) to qualitatively define and highlight science motivation development of Black/African American and Latina/o students as they learn science in middle school, high school, and in college and (2) to reveal through personal narratives how successful entry and persistence in science by this particular group is linked to the development of their science identities. The targeted population for this study is undergraduate students of color in science fields at a college or university. The theoretical frameworks for this study are constructivist theory, motivation theory, critical theory, and identity theories. The methodological approach is narrative which includes students' science learning experiences throughout the course of their academic lives. I use The Science Motivation Questionnaire II to obtain baseline data to quantitatively assess for motivation to learn science. Data from semi-structured interviews from selected participants were collected, coded, and configured into a story, and emergent themes reveal the important role of science learning in both informal and formal settings, but especially in informal settings that contribute to better understandings of science and the development of science identities for these undergraduate students of color. The findings have implications for science teaching in schools and teacher professional development in science learning.

On the Consideration of Adoption and Implementation of The Next Generation Science Standards in a Local-Control Context: Supporting the Epistemology of Science through Education Policy Christopher C Lazzaro The primary purpose of this research is to understand how and why members at each of the three levels of the education system within a local-control state made the decisions they did in supporting or hindering the adoption and implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards. This research concentrates on three levels of the education system in a local-control state; 1) the state level 2) the district level, and 3) the school/teacher level, while investigating the following questions: 1. To what extent, and in what ways, do members in each of the three levels of the state education system advocate for adoption and implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards? 2. Are the members in each of the three levels motivated or compelled to consider adoption and implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards, why or why not? 3. To what extent, and in what ways, do the members in each of the three levels take into account science epistemology in their overall consideration of adoption/implementation of the NGSS? The data drew from a series of interviews from a prior study, "Challenges of Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards in Local-Control States in the U.S." (Sevian, Foster, and Scheff, 2012). After these data were coded and analyzed around the three research questions, this phenomenographic research study identified four key findings: Key Finding 1 - As the District Coordinators are uniquely situated within the state education system to be able to see both the on-the-ground practical implications and the high-level policy pressures of adopting and implementing the NGSS, they reflect the deepest level of awareness of how to best advocate for adoption and implementation of the NGSS. Key Finding 2 - Motivation to adopt and implement the NGSS is highly nuanced. The most significant factor influencing motivation to adopt or implement the NGSS at each level is related to assessment. The reasons assessment affects motivation is different at each level. Key Finding 3 - Each interviewee at each level demonstrated awareness that the NGSS are significantly different from prior standards in some way. While teachers and SSCs sometimes cited the science practices as the critical difference, they were not able to meaningfully elaborate on what "science practices" are. Conversely, the District Coordinators demonstrated a deeper level of awareness and were able to comment more specifically on the practices and how they would affect science education in their state. Key Finding 4 - Regardless of level, the better a participant reflected an awareness of epistemology, the more likely they were to advocate for adoption and implementation of the NGSS. Similarly, the better a participant reflected an awareness of epistemology, the more likely they were motivated to consider adoption and implementation of the NGSS. The implications of the findings in this current study can; inform the supplemental materials and dissemination of information by standards writers, help policy makers engage stakeholders appropriately at each level by illustrating how national reform efforts play out in local-control states, and aid school based employees by identifying how and where they can participate in state level policy discussion and where their input could be valuable.

The implementation of inquiry learning in American science classrooms remains a challenge. Teachers’ perceptions of inquiry learning are predicated on their past educational experiences, which means outdated methods of learning may influence teachers’ instructional approaches. In order to enhance their understanding and ultimately their implementation of inquiry learning, teachers need new and more relevant models. This study takes a preliminary step exploring the potential of game play as a valuable experience for science teachers. It has been proposed that game play and inquiry experiences can embody constructivist processes of learning, however there has been little work done with science teachers to systematically explore the relationship between the two. Game play may be an effective new model for teacher education and it is important to understand if and how teachers relate game playing experience and knowledge to inquiry. This study examined science teachers’ game playing experiences and their perceptions of inquiry experiences and evaluated teacher's recognition of learning in both contexts. Data was collected through an online survey (N=246) and a series of follow-up interviews (N=29). Research questions guiding the study were: (1) What is the nature of the relationship between science teachers’ game experience and their perceptions of inquiry? (2) How do teachers describe learning in and from game playing as compared with inquiry science learning? and (3) What is the range of similarities and differences teachers articulate between game play and inquiry experiences? Results showed weak quantitative links between science teachers’ game experiences and their perceptions of inquiry, but identified promising game variables such as belief in games as learning tools, game experiences, and playing a diverse set of games for future study. The qualitative data suggests that teachers made broad linkages in terms of parallels of both teaching and learning. Teachers mostly articulated learning connections in terms of the active or participatory nature of the experiences. Additionally, a majority of teachers discussed inquiry learning in concert with inquiry teaching which led to a wider range of comparisons made based on the teacher’s interpretation of inquiry as a pedagogical approach instead of focusing solely on inquiry learning. This study has implications for both research and practice. Results demonstrate that teachers are interested in game play as it relates to learning and the linkages teachers made between the domains suggests it may yet prove to be a fruitful analogical device that could be leveraged for teacher development. However, further study is needed to test these claims and ultimately, research that further aligns the benefits of game play experiences to teacher practice is encouraged in order to build on the propositions and findings of this thesis.

This dissertation reports on an ethnographic study to examine and detail emerging practices in a community of practice comprised of an elementary teacher and a scientist (microbiologist). The study was conducted in order to design a model for professional development. It also aimed to contribute to the limited research involving elementary educators and their work with scientists. Furthermore, extra attention was given to understanding how both the elementary teacher and the scientist benefitted from their participation in the community of practice created from working together in teaching and learning science as a form of professional development. This was in accordance with a community of practice framework, which details that a healthy community is one without a perception of hierarchy among members (Wenger, 1998). The elementary teacher and scientist as participants collaborated in the creation of a science unit for an afterschool program. A wide variety of data was collected, including: interviews, transcribed meetings, and online journals from both participants. The data was coded for reoccurring themes surrounding practices and shifts in perception about science teaching and learning that emerged from this community of practice as professional development. The findings have implications for practices that could be used as a foundational structure in future collaborations involving elementary teachers and scientists for elementary science professional development.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the patterns of classroom discourse when high school students move from performing prescribed algorithms in order to solve problems for which the process and solution are well-defined to spoken proof, in which ideas are discussed and arguments are formulated and formalized. The study uses a modified version of discourse analysis developed by Arno Bellack and refined for usage in a mathematics classroom by James T. Fey. The analysis framework is supplemented by codes borrowed from Maria Blanton, Despina Stylianou, and M. Manuela David (2009), which is in turn a modified version of a coding system developed by Kruger (1993) and Goos, Galbraith and Renshaw (2002). Twelve mathematics lessons involving two mathematics teachers were recorded, transcribed and coded. Eight of the lessons were classified as “proof-related” and four were designated “non-proof-related.” A lesson designated “proof-related” contained more than half activity that was actively concerned with the construction of proof; whereas a lesson in which no proofs were formulated was designated “non-proof.” Using the codes described above and a variety of qualitative and quantitative measures, the transcripts were examined for constructivist behavior on the part of the teachers and modes of participation on the students’ part. The findings suggest a relationship between a teacher’s beliefs in constructivist principles and the way in which that teacher instructs proof vs. non-proof. More specifically, a teacher who views her/himself as informed by constructivist pedagogical principles may not evince a sharp distinction between her/his teaching of proof vs. non-proof; but a teacher who does not attempt to incorporate constructivist principles on a daily basis may exhibit more constructivist tendencies when teaching proof.

Physics is one of the least diverse sciences; in the U.S. in 2010, only 21% of bachelors degrees in physics were awarded to women, 2.5% to African Americans, and 4% to Hispanic Americans (AIP, 2012). Though physics education reform efforts supporting interactive engagement have doubled students’ learning gains (Hake, 1998), gender and race gaps persist (Brewe et al., 2010; Kost, Pollock, & Finkelstein, 2009). When students’ subjectivities align with presentations of physics, they are more likely to develop positive physics identities (Hughes, 2001). However, both traditional and reformed physics classrooms may present physics singularly as abstract, elite, and rational (Carlone, 2004). Drawing from feminist science, I argue that binaries including abstract / concrete, elite / accessible, and rational / emotional are hierarchal and gendered, raced and classed. The words on the left define conventional physics and are associated with middle class white masculinity, while the words on the right are associated with femininity or other, and are often missing or delegitimized in physics education, as are females and minorities. To conceptualize a feminist physics education, I deconstructed these binaries by including the words on the right as part of doing physics. I do not imply that women and men think differently, but that broadening notions of physics may allow a wider range of students to connect with the discipline. I used this conceptual framework to modify a popular reformed physics curriculum called Modeling Instruction (Hestenes, 1987). I taught this curriculum at an urban public college in an introductory physics course for non-science majors. Twenty-three students of diverse gender, race, ethnic, immigrant and class backgrounds enrolled. I conducted an ethnography of the classroom to learn how students negotiate their subjectivities to affiliate with or alienate from their perceptions of physics, and to understand how classroom experiences exacerbate or ameliorate differences in achievement, participation and feelings towards physics. Findings show how students (dis)connect with physics in both stereotypical and atypical ways; for example, one student drew from a classed identity to reject physics (e.g. “working was always in my DNA, but school is never really for me”) and another student related his classed and gendered work as a mechanic to learn physics. Traditional aspects of the physics curriculum privileged discourse, performances, and epistemology associated with middle class white masculinity. The statement “I might nit pick it because I did it my way” is characteristic of competitive, assertive, self-interested discourse during problem presentations, taken up by male and female students. However, students engaged in other ways of doing physics that were personal, emotional, caring, inclusive and collaborative. A male student wrote, “Everyone is engaging and I feel that this class is like a family.” Some students developed positive physics identities as they redefined physics: “When I experience physics on my own in anytime in a day or week, I feel like a physics person.” Implications include interrogating beliefs about physics and students, and examining one’s own practices such that the “smog of bias” (Kost-Smith, Pollock, & Finkelstein, 2010) may be demystified.

I investigate stakeholder experiences in five New York City secondary classes associated with the low end of the civic opportunity gap. Classroom stakeholders are students, teachers, and college mentors participating in the Generation Citizen program. Generation Citizen is a push-in program meant to promote civic engagement opportunities in middle and high schools associated with the civic opportunity gap. The civic opportunity gap refers to observations that opportunities for civic engagement differ based on racial and socioeconomic markers. A conceptual framework based on situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) guides data collection and analysis. The framework draws attention to the experiences of individuals and groups in specific contexts, called communities of practice. Successful learning in a community of practice begins with legitimate peripheral participation, a process similar to apprenticeship. Situated learning theory considers the ways that people engage with each other around important issues, imagine realities in other communities, and try to align their efforts with existing processes. I present data collected through observations of classroom interactions and interviews with students, teachers, and program mentors. I find that legitimate peripheral participation required classroom stakeholders to engage the root causes of their chosen issues and put their knowledge into practice through actions aligned with the locus of their issue. This finding emerged through three themes, which address the role of classroom pedagogies in supporting or complicating the process of legitimate peripheral participation. Themes allow a discussion of the role that classroom interactions play in framing civic engagement experiences. Opportunities for civic engagement in school can positively address the problems of civic gaps when youth can name and enact legitimate efforts on their own terms.