This study aimed to examine the attitudes and lived experiences of individuals identified as 'gifted underachievers'. A mixed-methods approach was used to investigate the concept 'gifted underachievement' using a survey regarding student attitudes towards school and individual interviews. This study used a sequential explanatory design: the first phase compared gifted achievers and gifted underachievers to determine school-related attitude differences; the second phase used a transcendental phenomenological design to describe the lived experiences of those identified as gifted underachievers. A mixed methods approach allowed for the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative research methods to be utilized with evidence from survey and interview data. Keeping in mind that gifted underachievement occurs when students with identified superior ability do not perform at levels commensurate with those abilities (McCoach & Siegle, 2003a; White, Graham, & Blass, 2018), this study was conducted within a Central Florida school district and used the district's indicator of gifted underachievement: a student identified as gifted with a grade of C or lower in at least two classes. Grades were examined for the previous school year and the first half of the current school year. In addition to gifted eligibility, school district personnel also considered class grades, test history, teacher anecdotal records, and student diversity for potential subjects. Since research has shown that the middle school years appear to be critical years for gifted underachievers, this study focused on middle school students (Siegle, 2013; Peterson & Colangelo, 1996). This study can be used to inform best practices regarding gifted underachieving middle school students. Additionally, information from this study may be used in the prevention of underachievement for some students. "Understanding the factors contributing to the underachievement of young students is particularly important, as this would allow educators to intervene while children are still relatively young" (Obergriesser & Stoeger, p. 168). This study attempted to add to the body of knowledge regarding gifted underachievement so that this phenomenon can be better understood and mitigated.

No description available.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada experience mental health concerns at unbalanced rates compared to non-Indigenous Canadians, but Indigenous Peoples reportedly “underuse” mainstream (i.e., Western) mental health services, like psychotherapy. Understanding how to “best” attend to the mental health needs of Indigenous Peoples with psychotherapy has largely been hypothetical and theoretical, with little input from Indigenous clients themselves. The current study used a narrative inquiry methodology approach to gain insight into perspectives and experiences of Western conventional psychotherapy among Indigenous Peoples (i.e., clients) in Turtle Island (aka Canada and the United States). The research question framing the current research was: What are Indigenous clients’ narratives of Western psychotherapy? Three Indigenous individuals from urban areas in Quebec and Ontario participated in in-depth interviews. In an endeavour to contribute to social justice aims, such as social change in the context of psychotherapy with Indigenous Peoples, I used a theoretical framing that embraced a social justice and decolonizing lens. The findings conveyed the following main themes: perceptions about therapy, significance of the therapeutic connection, role of power dynamics, role of Indigenous culture, and impacts from research participation. Implications for psychotherapy as it relates to power dynamics are discussed, and potential contributions are offered in the hopes that the psychotherapy field may continue to better address the mental health needs of Indigenous Peoples in Canada through a decolonizing approach.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative inquiry into how parents at the Virginia Tech Child Development Laboratory School in Blacksburg, VA define and attempt to understand their school culture. This study was guided by the following points of inquiry: 1) to understand the ways the parents articulate their conceptualization of the lab school culture, 2) to examine how parents negotiate change in the school, 3) to identify any social, political, and/or historical factors that caused this transformation, and 4) to inform best practice in the school. Participant observation, interviews, a reflective journal, and thematic analysis were used to gain a deeper understanding of this topic. Particular attention focused on social, political, and historical factors that influenced parent understanding of the school culture. Analysis of the interviews conducted with 11 parents who currently have children enrolled in the school and entries from my personal research journal reveal the need for dialogue and careful listening of parents thoughts, beliefs, values, and goals related to the lab school in order to achieve a sense of shared understanding (Bruner, 1990) and intersubjectivity (Vygotsky, 1978) around this notion of our school culture. Suggestions for building a shared culture for learning and teaching involving all the protagonists-- children, parents, teachers, staff -- are discussed. Implications for future research on understanding school cultures are presented for consideration. / Master of Science

There is a need to change the teaching methods of the science subjects. International surveys, e.g. TIMMS and PISA, have been showing relatively declining skills for the Swedish students in the science subjects. International science education research has found good examples of teaching and learning, but the research stays within the research communities and does not reach the teachers and their teaching. The gap between research results and teachers’ practices in the classroom is the basis of this investigation. Research shows that the teacher is one of the most important factors for student learning, therefore, this study has put great emphasis on the teachers’ competencies. The focus of this investigation is the relations between teachers’ knowledge of the Nature of Science (NOS), the Nature of Science Inquiry (NOSI) and inquiry-based teaching of Science. The project follows longitudinally two teachers as they take part in a researchbased implementation process of predesigned inquiry-teaching sequences in Physics. The context is a secondary school in Sweden (grades 8–9, age 14–16 years). The project is set around group discussions between the involved teachers and the researcher on planning, implementing and analysing actual inquiry teaching. The results describe possibilities and obstacles concerning the implementation of inquiry teaching as perceived by the teachers. Having navigated obstacles the teachers saw great potential in the inquiry model based on students’ motivation and learning. The results of the project provide indications on how future in-service teacher courses in Science could be designed. / <p>The series name <em>Linköping Studies in Science and Technology Education</em> is incorrect. The correct namen is <em>Studies in Science and Technology Education</em>.</p><p>Bilaga 1-7 ej inräknade i antalet sidor.</p>

National attention given to heightening the quality of educators, calls attention to the practices used by programs to prepare teachers (CAEP, 2013). The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) requires evidence novice teachers “apply the professional… skills and dispositions preparation experiences were designed to achieve” (p.13). Grounded in reflection, teacher inquiry serves as a pedagogical practice to prepare teachers to systematically learn from their problems of practice (Shulman, 1986; Yendol-Hoppey & Franco, 2014). Despite evidence teacher inquiry leads preservice teachers (PSTs) to focus on student learning with the goal of improving practice (Capobianco, 2007; Dawson, 2006; Taylor & Pettit, 2007), research has yet to identify how beginning teachers approach their problems. Using a narrative methodology, this qualitative study interviewed two first-year teachers to glean insight into the problems of practice they identified, the inquiry related skills and dispositions that surfaced when they approached problems, and the barriers and facilitators to resolving challenges experienced in their elementary school context (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). Findings include (a) novices identified problems related to instructional methods, collaborating with stakeholders and teaching special need students; (b) inquiry skills and dispositions were most evident when approaching problems related to students’ needs and instructional methods; (c) critical learning and emotional intelligence surfaced, though with varying levels of depth, depended on the identified problem of practice; (d) novices demonstrated awareness their instructional practices impacted students; (e) novices sought ways to drive change in practice; and (f) critical learning and reflective dispositions supported novices to regulate emotions. The study suggests several implications for school administrators, mentors, and teacher educators, such as (a) leading novices to see beyond classroom management; (b) emphasizing essential problem solving skills; (c) supporting novices when the nature of the problem of practice inhibits asking investigative questions; (d) communicating boundaries for novices to drive change; (e) fostering critical learning with reflective focus on student needs; (f) cultivating the symbiotic relationship between emotional intelligence, critical learning, and reflection; and (g) promoting the novice teacher researcher in a traditional novice teacher culture.

No description available.

This study compared two levels of inquiry in high school physics classrooms over a year-long course. One class fit well the definition of guided-inquiry and the other matched common descriptions of open-inquiry. Four sections of introductory physics at Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah were randomly divided into two sections for each treatment. The majority of students in all classes were sophomores with relatively few juniors and seniors. The guided-inquiry classes followed the Modeling Instruction Program developed at Arizona State University, while the open-inquiry classes were be based on an approach used by Wolff-Michael Roth, at the University of Victoria, British Colombia. The independent variable in this study was the level of inquiry of the high school physics class. The dependent variables of interest were the students' short-term and long-term understanding of introductory physics concepts as well as the student's attitudes towards physics. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and the Utah State Criterion Referenced Physics Test (CRT) were used to judge learning of physics concepts and the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was used to analyze changes in views towards physics. FCI results showed no statistically significant differences in short-term or long-term mean scores between the two treatments. Small practical significance was found in the greater short-term mean gain scores of the guided-inquiry class with an effect size of .34. The CRT showed the open-inquiry class to have a higher mean score that was slightly statistically significant (p-value of .049) and at a medium level of practical significance with an effect size of .43. A curious result arose when comparing the scores on each of the FCI posttests. The open-inquiry treatment had a higher increase in average gain score that was found to have statistical significance with a p-value of .010 as well as practical significance in the medium range with an effect size of .57. Both treatments were found to have somewhat unfavorable effects on students' opinions towards physics. Additionally, the open-inquiry treatment had a more polarizing effect on the attitudes of students towards physics. Open-inquiry students responded particularly positively on questions addressing "Problem Solving." For the open-inquiry students, positive shifts were strongest in questions addressing "Real World Connections" and "Personal Interest."

No description available.

Despite the positive outcomes for inquiry-based science education and recommendations from national and state standards, many teachers continue to rely upon more traditional methods of instruction This causal-comparative study was designed to determine the effects of the Inquiry Institute, a professional development program that is intended to strengthen science teachers' pedagogical knowledge and provide practice with inquiry methods based from a constructivist approach. This study will provide a understanding of a cause and effect relationship within three levels of the independent variable-length of participation in the Inquiry Institute (zero, three, or six days)-to determine whether or not the three groups differ on the dependent variables-beliefs, implementation, and barriers. Quantitative data were collected with the Science Inquiry Survey, a researcher-developed instrument designed to also ascertain qualitative information with the use of open-ended survey items. One-way ANOVAs were applied to the data to test for a significant difference in the means of the three groups. The findings of this study indicate that lengthier professional development in the Inquiry Institute holds the most benefits for the participants.