The purpose of this study was twofold: Purpose 1 was to determine to what degree the desirable characteristics of a quality science program based upon the national standards as developed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) were actually being achieved as perceived by the public school secondary science teachers and supervisory personnel in Tennessee. Purpose 2 was to determine to what degree the quality components of a good science curriculum based upon the national standards as developed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) were considered to be desirable components of a quality secondary science program by the public school secondary science teachers and supervisory personnel in Tennessee. A random sample was taken from the target population of 1566 public, secondary science teachers and supervisory personnel, grades 9 through 12, from 125 school systems in Tennessee with the same core science offerings which if successfully completed, would allow students entrance into Tennessee Board of Regents institutions. A total of 20 research hypotheses were tested in the null format at the.05 level of significance using a two-tailed test. The Kruskal-Wallis One Way Analysis of Variance test was used to determine the difference in the ordinal data of the two independent groups. The Chi-Square test was obtained on those hypotheses dealing with ordinal and nominal data. The results of the study suggested that significant relationships existed between the perceived level of desirability of a school's science program and the perceived level of achievement of that program for all respondents in regard to the levels of: science background, general education, professional education, professional activities and development, contributions to the profession, and professional attitudes.

No / While there are many mythical stories of various kinds about the Phoenix it retains several features throughout all of them. In ancient Egypt, the Phoenix was the prodigy of the sun god Ra and appeared in the shape of a giant bird of fire, which was one of the most beautiful creatures on earth. It was remarkable in that it could not foster any offspring and at the end of its life would explode in a ball of fire. Out of the ashes, an egg is formed which then hatches the Phoenix again in its young form. The cry of a Phoenix was supposed to be of miraculous beauty. This chapter will explore if the Phoenix is a suitable metaphor for the recent re-emergence of the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), which was tasked with providing scientific expertise to the government on questions of the security risks of emerging science and technology in the life sciences. The analogy to the Phoenix suggests itself because the NSABB, chartered in 2004, had been inactive for over two years and only recently took up its work. The comparison between the Phoenix and the NSABB gives rise to several questions: first, has the re-emergence of the NSABB been met with an equally beautiful cry of joy among the scientists and security experts? Second, what happens when the Phoenix lies dormant? And third, what took place before the Phoenix was created?

The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate selected characteristics of the National Science Foundation-sponsored science curricular programs developed in the United States for use at the secondary school level, and to determine some curricular and instructional implications for Kuwaiti secondary school science programs. The study is designed to include a description and an evaluation of selected characteristics of four NSF-sponsored science curricular programs, namely Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), Chemical Education Materials Study (CHEM Study), Earth Science Curriculum Project (ESCP), and Harvard Project Physics (HPP) programs. The study also includes a description and evaluation of selected characteristics of all Kuwaiti secondary school science programs in biology, chemistry, geology (earth science), and physics. The characteristics of science programs of both countries are described and evaluated, individually and collectively, by using Zorn's Criteria. Based on the results obtained, certain implications for Kuwaiti secondary school science programs are drawn, both individually and collectively. Recommendations to be considered in future revision and improvement of Kuwaiti science programs are presented. The results of the study reveal that the NSF-sponsored science programs are superior to Kuwaiti science programs in a variety of characteristics, such as the emphasis on active student involvement in inquiry-oriented activities, the inclusion of related information sources (bibliographies) in student textbooks, and the provision of extensive supplementary reading materials.

This dissertation investigates the adaptation of a research-based professional development approach, Innovating Instruction, for special education teachers. This adapted approach uses assistive technology (AT) as a catalyst for helping teachers acquire design skills needed to include more inquiry-based practices. The adapted approach introduces effective teaching practices based on the learning sciences and demonstrates multiple ways to use AT to meet the needs of students. To address the “unexamined link between the use of design practices and the introduction of technology within a learning science framework,” (Meier, 2018, p.142), the Innovating Instruction© professional development framework (2018) at the Center for Technology and School Change provides a three-part approach to implement these changes: design, situate, lead. Two recent National Science Foundation grants have established the model’s positive impact on teachers’ ability to design projects, to shift from disciplinary to transdisciplinary project design, and to shift instructional thinking to include inquiry-based approaches. This dissertation responds to an important challenge in special education: the limited opportunities to prepare special education teachers to provide high-quality instruction to support all students. It uses technology as a catalyst to help special education teachers learn about design practices that engage students in inquiry practices that are culturally relevant and build on student strengths. The intervention introduced teachers to inquiry-driven design practices and used technology that supported new ways of understanding the capacity of special needs students through a six-month professional development program. The research design used was a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to analyze both qualitative and qualitative data to capture how special education teachers used AT to design inquiry-based learning. The analysis revealed a statistically significant shift over the period of the professional development, implementation, and reflection phases in terms of teachers’ ability to design inquiry-based projects that integrated AT. Also, the findings showed the importance of “situating” teachers’ needs, encouraging collaborative learning with colleagues, and developing a shared knowledge base of inquiry-based teaching strategies in special education classrooms. Findings from teacher questionnaires and interviews showed emerging leadership activities: teachers took more initiative to design projects and collaborate with other teachers in the school community.

With tightening university budgets, never before has the activity level of research grant proposal writing been more intense. With increased proposal numbers, including for the National Science Foundation's (NSF) prestigious CAREER award, has also come increased competition and decreased funding rates. This dissertation has searched for successful and unsuccessful characteristics from funded and unfunded CAREER proposals. The research focused on a study of two key subjects: 1) a corpus of 20 texts that included 12 funded proposals and 8 unfunded proposals from across NSF programs, and 2) an ethnographic analysis comprised from interviews with 14 NSF program officers (PO) from varying programs. Coding elements with the texts to uncover topical chains of content, rhetorical, and document design strategies revealed sound rhetorical moves and rhetorical mistakes. The study also illustrated evidence of adherence to or neglect of NSF-mandated writing/formatting conventions as connected to the likelihood of receiving funding. Moreover, the study revealed conventions that have developed for the genre that are not prescribed by NSF but that, nevertheless, seem to be expected. Through genre field analysis, the study's interviews with program officers (PO) revealed a system of genre-agents and player-agents that interact together in a highly rhetorical and social system. This system, comprised of locales in which a multitude of play scenarios can be enacted to exert influence, operates within fairly exact rules of play. Such rules may be published by NSF or simply be "understood," yet principal investigators (PI) are held accountable for them regardless. The ethnography created from interviews with POs revealed multiple genre field elements (e.g., genre- and player-agents, transformative locales, play scenarios, penalty conditions) as well as common mistakes and best practices. A complete mapping of the CAREER award proposal preparation, submission, and review process resulted from the study, which mapping has offered insightful strategies to expand PI (and other agents') influence on the funding process. The dissertation concluded by offering investigators a step-by-step process to identify and map the elements of the proposal genre field in which they operate.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of partner teachers and graduate fellows in 1 school regarding the barriers and successes made during their participation in a National Science Foundation Grant. This study included 9 partner teachers and 7 graduate fellows who participated in the Science First! NSF GK-12 Grant. There were 16 participants in this study. This study was conducted at North Side Elementary and East Tennessee State University. Partner teachers and graduate fellows were interviewed to gain perceptions of the barriers and successes of their participation in the implementation of the Science First! grant at North Side and East Tennessee State University from 2008-2013. A list of possible participants in the study was provided from the grant leadership team. The 16 participants in the study were chosen through purposeful sampling. During data analysis, 4 themes arose as successes and 4 themes arose as barriers. The success themes were (a) relationships, (b) mutual appreciation, (c) increased academic depth, and (d) professional growth. The barriers were (a) communication, (b) time, (c) expectations, and (d) preparation. Based on the research, the following conclusions were presented. The coordination of a major NSF-GK12 grant can provide STEM support and academic rigor for a high poverty school with leadership. Positive relationships between the graduate fellows and partner teachers as well as the 2 participating institutions are critical in fostering successful grant implementation. Professional growth through the grant partnerships was obtained. The participants gained a mutual appreciation for the roles and responsibilities of each other. There are ups and downs in implementing a large grant at 1 elementary school with a university, but the rewards of the potential to influence teacher practices in STEM and student learning are great. Recommendations from the study findings may assist future grant award winners or partnerships of any kind in building productive relationships between schools and other institutions.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of East Tennessee State University's summer science institute training through the effect on mean Normal Curve Equivalent science test scores of students in a Northeast Tennessee school system whose teachers participated in the ETSU summer science institute training. Data analysis were compiled using students' science NCE scores to determine if there were significant differences in scores for those students whose teachers participated in the summer science institutes and those who did not participate. Students' NCE scores were compiled from the middle school setting over a 3-year academic period: 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007. Paired-samples t tests were used to analyze the effectiveness of teacher participation by comparing preparticipation and postparticipation students' science NCE scores for years 3 years. Independent-samples t tests were used to compare students' gender, socioeconomic status (free- and reduced-price meals), and NCE science scores (using 5th grade only) for 2 consecutive years of the study (2005-2006 through 2006-2007). Two analyses were used to determine teachers' participation and the effect on students' NCE science scores among two subgroups: gender and socioeconomic status. For research questions 4 and 5, a mean net gain and NCE raw scores average was performed. The findings from this study indicated significant differences in years 2004-2005 and 2006-2007 favoring students of teachers who participated in the summer science institutes However, the results from year 2005-2006 showed no significant differences in students' science NCE scores of teachers who participated or did not participate in summer science institutes. In the consecutive year (2005-2006 through 2006-2007) using 5th grade only comparisons, data analyses showed significant differences in students' science NCE scores when performing NCE raw scores comparisons for gender and socioeconomic status. The comparisons for gender showed male students' science NCE scores were higher than were females' science scores. The NCE raw scores comparisons for socioeconomic status showed those students on the meals program had higher science NCE scores than did those students not on the program. There was no significance in students' science NCE scores when using mean net gain scores comparison for gender and socioeconomic status.

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology at BYU has been furthering their research on Global Virtual Teams. After Cultural Competence lessons were implemented into the classroom setting in 2010, it was decided that teaching the lessons online asynchronously could have advantages in decreasing the time professors needed to cover the content in class. In 2011, Jennifer Alexander teamed with faculty involved with the NSF grant to design and develop online Cultural Competence lessons. Beginning in August 2011 students at BYU and other cooperating campuses participated in the online Cultural Competence lessons. The online lessons were complete and ready for implementation on time; changes were made after implementation based on feedback given in student interviews; and the lessons are now ready for further development and implementation. The lessons will be shared openly with a global audience through Global Hub beginning in summer 2012.

No description available.

A Semana Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia é um evento anual que busca mobilizar a população brasileira em torno de temas da Ciência e Tecnologia. Desde a primeira edição, em 2004, a Universidade de São Paulo promove um processo de Divulgação Científica por meio de ações de extensão. Apesar de, atualmente, o modelo de \"feira de ciências\" ser a principal estratégia usada pela universidade na maioria das edições do evento, pouco se conhece além do número de visitantes, escolas e ações oferecidas pelos museus e institutos que participam da feira. O presente trabalho busca investigar como ocorrem os processos de elaboração e execução do evento e como o público interage com os expositores. A pesquisa de natureza qualitativa conta com o suporte teórico da Teoria da Atividade, referencial que permite leitura complexa do fenômeno estudado, por sua abordagem histórico-cultural. O foco de análise é a sistematização das Atividades dos sujeitos para localização de contradições e tensões, elementos fundamentais para o surgimento de Ciclos Expansivos de Aprendizagem. Para isso, foram feitas entrevistas semiestruturadas com expositores, organizadores e um representante do Ministério da Ciência Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI). A interação do público com os estandes foi registrada em áudio e vídeo. A análise dos dados permitiu a construção do modelo da Atividade dominante do evento, ou seja, de uma Atividade comum a todos os sujeitos envolvidos na feira, caracterizada como Atividade de Negociação entre Ciência e Sociedade. Também foram caracterizadas as Atividades dos expositores, organizadores e visitantes. Na Atividade de Extensão Universitária, realizada pelos expositores, foi possível identificar que os diferentes sujeitos encontramse em níveis de reflexão diferentes a respeito do trabalho que desenvolvem. A Atividade de Produção do Evento, executada pelos organizadores, apresentou três ciclos de aprendizagem expansiva, mostrando um amadurecimento da organização. Foi possível, ainda, identificar uma interrupção dessa aprendizagem expansiva. Ao analisar a Atividade de Visitação, foi possível perceber a importância do interesse prévio do estudante para a decisão de visitar um estande. Foram caracterizados os tipos de interação encontradas nos estandes, bem como os objetos usados pelos expositores para a construção do discurso. Estes dois elementos permitiram apontar as diferenças na duração das visitas, sendo a combinação destes determinantes para a atração do estande e a retenção do mesmo em um estande. A identificação das Atividades permitiu a construção hierárquica do Sistema de Atividades, no qual observou-se como elementos das Atividades em níveis inferiores eram influenciados pelos objetos transformados das Atividades dos níveis superiores. Sob a ótica dos níveis hierárquicos de contradição proposto por Engeström (1987), foi possível perceber a predominância de contradições terciárias, aquelas que ocorrem entre as Atividades de um sistema, e de contradições primárias, aquelas que ocorrem em um elemento da Atividade. Como contribuição para as discussões na Teoria da Atividade, propõe-se quatro categorias de contradições que emergiram da análise do evento: contradições na esfera das concepções de valores; contradições na esfera da comunicação; contradições de caráter organizacional; e contradições de caráter político. / The National Science and Technology Week is an annual event that seeks to mobilize the population around issues of Science and Technology. Since its first edition, in 2004, the University of São Paulo promotes science communication through outreach activities. Although currently the model of \"science fair\" is the main strategy used by the university in most editions of the event, little is known beyond the number of visitors, schools and programs offered by museums and institutes at the fair. This study aims to investigate how the organization and execution of the event occurs and how the public interacts with the exhibitors. The qualitative research has the theoretical support of the Activity Theory, framework that allows complex interpretation of the phenomenon studied because of its historical-cultural approach. The focus of analysis is the systematization of the subjects Activities to locate contradictions and tensions, fundamental elements for the development of Expansive Learning Cycles. For that, semistructured interviews were conducted with exhibitors, organizers and a spokesman of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The interaction of the public with the stands was recorded on audio and video. Data analysis allowed the construction of a model of the dominant activity of the event, that can be explained as a common activity to all those involved in the fair, characterized as Trading Activity between Science and Society. Also the Activities of the exhibitors, organizers and visitors were characterized. In the University Outreach Activity, carried out by the exhibitors, was possible to identify that the different subjects are at different levels of reflection about the work they do. The Event Production Activity, performed by the organizers, presented three Expansive Learning Cycles, showing a maturing organization. It was also possible to identify an interruption of this expansive learning. By analyzing the Activity of Visitation, it was possible to realize the importance of student interest prior to the decision to visit a stand. There were characterized types of interactions found in the stands as well as the objects used by exhibitors for the construction of the speech. These two elements allowed us to point out the differences in the duration of visits, and the combination of these determinants for attracting visitors to the stand and for their retaining. The identification of activities allowed the hierarchical construction of the Activity System, in which was observed as elements of Activities at lower levels were influenced by the transformed objects of the Activities of the upper levels. From the perspective of hierarchical levels of contradiction proposed by Engeström (1987), it was revealed the predominance of tertiary contradictions, those between the activities of a system, and primary contradictions, those that occur in an Activity element. As a contribution to the discussions for the Activity Theory, we propose four categories of contradictions that emerged from the event analysis: contradictions in the sphere of values conceptions; contradictions in the sphere of communication; contradictions of organizational character; and contradictions of political character