The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand how women enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs perceive their undergraduate experience in relation to their anticipatory socialization into the engineering profession. The significance of this study rests in the fact that although over the past few decades millions of dollars have been invested to combat the shortage of women entering and persisting in engineering undergraduate programs, very little improvement has yet been achieved. More importantly, although many factors have been determined to perhaps influence the under representation of women in engineering, a clear understanding of why this phenomenon continues has not yet been established. The findings from this study are intended to provide insight into what women in engineering need to succeed and provide clear recommendations for practice and policy to address the issue.

The practice of science requires careful observation, experimentation and rational thinking accompanied by imaginative and intuitive insights to thrive in a mood of cutting edge exploration. South African Grade 9 Chemistry deals with established facts, usually devoid of artistic stimuli for capturing the imagination or awakening the intuitions of most learners. Many previous attempts to use the arts in the teaching of Chemistry are limited to the use of pictures, and less often, music and drama which are often superficial or even distracting from the real content. Most research into Science education has its focus on improving academic results with almost no research being conducted in the use of holistic, artistic devices to improve learner interest. Child-centred, holistic education indicates that the integration of rational logic with personal, intuitive knowing through story and the arts is a seed to sustained learner interest. This study used video-recorded experiments and a poem with holistic use of story, metaphor, rhythm and rhyme to characterise the behaviour of acids, bases and salts, to awaken greater learner interest. Class discussion centred on inquiry-based learning which challenged the validity of the characterisations used in the poem, completed the holistically integrated intervention. Changes in learner interest levels were determined by matched pairs in the pre-test and post-test. The research was undertaken with 222 learners from four schools in the greater Tshwane region. The results show that such holistically integrated devices, or stimuli, significantly increased learner interest through good engagement in the lesson as well as an improved perception of their grasp of the content, feelings towards Chemistry and relevance of Chemistry for their lives. As a first-of-its-kind research, further research in the use of appropriate holistic, artistic devices in Science education is recommended. Research into the longer-term use of such devices as well as the effects on learner academic results should be tested. This research indicates that teachers should consider providing a greater context and characterisation, with a broader range of stimuli, when presenting Chemistry to Grade 9 learners to allow them to relate to the experimental and academic content in a more imaginative, intuitive and personally meaningful way. The presentation of this dissertation will follow the courses of a dinner feast in the hope that the reader will be nourished holistically on multiple levels. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Humanities Education / MEd / Unrestricted

A study was conducted to determine the relationship between the credentials held by science teachers who taught at a school that administered the Science Texas Assessment on Knowledge and Skills (Science TAKS), the state standardized exam in science, at grade 11 and student performance on a state standardized exam in science administered in grade 11. Years of teaching experience, teacher certification type(s), highest degree level held, teacher and school demographic information, and the percentage of students who met the passing standard on the Science TAKS were obtained through a public records request to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). Analysis was performed through the use of canonical correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicate that a larger percentage of students met the passing standard on the Science TAKS state attended schools in which a large portion of the high school science teachers held post baccalaureate degrees, elementary and physical science certifications, and had 11-20 years of teaching experience.

This research study was conducted in an urban high school in Western Cape province of South Africa. The research study investigated the effect of virtual practical work on learner performance in science process skills and attitude, working with a non-random sample group of grade 10 physical sciences learners. In this experimental design research, the treatment group of 22 learners was taught the concept of 'phase change in matter' through virtual practical work. On the other hand, the control group was taught the same concept through hands-on practical. A pre- and post-test instrument of 30 multiple choice items on integrated science process skills was used to measure learners' performance. The test scores were statistically analysed using Quickcalcs, to compare the overall learner performance in the two groups, and also to compare learner performance in different categories of science process skills. A 12-item questionnaire was designed to test the learner s' attitude towards virtual and hands-on practical. The statistical t test analysis on the average scores indicated insignificant difference between the performance of the two groups, with a p value greater than 0,05. When learners' performance in different process skills categories were compared, t test scores revealed significant differences in some categories and non-significant differences in some categories. The questionnaire results indicated that the learners' attitude was biased towards hands-on practical work. The significance of this research study is that virtual practical can be used to develop some science process skills.

The underrepresentation of women and minorities in science is an extensively studied yet persistent concern of our society. Major reform movements in science education suggest that better teaching, higher standards, and sensitivity to student differences can overcome long-standing obstacles to participation among women and minorities. In response to these major reform movements, researchers have suggested teachers transform their goals, science content, and instructional practices to make science more attractive and inviting to all students, particularly young women and minorities (Barton, 1998; Brickhouse, 1994; Mayberry & Rees, 1999; Rodriguez, 1999; Roychoudhury, Tippins, & Nichols, 1995). One of the more dominant approaches currently heralded is the use of feminist pedagogy in science education. The purpose of this study was to examine the ways eleven middle and high school science teachers worked collaboratively to engage in systematic, self-critical inquiry of their own practice and join with other science teachers to engage in collaborative conversations in effort to transform their practice for a more equitable science education. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews, whole group discussions, classroom observations, and review of supporting documents. Data analysis was based on grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) and open coding (Miles and Huberman, 1994). This study described the collective processes the science teachers and university researcher employed to facilitate regular collaborative action research meetings over the course of six months. Findings indicated that engaging in collaborative action research allowed teachers to gain new knowledge about feminist science teaching, generate a cluster of pedagogical possibilities for inclusive pedagogy, and enhance their understanding for science teaching. Additional findings indicated dilemmas teachers experienced including resistance to a feminist agenda and concerns for validity in action research. This study revealed that there are no uniform solutions or standard methods to address issues of equity and accessibility in science education. This study recommends teachers be given time, support, and freedom to collaborate with other teacher-researchers, enact decisions for change, and reflect on and make public the results of their work. Additional implications suggest science teacher educators collaborate with practicing science teachers to devise practical applications and feasible resources for a wider audience.

The study of conceptual change in science education, specifically in the realm of physics, is not new, however, there is still much that is not well understood. Continuing with the trend of including characteristics of the learner in models of conceptual change, this study seeks to explore the role confidence plays in helping or hindering conceptual change. Current research on this topic has provided mixed conclusions. The concept of force is foundational for understanding most areas of physics, as well as other sciences. Students often lack correct understanding of this critical concept. It is important to separate students’ lack of knowledge about the topic from misconceptions, as each likely requires different types of intervention to correct. Pairing a concept inventory with a Certainty of Response Index (CRI) is one way of separating misconceptions from incomplete knowledge (Hasan, Bagayoko, & Kelley, 1999). In this study, students paired a series of multiple-choice questions about force and motion with a CRI. After each survey, students obtained feedback about correct answers followed by a discussion or a live demonstration designed to exemplify the concept in question. The study compared knowledge scores immediately after the intervention (posttest), as well as one month after the intervention (delayed posttest), between the two types of feedback (discussion and live demonstration). The results of this study support the argument to include confidence as one of the many learner characteristics that influence conceptual change. Additionally, students who viewed a demonstration had significantly greater gains in knowledge than students who participated in the discussion at posttest; however, the differences between the groups did not persist at delayed posttest. In examining CRI gain scores from pretest to delayed posttest, students who viewed a demonstration had significantly greater gains on items relating to Newton’s Third Law than the discussion group. The results taken collectively support the need to reexamine the order of the physics curriculum, particularly as it relates to Newton’s Laws. The findings suggest that Newton’s Third Law deserves much greater focus and potentially should be taught before Newton’s Second and First Laws, however, more research needs to be done to better understand the implications of such a change. / Math & Science Education

Most educational studies highlight the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Female students' interest and success in STEM are behind their male peers, especially in chemistry and physics classes. Females are less likely to pursue a STEM field in college. In addition, few women want to be scientists and engineers. The gender gap in STEM may be a result of traditional science teaching methods. Female students' expectations are not met, and as a result, their science interest decreases in these classrooms, as well as not pursuing STEM careers in specific chemistry, engineering, and physics. There is an increase in research and curriculum reform movements containing socioscientific issues (SSI) extending worldwide. SSI provides an opportunity to engage students in critical thinking. SSI-based science classrooms are based on real-world problems like climate change, genetic modification, and vaccination. Integrating SSI into science classrooms as a revolutionary method might renew the practices of our traditional science classrooms. However, few SSI-based educational research studies have focused on the gender gap issue. This dissertation investigated 216 middle and high school students' experiences in SSI-based classrooms with a mixed-methods approach. I investigated Model-Evidence Link diagram's effectiveness on the shiftiest in students' plausibility toward scientific model and scientific knowledge gaining in the quantitative part. I examined their experiences in SSI-based classrooms with the open-ended question survey in the qualitative part. SSI-based science activities provided gender equity conditions in science classrooms. Both genders evaluated the scientific model as more plausible by eliminating the alternative model as less plausible, and they gained scientific knowledge about Climate Change and Wetlands. The MEL diagram seemed more effective for the students' positive plausibility shifts toward the scientifically accepted model. Also, both genders had positive experiences in SSI-based classrooms in general. However, female students did not want to continue a STEM career except biomedical sciences. MEL design can be renewed by adding some initial and interval short activities and using some SSI topic-related posters and objects to prepare students for critical thinking and keep them more engaged during the activities. Also, adding student interviews and live recording the student discussions might give an understanding of the collaboration and student experiences in the SSI-based classrooms. / Math & Science Education

Two manifolds were designed to determine phosphate concentrations. The linear range for the 2-channel manifold was 0 to 30 mg L-1, and that for the 3-channel manifold was 0 to 400 mg L-1. Optimized conditions for the determination of arsenic with molybdenum-blue method were 0.5% w/v ascorbic acid, 0.4 M sulfuric acid in the molybdate solution and 80°C reaction temperature. A method for determination of arsenic using pervaporation flow injection hydride generation with visible spectrophotometry was developed. The method was sensitive for low arsenic concentrations (≤ 10 μg L-1), with sensitivity decreasing as arsenic concentration increased. There was no heating required, and the pervaporation membrane transferred only arsine. The analytical performance of two arsenic test kits was assessed. The Alpha Environmental kit cannot be recommended for arsenic measurement in water. The Hach kit was reliable for measuring arsenic concentrations greater than 70 μg L-1. A modified reaction tube was constructed that allowed NaBH4 solution to be delivered into the reaction mixture to replace zinc powder in the Hach kit, with no loss of gases. A more quantitative way of measuring arsenic using the Hach kit was developed by measuring the B-value of the color of jpeg images of test strips taken by a desktop scanner. Leersia oryzoides grown in soil amended with 110 mg kg-1arsenic extracted up to 305 μg g-1 and 272 μg g-1 arsenic into its shoots and roots respectively, giving a shoot:root quotient (SRQ) of 1.12 and phytoextraction coefficients (PEC) up to 1.3 in greenhouse experiments. Five supervised arsenic-related projects were reported. All except one of these reports fell short of the standards acceptable for a publishable manuscript. Factors such as high expectations, competitive entrance requirements and good motivation were responsible for the publishable report. For the remaining reports, problems with working in a team, relatively low expectations and lack of motivation were responsible. A laboratory-based research subject was successfully investigated in middle school classrooms. The program had been run for four consecutive years. Collaboration with the classroom teacher ensured that the program agreed with the school curriculum. All participants recommended continuation of this program.

Recent calls for better education have many teachers trying out new ways to engage their students and teach them required content. In the current educational atmosphere of accountability, many people are beginning to question the effectiveness and utility of their educational programs. The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center (CMSEC) is one such program. Key aspects addressed in this study included better understanding the essence of the CMSEC experience, whether it provides any beneficial impact to visitors, and how the CMSEC programs fit into the educational spectrum. An exploratory mixed-method design (utilizing focus groups, interviews, and surveys) was used to explore these issues. The director of the CMSEC hopes to use the information gained from investigating these questions to improve the program and to strengthen its foundation so it will survive beyond his retirement. We discovered that the CMSEC experience is based in simulation theory, very similar to other live simulation experiences that designers employ to meet similar learning outcomes. We found that much of the ambiguity that the CMSEC director identified results from ambiguous goals that are not as tightly aligned with program offerings and procedures as they could be. In order to strengthen the CMSEC programs we recommend they clarify their goals, train staff more explicitly on their goals and how to achieve them, and refine their evaluation methods to measure whether those goals are being met.

This study focuses on at-risk students entering 9th grade in Cambridge, MA and ways to increase their connectedness and science learner identity. At-risk students were invited to participate in a research-based, summer intervention program called Rise Up for four weeks prior to entering 9th grade in the fall. Students were grouped into three categories, at-risk students who participated in the program, Rise Up Participants (RUPs), at-risk students who were Eligible Non-Participants (ENPs), and students who were not considered at-risk based on their 7th grade MCAS scores, Proficients. The study found the RUPs were performing lower on standardized tests compared to the ENPs prior to the intervention. Secondary measures of academic success such as attendance and behavior showed no significant difference. By the end of the first semester freshmen year, the RUPs were statistically the same as the ENPs in terms of grades. RUPs’ attendance and behavior records were found to fall in between the higher-achieving Proficients and the lower-level ENPs. Science grades for RUPs during the first semester were higher than the ENPs but any degree of higher achievement was diminished by the end of the year. RUPs demonstrated consistent to increasing degrees of academic connectedness from the summer through freshmen year. ENPs and Proficients showed decreased academic connectedness from the beginning to the end of freshmen year. One posited explanation for the RUPs steady connectedness scores may be adjusted expectations for freshmen year. This theme emerged from the focus group interviews with RUPs and ENPs in the fall and in the spring. All three groups, RUPs, ENPs, and Proficients, showed a strong correlation between academic connectedness and science learner identity. Similar to attendance and behaviors, RUPs started freshmen year demonstrating science learner identity in between the Proficients and the ENPs. RUPs with higher scores than ENPs diminished throughout the course of freshmen year. Other demographic variables were investigated. Science learner identity in the fall showed no significant difference based on race regardless of participation in the summer intervention. However, by the end of freshmen year, interest in science showed stratification between overrepresented and underrepresented populations. Grades showed a widening divide between Proficients and at-risk groups throughout freshmen. Possible causes and recommendations are discussed.