All Postsecondary resources

Journal Article

Course-Based Research in the First Semester of College

Undergraduate students are increasingly aware of complex global challenges and have a strong desire to take action and create change. Course-based undergraduate research experiences can offer a wide range of students the opportunity to gain skills ...

By Christina Cianfrani and Sarah Hews

Postsecondary Environmental Science Inquiry Preservice Science Education Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Features of an Effective Future-Faculty Teaching-Development Program

Many institutions are preparing graduate students and postdoctorals (future faculty) for effective teaching in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Interestingly, little is known about beneficial features of teach...

By Jacinta Mutambuki, Regina Frey, and Denise Leonard

Postsecondary STEM Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Action Research: Using a 5E Instructional Approach to Improve Undergraduate Physics Laboratory Instruction

A physics laboratory instructor used action research to effectively implement a 5E instructional approach, which incorporated scientific practices. The instructor explored how to integrate the instructional approach into practice, challenges presen...

By Ozden Sengul and Renee Schwartz

Postsecondary 5E Physics Research Teacher Preparation

Journal Article

Constructive Error Climate: A Classroom Assessment Technique in Science Classes

Although making errors in the learning process is common, it is usually perceived by students as something negative and a potential threat to self-esteem. Such perception often prevents students from considering errors as learning opportunities. By...

By Yunteng He

Postsecondary Assessment Preservice Science Education Research

Journal Article

Outcomes for Peer-Based Mentors in a University-Wide STEM Persistence Program: A Three-Year Analysis

While the majority of STEM persistence has focused on outcomes for first-year students, there has been little investigation into the outcomes for peer mentors. Of the studies conducted, results are promising. Benefits for peer mentors include a cha...

By Dean T. Spaulding, Jelane A. Kennedy, Amanda Rozsavolgyi, and Wilfredo Colón

Postsecondary Preservice Science Education Research Teacher Preparation

Journal Article

Classroom Observations to Characterize Active Learning Within Introductory Undergraduate Science Courses

In this article, the authors describe how classroom observations were used to characterize differences in instructional practices among undergraduate science courses. Student and faculty behaviors and dialogues were quantified using the Teaching Di...

By Katherine McCance, Timothy Weston, and Emily Niemeyer

Postsecondary Research Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Engineering Essential Attributes of Cooperative Learning and Quality Discourse in a Large Enrollment Course by Leveraging Clicker Devices

This article describes how clickers (student response systems) may be used to assess and support the development of productive process skills and discourse patterns within student teams during class periods. Clicker questions may poll the class abo...

By Christopher Bauer

Postsecondary Research Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Nonideal Placement of Nonmajors in Biology Major and Allied Health Courses Results in Poor Performance and Higher Attrition Rates

Nonideal enrollment of nonbiology majors into biology majors courses serves as an impediment to academic success and negatively impacts rates of college course completion. In this Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved investigation, we examine ...

By Farshad Tamari, Mary Dawson, and Ivan Shun Ho

Postsecondary Biology Curriculum Learning Progression Teacher Preparation

Journal Article

A Reflection on the Changing Reality of Science

By Emily Faulconer

Postsecondary Curriculum NGSS Teacher Preparation

Journal Article

An Introvert’s Perspective: Analyzing the Impact of Active Learning on Multiple Levels of Class Social Personalities in an Upper Level Biology Course

With calls to reassess higher education teaching methods, active learning practices have quickly become a popular alternative to traditional lectures, especially in STEM courses that traditionally rely heavily on large-lecture formats. In this rega...

By William C. Beckerson, Jennifer O. Anderson, John D. Perpich , and Debbie Yoder-Himes

Postsecondary

Journal Article

Building First-Year Science Writing Skills With an Embedded Writing Instruction Program

An important foundational skill developed in an undergraduate science program is the ability to find, critically evaluate, and communicate scientific information. Effective science communication depends on good writing; therefore, we leveraged stud...

By David Dansereau, L. E. Carmichael, and Brian Hotson

Postsecondary

Journal Article

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Using Team-Based Learning in the Science Classroom

With an overwhelming amount of research and a demand for collaborative learning in the classroom, teachers are tackling challenges at all educational levels that often accompany the social aspects of group work. Team-Based Learning (TBL) is an inst...

By Virginia J. Moore, Elizabeth Mitchell Prewitt, Amber Jean Carpenter-McCullough, and Brooke A. Whitworth

Postsecondary

Journal Article

Clickers Are Not Enough: Results of a Decade-Long Study Investigating Instructional Strategies in Chemistry

Studies on the effectiveness of clickers in undergraduate chemistry courses are mixed, and there is disagreement on how to effectively leverage clickers to improve student learning performance. To fill a gap in the research, we analyzed three diffe...

By David J. Weiss, Patrick McGuire, Wendi Clouse, and Raphael Sandoval

Postsecondary

Journal Article

Student-Constructed Weather Instruments Facilitate Scientific Inquiry

Students in introductory college science courses often have a simplified understanding of the scientific method. To introduce students to the complexity of the scientific process and the value of empirical observations, I implemented a semesterlong...

By Cindy Shellito

Postsecondary