Joinresearch and teaching
Student-Driven Research in the First Year
Building Science Skills and Creating Community
Journal of College Science Teaching—November/December 2020 (Volume 50, Issue 2)
By Christina Cianfrani, Sarah Hews, and Christene DeJong
We designed the Integrated Sciences First-Year Program (ISFP) to introduce students to the nature and process of science early in their academic career, help them develop skills and competencies, and create an intellectual community of learners to foster belonging within science. Using their inherent curiosity, we designed active learning environments where students were provided with enough scaffolding to guide their efforts, but enough freedom to engage in authentic research and experience both success and failure while taking academic risks. We found that student-driven inquiry projects, formal and informal mentoring experiences, and engagement with a larger scientific community constituted the key program elements that enabled us to meet our goals, while better preparing students to design and complete their college majors and capstone projects and engage with the broader scientific community. While we implemented the ISFP as a three-part series during students’ first year of college, the lessons we learned are widely applicable and can be applied to individual courses as well as within courses across a science curriculum.
We designed the Integrated Sciences First-Year Program (ISFP) to introduce students to the nature and process of science early in their academic career, help them develop skills and competencies, and create an intellectual community of learners to foster belonging within science. Using their inherent curiosity, we designed active learning environments where students were provided with enough scaffolding to guide their efforts, but enough freedom to engage in authentic research and experience both success and failure while taking academic risks.
We designed the Integrated Sciences First-Year Program (ISFP) to introduce students to the nature and process of science early in their academic career, help them develop skills and competencies, and create an intellectual community of learners to foster belonging within science. Using their inherent curiosity, we designed active learning environments where students were provided with enough scaffolding to guide their efforts, but enough freedom to engage in authentic research and experience both success and failure while taking academic risks.
research and teaching
Changes in Elementary Teachers’ Conceptions About Matter
Journal of College Science Teaching—November/December 2020 (Volume 50, Issue 2)
By Jerrid W. Kruse, Jesse Wilcox, and Lucas Menke
While research has investigated elementary teachers’ understanding of science content, such research is often limited to topics typically not addressed in elementary school curricula. Yet, research has illustrated that many elementary teachers struggle to accurately articulate and teach science concepts and professional development (PD) is needed. Therefore, this qualitative study sought to describe changes in in-service elementary teachers’ thinking about matter during a professional development targeting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) related to matter. Our findings indicate that participants entered the PD holding a wide range of conceptions, including those that were described as vague and inaccurate, as well as a variety of ways to articulate accurate conceptions. After the PD, participants’ vague and inaccurate conceptions typically improved to accurate conceptions, but the variety of ways to articulate accurate conceptions often reduced to only the ways discussed in the PD. Implications for teacher education are discussed.
While research has investigated elementary teachers’ understanding of science content, such research is often limited to topics typically not addressed in elementary school curricula. Yet, research has illustrated that many elementary teachers struggle to accurately articulate and teach science concepts and professional development (PD) is needed. Therefore, this qualitative study sought to describe changes in in-service elementary teachers’ thinking about matter during a professional development targeting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) related to matter.
While research has investigated elementary teachers’ understanding of science content, such research is often limited to topics typically not addressed in elementary school curricula. Yet, research has illustrated that many elementary teachers struggle to accurately articulate and teach science concepts and professional development (PD) is needed. Therefore, this qualitative study sought to describe changes in in-service elementary teachers’ thinking about matter during a professional development targeting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) related to matter.
research and teaching
Fostering Nonscientist Thinking on Evolution Concepts Through the Teaching for Transformative Experiences in Science (TTES) Model
Journal of College Science Teaching—November/December 2020 (Volume 50, Issue 2)
By Rachel Sparks and Rebekka Darner
Understanding of evolution is foundational to be a scientifically literate citizen because it allows analysis of socioscientific issues, such as biodiversity conservation, biotechnology applications, and human-induced climate change. Unfortunately, students who weakly understand evolution fail to understand its importance in everyday life and enter college with unscientific conceptions about evolution. Conceptual change theory asserts that naïve conceptions are deeply rooted within students’ conceptual frameworks, which are shaped by life experiences, so to access and potentially change them, curricula must be relevant to students’ lives. In this study, we used the Teaching for Transformative Experiences in Science (TTES) model to gain such relevance. Transformative experiences occur when students actively use, gain enhanced understanding of, and develop an appreciation for a concept. The Transformative Experience Survey (TES) was administered following a general education biology course redesigned around six evolutionary themes, with pedagogy structured according to the TTES model. A one-sample t-test indicated students applied evolutionary theory to their lives to a moderate degree, demonstrating that the TTES model can lead to a greater appreciation for evolution in nonbiology majors. Written responses were qualitatively analyzed to elucidate how students applied evolution in their lives, which further demonstrated the potential of the TTES model.
Understanding of evolution is foundational to be a scientifically literate citizen because it allows analysis of socioscientific issues, such as biodiversity conservation, biotechnology applications, and human-induced climate change. Unfortunately, students who weakly understand evolution fail to understand its importance in everyday life and enter college with unscientific conceptions about evolution.
Understanding of evolution is foundational to be a scientifically literate citizen because it allows analysis of socioscientific issues, such as biodiversity conservation, biotechnology applications, and human-induced climate change. Unfortunately, students who weakly understand evolution fail to understand its importance in everyday life and enter college with unscientific conceptions about evolution.
research and teaching
An Investigation Into the Impact of the Flipped Classroom With Active Learning on the Perception and Performance of Biology Nonmajor Students at the Undergraduate Level
Journal of College Science Teaching—November/December 2020 (Volume 50, Issue 2)
By Bina Rai, Julia Yajuan Zhu, Dawn C-I Koh, Khoo Xiaojuan, Lakshminarasimhan Krishnaswamy, Rajesh Chandramohanadas, Ong Eng Shi, and Pey Kin Leong
We carried out a study of an instructional model that integrates flipped classroom with active learning, in-class activities into our biology course, using a mixed methods research design. According to the survey (n = 331), a majority of students found the flipped classroom engaging and helpful for class preparation and scheduling of learning. Student performance was assessed by pre- and postpeer discussion quizzes. We found that there was a significant number of students who obtained a full score with reduced response times (by an average of 81.3%) after peer discussion at week 9 and 13 of the term. There was also a noticeable difference in the normalized average scores obtained in the final examinations for 2017 as compared to 2015 (before the flip). In summary, the integration of instructional videos with conceptual questions and hands-on, in-class activities for an undergraduate biology course intended for nonmajors resulted in improved students’ perceptions of engagement, biology, and scores to a moderate extent.
We carried out a study of an instructional model that integrates flipped classroom with active learning, in-class activities into our biology course, using a mixed methods research design. According to the survey (n = 331), a majority of students found the flipped classroom engaging and helpful for class preparation and scheduling of learning. Student performance was assessed by pre- and postpeer discussion quizzes.
We carried out a study of an instructional model that integrates flipped classroom with active learning, in-class activities into our biology course, using a mixed methods research design. According to the survey (n = 331), a majority of students found the flipped classroom engaging and helpful for class preparation and scheduling of learning. Student performance was assessed by pre- and postpeer discussion quizzes.
feature
Modeling the Coronavirus Outbreak for Cross-Discipline Teaching
Journal of College Science Teaching—November/December 2020 (Volume 50, Issue 2)
By Joseph J. Molitoris
The Coronavirus outbreak allows for a number of possible applications to classroom teaching (biology, computer science, Earth science, physics, statistics), as well as student research. A number of simple models reproduce fairly well the case numbers (total confirmed cases) of the Coronavirus pandemic in specific regions. These models may also be used to predict future cases and can be updated as data become available in a region (city, state, country).
The Coronavirus outbreak allows for a number of possible applications to classroom teaching (biology, computer science, Earth science, physics, statistics), as well as student research. A number of simple models reproduce fairly well the case numbers (total confirmed cases) of the Coronavirus pandemic in specific regions. These models may also be used to predict future cases and can be updated as data become available in a region (city, state, country).
The Coronavirus outbreak allows for a number of possible applications to classroom teaching (biology, computer science, Earth science, physics, statistics), as well as student research. A number of simple models reproduce fairly well the case numbers (total confirmed cases) of the Coronavirus pandemic in specific regions. These models may also be used to predict future cases and can be updated as data become available in a region (city, state, country).
Two-Year Community
Applying the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Framework During a Community College Chemistry Project-Based Learning Activity
Journal of College Science Teaching—November/December 2020 (Volume 50, Issue 2)
By Patricia G. Patrick, William Bryan, and Shirley M. Matteson
Project-based learning (PBL) instructional methods attempt to make connections between students and their ability to solve real problems. We framed our qualitative study within sociocultural theory and used the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) model to define the positive and negative factors occurring during a PBL activity. We followed 22 rural community college chemistry students during a garden-based PBL activity and collected data through discussions, observations, open-ended exam questions, semi-structured interviews, and reflective journals. Our goal was to identify the social influences on groups in real time, meaning defining group interactions as they were occurring, and organize the findings within a SWOT framework. We discovered four strengths (discussions, groups, instructor support, and knowledge/experience), six weaknesses (absences, collaboration, communication, dominant member, motivation, and procrastination), four opportunities (Canvas and Google Docs, community members/family, out-of -class communication/discussions, and websites), and two threats (animosity and personal issues/ignoring the group). The results offer insight into the complex network of social interactions within the peer group. We include strategies for finding the right balance between SWOT factors.
Project-based learning (PBL) instructional methods attempt to make connections between students and their ability to solve real problems. We framed our qualitative study within sociocultural theory and used the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) model to define the positive and negative factors occurring during a PBL activity. We followed 22 rural community college chemistry students during a garden-based PBL activity and collected data through discussions, observations, open-ended exam questions, semi-structured interviews, and reflective journals.
Project-based learning (PBL) instructional methods attempt to make connections between students and their ability to solve real problems. We framed our qualitative study within sociocultural theory and used the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) model to define the positive and negative factors occurring during a PBL activity. We followed 22 rural community college chemistry students during a garden-based PBL activity and collected data through discussions, observations, open-ended exam questions, semi-structured interviews, and reflective journals.
Point of View
Understanding and Addressing Ambiguity in the STEM Classroom
The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are some of the most jargon-heavy areas in higher education. As such, teaching and learning in these areas includes challenges with lexically ambiguous words and phrases, where one term has different meaning in another STEM field, nonSTEM field, or broadly in society. These further can be confounded when crosscutting concepts may include an aspect of lexical ambiguity. Overall, such topics and areas are understudied in STEM. This work describes a set of resources and guides for educators to orient themselves on the potential challenges of crosscutting concepts and lexical ambiguity, analyze lexically ambiguous words and phrases in their own disciplines, apply time efficient teaching strategies, and—broadly—scaffold their approaches to these educational challenges.
The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are some of the most jargon-heavy areas in higher education. As such, teaching and learning in these areas includes challenges with lexically ambiguous words and phrases, where one term has different meaning in another STEM field, nonSTEM field, or broadly in society. These further can be confounded when crosscutting concepts may include an aspect of lexical ambiguity. Overall, such topics and areas are understudied in STEM.
The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are some of the most jargon-heavy areas in higher education. As such, teaching and learning in these areas includes challenges with lexically ambiguous words and phrases, where one term has different meaning in another STEM field, nonSTEM field, or broadly in society. These further can be confounded when crosscutting concepts may include an aspect of lexical ambiguity. Overall, such topics and areas are understudied in STEM.
Feature
Surveying the Safety Culture of Academic Laboratories
Journal of College Science Teaching—November/December 2020 (Volume 50, Issue 2)
By Emily Faulconer, Zachary Dixon, John C. Griffith, and Hayden Frank
The university traditionally has been the foundation for young adults’ professional development, yet the proclivity toward safety culture has garnered less focus in higher education than in the workforce. A survey of faculty at a medium-sized, research-active, private institution revealed specific areas of policy noncompliance as well as specific safety attitudes that can be targeted for interventions. Albeit a snapshot view, the survey implies that safety needs better representation in the classroom, teaching laboratories, and research facilities at universities. Safety is not abandoned by any means, and there is a strong presence of safety-oriented individuals, but the data show barriers to safety do exist that need to be addressed. The implications of this small-scale study serve as a foundation for a more comprehensive multi-institutional study in the future.
The university traditionally has been the foundation for young adults’ professional development, yet the proclivity toward safety culture has garnered less focus in higher education than in the workforce. A survey of faculty at a medium-sized, research-active, private institution revealed specific areas of policy noncompliance as well as specific safety attitudes that can be targeted for interventions. Albeit a snapshot view, the survey implies that safety needs better representation in the classroom, teaching laboratories, and research facilities at universities.
The university traditionally has been the foundation for young adults’ professional development, yet the proclivity toward safety culture has garnered less focus in higher education than in the workforce. A survey of faculty at a medium-sized, research-active, private institution revealed specific areas of policy noncompliance as well as specific safety attitudes that can be targeted for interventions. Albeit a snapshot view, the survey implies that safety needs better representation in the classroom, teaching laboratories, and research facilities at universities.
KSU-NSTA Student Chapter Succeeds by Embracing Change
By Debra Shapiro
Editorial
