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Title: Teaching reactions and stoichiometry : a comparison of guided inquiry and traditional laboratory activities
Creator: Meister Thomas, Lynn
Date: 2012
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: ABSTRACTTEACHING REACTIONS AND STOICHIOMETRY: A COMPARISON OF GUIDED INQUIRY AND TRADITIONAL LABORATORY ACTIVITIESByLynn Meister ThomasThere is a major movement in science education towards the inclusion of science inquiry and process. Guided-inquiry instruction is expected to have a positive impact on students' concrete and conceptual knowledge along with their ability to engage in the practices of science. This study examined the impact of inquiry-based teaching on student achievement. The...
Show moreABSTRACTTEACHING REACTIONS AND STOICHIOMETRY: A COMPARISON OF GUIDED INQUIRY AND TRADITIONAL LABORATORY ACTIVITIESByLynn Meister ThomasThere is a major movement in science education towards the inclusion of science inquiry and process. Guided-inquiry instruction is expected to have a positive impact on students' concrete and conceptual knowledge along with their ability to engage in the practices of science. This study examined the impact of inquiry-based teaching on student achievement. The topics of reactions and stoichiometry were taught in two different periods of first-year secondary honors chemistry. Both classes received the same lectures and assignments for this curriculum and both classes performed the same laboratory activities. However, one class received traditional, step-by-step (often called "cookbook") laboratory instructions while the other class developed their own procedures and made decisions about data to complete the laboratory activities. Pre- and post-tests were given to each class, followed by a test of retention after ten weeks.The results of this study indicate that inquiry-based instruction has a positive impact on student achievement. A significant increase between pre- and post- test scores for the experimental group as opposed to the scores for the control group suggests that achievement was correlated with guided inquiry instruction methods. Additionally, a notable trend suggested that guided inquiry instruction has a positive effect on learning retention.
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Title: Supporting the learning of Newton's laws with graphical data
Creator: Piggott, David
Date: 2013
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: ABSTRACTSUPPORTING THE LEARNING OF NEWTON'S LAWS WITH GRAPHICAL DATAByDavid PiggottTeaching physics provides the opportunity for a very unique interaction between students and instructor that is not found in chemistry or biology. Physics has a heavy emphasis on trying to alter students' misconceptions about how things work in the real word. In chemistry and microbiology this is not an issue because the topics of discussion in those classes are a new experience for the students. In the case of...
Show moreABSTRACTSUPPORTING THE LEARNING OF NEWTON'S LAWS WITH GRAPHICAL DATAByDavid PiggottTeaching physics provides the opportunity for a very unique interaction between students and instructor that is not found in chemistry or biology. Physics has a heavy emphasis on trying to alter students' misconceptions about how things work in the real word. In chemistry and microbiology this is not an issue because the topics of discussion in those classes are a new experience for the students. In the case of physics the students have everyday experience with the different concepts discussed. This causes the students to build incorrect mental models explaining how different things work. In order to correct these mental models physics teachers must first get the students to vocalize these misconceptions. Then the teacher must confront the students with an example that exposes the false nature of their model. Finally, the teacher must help the student resolve these discrepancies and form the correct model. This study attempts to resolve these discrepancies by giving the students concrete evidence via graphs of Newton's laws. The results reported here indicate that this method of eliciting the misconception, confronting the misconception, and resolving the misconception is successful with Newton's third law, but only marginally successful for first and second laws.
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Title: Fostering environmental literacy through the use of hands-on science, place-based education, and role-played case study
Creator: Cooper, Benjamin Paul
Date: 2013
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: ABSTRACTFOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY THROUGH THE USE OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE, PLACE-BASED EDUCATION, AND ROLE-PLAYED CASE STUDYBYBENJAMIN PAUL COOPER The purpose of this project was to develop environmental literacy in freshmen taking high school biology, using hands-on science labs, place-based education, and a role-played case study. Students participated in hands-on labs that allowed them to quantitatively describe the effects of pollution and eutrophication. Students also...
Show moreABSTRACTFOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY THROUGH THE USE OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE, PLACE-BASED EDUCATION, AND ROLE-PLAYED CASE STUDYBYBENJAMIN PAUL COOPER The purpose of this project was to develop environmental literacy in freshmen taking high school biology, using hands-on science labs, place-based education, and a role-played case study. Students participated in hands-on labs that allowed them to quantitatively describe the effects of pollution and eutrophication. Students also participated in an all-day field trip at Bay City State Park, where they studied ecological concepts in "place". The unit culminated in a role-played case study in which students were assigned roles, researched them, and attempted to solve the problem of the eutrophication of Saginaw Bay in a town hall meeting. To evaluate student learning, students were given a pretest and posttest that covered ecological topics taught during unit activities. The analysis of these assessments using a paired T-test showed that the teaching methods successfully increased student understanding of ecological topics, and an increase in environmental literacy. Additional subjective data, including conversations with students, and analysis of student writing during the unit, support that student environmental literacy increased during the unit. However, it was shown that environmental literacy is not something to be obtained in one unit, or even one year. It is a lifelong process to which a strong science foundation should be provided in science classes, from the primary level to the secondary level and beyond.
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Title: Teaching chemistry concepts using differentiated instruction via tiered labs and activity menus
Creator: Collins, Betsy C.
Date: 2013
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Today's high school classrooms are composed of students with different levels of knowing and ways of understanding. Differentiating the type of work that they are asked to do to achieve the same objective is one way to meet each student's special circumstances on a somewhat equal playing field. By doing so, students are being challenged at their level rather than just blindly going through the same motions that they see others around them doing. Offering students choices to better understand...
Show moreToday's high school classrooms are composed of students with different levels of knowing and ways of understanding. Differentiating the type of work that they are asked to do to achieve the same objective is one way to meet each student's special circumstances on a somewhat equal playing field. By doing so, students are being challenged at their level rather than just blindly going through the same motions that they see others around them doing. Offering students choices to better understand a concept places the student in the driver seat of their educational journey. The purpose of this research project was to design and implement choice activities within the chemistry classroom to more appropriately teach and assess chemistry concepts and assess understanding of those concepts. These choice activities included tiered-laboratory investigations and activity menus. This project was implemented over the course of two trimesters in a high school chemistry classroom. Topics covered included calculating and interpreting density and applying significant figures, calculating and interpreting percent composition with the mole concept, and stoichiometry. The effectiveness of the tiered-labs and activity menus were evaluated using pre and post test comparisons, student surveys, and general in-class observations. Gains in conceptual understanding and student motivation were documented. These findings indicated that allowing choice and leveling of skills to achieve the same conceptual understanding promoted student learning and the overall enjoyment and motivation for learning.
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Title: Problem based learning and the scientific process
Creator: Schuchardt, Daniel Shaner
Date: 2015
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: This research project was developed to inspire students to constructively use problem based learning and the scientific process to learn middle school science content. The student population in this study consisted of male and female seventh grade students. Students were presented with authentic problems that are connected to physical and chemical properties of matter. The intent of the study was to have students use the scientific process of looking at existing knowledge, generating learning...
Show moreThis research project was developed to inspire students to constructively use problem based learning and the scientific process to learn middle school science content. The student population in this study consisted of male and female seventh grade students. Students were presented with authentic problems that are connected to physical and chemical properties of matter. The intent of the study was to have students use the scientific process of looking at existing knowledge, generating learning issues or questions about the problems, and then developing a course of action to research and design experiments to model resolutions to the authentic problems. It was expected that students would improve their ability to actively engage with others in a problem solving process to achieve a deeper understanding of Michigan’s 7th Grade Level Content Expectations, the Next Generation Science Standards, and a scientific process. Problem based learning was statistically effective in students’ learning of the scientific process. Students statistically showed improvement on pre to posttest scores. The teaching method of Problem Based Learning was effective for seventh grade science students at Dowagiac Middle School
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Title: Emphasizing the process of science using demonstrations in conceptual chemistry
Creator: Lutz, Courtney A.
Date: 2015
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The purpose of this project was to teach students a method for employing the process of science in a conceptual chemistry classroom when observing a demonstration of a discrepant event. Students observed six demonstrations throughout a trimester study of chemistry and responded to each demonstration by asking as many questions as they could think of, choosing one testable question to answer by making as many hypotheses as possible, and choosing one hypothesis to make predictions about...
Show moreThe purpose of this project was to teach students a method for employing the process of science in a conceptual chemistry classroom when observing a demonstration of a discrepant event. Students observed six demonstrations throughout a trimester study of chemistry and responded to each demonstration by asking as many questions as they could think of, choosing one testable question to answer by making as many hypotheses as possible, and choosing one hypothesis to make predictions about observed results of this hypothesis when tested. Students were evaluated on their curiosity, confidence, knowledge of the process of science, and knowledge of the nature of science before and after the six demonstrations. Many students showed improvement in using or mastery of the process of science within the context of conceptual chemistry after six intensive experiences with it. Results of the study also showed students gained confidence in their scientific abilities after completing one trimester of conceptual chemistry. Curiosity and knowledge of the nature of science did not show statistically significant improvement according to the assessment tool. This may have been due to the scope of the demonstration and response activities, which focused on the process of science methodology instead of knowledge of the nature of science or the constraints of the assessment tool.
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Title: Using problem based learning and guided inquiry in a high school acid-base chemistry unit
Creator: McKinley, Katie
Date: 2012
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The purpose of this investigation was to determine if incorporating problem based learning and guided inquiry would improve student achievement in an acid base unit for high school chemistry. The activities and labs in the unit were modified to be centered around the problem of a fish kill that students investigated. Students also participated in guided inquiry labs to increase the amount of critical thinking and problem solving being done in the classroom. The hypothesis was that the...
Show moreThe purpose of this investigation was to determine if incorporating problem based learning and guided inquiry would improve student achievement in an acid base unit for high school chemistry. The activities and labs in the unit were modified to be centered around the problem of a fish kill that students investigated. Students also participated in guided inquiry labs to increase the amount of critical thinking and problem solving being done in the classroom. The hypothesis was that the implementation of problem based learning and guided inquiry would foster student learning. Students took a pre-test and post-test on questions covering the objectives of the acid base unit. These assessments were compared to determine the effectiveness of the unit. The results indicate that the unit was effective in increasing student performance on the unit test. This study also analyzed the process of problem based learning. Problem based learning can be an effective method of engaging students in inquiry. However, designing an effective problem based learning unit requires careful design of the problem and enough structure to assure students learn the intended content.
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Title: The integration of art into the secondary chemistry science classroom
Creator: Rainey, Laura
Date: 2014
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: This study examined the impact of relevance and interest to the students on their achievements in chemistry. Interactive-engagement methods were expected to have positive effects on students' understanding of chemistry concepts. Art would also act as a motivator in students' interest and participation. By integrating art into chemistry it was expected that students' would make connections that better promoted understanding of basic, key scientific concepts in chemistry and an awareness of the...
Show moreThis study examined the impact of relevance and interest to the students on their achievements in chemistry. Interactive-engagement methods were expected to have positive effects on students' understanding of chemistry concepts. Art would also act as a motivator in students' interest and participation. By integrating art into chemistry it was expected that students' would make connections that better promoted understanding of basic, key scientific concepts in chemistry and an awareness of the chemical basis that underlies the art. It was proposed that art based lessons would lead to improved understanding and retention of core concepts as measured by pretest, post-test, classroom engagement and meeting the course requirements for completion. As shown by the pretest and post-test students showed significant growth in understanding the chemistry concepts presented. The conducted survey indicated that students were interested in the art-based activities and learned from them as well.
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Title: Deepening conceptual understanding in the high school AP biology classroom using engagement tools and techniques
Creator: Vincent, Dusti Jean
Date: 2015
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Instructing students within a curriculum framework based on conceptual understanding requires a shift from a lecture-style, teacher-centered delivery method to one that is student-centered and inquiry-driven. A challenge with this shift is holding students accountable to preparing for course materials so that class time can be spent exploring the content in more depth through class discussions, experiential and laboratory exercises, and modeling. Three components were implemented in an AP...
Show moreInstructing students within a curriculum framework based on conceptual understanding requires a shift from a lecture-style, teacher-centered delivery method to one that is student-centered and inquiry-driven. A challenge with this shift is holding students accountable to preparing for course materials so that class time can be spent exploring the content in more depth through class discussions, experiential and laboratory exercises, and modeling. Three components were implemented in an AP Biology classroom of 39 students to increase engagement and accountability. These components were short readings with corresponding tutorials, formative assessments called ConcepTests, and reflective writing. Student participation in these components was measured. Conceptual understanding of biology was evaluated with a pre-test at the beginning of the term and measured again with a post-test. A Project-Based Learning (PBL) assessment was also implemented to further engage students and provide a way for students to apply their understanding to solving a real-world problem. Students demonstrated significant gains in conceptual understanding through the concept and PBL assessment. Participation in the components ranged from 73% to 86%, but it was difficult to show a positive correlation between participation and conceptual understanding.
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Title: Teaching biology with engineering practices
Creator: Potter, Stephen
Date: 2014
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) expresses a vision of science education that requires students to not only have an understanding of science concepts but be able to investigate the natural world through process of science inquiry or to solve meaningful problems though the practices of engineering design. While incorporating engineering practices into our science curriculum will soon be requirement of the new state standards, there is little research published as to how this should...
Show moreThe Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) expresses a vision of science education that requires students to not only have an understanding of science concepts but be able to investigate the natural world through process of science inquiry or to solve meaningful problems though the practices of engineering design. While incorporating engineering practices into our science curriculum will soon be requirement of the new state standards, there is little research published as to how this should be implemented in a biology classroom. The goal of this study was to measure the effectiveness of incorporating engineering design into a biology curriculum on student understanding of engineering practices and science content knowledge. The results of this study indicate that the integration of engineering design in a biology curriculum has a positive effect on student's science content knowledge as well as their understanding of engineering design principles.
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Title: Teaching physics using project-based engineering curriculum with a theme of alternative energy
Creator: Tasior, Bryan
Date: 2015
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide a new set of science standards that, if adopted, shift the focus from content knowledge-based to skill-based education. Students will be expected to use science to investigate the natural world and solve problems using the engineering design process. The world also is facing an impending crisis related to climate, energy supply and use, and alternative energy development. Education has an opportunity to help provide the much needed paradigm...
Show moreThe Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide a new set of science standards that, if adopted, shift the focus from content knowledge-based to skill-based education. Students will be expected to use science to investigate the natural world and solve problems using the engineering design process. The world also is facing an impending crisis related to climate, energy supply and use, and alternative energy development. Education has an opportunity to help provide the much needed paradigm shift from our current methods of providing the energy needs of society. The purpose of this research was to measure the effectiveness of a unit that accomplishes the following objectives: uses project-based learning to teach the engineering process and standards of the NGSS, addresses required content expectations of energy and electricity from the HSCE’s, and provides students with scientific evidence behind issues (both environmental and social/economic) relating to the energy crisis and current dependence of fossil fuels as our primary energy source. The results of the research indicate that a physics unit can be designed to accomplish these objectives. The unit that was designed, implemented and reported here also shows that it was highly effective at improving students’ science content knowledge, implementing the engineering design standards of the NGSS, while raising awareness, knowledge and motivations relating to climate and the energy crisis.
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Title: Emphasizing the process of science in biology
Creator: D'Augustino, Tracy Marie
Date: 2012
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The purpose of this project was to emphasize the process of science which is used in all aspects of life. Students in an Introductory Biology class practiced making observations, identifying patterns and asking questions based on observed patterns. The questions led to the development of multiple hypotheses with students predicting possible results. Students had opportunities to discuss their predictions with peers and the instructor. They discussed additional steps, alternative observations...
Show moreThe purpose of this project was to emphasize the process of science which is used in all aspects of life. Students in an Introductory Biology class practiced making observations, identifying patterns and asking questions based on observed patterns. The questions led to the development of multiple hypotheses with students predicting possible results. Students had opportunities to discuss their predictions with peers and the instructor. They discussed additional steps, alternative observations and questions, further exploring the process of science. To objectively evaluate the increased knowledge, students were given a pre-test and post-test that covered the points presented. Data analysis indicated that participation in unit activities successfully increased the students' understanding of the process of science.
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Title: A context based approach using Green Chemistry/Bio-remediation principles to enhance interest and learning of organic chemistry in a high school AP chemistry classroom
Creator: Miller, Tricia
Date: 2012
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: ABSTRACT By Tricia Miller The ability of our planet to sustain life and heal itself is not as predictable as it used to be. Our need for educated future scientists who know what our planet needs, and can passionately apply that knowledge to find solutions should be at the heart of science education today. This study of learning organic chemistry through the lens of the environmental problem "What should be done with our food scraps?" explores student interest, and mastery of certain concepts...
Show moreABSTRACT By Tricia Miller The ability of our planet to sustain life and heal itself is not as predictable as it used to be. Our need for educated future scientists who know what our planet needs, and can passionately apply that knowledge to find solutions should be at the heart of science education today. This study of learning organic chemistry through the lens of the environmental problem "What should be done with our food scraps?" explores student interest, and mastery of certain concepts in organic chemistry.This Green Chemistry/ Bio-remediation context-based teaching approach utilizes the Nature Mill®, which is an indoor food waste composting machine, to learn about organic chemistry, and how this relates to landfill reduction possibilities, and resource production. During this unit students collected food waste from their cafeteria, and used the Nature Mill® to convert food waste into compost. The use of these hands on activities, and group discussions in a context-based environment enhanced their interest in organic chemistry, and paper chromatography. According to a one-tailed paired T-test, the result show that this context-based approach is a significant way to increase both student interest and mastery of the content.
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Title: Impact of activity and lab based teaching on student performance and motivation
Creator: Alonge, Heather B.
Date: 2011
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: This paper reviews student performance in freshman Biology through a lab and activity based approach. Students used various manipulatives designed by the teacher, conducted several labs, and engaged in other activities designed for this hands on approach to learning. This study took place throughout many units of a yearlong course in Biology in an urban, public school district in a cooperative learning environment. Two classes of 30 and 32 students were involved in this study. The results...
Show moreThis paper reviews student performance in freshman Biology through a lab and activity based approach. Students used various manipulatives designed by the teacher, conducted several labs, and engaged in other activities designed for this hands on approach to learning. This study took place throughout many units of a yearlong course in Biology in an urban, public school district in a cooperative learning environment. Two classes of 30 and 32 students were involved in this study. The results based on pretest and posttest data suggest that an activity-based approach for teaching science concepts increased student performance and motivation overall. Students surveyed claimed better information retention when practiced and enriched through multiple labs and activities for various subjects. More student engagement was seen by the instructor when compared to previous years. The cooperative learning environment in which activities were conducted in proved to have positive effects.
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Title: Evolution in action in the classroom : engaging students in scientific practices to develop a conceptual understanding of natural selection
Creator: Johnson, Wendy Renae
Date: 2012
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Public understanding and acceptance of the theory of evolution in the United States is not commensurate with its acceptance in the scientific community and its role as the central organizing principle of the biological sciences. There are a multitude of factors that affect student understanding of the theory of evolution documented in the literature including the proposition that understanding of evolution is intimately linked to understanding the nature of science. This study describes the...
Show morePublic understanding and acceptance of the theory of evolution in the United States is not commensurate with its acceptance in the scientific community and its role as the central organizing principle of the biological sciences. There are a multitude of factors that affect student understanding of the theory of evolution documented in the literature including the proposition that understanding of evolution is intimately linked to understanding the nature of science. This study describes the development, implementation, and assessment of learning activities that address the process of natural selection and the scientific methodology that illuminates these mechanisms. While pre and post-test scores were higher for students in an Advanced Placement Biology course than students in a general biology course, similar learning gains were observed in both groups. Learning gains were documented in understanding the random nature of mutations and their importance to the process of natural selection, explaining selection as a competitive advantage of one variation over another type and specifically linking this to reproductive success, and in connecting inheritance, variation, and selection to explain the process of natural selection. Acceptance of the scientific validity of the theory of evolution as measured by the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) Instrument also increased significantly in both groups over the course of the school year. These findings suggest that the sequence of activities implemented in this study promote conceptual change about the nature of science and the process of evolution by natural selection in students.
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Title: Modeling DNA structure and processes through animation and kinesthetic visualizations
Creator: Hager, Christine
Date: 2013
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: "This study focuses on the effectiveness of three different types of visual aids: models, animation, and a role-playing activity. Students used a modeling kit made of Styrofoam balls and toothpicks to construct nucleotides and then bond nucleotides together to form DNA. Next, students created their own animation to depict the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Finally, students worked in teams to build proteins while acting out the process of translation."--From...
Show more"This study focuses on the effectiveness of three different types of visual aids: models, animation, and a role-playing activity. Students used a modeling kit made of Styrofoam balls and toothpicks to construct nucleotides and then bond nucleotides together to form DNA. Next, students created their own animation to depict the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Finally, students worked in teams to build proteins while acting out the process of translation."--From abstract.
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Title: The integration of engineering design projects into the secondary science classroom
Creator: Green, Adam
Date: 2012
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: In order to compete in the global economy, the United States needs to adequately train an increasing number of students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Recent studies show that the U.S. is lagging behind other countries in international science and mathematics assessments, and that the motivation of students to enter into and stay in the STEM fields of study is low. Businesses and government alike are pushing for increased instruction in science and...
Show moreIn order to compete in the global economy, the United States needs to adequately train an increasing number of students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Recent studies show that the U.S. is lagging behind other countries in international science and mathematics assessments, and that the motivation of students to enter into and stay in the STEM fields of study is low. Businesses and government alike are pushing for increased instruction in science and math for K-12 students as a means for producing larger numbers of STEM ready students. New approaches to adding more engineering instruction into the curriculum are being applied but current research into the effectiveness of such approaches is mixed. This study sought to gauge the effectiveness that integrating engineering design projects into the traditional physical science classroom has on students understanding of the applied scientific concepts as opposed to traditional instruction. The results indicate that integration of engineering design projects has a positive effect on student's science concept knowledge as well as their motivation in the classroom.
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Title: Increasing student comprehension of protein synthesis through inquiry based laboratory activites and DNA models
Creator: Kolonich, Angela Dawn
Date: 2011
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The goal of this project was to teach protein synthesis to high school juniors and seniors in a secondary Anatomy and Physiology class using DNA models and laboratory techniques. The activities were aligned to develop a macro-to-micro approach so that each activity was intentionally related to the overall goal of making a protein.The unit began with students learning about proteins and how they work in the body, and the activities were then organized to scale back to how the proteins are made...
Show moreThe goal of this project was to teach protein synthesis to high school juniors and seniors in a secondary Anatomy and Physiology class using DNA models and laboratory techniques. The activities were aligned to develop a macro-to-micro approach so that each activity was intentionally related to the overall goal of making a protein.The unit began with students learning about proteins and how they work in the body, and the activities were then organized to scale back to how the proteins are made. To objectively evaluate the learning, students were given a pre-test and a post-test that covered the points to be presented. Data analysis, which included a paired T-Test, indicated that participation in unit activities successfully increased the students' understanding of protein synthesis.
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Title: Project-based learning in the secondary chemistry classroom
Creator: Crane, Elizabeth L.
Date: 2015
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: This study investigated the use of project-based learning (PBL) in a high school chemistry classroom. PBL encourages the use of projects, which promote continual learning, rather than a summative project at the end of a unit after the learning has already been done. Along with implementing PBL, the study also incorporated many of the strategies included in the broader strategy known as Assessment for Learning (AfL), which stresses developing assessments that are part of the learning process...
Show moreThis study investigated the use of project-based learning (PBL) in a high school chemistry classroom. PBL encourages the use of projects, which promote continual learning, rather than a summative project at the end of a unit after the learning has already been done. Along with implementing PBL, the study also incorporated many of the strategies included in the broader strategy known as Assessment for Learning (AfL), which stresses developing assessments that are part of the learning process rather than simply a measurement of the amount of learning that has occurred upon completion of a unit. The hypothesis of this research was that PBL would increase student comprehension and motivation as measured through pre and post-test data and a student survey. The new project-based unit required students to research and present the properties and structures of elements and how we use them. The expectation was that this approach would engage students with the material, the computer modeling would allow for more concrete visualization of structures and the project-based format would allow students to become more invested in their own learning. This study provided evidence to support the hypothesis that the implementation of project-based learning, supported by formative assessment and other assessment for learning strategies, will improve student comprehension and motivation in the secondary chemistry classroom.
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Title: Earth science and biology connections : enhancing earth science relevance for students through biological explorations
Creator: Damron, Michael L.
Date: 2011
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Earth Science is regularly marginalized as a high school science subject, ironically at a time when its significance might never have been higher. While this marginalization may occur in a variety of ways among the stakeholders involved in Earth Science education, among students it is often discernible as an apparent lack of interest in the subject material. Students frequently express that the relevance of the course is not obvious for them, and as such deem Earth Science as having little to...
Show moreEarth Science is regularly marginalized as a high school science subject, ironically at a time when its significance might never have been higher. While this marginalization may occur in a variety of ways among the stakeholders involved in Earth Science education, among students it is often discernible as an apparent lack of interest in the subject material. Students frequently express that the relevance of the course is not obvious for them, and as such deem Earth Science as having little to offer them in terms of practical and applicable scientific knowledge. This is often in contrast with the relevance purported to exist by students when reflecting on their experiences within Biology. A series of Earth Science activities with biological implications were implemented to determine if relevance of the topics could be conveyed to students when coupled with their prior experiences and knowledge of Biology. The Earth Science topics covered represented subject matter from each of the 4 spheres of Earth Science (geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, as well as the biosphere). The activities included a range of science processing skills, including modeling, experimentation, measuring and collecting data, as well as reading scientific literature. Students expressed a greater sense of relevancy in regard to Earth Science at the culmination of the study; both through direct expression via survey as well as through traditional assessment of course content knowledge. Additionally, students communicated a significantly increased appreciation for both nature and the connections between Biology and Earth Science.
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