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Title: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization (semester?), IPRO 356: SP Hybrids IPRO 356 Midterm Report F06
Creator: Fuglestad, Jason, Popoola, Dolapo, Patti, Julie, Lee, Jae Suk, Ali, Hassan, Thomas, Sujit, Cyriac, Mary, Baek, Seung, Anderson, Matt, Zhao, Yin
Date: 2006-12, 2006-12
Description: To complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deli...
Show moreTo complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deliverables for IPRO 356: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization for the Fall 2006 semester
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Title: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization (semester?), IPRO 356: SP Hybrids IPRO 356 abstract F06
Creator: Fuglestad, Jason, Popoola, Dolapo, Patti, Julie, Lee, Jae Suk, Ali, Hassan, Thomas, Sujit, Cyriac, Mary, Baek, Seung, Anderson, Matt, Zhao, Yin
Date: 2006-12, 2006-12
Description: To complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deli...
Show moreTo complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deliverables for IPRO 356: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization for the Fall 2006 semester
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Title: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization (semester?), IPRO 356: SP Hybrids IPRO 356 Project Plan F06
Creator: Fuglestad, Jason, Popoola, Dolapo, Patti, Julie, Lee, Jae Suk, Ali, Hassan, Thomas, Sujit, Cyriac, Mary, Baek, Seung, Anderson, Matt, Zhao, Yin
Date: 2006-12, 2006-12
Description: To complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deli...
Show moreTo complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deliverables for IPRO 356: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization for the Fall 2006 semester
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Title: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization (semester?), IPRO 356: SP Hybrids IPRO 356 Poster F06
Creator: Fuglestad, Jason, Popoola, Dolapo, Patti, Julie, Lee, Jae Suk, Ali, Hassan, Thomas, Sujit, Cyriac, Mary, Baek, Seung, Anderson, Matt, Zhao, Yin
Date: 2006-12, 2006-12
Description: To complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deli...
Show moreTo complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deliverables for IPRO 356: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization for the Fall 2006 semester
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Title: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization (semester?), IPRO 356: SP Hybrids IPRO 356 IPRO Day Presentation F06
Creator: Fuglestad, Jason, Popoola, Dolapo, Patti, Julie, Lee, Jae Suk, Ali, Hassan, Thomas, Sujit, Cyriac, Mary, Baek, Seung, Anderson, Matt, Zhao, Yin
Date: 2006-12, 2006-12
Description: To complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deli...
Show moreTo complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deliverables for IPRO 356: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization for the Fall 2006 semester
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Title: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization (semester?), IPRO 356: SP Hybrids IPRO 356 Final Report F06
Creator: Fuglestad, Jason, Popoola, Dolapo, Patti, Julie, Lee, Jae Suk, Ali, Hassan, Thomas, Sujit, Cyriac, Mary, Baek, Seung, Anderson, Matt, Zhao, Yin
Date: 2006-12, 2006-12
Description: To complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deli...
Show moreTo complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deliverables for IPRO 356: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization for the Fall 2006 semester
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Title: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization (semester?), IPRO 356
Creator: Fuglestad, Jason, Popoola, Dolapo, Patti, Julie, Lee, Jae Suk, Ali, Hassan, Thomas, Sujit, Cyriac, Mary, Baek, Seung, Anderson, Matt, Zhao, Yin
Date: 2006-12, 2006-12
Description: To complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deli...
Show moreTo complete the final stage in the assembly of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and commercialize the technology on a large scale.
Deliverables for IPRO 356: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Commercialization for the Fall 2006 semester
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Title: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUMENT TO EVALUATE TEACHERS’ CONCEPTS ABOUT NATURE OF MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE
Creator: Kean, Lesa L.
Date: 2012-12-10, 2012-12
Description: While there does seem to be widespread consensus that teachers’ beliefs and concepts influence the way they teach, even the most recent...
Show moreWhile there does seem to be widespread consensus that teachers’ beliefs and concepts influence the way they teach, even the most recent international studies suggest that research-based evidence for this consensus is limited. In an effort to enlarge and enhance the pool of evidence that shows specific relationships between teacher beliefs and practice, the present author undertook to write an attitude survey and interview protocol that identifies and distinguishes teachers’ concepts on eight different aspects of NOMK. Such a survey seems to be a natural first step to providing evidence for the larger question of which beliefs correlate to what teacher behaviors. Eight NOMK aspects were identified and defined based on a review of over 68 resources including twelve that contained an existing assessment addressing NOMK concepts. While superficial inspection of the assessments referenced may suggest that the best solution may be to use an existing assessment or to compile a list of items from these various assessments and use that to assess NOMK, the researcher suggests four major issues that would suggest otherwise. The items of the assessment and the assessment as a whole were validated through several steps. First, the author started with over 40 survey items, distributed evenly over her eight aspects and including both Likert-type and open-ended items. Second, the items were randomized and distributed to practicing mathematics teachers for their feedback. Third, the items were revised and sent back out to teachers for additional feedback. Fourth, the resulting survey was piloted with over 20 community college teachers. Fifth, their responses were coded, and the open-ended items were coded by xii rubric and confirmed by a second coder. Sixth, the survey was revised once again and piloted to another sample of 20 with similar analysis. Finally, she conducted several forms of qualitative and quantitative analysis to cull down the items to those that produced the most valid and reliable survey items set possible. The resulting survey addresses six of the eight aspects proposed by the researcher and includes both Likert-type and open-ended items intended to be confirmed and clarified through interview. The researcher suggests further research be done in order to design items that validly and reliably identify teachers’ concepts of NOMK on the remaining two aspects.
PH.D in Mathematics Education, December 2012
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Title: ENACTMENT OF COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICS: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS’ CHOICES OF CURRICULUM, TEACHING, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Creator: Kartal, Ozgul
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: In response to perceived problems of the United States mathematics curriculum, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed under the...
Show moreIn response to perceived problems of the United States mathematics curriculum, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed under the leadership of the National Governor Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and were released in 2010. As of the time of this study, forty-four states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity have adopted the CCSS. The CCSS for Mathematics (CCSSM) initiative has raised many research questions for the field concerning the quality, enactment, and effectiveness and impact of the standards. There is a great deal of concern, in particular, about the enactment of the standards, because􀁿as pointed out by Heck, Weiss, and Pasley (2011)􀁿if standards have not been well implemented in a particular setting, then failure or ineffectiveness shouldn’t be blamed on the standards. Various researchers identified the key components of a successful enactment of a set of standards as curriculum, assessment, professional development, and teachers and teaching practice (e.g., Confrey & Krupa, 2010; Goertz, 2010; Weiss et al., 2002; Wu, 2011b). Therefore, this research study focused on the enactment of the CCSSM, and analyzed the curriculum, teaching, assessment, and teacher professional development as the key components of the enactment process. This study focused on the state of Illinois which is one of the states that started fully implementing the new academic standards in the 2013-14 school year, and hence had ample preparation and trial time between the adoption and full implementation years. This study investigated the alignment between teachers’ choices of curriculum and CCSSM, and relation between the curriculum resources, professional development, and enactment of CCSSM. The focus of the study was on the content of basic algebra and concepts of solving equations and slope while investigating the alignment of enactment of the CCSSM. The sample was comprised of twelve 9th grade algebra teachers from six different schools in the state of Illinois. The criteria in selecting the schools were the geographic location of the schools, the types of the schools, the curricula used at the schools, and the professional development on CCSSM offered at the schools. Results of this study found that the curricula have limited alignment with CCSSM, and that teachers’ enactment of mathematical practices was affected by the availability of variety of standards for mathematical practices in their curriculum as well as professional development opportunities. The curricula provided opportunities for various mathematical practice standards throughout the content of basic algebra, but some practice standards were left out. Teachers provided opportunities for a subset of the standards that were present in the instructional segments of their curriculum. If not, they provided opportunities for practice standards as a result of acquisition from professional developments. The impact of professional development was most evident when teachers using the same curriculum differed in their enactment of the practices. This study portrayed the relations between (low/high) enactments of CCSSM, curriculum resources (aligned or not aligned), and professional developments. Many states and districts are just beginning to incorporate CCSSM into their math curriculum at the time of this study. Therefore, the findings of this study will guide them as they make their textbook, curriculum, and professional development choices and decisions. In addition, this research generated valuable knowledge that would be useful not only in improving the enactment of the CCSSM, but also improving the enactment of future sets of standards. There are implications for curriculum designers, administrators/school and district leaders, professional development designers, and teacher educators.
Ph.D. in Mathematics Education, July 2015
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Title: TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN SCIENCE EDUCATION: A STUDY OF HOW TEACHERS USE MODERN LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES IN BIOLOGY CLASSROOMS
Creator: Gnanakkan, Dionysius Joseph
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: This multiple case-study investigated how high school biology teachers used modern learning technologies (probes, interactive simulations and...
Show moreThis multiple case-study investigated how high school biology teachers used modern learning technologies (probes, interactive simulations and animations, animated videos) in their classrooms and why they used the learning technologies. Another objective of the study was to assess whether the use of learning technologies alleviated misconceptions in Biology documented by American Association for the Advancement of Science. The sample consisted of eight teachers: four rural public school teachers, two public selective enrollment school teachers, and two private school teachers. Each teacher was followed for two Units of instruction. Data collected included classroom observations, field notes, student assignments and tests, teacher interviews, and pre-and post-misconception assessments. Paired t-tests were done to analyze the pre-post test data at a significance level of 0.05 and the qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. Each case study was characterized and then a cross-case analyses was done to find common themes across the different cases. Teachers were found to use the learning technologies as a tool to supplement instruction to visualize abstract processes, collect data, and explore abstract concepts and processes. Teachers were found to situate learning, use scaffolding and questioning and make students work in collaborative groups. The genetics, photosynthesis, and evolution misconceptions were better alleviated than cellular respiration. Student work that was collected demonstrated a superficial understanding of the concepts under discussion even when they had misconceptions. The teachers used the learning technologies in their classrooms for a variety of reasons: visual illustrations, time-saving measure to collect data, best way to collect data, engaging and fun for students and the interactive nature of the visualization tools and models. The study’s findings had many implications for research, professional development, teacher education, teaching practice, administrators, and learning technology developers. More detailed research within similar school settings (public, charter, and private) is needed to verify the common findings across the different cases in this study. An implication is that learning technology integration could be modeled with instructional scaffolds and questioning and incorporating higher order thinking tasks. Learning technology developers should consider the collaborative learning groups while developing these technologies.
Ph.D. in Science Education, July 2017
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Title: ANANALYSIS OF ZOO AND AQUARIUM PROVIDED TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Creator: Kubarek-sandor, Joy
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: Informal science institutions are a significant provider of science teacher professional development. As pressure continues to critically...
Show moreInformal science institutions are a significant provider of science teacher professional development. As pressure continues to critically analyze the work of teachers and their effectiveness in the classroom, it is important to understand how informal science institutions contribute to effective change in teacher science content knowledge and pedagogy. This research study analyzed zoo and aquarium provided teacher professional development to respond to the research questions: How do zoos and aquaria determine and assess their goals for teacher professional development? How do these goals align with effective teacher change for science content knowledge and pedagogy? Theoretical frameworks for high quality teacher professional development, effective evaluation of teacher professional development, and learning in informal science settings guided the research. The sample for the study was AZA accredited zoos and aquariums providing teacher professional development (N=107). Data collection consisted of an online questionnaire, follow-up interviews, and content analysis of teacher professional development artifacts. Analysis revealed that by and large zoos and aquariums are lacking in their provision of science teacher professional development. Most professional development focuses on content or resources, neglecting pedagogy. Assessments mismatch the goals and rely heavily on self-report and satisfaction measures. The results demonstrate a marked difference between those zoos and aquariums that are larger in capacity versus those that are medium to small in size. This may be an area of research for the future, as well as analyzing the education resources produced by zoos and aquariums as these were emphasized heavily as a way they serve teachers.
Ph.D. in Mathematics and Science Education, December 2014
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Title: NOVICE HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS: LESSON PLAN ADAPTATIONS
Creator: Scharon, Aracelis Janelle
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: The Next Generation Science Standards (NRC, 2013) positions teachers as responsible for necessary decision making about how their intended...
Show moreThe Next Generation Science Standards (NRC, 2013) positions teachers as responsible for necessary decision making about how their intended science lesson plan content supports continuous student science learning. Teachers interact with their instructional lesson plans in dynamic and constructive ways. Adapting lesson plans is complex. This process of adapting lesson plans may play an important role in affording and constraining teachers’ actions and students’ learning (Brown, 2009). This study explored how five novice chemistry teachers (under 4 years of total teaching experience) at five Midwestern high schools adapted or retained their honors chemistry instructional lesson plans, and what associated contextual factors influenced their decisions. Using a case study design, this study was conducted during the fall semester of 2013 when teachers were focusing on introductory chemistry topics. Three frameworks (pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), teacher decision making, and pedagogical discontentment and self-efficacy) were used to investigate the relationships between teacher adaptations, contextual factors and decision making. The outcome of this study was the identification of 15 types of adaptations and 17 relevant contextual factors. Contextual factors were categorized by factors that relate to students or the teacher. Adaptations were categorized into three overarching types of adaptations. Lesson plan adaptations and contextual factors are discussed in the context of research on teacher decision making and lesson plan adaptations.
PH.D in Science Education, May 2013
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Title: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENACTMENT OF COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS-MATHEMATICS, STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS CONCERNING NEGATIVE SIGNS, DISTRIBUTION, AND DIAGRAMS, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND TEACHER VARIABLES
Creator: Morrissey, Glenda
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: The relationship between enactment of Common Core State Standards – Mathematics (CCSSM), student misconceptions, student achievement and...
Show moreThe relationship between enactment of Common Core State Standards – Mathematics (CCSSM), student misconceptions, student achievement and teacher variables was investigated. After providing professional development on CCSSM enactment, observations were conducted to determine the degree of enactment of CCSSM content and Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) in 22 classrooms of nine teachers in an urban charter school network consisting of three high schools. Students were all boys, 98% African American, and predominantly of low socio-economic status. Data included quarterly assessments, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test scores, and a teacher survey. Results indicated experienced teachers with high efficacy who expected students to discuss their work were related to higher levels of CCSSM enactment in teacher actions, fewer misconceptions and higher test scores. Newer teachers were most concerned about availability of CCSSM materials and had higher levels of enactment of CCSSM in classroom materials. A strong belief in student ability was related to student enactment of SMP. Implications for teacher education, teacher practice, and future research are discussed.
Ph.D. in Mathematics and Science Education, July 2017
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Title: AN EMPIRICAL GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH TO CHARACTERIZING ADVANCED MATHEMATICAL THINKING IN COLLEGE CALCULUS
Creator: Nabb, Keith A.
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: The research literature has made calls for greater coherence and consistency with regard to the meaning and use of the term advanced...
Show moreThe research literature has made calls for greater coherence and consistency with regard to the meaning and use of the term advanced mathematical thinking (AMT) in mathematics education (Artigue, Batanero, & Kent, 2007; Selden & Selden, 2005). Educators and researchers agree that students should be engaged in AMT but it is unclear precisely what is meant by AMT or how these engagements may manifest themselves in student work. Moreover, many contributions are aimed at advancing theory with little effort to connect with classroom practice. The intent of this study was to examine individuals in their natural problem solving states and to empirically describe how AMT might unfold in the context of nonroutine calculus problems. The study was conducted during the spring semester of 2012. Thirteen students solved three nonroutine calculus problems, each loosely couched in theories of AMT—process-concept duality (Gray & Tall, 1994), epistemological obstacle (Bachelard, 1938; Harel & Sowder, 2005; Sierpińska, 1987), and the basic metaphor of infinity of mathematical idea analysis (Lakoff & Núñez, 2000). While empirical instances of these theories were present, students predominantly displayed idiosyncratic strategies by way of imposing mathematical/scientific objects, tools, or concepts on the local domain of the problem space. Efforts to first individualize the task were followed by completing the task through this individualization. Both successful and unsuccessful problem attempts were documented in the form of novel tool usage, visualization, and/or abstraction through communication. x The outcome of this study suggests a need to further examine students’ use of procedures and how students successfully anticipate the utility of these procedures. Additionally, further work is needed to explain both the elevated use of visualization and how/why discussions with others provide momentum for abstracting solutions to contradictory problems. With respect to classroom practice, students’ novel use of well-known mathematics mirrors the habits of research mathematicians in their professional work. Importing such uses into classroom discourse has the potential to deepen connections of mathematics content and to enrich mathematics experiences through nonstandard methods of problem solving.
PH.D in Mathematics Education, July 2013
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Title: The Impact of Professional Devlopment in Informal Science Contexts on Teachers' Content Knowledge and Discourse
Creator: Holliday, Gary
Date: 2011-07, 2011-07
Description: Little in the research has addressed how professional development at an Informal Science Institution (ISI) might influence teachers’ learning...
Show moreLittle in the research has addressed how professional development at an Informal Science Institution (ISI) might influence teachers’ learning of science content or how exhibits and exhibit-related instructional approaches used during such courses contribute to this learning. It has also been noted that informal science professional development programs are often underutilized (Phillips, Finkelstein, & Wever-Frerichs, 2007) and it has been suggested that this may be due to ISIs not fulfilling teachers’ science content needs. The Contextual Model of Learning (CML; Falk & Dierking, 1992, 2000) and reform documents have emphasized the unique learning environments that ISIs provide and the social aspects of that learning. As a result, individuals are able to use “each other as vehicles for reinforcing beliefs and meaning making” (Kisiel, 2003, p. 3). This study looked at two science content courses that were taught over two years by education staff of a large science and technology museum located in the Midwest. Data from six courses, with 187 participating elementary and middle school teachers, included content tests, portfolios and graduate credit assignments, daily and final evaluations of the course, as well as audio and video recordings of teachers while they were interacting with exhibits or engaged in an exhibit related activity. Results of this study found that PD educators’ use of exhibits during both courses did not fully take into account the sociocultural context of CML and did not actively incorporate opportunities for discourse into the course instruction. However, when PD staff did make explicit connections between exhibits, science content, and activities, xi participants were more likely to be involved in in-depth, content related and pedagogical conversations while engaged in the courses. At the same time, even though teachers were very satisfied with the courses and felt that PD staff was effective in their instruction, participating teachers did not increase their science content knowledge even when explicit content connections were made to exhibits. It was unclear what outcomes the PD educators expect or want for their teacher students other than relaying content in a didactic manner (which was a secondary concern), sparking an interest in science, and providing many hands-on activities to bring back to the classroom. There is a need for a standardized professional development program for ISI educators and a need for restructuring ISI professional development so that it will address elementary and middle school teachers’ need for science content. Further, developing instructional strategies for informal sites will be important since the learning potential that can be found through exhibits and exhibitions are not being fully realized.
Ph.D. in Science Education, July 2011
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Title: THE IMPACTS AND “BEST PRACTICES” OF UNDERGRADUATE – GRADUATE STUDENT MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES
Creator: Campanile, Megan Faurot
Date: 2015, 2015-12
Description: Undergraduate research has been identified as an educational practice in the U.S. that directly addresses issues with science education at...
Show moreUndergraduate research has been identified as an educational practice in the U.S. that directly addresses issues with science education at both the undergraduate and graduate school levels. With the growth of undergraduate research in the U.S., over the past two decades, faculty are more often assigning graduate students to mentor undergraduate students than providing the one-on-one mentoring themselves. A critical gap that exists in the literature is how the mentoring relationships in undergraduate research influence the academic and career outcomes of both the undergraduate and graduate students. The two main research questions that framed this study were: (1) What, if any, changes occur in the academic and career paths of undergraduate and graduate students who participate in undergraduate research experiences? and (2) Are there variables that constitute “best practices” in the mentoring relationships in undergraduate research experiences and, if so, what are they?. The context of this study was the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and the 113 undergraduate researchers and 31 graduate student mentors who participated from 2006 – 2014. In addition, there was a purposeful sample of six pairs selected to develop case studies and illustrate the complexities of the undergraduate – graduate student mentoring relationships. Data collection occurred in two phases: the first phase collected pre- and post-program data from the undergraduate researchers during the delivery of the 10-week REU program; and, the second phase collected follow-up data from both the undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors during the 2014 – 2015 academic year. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were administered to ask the undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors about their academic and career paths and mentoring relationship experiences and views. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, content analysis method, and constant comparative method. The key findings on the undergraduate researchers’ academic and career paths were their actual earned graduate degree types (Ph.D. 20%, M.D. 20%, M.S. 48%, other 12%) and fields (STEM 57%, medical 35%, and other 8%). In addition, the career fields (STEM 68%, medical 26%, and 6% other) and sectors (industry 43%, healthcare 30%, academia 17%, and other 10%) that the undergraduate researchers were pursuing or working in. This is the first known study to examine the career paths of graduate student mentors of REU programs and it found that they were all pursuing or working in STEM fields and, specifically, in the career sectors of academia (50%), industry (40%), and government (10%). More than 75% of both the undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors paired together reported that their mentoring relationships in undergraduate research had a somewhat to extremely influential impact on their academic and career paths. To gain insight into how they influenced one another and to identify the “bestundergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors about their academic and career paths and mentoring relationship experiences and views. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, content analysis method, and constant comparative method. The key findings on the undergraduate researchers’ academic and career paths were their actual earned graduate degree types (Ph.D. 20%, M.D. 20%, M.S. 48%, other 12%) and fields (STEM 57%, medical 35%, and other 8%). In addition, the career fields (STEM 68%, medical 26%, and 6% other) and sectors (industry 43%, healthcare 30%, academia 17%, and other 10%) that the undergraduate researchers were pursuing or working in. This is the first known study to examine the career paths of graduate student mentors of REU programs and it found that they were all pursuing or working in STEM fields and, specifically, in the career sectors of academia (50%), industry (40%), and government (10%). More than 75% of both the undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors paired together reported that their mentoring relationships in undergraduate research had a somewhat to extremely influential impact on their academic and career paths. To gain insight into how they influenced one another and to identify the “best practices” of mentoring, the results on the mentoring experiences and views were triangulated which included a systematic compare and contrast of the six case studies. A set of “best practices” were developed for both the undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors and they focused on the positive and challenging experiences they can expect in a mentoring relationship related to learning and teaching about research; relationship dynamics and roles; and, planning, practicing, and preparing for the future. The findings on the academic and career paths and “best practices” have the potential to maximize and improve undergraduate research experiences for bothpractices” of mentoring, the results on the mentoring experiences and views were triangulated which included a systematic compare and contrast of the six case studies. A set of “best practices” were developed for both the undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors and they focused on the positive and challenging experiences they can expect in a mentoring relationship related to learning and teaching about research; relationship dynamics and roles; and, planning, practicing, and preparing for the future. The findings on the academic and career paths and “best practices” have the potential to maximize and improve undergraduate research experiences for bothpractices” of mentoring, the results on the mentoring experiences and views were triangulated which included a systematic compare and contrast of the six case studies. A set of “best practices” were developed for both the undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors and they focused on the positive and challenging experiences they can expect in a mentoring relationship related to learning and teaching about research; relationship dynamics and roles; and, planning, practicing, and preparing for the future. The findings on the academic and career paths and “best practices” have the potential to maximize and improve undergraduate research experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students. More policymakers, research universities, and faculty may be willing to invest, both financially and operationally, in undergraduate research knowing that it benefits not only undergraduate students but graduate students’ academic and career paths. The “best practices” have the potential to make an impact once they are incorporated into mentor training programs that are delivered in conjunction with undergraduate research programs. Future studies recommended are longer duration longitudinal studies as well as comparative studies of undergraduate research program with and without mentor training programs. In addition, the future studies need to include larger and more diverse samples to increase the generalizability of the findings. Ultimately, by improving the mentoring relationships in undergraduate research it has the potential to improve both undergraduate and graduate education and produce more highly qualified scientists and engineers for the U.S. workforce.
Ph.D. in Science Education
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Title: THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SPATIAL, VERBAL, AND ANALYTICAL SKILLS TO PROBLEM-SOLVING PERFORMANCE
Creator: Foster, Ardyth C.
Date: 2012-12-18, 2012-12
Description: ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the existence and strength of relationships between students’ cognitive skills and...
Show moreABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the existence and strength of relationships between students’ cognitive skills and mathematical problem-solving performance. Specifically, relationships between students’ verbal, spatial, and analytical skills and their problem-solving performance on items that require a verbal response, items that require a spatial response, and overall problem-solving performance were investigated. A review of the literature also revealed assumptions of close links between verbal and logical/analytical skills, resulting in a lack of assessment of these skills as separate constructs. This study therefore sought to measure each of the cognitive skills separately in order to clearly establish the existence and strength of any pair-wise relationships among the cognitive skills. Ninety-eight students from the fifth- through eighth-grades were administered assessments of verbal skills, spatial skills, and logical/analytical skills, as well as a problem-solving instrument that consisted of a verbal (PST-Verbal) subtest and a spatial (PST-Spatial) subtest. The results indicated statistically significant relationships between students’ cognitive skills and problemsolving performance on the PST-Verbal subtest, the PST-Spatial subtest, and overall problem-solving performance. Surprisingly stronger relationships were found, however, between spatial skills and PST-Verbal performance than between verbal skills and PSTVerbal performance, and stronger relationships were found between verbal skills and PST-Spatial performance than between spatial skills and PST-Spatial performance. Statistically significant pair-wise relationships were also found among the cognitive skills, with the strongest pair-wise relationship existing between verbal and analytical viii skills. The relationship between verbal and spatial skills, although not as strong as the one that exists between verbal and analytical skills, was also quite strong.
PH.D in Mathematics Education, December 2012
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Title: Informal Settings: Implications for Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Abilities to Recognize and Apply Mathematics
Creator: Popovic, Gorjana
Date: 2011-08, 2011-07
Description: The purpose of this study was to describe the ways in which situating learning experiences for mathematics teachers in informal sites,...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to describe the ways in which situating learning experiences for mathematics teachers in informal sites, specifically in the science museum, assist them in recognizing mathematics in the real world and developing instructional math to help their students make connections between school mathematics and its real world applications. The study took place in the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), in Chicago, IL. Seven teachers (six female and one male) certified by their state to teach secondary mathematics (grades 6-12), pursuing a Masters in Mathematics Education degree at a private Midwest university, volunteered to participate in the study. Ethnographic methods (e.g., audiotapes of instruction, students’ written work) of data collection and analysis were used to capture teachers’ learning in the context of MSI exhibits (Lave, 1988). Lave’s methodology considers “person-acting (in setting) as an integral unit of analysis” (Lave, 1988, p. 180). Accordingly, the data collection and analysis were organized around two tasks: identifying mathematical concepts represented in the exhibits and creating lesson ideas to address identified mathematical concepts. The data collection included audiotapes of the group discussions around the exhibits, teachers’ Mathematics Concepts and Curriculum Connections (MC3) cards, and teachers’ reflections papers completed at the end of the study. The process of data analysis consisted of multiple interpretative passes through the data. An ethnographically grounded approach to discourse analysis (Gee and Green, 1998) was used as a framework for the analysis across data types. viii The results of the study showed that over the course of the study, teachers began to change their approach to identifying mathematics in the exhibits in two ways. In particular, the teachers realized that the obvious representations of mathematics, such as the appearance of numbers, geometric shapes and geometric figures in the exhibits were not vital to identifying mathematics. Additionally, teachers began to realize that learning about mathematical concepts could be done through exploration of scientific phenomena. The results also showed that once the teachers recognized mathematical concepts in an informal site, they were able to create lessons to address those concepts, as well as to identify where in the curriculum they could use the activities to enhance students’ learning. However, the support of the school administration and curriculum is necessary in order for teachers to incorporate informal education applications into their mathematics instruction.
Ph.D. in Mathematics Education, July 2011
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Title: TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURES FOR NATURE OF SCIENCE AND SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND THEIR CLASSROOM PRACTICE
Creator: Bartos, Stephen A.
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: ABSTRACT Research on nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) has indicated that a teacher’s knowledge of each, however well...
Show moreABSTRACT Research on nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) has indicated that a teacher’s knowledge of each, however well developed, is not sufficient to ensure that these views necessarily manifest themselves in classroom practice (Lederman & Druger, 1985; Lederman, 2007). In light of the considerable research that has examined teachers’ subject matter knowledge structures and their classroom practices (e.g., Gess-Newsome & Lederman, 1993, 1995), what was conspicuously absent from the research on teachers’ NOS- and SI-related classroom practice was an assessment of teachers’ knowledge structures for NOS and SI. As such, the current investigation developed case studies of four high school physics teachers with the intent of inferring their classroom practice knowledge structures for NOS and SI across 15 targeted aspects. These results were then compared to responses communicated through the Knowledge Structures for NOS and SI (KS4NS) questionnaire. The degree of congruence between the two instruments was gauged at the level of included concepts, connections between them, and also for other structures or thematic elements. In addition, the results from the KS4NS were compared to teachers’ conceptions expressed through more traditional instruments for assessing NOS and SI, in this case the Views of Nature of Science (VNOS) questionnaire and the Views About Scientific Inquiry (VASI) questionnaire, respectively. The results of the current study indicate a limited congruence between teachers’ knowledge structures for NOS and SI and those espoused in their classroom practice, most notably at the level of the connections between constituent aspects, as few were evidenced in teachers’ instruction. In addition, there is indication that the KS4NS xii questionnaire is more attuned to identifying those specific aspects of NOS and SI most likely to evidence themselves in teachers’ classroom practice. The necessity of having teachers explicitly reflect on the structure of the subject matter they are learning for teaching is reiterated through the findings of the current study. The utility of the KS4NS as tool to foster teachers’ reflections on their conceptualization of NOS and SI independent of, or in conjunction with, traditional subject matter also warrants further investigation.
PH.D in Mathematics and Science Education, May 2013
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Title: WHAT DO PRIMARY STUDENTS KNOW ABOUT SCIENCE, SCIENTISTS AND HOW THEY DO THEIR WORK?
Creator: Bartels, Selina L.
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: The teaching of scientific literacy is the primary goal of elementary science education. Scientific literacy is composed of the overall...
Show moreThe teaching of scientific literacy is the primary goal of elementary science education. Scientific literacy is composed of the overall understanding of what science is and how scientific knowledge is developed. The purpose of this study was to see if elementary students’ understandings of science, scientists and how scientists do their work changes from grade one to grade five of elementary school. Furthermore, the study attempts to determine whether there is a difference in scientific literacy between students taught using a textbook curriculum versus a kit-based curriculum. The study draws on a sample of 338 students from 18 different classrooms situated in six different schools in both urban and suburban areas of a large Midwestern city. Students’ understandings of science, scientists and how they do their work was measured through a valid and reliable oral protocol entitled Young Children’s Views of Science (YCVS) (Lederman, J., Bartels, Lederman, & Ganankkan, 2014). The YCVS assesses students’ understandings of the aspects of scientific inquiry (SI) and the nature of science (NOS) that young elementary students are able to understand. These aspects are; science, scientists, multiple methods, observation/inference, begins with a question, empirical, subjectivity, tentativeness and creativity. The YCVS was administered orally for grade one students, and a paper-and-pencil version was given to grades three and five. Twenty percent of the students in grade three and five were interviewed to ensure the proper interpretation of their YCVS responses. Responses to the YCVS were analyzed and students were given a rating of no answer, inadequate, mixed or informed for each aspect assessed on the YCVS. Frequency data was totaled for each grade level of each school. In order to determine if significant gains were made between the grade levels a Fisher’s exact test was run between each grade (one and three, three and five and one and five); significance of < 0.05 was selected. Fisher’s exact test was selected because the data were categorical with low frequencies for some categories. Additionally, a comparison between the kit-based curriculum schools and the textbook-based curriculum schools was made for each of the aspects of NOS and SI assessed in this study. Results indicated that there are very few gains in NOS and SI understandings between grades one and five in the schools included in this study. None of the schools in this study made significant gains for all of the nine aspects measured in this study. Only two schools made significant (p< 0.05) gains in five or more aspects of NOS/SI. The other four schools in this study made gains in fewer than four aspects. Two schools had a significant (p<0.05) decrease in understandings for more than one aspect. Examining curriculum’s affect on NOS and SI understandings, understanding of only one aspect was significantly impacted by curriculum differences. Subjectivity understanding was impacted by kit-based instruction. Overall, students’ understandings of science, scientists and how they do their work did not significantly change from grade one to grade five regardless of what type of curriculum they followed. This study shows that students’ scientific literacy is not being developed throughout elementary school. Therefore, the teaching of scientific literacy in an explicit and reflective manner should be the focus of preservice elementary school education.
Ph.D. in Science Education, December 2016
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