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Fall 2022: Prioritizing Relationships and Equity: Leveraging Student Ideas to Accelerate Learning

Teachers can accelerate learning for students when they develop classroom communities where students feel known and valued. We explore the connection between deep science learning and student opportunities to express, clarify, and represent their ideas in a supportive learning community while receiving feedback from their trusted peers and teacher.

The NSTA Web Seminar Series Prioritizing Relationships and Equity: Leveraging Student Ideas to Accelerate Learning starts August 9 and runs through August 30, 2022.

Teachers can accelerate learning for students when they develop classroom communities where students feel known and valued. We explore the connection between deep science learning and student opportunities to express, clarify, and represent their ideas in a supportive learning community while receiving feedback from their trusted peers and teacher.

The NSTA Web Seminar Series Prioritizing Relationships and Equity: Leveraging Student Ideas to Accelerate Learning starts August 9 and runs through August 30, 2022.

Teachers can accelerate learning for students when they develop classroom communities where students feel known and valued. We explore the connection between deep science learning and student opportunities to express, clarify, and represent their ideas in a supportive learning community while receiving feedback from their trusted peers and teacher.

The NSTA Web Seminar Series Prioritizing Relationships and Equity: Leveraging Student Ideas to Accelerate Learning starts August 9 and runs through August 30, 2022.

Teachers can accelerate learning for students when they develop classroom communities where students feel known and valued. We explore the connection between deep science learning and student opportunities to express, clarify, and represent their ideas in a supportive learning community while receiving feedback from their trusted peers and teacher.

The NSTA Web Seminar Series Prioritizing Relationships and Equity: Leveraging Student Ideas to Accelerate Learning starts August 9 and runs through August 30, 2022.

Teachers can accelerate learning for students when they develop classroom communities where students feel known and valued. We explore the connection between deep science learning and student opportunities to express, clarify, and represent their ideas in a supportive learning community while receiving feedback from their trusted peers and teacher.

The NSTA Web Seminar Series Prioritizing Relationships and Equity: Leveraging Student Ideas to Accelerate Learning starts August 9 and runs through August 30, 2022.

 

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The Freedom to Teach

The Freedom to Teach

 

Research & Teaching

Innovations in Undergraduate Teaching and Learning of Earth and Environmental Science, with a Focus on Climate Change

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Gillian M. Puttick, Brian Drayton, and Christina Silva

In this study, we analyzed the literature on teaching or learning on a topic in Earth science, environmental science, or climate change between 1995 and 2017. We investigated the length of the intervention, intervention setting and instructional level, instructional purpose, pedagogical framing and pedagogical methods (including what materials and activities students used), degree of inquiry afforded to students, and student outcomes. The literature reveals that instructors are attempting to move beyond didactic practices by incorporating new pedagogical methods into existing courses they teach or revamping whole courses at the departmental level. In general, study authors frame their innovations in terms of a need to address student engagement; however, the extent to which studies explicitly link engagement and learning outcomes is mixed. In addition, while study authors express the goal of adopting active learning pedagogies, their theories of change are mostly unexamined. Finally, few researchers reported results relating directly to specific populations of interest, especially those underserved in STEM. We suggest several areas in which further research is needed.

 

In this study, we analyzed the literature on teaching or learning on a topic in Earth science, environmental science, or climate change between 1995 and 2017. We investigated the length of the intervention, intervention setting and instructional level, instructional purpose, pedagogical framing and pedagogical methods (including what materials and activities students used), degree of inquiry afforded to students, and student outcomes.
In this study, we analyzed the literature on teaching or learning on a topic in Earth science, environmental science, or climate change between 1995 and 2017. We investigated the length of the intervention, intervention setting and instructional level, instructional purpose, pedagogical framing and pedagogical methods (including what materials and activities students used), degree of inquiry afforded to students, and student outcomes.
 

Research & Teaching

The Stable and Persistent Alternative Conceptions Present in Prospective Elementary Teachers’ Understanding of Average Speed

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Karthigeyan Subramaniam, Christopher S. Long, Pamela Esprivalo Harrell, and Nazia Khan

This study investigated the stability and persistence of prospective elementary teachers’ conceptual understanding of average speed. A questionnaire containing two questions about average speed was administered to the prospective teachers prior to their admission to an elementary science methods course (pretest) and at the end of the course (posttest). The pretest was administered to 84 prospective teachers, and the posttest was administered to 55 prospective teachers from the original sample of 84. A two-tier coding scheme was used to categorize responses as accurate and inaccurate definitions of average speed and to categorize the features of explanations of average speed. A chi-square test was carried out to test for statistical significance. Analysis of data indicated that prospective teachers used the conceptual understanding of speed to explain average speed. In addition to providing this explanation, prospective teachers used their conceptual understanding of average to explain average speed—that is, average speed as resulting from the calculation of the average of three or more recordings of an object’s speed. The reasons for the two stable and persistent alternative conceptions could be that participants in this study were exposed to K–16 instruction that did not identify, label, represent, and distinguish the concept of average speed as a complex concept.

 

This study investigated the stability and persistence of prospective elementary teachers’ conceptual understanding of average speed. A questionnaire containing two questions about average speed was administered to the prospective teachers prior to their admission to an elementary science methods course (pretest) and at the end of the course (posttest). The pretest was administered to 84 prospective teachers, and the posttest was administered to 55 prospective teachers from the original sample of 84.
This study investigated the stability and persistence of prospective elementary teachers’ conceptual understanding of average speed. A questionnaire containing two questions about average speed was administered to the prospective teachers prior to their admission to an elementary science methods course (pretest) and at the end of the course (posttest). The pretest was administered to 84 prospective teachers, and the posttest was administered to 55 prospective teachers from the original sample of 84.
 

Research & Teaching

Influence of Environmental Factors on the Success of At-Risk Hispanic Students in First-Semester General Chemistry

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Blain Mamiya, Cynthia B. Powell, G. Robert Shelton, Anton Dubrovskiy, Adrian Villalta-Cerdas, Susan Broadway, Rebecca Weber, and Diana Mason

This article looks at the effects of environmental factors such as classification, residence location, and employment status of Hispanic students who unsuccessfully completed first-semester general chemistry (Chem I) at a Hispanic-Serving or emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution. Students’ automaticity skills in arithmetic and quantitative reasoning (QR) were evaluated as a way to identify at-risk students. Arithmetic skills, measured by the Math-Up Skills Test (MUST), had a higher effect size than the QR assessment. Using both diagnostics identified more than 90% of at-risk Hispanic students. Results indicate positive correlations with course performance at both types of institutions; thus the diagnostics were considered appropriate for early identification of at-risk students. Evaluation of environmental factors revealed few differences between at-risk Hispanic students who attended either type of institution. The most marked result identified a group of typical students who worked at least 31 hours per week and entered with QR scores within the average range but completed Chem I with class averages of less than 50%. Correcting for this observation is possible when students have additional financial support.

 

This article looks at the effects of environmental factors such as classification, residence location, and employment status of Hispanic students who unsuccessfully completed first-semester general chemistry (Chem I) at a Hispanic-Serving or emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution. Students’ automaticity skills in arithmetic and quantitative reasoning (QR) were evaluated as a way to identify at-risk students. Arithmetic skills, measured by the Math-Up Skills Test (MUST), had a higher effect size than the QR assessment.
This article looks at the effects of environmental factors such as classification, residence location, and employment status of Hispanic students who unsuccessfully completed first-semester general chemistry (Chem I) at a Hispanic-Serving or emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution. Students’ automaticity skills in arithmetic and quantitative reasoning (QR) were evaluated as a way to identify at-risk students. Arithmetic skills, measured by the Math-Up Skills Test (MUST), had a higher effect size than the QR assessment.
 

Research & Teaching

Fostering Reflective Teaching

Using the Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) to Promote Active Instructional Approaches in STEM

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Cara H. Theisen, Cassandra A. Paul, and Katrina Roseler

The Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) is a web-based classroom observation protocol developed for higher education STEM courses and based on research on evidence-based practices. The low-inference and objective nature of the SPOT and visual outputs make it an optimal tool for teaching professional development. The SPOT allows novice users to use data from their own classes to reflect on, and make data-driven changes to, their teaching practices. In particular, the SPOT was designed to present faculty with objective data related to their use of active instructional approaches, be easy for practitioners to use, and provide data outputs that are illustrative and non-evaluative. Use of the SPOT in a workshop series revealed that these design features allow faculty to collect reliable observation data with minimal training. Furthermore, SPOT data promoted faculty reflection on teaching practice and motivated faculty to make changes to their teaching that aligned with more learner-centered practices. Beyond teaching professional development, we suggest how the SPOT may be used to increase the usefulness of peer observation for teaching evaluation.

 

The Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) is a web-based classroom observation protocol developed for higher education STEM courses and based on research on evidence-based practices. The low-inference and objective nature of the SPOT and visual outputs make it an optimal tool for teaching professional development. The SPOT allows novice users to use data from their own classes to reflect on, and make data-driven changes to, their teaching practices.
The Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) is a web-based classroom observation protocol developed for higher education STEM courses and based on research on evidence-based practices. The low-inference and objective nature of the SPOT and visual outputs make it an optimal tool for teaching professional development. The SPOT allows novice users to use data from their own classes to reflect on, and make data-driven changes to, their teaching practices.
 

feature

Online Engagement in an Undergraduate Cell Biology Course

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Eric Tarapore, Justin Franklin Shaffer, and Scott Atwood

Online engagement, or the use of online supplementary instruction and assessment, in high-structure courses is gaining popularity as a useful tool to facilitate instruction, assignments, and examinations. High-structure courses, which include regular pre- and post-class assessments and significant active learning during class, have been shown to increase student engagement and improve student performance, whereas electronic learning has shown mixed results. The goal of this study was to assess online engagement in a large-enrollment, lecture-style undergraduate cell biology course. The course was taught using a high-structure approach that required students to read the textbook and complete assignments before class, actively participate in class, complete review quizzes after class, and assess learning through examinations. Use of the online component was voluntary and included the e-book, associated online guides, videos, hyperlinks, experimental walk-throughs, and enhanced practice questions not found in the textbook. We found that while a statistically significant difference on preclass assignments resulted from voluntary use of the online component, no difference was observed on examinations. Satisfaction or future-use scores did not stratify along preclass assignments or examinations. Future studies are needed to define how to successfully incorporate online engagement in high-structure large lecture courses.

 

Online engagement, or the use of online supplementary instruction and assessment, in high-structure courses is gaining popularity as a useful tool to facilitate instruction, assignments, and examinations. High-structure courses, which include regular pre- and post-class assessments and significant active learning during class, have been shown to increase student engagement and improve student performance, whereas electronic learning has shown mixed results. The goal of this study was to assess online engagement in a large-enrollment, lecture-style undergraduate cell biology course.
Online engagement, or the use of online supplementary instruction and assessment, in high-structure courses is gaining popularity as a useful tool to facilitate instruction, assignments, and examinations. High-structure courses, which include regular pre- and post-class assessments and significant active learning during class, have been shown to increase student engagement and improve student performance, whereas electronic learning has shown mixed results. The goal of this study was to assess online engagement in a large-enrollment, lecture-style undergraduate cell biology course.
 

Research & Teaching

Exemplar Teaching Practices in STEM Courses in U.S. Universities

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Corbin M. Campbell

Based on the largest multi-institutional observational study of undergraduate courses in the United States, this article describes exemplar teaching practices in engineering courses as an interdisciplinary science field. The College Educational Quality (CEQ) research project studied 587 courses in nine different U.S. colleges and universities. This article reports on findings from engineering courses in the study. The article describes in-depth subject-matter teaching, using students’ prior knowledge and cognitive complexity, and also discusses the course contexts (e.g., size, faculty, mode) in which there is a greater likelihood of using exemplary practices in U.S. engineering courses.

 

Based on the largest multi-institutional observational study of undergraduate courses in the United States, this article describes exemplar teaching practices in engineering courses as an interdisciplinary science field. The College Educational Quality (CEQ) research project studied 587 courses in nine different U.S. colleges and universities. This article reports on findings from engineering courses in the study.
Based on the largest multi-institutional observational study of undergraduate courses in the United States, this article describes exemplar teaching practices in engineering courses as an interdisciplinary science field. The College Educational Quality (CEQ) research project studied 587 courses in nine different U.S. colleges and universities. This article reports on findings from engineering courses in the study.

Transforming Science Learning: The Role of the Science and Engineering Practices, March 21, 2022

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

 

feature

Perspectives on Teaching from Early-Career Scientists

Graduate Students as Teachers

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Suchinta Arif and Melanie Duc Bo Massey

Many graduate students spend a part of their time teaching at the university level. While there is an abundance of advice from older, more established faculty, the perspective and teaching styles of graduate students are lacking in the literature. After talking with several graduate student teachers across different universities, we identified three factors as pivotal in our teaching approach: breaking down student-professor barriers, fostering creativity, and incorporating inclusion in the classroom. In this article, we highlight how these three factors shaped our teaching style and experience. With this article, we aim to provide insight into how a younger generation of graduate student teachers are teaching effectively at the university level. 

 

Many graduate students spend a part of their time teaching at the university level. While there is an abundance of advice from older, more established faculty, the perspective and teaching styles of graduate students are lacking in the literature. After talking with several graduate student teachers across different universities, we identified three factors as pivotal in our teaching approach: breaking down student-professor barriers, fostering creativity, and incorporating inclusion in the classroom.
Many graduate students spend a part of their time teaching at the university level. While there is an abundance of advice from older, more established faculty, the perspective and teaching styles of graduate students are lacking in the literature. After talking with several graduate student teachers across different universities, we identified three factors as pivotal in our teaching approach: breaking down student-professor barriers, fostering creativity, and incorporating inclusion in the classroom.
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