JoinResearch & Teaching
A Hands-on Activity to Understand the Nature of Science and Authentic Scientific Inquiry in Large Laboratory Courses
What’s in the Box?
Journal of College Science Teaching—May/June 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 5)
By Lin Xiang and Madhusudan Srinivasan
Integrating authentic research practices into introductory laboratory courses to prepare tomorrow’s scientists has become increasingly prevalent over the past decade. However, an incomplete understanding of the nature of science (NOS) and authentic scientific inquiry (SI) precludes higher-level learning in undergraduate research experiences. In this article, we discuss a concise, low-cost, low-maintenance, hands-on activity—What’s in the Box (WiB)—which is suitable for large-enrollment science courses at both the secondary and postsecondary levels and can help develop students’ understanding of NOS and authentic SI. Analyses of the postlab reflective writing assignment showed a substantial increase in the students’ appreciation for NOS and SI tenets; the top two NOS tenets were that scientific ideas are subject to change and that science demands evidence, identified in 20% and 18% of the reflective writings, respectively. The most appreciated authentic SI tenets were that SI is complex and iterative (reported in up to 32% of the reflective writings) and SI involves observation and exploration (reported in up to 12% of the reflective writings).
Integrating authentic research practices into introductory laboratory courses to prepare tomorrow’s scientists has become increasingly prevalent over the past decade. However, an incomplete understanding of the nature of science (NOS) and authentic scientific inquiry (SI) precludes higher-level learning in undergraduate research experiences.
Integrating authentic research practices into introductory laboratory courses to prepare tomorrow’s scientists has become increasingly prevalent over the past decade. However, an incomplete understanding of the nature of science (NOS) and authentic scientific inquiry (SI) precludes higher-level learning in undergraduate research experiences.
Research & Teaching
Overcoming Obstacles and Finding Support for Teaching Critical Thinking in STEM
Journal of College Science Teaching—May/June 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 5)
By Christa Evangelisto
This qualitative research study aimed to discover what obstacles and supports community college teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) face when teaching critical-thinking skills in their courses. The research was conducted using a basic qualitative research design that employed interviews to learn about the experiences of community college teachers currently teaching in STEM disciplines. Participants were asked to describe what obstacles they faced when attempting to plan and conduct critical-thinking education in their courses and what support they had for teaching these skills. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a constant comparative method to determine common themes. Findings of the study included the following obstacles: underprepared students, students’ poor dispositions, teachers’ limited time and effort, limited training of teachers, and the need to prepare students for future courses and assessments that are not based on critical thinking. Support for teachers was split into negative and positive aspects, with peer group support and resources from professional organizations reported as positive aspects and administrative requirements and isolation reported as negative aspects. The negative responses were reported by adjunct faculty more often than by full-time faculty.
This qualitative research study aimed to discover what obstacles and supports community college teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) face when teaching critical-thinking skills in their courses. The research was conducted using a basic qualitative research design that employed interviews to learn about the experiences of community college teachers currently teaching in STEM disciplines.
This qualitative research study aimed to discover what obstacles and supports community college teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) face when teaching critical-thinking skills in their courses. The research was conducted using a basic qualitative research design that employed interviews to learn about the experiences of community college teachers currently teaching in STEM disciplines.
Research & Teaching
Improving Retention and Graduation of Female Engineering and Polytechnic Students With First-Year Interventions
Journal of College Science Teaching—May/June 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 5)
By Anne Lucietto, Holden Buckner, and Antonia Munguia
Prior research in student retention emphasizes that building students’ connections with the institution and their peers is key. Students from underrepresented populations often lack these connections, making them more prone to dropping out or transferring majors, especially in high-pressure engineering and polytechnic programs. In this article, we discuss our study that analyzes data from a freshman-year class intended to introduce female students, one underrepresented demographic, to STEM fields and improve student retention rates. The class promoted students’ interactions with female professors and peer mentors, student organizations, and speakers from industry presented as role models and mentors. Data gathered from this class include year-by-year demographics, graduation and retention rates, and curriculum composition across 11 years. Analysis of this data indicates that interactions with professors and peer mentors especially resulted in improved outcomes for female students taking the course, as compared with the general population of female students in the department.
Prior research in student retention emphasizes that building students’ connections with the institution and their peers is key. Students from underrepresented populations often lack these connections, making them more prone to dropping out or transferring majors, especially in high-pressure engineering and polytechnic programs. In this article, we discuss our study that analyzes data from a freshman-year class intended to introduce female students, one underrepresented demographic, to STEM fields and improve student retention rates.
Prior research in student retention emphasizes that building students’ connections with the institution and their peers is key. Students from underrepresented populations often lack these connections, making them more prone to dropping out or transferring majors, especially in high-pressure engineering and polytechnic programs. In this article, we discuss our study that analyzes data from a freshman-year class intended to introduce female students, one underrepresented demographic, to STEM fields and improve student retention rates.
feature
Using Growth Rings on Wooden Blocks and Plywood to Enhance Students’ Spatial Reasoning Skills
Journal of College Science Teaching—May/June 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 5)
By Jeff B. Chaumba and Josphine Chaumba
Spatial reasoning is one of the most challenging skills to master in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This article reports the results of a teaching intervention that involved using wooden blocks to enhance the development of spatial reasoning in an undergraduate-level introductory geology course. Wooden blocks with growth rings that mimic folded rock layers and plywood that mimicked horizontal layers were used as aids to teach geologic structures in the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters. The teaching intervention was evaluated by comparing the exam scores of students who had taken the course before and after the use of the wooden blocks teaching tool. Comparison of students’ test scores in spring 2017 with fall 2018 and spring 2019 showed substantial improvements, a 20%–25% increase in their geologic structure questions. Results from an independent samples t-test also suggest that the new teaching tool was effective in both semesters.
Spatial reasoning is one of the most challenging skills to master in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This article reports the results of a teaching intervention that involved using wooden blocks to enhance the development of spatial reasoning in an undergraduate-level introductory geology course. Wooden blocks with growth rings that mimic folded rock layers and plywood that mimicked horizontal layers were used as aids to teach geologic structures in the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters.
Spatial reasoning is one of the most challenging skills to master in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This article reports the results of a teaching intervention that involved using wooden blocks to enhance the development of spatial reasoning in an undergraduate-level introductory geology course. Wooden blocks with growth rings that mimic folded rock layers and plywood that mimicked horizontal layers were used as aids to teach geologic structures in the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters.
Research & Teaching
Using Popular Fiction to Inspire Scientific Inquiry
Journal of College Science Teaching—May/June 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 4)
By Kristin Cook and Winn Wheeler
Many teacher educator preparation programs do not provide opportunities for preservice teachers (PSTs) to experience and examine the use of popular fiction as a connection point to science teaching. This study explores a unit designed to support PSTs in learning and applying core concepts and processes of literacy and science by leveraging a popular fiction text in their literacy and science methods courses in a concerted effort to better prepare teachers to integrate literacy and science in their own future classrooms.
Many teacher educator preparation programs do not provide opportunities for preservice teachers (PSTs) to experience and examine the use of popular fiction as a connection point to science teaching. This study explores a unit designed to support PSTs in learning and applying core concepts and processes of literacy and science by leveraging a popular fiction text in their literacy and science methods courses in a concerted effort to better prepare teachers to integrate literacy and science in their own future classrooms.
Many teacher educator preparation programs do not provide opportunities for preservice teachers (PSTs) to experience and examine the use of popular fiction as a connection point to science teaching. This study explores a unit designed to support PSTs in learning and applying core concepts and processes of literacy and science by leveraging a popular fiction text in their literacy and science methods courses in a concerted effort to better prepare teachers to integrate literacy and science in their own future classrooms.
Research & Teaching
Examining the Effects of STEM Identity and Teaching Identity on Science and Mathematics Teaching Identity and Persistence in a Teaching Program
Journal of College Science Teaching—May/June 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 5)
By Ingelise Giles, Nicole Cook, Zahra Hazari, Maria Fernandez, and Laird Kramer
In response to the demand for more STEM-certified teachers, identity has emerged as a theoretical lens for examining how candidates can be recruited into and retained in the teaching profession. This study explores the intersection between teaching identity and disciplinary identity as they relate to the development of a disciplinary teaching identity. Survey responses were collected from students in a teaching recruitment class for STEM majors, and regression models were developed to predict disciplinary teaching identity and program persistence. Findings from both models indicated that teaching identity is a strong predictor of both disciplinary teaching identity and program persistence, but disciplinary identity plays less of a role. These findings align with previous qualitative research on teacher identity development. Additionally, these findings highlight a need to engage STEM faculty in efforts to recruit students who strongly identify with STEM into the teaching profession.
In response to the demand for more STEM-certified teachers, identity has emerged as a theoretical lens for examining how candidates can be recruited into and retained in the teaching profession. This study explores the intersection between teaching identity and disciplinary identity as they relate to the development of a disciplinary teaching identity. Survey responses were collected from students in a teaching recruitment class for STEM majors, and regression models were developed to predict disciplinary teaching identity and program persistence.
In response to the demand for more STEM-certified teachers, identity has emerged as a theoretical lens for examining how candidates can be recruited into and retained in the teaching profession. This study explores the intersection between teaching identity and disciplinary identity as they relate to the development of a disciplinary teaching identity. Survey responses were collected from students in a teaching recruitment class for STEM majors, and regression models were developed to predict disciplinary teaching identity and program persistence.
special feature
Conversion of Traditional Face-to-Face MLS Hematology Courses Into Remote Delivery
Journal of College Science Teaching—May/June 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 5)
By Sanjeeda Jafar, Shruti Budhani, and Diane Wilson
The design of a hybrid Hematology I course (prepandemic) was adopted for Hematology II and facilitated our conversion of Hematology II into a fully remote course by fall 2020, after the university went into remote instruction. When the university suspended face-to-face (F2F) classes in March 2020, only the laboratory final exam was pending for Hematology I, and it was therefore administered remotely. Because students had taken another F2F practical exam before lockdown, we were able to compare the two. There was a significant difference between the practical examination grades for the online versus F2F exams: 94% vs. 77% mean scores, respectively. However, there was no difference between the written portion of the exams. In this article, we report the final lab and lecture grades for both courses. In spring 2021, our students completed their clinical practicums with our hospital affiliates and received scores of ≥ 90%. We also report the performance of students who sat for the American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (BOC) examination for medical laboratory scientists. All students who appeared in the BOC examination performed satisfactorily in the hematology subdiscipline. These external assessments are positive objective benchmarks for our courses and students.
The design of a hybrid Hematology I course (prepandemic) was adopted for Hematology II and facilitated our conversion of Hematology II into a fully remote course by fall 2020, after the university went into remote instruction. When the university suspended face-to-face (F2F) classes in March 2020, only the laboratory final exam was pending for Hematology I, and it was therefore administered remotely. Because students had taken another F2F practical exam before lockdown, we were able to compare the two.
The design of a hybrid Hematology I course (prepandemic) was adopted for Hematology II and facilitated our conversion of Hematology II into a fully remote course by fall 2020, after the university went into remote instruction. When the university suspended face-to-face (F2F) classes in March 2020, only the laboratory final exam was pending for Hematology I, and it was therefore administered remotely. Because students had taken another F2F practical exam before lockdown, we were able to compare the two.
point of view
Maximizing Learning Objectives in Undergraduate Research Journals
Journal of College Science Teaching—May/June 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 5)
By Shamel Basaria, Taylor S. Ginieczki, Shloka V. Janapaty, Rohan Nigam, and Davis H. Smith
Undergraduate research journals (URJs) introduce students to the peer review and publication processes, teaching them to write manuscripts that will be reviewed for scientific rigor. Although the merits of URJs have been debated, this article argues that URJs can achieve learning objectives for both student authors and editorial teams. We suggest several guiding principles to maximize URJs’ potential, including robust social support and official institutionalization. This process involves developing a closer relationship between graduate mentors and undergraduate editors, rigorous peer review standards, long-standing relationships with faculty, and publicity committees that give the journal visibility from the moment a student steps foot on campus. We also propose measures to enhance URJs’ accessibility, such as registration with university libraries or crawlable databases.
Undergraduate research journals (URJs) introduce students to the peer review and publication processes, teaching them to write manuscripts that will be reviewed for scientific rigor. Although the merits of URJs have been debated, this article argues that URJs can achieve learning objectives for both student authors and editorial teams. We suggest several guiding principles to maximize URJs’ potential, including robust social support and official institutionalization.
Undergraduate research journals (URJs) introduce students to the peer review and publication processes, teaching them to write manuscripts that will be reviewed for scientific rigor. Although the merits of URJs have been debated, this article argues that URJs can achieve learning objectives for both student authors and editorial teams. We suggest several guiding principles to maximize URJs’ potential, including robust social support and official institutionalization.
Legislative Update
U. S. Senate Takes On Reauthorization of the Education Sciences Reform Act
By Ralph Forsht, Manager, Advocacy & Legislative Affairs
Posted on 2023-05-03
science 101
