This dissertation asks how to improve science education and science communication, and suggests that digital storytelling techniques can be used to better engage learners in the process of knowledge making. Digital storytelling refers to both the use of high-quality digital media content as learning materials, and also to the use of social…

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, this study examined the difference in the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness [STAAR's] academic achievement (Math, Science, Reading and Writing) scores of secondary students by instructional status (Single teaching and Co-teaching). Second, this study investigated the predictability of…

This study was designed to investigate differences in high school science teachers' attitudes toward teaching inquiry-based science, beliefs about and practice of implementing inquiry-based methods according to the National Science Education Standards, and the frequency of implementing inquiry-based classroom lessons based on the gender,…

The purpose of this study was to introduce an instructional technique for teaching complex tasks in physics, test its effectiveness and efficiency, and understand cognitive processes taking place in learners' minds while they are exposed to this technique. The study was based primarily on cognitive load theory (CLT). CLT determines the amount of…

While the benefits of the using the Learning Cycle have been well researched, one area that has received surprisingly little investigation is the effect that student cognizance of the learning cycle has on student performance in chemistry. The Learning Cycle, with its strong theoretical roots in scientific practice and learning theory, offers a…

Exhibits in informal science institutions, like science centers and museums, are often designed to help people learn, but research showing the immediate impact of experiences with exhibits on understanding is limited. This dissertation tested the hypothesis that the value of first-hand experience with an exhibit is not necessarily in its immediate…