Non-formal STEM education programs can expose youth to STEM concepts outside the formal school environment. These programs employ education techniques such as hands-on learning, problem-solving, and connection to authentic science experiences. Youth participating in non-formal STEM programs are more likely to consider themselves science people and…

"Place-based education" refers to pedagogy that connects student learning with the local environment and students' lives. Educators' preoccupation with standardized test scores have increased the disconnect between formal education and student's life experiences. Schools have developed systems of learning in isolated subjects through…

This dissertation examines, in three studies, undergraduate student experiences in social aspects of online learning when conducting remote physics laboratories. The first quantitative, observational study examined introductory students' epistemological, socialization, and help seeking views (N=998). Parametric and nonparametric tests indicated no…

We developed an introductory chemical engineering design laboratory course coupling traditional, hands-on, and virtual learning techniques. The course is centered on a set of interactive, online simulations mimicking laboratory experimentation, which the students complete for homework prior to completing a corresponding hands-on experiment as a…

Natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey, which hit the Gulf Coast region of Texas on August 25, 2017, may have potentially devastating effects on the local community and especially the public education system. Adverse health consequences because of this traumatic event may include Compassion Fatigue, a condition of emotional, physical, and…

Despite an extensive amount of research examining students' perceptions of alternative laboratory experiences, little focus has been aimed at the perceptions of adult learners. This two-phase mixed-methods study investigated the preferred at-home laboratory experience, and the factors that played a significant role in the user experiences, of…

This qualitative research project investigated high school students' experiences with science, as well as how their unique experiences can be used to develop empowering science education for all students. Inquiry was conducted via the photovoice method with a critical sociocultural theoretical framework. Results showed that students' science…

This qualitative research study explored perceptions of best teaching strategies implemented by science teachers for learning disabled high school students from one northwest Texas high school. Four research questions guided the exploration of personal and scholarly practices that high school teachers perceived worked best in their science…

Taking a sociocultural perspective, this qualitative case study aims to contribute, investigate, and understand how young Mexican American emergent bilingual learners engage in early science experiences. Furthermore, the study focuses on how the students manifested their knowledge, understanding, and perceptions about science and its…

My dissertation is a pre-mid-post-test, quantitative research design, including surveys and written assessments, to answer these research questions: 1. How do students' science mindset vary over time when engaged in science inquiry activities? Is there a difference between male and female students? 2. Is there a relationship between 7th grade…

This multiple methods (Denzin, 1978) study investigated two instructional approaches, traditional module and electronic Problem-Based Learning instruction (e-PBL), used within a middle school engineering classroom focused on the variables of engagement, content knowledge, student self-assessment and teacher assessment of problem solving solutions.…

This study explores how an afterschool science program for girls that uses a curriculum written by female scientists/science educators and highlights the contributions of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields affects girls' perception of scientists, confidence in their science skills, belief in their ability to…

In this three-article dissertation, I explore how ten Palestinian fifth and sixth-grade students perceive and engage with science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art (STEAM) activities within an out-of-school context. I collaborated with a local organization, Al-Roward for Science and Technology which developed the programming for the…

Inequality of resources in urban schools is a structural barrier to college preparation, access to social capital, college success. Per the literature, a number of issues prevent urban STEM high school students from participating in this innovative learning experience. Studies have shown that STEM experiential learning can influence attitudes,…

A study was conducted to investigate the extent to which previous science achievement affected student performance in traditional hands-on and virtual laboratory environments. A sample of 70 first-year college students was employed in a counterbalanced A-B-A-B experimental design. The study spanned four instructional weeks of laboratory…