The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how science students described their experiences of collaboration in a virtual learning environment at a community college in the Midwestern United States between 2020 - 2022. The literature review indicated the need to understand how science students described their experience of…

This study aimed to explore Cooperative Learning theories and practice by examining the relationships among three aspects: Experience, Practice and Perceptions. The data were from interview records from eight science teachers. As a student-centered active pedagogical trend, cooperative learning has become part of one of the most effective and…

This dissertation explores the implementation of classical education in a non-classical charter high school, with a focus on science education using classical methodologies. Employing techniques like copy work, history-based science teaching (HBST), the Socratic method, and the Progymnastmata, astronomy, and chemistry were taught. To identify…

The process of unpacking educational standards is one method elementary teachers can use to analyze the science standards they are required to teach in the classroom. However, it is not the only method for teachers to familiarize themselves with the science standards. The goal of this study was to determine if receiving formal training in…

The problem addressed in this study was that some high school students do not have the math skills needed to succeed in a traditional chemistry class. If instructional strategies are not changed, many students who struggle with algebra will also struggle to master the chemistry content which is a required high school subject in Arizona. The…

As educators, our goal is to help our students be successful, but in order to accomplish this, we need to understand what factors contribute to student success. One factor, small-group active learning, has been correlated to improved academic outcomes; however, the magnitude of this improvement can vary across different courses, different types of…

Learners need to develop multifaceted skills and knowledge in order to productively engage with today's increasingly uncertain world. To this aim, science educators strive to build students' science knowledge by engaging them in scientific practices, such as collaborative inquiry, which are social and collaborative in nature. However, learners…

In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have gained increasing importance in the field of physics. Despite efforts to enhance DEI, physics still faces numerous challenges in this area. This dissertation is divided into three main chapters, aiming to investigate the significance of learning-related emotions and physics identity as…

The use and understanding of mathematics is a crucial component of the physical sciences. Much work has been done in physics education research and science education more broadly to determine persistent difficulties with mathematics. This work has led to the development of numerous problem solving strategies aimed at helping learners approach…

Having discussions and working together in groups with other learners is the indicator of the collaboration aspect of engagement. Collaborative engagement can be fostered through active learning approaches, since they provide more opportunities for interaction among learners. In Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) classrooms, small…

I conducted a set of four studies to catalogue and examine course elements, including active learning strategies and evidence-based teaching practices, and their influence on student experiences and performance in college biology classes. In the first study, I defined the term "active learning" and catalogued the 300[plus] strategies…

The National Research Council (NRC) released the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) that established a framework for three-dimensional learning, which includes science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. The first dimension of learning emphasizes scientific and engineering…

Self-efficacy can determine how hard a student works, if they will persevere in the face of obstacles or succeed academically (Britner & Pajares, 2006). It has been suggested that practices in an inquiry-based science class can provide positive experiences needed to increase self-efficacy of middle school students (Britner & Pajares,…

The purpose of this action research study is to explore the impact of the cooperative learning technique of the jigsaw method on student engagement in the beginning biology laboratory at Northern Community College (NCC). Professorial observations, a student survey, and interviews were used to investigate whether or not jigsaw methods should be…

The purpose of this study was to examine how small groups of students in an introductory undergraduate chemistry course construct CERs and the influence of race, gender, and perceived status during this construction. The small groups of students engaged in three chemistry activities that required them to generate a claim, evidence, and reasoning…