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…

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in March of 2020, education in the United States changed dramatically. Science teachers began to look at the implementation of ambitious and equitable science teaching practices differently. Employing the hermeneutic phenomenological framework, the purpose of this study was to investigate the lived…

Technology has become an integral part of the teaching and learning process in the current educational landscape, revolutionizing students' learning experiences in alternative and traditional educational settings. However, despite having access to various tech tools that support student learning, an achievement gap still exists, and many students…

In the K-12 classrooms, science teachers are increasingly using digital interactive textbooks to improve instruction. However, limited research exists on the Title I science educators' experiences with digital interactive texts in Title I middle schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of these Title I science…

In order to comprehend complex and abstract phenomena, students must partake in the process of learning by integrating complex and invisible components without ever physically encountering or manipulating such components. Prior knowledge and experiences will influence the way students assimilate and model new experiences and knowledge. If prior…

With changes in cadaver availability, ongoing innovations in technology, and rising pedagogical changes, the field of anatomy education is amidst adaptations. In the field of occupational therapy (OT) education, anatomy is often part of the core curriculum. The problem was the limited literature on technology tools being used by educators in OT…

Individuals with disabilities have been less involved in school activities than their same age peers and this includes career preparation in science and math (Eriksson et al., 2007; Agran et al., 2020; Jackson et al., 2022). Specifically, individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) have been underrepresented in science education (Lee, 2011)…

With increased technology use in classrooms, teachers must design lessons that integrate technology use and stimulate cognitive processing. This dissertation explored science teachers' perceptions of integrating technology-based instruction on cognitive processing in secondary school science. It is vital to understand the neuroscience behind…

Embodied cognition posits that physical interactions with the environment play a crucial role in learning, including complex, abstract concepts in STEM disciplines. This is relevant for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) learners who often utilize sign language, which is a naturally embodied, visuospatial mode of communication. My dissertation…

Many efforts to reform science educational standards and structure have placed an emphasis on directing learners to communicate about concepts using external representations (ERs). Techniques to develop competencies with ERs often ask learners to develop understanding outside of a physical context while concurrently making connections back to the…

This mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the technology-embedded scientific inquiry (TESI) model on teachers' and students' scientific inquiry abilities and digital learning technologies fluency to enhance science education learning outcomes. The TESI framework guided the construction and execution of this study. The…

This is potentially the first study that addressed the Puerto Rican high school students' chemistry knowledge acquisition using traditional teaching and Physics Education Technology. The problem addressed by this quantitative comparative quasi-experimental study was that students' showed a disadvantage on chemistry knowledge acquisition over other…

Much of the research examining teacher discourse in learning environments has given little focus to teacher discourse while using educational technology such as simulations (Erduran, 2019; Tabak & Kyza, 2018). Research has shown how discourse often contributes to the developmental aspects of the learning environment such as argumentation or…

This study addressed the problem of whether elementary school teachers are consistently implementing the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards in their pedagogical practices of teaching science. It was evident that half of all teachers in the United States do not consistently implement technology into their…

Professional development (PD) is crucial for teachers to learn about new practices, technology, and improve self-efficacy to apply these skills. This sequential explanatory mixed-method study served to explore teachers' experiences with PD and using virtual labs in the classroom. First, in the quantitative phase of the study, a survey was…