The main topics of this dissertation are: 1) the development and discussion of a new molecular balance for measuring alkyl-alkyl interactions in a wide array of organic solvents, 2) the development of linear solvation energy relationships between solvent interaction parameters and solvent accessible surface area (SASA) in CH-arene interactions,…

This study investigated evidence of how students' mental models of fundamental kinematic relations evolved (i.e., developed cognitively over time) as observed during an introductory course in calculus-based classical mechanics. The core of the curriculum is based on a claim known as Galileo's principle of relativity. The course material comprised…

Scholars over the past few years have drawn attention to the enormous potential role historical stories can play in promoting student understanding of issues associated with the nature of science (NOS). Such stories, often referred to as "historical narratives," are thought to do so by providing a rich historical context within which…

As the adoption rate of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) continues to rise in the United States, there is an increasing need for the development of high-quality instructional materials that reflect NGSS and effectively prepare teachers for its implementation. The NGSS aim to foster an understanding of three interconnected dimensions in…

Nature of Scientific Knowledge (NOSK) and Nature of Scientific Inquiry (NOSI) are important components of scientific literacy and important educational objectives in science education. Recent literature theorizes that understanding both NOSK and NOSI increases students' understanding of science content knowledge. However, this assumption has yet…

Over the past several decades, science education reforms have called for students to develop appropriate views of the nature of science and have a comprehensive understanding of subject matter. Additionally, education research has demonstrated that teachers must have appropriate views of the nature of science and strong content knowledge as…

The subject of chemistry is a cornerstone of high school science programs and a conceptual understanding of chemical equilibria and Le Chatelier's Principle continues to be both a fundamental and paradoxically difficult subject for educators and students. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a prototype immersive virtual reality environment.…

The history of education in the United States has been a contentious one. This holds true for science education in Georgia. Throughout history, there has been much debate on what should be taught and how it should be taught. There have been many influences on education including politics, economics, religion, and immigration. This multi-method…

I have created a general workflow that describes how students reason through non-trivial organic predict-the-product problems. This was accomplished through an iterative process that combined the experiences of instructors with holistic impressions of think-aloud interviews, incorporating feedback from both undergraduate focus groups and graduate…

The study consisted of three articles. Article one aimed to determine if there were any significant difference in science graduate students' (SGSs') conceptions of the "consensus tenets" of the nature of science (NOS) with respect to demographic factors -- the SGSs' academic and research characteristics. The participants were SGSs from…

Many young women do not see a place for themselves in science evident from the lack of young women entering and persisting in science majors and careers. This problem persists despite progress in young women's performance on various science achievement measures and degree attainment. This is an equity problem and also a loss of human capital. As…

The underrepresentation of women and minorities in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is a major concern for researchers, policymakers, and educators. Many causes of this issue have been identified over the years. However, effective methods for increasing minorities' and women's participation in STEM may still be…

The purpose of this Executive Position Paper project was to develop educational resources to support the teaching of nature of science topics to undergraduate students at Delaware Technical Community College. The investigation was driven by two exploratory projects and a review of the literature. The first exploratory project examined the…

In the last twenty years in US science education, professional development has emphasized the need to change science instruction from a direct instruction model to a more participatory and constructivist learning model. The result of these reform efforts has seen an increase in science education professional development that is focused on…

The purpose of this dissertation is to argue that while a discussion of the nature of human knowledge might be a worthy goal to pursue in public education, the science classroom is not the appropriate place for this discussion. The concern that no claims to knowledge--including scientific claims--are void of a metaphysical and epistemological…