This study investigates the challenge faced by eighth-grade students at Southern State Middle School in grasping abstract concepts within the domains of physical science, physics, and chemistry. This difficulty is manifested in their poor performance on summative assessments. A comprehensive analysis of state-provided data, in conjunction with…

This dissertation's purpose was for examining the preparation of pre-service school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers in laboratory-based courses and discovering how experienced SBAE teachers describe the experiences which prepared them to be effective facilitators of laboratory instruction. Furthermore, we discovered SBAE teachers'…

Laboratory activities are a prevalent and essential part of chemistry learning because of their potential to help students develop problem solving abilities, visualize chemistry concepts learned in lecture, and gain practical skills. However, learning in the laboratory environment is not without its challenges. For example, cookbook-style…

Discussion is a vital component of the scientific process and dialogic learning opportunities support student learning gains and scientific epistemic learning. Discussions can improve connections between concepts and support student engagement which can increase retention in STEM programs. It has also been reported that a correlation exists…

The area of interest considered for the study was the overall academic achievement in biology lecture and laboratory courses using Bloom's Taxonomy. The problem of the study is the lack of higher-order thinking skills leading to a learning gap in many universities and colleges. The purpose of the quantitative correlational study was to determine…

The school-based agricultural education (SBAE) program comprises important components that directly impact its success. The SBAE program is designed to empower youth through a unique perspective allowing student voice and student engagement as it relates to real world issues addressing the areas such as global food economy through the lens of…

Professionalism is a required curricular component in accredited medical laboratory science (MLS) programs in the United States and is a critical element for career success and optimal patient care. A standardized definition of professionalism in MLS, however, has yet to be established. This poses a challenge to MLS programs when pertaining to…

Due to the unique and advantageous physiochemical properties of nanoparticles, they have been increasingly incorporated into consumer products and emerging technologies. The manufacture, wear and tear of use, and disposal of these nano-enabled products will likely result in the release of nanoparticles into the environment. Unfortunately,…

The primary purpose of this study was to compare academic variables from students participating in mixed teaching methods/course revitalization biology courses to those in traditional courses at two community colleges in Tennessee. A two-group comparison design using archived data was used, which evaluated differences in final grades, exam scores,…

This study investigates the effect of introducing an environmental education (EE) in three classrooms (C1, C2, C3) using three different pedagogy methods and if student's personalities determine how the information is perceived. A teacher-focused classroom (C1), a student-focused classroom (C2), and a third classroom used labs and hands-on…

A growing body of literature focusing on undergraduate biology education calls for students to engage in the ways of thinking, feeling, and doing that reflect those in which biologists engage. Such reform efforts suggest that learning is best fostered when students engage in practices, concepts, and scientific reasoning as they endeavor to explain…

Distance education has become increasingly popular among college students over the last two decades and institutions have responded to this demand by offering more online and hybrid courses. These courses provide many benefits to students, including increased flexibility and accessibility, which contribute to its growing popularity. However,…

Recently, there have been many calls for an increase in instruction on the nature of science (NOS) in schools (i.e. NRC, 1996; NGSS Lead States, 2013). These calls recognize the importance of this topic at all levels of science education, but there is little guidance in terms of how to address it effectively in curricula. Similarly, there have…

Chemistry is considered a difficult subject by most students. Its difficulty lies in Chemistry's complex and abstract nature. This highly abstract nature requires constant interplay and coordination between the macroscopic, particulate, and symbolic representations. Experts can successfully navigate the various representations without overloading…

This is a study of student engagement with computational labs in Calculus 2. The labs task students with using MATLAB to investigate contexts such as rocket science, disease modeling, and market economics forecasting by modifying and executing provided code, guided by questions that have students report the results of their simulations or…