This study addressed the following question: "How does facilitating informal explorations with friends and family outside of a science course help students who are enrolled in the course?" The context was a physics course for prospective elementary and middle school teachers. This was a qualitative study that analyzed student responses...
The movement to reform mathematics teaching and learning in schools began in the 1980s. After dedicating vast resources to support reform efforts since then, the transition to improve mathematics teaching and learning in schools has not occurred. In the majority of mathematics classrooms teachers still rely on traditional teaching strategies...
The focus of this research was to examine the relationship between the Oregon secondary agricultural education teachers’ level of computer-based technology integration, perceptions of barriers to computer-based technology integration, and learning style preferences. Additionally the correlational analysis of the level of computer-based technology integration and the following demographic variables was...
The purpose of this research was to determine the role of formative experiences in the home and family pertaining to environment on children's overall environmental beliefs. Students attending environmentally related and non-environmentally related summer camps at a children's science museum served as test subjects in this study. A written instrument...
Reform in science education has often emphasized task-based learning as an instructional method to improve student understanding and retention of concepts, and to promote the development of reasoning and problem-solving. Yet studies assessing student knowledge at the beginning and end of a task-based class show mixed results. Students in task-based...
Research suggests that long-term participation in professional development is critical in helping teachers meet the increasing demands of reform efforts and changing practice (Gallucci, 2003; Darling-Hammond, 1995; Little, 1993). Understanding the influence that participation in a community of teachers as a community of practice may have on teachers’ professional growth...
The purpose of this study was to describe the development of mathematics
preservice teachers’ technology pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) in a
subject specific, technology integrated teacher preparation program. The study also
investigated the roles of several influential components of the program and the
technology thread throughout the program in supporting...
This study aims to improve knowledge of how suspended particulate matter (SPM) affects hydrophobic contaminant transport in the lower Columbia River and its estuary, using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as model compounds. It is hypothesized that PAHs are transported to the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM), a prime feeding zone in...
This study examined the validity of the WA PPA process which was developed to assess teacher candidates for licensing purposes. Three validities were investigated using Messick’s view. Content validity was addressed using the raters’ judgment to
establish alignment between the WAC standards and the INTASC. Evidential validity refers to the...
Scientific inquiry in K-12 classrooms tends to be procedural, lacking opportunities for students to gain understanding of how scientific knowledge is constructed through reflection, debate, and argument. Limited opportunity to develop scientific argumentation skills prevents students from practicing the scientific thinking needed to understand the nature of scientific knowledge and...