Effects of instructional changes on student learning of electrochemistry in an IB chemistry course

This study investigated the effectiveness of incorporating several new instructional strategies into an International Baccalaureate (IB) chemistry course in terms of how they supported high school seniors’ understanding of electrochemistry. The three new methods used were (a) providing opportunities for visualization of particle movement by student manipulation of physical models and interactive computer simulations, (b) explicitly addressing common misconceptions identified in the literature, and (c) teaching an algorithmic, step-wise approach for determining the products of an aqueous solution electrolysis. Changes in student understanding were assessed through test scores on both internally and externally administered exams over a two-year period. It was found that visualization practice and explicit misconception instruction improved student understanding, but the effect was more apparent in the short-term. The data suggested that instruction time spent on algorithm practice was insufficient to cause significant test score improvement. There was, however, a substantial increase in the percentage of the experimental group students who chose to answer an optional electrochemistry-related external exam question, indicating an increase in student confidence. Implications for future instruction are discussed.

THE EFFECTS OF MODELING INSTRUCTION ON STUDENT LEARNING OF A NEWTONIAN FORCE CONCEPT

This study explores the effects of modeling instruction on student learning in physics. Multiple representations grounded in physical contexts were employed by students to analyze the results of inquiry lab investigations. Class whiteboard discussions geared toward a class consensus following Socratic dialogue were implemented throughout the modeling cycle. Lab investigations designed to address student preconceptions related to Newton’s Third Law were implemented. Student achievement was measured based on normalized gains on the Force Concept Inventory. Normalized FCI gains achieved by students in this study were comparable to those achieved by students of other novice modelers. Physics students who had taken a modeling Intro to Physics course scored significantly higher on the FCI posttest than those who had not. The FCI results also provided insight into deeply rooted student preconceptions related to Newton’s Third Law. Implications for instruction and the design of lab investigations related to Newton’s Third Law are discussed.

Comparison of the effects of inquiry-based cooperative learning and demonstrations in science education

The reported research project involved studying how teaching science using demonstrations, inquiry-based cooperative learning groups, or a combination of the two methods affected sixth grade students’ understanding of air pressure and density. Three different groups of students were each taught the two units using different teaching methods. Group one learned about the topics through both demonstrations and inquirybased cooperative learning, whereas group two only viewed demonstrations, and group three only participated in inquiry-based learning in cooperative learning groups. The study was designed to answer the following two questions: 1. Which teaching strategy works best for supporting student understanding of air pressure and density: demonstrations, inquirybased labs in cooperative learning groups, or a combination of the two? 2. And what effect does the time spent engaging in a particular learning experience (demonstrations or labs) have on student learning? Overall, the data did not provide sufficient evidence that one method of learning was more effective than the others. The results also suggested that spending more time on a unit does not necessarily equate to a better understanding of the concepts by the students. Implications for science instruction are discussed.

SUPPORTING LEARNING FOR NAVAJO STUDENTS THROUGH ETHNOMATHEMATICS

The purpose of this research was to address how culturally informed ethnomathematical methods of teaching can be utilized to support the learning of Navajo students in mathematics. The study was conducted over the course of four years on the Navajo Reservations at Tohatchi Middle School in Tohatchi New Mexico. The students involved in the study were all in 8th grade and were enrolled either in Algebra 1 or a Response to Intervention, RTI, class. The data collected came in the form of a student survey, student observation and student assessment. The teacher written survey, a math textbook word problem, and two original math textbook problems along with their rewritten version were the sources of these three studies. The first year of the study consisted of a math attitude survey and how Navajo students perceived math as a subject of interest. The students answered four questions pertaining to their thoughts about mathematics. The students’ responses were positive according to their written answers. The second year of the study involved the observation of how students worked through a math word problem as a group. This method tested how the students culturally interacted in order to solve a math problem. Their questions and reasoning to solve the problem were shared with peers and the teacher. The teacher supported the students in understanding and solving the problem by asking questions that kept the students focused on the goal of solving the problem. The students worked collaboratively and openly in order to complete the activity. During the iv study, the teacher was more able to notice the students’ deficiencies individually or as a group, therefore was able to support them in a more specific manner. The last study was conducted over a period of two different years. This study was used to determine how textbook bias in the form of its sentence structure or word choice affects the performance of students who are not culturally familiar with one or both. It was found that the students performed better and took less time on the rewritten problem than on the original problem. The data suggests that focusing on the culture, language and education of Navajo students can affect how the students learn and understand math.

ON THE EFFECT OF VIRTUAL REALITY ON STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OF AND INTEREST IN PHYSICS

This study investigated the effect that the video game Portal 2 had on students understanding of Newton’s Laws and their attitudes towards learning science during a two-week afterschool program at a science museum. Using a pre/posttest and survey design, along with instructor observations, the results showed a statistically relevant increase in understanding of Newton’s Laws (p=.02<.05) but did not measure a relevant change in attitude scores. The data and observations suggest that future research should pay attention to non-educational aspects of video games, be careful about the amount of time students spend in the game, and encourage positive relationships with game developers.