Preservice Teachers Exploring the Nature of Science in Simulated Worlds

Author(s):  
Jill A. Marshall ◽  
Tim Erickson ◽  
Kumaridevi Sivam

This article reports an investigation of preservice teachers' interactions with a computer simulation designed to allow them to explore the nature and practices of science. Participants included 188 preservice, secondary-level, science and mathematics teachers who were enrolled in one of seven consecutive semesters in a professional development course as part of the teacher certification program at a large research university. Artifacts, including articles published in an online journal, responses to focus questions, reflections on the activity, as well as audio and video recordings of the activities themselves, were analyzed following a grounded approach. The simulation activities qualified in many respects as authentic science as identified by . Further, what these activities revealed about student beliefs in regard to the nature and practice of science correlated with their reactions toward the simulation and their views of how it might be used in high school classes.

2018 ◽  
pp. 476-498
Author(s):  
Jill A. Marshall ◽  
Tim Erickson ◽  
Kumaridevi Sivam

This article reports an investigation of preservice teachers' interactions with a computer simulation designed to allow them to explore the nature and practices of science. Participants included 188 preservice, secondary-level, science and mathematics teachers who were enrolled in one of seven consecutive semesters in a professional development course as part of the teacher certification program at a large research university. Artifacts, including articles published in an online journal, responses to focus questions, reflections on the activity, as well as audio and video recordings of the activities themselves, were analyzed following a grounded approach. The simulation activities qualified in many respects as authentic science as identified by . Further, what these activities revealed about student beliefs in regard to the nature and practice of science correlated with their reactions toward the simulation and their views of how it might be used in high school classes.


2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 801-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen S. Amatea ◽  
Blaire Cholewa ◽  
Kacy A. Mixon

There is a growing literature revealing the complexity of family–school relationships and the significant power imbalances and mismatches between the role expectations of caregivers and teachers who differ by class and race. This study investigates a course at a large research university in the Southeastern United States designed to influence the attitudes of preservice teachers (PSTs) about how they might work with low-income and/or ethnic minority families. Study results on 138 PSTs demonstrate that, after completing the course, their attitudes were less stereotypic, they were more confident about using family-centric involvement practices, and conceptualized student’s problems in less blaming terms.


2020 ◽  
pp. 074193252097278
Author(s):  
Nicholas Gelbar ◽  
Joseph Madaus

Extended time to complete course examinations is the most commonly provided accommodation to students with disabilities in postsecondary institutions. However, there is a paucity of studies that examine the use and influence of extended time in true testing situations. The present study examined test accommodation used by 596 students with disabilities at a large research university. These students completed a total of 3,726 exams in 1,517 unique courses. Results indicated that extended time was used in approximately half of the tests, and of these, a nearly there was an even split between the use of less than and more than 50% additional time. In a statistical model predicting whether a participant used extended time at least once in a course, having a learning disability, having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and taking a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) course were statistically significant predictors of whether a participant used extended time in a course. Implications and areas for future research are presented.


2001 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally A. Rogers

E-journal, printed journal, and database usage data from campus polls conducted annually, 1998–2000, at one large research university show increased use of e-journals and decreased use of printed journals by faculty and graduate students as the number of available e-journals increased from two hundred to more than three thousand. Little or no statistical correlation between age and frequency of use was found. The majority of frequent users of all three types of resources were from departments in the sciences. Transcripts from the 1998 poll provided insights into attitudes toward replacing printed journals with e-journals. The advantages and disadvantages mentioned were consistent with previous studies.


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