Attention is being given to improving the design of undergraduate gateway courses (i.e., entry-level, introductory) in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), particularly those facing challenges of large enrollment and high failure rates. Effective course design has been noted as a key strategy for improving the…

Structural reasoning is a combined ability to "look for structures, recognize structures, probe into structures, act upon structures, reason in terms of general structures, and see how a piece of knowledge acquired resolves a perturbation experienced" (Harel and Soto, 2017). The purpose of this study was to explore the cognitive…

This dissertation sought to understand the evolution of four elementary teachers' (grades 1-3) teaching of science with representations over the course of one year of participation in a multi-structured professional development (PD) project referred to as RepTaL. The notion of learning to teach science using a range of representations is a…

The population of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise in the United States, but they are lagging behind English speaking students in several subject areas--including biology. Scholarly literature lacks information on how biology teachers use scaffolding strategies to support ELL students with inquiry skills during online simulations.…

This action research study primarily examined how educative curriculum materials (i.e., curriculum materials that include supports for teacher learning) can improve a teacher's knowledge base and ability to succeed in the classroom. The focus was on the impact of one type of educative curriculum material: PowerPoint presentations. Specifically,…

Earth's topographic surface forms an interface across which the geodynamic and geomorphic engines interact. This interaction is best observed along crustal margins where topography is created by active faulting and sculpted by geomorphic processes. Crustal deformation manifests as earthquakes at centennial to millennial timescales. Given that…

This dissertation looks at the effects of an educator-scientist partnership on the creation of an inquiry based science lesson for the middle school classroom. The lesson was initially created by a scientist following their science research, but changed as the scientist began working with teachers. The changes in the lesson show that scientists…

This qualitative study examined five middle school teachers' perceptions of a site-based, technology-related professional development (TRPD) program focused on the interactive whiteboard (IWB) and the classroom response system (CRS) and the practices implemented in the teachers' classrooms as a result of participation in the TRPD…

Guided reading is used frequently in reading instruction for young learners but it is not one of the primary approaches used with deaf and hard of hearing children. Guided reading is an approach that allows teachers to emphasize developing skills through a blend of teaching strategies to ensure successful reading instruction. With limited…

K-12 teachers lack training in best practices of interactive lesson development. It is essential that teachers utilize interactive whiteboards effectively. Using a collaborative mentor training, this factorial between-within groups study investigated how student achievement was impacted when teachers applied a set of effective interactive…