What is the nature of conceptual representations? Models of semantic memory often describe concepts as a distributed feature space. However, it remains unknown which subset of this feature space constitutes the invariant representation of a concept. In this dissertation, I investigate the nature of modality-independent representations and their…

This qualitative descriptive case study explores how genealogists describe the mechanism of epistemic change in their research, highlighting the roles of epistemological doubt, epistemological volition, and resolution strategies. It explores the integration of digital technologies in genealogical practices in the United States and their…

Quantum mechanics is notoriously challenging, and research has found that students struggle with many common difficulties when learning it. It is also proving to be a critical piece of many exciting fields that are all but assured to see great development and expansion in the coming years; the Second Quantum Revolution is upon us. Quantum…

My dissertation asks: "What does an Angel Investor learn about the venture capital investment process and how do they learn it?" This is important, because Angels finance the earlier stages of venture investing (referred to as Seed or Series A) and play an instrumental role in the formation, financing, and success of today's leading…

This thesis identifies and explains the gaps in prior and current applications of representational competence construct in chemistry. Representational competence (RC) describes a set of skills that chemistry researchers Kozma and Russell observed experts demonstrate when engaging with disciplinary representations (Kozma & Russell, 1997; Kozma…

Integrating agent-based models (ABMs) has been a popular approach for teaching emergent science concepts. However, students continue to find it difficult to explain the emergent process of natural selection. This study adopted an ontological framework--the Pattern, Agents, Interactions, Relations, and Causality (PAIR-C)--to guide the design of…

Chemistry is a difficult subject for many students. The content is challenging, and students often enter chemistry classes with preconceived ideas about chemical phenomena which may or may not align with scientific ideas (Gabel, 1999; Johnstone, 1991, 1993; Nakhleh, 1992). The purpose of this study was to understand high school students'…

Researchers have identified many ways that students think about rectangular area. However, research about students' understanding of triangle area is relatively scarce. Although it may seem simple to apply the triangle area formula, there is more to students' understanding of triangle area. In this dissertation, I obtained data to help answer the…

This qualitative research study explored levels of social presence in Second Life (virtual world) associated with phases of knowledge construction. The study explored images and data collected from users at two discussion-based activities. The findings revealed the three levels of social presence, according to the Interactional Process Model of…

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in proficiency levels on the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) for schools using traditional grading methods versus standards-based grading methods. The researcher was interested in which grading method was associated with a high percentage of students scoring a (4) meet expectations…

Authors of calculus texts often include graphs in the text with the intent that the graph depicts relationships described in theorems and formulas. Similarly, graphs are often utilized in classroom lectures and discussions for the same purpose. The author or instructor includes function graphs to represent quantitative relationships and how a pair…

The significance of mathematical creativity cannot be undervalued. Encouraging creativity in learning can increase student rigor, foster greater learning engagement, and promote a thirst for knowledge both inside and outside of school. However, researchers have identified that research on mathematical creativity has not been foregrounded.…

Resonance is a fundamental chemistry concept first introduced to students in General Chemistry I, reintroduced in Organic Chemistry I, and then utilized throughout other higher-level chemistry courses. A molecule or ion can be said to exhibit resonance when it can be represented by two or more chemical structures (i.e., Lewis structures) that…

Objective: Describe the learning activities that occupational therapy students found helpful for learning the concept of occupation and describe what students know about the concept of occupation. Design: Descriptive correlational. Setting: Occupational therapy program in the U.S. Participants: Occupational therapy students. Measure: Survey.…

This cross-sectional study investigated the conceptual understanding of linear relationships for 195 students enrolled in a single school in a large, urban district across five mathematics courses: Grade 7 Math (n = 24), Grade 8 Math (n = 52), Geometry (n = 43), Algebra 1 (n = 31), and Algebra 2 (n = 45). The following questions guided this study:…