This dissertation studies students' identity negotiation in a project-based Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science class. The College Board has encouraged schools to diversify enrollment in AP STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) courses, in which White and Asian males have been historically overrepresented. This trend may be…

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore how African American male STEM graduates perceived instructional practices used in STEM classrooms in colleges in the eastern United States. Critical race theory and active learning theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. It was not known how African American…

Professional development has been deemed ineffective for several decades. This ineffectiveness could stem from the one-size-fits-all professional development designs, and the inconsistencies and contradictions pointed out in professional development research (which is used to create these designs). Investigating how subject taught (STEM and…

This book examines the implementation of inquiry-based approaches in science teaching and learning. It explores the ways that those approaches could be promoted across various contexts in Europe through initial teacher preparation, induction programmes and professional development activities. It illustrates connections between scientific knowledge…

The purpose of this study was to investigate multiple perspectives and perceptions of good teaching as viewed through the lens of a Parent Teacher Organization's Teacher of the Year Award program. To better understand the complexity of good teaching, I conducted a single case study involving five distinct groups of people: students, parents,…

This research examines the student engagement of senior accounting majors in three major areas of engagement using National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction. Senior accounting majors are compared to senior business administration majors and…

The use of technologies in and outside classrooms has attracted young adolescents who must be prepared to embrace the opportunities and face new challenges in the 21st century. Educational systems across the US continue to gravitate toward new technologies such as digital cameras, interactive-boards, and software that have been shown to enhance…

A tension in designing classroom learning involves balancing the questions and interests of students with the goals of teachers and standards. One approach to navigating this tension in science classrooms is to simultaneously support and constrain students' questions about an observable natural phenomenon in the classroom and then take up those…

In the context of the evolving Internet, a balance between technological advances and meaning change is crucial to develop innovative and breakthrough "connected electronics" that enable the Internet of Things. Designers and technologists are key enablers of this process respectively, ensuring adequate users' needs and technology…

Communication of feedback during teaching of practical procedures is a fine balance of structure and timing. We investigate if continuous in-task (IT) or end-task feedback (ET) is more effective in teaching spinal anaesthesia to medical students. End-task feedback was hypothesized to improve both short-term and long-term procedural learning…

Experiential learning (EL) can offer a high impact educational opportunity that benefits students from diverse backgrounds, creating an inclusive learning environment. Barriers to the generalization of EL can include a lack of institutional support, risk avoidance, time, and faculty instructional ability. As well EL require additional efforts from…

Although learning spaces research is not new, research approaches that target the specific teaching and learning experiences of faculty and students who occupy active learning classrooms (ALCs) is nascent. We report on two novels data collection approaches: Flashbacks and Re-Captures. Both leverage faculty reflective practice and provide windows…

The concepts of protein purification are often taught in undergraduate biology and biochemistry lectures and reinforced during laboratory exercises; however, very few reported activities allow students to directly gain experience using modern protein purification instruments, such as Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC). This laboratory…

As mathematics educators we want our students to develop a natural curiosity that will lead them on the path toward solving problems in a changing world, in fields that perhaps do not even exist today. Here we present student projects, adaptable for several mid- and upper-level mathematics courses, that require students to formulate their own…

The aim of the study was to evaluate our practice of self-directed learning (SDL) among pre-university students in Malaysia. Respondents provided data on their previous school learning experiences besides present SDL experiences in college. We carried out exploratory factor analysis based on the school data. We did a confirmatory factor analysis…