Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Science talk and CER writing(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Mobley, Teresa Ellen; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesWill the introduction of science argumentation and academic discourse impact writing scores in science as measured with Claim Evidence Reasoning (CER) writing assessments? This question was investigated by comparing groups of graduate students before and after exposure to techniques for argumentation in the science classroom. Scores of graduate student CER writing assignments from previous semesters were compared to scores of writings from students who had exposure to training and practice. Additionally, scores of participants' students were analyzed for changes after the teacher received some training on classroom discourse. Participants were introduced to meaningful, engaging prompts and techniques. They were asked to bring the techniques back to their own classrooms and asked to report any changes they saw in the writing of their students. Results of graduate student writing showed measurable difference when compared to graduate students from previous semesters without the same training. Data from classrooms showed more evidence-based responses compared to CER writing scores before techniques were used. Graduate students rated their confidence in science writing and teaching writing for science before and after exposure to techniques. Comparing pre- and post- Treatment survey results suggests no statistically significant difference. Data indicates that in the future, the MSSE program may benefit by including techniques in the coursework and that classroom teachers desire more training on techniques. Due to the limited sample size, it is recommended that additional research address the impacts of science discourse on student writing in the science classroom. The investigation showed promise regarding improvements in comfort levels for teachers in use of discourse and writing. Results indicate that an increased repertoire of techniques for teachers may lead to improved student writing skills.Item Use of claim, evidence, reasoning, writing in a middle school science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Patton, Jessica A.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesThe implementation of this action research focused on students' ability to write scientific explanations after science investigations. This research was conducted in a 6th grade Earth Science classroom in the spring of 2022. Prior to the research, I noticed students struggling with written reflections and explanations of the science concepts. Prior to the treatment, students' reflections were unclear, and connections to the science concepts were missing or incomplete. I implemented the instruction of the CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) framework to help improve my students' scientific reasoning skills and confidence while writing scientific explanations. The results showed overall improvements in students' ability to write scientific explanations and use evidence in their writing. It was concluded that the implementation of the CER framework positively impacted students' writing abilities in the classroom.Item Impact of claim, evidence, reasoning instruction in the English classroom on argumentative writing in science and across the curriculum(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Platt, Michelle L.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisEngaging in argumentation from evidence is a critical skill for participation as productive citizens in the 21st century enabling us to access the evidence in the world around us to make well-reasoned decisions about our lives, and the future of our country and world. The purpose of this study was to improve written explanations in the science classroom and other content areas by engaging the students' reasoning capabilities and improving student confidence in answering short answer questions. Instruction included introduction of the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework in the English language arts classroom to promotes mastery of argumentative writing in the science classroom and other content areas through the use of graphic organizers and accessible non-content-based lessons. To assess the impact of the instructional treatment, student writing samples were collected during traditional instruction pre, and post-treatment and evaluated by rubric as measurement of skill growth. Pre and post-treatment, students were asked interview questions and given a self-confidence survey to determine student confidence, attitudes, and motivation regarding writing short answer explanations. The results indicated that instruction with the CER framework in the English classroom significantly impacted the frequency of writing well-reasoned arguments in science and other subject areas while maintaining student confidence in writing.Item The science writing heuristic in online education(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Devine, Aaron Robert; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThe author conducted a classroom research project to see whether instruction with the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) in an online setting would increase evidence for critical thinking in the writing of his students. One unit was taught, and its final writing project was scored with a rubric that assessed critical thinking. Lab reports which were written before the SWH treatment unit was taught were also scored with the critical thinking rubric. Scores were compared and analyzed to ascertain whether the writing after the treatment showed an increase in critical thinking. The author found that there was a significant increase in scores after the treatment. The author concluded that, for a variety of reasons, the score on the final writing project was higher than the score on the previously written work. The author also asked whether using the SWH would increase student confidence in science class and gathered evidence by collecting and evaluating student work, interviewing students, and gathering survey results before and after the treatment. There was evidence that in several aspects of science class, student confidence was boosted. Finally, it was asked whether using the SWH would increase student enjoyment of science class. The same sources of information were used to evaluate whether this happened, and the results were inconclusive on this front.Item The effects of using a curriculum program with embedded literacy on middle school students' science performance and confidence(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Hunt, Erin Ransford; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisIncorporating disciplinary literacy into content area instruction has been a focus of the district for several years. General strategies such as annotating text and note-taking were implemented with little success. The purchase of a new science curriculum program, Amplify Science, with embedded literacy strategies gave teachers the opportunity to teach students science content through embedded literacy strategies that utilize reading, writing, and communicating in science. The effectiveness of this program was measured by comparing students' pre- and post-unit assessment scores, ability to write science arguments using Amplify and non-Amplify prompts, reading comprehension, ability to annotate text, self-assessment of their reading abilities, and a survey of students' confidence in science. Students and the collaborating teacher were also interviewed to discuss specific areas of growth. Results indicate that Amplify Science has made a very significant, positive impact on this group of 6th grade students' performance and confidence in science, as well as their ability to read and write in science.Item Variety of strategies used to teach data analysis and conclusion writing in Freshmen Physics(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Shaaban, Lori; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisDue to our data driven society, students should understand how to make sense of graphs and be able to apply them. Educators need to teach students how to analyze data, communicate that understanding, and pose new questions. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) places a heavy importance on analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations, and engaging in an argument from evidence due to an increasing need for this skill in the labor force. Two classes of freshmen physics learned techniques in reading, analyzing, and interpreting data to understand physics concepts. They were taught how to spot trends in data tables as well as graphs and used www.desmos.com to find lines of best fit equations. They tried to understand what the equation represented and why the phenomena occurred. Then using their equation, they made a prediction and explained the reasons for their confidence in that prediction. Lastly, they thought of new experiments they could do based on this latest information and how businesses could use data similar. This is a modified version of the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) conclusion in science classrooms. Since many of the lab reports were done as a group, the action research assessed in this document was not done from students' experiments, but data provided on students' individual tests. Pre- and post-tests, surveys, interviews, and group discussions were reviewed. It was found many students began the course with the ability to make a prediction based on an equation. They quickly figured out how to spot patterns in the data to make a claim. However, the most challenging for students was to explain the phenomena and provide confidence in their prediction. Students did not say any one component was much harder or important than another. Students were overconfident in their ability to explain their confidence scientifically throughout the year. In all, students found a variety of activities helpful as they continued to grow throughout the year.Item The use of writing portfolios in place of traditional exams in high school biology(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Theroux, Brian Joseph; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThe desire for metrics of student ability remains high even as emphasis changes from high-stakes, high-stress standardized assessments of content and memorization to procedural awareness and communication skills. This study investigated the effectiveness of writing portfolios in place of traditional exams. Classroom research checked for consistency between students of different incoming knowledge and ability levels, and for effects on student motivation and course engagement. Students' expression of core concept knowledge was assessed through writing portfolios in treatment groups and with short answer tests in comparison groups. Data collected from test scores, portfolios, surveys and teacher-student dialogues was triangulated using qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results suggested students' expression of core content knowledge and basic subject knowledge were equitable or improved, with notable alleviation of test grievances.Item Guided inquiry labs in AP Physics(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Ryerson, Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThis study was performed to determine the impact of guided inquiry experiments on students in AP Physics C: Mechanics. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered to answer the following questions: What are the effects of introducing guided inquiry experiments on student enjoyment of physics? The following secondary questions were also investigated: Does conducting guided inquiry experiments improve student retention of course material? Does conducting guided inquiry experiments improve students' ability to write about science? Two sections were used as a treatment and non-treatment group. As one group conducted guided inquiry experiments, the other performed traditional experiments. After the first round of treatment, the groups were swapped. Surveys and interviews were conducted before, during, and after both rounds of treatment. Results of the study indicated that students who received the treatment early in the year enjoyed guided inquiry more and became more comfortable with independence than the group who received the treatment in the second semester. Results showed no significant impact on retention of course material or science writing ability. It is hypothesized that those students who formed good experimental habits by performing inquiry early in the year were better able to adapt and enjoy the experiments than those who started out in the non-treatment group performing traditional experiments.Item Using feedback and self-reflection to empower adult learners in math, reading and writing(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Brown, Katherine Tyler Swaim; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisAdults bring a wealth of accumulated experience to a classroom, and studies have shown that adult students benefit from relevant, student-centered practices that involve them in their education. Assessment methods must be appropriate and offer time to act upon the result. This study looked at the impact that clear learning objectives, timely teacher feedback, and opportunity for student reflection would have on a student's understanding of their own progress towards class advancement in a class that did not offer grades and could be repeated. A portfolio of student work was compiled to judge student effort. Additional factors assessed included attendance, mindset, and attitude toward the teacher and student role in the classroom. The study found that when students are given a clear statement of course goals and feedback about their work through self-reflection and instructor communication, they have a solid understanding of their academic progress. In addition, the instructor has sufficient evidence to make a compatible decision. Students whose move-up decision matched the instructor's tended to have greater attendance and higher mindset motivation scores than those whose decisions did not match the instructor's.Item Writing arguments with evidence: the claim-evidence-reasoning framework and scientific literacy(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2018) Pichette, Claire F.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisTenth-grade students were struggling to meet proficiency levels in argumentative writing activities and often made claims in science discussions without using evidence and reason to support them. Over one school year, tenth-grade biology students were introduced to various strategies to address this problem. Close Reading annotations, Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) frameworks and bell-ringer journaling were used within two treatment units: one on ecology and one on microbiology. Student journal answers and lab discussions were assessed for the use of evidence and reasoning to support arguments and students were given a pre-, mid-, and post-treatment writing assessment to measure improvement. Results indicate that students improved in their use of evidence and reasoning to support claims in journal writing and lab discussions and about half of the students showed growth on their argumentative writing assessment. Students who did not complete the practices or participate fully did not show improvement.