Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Generalization and concept development as an instructional method for 8th grade American history(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1965) Dodge, Orville NealItem The relationship between self-assessment and constructing evidence-based explanations in a middle school science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2013) McCurdy, Dalton Cox; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.This study investigated the link between formative assessments use and the ability to construct evidence-based arguments. Self-evaluation and other formative assessments were incorporated into daily lesson plans over a 4-week period to determine if these tools had a positive impact on writing outputs in 8th grade science. Prior to the intervention, a writing baseline was obtained by the use of an online writing prompt program as well as through teacher-graded rubric based assessments. The treatment was followed by a second round of benchmark testing using the WPP in congruence with teacher and student assessment rubrics. Data were also collected by means of student surveys and student interviews. All data were analyzed to determine whether there was a significant relationship between the use of student assessment tools and the ability to incorporate evidence-based explanations into formal and informal science writing assignments. Secondary research questions investigated if self-assessment use improved a students' self-awareness in regards to their content comprehension. Though results varied and a more thorough and extensive investigation would be necessary to pull out more specific trends, qualitative and quantitative data suggested that incorporating more self-assessments and formative assessments improved students' awareness in their writing outputs. It appeared that the more exposure students had to the process of persuasive writing, through exposure to writing samples and clear formulaic tools to assist in the process, the more comfortable students become in their abilities to construct these types of outputs.Item The effects on student motivation in the classroom when working in groups, pairs, or alone(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2013) Lee, Robert James; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.The research project was determining the effects on motivation in the science classroom when working in groups, with a partner, or alone. My 8th grade Earth science class worked on three chapters during the project. During the chapter on atmosphere the students did all assignments alone. During the chapter on meteorology the students did all of their assignments with a randomly selected partner. During the chapter on climate the students did all of their assignments with a randomly selected group of four. The data from surveys given to the students showed that they preferred to work with a partner or in a group. However, data from cumulative class GPAs taken before the project started and compared to cumulative class GPAs from each chapter showed GPAs going down. The largest decline was during the pair work chapter on meteorology, followed by the group work chapter on climate, and finally the individual work chapter on atmosphere. In conclusion, the students preferred to work with a partner or in a group, however, their cumulative class GPAs showed that they did better work on their assignments when they worked on them alone.Item The effects of guided inquiry on understanding high school chemistry(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2013) McDonnell, Julie Beth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.My project sought to address the problem of passive, unmotivated students who leave labs and class activities still holding on to misconceptions. In this investigation, guided-inquiry labs and class activities were implemented with the purpose of improving student understanding in high school chemistry. Process Oriented Guided-Inquiry activities, guided-inquiry labs, and online investigations were completed during the stoichiometry and gas laws units in two chemistry classes with 57 students. Pre and postunit assessments, pre and postunit student interviews, pre and postintervention student surveys, unit tests, instructor field observations, colleague observations, instructor weekly journaling, and pre and postintervention teacher surveys were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Overall, students showed increased conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills, with low and middle-achieving students showing the most growth in those areas. While postunit assessments and unit tests did not show measurable improvement in higher order thinking skills following intervention, students demonstrated increased engagement during class activities. Both the students and the teacher also experienced an increase in motivation as a result of the guided- inquiry intervention. The results of this study encourage increased use of guided inquiry in all units of chemistry and the rewriting of existing labs and activities to promote more higher-order thinking and student-directed learning.Item The effects of the use of video clips and academic conversation on student engagement and achievement in eighth grade science(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2013) DuShane, Amy Lynn; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.In this investigation, video clips were coupled with academic conversations with the purpose of improving student engagement and achievement in an eighth grade science class. Students were shown video clips from popular media sources to encourage interest in basic chemistry, then academic conversations were conducted based on what was shown in the clips. Though performance on summative assessments did not show that students who participated in the study had greater basic chemistry content knowledge than the comparison group, students expressed positive attitudes toward learning when video clips were incorporated into science lessons.Item Effects of peer review on student performance and attitude in an urban eighth grade physical science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2013) Bates, David Joseph; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.This research centered on the effects peer review had on the students of an urban eighth grade physical science classroom. Students were first taught how to use rubrics to assess their own products, and then they used this skill to review products of their peers. Diagram assignments, quizzes, tests, surveys, and interview tools were all used to collect data on how the process affected the students' academic performances and attitudes. Phases of research were set in six-week cycles with the first and third as non-treatment units and the second and fourth as the treatments. Two or three rubric-based diagram assignments, two quizzes, and one test were used every six weeks to collect data. The results indicated there was an improvement in the students' attitudes towards cooperative learning but there was no significant increase in assignment or assessment performances.Item Does the use of ranking tasks increase conceptual understanding in physics for 8th grade students?(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2013) Alvarez, Georgia Nichole; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.This research focused on the use of ranking tasks in a high school level conceptual physics class for the eighth grade. Ranking tasks were used while developing the students' conceptual understanding of force and motion. Many students developed an appreciation for the benefits of using ranking tasks as a tool in their learning strategies toolbox. The ranking tasks were additionally beneficial as an instructional tool in assessing the students' level of conceptual understanding.Item The effects of regular journaling on 8th grade physical science students' learning and attitudes(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2013) Bishel, John Anthony; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.During this research, frequent journaling was introduced to eighth grade physical science classes to determine the effect on their mastery of new science concepts, as well as their attitudes concerning science and learning about science. Both Likert attitude surveys and summative assessments were given pre-treatment and post-treatment for comparison. Students certainly did not like the journal assignments, because they did not want to write, however, both science attitudes and performances improved slightly.Item Alternative assessment to engage student learning in a science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2013) Ferebee, Tyler Joseph; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.In this investigation the use of alternative assessment was used in the science classroom to help improve student engagement as well as course satisfaction. Activities included research projects, student presentations, and self-guided learning activities. The goal was to move away from testing to check for learning and use authentic activities to do so. The project showed that by moving to authentic assessment student engagement in and outside the classroom increased.