Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item The effects of gamification in the middle school classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Nuttall, Jordan Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesGamification, or the use of game elements in non-game contexts, has gained popularity in recent years as a way to increase engagement and motivation in various settings, including education. The aim of this paper is to explore the effects of gamification in the classroom. Specifically, literature on the use of gamification in educational settings will be reviewed, examining its impact on student motivation, learning outcomes, and attitudes towards learning. The potential drawbacks and challenges of implementing gamification strategies in the classroom will be discussed. I will detail the results of gamification in my own classroom and discuss its impact on the aforementioned topics. In my study, game elements included using character representations for each student, experience points and levels in place of traditional points and grades, and boss battles in place of tests. My analysis suggests that gamification can be an effective tool for enhancing student motivation and engagement in the classroom, leading to improved learning outcomes. However, the success of gamification strategies may depend on a number of factors, including the specific implementation, target audience, and context in which they are used. I conclude with gamification being an overall viable option for use in my own classroom.Item Effectiveness of KLEWS on high school freshman engagement and performance during biology discussions(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) McEwen, Mitchell Mark; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesThe implementation of this action research was at Bradford Area School District (BASD) in Bradford, Pennsylvania. KLEWS were used at Bradford Area High School (BAHS) with freshman Biology students. KLEWS is an acronym that stands for "Know," "Learning," "Evidence," "Wonderings," and "Scientific Principles.". This is an example of a CER "Claims, Evidence, Reasoning" framework of teaching that has been shown to aid in learning progression by utilizing a scaffolding approach to teaching (Yao & Guo, 2016). CER was a framework developed to model scientific explanation and justify claims by using appropriate evidence and scientific research (Yao & Guo, 2016). There were five data collection methods used for this action research: discussion engagement charts, pre-treatment Likert surveys, post-treatment Likert surveys, unit exam, and student interviews. The duration of this action research was eight weeks and involved 57 freshman biology students. At the end of the eight weeks, two sections of biology students took a unit exam, and the results were analyzed using a standardized t-test.Item The effects of the 5E learning model in the middle school classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Zavesky, Katy Ming-Chien Hwang; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesSeventh graders continually need to be engaged and motivated to work in class. The main research question was "what are the effects of the 5E Learning Model on academic achievement and attitude in middle school classroom?" Students were split into four classes which engaged in traditional learning and 5E Learning Models. Pre- and post-treatment assessments, surveys, interviews and teacher observations were used as data collection instruments. Data were processed using both quantitative and qualitative analysis strategies. The results suggested that students' attitudes of science improved with the 5E Learning Model through student short answer responses and small group interviews. There was no conclusive quantitative data relating to the 5E Learning Model and academic achievement. Through qualitative responses, students' attitude and engagement towards science improved with the 5E Learning Model.Item Legends, lines, learning: GIS map focused curriculum and its effect on student learning and engagement(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Hodge, Katherine Waller; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesThough maps have been part of classroom curricula for thousands of years, digital mapping resources are a new tool for teachers. However, how effective are digital maps, like GIS, at teaching students historical as well as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) information? In this study, five 7th and 8th grade level classrooms in Montana and Wyoming were given a curriculum with GIS maps to pilot. The results have shown that students learn very well with GIS maps and absorbed the information. The data showed that student confidence with STEM and digital learning platforms increased. Additionally, the qualitative data from the teachers showed that ArcGIS is a user-friendly platform they enjoyed using as a teaching tool. These results indicate that digital maps, like physical maps, are valuable teaching tools from which students benefit.Item Anchoring phenomenon and 5Es in high school physics(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Acic, Vasilij; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesThe purpose of this study was to determine if the use of an anchoring phenomenon to drive instruction via the 5E Learning Cycle would increase the overall engagement and achievement with students in my physics courses. The non-treatment group received a teacher-led direct instruction approach, while the treatment group was taught utilizing an anchoring phenomenon and the 5E model to promote more student-led instruction. Pre- and post- test results were analyzed to determine student growth by comparing the mean and normalized gain values between groups. Observations, a behavior tally sheet, and pre- and post- Likert-type surveys helped to gather data on student engagement. The analyzed data indicates more student growth and engagement took place during the treatment unit's.Item Assessing the impact of citizen science on motivation, civic awareness, and understanding of the scientific process in a college microbiology synchronous classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Andrews, April Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesThe COVID-19 pandemic impacted education by removing science from physical classrooms. Adopting remote learning in the fall of 2021 brought new challenges for hands-on discovery and engagement in scientific experiences for my microbiology students. The goal of this study was to assess the impact participation in citizen science had on student motivation, epistemic beliefs toward science, understanding the process of science, as well as value of data contributed by peers. The traditional curriculum was modified to include online collaboration and discussions by students to solve a real-world problem related to a potential public health threat by integrating a series of inquiry-based exercises. The project, Discover the Microbes Within: The Wolbachia Project, allowed students to partner with Vanderbilt University and join researchers from all over the world to study and understand the prevalence of this naturally occurring intracellular parasite. Students spent time exploring their community and collected specimens of native arthropods in and around the Toledo campus of Owens Community College. Students worked in small strategic online breakout groups and took on one of three roles; microbiologist, epidemiologist, and reproductive specialist as part of their research to validate claims regarding health threats. Students prepared and reported back to the class their proposal and task force recommendation to submit to the CDC. Students conducted online activities exploring biotechnology techniques (i.e., polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing, bioinformatics etc.) that promoted scientific literacy and problem-based learning outside a traditional classroom setting. Pre- and post-Likert scales were utilized to compare science motivation, scientific literacy, and opinions toward science and technology. A WebQuest online group evaluation, interviews and written response to discussion board forums were used as data collection instruments. Data were processed using both quantitative and qualitative analysis strategies. Students reported that they felt they were learning the same if not more online compared to face-to-face instruction at the end of the semester. The results suggested that students took a more proactive role in their education, self-identified more as 'real' scientists, and made positive growth with respect to epistemic beliefs toward science when given meaningful examples that make local connections during remote instruction.Item Increasing student engagement with citizen science(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Brewer, Robyn Sue; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesStudents actively engaged in their lessons will learn better. The current model of many science courses uses standard labs covering concepts that have been taught in the classroom. Students are doing experiments that have already been done before and already have an answer. They know it is not real. It is simply an assignment. This project implemented citizen science into the classroom. Students were given real projects and evaluated on their learning outcomes. The citizen science units were compared to standard teaching units. The data suggests a positive relationship between using citizen science as a teaching technique and student learning outcomes.Item STEM major choice: high school and collegiate factors(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2022) Tran, Que Nguyet; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Tricia SeifertA huge present and future workforce demand exists in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Bolstered by a number of US policies and research that associates STEM majors with pursuing STEM careers, higher education institutions have aimed to support students to major in STEM fields in an effort to meet the needs of the STEM workforce. Despite these postsecondary efforts, the challenge begins in earlier levels of schooling with a shortage of licensed and highly qualified science and math teachers nationwide. Although many studies have examined math and science expectancy values and self-efficacy among high school students to predict their intention to major in STEM major choice, few have investigated both high school and college level variables to understand student STEM major choice declared in their third college year. Thus, this study fills the gap using the most recent STEM-focused national representative survey data -- High School Longitudinal Study 2009 (HSLS:09). Three research questions are: (i) To what extent do high school math and science motivation and self-efficacy, collegiate factors, and personal circumstances promote or hinder students' STEM major choice, controlling for student background characteristics? ; (ii) To what extent do collegiate factors and personal circumstances predict the probability of STEM major choice, controlling for student background characteristics? (iii) What factors predict college STEM GPA? This study employs theories of Situative expectancy value theory and Social cognitive career theory to develop a conceptual framework. Logistic regression was used to analyze the first two questions, and linear regression used for the third question. The first research question found gender, math attainment value, science attainment value, college STEM credits earned, and STEM GPA are predictive of the probability of STEM major choice. In the second research question, among college-period variables, gender, college STEM credits earned, and STEM GPA are predictors of STEM major choice. The third research question found race, social economic status, faculty research participation, career services on campus used, work schedule and academic performance interference, and disability are predictors of the average STEM GPA. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.Item The effect of standards based grading on the developing growth mindset in a high school physics classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Davis, Sarah Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThis Action Research project investigated the impact of standards-based grading (SBG) on developing a growth mindset for students in a high school physics classroom. Originally termed by Carol Dweck, those with a growth mindset have the innate ability to constantly improve through effort and a willingness to take on challenges. Having this type of mindset should set students up for success regardless of their future profession. However, many students do not possess this mindset. Often students avoid challenges and seek the easiest path towards the highest grade possible, even if this path results in little to no lasting understanding. It is difficult to foster a growth mindset in a classroom using a traditional grading system because students quickly adapt to game the system and receive the best grade possible with the least amount of effort. Instead, the SBG system focuses on understanding and streamlines the gradebook to only reflect student mastery of the content. To succeed in this grading system, students must work on skills such as seeking out feedback and being aware of their own academic misconceptions. At the conclusion of the research process, students became more receptive to feedback and improved their perception of making mistakes. Students reported that SBG gave a better picture of their understanding compared to a traditional gradebook. They also noted that the frequent assessments associated with SBG helped them become more aware of their understanding. Finally, students saw a substantial decrease in test anxiety as their final letter grade was strongly deemphasized and as they gained a better awareness of what their grade truly represented.Item Goal setting in high school chemistry(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Cordon, Ryan Walter; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisIn high school chemistry classes, it was evident that many students were not reaching their full academic potential. Most students would demonstrate their abilities but struggled to be consistent. These students often appeared to lack a sense of academic purpose. To help students find this purpose, research into the benefits of teaching goal setting to high school chemistry students was conducted. Students were taught how to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. In each treatment unit, students took time in class to check-in on their goals and reflect on any potentially needed adjustments. The data showed that treatment helped many students and at least slightly helped most students find an academic purpose. Check-in data pertaining to students' goals showed that most students knew what to do, but a large portion lacked the motivation to actualize their intentions. While the data obtained herein demonstrated general success with regards to the methods of implementation, the treatment remains in need of further refinement. Findings show a larger emphasis is needed on identifying the rationale behind achieving each student's stated goals. Such a focus would enable students to find the motivation needed to take the acknowledged steps towards their goal.