Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Navigating scientific literacy in the midst of crisis: teachers' challenges and supports as framed by social ecological theory(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2024) Pavlovich, Christina Lynn; Co-chairs, Graduate Committee: Jayne Downey and Rebekah HammackThis dissertation investigated the long-standing challenge of achieving scientific literacy in K-12 public schools, highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizing a need to understand teacher experiences to address systemic issues and enhance student scientific literacy. The study focused on describing factors impacting experiences teaching scientific literacy during the COVID-19 socio-economic-health crisis. Participants included ten high school science teachers in a Northwestern state of the United States. Methods were grounded in the theoretical framework of constructivism epistemology and Bronfenbrenner's (1997) Social Ecological Theory. Data collection was modeled from the methodology of Ali et al. (2022), collecting data from teacher surveys and one-on-one interviews. Interviews produced a 1) free-ranked list, 2) concept map, and 3) interview transcription for each participant. Data analysis employed complementary strategies and consisted of two phases: 1) an initial analysis phase which employed three complementary data analysis strategies, and 2) a secondary analysis phase rooted in constant comparison for triangulated synthesis. Findings revealed factors impacting teaching scientific literacy during the socio-economic-health crisis of COVID-19 including influence from community and societal perspectives of science, student inequities, teaching dynamics, and the balancing of demands between personal and professional responsibilities. Subfactors aligned to these themes helped further describe participant experiences in context. Participants described several relationships between their social networks, or social ecologies, and factors which impacted teaching scientific literacy. Science, particularly trust in science, was centered in participant descriptions of public-level impacts. The findings underscored the need for education systems to bridge the cultural gap between science and education. Interactions and processes involved in teaching within the classroom environment presented an unexpected result, with a precisely inverse relationship between frequency and magnitude. While it was frequently encountered, it was not perceived as highly impactful compared to other factors. This finding suggests the importance of considering both frequency and magnitude of impact in decision- making processes and raises questions about the prioritization of resources and support efforts within educational systems. Recommendations include the development of culturally responsive science policies, empowering local curriculum, fostering teacher support networks, and expanding pedagogical strategies to engage students and families beyond the classroom.Item Comparison of emotional engagement in online learning environments: an online classroom investigation(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Ryan, Katie Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesAfter the COVID-19 pandemic, there were more online educational opportunities for both families and teachers. Each unique opportunity varied in the amount of emotional engagement for students, specifically social engagement, and teacher presence. The purpose of this study was to look at the effects on emotional engagement of students between synchronous and asynchronous online education. Situation A had a virtual teacher interact with a classroom of students on a daily basis, where Situation B had an asynchronous class structure with the option for teacher interaction. At the end of first semester, Likert-Scale and free response survey questions were distributed to students, and teacher reflections were collected for a month. From the data collected, it was seen that students in a synchronous format did not believe their online education was supporting them, while students in the asynchronous did. It was also seen that when students felt that their ideas were being valued in a class, they were more likely to feel comfortable asking for help. Based on limited participation numbers, it was hard to make stronger claims about which situation supports students more successfully. It seems that although a synchronous situation lends itself to more student/teacher interactions, students still show variation in their perceptions of connection and support.Item What we bring with us: investigating the impact of identity and background on the online learning experience(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2024) Dorsett, Carter Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Nick LuxA student's identity and background play a significant role in their educational experiences. In higher education, these factors are often discussed while analyzing discrepancies in outcomes. However, a student's identity and background do not intrinsically affect learning outcomes; the impact that these two factors have on the student's educational experience causes discrepancies in outcomes. We have considerable research on the many ways that identity and background impact a traditional higher educational experience, but there is less research available exploring their impact on the online learning experience. Through a qualitative approach, this case study seeks to go beyond demographic- and outcome-based research to explore the core of the student experience through their own perspective. The selected case was a semester-long online graduate-level course in the Health and Human Development Field at a large research institution in the Mountain West. Data was collected through a syllabus review, observation of a live class session conducted via videoconferencing, and a semi-structured interview. Findings suggested that like in-person learning, a student's identity and background impact their feelings of community and belonging, their persistence and purpose, and their approach to learning in an online environment. Additionally, with fewer opportunities for interaction, instructors can cultivate feelings of community and belonging among their students by acknowledging the challenges associated with the course and demonstrating their support. They can also support student persistence by providing flexibility with assignments and deadlines and understanding when a student may have an outside factor impacting their ability to meet course requirements.Item The effects of self-regulated learning strategies in online high school science(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Southard, Luke McCormick; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesStudents at Great Lakes Learning Academy (GLLA) participate in asynchronous, fully remote, online classes, from the comfort of their own homes and learning environments. Students are gifted and challenged with autonomy in their coursework. As a high school student, it takes a great deal of self-regulation to succeed in any environment, let alone an asynchronous, fully remote, online program from your own home. In this research study, science students at Great Lakes Learning Academy were taught valuable self-regulated learning strategies (SRLS) through videos, tutorials, and teacher reinforcement. Data from the pre- and post-administration of the Personal Schoolwork Inventory measuring students use of SRLS and attitudes towards online school and learning, were compiled. Data from the online learning management system and teacher observations, communication logs, and records were used as additional data collection instruments. Data were processed using both qualitative and quantitative analysis strategies. The results suggested that students benefited from the implementation and reinforcement of SRLS. Students learned and understood more about the grading scale and systems used at GLLA, increased their use of SRLS, completed more classes, and improved their attitudes towards online school and learning.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 The analysis of teaching an online student-centered classroom with mastery learning to high school biology students(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Knowlton, Rodney Albert, II; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisEducation is developing a continually evolving practice with the implementation of new styles of teaching and uses of technology becoming more and more prevalent. Mastery learning allows for the ability of students to work at their own pace with more frequent feedback compared to a traditional learning environment. The classroom under study will be implementing a mastery learning technique while also having students be completely online. This study investigated the perceptions of students within an online mastery learning classroom. The study also investigated the effect on students' performance through a standardized assessment and observation of grades. Students and parent perception data were collected through survey and interviews. The results indicated that students disliked online learning and wished to return to in-person environments. Mastery learning methods seem to impact perceptions and engagement of students in a positive way. Student performance appeared similar throughout this method of teaching, but more research would be beneficial to implement into the future.Item The efficacy of digital science notebooks on student learning and self-expression(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) MacDonald, Jamie Lee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisDue to the Covid-19 pandemic, many schools have been required to move to a fully remote learning model, relying completely on technology. Science notebooks, which have been proven to be an effective teaching method, must be implemented in a digital format. Students in a 5th grade remote classroom used Google Drive to create science notebooks during one unit, while not using digital notebooks during another unit. Pre- and post- assessments were completed during each unit to measure growth. Students also participated in attitude surveys before, during, and after treatment. The teacher kept a self- assessment, including a journal. Students showed more growth during their post- assessment after using their digital science notebook, however, students didn't use their notebooks to their full potential throughout the unit. Students also were not able to show self-expression through their digital science notebooks. It is possible that digital science notebooks can be just as effective as physical science notebooks, but more research needs to be completed to find the best format for a digital science notebook.Item Modeling in high school earth and space science(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Wise, Emily Sarah; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisModeling is a key practice embedded in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and its purpose is to help students develop their ability to reason, explain, and apply their classroom learning to real world phenomena. Students often struggle to take their science content learning and use to explain complex scenarios. In this study, all teaching and learning was done via Zoom for the duration of the research period due the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to develop the skills required for modeling and to help promote engagement during synchronous class sessions, students participated in twelve weeks of virtual modeling-based instruction and synchronous classroom activities as well as two summative assessments that required them to model complex phenomena around Earth and space science. Students were asked to self-evaluate their ability to use and develop models at the beginning and the end of the research period. The data did not show that student confidence improved from the beginning to the end of the treatment, nor did student scores on the summative modeling assessments improve from the beginning to the end. Required remote learning was a new experience for all students and it proved to be a tremendous struggle for both engagement and assignment completion and submission.Item The effects of using learning progressions for student mastery(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Hill, Michael Frederick; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisIn order for students to achieve a high level of knowledge, teachers and students should be able to identify areas of understanding and areas that need improvement. Designing a progression that identifies concepts help guide teachers and students through the learning process. Students have the opportunity to show mastery in a concept before progressing to the next level. This action research provided students with a progression to guide their learning. Students reflected on each concept before moving to the next. As a result, students were able to show significant growth as well a sense of confidence in learning.Item Guiding criticism of systems of oppression through the lens of a biomedical science course: working in the classroom to improve public health and society(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Sandner, Alyssa; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThis study was conducted to enrich critical thinking experience within a technical Biomedical Science class. This was achieved by challenging student misconceptions and guiding higher order thinking to develop students' original ideas as they discussed the intersectionality of -isms (race, gender, etc) & public health. Students analyzed specific assessment criteria and determined ethical solutions to common issues in public health. Within this assessment criteria data was collected in the form of three performance tasks, two student perception surveys and individual student interviews. In this qualitative analysis, it follows the growth and struggles of white and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students respectively grappling with countering the culture of predominant whiteness in medicine. Alongside use of real medical research technology, students synthesized equitable policies to service people of all walks of life resulting in varying success and engagement.