Scholarship & Research
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Item The impact of mindfulness on the integrated science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Fox, Kevin R.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThis study was conducted over the winter and spring in a predominantly ninth grade Integrated Science Class. The goal was to find out if practicing mindfulness had any impact on the classroom environment and student learning. Students first took pre and post- summative tests in a non-treatment unit that focused on the study of waves. During the treatment unit, which focused on the study of astronomy, students participated in mindfulness three days a week, for two to five minutes, at the beginning of the class. Students took pre-and post- summative tests for this unit as well. They took a Likert survey, both before and after the treatment unit, to gauge their impressions of a variety of classroom factors. Additionally, students submitted short answer responses to questions related to the mindfulness treatment unit. Finally, during the treatment unit, the instructor kept a daily journal. There was no statistical difference in the students' summative test scores when the treatment and non-treatment units were compared. There were also no statistical differences pre-and post-treatment in student answers to any of the thirteen items on the Likert survey. Student responses to the free response questions, and the instructor journal showed a positive correlation between the treatment and the classroom environment. Based largely on the qualitative data, from the student responses and the instructor journal, mindfulness practice was shown to have a positive impact on the classroom. Students said that they were able to focus better, they were calmer, and had reduced levels of stress and anxiety. The instructor journal also showed that the students maintained better focus and were less restless on days where mindfulness was practiced.Item The flipped classroom model in an introductory astronomy course(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Kennedy, Rodney Merle; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisIn higher education presentation of science content to students has traditionally been through lecture. Lecture, or direct instruction, is a very passive mode of learning for students. This study investigated whether the flipped classroom model of instruction is effective in improving student engagement and achievement in an introductory high school astronomy course. Students were surveyed and interviewed about their feelings of engagement in previous science classes as well as their feelings about the flipped classroom model. Achievement was measured using the Astronomy Diagnostic Test prior to and following the course and a comparison of the treatment semester to the previous four classes in the areas of assignments, quizzes and labs.Item Impacts of a kinesthetic astronomy afterschool program on students' interest in STEM topics(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Johns, Carla J.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisAstronomy is a multidisciplinary field, rich in history, broad in content, and universally appealing to students of all ages and backgrounds. Through the study of astronomy, students can gain a deeper appreciation for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and how these fields intersect, ultimately enabling us to explore space and learn about our universe. Few formal educators take college-level astronomy courses, and those who do often find the complexity of the subject matter too difficult to convey to elementary school students. The goal of this educational research project was to supplement classroom curriculum during an afterschool program. Informal education environments reward curiosity and engagement, and encourage exploration and inquiry. Through this project, the researcher hoped to increase students' interest in the STEM subjects and to build students' self-efficacy towards learning about and doing science. The researcher partnered with five Before and After School Enrichment Camps in Larimer County, Colorado. The week-long program focused on structured exploratory and kinesthetic activities encouraging students to make observations, build models, predict outcomes, and develop explanations. Based upon the data from the surveys and assessments, it was difficult to determine if a change had occurred as a result of the treatment. High fluctuations of attendance levels over the course of the study may have had an impact on the overall results. Qualitative data indicated that a change had occurred in the level of students' interest in and knowledge of STEM and space-related topics after the program. Many students, unprompted, began taking charge of their own learning and developed methods for their journey towards lifelong learning.Item Using models with rubrics as a form of assessment in astronomy and biology(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2015) Gillispie, Tassay Sarah; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.This study explored the use of scientific models as a form of better understanding the processes and sequence of science ideas. The study was conducted in an Alternative Education High School in Albany, Oregon. The specific classes this unit was taught in were Biology and Astronomy. Each class was given a different set of standards to follow, models were continually drawn to aid in the understanding of a star's life cycle as well as the cell cycle. Students who participated in this study were given a Likert-scale survey as well as pre and post tests to monitor knowledge. The Likert-scale questions probed student motivation, science interest, and the use of models and rubrics. The pre and post tests for each class were centered on standards focused on for the term. The findings of this study were that the use of science models and rubrics increased student motivation and learning. Analysis of surveys and tests showed the use of visuals is important when students learned new concepts, especially those that tend to deal with cycles and the need to understand multiple steps or parts of a standard.Item The impact of integrated telescope use on attitudes and conceptual understanding of introductory astronomy students(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2015) Delain, Kisha Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.This paper discusses a pilot program using real data from our university telescope in laboratory exercises with our students at the University of St. Thomas. In this paper, I evaluate the effectiveness of these labs and their impact on student attitudes using standardized learning assessments combined with student interviews and surveys. One hundred and sixteen undergraduate students enrolled our fall introductory astronomy course completed our newly developed exercises as a normal part of the laboratory portion of the introductory astronomy course, with comparison groups utilizing "canned" or simulated data. Student attitudes improved in the treatment group more than in the comparison group in both questions of interest: how students feel about science, and whether or not students feel they can do science. In addition, student content knowledge gains are about 10% higher in treatment groups than in comparison groups.Item Impact of authentic astronomical research on astronomy club students(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2014) Powers, Lynn Louise; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.The Bozeman High School Astronomy Club was used to look at the impacts of conducting authentic astronomical research through participation in several research projects. Students were given opportunities to learn real world science and develop new skills. Students worked with scientists and principal investigators from different NASA missions through different Citizen Science research projects using varied methods. The results indicated that student interest and participation in the astronomy club greatly increased. The students exhibited positive changes in attitudes and motivation towards how science is done both within and outside of the classroom. They also showed an improvements in skills used during the program.Item Introducing a lab component into an Astronomy 101 lecture course(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2012) Whitmer, Wendy D.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.; John C. Whitmer was an co-author of the paper.This descriptive study follows the work of an Astronomy 101 Community College instructor during the transition of a lecture based course to a lecture/lab course. The transition occurred because of the addition of a planetarium and computer lab to a new campus science building and the instructor's desire to update his course. This paper discusses the process of transition, including a conceptual framework for the transition, establishing course goals, finding and implementing labs, and examining and analyzing student assessment data to measure the effectiveness of the labs. Instructional and pedagogical changes are also presented. The most significant finding of this study was the increase in student engagement in the astronomy content due to the implementation of a lab component.