Scholarship & Research
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Item Student experiences of interdisciplinary connections in high school science courses(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Yamagiwa, Nicole Collier; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesIn high school, students often perceive science as an independent entity, and many struggle to connect their current course of study between science classes and/or beyond the realm of science as a whole to increase overall relevance and connection to their lives. In order to engage students and create higher value and increase curiosity in science classes, students must be able to recognize science as a starting place for many interdisciplinary connections. This study investigated how and where students made connections between science classes and other subjects on a biweekly basis. This study also investigated in what formats students felt most connected to science and beyond. Concept Maps were used as a mechanism before summative assessments to visually evaluate how students made connections between the material they were learning as well as what was relevant to their lives. The results indicated that, out of four classes (Geology, Honors Geology, Biology, and Honors Biology), Honors Geology was the most connected as a class over the course of three Quarters of the school year. Students in non-honors classes were the least connected more often. Students felt most connected between scientific disciplines and connecting material outside of science through casual conversations, rather than homework, assessments, or projects. As a whole, however, the students felt more aware of science and its connections due to the implemented biweekly surveys.Item The effects of field experience in a physical geology high school classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Lorenz, Vincente James; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThe field trip experience has been around for the better part of two centuries (Emmons, 1836; Falcon-Lang, 2009; Hopkins, 1835a, b; Perry 1899). However, with fast-paced technological lifestyles, a shift to teach toward high-stakes testing, and transportation budget cuts, field trip experiences have been pushed increasingly to the outskirts when it comes to modern education. The purpose of this research is to assess the effects of geology field experiences on student learning in a high school geology classroom. A sub-question concentrated on student attitudes and engagement toward studying science. Seventeen public high school students ranging from sophomores to seniors completed the study in a single classroom. The students studied four different geologic sites specific to Indiana. Study sites included a meteor impact site as a non-treatment study and a glacial geology site as a treatment study. Students then studied a second non-treatment site identified as an ancient seafloor environment, and a treatment site focused on karst topography. A variety of data collection tools assessed students both quantitatively and qualitatively. Students completed pre and post-surveys, comprehension pre and post-tests, site-specific notes and drawings, as well as interviews. Teacher recorded observations and a reflective journal were kept to monitor students and their behavior throughout the study. During the non-treatment period students were told to take notes and draw field sketches based on a specific site in the classroom. During a treatment period students took a field trip to complete notes and field drawings at a specific geologic field site. It is important to note that this study was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and so one non-treatment and one treatment site had to be completed as part of e-learning. I filmed one treatment site to generate a virtual field experience. Student results indicated an overall positive impact toward studying geology via field experiences. Although it was interesting that more students were engaged in the classroom rather than in the field, students displayed positive gains for both treatment units. Students surveyed and interviewed displayed an overall better attitude and appreciation toward studying science.Item The impacts of place based education in a middle school science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2018) Tinder, Cathleen; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisPlace-Based Education is grounded in teaching and learning in the immediate environment, fostering students' connection to place, creating vibrant partnerships between schools and communities. Lesson plans are focused on local topics, and learning is focused on the natural settings around the school or community. Place-Based Education seeks to remedy the consequences of students having less exposure to the natural world, due to digital screen time saturation. This is particularly relevant to science education, and to instilling a love of science and nature in children. This study was conducted on 33 sixth graders at Sea Crest School, an independent school in the San Francisco Bay Area. PBE-focused curriculum was implemented in partnership with the National Park Service, measuring whether PBE had more of an impact on (1) science comprehension, (2) curiosity about and connection to the local landscape, or (3) curiosity and interest in the subject matter. Quantitative measurements included a pre-and post-test and Likert survey, and weekly assessments during the six-week unit, which cycled equally between PBE and traditional inquiry. Qualitative measurements included student interviews, field investigation journals, and post field trip reflections. The results indicated that PBE had the greatest impact on science learning, with substantial positive gains in connection to environment/sense of stewardship, and curiosity and interest in subject matter.Item The efficacy of using VoiceThread as a formative assessment tool and a way to foster a greater sense of online course community in a hybrid geoscience course(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2012) Cleveland, Natasha L.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.VoiceThread replaced traditional PowerPoint lecture notes and discussion forums in the online component of a hybrid geoscience general education course. This technology facilitated a greater sense of course community and instructor presence, which increased student engagement and learning. The ability to make comments using various text and audio capabilities around visual media improved student-teacher and student-student interactions. Audio capabilities were not well utilized by students but students appreciated the instructor audio comments and feedback. Student comments on VoiceThread enabled the instructor to have a clearer understanding of student learning and misconceptions, which was then used to plan interventions and modifications in learning strategies.