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Creative Science Through Inquiry: Improving Teacher Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy Through Adaptable, Mystery-Based Professional Development
Get PDFTeacher self-efficacy is an important contributor to student outcomes, school climate and teacher retention. Outcome expectancy, a construct studied more commonly in health- and behaviour-related fields, may also positively impact school-related outcomes. Research shows that professional development can increase teacher confidence, but few studies have considered this connection for science-focused professional development, specifically. Our study assesses the impact of a science-focused, mystery-based professional development workshop for upper-elementary to high-school teachers. The hands-on, collaborative nature of this workshop allowed for generalisability to classrooms of various ability levels. Using the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-A (STEBI-A) as a measure of science-teaching self-efficacy and outcome expectancy, we found that participants’ self-reported self-efficacy and outcome expectancy significantly increased (p < .001 for each) over the course of the two-week workshop. This outcome is especially relevant to schools and districts interested in improving student outcomes, school climate and teacher retention rates
Learning gains of students in differing delivery modes of physiology laboratory classes
Get PDFInquiry-based laboratory classes provide opportunities for students to reinforce knowledge and develop skills in scientific methodologies (Colthorpe et al., 2017). However, with many courses now delivered in dual modes, it is unclear whether gains are equivalent when classes are delivered face-to-face or online. This study evaluated students’ perceptions of gains from inquiry-based laboratory classes in alternate delivery modes.
Biomedical science students undertaking ‘Systems Physiology’ enrolled in internal (n=341) or external (n=117) modes. The course has a blended design, incorporating inquiry-based laboratory classes delivered either face-to-face or via Zoom. Students worked in groups to design and present an experiment proposal. Internal students undertook their experiment and analysed the data, whereas external students analysed data generated by prior students. All students completed an individual laboratory report. Through open-ended questions, students identified learning gains they achieved. Responses were thematically analysed against an existing framework (Brinson, 2015).
Internal students reported gaining skills in data acquisition and presentations more than external students. Whereas, external students more frequently reported gaining skills in formulating aims and hypotheses. Students’ grades were identical in each mode.
Although students appear to cope well with differing delivery modes, external students may need targeted support to assist development of specific skills.
REFERENCES
Brinson, JR. (2015). Learning outcome achievement in non-traditional (virtual and remote) versus traditional (hands-on) laboratories: A review of the empirical research. Computers & Education, 87, 218-237.
Colthorpe, K., H. M. Abraha, K. Zimbardi, L. Ainscough, J. G. Spiers, H.-J. C. Chen, & N. A. Lavidis. (2017). Assessing students’ ability to critically evaluate evidence in an inquiry-based undergraduate laboratory course. Advances in Physiology Education, 41(1), 154-162
Embedding art in histology teaching: Visual thinking strategies (VTS) to enhance visual literacy
Get PDFBACKGROUND/AIMS
Histology is a visually challenging subject for novice students. Visual thinking strategies (VTS) uses the viewing of art to improve visual literacy in classroom settings (Housen, 2002), including medical programmes (Reilly, Ring, & Duke, 2005), but has not been evaluated in histology. This project assessed the impact of VTS on students' observational skills, perceptions of histological images, and practical report marks.
METHODS
Participants were third-year biomedical students (n=133) studying histology in 2021. Students were shown a novel histology image and wrote their observations (pre-VTS). An experienced VTS facilitator guided students through an approximately 20-minute session exploring a never-before-seen artwork. After the VTS-activity, students were shown a new histology image and wrote their observations (post-VTS). Pre- and post-VTS descriptions were scored for measures of observational richness and compared. Responses to open-ended reflective questions were analysed by inductive thematic analysis. Report marks were compared with those from a previous year.
RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS
While there was no significant effect of the VTS activity on the students’ pre-/post-VTS descriptions, nor on their practical report marks, 46% of students reported that VTS changed how they viewed histological images and improved their observational skills. This study suggests that a one-off VTS activity at the beginning of a histology class can benefit students’ experience of unfamiliar microscopic images and improve enjoyment of this challenging subject.
REFERENCES
Housen, A.C. (2002) Aesthetic thought, critical thinking and transfer. Arts and Learning Research Journal, 18, 99-132.
Reilly, J. M., Ring, J., & Duke, L. (2005) Visual thinking strategies: a new role for art in medical education. Family Medicine, 37, 250-252
Accessible, multi-discipline field excursions
Get PDFFieldwork, a key element of many science degrees, can be expanded to include a variety of associated humanities and arts disciplines, and allows for an experiential learning environment that is not easily replicated in classroom settings. Students make observations, measurements and inferences in natural environments that facilitates them making connections between elements that might otherwise appear disparate.
Planning accessible excursions relies on a combination of local knowledge, Google Earth, some inter-disciplinary collaboration, and perhaps some specialist transport. An amazing array of discovery can occur on an average city centre street or suburb. Walking/wheeled tours of historical districts can combine various aspects of history and society, for example urban settlement, migration patterns, planning and infrastructure, public health, social issues (the list goes on), as well as a broad array of sciences and engineering. Most large buildings in a city centre will showcase a global array of geology in their building and facing stones. Hidden parks, gardens and public spaces provide ample opportunities to look at ecology, zoology, botany, city ecosystems and adaptations. Access to rivers, lakes or wetlands expands these horizons. Bridges or construction sites allows engineering insights. Accessibility should not be a barrier to learning outdoors.
This presentation will showcase how to select accessible locations, tips and tricks for finding suitable content across a range of science and related disciplines, and present ideas for locations and follow-up work
Breaking institutional barriers through experiential learning during field excursions
Get PDFInteractions between disciplines are required to obtain integrated solutions to complex environmental issues. This requires inter-department cooperation and finding ways to establish cross-disciplinary teaching content. Field excursions, where collegiate boundaries are blurred, represent ideal bridges allowing students to combine a wide range of concepts and integrate knowledge from distinct disciplines.
Students enrolled in first-year Geoscience at The University of Western Australia undertake a one-day field excursion in the Perth metropolitan area, during which they have the opportunity to explore the relationship between the biota and geology of the region. During this experiential ‘journey’, the students are introduced to different vegetation types including i) the Marri–Jarrah-Wandoo woodland of the Darling Plateau; ii) the flooded gum–swamp paperbark association, of wetlands associated to the Swan River; and iii) the heath-dominated vegetation covering coastal areas. The biological and geological processes leading to the development of the three types of geomorphologies are described and linked to the historical development of the city. Students are asked to collect samples and data, which are later analysed in the lab and eventually integrated into a capstone assignment. During the process, students develop further subjects encompassing a wide range of topics, from pure geological processes to subjects mixing regional flora, geology and early developments in engineering geology. This activity allows students to obtain a better knowledge of, and develop a sense of connection with, their surroundings
Towards accessibility in chemistry education using technology
Get PDFAccess is an important aspect of tertiary education as students with disabilities are significantly underrepresented at the university level and in the workforce (Soong, Agmata, Doyle, Jenne, Adamo, & Simpson, 2018). By making a course accessible it allows students with disabilities to have an equitable education experience. Additionally, students who have not disclosed a disability will also be included in the course. Overall, using inclusive and accessible practices will be beneficial to all students in a course and can enhance their education experience. In this presentation we will describe technologies we have implemented to improve access across our laboratory course in chemistry. Technology has enabled students to experience high quality course content which they had previously not had access to. In our course we used pre laboratory videos, augmented reality applications, laboratory tours and online pre-recorded lectures among other technologies, to address accessibility issues identified within a large first-year chemistry course. This presentation is told from the point of view of a student support worker who has worked closely with students with disabilities over the past four years. This point of view has given important insight into what works and what does not work for students with disabilities in science.
REFERENCE
Soong, R., Agmata, K., Doyle, T., Jenne, A., Adamo, T., & Simpson, A. (2018). Combining the maker movement with accessibility needs in an undergraduate laboratory: a cost-effective text-to-speech multipurpose, Universal Chemistry Sensor Hub (MUCSH) for Students with Disabilities. Journal of Chemical Education, 95, 2268−2272
Developing virtual field trips for Agriculture
Get PDFField trips play an important role in teaching and learning, ranging from stimulating students’ motivations to allowing students to make connections between in-class concepts and the real world. Including field trips in an agricultural-based curriculum is essential as concepts are highly interdisciplinary and application of knowledge to a range of production systems and environments is critical for graduates. Despite their importance to teaching and learning, a myriad of factors such as high enrolments and cost, present challenges for the integration of field trips into courses. This has been exacerbated by the prolonged impact of COVID-19. Virtual field trips allow universities to exploit the affordances of technology and its fail-safe environment to help students develop, practice and hone skills while also enhancing their confidence in employing those skills, in the real world. A virtual field trip application has been developed and piloted. Using a web-based interface and in collaboration with industry partners, virtual field trips were successfully integrated to incorporate and enhance experiential learning in undergraduate Horticulture in the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences. This will be expanded in future across a range of agricultural disciplines and undergraduate teaching scenarios to improve experiences and outcomes for graduates
Student approaches to problem solving: What do students really think when they solve problems?
Get PDFStudents use multiple strategies to solve chemical problems. However, not all problem-solving approaches are conducive to successful problem solving. The effectiveness of an individual’s approach depends on their content knowledge, experience, and metacognitive skills. In this research project, we explored the pathways students undertake while solving chemical problems by conducting think-aloud interviews with first-year undergraduate students. The interviews were analysed thematically and student problem-solving approaches were categorised into productive or unproductive (Rodriguez et al., 2019; Yuriev et al., 2017). Unsuccessful attempts lacked structure and relied on a trial-and-error approach. For example, these students listed all equations they could recall in an attempt to match to the data found in the problem. Successful students took a more structured and meaningful approach. For example, they identified core concepts underlying the problem in order to apply relevant knowledge. Additionally, successful students readily integrated metacognitive strategies to monitor the productivity of their approach. These techniques allowed them to identify errors and assess whether their answer sounded reasonable. An understanding of the variety of student problem-solving approaches, productive and unproductive, will help to inform instruction that addresses student misconceptions and accounts for student struggles with problem solving.
REFERENCES
Rodriguez J. G., Bain K., Hux N. P. & Towns M. H. (2019). Productive features of problem solving in chemical kinetics: More than just algorithmic manipulation of variables. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 20, 175-186.
Yuriev, E., Naidu, S., Schembri, L., & Short, J. (2017). Scaffolding the development of problem-solving skills in chemistry: Guiding novice students out of dead ends and false starts. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 18, 486-504
Equity, diversity and online learning in peer assisted study sessions
Get PDFBACKGROUND
While Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are a well-established undergraduate academic assistance program running in many Australasian universities (Woolrych et al., 2020), Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) program is unique in how key training and operational aspects were developed in response to the specific needs of its diverse student cohort, including online and regional students. Notably, ECU’s PASS program was an early adopter of the hybrid delivery model (on-campus and online) to support cohort equitably and inclusively.
IMPACT
Students who attend PASS sessions are 11% more likely to succeed than non-participants and 8.6% more likely to be retained in their degree. The impact of PASS on success rates is even higher for key equity cohorts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students living with a disability, and students enrolled in pathway programs.
RELEVANCE
In this session, we will discuss techniques for online facilitation that supports students to succeed, including developing and enhancing learning skills, identifying students to model discussion, question design, learning through play, and strategically using online tools to match the cohort. We will also discuss how STEM lecturers can work with PASS to improve outcomes, including embedding, promoting, and building a relationship with their PASS leaders.
REFERENCE
Woolrych, T. J., Zaccagnini, M. A., Stephens, M., Stace, M. J., Middleton, R., Bergner, M. L., O'Sullivan, S. M., & Verma, R. (2020). Into the Online Space: Outcomes for a PASS Online Pilot Across Different First Year University Subjects. Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health Papers: Part B. Retrieved from https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers1/125
Understanding what teaching practices ‘work’ for Master’s students in co-badged courses
Get PDFBACKGROUND
Postgraduates value learning experiences that are different from their undergraduate studies (Humphrey & McCarthy, 1999). Currently, there is no published research on postgraduate experiences within ‘co-badged,’ or ‘co-offered,’ courses where undergraduate and postgraduate students share a learning environment. This is important as postgraduates are a vital source of diversity and income for universities.
AIMS
This study aimed to understand what teaching and assessment practices ‘worked’ for Master’s students in co-badged courses and suggest ways to improve the postgraduate student experience.
DESCRIPTION OF STUDY
This exploratory study used Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987) to explore Master’s students’ perceptions of valuable teaching and learning practices in co-badged courses.
DESIGN AND METHODS
Using semi-structured interviews, we collected vignettes and stories from Master’s students who have engaged in one or more co-badged courses in science and analysed these against three existing frameworks using NVivo.
RESULTS
Students appreciated a variety of practices, particularly industry-related curricula, being acknowledged as experienced postgraduates, and being able to exchange knowledge with peers and undergraduates. They highlighted important, intangible, affective impacts of their experience that were engendered by respectful co-learning.
CONCLUSIONS
Postgraduate students appreciate many aspects of co-badged courses. This study provides a pathway forward for designing co-badged course experiences that are constructive and useful for Master’s students.
REFERENCES
Cooperrider, D. L., & Srivasta, S. (1987). Appreciative inquiry in organizational life. In R.W. Woodman & W. A. Passmore (Eds.), Research in Organizational Change and Development (pp. 129-169). Connecticut: JAI Press.
Humphrey, R., & McCarthy, P. (1999). Recognising difference: Providing for postgraduate students. Studies in Higher Education, 24(3), 95-114