The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the LearnEd Notebook curriculum when used with two groups of eighth-grade African American male students in teaching science. More specifically, the researcher sought to determine if there was a correlation between the utilization of the LearnEd Notebook Science curriculum…

This dissertation investigates how the numerical representation of women in small collaborative groups influences their learning in a college biology class for non-majors focused on sex, gender, and society. Prior to the start of the semester, the researchers divided students into all-male, all-female, or mixed-gender groups of varying sex ratios.…

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study was to assess the impact of the STEM integration program on third through fifth grade students' achievement scores in mathematics and science in an urban northeastern Georgia school district. In Phase 1, a quantitative research design was used to examine and compare student achievement…

This dissertation investigates the complexities associated with developing expertise in physics problem-solving and the methods for measuring and assessing the skills involved. Problem-solving skills are critical in today's rapidly changing world, and thus, it is important to emphasize them in education. However, lacking precise methods for…

The purpose of this mixed-method action research study was to improve Black students' performance in my sixth-grade science class by improving their ability to use the claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER) framework. Using criterion-based convenient sampling, I enlisted 17 Black participants, all of whom were underperforming in my science class at…

Over the past few decades, physics education researchers (PER) developed a variety of assessments instrument for research and instructional purposes. Most of these instruments are designed to measure topical understanding. Generally, if student performance is satisfactory, it is assumed that the students possess the content understanding and that…

The area of interest considered for the study was the overall academic achievement in biology lecture and laboratory courses using Bloom's Taxonomy. The problem of the study is the lack of higher-order thinking skills leading to a learning gap in many universities and colleges. The purpose of the quantitative correlational study was to determine…

Educators have struggled with maintaining student engagement in science, especially as students transition from primary to middle school and upper grades (Vedder-Weiss & Fortus, 2012). A recent push in science education has been the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), released in 2013, whose development was guided by…

Educators have struggled with maintaining student engagement in science, especially as students transition from primary to middle school and upper grades (Vedder-Weiss & Fortus, 2012). A recent push in science education has been the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), released in 2013, whose development was guided by…

The academic success and English proficiency of ELL students are receiving more attention as a result of the growing number of ELL students and the demand for accountability and assessment in education. It is widely accepted that ELL students struggle on state standardized tests because they lack the cognitive academic language abilities needed to…

Cognitive load is the effort needed to process and store information in memory and can be measured via subjective, physiological, and performance methods. Virtual reality learning environments (VRLEs) enhance science aptitude and motivate students to pursue science careers. Cognitive load is divided into three types: intrinsic, extraneous, and…

This dissertation explores the role of classroom culture in shaping equitable student experiences and outcomes in science education, and examines how curricular structures might further reinforce equity. Here, equity in science education means supporting student identification, belonging, "and" learning in science, with particular…

Science education in the United States is in need of an overhaul; as of 2018, the United States ranked 18th in science among industrialized nations according to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Additionally, the efforts that the nation has made to increase student achievement in math and English language arts (ELA) has…

This was a qualitative case study design that used a questionnaire with semi-structured open-ended questions regarding the use of evidence-based strategies in co-taught settings with students who have high-incidence disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine what strategies were being used by co-teachers in science and social science…

Classrooms today are more ethnically and linguistically diverse. Unfortunately, students of color demonstrate a history of marginalized educational inequities (Williamson et al., 2007). These marginalized educational inequities impact academic achievement across all content areas especially literacy, math, and science. To improve the academic…