We report on mixed methods research that explored pre-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in basic musical methods for teaching and learning of basic fractions within the framework of Vygotsky's Theory of Scaffolding. Vygotsky's use of scaffolding opines that knowledge, skills and prior experiences, create the foundation for potential…

The benefits of undergraduate research include gains in research and communication skills, increased interest in graduate studies, and improvement in student persistence. Several studies have shown that undergraduate research can help promote career pathways into engineering by increasing enrollment and retention rates. The REU program described…

A personalized and media-rich learning framework called "Knowledge and Curriculum Integration Ecosystem" (KACIE) has been developed and implemented in a junior-level fluid mechanics course in Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, and Spring 2018, in a prominent HBCU. This model shares characteristics of blended instruction as well as a…

The goal of this study was to determine whether a game-based immersion experience in an introductory undergraduate course in education had an impact on pre-service teachers' skills, beliefs, and confidence using games for teaching academic content. 55 pre-service secondary-education teachers participated in the study. Their first course in the…

Academic programs targeted for first-time students can help their persistence in STEM majors. Our project, ASCEND STEM, included three first-year experiences (FYEs) designed to offer students the skills that would help them successfully traverse potential barriers to academic success. In the FYEs, we sought to strengthen the learning power,…

BASE (Broadening Access to Science Education) Camp is a hands-on, two-week residential summer science experience on the Fairfield University campus in Fairfield CT, USA. The annual program targets 24 young women who attend high school in the neighboring city of Bridgeport, CT, the most economically depressed city in CT. The camp, which is free to…

Temperature can influence thermal comfort, working performance, and social behavior. In a classroom that is slightly cool, an assumption can be made that learning could be affected in a negative way. Considering this, a quasi-experimental study was done to determine if a significant difference of effective temperature have an effect on students':…

Researchers found that student-centered, technology-integrated learning environments help to produce students who are better able to think critically, solve problems, collaborate with others, and engage deeply in the learning process. Understanding the impact of technology and finding the best ways to integrate technology into the classroom is…

The objective of this study was to investigate whether brief guided imagery could provide a short-term reduction in math anxiety and improve math performance. Undergraduates (N = 581) were screened for math anxiety, and the highest and lowest quartiles were recruited to participate in a lab-based study. Participants were assigned to a brief guided…

To develop and nurture critical thinking, students must have opportunities to observe and practice critical thinking in the classroom. In this parallel mixed method classroom study, we investigate the role of collaborative concept mapping in the development of kindergarten learners' critical thinking skills of analysis and interpretation over a…

The purpose of this teacher research study is to ascertain students' interest in STEM and beliefs about STEM before and after STEM specific instruction, explore possible differences in STEM self-efficacy by gender, and explore differences in STEM self-efficacy by group role. Our primary data sources include a modified attitudinal survey and…

Researchers have confirmed that students' motivation is one of the most important factors educators can target to improve learning (Williams & Williams, 2011). This study explored the role which student's motivation played in the retention of first-time, full-time freshman (FTFTF) STEM majors at University (U) (blinded). Student motivational…

The difficulty in covering chemical engineering concepts using traditional lectures and whiteboard teaching approaches means today's students' learning demands are unfulfilled, so alternate methods are needed. Desktop learning modules (DLMs) are designed to show industrial fluid flow and heat transfer concepts in a standard classroom so students…

We investigated the use of a new system, HemoFlow™, which utilizes state of the art technologies such as particle image velocimetry to test endovascular devices as part of an undergraduate biomedical engineering curriculum. Students deployed an endovascular stent into an anatomical model of a cerebral aneurysm and measured intra-aneurysmal flow…

Student self-confidence is important to any attempt to increase interest and achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. This study presents a longitudinal examination of Fab Lab Tulsa's impact on attitude and self-efficacy toward STEM education among middle-school aged students. Paired samples t-test showed a…