STEM Education Research Talk

Terrariums and Pre-Service Teacher

Knowledge

Physical

Diagramma.c

Computa.onal

Friday, November 21, 3:30-4:30

SZB 316

Michele Mann
Dr. Anthony Petrosino

Thanks to
Dr. Cesar Delgado
Dr. Walter Stroup
Dr. Flavio Azevedo

Ongoing CollaboraCons

Todays Talk
Review of 2 ongoing unfunded projects

Use of models in pre-service teacher educaCon

Undergraduate knowledge of science content and
process skills

Previous Work on Models

Petrosino (2003, 2005)

Physical RepresentaConal Systems SyntacCc Models HypotheCcal-DeducCve Models

NARST 2015
Tensions between
conceptual and
metaconceptual
learning with models
submiVed to Strand 1

Physical Model
Elementary Science
Methods
Previous work
6-7 weeks
Blog
High moCvaCon
Real measurements
including CO2, O2,
temperature

DiagrammaCc
Use of drawing rather
than photographs
NoCcing - We are what
we noCce

ComputaConal
Insight Maker
Saw and manipulated
the working model
What would they
change
How did they interpret
it
LINK

Collected Data

Generated Graphs
Atmospheric Oxygen vs Sunlight

Respira.on Size vs Plant Size

Stella
Show interacCons
Model RespiraCon
Model Photosynthesis

Next Steps
More detailed analysis of physical,
diagrammaCc, and computaConal models for
elementary science methods students
Align with new NaConal Standards
Making Modeling more a part of pre-service
and undergraduate teacher educaCon
Submit for funding

Summary of the Groups

Natural Sciences = UTeach Natural Science
Students (secondary)
EducaCon = ALD Students
General UT = non Natural Science/EducaCon/
Engineering Students (business, ne arts,
liberal arts, etc..)

Instrument
Used released Praxis test quesCons
Which of the following geological processes adds new
rock to the surface of Earth?
(Earth Science/Elementary QuesCon)

A person heterozygous for the recessive gene for cysCc
brosis marries a person who does not carry or have
the trait (homozygous dominant). What is the
probability that the couples rst child will be a carrier?
(Life Science/Secondary QuesCon)

Survey
33 content quesCons
pulled from released
PRAXIS science
content quesCons
8 Elementary
quesCons
25 secondary
quesCons

Four Constructs
Scien.c Processes
Which of the following laboratory instruments would be most
appropriate to use in determining the volume of a large
block of wood of unknown density?
Life Science
Which of the following is NOT a way in which mammals keep
themselves warm in winter?
Physical Science
Which of the following would be observed in a vacuum if a
feather and two stones of dierent weights were dropped
simultaneously from a height of ten feet?
Earth Science
Which of the diagrams above best depicts the Moon as
viewed from Earth at the rst quarter of the lunar cycle?

Sample Size

271 Total Students

115 Natural Science Students
95 Elementary EducaCon Students
61 Other Students

All took the survey on survey monkey while

being monitored

Analysis
For the pilot data

Used a Kruskal-
Wallis Test
Post-hoc pair-wise
comparison

Preliminary Results
There is a signicant
dierence between the
natural science students
and general UT students on
ScienCc Processes, Life
Sciences, and Physical
Science but not Earth
Science.
There is a signicant
dierence between the
natural science students
and the educaCon students
on ScienCc Processes, Life
Sciences, and Physical
Science but not Earth
Science.

Further Research
Increase Sample Sizes of all three groups
Construct validity analysis
Examine individual quesCons in addiCon to
constructs
Compare with NaConal
Sample