Science

The project uses design-based research to address: (1) whether and how interpreting and constructing visual representations improves students' understanding of science, and (2) what further benefits are conferred by marrying engagement with visual representations and prompts for reflection during informal science learning experiences. The project is grounded in the idea that visual representations can enhance science learning and encourage reflection on doing science that supports extension of that learning beyond a singular informal science experience.

The Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education (ACESSE, or “access”) project brings together partners from educational research and practice to promote equity and coherence in systems of science education. It involves a deep collaboration between the Council of State Science Supervisors (CSSS), the University of Washington, and the University of Colorado Boulder. Strategies and resources from this project are being shared around the country through networks of science education leaders. See https://stemteachingtools.org/

NLP-TIPS takes advantage of natural language processing (NLP) methods to detect students’ ideas in written science explanations. We design adaptive guidance that supports each student to consider their own ideas and pursue deeper understanding of phenomena. This work continues a successful partnership between University of California, Berkeley, Educational Testing Service (ETS), and science teachers from schools enrolling students from diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic groups whose cultural experiences may be neglected in science instruction.

Socioscientific Issues (SSI) are ill-defined problems and debatable issues that can enhance student learning of scientific knowledge and literacy skills (Zeidler et al., 2005). However, most teachers are unfamiliar with planning and implementation of SSI (Macalalag et. al, 2019). Our project aimed to support the development of teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge through planning and implementation of SSI lessons in their classrooms.

Improving the quality of teaching is essential to improving student outcomes. BSCS Science Learning and the University of Minnesota STEM Education Program Area adapted an effective in-person professional learning model to utilize an online approach. The adaptation of STeLLA—Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis—is important because it can reach a broader audience. To further promote the reach of STeLLA, the online version prepared local leaders to lead the program.

The purpose of this project is to gather, analyze, and synthesize research studies that have investigated different approaches to supporting students in grades 6-14 in learning to analyze, interpret, and reason about data with a focus on variation and covariation. We will use Robust Variance Estimation (RVE) to examine how effect size estimates depend on intervention characteristics, study design, outcomes of interest, and demographic characteristics of participants in the studies.

We iteratively designed and tested a research-based professional learning (PL) approach to help middle school science teachers effectively support and sustain students’ motivational competencies during ambitious science instruction. A team of researchers and middle school science teachers co-designed a PL approach called M-PLANS (Motivation - Planning Lessons to Activate eNgagement in Science). Early testing suggests promise for impacts on teacher beliefs and behavior as well as students’ motivation, engagement, and science performance.

STRIDES supports science teachers to rapidly respond to the diverse students in their classrooms. Leveraging advances in natural language processing, the project analyzes student written explanations of scientific phenomena to provide fine-grained summaries to teachers about student knowledge integration across NGSS dimensions. STRIDES suggests learning science-based customizations and studies how teachers use the summaries and customization suggestions to improve student progress. The researchers study how well the customizations address the learning needs of diverse students.

This project includes research examining teachers’ customization processes and the development of tools to support teachers in adapting curriculum materials for their specific school context to facilitate equitable science sensemaking for all students. The research program includes: (1) Empirical study of teachers’ customization processes; (2) Theoretical model of teacher thinking that underlies customization; (3) Tools to support principled customization consistent with the goals of the reform; and (4) Empirical study of how tools influence teachers.

The LaCuKnoS project promotes a justice-centered approach to broadening participation in STEM by engaging teachers, students and families across Oregon in work to support language development for science meaning making, mapping cultural and community connections to science, and building knowledge for informed decision making.