Elementary

Creating Inclusive PreK–12 STEM Learning Environments

Brief CoverBroadening participation in PreK–12 STEM provides ALL students with STEM learning experiences that can prepare them for civic life and the workforce.

Author/Presenter

Malcom Butler

Cory Buxton

Odis Johnson Jr.

Leanne Ketterlin-Geller

Catherine McCulloch

Natalie Nielsen

Arthur Powell

Year
2018
Short Description

This brief offers insights from National Science Foundation-supported research for education leaders and policymakers who are broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM). Many of these insights confirm knowledge that has been reported in research literature; however, some offer a different perspective on familiar challenges.

Construct It! What’s in a Name? Collecting, Organizing, and Representing Data

Build a classroom community by building representations and visualizations of data related to students’ names.

Thanheiser, E., Koestler, C., Sugimoto, A. T., & Felton-Koestler, M. D. (2023). Construct it! What’s in a name? Collecting, organizing, and representing data. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 116(10), 746-752.

Author/Presenter

Eva Thanheiser

Courtney Koestler

Amanda T. Sugimoto

Mathew D. Felton-Koestler

Year
2023
Short Description

Build a classroom community by building representations and visualizations of data related to students’ names.

Construct It! What’s in a Name? Collecting, Organizing, and Representing Data

Build a classroom community by building representations and visualizations of data related to students’ names.

Thanheiser, E., Koestler, C., Sugimoto, A. T., & Felton-Koestler, M. D. (2023). Construct it! What’s in a name? Collecting, organizing, and representing data. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 116(10), 746-752.

Author/Presenter

Eva Thanheiser

Courtney Koestler

Amanda T. Sugimoto

Mathew D. Felton-Koestler

Year
2023
Short Description

Build a classroom community by building representations and visualizations of data related to students’ names.

Unpacking Teachers’ Orientations Toward a Knowledge Generation Approach: Do We Need to Go Beyond Epistemology?

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a professional development program rooted in knowledge generation theory. Specifically, it sought to examine the changes in teachers' three orientations following the completion of the first-year workshop, and how these changes impacted their classroom implementation. This investigation takes the form of a multiple-case study of twelve K-5 teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations.

Author/Presenter

Ercin Sahin

Jee Kyung Suh

Brian Hand

Gavin Fulmer

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2023
Short Description

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a professional development program rooted in knowledge generation theory. Specifically, it sought to examine the changes in teachers' three orientations following the completion of the first-year workshop, and how these changes impacted their classroom implementation.

The Dimensionality of the Epistemic Orientation Survey and Longitudinal Measurement Invariance for the Short Form of EOS (EOS-SF)

The dimensionality of the epistemic orientation survey (EOS) was examined across four occasions with item factor analysis (IFA). Because of an emphasis on the knowledge generation of epistemic orientation (EO), four factors were selected and built into a short form of EOS (EOS-SF) including knowledge generation, knowledge replication, epistemic nature of knowledge, and student ability. To track the stability of the factor structure for each factor of EOS-SF, longitudinal invariance models were conducted. Partial measurement invariance was obtained for each of the four factors of EOS-SF.

Author/Presenter

Chenchen Ding

Gavin Fulmer

Lesa Hoffman

Brian Hand

Jee K. Suh

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2023
Short Description

The dimensionality of the epistemic orientation survey (EOS) was examined across four occasions with item factor analysis (IFA). Because of an emphasis on the knowledge generation of epistemic orientation (EO), four factors were selected and built into a short form of EOS (EOS-SF) including knowledge generation, knowledge replication, epistemic nature of knowledge, and student ability.

How Do On-Site Teacher Educators Approach Professional Development? A Study of Insider/Outsider Hybridity

In-service professional development is important for improving teaching. However, little research has examined how the roles, beliefs, and backgrounds of the individuals providing professional development can best be leveraged to create effective professional development programmes. A particularly understudied group are community-based On-Site Teacher Educators (OSTEs) who can serve as the bridge between university-based faculty and school employees. OSTEs are aware of the realities of classroom spaces, yet work outside of them, giving them a hybrid capacity to support teacher learning.

Author/Presenter

Catherine Lammerta

Eric Antwi Akuoko

Jee Kyung Suh

Brian Hand

Gavin Fulmer

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2023
Short Description

In-service professional development is important for improving teaching. However, little research has examined how the roles, beliefs, and backgrounds of the individuals providing professional development can best be leveraged to create effective professional development programmes. A particularly understudied group are community-based On-Site Teacher Educators (OSTEs) who can serve as the bridge between university-based faculty and school employees. In this exploratory qualitative multiple case study, the perspectives and practices of three OSTEs are examined as they supported elementary science teachers (n = 119) in multi-year professional development.

Examining Teacher Transition Pathways Towards Knowledge Generation Environments

National standards that centre on the underpinning epistemic practices of the discipline has emphasised the need for teachers to focus much more on knowledge generation approaches to learning. Adopting a complexity perspective, we attempt to understand how teachers shift over time by examining their epistemic orientation to knowledge generation and their understanding of the nature of the epistemic tools of language, dialogue and argument that underpin these environments.

Author/Presenter

Brian Hand

Gavin Fulmer

Jee Kyung Suh

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2023
Short Description

Adopting a complexity perspective, we attempt to understand how teachers shift over time by examining their epistemic orientation to knowledge generation and their understanding of the nature of the epistemic tools of language, dialogue and argument that underpin these environments.

Characterizing Adaptive Expertise: Teacher Profiles Based on Epistemic Orientation and Knowledge of Epistemic Tools

With an ultimate goal of characterizing teachers' movement toward understanding the epistemic complexity of generative learning environments, this study refers to adaptive teaching expertise (AdTex) as a developmental teaching capacity observable through a teacher's ability to utilize various resources to address the epistemic complexity of knowledge generation practices. The analysis and discussions centered on how teachers develop and utilize epistemic orientation and understandings of epistemic tools for adaptive teaching, making this study distinct from previous research on AdTex.

Author/Presenter

Jee K. Suh

Brian Hand

Jale E. Dursun

Catherine Lammert

Gavin Fulmer

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2023
Short Description

With an ultimate goal of characterizing teachers' movement toward understanding the epistemic complexity of generative learning environments, this study refers to adaptive teaching expertise (AdTex) as a developmental teaching capacity observable through a teacher's ability to utilize various resources to address the epistemic complexity of knowledge generation practices. The study shows a new way to create systematic profiles of AdTex based on the multiple qualitative data sources, including vignettes, interviews, and reflections collected through a multiple-case study with 24 teachers.

Anchoring Phenomena and Summary Writing Working Together to Improve Student Learning

Abstract concepts, such as gravity, may provide the perfect opportunity to bring phenomena into the classroom. As a knowledge generation strategy, summarizing can foster that opportunity. Using phenomena and summary writing together might help student learning since it requires making connections between their ideas and words to explain the natural phenomena. This article describes how anchoring phenomena and summary writing were integrated into a cohesive unit by using five generative activities that include different language and epistemic practices.

Author/Presenter

Allison Hart Richards

Jale Ercan-Dursun

Jee Kyung Suh

Brian Hand

Gavin Fulmer

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2023
Short Description

Abstract concepts, such as gravity, may provide the perfect opportunity to bring phenomena into the classroom. Using phenomena and summary writing together might help student learning since it requires making connections between their ideas and words to explain the natural phenomena. This article describes how anchoring phenomena and summary writing were integrated into a cohesive unit by using five generative activities that include different language and epistemic practices.

Co-designing a Justice-Centered STEM Teacher Professional Learning Project

This chapter describes an ongoing research-practice partnership with in-service teachers in communities across Oregon focused on broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Broadening participation is essential for creating more justice-centered STEM in our society and cannot occur without families and communities working in partnership with educators to ensure that community resources, needs, and multi-generational perspectives are centered in this work.

Author/Presenter

Cory Buxton

Karla Hale

Jay Well

Diana Crespo-Camacho

Barbara Ettenauer

Felisha Dake

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

This chapter describes an ongoing research-practice partnership with in-service teachers in communities across Oregon focused on broadening participation in STEM fields. We explore how our design-based work with teachers is shaping our collective efforts to enact new language and science practices for supporting students’ justice-centered STEM meaning-making.