tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29246899644731696932024-03-08T13:36:07.970-05:00PERticlesSmall notes on articles of relevance to Physics Education ResearchMichael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comBlogger297125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-86123123082415342822009-07-08T13:53:00.003-04:002009-07-08T14:07:53.789-04:00Moving to CiteULikeWell, I lied in my last post. Sorry.<br /><br />Updating citations in both this blog and the CiteULike location is too onerous a task to continue. <br /><br />Here are some weaknesses of the existing blog:<br /><ul><br /><li>Posting articles in this blog is time consuming and strips relevant information.</li><br /><li>Searching for past posts in this blog is difficult, with too many tags for each article, and no distinction between authors, journals, and keywords in the tagging system.</li><br /><li>Downloading a citation is difficult, if you wish to enter the citation into your own database</li><br /><li>Links are often difficult to manage, since sometimes the DOI link is unavailable, and other links are restricted.</li><br /></ul><br /><br />The list could go on, but I won't. CiteULike addresses nearly all these concerns. It is richer, easier, and more dynamic than this blog. It is the appropriate tool for the task.<br /><br />One added benefit of the PERticles blog on CiteULike is that anyone who joins the group can post articles. Yes, anyone. That means you. Joss Ives has been a great help, and I certainly hope that others join in. <br /><br />What can you do on CiteULike?<br /><br /><ul><br /><li>You can <a href="http://www.citeulike.org/groups/search/do?q=PERticles&Submit=Search+Groups">join the group</a> by clicking on the obvious link, called “Join This Group.”</li><br /><li>When <a href="http://www.citeulike.org/group/10888">visiting the library</a>, you can <a href="http://www.citeulike.org/group/10888/tags">modify tags</a>, discuss papers in a <a href="http://www.citeulike.org/groupfunc/10888/forums">forum</a>, blog about the papers, or download the full citation in a variety of formats.</li><br /><li>By <a href="http://www.citeulike.org/rss/group/10888">subscribing to the library</a>, you can keep up with what everyone else posts. </li><br /></ul><br /><br />The peasant is dead - long live the peasant. CiteULike is the new location for the PERticles blog. Thanks for subscribing to this blog - join us and join in at the <a href="http://www.citeulike.org/group/10888"> new, improved PERticle blog</a>.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-39479550835166701302009-06-29T11:56:00.004-04:002009-06-29T12:01:37.165-04:00Testing a new PERticles locationHi all,<br /><br />Thanks for following this blog. It's really amazing how many people mention it to me. I really appreciate that.<br /><br />The thing is, blogger really stinks for keeping a blog of this nature. It's hard to get a citation out, it's hard to tag all the journals, authors, and so on, and it's generally not designed for this kind of task.<br /><br />CiteULike is designed much better. Really, if you don't know it, you should. It's fabulous. Check out <a href="http://www.citeulike.org/group/10888">this link</a>. If you want to subscribe to the feed, <a href="http://www.citeulike.org/rss/group/10888">click here</a>. <br /><br />I will keep double-posting for a while, but the long range plan is to head entirely to CiteULike. It's the right tool for the job.<br /><br />MichaelMichael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-66999804906431147192009-06-19T22:00:00.003-04:002009-06-19T22:06:47.537-04:00Brewe Kramer O’Brien - PRST-PER 2009<a href="http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.013102">Modeling instruction: Positive attitudinal shifts in introductory physics measured with CLASS</a><br />Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 013102 (2009)<br /><br />Eric Brewe, Laird Kramer, George O’Brien<br /><br />Among the most surprising findings in Physics Education Research is the lack of positive results on attitudinal measures, such as Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) and Maryland Physics Expectations Survey (MPEX). The uniformity with which physics teaching manages to negatively shift attitudes toward physics learning is striking. Strategies which have been shown to improve conceptual learning, such as interactive engagement and studio-format classes, provide more authentic science experiences for students; yet do not seem to be sufficient to produce positive attitudinal results. Florida International University’s Physics Education Research Group has implemented Modeling Instruction in University Physics classes as part of an overall effort toward building a research and learning community. Modeling Instruction is explicitly designed to engage students in scientific practices that include model building, validation, and revision. Results from a preinstruction/postinstruction CLASS measurement show attitudinal improvements through both semesters of an introductory physics sequence, as well as over the entire two-course sequence. In this Brief Report, we report positive shifts from the CLASS in one section of a modeling-based introductory physics sequence, for both mechanics (<span style="font-style: italic;">N</span>=22) and electricity and magnetism (<span style="font-style: italic;">N</span>=23) . Using the CLASS results and follow up interviews, we examine how these results reflect on modeling instruction and the unique student community and population at FIU.Joss Iveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10066226087706321541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-9288513176626753012009-06-12T00:35:00.002-04:002009-06-12T00:40:06.478-04:00Asikainen Hirvonen - AJP 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.3129093">A study of pre- and inservice physics teachers' understanding of photoelectric phenomenon as part of the development of a research-based quantum physics course</a><br /><br />Am. J. Phys. 77, 658 (2009), DOI:10.1119/1.3129093<br />Mervi A. Asikainen and Pekka E. Hirvonen<br /><br />We<sup> </sup>describe the development of a research-based quantum physics course for<sup> </sup>physics teachers. A case study approach is used to study<sup> </sup>the effect of the course on preservice and inservice teachers'<sup> </sup>understanding of the photoelectric effect. Results offer new insights into<sup> </sup>the learning of the photoelectric effect by providing a detailed<sup> </sup>description of the participant understanding. The learning outcomes achieved indicate<sup> </sup>that the instructional approach and the teaching–learning procedure used in<sup> </sup>the course can help preservice and inservice teachers attain an<sup> </sup>in-depth understanding of key quantum physics concepts.Joss Iveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10066226087706321541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-15453546353774359512009-06-12T00:26:00.001-04:002009-06-12T00:35:11.968-04:00Willoughby Metz - AJP 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/">Exploring gender differences with different gain calculations in astronomy and biology</a><br />Am. J. Phys. 77, 651 (2009), DOI:10.1119/1.3133087<br /><br />Shannon D. Willoughby and Anneke Metz<br /><br />To<sup> </sup>investigate differences in learning gains by gender, we collected data<sup> </sup>in large introductory astronomy and biology courses. Male astronomy students<sup> </sup>had significantly higher pre- and post-test scores than female students<sup> </sup>on the astronomy diagnostic test. Male students also had significantly<sup> </sup>higher pretest and somewhat higher post-test scores than female students<sup> </sup>on a survey instrument designed for an introductory biology course.<sup> </sup>For both courses, males had higher learning gains than female<sup> </sup>students only when the normalized gain measure was utilized. No<sup> </sup>differences were found with any other measures, including other gain<sup> </sup>calculations, overall course grades, or individual exams. Implications for using<sup> </sup>different learning gain measures in science classrooms, as well as<sup> </sup>for research on learning differences by gender are discussed.Joss Iveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10066226087706321541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-83931840612676729262009-06-04T11:28:00.003-04:002009-06-04T20:27:46.760-04:00Etkina Karelina Murthy Ruibal-Villasenor - PRST-PER 2009<a href="http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.010109">Using action research to improve learning and formative assessment to conduct research</a><br />Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 010109 (2009)<br /><br />Eugenia <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Etkina</span>, Anna <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Karelina</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sahana</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Murthy</span>, and Maria <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ruibal</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Villasenor</span><br /><br />The paper reports on how educational research informed and supported both the process of refinement of introductory physics laboratory instruction and student development of scientific abilities. In particular we focus on how the action research approach paradigm combined with instructional approaches such as scaffolding and formative assessment can be used to design the learning environment, investigate student learning, revise curriculum materials, and conduct subsequent assessment. As the result of the above efforts we found improvement in students’ scientific abilities over the course of three years. We suggest that the process used to improve the curriculum under study can be extended to many instructional innovations.Joss Iveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10066226087706321541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-77227933000400834482009-06-01T23:12:00.002-04:002009-06-01T23:14:27.415-04:00Kohlmyer et al. - arxiv.org 2009<a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/0906.0022">A Tale of Two Curricula: The performance of two thousand students in introductory electromagnetism</a> <br />arxiv.org<br /><br />Matthew A. Kohlmyer, Marcos D. Caballero, Richard Catrambone, Ruth W. Chabay, Lin Ding, Mark P. Haugan, M. Jackson Marr, Bruce A. Sherwood, Michael F. Schatz<br /><br /> The performance of over 2000 students in introductory calculus-based electromagnetism (E&M) courses at four large research universities was measured using the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA). Two different curricula were used at these universities: a traditional E&M curriculum and the Matter & Interactions (M&I) curriculum. At each university, post-instruction BEMA test averages were significantly higher for the M&I curriculum than for the traditional curriculum. The differences in post-test averages cannot be explained by differences in variables such as pre-instruction BEMA scores, grade point average, or SAT scores. BEMA performance on categories of items organized by subtopic was also compared at one of the universities; M&I averages were significantly higher in each topic. The results suggest that the M&I curriculum is more effective than the traditional curriculum at teaching E&M concepts to students, possibly because the learning progression in M&I reorganizes and augments the traditional sequence of topics, for example, by increasing early emphasis on the vector field concept and by emphasizing the effects of fields on matter at the microscopic level.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-50715800313524252552009-06-01T14:29:00.002-04:002009-06-04T11:27:11.403-04:00Rosengrant Heuvelen Etkina - PRST-PER 2009<a href="http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.010108">Do students use and understand free-body diagrams?</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 010108 (2009)<br /><br />David Rosengrant, Alan Van Heuvelen, and Eugenia Etkina<br /><br />Physics education literature recommends using multiple representations to help students understand concepts and solve problems. However, there is little research concerning why students use the representations and whether those who use them are more successful. This study addresses these questions using free-body diagrams (diagrammatic representations used in problems involving forces) as a type of representation. We conducted a two-year quantitative and qualitative study of students’ use of free-body diagrams while solving physics problems. We found that when students are in a course that consistently emphasizes the use of free-body diagrams, the majority of them do use diagrams on their own to help solve exam problems even when they receive no credit for drawing the diagrams. We also found that students who draw diagrams correctly are significantly more successful in obtaining the right answer for the problem. Lastly, we interviewed students to uncover their reasons for using free-body diagrams. We found that high achieving students used the diagrams to help solve the problems and as a tool to evaluate their work while low achieving students only used representations as aids in the problem-solving process.Joss Iveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10066226087706321541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-4925826617779236762009-05-26T21:42:00.001-04:002009-05-26T21:43:48.151-04:00Kortemeyer - PRST-PER 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.010107">Gender differences in the use of an online homework system in an introductory physics course</a> <br />Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 010107 (2009)<br /><br />Gerd Kortemeyer<br /><br />The two genders make different use of being allowed multiple tries to solve online homework problems: male students frequently attempt to immediately solve the problem, while female students are more likely to first interact with peers and teaching assistants before entering answers. More male than female students state that they use the multiple allowed attempts to enter “random stuff,” while more female than male students state that the multiple attempts allow them to explore their own problem solving approaches without worrying or being stressed out by grades.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-56090964353163096462009-05-17T15:23:00.001-04:002009-05-17T15:24:38.418-04:00Kim Song - IJSE 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500690802563316">The Effects of Dichotomous Attitudes toward Science on Interest and Conceptual Understanding in Physics</a> <br />International Journal of Science Education online first publication<br /><br />Minkee Kim; Jinwoong Song<br /><br />The literature on students' attitudinal constructs in science education asserts that students hold dichotomous attitudes toward science (AS). For instance, studies from the Relevance of Science Education project reveal that students possess negative attitudes in terms of their favourableness toward school science, preference toward scientific careers, and emotional states toward science (negative intrinsic AS), despite their positive perception that science is important for society (positive extrinsic AS). The issue demands in-depth examination, since not enough science educators have studied the effects of the dichotomous AS on science education. Rather, they have attempted to improve the uncategorised AS for stimulating student achievement in science education. Hence, the aim of this study is to clarify how the dichotomous attitude (intrinsic AS and extrinsic AS) relates to the two educational products in science: interest inventory and conceptual understanding. One hundred and sixteen physics learners in Japan were sampled for fitting the structural equation model in this study. Our final model validated by LISREL suggests that intrinsic AS exclusively stimulate students' interest and conceptual understanding in physics, while extrinsic AS fail to play their expected role. Finally, features of the sampled 10th-graders and their dichotomous AS are further interpreted with the prevalent concept of the hidden curriculum.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-74147405262569311742009-05-14T10:38:00.001-04:002009-05-14T10:39:30.106-04:00Espinoza - JSET 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10956-009-9163-5">Using Project-Based Data in Physics to Examine Television Viewing in Relation to Student Performance in Science</a> <br />Journal of Science Education and Technology (online first publication)<br /><br />Fernando Espinoza<br /><br />Mass media, particularly television, influence public conceptions and attitudes toward learning science. The discovery of an original method that does not rely on self-reported viewing habits to measure the impact of television on students’ performance in science arose from a study of a unit on electricity in a Physics course. In determining the number of television sets at home and the number of hours of operation, data emerged that allowed an investigation of associations between each of these variables and student performance in physics. A negative impact on performance was found in its consistent decrease as both the number of sets and the time the sets are on increase. These results provide dramatic independent confirmation of the negative impact of television viewing on achievement determined through meta-analysis of many studies, and are also consistent with those in the literature at large, particularly from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Furthermore, the totally ‘blind’ participation of the subjects lends a degree of authenticity rarely found in a classically designed study. The findings impact scientific literacy, since performance in science and conceptions of science and scientists, are all inextricably linked.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-28905208060968231912009-05-14T10:32:00.001-04:002009-05-14T10:33:36.314-04:00Glauert - IJSE 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500690802101950">How Young Children Understand Electric Circuits: Prediction, explanation and exploration</a> <br />International Journal of Science Education, Volume 31, Issue 8 May 2009 , pages 1025 - 1047<br /><br />Esme Bridget Glauert<br /><br /><br />This paper reports findings from a study of young children's views about electric circuits. Twenty-eight children aged 5 and 6 years were interviewed. They were shown examples of circuits and asked to predict whether they would work and explain why. They were then invited to try out some of the circuit examples or make circuits of their own choosing. Children expressed a variety of views about the connections needed in a circuit, offered different kinds of explanation and showed differing levels of competence in circuit making. The range of responses showed similarities to those of older students found in previous research. The relationship between practical competence, prediction, and explanation was not straightforward. For example, children with similar levels of practical competence made different predictions or offered different kinds of explanation. Analysis of the circuits children chose to construct suggested influences of existing competence and knowledge. In particular, some children tested out circuit examples about which they had been unsure during the interview, while others explored circuit connections more generally. Findings underline the importance of drawing on a variety of evidence in assessing young children's understandings of electric circuits. They indicate that young children may offer views about electric circuits not unlike those of older children and adults with similar experience. Finally, there was some suggestion that the interview procedure may have acted as an instructive stimulus in helping children to become more conscious of their own views and reflect on their thinking in the light of further evidence.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-47616992077966255352009-05-14T10:30:00.002-04:002009-05-14T10:32:13.105-04:00Ozdemir - IJSE 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500690801932538">Avoidance from Thought Experiments: Fear of misconception</a> <br />International Journal of Science Education, Volume 31, Issue 8 May 2009 , pages 1049 - 1068<br /><br />Omer Faruk Ozdemir<br /><br />Two independent lines of research—mental simulations and thought experiments—provide strong arguments about the importance of perceptual modalities for the instructional practices in science education. By situating the use of mental simulations in the framework of thought experiments, this study investigated the nature and the role of mental simulations in the context of problem-solving. This study draws on data collected through problem-solving sessions with five physics graduates. Throughout the problem-solving sessions, think-aloud and retrospective questioning were used. Results from this study support some serious concerns put forward by several researchers in the community of science educators about high dependence on descriptive forms of scientific knowledge and exclusion of perceptual modalities from instructional practices. The participants' verbal reports confirmed that they had implicitly or explicitly reached a conclusion that mental simulations were not a legitimate way of reasoning about physics problems, and they consciously avoided the use of mental simulations. This conceptualization seemed to lead participants to compartmentalize mental simulations from formal physics knowledge. Therefore, mental simulations were not refined but kept in a primitive form, which was no more than a retrieval of perceptual representations constructed through observations and experiences of the world. The speculations on the results of the study were based on the interpretations of learning science in terms of the refinement and reorganizations of preinstructional ideas.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-548507314900325412009-05-04T09:05:00.003-04:002009-05-04T09:10:08.375-04:00Reviews in PER - Volume 2 (Getting Started)<a href="http://www.per-central.org/per_reviews/volume2.cfm"> Getting Started in Physics Education Research </a> <br /><br />Foreword (<a href="http://www.per-central.org/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8805&DocID=1146&Attachment=1">direct link</a>)<br />Charles Henderson and Kathleen A. Harper<br />We welcome comments about this issue, as well as suggestions for topics to be addressed by future issues.<br /><br />An Introduction to Physics Education Research (<a href="http://www.per-central.org/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8806&DocID=1147&Attachment=1">direct link</a>)<br />Robert Beichner<br />This article aims to introduce the reader to the field of Physics Education Research (PER).<br /><br />An Introduction to Classical Test Theory as Applied to Conceptual Multiple-choice Tests (<a href="http://www.per-central.org/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=8807&DocID=1148&Attachment=1">direct link</a>)<br />Paula V. Engelhardt<br />The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a general overview of the key aspects of the development process from the perspective of classical test theory and critical issues that distinguish high-quality conceptual multiple-choice tests from those that are not.<br /><br />Additional articles are planned, and this post will be updated.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-54074348737057699682009-04-30T21:00:00.001-04:002009-04-30T21:01:27.616-04:00Beatty Feldman - NARST 2009<a href="http://srri.umass.edu/publications/beatty-2009itc">Illuminating teacher change and professional development with CHAT</a> <br />In the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Garden Grove CA, Apr 20.<br /><br />Beatty, Ian D. and Feldman, Allan<br /><br />Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment (TEFA) is an innovative pedagogy for science and mathematics instruction. Teacher Learning of TEFA is a research project studying teacher change as in-service secondary science and mathematics teachers learn TEFA in the context of a multi-year professional development (PD) program. Applying cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to the linked activity systems of PD and teachers’ classroom practice leads to a model of teacher learning and pedagogical change in which TEFA is first introduced into classrooms as an object of activity, and then made useful as a tool for instruction, and then—in rare cases—incorporated into all elements of a deeply transformed practice. Different levels of contradiction within and between activity systems drive the transitions between stages. CHAT analysis also suggests that the primary contradiction within secondary education is a dual view of students as objects of instruction versus students as willful individuals; the difficulties arising from this contradiction can either inhibit or motivate TEFA adoption.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-70446836345046280342009-04-29T10:45:00.001-04:002009-04-29T10:46:52.719-04:00Alonzo Steedle - Science Education 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sce.20303">Developing and assessing a force and motion learning progression</a> <br />Sci Ed 93: 389-421, 2009<br /><br />Alicia C. Alonzo, Jeffrey T. Steedle<br /><br />The full set of force and motion items are available by contacting the first author.<br /><br />Learning progressions are ordered descriptions of students' understanding of a given concept. In this paper, we describe the iterative process of developing a force and motion learning progression and associated assessment items. We report on a pair of studies designed to explore the diagnosis of students' learning progression levels. First, we compare the use of ordered multiple-choice (OMC) and open-ended (OE) items for assessing students relative to the learning progression. OMC items appear to provide more precise diagnoses of students' learning progression levels and to be more valid, eliciting students' conceptions more similarly to cognitive interviews. Second, we explore evidence bearing on two challenges concerning reliability and validity of level diagnoses: the consistency with which students respond to items set in different contexts and the ways in which students interpret and use language in responding to items. As predicted, students do not respond consistently to similar problems set in different contexts. Although the language used in OMC items generally seems to reflect student thinking, misinterpretation of the language in items may lead to inaccurate diagnoses for a subset of students. Both issues are less problematic for classroom applications than for use of learning progressions in large-scale testing.<br /><br />UPDATE: This paper had been previously posted as an online first publication, 9/3/08. The URL and citation have been updated.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-25249957872646695282009-04-28T11:19:00.002-04:002009-04-29T10:42:22.289-04:00Davis Smithey - Science Education 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sce.20311">Beginning teachers moving toward effective elementary science teaching</a> <br />Sci Ed 1-26, 2009<br /><br />Elizabeth A. Davis, Julie Smithey<br /><br />We use a 10-year program of research centered on iterations of one elementary science methods course as a vehicle for exploring three important and interrelated goals for the learning of beginning elementary teachers. These include learning about inquiry-oriented science teaching, using science curriculum materials effectively, and anticipating and working with students' ideas in instruction. For each goal we discuss how the literature informs our thinking, describe relevant aspects of our design of the course, and present findings of our research with regard to preservice teachers' experiences in and learning from aspects of the course. For each goal, we also highlight examples from our longitudinal work following the preservice teachers into their early years as elementary teachers, to provide a glimpse of teachers' trajectories related to each of the themes. We close with a discussion of implications for research and practice in elementary science teacher education.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-48890725139781891122009-04-28T11:16:00.003-04:002009-04-28T11:18:46.645-04:00Schwarz - Science Education 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sce.20324">Developing preservice elementary teachers' knowledge and practices through modeling-centered scientific inquiry</a> <br />Sci Ed 1-25, 2009<br /><br />Christina Schwarz<br /><br />Preservice elementary teachers face many challenges in learning how to teach science effectively, such as engaging students in science, organizing instruction, and developing a productive learning community. This paper reports on several iterative cycles of design-based research aimed at fostering preservice teachers' principled reasoning around these problems of practice through modeling-centered scientific inquiry. The first design cycle introduced preservice teachers to modeling and simulation software tools in an effort to advance their understanding of science and technology; the second used an instructional framework embodying modeling-centered inquiry to advance their views of effective science teaching and their lesson-planning practices; the third engaged preservice teachers in analyzing and modifying curriculum materials using reform-based criteria to foster effective curriculum materials use. Outcomes from these iterations indicate that the preservice teachers were most likely to advance their knowledge and practices within a coherent approach that focused on a core scientific practice such as modeling-centered inquiry, provided opportunities to unpack and apply robust tools such as reform-based instructional frameworks, and addressed their perceived problems of practice. The findings from this set of approaches are compared to others in an effort to point toward promising future directions for effective science teacher education.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-70692939210272849582009-04-28T11:14:00.002-04:002009-04-28T11:15:26.781-04:00Zembal-Saul - Science Education 2009<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sce.20325">Learning to teach elementary school science as argument</a> <br />Sci Ed 1-33, 2009<br /><br />Carla Zembal-Saul<br /><br />New views of proficiency in K-8 science that highlight the importance of engaging children in the discourses and practices of science have raised the stakes for elementary teachers and the teacher educators who prepare them. In this paper, a framework for teaching science as argument is presented. The framework is advanced as a means of addressing problems of practices faced by preservice teachers, creating coherence for the design of teacher education experiences, and serving as a tool for shaping a design-based research agenda. Findings of three research studies that examined preservice teachers' developing understandings and practices for teaching science as argument and the ways in which teacher education experiences mediated learning are synthesized. Across the studies, findings suggest that the framework serves as a powerful scaffold for preservice teachers' developing thinking and practice. More specifically, early attention to evidence and argument can leverage other important aspects of effective science teaching, such as attention to classroom discourse and the role of the teacher in monitoring and assessing children's thinking. In closing, a case is made for coherence among science learning opportunities, learning to teach science experiences, and field experiences.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-67991419167522664762009-04-25T16:31:00.001-04:002009-04-25T16:33:04.683-04:00Ma Ma - Studies in Ed Evaluation<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2009.01.005">The challenge of separating effects of simultaneous education projects on student achievement</a> <br />Studies In Educational Evaluation 35:1 p. 45-52<br /> <br />Xin Ma and Lingling Ma<br /><br />When multiple education projects operate in an overlapping or rear-ended manner, it is always a challenge to separate unique project effects on schooling outcomes. Our analysis represents a first attempt to address this challenge. A three-level hierarchical linear model (HLM) was presented as a general analytical framework to separate program effects while taking into account the hierarchy in educational data. The HLM model was then applied to data from the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System that the State of Kentucky has implemented for years, in an attempt to separate the effects of two education projects aimed at improving mathematics and science education in the Appalachian region: the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) closely followed by the Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership (AMSP). Even though the HLM model successfully separated ARSI and AMSP effects, relevant statistical issues were discussed to improve future efforts in separating effects of simultaneous education projects on schooling outcomes.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-9895104575342533942009-04-22T10:57:00.003-04:002009-04-22T11:11:25.462-04:00Educational Studies in Mathematics special issue on gesturesRather than post all articles individually, here are a batch of linked articles on gestures and embodied mathematics, published in Educational Studies in Mathematics.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9172-y">Introduction: beyond words</a><br />L. Radford, L. Edwards and F. Arzarello<br /><br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9163-z">Gestures as semiotic resources in the mathematics classroom</a><br />Ferdinando Arzarello, Domingo Paola, Ornella Robutti and Cristina Sabena<br /><br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9127-3">Why do gestures matter? Sensuous cognition and the palpability of mathematical meanings</a><br />Luis Radford<br /><br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9124-6">Gestures and conceptual integration in mathematical talk</a><br />Laurie D. Edwards<br /> <br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9162-0">Working with artefacts: gestures, drawings and speech in the construction of the mathematical meaning of the visual pyramid</a><br />Michela Maschietto and Maria G. Bartolini Bussi<br /><br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9150-4">Mathematical imagination and embodied cognition</a><br />Ricardo Nemirovsky and Francesca Ferrara<br /><br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9138-0">Bodily experience and mathematical conceptions: from classical views to a phenomenological reconceptualization</a><br />Wolff-Michael Roth and Jennifer S. Thom<br /><br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9161-1">What’s all the fuss about gestures? A commentary</a><br />Anna Sfard<br /><br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9164-y">Embodied multi-modal communication from the perspective of activity theory</a><br />Julian Williams<br /> <br /><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9169-6">Building intellectual infrastructure to expose and understand ever-increasing complexity</a><br />James KaputMichael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-22107088080767299082009-04-19T22:29:00.002-04:002009-04-19T22:34:19.316-04:00comments on commentsHi all,<br /><br />My apologies for the long delay in updating the blog with papers from papers outside of the "mainstream" of PER journals. There have been great papers in all sorts of interesting locations. I added a bunch this morning, and a few this evening.<br /><br />One element I've just started in this evening's updates: I am adding a comment to some papers, explaining why they're being added, whose or what work I'm thinking of when I read the abstract, and how the paper might fit into the larger endeavor that is PER. For example, when there's a paper about working memory in algebra and problem-solving, it seems pretty obvious to me that we're dealing with an issue relevant to our students working through conceptual physics problems involving logic buried within the words. Or, when looking at issues in writing, I think of Scott Franklin and Dedra Demaree and others... So, from now on, I'll post additional comments with the abstract. If you want to add your comments, please do! I'd like to have a more communal sense of commentary on the papers. Your involvement would be great. <br /><br />As always, thanks to Joss for updating the PRST-PER and AJP papers, as well.<br /><br />MichaelMichael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-3922579616934465052009-04-19T22:24:00.002-04:002009-04-19T22:27:13.352-04:00Rünger Nagy Frensch - J Exp Psych LMC<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0014543">Do recognition and priming index a unitary knowledge base? Comment on Shanks et al. (2003).</a> <br />Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Vol 35(2), Mar 2009, 572-585.<br /><br />Rünger, Dennis; Nagy, Gabriel; Frensch, Peter A.<br /><br />Whether sequence learning entails a single or multiple memory systems is a moot issue. Recently, D. R. Shanks, L. Wilkinson, and S. Channon (see record 2003-02055-007) advanced a single-system model that predicts a perfect correlation between true (i.e., error free) response time priming and recognition. The Shanks model is contrasted with a dual-process model that incorporates both response time priming and reportable sequence knowledge as predictors of recognition. The models were tested by applying confirmatory factor analysis to data obtained from a recognition test that was administered under both speed and accuracy conditions. The Shanks model accounted for the data in the speed condition, whereas the dual-process model provided a better fit in the accuracy condition. The results are compatible with the notion that cognitive processes were engaged differentially in recognition judgments under speed and accuracy conditions.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-38163844001087449522009-04-19T22:21:00.003-04:002009-04-19T22:28:26.428-04:00Dreisbach Haider - J Exp Psych LMC<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0014647">How task representations guide attention: Further evidence for the shielding function of task sets.</a> <br />Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Vol 35(2), Mar 2009, 477-486.<br /><br />Dreisbach, Gesine; Haider, Hilde<br /><br />To pursue goal directed behavior, the cognitive system must be shielded against interference from irrelevant information. Aside from the online adjustment of cognitive control widely discussed in the literature, an additional mechanism of preventive goal shielding is suggested that circumvents irrelevant information from being processed in the first place. Participants had to react to 8 different words depicting clothing items that were presented in front of line drawings that could be either semantically related (clothes) or unrelated (animals with spatial orientation) to the target words. Participants either learned the stimulus–response (S–R) mappings by heart or used 1 task set (TS). In the S–R group, semantically related and unrelated distractors interfered with performance, whereas in the TS group, only semantically related distractors interfered, and unrelated distractors had no effect. It follows that task representations based on a general TS help to focus attention on relevant information, thereby preventing the processing of irrelevant information.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924689964473169693.post-59335750912134499762009-04-19T22:17:00.004-04:002009-04-19T22:29:16.612-04:00Proctor Yamaguchi Zhang Vu - J Exp Psych LMC<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0014529">Influence of visual stimulus mode on transfer of acquired spatial associations.</a> <br />Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Vol 35(2), Mar 2009, 434-445.<br /><br />Proctor, Robert W.; Yamaguchi, Motonori; Zhang, Yanmin; Vu, Kim-Phuong L.<br /><br />Associations between corresponding stimulus–response locations are often characterized as overlearned, producing automatic activation. However, 84 practice trials with an incompatible mapping eliminate the benefit for spatial correspondence in a transfer Simon task, where stimulus location is irrelevant. The authors examined whether transfer occurs for combinations of physical-location, arrow-direction, and location-word modes in the practice and transfer sessions. With 84 practice trials, the Simon effect was reduced for locations and arrows, and there was complete transfer across these modes; location words showed little transfer within or between modes. These results suggest that the acquired short-term associations were based on visual-spatial stimulus codes distinct from semantic-spatial codes activated by the words. With 600 practice trials, words showed transfer to word and arrow but not location Simon tasks, suggesting that arrows share semantic-spatial codes with words. Reaction-time distribution functions for the Simon effect showed distinct shapes for each stimulus mode, with little impact of the practiced mapping on the shapes. Thus, the contribution of the short-term location associations seems to be separate from that of the long-term associations responsible for the Simon effect.Michael Wittmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11940500355650821920noreply@blogger.com