Estudios HFE

8:30am – 10:00am, Room 103

Field-based Geoscience Education for Students with Physical Disabilities Christopher Atchison, Georgia State University, [email protected]

ABSTRACT: Opportunities of experiential education should not be limited to students who are physically able to perform hands-on, instructional activities. In the geosciences, most traditional field-based learning experiences are held in environments that are typically inaccessible to students with mobility impairments. As part of this study, students with mobility impairments learned about geologic processes in a classroom setting and then participated in a field-based learning experience relative to those processes. A primary objective of the study was to determine how first-hand experience in a geologic field environment assists in the overall construction of content knowledge for these students. An evaluation of the field experience required an understanding of internal and external barriers to learning, and how these students interact with the environment in the midst of those barriers. This study was accomplished through six individual case studies of the students’ lived experience. This presentation will discuss a study of accessibility, inclusion, and accommodation for students with mobility impairments in a field- based geology course. Based on an identified need to accommodate current instructional practices that will include students with mobility impairments, this presentation will discuss internal and external barriers derived from the perspective of the students’ first-hand experiences during the study.

A Longitudinal Study of Environmental and Outdoor Education: A Cultural Change Tali Tal, Technion, [email protected]

Orly Morag, Technion

ABSTRACT: In this case-study, we continue a longitudinal study of one elementary (grades 1-6) school’s environmental education (EE) and field trip program. The school, which was known for its school-based EE curriculum that encompasses an intensive outdoor-education component, has gone through changes in the staff, and the student population. Our study aimed at understanding the current challenges of the school outdoor education, in light of its two decade tradition of environmental and outdoor education school based curriculum. We observed three field trips and interviewed the principal, teachers and students. Our analysis indicated the following challenges: the place of the school’s tradition in light of current staff, challenges and agenda; power struggle between the EE coordinator and the newer teachers in school; the separation between the EE program that was an integrative holistic program in the past, and the other fields taught in school. In conclusion, we argue that the main issue is the change in the school culture that reflects the changes the community went through. We suggest that the school should examine old assumptions and revise its EE curriculum in light of changes in the school social and physical environment and in accordance to development in the field of EE.

Environmental Science Education in K-12 School Programs: Recent Research Elizabeth Hufnagel, The Pennsylvania State University, [email protected] William S. Carlsen, The Pennsylvania State University

Gregory J. Kelly, The Pennsylvania State University

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to review trends in empirical environmental science education (ESE) research conducted in K-12 school settings in the period 2005-2011. From a set of 70 publications, which we located using specific search criteria explained in the paper, we identified common themes regarding (a) conceptions of learning, (b) how the subject matter is defined, (c) research methods and methodologies, and (d) future visions of how learners apply environmental understandings. Using these themes as a framework, we discuss how a potential dualism, defining features of ESE, and research mechanisms can hinder the influence of ESE on science education. Throughout this critical review of the literature, we consider how ESE research relates to research in other K-12 science subjects, and discuss implications of ESE research for the teaching of science and other school subjects.

Student Science Achievement and the Integration of Indigenous Knowledge in the Classroom and on Standardized Tests

Juliann Benson, University of New Hampshire, [email protected] Eleanor D. Abrams, University of New Hampshire

ABSTRACT: In science education there has been an increased amount of research investigating the impact of culturally relevant curriculum adaptations on Indigenous students’ achievement in standardized assessments.

However, little research has focused on Indigenous students’ achievement on science standardized tests when Indigenous knowledge is integrated into the test questions. The present study focuses on how American Indian students in Montana perform on standardized state science assessments when knowledge from a cultural curriculum, “Indian Education for All”, has been included on these tests. Montana is the first state in the U.S. to use a culturally relevant curriculum in all schools as well as incorporating this curriculum into a portion of the standardized test items. This study compares White and American Indian student test scores on these particular test items to determine the effectiveness of the culturally relevant educational initiatives implemented by

Montana’s Office of Public Instruction in terms of student achievement on state standardized tests. Understanding the connections between student achievement and an adapted culturally relevant science curriculum brings valuable insights to the fields of science education, research on student assessments, and Indigenous studies.

Co-Sponsored Session - Strand 14: Environmental Education & Strand 15: Policy

Strand Sponsored Session - Science Education and Climate Change: Policy in K-12 Education in Diverse Global Contexts

8:30am – 10:00am, Room 303 Presider: Sarah J. Carrier, Presenters:

Charles W. Anderson, Michigan State University J. Randy McGinnis, University of Maryland Teddie Phillipson Mower, University of Louisville Elly Walsh, University of Washington

Chris McDonald, University of Maryland

ABSTRACT: In line with the conference theme of “Re-Imagining Research in 21st Century Science Education for a Diverse Global Community,” this special symposium will examine challenges and progress in policy for climate change education around the world. For example in the United States, as science teaching and learning policy is being made is in the No Child Left Inside Legislation and work being done by the National Council for Science and the Environment (and more specifically the Council for Environmental Deans and Directors), we would like to ask why there are few representatives from education on these boards (NCSE) and organizations (CEDD). We will also consider talking about policy in K-12, pre-service/inservice training, other post secondary education, and

community EE.

Strand 15: Policy

Globalization of Science Reforms 8:30am – 10:00am, Room 104

Presider: Gavin W. Fulmer, National Science Foundation

Consequences of the Globalization of Science Testing: A European Case Study Jens Dolin, University of Copenhagen, [email protected]

Robert H. Evans, University of Copenhagen Lars B. Krogh, Aarhus University

ABSTRACT: This study examines the consequences of the uses by teachers and policy makers of the large scale test results from PISA in a European case study context. A systematic analysis looks at influences both on teachers and teaching as well as at educational systems at the national level. Comparisons are made between the degree to which the PISA science assessment framework and test system are in accordance with the educational goals in science for a representative group of European countries. The consequences of this alignment and therefore the relevance of PISA results as a catalyst for the educational actions taken are discussed. Research questions were examined through analytical comparison of goal categories, content, contexts and priorities; concept maps of national statements of scientific literacy (SL) and PISA SL; interviews in each country; an in-depth look at one

country using a survey of a representative sample of science teachers (N=1159) and a re-assessment of PISA results. Findings showed large differences in national statements of scientific literacy and that PISA’s paper-and- pencil format was not able to capture all aspects of knowledge that its scales credit. However, implied hypotheses as to the negative effects of unfamiliar test protocols on PISA results were unsubstantiated.

There's More to Science than Recall: An Analysis

Anna MacPherson, Stanford University, [email protected] Jonathan F. Osborne, Stanford University

ABSTRACT: Researchers and practitioners frequently lament that state science tests emphasize basic recall at the expense of higher order thinking. However, there are few examples of systematic analyses of such tests.

Therefore, in this paper we report an analysis of items released from the Grade 8 California Standards Test (CST) in Science to determine the extent to which the test emphasizes recall of declarative knowledge. In addition the analysis was also conducted of NAEP and PISA items to determine the degree of alignment between state, national, and international assessments of science achievement. We found that, compared with NAEP and PISA, the Grade 8 Science CST over-emphasizes recall of declarative knowledge. This work adds to our understanding of the intersection between grand visions, policies, assessment programs and practices in science education by examining the reality of what is assessed. In particular, it offers insight into the way in which educational values might be communicated to classroom teachers via the format of assessment items.

A Country Specific Insights into the Impact of International Comparative Studies on Educational Reforms Imbi Henno,Tallinn University, [email protected]

Priit Reiska, Tallinn University

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to give an input on national curriculum development and examine the Estonian students` science achievement trends in PISA surveys and differences of ethnically different students` attitudes in PISA 2006. For analyzing students` attitudinal responses in PISA 2006 the students were categorized into three groups: students with a high, a moderate and with a low level of proficiency. The strongest correlations were between science achievement and indices: self-efficacy, general value of science and an index of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) in both language groups. The self-efficacy and ESCS were important predictors of science achievement for high performing students from Russian language instruction schools. The measures: self- efficacy, self-concept, personal value of science, and ESCS were predictors of the science achievement for high performing students from Estonian language instruction schools. For moderate performing students from Russian language instruction schools, ESCS was not factors related to the science achievement. The future-oriented motivation was higher in the Russian language instruction school. The results reveal that the students' performance and attitudinal differences are not due to the language problems or immigrant status, but rather connected with classroom level instructional approaches and learning culture.

Science Curriculum Policy-making in Ontario: Global Influences, Localized Political and Economic Landscapes and Curriculum Reform

Marietta Bloch, Roehampton University, [email protected]

ABSTRACT: This paper discusses a qualitative study on how global and local influences impacted science

curriculum policy-making by Ontario governments since 1985. As there is no tradition of policy studies in science education research (Fensham, 2008; DeBoer, 2011), this paper outlines my interpretation of the intersection of science education research and education policy studies. A policy cycle approach (Bowe, Ball and Gold, 1992) was used to examine the contexts of influence, policy text production and practice within each government time period and to examine trends and patterns across governments. Findings indicate that the interplay of political and the economic landscapes were a significant factor for governments in reforming curricula as a means to compete in an increasingly globalised world. A demand for more accountability resulted in curriculum documents detailing specific knowledge and skills that have become part of Ontario’s ‘audit culture’ (Power, 1997). Although the structure, format and presentation of the documents have differed across governments, much of the content

reflects Cuban’s (1992) notion of the ‘historical curriculum’ (p.223) in that each curriculum continued to exert influence on successive curricula.

Plenary Session #2

Student Diversity and Science Education Research in a Global Context: Research Agenda and the Role of NARST 10:30am – 12:00pm, White River Ballroom A – E

Presider: Sharon Lynch, George Washington University Keynote Presenter: Okhee Lee-Salwen, New York University

ABSTRACT: As human migration patterns around the world have made student diversity a global phenomenon, science education for student diversity has become synonymous with science education for all. This presentation consists of four parts. The presentation will start with a brief description of changing demographics among K-12 students and achievement gaps by demographic subgroups in science education within the U.S. and

internationally. Then, major theoretical frameworks guiding the research on diversity and equity in science education, along with key findings and insights for effective classroom practices, will be presented. Next, the National Research Council (2011) document, “A Framework for K-12 science education,” that is guiding the development of Next Generation Science Standards will be discussed with a focus on both challenges and opportunities for diverse student groups. Finally, the presentation will conclude with thoughts about research agenda and the role that NARST can play to promote science achievement of all students within the U.S. and internationally.

International Sponsored Session

Symposium - Linking Science Educators Program in Rwanda: Supporting Learner-Centered Approaches in Rwandan Science Classrooms

2:15pm – 3:45pm, Room 313

Presider: Sibel Erduran, University of Bristol Presenters:

Sibel Erduran, University of Bristol, [email protected] Paul Denley, University of Bath, UK

Alphonse Uworwabayeho, Kigali Institute of Education, Rwanda Mengesha Ayene, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT:

Strand 1: Science Learning, Understanding and Conceptual Change

Related Paper Set - Learning about Ecosystems: Conceptualizing and Designing Learning Environments 2:15pm – 3:45pm, Room 310

Presider: Catherine Eberbach, Rutgers University

ABSTRACT: In recent years, new conceptual frameworks and approaches have provided productive lenses for developing deeper understanding of how students learn about complex phenomena such as ecosystems. Such frameworks have informed the design of new learning environments. In this session, we examine an array of approaches for providing learners with opportunities to engage with ecosystems phenomena for the purpose of exploring: 1) their potential for scaffolding deep understanding of ecosystems, 2) their contributions to the design of learning environments, and 3) their connections to science practices. Why focus on ecosystems? Complex, emergent, and dynamic, ecosystems are particularly challenging for learners to understand. Often, learners focus on surface, immediately present features and behaviors. They may fail to think about underlying causal

mechanisms, especially those that are not readily available to unaided perception. Yet, the ability to navigate and reason about complex phenomena is increasingly central to scientific literacy (Sabelli, 2006).

Causal Tensions in Reasoning about Ecosystems Dynamics: A Theoretical Analysis of Supportive Instructional Contexts

Tina Grotzer, Harvard University, [email protected] Shane Tutwiler, Harvard University

Fostering and Assessing Model-Based Learning with SimScientists Ecosystems Barbara C. Buckley, WestEd, [email protected]

Edys Quellmalz, WestEd Matthew Silberglitt, WestEd

Structure, Behavior, and Function: A Lens for Observing Complex Ecosystem Relations Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver, Rutgers University, [email protected] Catherine Eberbach, Rutgers University

Rebecca Jordan, Rutgers University

Ashok Goel, Georgia Institute of Technology

Engaging Students in Modeling to Develop Understanding of Ecosystems

Michelle Cotterman, Vanderbilt University, [email protected] Eve I. Manz, Vanderbilt University

Richard Lehrer, Vanderbilt University

Leona Schauble, Vanderbilt University/Peabody College Deborah Lucas, Vanderbilt University/Peabody College Mayumi Shinohara, Vanderbilt University/Peabody College

Strand 2: Science Learning: Contexts, Characteristics and Interactions