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Thinking Scientifically in a Changing World

Shifting people’s judgments toward the scientific involves teaching them to purposefully evaluate connections between evidence and alternative explanations.

Lombardi, D. (2019). Thinking scientifically in a changing world. Science Brief: Psychological Science Agenda, 33(1). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2019/01/changing-world.aspx

Author/Presenter

Doug Lombardi

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2019
Short Description

Shifting people’s judgments toward the scientific involves teaching them to purposefully evaluate connections between evidence and alternative explanations.

Teachers' framing of argumentation goals: Working together to develop individual versus communal understanding

For students to meaningfully engage in science practices, substantive changes need to occur to deeply entrenched instructional approaches, particularly those related to classroom discourse. Because teachers are critical in establishing how students are permitted to interact in the classroom, it is imperative to examine their role in fostering learning environments in which students carry out science practices. This study explores how teachers describe, or frame, expectations for classroom discussions pertaining to the science practice of argumentation.

Author/Presenter

María González‐Howard

Katherine L. McNeill

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2019
Short Description

This study explores how teachers describe, or frame, expectations for classroom discussions pertaining to the science practice of argumentation. Authors use the theoretical lens of a participation framework to examine how teachers emphasize particular actions and goals for their students' argumentation.

Developing a Three-Dimensional View of Science Teaching: A Tool to Support Preservice Teacher Discourse

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012) on which they are based, describe a new vision for science education that includes having students learn science in a way that more closely aligns to how scientists and engineers work and think. Accomplishing this goal will require teacher educators to make important shifts in the ways they prepare future science teachers (NRC, 2012). Many science teaching methods courses are being reformed to better support future science teachers to meet the ambitious goals of the NGSS.

Author/Presenter

Michelle L. Sinapuelas

Corinne Lardy

Michele A. Korb

Christine Lee Bae

Rachelle DiStefano

Year
2019
Short Description

This study utilized the methodology of Improvement Science “Plan, Do Study, Act” cycles in order to design a Three-Dimensional Mapping Tool (3D Map) as a visual scaffold for use in science teaching methods courses to support preservice teachers in unpacking the components of NGSS and to promote discourse related to the three-dimensionality of planning instruction.

Variations in coaching knowledge and practice that explain elementary and middle school mathematics teacher change

This study investigated relationships between changes in certain types of coaching knowledge and practices among mathematics classroom coaches and how these explain changes in the attitudes, knowledge, and practice of the teachers they coach. Participants in this study were 51 school-based mathematics classroom coaches in the USA and 180 of the teachers whom they coached between 2009 and 2014. The participating coaches were recruited from schools that hired their own coaches independently from this research project.

Author/Presenter

David A. Yopp

Elizabeth A. Burroughs

John T. Sutton

Mark C. Greenwood

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2017
Short Description

This study investigated relationships between changes in certain types of coaching knowledge and practices among mathematics classroom coaches and how these explain changes in the attitudes, knowledge, and practice of the teachers they coach.

A framework for characterizing students’ cognitive processes related to informal best fit lines

Informal best fit lines frequently appear in school curricula. Previous research collectively illustrates that the adjective informal does not translate to cognitive simplicity. Using existing literature, we create a hypothetical framework of cognitive processes associated with studying informal best fit lines. We refine the framework using data from a cycle of design-based research about building students’ understanding of covariation.

Author/Presenter

Randall E. Groth

Matthew Jones

Mary Knaub

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2018
Short Description

Using existing literature, authors create a hypothetical framework of cognitive processes associated with studying informal best fit lines and refine the framework using data from a cycle of design-based research about building students’ understanding of covariation.

Probing the Relevance of Chemical Identity Thinking in Biochemical Contexts

The solving of problems in biochemistry often uses concepts from multiple disciplines such as chemistry and biology. Chemical identity (CI) is a foundational concept in the field of chemistry, and the knowledge, thinking, and practices associated with CI are used to answer the following questions: “What is this substance?” and “How is it different from other substances?” In this study, we examined the relevance of CI in biochemical contexts and first explored the ways in which practicing biochemists consider CI relevant in their work.

Author/Presenter

Courtney Ngai

Hannah Sevian

Year
2018
Short Description

In this study, we examined the relevance of CI in biochemical contexts and first explored the ways in which practicing biochemists consider CI relevant in their work.

A Handbook and Tool for Uncovering Children’s Conceptions of Fractions

Understand students’ fraction concepts through interview tasks.  Includes tasks and guide to record student thinking.

Author/Presenter

Jessica Hunt

Year
2015
Short Description

Understand students’ fraction concepts through interview tasks. Includes tasks and guide to record student thinking.

Principles for Designing Large-Format Refreshable Haptic Graphics Using Touchscreen Devices: An Evaluation of Nonvisual Panning Methods

Touchscreen devices, such as smartphones and tablets, represent a modern solution for providing graphical access to people with blindness and visual impairment (BVI). However, a significant problem with these solutions is their limited screen real estate, which necessitates panning or zooming operations for accessing large-format graphical materials such as maps.

Author/Presenter

Hari Prasath Palani

Nicholas A. Giudice

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2017
Short Description

This article describes the development of four novel non-visual panning methods designed from the onset with consideration of these perceptual and cognitive constraints.

Touchscreen-Based Haptic Information Access for Assisting Blind and Visually-Impaired Users: Perceptual Parameters and Design Guidelines

Touchscreen-based smart devices, such as smartphones and tablets, offer great promise for providing blind and visually-impaired (BVI) users with a means for accessing graphics non-visually. However, they also offer novel challenges as they were primarily developed for use as a visual interface. This paper studies key usability parameters governing accurate rendering of haptically-perceivable graphical materials.

Author/Presenter

Hari Prasath Palani

Jennifer L. Tennison

G. Bernard Giudice

Nicholas A. Giudice

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2018
Short Description

This paper studies key usability parameters governing accurate rendering of haptically-perceivable graphical materials