Technology

Hapgood, S., Paprzycki, P., Czerniak, C.M. (2019). Scientific Inquiry for Young Children: Linking Teacher Professional Development and Family Engagement to Improve Student Achievement. Paper presented at the Society for Research on Child Development conference [SRCD], Balitmore, MD. March 2019.

Czerniak, C. M., Paprzycki, P., Hapgood, S., & Kaderavek, J. (2019). Longitudinal Impact of Early Childhood Science Instruction on Middle Grades Literacy and Mathematics. Paper presented at the Global Conference on Education and Research [GLOCER], Sarasota, FL. May 2019.

Czerniak, C. M., Kaderavek, J., Paprzycki, P., Hapgood, S., Mentzer, G., Molitor, S., & Mendenhall, R. (2019). Longitudinal Impact of Early Childhood Science Instruction on 5th Grade Science Achievement. Paper presented at the European Science Education Research Association [ESERA], Bologna, Italy. August 2019.

Hapgood, S., Heuring, J. & Wilson, G., Czerniak, C. (Accepted for January 2020). Early Childhood Educators’ Declarative Knowledge of the Next Generation Science Standards. A poster to be presented at the Association of Science Teacher Educators [ASTE] International Conference, San Antonio, Texas.

Graphs illustrating complex scientific relationships require students to integrate multiple concepts and visual features into a coherent understanding. We investigate ways to support students in integrating their understanding of density concepts through a graph that is linked to a simulation depicting the relationship between mass, volume, and density. We randomly assigned 325 8^th-grade students to 1 of 2 graphing activities.

Graph technologies are now widely available in K-12 science and mathematics classrooms. These technologies have the potential to impact the learning of science and mathematics, especially by supporting student investigations. We use meta-analysis to analyze 42 design and comparison studies involving data from 7699 students spanning over 35 years. In these studies, graphing technologies include computer software such as simulations; online tools such as graph utilities; and sensors such as temperature probes. We characterize the assessments used to measure graphing.

Multimedia environments provide multiple resources for expression, collaboration, and knowledge-creation. Yet there is much to be learned about the design of such environments, the forms of collegial discourse that take place, and the benefits of participation. To this end, we study the 2017 STEM for All Video Showcase, a multimodal environment, that enabled educational researchers to share and discuss short videos depicting their federally-funded work to improve STEM education.

There is a need to arm students with noncognitive, or 21^st Century, skills to prepare them for a more STEM-based job market. As STEM schools are created in a response to this call to action, research is needed to better understand how exemplary STEM schools successfully accomplish this goal. This conversion mixed method study analyzed student work samples and teacher lesson plans from seven exemplary inclusive STEM high schools to better understand at what level teachers at these schools are engaging and developing student 21^st Century skills.