Systems thinking activities used in K-12 for up to two decades

Infusing systems thinking activities in pre-college education (grades K-12) means updating precollege education so it includes a study of many systemic behavior patterns that are ubiquitous in the real world. Systems thinking tools include those using both paper and pencil and the computer and enhance learning in the classroom making it more student-centered, more active, and allowing students to analyze problems that have been heretofore beyond the scope of K-12 classrooms. Students in primary school have used behavior over time graphs to demonstrate dynamics described in story books, like the Lorax, and created stock-flow diagrams to describe what was needed to make a garden flourish. Middle school students have created larger stockflow diagrams to study how composting helps to reduce pollution and have created small simulations to study population dynamics and the spread of epidemics. High school students have created/used numerous computer models to study systemic problems in mathematics, physical science, physics, biology, environmental science, global studies, and history. Some high schools developed modeling courses allowing students to create System Dynamics computer models to study problems of their choice, write technical papers explaining their models, and present their models and model results to an audience. This paper contains explanations of some of the systems thinking lessons that have been used with precollege students, some for just 5–6 years (especially the primary and middle school examples), others (especially the mathematics and system dynamics model courses for high school students) for decades

The Chemist in the College Chemistry Classroom: A Case Study of Excellence.

Prominent in the agenda of science education research nowadays are studies focusing on the science teacher/professor. Consequently, this study focuses on a particular chemistry professor at Louisiana State University. He was chosen because of his outstanding and award-winning teaching activities; his voluntary workshops for area high school chemistry teachers; and his active involvement with a college chemistry curriculum reform committee, serving as chairman of the committee. Additionally, his continuing accomplishments and engagements with inorganic chemistry research activities are noteworthy. He was studied for three semesters in his teaching of introductory level chemistry to a large freshman class and his teaching of upper level chemistry to graduates and senior undergraduates as well as during his interactions with his own graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Other activities aimed at educational efforts at the precollege level and the overall academic environment of the area are included. As a qualitative case study, it employs the interpretive methods of participant interviewing; field-note taking in and outside the classroom, from participant observations; collection of documents/artifacts from the professor\u27s classes. This case study provided new insights/findings concerning excellence in college chemistry teaching, which includes the following: (a) Cooperative group work among students taking college chemistry courses, especially introductory level courses, promoted some significant academic, personal and social as well as other affective outcomes necessary for college students to succeed in chemistry. (b) Frequent use of history and philosophy of chemistry in college chemistry classrooms as well as numerous references to current human and societal efforts in chemistry was well embraced by students and as such sustained their interest in chemistry learning. (c) The use of multiple traditional and non-traditional assessment techniques adequately accommodated the learning needs/styles of the diverse student population in the classroom. (d) The overall establishment of a non-threatening and accommodative learning environment appeared to be a crucial factor in success at recruiting and retaining students in chemistry. Based upon the findings, it is recommended, among others, that research activities and instructional activities in college chemistry departments need to be equally embraced and should not be dichotomized

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLEGE READINESS COLLEGE PREPARATORY PROGRAMS FOR LOW-INCOME TEENAGERS

High school students from low-income backgrounds experience academic under-preparedness, financial distress, and socialization challenges when entering college. For these students, challenges may begin in the K-12 setting, where this population is more likely to face limitations in college counseling, lack highly qualified teachers, and have limited access to college programs. First generation college students are less likely to pursue and persist in higher education than their peers with different backgrounds (OECD, 2012). Because of this, low-income students may seek out or be invited to join supplemental programs, including summer bridge and afterschool programs, to help them become college ready. The research explores the main component of transitional academic support within a specific program. The study also describes how various stakeholders in precollege programming promote student persistence to and through college. This qualitative study utilizes a single case study approach using semi-structured interviews and an analysis of the program website. The resultant data illustrates the student supports, delivery methods, and culturally relevant pedagogy used within the program. As seen in the findings of this study, relationships and team collaboration is important to maintain academic preparedness and cultural relevant instruction. This study adds to the growing body of literature on associations between after school college preparation programs and collegiate success, specifically from the perspectives of designers and implementers of after school programs (Tichavakunda, 2019)

The Relationship between Involvement in Religious Student Organizations and the Development of Socially Responsible Leadership Capacity

This study of 76,365 students from 82 U.S. institutions explored the relationship between involvement in a religious student organization and student capacities for socially responsible leadership, based on the Social Change Model of Leadership (SCM). Results from t-tests found students involved in both religious and secular student organizations reported statistically significantly higher scores on all eight measures of socially responsible leadership than students involved in only religious student organizations. Hierarchical multiple regression models explained between 26% and 29% of the variance in student reported levels of overall socially responsible leadership. Compared to students involved in no organizations, involvement in religious only, secular only, and both religious and secular organization types were found to be negative yet statistically insignificant predictors of socially responsible leadership. The highest predictors of socially responsible leadership were precollege capacities for socially responsible leadership, number of years in school, and collegiate student organization involvement frequency

Integrative Learning From The Student Perspective: A Case Study

This paper considers the educational concept of integration as it applies to curriculum design and implementation and to the relationship between curriculum integration and integrative experiences of student participants. Three assumptions underlie the study: (a) Integration is a goal of a program called Integrated Studies, (b) the meaning of integration must be defined within the context of a program, and (c) integration in Teaching & Learning is more than a structure designed by a faculty. The Integrated Studies Program at the University of North Dakota, by its own description, seeks to provide a more coherent learning experience for students within the context of a complex, integrated curriculum and, as such, provides an opportunity for studying many aspects of integration. This qualitative study seeks first, to provide an understanding of integrative learning experiences from the perspective of eight first- year university students as they participated in the Integrated Studies Program and second, to provide a detailed description of the integrated curriculum. The Program’s integrated curriculum, as an alternative to a more traditional general education curriculum, provides opportunities for students to actively construct relationships among content, skills, and the social context of the Program. These opportunities are supported by a faculty who plan and teach as a team, by enrollment of 80-100 students as a cohort for at least one semester, and by cooperative smallgroup activities such as book . eminars, writing groups, and research groups which use a common set of materials selected by faculty to focus on the semester’s theme.Educational theories derived from process philosophy and the communications concept of reframing are discussed in terms of their contributions to understanding integration, integrated curriculum, and integrative learning experience

Physics in perspective: Recommendations and program emphases

Exerpted material from Physics in Perspective, Vol. 1, is presented on recommendations, priorities, and program emphases. The major recommendations are addressed to the Federal Government and support agencies, the physics community, and the educational community, including precollege, undergraduate, and graduate sectors. Approaches to the questions involved in establishing scientific priorities are discussed, and an approach is evolved which is based on the jury rating application of certain criteria to the program elements of a subfield. The question of national support level for the physics enterprise is also considered, and contingency alternatives are suggested such that whatever the level of available support, it may be used with maximum effectiveness

Black Male Retention Initiatives: Exploring Students\u27 Experiences and Program Effectiveness at Predominantly White Institutions

Recent initiatives in higher education have been designed to increase Black undergraduate male collegiate retention and persistence through graduation for this historically underrepresented population. Although institutional leaders in higher education have focused on creating more inclusive campuses, designing and implementing programs to retain Black undergraduate men have remained largely under studied. Specifically at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), a step in the process is evaluating and assessing the efforts for effectiveness and impact on students\u27 overall development and success. Programs that have achieved ways to increase the retention rates have information that is useful in reversing low retention and graduation should be empirically studied.;This qualitative study of retention initiatives at two state institutions explores the development of the retention initiative; how initiatives are structured within an institution\u27s overall diversity plan; and what the overall impact is on the participants and the institutional environment. Focus group interviews conducted with student participants, interviews of the institutional leadership involved in implementing the initiative, along with a document analysis of cases are used to answer how Black male retention initiatives affect campus diversity initiatives and advance student development and success. While both cases focused on retention through student engagement, accountability, and leadership development, each case used separate foundational principles to carry out the same mission to retain Black males. Northwestern State University (pseudonym) focused on developing students\u27 cultural awareness and Black identity while Southern State University (pseudonym) focused on building students\u27 sense of humility and interdependency. These case studies and the underlying research prove that leadership support, funding and institutionalization have had and can have a measurable effect on young men of color. Institutional culture matters for individuals, and institutional policy can affect change for good.;These efforts to create inclusive environments for Black undergraduate men at PWIs have required time to develop and to bring about deep and pervasive change to affect this population\u27s collegiate experience. A critical step in the process is evaluating and measuring the effectiveness and impact on students\u27 overall success. Through assessment, programs that have improved Black male retention may serve as benchmarks for reversing low retention and graduation. Included in the study are individual analyses of each institution and a cross-case comparison that provides in-depth description of these Black undergraduate male initiatives and specifies implications for institutional leaders incorporating a race and gender based retention program into an overall campus-wide diversity initiative

Way of the Ferret: Finding and Using Resources on the Internet

This source-book is designed to aid educators in exploring the Internet.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/educationbook/1000/thumbnail.jp

Bicultural Socialization Experiences of Black Immigrant Students in Selective Predominantly White Institutions in America

Minority and dominant cultures present a power dynamic that could promote or impede academic achievement for Black immigrant students. Drawing upon bicultural socialization as a conceptual framework, this study explores the predictability of various factors on academic outcomes among foreign-born compared to US-born Black immigrant students. Using a sample of 959 Black students (662 US-born and 297 foreign-born) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen (NLSF) conducted in the fall of 1999–2003, the current study examines indicators that inform the integration of Black immigrants into mainstream college environments by disaggregating the Black student population by nativity, to look more closely at variations in educational attainment among this population. Controlling for demographic factors, the results show that interracial relations, campus racial segregation, and commitment to racial diversity were associated with four- and six-year graduation. This study finds that negative racial relations and campus racial segregation are inimical to the diversity rendering of institutional vision for creating a conducive environment and promoting academic excellence. Students’ viewpoints on racial diversity on campus speak volumes regarding how they perceive the world around them. The theoretical implications are relevant for predicting appropriate outcome measures for a balanced integration culture, improving institutional commitment to diversity, and controlling campus segregation. The findings have implications for preventive interventions addressing the current achievement gap for Black immigrant students while delineating pathways for students, faculty, institutional leaders, and policymakers to promote interactive and interracial campus culture, improve institutional transparency, and evolve strategic plans to close achievement gaps and promote peer/faculty involvement in out-of-class encounters. The findings show that there is a relationship between family income and four- and six-year graduation. Moreover, Black immigrant students appear to be more sensitive to racial segregation. As the level of racial segregation on a campus increases, the likelihood of Black immigrant students graduating within four years decreases. The study views diversity from a heterogeneous perspective, underlines attributes of Black immigrant students that predict dynamics of their adjustment into mainstream culture, and adds to the existing literature on factors impacting their learning educational outcomes. The study presents valuable implications for policy and practice. The explanatory predictors are useful to predict college graduation, promote interactive and interracial culture, enhance institutional climate while helping to develop plans to close achievement gap. It may promote peer and faculty involvement that addresses students’ social and academic needs, extol values of cultural /ethnic organizations on campus and to a large extent, cultivate intercultural relations on campus. Future research should expand research on the black immigrant students at less selective four-year, HBCU’s and two-year colleges where these institutions enroll a large proportion of black students in order to explore how these institutions serve the needs of black immigrant students and how their bicultural socialization contribute to college completion. It should compare US-born immigrant black students with other significant pool of black immigrant students from other regions and their adaptation patterns in college and adding GPA or academic/cognitive factors in future research for a more robust model. Keywords: foreign-born/US-born Black immigrant students, bicultural socialization, achievement gap, college graduation, integration into mainstream culture