Investigating the impact of a LEGO-based, engineering-oriented curriculum compared to an inquiry-based curriculum on fifth graders' content learning of simple machines

Thesis advisor: Michael BarnettThis mixed method study examined the impact of a LEGOTM-based, engineering-oriented curriculum compared to an inquiry-based curriculum on fifth graders' content learning of simple machines. This study takes a social constructivist theoretical stance that science learning involves learning scientific concepts and their relations to each other. From this perspective, students are active participants, and they construct their conceptual understanding through the guidance of their teacher. With the goal of better understanding the use of engineering education materials in classrooms the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council in the book "Engineering in K-12 Education" conducted an in-depth review of the potential benefits of including engineering in K-12 schools as (a) improved learning and achievement in science and mathematics, (b) increased awareness of engineering and the work of engineers, (c) understanding of and the ability to engage in engineering design, (d) interest in pursuing engineering as a career, and (e) increased technological literacy (Katehi, Pearson, & Feder, 2009). However, they also noted a lack of reliable data and rigorous research to support these assertions. Data sources included identical written tests and interviews, classroom observations and videos, teacher interviews, and classroom artifacts. To investigate the impact of the design-based simple machines curriculum compared to the scientific inquiry-based simple machines curriculum on student learning outcomes, I compared the control and the experimental groups' scores on the tests and interviews by using ANCOVA. To analyze and characterize the classroom observation videotapes, I used Jordan and Henderson's (1995) method and divide them into episodes. My analyses revealed that the design-based Design a People Mover: Simple Machines unit was, if not better, as successful as the inquiry-based FOSS Levers and Pulleys unit in terms of students' content learning. I also found that students in the engineering group outperformed students in the control group in regards to their ability to answer open-ended questions when interviewed. Implications for students' science content learning and teachers' professional development are discussed.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Investigation of in service and pre service science teachers’ perspectives about engıneering-desıgn as an instructıonal method and legos as an instructional material

Bu araştırmanın amacı fen bilgisi öğretmenligi bölümünde ögrenim gören ögretmen adaylarının ve fen bilgisi öğretmenlerinin yöntem olarak mühendislik-dizayna ve ders materyali olarak legolara bakış açılarının incelenmesidir. Araştırma 2012-2013 eğitim öğretim yılında Erciyes Üniversitesi Fen Bilgisi Öğretmenliği programında öğrenim görmekte olan 3 ve 4. sınıf ögrencileri (n=26) ve Kayseri ilinde görev yapmakta olan fen bilgisi öğretmenleri (n=22) ile yürütülmüstür. Araştırmada karma (mixed) metod kullanılmıştır. Nicel veri toplama araçlarından anket yöntemi, nitel veri toplama araçlarından mülakat ve serbest çizim yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Arastırmada tek-grup öntestson test yarı-deneysel desen kullanılmıştır. Veri toplama aracı olarak Yaşar, Baker, Robinson-Kurpius, Krause ve Roberts (2006) tarafından geliştirilen 2010 Mühendislik Egitimi Anket’i kullanılmıstır. Öğretmen ve öğretmen adaylarının ders materyali olarak legoların kullanımına iliskin bakış açılarını değerlendirmek amacıyla anket soruları oluşturulmuştur. Bu sorulara ek olarak mühendisler ve mühendislik süreciyle ilgili 6 açık uçlu ve bir çizim sorusu olusturulmuş ve kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada öğretmen ve öğretmen adaylarından olusan iki gruba seminer düzenlenmiştir. Her iki gruba seminerin basında mühendislik-dizayn ve legolarla ilgili anket uygulanmıstır. Sonra mühendislik-dizayn yöntemi ve lego materyalleri tanıtılarak araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan mühendislik-dizayn tabanlı etkinlikler uygulanmıstır. Bu eğitimin sonunda aynı anket yeniden uygulanmıştır. Anket maddelerinden elde edilen veriler SPSS 16.00 paket program aracılığıyla, görüşme soruları betimsel analize tabi tutularak ve serbest çizimler ise değerlendirme formu kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda anketin mühendisliğin önemi ve mühendisliğe aşinalık ile lego kullanımın önemi ve legolara aşinalık boyutları incelendiğinde, ögretmen öntest- son test puanları arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmuştur (p<.05). Ancak öğretmenlerin mühendisliğin ve mühendislerin özelliklerine ilişkin ön test ve son test puanlarında anlamlı bir fark görülmemiştir (p>.05). Araştırma sonucunda anketin mühendisliğin önemi ve mühendislige aşinalık, mühendisliğin ve mühendislerin özellikleri ile lego kullanımın önemi ve legolara aşinalık boyutları incelendiğinde, öğretmen adaylarının öntestson test puanları arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmuştur (p<.05). Sonuçlar, ögretmenlerin ve ögretmen adaylarının mühendis ve mühendislik hakkında az çok bilgi sahibi olduklarını ancak fen egitiminde yöntem olarak mühendislik-dizaynı ve ders materyali olarak legoları kullanacak düzeyde bilgi sahibi olmadıklarını göstermistir.The aim of this study is to examine pre-service and in-service elementary science teachers' perspectives on engineering-design as a method and legos as course materials. The subjects of the study were 3rd and 4th grade pre-service elementary science teachers (n=26) at Erciyes University in the 2012-2013 academic year, and in-service teachers (n=22) who were working in Kayseri. The mixed method approach was used in this research. A survey, as a quantitative data collection tool, hand drawings and interviews as qualitative data collection tools were used. One-Group Pretest-Posttest Quasi-experimental Design was used in the study. 2010 Engineering Education Survey when was developed by Yasar, Baker, Robinson-Kurpius, Krause and Roberts (2006) was used as a data collection instrument. Survey questions was created in order to assess pre service and in service elementary science teachers’ perspectives on the use of legos as course material. In addition to these questions, 6 open-ended and drawing questions about the engineers and engineering process were developed and used. A seminar on the use of engineering-design and legos in science instruction was organized for teachers and teacher candidates in research. At the beginning of the seminar both groups were pre-surveyed on engineering design and legos. Then engineering-design method and lego materials were to the pre-service and in-service teachers. The same questionnaire was re-administered at the end of the seminar. The data collected through questionnaire was by using SPSS 16.0 package program Interview questions were analyzed by using descriptive analysis techniques, and hand drawings were analyzed by using a rubric. The study revealed that teachers’ scores on the importance of engineering, familiarity with engineering and familiarity with legos, and importance of using legos increased significantly (p< .05). However teachers' scores on characteristics of engineering and engineers did not change significantly (p>.05). The study revealed that teacher candidates’ scores on the importance of engineering, familiarity with engineering, characteristics of engineering and engineers, familiarity with legos, and importance of using legos increased significantly (p< .05). Results have shown that teachers and teacher candidates had somewhat knowledge about engineers and engineering, but they were not so familiar with the use of engineering-design as an instructional method and legos as a course material in science education

Teaching habitat and animal classification to fourth graders using an engineering-design model

Background: The motivation for this work is built upon the premise that there is a need for research-based materials for design-based science instruction. In this paper, a small portion of our work investigating the impact of a LEGO (TM) engineering unit on fourth grade students' preconceptions and understanding of animals is presented.Background: The motivation for this work is built upon the premise that there isa need for research-based materials for design-based science instruction. In thispaper, a small portion of our work investigating the impact of a LEGOTM engineeringunit on fourth grade students&rsquo; preconceptions and understanding of animalsis presented.Purpose: The driving questions for our work are: (1) What is the impact of anengineering-design-based curricular module on students&rsquo; understanding of habitatand animal classification? (2) What are students&rsquo; misconceptions regardinganimal classification and habitat?Sample: The study was conducted in an inner-city K-8 school in the northeasternregion of the United States. There were two fourth grade classrooms in theschool. The first classroom included seven girls and nine boys, whereas the otherclassroom included eight girls and eight boys. All fourth grade students participatedin the study.Design and methods: In answering the research questions mixed-methodapproaches are used. Data collection methods included pre- and post-tests, preandpost-interviews, student journals, and classroom observations. Identical preandpost-tests were administered to measure students&rsquo; understanding of animals.They included four multiple-choice and six open-ended questions. Identical preandpost-interviews were administered to explore students&rsquo; in-depth understandingof animals.Results: Our results show that students significantly increased their performanceafter instruction on both the multiple-choice questions (t = -3.586, p = .001) andthe open-ended questions (t = &minus;5.04, p = .000). They performed better on thepost interviews as well. Also, it is found that design-based instruction helped studentscomprehend core concepts of a life science subject, animals.Conclusions: Based on these results, the main argument of the study is that engineeringdesign is a useful framework for teaching not only physical sciencerelatedsubjects, but also life science subjects in elementary science classrooms.</div

Can elementary students gather information from concept maps ?

In this study, we investigated whether concept maps were used as often and as effectively in elementary science and technology classrooms as recommended by the National Ministry of Education (MEB) in the new curricula in Turkey. In the new elementary science and technology curricula, the MEB provides a general concept map for each unit. We used concept maps provided for the Light and Sound units for fourth, fifth, and sixth grades as content to determine whether students were able to use concept maps to gather information from them. Our analyses showed that most of the students did not use the concept maps to answer the questions. Rather they used their own knowledge and cognitive structures about light and sound to answer the questions. Therefore, we concluded that students do not know how to read the concept maps and gather knowledge from them. Also, we ran an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test to explore whether grade level has an effect on students? performance in reading the concept maps and gathering information from them. We found that grade level has a significant effect on students? performance in using concept mapsIn this study, we investigated whether concept maps were used as often and as effectively in elementary science and technology classrooms as recommended by the National Ministry of Education (MEB) in the new curricula in Turkey. In the new elementary science and technology curricula, the MEB provides a general concept map for each unit. We used concept maps provided for the Light and Sound units for fourth, fifth, and sixth grades as content to determine whether students were able to use concept maps to gather information from them. Our analyses showed that most of the students did not use the concept maps to answer the questions. Rather they used their own knowledge and cognitive structures about light and sound to answer the questions. Therefore, we concluded that students do not know how to read the concept maps and gather knowledge from them. Also, we ran an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test to explore whether grade level has an effect on students? performance in reading the concept maps and gathering information from them. We found that grade level has a significant effect on students? performance in using concept map

Investigating Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Perspectives on Engineers, Engineering and Engineering Design as Context

Bu araştırmanın amacı fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının mühendisli ve mühendislik algılarını ve yöntem olarak mühendislik-dizayna bakış açılarının incelenmesidir. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak anket yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Ankette Likert tipi çoktan seçmeli, açık uçlu sorulardan veve birserbest çizim sorusu kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın araştırma grubunu, 2011-2012 akademik yılında Erciyes Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Fen ve Bilgisi Öğretmenliği bölümünde son sınıfta öğrenim gören 44 öğretmen adayı oluşturmaktadır. Öğretmen adaylarından Mühendisliğin Önemi, Mühendisliğe Aşinalık, Mühendisliğin Özellikleri, Mühendislerin Özellikleri ile ilgili soruları cevaplamaları istenmiştir. Ayrıcaöğretmen adaylarının mühendislik-dizayn ile ilgili serbest çizim yapmaları istenerek bilişsel altyapılarının değerlendirilmesi sağlanmıştır ve sonuçlar kodlama sistemiyle değerlendirilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın ışığında öğretmen adaylarının mühendisliğe ve mühendislere ilişkin algıları mühendislik-dizaynı yöntem olarak nasıl gördükleri belirlenmiştir.The aim of this study is to examine preservice elementary science teachers' perspectives on engineering-design as context. Survey was used as a data collection method in the research. The survey included Likert scale multiple choice questions, open-ended questions and a drawing question. The subjects of the study were 44 preservice elementary science teachers who were senior students at Erciyes University, College . The subjects were asked to answer questions about Importance of engineering, familiarity with engineering, characteristics of engineering, and characteristics of engineers. In addition, pre-service teachers were asked to draw about engineers to make a detailed analysis of their cognitive backgrounds. The results was evaluated by a coding system. In the light of this study, teachers' perceptions of engineering, engineers and engineering-design as an instructional context were determined

Curriculum Ideologies: Re-exploring Prospective Teachers’ Perspectives

Curriculum ideologies are personal beliefs about what educational institutions should teach, for what ends, and for what reasons. This survey type study aims to investigate pre-service teachers&rsquo; curriculum ideologies. The participants consist of 242 senior pre-service teachers enrolled in various teacher preparation programs at the college of education in a mid-size university. The obtained data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and arithmetic means. In conclusion, data analysis revealed that teacher candidates&rsquo; perspectives show weak child centered and strong social characteristics. In general, the social reconstruction ideology is dominant among them. Pre-service teachers see the mission of schools as being the construction of a better society indicating that they perceive society as fragile and problematic.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div

Fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarinin mikro-öğretim yöntemini uygulamaları: bir eylem araştırması

Bu &ccedil;alışmanın amacı fen bilgisi &ouml;ğretmen adaylarının &ouml;zel &ouml;ğretim becerilerinin geliştirilmesi i&ccedil;in kullanılan mikro &ouml;ğretim y&ouml;nteminin ve bu y&ouml;ntemin uygulama usullerinin eylem araştırması perspektifinden değerlendirilmesi ve geliştirilmesidir. Mikro-&ouml;ğretim y&ouml;ntemi &ouml;ğretmen adaylarının &ouml;ğretmenlik deneyimi kazanmalarını ama&ccedil;layan bir laboratuar y&ouml;ntemi olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Metot etkinliklerin video kameraya kaydedilmesi, g&ouml;r&uuml;nt&uuml; ve seslerin tekrar izlenerek d&ouml;n&uuml;t alınmasına ve alınan bu veriler ışığında d&uuml;zeltme yapılmasına imk&acirc;n vermektedir. &Ccedil;alışma, 2012- 2013 eğitim- &ouml;ğretim yılında bir devlet &uuml;niversitesinde Fen Bilgisi &Ouml;ğretmenliği b&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml; 4. sınıfta okuyan 68 &ouml;ğretmen adayının katılımı ile ger&ccedil;ekleştirilmiştir.&nbsp;&Ouml;zel &Ouml;ğretim Y&ouml;ntemleri II&nbsp;dersi kapsamında &ouml;ğretmen adayları 6, 7, 8. sınıf fen ve teknoloji dersi &ouml;ğretim programından kendi se&ccedil;tikleri bir konuda mikro &ouml;ğretim yapmışlardır. &Ouml;ğretmen adaylarının mikro &ouml;ğretimlerinin video kaydı alınmıştır. &Ouml;ğretmen adaylarına aynı konuda 2. defa mikro &ouml;ğretim yapma imk&acirc;nı verilmiştir.&nbsp; D&ouml;nem sonunda &ouml;ğrencilere 5 sorudan oluşan bir anket uygulanmıştır. Anket ile elde edilen veriler i&ccedil;erik analizi y&ouml;ntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. &Ouml;ğretmen adaylarının ilk mikro &ouml;ğretim videosunu ikinci mikro &ouml;ğretimden &ouml;nce izleme ile 2. mikro-&ouml;ğretim uygulamasından aldıkları puanlar arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu ortaya &ccedil;ıkmıştır. &nbsp;The aim of this study is to evaluate and develop the micro teaching method and its procedures that are used for training pre-service science teachers, from action research perspective. Micro teaching is known as a lab method that aims helping teacher candidates to gain teaching experience. It includes video recording of teaching and allows having feedback after watching the video recording to improve teaching. This study took place in a state university in Turkey. During the 2012-2013 academic year, 68 pre-service elementary science teachers who take the&nbsp;Special Teaching Methods 2&nbsp;course participated in the study.&nbsp; Pre-service teachers were asked to micro teach a science subject, which they can freely choose, from the sixth, seventh or eighth grade science curricula. Their micro teachings were video recorded, and they were asked to micro teach the same subject again. At the end of the semester pre-service teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire including five questions. Data were analyzed by using content analysis methods. We found that whether pre-service teachers watched their own video clip of first micro teaching had a significant effect on their second micro teaching scores.</p