Graduate Research Papers

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Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Abstract

All students should be provided with a science education that will allow them to become scientifically literate. Scientific literacy is incredibly important for students as science is a consistent part of their everyday lives. An important part of scientific literacy is the ability to transfer information learned in the classroom to everyday life. This skill is very difficult for students to attain but very necessary for them to make decisions related to science. The science curriculum that instructors choose should include materials that will help students move closer to scientific literacy.

This study evaluated the impacts of a natural selection and evolution unit found within the OpenSciEd Biology curriculum. OpenSciEd attempts to improve student performance by having students make sense of phenomena. The study tested the curriculum’s effectiveness in improving student content knowledge, ability to construct explanations, and ability to transfer information through a variety of assessments.

Assessments were given to 9th-grade students enrolled in a biology course. The results suggest that student content knowledge and ability to transfer information did not improve, but that their ability to construct explanations did improve.

Year of Submission

2024

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Science Education Program

First Advisor

Jesse Wilcox

Date Original

Summer 2024

Object Description

1 PDF (39 pages)

Language

en

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