Alec M. Bodzin

Promoting Inquiry-Based Science Instruction: The Validation of the Science Teacher Inquiry Rubric (STIR)

The National Science Education Standards recognize that inquiry-based instruction holds significant promise for developing scientifically literate students. The Science Teacher Inquiry Rubric (STIR) was developed based upon the National Science Education Standards’ essential features of inquiry instruction (NRC, 2000). A pilot study using a purposive sample of ten science teachers was conducted to establish the rubric as both an observation tool and a self-reflection instrument. While the overall correlation of the instrument (r=.58) does not support its use as a self-assessment instrument, a perfect correlation between two raters (r=1) established the STIR as an effective observation tool. Additionally, the validation of the instrument provided various insights into the teaching of inquiry in science classrooms.

Integrating Instructional Technologies in a Local Watershed Investigation With Urban Elementary Learners

The author describes an after-school science club program for urban 4th-grade students that integrated instructional technologies to investigate a pond ecosystem in the local schoolyard. The author conducted a design-based evaluation study to examine the effectiveness of the program in promoting environmental attitudes and understandings of the local watershed. Students used Web-based GIS maps and Google Earth visualizations to understand the geographic nature of their watershed. Results indicate that participation in the long-term pond investigation enhanced environmental attitudes, promoted a sense of environmental stewardship, and fostered responsible environmental behavior.

Using Web-based GIS For Earth and Environmental Systems Education

Web-based inquiry educational modules using Geographic information system (GIS) maps are ideal for earth and environmental systems education. GIS maps display and manage a rich array of spatially referenced data, which can be combined in user- defined ways to study most natural systems. The maps can be served over the Web to create flexible and portable educational modules for science education. We describe the use of GIS maps for an ongoing pre-service teacher graduate education course at Lehigh University and show applicability to other traditional disciplinary courses taught in many secondary and introductory college classrooms. Like Earth system science, use of GIS maps transcends traditional natural and social science disciplinary boundaries. GIS can be used to track how natural systems are functioning and changing in response to human activities. Similar to Earth system science, GIS maps provide a framework for integration of environmental data across a range of temporal and spatial scales. Instructional use of GIS helps students integrate disciplinary perspectives to appreciate a broader, systems viewpoint. The implementation of Web-based GIS in conjunction with other content materials enables learners to analyze and synthesize large amounts data that would be much more difficult in other formats.

A Research Agenda for Geospatial Technologies and Learning

Abstract Knowledge around geospatial technologies and learning remains sparse, inconsistent, and overly anecdotal. Studies are needed that are better structured; more systematic and replicable; attentive to progress and findings in the cognate fields of science, technology, engineering, and math education; and coordinated for multidisciplinary approaches. A proposed agenda is designed to frame the next generation of research in this field, organized around four foci: (1) connections between GST and geospatial thinking; (2) learning GST; (3) curriculum and student learning through GST; and (4) educators’ professional development with GST. Recommendations for advancing this agenda are included.

Integrating Geospatial Technologies to Examine Urban Land Use Change: A Design Partnership

Abstract This article describes a design partnership that investigated how to integrate Google Earth, remotely sensed satellite and aerial imagery, with other instructional resources to investigate ground cover and land use in diverse middle school classrooms. Data analysis from the implementation study revealed that students acquired skills for identifying and interpreting features in remotely sensed images and were able to identify distribution patterns of major land use types in urban areas. Specific instructional strategies and techniques, including direct instruction, coaching, and modeling how to think about analyzing land use patterns, appear to have assisted diverse learners in developing certain spatial thinking skills.

Investigating Urban Eighth-Grade Students’ Knowledge of Energy Resources

This study investigated urban eighth-grade students’ knowledge of energy resources and associated issues including energy acquisition, energy generation, storage and transport, and energy consumption and conservation. A 39 multiple-choice-item energy resources knowledge assessment was completed by 1043 eighth-grade students in urban schools in two cities in Pennsylvania, USA. Mean scores for the entire assessment measure indicated low conceptual energy knowledge of the eighth-grade students. Subscale means revealed that student understandings of energy resource acquisition, energy generation, storage and transport, and energy consumption and conservation are not satisfactory. Distractor analysis identified many misunderstandings that eighth-grade students hold with regard to energy resources. Findings revealed that students did not have a sound knowledge and understanding of basic scientific energy resources facts, issues related to energy sources and resources, general trends in the US energy resource supply and use, and the impact energy resource development and use can have on society and the environment. Implications for teacher enactment of energy resources curriculum activities are discussed.

Designing Google Earth Activities for Learning Earth and Environmental Science

Web-based geospatial tools such as Google Earth and instructional resources integrated with appropriately designed instructional materials show great potential in promoting spatial thinking with diverse learners. This chapter describes two instructional middle school modules, Environmental Issues: Land Use Change and Energy that use Google Earth as a learning technology to promote understandings of earth and environmental science concepts. The design principles used to guide the development of the instruction are described. Recommendations for other curriculum developers interested in using Google Earth as a learning tool to foster spatial thinking skills are presented. The role of using educative curriculum materials as a form of professional development with Google Earth is discussed.

Enhancing Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Web-based Scientific Inquiry

This paper describes how the Web-based Inquiry for Learning Science (WBI) instrument was used with preservice elementary and secondary science teachers in science methods courses to enhance their understanding of Webbased scientific inquiry. The WBI instrument is designed to help teachers identify Web-based inquiry activities for learning science and classify those activities along a continuum from learner-directed to materials-directed for each of the five essential features of inquiry as described in Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 2000). Recommendations for using the WBI instrument in preservice science methods courses are discussed.

Implementing Technology-Rich Curricular Materials

Abstract Eighteen high school biology teachers from a stratified sample of 13 distinct geographical United States regions participated in evaluating first-year prototypes of Biology: Exploring Life, which incorporates a print textbook; accompanying Web activities to explain and reinforce the text and promote active, hands-on learning; and wet lab investigations. This article discusses how we chose our teacher participants, compares our participant sample with the characteristics of early adopters of innovation, and details what we learned from our year-long investigation about implementing a technology-rich science product in real classrooms. The article concludes with recommendations for adopting of technology-rich science learning products in schools.

Developing Energy Literacy in US Middle-Level Students Using the Geospatial Curriculum Approach

This quantitative study examined the effectiveness of a geospatial curriculum approach to promote energy literacy in an urban school district and examined factors that may account for energy content knowledge achievement. An energy literacy measure was administered to 1,044 eighth-grade students (ages 13–15) in an urban school district in Pennsylvania, USA. One group of students received instruction with a geospatial curriculum approach (geospatial technologies (GT)) and another group of students received ‘business as usual’ (BAU) curriculum instruction. For the GT students, findings revealed statistically significant gains from pretest to posttest (p < 0.001) on knowledge of energy resource acquisition, energy generation, storage and transport, and energy consumption and conservation. The GT students had year-end energy content knowledge scores significantly higher than those who learned with the BAU curriculum (p < 0.001; effect size being large). A multiple regression found that prior energy content knowledge was the only significant predictor to the year-end energy content knowledge achievement for the GT students (p < 0.001). The findings support that the implementation of a geospatial curriculum approach that employs learning activities that focus on the spatial nature of energy resources can improve the energy literacy of urban middle-level education students.