Alpaslan Sahin

Teachers’ First-Year Experience with Chromebook Laptops and Their Attitudes Towards Technology Integration

Because mobile technology has become so obvious in a child’s life, use of it for teaching and learning has become a necessity. This study investigates use of Chromebook laptops in 6–12 grade classrooms in relation to teachers’ experience. We employ a mixed method approach. First, we study how teachers’ years of teaching and numbers of technological tools they have are related to their comfort of teaching with Chromebook laptops, as well as their attitudes change towards technology after teaching with a Chromebook for a year. Second, to have more specific thoughts about teachers’ Chromebook experience, we conducted qualitative analyses to hear teachers’ voices. Of the 658 6–12 grade Mathematics and English teachers from 30 schools invited to be part of the study, 553 teachers completed the survey. We utilized Pearson Product correlation for the first question. A paired-sample t test was run to examine whether teachers’ attitudes towards technology use changed after teaching with Chromebooks for a year. For the qualitative part, we used a Phenomenological approach to analyze what teachers felt about their experience with Chromebooks. We found that teachers’ comfort of teaching is not significantly correlated with their years of experience. As expected, there was a statistically significant relationship between the number of technological tools they had and their comfort of teaching with technology. Teachers’ attitudes significantly decreased after teaching with Chromebooks for a year. Teachers complained about excessive blocking and lack of tech support, along with some suggestions including filtering and proper training, both for teachers and students that is for a smoother transition from traditional teaching to Chromebook-integrated teaching. Findings and implications are presented to help schools improve technology integration in the discussion and conclusion parts.

The relationships among high school STEM learning experiences, expectations, and mathematics and science efficacy and the likelihood of majoring in STEM in college

ABSTRACT This study examines college students’ science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) choices as they relate to high school experiences, parent, teacher, and self-expectations, and mathematics and science efficacy. Participants were 2246 graduates of a STEM-focused public Harmony Public Schools in Texas, Harmony Public Schools (HPS). Descriptive analyses indicated that the overall percentage of HPS graduates who chose a STEM major in college was greater than Texas state and national averages. Logistic regression analyses revealed that males and Asian students are more likely to choose a STEM major in college than females and non-Asian students, respectively. Moreover, students whose parents had a college degree in the U.S. are more likely to major in STEM fields than those who did not. Furthermore, males with higher mathematics efficacy and females with higher science efficacy are more likely to choose a STEM major than their counterparts with lower mathematics and science efficacy.

Effective Teacher Qualities from International Mathematics, Science, and Computer Teachers' Perspectives

The purpose of this study is to investigate how international teachers, who were from overseas but taught in the United States, rate effective teacher qualities in three domains; personal, professional, and classroom management skills. The study includes 130 international mathematics, science, and computer teachers who taught in a multi-school charter school system in south-central America. It was found that international teachers perception of effective teachers was similar to findings of other research regardless of nationality as long as teachers enjoys teaching, explain the materials clearly, and grade student work fairly. Univariate ANOVA analysis revealed that international teachers‟ US teaching experience had statistically significant effect on teachers‟ ratings of professional skills. Findings were discussed in light of developing more general effective teacher qualities regardless of subject matter.

A Stimulating Experience

The purpose of this study was to examine the views of international Science Olympiad participants on the benefits of the competition and the factors that affected their career aspirations. We also investigated how students’ choice of competition category varied with respect to gender. The sample included 273 International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, and Environment Project (I-SWEEEP) participants from 39 countries. Mixed-methods were used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics and t-statistics were provided to answer the first question. As a means of addressing the second question, a chi-square test was utilized to examine how participants’ category selection differed by gender. Qualitative analysis was used to reveal the types of benefits students reaped from participation in the I-SWEEEP. Results indicated that students were most affected by their teachers, parents, and personal interests. Although the relationship between gender and competition category was not statistically significant, there nevertheless emerged a pattern showing that girls preferred environmental science projects (45.5%) to engineering projects (24.4%). Qualitative analyses revealed six themes as benefits that students gained from participation in the I-SWEEEP. The relationship among the fundamental themes was also examined and revealed important findings. The results have educational implications for helping students accomplish to be science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals in the future.

Make it Hapen: A Study of a Novel Teaching Style, STEM Students on the Stage (SOS)TM, for Increasing Students ’ STEM Knowledge and Interest

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education has become increasingly important to enhancing college readiness in mathematics and science, cultivating STEM interest among students, increasing the number of students majoring in STEM fields and preparing those students for the 21st century workforce. The purpose of this study was to investigate a new STEM project-based learning model developed by Harmony Public Schools (HPS).

Teachers’ Reflections on STEM Students on the Stage (SOS) TM Model

Alpaslan Sahin and This chapter examines a novel teaching method, the STEM Students on the Stage (SOS)TM model, in which teachers receive regular training and implement a well developed project-based learning curriculum. Specifically, we investigated the STEM SOS model teachers’ reflections and experiences with the model. Seven teachers volunteered to participate in the study. The subjects taught by teachers included physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology.

STEM Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach that utilizes student-directed inquiry processes to develop a product that has real-life connections and applications (Johnson, & Lamb, 2007). Specifically, PBL consists of inquiry-based tasks that help students develop important technological, social, and core curriculum content (Nastu, 2009). PBL has also been defined as a “special case of inquiry” (Slough & Milam, 2008, p. 19). Thus STEM PBL and inquiry-based learning go hand-in-hand in terms of student-centered instruction.