Lloyd H. Barrow

A Brief History of Inquiry: From Dewey to Standards

This paper describes how interpretations of inquiry have changed during the 20th Century. These multiple meanings have resulted in (a) confusion among K–12 teachers of science and (b) various interpretations by science teacher educators. Suggestions are provided for preservice programs (both science and methods courses), professional development for new and veteran teachers of science, and science education community to reach consensus about what is inquiry.

Energy Literacy of Ninth-Grade Students: A Comparison between Maine and New Brunswick.

Abstract A study was conducted to determine if there is any relationship between knowledge about energy and gender and geography. In a population of ninth-grade students in Maine and New Brunswick, males were found to score significantly higher than females. For Maine students, males had a significantly higher score than females for both the lowest and highest quartiles. While New Brunswick females outscored the males in the lowest quartile, the pattern was reversed in the highest quartile. The findings of this study revealed differences in levels of energy knowledge both by gender and by location. These findings also indicate that energy literacy is generally low.

Ninth-Grade Students' Attitudes toward Energy: A Comparison between Maine and New Brunswick

The purpose of the study was to determine if there was any relationship between energy attitudes of ninth-grade students by gender and by their geographical location (Maine and New Brunswick). For general energy concerns, Maine students had a more positive attitude than New Brunswick students. Both Maine and New Brunswick females had a more positive attitude toward energy than males. Overall, Maine and New Brunswick students had a nonpositive attitude toward energy.

What Do Elementary Students Know about Insects

An interview study of 56 elementary students (grades K-6) was conducted during the summer. The purpose of the study was to determine the students’ understanding about insect characteristics, their life cycles, environmental conditions, and their impacts on humans. Third graders and older students had a broader understanding about insects’ characteristics than K-2 students. Overall, students lacked an understanding of insects’ life cycle which differs from Shepardson’s (1997) three-stage model that omitted the egg. Students had greater personal knowledge about the harmful than about the helpful aspects of insects for humans. Suggestions are made on building units of instruction using students’ personal questions about insects.

Exploring conceptual frameworks of models of atomic structures and periodic variations, chemical bonding, and molecular shape and polarity: a comparison of undergraduate general chemistry students with high and low levels of content knowledge

The purpose of the study was to explore students’ conceptual frameworks of models of atomic structure and periodic variations, chemical bonding, and molecular shape and polarity, and how these conceptual frameworks influence their quality of explanations and ability to shift among chemical representations. This study employed a purposeful sampling technique and used three diagnostic instruments for conceptual understanding to determine the students’ level of content knowledge of the related concepts. Six student interviews were analyzed to portray students’ conceptual frameworks in high and low content knowledge (HCK and LCK, respectively) groups. The study’s major findings revealed that moving from a high toward a low level of content knowledge, the quality of students’ explanations declined, as did their ability to reconcile new information to their existing knowledge frameworks. Three essential concepts – models of atomic structure, effective core charge and principles of electrostatic force, and quantum mechanics descriptions – were identified that may explain students’ failure to learn the necessary aspects of molecular geometry and polarity. This study provides empirical evidence of how students’ content knowledge influences their understanding about molecular polarity. The findings have implications for college chemistry education with respect to teaching concepts about molecular polarity.

Do Elementary Science Methods Textbooks Facilitate the Understanding of Magnet Concepts

The study of magnets is a common physical science topic for elementary students. This study examined elementary science methods textbooks to determine how magnet concepts were presented. Each methods textbooks section relating to magnets was read. Particular attention was paid to the organization, sequence of concepts, potential misconceptions, and types of investigations included. A previously validated magnet concept list was used. A detailed analysis of 11 elementary science methods textbooks found great variation in the magnet concepts presented, general omission of ceramic magnets, frequent misconceptions about poles, and limited investigations that address both attraction and repulsion.

Development and Application of a Novel Rasch-Based Methodology for Evaluating Multi-Tiered Assessment Instruments: Validation and Utilization of an Undergraduate Diagnostic Test of the Water Cycle.

We describe the development and validation of a three-tiered diagnostic test of the water cycle (DTWC) and use it to evaluate the impact of prior learning experiences on undergraduates’ misconceptions. While most approaches to instrument validation take a positivist perspective using singular criteria such as reliability and fit with a measurement model, we extend this to a multi-tiered approach which supports multiple interpretations. Using a sample of 130 undergraduate students from two colleges, we utilize the Rasch model to place students and items along traditional one-, two-, and three-tiered scales as well as a misconceptions scale. In the three-tiered and misconceptions scales, high confidence was indicative of mastery. In the latter scale, a ‘misconception’ was defined as mastery of an incorrect concept. We found that integrating confidence into mastery did little to change item functioning; however, three-tiered usage resulted in higher reliability and lower student ability estimates than two-tiered usage. The misconceptions scale showed high efficacy in predicting items on which particular students were likely to express misconceptions, and revealed several tenacious misconceptions that all students were likely to express regardless of ability. Previous coursework on the water cycle did little to change the prevalence of undergraduates’ misconceptions.

Gifted elementary students’ interactions with female and male scientists in a biochemistry enrichment program

The purpose of this study was to examine how gender and level of self-concept relate to elementary gifted students’ participation in a biochemistry enrichment program taught by female and male scientists. Eighteen students were observed during whole-class lessons. Twelve students (6 boys and 6 girls) were selected from the 18 for small group observation on the basis of theirME: Self-Concept scores. The twelve were separated into high self-concept (HSC) and low self-concept (LSC) groups. Each of these two groups was in turn divided into three pairs: girl-boy, boy-boy and girl-girl. Scientist-student and student-student interactions were videotaped, then analyzed with a coding system modified from Rennie’s Activity-Based Schedule and Brophy-Good’s Dyadic Interaction Schedule. Results showed that LSC students tended to ask more questions and received more feedback, especially explanation, than HSC students. Boys tended to initiate more questions, called out more often, and received more feedback, most from the male scientist. Girls answered more scientist-initiated process questions than boys. Girl-girl groups interacted more with peers than boy-boy groups, and within boy-girl groups, boys did more manipulating, while girls did more watching and discussing with other groups. In this enrichment program, the scientist-student interaction patterns paralleled previous teacher-student interaction studies.

Exploring Secondary Students' Knowledge and Misconceptions about Influenza: Development, Validation, and Implementation of a Multiple-Choice Influenza Knowledge Scale

Understanding infectious diseases such as influenza is an important element of health literacy. We present a fully validated knowledge instrument called the Assessment of Knowledge of Influenza (AKI) and use it to evaluate knowledge of influenza, with a focus on misconceptions, in Midwestern United States high-school students. A two-phase validation process was used. In phase 1, an initial factor structure was calculated based on 205 students of grades 9–12 at a rural school. In phase 2, one- and two-dimensional factor structures were analyzed from the perspectives of classical test theory and the Rasch model using structural equation modeling and principal components analysis (PCA) on Rasch residuals, respectively. Rasch knowledge measures were calculated for 410 students from 6 school districts in the Midwest, and misconceptions were verified through the χ 2 test. Eight items measured knowledge of flu transmission, and seven measured knowledge of flu management. While alpha reliability measures for the subscales were acceptable, Rasch person reliability measures and PCA on residuals advocated for a single-factor scale. Four misconceptions were found, which have not been previously documented in high-school students. The AKI is the first validated influenza knowledge assessment, and can be used by schools and health agencies to provide a quantitative measure of impact of interventions aimed at increasing understanding of influenza. This study also adds significantly to the literature on misconceptions about influenza in high-school students, a necessary step toward strategic development of educational interventions for these students.

Help Wanted: Music Education Positions in Higher Education, 2007-2008

The purpose of this study was to document and describe the characteristics of college and university music education positions that were available and advertised during the 2007-2008 school year. Information for all jobs listed in the Chronicle of Higher Education and/or the College Music Society’s Music Vacancy List (N = 112) was compiled with respect to a number of variables, including where the notice was placed, job title, rank and tenure status, geographic location, applicant requirements, and job responsibilities. Data were compared with results of studies from the 1980s and 1990s. Results are informative for individuals seeking faculty positions, for college and university faculty preparing graduate students who will be applying for faculty positions, and for administrators developing criteria and responsibilities for open positions and writing the position vacancy announcements.