Science Learning in Informal Contexts Poster Session A

3:15pm – 4:15pm, Griffin Exhibit Hall

A59. Dealing with Troubles by Pedagogical Repairs in Science Internship Pei-Ling Hsu, University of Texas at El Paso, [email protected]

ABSTRACT: Given that students cannot know beforehand what they are about to learn, encountering trouble is inevitable and necessary event in the process of learning. Therefore helping students to deal with troubles has become an important issue in education. The study aims to understand how participants repair troubles into learning opportunities during a high school students’ science internship. Data sources include observations, field notes, and video recording throughout the science internship. Drawing on conversation analysis, I identified different forms of pedagogically relevant conversational repairs that transformed troubles into learning

opportunities to support students’ further participation. These pedagogical repairs can serve as useful resources for teachers to help students deal with and learn from troubles.

A61. After School Science Club: Learning Science Inside the Box Outside-of-School-Time Kim Sadler, Middle Tennessee State University, [email protected]

Leigh Gostowski, Middle Tennessee State University Linda Gilbert, Murfreesboro City Schools

Emily Newton, Middle Tennessee State University David Green, Middle Tennessee State University

ABSTRACT: The goal of this project was to improve student content knowledge, attitudes, and engagement in science and mathematics in ways that extend to subsequent education and out-of-school-time (OST) experiences. Multiple partners collaborated in providing meaningful OST experiences for middle school students through twice a week after school club attendance and in the summer with a thematic Science and Mathematics Camp. Schools were selected for this project on the basis of increasing populations of at-risk students and low comprehensive assessment scores in science and mathematics. Quarterly professional development workshops for participating OST teachers, target in-school teachers, and STEM undergraduate facilitators focused on STEM content and pedagogy. Family Science Nights were held bimonthly on site to engage families with their children in science activities. The project utilized a pre/post survey design to evaluate student interest in STEM. To identify gains in achievement, student end-of-course grades in math and science and state comprehensive assessment scores were obtained for analysis. Preliminary analysis of the data from more than 600 participating students suggests

questions relating to general interest in STEM show increases after participation in Club Neutron but pursuit of STEM coursework in high school and state science and mathematics assessment scores are inconclusive. A63. The Relevance of the Science Curriculum: Scientific Concepts in Online Public Discussion Concerning Animal Experimentation

Ayelet Baram-Tsabari, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, [email protected] Esther Laslo, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

ABSTRACT: One of the goals of education for science literacy is to provide the public with appropriate skills which enable engagement with real-world socio-scientific issues. Therefore, public discourse in authentic online media environments can be used as an indicator of the relevance and applicability of science education. This study analyzed a year worth of online media coverage of animal experimentation (28 articles) and its subsequent reader comments (n = 2,448). It examined the relation between the level of scientific concepts appearing in the article

and in its subsequent reader comments. Distribution of the level of all the scientific concepts used in the course of one year, showed high correlation between the science concepts used in the articles and in reader comments (r = 0.96). Only 16% of the comments included scientific content which referred the issue of animal experimentation, but 65% of the scientific concepts used, were in high school or academic level. As science study is elective in high school in Israel, it is likely to assume that only a small part of the public acquired the necessary knowledge needed to engage in debate over this socio scientific issue at school.

A65. What Do Zoological Institution's Websites Communicate to the Public about Education Programs? Patricia Patrick, Texas Tech University, [email protected]

ABSTRACT: This study is an evaluation of the educational opportunities described on 130 AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accredited zoos’ websites. The zoo websites have been evaluated on the presence/absence of the following educational components: professional development, zoo activities aligned with state/national academic standards, classroom kits aligned with standards, pre/post-visit activities, outreach programs, distance learning programs, staff guided field trip tours, summer/holiday day camps, overnight programs, programs for home- schooled children, teen volunteer programs, an accessible library, private wildlife tours (off-site), internships for high school students, internships for college students, programs for both Boy and Girl Scouts, and the presence of an internet blog. The data shows that AZA accredited zoos on average participate in only 8.8 of the 17 components (range=1-16, median=9, STD=3.04). The most common educational component is the presence of summer/holiday camps (89.23% of institutions participating) and the least common is internships for high school students (6.92%). This study reveals that zoos offer a wide range of programs and there is a great difference in the programs offered. Because the website is a crucial place for teachers, parents, and home-schoolers to learn about educational programs, the website should be a reflection of the zoo’s educational programs.

A67. Exploring a Summer Camp Based on Robotics Activities Prepared for Underrepresented Groups: A Pilot Study Niyazi Erdogan, Texas A&M University, [email protected]

Mehmet Ayar, Texas A&M University Sencer Corlu, Texas A&M University Mary M. Capraro, Texas A&M University Alpaslan Sahin, Texas A&M University

ABSTRACT: In our pilot study, we aimed at exploring a summer camp program allowing students to engage with Robotics systems. Our study participants were thirty-seven 11th grade students (19 male and 18 female) from an inner city charter school. We sought answers to two questions: (a) How does a summer camp program based upon robotics system help students gain 21st century skills? and (b) to what extent can a summer camp program be a vehicle for increasing students’ interest towards pursuing a career in STEM related fields? We employed several data collection methods including interviewing, taking field notes, videotaping, and student journal writings. Preliminary findings from our analyses indicated that Robotic activities scaffolded students to have the ability to analyze authentic situations from different perspectives and to generate solutions to problem. Although these activities were well-defined, teacher-oriented tasks, students were more inclined to be interested in Robotics systems. These activities provide them with doors to open up their career choices. We conclude that Robotics activities can be educational tools for students to gain skills essential for their lifelong learning as well as to increase interests toward STEM related fields.

A69. Taiwanese Children's Conceptions and Relations to Nature: Using the Contextual Model of Learning as the Theoretical Framework

Amy H. Dai, University of Maryland, [email protected]

ABSTRACT: The present study seeks to investigate urban children’s conceptions and relations to nature in Taiwan and understand the factors that influenced them. Twelve children ages 5 and 6 were prompted to draw a picture of themselves in nature and interviewed about sources of conceptions about nature, school and out-of-school experiences, and living environment. Eleven photographs of scenery with different degrees of naturalness were shown to them to examine their definition of nature. Furthermore, their parents were asked about related issues

in a survey for investigating the family influence. This study was designed to cover aspects of the personal, sociocultural, and physical contexts that change over time in the Contextual Model of Learning. It is found that children often thought plants are nature, and that humans are usually not thought as part of nature. Nature grows and moves, and it sometimes contains different degrees of natural and artificial elements. Their understanding of nature is learned mainly from family members and their firsthand exposure to those green spaces arround the city. It is also found that, most Taiwanese parents in this study are aspired to nature. However, they usually missed those teachable opportunities to make these experiences meaningful. Finally, implications are discussed.

Strand 7: Pre-service Science Teacher Education