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August 2007

Volume 6, Issue 2, pp. 1-139

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Learning Physical Science through Astronomy Activities: A Comparison between Constructivist and Traditional Approaches in Grades 3–6

R. Bruce Ward, Philip M. Sadler, and Irwin I. Shapiro

2007, AER, 6 (2), 1, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007015 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: 07 November 2007

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We report on an evaluation of the effectiveness of Project ARIES, an astronomy-based physical science curriculum for upper elementary and middle school children. ARIES students use innovative, simple, and affordable apparatus to carry out a wide range of indoor and outdoor hands-on, discovery-based activities. Student journals and comprehensive teacher materials aid in making the science content accessible to students based on their shared experiences and observations. Approximately 750 Grades 3–6 students in ARIES (or treatment) classrooms are compared with approximately 650 Grades 4–6 students in control classrooms through a series of open-ended assessment measures, using a pretest and posttest format. A detailed analysis by item measures the gain in treatment and control groups. We identify concepts where the ARIES approach is more effective, where both are equally effective, and where neither results in much learning. (The ARIES approach was never less effective.) Although learning is in evidence for both control and treatment groups, overall, the ARIES students achieve roughly four times the gain of their control counterparts. In particular, ARIES students had much greater gains for the concepts that the control students found most difficult.

Instruction as a Scientific Experiment: A Professional Development Case Study of a Professor Changing the Introductory Astronomy Course for Non-Science Majors

Erik Brogt

2007, AER, 6 (2), 20, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007016 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: 28 November 2007

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This article describes a case study of a faculty member who wanted to change his introductory astronomy course for non-science majors to include more learner-centered pedagogy. To help him achieve this goal, he was assisted by an instructional specialist and the author. The professor approached the overhaul of instructional style as a scientific experiment. Using interview and observation data, the motivations and expectations of this professor and the implementation of the professional development are explored. Results indicate that persuading science faculty to view their teaching as a scientific experiment or research project may be a valuable avenue for professional development. Results hint that professional development for faculty can benefit from professional developers who are also well vested in the content area taught.
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01.40.-d Education
01.40.J- Teacher training
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies

Common Alternative Astronomical Conceptions Encountered in Junior Secondary Science Classes: Why Is This So?

Lena Danaia and David H. McKinnon

2007, AER, 6 (2), 32, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007017 | Cited 3 times

Online Publication Date: 13 December 2007

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This article investigates students’ conceptions of certain astronomical phenomena. The 1,920 participants were drawn from junior secondary science classes in four Australian educational jurisdictions. Participants completed a modified version of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test to elicit information about their knowledge and understanding of certain astronomical phenomena and to identify any alternative conceptions that they held. Results showed that students exhibited many alternative conceptions about concepts that they should have covered in elementary school or in the first year of high school. Discussion centers on the extent to which school science takes account of the important construct of pedagogical content knowledge.
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01.40.ek Secondary school
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
01.40.eg Elementary school
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies

Modeling the Round Earth through Diagrams

Shamin Padalkar and Jayashree Ramadas

2007, AER, 6 (2), 54, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007018 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: 30 January 2008

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Earlier studies have found that students, including adults, have problems understanding the scientifically accepted model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system and explaining day-to-day astronomical phenomena based on it. We have been examining such problems in the context of recent research on visual-spatial reasoning. Working with middle school students in India, we have developed a pedagogical sequence to build the mental model of the Earth and tried it in three schools for socially and educationally disadvantaged students. This pedagogy was developed on the basis of (1) a reading of current research in imagery and visual-spatial reasoning and (2) students’ difficulties identified during the course of pretests and interviews. Visual-spatial tools such as concrete (physical) models, gestures, and diagrams are used extensively in the teaching sequence. The building of a mental model is continually integrated with drawing inferences to understand and explain everyday phenomena. The focus of this article is inferences drawn with diagrams.
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01.40.ek Secondary school
01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
01.50.F- Audio and visual aids
01.40.-d Education
01.40.eg Elementary school
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies

First Results from the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory

Erin M. Bardar

2007, AER, 6 (2), 75, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007019 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: 24 January 2008

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This article presents results from a two-semester field test of the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI). Statistical analysis indicates that the LSCI has the sensitivity to measure statistically significant changes in students’ understanding of light-related topics due to instruction in introductory astronomy courses and to distinguish the relative effectiveness of traditional (primarily lecture) and active engagement treatments in introductory college astronomy courses.
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01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
01.40.-d Education
01.40.Fk Research in physics education
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies

Project LITE Educational Materials and Their Effectiveness as Measured by the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory

Erin M. Bardar and Kenneth Brecher

2007, AER, 6 (2), 85, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007020 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: 24 January 2008

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In this article, we present an overview of a suite of light and spectroscopy education materials developed as part of Project LITE (Light Inquiry Through Experiments). We also present an analysis of how introductory college astronomy students using these Project LITE materials performed on the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI) compared with students in courses employing other proven active engagement techniques and traditional lecture-based instruction.
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01.40.G- Curricula and evaluation
01.40.-d Education
01.40.Fk Research in physics education
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies

Regulations and Ethical Considerations for Astronomy Education Research II: Resources and Worked Examples

Erik Brogt, Erin Dokter, Jessie Antonellis, and Sanlyn Buxner

2007, AER, 6 (2), 99, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007021 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: 30 January 2008

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This article discusses the legal and ethical requirements of human subjects research proposals in astronomy education research. We present an overview of the relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines that inform an Institutional Review Board evaluation of proposed research. We also present examples of potential research projects in astronomy education research and discuss their ethical issues.
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01.40.Fk Research in physics education
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Teaching Scientific Logic: Theories and Observations

Kelly S. Cline

2007, AER, 6 (2), 111, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007022

Online Publication Date: 04 October 2007

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We present a type of assignment designed to teach scientific thinking in introductory astronomy. Students are presented with a list of ideas that have been studied earlier in the course. The students must first classify each idea as being either an observation or a theory. Then the students must match them up in pairs: in each pair, the theory explains the observation, and the observation is evidence supporting the theory.
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Call for Contributions on Astronomy Demonstrations

2007, AER, 6 (2), 115, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007023

Online Publication Date: 06 January 2009

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education
01.50.My Demonstration experiments and apparatus

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific Invites Nominations for the Society’s 2008 Awards

2007, AER, 6 (2), 117, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007024

Online Publication Date: 06 January 2009

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education
01.75.+m Science and society
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This I Understand: The Importance of Banning the B-Word from Science

Kristine Larsen

2007, AER, 6 (2), 118, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007025

Online Publication Date: 02 January 2008

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What our students hear when we say something is a “theory” is that it is a hunch or a guess, and because it is not “proven” and admittedly can never be, it is somehow not to be taken seriously. With the general public misusing and misunderstanding the concept of a theory as we mean it, it is vitally important that scientists and science educators be mindful of the power of language and take great care when communicating with students and the general public. “I was brought up to believe, and I still believe, that physics is an experimental science.”—Sheldon Glashow
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01.40.ek Secondary school
01.40.-d Education
01.70.+w Philosophy of science
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
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What To Drop From A One-Semester Version Of “Astro 101”

2007, AER, 6 (2), 127, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007026

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Abstract Unavailable

Astronomy Education Research Charter and Symposium Report

2007, AER, 6 (2), 130, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007027 | Cited 1 time

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Abstract Unavailable
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Development of a Concept Inventory to Assess Students’ Understanding and Reasoning Difficulties about the Properties and Formation of Stars

Janelle M. Bailey

2007, AER, 6 (2), 133, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2007028 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: 04 October 2007

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Through the use of open-ended surveys, students’ ideas about the properties and formation of stars were investigated. It was determined that, although students often know some basic properties of stars, their understanding lacks detail about fundamental issues such as nuclear fusion. These results led to the development and validation of the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI), which can be used as a pretest∕posttest to determine students’ growth in this content area. For participating ASTRO 101 courses, the average pretest score on the SPCI was about 31%, while the average posttest score was 51%.
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