Gender Aspects of Participation,Support, and Success in a State Science Fair

This study of students competing in the 2009 Massachusetts State Science & Engineering Fair investigates the role gender played in students' participation, choice of science field, award of prizes, and mentioning inspiring teachers. Females made up 62% of the participants and were more likely to enter projects in biology and in earth/space/environmental sciences, whereas males were more heavily represented in engineering. Girls and boys were equally likely to receive an award. Nearly half of both the girls and the boys reported having an inspiring teacher, but this was not associated with greater student success. Furthermore, for girls, the gender of the inspiring teacher did not influence the chances of winning an award.     

Influences on Science Fair Participant Research Design Selection and Success

The purpose of this investigation is to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of pre-college researchers by examining the influences on research design selection and success in competition. The 22 participants were finalists at the 44th International Science and Engineering Fair, where they completed a questionnaire describing the influences on their research activities and methodologies. Additional data consisted of artifacts collected from the participants and the Science Service. Data were analyzed using an interpretive methodology. Assertions generated from the analysis indicated that students are largely accurate in self-reports of design, interacted with mentors on several levels, outside influences reflect shifts in motivational orientation, and success attributions reflect internalization of influences. Recommendations for future research with science fair participants are included.     

Predictors of Science Fair Participation Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

The purpose of this study was to use The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine factors that predict junior high and secondary students' attitude toward participating in a district science fair competition (attitude toward behavior), beliefs about who would approve or disapprove of participation in a science fair (subjective norm), and perceptions of control about participating in the science fair (perceived behavioral control). Factors used to predict these included gender, type of school (public or private), grade level, GPA, participation in a gifted class, participation in a research course, requirement to complete a science fair project, and level of anxiety about completing a science fair project. Three hundred three participants completed a standard TPB questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Indicator. Multiple regression models revealed that subjective norm and participation in a gifted class were predictors of attitude toward the behavior. Attitude toward the behavior, the science fair project counting toward a grade in science class, the parent's level of education, and the science fair entry being required predicted subjective norm. A discriminant function analysis found that type of school (public or private), parents' level of education, participation in a research program at school, grade level, and trait anxiety were the strongest predictors of perceived behavioral control. It was concluded that science fair entry appears to be involuntary, in conflict with NSTA's Position Statement on Science Fairs. Typically junior high students (whose parents have a higher level of education) attending private schools are required to enter science fairs, and the entry counts toward a grade in science class.     

Informal Science Experience,Attitudes, Future Interest in Science,and Gender of High-Ability Students: An Exploratory Study

The present study examined specific science-related attitudes, informal science-related experiences, future interest in science, and gender of young high-ability students. The sample consisted of 111 high-ability students between the ages of 9 and 13. Students completed the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA), the Science Experience Survey, and the Course Selection Sheet. Two regression models were developed to predict number of physical science and life science courses selected. In the first model, gender, TOSRA subscale Career Interest in Science, and informal physical science related experience predicted 42% of the variance related to number of physical science courses selected. The second model (R²= .24) predicted number of life science courses based on informal life science related experience, informal physical science related experience, and TOSRA subscale Enjoyment of Science Lessons. Recommendations were made recognizing differences regarding gender and ability level.     

Promoting Equitable Biology Lab Instruction by Engaging All Students in a Broad Range of Science Practices: An Exploratory Study

This study examines what students enrolled in the honors and general sections of a high school biology course offered at the same school learn when they have an opportunity to participate in a broad or narrow range of science practices during their laboratory experiences. The results of our analysis suggest that the students enrolled in the general sections of the course made similar or larger gains than the students enrolled in the honors section of the course in their abilities to plan and carry out an investigation, argue from evidence, and write a science‐specific persuasive essay when these students had an opportunity to participate in a broad range of science practices. These findings suggest that laboratory experiences that give students an opportunity to participate in a broad range of science practices, although considered challenging by many teachers, have the potential to help all students become more proficient in science. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this study for classroom instruction and educational policy.     

Multiplex Multi-Core Pattern of Network Organizations: An Exploratory Study

Recent research on small-world theory has been expanded upon organizations behavior. However, most individual studies have taken a simplified view of individuals and relationships among members by focusing on a single type of links mainly within dyadic relationships. In reality, members of organizations are interacting with each other and often connected via many types of links within more complex relationships. To explore this complex interaction, this study models organization as network and proposes a multiplex approach that captures the complexity of relationships among members in organizations. This approach accounts for the multiple types of links among members and the multiple roles of members within network organizations. It is illustrated via a case study of a network organization. The case study demonstrates how this approach could capture the many types of relationship among members as well as the various roles that members play within the network organization. Such an approach can yield new insights on how to better manage network organizations.     

Evolution of Unit Fraction Conceptions in Two Fifth-Graders with a Learning Disability: An Exploratory Study

The literature seems limited in what is known about conceptual processes that underlie evolution of students with learning disabilities (SLD) conceptions of fractions. This exploratory study examines how a foundational scheme of unit fractions (1/n) may evolve through the mathematical activity of two fifth grade girls. We analyze data segments from episodes conducted during a teaching experiment grounded in the activity of iterating estimates of one person's equal share. Our findings include four distinct conceptual stages: (1) No Conception of the Nature of Adjustment to the Magnitude of a Unit Fraction, (2) Evolving Anticipation of the Nature of Adjustment but not of its Relative Amount, (3) Anticipation of the Nature of Adjustment with an Evolving Partial Amount, and (4) a Dual Anticipation of the Nature and Amount of Adjustment. Findings demonstrate each girl was able to use her constructed scheme to successfully solve and reason about novel problems. We discuss the need for more research to confirm the findings from this study, while offering a conjecture of the possibilities for more SLDs to advance their conceptions of fractions in future interventions.     

An Exploratory Study of College Students' Views of Mathematical Thinking in a Historical Approach Calculus Course

Heuristic training alone is not enough for developing one's mathematical thinking. One missing component is a mathematical point of view. This study reports findings regarding outcomes of a historical approach calculus course to foster Taiwanese college students' views of mathematical thinking. This study consisted of 3 stages. During the initial phase, 44 engineering majors' views on mathematical thinking were tabulated by an open-ended questionnaire, and 9 randomly selected students were invited to participate in follow-up interviews. Students then received an 18-week historical approach calculus course in which mathematical concepts were problematized to challenge their intuition-based empirical beliefs about doing mathematics. Near the end of the semester, all participants answered the identical questionnaire, and we interviewed the same students to pinpoint any shifts in their views on mathematical thinking. We found that participants were more likely to value logical sense, creativity, and imagination in doing mathematics. Further, students were leaning toward a conservative attitude toward certainty of mathematical knowledge. Participants' focus seemingly shifted from mathematics as a product to mathematics as a process.     

An Exploratory Study of College Students' Views of Mathematical Thinking in a Historical Approach Calculus Course

Heuristic training alone is not enough for developing one's mathematical thinking. One missing component is a mathematical point of view. This study reports findings regarding outcomes of a historical approach calculus course to foster Taiwanese college students' views of mathematical thinking. This study consisted of 3 stages. During the initial phase, 44 engineering majors' views on mathematical thinking were tabulated by an open-ended questionnaire, and 9 randomly selected students were invited to participate in follow-up interviews. Students then received an 18-week historical approach calculus course in which mathematical concepts were problematized to challenge their intuition-based empirical beliefs about doing mathematics. Near the end of the semester, all participants answered the identical questionnaire, and we interviewed the same students to pinpoint any shifts in their views on mathematical thinking. We found that participants were more likely to value logical sense, creativity, and imagination in doing mathematics. Further, students were leaning toward a conservative attitude toward certainty of mathematical knowledge. Participants' focus seemingly shifted from mathematics as a product to mathematics as a process.     

Fair partitions of polygons: An elementary introduction

We introduce the question: Given a positive integer N, can any 2D convex polygonal region be partitioned into N convex pieces such that all pieces have the same area and the same perimeter? The answer to this question is easily ??yes?? for N?=?2. We give an elementary proof that the answer is ??yes?? for N?=?4 and generalize it to higher powers of 2.     

Predicting Success in Selected Events of the Science Olympiad

Two studies were performed using students who competed at regional and national levels in the Science Olympiad. The Olympiad is a day-long, multi-event competition in which teams of junior high and senior high science students cooperate in the application of science process skills and reasoning to score points by solving problems or answering questions. High school participants in the first study took the Test of Integrated Process Skills (TIPS) prior to the Olympiad. In the second study, junior high students were given the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) test before competing in three selected Olympiad events. Results indicate that both the TIPS and the GALT tests correlate significantly with student success “on the playing field” of science. Knowing students' initial process skills and logical reasoning abilities is useful for planning effective science programs, but is probably not a good way to select the best students for competition in the Science Olympiad.     

Reflections on Success and Retention in Urban Science Education: Voices of Five African‐American Science Teachers Who Stayed

This study highlights the factors that contribute to excellence in urban science teaching as pinpointed by five urban African‐American science teachers who have taught successfully in the urban system for over 10 years. These teachers shared their experiences and reflections on the qualities that contributed to their success and persistence as urban science teachers. Their ability to understand and care for their students was a major contributing factor; other contributing factors included in‐depth knowledge and love of science, caring and commitment to the whole child, effective classroom management strategies, high expectations and motivation of their students, and an understanding and acceptance of the varying parental involvement in the educational decisions about their child.