Adam Johnston | Weber State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Adam Johnston

This field report provides examples of how “play” is a model for science education in informal en... more This field report provides examples of how “play” is a model for science education in informal environments. By utilizing community settings such as parks during the summer, schools in the evening, and museum space on the weekend, these examples provide accessible contexts for children and their families. The contexts, methods, and activities of each of these examples are described in order to suggest the wide variety of ways in which science education can be woven with community through play.

Psychology Learning & Teaching, 2014

Two studies explored conceptual change in undergraduate psychology students' acceptance of th... more Two studies explored conceptual change in undergraduate psychology students' acceptance of the scientific foundations of the discipline. In Study 1, Introductory Psychology students completed the Psychology as Science questionnaire (PAS) at the beginning and end of the semester and did so from their own (Self Condition) and their instructors' (Professor Condition) perspectives. Study 2 replicated Study 1 with advanced students enrolled in research-oriented courses. In both studies, students had higher PAS scores in the Professor than the Self Condition and there was a modest change from the beginning to the end of the semester in Self PAS scores. The change in Self PAS scores was positively related to higher Professor PAS scores at the end of the semester, when controlling for initial Professor PAS scores and other variables. The discussion highlights pedagogical practices that promote students' representation of their professors' thinking about the discipline as dis...

sciedxroads.org

In the beginning, this was going to be a story about a renegade working conference for science ed... more In the beginning, this was going to be a story about a renegade working conference for science educators. Then it became a narrative about young scholars seeking to deepen their craft. Now, we find ourselves involved in an ongoing disquisition about revival and relief, about care and critique, and listening and laughing. However, we are ahead of ourselves. We should begin by examining expertise development.

annual meeting of National Association for Research in Science Teaching International Conference, Philadelphia, PA, 2003

American Education Research Association, Montreal, Canada, 2005

Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, 2002

This research analyzed teachers conceptions of the nature of science and how they developed durin... more This research analyzed teachers conceptions of the nature of science and how they developed during a graduate course which was focused on the nature of science and how it is learned. These teachers engaged with nature of science concepts explicitly and reflectively, considering the concepts in the contexts of science itself as well as in their respective classrooms. Through a series of questionnaires, reflection papers, classroom activities, and a final paper, each teacher's development of his or her conceptions regarding the nature of science was recorded. By analyzing this data, we show how each individual conceptual ecology strongly interacted with concepts from the course to produce understandings unique to an individual. This has implications for both our design of nature of science instruction and for our understanding of the conceptual change process and learning in general.

This research considers how learners conceptualize nature of science ideas. We conducted a qualit... more This research considers how learners conceptualize nature of science ideas. We conducted a qualitative study with four learners to understand what their conceptions of the nature of science are, how these conceptions are cognitively justified, and how these conceptions interact with other aspects of their conceptual framework and conceptual ecologies. We found that, even when learners could explicitly describe aspects of the nature of science, the conceptions that they employ could change radically as a result of differing ...

I read with intrigue and appreciation John Settlage’s recent editorial piece (Settlage, 2007) in ... more I read with intrigue and appreciation John Settlage’s recent editorial piece (Settlage, 2007) in this journal regarding the notion of mythology and its pertinence to the ideals of open inquiry. Much of what Settlage describes gives me pause and a fresh new perspective on curriculum reform and the ideals of science education. Many of the points of his editorial are fascinating to me and, I believe, productive considerations for our field. Knowing that myths are pervasive and unavoidable empowers us to identify them for what they are and prevent them from preventing progress in any given field or endeavor. I especially appreciate Settlage’s mirror, now turned back upon us to show the discipline its own blemishes. In this case, we see the inconsistencies of advocating the ideals of open inquiry without clear evidence that it supports student learning of science content. As Settlage points out, “adhering to myths can distract our efforts from legitimate problems that are more deserving ...

Children, Youth and Environments, 2011

This field report provides examples of how “play” is a model for science education in informal en... more This field report provides examples of how “play” is a model for science education in informal environments. By utilizing community settings such as parks during the summer, schools in the evening, and museum space on the weekend, these examples provide accessible contexts for children and their families. The contexts, methods, and activities of each of these examples are described in order to suggest the wide variety of ways in which science education can be woven with community through play. Keywords: science, play, ...

This research analyzed teachers conceptions of the nature of science and how they developed durin... more This research analyzed teachers conceptions of the nature of science and how they developed during a graduate course which was focused on the nature of science and how it is learned. These teachers engaged with nature of science concepts explicitly and reflectively, considering the concepts in the contexts of science itself as well as in their respective classrooms. Through a series of questionnaires, reflection papers, classroom activities, and a final paper, each teacher's development of his or her conceptions regarding the nature of science was recorded. By analyzing this data, we show how each individual conceptual ecology strongly interacted with concepts from the course to produce understandings unique to an individual. This has implications for both our design of nature of science instruction and for our understanding of the conceptual change process and learning in general.

Physics, and science in general, has been relatively successful at educating its undergraduates i... more Physics, and science in general, has been relatively successful at educating its undergraduates in very particular ways. As a result of taking a one-year general physics course, a student should be able to solve problems relating to how things fall, how the temperature and pressure of a gas are related, and how electric current produces magnetic forces. In some cases, students might also be able to show how such problems can be applied to the "real life" applications of a laboratory. These students learn such skills because these are presumed to be a forerunner to other skills that allow them to be successful scientists, engineers, doctors, and the like.

Participants write about vexations in advance, share those with others, and receive feedback in a... more Participants write about vexations in advance, share those with others, and receive feedback in a manner reminiscent of Crossroads conferences (conferences.weber.edu/crossroads).

Abstract This research compares the methodological tools employed in NOS research, with analysis ... more Abstract This research compares the methodological tools employed in NOS research, with analysis of what the comparison implies about the structure of nature of science knowledge. Descriptions of practicing teachers' nature of science conceptions were compared based on data collected from forced choice responses, responses to a qualitative survey, and course writing samples.

Abstract To test whether students' knowledge about psychology undergoes a conceptual change when ... more Abstract To test whether students' knowledge about psychology undergoes a conceptual change when learning about the discipline, 227 Introductory Psychology students from six different classes were given the Psychology as a Science (PAS) Scale in one of two conditions. Students were randomly assigned to complete the questionnaire from their own (Self Condition) or their psychology professor‟ s (Professor Condition) perspective.

Science is not always conducted by a lone scientist in a cold, candlelit room poring over diagram... more Science is not always conducted by a lone scientist in a cold, candlelit room poring over diagrams and equations. Sometimes science involves mugs, spoons and hot chocolate. This is a message science educators often try to convey to their students. A common method for teaching this involves a phenomenon dubbed “the hot chocolate effect”(Crawford, 1982, p. 398).

Abstract To test whether students' knowledge about psychology undergoes a conceptual change when ... more Abstract To test whether students' knowledge about psychology undergoes a conceptual change when learning about the discipline, 227 Introductory Psychology students from six different classes were given the Psychology as a Science (PAS) Scale in one of two conditions. Students were randomly assigned to complete the questionnaire from their own (Self Condition) or their psychology professor's (Professor Condition) perspective.

This field report provides examples of how “play” is a model for science education in informal en... more This field report provides examples of how “play” is a model for science education in informal environments. By utilizing community settings such as parks during the summer, schools in the evening, and museum space on the weekend, these examples provide accessible contexts for children and their families. The contexts, methods, and activities of each of these examples are described in order to suggest the wide variety of ways in which science education can be woven with community through play.

Psychology Learning & Teaching, 2014

Two studies explored conceptual change in undergraduate psychology students' acceptance of th... more Two studies explored conceptual change in undergraduate psychology students' acceptance of the scientific foundations of the discipline. In Study 1, Introductory Psychology students completed the Psychology as Science questionnaire (PAS) at the beginning and end of the semester and did so from their own (Self Condition) and their instructors' (Professor Condition) perspectives. Study 2 replicated Study 1 with advanced students enrolled in research-oriented courses. In both studies, students had higher PAS scores in the Professor than the Self Condition and there was a modest change from the beginning to the end of the semester in Self PAS scores. The change in Self PAS scores was positively related to higher Professor PAS scores at the end of the semester, when controlling for initial Professor PAS scores and other variables. The discussion highlights pedagogical practices that promote students' representation of their professors' thinking about the discipline as dis...

sciedxroads.org

In the beginning, this was going to be a story about a renegade working conference for science ed... more In the beginning, this was going to be a story about a renegade working conference for science educators. Then it became a narrative about young scholars seeking to deepen their craft. Now, we find ourselves involved in an ongoing disquisition about revival and relief, about care and critique, and listening and laughing. However, we are ahead of ourselves. We should begin by examining expertise development.

annual meeting of National Association for Research in Science Teaching International Conference, Philadelphia, PA, 2003

American Education Research Association, Montreal, Canada, 2005

Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, 2002

This research analyzed teachers conceptions of the nature of science and how they developed durin... more This research analyzed teachers conceptions of the nature of science and how they developed during a graduate course which was focused on the nature of science and how it is learned. These teachers engaged with nature of science concepts explicitly and reflectively, considering the concepts in the contexts of science itself as well as in their respective classrooms. Through a series of questionnaires, reflection papers, classroom activities, and a final paper, each teacher's development of his or her conceptions regarding the nature of science was recorded. By analyzing this data, we show how each individual conceptual ecology strongly interacted with concepts from the course to produce understandings unique to an individual. This has implications for both our design of nature of science instruction and for our understanding of the conceptual change process and learning in general.

This research considers how learners conceptualize nature of science ideas. We conducted a qualit... more This research considers how learners conceptualize nature of science ideas. We conducted a qualitative study with four learners to understand what their conceptions of the nature of science are, how these conceptions are cognitively justified, and how these conceptions interact with other aspects of their conceptual framework and conceptual ecologies. We found that, even when learners could explicitly describe aspects of the nature of science, the conceptions that they employ could change radically as a result of differing ...

I read with intrigue and appreciation John Settlage’s recent editorial piece (Settlage, 2007) in ... more I read with intrigue and appreciation John Settlage’s recent editorial piece (Settlage, 2007) in this journal regarding the notion of mythology and its pertinence to the ideals of open inquiry. Much of what Settlage describes gives me pause and a fresh new perspective on curriculum reform and the ideals of science education. Many of the points of his editorial are fascinating to me and, I believe, productive considerations for our field. Knowing that myths are pervasive and unavoidable empowers us to identify them for what they are and prevent them from preventing progress in any given field or endeavor. I especially appreciate Settlage’s mirror, now turned back upon us to show the discipline its own blemishes. In this case, we see the inconsistencies of advocating the ideals of open inquiry without clear evidence that it supports student learning of science content. As Settlage points out, “adhering to myths can distract our efforts from legitimate problems that are more deserving ...

Children, Youth and Environments, 2011

This field report provides examples of how “play” is a model for science education in informal en... more This field report provides examples of how “play” is a model for science education in informal environments. By utilizing community settings such as parks during the summer, schools in the evening, and museum space on the weekend, these examples provide accessible contexts for children and their families. The contexts, methods, and activities of each of these examples are described in order to suggest the wide variety of ways in which science education can be woven with community through play. Keywords: science, play, ...

This research analyzed teachers conceptions of the nature of science and how they developed durin... more This research analyzed teachers conceptions of the nature of science and how they developed during a graduate course which was focused on the nature of science and how it is learned. These teachers engaged with nature of science concepts explicitly and reflectively, considering the concepts in the contexts of science itself as well as in their respective classrooms. Through a series of questionnaires, reflection papers, classroom activities, and a final paper, each teacher's development of his or her conceptions regarding the nature of science was recorded. By analyzing this data, we show how each individual conceptual ecology strongly interacted with concepts from the course to produce understandings unique to an individual. This has implications for both our design of nature of science instruction and for our understanding of the conceptual change process and learning in general.

Physics, and science in general, has been relatively successful at educating its undergraduates i... more Physics, and science in general, has been relatively successful at educating its undergraduates in very particular ways. As a result of taking a one-year general physics course, a student should be able to solve problems relating to how things fall, how the temperature and pressure of a gas are related, and how electric current produces magnetic forces. In some cases, students might also be able to show how such problems can be applied to the "real life" applications of a laboratory. These students learn such skills because these are presumed to be a forerunner to other skills that allow them to be successful scientists, engineers, doctors, and the like.

Participants write about vexations in advance, share those with others, and receive feedback in a... more Participants write about vexations in advance, share those with others, and receive feedback in a manner reminiscent of Crossroads conferences (conferences.weber.edu/crossroads).

Abstract This research compares the methodological tools employed in NOS research, with analysis ... more Abstract This research compares the methodological tools employed in NOS research, with analysis of what the comparison implies about the structure of nature of science knowledge. Descriptions of practicing teachers' nature of science conceptions were compared based on data collected from forced choice responses, responses to a qualitative survey, and course writing samples.

Abstract To test whether students' knowledge about psychology undergoes a conceptual change when ... more Abstract To test whether students' knowledge about psychology undergoes a conceptual change when learning about the discipline, 227 Introductory Psychology students from six different classes were given the Psychology as a Science (PAS) Scale in one of two conditions. Students were randomly assigned to complete the questionnaire from their own (Self Condition) or their psychology professor‟ s (Professor Condition) perspective.

Science is not always conducted by a lone scientist in a cold, candlelit room poring over diagram... more Science is not always conducted by a lone scientist in a cold, candlelit room poring over diagrams and equations. Sometimes science involves mugs, spoons and hot chocolate. This is a message science educators often try to convey to their students. A common method for teaching this involves a phenomenon dubbed “the hot chocolate effect”(Crawford, 1982, p. 398).

Abstract To test whether students' knowledge about psychology undergoes a conceptual change when ... more Abstract To test whether students' knowledge about psychology undergoes a conceptual change when learning about the discipline, 227 Introductory Psychology students from six different classes were given the Psychology as a Science (PAS) Scale in one of two conditions. Students were randomly assigned to complete the questionnaire from their own (Self Condition) or their psychology professor's (Professor Condition) perspective.