Published research on pre-college students’ and teachers’ nanoscale science, engineering, and technology learning (original) (raw)
Related papers
Precollege nanotechnology education: a different kind of thinking
Nanotechnology Reviews, 2015
The introduction of nanotechnology education into K-12 education has happened so quickly that there has been little time to evaluate the approaches and knowledge goals that are most effective to teach precollege students. This review of nanotechnology education examines the instructional approaches and types of knowledge that frame nanotechnology precollege education. Methods used to teach different forms of knowledge are examined in light of the goal of creating effective and meaningful instruction. The developmental components needed to understand concepts such as surface area to volume relationships as well as the counterintuitive behavior of nanoscale materials are described. Instructional methods used in precollege nanotechnology education and the levels at which different nanoscale topics are introduced is presented and critiqued. Suggestions are made for the development of new nanotechnology educational programs that are developmental, sequenced, and meaningful.
COSMOS, 2013
Nanoscale science is a rapidly-developing, multidisciplinary¯eld of science and research that combines engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, and information technology pushes and the boundary between the science and the technology required to conduct it. Nanoscale science involves investigating and working with matter on the scale of 1À100 microns and has broad societal implications for new technologies. It is estimated that the worldwide workforce necessary to support the¯eld of nanoscale science and nanotechnology will be close to 2 million by 2015 (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2005). With such rapid developments in nanoscale science and technology, it is becoming more incumbent upon K-12 science teachers to provide the learning experiences necessary for students to understand the principles that govern behavior at the nanoscale and develop the skills needed to apply these concepts to improve everyday life. While onlya limited amount of nanoscale curricular materials are available for K-12 and undergraduate education many important unanswered questions exist, including: How do science teachers learn to teach nanoscale science?
Nanotechnology …, 2012
As nanoscale science, engineering, and technology (NSET) becomes more integrated into precollege science curricula, it is crucial for teachers to develop coherent understandings of science principles (e.g., the structure of matter, size and scale, forces and interactions, and size-dependent properties) that allow them to coordinate these understandings from the macro-to the nanoscale. Furthermore, as teachers acquire new NSET content knowledge through professional learning opportunities, it is incumbent upon NSET educators to understand their developing content knowledge. To this end, we report results from a study in which we used a pre-/post-/delayed-posttest design to examine the change in 24 secondary (grades 7 -12) science teachers ' NSET content knowledge as a result of their participation in a year-long professional development program that consisted of a 2-week intensive course and academic year follow-up activities. Participants showed signifi cant gains from pretest to posttest and signifi cant gains on the delayed test compared to the pretest. We also present trends that emerged in teachers ' open-ended responses that provided deeper insight into teachers ' NSET content knowledge. Finally, we discuss issues related to the assessment of teachers ' NSET content knowledge as well as the design of NSET professional development for teachers.
Integrating nanoscience and technology in the high school science classroom
Nanotechnology reviews, 2015
In the National Science Foundation funded NanoTeach development project, high school teachers participated in a year-long professional development experience where they learned about emerging nanoscale science and technology (NS&T) content and research-based instructional strategies to support effective classroom lesson design and implementation. Program participants from four states were assigned either to the fully facilitated model or to the team study approach. Case studies were prepared for four participants from the Louisiana site, two from the fully facilitated NanoTeach model group and two from the team study NanoTeach group. Data for the case studies included in this article include qualitative and quantitative data regarding the changes in teachers' NS&T knowledge and their ability to teach the content using the effective strategies included in the professional development sessions and resource materials. The case studies provide new insights into the ways teachers' integrated NS&T in the high school curriculum.
2007
This study is a first step in the investigation of the issues involved with incorporating nanoscale phenomena concepts in the middle-and high-school curricula. During a two-week summer workshop held by the National Center for Learning and Teaching Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT) at Purdue University, lessons and activities on nanoscale phenomena as well as suggestions for incorporation into curricula and the relationship of these activities to both National and Indiana State Standards were presented and discussed. At the completion of the experience, the twelve participating teachers created lesson plans that they intended to use in their classrooms as a result of their experiences at the workshop. The lesson plans were collected and serve as the qualitative data contributing to this study. They allow for an in-depth exploration of where and how nanoscale phenomena concepts can be incorporated into current middle-and high-school curricula. Analysis of the data reveals difficulties in this incorporation and guides further development of the NCLT professional development experience.
Hands-on experience on nanotechnology was offered to the seventh grade students at West Fargo STEM Middle School using grade appropriate teaching modules developed in collaboration with subject teachers from West Fargo Public Schools. The content of the modules complemented course contents in science and mathematics in the seventh grade class. Eighty six students from the school participated in this year long program. Pre- and post-surveys were conducted and additional information on students’ perspective on various issues were collected to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The results indicate that hands-on activities help in stimulating students’ interest in technologies. The authors believe that these programs can be emulated by others in promoting engineering education and research. The pre- and post-survey data also indicate that the students do not have enough information to decide their career paths and there is a need for additional outreach activities on science, t...
Integrating Nanoscale Science and Technology Ideas into Classrooms
Electronic Journal of Science Education, 2013
The purpose of this study was to understand science teachers" perceptions on integrating nanoscale science and technology (NST) ideas into their classrooms. Specifically, we studied barriers that might inhibit them from incorporating nanoscale science and technology ideas into their instruction. Fifteen teachers participated in a workshop, which provided them with instructional materials, resources, and activities on emerging nanoscience topics that could be incorporated into their classes. Surveys were administrated at the beginning and at the end of the workshop, and follow-up interviews were conducted three months later. Our findings detail intrinsic and extrinsic barriers in teachers" perceptions to implementation of nanoscale science and technology ideas into instruction. Teachers" perceptions shifted over time, likely as a result of participating in the workshop, and in the long term. We conclude with discussing four main themes that emerged from the data: teachers" knowledge and capability to teach NST; relevance of NST in secondary science; time constraints in the curriculum and to prepare lessons on NST; and teaching materials and resources on NST.
Challenges in Nanoscience Education
2020
This chapter examines the challenges that educators face in teaching nanotechnology. A survey was conducted with nano science and engineering researchers and educators from precollege through graduate school to explore issues educators face in teaching about nanotechnology and nanoscale science. The challenges that were noted by survey respondents include a lack of textbooks and instructional materials as well as a lack of laboratory investigations and laboratory equipment. For precollege educators there is a perceived mismatch between the existing science curriculum and the essential concepts that comprise nanotechnology. There is also a need for more professional development to help teachers in precollege, community college and undergraduate levels have the knowledge and skills needed to teach this rapidly evolving area. This chapter highlights the new opportunities that nanotechnology offers for underrepresented minorities to engage in new interdisciplinary areas of science and engineering.
Teaching high-school students nanoscience and nanotechnology
Lumat: International Journal of Math, Science and Technology Education
Science education research has recognized the potential of NanoScience and nanoTechnology (NST) due to its contribution to scientific literacy of future generations. Scholars have identified nine “Big Ideas” as important enough to teach in order to understand NST issues. Based on these “Big Ideas” a teaching learning sequence for lower secondary students has been developed focused on: Size and Scale, Tools and Instrumentation, Size-Dependent Properties and Science-Technology-Society. The teaching sequence was implemented in a class of 15 students of a lower secondary school (8th grade; aged 14-15). Seven meetings took place; each one lasting about ninety minutes. The course was structured as follows: 1. Introduction. 2. How small is a nanometer? 3. How can we “see” the nanoworld? 4. Size-dependent properties: Change of the surface area to volume ratio. 5. Explaining the behavior of different textiles (ranged from hydrophilic to hydrophobic) when absorbing water drops. 6. Explaining ...
2012
The purpose of this study was to understand science teachers‟ perceptions on integrating nanoscale science and technology (NST) ideas into their classrooms. Specifically, we studied barriers that might inhibit them from incorporating nanoscale science and technology ideas into their instruction. Fifteen teachers participated in a workshop, which provided them with instructional materials, resources, and activities on emerging nanoscience topics that could be incorporated into their classes. Surveys were administrated at the beginning and at the end of the workshop, and follow-up interviews were conducted three months later. Our findings detail intrinsic and extrinsic barriers in teachers‟ perceptions to implementation of nanoscale science and technology ideas into instruction. Teachers‟ perceptions shifted over time, likely as a result of participating in the workshop, and in the long term. We conclude with discussing four main themes that emerged from the data: teachers‟ knowledge ...