Adjusting to Your Surroundings: An Inquiry-Based Learning Module to Teach Principles of Mechanobiology for Regenerative Medicine

Mechanobiology is an interdisciplinary field that aims to understand how physical forces impact biological systems. Enhancing our knowledge of mechanobiology has become increasingly important for understanding human disease and developing novel therapeutics. There is a societal need to teach diverse students principles of mechanobiology so that we may collectively expand our knowledge of this subject and apply new principles to improving human health. Toward this goal, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a hands-on, inquiry-based learning (IBL) module to teach students principles of cell-biomaterial interactions. This module was designed to be hosted in two 3-h sessions, over two consecutive days. During this time, students learned how to synthesize and mechanically test biomaterials, culture bacteria cells, and assess effects of matrix stiffness on bacteria cell proliferation. Among the 73 students who registered to participate in our IBL mechanobiology module, 40 students completed both days and participated in this study. A vast majority of the participants were considered underrepresented minority (URM) students based on race/ethnicity. Using pre/post-tests, we found that students experienced significant learning gains of 33 percentage points from completing our IBL mechanobiology module. In addition to gaining knowledge of mechanobiology, validated pre/post-surveys showed that students also experienced significant improvements in scientific literacy. Instructors may use this module as described, increase the complexity for an undergraduate classroom assignment, or make the module less complex for K-12 outreach. As presented, this IBL mechanobiology module effectively teaches diverse students principles of mechanobiology and scientific inquiry. Deploying this module, and similar IBL modules, may help advance the next generation of mechanobiologists.

Establishing a professional learning community for cultivating future design talents using a 'peer coaching' mechanism

The Professional Learning Community (PLC) has an interdisciplinary focus on the humanities, arts, and technology. In order to explore the impact of peer coaching on the learning outcomes of eight university faculty members involved in the PLC for 'cultivating future design talents through inquiry-based learning', to develop an innovative approach for the university faculty members professional growth. A qualitative case study approach through six professional development courses with a dynamic revision process, participant observation and in-depth interviews to determine the potential of peer coaching as a tool for PLC teachers. It shows that peer coaching facilitated collaborative learning and positively contributed to PLC teachers' co-construction of knowledge in relation to Inquiry-Based Learning teaching approaches. The study found four processes of course-driven professional development and shows that multiple roles of PLC teachers, the PLC group dynamics, and online peer interaction are important issues in the post-COVID-19 era.

Medical Students as Educators: Addressing Teaching Skills Through a Pre-clerkship Development Group

In medicine, effective teaching is requisite for both successful patient care and trainee development. However, opportunities for medical students to gain exposure to pedagogical principles and hone teaching skills are currently limited. Our initiative provides avenues for medical students to intentionally develop their teaching skill set from an early stage.

Online Science Instruction Can Promote Adolescents' Autonomy Need Satisfaction: a Latent Growth Curve Analysis

This research examined the differential motivational effects of a pre-college science enrichment program delivered in both online and in-person learning formats. Using self-determination theory as a guiding framework, we hypothesized that (a) students would exhibit growth in their perceived satisfaction of needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, (b) online learning would be associated with greater growth in autonomy, and (c) in-person learning would be associated with greater growth in both competence and relatedness. Using a sample of 598 adolescent participants, results of latent growth curve modeling indicated that satisfaction of the three needs grew unconditionally over the course of the program. However, format type was unrelated to growth in need satisfaction. Rather, this effect was found to be conditional upon the type of science project undertaken by students: astrophysics students exhibited significantly greater autonomy growth when receiving online instruction than did biochemistry students. Our findings suggest that online science learning can be just as effective in motivating students as in-person learning provided that the learning tasks are conducive to remote instruction.

Integrating augmented reality into inquiry-based learning approach in primary science classrooms

Notwithstanding the advantages of incorporating Augmented Reality (AR) in education, AR's concrete uses as compared to other technologies are not fully recognised. Moreover, many of the existing studies have neglected to examine the impact of pedagogy and its corresponding instructional models, whilst implementing AR in teaching and learning. In leveraging the affordances of AR, an inquiry-based learning framework, referred to as QIMS, was proposed in this study. A learning package was developed on the topic of plant reproduction for primary 5 students (aged 11-12) based on the QIMS framework. Using a quasi-experimental approach, this study evaluated three conditions (AR and QIMS; QIMS; Non-AR and Non-QIMS) for a series of science lessons in a primary school. 117 students took part in this study. The quantitative results showed that although there was no statistically significant difference in students' academic performance when AR was used, students' self-directed learning and creative thinking skills increased significantly after partaking in the QIMS inquiry-based lessons. The usage of AR and QIMS had a significant effect in increasing students' critical thinking and knowledge creation efficacy skills. Moreover, in view of students' academic outcomes, the integration of QIMS and AR proved to be more beneficial to low-progress students. Qualitative analysis of the interview data from teachers and students aids in accounting for the quantitative results and indicate productive implementation strategies. The findings of this study will guide the design of future AR interventions, by providing insights for both researchers and practitioners on how to integrate and implement AR with pedagogical approaches.

Teaching Approaches for STEM Integration in Pre- and Primary School: a Systematic Qualitative Literature Review

In the last 5 years, there have been several literature reviews or meta-analyses investigating various aspects of STEM education; however, they have investigated a specific aspect of STEM, e.g. robotics, or digital games, or Early childhood, or Teacher perspectives. In addition, a broad-reaching review on STEM integration has not been conducted in the past 10 years. This article reports findings from a Systematic Qualitative Literature Review concerning STEM education for children aged 4-12 in formal education contexts. To provide context, the article initially presents descriptive findings (date and country of research, age of participants, research setting, and research methodologies used) in the 60 research articles that are included for analysis. The article then answers three research questions regarding the: (1) level of integration evident in the studies; (2) role of engineering in any such integration; and (3) teaching approaches used in the studies. Findings from this research suggest that there is still much work to be done to move from scenarios where STEM integration is claimed but is not evident in practice. To do so we encourage educators and researchers to (a) focus on authentic interdisciplinary approaches rather than the siloed approaches evident in the existing research; and (b) use a teaching approach such as problem-based or project-based learning that provide opportunities for authentic integration.

Primary students' learning about citizenship through data science

Much of the mathematics that children experience in school neglect the skills increasingly needed for citizenship, particularly the power of complex data to investigate and make sense of the world. We draw on the relatively new field of data science as a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate problems through analysis of massive, non-standard, incongruous and/or messy data. Our exploratory qualitative study had as its research question: What can children learn about citizenship when they engage with data science? The case study in this paper illustrated ways that children's learning about citizenship were enriched through an age-appropriate data science investigation. The study analysed classroom video from a Year 4 classroom (aged 9-10) over six lessons that integrated curricula in digital technologies, health, and mathematics. In these lessons, the children generated and analysed non-standard data and debated social, well-being and privacy issues as they considered their activities in cyberspace. The video data were analysed using a framework based on critical citizenship education literature that examined dimensions of power, collective engagement, individual responsibility and action. Three key findings emerged. First, the case study highlighted skills in citizenship education developed through data science, positioning children as agents and advocates. Second, the study showed how a complex data investigation in citizenship education was achievable with primary children through meaningful curriculum integration. This is important given that problems that citizens address are typically interdisciplinary. Finally, the findings revealed a gap between data science skills and those developed in the mathematics curriculum, and recommend ways that the maths curriculum could be updated.

Inquiry-based learning and students' self-efficacy in Chemistry among secondary schools in Kenya

Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) influences educational outcomes such as test scores, students' attitudes, and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a significant predictor of the academic performance of students and therefore it is an important construct for measuring attainment of learning objectives. This paper discusses how inquiry-based learning in Chemistry practical lessons enhances students' self-efficacy in Chemistry. A total of 21 Chemistry teachers and 357 Form three Chemistry students were randomly selected from the 21 classrooms that these teachers taught. A concurrent triangulation mixed-methods research design was employed. Data was gathered using an adapted teachers' self-reported IBL instrument and a lesson observation schedule was used to rate the teachers' IBL use in Chemistry practical lessons. Besides, a 26 item instrument was also adapted from existing literature to measure students' self-efficacy in Chemistry. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to determine the suitability of measuring tools. Means and percentages were used to examine IBL use and students' self-efficacy while Pearson Correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used to examine the influence of IBL on learners' self-efficacy. Results revealed that teachers used inquiry-based learning once a week (overall mean = 3.89). Also, students' rating of their self-efficacy in Chemistry was high (Mean = 3.929). Finally, the results from correlation and regression analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between inquiry-based learning and students' self-efficacy in Chemistry (r = 0.903, p < 0.05, R² = 0.8155).

Teaching Tissue Repair Through an Inquiry-Based Learning Bioadhesives Module

Bioadhesives are an important class of biomaterials for wound healing, hemostasis, and tissue repair. To develop the next generation of bioadhesives, there is a societal need to teach trainees about their design, engineering, and testing. This study designed, implemented, and evaluated a hands-on, inquiry-based learning (IBL) module to teach bioadhesives to undergraduate, master's, and PhD/postdoctoral trainees. Approximately 30 trainees across three international institutions participated in this IBL bioadhesives module, which was designed to last approximately 3 h. This IBL module was designed to teach trainees about how bioadhesives are used for tissue repair, how to engineer bioadhesives for different biomedical applications, and how to assess the efficacy of bioadhesives. The IBL bioadhesives module resulted in significant learning gains for all cohorts; whereby, trainees scored an average of 45.5% on the pre-test assessment and 69.0% on the post-test assessment. The undergraduate cohort experienced the greatest learning gains of 34.2 points, which was expected since they had the least theoretical and applied knowledge about bioadhesives. Validated pre/post-survey assessments showed that trainees also experienced significant improvements in scientific literacy from completing this module. Similar to the pre/post-test, improvements in scientific literacy were most significant for the undergraduate cohort since they had the least amount of experience with scientific inquiry. Instructors can use this module, as described, to introduce undergraduate, master's, and PhD/postdoctoral trainees to principles of bioadhesives.

The shifting educational landscape: science teachers' practice during the COVID-19 pandemic through an activity theory lens

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic closed all educational institutions. Teachers were called upon to respond quickly to the needs of K-12 students. They had to learn how to navigate online learning systems while simultaneously delivering engaging inquiry-based activities in high-stakes school science courses. To understand how teachers navigated these dual tensions, we have drawn on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) to describe how teachers learned and mediated their professional practices to meet the educational needs of their students. We examine the rapidly changing school activity system and how these changes impacted teachers' epistemological beliefs about student engagement and evaluation. We report that teachers developed new styles and attitudes about teaching that reflected the new educational landscape imposed by the pandemic. We explore the pedagogical shifts that characterize this specific time and how the newly acquired pedagogies could find permanence in teachers' activities post-pandemic. This study reports on the experiences of ten teachers from two high schools as they adapt to change during the global pandemic. We followed the teachers' professional journey as they worked in a professional learning community to develop online practices. Professional learning meetings, semi-structured interviews, and participant journals captured teachers' successes and failures as they struggled to adapt inquiry-based science lessons to meet the challenges of teaching online. Their practices shifted as they engaged students in synchronous collaborative projects and laboratory activities, and they developed alternative formative and summative assessment practices. This study contributes to a growing body of research of teacher practice through a CHAT theoretical framework to understand teachers' professional learning during a time of change and upheaval.

Supporting teachers to use genomics as a context in the classroom: an evaluation of learning resources for high school biology

As genomics becomes embedded into healthcare, public genomic health literacy is critical to support decision-making for personal and family health decisions and enable citizens to engage with related social issues. School science education has the potential to establish the foundations of genetic and genomic literacy. The concept of literacy extends beyond conceptual understanding of biological principles to familiarity with the applications and implications of genetics, critical thinking skills, and socioscientific reasoning. We developed and evaluated a suite of resources for teaching genetics and genomics in the Australian senior biology syllabus for students aged 16-18 years. The aim was to increase teachers' knowledge and confidence to teach genetic and genomic content, and their capacity to develop robust genetic literacy in their students. Resources, including an inquiry-based task and five associated lesson plans, were developed and made freely available to teachers online. Evaluation was undertaken between December 2019 and March 2020 with a post-use survey emailed to teachers who had accessed the resources. The 56 teachers who responded rated the resources as high quality, engaging, and well-aligned with the syllabus. Teachers who used the resources self-reported increases in their knowledge and confidence in teaching. They also perceived positive outcomes in their students, reporting that the resources deepened their students understanding of genetic concepts, helped them to consider social and ethical issues, and developed their higher order thinking skills. Findings may inform future interactions with high schools to improve genetic literacy.

Promoting Active Citizenship in Mathematics and Science Teaching

The world is facing severe global challenges such as climate change, food security, rising migration, social justice, or the current corona crisis. In these times, citizenship education seems more important than ever. How can this citizenship education relate to mathematics and science learning? The research project MaSDiV (Supporting mathematics and science teachers in addressing diversity and promoting fundamental values) connected mathematics and science with citizenship education by modeling real-life problems relevant to society. In this paper, we present the foundational design features of the PD course as well the results from the accompanying evaluation of this PD course, which was implemented by partners in six countries to support teachers in connecting mathematics and science education with citizenship education. More specifically, we investigate how participating teachers experienced the PD program; how their self-efficacy beliefs, learning-related beliefs, as well as teaching practices change; and which factors contributed to that change. In order to investigate the outcome of the PD program, we surveyed N = 311 mathematics and science teachers' pre- and post-participation of the PD in six different European countries. Among others, our results show that in general, most participating teachers reported a high overall satisfaction with the course across all six participating countries. They also indicate that teachers' self-efficacy beliefs about using relevant contexts, their learning-related beliefs about the benefits of using contexts, as well as their own teaching practice changed significantly after participating in the MaSDiV PD course.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10763-021-10182-1.

Ideas for supporting student-centered stem learning through remote labs: a response

This paper is in response to the article entitled "Identifying potential types of guidance for supporting student inquiry when using virtual and remote labs in science: a literature review" by Zacharia et al. (2015). In their review, Zacharia et al. (2015) adopted de Jong and Lazondo's (2014) framework of five inquiry phases for online labs: orientation, conceptualization, investigation, conclusion, and discussion. Zacharia et al. reviewed the literature on Computer-supported Inquiry Learning (CoSIL), and identified best practices for each phase. They concluded, for example, that the orientation/conclusion/discussion phases received the least amount of guidance, while there were many more tools and strategies for providing guidance in the conceptualization/investigation phases. In this paper, we adopt the same inquiry framework as Zacharia et al. (2015) and report strategies that we learned from STEM faculty about how they supported and guided virtual student lab-based learning in these five phases during the recent COVID-19 shutdown. While Zacharia et al. identified tools and processes for enabling all five inquiry phases, add additional practical examples of faculty implementing these phases online as part of COVID-19 emergency remote teaching, and we provide insights for extending the 5-phase framework for future research.

Science Teachers' Attitudes towards Computational Modeling in the Context of an Inquiry-Based Learning Module

This study focuses on science teachers' first encounter with computational modeling in professional development workshops. It examines the factors shaping the teachers' self-efficacy and attitudes towards integrating computational modeling within inquiry-based learning modules for 9th grade physics. The learning modules introduce phenomena, the analysis of measurement data, and offer a method for coordinating the experimental findings with a theory-based computational model. Teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy were studied using survey questions and workshop activity transcripts. As expected, prior experience in physics teaching was related to teachers' self-efficacy in teaching physics in 9th grade. Also, teachers' prior experience with programming was strongly related to their self-efficacy regarding the programming component of model construction. Surprisingly, the short interaction with computational modeling increased the group's self-efficacy, and the average rating of understanding and enjoyment was similar among teachers with and without prior programming experience. Qualitative data provides additional insights into teachers' predispositions towards the integration of computational modeling into the physics teaching.

Developing creative and research skills through an open and interprofessional inquiry-based learning course

BACKGROUND

Biomedicine needs innovative professionals. Inquiry-based learning (IBL) aims to develop higher order thinking skills, such as creativity and research. Stimulatory techniques and interprofessional education, which requires students from different fields to collaborate, also enhances creativity. In this study, the effectiveness of an interprofessional IBL course that introduces a creativity workshop based on stimulatory techniques to develop creative and research skills is examined.

METHODS

529 undergraduate human biology and medical students performed the interprofessional IBL course, 198 with the creativity workshop and 331 without. Students' perceptions of learning processes and outcomes were assessed in surveys and focus groups by the authors of this study. As well, the final learning results from both groups of students were analyzed by the teachers of the course and the researchers.

RESULTS

The results show that the open IBL approach promoted the development of these skills, interprofessionality acted as a creativity enhancer and stimulatory techniques contributed to improve the learning outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insight into how open interprofessional IBL fosters acquisition of complex skills and knowledge, pointing out the benefits and limitations of this approach in health sciences studies.

Supporting instructional change in mathematics: using social network analysis to understand online support processes following professional development workshops

BACKGROUND

Studies continually show benefits of active learning in college classrooms, yet it is difficult to get faculty to adopt these methods. Particularly challenging is the final step of the instructional change process, "refreezing," when after making initial changes in instructional methods, instructors decide whether to continue with new instructional methods or return to their previous methods. Though this stage is important, it is not well studied. Most available studies about ongoing support following professional development on teaching merely state that facilitators made an effort to offer support, or report how frequently participants engaged with online support mechanisms through counting postings on listservs or message boards. Such measures do not show evidence that participants actually received positive reinforcement or intellectual and emotional support, which are crucial to refreezing, nor do these frequency analyses help other professional developers learn how to create productive ongoing support mechanisms that yield high participant engagement.

RESULTS

This workshop for 35 college mathematics instructors used online and in-person communities to provide support to participants during the post-workshop period of "refreezing." Almost all workshop attendees participated in "e-mentoring" (94%), primarily through a productive, engaging group email listserv. By combining qualitative coding of message content with the techniques of social network analysis, we reveal how facilitators and participants on the group listserv provided intellectual and emotional support, as well as positive reinforcement through feedback loops. The analysis also shows how the facilitators made this a helpful group and maintained participant engagement through frequent encouragement, deliberate community building, and thoughtfully timed responses.

CONCLUSIONS

Though many professional development workshops offer online support through email listservs, there is little evidence that these listservs successfully engage and support participants. Applying the analytic approach of social network analysis allowed us to model the conversation threads in one highly engaged and supportive listserv following a mathematics professional development workshop. This method revealed the processes of ongoing support in ways that traditional frequency-based analyses cannot. This method also revealed lessons for how other professional developers can create productive, helpful online support listservs. Since this is an innovative application of social network analysis, we describe the method in detail.

Enhancing Teacher Beliefs through an Inquiry-Based Professional Development Program

Inquiry-based instructional approaches are an effective means to actively engage students with science content and skills. This article examines the effects of an ongoing professional development program on middle and high school teachers' efficacy beliefs, confidence to teach research concepts and skills, and science content knowledge. Professional development activities included participation in a week long summer academy, designing and implementing inquiry-based lessons within the classroom, examining and reflecting upon practices, and documenting ways in which instruction was modified. Teacher beliefs were assessed at three time points, pre- post- and six months following the summer academy. Results indicate significant gains in reported teaching efficacy, confidence, and content knowledge from pre- to post-test. These gains were maintained at the six month follow-up. Findings across the three different time points suggest that participation in the professional development program strongly influenced participants' fundamental beliefs about their capacity to provide effective instruction in ways that are closely connected to the features of inquiry-based instruction.