Overview
Our lab group focuses on the acquisition of science knowledge, its underlying mechanisms, and their development. This work is intended to inform approaches for assessing and improving scientific reasoning and learning. While emphasis is on adolescents in grades 6 -12, projects occasionally span K-16. Lab Members and Interests Click Here
Current research projects are focused on students’ science knowledge acquisition and understanding, specifically across three related areas:
Sources of Science Knowledge (SoK)
GUIDING RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
Are there developmental trends in learning about science phenomena from others versus from personal experience?
How do physical and virtual science manipulatives differ with regard to students’: preferences? conceptual understanding? & experimentation strategies?
Epistemological Understanding (EU)
GUIDING RESEARCH QUESTION:
How are students’ science epistemologies characterized, and how do they develop?
How do these epistemologies interact with knowledge acquisition, especially with regard to SoK?
Geographically Diverse Settings
(i.e., urban/rural; disparate resources)
GUIDING RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
How can we apply what we know about SoK & EU to create effective means of translating authentic STEM experiences across diverse rural/urban landscapes?