Section VII. Science Education

Georgia Journal of Science, 2004 by Summers, Richard

11:00 HOBBY TO HERITAGE, Joan B. Murray, Georgia Perimeter College, Clarkston, GA 30021. Two abandoned farms totaling 180 acres near St. Marys, Ontario, Canada were purchased in 1939 by Dr. R.S. Murray, a physician who was a forester at heart. The tract had farmland, a small mature deciduous forest, a stream, and wetland. Hardwood and softwood groves were planted and trails developed. In 1956 the property was sold to The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. It is now used for recreation by visitors and by the UTRCA for outdoor education.

11:15 USE OF DATA COLLECTION TECHNOLOGY IN AN INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY LABORATORY, Brian W. Schwartz, Harlan J. Hendricks, Jeanne L. Dugas, Polly K. Adams and Vedran Gruda, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA 31907. We report first year outcomes of an NSF-DUE grant, "Technology to Enhance Learning in an Introductory Biology Laboratory" (NSF grant DUE-0126782), which funded purchase of computers and graphing calculators interfaced with an array of probes and sensors. This technology provided a foundation for the complete redesign of introductory biology laboratory experiences. By facilitating measurement, quantitative analysis and data presentation, the equipment has supported and maximized the impact of inquiry-based activities built around the learning cycle approach in science education. Students readily adapted to the technology and enjoyed using it. Simplified data collection procedures allowed them to design and repeat more complex, interesting experiments, and visualization of data collected in real time allowed them to view directly phenomena such as enzyme activity and diffusion of a substance across a membrane. During the presentation, the principle investigator will describe the nature of the laboratory redesign and its implementation, and the program evaluators will report the results of their Year 1 evaluation study.

POSTER

GENDER BIAS: THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM, Darlene Herbert* and Bonita Flournoy, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teacher instruction can contribute to gender role stereotyping of female children in their academic achievement in mathematics. This study centers on a fourth grade mathematics class in Atlanta, Georgia. The school population is predominantly African-American and is comprised of 300 children in grades K-4. This qualitative action research study was prompted by interest on gender equity after observing a teacher's interaction with her students during a fourth grade mathematic s class. Based on these observations, inquiry on student performance in the areas of mathematics and science led the researcher to observe and conclude a disparity in achievement between males and females. These findings prompted further research on issues related to gender bias and implementation of strategies to increase female achievement in the area of mathematics. Primary data sources were classroom observations, journaling, student-teaching questionnaires, informal interviews and conversations. Data collection instruments were analyzed using the triangulation and induction methods. Results of the study indicated that teachers' perceptions and beliefs are not aligned with their teaching practices in the classroom.