Enhanced Teaching and Learning Through Problem-Based Pedagogy in Undergraduate Physics and Environmental Science Courses for Non-Science Majors

该项目旨在通过本科生、非理科专业本科生，包括本科生小学教师候选人的循证课程和教育学，改善物理和环境科学的教与学，从而服务于国家利益。美国大学的通识教育计划包括五个思维习惯课程要求，自然科学探究是其中的一个领域。这个项目将修改两门符合这一要求的理科课程。通过国际教育、科学及文化组织的1级参与式学生学习项目，这两门课程将被修订，以纳入以问题为基础的学习，并使课程内容与下一代科学标准(NGSS)保持一致。这一项目的一个主要特点是在修订后的课程中实施以研究为基础的教学策略所涉及的教师发展方面。因此，本项目旨在创建和测试一所中等规模的城市私立研究型大学物理与环境科学教学的可复制模式，以提高物理与环境科学本科教学的质量和效率，并改善包括副教师候选人在内的非STEM专业本科STEM教与学。一是修改现有的入门、非专业的物理和环境科学课程，纳入与NGSS一致的跨学科、以问题为基础的学习机会。这些课程将在大学研究、教学和学习中心和项目领导团队的支持下进行修订。课程的重新设计将于2022年春季和夏季开始。参与的教师将在学习科学的落后设计和研究方面得到支持和指导，以增强他们的课程内容，并在已确定的课程中建立以问题为基础的教学。另一个目标是支持教师通过暑期专业发展制定修订后的课程，其中包括每门课程的参与教师和助教。最后，该项目旨在通过教学大纲分析、教学观察、与教师的访谈以及通过调查和焦点小组对学生结果的评估来评估和分析工作的结果。该项目的研究问题集中在学生的科学学科知识，学习科学的动机，以及对向小学生教授科学的认知和准备。该研究计划使用了公开可用的、已出版的工具。该项目有可能增加关于物理和环境科学的跨学科、以问题为基础的教学如何支持包括职前教师候选人在内的非STEM专业学生的科学学习的知识。通过提高非STEM专业学生的科学素养，该项目可以造福于整个社会。此外，提高未来小学教师的学科领域知识应该支持改善小学课堂的科学教学。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与式学生学习路径，该计划支持创建、探索和实施有前途的实践和工具。罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金(NOYCE)计划为IUSE：EHR项目提供共同资金，以支持该项目的职前教师培养目标，这些目标与诺伊斯计划的目标非常一致。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving physics and environmental science teaching and learning through evidence-based curriculum and pedagogy with undergraduate, non-science majors, including undergraduate elementary teacher candidates. The American University general education program includes five Habits of Mind course requirements in which Natural-Scientific Inquiry is one of the areas. This project will revise two science courses that meet this requirement. Through this IUSE Level 1 Engaged Student Learning project, these two courses will be revised to include problem-based learning, as well as to align course content with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). A key feature of this project is the faculty development dimension associated with implementing the research-based pedagogical strategies in the revised courses. Thus, this project intends to create and test a replicable model of physics and environmental science instruction at a medium-sized, urban, private research university to improve the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate teaching in physics and environmental science, as well as to improve undergraduate STEM teaching and learning for non-STEM majors including preservice teacher candidates.There are three project goals. One is to revise existing introductory, non-majors’ physics and environmental science coursework to include NGSSs-aligned interdisciplinary, problem-based learning opportunities. The courses will be revised with the support of the University’s Center on Research, Teaching, & Learning and the project leadership team. The redesign of the courses will begin in the spring and summer of 2022. Participating faculty will receive support and guidance in backward design and research on learning sciences to enhance their course content and build problem-based instruction into the identified courses. Another goal is to support faculty to enact the revised coursework through summer professional development that includes participating faculty and the teaching assistants of each course. Finally, the project aims to assess and analyze the outcomes of the work through syllabus analysis, observations of instruction, interviews with faculty, and assessment of student outcomes through surveys and focus groups. The project’s research questions focus on students’ science subject matter knowledge, motivation to learn science, and perceptions and preparedness to teach science to elementary students. The research plan uses publicly available, published instruments. The project has the potential to add to the knowledge of how interdisciplinary, problem-based teaching and learning in physics and environmental science could support the science learning of non-STEM majors, including preservice teacher candidates. By enhancing science literacy with students who are not majoring in a STEM discipline, this project can benefit society at large. Moreover, improving the subject area knowledge of future elementary teachers should support improved science instruction in elementary classrooms. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports creating, exploring, and implementing promising practices and tools. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship (Noyce) Program is providing co-funding for this IUSE: EHR project to support the project's pre-service teacher preparation goals, which are well-aligned with Noyce Program goals.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.