Award Abstract # 2225025
Mapping Epistemologies that Shape College Chemistry Instructors' Assessment Practices

NSF Org: DUE
Division Of Undergraduate Education
Recipient: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM
Initial Amendment Date: August 14, 2022
Latest Amendment Date: August 14, 2022
Award Number: 2225025
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Dawn Rickey
drickey@nsf.gov
 (703)292-4674
DUE
 Division Of Undergraduate Education
EDU
 Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date: October 1, 2022
End Date: September 30, 2026 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $346,505.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $346,505.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2022 = $346,505.00
History of Investigator:
  • Ryan Stowe (Principal Investigator)
    rstowe@chem.wisc.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Wisconsin-Madison
21 N PARK ST STE 6301
MADISON
WI  US  53715-1218
(608)262-3822
Sponsor Congressional District: 02
Primary Place of Performance: University of Wisconsin-Madison
21 North Park Street
MADISON
WI  US  53715-1218
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): LCLSJAGTNZQ7
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): ECR:BCSER Capcity STEM Ed Rscr
Primary Program Source: 04002223DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s): 8055, 8817, 9178
Program Element Code(s): 162Y00
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.076

ABSTRACT

To prepare learners to productively use scientific knowledge as they navigate life, science courses must develop students? understandings of what it means to know and learn science (i.e., their epistemologies). This project aims to serve the national interest by developing a researcher?s skills to conduct fundamental chemistry education research that investigates both instructors? and students? epistemologies in the context of organic chemistry courses. Studies indicates that instructors can send tacit messages about knowledge and knowing that shape the epistemologies students adopt. Thus, we need to better understand how science instructors can communicate the value of epistemologies useful in school and in life. This project assumes that epistemologies prevalent in science research laboratories (?doing science? epistemologies) have the potential to be more useful in life than epistemologies that are typical of science courses (?doing school?, such as memorizing facts and seeking a single correct answer to a problem). Thus, supporting instructors in activating "doing science" epistemologies in chemistry course examination contexts would be expected to lead to productive changes in learning environments. This project will map the epistemologies that shape instructors? testing practices in organic chemistry courses. The project team will also explore ways to encourage instructors to adopt "doing science" epistemologies in course assessment scenarios. In the process of this work, the principal investigator will cultivate expertise in inferring tacit epistemological ideas from behavior via coursework and mentoring.

This project will integrate research and professional development objectives to support the principal investigator in developing the qualitative methods skills needed to achieve his long-term goals. The project is directed toward modeling the epistemologies that shape how and why organic chemistry instructors prompt for and respond to knowledge products in research and teaching settings. Across three years, the research team will explore the enacted epistemologies of three organic chemistry instructors who represent different roles and epistemologies in a chemistry department. The team will conduct semi-structured interviews focused on how and why instructors prompt for and respond to students? knowledge products on exams, record research group meetings, and attempt to tip instructors into adopting "doing science" epistemologies in the context of teaching tasks in an interview setting. Both thematic and case-study analysis of epistemologies enacted while "doing science" and "doing school" will be used to support claims about productive epistemological ideas instructors have for attending to student thinking as well as when and how these ideas are activated. Throughout the process of eliciting, interpreting, and drawing implications from qualitative data, the project team will be mentored by an expert on epistemology from the University of Wisconsin ? Madison. The project team will have frequent meetings with the mentor to discuss targeted readings as well as progress and plans for the project. The PI will also complete coursework on qualitative methods. Project outcomes are expected to include rich descriptions of tacit epistemologies activated while prompting for and responding to knowledge products in different contexts, analytic methods for inferring instructors? epistemologies from behavior, and development of the project team?s qualitative methods skills. The principal investigator will share findings via workshops, presentations, and research publications. The mentor and three- member advisory board of experts in epistemological learning will assess the success of the project. The project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) program, which is designed to build investigators? capacity to carry out high-quality STEM education research.

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.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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DeGlopper, Kimberly S. and Russ, Rosemary S. and Sutar, Prayas K. and Stowe, Ryan L. "Beliefs versus resources: a tale of two models of epistemology" Chemistry Education Research and Practice , v.24 , 2023 https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RP00290F Citation Details
DeGlopper, Kimberly S and Stowe, Ryan L "Modeling students epistemic cognition in undergraduate chemistry courses: a review" Chemistry Education Research and Practice , v.25 , 2024 https://doi.org/10.1039/D3RP00348E Citation Details

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