STUDENT RESEARCH HANDBOOK A comprehensive resource for high school teachers and students, STEM Student Research Handbook outlines the various stages of large-scale research projects, enabling teachers to coach their students through the research process. This volume provides enough detail to embolden all teachers—even those who have never designed an experiment on their own—to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics student-researchers through the experimental process. Early chapters—research design, background research, hypothesis writing, and proposal writing—help students conceive and implement their projects. Later chapters on descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as graphical representations, help them correctly interpret their data.
Final chapters enable students to effectively communicate their results by Harland writing and documenting a STEM research paper, as well as by preparing for oral and poster presentations. Included are student handouts, checklists, presentation observation sheets, and sample assessment rubrics. STUDENT RESEARCH Grades 9 –12 PB297X ISBN: 978-1-936137-24-4 HANDBOOK Darci J. Harland Copyright © 2011 NSTA.
All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. STUDENT RESEARCH HANDBOOK Copyright © 2011 NSTA. All rights reserved.
For more information, go to www. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. STUDENT RESEARCH HANDBOOK Darci J.
Harland Arlington, Virginia Copyright © 2011 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. Claire Reinburg, Director Jennifer Horak, Managing Editor Andrew Cooke, Senior Editor Judy Cusick, Senior Editor Wendy Rubin, Associate Editor Amy America, Book Acquisitions Coordinator ART AND DESIGN Will Thomas Jr., Director Joseph Butera, Senior Graphic Designer, Cover and Interior Design Mary McCubbins, Group Icon Illustrator PRINTING AND PRODUCTION Catherine Lorrain, Director NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION Francis Q.
Eberle, PhD, Executive Director David Beacom, Publisher Copyright © 2011 by the National Science Teachers Association. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. 14 13 12 11 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Harland, Darci J., 1972- STEM student research handbook / by Darci J.
Includes bibliographical references and index. Research--Study and teaching (Secondary) I.1’2--dc23 2011023245 eISBN 978-1-936137-41-1 NSTA is committed to publishing material that promotes the best in inquiry-based science education. However, conditions of actual use may vary, and the safety procedures and practices described in this book are intended to serve only as a guide. Additional precautionary measures may be required.
NSTA and the authors do not warrant or represent that the procedures and practices in this book meet any safety code or standard of federal, state, or local regulations. NSTA and the authors disclaim any liability for personal injury or damage to property arising out of or relating to the use of this book, including any of the recommendations, instructions, or materials contained therein. PERMISSIONS Book purchasers may photocopy, print, or e-mail up to five copies of an NSTA book chapter for personal use only; this does not include display or promotional use. Elementary, middle, and high school teachers may reproduce forms, sample documents, and single NSTA book chapters needed for classroom or noncommercial, professional- development use only.
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For more information, go to www.xiii About the Author. xvii â•… To the Teacher. xvii â•… To the High School Student.xxv Chapter 1 Beginning a STEM Research Project Introduction. 1 Generating Research Ideas.
4 Focusing Preliminary Research Topics. 8 Safety and Ethical Issues. 13 Student Handout #1: Focusing Preliminary Research Ideas. 14 Chapter 2 Research Design Introduction.
15 Components of a STEM Experimental Research Design. 17 Difference Between Quantitative Data and Qualitative Data. 32 Student Handout #2: Research Design Table. All rights reserved.
For more information, go to www. v CONTENTS Chapter 3 Background Research and Note Taking Introduction. 35 Writing Background Research Questions. 36 Starting Background Research Early.
38 Identifying Reliable Scientific Resources. 38 Methods of Note Taking. 47 Using Quotations Within the Paper. 48 Technology Research Tools.
53 Student Handout #3: Background Research Questions. 55 Chapter 4 Writing Hypotheses Introduction. 57 Writing Drafts of the Hypothesis. 62 Student Handout #4: Practicing Writing Hypotheses.
63 vi Copyright © 2011 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. CONTENTS Chapter 5 Proposal Writing Introduction.
67 The Proposal Components. 76 Chapter 6 Organizing a Laboratory Notebook Introduction. 77 Data Collection Issues for Groups. 80 Components of a Laboratory Notebook.
92 Chapter 7 Descriptive Statistics Introduction. 93 Recording Calculations in Your Laboratory Notebook. 93 Introduction to Descriptive Statistics. 95 Using Descriptive Statistics to Explain Experimental Results.
All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. vii CONTENTS Chapter 8 Graphical Representations Introduction.111 Graphical Representation for Quantitative Data. 113 Graphical Representations for Qualitative Data.
124 Making Final Graphical Representations. 129 Chapter 9 Inferential Statistics and Data Interpretation Introduction. 131 Introduction to Inferential Statistical Tests. 141 Student Handout #5: Interpreting Graphical and Statistical Data: A Peer Editing Exercise.142 Chapter 10 Documentation and Research Paper Setup Introduction.
145 Three Aspects of MLA Documentation. 147 Amount of Documentation and Use of Quotations. 151 Research Paper Setup. 153 viii Copyright © 2011 NSTA.
All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. CONTENTS Chapter 11 Writing the STEM Research Paper Introduction. 155 Parts of the STEM Research Paper.
166 Preparing the Paper for Submission. 167 Materials to Accompany the Paper. 168 Student Handout #6: Form for Peer Editor of STEM Research Paper .169 Chapter 12 Presenting the STEM Research Project Introduction. 177 Oral Poster Presentations.
186 Appendix A: Research Project Due Dates Checklist. 191 Appendix B: Research Presentations Observation Sheet. 193 Appendix C: Research Paper Grade Sheet. 195 Appendix D: Research Paper Grading Rubric.
199 Appendix E: Oral Presentation Rubric. 209 Appendix F: Judge’s Score Sheet for STEM Research Projects. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.
ix Copyright © 2011 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. DEDICATION T his book is dedicated to all my former students.
I am indebted to each of you. Your willingness to work hard, with minimal grum- bling, has been an inspiration. My goal was never to turn each of you into STEM researchers but rather to help you gain a clear un- derstanding of how scientific knowledge is acquired. I thank you for putting up with my inadequacies and my pat sayings and for trusting me when I told you the hard work would pay off.
STEM Student research handbook Copyright © 2011 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. xi Copyright © 2011 NSTA.
All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. PREFACE Our nation’s success depends on strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of discovery and innovation. … CEOs…understand that their company’s future depends on their ability to harness the creativity and dynamism and insight of a new generation.
And that leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today—especially in science, technology, engineering and math. —President Barack Obama, September 16, 2010 (Sabochik 2010) T he importance of improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a popular topic in re- cent years. It is clear, however, that the STEM education that today’s high school students receive rarely mirrors what individuals in STEM careers actually do. Students are focused more on memorization than on identifying problems and finding ways to solve those problems.
STEM Student Research Handbook engages students with the same inquiry skills used by STEM professionals. The handbook supports students as they practice skills of designing and conducting experiments and analyzing and present- ing their findings. I believe that the primary reason STEM educators do not include student- directed research as part of their curriculum is that they themselves have limited experience in this area. My goal in writing this book was to provide a practical resource that teachers and students can use to become actively engaged with topics that interest them as they are guided through the stages of a long-term research project.
I hope that this handbook bridges a gap between STEM professionals and classroom teachers by providing a resource that will help students experience learning in the way scientists do, by doing research. My experience is similar to that of many other teachers who at one point decide to implement a research component in their classrooms. Having designed and completed only one science experiment on my own as an under- graduate and only educational research as a graduate student, I was uncertain about my ability to lead high school students in performing research. When I received the first set of student research papers, it was obvious that I had to make changes in how I supported students through the research process.
Over the years, as I identified resources, modified deadlines, and developed STEM Student research handbook Copyright © 2011 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www. xiii PREFACE activities that helped students to implement the scientific process for them- selves, I saw student research papers improve greatly.
This handbook is a compilation of years of work, lessons learned from mistakes, and the good advice of other teachers and STEM professionals. The handbook addresses the two major aspects of conducting research: planning and conducting experiments and then analyzing and communicat- ing results through writing. First, the handbook provides a structure for STEM teachers to use as they work through the stages of the research process with their students. There is enough detail here so that even teachers who have never designed an experiment on their own can feel comfortable guiding students through theirs.
Second, large segments of the handbook address the writing (aka language arts) issues involved with research. I believe that STEM teachers who are not specially trained in writing will find the writing instruc- tions here to be invaluable. As a science teacher who has also studied and taught English, I have been able to help STEM students see the importance of communicating their results through effective writing. Whole chapters in this book cover note-taking techniques, proper documentation of research papers, and presentation preparation.
Sadly, in-depth writing advice is commonly missing from other books teaching students how to conduct research. The opportunity to design and conduct an experiment and then present the findings at local symposia has changed the lives of many of my high school students. They learned to take the initiative for their own learning, and many chose to enter STEM-related fields when they went to college. As I got better at leading my students through STEM research projects that they were really interested in, they started winning awards at the competitions, bringing home top prizes.
In 2004, I was awarded the Sigma Xi (Illinois State University/ Illinois Wesleyan University chapter) Outstanding Science Teacher Award for my students’ contributions to these competitions and for encouraging other local teachers to implement long-term research projects. Most rewarding to me, however, has been that my students actually performed the exciting research process from beginning to end and acquired better understandings of how STEM knowledge is advanced. That experience is completely different from listening to a lecture, observing a STEM professional on the job, or even performing hands-on labs that someone else designed. Changing the equation in STEM education.
The Whitehouse Blog: www.gov/blog/2010/09/16/changing-equation-stem-education. xiv National Science Teachers Association Copyright © 2011 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Darci J. Harland, PhD, a former biology and English teacher, is the assistant director of research at the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST) at Illinois State University. Her educational experiences range from undergraduate and graduate education and biology courses, to high school and middle school science and English courses.