Jonah B. Firestone

Washington State University | WSU · Department of Teaching & Learning

This article presents engaging and practical methods of helping educators to “remix” the evidence-based and high-leverage practices they are already familiar with to include the new capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI). Transformational modern technologies can be powerful and disruptive, possessing the potential to impact multiple areas of...

This study explored online mentoring dialogues of first-year science teachers (FYSTs) to construct a model that was informed by metaphors in teaching dilemmas. Nine teachers' yearlong threaded dialogues were archived and first analyzed by Windschitl's (2002) four dilemma categories, and later by Lakoff and Johnson's (2003) conceptual metaphor theor...

This study explored online mentoring dialogues of first-year science teachers (FYSTs) to construct a model that was informed by metaphors in teaching dilemmas. Nine teachers’ yearlong threaded dialogues were archived and first analyzed by Windschitl’s (2002) four dilemma categories, and later by Lakoff and Johnson’s (2003) conceptual metaphor theor...

Individuals with disabilities have been less involved in school activities than their peers of the same age and this includes career preparation in science and math (Agran et al., 2019; Eriksson et al., 2007; Jackson et al., 2022). Students with disabilities often lack access to facilities, programs, and equipment, and acceptance by educators, empl...

This chapter presents three cases of high school science teachers collaborating with personnel at three different universities to design and implement innovative, curriculum-aligned geospatial lessons involving hands-on data collection, following the authors' Socio-Environmental Science Investigation (SESI) model. Each case is presented in the cont...

Virtual reality (VR) has received considerable attention related to its use in teacher development over the last decade. Despite this attention, there is insufficient understanding of how specific underlying cognitive system responses and autonomic nervous system responses moderate the use of VR and the associated learning outcomes in the developme...

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of persistence within STEM learning environments as a function of cumulative stress and latent trauma. The biopsychosocial impact of prolonged stressors due to hostile environments and academic demands has deleterious health effects on historically underrepresented students who enter STEM disciplin...

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is estimated to have an incidence rate of about 3.4% in children and adolescent populations. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to identify and quantify the effect of FASD on functional status in areas such Executive Function. This meta-analysis examines 46 studies comparing 2,307 participants across a range...

Vocabulary is a building block of understanding, especially in science classrooms where language abilities are mixed. To reduce academic inequalities, approaches to vocabulary instruction need to demonstrate benefits for students across learning contexts. We summarize the results from the first unit, “Earth Systems and Catastrophic Events,” in a lo...

In recent years, the applications of virtual reality (VR) in learning environments has received considerable attention. This attention occurs as a part of a wider trend seen since the early millennium. This trend is that of increasing attention being placed on modes of instruction that can supply greater realism and immersion in the science classro...

https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/W33QPAEUxhGuMRzqXKb3/full?target=10.1080/15235882.2019.1597774 This nonexperimental study examined academic performance profiles and contributions of language-specific and metacognitive skills to science reading comprehension of Grade 7 students of varied English proficiency. The sample included 204 regular educat...

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at greater risk of health-related issues due to obesity and lack of physical activity. This study examined using virtual reality (VR) exergaming to increase the physical activity of high school students with IDD. Four students participated in this multiple probe across participa...

Critical thinking when engaged in science problem solving around even simple tasks such as the Piagetian volume conservation task is a complex endeavor. Tasks such as the conservation task often require the interaction of multiple cognitive systems. Parity judgment, retrieval, and lateral thinking are three examples of such systems interacting with...

Despite the increasing number of inclusive STEM schools, little is known about the cultural dimensions that influence STEM curriculum and instruction within these schools. This paper describes research conducted at three inclusive STEM schools, one each at the elementary, middle, and high school level. We explored similarities and differences in cu...

Educational games and simulations provide teachers with powerful tools for teaching students in the sciences. Within the broad category of educational gaming, there are several types of games to include Serious Educational Games (SEG), Educational Simulations (ES), and Serious Games (SG). The purpose of this meta-analysis is to characterize and com...

The authors investigated the mediating effects of general academic and science-specific vocabulary on science reading comprehension among English learners (ELs) of varied proficiency. The sample included 169 regular education Grade 7 students (86 current ELs; 83 former ELs) enrolled in 1 urban school in Pacific Northwest region of the United States...

Attention on P-20 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has increased tremendously in recent years. Many efforts are underway to promote STEM major and career selection across the nation; specifically, in engineering and computer science. The authors' purpose was to examine an underlying profile combinations of latent t...

Gender based student experience in STEM learning in High School Science (Accepted)

Effectiveness of mathematics and engineering integration in an elementary STEM program

Several theoretical models provide the basis for the interaction of the constructs of external social pressures during rapid attitude formation. Current modes of survey research have difficulty dealing with the complex non-linear dynamic effects such as social pressures on attitudinal formation. The interaction of the resultant constructs within th...

Poster Presented at Washington State University Academic Showcase. Pullman, WA.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has become one of the main priorities in the United States. Science education communities and researchers advocate for integration of STEM disciplines throughout the teaching curriculum. This requires teacher knowledge in STEM disciplines, as well as competence in scientific literac...

Conflicting explanations and unrelated information in science classrooms increase cognitive load and decrease efficiency in learning. This reduced efficiency ultimately limits one’s ability to solve reasoning problems in the science. In reasoning, it is the ability of students to sift through and identify critical pieces of information that is of p...

The playing of strategy board games provides an opportunity for students to learn and improve their understanding of science and mathematics. However, current research into the creation, modification, and use of board games in the classroom is severely lacking. Modern and classic board games provide a rich venue for researchers and teachers to deve...

Teacher attrition is a critical issue, as nearly half of beginning teachers leave the teaching field by their fifth year (Ingersoll, 2001; Ingersoll, 2012; Macdonald, 1999). Additional studies have found that secondary teachers, especially in science and mathematics, were more likely to leave the field than elementary teachers (Guarino, Santibanez,...

This book adds to the current discussion about newly hired science teachers. Collectively, the authors provide insights that are related to both research and practice. The research suggestions emerge from studies of new teachers, while the practical side of this book presents approaches to supporting new teachers that are grounded in research. With...

This study used a mixed methods approach to examine the online mentoring activities of 20 beginning secondary science teachers, and to investigate factors within the schools’ culture that enable and disable the successful online mentoring. Results indicated that only 55% of the participating teachers successfully completed the mentoring program. Tw...

During the beginning years of teach-ing, science teachers develop the knowl-edge and skills needed to design and implement science laboratories. In this regard, this quantitative study focused on the reported laboratory practices of 61 beginning secondary science teachers who participated in four different induc-tion programs. The results demonstra...

This study examines the impact of different induction programs and preservice demographic factors on beginning secondary science teachers’ understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS). The teachers were all secondary science teachers from the Midwest or Southwest regions of the United States. As part of a larger study, all teachers were followed fo...

Those who study secondary science teachers are often concerned with preservice or in-service teacher development. Science teacher educators have acknowledged that this focus is limited, as the induction years of beginning teachers are an important component of teacher development. This mixed methods study focuses on the induction years of beginning...

An understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) remains a fundamental goal of science education in the Unites States. A developed understanding of NOS provides a framework in which to situate science knowledge. Secondary science teachers play a critical role in providing students with an introduction to understanding NOS. Unfortunately, due to the...