Conducting Astronomy Education Research A Primer

by Bailey, Janelle M.; Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.

• ISBN13: 9781429264099
• ISBN10: 1429264098
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-09-01
• Publisher: W. H. Freeman

Summary

Conducting Astronomy Education Research: A Primer Among all scientists, astronomers are some of the most highly trained observers and data analysts. Now, as international attention is being focused on how we as a society go about educating our youth in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering domains, many astronomers are turning their skills toward understanding the teaching and learning of astronomy, and science in general. This book is written for astronomers who want to learn more about how science education research is done and how to begin studying the teaching and learning of astronomy. The book provides fruitful research designs and effective data collection and analysis strategies, and points readers to avenues for publishing scholarly work in astronomy education research. The authors, long-time contributors to the astronomy education research community, provide rubber-meets-the-road guidance to both first-time and experienced researchers to get projects off the ground and into the scholarly literature. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 3
Preface	p. 7
How to Use This Book	p. 11
Introduction: Why Does a Scientist Need to Read a Book about (Education) Research?	p. 15
Research Design: The Question is the Thing	p. 23
Big Ideas to Start With: What Do We Already Know about Teaching and Learning?	p. 33
Quantitative Methods: Show Me the Numbers	p. 47
Qualitative arid Interpretive Methods: Revealing Understanding	p. 67
Publishing: We Celebrate Galileo Because He Bothered to Write it Down	p. 85
Evaluation and Action Research: Investigations with Different Purposes	p. 89
Wrapping It Up: Where Do We Go From Here?	p. 97
References	p. 99
Appendices
Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) Instrument	p. 107
Attitudes Toward Science Inventory (ATSI)	p. 117
Research Involving Human Subjects (IRB)	p. 119
About the Authors	p. 123
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