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1. What influences students’ abilities to critically evaluate scientific investigations?

   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273337  

   Heim, Ashley B. ; Walsh, Cole ; Esparza, David ; Smith, Michelle K. ; Holmes, N. G. ( August 2022 , PLOS ONE)

   Pamucar, Dragan (Ed.)

   Critical thinking is the process by which people make decisions about what to trust and what to do. Many undergraduate courses, such as those in biology and physics, include critical thinking as an important learning goal. Assessing critical thinking, however, is non-trivial, with mixed recommendations for how to assess critical thinking as part of instruction. Here we evaluate the efficacy of assessment questions to probe students’ critical thinking skills in the context of biology and physics. We use two research-based standardized critical thinking instruments known as the Biology Lab Inventory of Critical Thinking in Ecology (Eco-BLIC) and Physics Lab Inventory of Critical Thinking (PLIC). These instruments provide experimental scenarios and pose questions asking students to evaluate what to trust and what to do regarding the quality of experimental designs and data. Using more than 3000 student responses from over 20 institutions, we sought to understand what features of the assessment questions elicit student critical thinking. Specifically, we investigated (a) how students critically evaluate aspects of research studies in biology and physics when they are individually evaluating one study at a time versus comparing and contrasting two and (b) whether individual evaluation questions are needed to encourage students to engage in critical thinking when comparing and contrasting. We found that students are more critical when making comparisons between two studies than when evaluating each study individually. Also, compare-and-contrast questions are sufficient for eliciting critical thinking, with students providing similar answers regardless of if the individual evaluation questions are included. This research offers new insight on the types of assessment questions that elicit critical thinking at the introductory undergraduate level; specifically, we recommend instructors incorporate more compare-and-contrast questions related to experimental design in their courses and assessments. 

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2. Who Gets to Read What? Tracking, Instructional Practices, and Text Complexity for Middle School Struggling Readers

   Northrop, L. ; Kelly, S. ( January 2019 , Reading research quarterly)

   In this study, the authors used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 to examine the instructional time allocation and instructional practices in eighth-grade English language arts classes for struggling readers, as measured by track level. The authors also analyze the titles and text complexity of the last three books assigned to students. The authors found that track level continues to be a significant predictor of what happens instructionally in the classroom. Struggling readers placed in low-track classes spent a larger portion of class time on skills and strategy instruction, completing worksheets, watching videos, and reading aloud than students in grade-level classes. Students in high-track classes spent more time on literature analysis, comprehension instruction, and group projects and were more frequently assigned homework than students in grade-level classes. Although there was considerable overlap in the text complexity and the text titles of books assigned at each track level, students in low-track classes read less challenging texts than students in grade-level or above-grade-level classes. Regression models controlling for a variety of student, teacher, and school variables, including student achievement, show that these adjustments in class time allocation, instructional practices, and text complexity go above and beyond what would be expected based on student achievement alone. 

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3. Assessment for Learning: Helping Children Build on What They Know

   Baroody, A. J. ; Pellegrino, J. W. ( January 2023 , American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting)

   Wiebe, E. N. ; Harris, C. J. ; Grover, S. (Ed.)

   Efforts to improve instruction frequently focus on fostering meaningful learning—learning based on conceptual understanding—as opposed to knowledge memorized by rote. Consistent with Dewey’s (1963) principle of interaction, fostering meaningful learning entails identifying what children already know and do not know and building on the former to learn (moderately) new knowledge (Claessens & Engel, 2013; Fyfe et al., 2012; Piaget, 1964; Vygotsky, 1978). A learning trajectory (LT) approach to instruction—which includes conceptually and research-based and goals, a research-based learning progression of successive developmental levels, and research-based teaching activities to promote each level—epitomizes such an effort (Clements & Sarama, 2008; Confrey et al., 2012). Formative, classroom-based assessment—ongoing assessment to guide and monitor student learning (Black et al., 2003; Cizek, 2010; Author, 2018a)—is an integral aspect of the LT approach (Daro et al., 2011). In contrast to more commonly used summative assessment strategy (e.g., a unit test given at the end of an instruction unit to assess whether unit content has been mastered and grade progress), formative assessment serves to identify what developmental level a child has already achieved and the next developmentally appropriate level on which instruction should begin (Author, 2018a). Moreover, children are regularly assessed during instruction to gauge whether they–individually or collectively–have mastered a developmental level before instruction proceeds with the next higher level. In sum, “the LT approach involves using formative assessment (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008; Shepard et al., 2018) to provide instructional activities aligned with empirically validated developmental progressions (Fantuzzo, Gadsden, & McDermott, 2011). Although research has shown that LT-based instruction is more efficacious, research is needed to evaluate the add-on value of the formative assessment components of LT-based instruction on student outcomes and the professional development of teachers. This presentation will highlight future lines of research that would provide insight into underlying theory and more productive strategies. Because LTs “need to be supplemented with consideration of obstacles that the student must overcome,” much needs to be learned about the obstacles posed by the content itself, instructional materials, and teachers (Ginsburg, 2009). 

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4. How do postsecondary linear algebra instructors implementing Inquiry-Oriented approaches address goals of instruction in an Online Work Group?

   Kim, M. ; McCrackin, S. ( January 2023 , Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education)

   Cook, S. ; Katz, B. ; Moore-Russo, D. (Ed.)

   Postsecondary instructors interested in inquiry-oriented instruction of Linear Algebra participated in a sequence of eight one-hour online work group meetings with other experienced inquiry-oriented linear algebra facilitators and teachers. Recordings from three meetings were analyzed for how participants referenced goals of instruction in preparation for teaching a new instructional unit on subspaces. We identified four goals of instruction of teaching subspaces. We discuss the intersections of several goals of instruction and possible implications for those who want to transition to inquiry oriented instructional approaches. 

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5. “Looking Outside of my Bubble”: Whiteness-at-Work in Mathematics Faculty Sensemaking about Serving Latin* Students

   McNeill, R. T. ; Leyva, L. A. ; Byrne, M. H. ; Mitchell, N. D. ; Lewis, R. ; & Abreu-Ramos, E. D. ( February 2023 , Special Interest Group of the Mathematical Association of America on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (SIGMAA on RUME))

   Cook, S. ; Katz, B. ; Moore-Russo, D. (Ed.)

   Professional development (PD) is often recommended to equip faculty to serve racially minoritized students through instruction. However, limited work has examined equity-oriented PD for mathematics faculty, who often hold views of instruction as race-neutral. This contributed report explores the influence of a two-year PD for faculty in a mathematics department engaged in equity-oriented reform at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. We present two cases of white faculty members who demonstrated a limited ability to interrogate their white racial identities in relation to their instructional impact, despite their engagement in a sustained PD designed to promote racial equity. Implications are provided for equity-oriented PD for mathematics faculty. 

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