SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH EDUCATION: IMPLEMENTING STEM EDUCATION IN THE HIGH SCHOOL MINORITY CLASSROOM THROUGH DESIGN BASED RESEARCH

STEM education, science, technology, engineering, and math education, incorporate many important aspects to benefit student learning. The NGSS, the major science education reform document focuses on engaging students to several scientific practices including modeling, argumentation, engineering design, and computational thinking. In this action research, I focus on questioning and modeling to improve my practices as an educator to benefit the overall student learning goals of using both modeling and questioning to understand content with more depth. Modeling has been proven to be beneficial to student learning. Designing a model that has the room to change as learning progresses allows for the creation of ownership in the learning process (Schwarz, et. al, 2008). Questioning promotes student interest by building through students prior knowledge and targeting areas where students are interested in exploring (Lustick, 2010). There are the different types of learners and through modeling the students will be able to address the different types of learning by creating their own questions and be able to answer those questions. This paper focuses on the implementation and changes that I make in my own classroom of Biology I to allow students to incorporate the practices of inquiry and modeling focusing on the topics of genetics and ecology. Teacher implementation of these methods has the potential to improve student learning. Using design based research, I monitor, reflect and change my instructional practices related to modeling and questioning. The purpose of this action research study was to develop and implement model-based science through two projects and a series of approximately six to eight of lessons for each unit for improving my practice as an educator. I used design-based research to improve my teaching through modeling and questioning.