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Identifying the Factors Leading to Success: How an Innovative Science Curriculum Cultivates Student Motivation

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Abstract

PlantingScience is an award-winning program recognized for its innovation and use of computer-supported scientist mentoring. Science learners work on inquiry-based experiments in their classrooms and communicate asynchronously with practicing plant scientist-mentors about the projects. The purpose of this study was to identify specific factors contributing to the program’s effectiveness in engaging students. Using multiple data sources, grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin in Basics of qualitative research. Sage, Newbury Park, 1990) was used to develop a conceptual model identifying the central phenomenon, causal conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, contexts, and student outcomes of the project. Student motivation was determined to be the central phenomenon explaining the success of the program, with student empowerment, online mentor interaction, and authenticity of the scientific experiences serving as causal conditions. Teachers contributed to student motivation by giving students more freedom, challenging students to take projects deeper, encouraging, and scaffolding. Scientists contributed to student motivation by providing explanations, asking questions, encouraging, and offering themselves as partners in the inquiry process. Several positive student outcomes of the program were uncovered and included increased positivity, greater willingness to take projects deeper, better understanding of scientific concepts, and greater commitments to collaboration. The findings of this study provide relevant information on how to develop curriculum, use technology, and train practitioners and mentors to utilize strategies and actions that improve learners’ motivation to engage in authentic science in the classroom.

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Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge the Botanical Society of America for their work in creating the PlantingScience program. In addition, I thank the members of the Texas A&M University science education research team who helped collect and peer review much of the data used in this study. Specifically, I thank Dr. Carol Stuessy, Baki Cavlazoglu, Jennifer LeBlanc, Dr. Gokhan Ozturk, Abigail Perkins, and Dr. Cheryl Ann Peterson. I also wish to thank the following committee members (including Dr. Stuessy) who reviewed much of this material along the way: Dr. Lawrence Griffing, Dr. Jeffrey Liew, Dr. Cathleen Loving, and Dr. Claire Hemingway. I also thank the students and scientist-mentors who participated in the projects analyzed for this study. Special thanks are in order for the teachers (Dan and Kelly) who volunteered their valuable time and opened up their classrooms for observations. I also acknowledge the National Science Foundation (NSF Award 07-33280) and the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture at Texas A&M University for support. Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this manuscript are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agency, Texas A&M University, or Hope College.

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  1. Departments of Biology and Education, Hope College, 35 E. 12th St., Holland, MI, 49422, USA

    Stephen C. Scogin

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  1. Stephen C. Scogin
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Correspondence to Stephen C. Scogin.

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This manuscript represents a portion of the author’s dissertation work conducted at Texas A&M University, College Station.

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Scogin, S.C. Identifying the Factors Leading to Success: How an Innovative Science Curriculum Cultivates Student Motivation. J Sci Educ Technol 25, 375–393 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-015-9600-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-015-9600-6

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