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Self Reflections of Undergraduate Students on Using Web-Supported Counterintuitive Science Demonstrations

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Abstract

Analysis of self-reflections of undergraduate education students in a project involving web-supported counterintuitive science demonstrations is reported in this paper. Participating students (N = 19) taught science with counterintuitive demonstrations in local elementary school classrooms and used web-based resources accessed via wireless USB adapters. Student reflections to seven questions were analyzed qualitatively using four components of reflection (meeting objectives/perception of learning, dynamics of pedagogy, special needs accommodations, improving teaching) deriving 27 initial data categories and 12 emergent themes. Overall the undergraduates reported meeting objectives, engaging students in pedagogically relevant learning tasks including, providing accommodations to students with special needs, and gaining practice and insight to improve their own teaching. Additional research is needed to arrive at generalizable findings concerning teaching with web-supported counterintuitive science demonstrations in elementary classrooms.

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Funding

The project reported in this paper was supported in part by a Tech Fee Grant from Florida Atlantic University and 4G WiMax USB adapters and free airtime from FAU/Clearwire Communications of Florida.

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Correspondence to David Devraj Kumar.

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The research reported in this article was subjected to Florida Atlantic University Social, Behavioral and Educational Research Institutional Review Board in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Kumar, D.D., Dunn, J. Self Reflections of Undergraduate Students on Using Web-Supported Counterintuitive Science Demonstrations. J Sci Educ Technol 27, 362–368 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-018-9729-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-018-9729-1

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