Geological Society of America

T259 Making Sense of Methodologies and Theoretical Frameworks in Geoscience Education Research

Friday, 30 October 2020
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Meeting Rooms

CHARACTERIZING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES WITH CLUSTER ANALYSIS: AN EXERCISE IN REDUCING UNCERTAINTY

Paper number: T259-9
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 11:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Authors

Jordan Harshman Presenting Author
Auburn, AL
Frank A. Laski
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Marc Levis-Fitzgerald
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Christopher Lee
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Stanley Lo
University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Lisa McDonnell
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Timothy McKay
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Nicole Michelotti
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Amanda Musgrove
University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
Michael Palmer
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Kathryn Plank
Otterbein University, Westerville, OH
Marilyne Stains
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Tamara Rodela
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Natalie Schimpf
Otterbein University, Westerville, OH
Patricia Schulte
Otterbein University, Westerville, OH
Michelle Smith
University of Maine, Orono, ME
MacKenzie Stetzer
University of Maine, Orono, ME
Jackie Stewart
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Blaire Van Valkenburgh
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Erin Vinson
University of Maine, Orono, ME
Laura Weir
Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS
Paul J. Wendel
Otterbein University, Westerville, OH
Megan Barker
Simon Fraser University, Bunaby, BC
Lindsay Wheeler
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Anna Young
Otterbein University, Westerville, OH
Stephanie Chasteen
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Renee Cole
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Sue Ellen DeChenne-Peters
Armstrong State University, Savannah, GA
M. Kevin Eagan
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Joan Esson
Otterbein University, Westerville, OH
Jennifer Knight
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO

Abstract

Researchers have been interested in characterizing instructional practices for a variety of reasons. These classroom observations have become a go-to method for those in discipline-based education research. Because of the variety of instructional practices, researchers have struggled to generally characterize classroom practices. Throughout this presentation, it will be demonstrated how the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate Science (COPUS), in tandem with cluster analysis, was used to characterize the teaching practices of over 2,000 classroom observations. Seven instructional profiles were identified and later reduced to three: Didactic, Interactive Lecture, and Student-Centered. Clustering on variables that show such wide distributions comes at the cost of certainty. Therefore, this talk focuses on the issue of reducing uncertainty in these classifications despite the large variety demonstrated. This was done through model-based clustering algorithms that allow for specific fit parameters as well as probabilistic profile assignments that serve as evidence to support the final classifications. Lessons learned for researchers using COPUS and/or cluster analysis algorithms will be provided.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 52, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2020AM-356496

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