Kitchen Science Investigators: Promoting Identity Development as Scientific Reasoners and Thinkers

1. Tamara L. Clegg School of Interactive Computing Georgia Institute of Technology Kitchen Science Investigators: Promoting Identity Development as Scientific Reasoners and Thinkers

2. Candyce 6thGrade KSI Participant

3. Candyce Tammy: Okay, and then what do you, what do you want to be when you grow up?Candyce: [pause] I want to be a, well I've been thinking about being a chef now that I'm in KSI. So I think that would be a really interesting job.Tammy: Okay, what makes you think that'll be an interesting job?Candyce: Because, okay, if I'm a chef, then most chefs just put ingredients in there, but if I'm a chef, my food'll turn out like exactly the way I wanted it, and it'll probably be even better than I expected because I'll actually think about the way that I wanted it instead of just putting ingredients in there and following a recipe. Like I can change up the ingredients because I'll know what the thickeners do and I'll know what the, these type of liquids do. Yeah, so I can change it up to get it the way I want it uh, specifically.

4. Candyce 6thGrade KSI Participant

5. Candyce’s Scientific Identity Shifts

6. Agenda

7. Barriers to Science Identity Development • Many learners don’t recognize utility of science • Useful only in school • In school they face • Difficulties connecting science to • The real world - their everyday lives • Their own interests and goals (Chinn & Malhotra 2001) • Tensions between science and home community • Minorities: language use (Brown 2004) • Low SES groups: Silent and obedient in school (Brickhouse & Potter 2001)

8. Promoting Identity in Science • Help learners see themselves as people who can and do use the practices and knowledge of science • My Approach: Design Transformative Learning Environments • Help learners develop scientific identity by engaging in scientific practice Professionally Personally

9. Transformative Learning Environments • Definition: Environments designed to help learners come to see themselves in new ways by enabling them to identify and explore potential roles for themselves • Not to be confused with transformative learning theory (Mezirow 1975, Cranton 2002)

10. My Research Questions • Design-based research aiming to understand • (Theory) How the development of scientific reasoning identity and disposition happen • (Practice) How to help kids develop identity and disposition as scientific reasoners and thinkers • Identity and Disposition? • Identity: how you see yourself • Disposition: the things you take initiative to do • Clearly, they are related

11. Disposition Scientific inquiry Theoretical Framework

12. Identity as Discourse Identity • Discourse: Any combinations of social and historical ways of being that can cause one to be recognized as a certain type of person (Gee 2001) • Discourse: • Ways of • Speaking & writing • Acting & Interacting • Using face or body • Feeling, believing, • & valuing • Using objects, tools, • or technologies

13. Scientific Practice Authentic scientific practice • In the context of real world problems • Full range of variables can be tested and outcomes may be unknown • Procedures for answering questions chosen at least partially by participants • Chinn & Malhotra 2001; Gleason & Schauble 1999 Definition: The reasoning relevant to the pursuit of explaining, predicting, and controlling of empirical phenomena Creating and using evidence Designing experiments According to scientific standards Chinn & Malhotra, 2001; Osborne et. Al, 2001; Gleason & Schauble 1999

14. My Hypothesis: Developing Disposition • Goal for learners: • Recognize when something is scientific • In a situation where scientific reasoning is relevant, they engage

15. Thesis Statement • Engaging learners in scientific practice in the context of different Discourses they participate in will lead to their development of scientific dispositions, which will in turn promote learners’ scientific identity development.

16. One Transformative Learning Environment Kitchen ScienceInvestigators

17. Starting With Learners’ Interests and Goals - Kitchen Science Investigators • Design the Context for learning: After-school or summer camp learning environment where kids learn science and scientific reasoning skills through cooking • Intention: Kids will see relevance of science through experiencing the value of scientific reasoning for them • Help them see food as an object of investigation through play • Transition them to engagement in authentic scientific practice • Analyze development of disposition and what’s causing or prohibiting it

18. Kitchen Science Investigators • Three aspects that help promote identity development and science learning • Activities • Technology • Facilitation • Activities • Cooking Experiment – Science Experiment • Progress to more complex dishes

19. Children tend to: • Role of Technology • Prompt learners to focus on the scientific reasoningwhile cooking Gardner, Clegg, Williams, & Kolodner International Conference of the Learning Sciences, 2006 • Structured & Free-form technology support Clegg & Kolodner 2007 Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning 2(3), 239-266 Forget the purpose of experimentation End investigations prematurely Fail to recognize importance of scientific situations (Gleason & Schauble 1999, Quintana et al. 2004)

20. Comparing Variation Results Group Name & Variation Observation Questions

21. Free-form Technology Support Creating stories and explanatoids from experiments and investigations

22. Role of Facilitators • During whole-group discussions • Guiding Conversations • Explaining Science • During small-group work • Modeling Scientific Reasoning Processes • Between sessions • Design activities based on learners interests and understanding

23. Research in this context Methods

24. Analyzing Development of Disposition and what’s causing (or inhibiting) it In the context of KSI: • Q1: What is the range of Discourses learners are engaging in? • Q2: How is the scientific reasoning Discourse influenced by participation in those Discourses? • Q3: How does participation in KSI influence learners’ disposition to reason scientifically?

25. Location YWCA – Teen Girls In Technology (TGI-Tech) Local Public Middle School Participants 15-20 Minority Girls 6-8th Grade Facilitators Me, Janet, Christina KSI research lab Duration After school 1.5 Hours Weekly 9 Months (Fall 2007 - Spring 2008) Multiple Case Study 4 Focal Girls Representing variety along: Interests Participation Styles (Clegg & Kolodner, 2007) Study Details

26. Data Collection and Sources Data sources Video data Software logs Facilitator field notes Interviews Learners Parents Science Teachers Learner Middle Learner Initial Learner Ending Parent Initial Parent Ending Teacher Initial Parent Ending

27. KSI Activities • Fall 2007 - Leaveners • Day 1: Food Tasting • Day 2: Food Tasting II • Day 3: Pizza • Day 4: Brownies • Day 5: Egg-sploration • Day 6: Cookies • Day 7: BS/BP Experiment • Day 8: Choice I • Day 9: Choice II • Day 10: Choice III and Parent Presentations • Spring 2008 - Thickeners • Day 11: Biscuits & Gravy • Day 12: Pudding • Day 13: Good Eats/Pudding Results • Day 14: Strawberry No-Bake Pie • Day 15: Strawberry Pie Analysis • Day 16: Thickener Choice I • Day 17: Choice I Re-make • Day 18: Choice II • Day 19: Choice III • Day 20: Choice IV & parent Presentations Structured ` Less Structured

28. Data Analysis • Coding: Discourse Participation and Development • Scientist • Chinn & Malhotra, 2001 framework • Chef • Actions, questions, values, etc. pertaining to creating and preparing dishes • Friend • Social conversation or play • Laughter, personal conversation, playful, arguments, etc. • Coding Order • Interview data • Changes, shifts, and developments in Discourses • Causes • Selected observation days (5-6 days per learner) • Coded observation days (active participation) by Discourse

29. Discourse Development • Within each Discourse: • Ways of • Speaking or writing • Acting or Interacting • Using face or body • Feeling, believing, • or valuing • Using objects, tools, • or technologies Looked within each Discourse to understand how participation shifted over time in each

30. Influences of Other Discourses on the Scientist Discourse? • Across each Discourse: • Ways of • Speaking or writing • Acting or Interacting • Using face or body • Feeling, believing, • or valuing • Using objects, tools, • or technologies Looked for connections from each Discourse to the Scientist Discourse to understand how participation shifts in each Discourse influenced Scientist Discourse

31. Scientific Disposition • Participation in Scientist Discourse • Amount • Complexity • Contexts • Overarching ideals about, values of doing science • (Bereiter, 1995; Gresalfi, 2006; Katz 1993)

32. KSI Focal Girls

33. Candyce • Hated science class • Teacher • Experiments • Switched classes • KSI • Descriptive observations became goals • Used science experiments to achieve • Developed “craving for knowledge” 6th Grade Interests: Science, Cooking Participation Style: Quiet/Vocal

34. Candyce 6th Grade Interests: Science, Cooking Participation Style: Quiet/Vocal Okay, what are my strengths as an investigator? I like finding things out because I'm like the type of person who will want to know something and who loves getting information. So I'm good at that. That's what strength [I have]. Yeah, I have a craving for knowledge.

35. Malaysia • Science class boring • Stare at teacher • Read book • KSI • Cooking expertise – pasta and fruit tart • Understood starch absorption • Scientific terminology became goals for dishes • Increased science interest 6th Grade Interests: Social, Cooking Participation Style: Vocal

36. Malaysia M: Cause, [KSI]'s like ↑fun, but it's educational at the same time. So, and then it'll help you understand science more, cause kids don't really understand that boring way cause they fall asleep and stuff, so if you do KSI, you can be excited and enthusiastic and then you'll be learning about science at the same time.T: So, what do you mean by boring stuff?M: Like sitting in the classroom opening your textbook or sitting there staring at the teacher. 6th Grade Interests: Social, Cooking Participation Style: Vocal

37. Analyzing Development of Disposition and what’s causing (or inhibiting) it In the context of KSI: • Q1: What is the range of Discourses learners are engaging in? • Q2: How is the scientific reasoning Discourse influenced by participation in those Discourses? • Q3: How does participation in KSI influence learners’ disposition to reason scientifically?

38. Discourses & Disposition

39. Analyzing Development of Disposition and what’s causing (or inhibiting) it In the context of KSI: • Q1: What is the range of Discourses learners are engaging in? • Q2: How is the scientific reasoning Discourse influenced by participation in those Discourses? • Q3: How does participation in KSI influence learners’ disposition to reason scientifically?

40. Friend Impact on Scientist Discourse

41. Additional Set of Friends: Impact on Scientist Discourse - Malaysia Friend: Additional Set of Friends Scientist Access to others who participated in science Began to use scientific practices (e.g., vocabulary, making observations) In science class: helped Malaysia to participate more Understood science teacher’s expectations Helped science teacher outside of class • Friends in science class • Did not participate in science class • Malaysia didn’t either • Additional set of friends in KSI • Some older and not in science class (e.g., Amber) • Modeled scientific vocabulary and practices • Some were in science class • KSI friends participated in science class • Malaysia began to participate as well • Closer relationship with teacher

42. Chef Impact on Scientist Discourse

43. Chef Impact on Scientist Discourse: Candyce Chef Scientist Use of science to achieve goals Descriptive observations Experimentation and results Conceptual understanding Asking questions Scientific Expertise: Additional investigations E.g., Baking soda & buttermilk experiment • Becoming an expert chef • Tasting and describing different puddings • Making pudding with different thickeners • Achieving cooking goals: More complex dishes with thickeners • Fruit Tarts • Sweet and Sour Chicken • Chocolate cake with cream center • Cooking accomplishments and ability

44. Analyzing Development of Disposition and what’s causing (or inhibiting) it In the context of KSI: • Q1: What is the range of Discourses learners are engaging in? • Q2: How is the scientific reasoning Discourse influenced by participation in those Discourses? • Q3: How does participation in KSI influence learners’ disposition to reason scientifically?

45. Scientific Disposition • Relevance of science for achieving goals • Experimentation • Scientific understanding • Connection of science to real world experiences and interest • Curiosity – desire to know more

46. Discourses and Disposition

47. Implications for the Design of Transformative Learning Environments (TLE)

48. Friends & Scientists: Implications for Design of TLEs • Activities • Real world context allows for shared experiences - bonding • Whole group & small group conversations • Combination of diverse learners • Particularly older learners interested in science • Didn’t always work • Offering choice • Promotes working together based on interests Clegg & Kolodner American Education Research Association, 2010

49. Chefs & Scientists: Implications for Design of TLEs Activities • Hard to predict when learners will ask questions or become interested • All activities designed in the context of achieving learners’ goals • Make them natural to refer back to • Ability to participate and make mistakes Clegg, Gardner, & Kolodner, International Conference of the Learning Sciences, 2010

50. Chefs & Scientists: Implications for Design of TLEs Facilitation Recognize when learners’ interests are piqued/dwindling Capitalize on those moments Find opportunities for learners to answer their own questions Unplanned scientific activities Selecting appropriate practices Build off of interest of learners Clegg, Gardner, & Kolodner, International Conference of the Learning Sciences, 2010