Tammy Long is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Biology at MSU. Bethany Gettings is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Plant Biology and an NRT-IMPACTS fellow at MSU. Their presentation was titled "Stuck in the Middle with You"

Abstract

For my dissertation research, I am developing a project that explores patterns in middle-achieving students majoring in life science.  My proposal builds on findings from three previous studies focused on modeling-based instruction in a reformed introductory biology course that found middle achievers: (1) demonstrate less attrition in conceptual understanding over time; (2) maintain greater consistency in their approach to modeling over time; and, (3) may be less sensitive to contextual features of modeling prompts. I will explore cognitive and non-cognitive mechanisms that might explain how middle-achieving students are engaging in model-based instruction differently from their high and low peers.

In this ‘work-in-progress’ discussion, we hope to draw on the expertise of our colleagues as a way to obtain feedback that will inform our theoretical framework, methodologies, and potential analytic approaches. We invite your input and look forward to engaging a constructive conversation about this early-stage proposal.