Students in the Bretz group have the opportunity
to learn a wide suite
of chemistry education research (CER)
skills - survey design, item development, statistics, semi-structured
interviews, observations, document analyses, qualitative data analyses,
and knowledge of human subjects protocols. Dr. Bretz's research falls into
three main areas:
 Assessment
of student
learning.
Our
research
concentrates upon developing and validating
instruments to measure different dimensions
of student learning, both
cognitive and affective. The theoretical framework that guides inquiry
in our group is Ausubel and Novak's Theory of Meaningful Learning,
which centers upon metacognition and the ability of students to reflect
upon how they learn. The instruments we design are targeted to probe
what students understand about learning how to learn.
Application of Cognitive Science
& Learning Theory. Research underway includes measuring
students'
cognitive expectations
about learning chemistry, faculty goals and the
use of inquiry in the laboratory, and attrition in a spiral organic
chemistry curriculum.
Chemistry & Children. We also
are very interested in examining
the factors that influence the beginnings of learning chemistry in the
elementary grades. Projects focusing on chemistry and children include
the connections between science literacy and reading
literacy in early elementary grades, the meanings of chemicals to
children, and the connection between teacher self-efficacy and
pedagogical content knowledge in the elementary science classroom.
Click here
to learn more about group member's research projects.
Biography
Professor of Chemistry, Miami University, 2005-current
Associate
Professor of Chemistry, Youngstown State University, 2000-2005
--developed CER
graduate program for the professional development of high school
chemistry teachers.
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of
Michigan-Dearborn, 1995-2000
--investigated curriculum reform in general
chemistry
Post-doctoral Research, Chemistry Education Research,
University of
California Berkeley,
Dr. Angelica Stacy, 1994-95
Ph.D. Chemistry Education Research, Cornell University, 1994
M.S. Chemistry, Penn
State University, 1991
B.A. Chemistry, Cornell University, 1989
Dr. Bretz's research has been funded
by NSF, the Camille
and Henry Dreyfus
Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education FIPSE program, and the
Ohio Board of Regents. Dr. Bretz chaired the Gordon
Research Conference on CER in June 2005 and currently serves on the
Board of Trustees for the American Chemical Society Division of
Chemical Education Examinations
Institute. She is a member of Project Kaleidoscope
Faculty 21, and a recipient of both the Distinguished Professor of
Teaching and of Research Awards at YSU, the Northeast Ohio Council of
Higher Education Excellence in Education Award, and was selected by
Ohio Magazine as one of the Top 100 Faculty Members in Higher
Education.
Her publications include research reports in
the Journal of Chemical Education,
Chemistry
Education Research and Practice, Journal of College Science Teaching,
Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology Education, The Chemical Educator, as well
as several book
chapters.
click here to
download full vita
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