Date of Award
Winter 1-21-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Catherine Haden
Abstract
This study examined how middle school students engaged with science concepts while working with data visualizations during a field trip learning experience. Fifty-one teams of 2–4 students from 35 schools participating in the LabVenture program were video- and audio-recorded. Students completed two activities: one using a frequency table of marine species illustrating threats to Maine’s lobster population, and another using maps depicting changes in Gulf of Maine sea surface temperature. After each activity, students annotated the visualization, discussed their claims, and recorded short reflections. Transcripts were coded for science-related talk, and annotations and gestures were also analyzed. Findings indicate that annotations, gestures, and peer conversations contributed in complementary ways to STEM discourse. Written annotations specifically supported students’ discussions during planning and reflection. The two activities elicited different forms of reasoning: biological and mathematical with the frequency table, and spatial and climatic with the maps. These results highlight how the representational features of visualizations shape student talk and how engagement behaviors support science learning.
Recommended Citation
Ocular, Grace, "“What’S Happening in the Gulf of Maine?”: Middle School Students’ Engagement in Climate Science Through Data Visual Representation and Reflections" (2026). Dissertations. 4288.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/4288
