Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ph.D. in Education Program: Huma Hussain-Abidi “Apt-AIR in Action: Analyzing Teacher Discourse, Evaluating Curriculum Design, and Advancing Student Thinking”

9:30 am - 10:30 am

Developing scientifically literate laypeople requires science education to move beyond teaching
scientific content and practices. Students must also develop apt epistemic performance, including
the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate, construct, and use knowledge responsibly in our
current “post-truth” world. The Apt-AIR framework offers a comprehensive model for understanding
epistemic engagement by integrating epistemic aims, ideals, reliable processes, and the cognitive,
metacognitive, social, caring, and adaptive aspects of epistemic performance. This dissertation expands
the application of the Apt-AIR framework by demonstrating its value across three interconnected studies
that examine classroom discourse, curriculum design, and student thinking.

The first study applies Apt-AIR as an analytical lens to investigate teacher discourse in five high
school science classrooms. Using the Apt-AIR 3 × 5 matrix, classroom interactions were
systematically analyzed to characterize how teachers promoted epistemic aims, ideals, reliable
processes, and the five aspects of epistemic performance. The findings highlight discourse
practices that support students’ epistemic engagement while revealing dimensions of epistemic
performance that remain underrepresented in classroom instruction.

The second study explores Apt-AIR as a curriculum design framework through an iterative
design-based research process. An existing science curriculum was evaluated and redesigned to
strengthen opportunities for students to develop apt epistemic performance. The resulting
curriculum more intentionally incorporated metacognitive, adaptive, social, and caring dimensions,
illustrating how Apt-AIR can support systematic, theory-informed curriculum development.

The third study integrates the Apt-AIR and Grasp of Evidence frameworks to examine how ninth-grade
students evaluate scientific evidence within an authentic socioscientific context. Analysis of pre-
and post-intervention interviews revealed that students often relied on numerical specificity as a
marker of evidence quality while placing less emphasis on evidence integration and scientific
consensus, particularly when evaluating review articles. Integrating the two frameworks provided a
richer understanding of students’ epistemic reasoning and illuminated opportunities to better
support adaptive epistemic performance.

Together, these studies demonstrate the versatility of the Apt-AIR framework as an analytical,
design, and interpretive tool. By extending its methodological applications, this dissertation
offers practical and theoretical contributions for researchers and educators seeking to cultivate
scientifically literate students capable of engaging thoughtfully with scientific knowledge beyond
the classroom.

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