This paper reports on a pilot study that examined the use of a science and technology curriculum based on robotics to increase the achievement scores of youth ages 9-11 in an after school program. The study examined and compared the pretest and posttest scores of youth in the robotics intervention with youth in a control group. The results revealed that youth in the robotics intervention had a significant increase in mean scores on the posttest and that the control group had no significant...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Pretests Posttests, School Activities, Intervention, Scores, Robotics, Informal...
This paper describes how gestures are used to enhance scaffolding that occurs in small group settings. Sixth and eighth grade students participated in an elective science course focused on earth science concepts with a substantial spatial visualization component. Gestures that students used in small group discussions were analyzed and four patterns of gesture usage with scaffolding roles emerged: (a) Gestures highlighted essential parts of speech, (b) gestures provided information not provided...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Nonverbal Communication, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Group Dynamics, Grade 6,...
This study focuses on the relationship between teacher-student interpersonal behaviour and students' attitudes toward science. To investigate this relationship, student perception data have been gathered with 1021 secondary science students, located in 31 classes in Kashmir, India. Teacher interpersonal behaviour was conceptualised in terms of two behavioural dimensions, Influence (the degree of teacher control in communication with students) and Proximity (the degree of cooperativeness between...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Teacher Influence, Teacher Background, Proximity, Educational...
Seven middle-level schools in a large suburban district created an open enrollment system for advanced English and science courses. The advanced courses provided students with an opportunity to learn through the use of primary sources, high-level literature, and a variety of projects. A vertical teaming process in each middle-high school attendance area was instrumental in promoting teacher collaboration and acceptance of a Pre-AP philosophy intended to expand student access to advanced...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Collaboration, Teacher Attitudes, Open Enrollment, Attendance, Advanced...
The interest in online learning has been growing at a rapid pace, especially for professionals who find it inconvenient to attend face-to-face workshops or courses. This is particularly true for educators pursuing inservice professional development, as there is precious little time to be away from their classrooms. This need, combined with the growing demand for science content courses for teachers, resulted in the NSF-funded National Teacher Enhancement Network, a series of online science...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Online Courses, Professional Development, Teaching Methods, Inservice Teacher...
With the dramatic growth of environmental science as an elective in high schools over the last decade, educators have the opportunity to realistically consider the possibility of incorporating environmental science into the core high school curriculum. Environmental science has several characteristics that make it a candidate for the core curriculum. It is: (1) important for students and society; (2) an opportunity for students to experience an applied science; and (3) a particularly engaging...
Topics: ERIC Archive, High Schools, Technology, Secondary School Curriculum, Core Curriculum, Environmental...
The author examines the museum as a valuable resource for providing professional development within informal learning environments, especially in the area of science instruction and curricular methods. (Contains 6 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Science Instruction, Institutional Mission, Museums, Informal Education, Professional...
Using a national survey of more than 7,000 students from 128 different college introductory science courses, the authors compared students who experienced Block scheduling and Traditional scheduling in high school. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Scheduling, Block Scheduling, Science Instruction, Introductory Courses, High...
Teachers who conduct research in the context of their own teaching practices can contribute to knowledge about reform-based instruction. This article provides examples that illustrate research by elementary, middle school, high school, and college faculty as well as the use of data such as transcripts of discussion, reflective journals, and copies of student work. These examples include: (1) documenting inquiry-based science instruction; (2) developing documentary web sites to share findings...
Topics: ERIC Archive, High Risk Students, Teaching Methods, Science Instruction, College Faculty, Faculty...
A group of middle school science teachers and a university researcher recount some of their experiences as they individually and collectively worked toward improving their everyday assessment practices to better support student learning.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Science Teachers, Science Instruction, Formative Evaluation, Educational Strategies,...
Diminishing "standards" and "alignment" to overused buzzwords or superficial checklists masks the dire need for truly systematic and operational standards-based alignment in science education. In this article, the authors report the findings of an ongoing collaborative effort between cognitive researchers and urban science teachers to align everyday teaching with standards, tests, and research-based pedagogy. They begin with an analysis of how the width vs. depth dilemma in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Science Instruction, Curriculum Development, Science Teachers, Science Achievement,...
This article describes the approach of a five-year initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, to improve the teaching of mathematics and science in 10 rural school districts of Missouri. Traditional challenges of improving the professional practice of teachers are addressed through a regional partnership. External project evaluation results reveal specific teacher challenges, the change strategy of the Ozark Rural Systemic Initiative (ORSI), and what teachers value most. Continuous,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Change Strategies, Rural Schools, Teacher Effectiveness, Educational Change,...
A university, medical school, and science center along with numerous K-12 public schools, university departments, local businesses, funded grant projects, and federal, state and private grants all work in concert to produce a unique partnership focusing on outreach to public school teachers and students. This article shares the history, work, vision, and future expectations of this partnership and proposes this model as one which can be replicated elsewhere. (Contains 1 figure.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Medical Schools, Public School Teachers, Partnerships in Education, Colleges, College...
Schools in 47 high-poverty school districts located mostly along the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia may have a head start on new requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, thanks to a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Begun in April 2000, the five-year Coastal Rural Systemic Initiative (CRSI) is striving to stimulate sustainable systemic improvements in science and mathematics education in school districts with a long...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Rural Schools, Poverty, Federal Legislation, Disadvantaged Youth, School Districts,...
This study examines the attitudes of 1008 students from rural New Mexico in elementary and middle schools from ages 9 through 14. A large decrease in science attitudes between the ages of 11 and 12 years, corresponding with the move from elementary to middle school was observed. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Middle School Students, Elementary School Students, Attitude Change, Student...
Teaching in a regular classroom has become more complicated than ever with increased student diversity and pressure to connect learning experiences to educational standards and test preparation. Although teaching to the middle is often what occurs in traditional classrooms to meet required standards, it is neither an appropriate nor meaningful method of instruction for coping with the inclusion of both students who are gifted those who have learning disabilities or other disabling conditions....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Independent Study, Gifted, Learning Disabilities, Student Diversity, Science...
Elementary students perceive scientists in stereotypical ways. This study examined the influence of historical, nonfiction trade books on children's images of scientists. Of the 13 self-contained third grade classrooms (n = 156), six randomly assigned teachers were instructed to read one trade book each week for six weeks to supplement their modular/kit-based instruction (n = 72). The other seven classrooms received only modular/kit-based instruction (n = 84). In the evaluation of their...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Childrens Literature, Nonfiction, Books, Grade 3, Elementary School Students, Student...
The integration of mathematics and science is a recommended pedagogical strategy made by major reform-based documents. The goal is to enhance learner understandings by recognizing the relationships between the two disciplines. Documented attempts to systematically enact this initiative in teacher preparation remain uncommon. As a result, an elementary science methods course instructor in collaboration with two mathematics education researchers conducted a practitioner-research study that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Elementary School Science, Methods Courses, Preservice Teacher Education,...
This article reports the results of a survey on K-8 teachers' inquiry beliefs and practices. The survey in this study was part of the National Science Foundation-supported, five-year, in-depth longitudinal case studies aimed at elucidating K-8 classroom teachers' motivations, goals, and purposes for carrying out inquiry in diverse, low SES schools. In the longitudinal case studies, diverse low SES schools were defined as culturally diverse schools, which had 50% or more of their students...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Research Skills, Inquiry, Teacher Attitudes, Longitudinal Studies, Low Income Groups,...
Although there is a considerable emphasis on inquiry-based, active learning in standards documents, curriculum documents, and textbooks, there exists a great deal of debate regarding the effectiveness of specific curricular and instructional approaches, including kit-based instruction. This study examines the efficacy of science kits in improving content knowledge. The method used involved treatment and comparison groups composed of 2,299 elementary school students in third, fourth, and fifth...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Elementary School Students, Textbooks, Active Learning, Teaching Methods, Elementary...
In this paper, I describe the action research I conducted in my third-grade science classrooms over the course of two years. In order to gain an understanding of my third-grade students' ideas about animal adaptations and how the teaching of a unit on crayfish influenced these ideas, I used clinical interviews, observations, and written assessments. I did this research while working as a science resource teacher in a suburban elementary school. The first year, I piloted the unit myself and then...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Animals, Action Research, Science Curriculum, Concept Formation, Grade 3, Elementary...
This study investigated the contributions of students' reasoning ability and meaningful learning orientation to their understanding of the photosynthesis and respiration in plants concepts. Data were gathered through the use of the Test of Logical Thinking (Tobin & Capie, 1981), the Learning Approach Questionnaire (Cavallo, 1996), and the Two-Tier Diagnostic Test (Haslam & Treagust, 1987). These instruments were administered to 117 8th-grade students to determine their reasoning...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Logical Thinking, Concept Formation, Grade 8, Gender Differences, Thinking Skills,...
Historically, elementary science teacher inservice has not been an effective means of improving science teaching for most elementary teachers. "Guidelines for Effective Elementary Science Teacher Inservice Education" were developed by Klein (2001) to address this need. This paper illustrates, through a review of program evaluation documentation, how the guidelines were implemented in an elementary science teacher inservice education program. (Contains 4 tables.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Elementary School Science, Inservice Teacher Education, Program Evaluation,...
This study examined the use of science professors acting as mentors to enhance the science competency of early childhood educators. Findings indicate that mentor-mentee dyad interactions varied; however, mentors were able to assist with curriculum, science content, and resources. Although standards-based units were developed, there was little "real" science inquiry present. Findings did not support a higher-quality product that involved a mentoring relationship versus a nonmentoring...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teachers, Mentors, Science Instruction, College Faculty, Teacher...
The purpose of this article is to present various techniques that will engage young children, ages 3-8, in learning science and mathematics. Children actively engage in acquiring basic science and mathematics concepts as they explore their environment. The methods presented are intended to meet the developmental levels of young learners as they make connections with science and mathematics. Also included is a review of science and mathematics content and process skills appropriate for early...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Young Children, Science Instruction, Mathematics Instruction, Mathematical Concepts,...
This study examines the development of mental models of air by kindergarten students after completing a series of hands-on, inquiry-based science lessons. The lessons focused on two properties of air: (1) that air takes up space and (2) that it is made of particles ("balls of air"). The students were interviewed about their ideas of air and about phenomena involving air before and after the lessons. From the lessons, the students gained experiences and vocabulary to draw upon to make...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Kindergarten, Science Instruction, Inquiry, Hands on Science, Science Experiments,...
Although various governmental and professional organizations recommend that teachers use an inquiry-based approach to science education, most teachers do not use this pedagogy. Lack of content knowledge and/or insufficient skills in planning inquiry-based lessons may contribute to teachers' reluctance to utilize this methodological approach. This study explores the relationship between science content knowledge and inquiry-based lesson planning ability. The authors found a significant positive...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Elementary Education, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods, Pedagogical Content...
The purpose of this study is to explore elementary students' views of (NOS) to see how well they align with national reform recommendations (AAAS, 1993; NRC, 1996). Using an open-ended questionnaire coupled with one-on-one interviews of fourth-grade students conducted at the end of the school year, the researchers explored students' understandings of the distinction between observation and inference, the creative and imaginative nature of science, and the tentative yet reliable nature of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Scientific Principles, Researchers, Elementary School Students, Student Attitudes,...
The purpose of this study was to examine what kinds of tensions, conflicts, and difficulties a prospective elementary teacher paid special attention to in the process of interacting with others to learn to teach elementary science during the internship year, and to describe how the novice teacher responded to and finally negotiated those tensions in response to social and institutional expectations of her university instructor, mentor teacher, field instructor, and peers to establish her own...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Elementary School Science, Mentors, Science Teachers,...
Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) integrates inquiry, problem- and project-based learning, cooperative learning, and authentic assessment. Case studies were carried out on 21 teachers who used CTL to teach science in elementary schools to diverse groups of children. The findings indicated that the conditions that fostered the implementation of CTL strategies were a collaborative interaction with students, a high level of activity in the lesson, a connection to real-world contexts, and an...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Classroom Techniques, Elementary Schools, Context Effect, Performance Based...
Photographs taken by urban students, along with the associated interview transcripts, were provided to their teachers partway through the subsequent school year. The teachers were prompted to describe their impressions of the photos relative to their knowledge of the students. In addition, the teachers were asked how these insights might shape their instructional practices. The photographs proved to be informative to the teachers, and they were able to propose changes in practices for...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Urban Schools, Teaching Methods, Photography, Elementary School Teachers, Interviews,...
Preparing early childhood (K-3) teachers to teach science presents special challenges for the science methods instructor. Early childhood preservice teachers typically come to the methods classroom with little science content knowledge; they also lack confidence in their own abilities to teach science. This paper presents a theoretical background, reflections of a methods instructor, and recommendations for teaching an early childhood science methods course. (Contains 1 table.)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Methods Courses, Teacher Education...
This study reviews allied literature and specific teacher educator behaviors that promote preservice teachers' development of a personalized, research-based elementary science teaching rationale (STR). Declaring absolutes is not the goal of the rationale. Rather, the goal is to initiate, among preservice teachers, the lifelong professional disposition of thoughtful teaching based upon cycles of reflection on one's experiences, the literature, and research on effective science teaching. The...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Elementary School Science, Methods...
This paper represents Part I of a two-part study examining preservice teachers' development of a personalized, research-based Science Teaching Rationale (STR). Researchers have historically documented the application of the "rationale paper" (Clough, 1992; Veronesi, 1998) using qualitative methodologies. Since the rationale paper continues to receive attention at conferences (e.g., at the annual conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science) and grow in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teachers, Elementary School Science, Statistical Analysis, Evaluation...
Successful experiences teaching science early on can impact teachers' continued teaching of science; therefore, field-based teaching experiences are critical to preservice teacher education in science. Such field experiences may be subject to constraints, however, such as limited time, which prevent preservice teachers from experiencing this early success. In this paper, the author describes an existing field-based teaching experience and her personal experiences implementing an innovative...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Strategies, Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Elementary...
The learning cycle has been embraced as a teaching approach that is consistent with the goals of the "National Science Education Standards" (National Research Council, 1996). Science teacher educators may be disappointed to find, however, that preservice teachers may fail to grasp this model, even after extensive instruction (e.g., Settlage, 2000). Our own preservice teachers often express the belief that teaching multiple activities related to a single concept is redundant. In this...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teachers, Learning Processes, Teaching Models, Science Instruction,...
Resources for selecting high-quality elementary science trade books include lists exclusively for science and those that contain a broad spectrum of content foci such as the IRA's "Teachers' Choices" list. In this study, the genres and content areas of science-based "Teachers' Choices" books from the list's inception in 1988 through 2004 were analyzed for trends. Based on our analysis, the storybook genre has decreased while informational books, particularly those classified...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Childrens Literature, Elementary School Science, Content Analysis, Science...
This study compares 3rd-grade elementary students' gain and retention of science vocabulary over time in two different classes--"connected science instruction" versus "direct instruction." Data analysis yielded that students who received connected science instruction showed less gain in science knowledge in the short term compared to students who received direct instruction. On the other hand, the growth curve demonstrated a lower rate of loss of science knowledge among...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods, Grade 3, Elementary School Students, Retention...
In this study, elementary preservice teachers used science notebooks throughout their science methods course to write about all aspects of science and scientific inquiry. The views regarding the use of science notebooks were explored in order to determine the preservice teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward their use. The findings demonstrated that the preservice teachers involved became more relaxed in the way they used notebooks to communicate science understanding. They also came to see...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teachers, Methods Courses, Preservice Teacher Education, Formative...
The Science Belief Test is an online instrument comprised of 47 statements that require true or false responses and request written explanations to accompany these responses. It targets topics in chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, and astronomy and was initially designed to assess preservice elementary teachers' beliefs about general science content. A set of responses for six of the physical science items targeting force/gravity and physical/chemical change was selected for analysis...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teachers, Misconceptions, Physical Sciences, Knowledge Base for Teaching,...
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of learner characteristics and preservice teachers' views of nature of science (NOS) prior to formal instruction. Learner characteristics investigated included metacognitive awareness, self-efficacy, attitudes toward science teaching, Perry's intellectual and ethical developmental levels, concerns for teaching NOS, and cultural values. Findings indicated interesting relationships between NOS views and cultural values, self-efficacy,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Self Efficacy, Scientific...
This review focused on the written and visual representation of the moon in 80 children's books, including Caldecott Medal and Honor books over the past 20 years. Results revealed that many of these books misrepresent the moon and even reinforce misconceptions about lunar phases. Teachers who use children's literature that misrepresents the moon may unwittingly promote or reinforce alternative conceptions. Thus, teachers, parents, and library media specialists should be aware of common...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Childrens Literature, Astronomy, Scientific Concepts, Media Specialists,...
Preservice teachers enrolled in a two-part course entitled Investigations in Mathematics and Science (IMS) were provided inquiry-based mathematics and science instruction in order to develop both content and process skills. This investigation sought to determine the pedagogical nature of the course and the impact it had on its participants. Students and faculty were surveyed concerning inquiry-based instruction and self-efficacy beliefs. It was determined that the pedagogical focus of the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Teacher Effectiveness, Self...
The reforms call for elementary science that engages students in meaningful and relevant learning opportunities for all students. While science lab facilities are common to middle and high school, in elementary schools, science is typically taught in the regular classroom. Elementary schools across the nation, however, have devoted financial and other resources to establishing separate laboratory facilities for science. How do these facilities support the delivery models for elementary science...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Elementary School Science, Elementary Schools, Science Laboratories, Science...
This study reports changes in kindergarten students' understanding of magnets after participating in a series of hands-on, inquiry-based lessons. The lessons focused on the dipole nature of magnets and employed a visual representation of a magnet as an arrow for the kindergarten students. This dipole model was used to describe how magnets interact with each other and how they interact with steel objects (i.e., magnetization). Many students adopted this dipole model of magnets and were able to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Kindergarten, Magnets, Scientific Concepts, Young Children, Inquiry, Hands on...
Through a century-long process, there has been a resolute effort to shape science teaching in elementary classrooms. A close look at science teaching and student learning may provide a better understanding of what really happens in elementary classrooms. This study examines relationships between science teaching pedagogy, teachers' science teaching attitudes, and student learning outcomes 15 Oregon fifth-grade teachers. The resulting qualitative and quantitative data provides insights into the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teaching Methods, Science Achievement, Correlation, Grade 5, Teacher Attitudes,...
A series of magnet trade books were analyzed against a validated list of magnet concepts (Barrow, 1990a) and their Flesch (1974) Readability was determined. These trade books were used to supplement a second grade unit on magnetism locally constructed from AIM's "Mostly Magnets" (1991). All trade books accurately described how like and unlike poles behave and operation of a compass. Considerable variation in readability was noted. Suggestions are provided on appropriate use of trade...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Childrens Literature, Readability, Grade 2, Scientific Concepts, Magnets, Elementary...
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether and how elementary teachers' thinking and instruction changed as a result of a teacher research experience. Each teacher worked with a scientist conducting research for a period of six weeks. Data in the form of classroom observations and interviews was collected before and after the research experience. Also, document analysis of journals kept during the research experience was conducted. Case studies for three elementary teachers describe...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Attitudes, Teaching Methods, Teacher Researchers, Observation, Interviews,...
In this study, a conceptual system is outlined for the educational science sub-discipline of adult education. Adults' attending instruction or not attending instruction is conceptually specified. Focusing as it does on a cardinal event of adult education, this represents a first step toward a system for the educational science sub-discipline of adult education. Attending instruction is mainly understood as action, and non-attending instruction as behavior. Instruction is a system of educational...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Discipline, Adult Education, Science Education, Science Instruction, Schneider, Kaethe
Prospective teachers can examine documentary websites known as "snapshots of practice" in an on-line "Gallery of Teaching and Learning" http://gallery.carnegiefoundation.org). Developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the Gallery of Teaching and Learning includes a wide variety of web-based "snapshots" developed by college instructors and teacher educators as well as K-12 teachers. These multi-media websites provide enticing visions of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Teacher Educators, Web Sites, Inquiry, Active Learning,...