bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The factor structure of the longeot test: A measure of logical thinking
Authors: Ahlawat Kapur S. , Billeh Victor Y.
Published: October 2006

Using a random sample of 389 grade 11 science students, the factor structure of the Longeot test (a measure of logical thinking) is investigated and some psychometric properties of the test items are determined. Varimax rotation on six principal component factors resulted in a simple structure. An attempt is made to interpret the obtained orthogonal factors. Implications of the findings on the “unity hypothesis” of the Piagetian construct of logical thinking and, consequently, on grade 11 science education are discussed.
An empirical determination of concepts contributing to successful performance of a science process: A study of mineral classification
Authors: Finley Fred N.
Published: October 2006

Recent developments in the philosophy of science and cognitive psychology suggest that students' abilities to use science processes effectively may be greatly influenced by their knowledge of relevant concepts. The central objective of this study was to determine the extent to which students' knowledge of concepts relevant to mineral classification influenced their ability to classify minerals. A second objective was to determine which concepts are most influential. Thirty‐five eighth grade earth science students were tested regarding their ability to classify minerals correctly (the dependent variable) and their knowledge of mineral hardness, cleavage, luster, streak, and the logic of the classification scheme (the independent variables). This was done following their normal classroom instruction. The results of the data analysis using an all‐possible regressions procedure showed that 58.7% of the variance in correct mineral classifications was accounted for by students' knowledge of relevant concepts. Mineral hardness and cleavage were particularly important. These results suggest that students' knowledge of relevant concepts substantially influences their ability to perform the science process of mineral classification. In particular, mineral hardness and cleavage should be emphasized during instruction. The results also suggest that the presently used conception of science processes as being independent of conceptual knowledge needs to be examined and researched further.
Relationships between student perceptions of teaching behavior and learning outcomes in college biology
Authors: Mintzes Joel J.
Published: October 2006

This study examined relationships between student perceptions of teaching behavior and learning outcomes in college biology. One‐hundred one students who enrolled in an introductory college biology course reported the frequencies of 20 overt, in‐class teaching behaviors exhibited by the instructor and rated the instructor on 12 measures of teaching effectiveness. Achievement tests were administered periodically throughout the two‐semester time interval. A series of simple correlations between teaching behavior factors and both achievement and student ratings revealed a complex pattern of relationships. Moderately strong relationships were found between student perceptions of “information‐transmitting” behaviors and achievement, while generally stronger relationships linked behavior factors with student ratings of teaching effectiveness.
Problem‐solving analysis: A piagetian study
Authors: Hale James P.
Published: October 2006

Fifty‐nine second‐year medical students were asked to solve 12 Piagetian formal operational tasks. The purpose was to describe the formal logical characteristics of this medical student sample (59 of a total 65 possible) in terms of their abilities to solve problems in four formal logical schemata‐combinatorial logic, probabilistic reasoning, propositional logic, and proportional reasoning. These tasks were presented as videotape demonstrations or in written form, depending on whether or not equipment manipulation was required, and were scored using conventional, prespecified scoring criteria. The results of this study show approximately 96% of the sample function at the transitional (Piaget's 3A level) stage of formal operations on all tasks and approximately 4% function at the full formal (Piaget's 3B level) stage of formal operations on all tasks. This sample demonstrates formal level thinking to a much greater degree than other samples reported in the literature to date and suggests these students are adequately prepared and developed to meet the challenge of their training (i.e., medical problem solving).
Predicting science achievement: The role of developmental level, disembedding ability, mental capacity, prior knowledge, and beliefs
Authors: Lawson Anton E.
Published: October 2006

Controversy in the literature exists concerning the relative importance of cognitive characteristics such as general developmental level and specific prior knowledge for science achievement. Thus the relative ability of developmental level and prior knowledge to predict achievement of concepts of evolution and natural selection was assessed by means by three commonly used types of examination items: multiple choice items, a computational item, and an essay item. The effects of students' disembedding ability, mental capacity, and belief in evolution were also assessed. Disembedding ability, prior knowledge, and belief in evolution were found to be significantly related to overall achievement, while developmental level and mental capacity were not. However, developmental level was found to be the best predictor of performance on the computational item while belief in evolution and prior knowledge were found to be the best predictors of performance on the multiple‐choice items. Mental capacity was found to be a predictor of performance on the essay item. It is argued that the cognitive variables influence different aspects of science achievement. Implications are discussed.
The Survey–A research strategy rediscovered
Authors: Butts David P.
Published: October 2006

Survey research is a significant way of generating knowledge of what is. Surveys require clear and specific objectives as the basis of equally clear data gathering procedures. The meaning of results from a survey will be enhanced if an analysis plan is generated prior to data collection; then interpretations of the results will more likely be a reflection of pattern in the data and a basis for knowing more about the essential “what is” of the world being surveyed.
Costs of carrying students to a criterion level of competency in physics
Authors: Dressel Ralph
Published: October 2006

Data are presented which display the performance of students in an introductory physics course that was conducted in a competency‐based, multiple‐opportunity format. These data reveal features of student behavior that are reproducible. The specific costs, measured in instructor's time per student produced are shown to be related to the character of the examination questions and to the comprehensional modes of the students. Specific costs for single‐trial and multiple‐trial formats are compared and the evidence clearly shows that the multiple‐trial opportunity has lower specific costs and a much higher yield of students at the full competency level.
The effects of causality, response alternatives, and context continuity on hypothesis testing reasoning
Authors: Lawson Anton E.
Published: October 2006

Two selection hypothesis testing tasks and nine evaluation hypothesis testing tasks which varied systematically with respect to causality, response alternatives, and context continuity were administered to two samples of adults to determine the effects of those variables and to determine the degree to which subjects (Ss) reasoned with material conditional, material biconditional, partial, or partial plus biconditional connectives. On the causal selection task the majority of Ss responded “yes” to all four instances, while on the evaluation tasks all three variables were found to affect performance. Ss responded consistently with the material biconditional connective especially when the tasks called for them to state their expectations or were written with context continuity. Results were interpreted to support the hypothesis that hypothesis testing reasoning in causal contexts begins with the material biconditional connective and involves schemata of controlling variables, probability, and correlations. A strictly “logical” falsification strategy is not viewed as operative. Implications for teaching students how to effectively test hypotheses in science classes are discussed.
A meta‐analysis of research on science teacher education practices associated with inquiry strategy
Authors: Sweitzer Gary L. , Anderson Ronald D.
Published: October 2006

A meta‐analysis was conducted of studies of teacher education having as measured outcomes one or more variables associated with inquiry teaching. Inquiry addresses those teacher behaviors that facilitate student acquisition of concepts and processes through strategies such as problem solving, uses of evidence, logical and analytical reasoning, clarification of values, and decision making. Studies which contained sufficient data for the calculation of an effect size were coded for 114 variables. These variables were divided into the following six major categories: study information and design characteristics, teacher and teacher trainee characteristics, student characteristics, treatment description, outcome description, and effect size calculation. A total of 68 studies resulting in 177 effect size calculations were coded. Mean effect sizes broken across selected variables were calculated.
Science teacher characteristics by teacher behavior and by student outcome: A meta‐analysis of research
Authors: Druva Cynthia Ann , Anderson Ronald D.
Published: October 2006

A meta‐analysis was conducted of studies which addressed characteristics (gender, course‐work, IQ, etc.) as the independent factor, and: (1) their teaching behavior in the classroom (questioning behavior, teaching orientation, etc.); and (2) student outcome characteristics (achievement, attitude toward science, etc.) as the two dependent factors. The population under study was science classes, ranging from kindergarten through twelfth grade, located in the United States, and the teachers of these classes. The studies integrated were reported in dissertations, journal articles, and other forms. Relationship data obtained from the studies were converted to Pearson product moment correlations. In general, quite low relationships were found between teacher background characteristics and (1) their touching behavior in the classroom and (2) student outcome characteristics. Summary tables showing the relationships are presented along with discussion of the strongest relationships.
Consistency across methods of observativn‐an in‐depth study of the cognitive preference test
Authors: Jungwirth Ehud
Published: October 2006

If the same constructs embedded in different tests result in parallel or identical score patterns and high intercorrelations, this can be taken as evidence of construct validity. If results do not converge across instruments and/or response formats, this can be taken as evidence of lack of construct validity and/or impurity of the test as indicator of the constructs. In this study two response formats as well as a request for reasons‐for‐choices of the traditional Cognitive Preference Test (CPT), and an association (open‐ended) CPT, were used in order to test for consistency across methods of observation on both the individual and the populational levels. Convergence of results was found to be minimal. None of the hypotheses was confirmed. It was concluded that construct validation of CPT constructs had not yet reached the state of unequivocality necessary for their application in curriculum research.
A comparison of personality attributes of science teachers and medical technologists
Authors: Kazi M. U. , Piper Martha K.
Published: October 2006

Undergraduate students who major in science make diverse career choices. Two such career choices are medical technologists and science teachers. One possible reason for science majors selecting different career choices might be attributed to varied personality dimensions. The purpose of this study was to identify a set of personality attributes that distinguish practicing medical technologists from practicing science teachers. The subjects of this study consisted of 83 medical technologists and 57 science teachers. Eysenck Personality (EPI) was utilized to investigate the personality attributes of subjects in terms of Eysenck's personality variable of Extroversion‐Introversion and Neuroticism‐Stability. Vocational Preference Inventory was utilized to investigate the vocational personality profile of subjects in terms of Holland's classification of occupations and work environment. Data with EPI revealed that there was no significant difference between medical technologists and science teachers with respect to Eysenck's personality variable of extroversion. However, there was found a significant difference between the two groups with respect to Eysenck's personality variable of neuroticism. Data with VPI revealed that there was no significant difference between medical technologists and science teachers with respect to Eysenck's personality variable of extroversion. Both the groups were characterized by the personality profile of IAS (Intellectual‐Artistic‐Social). This profile was different from that required earlier in literature.
The influence of classroom climate on science process and content achievement of community college students
Authors: Haukoos Gerry D. , Penick John E.
Published: October 2006

The effect of two specific classroom climates on learning of science process skills and content achievement in college level science classes was studied. Two classroom climates were established and designated as discovery classroom climate (DCC) and nondiscovery classroom climate (NDCC). The term discovery denotes the degree of freedom the teacher established in classroom interactions, both verbal and nonverbal. Verbal interactions were monitored with the Science Laboratory Interaction Categories. These data indicate that students in the two classroom climates achieved equally as well on learning of biological content of the course, but students in the discovery classroom climate achieved significantly higher scores in science process skills as measured by the Welch Science Process Inventory. This study, conducted in a large, suburban community college, offers some useful information to the person who has educational goals beyond, but including, the learning of science information and concepts, and possibly science process. Students in the less directive discovery climate learned as much content as those in a more directive comparison class‐they lost nothing of what is traditionally sought in a college science class. In addition, the discovery climate facilitated the development of science process skills which were significantly better than the comparison class. A five‐week intensive class using the discovery climate was found to provide as much content acquisition as the ten‐week nondiscovery climate.
Student perceptions of science classes taught by males and females
Authors: Lawrenz Frances P. , Welch Wayne W.
Published: October 2006

In their analysis of National Assessment results Haertel et al.d̊ found that 13 year‐old boys and girls are quite similar in science learning. However, this similarity does not exist for 17 year olds. One possible cause for this change is socio‐cultural pressures. In this study, we suggest that the science classroom learning environment may contribute to these pressures due to differences in classes taught by male and female science teachers. The Learning Environment Inventory was used to assess student perceptions in junior high, biology, chemistry, and physics classes and significant differences were found. Students perceived classes taught by females as more formal, more goal directed, more diverse and as having more instances of teacher favoritism and friction between students. Classes taught by males were perceived as more difficult. Possible relationships between these perceptual differences and changes in girls' preference for science are discussed and suggestions for future research are given.
A follow‐up power analysis of the statistical tests used in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Authors: Woolley Thomas W. , Dawson George O.
Published: October 2006

It has been two decades since the first power analysis of a psychological journal and 10 years since the Journal of Research in Science Teaching made its contribution to this debate. One purpose of this article is to investigate what power‐related changes, if any, have occurred in science education research over the past decade as a result of the earlier survey. In addition, previous recommendations are expanded and expounded upon within the context of more recent work in this area. The absence of any consistent mode of presenting statistical results, as well as little change with regard to power‐related issues are reported. Guidelines for reporting the minimal amount of information demanded for clear and independent evaluation of research results by readers are also proposed.
The elementary level science methods course: Breeding ground of an apprehension toward science? a case study
Authors: Duschl Richard A.
Published: October 2006

Ethnographic research methodologies were used to examine the training of elementary education majors in science in an attempt to gain insight on whether or not their training in science contributes to the apprehension elementary teachers have toward science. The field study consisted of 14 weeks of weekly observations in the elementary education majors science methods class. Interviews with the students and the instructors as well as survey instruments to assess students' preparation in science were used. Two different approaches to the study of science, one content oriented, the other process oriented, may contribute to the students' confusion, insecurity, and avoidance of science. The students' perception that science is learning content, an objective of introductory level science courses, and the science methods class's objectives of teaching science as a process sets up an “antagonistic dilemma” between the two. Such “antagonistic dilemma” may be manifest in the lack of instructional time accorded to science by elementary educators. The type of science experiences an individual encounters influences their perceptions. To offset student perceptions developed in science courses which stress principally content, the students need science experiences which truly represent science as inquiry. New strategies for the training of elementary education majors in science need to be examined.
Development of seriation and its relation to the achievement of inferential transitivity
Authors: Clark Julia V.
Published: October 2006

Sixty kindergarten and first grade children took part in an intervention program during which they were confronted with problems requiring concrete operational thought. The study was designed to ascertain the influence of an intervention in the development of operational seriation and transitivity in kindergarten and first grade children who initially failed to demonstrate the ability to do seriation and transitivity problems. Seriation of size, presumably a prerequisite operation for transitive size relations, was also studied. The subjects showed significant advancement toward concrete operation on the seriation problems but failed to show significant improvement on the transitivity problems. In addition, subjects who showed understanding of transitive inference also demonstrated success on seriation, but subjects who showed clear understanding of seriation did not demonstrate success on making transitive inference. Results were interpreted in the context of Piaget's equilibration theory (Genetic epistemology. New York: Columbia University Press, 1970).
The comparative effects of teacher‐demonstration and self‐paced instruction on concept acquisition and problem‐solving skills of college level chemistry students
Authors: Eniaiyeju Paul A.
Published: October 2006

A comparison is made of the relative effectiveness of teacher‐demonstration and self‐paced modes of teaching concepts and problem‐solving skills in chemistry. Sixty students were randomized into two treatment groups. A self‐paced instructional package was used by subjects in the self‐paced group. Subjects in the second group were taught by a teacher who used the same self‐paced package. Results of the analyses of variance performed showed that the selfpaced mode of instruction was significantly more effective for teaching concepts and problem‐solving skills. An attitude test was given at the end of the third unit. Results of the test showed that most students preferred the self‐paced instruction to the teacher‐demonstration method.
Children's conceptions of the changes of state of water
Authors: Osborne Roger J. , Cosgrove Mark M.
Published: October 2006

Children are very familiar with water, ice, and steam as these things have been part of their lives since they first crawled into the kitchen. In this study children's conceptions about familiar phenomena associated with water, e.g., evaporating, condensing, boiling, and the melting of ice, were investigated using a clinical interview technique. The prevalence of specific views at particular age levels was also studied. The results of the investigation indicate that children do have ideas about the changes of state of water which are quite different from the views of scientists. It would also appear that these ideas can sometimes be influenced in unintended ways by science teaching. The implications of these findings for teaching are discussed.
A longitudinal study of the supply and demand for physics and chemistry teachers in Kansas
Authors: Lashier William S. , Ryoo Wan Yung
Published: October 2006

The continuing crisis in the supply and demand for high school physics and chemistry teachers has been documented by a series of national surveys. There is a need, however, to augment these surveys with accurate longitudinal data which identifies the age‐specific variables of science teacher survival rates, incoming number of new teachers, and the rate at which science teachers change age cohorts. These three variables were used in a five year longitudinal study of all the physics and chemistry teachers in Kansas to project the need for teachers in 1985 and in 1990. The study indicated that the teachers 40 years and older comprised 33.5% of the physics/ chemistry teacher population in 1979–1980 and the percentage will steadily increase to 60.8 by 1990. The high turnover rate of science teachers 29 years old and younger is also contributing to the shortage of qualified physics and chemistry teachers. The cohort component population projection method outlined in this study is recommended for use in other states to document the age specific characteristics of the science teacher population.
The relationship among teacher classroom management behavior, student engagement, and student achievement of middle and high school science students of varying aptitude
Authors: McGarity John R. , Butts David P.
Published: October 2006

This study was designed to determine the relationship among teacher classroom management behavior, student engagement, and student achievement of middle and high school science students. These variables were investigated across varying levels of academic aptitude. Two week long units were taught by 30 experienced science teachers. During this period of time teacher classroom management behavior, student achievement (n = 570), student engagement (n = 269), and student academic aptitude (n = 649) were measured. Twelve selected management indicators from Georgia Teachers Performance Assessment Indicators (TPAI) were used to measure teacher classroom management behaviors. Regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between the variables, and appropriate post hoc procedures were used. Analyses showed that there was a significant relationship among all variables. Post hoc analysis showed that these results were consistent across levels of aptitude. Other relationships found were between student engagement and achievement, student aptitude and achievement, and student aptitude and engagement. Correlation coefficients were obtained for each individual management indicators. Those particular management behaviors which were correlated with achievement and engagement are: identifies students who do not understand directions and helps them individually, maintains learner involvement in lessons, reinforces and encourages the efforts of learners to maintain involvement, attends to routine tasks, uses instructional time efficiently, provides feedback to learners about their behavior, manages disruptive behavior among learners.
Teacher decision making: The case of prairie high
Authors: Aikenhead Glen S.
Published: October 2006

This article explores the decisions that science teachers make when they plan for instruction. It is a case study analysis of five teachers in a high school and probes into the personal reasons, beliefs, and dilemmas underlying their decisions. These decisions, while serving many purposes, had a common structure which involved tradeoffs and compromises. The decision represented the end result of the conflict between a cluster of teacher intentions and a melange of ideas about student characteristics. Teachers appeared to make decisions within a framework that holistically integrated science content and practical classroom knowledge‐a knowledge system that includes the basic beliefs of a teacher and the socialization of students. By understanding how and why teachers tend to make their decisions, one gains practical insights into the act of teaching science. These insights are of particular interest to science curriculum specialists who wish to understand how teachers use science curriculum materials for the purpose of socializing students.
Determinants of implementation of an elementary science program
Authors: Crocker Robert K.
Published: October 2006

Concern with the problem of science curriculum implementation has been highlighted by surveys which have shown that the impact of the major NSF sponsored curriculum projects has not been as pervasive as might be expected. Although there has been some recent research and theory development on the problem of implementation, little work has been done on the determinants of implementation, especially in science. This article describes a replicated study of factors influencing implementation of a hypothetical elementary science curriculum. The instrument used allowed teachers to respond to a particular implementation scenario devised by combining a number of statements about properties of an innovation with school and teacher reactions to the innovation. Responses were given as estimates of the probability of implementation under the conditions described in the scenario. Results showed that the staff attitude factor was by far the most salient influence on implementation. An inservice factor which was highly significant in one of the applications of the instrument failed to replicate. This suggested the possibility that context differences between the two samples may have been important for this factor. The findings are interpreted in relation to Fullan's

See: Fullan, M. The meaning of educational change. Toronto: OISE Press, 1982.

model of implementation and to other research which highlights the importance of individual interpretation of the properties of an innovation.
Problem‐solving skills of high school chemistry students
Authors: Gabel Dorothy L. , Sherwood Robert D. , Enochs Larry
Published: October 2006

What strategies do high school students use when solving chemistry problems? The purpose for conducting this study was to determine the general problem‐solving skills that students use in solving problems involving moles, stoichiometry, the gas laws, and molarity. The strategies were examined for success in problem solving for 266 students of varying proportional reasoning ability, using interviews incorporating the think‐aloud technique. Data were coded using a scheme based on Polya's heuristics. Results indicated that successful students and those with high proportional reasoning ability tended to use algorithmic reasoning strategies more frequently than nonsuccessful and low proportional reasoning students. However, the majority of all students solved the chemistry problems using only algorithmic methods, and did not understand the chemical concepts on which the problems were based.
The effects of instruction on integrated science process skill achievement
Authors: Padilla Michael J. , Okey James R. , Garrard Kathryn
Published: October 2006

While the philosophical importance of the integrated science process skills is often unchallenged, there is a lack of research with middle and secondary school students to indicate when or how these skills might best be taught. In this study different patterns and amounts of instruction on planning experiments were used with sixth‐ and eighth‐grade students. A model for generating integrated process skill lessons was used to produce all lessons. Treatment One involved a two‐week introductory unit on integrated process skills, followed by one period‐long process skill activity per week for 14 weeks. Treatment Two involved only the same two‐week introductory unit. Treatment Three was a contrast group which received only content oriented instruction. Results showed that both sixth‐ and eighth‐grade students can learn to use certain integrated process skills; growth was apparent in identifying variables and stating hypotheses. Differences generally favored treatment one over treatment three. No differences favoring any treatment were found for formal operational ability outcomes.
Factors related to the decision of men and women to continue taking science courses in college
Authors: Deboer George E.
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of the transition between a student's initial collegiate science experience and the decision to continue in science, and whether the reasons students give to explain their success or failure in their first course are related to that decision. Attribution theory provided the framework for investigating these factors. The results showed that for unsuccessful students, the plan to continue in science was unrelated to gender, mathematical aptitude, performance in the first science course, or attributions to luck, effort, ability, or task difficulty. For successful students, the plan to continue in science was directly related to attributions to ability, and inversely related to task difficulty. The results demonstrate the importance of a sense of competence for students who continue in science.
The acquisition of basic quantitative reasoning skills during adolescence: Learning or development?
Authors: Lawson Anton E. , Bealer Jonathan M.
Published: October 2006

Five items requiring use of proportional, probabilistic, and correlational reasoning were administered to students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. Proportions are taught in the school district in grades 7 and 8, probability in grade 10, and correlations are not taught. Based on the hypothesis that successful performance is due to classroom instruction, improvements on the proportions item were predicted between grades 6 and 10 and improvements on the probability items were predicted between grades 10 and 12. Actual gradewise improvements did not correspond well with predictions. Yet performance did correlate significantly with enrollment in classes such as chemistry, physics, and trigonometry. It is argued that successful qualitative reasoning arises as a consequence of the process of equilibration, and influences one's selection of course work. Specific instruction may initiate the equilibration process.
Students' conceptions about the vector characteristics of three physics concepts
Authors: Aguirre Jose , Erickson Gaalen
Published: October 2006

This article reports on a study of grade ten students' understanding, prior to formal instruction, of three vector concepts: position, displacement, and velocity. Three aspects of the study are discussed and reported. The first aspect is the conceptual analysis of the subject matter which was used to devise appropriate interview questions; the second aspect is the rule assessment methodology which was used in the compression of the interview data, and the third aspect is the substantive results obtained from interviews with the participating students. The conceptual analysis yielded ten “implicit vector characteristics” around which interviews were constructed. From these interviews a number of inferred rules were developed using a technique similar to that reported by Siegler.

See: The origins of scientific reasoning. In Children's thinking: what develops? Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1978, and Developmental sequences within and between concepts. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1981.

The rules so derived suggest that while a majority of respondents appeared to be using rules similar to the physicists' model for a few vector characteristics, for most characteristics they used rules which are only a partial description of the phenomena from a physicist's point of view. But these rules are only tentative descriptions of students' frameworks and need to be tested in subsequent studies to examine both their validity and generality in other contexts involving these vector concepts.
Qualitative research: Data analysis framework generating grounded theory applicable to the crisis in science education
Authors: Spector Barbara S.
Published: October 2006

The shortage of qualified teachers, and the quality and quantity of the science taught in precollege institutions are two focal issues in today's national crisis in science education. This article delineates aspects of qualitative research having the potential of providing guidance to change agents in designing effective strategies to mitigate the crisis. A discursive approach to qualitative research involving the method of collecting and simultaneously analyzing data known as “grounded theory” is described. Role theory and schools as organizations composed of interactive subsystems are defined as suitable frameworks within which to analyze data.
Spatial ability and achievement in introductory physics
Authors: Pallrand George J. , Seeber Fred
Published: October 2006

This research was undertaken to clarify the nature of the relationship between visual‐spatial abilities and achievement in science courses. A related purpose was to determine what influence visual‐spatial abilities have on the high attribution rate characteristic of many introductory college‐level science courses. Three sections of introductory college level physics (S = 136) and one nonscience liberal arts section (S = 52) received pre‐ and postmeasures of visual‐spatial ability in the areas of perception, orientation, and visualization. Increases in visual‐spatial abilities were greatest with an experimental section that received a spatial intervention. These gains were related to test items that utilized graphical form and to laboratory work. Substantial gains in visual‐spatial ability were also registered by a placebo and by control sections. These increases suggest that taking introductory physics improves visual‐spatial abilities. Although students who withdrew from the course demonstrated mathematics skills comparable to those of students who completed the course, their scores on perception tests were appreciably lower. Visual‐spatial scores of the liberal arts group were lower than those of the physics sections, suggesting that visual‐spatial ability influences course selection.
Education research speaks—dare we listen?
Authors: Butts David P.
Published: October 2006

From learning theorists, from political and social scientists, from counseling psychologists, from cognition scientists, and from pedagogical researchers, have come messages that have the potential of quiet revolutions.
Two‐year study relating adolescents' self‐concept and gender role perceptions to achievement and attitudes toward science
Authors: Handley Herbert M. , Morse Linda W.
Published: October 2006

To assess the developmental relationship of perceptions of self‐concept and gender role identification with adolescents' attitudes and achievement in science, a two‐year longitudinal study was conducted. A battery of instruments assessing 16 dimensions of self‐concept/gender role identifications was employed to predict students' achievement and attitudes toward science. Specific behaviors studied included self‐concept in school and science and mathematics, attitudes toward appropriate gender roles in science activities and careers, and self‐perceptions of masculine and feminine traits. One hundred and fifty‐five adolescents, enrolled, respectively, in the seventh and eighth grades, participated in the study. Through Fisher z transformations of correlation coefficients, differences in relationships between these two sets of variables were studied for males and females during the two years. Results indicated that students' self‐concepts/gender role perceptions were related to both achievement and attitudes toward science, but more related to attitudes than achievement. These relationships became more pronounced for students as they matured from seventh to eighth graders.
Adding results to a meta‐analysis: Theory and example
Authors: Willson Victor L.
Published: October 2006

Meta‐analysis has been used as a research method to describe bodies of research data. It promotes hypothesis formation and the development of science education laws. A function overlooked, however, is the role it plays in updating research. Methods to integrate new research with meta‐analysis results need explication. A procedure is presented using Bayesian analysis. Research in science education attitude correlation with achievement has been published after a recent meta‐analysis of the topic. The results show how new findings complement the previous meta‐analysis and extend its conclusions. Additional methodological questions adddressed are how studies are to be weighted, which variables are to be examined, and how often meta‐analysis are to be updated.
Designing a likert‐type scale to assess attitude toward energy conservation: A nine step process
Authors: Koballa Thomas R.
Published: October 2006

A nine‐step process was used as a multilevel screening mechanism in developing a Likert‐type scale that measures that attitudes of teachers toward energy conservation. Following the assemblage of a 71 statement item pool, the statements were analyzed via qualitative criteria (i.e., presence of authoritative appeals, use of double negatives, statements irrelevant to the attitude object, etc.). The 60 statements meeting the qualitative criteria were then pilotted using a sample of 93 preservice elementary teachers. One of the 60 statements was modified as a result of respondent feedback. Data collected from respondents were anlayzed using the Likert Attitude Scale Analysis Main Program (LIKRT) and the emotional intensity of each statement was judged by the criteria: discrimination index, bipolar data, and neutral data. Nineteen statements that were part of the initial item pool met all the criteria set forth by the nine‐step process; as a result, these statements composed the Attitude Toward Energy Conservation Scale. Coefficient alpha for the scale was reported at 0.81 by LIKRT with an average adjusted item‐total correlation of 0.48. Initial validity data collected suggests the scale to be a valid measure of preservice teachers' attitudes toward energy conservation.
A study of the relationship between concept emphasis in high school biology textbooks and achievement levels
Authors: Cho Hee‐Hyung , Kahle Jane Butler
Published: October 2006

A two part study investigated any relationship between student achievement and textbook content as well as any impact of a national project's recommendations on textbook content. First, analyses of student responses to biological items on the 1977 National Assessment of Educational Progress's survey of science showed a direct, linear relationship between achievement level and concept emphasis in biology textbooks. Second, a comparison between biology textbooks, published a decade apart, indicated significant changes in the degree of emphasis placed on 10 commonly accepted conceptual areas. Closer examination revealed that change in the amount of emphasis in one conceptual area, Growth and Development, was responsible for the significant difference found. Generally, the recommendations of the biology project were not reflected in the newer textbooks.
Cooperative, competitive, and individualistic science laboratory interaction patterns—effects on students' achievement and acquisition of practical skills
Authors: Okebukola Peter A. , Ogunniyi Meshach B.
Published: October 2006

Using 1025 junior secondary class three (ninth grade) students and twelve science teachers, this study investigated the effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic science laboratory interaction patterns on students' achievement in science and the level of acquisition of practical skills. A 3 × 3 (interaction pattern by ability) factorial model was employed for data gathering. Significant main and interaction effects were found for both dependent measures. The cooperative group was found to be superior on the achievement measure with no difference between the competitive and individualistic groups. The competitive group, however, outperformed the others in practical skills. Additional data indicated that the mixed ability cooperative group did significantly better than the mixed ability competitive group in achievement but not in practical skills. In sum these data are supportive of the differential effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures on cognitive and psychomotor tasks. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for more productive science laboratory work.
Interaction of learner characteristics with learning from three models of the periodic table
Authors: Lehman Jeffrey R. , Koran John J. , Koran Mary Lou
Published: October 2006

This study was designed to explore the effects on learning of: (1) structural modifications to the periodic table, (2) the location of a periodic table within instructional materials, and (3) the presence of a two‐page schema showing relationships between the topics explained in the written materials and the periodic table. One hundred and sixty high school students were randomly assigned to one of eight treatments. A 28‐item posttest (KR –; 21 = 0.72), consisting of multiple choice and constructed answer items, was designed to measure subjects' ability to use their periodic tables to obtain factual information and to solve qualitative chemistry problems. Regression analyses using the multiple choice portion of the posttest as a dependent variable and table type as an independent variable revealed that for subjects with minimal experience with the periodic table, those who received the table with added visual data performed significantly better than subjects who received either of the other two tables (df 3,93; F = 2.72; p < 0.05). For subjects familiar with the periodic table, significant vocabulary X table (df 3,49; F = 3.22; p < 0.05) and vocabulary X location (df 1,49; F = 4.46; p < 0.05) interactions were detected. Subjects high in verbal comprehension tended to take advantage of the modified tables, while those low in verbal comprehension processed the traditional table with less information most effectively. These latter students also benefited more from having the periodic table alongside their written materials.
Problem solving and classical genetics: Successful versus unsuccessful performance
Authors: Smith Mike U. , Good Ron
Published: October 2006

Expert‐novice problem‐solving research is extended in this study to include classical genetics. Eleven undergraduates (novices) and nine graduate students and instructors (experts) were videotaped as they solved moderately complex genetics problems. Detailed analysis of these “think aloud” protocols resulted in 32 common tendencies that could be used to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful problem solvers. Experts perceive a problem as a task requiring analysis and reasoning and they tend to use a knowledge‐development (forward‐working) approach. They make frequent checks on the correctness of their work, use accurate and detailed bookkeeping procedures, and have a broader range of heuristics to apply to the problem. It is clear that studying problem solving using the expert/novice design requires that the problems be difficult enough to require more than more recall and yet simple enough to allow novices a chance for solution. Applying elementary probability concepts seemed to be the most difficult aspect of many of the genetics problems, even for the experts.
The Israeli “bagrut” examination in biology revisited
Authors: Tamir Pinchas
Published: October 2006

The Israeli paper‐and‐pencil matriculation examination in biology has been one of the most powerful means for implementing an inquiry oriented high school biology program based on the U.S. BSCS. The first version of this examination was described and analyzed in JRST in 1972. This article describes the changes and effects of this examination during the years and compares the examination of the year 1982 with that of 1969. Implications for upgrading science education are discussed.
Balancing chemical equations: The role of developmental level and mental capacity
Authors: Niaz Mansoor , Lawson Anton E.
Published: October 2006

Why are some students able to learn to use the trial and error method to balance chemical equations while others are not? To test the hypothesis that formal reasoning is required to balance even simple one‐step equations, while formal reasoning and a sufficiently large mental capacity are required to balance more complex many‐step equations, a sample of science students was tested to determine level of intellectual development, mental capacity, and degree of field dependence/field independence. Students were then given classroom instruction in using trial and error to balance equations. As predicted, a posttest revealed significant correlations between developmental level and equation balancing ability for both simple and complex equations. Also, as predicted, mental capacity correlated significantly with complex equations but not with simple equations. Field dependence/field independence played no significant role in performance. Educational implications are drawn.