bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A survey of antecedents of attitudes toward science
Authors: Wareing Carol
Published: October 2006

Relationships among attitudes of students toward science, as measured by the WASP (Wareing Attitudes Toward Science Protocol), perceived antecedents of such attitudes, and class achievement or performance indicated by reported grades were investigated for a survey sample of 1,740 students in 87 high school science classes from five communities. Additionally, students' self‐reported number of tests administered in a given course, perceived rewards, degree of stress, and internal structure of the course were examined as potential predictor variables. Results indicate a significant correspondence between report card grades, degree of structure, degree of stress, gender, degree of rewards, number of tests, and students' attitudes toward science.
Status of science education in Illinois elementary schools, 1987
Authors: Morey Marilyn K.
Published: October 2006

What is the status of science education in Illinois public elementary schools? A research survey of elementary teachers was conducted in 1987 to help answer this question. Among the areas of science teaching assessed were types of instructional programs utilized, preparation for science teaching, science in‐service, obstacles to science teaching, and administrative and community support for science education. Results were compared with those gathered in a similar survey conducted ten years earlier and with other state and national surveys. Findings indicate that science instruction at the elementary level remains dependent on textbooks in spite of research that indicates the efficacy of hands‐on science. Teachers are frustrated by lack of time, equipment, facilities and the low priority science has in their school districts. Many of the teachers fall short of meeting the minimum standards for science teacher preparation as suggested by the National Science Teachers Association. In spite of recent reform efforts, it is clear that science instruction has not yet become a priority. This report discusses the implications of these findings and makes suggestions for future studies.
A comparison of a biological sciences curriculum study (BSCS) laboratory and a traditional laboratory on student achievement at two private liberal arts colleges
Authors: Hall Donald A. , McCurdy Donald W.
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this experiment was to compare an inquiry‐oriented Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) style laboratory approach with a more directive traditional approach on student outcomes in the cognitive and affective domains of learning at two private, midwestern liberal‐arts colleges. The BSCS approach emphasized basic and integrated science processes, concept development through extensive questioning, and increased student discretion, while the traditional approach contained highly structured, more prescriptive, teacher‐oriented activities. Intact laboratory sections of students enrolled in introductory general biology at two private liberal‐arts colleges were randomly selected into two treatment groups. Pretest and posttest measures were taken on three dependent variables: (1) biological content achievement, measured with a researcher‐generated Test on Biology Laboratory Concepts, (2) reasoning ability, measured with the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking, and (3) attitude toward biology, measured with the Biology Student Behavior Inventory. Analysis of covariance indicated the experimental group (n = 60) using the BSCS‐style laboratory approach scored significantly higher than the comparison group (n = 59) in levels of performance on biology content achievement, F(1, 114) = 4.07, p < 0.05. There were no significant differences between the two groups in performance levels on attitude toward biology or on reasoning ability. However, both groups experienced a 15‐percent increase in the number of formal thinkers as indicated by pretest‐posttest gain scores on the reasoning ability test. These results lend support to the hypothesis that a BSCS‐style laboratory approach fosters desired learner outcomes at the postsecondary level. In addition, these findings support the notion that the science laboratory may be used as a primary vehicle to promote formal reasoning skills.
Eco‐cultural influences upon students' concept attainment in science
Authors: Okebukola Peter Akinsola , Jegede Olugbemiro J.
Published: October 2006

It is becoming increasingly evident that the nature of the environment (ecology) influences the culture of a people. The prediction that such eco‐cultural variables could exert influence on students' concept attainment in science was tested in this study using a 2 (general environment) × 2 (reasoning pattern) × 2 (nature of home) × 2 (goal structure) fixed‐effect ANOVA design. The results showed that (1) students who live in a predominantly automated environment did better than those in a predominantly manual environment; (2) students whose reasoning patterns were predominantly magical and superstitious performed significantly lower than those who were empirical in reasoning; (3) rural dwellers were predominantly cooperative in outlook; (4) students who expressed preference for cooperative learning did significantly better than those who expressed preference for competitive and individual work; and (5) students from authoritarian homes achieved less well on the science concept test when compared with those from permissive homes. A number of important implications from these findings are drawn.
The effects of immediate achievement and retention of middle school students involved in a metric unit designed to promote the development of estimating skills
Authors: Jones Michael L. , Rowsey Robert E.
Published: October 2006

Three hundred nintey‐seven seventh‐grade students were studied to determine the effect on immediate achievement and retention of a unit designed to promote the development of estimating skills involved in metric measurement. The study involved five teachers with a total of 15 average‐ or advanced‐level classes divided into the reference and treatment groups. A five‐day metric unit was designed so that both groups received exactly the same instruction in metric length, mass, and capacity with the exception of the treatment group's participation in activities relating to the development of estimation skills. Data collected from the Metric Application Instrument and analyzed with analysis of covariance indicated that students in the experimental group did retain significantly more of their improved metric application skills than the students in the reference group. The analysis of the main effects of race, sex, and ability indicated that white students achieved significantly more than black students and that males achieved significantly more than females. Analysis of significant race/ability and sex/race interactions indicated that (a) white students in the advanced group attained significantly greater achievement in metric application skills than black students of equal status and (b) white males significantly retained their metric applications achievement when compared to black males or black or white females.
Teacher awareness of student alternate conceptions about rotational motion and gravity
Authors: Berg Terrance , Brouwer Wytze
Published: October 2006

Twenty high school physics teachers were interviewed to determine their awareness of student alternate conceptions in the areas of force and gravity. The teachers were also asked to indicate preferred teaching strategies dealing with alternate conceptions. Teacher predictions of student responses were compared to alternate conceptions held by 315 grade‐nine students and published findings from other research studies. Edmonton students were found to possess nearly every alternate conception identified in previous research, in similar proportions. A few previously undocumented alternate conceptions were also identified. At times, students were observed to arrive at the currently acceptable conclusion by using alternate conceptions. The high school physics teachers, as a group, identified nearly all the alternate conceptions used by the students. However, individual teachers were generally aware of only a few alternate conceptions, with fully one third of them possessing alternate conceptions themselves in one or more of the tasks. The teachers were also unable to predict with any accuracy the different types of student responses or the proportion of students choosing each alternative. The teaching strategies outlined by the teachers would be considered only partially effective according to current research findings.
Enhancing learning using questions adjunct to science charts
Authors: Holliday William G. , Benson Garth
Published: October 2006

This study supported two hypotheses. First, adjunct questions interacted with a science chart so powerfully that content established as difficult to learn in the pilot and in this study's control groups became easier to learn when charted. Second, students familiar with the chart test before instruction (test exposure) were better prepared to take this test after instruction. This adjunct‐question study examined the generalizability of selective‐attention and academic‐studying hypotheses to a modified science chart medium. About 300 high school students were randomly assigned to four conditions each including a vitamin chart (chart only, test exposure, importance of questions emphasized to students by teachers, and combinational conditions–‐test exposure and question importance) across 16 biology classrooms. Then these same students were again randomly assigned within each classroom to a control and to four question treatments (no questions, questions focusing on easy‐to‐learn charted content, questions focusing on difficult‐to‐learn charted content, and a combinational treatment).
The importance of reflection in improving science teaching and learning
Authors: Baird John R. , Fensham Peter J. , Gunstone Richard F. , White Richard T.
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this three‐year naturalistic case study was to see whether collaborative reflection could enhance teaching and learning of science by generating desirable cognitive, metacognitive, and affective outcomes. Reflection was both individual and in groups, and involved reflection on practice in the classroom and phenomenological reflection on the nature of science teaching and learning. The study had two components. The preservice component involved 13 student teachers and teacher educators. The in‐service component involved 14 novice and experienced science teachers and 350 of their students. The authors worked with both groups to devise ways of changing classroom attitudes and behaviors of teachers and students. The voluminous data collected include records of many interviews, questionnaires, and written evaluations. Findings from the study illuminate aspects of the nature of science teaching and learning, processes by which individuals improve the quality of their practice, and methods for exploring teaching and learning mechanisms and facilitating change. Central to these findings is the importance of each of the two types of reflection for fostering personal and professional development. For both teachers and students, both types of reflection acted to improve their knowledge, awareness, and control of themselves and their classroom practice.
Testing the ecological validity of teacher‐provided versus student‐generated postquestions in reading college science text
Authors: Pearson Joseph Adam
Published: October 2006

This study compared the achievement of high‐ and low‐reading‐ability students in two classes of a one‐semester introductory college biology course after they either received and used teacher‐provided questions posed at various taxonomic levels on textual reading assigned over a five‐week period (Group 1) or learned via training to generate and use their own questions at the identical taxonomic levels based on the same text over the same period of time (Group 2). Independent variables included (a) form of questioning (teacher provided and self‐generated), (b) reading ability (low and high), and (c) question type (referent, literal, interpretive, inferential, and self‐critical). Dependent variables included scores from weekly quizzes and from a summative examination. Results indicated that (a) training students to generate and answer their own questions based on text reading had a favorable effect on their midrange (weekly quiz) performance; (b) relative to long‐range (summative exam) performance, training students to generate and answer their own questions based on study reading was no more efficacious than providing students with questions based on the same text; and (c) teacher‐provided questions at the literal level facilitated the acquisition of intended and incidental discrimination material better than teacher‐provided questions at any other taxonomic level.
Enhancing chemistry problem‐solving achievement using problem categorization
Authors: Bunce Diane M. , Gabel Dorothy L. , Samuel John V.
Published: October 2006

The enhancement of chemistry students' skill in problem solving through problem categorization is the focus of this study. Twenty‐four students in a freshman chemistry course for health professionals are taught how to solve problems using the explicit method of problem solving (EMPS) (Bunce & Heikkinen, 1986). The EMPS is an organized approach to problem analysis which includes encoding the information given in a problem (Given, Asked For), relating this to what is already in long‐term memory (Recall), and planning a solution (Overall Plan) before a mathematical solution is attempted. In addition to the EMPS training, treatment students receive three 40‐minute sessions following achievement tests in which they are taught how to categorize problems. Control students use this time to review the EMPS solutions of test questions. Although problem categorization is involved in one section of the EMPS (Recall), treatment students who received specific training in problem categorization demonstrate significantly higher achievement on combination problems (those problems requiring the use of more than one chemical topic for their solution) at (p = 0.01) than their counterparts. Significantly higher achievement for treatment students is also measured on an unannounced test (p = 0.02). Analysis of interview transcripts of both treatment and control students illustrates a “Rolodex approach” to problem solving employed by all students in this study. The Rolodex approach involves organizing equations used to solve problems on mental index cards and flipping through them, matching units given when a new problem is to be solved. A second phenomenon observed during student interviews is the absence of a link in the conceptual understanding of the chemical concepts involved in a problem and the problem‐solving skills employed to correctly solve problems. This study shows that explicit training in categorization skills and the EMPS can lead to higher achievement in complex problem‐solving situations (combination problems and unannounced test). However, such achievement may be limited by the lack of linkages between students' conceptual understanding and improved problem‐solving skill.
The effects of infusing STS vignettes into the genetics unit of biology on learner outcomes in STS and genetics: A report of two investigations
Authors: Rubba Peter A. , McGuyer Michael , Wahlund Thomas M.
Published: October 2006

The use of STS vignettes with class discussions is a popular way for science teachers to integrate STS in science courses. Two studies were conducted to test the effects of infusing short STS vignettes with periodic class discussions into the genetics unit of high school biology, on students' awareness of current STS issues, the importance students assign to current STS issues, and their achievement in the genetics unit. The nonequivalent control‐group quasiexperimental design was employed in each study, with the frequency with which the vignettes and discussions were used during a six‐week period differing across them. In neither study were the control groups exposed to the STS vignettes and discussions. The data did not allow the three null hypotheses to be rejected in either experiment. Recommendations are made on the use of STS vignettes by science teachers, and for further research.
Is Piaget's epistemic subject dead?
Authors: Lawson Anton E.
Published: October 2006

Niaz (1990) presents arguments in favor of the retention of Piaget's epistemic subject as a theoretical construct to guide research and practice in science education and psychology. The intent of this article is to point out the weaknesses of those arguments and to suggest that the weight of evidence argues against the existence of the logical thinker postulated by Piaget. Therefore, contrary to Niaz's conclusion that the acceptance of Piaget's epistemic subject will facilitate the development of cognitive theories with greater explanatory power, the conclusion is reached that Piaget's epistemic subject is dead and that continued acceptance of this aspect of Piagetian theory would be counterproductive.
How do students' views of science influence knowledge integration?
Authors: Songer Nancy Butler , Linn Marcia C.
Published: October 2006

This study characterized students' views of science as falling into three groups: static, mixed, and dynamic. Those who view science as static assert that science consists of a group of facts that are best memorized. Those who view science as dynamic believe that scientific ideas develop and change and that the best way to learn these ideas is to understand what they mean and how they are related. Students with mixed beliefs hold some static and some dynamic views. This study also examined the relationship between views of science and acquisition of integrated understanding of thermodynamics. We found that students with dynamic views acquired more integrated understanding than those with static views. Participants were 153 middle school students following the Computer as Lab Partner (CLP) curriculum. Students conducted both simulated and real‐time experiments using an electronic notebook during the 12 weeks of instruction. Interventions encouraging students to integrate their experiences resulted in 89% of students successfully predicting the outcome of an everyday situation and 77% of students being able to succcessfully explain their prediction. We investigated how students preferred to integrate their experiences and found that some students preferred a concrete prototypic locus for integration while others preferred a more abstract principled locus of integration.
Persuasion and attitude change in science education
Authors: Koballa Thomas R.
Published: October 2006

Many strategies used to induce the occurrence of desirable science‐related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors involve the use of persuasive messages. Science educators need to become acquainted with persuasion in the context of social influence and learning theory to be able to evaluate its usefulness in the science education milieu. Persuasion is the conscious attempt to bring about a jointly developed mental state common to both source and receiver through the use of symbolic cues, and it can be distinguished from other forms of social influence. Propaganda is a type of persuasion directed toward a mass audience. Coercion relies on reinforcement control, whereas persuasion is prompted by information. Brainwashing involves coercive techniques used to obtain cooperation and compliance. Persuasion and instruction are much alike; both require conscious cognitive activity by the recipient and involve communication which includes giving arguments and evidence for the purpose of getting someone to do something or to believe something.

Persuasion research is anchored in learning theory. Early efforts were based on information processing. Studies following an information process approach focused on the effect of the variables harbored within the question “Who says what in which channel to whom with what effect?” on belief and attitude change. Cognitive processing and social exchange approaches to persuasion represent extensions to information process. Cognitive processing is concerned specifically with how people personally process the arguments presented in a persuasive message. Social exchange emphasizes the interchange that takes place between the message source and recipient. These approaches seem to be fruitful areas for future persuasion research in science education.

Science educators' unfamiliarity with persuasion research stems from the fact that it is largely reported in the social psychology literature and has not been integrated into a framework familiar to educators.
A comparison of student performance following instruction by interactive videodisc versus conventional laboratory
Authors: Leonard William H.
Published: October 2006

This experimental study compared an interactive computer/videodisc learning approach to the conventional laboratory approach for learning biology concepts and science process skills. Students at a large midwestern university were randomly assigned to instruction on respiration and biogeography by interactive videodisc or a traditional laboratory investigation teaching the same concepts. The videodisc delivery system consisted of a TRS‐80 Model III microcomputer interfaced to a Pioneer laser disc player and a color TV monitor. Results show no statistically significant differences between the two approaches for student grades on laboratory quizzes, laboratory reports, and the laboratory final exam. However, the interactive videodisc group required approximately one‐half the classroom time used by the conventional laboratory group. The two approaches appear equivalent when evaluated by traditional learning outcomes, but the interactive videodisc strategy was significantly more time efficient than a traditional laboratory approach.
Students' conceptions of chemical change
Authors: Hesse Joseph J. , Anderson Charles W.
Published: October 2006

One hundred high school chemistry students who had completed a unit on chemical change were given a written instrument in which they were shown three oxidation‐reduction reactions and were asked to explain them. Eleven students representing a range of achievement levels were chosen for more intensive clinical interviews in which they explained their responses, evaluated the quality of their responses, and compared them to other hypothetical responses. Interview results revealed that students commonly experienced difficulties at three different epistemological levels:

1. Chemical knowledge. Most students failed to invoke atoms and molecules as explanatory constructs, even though they had been emphasized in their chemistry course. Some students also listed “substances” such as heat, cold, or decay as reactants or products.

2. Conservation reasoning. Many students could not predict or explain mass changes in the chemical reactions. Their most common problems included (a) a tendency to treat chemical changes such as rusting as physical changes in form or state, and (b) failure to understand the role of invisible (in this case gaseous) reactants or products in the reactions.

3. Explanatory ideals. Many students demonstrated a preference for explanations based on superficial analogies with everyday events (e.g., rusting is like decay) over explanations based on chemical theories.

Only one of the 11 students interviewed demonstrated mastery of the unit's contents at all three levels. Results of this and other research indicate a need for substantial revision in chemistry teaching practice.
Verbal explanations given by science teachers: Their nature and implications
Authors: Dagher Zoubeida , Cossman George
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of explanations used by science teachers in junior high school classrooms. Studies on explanation in education, philosophy of science, and everyday discourse were consulted. Twenty public school teachers participated in the study. The analysis was based on observations of 40 class periods during which the classroom discourse was audiotaped and later transcribed. Using the constant comparative method in analyzing the transcripts, 10 types of explanations were generated. These explanations were labeled analogical, anthropomorphic, functional, genetic, mechanical, metaphysical, practical, rational, tautological, and teleological. These 10 types were conceptually related to one another by subsuming them under more encompassing literature‐based categories.
Teaching about the nature of science through history: Action research in the classroom
Authors: Solomon Joan , Duveen Jonathan , Scot Linda , McCarthy Susan
Published: October 2006

This article reports on 18 months of action research that monitored British pupils' learning about the nature of science, using some aspects of history of science for the purpose. The action research took place within five classrooms and involved practicing teachers who used a set of historical materials specially written for this study. Preliminary findings about the common perceptions of the nature of science held by middle school pupils (age 11–14 years) guided the work, which was carried out using a variety of methodologies. The results obtained show some areas of substantial progress in the pupils' understanding of the nature of science, and others where little change seems to have been effected.
The rate of acquisition of formal operational schemata in adolescence: A secondary analysis
Authors: Eckstein Shulamith G. , Shemesh Michal
Published: October 2006

A theoretical model of cognitive development is applied to the study of the acquisition of formal operational schemata by adolescents. The model predicts that the proportion of adolescents who have not yet acquired the ability to perform a a specific Piagetian‐like task is an exponentially decreasing function of age. The model has been used to analyze the data of two large‐scale studies performed in the United States and in Israel. The functional dependence upon age was found to be the same in both countries for tasks which are used to assess the following formal operations: proportional reasoning, probabilistic reasoning, correlations, and combinatorial analysis. Different functional dependence was found for tasks assessing conservation, control of variables, and prepositional logic. These results give support to the “unity” hypothesis of cognitive development, that is, the hypothesis that the various schemata of formal thought appear simultaneously.
A comparative analysis of the perceived influence of advanced placement and honors programs upon science instruction
Authors: Herr Norman Edward
Published: October 2006

These are two major models for advanced science instruction in American high schools, the traditional honors program and the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Entrance Examination Board. Using the self‐reports of teachers who were experienced in teaching honors and AP courses to students of similar academic preparation and ability, the author examined the perceived influences of program format upon the use of basic teaching techniques, the laboratory experience, the pace of the course, curricular freedom, and student creativity. One of the most notable aspects of the AP program is the speed at which teachers move through the curriculum. In the rush to prepare students for the exam, most AP teachers adopt a strong lecture format and minimize student‐centered activities such as laboratory experimentation, student projects, and student presentations. When laboratory work is not assessed on the national AP examination, such experiences are sacrificed to provide time for lecture. When laboratory experiments are assessed, however, teachers respond by allocating more time for laboratory work, and by upgrading their exercises to make them more quantitative and experimental than those used previously or those used in honors classes. Although AP is associated with a loss in curricular freedom and flexibility, teachers perceive no clear influence of program format upon student creativity.
Analogy, explanation, and education
Authors: Thagard Paul
Published: October 2006

This article applies a theory of analogical thinking as satisfaction of multiple constraints to the use of analogies in instruction. It shows how the strengths of particularly good analogies and the weaknesses of particularly bad ones can be understood in terms of pragmatic, semantic, and structural constraints. These constraints suggest lessons for how analogies can most effectively be used in instruction.
A study of student outcomes and teacher characteristics in exemplary middle and junior high science programs
Authors: Brunkhorst Bonnie J.
Published: October 2006

Recent efforts of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have encouraged collaborative “research partnerships” between university researchers and classroom science teachers. This research partners study, begun in 1987, examined student outcomes and teacher characteristics in middle/junior high exemplary programs identified by the NSTA's Search for Excellence in Science Education (SESE). A second year of the study has been completed involving SESE program teachers with similar instructional profiles. Using Iowa Test of Basic Skills and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) items, key teachers in those SESE programs examined their seventh‐ and eighth‐grade student outcomes in three domains: (a) knowledge, (b) attitudes, and (c) applications/connections. Results were compared with national populations. A similar study was conducted during the second year, involving teachers from the first year and additional teachers with instructional practice profiles similar to those in SESE programs. Teachers were surveyed using a questionnaire from the Report of the 1977 National Survey of Science, Mathematics and Social Studies Education Teachers (Weiss, 1978a) and supplemental questions (Bonnstetter, 1985). This study found that in exemplary middle/junior high programs: (a) as a group, students achieve high scores in science knowledge and maintain or develop positive attitudes toward science; and (b) students need opportunities to make connections between what they learn in science and personal responsibility.
Causal modeling of secondary science students' intentions to enroll in physics
Authors: Crawley Frank E. , Black Carolyn B.
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of the theory of planned behavior model developed by social psychologists for understanding and predicting the behavioral intentions of secondary science students regarding enrolling in physics. In particular, the study used a three‐stage causal model to investigate the links from external variables to behavioral, normative, and control beliefs; from beliefs to attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control; and from attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control to behavioral intentions. The causal modeling method was employed to verify the underlying causes of secondary science students' interest in enrolling physics as predicted in the theory of planned behavior. Data were collected from secondary science students (N = 264) residing in a central Texas city who were enrolled in earth science (8th grade), biology (9th grade), physical science (10th grade), or chemistry (11th grade) courses. Cause‐and‐effect relationships were analyzed using path analysis to test the direct effects of model variables specified in the theory of planned behavior. Results of this study indicated that students' intention to enroll in a high school physics course was determined by their attitude toward enrollment and their degree of perceived behavioral control. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were, in turn, formed as a result of specific beliefs that students held about enrolling in physics. Grade level and career goals were found to be instrumental in shaping students' attitude. Immediate family members were identified as major referents in the social support system for enrolling in physics. Course and extracurricular conflicts and the fear of failure were shown to be the primary beliefs obstructing students' perception of control over physics enrollment. Specific recommendations are offered to researchers and practitioners for strengthening secondary school students' intentions to study physics.
College science majors' perceptions of secondary school science: An exploratory investigation
Authors: Eichinger John
Published: October 2006

This investigation collected and analyzed the perceptions of 45 college science majors regarding their formal science experiences in junior high and high school. Data were gathered using a 72‐item survey developed by the author and distributed through subjects' college classes. Analysis included a comparison of subjects' responses with the perceptions of young adults not attending college. Results suggested that college science majors (a) generally hold science in higher regard than do noncollegiate young adults, (b) preferred science teachers who were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, friendly, inspirational, and “fun,” and (c) favored science classes that offered laboratory work, teacher demonstrations, projects, and audiovisual materials. Discrepancies were discovered, however, between subjects' preferences and their recollected experiences in science classrooms, especially at the junior high level.
Systematic modeling versus the learning cycle: Comparative effects on integrated science process skill achievement
Authors: Rubin Rochelle L. , Norman John T.
Published: October 2006

This study assessed the effectiveness of the systematic modeling teaching strategy on integrated science process skills and formal reasoning ability. Urban middle school students received a three‐month process skill intervention treatment from teachers trained in either the use of systematic modeling or the learning‐cycle model. A third, control group received traditional science instruction. The analysis of data revealed that (a) students receiving modeled instruction demonstrated a significant difference in their achievement of process skills when compared to either of the control groups. (b) Students taught by teachers who had received special process skill and strategy training demonstrated a significant difference in their process skill achievement when compared with the control group. (c) Students at different cognitive reasoning levels demonstrated significantly different process skill ability.
Using videodisk instruction in an elementary science methods course: Remediating science knowledge deficiencies and facilitating science teaching attitudes
Authors: Vitale Michael R. , Romance Nancy R.
Published: October 2006

Inadequate science knowledge of preservice teachers enrolled in science methods courses not only limits their mastery of effective teaching practices, but also may foster negative attitudes toward science teaching. This study investigated the influence of science knowledge upon attitudes toward science teaching in a one‐semester elementary science methods course by embedding a videodisk‐based instructional component to remediate knowledge deficiencies. Preservice teachers in the experimental group first learned core concepts in physical and earth science through a series of 24 interactive videodisk lessons and then used the concepts as a foundation for preparing and presenting model science lessons. Results showed that the experimental group overcame their initial knowledge deficiencies by mastering the core concepts presented (mean proportion correct on mastery test = 0.91), with multivariate covariance analysis confirming that the experimentals gain in science knowledge was significantly greater than comparable controls in the parallel science methods sections. Additionally, as a result of mastering the core concepts underlying earth science, preservice teachers using the videodisk instruction also displayed significantly greater confidence in their understanding of science knowledge and more positive attitudes toward science teaching at the elementary levels. Implications for improving elementary science teaching through preservice and in‐service training are discussed.
Teaching strategies associated with conceptual change learning in Science
Authors: Smith Edward L. , Blakeslee Theron D. , Anderson Charles W.
Published: October 2006

The use of teaching strategies associated with a conceptual change model of science teaching was examined in a study of thirteen 7th‐grade life science teachers. Teachers taught units on photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and matter cycling in ecosystems in their regular classes under conditions varying as to whether or not conceptual change‐oriented instructional materials and training sessions were provided. Greater use of conceptual change teaching strategies was associated with use of the special instructional materials, but not with the training. Students in classes where teachers were provided with the materials tended to perform better on posttests than those where such materials were not provided. The use of the conceptual change strategies by teachers was also associated with higher student performance on tests designed to assess conceptual change learning. The results support claims for the usefulness of conceptual change teaching strategies, but few of the teachers in this study could successfully implement these strategies without the support of appropriately designed curriculum materials.
A study of the effects of an organization change from streamed to mixed‐ability classes upon science classroom instruction
Authors: Hacker R. G. , Rowe M. J.
Published: October 2006

The aim of this study was to quantify possible changes in the classroom learning experiences of high‐ and low‐ability pupils, which might accompany an organizational change from streamed to mixed‐ability classes for learning science in secondary schools. Deteriorations in the quality of the classroom interactions of both high‐ and low‐ability pupils were found, these deteriorations being particularly significant for high‐ability pupils. It was suggested that these changes in classroom processes might provide the key to understanding the superior academic achievement of pupils in homogenous groups, which has been reported by other research workers. It was concluded that the nine teachers studied did not respond to this organizational change by individualizing classroom activities. Instead, they tended to teach to the middle of the ability range, with both ends of the ability spectrum being adversely affected, in terms of classroom behaviors. For high‐ability pupils, the observed learning experiences became more structured and teacher‐directed in mixed‐ability classes, with decreased opportunities' for these pupils to practice a range of higher‐order intellectual skills. For slow‐ability pupils, an overall decrease in the frequencies of classroom behaviors was recorded. However, these changes in classroom processes were small compared with those experienced by high‐ability pupils.
The relation of locus‐of‐control orientation and task structure to problem‐solving performance of sixth‐grade student pairs
Authors: Main June Dewey , Rowe Mary Budd
Published: October 2006

This study investigated the relationship of locus‐of‐control orientations and task structure to the science problem‐solving performance of 100 same‐sex, sixth‐grade student pairs. Pairs performed a four‐variable problem‐solving task, racing cylinders down a ramp in a series of trials to determine the 3 fastest of 18 different cylinders. The task was completed in one of two treatment conditions: the structured condition with moderate cuing and the unstructured condition with minimal cuing. Pairs completed an after‐task assessment, predicting the results of proposed cylinder races, to measure the ability to understand and apply task concepts. Overall conclusions were: (1) There was no relationship between locus‐of‐control orientation and effectiveness of problem‐solving strategy; (2) internality was significantly related to higher accuracy on task solutions and on after‐task predictions; (3) there was no significant relationship between task structure and effectiveness of problem‐solving strategy; (4) solutions to the task were more accurate in the unstructured task condition; (5) internality related to more accurate solutions in the unstructured task condition.
Middle school students' achievement in laboratory investigations: Explicit versus tacit knowledge
Authors: Toh Kok‐Aun , Woolnough Brian E.
Published: October 2006

This study examined the relative importance of middle school students' explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge in carrying out open‐ended laboratory investigations. The results indicate that the students provided with explicit knowledge through instruction performed significantly better in overall achievement in such investigations than those using only tacit knowledge. However, the performance over the duration of the study (7 weeks) of those students provided with explicit knowledge improved for some integrated process skills, while for other skills, the explicit knowledge gave no significant advantage over those provided with tacit knowledge. These findings have important implications on what teachers should emphasize when teaching open‐ended laboratory investigations.
Students' preconceptions of the nature of gases
Authors: Benson Darryl L. , Wittrock Merlin C. , Baur Mario E.
Published: October 2006

A total of 1098 students, from second graders to university chemistry students, drew representations of highly magnified views of air at 1.0 atmosphere of pressure and at 0.5 atmosphere of pressure. The drawings were classified and the authors inferred from them a relatively limited number of preconceptions of the nature of gases. Several major trends occurred in the frequencies of these inferred preconceptions held at different grade levels. The majority of the drawings that were not in fairly close agreement with atomic theory seemed to reflect one or more of the following misconceptions: (a) air is a continuous (nonparticulate) substance, (b) gas behavior is similar to liquid behavior, and (c) there is relatively little space between gas particles. The number of drawings that gave evidence of particulate views ranged from 8% for Grades 2–4 to 85% for university chemistry students. However, 33% of the university students' drawings showed highly packed particles, and only 37% showed particles in an approximately correct geometrical distribution. The authors suggest a technique for promoting conceptual change among students who possess alternative views of the nature of gases.
Learning about energy: The influence of alternative frameworks, cognitive levels, and closed‐mindedness
Authors: Trumper Ricardo , Gorsky Paul
Published: October 2006

This article reports on a two‐part study designed (a) to find the relation, if any, between junior high school students' alternative frameworks on energy held prior to instruction and their cognitive level of operations, either preformal or formal, and (b) to determine the relation, if any, between junior and senior high school students' success or failure in learning about energy and their alternative frameworks, their levels of cognitive operations, and their tendencies toward open‐ or closed‐mindedness. In Part 1, we found no significant relation between junior high school students' prior alternative frameworks on energy and their cognitive levels of operations. In Part 2, we found that significantly better learning outcomes were achieved by students who had higher cognitive level scores. We also found that the extent to which students succeeded in learning the energy concept was a function of their prior knowledge. That is, certain alternative frameworks held prior to instruction may have facilitated the learning process. Finally, we found that the two groups (i.e., those who succeeded in learning about energy and those who did not) could not be distinguished according to scores in open‐ or closed‐mindedness. These finding reinforce the assumption that learning is more domain specific than earlier theorists believed.
The effects of cooperative learning in a physical science course for elementary/middle level preservice teachers
Authors: Burron Bruce , James M. Lynn , Ambrosio Anthony L.
Published: October 2006

Although many studies have shown the effectiveness of cooperative learning in a variety of settings in grades K–12, relatively few have focused on higher education. This study compared two physical science laboratory sections in a course for elementary/middle level preservice teachers. One section was taught in the traditional method, and the other was instructed using the Learning Together technique of cooperative learning. Comparisons between the two laboratory sections assessed any differences in student achievement and collaborative skills. In addition, the cooperative learning group completed a questionnaire that assessed their perception of the effectiveness of cooperative learning compared to more traditional methods of instruction, and their attitudes toward the laboratory section. Although no significant differences were observed in achievement, the cooperative learning group exhibited significant gains in collaborative skills. By the end of the course, cooperative learning students indicated a high comfort level for the laboratory.
Using cognitive referents in making sense of teaching: A chemistry teacher's struggle to change assessment practices
Authors: Briscoe Carol
Published: October 2006

This qualitative case study focused on the role of cognitive referents in the sense‐making process of one teacher as he attempted to change his classroom science assessment. The interpretations identify cultural myths, conceptual metonymys, as well as personally constructed beliefs as referents that constrained change. The teacher's cognitive struggle to make sense of assessment and his role as assessor are linked to conflicting referents he used in varying contexts including day‐to‐day assessment and summative assessment settings. The results of the study suggest that cognitive referents are important influences in driving how a teacher thinks about assessment and may constrain an individual teacher's implementation of innovative practices. Accordingly, identification of referents such as myths, their associated beliefs, and metonymic conceptual models that teachers use to make sense of their actions is an important first step in developing an understanding of constraints to educational change.
Teaching with analogies: A case study in grade‐10 optics
Authors: Harrison Allan G. , Treagust David F.
Published: October 2006

Analogies have long been tools of discovery in science and are often used as explanatory devices in the classroom. However, research has shown that analogies can engender alternative conceptions because some students visualize the analog in a different manner than the teacher and/or invalid analog–target transfers are left unchallenged. This case study describes one teacher's implementation of a modified version of Glynn's Teaching‐With‐Analogies (TWA) model with a Grade‐10 optics class on refraction of light. The analogy likened a ray of light as it passes from air into glass to a pair of wheels that changed direction as they rolled obliquely from a hard onto a soft surface. The study indicates that a competent teacher can integrate this systematic approach into a teaching repertoire resulting in student conceptual understanding of the phenomena as expected at this level of science education. For analogies to be effective, it appears essential that the analogy be familiar to as many students as possible, that shared attributes be precisely identified by the teacher and/or students, and that the unshared attributes should be explicitly identified. The discussion concludes with recommendations for teaching and future research and discusses some limitations of this approach to analogical instruction.