bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improving research on teacher quality in science and mathematics: Report of a symposium of scientists, educators, and researchers
Authors: Blank Rolf K. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractMany initiatives designed to improve the quality of elementary and secondary teachers have been proposed and implemented at national, state, and local levels. It is unclear whether these initiatives are based on a common definition of teacher quality or adequate knowledge about the conditions that produce quality teaching. This article summarizes the results of a symposium of the National Research Council on the state of research knowledge on teacher quality. Topics for needed research that were identified in the symposium included studies on the effects of state and local policies which set new standards for teachers, studies on the subject‐matter knowledge and preparation of teachers, analyses of alternative methods of developing teaching skills, and assessments of the effects of school conditions for teaching on career patterns of teachers.
Evidence that science locus of control orientation can be modified through instruction
Authors: Haury David L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA desire to foster enduring, positive attitudes toward science teaching among elementary school teachers led to study of self‐perceptions. On the basis of evidence for strong links between locus of control orientation and attitudes, an attempt was made to enhance internality through instruction.A quasiexperimental research strategy was employed to compare the effects of two instructional treatments, with pretest measures being used to check the initial equivalence of treatment groups, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) being used to test treatment effects. Both treatments incorporated strategies known to have positive effects on attitudes, but the experimental treatment was novel in its emphasis on self‐management, goal clarification, and individualized course expectations.There was found by ANCOVA to be a significant (p ≦ 0.05) difference in science locus of control (SciLOC) orientation between groups following treatment, with subjects exposed to the experimental treatment exhibiting greater internality. Quantitative comprehension and subject age were employed as covariates of SciLOC orientation, and subject gender was employed as a moderator variable. Though the treatment effect is small, accounting for 3% of the variance in SciLOC orientation, control orientation is shown susceptible to educational intervention. These results encourage attention to teacher attitudes from a rather new perspective, and they raise several interesting research questions regarding instructional methods and the long‐term effects of enhancing internality.
The nature and use of prediction skills in a biological computer simulation
Authors: Lavoie Derrick R. , Good Ron 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe primary goal of this study was to examine the science process skill of prediction using qualitative research methodology. The think‐aloud interview, modeled after Ericsson and Simon (1984), let to the identification of 63 program exploration and prediction behaviors.The performance of seven formal and seven concrete operational high‐school biology students were videotaped during a three‐phase learning sequence on water pollution. Subjects explored the effects of five independent variables on two dependent variables over time using a computer‐simulation program. Predictions were made concerning the effect of the independent variables upon dependent variables through time. Subjects were identified according to initial knowledge of the subject matter and success at solving three selected prediction problems.Successful predictors generally had high initial knowledge of the subject matter and were formal operational. Unsuccessful predictors generally had low initial knowledge and were concrete operational. High initial knowledge seemed to be more important to predictive success than stage of Piagetian cognitive development.Successful prediction behaviors involved systematic manipulation of the independent variables, note taking, identification and use of appropriate independent‐dependent variable relationships, high interest and motivation, and in general, higher‐level thinking skills. Behaviors characteristic of unsuccessful predictors were nonsystematic manipulation of independent variables, lack of motivation and persistence, misconceptions, and the identification and use of inappropriate independent‐dependent variable relationships.
Integrating quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods to compare two teacher inservice training programs
Authors: Lawrenz Frances , McCreath Heather 
Published: October 2006

AbstractQualitative and quantitative evaluation procedures were used to compare two physical‐science teacher inservice training programs. The two programs followed the master teacher training model espoused by NSF but used different types of master teachers and types of activities. The two evaluation procedures produced different results and together they provided a much clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the two programs. Using only one approach or the other would have substantially altered the conclusions.
Developments in style and purpose of research on the learning of science
Authors: Gunstone Richard F. , White Richard T. , Fensham Peter J. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractRecent years have seen a substantial growth in research that probes children's ideas about natural phenomena. This article places the research in a context that enables comprehension of how it informs and influences the practice of science education. To this end, past, present, and developing styles of research are discussed. The predominant style of past research was based on elaborate experimental designs and complex statistical analyses of data. Studies employing that style helped focus concern on questions about individual learning which the studies did not actually seek to answer, e.g., why does the learning resulting from a particular treatment vary between individuals? What is understanding and how can it be assessed? Such questions lie at the heart of current probing of children's ideas. Some issues of importance in the probing of children's ideas are considered, as are ways in which these issues have influenced the development of a current style of research. From this present context, developing styles in the research field are described. These focus particularly on research on the strategies used by learners, and on the continued growth of interaction between research and practice.
Defining attitude for science educators
Authors: Shrigley Robert L. , Koballa Thomas R. , Simpson Ronald D. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA distinct and complex definition of attitude is evolving within the literature. A mental readiness to respond and a correlational consistency between attitude and behavior—although controversial and in need of further study and analysis—remain viable subcomponents within the definition. Most agree that evaluation is the heartbeat of attitude. The impact of social influence on attitudes is becoming increasingly important. Attitudes are learned and not inherited.
Attitudes toward science and science knowledge of intellectually gifted and average students in third, seventh, and eleventh grades
Authors: Barrington Byron L. , Hendricks Bryan 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA questionnaire regarding attitudes toward science and scientific knowledge (Yager & Yager, 1985b) was administered to 143 intellectually gifted (IQ > 130) and intellectually average third‐, seventh‐, and eleventh‐grade students. Measures of internal reliability on four attitude subscales and a content knowledge subscale are reported. Three‐way ANOVAs comparing grade, sex, and ability revealed significant differences between average and gifted students in attitudes toward being a scientist, usefulness of science, and, as might be expected, in knowledge of science. Similarly, there were significant differences between grades on attitudes toward teachers and toward science classes, with the most favorable attitudes expressed in third grade, next most favorable in eleventh grade, and clearly more negative attitudes expressed by students in seventh grade. There also was a significant interaction between grade level and ability regarding attitudes toward science classes. In contrast to what might be expected from reported differences between males and females in attitudes toward science, gender as a separate variable did not have a significant main effect in any of the comparisons.
The intellectual factors believed by physicists to be most important to physics students
Authors: Peltzer Arnold 
Published: October 2006

AbstractCollege physics professors, researchers, and teachers were asked to rate the importance to physics students of different intellectual abilities. These abilities were selected from J. P. Guilford's Structure‐of‐Intellect model of intelligence and presented on a 65‐item questionnaire. Analysis of the responses found that four general intellectual factors were described. They were identified as abilities related to visualization, mathematics, logic, and problem solving. The variations of these factors' importance was examined for two different student subgroups, students who are studying to be physicists and students who are studying physics to be scientifically aware laymen. Variations between two respondent subgroups, physicists who are primarily engaged in research and physicists who are primarily engaged in teaching, were also explored.
Identification of student misconceptions in genetics problem solving via computer program
Authors: Browning Mark E. , Lehman James D. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA genetics problem practice program and tutor on microcomputer was used by 135 undergraduate education majors enrolled in an introductory biology course at Purdue University. The program presented four genetics problems, two monohybrid and two dihybrid, and required the users to predict the number and type of each class of offspring. Student responses were recorded on diskette and analyzed for evidence of misconceptions and difficulties in the genetics problem‐solving process. Three main areas of difficulty were identified: difficulties with computational skills, difficulties in the determination of gametes, and inappropriate application of previous learning to new problem situations.
Path analysis: A model for the development of scientific reasoning abilities in adolescents
Authors: Stuessy Carol L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA model was formulated and tested for the development of scientific reasoning abilities in adolescents. Piagetian theory provided the framework for choosing potential determinants of the dependent variable, scientific reasoning abilities. A model reflecting hypothesized causal relationships among determinants and with the dependent variable was developed a priori on the basis of theoretical and substantive reasoning. The hypothesized model was tested and revised using path analysis. Data from intact classes of middle‐school (n = 101) and high‐school (n = 89) students from an upper‐middle‐class suburb of a midwestern city revealed significant (p < 0.05) path coefficients for these variables and scientific reasoning abilities: age, I.Q., field dependence–independence, and experience. A path from locus of control to scientific reasoning abilities through field dependence‐independence was also statistically significant. The revised model explained 61 percent of the variance in scientific reasoning abilities.
A comparison of student reactions to biology instruction by interactive videodisc or conventional laboratory
Authors: Leonard William H. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study was designed to learn if students perceived an interactive computer/videodisc learning system to represent a viable alternative to (or extension of) the conventional laboratory for learning biology skills and concepts normally taught under classroom laboratory conditions. Data were collected by questionnaire for introductory biology classes at a large midwestern university where students were randomly assigned to two interactive videodisc/computer lessons titled Respiration and Climate and Life or traditional laboratory investigation with the same titles and concepts. The interactive videodisc system consisted of a TRS‐80 Model III microcomputer interfaced to a Pioneer laser‐disc player and a color TV monitor. Students indicated an overall level satisfaction with this strategy very similar to that of conventional laboratory instruction. Students frequently remarked that videodisc instruction gave them more experimental and procedural options and more efficient use of instructional time than did the conventional laboratory mode. These two results are consistent with past CAI research. Students also had a strong perception that the images on the videodisc “were not real” and this factor was perceived as having both advantages and disadvantages. Students found the two approaches to be equivalent to conventional laboratory instruction in the areas of general interest, understanding of basic principles, help on examinations, and attitude toward science. The student‐opinion data in this study do not suggest that interactive videodisc technology serve as a substitute to the “wet” laboratory experience, but that this medium may enrich the spectrum of educational experiences usually not possible in typical classroom settings.
Impediments to change: Applications of coaching in high‐school science teaching
Authors: Tobin Kenneth , Espinet Mariona 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis article describes how two coaching models were utilized in an attempt to assist Jonathon, an experienced teacher who had been teaching science for only two years, to improve his science teaching. Because of the numerous difficulties that Jonathon encountered in planning and implementing the science curriculum, school administrators requested assistance from several science educators from a university near the school. In order to assist Jonathon, two coaching models were used over a period of approximately six months. In the first coaching program two high‐school teachers were coached by three science educators from the university. In the second coaching program the teachers coached one another. Neither program was successful in improving Jonathon's teaching in the intended manner. The major impediments to change were Jonathon's beliefs about teaching and learning and his relatively poor knowledge of the science content he was to teach. The findings of the study suggest that the coaching interventions require teachers to analyze teaching, reflect on practice, and consider alternative approaches to teaching and learning. Involvement in the coaching programs provided Jonathon with a foundation of knowledge on which sustained improvements in teaching might develop in the future.
The notion of style in physics textbooks
Authors: Strube Paul 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIn what sense can a work of nonfiction be said to have a style? Is there such a thing as “textbook” style? The language of science textbooks has often been characterized as difficult and formal, yet those terms have never been carefully defined outside of readability demands. This article makes a first attempt at generating workable criteria for assessing the stylistic character of textbooks. This is done using passages from current physics textbooks, which are analyzed for prose structure, word choice, and literary characteristics.
Development and application of a diagnostic instrument to evaluate grade‐11 and ‐12 students' concepts of covalent bonding and structure following a course of instruction
Authors: Peterson Raymond F. , Treagust David F. , Garnett Patrick 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis article initially outlines a procedure used to develop a written diagnostic instrument to identify grade‐11 and ‐12 students' misconceptions and misunderstandings of the chemistry topic covalent bonding and structure. The content to be taught was carefully defined through a concept map and propositional statements. Following instruction, student understanding of the topic was identified from interviews, student‐drawn concept maps, and free‐response questions. These data were used to produce 15 two‐tier multiple‐choice items where the first tier examined content knowledge and the second examined understanding of that knowledge in six conceptual areas, namely, bond polarity, molecular shape, polarity of molecules, lattices, intermolecular forces, and the octet rule. The diagnostic instrument was administered to a total of 243 grade‐11 and ‐12 chemistry students and has a Cronbach alpha reliability of 0.73. Item difficulties ranged from 0.13 to 0.60; discrimination values ranged from 0.32 to 0.65. Each item was analyzed to ascertain student understanding of and identify misconceptions related to the concepts and propositional statements underlying covalent bonding and structure.
Analysis of the conceptual structure and reasoning demands of elementary science texts at the primary (K‐3) level
Authors: Staver John R. , Bay Mary 
Published: October 2006

AbstractEleven elementary science texts commonly used in the nation's schools were examined in terms of conceptual structure and reasoning demands of the texts. Specifically, one primary level (K–3) unit was randomly selected for analysis. Concept maps were drawn and evaluated, and the propositions between concepts were examined in terms of the Piagetian mental schema needed for comprehension. Results show that (1) concept maps and therefore the conceptual structures for a unit on air and/or weather vary widely across texts; (2) all but two conceptual structures are well defined, in that a single concept or group of concepts is not isolated from the total framework; (3) the reasoning needed to comprehend the between‐individual concepts is concrete, in that classificational, interactional, and direct observational reasoning are necessary; and (4) these reasoning demands are above the developmental capabilities of a large segment of primary‐level children, who function in the preoperational stage. Discussion of the results focuses on the kind of science that is appropriate for primary‐level youngsters.
Teachers' perspective: Developing and implementing an sts curriculum
Authors: Mitchener Carole P. , Anderson Ronald D. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis article explores science TEACHERS' perceptions of and consequent decisions about the development and implementation of a nontraditional science curriculum. It is a case‐study analysis that examines the perceptions of 14 secondary teachers of a model science/technology/society (STS) curriculum designed to promote scientific literacy.Although the TEACHERS' decisions varied on whether to accept, alter, or reject the STS curriculum, they shared similar concerns about the development and implementation of this multidisciplinary curriculum. There existed a common set of five factors that the teachers believed to be critical, and that strongly affected their daily teaching decisions.This study offers insights into how science teachers perceive an STS curriculum, and the influence those perceptions have on their teaching decisions. It explores curricular issues from the frame of reference of teachers, the key factor in successfully implementing innovations.
The effect of Newsday's science education series program on selected ninth‐grade students' comprehension of science reading material
Authors: Friend Harold , Karsch Sol , Siegal Shirley 
Published: October 2006

AbstractReading is a communication process that is crucial to students in science. Printed text materials are the most widely used teacher aids in the classroom. But reading as a major focus of science instruction has been out of favor with the mainstream of science education since the late 1950s. Despite this, few would deny the value of reading skills in a science class. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine how the use of Newsday's Science Education Series Program affected selected ninth‐grade students' comprehension of science reading material. Analysis of covariance showed that students with standardized reading and mathematics scores at least two years above grade level who were taught using newspaper science articles alone had Degrees of Reading Power posttest scores higher at the 0.05 level of significance compared to students taught using Newsday's Science Education Series Program or using only the science article's content as part of class lessons. Students with standardized reading and mathematics scores on grade level taught using Newsday's Science Education Series Program had Degrees of Reading Power posttest scores higher at the 0.01 level of significance compared to students taught by either of the other methods.
A case study of high school teachers' decision making models for planning and teaching science
Authors: Duschl Richard A. , Wright Emmett 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe focus of this study was to investigate the manner and the degree to which science teachers consider the nature of the subject matter in their decision making addressing the planning and the delivery of instructional tasks. An assumption of the study is that considerations for the nature of the subject matter should be a factor in a teacher's decision making about what to teach and how to teach. Relevant research literature reviewed includes (1) human decision making and the development of cognitive models of reality, (2) modern philosophies of science, and (3) philosophy of science and science education. Methods of data collection and of data analysis followed Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence guidelines for conducting ethnographic research. Validity of research findings was established from the triangulation of observations, interviews, and documents and surveys. The goal of the research was the development of grounded hypotheses about science TEACHERS' pedagogical decision making. Based on the results of this study it is hypothesized that science TEACHERS' decision‐making models of reality for the selection, implementation, and development of instructional tasks are dominated by considerations for (a) student development, (b) curriculum guide objectives, and (c) pressures of accountability. Little, if any, consideration is given to the nature of the subject matter by the science teachers in decision making. Implications exist for the disenfranchisement of teachers from the task of making decisions concerning what to teach.
Professional education reading patterns of presidential science honorees
Authors: Barrow Lloyd H. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe 422 Presidential Science Honorees (1984–86) participated in a Delphi study composed of two surveys. The first survey ascertained the science education journals, general education journals, science indexes, and education indexes that preservice secondary science education majors should be familiar with in their preparation program. There was a 53.9% return rate for the first survey, but data about science and education indexes was too limited for further analysis. The second survey included the most frequently mentioned science education and general education journals and a demographic component. There was a 72.5% return rate for the second survey with 92.1% of the first respondents completing the second survey. The respondents were 36.9% female and 59.8% male. Generally, the respondents were mainly high school teachers who have a Master's degree, are actively involved in their school system's inservice education program for science, attend professional meetings, submit manuscripts for publication, more recently completed a college science course than a college education course, and read science education journals more frequently and thoroughly than general education journals. The most frequently read journals tend to be of a practical orientation. Almost 60% of the respondents read more than one‐third of each issue of The Science Teacher. The next five most frequent journals read were: National Geographic, Discover, Science News, American Biology Teacher, and Chem Matters.