bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding the dynamics of initiating individualized science instruction
Authors: Kapuscinski B. Phyllis 
Published: October 2006

AbstractTraditional research comparing the effects of individualized instruction and conventional modes of instruction has been inconclusive. Naturalistic research dealing with the process of innovation as a critical issue was proposed as an alternative. Thus, the purpose of the study was to investigate the dynamics of change at the classroom level through identifying factors influencing change, as perceived by administrators, teachers, pupils, and investigator‐observer. Ten teachers participated in an in‐service experience in individualized instruction, which consisted of a series of workshops and regular classroom visits conducted by the investigator‐observer. Additional data were obtained from teachers' diaries, informal pupil reactions, and interviews with a comparison group of teachers and administrators. Factors influencing change at the classroom level were identified. Naturalistic research was shown to be functional and valuable in that it suggested new patterns of organization in studies on individualized instruction, particularly the role of the pupil in educational change.
The nature of advanced reasoning and science instruction
Authors: Lawson Anton E. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractAlthough the development of reasoning is recognized as an important goal of science instruction, its nature remains somewhat of a mystery. This article discusses two key questions: Does formal thought constitute a structured whole? And what role does propositional logic play in advanced reasoning? Aspects of a model of advanced reasoning are presented in which hypothesis generation and testing are viewed as central processes in intellectual development. It is argued that a number of important advanced reasoning schemata are linked by these processes and should be made a part of science instruction designed to improve students' reasoning abilities.Concerning students' development and use of formal reasoning, Linn (1982) calls for research into practical issues such as the roles of task‐specific knowledge and individual differences in performance, roles not emphasized by Piaget in his theory and research. From a science teacher's point of view, this is good advice. Accordingly, this article will expand upon some of the issues raised by Linn in a discussion of the nature of advanced reasoning which attempts to reconcile the apparent contradiction between students' differential use of advanced reasoning schemata in varying contexts with the notion of a general stage of formal thought. Two key questions will be discussed: Does formal thought constitute a structured whole? And what role does propositional logic play in advanced reasoning? The underlying assumption of the present discussion is that, among other things, science instruction should concern itself with the improvement of students' reasoning abilities (cf. Arons, 1976; Arons & Karplus, 1976; Bady, 1979; Bauman, 1976; Educational Policies Commission, 1966; Herron, 1978; Karplus, 1979; Kohlberg & Mayer, 1972; Moshman & Thompson, 1981; Lawson, 1979; Levine & linn, 1977; Pallrand, 1977; Renner & Lawson, 1973; Sayre & Ball, 1975; Schneider & Renner, 1980; Wollman, 1978). The questions are of interest because to date they lack clear answers, yet clear answers are necessary if we hope to design effective instruction in reasoning.
Utilizing formative evaluation to enhance the understanding of chemistry and the methods and procedures of science
Authors: Pizzini Edward L. , Treagust David F. , Cody John 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine whether or not formative evaluation could facilitate goal attainment in a biochemistry course and produce desired learning outcomes consistently by altering course materials and/or instruction. Formative evaluation procedures included the administration of the Inorganic‐Organic‐Biological Chemistry Test Form 1974 and the Methods and Procedures of Science test to course participants over three consecutive years. A one group pretest‐post‐test design was used. The statistical analysis involved the use of the Wilcoxon matched‐pairs signed‐ranks test. The study involved 64 participants. The findings indicate that the use of formative evaluation can be effective in producing desired learning outcomes to facilitate goal attainment.
Simultaneous effects of allowed time, teaching method, ability, and student assessment of treatment on achievement in a high school biology course (ISIS)
Authors: Burkman Ernest , Brezin Michael , Griffin Patrick 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe simultaneous effects of teaching method (self‐directed, group directed, and teacher directed), allowed time for study, and two student variables (academic ability and assessment of treatment implementation) are described for student achievement in a high school biology course (ISIS). The variable student assessment of treatment implementation was viewed as a particularly important variable for two reasons: (1) in research by Stayrook, Corno, and Winne (1978) it has accounted for as much variance in achievement as the assigned treatment; and (2) it provides a means for controlling the range of implementation of teaching methods. A between‐student analysis resulted in a description of effects complicated by interactions among all the variables. While the interactions were particularly strong in the student‐directed method, it may generally be concluded that as time allowed for study decreased, students who perceived the treatment as being well implemented tended to have higher achievement. Also, it was found that the main effect of ability was quite strong. The results confirmed the importance of student assessment of treatment implementation as a descriptive variable. Additionally, the results suggest a qualification in the conclusion of Cronbach and Snow (1971) that individualized instruction tends to favor high‐ability students; that conclusion may need to be modified to situations in which students fully perceive their autonomy.
Science processes
Authors: Finley Fred N. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractDuring the past twenty years, research, curriculum development, and instruction in science education have been influenced by Gagne's conception of science processes. This article reports an investigation of the epistomologic foundations of this conception. The results indicate that a commitment to inductive empiricism pervades the presently held view of science processes. A major tenet of this commitment is that conceptual knowledge results from the application of science processes in understanding natural phenomena and solving problems. Criticism of the commitment in light of recent developments in the philosophy of science reveals that there is limited philosophical support for this view. The implication is that if science educators continue to use the presently held view of science processes, the conception needs to be reformulated. Otherwise, there is a clear danger that students will be presented an inaccurate and inadequate view of science processes. The alternative is to view the exact nature of science processes as being dependent upon the conceptual knowledge that is used to understand a particular phenomena or problem.
Effects of individualized assignments on biology achievement
Authors: Kremer Philip L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA pretest‐posttest, randomized, two groups, experimental, factorial design compared effects of detailed and nondetailed assignments on biology achievement over seven and a half months. Detailed assignments (favoring field independence and induction) employed block diagrams and stepwise directions. Nondetailed assignments (favoring field dependence and deduction) virtually lacked these. The accessible population was 101 tenth grade preparatory school male students. The 95 students enrolled in first year biology constituted the sample. Two by three ANOVA was done on residualized posttest score means of the students. Totally, the detailed students achieved significantly higher than the nondetailed students. This significantly higher achievement was only true of detailed students in the middle thirds of the deviation intelligence quotient (DIQ) range and of the grade point average (G.P.A.) range after the breakdown into upper, middle, and lower thirds of intellectual capability (ability and achievement). The upper third detailed DIQ grouping indirectly achieved higher than its peers, whereas the lower detailed DIQ third achieved lower than its peers. Thus, high capability students apparently benefit from flow and block diagrams, inductions, field independence, and high structure, whereas low capability students may be hindered by these.
Overprompting science students using adjunct study questions
Authors: Holliday William G. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractOverprompting students by providing them with strong hints to answers of questions can do learners more instructional harm than good. The selective attention model was used to explain the effects of overprompting students provided with study questions adjunct to a complex flow diagram describing scientific cyclical schema. Tenth‐grade students were randomly assigned to an unprompted‐question, no‐question, prompted‐question, and a placebo control group. Analysis showed that strongly prompting students to the answers of such questions was less effective than an unprompted question treatment, p < 0.05. The no‐question treatment did not significantly outperform the prompted treatment. The information presented in the flow diagram was operationally related to comprehension study and posttest questions. The theoretical discussion and the present findings suggested that science teachers should use prompting techniques with extreme caution.
Students' recall from science text
Authors: Fmley Fred N. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA major feature of instruction in science education is the assignment of reading materials; yet relatively little is known about what students' recall from their reading. The purpose of this study was to develop a description of what students recalled from‐reading expository science text and to search for different groups of students who recalled the same propositions. The expectation of different groups was based on recent developments in schema theory. Thirty‐eight grade 11 physics students read and then recalled content related to energy transfer. Each student's recall was tape recorded and analyzed to identify the propositions recalled. Cluster analysis procedures were used to identify groups of students who recalled the same propositions. There were four groups of students found, each organized around a different empirical event students recalled from the text. Two groups recalled an elaborated description of an even that actually had been only briefly described in the text. Notably absent in all groups was the theoretical content related to the main theme of the text.
The effects of new science curricula on student performance
Authors: Shymansky James A. , Kyle William C. , Alport Jennifer M. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study summarizes the results of a quantitative synthesis of the retrievable primary research dealing with the effects of new science curricula on student performance. This study synthesizes the results of 105 experimental studies involving more than 45,000 students and utilizes the quantitative synthesis perspective to research integration known as meta‐analysis (Glass, 1976). A total of 27 different new science curricula involving one or more measures of student performance are included in this meta‐analysis. Data were collected for 18 a priori selected student performance measures. The results of this meta‐analysis reveal definite positive patterns of student performance in new science curricula. Across all new science curricula analyzed, students exposed to new science curricula performed better than students in traditional courses in general achievement, analytic skills, process skills, and related skills (reading, mathematics, social studies and communication), as well as developing a more positive attitude toward science. On a composite basis, the average student in new science curricula exceeded the performance of 63% of the students in traditional science courses.
Differences in science students' view of ideal and actual role behavior according to success and gender
Authors: Kauchak Don , Peterson Ken 
Published: October 2006

AbstractInformation about how success and gender affect students' views of ideal and actual classroom role behavior can help both researchers and teachers better understand classroom components such as achievement and curriculum. A 20‐item double Q sort was used to measure differences in perceptions of high school science students according to letter grades and gender. Individual Q sort item rankings of 160 students were tested for significant differences according to letter grade received; item ratings were compared according to gender for 215 students. Differences in perception according to success were found for both ideal and actual behavior; 8 and 5 items, respectively, out of each 20‐item sort were found to be significant at the p = < 0.05 level. No such overall patterns of difference in view were found between boys and girls, although three ideal student items and one actual self‐report item were found to be significantly different at the p = < 0.05 level.
Teacher management behaviors and pupil task involvement during small group laboratory activities
Authors: Beasley Warren 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA major concern of many beginning and experienced teachers is that of classroom management and control. This article describes recent research into defining classroom management procedures that are used by high school science teachers and their relationship to pupil ontaskness. The classroom is conceptualized as a manipulable behavioral system. This construct arises directly from Barker's (1968) ecological psychology, the classroom and its occupants being conceptualized as a behavior setting. The behaviors of the teacher and the pupils are an integral part of the unit (behavior setting), which in turn coerces certain behaviors from its participants. Thus settings, and, in particular, subsettings, are seen as more important determiners of social behavior than the personality of individual teacher or pupil. The methodology employed in this research has involved the extensive use of video in naturalistic science classrooms. Tapes of both teacher and pupil behaviors were continuously and independently recorded. Intensive analysis using electronic recording instruments interfaced with the computer has allowed the collection and sophisticated analysis of the observational data. Data relating to teacher management behavior in small group settings have been analyzed and the relationships to pupil task involvement have been explored.
Interaction of wait time feedback and questioning instruction on middle school science teaching
Authors: Swift J. Nathan , Gooding C. Thomas 
Published: October 2006

AbstractWait time, the duration of teacher pauses after questions, is an important variable in research on science teaching. This project investigated the effects of increasing teacher's wait times on general questioning skills in science teaching. In previous research, the influence of wait time training has been confounded with instruction in general questioning skills, making it difficult to test the hypothesis that increasing the wait time will by itself improve classroom discussions. In this project, these variables were separated through the use of four treatment groups made up of science teachers. One group received instruction in wait time using a newly developed electronic feedback device that monitors the duration of teacher and student pauses; a second group received instruction in general questioning skills; a third group received both types of instruction; a comparison group received no instruction of either type. The tape recordings were coded and analyzed for classroom interaction data. Comparisons were made using discriminant analysis, analyses of variance, and correlational relationships. The wait time feedback devices facilitated the production of wait time means consistently superior to baseline performance, albeit slightly below the 3‐second criterion sought. Regardless, the feedback groups did produce a large number of the hypothesized changes. Significant effects were found from a comparison of the discriminant function scores. Effects consistently favored the groups with the feedback devices. The presence of the guides seemed to make little difference. The groups with the devices used greater numbers of high‐level questions, especially those of the evaluative level. There were more contributions from students, as measured by length of answers, frequency of volunteered contributions, numbers of relevant student words, and percentages of student talk.
The effects of instructional organization and locus of control orientation on meaningful learning in high school biology students
Authors: Sherris Jacqueline D. , Kahle Jane Butler 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study investigated the effects on meaningful learning achievement of concept‐related instructional organization and locus of control orientation. Two five‐week instructional treatments were developed, one which explicitly stressed concept relationships and one which did not. Five hundred and forty‐one subjects at six Indiana high schools were involved in the study. Analyses of covariance of posttest and six‐week retention test scores with treatment as the independent variable showed no significant treatment effect. Analyses of variance of test scores with locus of control orientation as the independent variable resulted in highly statistically significant differences. Subjects with an internal locus of control orientation achieved more than externally oriented subjects. A two‐way analysis of covariance by treatment and locus of control orientation resulted in a statistically significant treatment/locus of control interaction effect for retention test scores. Externally oriented subjects who were exposed to the concept‐related treatment generally retained more than those in the comparison group. Internally oriented subjects retained about the same amount of information regardless of treatment group. When the male and female subjects were analyzed separately, the interaction effect appeared greater for females than for males.
The influence of activity‐based elementary science programs on classroom practices: A quantitative synthesis
Authors: Bredderman Ted 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe results of 11 studies of classroom practices used with the activity‐based elementary science programs, ESS, SCIS, and SAPA, were combined quantitatively. All studies included control groups and employed techniques for coding lesson events. A composite category system was developed for combining study results. It was found that teachers using activity‐based programs spent about 10% more time on student activity and 10% less time on talk than teachers using traditional methods. More direction giving, more higher level questions, and less lecturing were also reported. Teachers trained in program use spent less time giving directions, more time on activities, and less time on talk than untrained teachers using the programs. On the average, researchers coded slightly less student talk and slightly less student‐initiated talk in activity‐based classrooms.
The effect of method and format on the responses of subjects to a Piagetian reasoning problem
Authors: Staver John R. , Pascarella Ernest T. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractResearchers interested in studying the effects of subjects' reasoning levels, as defined by Piaget (Inhelder & Piaget, 1958), on science achievement or other dependent variables face two measurement problems. First, the traditional clinical method is time‐consuming and impractical for large numbers of subjects. Second, alternative methods of assessment, although reliable and valid, may over‐ or underestimate subjects' reasoning levels. The objective of this investigation was to determine the effects of various methods and formats of administering a Piagetian task on subjects' performance. The task chosen for this investigation was the Mr. Short‐Mr. Tall problem (Karplus & Lavatelli, 1969; Karplus et al., 1977). The task was presented using four methods: (1) individual clinical interview, (2) group presentation of task followed by paper‐and‐pencil problem with illustration, (3) group administration of paper‐and‐pencil instrument with illustration, and (4) group administration of paper‐and‐pencil instrument without illustration. Each method included four formats: (1) completion answer with essay justification, (2) completion answer with multiple‐choice justification, (3) multiple‐choice answer with essay justification, and (4) multiple‐choice answer with multiple‐choice justification. Three hundred seventy‐six students who were enrolled in a freshman level biological science class participated in the study. The research design was a 4 × 4 factorial design with method and format of assessment as the main effects. The participants were in 16 distinct laboratory or discussion sections, and each section was randomly assigned to a cell in the research design. Regression analysis with the individual as the unit of analysis showed that neither method nor format of assessment accounted for a significant amount of variance in student performance. The overall interaction remained nonsignificant. Regression analysis with sections as the unit of analysis revealed similar findings. The inter‐rater agreement in the scoring of the reasoning task was 98.4%. The principal conclusion is that neither method nor format of task administration influenced the performance of subjects, and this lack of influence is similar for various combinations of method and format. Discussion focused on the importance of this nonsignificant finding for using alternative methods of Piagetian assessment. Implications for teachers are also discussed.
Relationships among gender, age, and intellectual development
Authors: De Hernandez Lilian , Marek Edmund A. , Renner John W. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among gender, age, and intellectual development. Random samples of 70 females and 70 males were selected with each sex group equally divided into a low‐age and a high‐age group. The low‐age group ranged in age from 16.25 years to 16.75 years and the high‐age group from 16.76 years to 17.25 years. The Piaget tasks selected to measure cognitive development were: Conservation of Volume, Separation of Variables, and Equilibrium in the Balance and Combination of Colorless Chemical Liquids. Data from this research produced these findings: (1) males demonstrate a higher level of intellectual development than females, (2) males mature intellectually earlier than females, (3) the value of the conservation of volume task as a component of a battery of formal tasks depends upon whether the decisions are to be made on the basis of the total‐task results or on individual task performance, and (4) there appear to be factors other than age and gender that are related to the development of formal operational reasoning. These investigators hypothesize that experiences is another important factor.