bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sex‐related differences on a task of volume and density
Authors: Howe Ann C. , Shayer Michael 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA sex‐related difference, favoring boys, was found on initial performance of two samples (one British, one American) of 10‐ and 11‐year‐old children on a task of volume and density. After a period of classroom instruction that included opportunities for children to interact with appropriate materials and each other, both boys and girls performed at a higher level on the task, but the difference between them remained the same. There was no indication of a sex‐related difference other than a time lag, in pattern of development of the concept. The question of why there is a sex‐related difference, which persists in spite of experience and instruction, is discussed.
The effect of instructor‐prepared handout materials on learning from lecture instruction
Authors: Petrich James A. , Montague Earl J. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study investigated the effect of organization and accuracy of detail in instructional aids on the achievement of students in a freshman college chemistry lecture course. Treatments consisted of (1) no aid, which was assumed to be low in detail and low in instructor organization; (2) a script given prior to lectures, which was assumed to be moderate in instructor organization and high in detail; and (3) outline provided prior to lectures, which was assumed to be high in instructor organization and moderate in detail. The treatments were randomly assigned to three intact classes of 54 students in freshman chemistry. All students were instructed on three different topics by means of videotaped lectures. Students were given a pretest, and following instruction on each of the three topics, they were given posttests. Results seem to indicate that the more aid in organization provided by the instructor prior to the lecture, the lower the student achievement. That is, students provided no aids achieved higher than those given a script, and those given a script achieved higher than those given an outline. The effect of amount of detail provided followed no clear pattern.
Field independence, task ambiguity, and performance on a proportional reasoning task
Authors: Nummedal Susan G. , Collea Francis P. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study investigated the proportional reasoning abilities of 35 college science students. Using a projection of shadows problem, proportional reasoning was assessed under one of two experimental conditions corresponding to the type of information presented: (a) relevant only, or (b) relevant and irrelevant. Subjects were also measured on the cognitive style of field independence. Results showed that subjects in the relevant only condition performed significantly better than those in the relevant‐irrelevant condition. Degree of field independence was related to performance only in the relevant‐irrelevant condition. These results indicated an interaction between type of information presented in a task and cognitive style.
Selective attentional effects of textbook study questions on student learning in science
Authors: Holliday William G. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA selective attentional model used to explain recent mathemagenic and related research findings also predicted that textbook study questions adjunct to a flow diagram focus students' attention more upon questioned information and less upon nonquestioned information. Furthermore, the chances of such dysfunctional selective attention are increased when students are provided with a mere sampling (partial set) of study questions covering only portions of the diagram and are decreased when students are provided with a population (complete set) of questions or a no‐question treatment. As predicted, using the Newman‐Keuls procedure (p <0.05), the population and no‐question treatment groups outperformed the sampling‐question group which, in turn, outperformed a placebo‐control group. It was concluded that researchers and teachers should be aware that encouraging students to concentrate on selective portions of critical information can result in inadequate processing of such specialized science materials as flow diagrams.
Effect of individualized goal‐setting on college biology students' locus of control
Authors: Schafer John E. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study investigated the effect of Individualized Goal‐Setting A‐T, relative to Classic A‐T, on a student's locus of control (generalized and academic). This study also examined the effect of pretesting, relative to no pretesting, on a student's locus of control. Sixty students in an introductory, Audio‐Tutorial, college zoology course were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Control groups (Classic A‐T) completed the course in the usual manner. Treatment groups (IGS A‐T) completed the course in the usual manner with one exception. That is, they used a different format for Optional Minicourse mastery. This new format released greater control to students over means as well as ends of minicourse mastery. Data were collected through use of the Solomon Four‐Group design, with two levels of treatment (Classic A‐T, IGS A‐T) and two levels of pretesting (pretest, no pretest). Instruments included the Rotter I‐E and Schafer Academic I‐E Locus of Control Scales. Posttest scores were analyzed by a 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).The following conclusions were made (p < 0.10).

IGS A‐T, relative to Classic A‐T, has no significant effect on a student's locus of control.
Pretesting, relative to no pretesting, has no significant effect on posttest locus of control.
Evaluating the effectiveness of an in‐service science program through the use of materials
Authors: Stronck David R. , Koller Geraldine R. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe study evaluates the effectiveness of an in‐service science program through measuring the use of materials available from the school district's resource supply center. This in‐service program introduced the Science Curriculum Improvement Study simultaneously into all 35 elementary schools of one district. The live‐material shipment orders served as an unobtrusive means of measuring teachers' behaviors. The 168 participants in the workshop before implementation did not significantly differ from the other 361 teachers in their use of materials. These participants were selected on the basis of availability and representation from each school. On a questionnaire they indicated a very high level of satisfaction with the workshop. The 128 participants in a second workshop during the summer following the first year of implementation made significantly greater use of the materials.
A study of the concerns of science teachers regarding an implementation of ISCS
Authors: James Robert K. , Hall Gene 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe federal government has responded to public interest in science education by supporting the development of science curricula, but a 1978 survey reports a low extent of actual use. A conceptual model which provides insight into the individual concerns that teachers adopting a new program might express was employed in a study of science teachers adopting ISCS. Recommendations for implementations, based on study findings are: Strategies for implementation should be correlated to concerns and should change as concerns shift; training in skills should be graduated and continuous; personal support is essential; and, furthermore, evaluation of effects should be delayed until early teacher concerns have been resolved. The concerns concept seems a promising tool for understanding critical problems of an adoption process. It can be useful in guiding the implementation of educational innovations by helping to alleviate trauma individuals face when confronted with such change.
The influence of content organization on student's cognitive structure in thermodynamics
Authors: Moreira Marco A. , Santos Carlos A. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractTwo different approaches to the content of thermodynamics were used in an introductory college physics course: one was the traditional organization found in most textbooks on the subject, the other was based on the learning theory of David Ausubel. The influence of these different content organizations on the student's cognitive structure was investigated using a word association test which was analysed through hierarchical clustering analysis. Research findings suggest that the approach based on Ausubel's theory influences the student's cognitive structure in such a way that their conceptual hierarchies are more coherent with the basic laws and the conceptual structure of the subject matter.
The ability of children to generalize selected science concepts
Authors: Abdullah Kemal Bin , Lowell Walter E. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe study investigated the ability of primary and elementary school subjects to generalize two science concepts, Insect and Animal with and without instruction in the form of a mental set. It also examined the effects of age, IQ, and sex on the ability of the children to generalize these concepts. Two instruments measuring the ability to generalize the concepts Insect and Animal were developed. The results indicate that of the independent variables investigated, age and mental set significantly affected the ability to generalize the concepts Insect and Animal. It was found that the younger children's concepts were least developed and with age these concepts became more developed and more conceptual in nature. The ability to use information given in a mental set was found to be a function of age. The children in this study were more able to generalize the concept Insect than the concept Animal. The results suggest that children with age and instruction axe better able to master less general concepts than more geaeral ones. In addition, the study demonstrated that children are able to improve their learning of general concepts provided a great number and variety of instances and noninstances of the concept are used in the instruction.It was also found that the younger children were more perceptually bound than the older children. The younger children were unable to overcome the pull of perceptual attractiveness that the noninstances held for them despite instruction. The results suggest that teachers of such children should be aware of the conceptual level of the content being taught to such children to ensure appropriate and meaningful learning takes place.
The long‐term effect of intensive instruction on the open exploration behavior of ninth grade students
Authors: Wright Emmett L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study reports the long‐term effects of intensive instruction (II) in the cue attendance (CA) or hypothesis generation (HG) on open‐exploration behavior. The five dependent measures included: the number of observed details; the number and quality of hypotheses; and the number and diversity of questions. In the original study, Ss receiving either form of II performed significantly better than control Ss on all dependent measures. Both experimental groups performed equally well except for a large number of details observed by the II group. Fifteen months later, Ss II in CA were able to describe more details and ask more questions with greater diversity than the II in HG group or the control Ss. Ss II in HG produced more hypotheses than the control Ss and a higher quality of hypotheses than either the control Ss or the II in CA group.
The relative responsiveness of concrete operational seventh grade and college students to science instruction
Authors: Lawson Anton E. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractNumerous persons have suggested that instruction should match the developmental level of the learner. Are “concrete operational” college students developmentally the same as “concrete operational” seventh grade students thus in need of identical instruction? Matched concrete operational seventh grade and college students were given identical classroom instruction in probabilistic and correlational reasoning. The college students performed significantly better on posttest measures which appeared to require greater processing of information while significant differences did not exist on less difficult items. Level of cognitive development, field independence, and fluid intelligence correlated moderately with posttest performance for the seventh grade students. Field independence and fluid intelligence correlated moderately with posttest performance for the college students but not pretest knowledge of specific biological concepts and cognitive level. It was concluded that college students are more responsive to instruction due either to (1) greater amount of experience or (2) greater information processing capacity. Implications for science teaching are discussed.
A study of the effectiveness of the primary education improvement program (science) in selected schools of Northern Nigeria
Authors: Brown Desmond P. , Reed Jack A. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe Primary Education Improvement Program (Science) developed in Nigeria from 1970–1980 adopted a “process approach” to the teaching of science for children in Classes One and Two of primary school. In that insufficient formative data were available a study was organized to evaluate the attainment of the program's major objectives in terms of the children's ability to practice process skills. The study also attempted to measure children's interest, active participation and understanding of the lessons, as well as the availability of materials and ease of preparing and teaching the lessons for the teachers. Data were collected by means of teacher opinionnaires and a children's test to measure the attainment of process skills. The teachers who completed the opinionnaires rated the program as successful in terms of all the measured criteria. Children in the experimental and control groups were tested and their performances were compared. The results indicated that there were some significant differences in total test scores in favor of the experimental group after one year of primary school but none after two years. The program, though highly rated by teachers, did not produce the intended changes in children's behavior.
Pupil participation and curriculum relevance
Authors: Ramadas Jayashree , Kulkarni V. G. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractSome results of formative research carried out in primary schools in rural India have been presented. The relationship between the lesson content and the participation of the pupils has been investigated. The spontaneous participation of pupils in teacher‐directed classrooms is shown to be correlated with the time spent by the teacher in relating the content of the textbook to the natural experiences of the pupils. The use of an experiment or a teaching aid is also found to be useful in drawing participation from the pupils. The results of the study are relevant for teachers working in a traditional, teacher‐dominated sytem of education.
An analysis of the current crises in the discipline of science education
Authors: Yager Robert E. , Bybee Rodger , Gallagher James J. , Renner John W. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractDemographic information concerning the thirty‐five largest graduate centers for science education was collected. The information verified the decrease in the average number of graduates, number of faculty members, external support for special projects in such centers for science education. Programs have remained static over the twenty‐year period. Faculty members at the institutions are stable and possess similar backgrounds; research interests of the faculty members vary and do not represent major commitments for many. When perceptions of discipline problems are studied, lack of agreement concerning goals and objectives are most frequently cited. This is followed by perceived lack of vision and leadership in the profession. Other perceived problems include public and parental apathy toward science and science education, limited budgets and facilities, and limited dialogue among professionals and the public. Science educators have proposed solutions to discipline problems as further evidence of crisis. The most common solutions proposed include (1) development of a theory base for the discipline, (2) structuring of a rationale for the discipline, (3) greater financial and public support, and (4) improved programs, including inservice education.As a view of the future is provided, the central issue emerges regarding the absence of goals in science education that are relevant to contemporary priorities in science, society, and education. Suggestion is made that failure to correct this deficiency will result in further deterioration in all areas of the current crisis.
The effects of ecocultural factors in operational thought among some Nigerian adolescents
Authors: Ehindero Olusola J. 
Published: October 2006

Abstract…the formation of operations always requires a favourable environment for “cooperation,” that is to say the operations carried out in common (e.g., the role of discussion, mutual criticism or support, problems raised as the result of exchange of information, heightened curiosity due to the cultural influence of a social group, etc. [Piaget, 1972].
A comparison of teacher and principal perception of an outstanding biology teacher
Authors: Searles William E. , Ng Raymond W. M. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to ascertain the level of agreement or disagreement between principals and teachers when using established criteria to measure the effectiveness of a biology teacher. To obtain information regarding their perceptions of an outstanding biology teacher, twenty‐two principals and forty‐one biology teachers were chosen randomly from English‐speaking high schools within a 50 km radius of metropolitan Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The measuring instrument was a modified version of Dieter's questionnaire that evolved from his doctoral study of the National Association of Biology Teachers‐Outstanding Biology Teacher Award Program. The data collected from the two populations were tested using one‐way ANOVA (analysis of variance) or by applying normal approximation. Results indicated that both the principals and teachers agree on the relative importance of most criteria, particularly those related to the teacher's classroom behavior and academic background in biology. From such results, it was possible to construct one stereotype of the outstanding biology teacher. A number of recommendations were made from the results of the study, which were directed to the (a) teachers and their professional organization, (b) principals and the school boards, (c) teacher training institutions, and (d) researchers in teacher evaluation.
A case for quantitative treatment verification in science teaching research
Authors: Leonard William H. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractEducational studies that attempt to identify variables contributing significantly to student learning of science concepts often rely on careful construction of operational definitions as a means of controlling treatment variables. It is argued that this is not sufficient in a behavioral experiment such as in a science classroom because students may not behave as planned. In such research, quantitative treatment verification is necessary. A survey of the use of treatment verification in science teaching research is presented as well as one such procedure in detail. If the researcher finds significant differences between treatment groups on dependent measures, and if differences for student‐teacher behaviors between treatments are quantified and determined to differ significantly, the researcher has a much stronger case for arguing causation than if treatment verification had not been employed.
The effect of frequency of testing upon the measurement of achievement in an intensive time‐series design
Authors: Mayer Victor J. , Rojas Carlos A. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractProgress in the development of an intensive time‐series design for use in classroom situations has raised several questions regarding the validity of the data obtained. One such question is related to the effect of frequency of testing upon the data. This study was designed to determine the presence of such an effect. Use of the design with eighth grade students studying a unit on crustal evolution indicated that the frequency of data collection did not adversely affect student attitudes toward the science class nor did it have any measurable effect upon class achievement data. The results of a previous study were also replicated, giving increased confidence in the validity of the data yielded by the intensive time‐series design as used in these studies.
A comparison of the personalized system of instruction and a conventional biology course on the achievement of junior college freshmen
Authors: Gifford Vernon D. , Vicks Joann 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe effect of using a Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) method in teaching freshman biology in junior college and the relationship between biology achievement and selected variables were investigated. The sample of eighty freshmen was divided into two groups, experimental and control, and data were collected after one semester of treatment. Adjusted scores on the post‐test were significantly different for the class using the PSI method. There was no significant difference between the sexes. Career motivation was the only significant factor between males and females. The significant predictors of biology achievement were college grade point average, treatment group, and the California Achievement Test composite score. The next group of predictors consisted of career motivation, fear motivation, and family size.
Curriculum materials, teaching, and potential outcomes for students: A qualitative analysis
Authors: Kilbourn Brent 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis is a qualitative analysis of a teaching episode in biology and shows the interplay between substantive content issues and pedagogical issues relating to the teacher's intentions, performance, and potential outcomes for students. The concept “epistemological flatness” is developed as a way of characterizing salient aspects of the curriculum materials and teaching, as revealed in the analysis. The conclusion of the article reflects on the function of the qualitative analysis itself.
Priorities for research in science education: A survey
Authors: Abraham Michael R. , Renner John W. , Grant Rosalie M. , Westbrook Susan L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIn 1979, all members of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) were asked to list in order of priority what they believed to be the five most needed areas of research in science education. A total of 101 members−13% of the membership‐responded and listed 398 statements of needed research. Six general classes of research needs were identified from the 398 needed research statements. Those classes contained 31 unique categories of needed research. Three categories of needed research emerged as the greatest concern of the NARST members responding to the survey. Those categories are instructional strategy, learning, and student and teacher attitudes. Earlier work done on the identification of research needs was compared with the present work and many similarities were found. The research concluded that when research needs were identified by the membership of the NARST the results are different than when especially appointed ad hoc committees identifies research needs.