Changes in Student Attitudes Regarding Science When Taught by Teachers Without Experiences With a Model Professional Development Program

This study focuses on two main issues concerning changes in student attitudes toward science study and their perceptions of its usefulness in their lives. Information has been gathered concerning how student attitudes toward science have changed for teachers and schools not involved with any funded professional development project. Pretesting and posttesting were administered with such “control” groups at the same intervals corresponding with the data collected from students with teachers enrolled in five funded Professional Development projects over the 1981–2008 interim. The grade levels used by the National Assessment of Education Progress in their 1977 assessment of science were used; it focused on students in grades 3, 7, and 11. The results indicate a steady decline in student positive attitudes concerning their science study as grade levels increase. Conversely, the student perceptions of the usefulness of their science study as related to daily living, further science study, and for potential careers remained much the same over the 30‐year interim is a second focus. Generally, results indicate that traditional teaching and major use of textbooks cause increasingly negative student attitudes about science while not producing major changes in their perceptions of its usefulness in their lives.     

The Advantages of an STS Approach Over a Typical Textbook Dominated Approach in Middle School Science

Two sections of middle school science were taught by two longtime teachers where one used an STS approach and the other followed the more typical textbook approach closely. Pre‐ and post assessments were administered to one section of students for each teacher. The testing focused on student concept mastery, general science achievement, concept applications, use of concepts in new situations, and attitudes toward science. Videotapes of classroom actions were recorded and analyzed to determine the level of the use of STS teaching strategies in the two sections. Information was also be collected that gave evidence of and noted changes in student creativity and the continuation of student learning and the use of it beyond the classroom. Major findings indicate that students experiencing the STS format where constructivist teaching practices were used to (a) learn basic concepts as well as students who studied them directly from the textbook, (b) achieve as much in terms of general concept mastery as students who studied almost exclusively by using a textbook closely, (c) apply science concepts in new situations better than students who studied science in a more traditional way, (d) develop more positive attitudes about science, (e) exhibit creativity skills more often and more uniquely, and (f) learn and use science at home and in the community more than did students in the textbook dominated classroom.     

High School Students' Views about the Nature of Science: Results from Three Countries

During the last two decades, massive efforts have been directed at uncovering different science concepts held by school age students. This particular study focused on identifying high school students' views regarding the nature of science. Thirty-two students were chosen from each of the following three countries: Canada, the United States, and Australia. Interviews were conducted with each student. The interview protocol contained the same core questions with an opportunity built in to allow both the student and the interviewer to seek clarification and extension as necessary. All of the interviews were audiotape recorded and transcribed. Some major differences and many commonalities were observed among the three groups of students. These results should be potentially useful to a wide range of science educators and curriculum developers in that one's ability to become scientifically literate is greatly impair ed when the nature of science is not completely understood.     

Science Talk: Preservice Teachers Facilitating Science Learning in Diverse Afterschool Environments

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact a community‐based service learning program might have on preservice teachers' science instruction during student teaching. Designed to promote science inquiry, preservice teachers learned how to offer students more opportunities to develop their own ways of thinking through utilization of an afterschool science program that provided them extended opportunities to practice their science teaching skills. Three preservice teachers were followed to examine and evaluate the transfer of this experience to their student teaching classroom. Investigation methods included field observations and semi‐structured, individual interviews. Findings indicate that preservice teachers expanded their ideas of science inquiry instruction to include multiple modes of formative assessment, while also struggling with the desire to give students the correct answer. While the participants' experiences are few in number, the potential of afterschool teaching experience serving as an effective learning experience in preservice teacher preparation is significant. With the constraints of high‐stakes testing, community‐based service learning teaching opportunities for elementary and middle‐school preservice teachers can support both the development and refinement of inquiry instruction skills.     

Science-Related Attitudes of High-ability Students

This study compared college-age student attitudes toward junior high/middle school science classes, teachers, and the value of science content. Subjects represented two groups: academically talented college students majoring in the sciences, and equally talented nonscience college students. The data were compared with responses from noncollegiate young adults, reported in an earlier investigation (Yager & Penick, 1986). Results indicated that science students expressed the most favorable impressions of school science instruction, followed by nonscience students, and then by noncollegiate adults. Although science student attitudes were positive overall, many high-ability students indicated that their secondary science classes were neither exciting nor relevant to daily living. Curricular implications for enhancing students' attitudes are discussed.     

The Cumulative and Residual Impact of a Systemic Reform Program on Teacher Change and Student Learning of Science

This longitudinal, five‐year study of teachers and students who had participated in a systemic reform program in science explored if (1) teacher change in practice realized during a three‐year program is sustained one, two, and three years following the program, (2) student performance on state science assessments two years following studying with teachers at this school still demonstrated significant differences from students who attended the control school, and (3) student performance continued to be enhanced for both White and Minority students. Student achievement was assessed using the Discovery Inquiry Test in Science during sixth through eighth grades and the Ohio Graduation Test was used in 10th grade. The same students completed the test in grades 6–8 and 10th grade. Students from the Program school significantly outperformed students who attended the control school on the 10th grade state assessment in science. Findings in this study revealed the ability for sustained, whole‐school, professional development programs to have a cumulative and residual impact on teacher change and student learning of science.     

Assessing the Impact of Bridging Analogies in Mechanics

The effects of bridging analogies teaching strategy and gender on Turkish high school students' misconceptions in mechanics were investigated. After a pilot study with 67 students in a nearby high school, the researchers administered the revised Mechanics Misconception Test to 119 high school students as a pretest. Students in the experimental group were instructed by using bridging analogies teaching strategy. At the end of a 3‐week treatment period, the same test was administered to all students as a posttest. The data were analyzed by using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The statistical results showed that bridging analogies teaching strategy was an effective means of reducing the number of misconceptions students held about normal forces, frictional forces, tension, gravity, inertia, and Newton's third law.     

Preparing New Science Teachers for Urban Classrooms : Consensus Within an Expert Community

Preparing future science teachers for U.S. city classrooms is an important yet poorly understood process. The purpose of this study was to determine the philosophies and practices of university ‐based science educators associated with programs supplying teachers for metropolitan school systems. Through an iterative process of mailed questionnaires, 20 participants rated their views on issues pertinent to science teacher education. The responses to questionnaires were used in the creation of items for each subsequent round. The three rounds of questionnaires contained Likert ‐scale and open‐ended questions. For many issues, there was consistently high consensus among the expert panelists, including the presence of students for whom English is a second or new language, the importance of science education professors remaining connected to urban school issues, and practices often affiliated with reform (e.g., alternative assessment, nature of science). Several issues emerged as having low regard by the participants, including the role of student ethnicity on teaching strategies, providing instruction about reading strategies within science teacher preparation, and the value of professors having themselves taught science in urban settings.     

Exploring Problem‐based Learning in the Context of High School Science: Design and Implementation Issues

This paper reports on the experiences of a small collaborative inquiry group consisting of a high school science teacher, Deidre, and two university researchers, the authors of this paper, as they explored an active, inquiry‐based approach to teaching and learning referred to as Problem‐Based Learning or PBL ( Barrows, 1994 ; Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980 ). Although PBL is not new and has an established tradition in medical education and other professional schools, the use and scholarship of PBL at the secondary level is only starting to emerge. This small‐scale collaboration allowed the co‐inquirers to delve into the complexities of PBL and to examine its feasibility as a curriculum and instructional approach in the context of high school science teaching and learning. The three collaborators adopted an action‐based inquiry method referred to as Collaborative Inquiry (CI), a “process consisting of repeated episodes of reflection and action through which a group of peers strives to answer a question of importance to them” ( Bray, Lee, Smith, & Yorks, 2000 , p. 6). Data collection methods and sources included student‐generated work, classroom observation, student interviews, and audio‐taped planning meetings. The outcomes of the study focus on the issues that arose during PBL design and implementation, such as selecting a PBL topic, determining the level of structure to be incorporated into the PBL experience, selecting appropriate assessment approaches, facilitating groups, and providing optimal student feed‐back. In addition, outcomes related to student perceptions of PBL indicated that the majority liked learning through PBL because it promoted active learning, made science relevant, provided variety in learning, and supported group work. The authors discuss implications for the adoption of PBL in K‐12 settings.     

Cross‐Cultural Issues Arising for Four Science Teachers During Their International Migration to Teach in U.S. High Schools

U.S. schools have experienced a perennial shortage of teachers. Recently, many school districts have been inviting foreign veteran teachers to help mitigate such teacher shortages. This study describes the initial cross‐cultural issues four international science teachers encountered when they immigrated to teach in U.S. high schools. In‐depth, semistructured interviews of four science teachers (from Ghana, Britain, and Germany) produced the main source of data. The international teachers faced a variety of support system problems, which were not directly classroom related, but nevertheless had an impact on their instructional effectiveness. They also faced teaching‐related issues, including differences in school organization and structure, assessment and philosophical beliefs, communication, textbooks, teaching methods, and teacher‐student relations. They all expressed a need to become active learners in order to function effectively in their new teaching contexts. The implications are discussed based on the findings.     

Changes in Preservice Elementary Teachers' Sense of Efficacy in Teaching Science

This paper reports progress to date on a longitudinal study of changes in preservice teachers' sense of efficacy in teaching science. The study involved procedures designed to validate, in an Australian context, the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (STEBI-B) comprised of two scales: Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Scale (STE) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy Scale (STO). Concomitantly, the instrument was used to monitor changes in teachers' sense of science teaching efficacy employing a pretest and repeated posttest, one group research design. The subjects were students enrolled in a three-year Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) program. Correlations between pretest scores on STEBI-B and other measures of personal beliefs and behaviors, namely academic self concept and academic locus of control, supported the validity of STEBI-B. The results indicate that, over three semesters of the program, there was significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores on the STE scale. Possible explanations of the results obtained are discussed and evaluated and a justification for further long term research into teachers' sense of efficacy in teaching science is provided. Implications of the results for the teaching of elementary school science are discussed.     

What Factors Affect Attitudes Toward Women in Science Held by High School Biology Students?

To achieve the goal of science for all Americans, students of both genders must believe that careers in science are equally appropriate for women. Yet male and female students in high school science classes do not have the same views of women in science. This study investigated the influence of 17 factors on high school students' attitudes toward women in science. Data were collected from 844 students enrolled in biology classes in an urban school district in Georgia. Multiple regression determined that the 17 factors significantly influence students' attitudes toward women in science, accounting for 28% of common variance. The four most significant factors - student gender, science ability, level of education the student plans to complete, and career interest-accounted for 24.6% of total variance. Female students who have high science ability, plan to complete high levels of education, and who have career interests in science showed more favorable attitudes toward women in science. Males with low science ability, low levels of education they plan to complete, and no interest in science as a career had the least favorable attitudes toward women in science. Male students with less positive attitudes toward science careers for women need to be included in programs aimed at encouraging all students to consider science careers.     

Successful Students’ Perceptions of Secondary School Science

The attitudinal perceptions of successful college science students regarding their junior high and high school science experiences were compared with those of successful nonscience students. Particular attention was paid to recollections of teacher personality attributes and instructional methodology. Results indicate that science students were especially motivated by knowledgeable, enthusiastic, communicative, committed, friendly, competent, and creative science teachers, whereas the nonscience group preferred patient, knowledgeable, congenial, friendly, supportive, and enthusiastic instructors. Both groups agreed that, although traditional methods (textbooks, lectures, quizzes/tests) dominated their science experiences, their preferred instructional strategies included more dynamic methods, including laboratory activities, teacher demonstrations, and discussions. Both groups also agreed that high school science courses provided a closer match than did junior high/middle school courses in providing their preferred teacher attributes and instructional methods. Results supported the observation that, even for these academically gifted students, interest in science is relatively depressed during the junior high/middle school years. It was concluded that, although endogenous variables act in concert, the quality of the student-teacher interaction exerts the greatest influence on student attitudes, particularly if those students are not already “science-friendly.” Instructional implications are discussed.     

Analyzing connections between teacher and student topic-specific knowledge of lower secondary mathematics

The interpretive cross-case study focused on the examination of connections between teacher and student topic-specific knowledge of lower secondary mathematics. Two teachers were selected for the study using non-probability purposive sampling technique. Teachers completed the Teacher Content Knowledge Survey before teaching a topic on the division of fractions. The survey consisted of multiple-choice items measuring teachers’ knowledge of facts and procedures, knowledge of concepts and connections, and knowledge of models and generalizations. Teachers were also interviewed on the topic of fraction division using questions addressing their content and pedagogical content knowledge. After teaching the topic on the division of fractions, two groups of 6th-grade students of the participating teachers were tested using similar items measuring students’ topic-specific knowledge at the level of procedures, concepts, and generalizations. The cross-case examination using meaning coding and linguistic analysis revealed topic-specific connections between teacher and student knowledge of fraction division. Results of the study suggest that students’ knowledge could be associated with the teacher knowledge in the context of topic-specific teaching and learning of mathematics at the lower secondary school.     

Prospective Elementary Teachers' Knowledge of Teaching Science as Argument: A Case Study

The National Research Council emphasizes the centrality of discourse and practices associated with constructing, evaluating, and using scientific explanations. These expectations increase already daunting challenges for those who teach science at the elementary school level. This study followed a multiparticipant case study approach examining prospective elementary teachers' self‐reports of teaching science as argument. Findings yield that the presence of opportunities for physical experimentation with firsthand data during science instruction helped participants increase their emphasis on evidence‐based explanations. Participants also viewed science talks as essential and fundamental for engaging students in evidence‐based explanations. Finally, participants demonstrated attention to scientific subject matter. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for teacher education.     

Student and Teacher Perspectives Across Mathematics and Science Classrooms: The Importance of Engaging Contexts

Substantial recent focus has been placed upon the competitiveness of American students in increasingly global economies and entrepreneurial enterprises. As concerns center on students’ educational preparedness and their efforts at continued learning, researchers acknowledge the importance of student engagement with school. In order to foster engaged learners, teachers must be able to determine and monitor their students’ levels of engagement. The current study examined the alignment of perceptions of engagement by students, teachers, and outside observers across middle and high school mathematics and science classrooms. Results indicated significant teacher‐student differences in perceptions of student cognitive engagement across mathematics and science classrooms with teachers consistently perceiving higher levels than students. Moreover, most effect sizes were moderate to large. A subsequent multi‐level analysis indicated that while teacher perceptions of student cognitive engagement were somewhat predictive of student reported cognitive engagement, academic engagement ratings by outside observers were not.     

The Relationship of Teacher‐Facilitated,Inquiry‐Based Instruction to Student Higher‐Order Thinking

Commissions, studies, and reports continue to call for inquiry‐based learning approaches in science and math that challenge students to think critically and deeply. While working with a group of middle school science and math teachers, we conducted more than 100 classroom observations, assessing several attributes of inquiry‐based instruction. We sorted the observations into two groups based on whether students both explored underlying concepts before receiving explanations and contributed to the explanations. We found that in both math and science classrooms, when teachers had students both explore concepts before explanations and contribute to the explanations, a higher percent of time was spent on exploration and students were more frequently involved at a higher cognitive level. Further, we found a high positive correlation between the percent of time spent exploring concepts and the cognitive level of the students, and a negative correlation between the percent of time spent explaining concepts and the cognitive level. When we better understand how teachers who are successful in challenging students in higher‐order thinking spend their time relative to various components of inquiry‐based instruction, then we are better able to develop professional development experiences that help teachers transition to more desired instructional patterns.     

An Extended Examination of Preservice Elementary Teachers' Science Teaching Self‐Efficacy

The purpose of this study was to examine programmatic factors that positively impact changes in elementary preservice teachers' teaching self‐efficacy beliefs. Specifically, it examined the impact of science methods courses, student teaching, and science content courses on elementary preservice teachers' science teaching self‐efficacy. The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument Form B was administered, using a pre/post design, to undergraduate elementary education majors in specific education and science content courses. A total of 399 responses were collected, of which 172 had matching pre/post surveys suitable for analysis. Students in the science content courses and student teaching seminar showed no significant change in either the Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) or the Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy scales during the time they were enrolled in the classes. Significant gains in PSTE were found for students enrolled in the science methods course. The specific design of the education program and methods course may be responsible for these changes.     

Inventing Creativity: An Exploration of the Pedagogy of Ingenuity in Science Classrooms

Concerns with the ability of U.S. classrooms to develop learners who will become the next generation of innovators, particularly given the present climate of standardized testing, warrants a closer look at creativity in science classrooms. The present study explored these concerns associated with teachers' classroom practice by addressing the following research question: What pedagogical factors, and related teacher conceptions, are potentially related to the demonstration of creativity among science students? Seventeen middle‐level, high school, and introductory‐level college science teachers from a variety of school contexts participated in the study. A questionnaire developed for this study, interviews, and classroom observations were used in order to explore potential areas of relatedness between pedagogical factors and manifestations of student creativity in science. Five categories ultimately emerged and described potential areas in which teachers would have to explicitly plan for creativity. These areas could inform the pedagogical considerations that teachers would have to make within their lesson plans and activities in order to support its manifestation among students. These provide a starting point for science teachers and science teacher educators to consider how to develop supportive environments for student creative thinking.