Building Teacher-Scientist Partnerships:
Teaching About Energy Through Inquiry
Elaine Caton, Carol Brewer, and Fletcher Brown
The University of Montana
This study evaluated the
effectiveness of teacher-scientist partnerships for increasing the use
of inquiry in precollege classrooms. It assessed the influence of the Teaching
About Energy Through Inquiry Institutes for middle and high school teachers
and energy scientists on participantsā attitudes about science and science
education, use of inquiry instructional techniques, and student attitudes
about their classroom environments. Participant surveys, institute and
classroom observations, lesson plans, and interviews indicated increased
appreciation for inquiry, greater confidence in teaching using inquiry,
and greater use of inquiry in the classroom. Student surveys and classroom
observations pointed to higher levels of student satisfaction and less
friction among classmates during inquiry-based investigations implemented
after the institutes. Moreover, scientist partners reported increased familiarity
with principles of science education and best teaching practice, which
are essential skills and knowledge for disseminating results of scientific
research to nonscientific audiences, as well as their own students. These
results suggest that collaborations between teachers and research scientists
can positively affect the environment for learning science in precollege
and college classes. Successful collaborations are most likely to occur
when equal status for teachers and scientists in the partnership is stressed
and partners have the opportunity to explore inquiry-based curricula together.
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Conceptions of Science Achievement in Major
Reform Documents
Okhee Lee, University of Miami
Seoung-hey Paik, Korea National University of Education
The construct of science
achievement ÷ what K-12 students should know and be able to do in science÷
is central to science education reform. This paper examines current conceptions
of science achievement in major reform documents in the context of standards-based
and systemic reform. The paper reviews documents on (a) science content
standards, including the National Science Education Standards (National
Research Council, 1996) and Project 2061 (American Association for the
Advancement of Science, 1989, 1993); (b) performance standards in the New
Standards Project (National Center on Education and the Economy, 1997a,
1997b, 1997c, 1998); and (c) assessment frameworks, including the 1996
National Assessment of Educational Progress (National Assessment Governing
Board, 1994, 1996) and the Third International Mathematics and Science
Study (Martin & Kelly, 1996; McKnight, Schmidt, & Raizen, 1993;
Robitallie et al., 1993). Although there is an overall agreement on the
conceptions of science achievement among the documents, there are also
noticeable differences. Based on the analysis of the five sets of documents,
an aggregated view of science achievement is presented in terms of science
content and process. Implications for promoting science achievement in
standards-based and systemic reform are discussed.
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Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Technology
in Middle School Technology-Rich Environments: A Study of Implementation
and Change
Robert K. James and Charles E. Lamb, Texas A&M University
Daniel L. Householder, Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Melynda A. Bailey, Texas A&M University
The GTECH project, funded
through a grant from the GTE Foundation, prepared school teams of science,
mathematics and technology teachers and an administrator to set goals for
their local schools regarding implementation of electronic technology and
integration of content across curricular areas. A variety of teacher-centered
staff development strategies were used to enable participants to achieve
local school objectives, model and encourage active learning environments
involving technology, develop integrated curriculum and provide training
to their peers. GTECH staff provided workshops and summer institutes based
on teacher feedback and classroom observations. Data from the Stages of
Concerns Questionnaire assisted the staff in designing effective staff
development activities. Over the 2-year period, teacher teams developed
and implemented integrated instructional materials and developed skills
in using HyperStudio, PowerPoint, telecommunications applications, and
instructional resources from the Internet. They also linked instruction
to new state and national standards in science, mathematics, and technology.
GTECH teachers reported that their students have expanded their knowledge
and skill in problem solving, teamwork, technical expertise, and creativity.
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A Case Study of the Effectiveness of Teacher
Experience in the Use of Explanation-Based Assessment in High School Physics
Michael Lawrence and George Pallrand, Rutgers, The State University
of New Jersey
This article reports on
the results of a study involving an innovative assessment program initiated
to investigate student predictions and revised explanations regarding a
variety of optical phenomena. The assessments were administered via videotape
to two classes of high school physics students from different high schools.
Two high school teachers with similar educational and teaching backgrounds
administered the tapes to the two groups of students. The school environments
and the ability levels of the two student groups were similar. The students
of the teacher with greater experience with this new form of assessment
provided considerably more substantive explanations to the phenomena presented
on the videos. The results of the case study suggest that the introduction
of new forms of assessment in science education, although desirable, will
require significant reordering of the goals and strategies of science teaching.
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Empowering Families in Hands-on Science
Programs
James A. Shymansky, University of Missouri
Larry D. Yore, University of Victoria
Brian M. Hand
Iowa State University
Parental involvement in
schools has been documented as a positive influence on childrenās achievement,
attendance, attitudes, behavior, and graduation rate, regardless of cultural
background, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (National Parents and Teachers
Association, 1998). Unfortunately, it has been difficult in todayās world
of working parents to get them actively involved in science, mathematics,
and technology programs and to maintain this involvement in upper-elementary
and secondary schools. This study reports on the Science: Parents, Activities,
and Literature projectās attempt to get parents productively involved in
their childrenās hands-on science program. The results illustrate that
(a) parents will become involved and they find their involvement a positive
experience, (b) teachers appreciate parentsā contributions as an instructional
resource, and (c) students perceive the increased parental involvement
positively.
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