Is There Something to be Gained from Guessing? Middle School Students' Use of Systematic Guess and Check

Debra I. Johanning

This article will share results from research that investigated how sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students who had not been exposed to formal algebraic methods approached word problems of an algebraic nature. Student use of systematic guess and check, the predominate approach taken by these students, is the focus. The goal is to consider the students' use of systematic guess and check reasoning in terms of the broadening perspective of algebra and algebraic thinking by highlighting ways in which this reasoning can provide a basis for developing some of the thinking patterns and discourse of formal algebra. Two perspectives will be highlighted: relationships among quantities and function-based reasoning.

Science Camp as a Transformative Experience for Students, Parents, and Teachers in the Urban Setting

Donna R. Sterling

This paper reports on creative partnerships to create learning communities to benefit students, parents, and teachers in the urban setting. Science Camp is a university day camp offering problem-based science exploration for urban middle school students and an introduction to college life. For parents it is an opportunity to learn about college opportunities for their children and to gather information about funding sources. For middle school science teachers and preservice teachers it is a learning laboratory for conducting problem-based learning in the urban setting. The findings describe the effects of the learning communities on the transformation of students, parents, preservice teachers, and in-service teachers.

Psychometric Re-evaluation of the Image of Science and Scientists Scale (ISSS)

Carolyn E. Marshall et al.

An enduring concern among science education researchers is the "swing away from science" (Osborne, 2003). One of their central dilemmas is to identify —or construct— a valid outcome measure that could assess curricular effectiveness, and predict students' choices of science courses, university majors, or careers in science. Many instruments have been created and variably evaluated. The primary purpose of this paper was to re-evaluate the psychometric properties of the Image of Science and Scientists Scale (ISSS) (Krajkovich 1978). In the current study, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the dimensionality of the 29-item ISSS, which was administered to 531 middle school students in three San Antonio, Texas school districts at the beginning of the 2004-2005 school year. The results failed to confirm the presumed 1-factor structure of the ISSS, but instead showed a 3-factor structure with only marginal fit with the data, even after removal of 12 inadequate items. The three dimensions were "Positive Images of Scientists" (5 items), "Negative Images of Scientists" (9 items), and "Science Avocation" (3 items). The results do not support use of the original form of the ISSS for measuring "attitudes toward science," "images of scientists," or "scientific attitudes." Shortening the scale from 29 to 17 items makes it more feasible to use in a classroom setting. Determining whether the three dimensions identified in our analysis, "Positive Images of Scientists," "Negative Images of Scientists," and "Science Avocation" contain useful assessments of middle school student impressions and attitudes will require independent investigation in other samples.