A Longitudinal Analysis of an Out-of-School Science Experience

Doug Knapp

A phenomenological approach was used to investigate the longitudinal recollections of participants of an out-of-school science program. The experience was a field trip to the Shenandoah National Park (USA) conducted in the fall of 2004. The science topic was geologic history and features related to the Shenandoah Valley. Two major themes relating to the participants' long term recollection of the out-of-school science field trip were identified after the interview data was analyzed. First, recollections were highly influenced by actions taken by the students, and, second, program content / subject matter were retained by all of the students to varying degrees. The interactive experiences that aided in memory retrieval from this study closely relates to the interactive experiences associated with memory and learning theory associated with the psychological domain. This linkage and its impact on how students learn in out-of-school science experiences are discussed.

Assessing Beginning Secondary Science Teachers' PCK: Pilot Your Results

Eunmi Lee et al.

While it is generally accepted that pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is an essential knowledge base for science teachers, educational researchers are not clear on how it develops. Previous researchers have suggested that classroom practice may play a significant role. Therefore, it is important to look at beginning teachers' PCK and its development during the first years in the classroom. Using the pilot year data from a larger study, we developed and employed a rubric to help understand 24 beginning secondary science teachers' PCK, focusing on two categories: Knowledge of Student Learning and Knowledge of Instructional Strategies. The results of analysis did not show a statistically significant change between the groups, but when comparisons were made with all of the teachers, the category of Knowledge of Students Learning did significantly change. In this paper we report the results of the pilot year data, provide examples of how we employed the rubric to assess teachers' PCK, and discuss how this study benefits understanding beginning teachers' PCK.

Incorporating Mathematics into the Science Program of Students Labeled “At-Risk”

Judith M. Seki, Ramakrishnan Menon

Twenty three at-risk high school female students who had failed mathematics and science in a traditional school setting were the subjects of this study that integrated mathematics and science lessons over a period of four weeks. Using a combination of direct instruction, calculations, graphing, hands-on projects, and discussion, the topic of mechanical advantage was studied, to find out how well students understood the topic. The study found that these students who initially knew very little about mechanical advantage, and who did not see any need to use mathematics in the study of science, indicated an increased understanding of mechanical advantage, and also seemed to realize that integrating mathematics and science enhanced learning.

The Development of an Instrument to Measure Preservice Teachers' Attitudes about Discourse in the Mathematics Classroom

Tutita M. Casa, Jean McGivney-Burrell, Thomas C. DeFranco

This study explored the themes that comprise preservice teachers' attitudes regarding discourse in the K-12 mathematics classroom. The initial development of the theory underlying preservice teachers' attitudes regarding mathematical discourse is documented through the development of a 5-point Likert instrument. Analysis of the Preservice Teachers' Attitudes About Discourse in the Mathematics Classroom (PADM) Instrument (N = 277) resulted in three reliable factors: Promoting Mathematical Reasoning ( =.85), Examining Complex Mathematical Concepts ( = .81), and Valuing Students' Mathematical Ideas ( = .85). These results suggest a framework that mathematics educators can employ to address preservice teachers' attitudes regarding discourse in an effort to support their implementation of reform-based discourse in the teaching of mathematics in their future classrooms.