You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

Teacher content knowledge in the context of science education reform

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
1997
Summary:
The decline of science education in elementary schools has been well documented. While numerous efforts have been made for the purpose of reforming science education, most of those efforts have targeted science programs, assessment techniques, and setting national, state, and local standards, stressing teacher accountability for meeting those standards. However, inadequate science content knowledge of preservice teachers limits their ability to master effective teaching strategies, and also may foster negative attitudes toward science and science teaching. It is, therefore, highly unlikely that any significant reform in science education will be realized until this major underlying problem is addressed and resolved. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an experimental elementary science methods course, which employs the use of laser videodisc technology and instructional implications from cognitive science and instructional design, in terms of preservice teacher gains in Earth and physical science content knowledge and locus of control in science. The experimental elementary science methods course was compared to a more traditional approach to the same course which focused primarily on methods of teaching in the physical sciences and other science domains. The experimental and traditional groups were compared before and after treatment in terms of preservice teachers' content knowledge in Earth and physical science and locus ofcontrol in science. Results indicated that the experimental and traditional groups were comparable prior to treatment. The experimental group (89 preservice teachers) responded correctly to 45% of the items on the Elementary Science Concepts Test (ESCT) pretest and the traditional group (78 preservice teachers) responded correctly to 42% of the pretest items, the difference between groups being nonsignificant. Further, the experimental and traditional groups scored similarly on the pre-assessment of locus of control in science with scores on the Preservice Teacher Information and Science Opinion Questionnaire (ISOQ) of 162.12 and 163.65, respectively, the difference also being nonsignificant. The pre- and post-administrations of both the ESCT and ISOQ were all found to be statistically significant (F (4, 162) = 271.18343, p<0.05) in predicting group membership. Analyses of variance indicated significantly greater gains in Earth and physical science content knowledge (F (1,165) = 743.7746, p<0.025) and locus of control in science (F (1,165) = 45.7477, p<0.025) for the experimental group compared to the traditional group. A significant difference (F = (2,162) = 31.82279, p<0.05) was found between the combined effect of locus of control in science and Earth and physical science content knowledge in respect to treatment, indicating that the curriculum and instructional design of the experimental course significantly influenced preservice teachers' science content knowledge and locus of control in science. Suggestions for further research included: (a) determining whether the results of this present research may also apply to inservice teachers, (b) determining the effects of such preservice and inservice training on actual classroom practice, (c) relating increased science knowledge with improvement in science lesson planning and mastery of pedagogical skills, and (d) more detailed analysis of instructional implications from cognitive science and instructional design in regard to their application to the teaching of science (as well as other content areas).
Title: Teacher content knowledge in the context of science education reform.
141 views
40 downloads
Name(s): Doby, Janice Kay.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Romance, Nancy, Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1997
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 146 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The decline of science education in elementary schools has been well documented. While numerous efforts have been made for the purpose of reforming science education, most of those efforts have targeted science programs, assessment techniques, and setting national, state, and local standards, stressing teacher accountability for meeting those standards. However, inadequate science content knowledge of preservice teachers limits their ability to master effective teaching strategies, and also may foster negative attitudes toward science and science teaching. It is, therefore, highly unlikely that any significant reform in science education will be realized until this major underlying problem is addressed and resolved. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an experimental elementary science methods course, which employs the use of laser videodisc technology and instructional implications from cognitive science and instructional design, in terms of preservice teacher gains in Earth and physical science content knowledge and locus of control in science. The experimental elementary science methods course was compared to a more traditional approach to the same course which focused primarily on methods of teaching in the physical sciences and other science domains. The experimental and traditional groups were compared before and after treatment in terms of preservice teachers' content knowledge in Earth and physical science and locus ofcontrol in science. Results indicated that the experimental and traditional groups were comparable prior to treatment. The experimental group (89 preservice teachers) responded correctly to 45% of the items on the Elementary Science Concepts Test (ESCT) pretest and the traditional group (78 preservice teachers) responded correctly to 42% of the pretest items, the difference between groups being nonsignificant. Further, the experimental and traditional groups scored similarly on the pre-assessment of locus of control in science with scores on the Preservice Teacher Information and Science Opinion Questionnaire (ISOQ) of 162.12 and 163.65, respectively, the difference also being nonsignificant. The pre- and post-administrations of both the ESCT and ISOQ were all found to be statistically significant (F (4, 162) = 271.18343, p<0.05) in predicting group membership. Analyses of variance indicated significantly greater gains in Earth and physical science content knowledge (F (1,165) = 743.7746, p<0.025) and locus of control in science (F (1,165) = 45.7477, p<0.025) for the experimental group compared to the traditional group. A significant difference (F = (2,162) = 31.82279, p<0.05) was found between the combined effect of locus of control in science and Earth and physical science content knowledge in respect to treatment, indicating that the curriculum and instructional design of the experimental course significantly influenced preservice teachers' science content knowledge and locus of control in science. Suggestions for further research included: (a) determining whether the results of this present research may also apply to inservice teachers, (b) determining the effects of such preservice and inservice training on actual classroom practice, (c) relating increased science knowledge with improvement in science lesson planning and mastery of pedagogical skills, and (d) more detailed analysis of instructional implications from cognitive science and instructional design in regard to their application to the teaching of science (as well as other content areas).
Identifier: 9780591314274 (isbn), 12507 (digitool), FADT12507 (IID), fau:9399 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): College of Education
Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1997.
Subject(s): Science teachers--Attitudes
Science--Study and teaching
Educational change--United States
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12507
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.