Hans O. Andersen

Views of elementary and middle school Turkish students toward environmental issues

This study was conducted in order to identify the intensity of Turkish students’ views with regard to environmental issues presented in the national curriculum and to determine how these views differ by gender, grade level, previous science achievement, socio‐economic status (SES), and school location. For this project, a 51‐item Attitude Toward Environmental Issues Scale (ATEIS) was created and utilized. In total, the scale involved 30 distinct environmental issues. These environmental issues are emphasized in the current Turkish science education curriculum. A total of 458 students in grade 4–8 classrooms completed the scale. Rasch analysis results indicated that, in general, the students felt environmental problems should be confronted in Turkey. But when students were presented with a range of survey items stating that a particular environmental issue should take precedence over economic growth, it was often very difficult for students to agree. On the other hand, when students were simply presented a range of survey issues concerning environmental problems in Turkey, it was easy for them to agree with the presence (or importance) of these environmental issues in Turkey. Subsequent analysis suggested that the set of ATEIS survey items were understood and functioned in a similar measurement manner for male and female students, as well as elementary and middle school students. Results of ANOVA analyses indicated that recent high achievement in science courses resulted in more positive attitudes toward environmental issues. T‐test analyses revealed that the older female students of this data set exhibited more support for environmental issues than did male students. Students with high family income, and those students living in urban areas, displayed more positive attitudes toward environmental issues than did students with low family income, and those living in suburban areas.

Understanding the Nature of Science and Attitudes toward Science and Science Teaching of Preservice Elementary Teachers in Three Preparation Sequences.

This study examined differences among three elementary school science preservice teacher preparation course sequences with respect to three variables: understanding of the nature of science; attitudes toward science; and attitudes toward science teaching. Also, this study sought to ascertain whether correlations were present among these variables within each of the three course sequences: (1) Science-Process-Content/Methods-Field Sequence; (2) Science Process-Methods Sequence; and (3) Methods Sequence. Significant differences were found among the groups of preservice teachers in the three course sequences in terms of an understanding of the nature of science. Teachers completing the Science Process-Methods Sequence and Methods Sequence groups possessed a significantly greater understanding of the nature of science than teachers in the Science Process-Content/Methods-Field Sequence group. No significant differences were found among the three groups with respect to either attitudes toward science or attitudes toward science teaching. No significant correlations were found between understanding the nature of science and attitudes toward science or between attitudes toward science teaching within each of the two groups. Significant correlations were found between attitudes toward science and attitudes toward science teaching for all three groups. Suggestions for future research and implications for science content/process integration and preservice teacher preparation programs have also been discussed.

Training Science Teachers with Fully-Interactive, Distance Education Technology

ConclusionOur experience with interactive distance education for science teachers has been both exciting and rewarding. This class has convinced us that activity-based science method classes can be presented with this technology. Working with distance education equipment requires the creative combination of long-established teaching techniques with novel procedures required by the technology. Although the technology does involve inevitable limitations and compromises, it sharpens some teaching skills and provides an opportunity for teachers to learn and do more science. As available tools for distance education become even more sophisticated, delivery techniques will have to be altered continually. Doubtlessly, technological developments will continue to be increasingly site friendly. In the future, one can anticipate forms of distance education that will enable communication with an infinite number of remote sites, thus establishing the definitive electronic science classroom.

Facilitating Curricular Change: Some Thoughts for the Principal

In this wrap-up article by the guest editor of this issue of the BULLETIN, two factors of student discontent, along with partial solutions, are brought to our attention.

Designing, Evaluating, and Reacting to a Secondary Science Methods Class.

SummaryMost science educators spend much of their time planning and teaching science methods classes yet there is very little dialogue among science educators concerning what ought to be taught. This study involved a small sample. Readers should think of it as a model for conducting similar self-studies.The instructor of this course has been teaching it since 1966, and each year, he has revised 10–20% of it. These data show that some, but not all, of the revisions have resulted in improvement. This analysis illustrates how helpful the perceptions of methods students can be for initiating and continuing a dialogue among educators regarding the structure of methods courses. Although the question of “What ought to be taught?” has been clarified to a degree, it has and always will remain.