James A. Shymansky

Medical Communication Behavior System. An interactional analysis system for medical interactions.

The study assessed the psychometric properties of the Medical Communication Behavior System. This observation system records time spent by the physicians and patients on specific behaviors in the categories of informational, relational, and negative situation behaviors by using hand-held electronic devices. The study included observations of 101 genetic counseling sessions and also assessed the outcome measures of patient knowledge and satisfaction. In addition, 41 of the sessions were rated using the Roter Interactional Analysis System, and 20 additional control subjects completed the post-counseling information without being observed to examine the effects of recording the session. Results showed good interobserver reliability, and evidence of concurrent, construct, and predictive validity. No differences were found between the observed and unobserved groups of any of the outcome measures.

Sensing the Impact of Elementary School Science Reform: A Study of Stakeholder Perceptions of Implementation, Constructivist Strategies, and School–Home Collaboration

This case study of a midwestern school district’s reform effort explored the treatment fidelity of the Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature (Science PALs) project. Data were collected from the perspectives of three stakeholders: students, school district, and parents. Students’ and school district supervisor’s perceptions indicated that teachers were implementing predicted curricular and instructional features promoted by the Science PALs project. Students’ perceptions of their current teacher’s classroom performance did not parallel the supervisor’s perceptions of the teacher’s implementation. Parents’ perceptions and comments indicated a high level of satisfaction with the implemented features. Collectively, the three perspectives suggest that the Science PALs project was successful in changing the classroom practices of K–6 teachers involved in the professional development. The results of this study appear to support the findings of other recent studies that indicate the need for extended professional development and support to fully implement changes in elementary school science instruction.

A Comparison of Rural Elementary School Teacher Attitudes Toward Three Modes of Distance Education for Science Professional Development

Distance education is a significant topic of discussion among faculty at all levels of education. This study produced evidence regarding the attitudes toward three distance education delivery modes for science professional development. The study involved 94 elementary school teachers who were participating in a professional development project. The three distance education strategies studied were live, interactive television (Live); videotape presentations with live wrap-around discussions (Video); and asynchronous, Web-based sessions with streamed video presentations supported by interaction through discussion boards (Web). A repeated measures design was used to analyze the attitudes of the study participants. Data on the participants’ attitudes toward their distance education involvement were collected through the CTLSilhouette™ instrument.

The Attending Round Observation System: A Procedure for Describing Teaching During Attending Rounds.

Two separate reliability studies were conducted on an observational instrument derivedfrom previous qualitative research and designedfor collecting data on teaching behaviors demonstrated by attending physicians during attending rounds. The first study involved five observers coding 17 20-minute, videotaped segments of attending rounds. The second study involved two observers coding27 two-hour attending round sessions as they occurred live on hospital wards. The reliability estimates from both studies were quite high, indicating that the instrument shows promise for use in both research and evaluation studies.

The Impact of a Multi-Year, Multi-School District K-6 Professional Development Programme Designed to Integrate Science Inquiry and Language Arts on Students' High-Stakes Test Scores

This paper is a report of a quasi-experimental study on the impact of a systemic 5-year, K-6 professional development (PD) project on the ‘high stakes’ achievement test scores of different student groups in rural mid-west school districts in the USA. The PD programme utilized regional summer workshops, district-based leadership teams and distance delivery technologies to help teachers learn science concepts and inquiry teaching strategies associated with a selection of popular science inquiry kits and how to adapt inquiry science lessons in the kits to teach and reinforce skills in the language arts—i.e. to teach more than science when doing inquiry science. Analyses of the school district-level pre-post high-stakes achievement scores of 33 school districts participating in the adaptation of inquiry PD and a comparative group of 23 school districts revealed that both the Grade 3 and Grade 6 student-cohorts in the school districts utilizing adapted science inquiry lessons significantly outscored their student-cohort counterparts in the comparative school districts. The positive school district-level high-stakes test results, which serve as the basis for state and local decision making, suggest that an inquiry adaptation strategy and a combination of regional live workshop and distance delivery technologies with ongoing local leadership and support can serve as a viable PD option for K-6 science.

Assessing Teacher Performance in the Classroom: Pattern Analysis Applied to Interaction Data.

Abstract Numerous factors contribute in affecting classroom instruction, yet it is the teacher that is recognized as having the greatest influence on program success. But how is teacher effectiveness measured? On what standards is a teacher judged? Whatever the specific answers to these questions, one thing is certain: any system of teeacher evaluation requires a detailed description of teacher performance. This paper deals with a technique for examining teacher effectiveness as a function of behaviors exhibited in the classroom. The technique uses pattern analytic procedures applied to interaction data and provides detailed profiles of teacher behavior which are useful in training programs, research, and teacher assessment studies. Following discussion of the technique, selected data from a junior high school science assessment study are presented to illustrate the application of pattern analytic procedures.

Science Cooperatives in Missouri and Iowa (Science Co-op): Addressing the Needs of Small Rural School Districts of Science Literacy for All

There is a need for research involving professional development (PD) and implementation of the National Science Education Standards (NSES; National Research Council [NRC], 1996) that systematically considers the theoretical and practical demands placed on decision makers, teachers, and researchers. However, few projects go beyond a single site to multiple schools, school districts, or state systems. Single classroom, school, or school district efforts fail to recognize the complexity of education systems and subsystems, scaling (capacity building), planned change, and the logistical, financial, and time demands involved in large-scale, multidistrict, multiagency efforts. The NSES content, teaching, and program standards focus on conceptual understanding, inquiry teaching practices, learning opportunities, and resources leading to science literacy and on fuller participation in the public debate about socioscientific issues. This chapter focuses on a multidistrict PD project that considered inquiry teaching and resources and its influence on reform-based classroom practice and student performance on high-stakes tests during a context of changing priorities, funding, and participants.

An International Perspective on the People and Events Shaping Science Education in Taiwan—Past, Present, and Future

This reflection considers the array of women, men, and events that have contributed to the research and development of science education in Taiwan during the last 50 years. The chapter explores the documents, programs, institutions, and scholars that have influenced science education in Taiwan at the local, national, and international levels. In this chapter, the authors begin their study by discussing the successes, challenges, and promises of science education in Taiwan via e-mail and face-to-face meetings, to establish tentative trends and assertions based on their nearly 80 years of combined experience in Taiwan. They were among some of the early visiting science educators to Taiwan in the 1980–1990s and continue to consult and visit until the present time. They have served as founding senior and associate editors of the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education , a research journal with roots in Taiwan. More than 50 years were partitioned into more manageable periods: pre-1980, 1980–2010, and post-2010. The authors then proceed to collect information from websites, science educators, and journals to verify and elaborate these trends and assertions. They informally interview international science educators who were involved in Taiwanese projects to map out some of the potential critical events and people. Next, they survey past (retired), present (active and established), and future (postdoctoral fellows and recently appointed faculty members) science educators in Taiwan using a simple e-mail questionnaire. Completed surveys are analyzed, seeking evidence to support or modify these trends and assertions. As a final step, the authors consider the content of research articles published in English-language journals to determine the research foci and trends during each period. They develop speculations about what occurred and what had been promised.