William J. Boone

Self-efficacy and alternative conceptions of science of preservice elementary teachers

The purpose of this study was to discover to what extent certain common alternative conceptions are held by preservice elementary teachers, to determine the relationship between science teaching efficacy and the number of alternative conceptions held, and to determine the relationship between science teaching efficacy and the holding of specific alternative conceptions. A survey that measured both science teaching efficacy and alternative conceptions of science was administered to 619 preservice elementary teachers. The study found that participants with the greatest number of correct answers had significantly higher self-efficacy measures than those with the fewest correct answers; however, there was no relationship between the number of alternative conceptions held and science teaching efficacy. This study also found that the holding of certain alternative conceptions was associated with persons of low self-efficacy. These alternative conceptions were: that planets can be seen only with a telescope; that dinosaurs lived at the same time as cave-men; that a rusty nail weighs less than the iron that it came from; that electricity is used up in appliances; and that north is toward the top of a map of Antarctica. Why these alternative conceptions are related to lower self-efficacy, and not the others may lie in the fact that these five alternative conceptions are each fundamental barriers to a full understanding of their respective sciences. Recognizing that there may be many causes of a low self-efficacy among preservice elementary teachers with regard to teaching science, the data presented in this study may suggest that one of those causes might be the holding of certain alternative conceptions of science. This study may also show that not all alternative conceptions are of equal importance to the science educator. Some alternative conceptions may represent greater barriers to learning than others. If so, then teachers and teacher educators need to place a greater emphasis on the understanding of these basic but critical conceptions of science.

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.

Qualitative Analysis of College Students' Ideas about the Earth: Interviews and Open-Ended Questionnaires

Student conceptual understanding and conceptual change is an active area of research in many science disciplines. In the geosciences, alternative conceptions held by students, particularly college students, are not well documented or understood. To further this body of research, students enrolled in introductory science courses at four institutions completed 265 open-ended questionnaires and participated in 105 interviews. Data were collected at a small private university, two large state schools, and one small public liberal arts college. Students were probed on a variety of topics related to the Earths crust and interior, as well as geologic time. Analysis of questionnaire and interview responses indicates that students hold a number of non-scientific ideas about the Earth. Additionally, students apply a range of ontological categories to geologic phenomena, with significant implications for teaching geosciences from a systems perspective.

Rigour in quantitative analysis : the promise of Rasch analysis techniques

Abstract The article argues for greater rigour in quantitative analysis through the use of the Rasch model, by comparing this model to traditional analysis techniques. It demonstrates how this model can be used to analyse and improve a test instrument and secondly, how it is able to generate linear (interval strength) scores, thus meeting the assumptions of parametric statistical tests such as t-tests and ANOVA. The article first presents a brief overview of the Rasch model followed by the re-analysis of the data presented in the previous article in this issue by Hattingh et al. It then demonstrates how the Rasch model is able to “unconfound” learner and item analysis, thus providing separate measures of reliability for each. Since items and learners can be assigned scores on the same metric, informative visuals can be generated in which the two are compared.

Recruiting Future Science and Mathematics Teachers into Alternative Certification Programs: Strategies Tried and Lessons Learned.

SMAR2T: Science and Mathematics Academy for the Recruitment and Retention of Teachers is an NSF-funded project for the alternative certification of science and mathematics teachers. Since 2003, we have recruited 4 cohorts of students for 2 different routes to postbaccalaureate teacher certification for teaching grades 5–12. Because we did not meet our target numbers for the recruitment of the 1st cohort, we examined our recruitment strategies and their effects. In this paper, we discuss strategies used to recruit for the 1st SMAR2T cohort and the outcomes of those strategies. We present ongoing recruitment efforts and data on inquiries and applicants for the 2nd cohort. Finally, we highlight the intentional and unintentional gatekeepers of our program and present implications for others engaged in designing and implementing alternative pathways certification.

Exploring the Impact of TeachME™ Lab Virtual Classroom Teaching Simulation on Early Childhood Education Majors’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a mixed-reality teaching environment, called TeachME™ Lab (TML), on early childhood education majors’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs. Sixty-two preservice early childhood teachers participated in the study. Analysis of the quantitative (STEBI-b) and qualitative (journal entries) data revealed that personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy beliefs increased significantly after one semester of participation in TML. Three key factors impacted preservice teachers’ (PST) self-efficacy beliefs in the context of participation in TML: PSTs’ perceptions of their science content knowledge, their familiarity with TML technology and avatars, and being observed by peers. Cognitive pedagogical mastery (TML practices), effective/actual modeling, cognitive self-modeling, and emotional arousal were the primary sources that increased the PSTs’ perceived self-efficacy beliefs. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the TML is a worthwhile technology for learning to teach in teacher education. It provides a way for PSTs to have a highly personalized learning experience that enables them to improve their understanding and confidence related to teaching science, so that ideally someday they may translate such an experience into their classroom practices.

An Investigation of Media Influences on Elementary Students Representations of Scientists

Even long before children are able to verbalize which careers may be interesting to them, they collect and store ideas about scientists. For these reasons, asking children to Draw-A-Scientist has become an accepted method to provide a glimpse into how children represent and identify with those in the science fields. Years later these representations may translate into student’s career choice. Since 1995, children’s illustrations of scientists have been assessed by the Draw-A-Scientist Checklist (DAST-C). The checklist was created from the common aspects or features found in illustrations from previous studies and were based initially on the scientists, broken down into “stereotypical” and “alternative” images shown in the drawings. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, field test and reliability of the modified Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) and The Draw-A-Scientist Rubric designed as an improvement of the DAST-C to provide a more appropriate method of assessing students’ drawings of scientists. The combination of the modified DAST and the DAST Rubric brings more refinement as it enables clarities to emerge and subsequently increased detail to what one could ascertain from students about their mental images of scientists.

Preservice Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Their Conceptions of Photosynthesis and Inheritance.

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice elementary teachers’ understanding of the concepts of photosynthesis and inheritance, to explore their self-efficacy beliefs in the teaching of science, and to investigate the relationship between these two issues. Data was gathered through the use of a misconception instrument and science teaching efficacy beliefs instruments. Seventy-nine preservice elementary teachers participated in this study. The results showed that participants held alternative conceptions regarding photosynthesis and inheritance and have generally positive self-efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching. The results also suggested that those participants with fewer alternative conceptions regarding photosynthesis had relatively high personal science teaching efficacy. Teachers are clearly a central component for student success in learning science; however, in 1983, Feistritzer and Boyer reported that among elementary teachers, understanding science concepts was at a low level. Previous studies have shown that elementary teachers often have negative attitudes toward science (Shrigley, 1974), have science anxiety (Czerniak & Chiarelott, 1990), have low science interest (Tilgner, 1990), and do not have confidence in their ability to teach science (DeTure, Gregory, & Ramsey, 1990). Studies also have found that elementary teachers generally possess a low level of knowledge regarding the concepts, facts, and skills concerning science (Stevens & Wenner, 1996; Victor, 1962; Wenner, 1993). A number of studies have documented that both preservice and inservice elementary teachers frequently hold alternative conceptions (or misconceptions) for a variety of science concepts and harbor misunderstandings (Atwood & Atwood, 1996; Schoon, 1993; Schoon & Boone, 1998). This often causes elementary teachers to avoid teaching science to children (Czerniak & Chiarelott, 1990; Westerback, 1982) or to spend less time teaching science in comparison to other subjects (Westerback, 1982).

Assessing School-Level RTI Implementation for Reading Development and Piloting of the RTIS-R

Few studies have examined Response to Intervention (RTI) implementation adherence at the school level. Although tools designed to assess the implementation of RTI exist, the technical properties have not been rigorously documented, and psychometric techniques now being used to develop instrumentation appear not to have been used. The purpose of this preliminary study was to address this gap by developing the RTI Implementation Scale for Reading (RTIS-R). The instrument was developed based on theory, and items were refined based on data from expert reviews and cognitive interviews. Data were collected from 53 principals and school psychologists implementing RTI in 33 schools in a Midwestern state. Rasch analysis was used to examine and refine the instrument; it also facilitated the computation of equal interval item measures and person measures. Results suggest that the instrument is rigorous and has strong reliability. Interesting trends in responses emerged, which reveal an ordering of item difficulty that matches that predicted from theory. Implications of these findings for research and practice are 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.