Cooperative Learning and its Effects on Geology Achievement and Science Attitudes of Preservice Elementary-School Teachers

Abstract

This experimental study examined the effects of using cooperative-learning strategies on geology achievement and science attitudes of preservice elementary-school teachers in a Washington State University physical-science course. Achievement, using a post-test-only control-group design, was assessed by Case II t-Tests. Science attitudes, using a pretest-posttest control-group design, were assessed by Case II t-Tests utilizing Shrigley Science Attitude Scale scores. The experimental group demonstrated no significant difference from the control group on (a) the first lecture examination (p=1.00), (b) the first laboratory examination (p=.36), or (c) the second laboratory examination (p=.85), but achieved statistically significantly better on the second lecture exam (p=.041). T-Test analysis of the Shrigley scores suggest that neither the experimental group (p=.72) nor the control group (p=.07) significantly changed attitude during the class; however, the attitude difference between group posttest scores, usi...