Science Teaching Strategies Research Articles

Microteaching: An integral part of a science methods class

The peer teaching experience can be an informative and most rewarding experience for the science methods student but only if it is well organized and carried out in a conscientious manner. The students can gain valuable insights into the planning, teaching, and evaluation of different science teaching strategies, which could serve them well in their future teaching profession.

Vocal Teachers, Silent Pupils? Life in Botswana Classrooms

Considerable evidence is now available on the human and material inputs that more likely boost pupil achievement in the Third World. Not surprisingly, those factors central to the instructional process-textbooks, exercise books, and teacher literacy levels-are consistently related to children's achievement. Peripheral symbols of quality, including variation in teacher salaries and the character of school facilities, are related less to achievement.'

The effect of concept mapping on students' anxiety and achievement in biology

AbstractThe results of recent studies into the use of the concept mapping heuristic seem to demonstrate that meaningful learning results through its use in science classrooms. While this underscores the need to use more effective instructional strategies in science teaching, the issue of the intervening variable of anxiety in learning and science achievement, and the possible use of a metacognitive strategy in anxiety reduction have not been addressed. This study, therefore, sought to find out if the metacognitive strategy of concept mapping reduces anxiety and thereby enhances achievement in biology. A total of 51 (30 boys, 21 girls) senior secondary one (grade 10) students participated in this experiment. Two instruments—the Zuckerman Affect Adjective Checklist and the Biology Achievement Test—were used in pre‐ and posttest administrations to measure the treatment effect on anxiety and achievement, respectively. Findings support the stand that concept mapping is significantly more effective than the traditional/expository teaching strategy in enhancing learning in biology. In addition, it apparently reduces students' anxiety towards the learning of biology. A significant reduction of anxiety was noticed for male subjects.

A study of the relationship among type and quality of implementation of science teaching strategy, student formal reasoning ability, and student engagement

AbstractThe objective of this study was to identify the relationship between the type and quality of science teaching strategy and student engagement. Teachers and their students in middle and high schools were observed on ten occasions. A total of 60 observations were made of all teachers and ten of each of their students. During each observation period, the type and quality of implementation of teaching strategy was identified and student engagement was rated. Data collected were examined by regression analyses. The results indicated that the type and quality of implementation of teaching strategies did significantly and positively relate to student engagement. Analyzed individually, the type of teaching strategy predicted 12 per cent of the variance in engagement, while the quality of teaching strategy predicted 35 per cent. Overall, the type and quality of teaching strategy predicted 37 per cent of the variance in engagement. The data also showed that the more indirect the teaching strategy, the greater the students' involvement in learning tasks.

A meta‐analysis of the effects of various science teaching strategies on achievement

AbstractThis study is a meta‐analysis of the question “What are the effects on achievement of different teaching techniques?” Twelve categories of teaching techniques were specified. Among these are questioning, wait‐time, testing, focusing, manipulative, presentation approach, inquiry or discovery, audio‐visual, and teacher direction. A coding form was then developed to allow for the uniform examination and recording of 76 variables from each study. One or more effect sizes were calculated and coded for each study. Over 300 microfilmed dissertations covering the past 30 years were examined. Some 2000 ERIC science abstracts were reviewed and suitable studies obtained. Finally, journal articles were reviewed. A total of 400 effect sizes representing 160 studies were produced. The main effect size overall was 0.34. Thus, for all samples considered the experimental science teaching techniques on the average resulted in one‐third of a standard deviation improvement over traditional techniques. Mean effect sizes also were calculated for each technique. More than 20 other variables such as class size, community type, and science subject area were cross‐tabulated with effect size.

School science programs for hearing-impaired students.

The purpose of this study was to survey the state-of-the-art of science education for deaf individuals in residential schools in the United States. Forty-seven schools for the deaf were sampled to obtain a representative description of science program materials in use for students aged 2-14. Of the schools studied, more than 20% had no planned science program. Of the schools that did have a science program: (a) 60% used low student activity curriculum material, (b) 57% used curriculum materials which were not modified for use with deaf students, and (c) science teaching and evaluation strategies of all schools were infrequently modified to meet deaf student needs. Based on this pattern of use, it was concluded that a majority of the sampled residential schools were not providing a science program which met the needs and capabilities of the deaf student. Processes which may help improve science education for deaf students include systematic analysis of curricula according to student needs and capabilities as well as guidelines for science education.

Time on Task: A Naturalistic Study in Sixth-Grade Classrooms

? 1978 by The University of Chicago. 0013-5984/78/7803-0010$00.88 Pupils who fall behind their classmates academically fall further behind each year they remain in school (1). Part of the explanation for their continuing failure to keep pace with other pupils may lie in the fact that they spend less time on academic tasks than other pupils. The reason for such self-defeating behavior may be the desire to maintain self-esteem. If a pupil expends less effort on schoolwork than the average pupil, any resulting failure may be easier to accept. Pupils who try but fail may conclude that they do not have the ability to succeed. Pupils' involvement in tasks would seem to be a necessary condition for school achievement. If pupils are to master material, they must engage in it and react to it-read, make response. Indeed there are data to suggest that achievement is related to time for learning and opportunity to learn (2, 3). Similarly, there are data to suggest that learning is also positively related to low rates of time lost because of poor management of classrooms, for example, lengthy transitions (4). The major purpose of the present study was to find out whether pupil involvement was different for high, middle, and low achievers. Also, we wanted to find out whether pupils generally were more involved in some subjects than in others and whether certain types of classroom activities were associated with higher or with lower levels of pupil involvement. We selected two different types of schools to find out whether pupils' characteristics affect involvement. School 1

A study of the correlation between elementary student teachers' selection of science teaching strategies and average class ability and size

A study of the correlation between elementary student teachers' selection of science teaching strategies and average class ability and size

A study of self‐perceptions among elementary school students exposed to constrasting teaching strategies in science

A study of self‐perceptions among elementary school students exposed to constrasting teaching strategies in science