Second International Science Study Research Articles

Self‐reported Views of Israeli Junior High School Teachers on Science Teaching and Learning

The self reports of Israeli junior high school science teachers (n = 40) provided information on the conditions and processes of teaching and learning science. It was found that, on average, teachers make good use of inquiry in classes in the laboratory and even outdoors. They offer rich activities and use regularly diverse means of student assessment and homework. This study was carried out in the framework of TIMSS (Third International Math and Science Study). Compared with SISS (Second International Science Study) 15 years ago, there seems to be significant progress in teaching science at the junior high school level. A discussion of the validity and reliability of self reports is included.

Effect of the Science Learning Environment on Science Achievement: A Comparison of 12 Countries from the IEA Second International Science Study

ABSTRACT The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Second International Science Study (SISS) was conducted in 1984, resulting in a vast amount of educational data collected from 23 countries and educational systems. This research study reports on the analyses of 12 of those countries using multilevel modeling, investigating the relationships between the students’ reported perceptions of the science learning environment and their science achievement when controlling for student background variables. The three science learning environment scales which were collected in the SISS and analysed here were Student Participation, Teacher Directed Learning and Practical Work. Additionally, this research reports on the effect of these science learning environment scales on gender and socioeconomic differences in science achievement.

Israeli Students’ Conceptions of Science and Views about the Scientific Enterprise

Abstract Israeli students’ conceptions of the nature of science and views about the scientific enterprise were studied within the framework of the Second International Science Study (SISS). Representative samples of 10, 14 and 17year‐old student, about 2000 in each, responded to background questionnaires and a battery of tests and scales. The Science Understanding Measure, a 20 item, multiple choice instrument provided data on understanding the nature of science by 14 and 17 year‐olds. An Attitude toward Science Scale provided data on the views of 10, 14 and 17 year‐olds on the importance of science to society and to individuals, the usefulness of science in everyday life and on harmful aspects of science. A comparison was made between the view of Israeli, British and USA students. The relationships of the conceptions and views of 17 year‐olds with personal, home and school variables as well as with achievement in science, intentions for further learning and career aspirations were explored as well. Based...

Student achievement in science: a cross‐cultural comparison of the Second International Science Study (SISS) results in Nigeria

This study is a secondary analysis of the Second International Science Study (SISS) data for Nigeria, looking at the overall performance of students in science tests and whether their performances differed across different cultural zones. The paper also addressed the issue of ethnic stereotyping in Nigeria. Data for the study were collected in Nigeria in 1984 and covered 11 states at the primary and secondary school levels. The sample size for primary schools is 2152 pupils from 94 schools and for secondary schools 2275 from 82 schools. The findings showed that there was a significant difference in performance across the cultural zones for the primary and secondary populations. The students’ performance on the science tests was very poor across the zones. It also showed that stereotyping of northern students as being lower achievers than southern students may not be true.

Factors Associated with Pupils’ Attitudes Towards Science in Nigerian Primary Schools

Abstract This study looked at the extent to which pupils’ home characteristics, school factors, teaching and learning variables account for the variance of a measure of pupils’ attitude towards science. The paper is a secondary analysis of the Second International Science Study (SISS) data in Nigeria. The data covered 11 States and these States were from five different zones cutting across various cultural backgrounds. The sample size was 2152 pupils from 94 schools but this study is based on 2059 pupils. The results indicated that most pupils came from homes that may not foster positive attitudes towards science. It also revealed that most of the variables that could lead to positive attitudes towards science were alterable. The implications of the findings for Nigeria were also addressed.

Student perceptions on the conditions of learning the proportion concept in canadian upper secondary science (physics, chemistry, biology) classes; results from the second international science study (S.I.S.S.) in Canada

AbstractCorrelates of Canadian upper secondary science students' achievement in the proportion concept were studied from data collected as part of Canada's participation in the Second IEA Science Study. Average class achievement on 14 items concerning the proportion concept was calculated and related to students' reports of teachers' instructional approaches. The study analysis revealed that classes where the proportion content was well covered by the teachers demonstrated higher achievements. Students whose teachers perceived as making science relevant and interesting did well on the test items, and the use of lab work and being task oriented were also related to students' higher achievement.

The Second International Science Study

Science is included in the school curriculum for two reasons. First, it has a role in helping students to understand their environment and to develop skills in the application of scientific methods to the solution of problems. Second, it provides basic training for those students who will subsequently follow careers in science and technology. These aspects of the school science curriculum reflect common national development strategies that in turn have two strands. One strand requires the population as a whole to have a good understanding of the purposes and scope of science and technology so that the citizens may share as well-informed participants in the process of national development. A second strand is the need for the country to have a sufficiently large group of persons trained in science and technology to help the country in those aspects of its national development that depend on technical competence. The Second International Science Study (SISS) is being undertaken to provide an overview of science education across the world. It will provide data and results to inform debate about the nature and content of school science education that will best suit the needs of the students and the societies to which they belong. The SISS, which started in 1981, is building on earlier IEA work in this area carried out as part of the IEA's Six-Subject Survey in 1970.' The earlier study is now referred to as the First International Science Study (FISS). The SISS is taking place in 26 educational systems that encompass a range of levels of national development: Australia, Canada (Englishspeaking), Canada (French-speaking), China, England, Finland, Ghana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, the United States, and Zimbabwe. Three target populations have been defined for the study. Population 1 basically involves students at the 10-year-old (year 5) level. Population 2 involves students at the 14-year-old (year 9) level. Population 3 involves science students at the final-year secondary level, usually year 12. Further information about these populations is given below.

Meaning from curriculum analysis

AbstractThis paper reports on the analysis of science curricula carried out across Canada within the framework of the Second International Science Study (SISS). The organization of Canadian education in twelve autonomous educational jurisdictions is briefly described and problems are noted in relation to the analysis of curricula on a national scale. The international design for curriculum analysis is discussed and an alternative design, more suited to the diversity of science education in Canada, is introduced. The analysis of curriculum documents is described and three patterns which emerge from this analysis are identified. These derive from the concepts of commonality, specificity and prescriptiveness. Commonality relates to topics listed in curriculum guideline documents by a number of jurisdictions. Specificity refers to the richness of curriculum documents. Prescriptiveness is a measure of the extent to which jurisdictions do or do not make provision for local options in curriculum design. The Canadian analysis, using the concepts of the common curriculum, specificity and prescriptiveness, is described and research procedures are exemplified. Outcomes of curriculum analysis are presented in graphical form.

The Semestered Secondary School and Student Achievement: Results from the Second Ontario International Science Study

In an earlier article (Raphael, Wahlstrom, & McLean, 1986), achievement results from the Ontario component of the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) were examined in relation to the claims of advocates of the semestered secondary school. While teachers in semestered Ontario schools reported greater variety in their teaching approaches, fewer hours of course instruction were reported. Analyses revealed that students enrolled in semestered Grade 12 and 13 mathematics classes demonstrated significantly lower achievement than their non-semestered school peers with no difference in attitudes. Ontario also participated in the Second International Science Study (SISS).2 Biology, chemistry, and physics classes were sampled from 75 secondary schools, and students were administered achievement and attitude items near the end of their course. Test booklets designed for the three science content areas of biology, chemistry, and physics each consisted of 30 international and 5 Canadian-designed items. Unlike SIMS, where 136 mathematics achievement items were rotated through a class, students in SISS answered all of the 35 items in either the biology, the chemistry, or the physics booklet depending upon the class in which they were enrolled. Attitude items designed to assess affective responses to the subject areas were administered at time of testing. Principals, responding to a school questionnaire, indicated whether the school was semestered or on a full-year timetable. Achievement levels for students within a school were computed for each item and overall school scores for each biology, chemistry, and physics class were attained by averaging scores across the 35 items. Since not all three class types were tested within all schools, multivariate tests on the achievement measures were inappropriate. One-way analyses of variance were used to compare semestered and non-semestered schools on biology achievement, chemistry achievement, and physics achieve-

Study Indicates Some Improvement In U.S. Science Education

Preliminary analysis of the Second International Science Study (SISS), sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, is starting to yield results—and the...