Impact of the Science and Technology for Children curriculum in the Oshkosh area school district

School Science and Mathematics, Mar 2002 by Lattery, Mark Joseph, Lemberger, John, Herzog, Barbara

Curricula

The STC units have strong intentions toward the inquiry approach to science instruction (NSRC, 1997). Lesson activities require students to work in groups to collect and analyze data. STC objectives are to (a) foster positive attitudes toward science, (b) introduce science concepts, and (c) expose students directly to the scientific fl-driking process through hands-on activities.

Prior to the school year, research instructors developed 8 weeks of control unit instruction in grade-level pairs. All development was based on the OASD Curriculum Guide (OASD, 1998) and the results of a district-wide teaching survey of current science teaching practice (Lattery et al., 2001, Research Documents). The control units represent a mixture of traditional and hands-on approaches based on the Merrill Science textbook; these units cover the same general objectives as the STC units. For a complete description ofthe control unit materials, see (Lattery, et. al, 2001, Appendix 3).

Research Instruments

Quantitative

Experimental and control groups were pre- and posttested using a multiple-choice test (Lattery & Lemberger, 2001 a). Resources for test construction included the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (Schmit, McKnight, & Raizen, 1997), National Association of Educational Progress (Blumberg, Epstein, MacDonald, & Mullis, 1986), TerraNova (CTB/ McGraw-Hill, 1996), and other widely recognized sources. A content-specific test was used for each grade level. The selection of items was determined by the authors and guided by the National Science Education Standards document (National Research Council, 1996) without prior knowledge ofthe specific content of the STC units or the alternative control-group units.

To address the diverse concerns oflocal stakeholders, five main categories were used to study student-- learning outcomes: (a) attitudes, (b) recall knowledge, (c) conceptual reasoning (e.g., concept discrimination), (d) experimental methods, and (e) mathematical application. Student achievement is based on performance in categories 2-5. Sample test items are given in Appendix B.

All items were validated locally by the authors. Validity studies were conducted with children in smallgroup interviews. Each interview was approximately 20-40 minutes in length. Test items were revised and repiloted as many as five times before final adoption. As needed, items were adapted to enhance item validity. Test items were further validated through consultation with subj ect-matter experts, science education specialists, and elementary teachers. Several ofthese consultants are known internationally for their work in science education and assessment.

Test reliability was determined using the test-retest method. Students at each grade level took the test two times: once at the end of the unit and again several months later. Between the test administrations, students were exposed to the existing OASD curriculum (not the content of the unit). The Pearson productmoment correlation between scores ranged from 0.6 to 0.8, depending on the test (grade level). Differential developmental effects between test administrations make these estimates conservative. Implications for the statistical power of this study are discussed later in this article.