An evaluation of elementary school science kits in terms of classroom environment and student attitudes

Houston, Linda; Fraser, Barry J.; Ledbetter, Cynthia

doi:10.1007/bf03173675

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…It appears important to overcome disgust triggered by a dissection activity before hoping that it might improve I/M/A [89]. 'Science kits' are sometimes able to improve I/M/A [93]. Teaching for conceptual change does not necessarily improve I/M/A [38], although another recent research study has reported the opposite: situational interest might be more powerful than cognitive conflict to favour conceptual change (Kang et al, 2012).…”

Section: Other Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interest, motivation and attitude towards science and technology at K-12 levels: a systematic review of 12 years of educational research

Potvin

Hasni

2014

Studies in Science Education

538

360

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The relationship that exists between students and science and technology (S&T) is a complex and important one. If it is positive, then social, economic and environmental consequences are to be expected. Yet, many problems of interest/ motivation/attitude (I/M/A) towards S&T have been recorded. A lot of research has been conducted on this topic and a certain number of syntheses have been proposed, but very few of them have followed sufficiently systematic procedures. In this article, we offer a synthetic and systematic description of 228 research articles that were published between 2000 and 2012 and indexed in the ERIC database under I/M/A for S&T at K-12 levels. We focus on the origin of these articles, on the constructs they use and define, on the instruments, and finally on the results they provide, whether correlative or causal. Conclusions and recommendations for future research and interventions are formulated.Keywords: science education; technology education; literature review; interest; motivation; attitude; K-12 Introduction A worldwide concernThe connection that exists between students and science and technology (hereafter designated as 'S&T') through the use of such concepts as 'interest', 'motivation' or 'attitude' (hereafter designated as 'interest/motivation/attitude', 'I/M/A') is an important current and ongoing preoccupation and has been a major concern for researchers and educational systems around the world for a very long time (Osborne, Simon, & Collins, 2003). Although students' I/M/A toward S&T is sometimes judged to be generally positive (Awan, Sarwar, Naz, & Noreen, 2011) -though not without some considerable international differences (p. 43), boy/girl differences and subject-related differences (Schreiner & Sjoberg, 2004) -the idea that interest in S&T is declining has now been widely accepted. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2006, 2008), S&T professions are less attractive and the share of S&T students in higher education has been decreasing considerably. In 2003, Osborne et al. wrote: 'In […] the past decade, the problem has become even more acute ' (2003, p. 1050 This is an Open Access article. Non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly attributed, cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way, is permitted. The moral rights of the named author(s) have been asserted. , 2014 Vol. 50, No. 1, 85-129, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2014 interest-evaluating items (8) in its international testing initiative (Krapp & Prenzel, 2011). Studies in Science EducationStudents and school science & technology: a relationship under tension and a need for research-based synthetic knowledge According to Krapp and Prenzel (2011), besides developmental or identity-based approaches, it is possible to tackle the problem of interest in S&T by supposing that its development depends 'on the quality and type of instruction ' (p. 35) that is given to students in schools. But ...

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Section: Other Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interest, motivation and attitude towards science and technology at K-12 levels: a systematic review of 12 years of educational research

Potvin

Hasni

2014

Studies in Science Education

538

360

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“…Similar to existing literature, findings on kit-based science instruction as reported by the participants in this study are consistent with the positive impact on student attitudes toward science (Kelly & Staver, 2005;Houston et al, 2008) and an overall satisfaction with the classroom environment (Houston et al, 2008).…”

Section: Hands-on Learningsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The findings of this study support existing literature on kit-based programming in that they have shown to have a positive impact on student attitudes toward science (Kelly & Staver, 2005;Houston et al, 2008) and provide teachers with tools to enhance science learning (Robardey et al, 1994;Slavin et al, 2014). The limitations of this study do not allow for findings to support existing literature on the positive impact on student achievement (Young & Lee, 2005;Dickerson et al, 2006) because there was no required assessment component to the pilot and the participants did not generally speak to measured academic performance.…”

Section: Hands-on Learningmentioning

confidence: 45%

“…Kit-based science programs have been in circulation since the 1960's (Jones, Robertson, Gardner, Dotger & Blanchard, 2012) and have shown to have a positive impact on student achievement (Young & Lee, 2005;Dickerson et al, 2006), student attitudes toward science (Kelly & Staver, 2005;Houston, Fraser & Ledbetter, 2008), and provides teachers with tools to enhance science learning (Robardey, Allard & Brown, 1994;Slavin, Lake, Hanley & Thurston, 2014). Some widely used kits include FOSS, which were first developed in the late 1980's and pilot tested in San Francisco.…”

Section: Kit-based Science Programsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Young and Lee (2005) found that a group of fifth grade teachers using high-quality materials in a kit-based program resulted in better student achievement compared to teachers using traditional materials despite spending more time on science instruction. Houston et al (2008) assessed classroom environment in a study where one school used textbooks for science, the other used science kits, and the third used textbooks and kits. Students in the kits-only group experienced higher levels of classroom environment satisfaction and cohesion.…”

Section: Kit-based Science Programsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding the impact of a kit-based science resource on teachers' ability to engage students in science : an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Larsen

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The lack of time and attention dedicated to science at the elementary level is a problem that results in a missed opportunity to engage students in science at an early age, potentially perpetuating the gender gap at the secondary, college and career levels. There are many factors contributing to the lack of science education at the elementary level, including the provision of adequate materials and resources, instructional emphasis on subjects tied to high stakes testing, and the lack of content and pedagogical training provided for elementary teachers. ThisInterpretative Phenomenological Analysis explored the perspectives of nine teachers in grades Kindergarten through fifth with experience piloting a kit-based science resource, Full Option Science System (FOSS). This study employed Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as the theoretical framework as a means of examining engagement through the psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Results of the study indicate that participants observed a high level of student engagement, attributed primarily to the challenging, yet attainable hands-on approach of FOSS. Teacher confidence and enthusiasm for teaching science increased through the use of the kits and students reportedly attained a deep level of understanding of the scientific concepts. It cannot be conclusively stated that FOSS increased the teachers' ability to engage students in science, as the students may have been engaged due to the novelty of hands-on aspect rather than the teacher's competence in engaging them. As a result of this study, it is clear that providing teachers with high-quality instructional materials and resources, combined with training in pedagogical approach and content acquisition, can positively impact both teacher and student experiences with science.

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Classroom Learning Environments: Retrospect, Context and Prospect

Fraser

2011

Second International Handbook of Science Education

249

174

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An evaluation of elementary school science kits in terms of classroom environment and student attitudes

Cited by 20 publications

References 33 publications

Interest, motivation and attitude towards science and technology at K-12 levels: a systematic review of 12 years of educational research

Interest, motivation and attitude towards science and technology at K-12 levels: a systematic review of 12 years of educational research

Understanding the impact of a kit-based science resource on teachers' ability to engage students in science : an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Classroom Learning Environments: Retrospect, Context and Prospect

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