Preservice Mathematics and Science Teachers in an Integrated Teacher Preparation Program for Grades 7–12: A 3-Year Study of Attitudes and Perceptions Related to Integration

Abstract

The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to describe a unique teacher licensure program for grades 7-12 that integrates mathematics, science, and technology education and (b) to explore the attitudes and perceptions related to the integration of mathematics, science, and technology education of three cohorts of preservice teachers enrolled in the first 3 years of the program. Eighty-one preservice teachers responded to a semantic differential to measure attitudes and perceptions related to "mathematics, science, and technology education integration." Principal components and internal consistency reliability analyses were computed to provide validity and reliability evidence. Preservice teachers also responded to one open-ended, free-response written question, "What does the integration of mathematics, science, and technology education mean to you?" Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance with repeated measures and Pearson cross-tabulation chi-square analyses were computed to identify pretest-posttest differences for the value and difficulty scales, identified by the principal components analysis. Analytic inductive methods were used to identify emergent themes in student written responses to the open-ended question. Results indicated no change in preservice teacher attitudes and perceptions related to the value of integration-they clearly valued integration at the onset and completion of the program, often citing student benefits. However, a significant change in preservice teacher attitudes and perceptions related to difficulty was noted. Upon completion of the program, preservice teachers perceived integration to be more difficult and identified barriers and challenges-demonstrating a more realistic, practical, and cautious approach to the integration of mathematics, science, and technology education.

The Effects of an Integrated Curriculum on Student Achievement in Saudi Arabia

“…The results of this study are consistent with those of previous studies (Al-Mooji, 2000;Bell & Garofalo, 2005;Berlin & White, 2010;Berry et al, 2004;Hassanein, 2003;Marrongelle, 2004;Qandil, 2001;Saleh & Othman, 2006), which indicated that integrating the teaching of science and mathematics leads to improved academic achievement relative to teaching them separately. The treatment group's mean scores on the posttest were higher than those of the comparison group for both subjects, though this was more the case for science than for mathematics.…”

“…It was used to facilitate the development of the instructional unit and strategy to integrate science and mathematics teaching based on lifeskills applications. Two lines of scholarly thought informed this framework: the studies that aim to integrate science and mathematics (Al-Mooji, 2000;Berlin & White, 2010;Bosse et al, 2010;Hassanein, 2003;Kurt & Pehlivan, 2013;Lee et al, 2013;Slough & Chamblee, 2007) and the studies that aim to employ life applications as a basis for the design of educational activities (Al-Qahtani & Abdul Hamid, 2010;Al-Rabani, 2011;Al-Shahat et al, 2012;Bouck, 2010;Fuchs et al, 2006;Hamada, 2012;Kliman, Mokros & Parkes, 2001;Mohammed, 2006;Mohammed, 2012). Given the framework developed around the design of the teaching and learning unit that was the focus of this study, some strategies were employed to address the author's inherent bias, such as the expertise of two university professors in math and science pedagogy.…”

Connectivity Theory at Work: The Referrals between Science and Mathematics in a Science Unit

“…Such an attempt to collaborative work would help to cross the invisible boundaries in universities between science and mathematics educators, and would lead to grown shared experience among scholars (Basista & Mathews, 2002). Follow-up studies, extended observations, and detailed interviews as well as demographic information regarding the content knowledge of the teachers are needed to understand the barriers in front of connectivity for further research (Berlin & White, 2010). Besides, an alternative approach to connectivity might be to prepare connected curriculum instead of thinking each discipline separately (Davison, Miller, & Metheny, 1995;Lederman & Niess, 1998).…”

Investigating the Mental Readiness of Pre-Service Teachers for Integrated Teaching

“…In qualitative investigations of attitudes of pre-service teachers' towards the integrated nature of mathematics and science, researchers found that integrated teacher education programs enhanced preservice teachers' understanding of integration and at the end of the program they were able to recognize and appreciate integrated mathematics and science applications (Koirala & Bowman, 2003;Morrison & Roth-McDuffie, 2009). In another similar study, an integrated pre-service teacher education program was found to be an effective way to help mathematics and science pre-service teachers recognize the complexity and challenges of STEM education teaching (Berlin & White, 2010).…”