Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1976. / Title from title page screen, viewed Dec. 2, 2004. Dissertation Committee: Elwood Egelston (chair), Ronald Laymon, Thomas Fitch, Ronald Halinski, Louise Dieterle. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-78) and abstract. Also available in print.

Efforts to understand growth and disparities in science achievement have mainly been focused on the middle and high school grades in studies of K – 12 science education, leaving a gap in the research about the early elementary years. This study used a nationally-representative sample of students in Grades K – 2 to examine science achievement and growth trajectories of students by gender and race/ethnicity. Using multilevel growth modeling, differences in science achievement at Grade 2 and in rate of growth were detected for several student groups. Socioeconomic status, prior reading and math achievement, and student home language status were also significant predictors of science achievement. Growth effect size estimates were calculated by student group and showed substantial year-to-year growth in science achievement in the early elementary grades, with a slight decrease in effect size across years. In order to strengthen current efforts to increase student engagement and participation in science and STEM-related career and college pathways, especially for historically underrepresented groups, policymakers should shift focus to better understand promising practices that best support all students in science from the onset of their K – 12 educational experience.

The problem of this study was to determine the effect of a micro-teaching laboratory experience on the attitudes of pre-service elementary school teachers toward the teaching of elementary school science and to determine the effect of a micro-teaching laboratory experience on the indirect verbal behavior of pre-service elementary school teachers.

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As advocated by the National Research Council [NRC] (1996) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS] (1989), a change in the manner in which science is taught must be recognized at a national level and also embraced at a level that is reflected in every science teacher's classroom. With these ideas set forth as a guide for change,this study investigated the fifth grade students' understanding of force and motion concepts as they engaged in inquiry-based science investigations through the use of the 5E Learning Cycle. The researcher's journey through this process was also a focus of the study. Initial data were provided by a pretest indicating students' understanding of force and motion concepts. Four times weekly for a period of 14 weeks, students participated in investigations related to force and motion concepts. Their subsequent understanding of these concepts and their ability to generalize their understandings was evaluated via a posttest. Additionally, a review of lab activity sheets, other classroom-based assessments, and filmed interviews allowed for the triangulation of pertinent data necessary to draw conclusions from the study. Findings showed that student knowledge of force and motion concepts did increase although their understanding as demonstrated on paper lacked completeness versus understanding in an interview setting. Survey results also showed that after the study students believed they did not learn science best via textbook-based instruction.

One alternatively certified elementary teacher was the subject of this sixteen week research study on science teaching self-efficacy. The researcher taught inquiry based student level science lessons to the fourth grade teacher. The teacher participant, in turn, taught those same lessons to her class while the researcher observed and took field notes. The participant responded to specific open ended questions in a journal after each science experience and also completed three interviews with the researcher. Each sequential lesson from the researcher was then modified based on participant needs. The participant completed the STEBI (Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument) as a pre and post test to measure the effects of the above mentioned activities. The collected data from the STEBI was reported quantitatively. The collected data from the reflective journal entries and interviews were reported qualitatively. After careful analysis of the data gathered for this case study, the researcher came to the conclusion that inquiry based professional development through the use of a mentor affected the alternatively certified elementary teacher's science teaching self-efficacy. The subject maintained a positive attitude about the use of a mentor for the duration of the study and her Personal Science Teaching Efficacy increased or stayed the same on all of the STEBI questions. Limitations of the study as well as recommendations for further research were also discussed.

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Science instruction in the early years of a student’s education career is essential to a student successfully continuing science in their secondary and postsecondary careers. However, the amount of high-quality science instruction students receive at the elementary level has been steadily declining for two decades, resulting in an inequitable imbalance in those who pursue STEM careers, a lack of critical science literacy in the U.S. populace, and a shortage of qualified employees entering the U.S. economy. Much of the lack of science instruction can be traced to decreased training of teachers to teach science during elementary credentialing programs or the complete absence of said training. This qualitative study sought to understand, through multiple-case study analysis, what makes one university “successful” at teaching science methods to their pre-service teachers and what makes another “unsuccessful.” Through interviews, observations, and an online document review, the author found that pre-service teachers entering the elementary school classroom need to feel they have the content knowledge necessary to teach science, feel they can overcome and work within barriers to high-quality science instruction in the K-12 system, and feel ready and prepared to teach science by their chosen Teacher Preparation Program.

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