This paper describes a qualitative case study designed to examine the challenges to effective science instruction faced by elementary teachers and examine the influence those challenges have on teachers' science teaching practices. Data were gathered through a questionnaire administered to over 240 teachers in a northern Florida school district including six teachers who were further interviewed and observed in their teaching setting. These six teachers, ranging from third to fifth grade shared their perceptions of the challenges to effective science instruction and opened their classrooms to allow the researcher to discover how much time was being spent teaching science and the methods of science instruction. Results showed that several factors governed the amount of time teachers in the study were able to devote to science and the method of science instruction. Eighty-two percent of teachers reported lack of time to teach science. Sixty-eight percent reported lack of teacher planning time. Sixty-four percent reported insufficient funding for purchasing materials and supplies. As a result, teachers reported using most of their science time teaching through traditional methods instead of innovative hands-on and inquiry methods. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2013. / October 22, 2013. / Education, Elementary, Science, Teaching Practices / Includes bibliographical references. / Diana Rice, Professor Directing Dissertation; Robert A. Schwartz, University Representative; Elizabeth Jakubowski, Committee Member; Angie Davis, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_185148 |
| Contributors | North, Stephanie Gwinn (authoraut), Rice, Diana (professor directing dissertation), Schwartz, Robert A. (university representative), Jakubowski, Elizabeth (committee member), Davis, Angie (committee member), School of Teacher Education (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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