Eighty first-grade students, randomly selected from eight elementary schools, participated in this study. Four of the schools were located within the city and four in the rural area surrounding the city. The assessment instrument was the Organisms Evaluation Supplement, designed to evaluate students' attitudes in science, students' perception of…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether success in the Science - A Process Approach (SAPA) process of classification designed for primary grade children is contingent upon the children's developmental level as defined by Piaget's theory. The investigators sought to determine whether children who had reached the concrete operational…

This document describes an empirical study on the patterns of teacher behavior and a comparison of student outcomes from two settings where different programs (types of curricula) were used. The two psychological positions identified within the curricula were stated to have been operationalized in the two programs developed for the elementary…

This paper contains the report of an investigation to determine what relationships existed between teacher competencies in science mastered via a televised inservice program (LIFT OFF!) and teachers' science-related attitudes, past experiences, and use of a science program (Science - A Process Approach). Evidence was obtained from the number of…

Reported is a study of the attitudes of elementary school students toward science as a school subject. This study was undertaken in order to determine the effects of an in-service teacher training program in the use of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) program. Children in grades two through six (N-1941) from four suburban (85…

This study involved the participants of a four-week, National Science Foundation-sponsored workshop who were interested in piloting the life science phase of Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) materials in six school districts in Northeast Kansas. The purpose of the study was to investigate the progress of participant usage of SCIS and to…

Student variables which influence attainment of ecological concepts and conceptual systems were investigated. Researcher-designed paper/pencil and free-sort categorization tests were administered to 256 Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) students in grades 4-6. Findings are: (1) grade and ability, not sex, influenced concept attainment…

Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) students in grades 4-6 were used to investigate ecological concept formation. Researcher-designed, multiple-choice and free-sort tasks were administered. Statistics utilized included analysis of variance, Spearman correlation, multiple regression, frequency distributions, and latent partition analysis.…

The purpose of this study was to determine if elementary teachers' attitudes toward science and science education would become more positive if: (1) they participated in a four-week workshop on new science curricula; (2) the training they received was directed toward Elementary Science Study (ESS), Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS), or…

This report traces the development of science education, particularly the elementary science curriculum, in Trinidad and Tobago. Problem areas are identified that have influenced science instruction and/or the lack of it. A model is presented for teacher involvement in elementary science curriculum development. Through this approach, approximately…

A longitudinal study was conducted which focused on the concerns of elementary school teachers who were involved in implementing the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) curriculum. Two major questions were addressed: (1) Do stages of concern exist? (2) If so, are they developmental? The sample consisted of teachers attending summer…

This is a report on a two-day conference, held at the University of Maryland in August of 1974, to examine the impact of the National Science Foundation (NSF) on science curriculum development in the United States. The conference covered the improvement of science teaching materials and instruction development as well as the overall…

The purposes of this study were to investigate: (1) effectiveness of three small group teaching methods on the acquisition and retention of seriation abilities; (2) transfer of seriation abilities using the three treatments; and (3) relationship between visual and nonvisual seriation abilities. One hundred twenty first grade Canadian students were…

This study took place within the context of a four-year local systemic reform effort collaboratively undertaken by the Science Education Center at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Community School District. The goal of the project was to move teachers towards an interactive-constructivist model of teaching and learning that assumes a…

In 1987, the Cheshire Public Schools initiated a science curriculum review. Teachers, parents, and students recognized that the existing textbook-based elementary science program was a dismal portrayal of such a dynamic discipline. There was community consensus that reading about science and acquiring scientific vocabulary words were not the same…