Transcript

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Research in Science Education Ig8g, 19, 257 - 267

GENERAL SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS

SCIENCE AND SCIENCE TEACHING OF PRESERVICE PRIMARY TEACHERS:

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRESERVICE SCIENCE UNITS

Keith Skamp

INTRODUCTION

The recent Discipline Review of Teacher Education in Science

(DEET,Ig8g) drew the distinction between discipline studies (the study of

science as such) and pedagogical studies (the study of teaching and learning

and their interrelationship). I t implied that inclusion of the former in

preservice teacher education programmes would build primary teachers'

confidence in science(p.37). This was partly premised on a knowledge of the

secondary science background of preservice primary teachers. Th is paper

addresses the issue of the confidence to teach science of preservice primary

teachers and poses questions about the relationships between that

'confidence' and the types of students and the preservice science units they

complete.

The study involved measuring the general science knowledge and

attitudes towards science (ATS) and science teaching (ATTPS) of preservice

primary teachers and students entering a science degree. Changes in the

attitude scores were determined at the end of semester I when the preservice

primary teachers had finished a science pedagogical unit and the science

students several science discipline studies. The science students were

therefore an interesting control comparison group used to validate the

effects of the science education unit on the attitude scores( permitting a

pretest-posttestcontrol group design).

Reference to 'confidence' data (MacLeod,1988,1989) suggests that the

relationship between discipline studies, attitudes towards science and

science teaching, and confidence to teach science may not be straight-

forward. Further the influence of mode of entry, sex and secondary science

background on the attitude and knowledge scores indicates that mature age

students (especially women), despite lower science entry scores on the

measures used, appear to develop more positive attitudes towards science

teaching.

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The inclusion of the science control group, the reporting of subscale

attitude results and the influence of various student variables on the

knowledge and attitude scores distinguishes this study from earl ier work on

attitudes( Dooley & Lucas, 1981; Ginns & Foster, 1978) and science knowledge

of preservice primary teachers( Kings,c.1988)o The implications for

preservice primary science teacher education are especially relevant in the

context of the recent Discipline Review.

PROCEDURE

Commencing students in the the Bachelor of Education (Primary) [BEd]

and Bachelor of Applied Science [BAppISc] at Northern Rivers College of

Advanced Education were surveyed during the f i r s t week of lectures in 1988

and 1989. The f i r s t cohort's ATS and ATTPS scores were measured using Moore

& Sutman's (1970) and Moore's (1973) instruments respectively. Both measures

were reapplied in the last week of lectures in the f i r s t semester. The

second cohort's (commencing students in the two degrees in the following

year) general science knowledge was ascertained using the General Science

Test 2M (consisting of multiple choice year 5 and 12 anchor items) compiled

by the Second International Science Study (SISS)(Payne & Rosier, 1988).

Students in both degree programs undertook four units in their f i r s t

semester: BEd -Educational Studies I, Practicum I, and two Curriculum

Studies units [including a science pedagogical study (0.5 of a unit )-for

a description see Skamp (1987)] ; and BAppSc- Biology, Chemistry, Geology and

Resource Assessment Techniques Io

The secondary science background of the students in the two degree

programmes in the two consecutive years indicated that differences were not

marked in 1988 (Two HSC science subjects completed : science (S) 23.2%;

education (E) 11.6%; one HSC science subject: S63.9; E66.4.; SC (school

certi f icate) science (or less): $9.3; E17.8). In 1989 the science degree

students had a generally better secondary science background, v i l , Two HSC

science subjects: S 33.3; E 13.1.; one HSC science subject: S 50.8; E

67.2; SC science subject (or less): S 5.9; E 15.5. (See Note I ) .

Both degrees take in mature age students and other non-school leavers.

In 1988, 24 percent of enrolments in both degrees were mature-age; in 1989

the percentage of non-school leavers was 17 (E) and 33 (S). There is a

contrast in the sex balance in the two degrees [E Female: 80.8 (1988); 72.1

(1989); S Female: 32.4 (1988); 31.4(1989)].

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Attitudes ~owards science and science teachinq

Before discussing the results and interpretation of the ATS and ATTPS

scores i t should be noted that the scales were constructed in the early

seventies and the attitudes expressed towards science and science teaching

reflected that period. Apart from where indicated however the position

statements representing science and science teaching attitudes would s t i l l

be valid today.

Overall scores.

Comparison with earlier Australian studies (see p.258) indicates that

over a ten-year period students entering teacher education programmes have

shown l i t t l e variation in their commencing attitudes towards science and

science teaching. The results (see Table 1) show that students entering both

degree programmes have very slightly positive attitudes towards science and

a neutral attitude towards teaching primary science. On completion of their

f i rs t semester units the ATS scores for both groups did not change

significantly. However education students' ATTPS scores improved

significantly (and substantially) , whereas science students' attitudes

towards teaching primary science did not significantly alter. [ I t is

interesting to note that ATTPS scores-for education students- may be higher

at the completion of semester 4 (see results in Skamp,1988b, and Dooley &

Lucas,1981), but are s t i l l low compared to Moore's (1973) reported scores]

TABLE 1 DESCRIPTIVE STATIST ICS AND t -TESTS FOR

PRE- AND P O S T - C O U R S E SCORES ON ATS A N D A T T P S SCALES

(Unpaired Subjects)

School (n) Pro-Course Post-Course Difference t mean S.D. mean S.D. (p)

Scale : ATS (maximum score = 120)

Education (151) 74.29 8.30 (107) 75.87 10.41 1.58 1.34 (0.18) Applied Sc. (109) 76.62 9.23 (69) 77.77 8.64 1.15 0.92 (0.41)

Difference 2.32** 1.90 Scale : ATTPS (Maximum score = 90)

Education (151) 49.19 6.85 (107) 57.84 11.41 8.65** 7.55 (0.001) Applied Sc, (109) 47.99 5.19 (69) 48.71 6.25 0.72 0.86 (0.40)

Difference -1.20 -9.13"*

** Significant at < 0.05 level (Fisher PLSD and Scheffe F - test).

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A multiple regression analysis using the pretest results for the ATTPS

scale as the in i t ia l predictor variable and the degree programme as the

second predictor variable ( i .e. an analysis of covariance in order to isolate

the effect of the treatment) indicated that these two variables and their

interaction accounted for 31 percent of the variance in the post ATTPS

results (df = 142; F = 32.9). Of this variance, 25 percent was attributable

to the interaction of the pretest with the treatment (dr = 142; F = 48.2).

This supports the interpretation that the curriculum studies unit is a

significant factor associated with the change in the education students'

attitudes towards primary science teaching.

An interesting comparison can be made between ATTPS scores and

MacLeod's (1988, 1989) data which determined the (self-rated) confidence to

teach science of students in the B.Ed. (primary.) programme (see Table 2.)

As students progress through their programme (and their Semester I and 4

science curriculum units) the percentage of students feeling tota l ly or

reasonably confident increases. This is paralleled by an increase in the

percentage of students obtaining better than mildly positive ATTPS scores,

and would support the interpretation that a more positive attitude towards

teaching primary science is associated with a greater self-confidence. The

lat ter has been related to more effective practice (Bonnstetter & Yager,

1985).

" T A B L E 2 C O M P A R I S O N O F A T T P S S C O R E S W I T H

C O N F I D E N C E T O T E A C H S C I E N C E

ATTPS Scores t Conf idence to Teach Science 2

Somewhat/ Total ly/ ~;30 > 6 0 Totally Reasonably

Uncertain Certain (percentage responses) (percentage responses)

1988 Cohort on entry 0.7 8.4 41.2 20.6 end Semester 1 2.9 47.1 - - beginning Semester 3 - - 25.7 38.7

1986 Cohort Semester 4 0.0 72.0 - - Beginning Semester 5 - - 10.7 63.7

1 AI-I'PS scores of 30 or less are mildly to strongly negative while scores of 60 or more are mildly to strongly positive (possible range 0-90).

2 These figures are from MacLeod's (1988, 1989) data which asked students to express their "degree of confidence in applying effective methods of teaching science."

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Analyses for subgroup differences (on the ATTPS scale) within the

education cohort suggest that although students with HSC science enter

college with sl ight ly more positive ATTPS scores than those with only SC

science, this difference is no longer present at the end of the semester.

No other differences (due to sex or mode of entry) are present on entry, but

by the end of the semester female students have signif icantly higher ATTPS

scores than males and (at the 0.06 level [ t - tes t ] ) mature age students (most

of whom are female) score more posit ively than school leavers. A stepwise

regression analysis with the post-ATTPS scores as the dependent variable and

the independent (predictor) variables being the pre-ATTPS scores, sex, mode

of entry and their interaction effects enters the interaction effect of the

sex, entry mode and pre-ATTPS scores f i r s t (16 percent of the variance; df

= 85, F = 16.63, p < 0.05) and the sex-mode of entry interaction second

(accounting for a further 9 percent of the variance, df = 85, F = 14.64, p

< 0.05). Comparison of the scores of the subgroups suggests that mature age

females are scoring higher than other groups on this scale as a result of the

science curriculum unit (see Figure I) .

Subscale results

The science attitude scale consists of four subscales (each associated

with a positive and negative position statement ). With minor exceptions

(see note I) the scores on the subscales do not signif icantly d i f fe r for

students in either degree on entry or at the conclusion of the semester .

Both groups of students held views which were consistent with a mildly

positive attitude towards science on the position statements. I t is worth

noting that at the end of the semester education students signif icantly

disagreed with the statement 'The laws and/or theories of science represent

unchangeable truths discovered through science' compared to their entry

views.

Analysis of the subscales of the ATTPS instrument shows that education

students entered college sl ight ly more favourably oriented towards

emphasising science processes than science students ( but believing more

strongly that certain science facts should be taught to primary age

children). Education students also fe l t more strongly that teachers should

be fac i l i ta tors. In other ways both groups were similar on entry: they were

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FIGURE 1

SUBGROUP SCORES ON THE ATTPS SCALE (Pre and Post measures)

/• 65.8

60

/ j o 57.7 A'rIPS ~ 57.0 SCORES 55.2

50 49.3 49.2

47.7 47.3

PRE POST

KEY O School leaver females (N=55) �9 Mature aged females (N=16) Z~ School leaver males (N=9) A Mature aged males (N=6)

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ambivalent about their understanding of science and desire to teach i t (

although they disagreed with the idea of not wanting to teach science);

both groups also tended to agree with teachers tel l ing students what they

have to learn. On completion of the f i r s t semester education students had

shown stat ist ical ly significant improvements on all sub-scales apart from

the position statement "I do not like the thought of teaching science," with

which they s t i l l mildly disagreed. Science students showed no significant

changes(See Note 1). The subscale analysis suggested that some perceptions

of the role of the subject and the teacher can change relatively quickly but

underlying feelings about abi l i ty to teach science seem d i f f i cu l t to change.

[One of the more "negative "atittudes (students' perceptions that science

facts are important for children to know) may be partly explained by changes

in emphasis in science education since the early seventies(see Note 2)]

General science knowledge

On entry education students scores were significantly lower (F =34.38;

p = 0.0001) than science students. Their results are compared with NSW 14

year olds and year 12 students (Payne & Rosier, 1988) in Table 3. Kings (c.

1988) found that f i r s t year primary teacher education students scored 52.3

percent (S.D. 4.33) on a 30-item SISS Year 12 test.

TABLE 3 MEAN PERCENTAGE SCORES BY PROGRAMME AND FOR NSW 14-YEAR-OLD S T U D E N T S AND YEAR 12 SCIENCE S T U D E N T S

Group Year 5 Year 12 Test Total Anchor Test Anchor Test (30 Items) (15 Items) (15 Items)

Science (n = 50) 81.1% Education (n = 123) 69,1% NSW 14-year-old students (N =787) 58.9 % NSW Year 12 science students (n=896)

88..3 % 73.9 % 81.3 % 56.9 % 72.3 % 45.5 %

65.9 %

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BEd students performed signif icantly better i f they had completed a

physical science (mean,23.56;SD,4.13;n=16) compared to a biological science

(21.05; 3.19;n=61) at HSC level. Both these groups outperformed students

who had HSC general science (19.05;3.23;n=21) or school certif icate science

[or less] (19.25;4.Sg;n=24). The lat ter two categories did not signif icantly

di f fer.

Analysis of variance results, for education students only, found

significant main and interaction effects when sex and secondary science

background were used as the independent variables. Males performed better

than females irrespective of secondary science background. (This result was

also irrespective of the degree programme.) Item analyses indicate that

physical science items and those requiring comprehension and application of

science concepts cause the most d i f f i cu l ty for education students

(see Note I) .

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Teachers wi l l teach better i f they have a sound knowledge of their

subject-a truism often overlooked (Shulman,1986). Dobey & Schafer (1984)

found that when preservice primary teachers had an "intermediate" science

knowledge about a topic they taught more effective inquiry oriented science.

The results reported here highlight that commencing preservice primary

teachers do not have a strong general science background (particularly in the

physical sciences). As very few preservice programmes have compulsory

science discipline studies, and science pedagogical studies comprise only

about 4.5% of such programmes (Skamp,1988a; Owen et al. , 1985), then serious

consideration needs to be given to ways to address this issue (DEET, 1989).

However solutions are not obvious . This study further supports earlier work

that pedagogical studies improve attitudes towards science teaching (and

probably confidence) but that "tradit ional" discipline studies do not

improve attitudes. Perhaps an improved knowledge of science and more

positive attitudes towards science could be developed i f units which

highlighted the syntactical and substantive structure of science (as

dist inct from isolated science concepts and their application) were included

in preservice programmes. Shulman supports this assertion (p.9) (with

secondary teachers in mind), and although i t is acknowledged that primary

teachers may not need the depth of conceptual knowledge of the secondary

teacher some understanding of the syntactical and substantive structure of

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science would greatly assist primary teachers help children perform

comparing, pattern-finding, hypothesis generation and question raising

investigations as suggested by Harlen(1985). Some support for emphasising

the syntactical strucure of science is found in the current study (see p. 5)

where i t was determined that the preservice teachers changed their views

about the tentativeness of scientific laws/theories (an aspect emphasised in

the science curriculum unit).

That attitudes towards primary science teaching are improved by

continued exposure to science pedagogical studies is an anticipated result

with obvious implications. A not so obvious result is the way particular

subgroups are affected differently by the science education unit. Women

enter the programme with similar ATTPS scores and lower general science

knowledge scores than males, but after completion of the science education

unit mature age women have significantly higher scores on the attitude

towards science teaching scale. That this subgroup (apparently irrespective

of secondary science background and science knowledge) has developed far

more positive attitudes warrants further investigation. I t also indicates

that more consideration could be given to increasing the mature age intake

into primary teacher education.

Practical solutions to achieving an improved science background

knowledge and more positive attitudes towards science and science teaching

are di f f icul t to prescribe because of the uncertain relationships between the

type of science studies taken and their influence on students' attitudes

towards science and science teaching (as measured by the instruments in this

study). Further the inference that students with the poorest knowledge

background (females and especially mature age females) develop the most

positive attitudes is a dilemma. Some suggestions for future testing have

been made but whether they can be successful within the current constraints

of teacher education programmes is problematic. The effect of the

implementation of the recommendations of the Discipline Review as they

relate to these questions will be interesing to investigate in the light of

this study.

Acknowledgements

The assistance of Dr. Gordon MacLeod in the analysis and Ms. Sue

Sawkins in the organization and processing of the data is acknowledged as is

the cooperation of Mr. Murray Cullen from the School of Applied Science, and

Dr. Malcolm Rosier from ACER.

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Notes

NOTE i : The following details may be obtained from the author: ANOVA

results for the gain scores on the ATS and ATTPS scales using the degree

programme as the independent variable; group (science and education) scores

on the ATS and ATTPS subscales; item analyses on the SISS 2M test.

NOTE 2: In the early seventies there was an overt emphasis on science

processes and a de-emphasis on science products. Students in the current

study are not presented with this dichotomy, but rather are encouraged to see

the relationships between concept and process sk i l l development. In fact the

development of processes is seen as of equal (but interdependent) importance

to the development of concepts. A further and'related d i f f i cu l t y could be

that students in the f i r s t year of the i r degree are s t i l l c lar i fy ing the

difference between children "developing concepts" and "knowing facts."

[Skamp's (1988b) study tends to support t h i s . ] .

REFERENCES

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DOBEY, D. C. & SCHAFER, L. E. (1984). The effects of knowledge on elementary science inquiry teaching. Science Education, 68 ( I ) , 39-51.

DOOLEY, J. H. & LUCAS, K. B. (1981). towards science and science teaching. 27 ( I ) , 77-80.

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HARLEN, W. (1985) Teachina and learnin9 orimarv science. London, Harper & Row.

KINGS, C. B. (c. 1988). Sex and science backgrounds of trainee teachers. Unpublished paper, Victoria College, Melbourne, 11 pp.

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MACLEOD, G. (1989). A study of graduating students from ten diploma of teaching programmes in New South Wales. Lismore, Centre for Research on Teacher Education and Development, Northern Rivers C.A.E..

MOORE, R. W. & SUTMAN, F. X. (1970). The development, f ie ld test and validation of an inventory of sc ient i f ic att i tudes. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Z, 85-94.

MOORE, R. W. (1973). The development, f ie ld test and validation of scales to assess teachers' attitudes towards teaching elementary school science. Science Education, 57 (3), 271-278.

OWEN, J. M., JOHNSON, N. J., & WELSH (1985). Primary Concerns. Melbourne, Melbourne College of Advanced Education, Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission.

SHULMAN, L. S. (1986). Those who understand knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, February, 4-14.

SKAMP, K. R. (December, 1987). Evaluating a teacher education course: A case study (preservice primary science teacher education). Paper presented at the AARE/NZARE Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand, 21 pp.

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