”BRAIN Michigan State _ University This is to certify that the thesis entitled A SURVEY OF THE SCIENCE TEACHING PRACTICES IN SELECTED ELEMENTARY CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES presented by CHARLES ADAM JOSS has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for _ELLL— degree in ___ADMJ_NJ_SIRAT I ON 8 CURRICULUM arm Major professor DateWXl Ov7 639 MSU RETURNING MATERIALS: Place in book drop to remove this checkout from IJBRARJES --(ggggL. your record. FINES will be charged if book is returned after the date stamped below. NI“? ”‘ mm 072003 ABSTRACT A SURVEY OF THE SCIENCE TEACHING PRACTICES IN SELECTED ELEMENTARY CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES BY Charles A. Joss A survey of science teaching practices in selected fundamentalist Christian schools of the United States was conducted during early 1981. Sampling procedures undertaken with a population of 5,761 elementary schools in fifty states yielded data from 184 administrators and 334 teachers. The information related to the character of the science programs for approximately 29,550 pupils in grades kindergarten through six. The purpose of this study was to establish a data base of information that is intended to inform decision makerso uoc sump uscucoo upcm luecueoo coo: pconn cosmsvmm mcfi>ao>m loom “usoucoo £052 wooofiom mam “woes: cmMMOpw .macfluoucfi hex .mpmaxooo scau losuumcfl uccomou mm: mix amped: elm “homepage “cosoflom mo mommco om “nomoummo comma huououooca m :H mcofipomflu looum moofluo> pcoouc =>Hc>00mflp= soumpocc Imw>cH mcflmcoaamco mmonEw paeoo mmHSpoE c ce hauoouflp been couoaflco mo mood: moa spas Emumoum Capos Hobamwnm may 0» oopmmoc Emumoum popcwflHOI>uH>Huoc map ouofimxo cu oosoHOm owfia one amoemwem so we “EHOM maoflxoam capo mum coppafleo Hmflucosgom .ooomumos o4 mmoa c wo coflme>om coflumeuomoo wz .xhow AH <2 .eou 3oz .Hafimnscuwoz .omMOASU .waaczoz comm Imcflxoq ..00 w capo Honmflaeod .U .Q efiou .mmcz .cousmz MHGHOMAHMO .wcaoxuom Imcfinmmz “mocoflom mo “Hoodoo Home .cflQDOMHHmo mo mafimuo>eco ucoficocc>o¢ one How Imoao>mo coepmosom “moooflom mo Hamm ooscuzmq coflumeOOmm< amoeuoem HOmcomm Ammma AmHoma AHH ooum pcwfio>oumEH cocoumm< E>c0po< muopcmficam EsHsoHpHoU coomflom wmoooum mlloocoaom pom capes om.ome haucm one he pmmon>mo mEMHmOHm mocmfiom Hoocom humusofiwam mouse we cemfiucmEoo < H uhpro I“ i . _‘.4 Ci- 49 .mmvlmmv .mvalmma .Qm .AHmaH .poofiammv mocoflom muoueoEme moflnomwe .hcmmfioo msflnmflansm nuuozmpmz "MHCHOMHHMU .Hoamm .M mum: one Hwamm .M EMHHHHBM canmumoflmcoo mEcnmoum chuo ou oaomumcom >Ho> epooom moflmmmfie tououoouuw us: ca mucmosum momenta Hwaomme mGH>HOm IEmHnoum =.wocoeom mcfloo= he muHmOHHso mo coauommweumm meow mauuflq deflom oumuoooz ooucflum we confipomoum maaflxm muo>oomflo mmoooum pompoum Ge mucoosum mumemmm mo ucwEmoHo>op pom mpocnflp Honomca mouofioum Hoeooce pace mooHGUHH wocmflom Imoao>oo Haexm mmdUOHm mwflufl>fipoc moan: CH mcflxmfi tsoflmflomo umnoowu we pesoe< Speaehexmem Emumoum mmeue>euop psooopm mo weapmz m>Hpooon Homo: Ammmv atopm mocoflom humucofioam LmHomv AHH «mama hoopm ucoEm>oumEH somoumm< Enasofluuoo cocoeom mmoooum mllooccflom E>COMU< poo mHuHB flowscflucoov H pumso 50 Individualized Science (IS), comprehensive integrated system of individualized science on five levels includ- ing both physical and biological science units, K-6; Learning Research and Development Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Minnesota School Mathematics and Science Center (MINNEMAST), math and science coordinated for kinder- garten and primary grades, K-3; MINNEMAST center, Minneapolis, MN. Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES), an interdisciplinary program that challenges students to solve real problems in school and community settings, K-8; USEMES, Education Development Center, Newton, MA. University of Illinois Astronomy Program (UIAP), a pro- gram of sequential development of the basic under- standing of astronomy incorporating relevant process skills, 5-8; University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Over some time, concerns were raised regarding an apparent disproportionate emphasis upon the attainment of process objectives at the expense of knowledge objectives.81 Data are lacking which would correlate quality of instruc- tion and material use, longitudinal studies dealing with retention of science learning, and the relationship of teacher philosophy regarding what science should be taught and how it should be taught.82 Instructional patterns in science. The components of the instructional process frequently identified by researchers include class size, amount of instruction time, the use of science teaching realia and audio-visual methodology, and the attitudes of teachers toward perceived barriers to effective science teaching. 82 81Helgeson, p. 19. Ibid., p. 20. 51 During the period of Helgeson's study, the average class size declined from over thirty students to about twenty-four students. The amount of time per week for science was 60 minutes in grade one and showed regular increases through the grades to about 120 minutes in grade six. Classes employing NSF materials devoted more time to science than those that did not use the NSF materials. This emphasis in the use of hands-on activities and laboratory equipment seemed to be attributed to the availability of NDEA funds for science.83 Nevertheless, substantial numbers of teachers did not emphasize this type of activity but conducted science instruction primarily as a lecture-discussion session followed in frequency by demonstration procedures. There is also evidence to support the increasing use of television and films, especially in the lower grades.84 The realization that science instruction can be improved when attention is focused upon real and/or per- ceived barriers to effective teaching has motivated considerable research in this area. In several studies, over 60 percent of respondents identified certain factors to constitute such barriers. These factors included lack of consultant services, inadequate room facilities, insuf- ficient science knowledge, inadequate in-service oppor- tunities, lack of funds for supplies and equipment, and the 83 84 Ibid., pp. 32-33. Ibid., p. 32. 52 unfamiliarity with (newer) science teaching methodology.85 Perhaps the most frequently reported barrier concerns problems related to facilities, supplies, and equipment and seems to relate to school enrollment levels and funding priorities. Preservice teacher education. The major impact of preservice guidelines has come from state certification agencies, and these guidelines have been employed by educa- tion faculties in the development and modification of their programs. A review of twelve state certification boards revealed extensive reciprocity among colleges and uni- versities that conduct "approved" programs. Certification patterns are based upon courses completed rather than upon performance, and these patterns reflect little impact of the post-Sputnik curriculum developmental efforts. "Elementary teacher candidates are seldom required to take more science content than that required for the general education component of their undergraduate program."86 States planning for certification program modifications are including efforts to "provide for more process skill devel- opment and such topics as humanism, relating science to contemporary social problems, extended field—based experiences, and the involvement with inner-city students and other minority groups."87 The extent of preservice 851bid., p. 33. 87 Ibid., p. 57. 86Ibid., p. 50. 53 research has been limited in its scope and generalizability, and no definitive theory of science instruction has been widely practiced.88 Inservice teacher education. Teacher inservice education programs are often developed in order to meet some particular expressed need relating to performance, sometimes referred to as a "barrier to effective teaching." Of thirteen so-called barriers to science teaching, Hone considers some of these "scarecrows" (self-imposed limita- tions in attitudes),which she believes can be overcome through direction in the use of self-renewal materials such as teacher guides and textbooks that are readily available in classrooms.89 Other problems in instructional competence in science can be met through training in creative approaches to planning, effective use of available space in the classroom, and learning to improvise with inexpen- sive equipment. In spite of the numbers of teachers involved in NSF-funded programs, the need for inservice in science continues primarily for the following reasons:90 1. the constantly changing and expanding body of science knowledge, 2. inadequate preservice programs, 3. the additional modifications of science curriculum improvement projects, 88 89 Ibid., p. 66. Ibid., p. 86. 9°lbid., pp. 97-102. 54 4. ineffective or unavailable science consultant services, and 5. the disparity between priorities for science in the elementary school and the requirements for scien- tific literacy in our society. Controlling and financing elementary science education. with respect to educational function, structure, finance, or instruction, it is evident that the states have accelerated their influence over the activities of the schools.91 There are at least six areas in which this pat- tern of expansion has been reported through the literature:92 1. policies regarding school size and consolidation, 2. policies regarding the school curriculum, 3. policies regarding certification practices, 4. policies regarding the selection and purchase of textbooks and materials, 5. policies relating to minimum competencies and accountability, and 6. policies regarding equality of educational opportunity. In terms of the consolidation efforts of school districts, more students have been transported to elementary schools where they have been able to Spend less time before and after classes. with respect to the curriculum, there have been specified requirements in terms of science subject matter including conservation, hygiene, drug abuse educa- tion, sex education, outdoor education, and nature study. 92 9llbia., p. 120. Ibid., pp. 120-125. 55 In addition to the inclusion of new or controversial subject matter, the effect of time requirements or special classes in reading or mathematics can reduce the emphasis upon science instruction. The statement of objectives of the state school system that do not include science effectively reduces the amount of science taught at all levels. States had increased their requirements related to certification, especially from the 1960's to the early 1970's, but did not continue to upgrade requirements in science certification after 1974. The literature abounds with data indicating that substantial numbers of teachers do not enjoy teaching science, do not enjoy science themselves, and do not enroll in any science-related course work afterthey graduate.93 Over the past two decades states have increased their influence on policies related to minimum competencies and accountability, but there is no pattern of positive influence upon science teaching in these efforts. In an analysis of the centralization of state authority on thirty-six areas of educational policy, Wirt developed a rating scale of "centralization of authority." Ratings ranged from 6.00 (total state assumption of control) for Hawaii to 1.86 for Wyoming, with the mean established at 3.59 (between extensive/limited local option under state mandated requirements) and the S.D. at .56.94 94 93Ibid., p. 122. Ibid., p. 127. 56 These data Suggest that the role of the state is more important than commonly thought and that the influence of the state appears to be growing.95 Reports of financial trends in supporting public instruction in science are given by Helgeson. During the period between 1955 to 1976, the percentage of financial support from Federal and state sources increased while the percentage of support from local sources decreased. There has been a pattern of the adoption of state categorical aid programs following the passage of similar Federal cate- gorical aid programs, but gains for science instruction in the states have not followed this pattern. When Federal funds were withdrawn, programs that supported the teaching of science in the elementary schools were discontinued.96 "Reduced support from the NSF, as well as relatively small amounts of money from the Office of Education, the National Institute of Education, and other Federal agencies, has been the pattern for science education since the late "97 1960's. The report of financial trends concludes with the notion that almost nothing is known about the cost effec- 98 tiveness of science education instruction. In the analyses of needs assessment efforts in the literature, it is not surprising to find that "the greatest single need facing 95 96 Ibid., p. 131. Ibid., p. 140. 98 97lbia. Ibid., p. 144. 57 education is an improved program of financial support."99 Science education is rarely included in state needs assess- ments. Other needs often mentioned in the reports of independent researchers include improved science teacher education, continuing research in science teaching-learning and the communication and application of that research, and the need for equal educational opportunity. Helgeson concludes his report of the status of precollege science educational practices in U.S. schools by saying that although there has been much activity in elementary science education during the twenty-year period studied, there does not seem to be much to show for it in terms of increased interest in or financial support for science.100 In spite of the special assistance programs of funding and curriculum development efforts, “the major objectives in science education have not changed appreciably over the past twenty years."101 There seems to be rather a shift of concern for priorities that does not include science education in elementary schools. The significance of Helgeson's comprehensive review of the literature of science education as it reflects factors, conditions, and patterns relating to elementary science teaching, must figure prominently in developing 99lbid., pp. 192-193. looIbid., p. 193. 101Ibid. 58 any analyses of trends which may be shared by elementary schools in both public and private education. The Case Studies in Science Education The second major aspect of the National Science Foundation evaluation of the status of pre-college science in the United States is the two-volume report of the Case Studies in Science Education by Robert E. Stake and Jack A. Easley, Jr. This collection of field observations of science teaching during 1976-1977 at a sampling of eleven diverse and balanced school district sites incorporated the input of over ninety project associates and workers, required eighteen months to complete, and cost approximately $300,000. Observers worked independently at their sites for from 4 to 15 weeks and submitted case study reports that were preserved intact and compose volume one of the CSSE report. These individual reports were later augmented by cross-site conclusions and "triangulation" (focused representations of individual viewpoints) by members of the University of Illinois team who guided the develOpment of this study.102 The case study approach, which studies "a bounded system, emphasizing the unity and wholeness of that system, 102 Robert E. Stake, Jack O. Easley et a1, Case Studies in Science Education: Volume II Design, Overview and General Fihdings (Urbana, 111.: Center for Instructional Research and Curriculum Evaluation, University of Illinois, 1978), i. 59 but confining the attention to those aspects that are rele- "103 permitted vant to the research problem at the time, wide latitude in the investigating and reporting procedures employed by the observers. The result was an "experience- orientation with issue-based images and meanings forming the "104 conceptual basis for the work. "The data are reported mostly in incident narrative language of the anthropolo- . l . . . gist" 05 and represents a "description of the behaVlor of . . . . . 106 . . sc1ence education in its habitat" in which "greater consideration is given to secondary schools."107 This important study provides a dimension of science education ordinarily not reported in literature digests and survey efforts. As in the study by Helgeson, these CSSE findings are reported selectively from the point of view of the relevant elementary school science teaching practices and concerns that are most applicable to the present study. The following discussion, which includes CSSE vignettes, is meant to be representative of that portion of the Case Study reports dealing with K-6 science that does not pertain to the findings in mathematics or social studies. 103Ibid., Volume II, Chapter C, p. 31. 4 10 Ibid., Volume II, Chapter C, p. 3. 105Ibid., Volume II, Chapter C, p. 17. 106 Ibid., Volume II, Chapter C, p. 22. 107Ibid., Volume II, Chapter C, p. 12. 60 Concerning the science curriculum. The science curriculum, then, may be thought of as a kind of activity, or subset of activities, that takes place in the context of many other kinds of human activitifig comprising the organization known as school. The conclusions of observer Jacquetta Hill-Burnett at "Archopolis" (identification code name for an eastern seaboard city site) are tempered by the realization that in the school setting many factors influence the direction and effectiveness of science instruction. Referring to another site Howard Levine states that "the Urbanville district-wide teaching of science is being squeezed between a perceived need for both the basics and vocational educa- tion." He also believes that "there is absolutely no articulation between the three major grade units K-6, 7—9, 10-12, and very little articulation between classes in a unit."109 A common observation among all site observers was that science has low priority among teachers and admini- strators. Wayne Welch states, "reading and language arts 10 l dominate the curriculum, even at the upper levels." The pecking order of subject matter offerings places Health/ 108Robert E. Stake, Jack A. Easley et a1, Case Studies in Science Education: Volume I The Case Reports (Urbana, Ill.: Center for Instructional Research and Cur- riculum Evaluation, University of Illinois, 1978), 9-12. 109 Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 5, p. 28. 110Ibid., Volume 1, Chapter 5, p. 9. 61 Science fifth in order just ahead of Music and Art. The curriculum also seems to be badly out of tune with both the capabilities of the teachers and the abilities of the students. "Teaching science-as—inquiry through dis- covery, or learning science by doing what scientists do, was not widely practiced in the classroom."111 Another observer states, "every year teachers cover the first . . . 2 . . chapter, 'What is a sc1entlst?'"ll It is quite apparent that science teaching is textbook—bound, as evidenced by this excerpt from an observer's commentary: "(Teacher): 'How do we learn?‘ (Student chorus): 'We learn by lull3 reading. Believing the textbook content to be over- blown and of little help to the less able reader, teachers show their concern through these typical reactions: We can get them (students) to use words like "molecular structure," "models," and "chemical substance" and all those good things, but they just can't handle it. And our new science program emphasizes that in the second grade. I'd say 75% of them won't get the fifth grade universe science material; "wave particle theory"; and "spectroscopic analysis of compounds"; andligontinual motion of bodies in space." Not a chance. So we put these kiddos in large groups so we can have small groups in mathematics and reading and there is absolutely nothing at hand for the slower than average child in science. 15 111 Ibid., Volume I, chapter 9, p. 6. 112Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 10, p. 19. 113Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 9, p. 9. 114Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 1, p. 27. 115 Ibid., Volume I Chapter I, p. 27. ‘ 62 The treatment of science on the 116 level is really nothing more than show and tell. Concerning the frequency of science teaching. The following excerpts from the CSSE reports of observations speak eloquently for themselves. Frankly we don't teach much science. Usually science is taught along with social studies an? is in a unit like "Dinosaurs" or "Transportation."1 7 . . . science takes time. (She teaches) a little 118 science before the school's science fair each year. In the typical teaching schedule, many teachers use the last hour of the day for physical education, science, art, music, and health to be "worked in" during the week. Science is losing the battle . . . it receives very little attention.1 9 Science teaching was infrequent and weak in the elemen- tary schools in both the School gathout Schools Program and the regular school program.1 The science program in the elementary schoolslaf W.C.S.D. (California) is almost non-existent. Dr. Welch expresses the overwhelming concensus of CSSE observers and team members: Probably the most important observation for the purpose of this study at the elementary level is the small amount of science that is being taught. Only an occasional teacher or principal who is interested in the area generates interest that may spread throughout the 116 117 Ibid., Volume 1, Chapter 1, p. 28. Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 5, p. 28. 118 119 Ibid., Volume I. Chapter 5, p. 9. 120 Ibid., Volume 1, Chapter 1, p. 26. Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 8, p. 9. 121 P Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 7, 63 building. Otherwise, one is mos} likely not to see any science at the elementary level. 2 Reasons put forth to account for this apparent lack of science teaching in the elementary schools are legion and complex. The imposition of government regulations regarding the implementation, direction, and evaluation of federally funded compensatory and remedial prOgrams involve time requirements that impact other areas of the curriculum. The effect of "basic" emphases and federal accountability tends to squeeze non-basic and non-federalized prOgrams, such as science. There are also other constraints that tend to reduce the amount of science in the schools. Expectations for teachers to attend parent-teacher meetings, to take an active leadership role in the community, to complete record-keeping duties, to prepare for several sub- ject areas having two or three different levels of student capabilities, and to be an effective disciplinarian leave many teachers with little "left over" to develop creative hands-on science approaches in the classroom. Along with the constraints of governing agencies and the expectations for teacher performance, the oft- recurring theme regarding the physical setting for teaching science is heard. Sometimes the way the building is built or adapted for use by students and teachers presents an unfortunate roadblock to instruction. 122Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 5, p. 9. 64 The new school building is "an architect's dream and a teacher's nightmare."l 3 Open space (contributes to the problem of lack of hands- on activities) . . . concept here is too large for much besides demonstration. 4 Adequate space with attendant security which supports continuing science activities is at a premium in most schools. A teacher reported that materials left over from an experiment in-progress were stolen from a locked storage room, one of many such incidents that frustrated the accomplishment of hands-on approaches and the accumulgg tion of even simple equipment and adequate supplies. While looking for information relating to science teaching practices, a case study worker may become aware of problems that have broader implications for education. Whatever the complaints (about the building), it's an interesting thing about the school that once inside, you lose much sense of what lies outside. It's one of those things that is so obvious to all thI Eeachers that they have longceased to question it. 2 There are, however, occasions when the building is suited precisely to the instructional concept: A primary teacher from Houston suburbs remarked, "Science is the little building where more science got taught than in this whole huge building put together. Our schools are being built too large. Science is not a large group activity." ". . . the little building had more than the fine science aide; if had the right size for small children to do science. 27 123Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 11, p. 2. 124Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 1, p. 26. 125Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 9, p. 23. 126 Ibid., Volume I Chapter 11, p. 2. ‘ 127 Ibid., Volume I Chapter 1, p. 24. ‘ 65 Perhaps even more distressing than the limitations imposed upon the instructional process by the physical structure are those created by lack of organization, neglect, or incom- petence. In many school districts unnecessary barriers to effective teaching in science are created by inefficient systems in which requests for science supplies and equipment are repeatedly back-ordered, mixed up, and delayed. The vexing knowledge that orders placed this year will not reach the classroom teacher until next year has thrown teachers back on their own feckless abilities to scrounge and make-do with scraps and materials furnished with pocket money.128 Generally, teachers subscribe to the notion that . . . . . . . . 129 SC1ence is most deSlrable when it is actiVlty-oriented. For science I still believe in a hands-on approach to learning. Kids can't take a concept and read about it, even if they're interested in it. They need to apply it. Science is most useful if it is something they can apply.l30 When we had fossils in the room, the kids enjoyed them. They examined them, looked them up in booksi fnd talked about them. This is primary science to me. 3 Activity-oriented programs require equipment and supplies in order to be effective. Many schools, however, have negligible budget provisions for these. In rural 128Ibid., Volume 1, Chapter 9, p. 23. 129 Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 1, p. 24. 130 Ibid., Volume 1, Chapter 4, p. 24. 131 Ibid., Volume I Chapter 4, p. 25. s r--. (1.x;.~r"1__._._’ M' 66 "Urbanville," the annual per student expenditure for science equipment and supplies was reported to be $1.25, an amount deemed by the staff of the school district to be woefully inadequate.132 Trends indicate that as science teaching priorities are moved back because of "basics," inflation, and declining enrollments, "the monetary resources (for science) continue to be cut back."133 As a final coup, where activity "kits" are available in the classrooms, "the texts and the concepts in the science kits don't fit."134 The litany of constraints, expectations, physical limitations, and.disparity between theory and practice present a distressing picture of elementary school science teaching as it has been chronicled recently in the CSSE reports. It is encouraging, therefore, to come across certain evidence that science teaching in the elementary school is "alive and well." Rob Walker, reporting on Greater Boston's "Patriot" elementary school, said, "My impression is that the physical plant makes science difficult . . . in spite of the limita- tions, the science program at Patriot is better than average for the rest of the district."135 At "vertex," an urban renewal area in Pennsylvania, Gordon Hoke observed, "All l321bid., Volume I, Chapter 5, p. 15. 1 33Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 5, p. 28. 134Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 1, p. 26. 135Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 11, p. 46. 67 4, 5, 6 grade students attend planetarium showings twice a year."136 A sixth grade teacher, during the Columbus, Ohio School Without Schools Program, met her children for frequent field trips to locations for enrichment experiences having science content.137 Indications of interesting and effective science teaching are to be found, but they are infrequent. What of the help to be rendered by science consul- tants and advisors within the school district? Nearly every school district has someone with the title of science con- sultant who acts in an advisory capacity with elementary teachers. This individual may also have additional subject matter areas in which he advises, or he may have admini- strative responsibilities. "Yet in the district where the services of several Consultants and science advisors are 138 available, these services go unused." Typically, science advisors are not supposed to teach but only to support the classroom teachers. Science advisors report that "many teachers 'feel inept' in this area, a familiar 139 complaint. Stufflebeam and Sanders put the case more strongly in the conclusions reached in their Columbus, Ohio, report; "regular consultant assistance was avaiable to all 136 - Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 10, p. 18. 137Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 8, p. 10. 1 38Ibid., Volume. 1, Chapter 11, p. 47. 139 _ Ibid. 68 elementary teachers but they uniformly resisted it."140 It seems clear that an important part of the science education process is the manner in which the individual teacher can overcome certain critical barriers that limit her effectiveness. Some of these "barriers" mentioned frequently and in different ways in the CSSE reports include the following: (1) lack of adequate science background in basic science as well as the specialized methods for teaching it, (2) lack of interest in the subject, (3) lack of management skills, which inhibits productive employment of hands-on science activities. Although the teacher may Operate under a variety of constraints, expectations of other people, and physical limitations and may struggle with disparate theory and practice, the evidence of real or perceived barriers to instruction may be the most crucial area in the improvement of science education in the elementary schools. Everyone agreed that the most important parts of the learning equation are the teacher and the student. 1 The difference between the science and social studies classes I observed emphasized again that the teacher is the "magic ingredient."l Summarized in the final chapter of the Case Studies in Science Education are the following observations and 140Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 8, p. 9. 141 Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 5, p. 28. 142 Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 11, p. 47. 69 conclusions reached by the team:143 What science education will be for any one child for any one year is most dependent on what that child's teacher believes, knows, and does--and doesn't believe, doesn't know, and doesn't do. For essentially all of the science learned in school, the teacher is the enabler, the inspiration, and the constraint. A child learns a great deal about science out of school. A few children have science hobbies or reading inter- ests, sometimes finding surrogate teachers, so that they gain substantial understanding of science without the school's help. Most children are unable to do that. For most, systematic science learning will occur only if the teacher can cope with the obstacles and is motivated to teach something of the knowledge and inquiry of the scientific disciplines. For other children such learning is unlikely. Decisions as to changing the science curriculum were largely in the hands of teachers--even on major choices they had the primary veto power. They often could not bring about the changes a few would have liked, but they regularly could stop curriculum changes they opposed, either at the district level or in the class- room. They were largely alone in a personal struggle to select and adapt available materials to educate a distressingly reticent student body. The role that teachers play in setting the purpose and quality of the science program was apparent in all our case studies and reaffirmed in our national survey. Almost everyone interviewed wanted a strong science program, but most were quick to add that there were other things that needed bolstering first, things like reading, voca- tional skills, writing ability, and remedial courses. Each of the eleven communities was reported to be "different, complex, interesting, and sometimes the science program . . . was a part of what people were most proud of, or least proud of--but not often . . . there were too many other 143Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 19, pp. 1-2. 70 critical matters."144 Many teachers were busy narrowing down to a "basic skills curriculum": most were teaching pretty much as they always had, on their own, relying on the textbook or workbooks, treating science as something important, but something that could be learned later if not now. Three National Surveys of Science Teaching in the United States Are the findings of private researchers and case workers able to provide an accurate and complete picture of science education in the elementary schools of the United States? It is possible to question the generalizability of the conclusions of researchers who operate under real and self-imposed limitations dealing with selected popula- tions of learners and contrasting dissimilar teaching methodologies, for example. Similarly, broad generaliza- tions developed from a relatively few selected schools observed using a "bounded system" case study approach may have to be qualified by other procedures that use alternative methods. Such corroboration may be found in the employment of survey techniques that can be useful in the determination of the relative frequency and distribution of selected factors and the significance of postulated relationships among those factors. The motivation to provide the most accurate and 144lhid., volume 1, Chapter 19, p. 8. 145Ibid., Volume I, Chapter 19, p. 8. 71 Complete picture of science education in the United States led the National Science Foundation to conduct a thorough literature review, a series of case studies, and a national 146 survey. The literature review and the case studies have been discussed previously. The Report of the 1977 National Survey of Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies Education, is the most recent national study and the first of three such studies to be reviewed in this chapter for relevant. information. The National Science Foundation contracted to Research Triangle Institute (RTI) the project of conducting a survey of science education in the United States. It was accomplished in order to provide an additional measure of evaluating the effectiveness of instruction in the schools. Because the NSF uses the broader distinction "science" to incorporate both mathematics and social studies, the report of the data will be limited to the more traditional use of the term. In addition to the limitation stated, the review will also deal with only those factors that pertain to the significant questions under consideration that were surveyed in grades K-6. The RTI report, supervised by Dr. Iris R. Weiss, includes data from approximately 408 of each K-3 and 4-6 146Panel on School Science Commission on Human Resources. The State of School Science (washington, D.C.: National Research Council, 1979), p. 1. 72 elementary school division.147 Tables reflect the number of principals surveyed to be about 800, with an additional 800 teachers. Questionnaires sought information concerning background data, science curriculum, materials and methods, and in-service activity. More than 150 tables containing descriptive information for characterizing science teaching in elementary schools are given in this 300—page report. A portion of the study was devoted to gathering information regarding the involvement of super-district and state administrative personnel and programs that have an impact upon local school science teaching. The report sum- marizes state guidelines for time to be spent in science instruction, requirements for specific science subjects to be taught, the use of standardized testing in science, the status of science competency programs, the proportion of time spent by state supervisors of science instruction, and dollar expenditures for statewide coordination of science. Finally, it is unusual that the results of this survey, together with the NSF Case Studies and the Liter- ature Review, have been formally reviewed by eight other agencies at the request of the sponsoring organization. Although there may be evidence of overkill, the independent evaluations of this survey tend to identify trends and 147Iris R. Weiss, Report of the 1977 National Survey of Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies Education (Tfiangle Park, N.C.: Center for Educational Research and Evaluation, Research Triangle Institute, March 1978): P. l. 73 reveal unmet needs in the science teaching practices and programs in schools. The 1971 Survey of Science Teaching in Public Schools of the United States During the school year, 1970-1971, a second major national survey of science teaching was conducted by the faculty of Science and Mathematics at The Ohio State Uni— versity and reported in four volumes by ERIC/SMEAC under the direction of Robert W. Howe.148 This project presents collected "bench mark" data on the teaching of science in the public schools of the United States. It was conceived as part of a trend analysis of changes taking place in programs, instruction, facilities, and teacher education. An interesting feature of this study was the organization of data by geOgraphic regions, which permitted inspection of regional variations in science teaching programs. Perhaps the most important concerns of the study dealt with the extent to which the various science curriculum improve- ment projects were being used in the teaching of science. The sample size for the elementary section of the survey was established at 10,000 schools. Random selection of schools was based upon population statistics of student 148Robert w. Howe et al., Science Education Reports: A Survey of Science Teaching in Public Schools of the United States, Volume 4--Elementary Education (Columbus, Ohio: ERIC Information Analysis Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education, 1974), preface. 74 enrollments reported by each state. The random selection of teachers and science classes was accomplished by employing a three-stage sampling design. Each elementary school was represented by data provided by comprehensive questionnaire sets returned by the principal and one teacher of science. Of the 9,711 questionnaire sets mailed to selected elemen- tary schools, 2,675 sets were employed in the analyses procedures, representing about 3.9 percent of public elemen- tary schools in the United States and the District of Columbia. The 1962 Survey of Science Teaching 'in the Elementary Schools In the school year 1961-1962, Paul E. Blackwood undertook the first national survey of science teaching practices in the elementary schools of the United States.149 Acting under the auspices of the Department of Health, Education, and welfare, questionnaires were sent to elementary school principals who were selected from among 34,000 school districts and school enrollment size. Responses were obtained from 1,476 elementary school principals. This initial effort to survey the status of science teaching practices in elementary schools established a baseline of information and concerns that has provided 149Paul E. Blackwood, Science Teaching in the Elementary Schools: A Survey of Practices, Department of Health, Education, and welfare, No. 749 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1965) iii. 75 both a stimulus for research and a background against which changes in practices might be charted. Although each of the three aforementioned national surveys contributes greatly to our knowledge of science education in the elementary schools of the United States, the studies unfortunately are not comparable because they deal with different sample populations, range over at least fifteen years, and employ different instrumentation. Approached cautiously, however, some of the data can be inspected for certain common elements that may provide somewhat of a picture of the changes in science education in the elementary schools over the period from 1960 to 1977. In order to examine informally the nature of changes that may have occurred in science teaching practices, the following arrangement of salient data from the three surveys is presented in tabular and narrative form to accommodate the procedures to be followed in reporting the findings of the present study of science education in Christian elementary schools. Area 1: School Organization for Teaching Science A) Are there guidelines for amount of time to be spent for science instruction? 76 Table 1 Percent of States with Time Guidelines for K-6 Science (weiss, p. 21) N = 49 States Yes No Unknown Nation 27 55 18 N.E. 25 63 13 S. 31 50 19 N.C. 33 33 33 w. 15 77_ 8 Table 2 Dietrict Guidelines for Minimum Minutes Per Day Science (weiss, p. 22) N = 326 districts Grade K 1 2 3 4 5 6 % districts 12 28 29 30 30 32 36 avg. min./day 16 l7 18 20 26 30 34 std. error .7 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.6 1.9 2.0 77 B) What percent of the year is science actually taught? Table 3 Percent of Public Schools Teaching Science More than Half Year (Blackwood, p. 8) N = 1476 schools Grade 1 2 3 4 5 6 % schools 71 76 77 81 84 88 C) Is your school departmentalized for teaching science? Table 4 Percent of Public Schools with Departmentalized Science (Blackwood, p. 48) N = 1476 schools Grade K 1 2 3 4 5 6 % schools .1 2.6 3.8 4.8 12.7 26.3 46.0 Table 5 Percent Schools Having Departmentalized Science (Howe, p. 13) N = 2640 schools All Grades 47% S.D. .5 It will be seen that about 27% of the 49 states reporting had minimum time guidelines for science instruction in grades K-6 and that the average time spent in actual 78 science instruction ranged from 16 to 34 minutes per day for the 326 districts (weiss, 1977). Blackwood (1962) deter- mined that from 71% to 88% of grades in 1476 representative schools had science more than half of the school year. The progression through the grades in the departmentalization of science instruction is to be expected and shows that nearly one-half of 1476 schools surveyed had departmentalized instruction for the sixth grades. Howe (1971) discovered nearly the same thing, but the data are not reported for the separate grade levels. Area 2: ‘School Facilities for Science and Class Enrollment A) In what type of room is science most often taught in your school? Table 6 Percent Use of Specified Room Types for Science (Blackwood, p. 25; weiss, p. 129) Blackwood weiss (% of 1476 schools) (% of 558 classrooms) Grades 1-3 4-6 K-3 4-6 regular class- 87.8 80.1 .-38 34 room with no special faci- lities regular class- 9.4 15.9 54 54 room with special features a special room 2.7 3.9 0 9 or lab (or other) 79 B) what is the average number of students in science classes? Blackwood (1962) reported a range of from 24 to 31 pupils in schools of varying total enrollments, with an average of between 26 to 27 pupils. (Rural schools had much lower averages in science classes.) Howe (1971) found a 25 to l pupil-teacher ratio, whereas Weiss (1977) gave the following breakdown: Table 7 Average Class Size for Science (Weiss, p. 67) N = 1476 schools Grades Class Size Std. Error K-3 23.5 .36 4-6 26.6 .65 Over the past fifteen years it appears that the number of pupils enrolled in science classes has remained fairly constant when expressed as a national average, but the science room seems to have changed in terms of the addition of special features for teaching science. The availability and use of special rooms for this purpose has doubled. Area 3: Science Textual and Curriculum Resources A) What is the status regarding the adoption of science textbook series? 80 AmvxooanOB moosaosfl t em ma «Ne m.m~ m.m~ urooouxou whoa no 039 pm me rmm o.ee m.mm oouooeo roohuxmp moo ea em poeeeomum poo m.e e.ea morocco roonuxop oz one one one one mud umopuo amputee emm no r momupao oemm no r mmmmmmm eeee-uo m mm .m .mmflm3 ma .m .ozom we .m .UOOSMOCHm moanocme woodwom cw mxooouxme mo mm: was m OHQMB B) What is the most commonly used science textbook? Table 9 The Most Commonly Used Science Textbooks (weiss, p. B-44) 81 Percent of Classes Concepts in Science (Brandwein) Science: Understanding Your Environment (Mallinson) New Laidlaw Science Program (Smith) Heath Science Series (Schneider) Science Curriculum Improvement Study: Life Science Modern Elementary Science (Fischler) Science: A Process Approach (SAPA) Science Curriculum Improvement Study: Physical K-3 12 4-6 16 10 82 C) What is the frequency of use in the science curriculum improvement projects? Table 10 Percent of Use of Science Curriculum Improvement Projects Grade ESS SAPA SCIS Number Howe K-6 8 l4 5 2675 weiss K-3 5 4 11 287 weiss 4-6 9 9 12 271 Schools and teachers appear to be using one science textbook series in their teaching. The frequency of use of the eight most reported science textbooks accounts for only 38% of K-3 classes and 46% of 4-6 classes. Perhaps science is not taught in some of those classes or a variety of textbook series totaling less than two percent each in frequency of use are being employed in science instruction. There is also some disparity between the reported data for SCIS text use (four percent Life Science plus two percent Physical Science) seen in Table 9 when compared to the stated use of the SCIS program (11% plus 12% seen in Table 10 (Weiss). D) How are selected science-related topics handled in the curriculum? Table 11 Percent of Schools that Teach Health in Various Ways (Blackwood, p. 60) 83 1-3 4-6 Taught as a separate subject 37.7 45.3 Taught with science 24.5 27.9 Taught with physical education 4.4 4.1 Integrated with all subjects 26.5 14.8 Other .3 .3 Combination 6.6 7.7 Table 12 Percent of Schools that Teach Conservation Education in Various ways (Blackwood, p. 1-3 4-6 Taught as a separate subject .9 1.8 Taught with science 26.9 27.8 Taught with social studies 18.4 19.1 Integrated with all subjects 47.4 42.7 Other .6 .3 Combination 6.2 8.3 84 Table 13 Percent of Schools Including Selected Topics in Grades K-6 (Howe, p. 15) 2 = Yes, 1 = No Mean S.D. N Environment/conservation 1.83 .37 2535 Drug abuse education 1.80 .40 2552 Health education .42 .49 2610 Table 14 Percent of Science Classes Treating Metric Concepts (weiss, p. 119) K-3 4-6 Not used in classes 42 31 Used in classes 49 65 Missing 9 4 It appears that health education has claimed a substantial role in the curriculum of the elementary schools, having been taught both as a part of science and as a separate subject. Teachers report that both health topics and conservation education have been integrated, presumably with social studies or language arts. The data reported in Howe's study seem to suggest that the topic of "health" had been subsumed by an emphasis upon drug abuse education. 85 Finally, it is interesting to note the increase in emphasis upon the use of metric concepts (weiss) when few references indicating their widespread adoption are given in the literature prior to 1965. Area 4: Supplies and Equipment for Teaching Science A) What is the extent to which supplies and equipment are available? Table 15 Percent of Schools by Availability of Supplies and Equipment All Grades, All Schools (Blackwood, p. 75) Very Plentiful 7.8 Generally adequate 46.0 Far from adequate 35.4 Completely lacking 10.8 Table 16 86 Availability of Supplies and Equipment (Howe, p. 14)* Supplies Equipment 1-3 4-6 1-3 4-6 Mean 2.55 2.58 2.53 2.54 S.D. .54 .51 .54 .52 N = schools 2433 2444 2359 2383 *3 = adequate, 2 = inadequate, l = lacking Table 17 Adequacy of Supplies and Equipment (Howe, p. 14)* Supplies Equipment 1-6 1-6 Mean 2.49 2.48 S.D. .60 .59 N = teachers 2639 2623 *3 = adequate, 2 = inadequate, l = lacking It can be seen that supplies and equipment are generally rated adequate to somewhat less than adequate, and that this pattern had been reported in 1961 and again in 1972. Howe's study revealed little difference between the assessments of the administrators and the teachers 87 (availability vs. adequacy) regarding these factors. It is surprising that the RTI study conducted by weiss did not deal with the appraisal of supplies and equipment in the schools surveyed. B) How much money is spent for supplies and equipment for science? Table 18 Percent Annual Per Pupil Outlay for Science Supplies/Equipment (Blackwood, p. 26) Cents % schools 0 to 20 40.1 21 to 40 9.4 41 to 60 11.7 61 to 80 10.6 81 to 100 4.6 101 to 125 4.6 126 to 150 3.4 151 and over 15.6 88 Table 19 Percent of Frequency of Schools with Budget for Supplies/Equipment (Howe, p. 14) Yes = 2, N0 = l Supplies Equipment Mean 1.59 1.52 S.D. .49 .50‘ N 2555 2596 Table 20 Percent of Schools with Budgets for Science Supplies and Equipment and Average Amount of these Budgets Per Pupil (Weiss, p. 126) Sample N % schools Average $ Std. error Supplies 155 20 1.56 .15 Equipment 107 16 3.05 .31 Blackwood reported that in the 1961 survey, 60% of schools spent less than $.60 per pupil annually for supplies and equipment for science instruction. Howe claimed that just under 60% of schools had a budget for science supplies and equipment. In the most recent study by Weiss, only one fifth of schools had a supplies budget, and fewer schools reported a budget for science equipment. Dollar amounts for both of these categories had increased substantially 89 over the fifteen-year period between the Blackwood study and the Weiss report. Serious questions can be rasied, however, concerning the adequacy of the budgeted monies for supplies and equipment in view of science educators' priorities for hands-on inquiry learning and the inflationary dollar erosion. Area 5: Availability and Frequengy of Use of Methods and Tools for Teaching Science A) What is the frequency of the most often employed teaching methods? Table 21 Science Teaching Methods Ranked (Blackwood, p. 20; Howe, p. 18; Weiss, p. 60) Blackwood Howe weiss Lecture/discussion l 1 1 Science demonstrations 3 2 2 Projected visuals 2 3 3 Group lab work 4 4 4 Individual written work not given 5 5 Table 22 Learning Activities Used Most Often (Howe , p . 18) 90 4 = most often to 0 = not used Mean S.D. N Science demonstration 2.05 1.30 2464 In-class written work .90 1.06 2347 Individual lab activity .88 1.24 2291 Group lab activity 1.41 1.46 2392 Independent study 1.13 1.22 2350 Projected films 1.45 1.17 2455 Lecture/discussion 2.72 1.53 2500 Excursions/field trips .65 .88 2290 Programmed instruction .27 .77 2136 91 mmHHu w mH o o o H m OH mm mm «m mm UHmHm \mconusoxm .. :oHuoshumsH a ma H H m m m m MH 4 ms ms omasmumoum xHOB pmNHHm w «H MH m mm NH mm om mH «H b em IDUH>H©CH m vH HH h mm om mm mm mH mH MH HH mm>Hu IoHschmE \xno3 nmq :oHu m NH m MH mm mm hm om mH mH m m Imuumqoamo m OH mm mm mm mm v OH H m H H :onmsomHo m HH mm mH mv mm m NH m m NH mm musuomq one MIM one mum one mum one MIM one mum mlw mum mchmHz >HHM© .x3\moco .oE\oo:o .oa\ooso Ho>oz usonm umsb ammoH ad ummmH pd can» mmma HHw .omlm .mm .mmHmzv mommmHo w “mmsvHanome manomoe mo mm: mo woumzvmum mm mHQmE 92 It may be seen overall, from Tables 21, 22, and 23, that the preferences for teaching methods in science classes have seemed to change little between 1961 and 1977. Blackwood's use of the categories "used very often, used occasionally, and used rarely or never" (see page 5 of his questionnaire), without qualifying referents, seems to lack precision. The study by Weiss suggests that more science is being taught in the upper elementary science classrooms Gapersistent.finding), as revealed in Table 23. Frequency data here must be tempered by remembering that a-fairly large proportion of teachers do not teach science on a "just-about-daily" basis. When Andrew examined the teaching schedules of New Hampshire elementary teachers, he found a decrease in patterns of from two to five times per week for science to only once per week. A concern that is a corollary of teaching methodology is the manner in which students are grouped for the instructional procedures. Weiss reported the following: Table 24 Average Percent of Time Spent in Various Instructional Modes (weiss, p. 111) K-3 4-6 Entire class 52 52 Small groups 18 18 Individuals 30 30 N = 272 262 93 m oH m H v H n o HN NH mm mm sonH>oHou UHSOHHO ommoHo N NH o o o m mH NH NH OH om om conH>meu osmocmum o NH «H o oN HH mm No o m NH oN uouowfloum owonum>o o NH 4 m N HH mN NN ON NH om Hm monoomm N NH H N NH m mN oH NH oH Hm oo momma m 4H H H m o mm mN NN mH mN oo mmoHHm m OH «H NH Ho oN Hm mm N HH m N mmHuomsHHm m HH oH NH mo Hm mN HN N NH m N msHHo musuon coHuoz one one ono mnx ono mnx ono mnx one mnx ono mnx mchmHz .x3\mo:o .OE\oo:o .OE\oo:o .HHo>mss onHsvoH ummmH no ammoH pa :mnu mmmq omommz Ame .Nhnm .m .mmHozv mommmHo mo m >9 mHmHHoumz >4 msoHHm> mo mm: mo wososvoum mN GHQMB 94 m mH m: m: m: m: mm mm mN oN m 5N mHoooz N «H as a: a: mm mm NN NN HN o S mmmoom nOHOHz onv mnM onv mnM onv mnm one mnx onv mnx onv mnm msHmez .x3\mo:o .oE\ooco .oE\oo:o .HHm>mc5 pouHsva ummmH u< unmoH b< smnu mmoH pooooz uoz lowscHucooc oN mHnme B) 95 What is the availability and frequency of use of selected audio-visual tools? Information recorded in Table 25 can be summarized in the following generalizations: l. 2. Films and filmstrips are the most frequently required audio-visual materials K-6. Models and microscopes are more often required in grades 4-6. Other than the items mentioned in the above state- ments, about 35 to 50 percent of classes K-6 report that their texts or science curriculum guidelines neither incorporate nor require the use of such aids as slides, tapes, records, or television. As a corollary to the above, of those 50 to 65% of classes where such aids are required, they are not available at least 10% of the time. In terms of frequency of use, it appears that films, filmstrips, and overhead projectuals are clearly front-runners followed by tapes. Considered with Table 24, the favorite audio-visual methods and materials are employed with the greatest frequency in entire-class instructional modes. Area 6: Characteristics of Instructional and Resources Personnel for Teaching Science A) What is the average number of years of teaching experience for K-6 teachers? 96 Table 26 Average Number of Years Teaching Experiences for Teachers (Howe, p. 16; weiss, p. 138) Grades Years S.D. ' Number Howe K-6 9.96 8.24 2657 weiss K-3 10.4 .38 287 weiss 4-6 10.5 .48 271 B) What percent of elementary teachers are male? Table 27 Percent of Elementary Science Teachers by Sex (Howe, p. 16; weiss, p. 141) Grades % male % female Number Howe K-6 34 66 2659 Weiss K-3 2 98 287 weiss 4-6 33 67 271 C) What percent of elementary science teachers hold advanced degrees? 97 Table 28 Percent of Elementary Science Teachers with Advanced Degrees (Howe, p. 16; weiss, p. 139) Grades Percent Number Howe K-6 27 2661 Weiss K-3 28 287 Weiss 4-6 30 271 D) How many hours of college science and science teaching methods do elementary teachers have? Table 29 Total Hours of College Science & Science Teaching Methods for Teachers of Grades K-6 (Howe, p. 16) College Science Science Teaching Methods Mean S.D. Number Mean S.D. Number 17.25 15.78 2507 3.62 4.47 2507 E) To what extent is science consultant help available to elementary teachers? 98 m. conH>mHop mch: muosomou EooummMHo HmHsmom o.H mommMHo omgmsoxm “mucoummeoo HMHoomm squ muonomop EooummMHo H. monmo HoHucoo Eoum muonomop mocoHom HmHoomm N.m mmmum Hoonom so mnosomou mocoHom HmHoomm m.o umHHMHoomm oOHmmo Hmuucmo Eonm mHon an3 mnosomou EooummMHU b.m umHHMHoomm moaoHom mmmum Scum mHos :pHB muosommu EooummMHU o.Hm umHHmHoomm mnmusmEoHo Eoum mHon 0a nuHB muonomou EooummMHu mHoocom w ANm .m .Uoo3x00Hmv chmHom cw>HO an unmade mH moamHom :UHSZ :H mHoonom mo ucoouom om mHnme 99 Table 31 Availability of Consultant or Supervisory Help in Science (Howe, p. 14) Yes = 2, No = l Mean S.D. Number teachers 1.60 .49 2629 Table 32 Degree of Difficulty Posed by Lack of Consultant Help for Science (Howe, p. 17)* Mean S.D. Number teachers 1.91 .77 2605 *Great difficulty = 3, some difficulty = 2 no difficulty = 1 Table 33 Percent of Elementary Science Teachers Who Attended at Least One NSF WOrkshOp (Howe, p. 15; weiss, p. 69) Grades Percent Number Howe K-6 14 2675 weiss K-3 2 287 Weiss 4-6 12 271 100 The character of the instructional personnel in elementary science teaching includes the fact that females taught most of the science in grades K—3 and outnumbered male teachers 2 to l in grades 4-6. Teachers of elementary science were, on the average, about midway in their eleventh year of teaching experience, and about one in three had an advanced degree. Howe discovered that the average elementary science teacher had completed about 17 hours of science and about 3+ hours of science methods. (Howe's data do not seem to specify. whether these hours were quarter hours or semester hours; both types of information were requested in the questionnaires.) Blackwood found that over 80 percent of teachers were teaching science without the help of a science specialist. Howe determined that such help was available about 60 percent of the time and that the lack of consultant help for science teaching posed "some difficulty." In view of the preceding findings in the case studies and the findings of independent researchers, it appears that teachers had available more consultant help than they had been using. Support for this notion seems to be contributed by both Howe and weiss, who report that teacher attendance at NSF sponsored science workshops was under 15 percent. Area 7: Teacher Attitudes Toward Science Teaching and Perceived Barriers to Effectiveness A) To what extent do teachers seem to be satisfied with teaching science? 101 Table 34 Teacher Satisfaction with Teaching Science (Howe, p. l8)* Mean S.D. Number 3.64 1.09 2622 *5=very satisfied; 1=very dissatisfied B) What are the most frequently mentioned barriers to science teaching? Table 35 Ranking of Selected Barriers to Science Teaching (Blackwood, p. 28; Howe, p. 17; weiss, p. B-127) Blackwood Howe (2618 teachers) Room facilities Supplies Lack of funds Size of class enrollment Amount of time to teach science Amount of time to prepare Knowledge of science Knowledge of science methods Lack of in-service Opportunities Lack of consultant assistance 1 4 (558 teachers) 102 When teachers and administrators were provided Opportunity to respond to a list of specific problem areas in science teaching, many of the same factors were identified as barriers to effectiveness. Room facilities and supplies/ equipment are related to the perceived lack of funds for science instruction. A secondary concern for teachers regards the availability and articulation of specialized assistance in teaching science. Teachers and administrators seem to recognize the need for better training and in- service programs, but other priorities seem to be operating to limit science teaching efforts. Such reduc- tion in science teaching priority is not often ranked among the top ten barriers to effective science teaching. Under the circumstances, it may be somewhat easier to understand why teachers report that they are at least 'content with the status of their efforts to teach science in the elementary schools. Conclusion The review of the findings of independent researchers, case study reporters, and national survey data seems to portray a fairly consistent picture of trends in elementary science education since 1955. 1. The period is unequaled in the history of elemen- tary science teaching in research activity, financial support from a variety of governmental and private sources, and in the production of specialized curriculum and instructional materials. 10. 103 Teachers of science average over ten years of experience, have about an average basic science background and minimal instruction in science teaching methodology; one in three teachers has an advanced degree, and about one third of teachers are males who teach mainly in grades, four, five, or Six. Little data exists regarding the cost-effectiveness of science instruction practices. The most frequently cited barriers to effective science teaching are a. lack of dollar support for adequate facilities, supplies, and equipment, b. inadequate programs of in-service and consultant assistance in science, c. inadequate pre-service preparation in basic science and methods. The primary conclusion of the CSSE Reports reaffirmed in the NRC evaluation is that "the teacher is the key." There have been increases in a. the number of special purpose rooms for science, b. the teaching of metric concepts, c. the per capita spending for supplies and equipment, d. the use of readily available projectual media. There have been decreases in a. class size affecting pupil-teacher ratios, b. overall support for elementary science at Federal and state levels. There have been increases followed by decreases in a. student enrollment figures, b. the amount of time spent in science instruction in the classroom, c. the employment of NSF-developed programs and in-service attendance. There have been changes in priorities for science at all levels, which tend to embrace an emphasis upon non-science "basics." There are factors which apparently have remained unchan ed throughout the period, such as a. the teacher's dependence upon a single textbook, b. the employment of preferred teaching methods 104 such as reading, lecture-discussion, and written work whose outcome seems to be the acquisition of information. In spite of the apparent declines, elementary science has attained a respected position in the curriculum. Beginning with religious philosophies and the teaching of God's natural revelation to man, science teaching in the lower schools has undergone changes that at various times have emphasized moralizing, object teaching, sensory perception, nature study, rote memoriza- tion of content, and the development of conceptual schemes, process skills, and inquiry learning. Over the past thirty years, as the number of Christian schools has grown from about two hundred to more than ten thousand schools, many Christian school educators have deemed the subject matter of science to be especially critical in its curriculum development efforts. The belief that the increasing abrogation of its capabilities to meet its educational objectives through the traditional tax- supported school system has created among the Christian school leadership a demand for sufficient high-quality instructional materials for elementary science, and properly trained teachers to use them. In the absence of adequate data to assist decision makers in this curriculum development task, the writer has sought to organize the findings of science education researchers, historians, and Christian school leaders in 105 order to develop a strategy for assembling a data base for appraising the science teaching practices of elementary Christian schools in the United States. Chapter 3 DESIGN, METHODOLOGY, AND PROCEDURES Introduction In the preceding chapter, the character of the Christian school movement was described and its rapid growth explained. A brief account of the development of science teaching in America was given,and the initial affinity of science teaching content with early religious instruction was noted. Finally, the changes in patterns of instructional practices for elementary science for the twenty-five year period from 1955 were examined in detail. In this chapter are described the various procedures employed in the accumulation of a data base of information concerning the science teaching practices in selected elementary Christian schools in the United States. Selection of Survey Methodology Survey methodology was adapted for accumulating the necessary information primarily because it seems to offer a compact, cost-efficient means for obtaining a large amount of data. The substantive nature of the three national surveys reviewed and discussed in Chapter Two pro- vide sufficient precedent for the application of tested procedures and offer the possibility of certain, though 106 107 limited, parallelism. The Target Population The size of the target population, elementary Christian schools of the United States, has been estimated by leaders in the few national organizations of Christian 1 The normal schools to be at least ten thousand schools. reporting procedures employed by state and Federal agencies for providing school population statistics do not include the non-denominational, separatist, and independent Christian schools that are the focus of this study. Statistical information which may include some of these schools is often reported as "other." One of the primary tasks, therefore, of this survey is to set out the param- eters of the target pOpulation. One of the characteristics of the elementary Christian schools studied is that they have been established as an outgrowth of a local church ministry where the desire of parents is to reinforce the teachings of the home and the church through the regular instruction of a distinc- tively Christian day school. The affirmation of certain of these basic tenets is an important criterion in the deter- mination of the philosophical guidelines regulating the direction of the curriculum in these schools. Accordingly, lDick Minger, prod., "Fundamentalist Christian Schools," Donahue, host Phil Donahue, NBC, Oct. 1981. 108 the following statement, adapted from Bell, et a1, has been prepared for use in screening the survey returns so as to represent the target population most accurately. we recognize that God created man in His own image, that this image was marred through disobedience to his Creator, and that God provided for the restoration of His image in man through the Person and the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. We affirm that the scriptures are inspired and inerrent and provide the only dependable direction for establishing relationships between God and man and among men on the Earth. we believe that the Christian School is an extension of the Christian educational ministries of the home and church, and that its purpose is the development of the student in the image of God. The target population, then, is that group of Christian school personnel who are able to subscribe to the statement above and whose schools have a strong relationship to the local church ministry. The Selection of Questionnaire Recipients An examination of the methodology employed in the three national surveys reviewed in Chapter Two indicated that the most cogent statements concerning the nature of the instructional practicesenuipreferenCes had involved both the administrators and the teachers. In addition, other considerations seem to have required input from both the principals and the teachers. The first of these considerations is that the principal is best qualified to 2Robert D. Bell, et al., The Christian Philosophy of Education (Greenville, S. C.: Bob Jones University Press, 1978), pp. 1-11. 109 provide background information and summary data regarding the science program for the entire school. Second, it would seem to be unproductive to attempt an independent survey of teachers without the cooperation and assistance of the chief administrator of the.school. Third, there are apparent differences between the instructional procedures for science in grades one to three and those of grades four to six. These are mainly differences in the extent of departmentalization, the amount of time allocated for science, and the preparation of the teacher for science teaching. It was decided, therefore, to prepare two different questionnaire forms: one for the administrator and one for teachers. In this way, general information as well as specific details concerning teaching practices and preferences could be assayed and data could be cross- checked. The results would be greater accuracy and balance in reporting. The Rationale for the Selection of the Questions for the Principal's Questionnaire It is suggested that the reader refer to the principal's questionnaire before proceeding with the rationale for the selection of each of the questions. I. Check all positions of person completing this form: Principal_, Sup't.__, Pastor__, other 110 CHRISTIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE CURRICULUM QUESTIONNAIRE (Principal's Form) GENERAL INFORMATION 2. Check one of the following that best describes how your school is organized: a) It is part of the ministry of one local church. b) It is an association of Believers who represent more than one local church. c) It is one of a group of similar schools in a denominational association. d) It is not church-related. Please describe: 3. Please examine the following statement. If it seems to describe the maior purpose of your school, mark "yes." Mark "no" if it does not, and modify the statement to express the school's maior purpose more accurately: "We recognize that God created man in His own image, that this image was marred through disobedience to his Creator, and that God has provided for the restoration of His image in man through the Person and the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. We affirm that the scriptures are inspired and inerrent and provide the only dependable direction for establishing relationships between God and man and among men on the Earth. We believe that the Christian School is an extension of the Christian educational ministries of the home and church, and that its pur- pose is the development of the student in the image of God." Yes , No_. (Comment below) Including this year, how many years has your school been in operation? . Please specify the enrollment for each of the following grades for September, I980: How many students total in grades K , I , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 Please give your best estimate of the following: a) How many other Christian Schools are there within a IO-mile radius of your school? . b) How many miles from your school is a public science facility such as a museum or planetarium :? . 7. What is the approximate population of the city in your school's address? Please circle one of the following: under I,000 I,000 to 5,000 5,000 to 25,000 25,000 to 50,000 50,000 to I00,000 over I00,000. SCHOOL ORGANIZATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE . For what part of the school year and how days per week is science taught in each grade? is not t at all t half or less more than half no. of . Is there a recommended or stipulated number of minutes per week for science instruction in each grade? No , yes_; if "yes", please indicate for each grade the number of minutes per week: K , l , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 . Is your school in grades K - 6 departmentalized for teaching science at any grade level? No_, yes_. (For this study, departmentalized should be interpreted to mean that students have a special science teacher at scheduled times during the week.) If "yes", circle the grades for which science is departmentalized: KIZ3456 (Please continue on the back of this paper.) lll INSTRUCTIONAL PERS ON NE L II. What is the total number of classroom teachers of grades K-6 in your school? (full time_+ part time_)= I2. How many of the total teachers counted in the above question actually teach science? . I3. Describe the professional science teaching preparation of the teachers referred to in question I2 above. How many teachers would you place in each of the following categories; superior , good , fair , poor , no professional preparation to teach science . I4. Is there someone who is recognized as a science consultant who assists your teachers in science? No , yes . If "yes", is this person . . . a) a regular teacher of grades K, I,2,3, 4,5, or 6 assisting on a formal basT? — (check one response) b) a regular teacher of grades 7,8,9, IO, I I, or 12 assisting on a formal basis?_—- c) a regular teacher within grades K-6 assisting on an informal basis?_ — d) a principal, supervisor, or some other administrator? e) someone from outside your school organization ?_ SCIENCE TEACHING RESOURCES AND MATERIALS 15. What is the status regarding the adoption of science textbook series? each level. is no science science wo or more science 0 is series are C I6. What is the title and publisher of science textbook series, if checked above? I7. In what type of room is science most often taught in your school? A c with no lities for A c usi or A c c wi ' ities science room to science c e 18. To what extent are supplies and equipment for science demonstrations and activities available in your school? SUPPLIES: are defined as perishable or easily breakable materials needing frequent replacement, such as glassware, chemicals, electric bulbs, batteries, and wire. EQUIPMENT: is defined as non-consumable, non-perishable items, such as microscopes, aquariums, and tools. lack MENT I ME 4 5 I9. Give your best estimate of total dollars to be spent for science supplies and equipment this school year. 5 20. Please answer the following question from the viewpoint of an administrator: "With the exception of 'more money', what would be the most acceptable and most effective means for improv- ing the quality of science teaching in the Christian Elementary School?" End of questionnaire. Please return all three forms in mailer furnished. THANK YOU for your help! 112 The first seven questions deal with general infor- mation about the school. (P - l) The first question intends to determine whether the school administrator is engaged in other major responsibili- ties in the organization. (P - 2) The second question requests information con- cerning the school's relationship to its regulating body. If the school is not related to a local church body or if it is part of a denominational association, it would not meet the criteria established for the universe under con- sideration in the present study. (See Target Population, p. 107.) (P - 3) The third item relates to the statement of purpose for the Christian school. Responses to this doctrinal declaration reveal the extent of the distinctive Christian philoSOphical basis that may be found among Christian school organizations. As stated previously, the declara- tion is adapted from the Bob Jones publication, The Christian Philosophy of Education, and addresses these major tenets: the special creation of man, the Fall of man, the Deity of Christ, the inspiration and inerrency of the original scriptures, and the efficacy and depend- ability of the application of scriptural Truth in ordering the lives and activities of mankind. In addition, the declaration is consistent with Biblical principles when it 113 states that the work of the school is not to be viewed in isolation but rather as an extension of the teachings and practices of the home and the local group of believers. Considered together, P - 2 and P - 3 provide a means for determining that the respondent schools represent a group of Christian schools whose beliefs, purposes, and authority for organization appear to be similar. (P — 4) The fourth question uses the phrase "years of school operation" as a means to determine the duration or stability of the educational program in the Christian schools sampled. Responses to this question may provide information about changes taking place in the character of curriculum and instructional practices as schools develop and their personnel gain experience. (P - 5) The fifth question requests the total enrollment by grade levels K-6 in order to derive more accurate enroll- ment figures for the Christian school movement than seem to be available currently. (P - 6) Question 6a requests information concerning the proximity of other Christian schools. The motivation for this question arises from the consideration of the feasibility of an itinerant group providing in-service science workshops and consultation in areas where there may be several schools. Question 6b requests the esti- mated mileage to a public science facility such as a 114 museum or planetarium in order to discover whether the development of study units employing readily accessible science facilities may be profitably pursued. The prece- dent for this notion comes from the Stake Case Studies, where students and teachers were reported to have made use of the science lectures, demonstrations, and experiences provided by local museums and planetariums. The provision of these types of services and the occasion for incorporat- ing them into the science curriculum would be particularly advantageous if it should be found that the Christian school science budget is limited. (P - 7) The seventh question intends to determine if the Christian school phenomenon is an artifact of the problems of the large city or if Christian schools are found with equal frequency among all population levels. One would also be looking for relationships between school enroll- ments and the population potential for providing students to attend the schools. Population categories are standard designations employed on regular travel maps and offer a readily usable resource for locating smaller communities not recorded in ordinary pOpulation tables. Questions 8, 9, and 10 deal with the school organization for teaching science. (P - 8) It is recognized that science may not be taught for a full year in many schools where it may alternate 115 with other subjects such as health, music, or art. Accordingly, question 8 requested two types of information: the science teaching pattern for the school and the number of science teaching days per week. Provision also is made to indicate that science is not taught at all for particular grade levels. (P - 9) To sample the frequency of use of particular curriculum guidelines regarding the recommended number of minutes for science teaching per week, question 9 requested information by grade levels. Such requirements are found as state requirements, but a question arises about the extent to which these guidelines can be discovered for Christian school science programs. (P - 10) Departmentalization for science, which often involves the exchange of subject area classes among two or more teachers, is a recognized characteristic of science programs having greater emphasis upon laboratory approaches and is more often found in upper elementary classes. Question 10 seeks the extent to which this public school practice may be found in Christian schools. Questions 11 through 14 request information concerning the instructional personnel. (P - 11) Question 11 requests data for total teachers K-6, full time and part time, to assist the researcher in determining the teacher-pupil ratio. Considered with the 116 enrollment figures from P - 5, this information should give a picture of single and combination grade practices. (P - 12) Question 12 narrows the response given in question 11 to include only teachers of science. Comparisons of responses to questions 8, 10, 11, and 12 would provide evidence for categorizing teaching practices as self- contained, team-teaching, or Open. (P - 13) The administrator is requested in this item to appraise his teachers' professional preparation to teach science. Categories are superior, good, fair, poor, and no professional preparation to teach science. (P - 14) The presence of someone who is a recognized "stimulant" or who may direct the activities of teachers in teaching science, can be a helpful adjunct to effective science programs. Question 14 directs the administrator to indicate whether the individual is a regular member of the faculty, assists on a formal or informal basis, and may have elementary or secondary orientation. Responses to this question can be expected to relate to potential lines of communication to be explored in in-service efforts. Questions 15 through 20 address practices and conditions in science teaching resources and materials commonly associated with science prOgrams in elementary schools. (P - 15) Question 15 requests information about the 117 practice of science textbook adoption for each grade in the school. Data are sought for single, multiple, as well as non-textbook approaches to science teaching. (P 1 l6) Textbook series identified in the above question are to be specified by title and publisher in P - 16. Since the precedent is that the textbook is a controlling factor in the science curriculum, responses to this question would reveal the particular content, philosophy, and methodology being employed in the schools. (P - 17) In the development of activities for science to be carried out by the teacher and the students, it is necessary to know the extent to which specialized facilities for science teaching in the elementary schools are avail- able. If it may be concluded that most science teaching is done in the regular classroom, that finding would seem to provoke curriculum development emphasis upon simplified activities. (P - 18) Taken in the context of the apparent differences between the primary and intermediate grade level approaches, data is requested for the availability and quality of supplies and equipment for grades 1, 2, and 3, as well as for grades 4, 5, and 6. The administrator is asked to give his appraisal of this component of science teaching resources on a school-wide basis. The information provided by responses to this item, and to P - 17 (room type for 118 for science), should be helpful in the determination of major conditions regulating the potential for science cur- riculum.development. The writer's experience suggests that the conditions for teaching science regarding room type, supplies, and equipment are less adequate in the Christian schools than in public elementary schools overall. (P - l9) Corroboration for the above concern is sought in the request for a dollar estimate of current school year expenditures for science supplies and equipment. (P - 20) It was deemed most expedient to place this free response item at the end of the Principal‘s Questionnaire. It is a request for his opinion concerning the most accept- able and most effective means for improving the quality of science teaching in the Christian elementary school with the exception of "more money." Responses given here may give direction for addressing certain needs in teacher prepara- tion, in-service efforts, awareness emphases, and the occasion for dialogue relating to priorities in Christian education. The reader may wish to refer to Chart C-l located in Appendix C to ascertain the major sources for the selection and incorporation of the various items appearing on the Principal's Questionnaire. Where several sources are given, it can be seen that several researchers have considered the particular questions relevant to the science education survey task. Some items in this survey of Christian schools are unique to this study. 119 CHRISTIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE CURRICULUM QUESTIONNAIRE (Teacher's Form) BACKGROUND INFORMATION . Counting this year, how many years have you been teaching ?_ 2. Basis now employed: full__, part time_. . Circle highest degree status held: non-degree, BA/BS, MA/ MS, other: 4. Sex: female_, male___. , Number of semester hours or quarter hours of college science and science teaching methods taken. Did you graduate from a Christian College or University? No_, yes_: school name . State certification held? No_, yes_: for what state(s)? . Christian school certification held? No_, yes_: in what organization(s)? . . For each science class you teach this term. . . . . IO. What is your science teaching schedule this term? Record the grade level in each box appropriate: enro U85 minutes TEACHING MATERIALS Please give the following information about the main science textbook used by students in your cIass(es): title publisher date published for what Ede level? To what extent are supplies and equipment for science demonstrations and activities available in your school? SUPPLIES: are defined as perishable or easily breakable materials needing frequent replacement, such as glassware, chemicals, electric bulbs, batteries, and wire. EQUIPMENT: is defined as non-consumable, non-perishable items, such as microscopes, aquaria, and tools. [Empletely lacking inadequate adeagate cod velgood SUPPLIES EQUIPMENT I I3- During this academic year, about what proportion of science instruction will students handle materials such as I4. 15.- seeds, leaves, batteries, rocks, and magnets? Check the most accurate percent of annual instructional time: 0% 25% or less 25% to 50% 50% to 75% more than 75% . SELECTED TOPICS TAUGHT IN SCIENCE CURRICULA After each of the topics listed below, please write in one of the following code numbers: I = The topic is included in the science you teach. 2 = The topic is taught as a part of some other subiect to your class, e.g., math, Bible, gym, or current events 3 = The topic is taught as a part of another grade level by someone else. 4 = The topic is not included in the curriculum of your elementary school. HEALTH , SCIENCE CAREERS , CREATION/EVOLUTION , OUTDOOR EDUCATION , CONSERVATION/POLLUTION , SAFETY , DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION , METRIC SYSTEM Within the past five years, have you participated in a) curriculum conferences, b) in-service training activities, or c) workshops whose primary purpose was to assist elementary classroom teachers in improving their science teach- ing capabilities? No , yes . (Please continue on the back of this paper.) 120 SCIENCE TEACHING METHODS 8. EQUIPMENT 16. Please check the teaching tools that are available for your use and indicate how much you use each kind of tool in teachi science. teaching tools available? the average frequency of your use for SCIENCE classes: for SCIENCE: no yes none I-2 2-4 times l-3 times I- times more than month week twi . I7. In the following, please place a checkmark beside each teaching method you use during your SCIENCE classes: a) Science demonstration_ d) Group lab activity_ 9) Lecture/question/answer__ b) ln-class written work_ e) Independent study h) Excursions or field trips c) Individual lab activity f) Projected visuals__ i) Programmed instruction 18. In question I7 above, please place the number "I" beside the teaching method you use most frequently in your science classes. Place a "2" or "3" beside the teaching methods used second and third in frequency. Use the numbers only once. ' SCIENCE TEACHING CONCERNS I9. The next item contains a list of teaching factors thought to have an effect on science teaching. Indicate with checkmarks how you believe each of these factors affects science teaching: teaching factors inhi ts inhib'ts neu al enhances for SCIENCE: great somew at we eat somewhat Room ities for teachi es i science ze enro n science a sc amount time sc amount time to for science our sc science traini or interest in i s or 20, How satisfied are you with teaching elementary school science? Please check one response below: very dissatisfied , dissatisfied , neutral , satisfied , very satisfied . 2] . Please answer the following question from the viewpoint of a classroom teacher: "With the exception of 'more money', what would be the most acceptable and most effective means for improv- ing the quality of science teaching in ’the Christian Elementary School?" THANK YOU for your participation in this project. Please return this form to your administrator. 121 The Rationale for the Selection of Questions‘fOr the Teacher's Questionnaire The first eight questions provide a background of information regarding characteristics of teachers selected by their administrators to participate in the survey of science teaching practices in selected schools. (T - 1) It is desired to know the number of years of teaching experience of each respondent. (T - 2) Teachers are asked to indicate the basis of their. employment: full time or part time. (T - 3) Teachers are requested to give the status of attained degrees. Such information is expected to provide a measure of overall educational quality for the schools in the study as well as needed data for science teaching capability. (T - 4) Responses to question four, sex, will assist in revealing the extent to which male teachers have been attracted to Christian elementary school teaching. (T - 5) How many hours of basic science and science methods were taken in college?. The data given by this question will be taken as a minimum criterion for planning developmental efforts in science curriculum and in-service. (T - 6) It is desired to learn through this item the proportion of Christian school teachers who have received 122 at least some of their college training at a post- secondary Christian school. Respondents are requested to identify the Christian college or university. (T - 7) There is concern among administrators and parents regarding the capabilities of private school teachers. Some base line data are desired to reflect the status of state certifications held by Christian school teachers responding in this survey. (T - 8) There are private certifying agencies that attempt to inspect and certify teachers belonging to their organizations. Such agencies adopt many of the practices and standards of state certifying agencies and incorporate certain affirmations of Biblical doctrinal statements or positions. One of the beliefs of some Christian certifying boards centers on the concept that, on the grounds of separation of Church and State, the state should not be able to certify religious instruction. It is desired to test how widespread may be the practice of Christian school certification for its teachers. Respondents are requested to identify the particular certifying organization, if applicable. Questions 9 and 10 provide information relating to the characteristics of enrollment and scheduled frequency for teaching science classes. (T - 9) Grade levels and enrollments are to be given for 123 each science class taught by the respondent. The question provides opportunity for the teachers to record scheduled combination classes and departmentalization. Teachers are requested to give data concerning the number of minutes per week and the number of weeks per year in order to provide the most clear determination of total science instruction time. It is believed that this approach may be unique to this study. (T - 10) In this question, teachers are asked to identify the particular grade level of science taught during each day of the week. It is also desired to learn whether science is taught during a particular part of the day (before or after lunch). The precedent for this concern arises from this researcher‘s informal discussions with other science educators rather than from known research dealing with the scheduled placement of science instruction in the elementary school day. The writer has heard references to teachers' using science as a "fun thing to do on Friday afternoon," an activity with minimal academic outcome for the students. Then, too, there are typical morning priorities that seem to include only reading and mathematics as basics. It is desired to test the notion of time priorities for science instruction. Questions 11 through 13 address the primary teaching materials and their employment in the science teaching practices of the respondents. 124 (T - 11) The science textbook is identified by teachers in -this item. This information may be considered with the same item on the Principal's Questionnaire, and comparisons of intents and practices may be made. (T - 12) Significant precedent exists for the inclusion of questions concerning the adequacy of supplies and equipment for science. Howe's survey (1961) detailed only three categories, but these seemed inadequate for the most accurate reporting. Accordingly, the categories "lacking," "inadequate," and "adequate" were enlarged to include "good" and "very good," in the belief that teachers might mark "adequate" as the tOp condition, whereas it might have been much better--"good" or "very good." Similarly, "inadequate" may have been perceived as a mid-point between two unsatisfying extreme choices, forcing a choice that was not most descriptive. Distinctions in this item are provided for consumable supplies as well as non-consumable equipment for science, a standard practice. (T'- 13) In an attempt to uncover what many have called "hands-on" experiences in science, the writer employs a question specifying certain manipulatives commonly found in science curricula at varied levels. When the percent of annual instructional time for science is requested, variables such as the number of days per week, the length of the instructional year, and the number of minutes per class are reduced as considerations in arriving at usable 125 data for all grades as percentages. The item also tends to characterize the manner in which the teacher may employ the textbook as a primary tool or as a resource in the process. Questions 14 and 15 request information relating to specific topics often included in the subject matter of elementary science. (T - 14) Adapted from Fitch and Fisher, this question elicits data that may indicate the extent to which certain content is being handled in the elementary school curriculum and where the responsibility for teaching it lies. It is of particular interest to the writer to ascertain what materials may be in place for the teaching of science careers, creation/evolution, and drug abuse education in the context of the science class in the Christian school. If there is evidence of activity in the areas of outdoor education and conservation, this interest should support developmental efforts in this direction. It is also desired to determine the extent to which metric teaching is proceeding. (T - 15) The wide-ranging question here asks simply, "Have you been engaged in any science teaching improvement experiences withintthe past five years?" If there should be found to be a substantial percentage of "yes" responses, further inquiry may be directed to such schools. It is postulated, however, that there will be 126 minimal affirmation for this in-service effort. I Questions 16 through 18 address the aVailability, of frequency of use of, and preference fortjmaemployment of commonly recognized teaching tools (audio-visual devices) and methods for the teaching of elementary science. (T - 16) It is desired to know the extent of the availability of audio-visual hardware that exists in the sample of Christian schools. Such information should be helpful to curriculum developers as they design teaching strategies to incorporate existing media into their instructional programs. Respondents are directed to check one column under availability and one other column under the best response for average frequency of their use of each teaching tool. (T - 17) In this question about methods employed by the teacher for science instruction, all methods used are to be check-marked. (T - 18) In this item, teachers are requested to review the above question and rank the three most frequently used teaching methods for science. In each of the above questions (l6, l7, and 18), the precedents are well established in all the surveys of science examined for this study. The major exception to the foregoing statement is the category of science teaching tools called "flannel boards." The writer wishes to ascertain whether a commonly 127 employed device for teaching in Sunday schools (flannel board), readily available in many school rooms doubling as teaching rooms on Sunday, may be used in regular science teaching. Questions 19 and 20 include different types of Opinionnaires concerning teacher-perceived barriers to science teaching effectiveness and teacher satisfaction with teaching science. Question 21 is an open-ended question regarding the most acceptable and effective means for improving the quality of science teaching in the Christian elementary school. (T - 19) Each item appears on at least two national sur- veys of science as "barriers to science instruction." If the findings should show significant agreement with respect to a given category, programs in pre-service and in-service should be adjusted to take advantage of such information. Certain designations of "neutral" would seem to be the occasion for programs directed toward the improvement of attitudes, e.g., "Regular assistance from a science con- sultant," "In-service science training or workshops," and "Your knowledge about science or methods." (T - 20) Satisfaction with teaching science recorded on a five-point scale would seem to Offer the opportunity to gauge the level of attainment compared (in the thinking of the teachers) to the expectation for their science teaching. The question is raised about whether high 128 satisfaction with science teaching means that a good job is being done. Or might this mean that teachers had not viewed the potential for the task seen by others? Or would "satisfied" reflect some type of loyalty to the school or its personnel? Clearly, these responses need to be inter- preted in the context of other responses such as T - 19, T - l, and T - 3. (T — 21) The same free response item incorporated in the Principal's Questionnaire, but to be answered from the viewpoint of a classroom teacher, should elicit a number of areas to consider in the improvement of programs of science teaching in the elementary schools. Perhaps some of the responses will be unique to the Christian school program. The reader may wish to refer to Chart C-2 located in Appendix C to ascertain the major sources for the selection and incorporation of the various items appearing on the Teacher's Questionnaire. In reviewing the two forms of questionnaires employed in the survey of science teaching practices in Christian schools, the reader should recall that the moti- vation for developing the particular questions was to establish for selected schools a base of information relating to science teaching in elementary schools. This information will help Christian schools to set goals for the task of curriculum develOpment and production of textual and ancillary materials having appeal for the 129 needs for Christian schools. Such information provided by this study will also aid in the determination of guide- lines for the content and methodology for pre-service and potential in-service programs. Considerations in Developing the Format of the Questionnaires The following guidelines were established by the writer in order to provide the greatest potential for the respondent's cooperation in supplying the most accurate information. (1) Each form must not exceed two sides of one sheet of paper, (2) there must be adequate space around the questions to enhance readability, (3) it should appear to the reader that the researcher's concerns reflected in the questions are worthy of the respondent's time, (4) the task of writing the responses should not impose an unnecessary burden upon the respondent, and (5) the questionnaire should preserve the respondent's anonymity. In order to elicit accurate data, the items should be stated without ambiguity. The mode of desired response should be clearly understood by the readers, and the responses should involve minimal writing effort. Cate— gorical responses should offer realistic and discrete groupings. Items requiring similar responses should be organized so as to reduce confusion among responding modes. Finally, but perhaps most importantly, the ques- tions themselves should communicate the intent of the 130 researcher. These concerns regarding questionnaire appearance, readability, significance, accuracy of response-potential, and communicability prompted the writer to organize a pre- liminary screening process to obtain needed criticisms with respect to these elements. Initial guidance was sought from the writer's project director, committeemen, and science/math center personnel at Michigan State University. Suggestions related to question content, significance of items, and format problems. Additional assistance was gained from administrators and faculty members in the School of Education at Bob Jones University. Revised drafts of the questionnaires for the principal and the teacher were evaluated by a group of teachers and administrators enrolled in a graduate level course, Testing and Educational Research, during the summer of 1980 at Bob Jones University. Suggestions were obtained relating to readability, communicability, amount of time required for responding to the items, and general impressions of the questionnaires and the procedures to be followed. Additional information was gained from the critique of the cover letter to be sent to the principal of participating schools. A third revision of the questionnaires was prepared and distributed to administrators of two Christian schools in the Greenville, South Carolina, area. Packets containing a cover letter, the Principal's 131 Questionnaire, and two Teacher's Questionnaires were sent to administrators. The returned forms were examined by the writer, and discussions with each of the participants were held. In addition to seeking detailed information concerning the clarity and the interpretation of the items on the questionnaires, the researcher desired information relating to items requiring data perceived to be "sensitive" in nature. For example, would participants hesitate to provide accurate information relating to adequacy of supplies and equipment for science if it seemed to place their school rating in this item in "completely lacking?" Other items thought by the writer to be sensitive included P~- 9 (recommended minutes for science instruction), P - 13 (the number of fair or poor or unprepared teachers of science), P - 19 (total dollars to be spent for science supplies and equipment), T - 16 (the frequency of use of teaching tools), and T - 20 (teacher satisfaction with teaching science). In the cases examined, there seemed to be no apprehension in responding to the items in a direct manner. Two participants indicated that their anonymity aided the freedom with which responses were given. Respondents' comments were very positive concerning the questionnaires and the methodology employed in the enlist- ment of their participation. Final drafts of the questionnaires, incorporating suggestions and improved layout, were prepared and reproduced by commercial offset printing. 132 Samplinngrocedures A population of Christian schools was identified from a 1980 mailing list of 7,628 subscribers to informa- tion published by the Bob Jones University Press. This list was examined and purged of duplications, non-U.S. subscribers, schools whose names could identify them as only pre-school or kindergarten or academies (secondary only), and schools whose names could identify them as having a denominational affiliation (e.g., Catholic, Adventist, and Lutheran). A final list of 5,761 schools was derived and presumed to be composed of Christian schools having some elementary grades K through 6. Through the employment of a table for determining needed size of a randomly chosen sample from a given finite population in order to develop a 95 percent level of confi- 3 the researcher determined that 359 schools should dence, be represented in the sample of 5,761 schools. In esti- mating the probable returns of questionnaires at one in three, the researcher decided to send requests for partici- pation to 19 percent of the derived list. Accordingly, 1,135 postcards were mailed to elementary Christian school principals requesting their participation in the survey, 3Stephen Isaac and William B. Michael, Handbook In Research and Evaluation, 2nd ed. (California: EDITS, 1980), p. 193. 133 which was to be conducted a few weeks hence. An example of the self-return postcard, a request for schools' participation in the survey, is included in Appendix B. The following considerations were adopted as guidelines in the choice of procedures for mailing these postcards to the schools. (1) In order to serve the purpose of a national survey, states would need to be represented by survey returns in the same proportion as they were found on the derived list of 5,761 schools. (2) Requests for participation would be less costly in the form of a postcard than in the form of a questionnaire packet, and the postcard would serve the purpose of con- firming the existence and correct mailing address of schools returning the cards. (3) Schools participating in the survey would be promised a gift pamphlet4 as an inducement for prompt cooperation. (4) The initial mailing of the postcards would be about one half the required number as a means for determining the rate of response and the proportion of responses by states. (5) The survey would be timed to be conducted during a period of the school year in which traditional vacation and grading period deadlines would not conflict with attending to survey responses at the local schools. (6) Returns from the initial mailing would be inspected in order to determine the rate of "yes" responses from each state. 4Bell, et a1. 134 (7) On a second mailing of postcards, an attempt would be made to solicit participants where early state returns indi- cated lower percentages of returns than in the average returns from all states. (8) Follow-up contacts would be made to determine reasons (if not given) for "no" responses to participation in the survey. Selection of the Sample Population As stated above, 1,135 self-return postcards, representing slightly more than 19 percent of the derived list of 5,761 schools, were mailed in two groups. For the first group, a ten-percent systematic sampling procedure was employed as follows. The computer-prepared mailing list was ordered by ZIP codes. Each tenth school was selected for each state beginning with a randomly selected number (5). Where states had fewer than ten schools listed, up to thirty percent of the listings were selected for the first mailing. Although the selection process was systematic, it should be noted that the schools had been listed originally because of their inquiry concerning published materials at the Bob Jones University Press, the addresses had been ordered according to ZIP codes, and non-qualifying schools had been deleted. The selection procedures revealed no apparent periodicities due to the systematic selection of schools on the list. The first mailing incorporated the ten-percent systematic selections and the twenty-four additional selections for states having less than ten schools on the list, making a total 135 of 600 cards that were sent on November 19, 1980. The second mailing of postcard requests for volun- teers to participate in the survey was conducted on January 10, 1981, after the preliminary returns had been inspected for balanced proportions among.the states. Post- card requests were sent to 535 different schools on the list. These were selected in a systematic way beginning with a randomly selected number (3). States that showed first mailing returns of at least 25 percent were not included in this second sampling procedure. This focus on areas where initial returns were lower than 25 percent was an attempt to gain balanced participation in the survey. Survey Participation Derived from Principals"Conference As the writer was in the process of designing the sampling procedures and developing the postcard request forms for mailing to listed schools, the opportunity came to apply a similar request strategy for voluntary partici- pation in the projected survey. The reader's indulgence is requested in the discussion of this phase of the project which is treated here out of chronological order. At the annual Conference of Principals held at Bob Jones University on November 3, 4, and 5, 1980, administrators from 184 Christian schools in the United States met for the purpose of recruiting teacher candidates. Requests for administrators' participation in the survey were included in a packet of orientation materials 136 distributed to administrative conferees. Informal discus- sions with these school representatives revealed that many of them had received requests for information concerning school enrollment, subject matter in the curriculum, inventories of equipment, salary schedules, annual expendi- tures, personal characteristics of the faculty, and the like. Certain "survey-shy" administrators noted that they had had requests for such information from state agencies. No administrators reported having received a questionnaire that dealt specifically with science teaching practices in their schools. Although it became evident that survey efforts would meet with some reluctance, 95 administrators volunteered their participation in the study and were incorporated in the mail-out procedures described below. Distribution of Survey'Packets Address labels were prepared for Principal Conference survey volunteers as well as the postcard "yes" respondents. Beginning on February 5, 1981, packets con- taining a cover letter explaining the procedures to be followed, one administrator's questionnaire, and two teachers' questionnaires, were sent to participating schools. Examples of these materials can be found in Appendix B. Schools responding through March 15 were sent the gift pamphlet. Schools not providing complete infor- mation were contacted by mail requesting the missing questionnaire(s) or the provision of data omitted in 137 their initial returns. Efforts were made to obtain complete responses from the participant schools. Each school was to have returned one administrator's questionnaire and two teachers' questionnaires. Teachers' forms were inspected to determine that one of the questionnaires had been completed by a teacher of either grades 1, 2, or 3, and the second by a teacher of either grades 4, 5, or 6. As explained pre- viously, this procedure was employed in order to charac- terize differences thought to exist between the primary and intermediate level science programs and teaching practices. Only complete sets of questionnaires were employed in the statistical procedures. Non-respondents were sent a reminder postcard, and a random sample of non-participating volunteers was selected for telephone contacts. This effort was, for the most part, fruitless. Most of these administrators indicated that their schools were involved in a curriculum program that did not seem to "fit" the type of questions employed on the survey questionnaire. Data received after April 30, 1981, were not included in the study. Data Encoding and Analyses Data contained on all the completed sets of three questionnaires were encoded according to the keys (included in Appendix C) and recorded on standard key punch forms. Coded school and respondent identities were preserved. 138 Data cards were prepared, justified, sorted, and the data were read into tape files for processing at the Michigan State University computer center. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 8.0, was employed in the statistical analyses procedures. A record of the findings and related commentary is contained in Chapter 4, which follows. Chapter 4 REPORT OF THE FINDINGS Introduction In the accumulation of data for describing the science teaching practices in selected Christian schools of the United States, a sample of an available population was contacted by mail to enlist the cooperation of admini- strators and teachers in completing survey questionnaires. Questionnaire sets returned by these volunteers were inspected, coded, and analyzed to determine frequencies and central tendencies of the data. Survey returns are reported by geographic regions of the United States because a preliminary inspection of the revised list of schools showed disproportionate numbers of the Christian schools in three geographic regions: .Southeast, Far West, and Great Lakes (65%), when compared to New England and the Rocky Mountains (4.7%). State-by-state reports of school loca- tions are given in Appendix D. Administrators' Participation in the Survey Of 181 administrators contacted during the November, 1980, Principals' Conference in Greenville, South Carolina, 99 volunteered their cooperation in the survey to be conducted in February, 1981. Forty-nine of 139 140 these administrators returned the completed set of three questionnaires. See Table 36 for the geographic locations of these respondents. Postcard Solicitation of Administrators' Participationpin the Surygy A total of 1,135 return postcards were mailed in two groups. Of the 478 cards returned, 336 were "yes" and 142 were "no." The reporting of the negative responses may prove interesting to the reader. Table 35 Claésification of Postcard Solicitation Negative Responses Respondent marked only "no" 86 "Our school is no longer in Operation" 27 "we have only pre-school, day care, or kindergarten" 7 "we have only secondary grades" 7 "we are using ACE curriculum; can't help you" 6 "we are too small; don't have a science program" 4 "We can't help because of personal reasons" __5 TOTAL 14 2 Of the 142 negative responses returned, about 40% offered an explanation for not participating in the survey. The 27 schools reporting that they are no longer in opera- tion suggests an area of inquiry that should be of interest to educators in ascertaining the real proportions 141 omm OOH NN O NN OH OH «O No =mm». . . . mmcoammH GOHuauHoHHom ouauumom A0 NeH ON NH m 4N oH m mm NN =02: . . . mmaoammu coHumuHoHHOm camoumom Am mmHH ONm em ON HoH mNH ON mON mmH mHooaom ooumHH ou OOHHaE mcoHDMUHOHHOm Unmoumom Am me HN H H N o H N mH meow >o>uam wouOHmEoo maHaHauoa mHmmHoaHHm HQ Om me N N O OH N N oN Nm>usm cH mumaHOHHama on maHHmouaaHo> mHamHoaHHm AU HOH mm O m O OH N o me mocmamocoo .mHmaHocHum pa concomoaaoa mHoocom Am Hohm NmoH mNm mmH mom moo me mvoH oHOH umHH pomH>ou a0 mHoozom Hauoa AN I . on m. n mu m. m. m H mm H+. n e nno n a. Run“ 1 was a .+ r. uHc H+ Tie .Oe 7.3 u. H «ex. u. H p.M M 31+ 5. e s erA M e u a e I. e s n. s S u S 1 1 4 s 3 maonmm OHsmaumouO ou maHpHooo< mmaommom can aoHuauHOHHom >o>aam mo mamfieam mm OHQOE 142 Nh.em ho.mm mo.mm No.om om.om o>.w¢ H.5m om.vm OH.Ho u H0\mv emanaaou muom >o>uam unmoumm AH MH.Ne Hm.mm NH.mm HH.mv om.mN om.Nv m.on ov.oe om.ev u AM\o+mv omaoamou aoHuauHoHHOm useouom AM mH.m mv.m No.e om.N mm.. om.N mm.m vm.m mo.v n A¢\mv pmauaaon mumm >o>uam pamouom Ah mN.m mo.n Nm.od No.m o>.m mN.m m.MH mN.m mb.m n Aa\o+mv oncommou OOHumuHOHHOm uaoonmm AH «OH .om NH. O O OH O on He Hmuou “omzusuma mpmm >o>aam poamHmEoo Am in mu M NH We W 3 .d 19 O. n n. no n I. u E El 4H: m“ I. uxo 4 p. ,DHN 1 was .L a s erA w ca DOM M s 4 S P I. p. u e s u s s D. s 4 s 4 4 4 HomscHucooO om mHnme 143 of the Christian school movement that must account for school closings as well as start-ups. For what reasons do Christian schools close their doors? What are the special problem areas in beginning and maintaining a small Christian school? Fourteen schools reported that they had no elemen- tary grades. Four schools indicated they had no science program. Six schools using the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum (see Appendix A), which employs an individualized, independent study, multi-grade level program, apparently believed that survey efforts would not prove worthwhile. Miscellaneous reasons given by respondents ("Too busy," "Thinking of retiring," "Principal is on leave") were submitted in five cases. What of the 657 postcards that were not returned? If undeliverable, they would have been returned to the sender. The indication is that someone at the stated address received the request. Is the school at that address still in operation? Is there a science prOgram in progress? Is the administrator too busy, or does he simply desire not to participate in the survey procedures? The writer was unable to pursue these inquiries but willingly leaves room for other researchers. The researcher followed up the 336 affirmative re- sponses to the postcard request by mailing to each school a survey packet containing the questionnaires and instructions for their completion. Survey questionnaires were returned 144 to the researcher over an eight-week period in March and April of 1981. The 184 complete sets of questionnaires employed in the analyses included 184 Principal's Question- naires, 167 Teacher's Questionnaires (grades 1, 2, or 3), and 167 Teacher's Questionnaires (grades 4, 5, or 6). Seventeen of the schools were "one-man schools," where the administrator was also the chief teacher. All of these schools indicated they were employing.the ACE curriculum. Because these schools may constitute a significant propor- tion of the total Christian school population and because the schools meet the criteria established for Christian schools in terms of their doctrinal position and close rela- tionship to a local, independent church, the 17 administra- tors' questionnaires were retained in the data analyses. In all, 184 administrators and 334 teachers are included in the total of 518 respondents. Itemized Report of the Findings on the Principals' Questionnaire Data are reported according to the format in which the questions appear on the Principals' Questionnaire. GENERAL INFORMATI ON I. Check all positions of person completing this form: Principal__, Sup't._, Pastor , other Approximately one third of the administrative respondents are engaged in responsibilities in addition to their school administrative function. It cannot be determined in the case of the six "Teacher" respondents whether these 145 individuals acted at the request of or in lieu of the administrator. Table 37 Positions Held by Administrative Respondents Title Number Percent Principal 126 68.47 Superintendent 17 9.23 Pastor l .54 Teacher 6 3.26 Principal/Pastor comb. 16 8.69 Teacher/administrator 16 8.69 Blank 2 1.08 TOTAL ' 184 99.96 2. Check one of the following that best describes how your school is organized: a) It is part of the ministry of one local church. b) It is an association of Believers who represent more than one local church. c) It is one of a group of similar schools in a denominational association. d) It is not church-related. Please describe: 146 Table 38 School Organizational Pattern Organizational Type Number Part of the ministry of one local church 148 Part of an association of Believers of more than one church 36 One of a group of similar schools in a denomination 1* School is not church-related 12* Total 197 The 13 schools (*) indicating that they are not related to a local, independent church ministry in the manner established in Chapter 3 as a criterion for this study have been omitted from the analyses. Of the remaining 184 elementary schools, the predominant pattern seems to be that these Christian schools are an outgrowth of the ministry of one local church. 3. Please examine the following statement. If it seems to describe the maior purpose of your school, mark "yes." Mark "no" if it does not, and modify the statement to express the school's maior purpose more accurately: "We recognize that God created man in His own image, that this image was marred through disobedience to his Creator, and that God has provided for the restoration of His image in man through the Person and the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. We affirm that the scriptures are inspired and inerrent and provide the only dependable direction for establishing relationships between God and man and among men on the Earth. We believe that the Christian School is an extension of the Christian educational ministries of the home and church, and that its pur- pose is the development of the student in the image of God." Yes , No_. (Comment below) 147 Table 39 Statement of Major School Purpose Number of affirmations 184 Number of negative reSponses 9* Number of non-responses (blank) 4* Total 197 As part of the selected criteria for this study, affirma- tions of the basic doctrinal statement were required. Con- sidered together with item two above, these criteria form the basis of the selection of the pOpulation of Christian schools reported. 4. Including this year, how many years has your school been in operation? Table 40 Years of School Operation N = 181 Mean 12.635 Std. Dev. 14.930 Mode 4.000 Std. Err. 1.110 Median 8.059 . Range ‘ 98.000 The most frequently reported figure (4 years) would indicate that these schools had been begun in 1978. The United States mean (12.635) suggests that there was a Christian school developmental spurt during 1969-1970. 148 A decade-by- decade presentation of this information extending back to 1881 is provided in Table 41 below. Table 41 Years of School Operation by Decade N = 181 Total years of Percent Number of school operation of schools schools 1 to 10 64.6 117 11 to 20 20.4 37 21 to 30 7.2 13 31 to 40 3.3 6 41 to 50 0.6 l 51 to 60 1.2 2 61 to 70 0.6 1 71 to 80 1.2 2 81 to 90 0.6 1 91 to 100 0.6 1 TOTALS 100.3 181 The largest number of fundamentalist Christian schools (nearly 65%) are less than ten years old. About 20% of these schools have been in Operation for 11 to 20 years, and an additional 7% have operated for 21 to 30 years. The remaining 8% of schools have operated for 31 to 100 years. Three principals did not provide information regarding the 149 length of operation of their schools. 5. Please specify the enrollment for each of the following grades for September, I980: How many students total in grades K , I , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 . The fundamentalist Christian schools sampled for this study reported a total enrollment of 29,550 students for the 1980- 81 school year. Four ACE schools in the study did not report their enrollments. The differences in the number of valid school reports from 180 in kindergarten to 171 schools in grade 6 can be understood in the light of Table 40 (p. 146), which indicates that the mode for these schools is 4 years. That is, there are more lower elementary grades than there are other grade levels in these schools. There are between 22 and 23 students per school attending grades 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, whereas there are 25 to 26 students in grade 1 and about 29 kindergarten enrollees. Chart 2 170.7 Distribution of Christian School Enrollments School Year 1980-1981; N = 180 _—--__———— Mean Total number of students 1m enrolled September 29,550 Number of Schools nnnnnnnnnnnnnn 600 ‘00 800 900 1000 3.200 1300 Total School Enrollment 150 oH eN\o OH N\o ON\oH NN NN Haemoos Hooaom NO.mH .mN.oH Oe.NH OO.OH HH.OH NH.NN NO.eN :mHoms Hooaom Ne.ON mm.OH OH.OH Om.OH ON.OH O4.OH NH.HN .>mo .oum mN.NN om.NN mo.NN Ho.NN OO.NN He.oN HO.ON some Hoonom HNH eOH eOH ONH ONH OOH ONH mHoonom Ho amassz eOOm ONON oemm ommm eoOe ONoe NNNo xOoo.ONc_H:msHHou:m o o e m N H s mHm>oH ocauw an Hooaom Ham uaoEHHOHcm Hmuoe Ne OHQOB 151 6. Please give your best estimate of the following: a) How many other Christian Schools are there within a IO—mile radius of your school? . b) How many miles from your school is a public science facility such as a museum or planetarium? Table 43 The Number of Other Christian Schools in 10-Mile Radius of Sampled School N = 179 Number other schools . in area 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 or more Number schools reporting 31 36 28 23 12 12 6 4 4 23 Percent schools reporting 17 20 16 13 7 7 3 2 2 l3 About one fifth of schools reported that there are no other Christian schools within a lO-mile radius. Almost 50% of schools indicated that there are from one to three other schools in the area, 13% reported that there are 9 or more Christian schools in their areas. Fundamentalist Christian schools reported that 70% of the time they would need to travel no further than twenty miles to visit a public science facility such as a museum or planetarium. Twenty-four percent of the 174 schools providing this information are within 5 miles of such a facility (see Table 44). 152 ehH N Z mH N N H m m m MH eN eN Hm m m H m HH mH MN He He +oe meIHe oelmm mMIHm omtmN mNIHN ONImH mHIHH OHIm mlo mHoonom useouom mHoonom Hoafisz Ho>auu OH mOHHS muHHHoam moaOHom OHHnam ou mHoozom aaHumHuno UOHQEam mo NHHEHxOHm ee OHQOB 153 7. What is the approximate population of the city in your school's address? Please circle one of the following: under 1,000 I,000 to 5,000 5,000 to 25,000 25,000 to 50,000 50,000 to 100,000 over I00,000. Table 45 Principal's Estimate of Population of City in School's Address Population Number of Schools Percent of Schools Under 1,000 9 5 1,000-5,000. 19 ll 5,000-25,000 35 20 25,000-50,000 36 21 50,000-100,000 22 13 Over 100,000 52 30 N = 173 Fundamentalist Christian schools can be found at all popula- tion strata from under 1,000 up to and including areas of over 100,000. Forty-one percent reported their locations to be in regions of from 5,000 to 50,000 population, and 30% indicated the size of the city in their school's address to be in excess of 100,000 people. 154 SCHOOL ORGANIZATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE 8. For what part of the school year and how days per week is science taught in each grade? is not t at all half or less more than half no. of Table 46 Percent of Christian Schools Teaching Science at Given Grade Levels Grade level .K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Percent 75.6 95.4 98.3 100 100 100 100 The indication is that virtually all of the schools reporting teach science as a regular part of their curriculum sometime during the year. Seventy-five percent of kindergartens and over 95% of first grades include the teaching of science. Established patterns of teaching science at each grade level are given in the frequency Table 47. There appears to be a trend toward teaching science from one-half year to a full year and from fewer days per week toward a full week as students move from kindergarten to sixth grade. Common practice in the kindergarten seems to be to teach science for one day per week for a half year or two days per week for a full year. In the third grade, there appears to be a shift away from one-half year science (13% for 5 days) to a full year program. Few schools report a half-year science 155 me MbH NhH NbH ehH th NhH om we mm eN eH NH MH hH mH 0N 0N NH OH NH eH mH eN MN ON OH NH HH MH co MH mH HH OH eH ON OUOHO mwap_da «Mao» HHah whac.oa ammo» MHaa oao HO>OH momma can xooz Ham name an ooamHom maHnomoe mHooaom cmHumHHSO mo yaooaom he OHQMB 156 program for their intermediate levels 4, 5, and 6 but indi— cate full year patterns that favor five day per week scheduling. It cannot be determined whether administrators interpreted the half-year pattern to mean a semester prOgram that alternated with other subject matter or that their science teaching schedule was conducted all year for approxi- mately half time. In an effort to determine the actual science teaching contact time, data was derived from the Teacher's Questionnaire (Table 65) to show total minutes (hours) on an annual basis. 9. Is there a recommended or stipulated number of minutes per week for science instruction in each grade? No_, yes_; if "yes", please indicate for each grade the number of minutes per week: K , l , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 The majority of schools (more than 60%)tk3not require a stipulated number of minutes per week for science instruc- tion at grades K through six. In the 40% of schools requiring a stipulated number of minutes of science instruction each week, there does not seem to be any con- sistent pattern. There is only slightly increased response at the 31 to 60 minutes and at the 91 to 120 minutes (Table 48) per week frequencies. For those schools reporting minimum stipulated science instruction minutes, about one third indicate that two or more hours per week are required. 157 Table 48 Required Number of Minutes Per Week for Science; Percent by Grades Grade levels 1 2 3 4 5 6 None required 63 61 60 60 59 60 1 to 30 min. 10 11 8 6 5 3 31 to 60 min. 17 17 9 7 7 9 61 to 90 min. 4 4 7 2 2 l 91 to 120 min. 2 4 7 7 5 5 121 to 150 min. 2 3 8 11 10 7 151 to 180 min. 0 0 1 l 4 2 181 to 210 min. 1 0 1 4 7 7 211 to 240 min. 0 1 1 1 l 5 241 and up 0 0 0 l l l N = 164 170 172 169 170 167 l0. Is your school in grades K - 6 departmentalized for teaching science at any grade level? No , yes (For this study, departmentalized should be interpreted to mean that students have a special sci—ence teE-cher at scheduled times during the week.) If "yes", circle the grades for which science is departmentalized: K123456 Departmentalized science instructional practices were reported in 22% of schools where there were greater fre- quencies in grades 5 and 6. The majority (78%) of schools indicated they had no departmentalized science instruction. 158 Table 49 Frequency of Christian School Departmentalization for Science Instruction N = 177 schools K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Undepartmentalized Percent of schools 1 l 0 2 2 6 10 78 INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL II. What is the total number of classroom teachers of grades K-6 in your school? (full time_+ part time_)= I2. How many of the total teachers counted in the above question actually teach science? Administrators reporting for 181 schools indicated there were 1634 full-time and 9 part-time teachers in their schools. There were 1625 teachers of science in grades K through 6. Two additional schools reported having no teachers, but an inspection of the questionnaires revealed that the administrators were serving in a dual capacity for a limited number of pupils. 13. Describe the professional science teaching preparation of the teachers referred to in question 12 above How many teachers would you place in each of the following categories; superior , good , fair , poor , no professional preparation to teach science Principals declined to rank 421 of their teachers (1625 - 1204). About ten percent of the teachers were given superior ratings regarding the professional science teaching preparation they had received, and about nine percent of the teachers were rated as not having received professional 159 mHooaom mNH u z OOH m m Hm me OH mamauaoa mo aaooaoa eONH OOH am Hem Hem ONH maoaomou mo HmaEaz Hauoa coauaoum uoz Hoom HHam coow HoHuomam moaoHom comes on aoHuaHaaoum .maoauame Hooaom aaHumHHaU mo maHxamm m.HamHoaHHa om OHQOB preparation to teach science. Forty-five percent of 160 teachers were rated as having received "good"professional preparation for science teaching. An equal number 0 f rated teachers were deemed "fair," "poor," and "unprepared" for teaching science. If "yes", is this person (check one response) O 14. Is there someone who is recognized as a science consultant who assists your teachers in science? No , yes . a) a regular teacher of grades K, 1,2,3, 4,5, or 6 assisting on a formal basis? b) a regular teacher of grades 7, 8,9, IO, 11, or 12 assisting on a formal basis?_- c) a regular teacher within grades K-6 assisting on an informal basis? — d) a principal, supervisor, or some other administrator? e) someone from outside your school organization? Table 51 Status of Science Consultant Personnel Number Percent There is no one acting as consultant 109 60 A regular K-6 teacher; formal basis 4 2 A regular K-6 teacher; informal basis 2 1 A regular 7-12 teacher; formal basis 22 12 A regular 7-12 teacher; informal basis 7 4 Administrative personnel acts as consultant 18 10 Someone outside school organization 7 4 Two or more categories checked by principal 12 7 TOTALS 181 100 161 Sixty percent of schools do not have someone acting as a consultant to assist the teachers in science instruction. Where the elementary school is part of a K-12 program, the science teacher in the high school frequently assists teachers on a formal (12%) and informal (4%) basis. The science consultant role is taken by administrative person- nel about 10% of the time and in 7% of cases, there are two or more persons who may act as consultants. Such personnel were identified on the questionnaires in two cases by the titles, "curriculum coordinator," and "supervisor of elementary instruction." SCIENCE TEACHING RESOURCES AND MATERIALS 15. What is the status regarding the adoption of science textbook series? Check one box for each grade level. K I 2 3 4 5 ‘73-) There is no science textgook series adopted. b) A single science textbook series is adopted. c) Two or more science textbook series are adopted. Table 52 Textbook Adoption Policy Percent of Grades Reported No science textbook adOpted 50 13 6 3 4 2 3 A single textbook is adopted 50 84 91 94 92 94 92 Two or more textbooks are adapted 0 3 3 2 5 5 5 N = 180 179. 176 176 176 171 170 162 With the exception of kindergarten, there is a high fre- quency of science textbook adaption at all grade levels in the elementary Christian schools. Certain ACE schools have indicated that the printed materials called "Paces" used in their schools were not considered to be textbooks, accounting for at least half of the "no science textbook adOpted" data. 16. What is the title and publisher of science textbook series, if checked above? Table 53 Christian School Textbook Adaption Frequency N = 179 - Percent Rank Publisher of schools 1 Abeka books, Florida 37 2 Bob Jones Univ., S. C. 24 3 Abeka and BJU combination 7 4 Accelerated Christian Ed., Texas 6 5 D.C. Heath Co. 2 6 Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich 2 7 Abeka and ACE combination 2 It can be seen that for the school year 1980-1981, the fundamentalist Christian schools in the sample employed science textbooks that were published by organizations that 163 produce materials for use in Christian schools. Of the seven tOp ranking publishers, Abeka, Bob Jones University, and Accelerated Christian Education, including combination usages, account for about 76% of reported usage among sampled Christian schools. Twenty percent of the reports indicated that schools were employing various combinations of well-known publishers' series such as Scott Foresman, Laidlaw, Silver Burdette, Rand McNally, Addison Wesley, and MacMillan. Frequently, the textbooks from Christian publishing companies were employed in the schools in combi- nation with the secular texts. 17. In what type of room is science most often taught in your school? A c with ia lities A c usi or c c wi ° ities science science c The standard practice among sampled fundamentalist Christian schools seems to be the use of regular classrooms for science instruction. The incorporation of temporary or portable equipment into the regular classroom for science instruction seems to be evident in increasing frequency through the grades. Very few schools report having special facilities or special rooms for science classes (Table 54). 164 Table 54 Room Type for Science in Christian Schools; Percent Frequency by Grade K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Regular classroom; no special facilities 85 81 82 76 72 67 61 Regular classroom; with temporary/portable equipment 15 19 17 23 27 30 33 Regular classroom with special facilities for science 0 0 0 0 l l 1 Special room to which students go for science 0 0 0 l l 1 4 Other arrangements 0 1 l l l l l N = . 141 167 172 175 174 174 168 18. To what extent are supplies and equipment for science demonstrations and activities available in your school? SUPPLIES: are defined as perishable or easily breakable materials needing frequent replacement, such as glassware, chemicals, electric bulbs, batteries, and wire. EQUIPMENT: is defined as non-consumable, non-perishable items, such as microscopes, aquariums, and tools. lock 4 MENT 1 U MENT for 4 5 6 Few schools report that their supplies or equipment for science instruction are very good. About equal thirds of schools reporting indicated that their supplies and equipment are either adequate or inadequate. About 15% of schools report these teaching materials to be completely 165 OOH HOH OOH OOH amnssz HOO.N OOHhN NOO.N OOH.N cmHomz NOO.H HHO.H OOO. OHO. .>mo .oum HOo.N OoO.N OOO.N HHO.N new: Oo OH ; OH ON oooO Onm> O ONH OO ONH OO oooo O OON OHH OOH OOH mumsvmoa H OOO OOH OOH OOH mumsomomcH N ONH OOH OOH OOH OOHHOOH OHmumHasoo H One uaofimHawm mnH uaofimHavm One OOHHmaam mnH OOHHmmam mcHxamm opoo mocmHom Hooaom aaHumHuno How aaofimHaam pap mOHHmaam mo NHHHHQOHHO>¢ mo maHxaam m.HamHoaHHa mm OHQOB 166 lacking. The picture seems to be only slightly improved when supplies and equipment availability are compared with respect to primary and intermediate grade levels. When the means for each category are compared, it is evident that the principals' appraisals of supplies and equipment for science lie somewhere between "Inadequate" and "Adequate" for the schools providing this information on their questionnaires. 19. Give your best estimate of total dollars to be spent for science supplies and equipment this school year. 5 Table 56 Principal's Estimate of Dollars to be Spent for Christian School Science 1980-1981 Mean Mode Median Std. Dev. Range Number 343.08 0 152.50 534.186 3,000 150 The 150 schools responding to the question of anticipated expenditures for science supplies and equipment indicated that little or no money would be spent for 1980-1981. 20. Please answer the following question from the viewpoint of an administrator: "With the exception of ‘more money', what would be the most acceptable and most effective means for improv- ing the quality of science teaching in the Christian Elementary School?" 167 meN OH NO emH u 2 OH e O O opauHuum .aoHuooHcmp .EmmHmasuco OHOE Umoz mm O O He coHuoummoua OOH>HOmIOHa Honoamu OO>OHQEH O H m m maHHu =.conmecma= .mcoauoe >n< who: OH O O NH Hoocom OH woman OOH .EOOH OOGOHOO mm O O HN coHuauHcmmHo .uaoEmHaOo O mOHHaaam who: mm H ON Om mmonmxHOB .mucauHamcoo How ewoz o H N m mEOHnoum oHapmnom .maHnoaou How OEHu who: OH N O O coHuoaHumcH .EOHOOHHHOO pO>OHaEH OH N N eH mHOHHmumE coucHHa pan mxooauxmu OO>OHQEH O O O m mOHuHHoHHa OUGOHOO mo mmoaonm3m HOHOOHO mHmuoe pHHsa paooom umHHm Ouomoumo aoHumommam ucoEO>ouaEH pouaum mums maoHumommam SOHaB :H Hopuo mcoHummooam pawEO>OHmEH maHnoaoe moaoHom .mHmmHoaHHm Hoosom OOHumHano Om OHQOB 168 The frequency response table develOped above as a result of administrators' concerns for the improvement of the quality of science instruction reveals a regard for the place of the teacher in the instructional process. The administrators call for consultant help and workshops and improved programs of teacher pre-service preparation. Two other high-priority concerns are supplies and equipment and improved science textbooks. Of 154 administrators who made 245 such come ments on this free response item, the fewest comments (6) were made regarding scheduling problems or the provision of more time for science teaching. Nine comments related to articulation of audio-visual media and methods including field trips and excursions as well as the employment of "hands-on" approaches. An additional group of 9 comments reflected administrators' concerns about the importance of priorities for teaching science in the elementary school. Itemized Report of the Findings on the Teachernguestionnaires Data are reported according to the format in which the questions appear on the Teacher's Questionnaire. BACKGROUND INFORMATI ON 1. Counting this year, how many years have you been teaching ?_ 169 Table 58 Teaching Experience for Christian School Teachers N = 331 Years Teachers % Cumulative % 1 ll 11 2 11 22 3 ll 33 4 12 45 5 8 53 6 5 . 58 7 9 67 8 5 72 9 ' 5 77 10 3 80 11-20 15 95 21-30 4 99 31-40 0.5 99.5 41 and up 0.5 100 Over half of the teachers sampled in fundamentalist Christian schools had taught fewer than five years with the most frequently reported time four years (including the current year). Experience ranged over 45 years with a median of 5.096, a mean of 7.193, and a standard deviation of 6.888. 2. Basis now employed: full_, part time_. 170 With 334 teachers reporting, 98% indicated they were employed on a full-time basis. 3. Circle highest degree status held: non-degree, BA/BS, MA/MS, other: Table 59 Degree Status of Christian School Teachers Degree type N = % Teachers Non-degree 18 5.4 BA/BS 259 77.5 MA/MS 44 13.2 Theological 12 3.6 Honorary 0 0.0 Other 1 .3 Totals 334 100.0 About 91% of teachers reported they hold BS or MS degrees. 4. Sex: female__, male— Of 332 teachers reporting, 254 (76.5%) were female and 78 (23.5%) were male. The distribution of teachers by sex was unequal through the grades with 93% females in the primary grades 1-3 and 60% females in the intermediate grades 4-6. 171 I 5. Number of semester hours or quarter hours of college science and science teaching methods taken. Semester Hrs. Table 60 and Quarter Hrs. and Science Methods Taken Science % Semester Hrs. % Quarter Hrs. 0 hours 21 79 1-6 hours 24 5 7-12 hours 29 6 13-18 hours 18 4 l9 and up 8 6 Mean 9.913 3.885 Std. Dev. 11.458 11.459 Median 8.375 .137 Range 90. 99.+ Number 227 60 The 287 respondents reported their recollections of college or university credit hours in science and science teaching methods taken. There appear to have been a few individuals who are teaching in the elementary grades who have earned substantial credits in science, but most of the teachers responding reported that they had earned fewer than ten semester hours or fewer than four quarter hours of science 172 and science teaching methods in their pre-service training. [6, Did you graduate from a Christian College or University? No_, yes_: school name Christian school teachers indicated that 61% of 334 respondents graduated from a Christian college or university but 39% did not. When asked to identify the Christian college or university, 24.3% indicated they had graduated from Bob Jones University. A total of 87 other Christian cOlleges and universities were listed but none of them was reported in more than 4% of cases. I 7. State certification held? No_, yes_: for what state(s)? J Sixty-seven percent of 333 teachers reported they had obtained state certification, and 33% did not have state certification. An inspection of the questionnaires revealed that 57% of these certified teachers were teaching in the state for which they were certified. The other 10% had been certified for a state other than the one in which they were presently employed. The states identified most frequently by certified respondents included: California, 12.9%; Ohio, 8.1%; Michigan, 7.8%; Florida, 5.1%; Tennessee, 4.8%; Pennsylvania, 4.2%. States not mentioned at all included Delaware, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and 173 Wyoming, as well as the District of Columbia. Of the fore- going, only the state of Delaware had a Christian school contained in the sample of Christian schools reporting. 8. Christian school certification held? No_, yes_: in what organization(s)? The majority of teachers (82%) indicated that they did not hold certification in a Christian school organization. Fifteen percent of respondents claimed to hold certification in a Christian school organization with about equal partici- pation in two national organizations, The American Associa- tion of Christian Schools and The Association of Christian Schools International. Another third were distributed among various local or state organizations. One percent of teachers were certified by The Accelerated Christian Education organization, and three percent of respondents indicated only "yes" on their questionnaires without identifying the organization. 9. For each science class you teach this term ..... O enro minutes 174 Table 61 Christian School Science Class Enrollments for Grades 1 through 6 Mean O Std; Dev. Mode Median Number 20.476 8.268 17 20.346 328 The enrollment data given above represent head counts that were determined in February and March for two teachers per school in the sample. The school enrollment data given by the principals (Table 42) incorporated the larger average enrollments for kindergarten and show enrollments for September, 1980. Grade level breakdowns are given in the following table. Table 62 Frequency of Science Class Grade Levels in Sampled Christian Schools Grade level Number % Frequency Cumulative % frequency 1 36 ll 11 2 42 13 24 3 59 18 42 comb. 1-3 22 7 49 4 30 9 58 5 40 12 70 6 45 14 84 comb. 4-6 40 12 96 comb. 1-6 12 4 100 N = 326 100 175 Forty-nine percent of the teachers sampled teach science at grade levels one, two, or three,or a combination of these grades. Forty-seven percent teach science to students in grades four, five, or six, or a combination of these grades. Four percent of teachers have combination grades made up of primary and intermediate grade levels. Overall, the data seem to indicate a balance of reporting through the elementary schools sampled with lowest frequencies in grades four and one. About 23 percent of teachers report teaching science to combinations of two or more classes. The following two tables report the number of minutes per week and the number of weeks per year that teachers conduct science instruction in the grades shown in Table 62 above. Table 63 Minutes Per Week for Science Instruction in Christian Schools Mean Std. Dev. Mode Median Maximum Minimum 111.399 68.704 60 90.417 402 15 Table 64 Weeks Per Year for Science Instruction in Christian Schools Mean Std. Dev. Mode Median Maximum Minimum 29.505 9.332 36 35.608 45 2 176 The pattern of frequency for science instruction at all grade levels in fundamentalist Christian schools seems to be 60 minutes per week for 36 weeks. Two teachers reporting over 400 minutes per week would need to have spent about 80 minutes per day on science teaching. In an effort to examine the actual science instructional contact time, data for minutes and weeks was multiplied for each teacher reporting and given in Table 65 below. Table 65 Frequency of Minutes for Science Instruction Per Year in Christian Schools Mean Std. Dev. Median Mode Maximum. Minimum 2681.75 2268.12 2700 5400 11100 40 The elimination of the highest maximum of 16081 minutes per year (268 hours or about seven hours per week) for one teacher was deemed expedient in view of the distribution of the other data after translation to annual hours of science instruction. 3+ Chart 3 Frequency of Hours of Science Instruction Per Year in Selected Christian Schools W W Number of Schools W 1? HOURS ANNUAL-LY 10- 20- 30- 40- so- so- 70- so- 90- 100- 110- 120- 130- 140- 150- 160- 170- 100- 190-) 177 Only 5.2 percent of schools are responsible for the 5400 annual minute mode. When the data are grouped by 10-hour annual categories, the most often reported instructional hour total for the year is 40 hours (2400 minutes). The 2700-minute median (45 hours) is someWhat shifted to the right because of the many reports of annual instruction time in excess of 90 hours. 10. What is your science teaching schedule this term? Record the grade level in each box appropriate: U85 Table 66 Frequency of Scheduled Preferences for Teaching Science in Christian Schools Percent of Classes Taught Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Before lunch 17 16 16 16 18 After lunch 66 70 67 69 62 Variable 13 10 13 ll 16 Both AM & PM 4 4 4 4 ' 4 Totals 100 100 100 100 100 Number teachers 235 263 235 258 218 178 Sampled teachers seem to be teaching science "after lunch" about 62 to 70 percent of the time. There does not appear to be a clear preference for teaching science on a particular day although more teachers reported their preferences for teaching science on either Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. Friday seems to be the least preferred day for science. In regard to those teachers who reported teaching science both before and after lunch, it cannot be determined whether their lunch time came in the middle of their science classes or if these teachers were part of a departmentalized approach in their schools. Science seems to be taught in the mornings before lunch by only 16 to 18 percent of teachers sampled. TEACHING MATERIALS 11. Please give the following information about the main science textbook used by students in your cIass(es): title publisher date published for what grade level? Seventy percent of tne333 teachers reporting indicated their use of textbooks of two organizations that publish textbooks expressly for Christian schools (Table 67). Nineteen percent of schools used the products of six publishing companies, Laidlaw, D.C. Heath, Harcourt-Brace- Jovanovich, Silver Burdette, Scott Foresman, and Rand McNally. About 22% of teachers reporting indicated their usage of a variety of publishers' textbooks under 1% in frequency. 179 OH Hopaa maooamHHoomHE NN eO ooxcmua: meomO OHHmzoz ocmm H H omxcmaca anamouom auoom N O o mhumonsm am>HHm H O O .>OO .moanm .uuaoouam e NH e shame .o.a O NH O SOHOHOH O OH O meson pom ON . OO N mxwam He HHH H HoamHHaam mamaomoe mo uaouuom maonomoe mo nonfiaz Odom mumaomoe Hooaom OOHumHHEO Ob UOOOHmEm mxooauxme OOcOHom .maoamHHaaa mo Oucoaaoum Om OHQOB 180 There are certain differences among the data for teachers (Table 67) and the data for schools that was reported by administrators (Table 53) concerning the fre- quency of use of textbooks for science. For example, the 6% figure for the ACE materials evaporated from the teacher report probably because there are so few teachers in propor- tion to the number of ACE schools when compared to non-ACE Christian schools. An inspection of the questionnaires indicated that of 12 ACE schools, 10 were one-man schools (the administrator was also the teacher), and teacher questionnaires were not submitted for six of the dual purpose individuals. It seems apparent also that the differences between the two tables mentioned above may be due to the possibility that administrators may not be fully aware of teacher practices regarding teachers' textbook usage in science teaching. 12. To what extent are supplies and equipment for science demonstrations and activities available in your school? SUPPLIES: are defined as perishable or easily breakable materials needing frequent replacement, such as glassware, chemicals, electric bulbs, batteries, and wire. EQUIPMENT: is defined as non-consumable, non-perishable items, such as microscopes, aquaria, and tools. I compretely lacki inadequate adequate good very good supmes EQUIPMENT r Comparing the responses of teachers given below in Table 68 with those of principals given in Table 55, it appears that there is consensus in rating the availability of supplies and equipment at just about half way between "adequate" and 181 "inadequate." About the same total of responses for both groups indicate supplies and equipment are "good" and "very good"; however, the principals less frequently rate these teaching materials "very good." Table 68 Teacher's Ranking of Availability of Supplies & Equipment for Christian School Science Code Ranking Supplies Equipment 1 Completely lacking 16% 14% 2 Inadequate 35% 36% 3 Adequate 35% 35% 4 Good 8% 8% 5 Very good 6% 7% Mean 2.524 2.585 Std. Dev. 1.047 1.062 Median 2.468 2.496 Number 313 313 13.. During this academic year, about what proportion of science instruction will students handle materials such as seeds, leaves, batteries, rocks, and magnets? Check the most accurate percent of annual instructional time: 0%___ 25% or less__ 25% to 50%__ 50% to 75%_ more than 75%_. 182 Table 69 Percent of Annual Hands-on Science Instruction Time in Christian Schools Code Category % Teachers 0 0% 1.5 1 25% or less 67.0 2 25 to 50% 24.5 3 50 to 75% 5.8 4 more than 75% 1.2 The mean annual "hands-on" science time was computed torbe 1.382 (S.D., .677) with a median of 1.224 and N = 327. Table 69 above indicates that teachers vary in their "hands- on" practices from zero to over 75% of annual science instructional time. A significant amount of time (one- fourth to one-half) each year is spent by 24.5% of teachers, but two-thirds of teachers reporting spend one-fourth or less of their instructional time each year in involving students with handling materials such as seeds, leaves, batteries, rocks, and magnets. SELECTED TOPICS TAUGHT IN SCIENCE CURRICULA 14. After each of the topics listed below, please write in one of the following code numbers: I = The topic is included in the science you teach. 2 = The topic is taught as a part of some other subiect to your class, e.g., math, Bible, gym, or Current events 3 = The topic is taught as a part of another grade level by someone else. 4 = The topic is not included in the curriculum of your elementary school. HEALTH , SCIENCE CAREERS , CREATION/EVOLUTION , OUTDOOR EDUCATION , CONSERVATION/POLLUTION , SAFETY , DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION , METRIC SYSTEM 183 eHm OON mom OOm mON mNm OON mNm momma OHHO> H m m m e N m H HamHm NN ONH mN OH HO O mHH HH EOHOOHHHOO cH hamsmu poz mN O OH HH O me N OH o>oaa mo mcoHuaaHhEou e He Om me Ne ON OH Hm Om HO>OH Opmum Honuoa< m OOH Oe HOH om OO OO mN Oe Hocomou On nomO nbam Hoapo N Om Hm OHH OOH eO OOH mO HHN OOGOHOm :30 aqu H OHHqu Omaa< Ouommm .>Hom Hooe .Ho>m muooumo auHmom pamEOOOHm opoo mane naoo npao \OHU OHQOB moaoHom mHooaom aaHumHano mo EDHDOHHHOU aH mOHmoa OOGOHOO mo conaHocH mo OOOOOOOHO 0O OHQOB 184 Of the eight tOpics listed on the questionnaire for which special feedback was sought, the topic of health is the most frequently taught tOpic throughout the elementary Christian school science curriculum. It is also the most frequently acknowledged tOpic receiving attention in other classes and subject matter. The teaching of creation/ evolution appears in each of the four placement areas (Table 70) in frequency about as often as the topic of health. Creation/evolution subject matter is reported to be handled in another subject area (presumably Bible) and in combination with subject matter areas. Conservation ranks about third as a popular tOpic to teach in the elementary school and has high priority in science teaching. Metric teaching ranks about the same as conservation in frequency of inclusion in the curriculum but is more often handled by the respondent teachers in another subject area, probably mathematics. The two least frequently taught topics in the curriculum of the elementary Christian school were drug abuse education and science careers. Drug abuse information is not often incorporated in the science teaching of teachers but appears to some extent in other subject matter taught by respondents and appears in other grade levels as well. Teachers and administrators may be perceiving that this subject matter is more appro- priate for upper elementary grade levels. Science career information is reported to be handled by about one third of teacher respondents, but the topic has low 185 priority among other science topics listed. 15. Within the past five years, have you participated in a) curriculum conferences, b) in-service training activities, or c) workshops whose primary purpose was to assist elementary classroom teachers in improving their science teach- ing capabilities? No_, yes_. Participation in science teaching improvement experiences over the past five-year period was reported by just under 54% of 332 teacher respondents. Table 58 shows that 11% of teachers had "one year's experience including the current year." It may be that the 54% participation rate stated above could have been greater if this study had been con- ducted later in the school year, allowing additional time for regular science workshops. SCIENCE TEACHING METHODS AND EQUIPMENT 16. Please check the teaching tools that are available for your use and indicate how much you use each kind of tool in teachi science. teaching tools available? the average frequency of your use for SCIENCE classes: for SCIENCE: no yes none l-2t 2-4 times 1-3 times 1-2 times more than month week twi wk. 186 OHM o O OH eN me OOH om mOHmOQ HoacmHm Nmm OH NN Oe OOH HO om OH moamoa :HuOHHam mom O O Om Nm mm mm OHH mHOOOE \Opumso OOH O O O N OH OH ONN mama IOOUH>\>B OOO N . HH me em OO HOH OH mpaooon \moaae ONH O HH ON OH OO HOH ON .Oone paoaum>o ONH H O NH HO. OOH OO HN OOHHHO nEHHm\OpHHm ONH O o ON HO OOH OO OO OmusuoHO aoHuoz 0x3 \OOH3u xOOS Mom SHOOE Hem HoumOEom Hem Hmom Hem aaau moEHu NIH mmEHu mnH moEHa enN mmEHu NnH oaoz muzmHUm OHOE How .HHa>m mHoou wHauoa momma mo aoamavmnm omauo>a maHuHomOH mamaoaou mo HOQEOZ .uoz mcHaoaoe mHoonom cmHumHHEU cH mHOOB mcHnomOB OOGOHOO no on: no Oucoaaoum can OuHHHanHm>¢ HO OHQOB 187 Hm OO OON OOe OOO OOO OOO mHauoe OHm N eH mm Om He NN OmH muom OHOHOHO OHH O H HH HO HO NO OO Omaoom . IOHOHE .x3 \OOHBU xmm3 Hem nuaoE Hem Hoummaom Mom new» mom coca OmeHu NnH OmeHu HnH mmsHu OnN OmsHu NnH maoz mozmHom OHOE MOM .HHa>m mHoou mHmuoe omens mo moaozaoum omaao>m maHuHoaOH maocoaou mo Hoaeaz uoz OOHSOOOB AOOOOHOOOOO HO OHOOO 188 In Table 71, it can be seen that the three types of science teaching tools reported to be "not available" include television/videotape, science picture sets, and commercial charts and models. The second column "none" reveals that even though flannel boards, overhead projectors, and tapes and records are available, they constitute the three least frequently used science teaching tools. In the third column, "1-2 times per year," about a third of respondent teachers indicated they use films and filmstrips or slides once or twice each year. Ninety-one teachers said they employ bulletin boards for teaching science about twice a year. Forty-eight other teachers report usage at from 1 to 3 times per month, 22 teachers indicated 1-2 times per week, and 16 teachers responded to bulletin board usage for science at "more than twice per week." Where they are available, science picture sets seem to be employed with some regularity, perhaps in conjunction with bulletin board‘ usage. Eleven teachers report their use of overhead projectors, and the same number report use of tapes and records in science on a "1-2 times per week" basis. This frequency represents (ll/330) about three percent of the teachers responding. It is perhaps surprising that only 10 teachers reported that tapes or records for science were not available and that these teaching tools were employed infrequently in the instructional process. On the other hand, one might expect schools with little or no budget 189 for science supplies and equipment to have few microscopes, but only 84 of 316 teachers-indicated that microscopes were not available for their use in science classes. In the interpretation of information presented in Table 71, it is probably unwise to expect the employment frequencies of the selected teaching tools for science to be uniform in each category. For example, the use of motion picture films, microscopes, and television in science instruction may depend upon the tOpic being considered, video and film order schedules, equipment availability and status of repair, preferences of the teacher, and other factors. What is deemed "good" for the employment fre- quency of one instructional aid may be "poor" for another. The data simply indicate existing practices reported by participants in the study. It should also be remembered that data in this table include information from teachers at all grade levels, one through six, in about equal pro- portions (Table 62); so what may be appropriate for use in the primary grades may not be suitable for intermediate grade levels and vice versa. Finally, frequency rates will depend upon the number of days per week for science, which has been noted previously (Table 47) to show increases in the number of days per week through grades one to six. 190 17. In the following, please place a checkmark beside each teaching method you use during your SCIENCE classes: 9) Lecture/question/answer h) Excursions or field trips i) Programmed instruction 0) Science demonstration b) ln-class written work c) Individual lab activity d) Group lab activity e) Independent study f) Proiected visuals "I" 18. In question 17 above, please place the number beside the teaching method you use most frequently in your science classes. Place a "2" or "3" beside the teaching methods used second and third in frequency. Use the numbers only once. Questions 17 and 18 on the Teacher's Questionnaire were designed to indicate the range of methods employed in science instruction and which ones were most preferred by teachers. Teachers throughout the study left no particular method unchecked in question 17. In question 18, the in- tention was for teachers to indicate the three methods in item 17 they employed most often in teaching science. Where respondents had chosen more than three preferred methods, only the first three were incorporated in the analyses. Many teachers did not respond to this two-step survey response item. The format: for this questionnaire item is probably faulty in that it called for a dual response from each teacher. Only about 48 percent of teachers gave the intended type of responses. Table 72 gives the results for these respondents. The first choice of preferred methods employed in science instruction by teachers in Christian schools was "lecture/question/ answer." This was followed in order by "demonstration" and "in-class written work." The least favored method for teaching science was reported to be "individual lab activity." The figure 12 for "programmed instruction" was 191 OOO OOH OOH OOH n z unmoaoemmn amaomme OH H e NH aoHuoaupmaH cofiaaamoam AH OH NH N O OOHHO OHOHO no maoHOnsoxm A: HeH O NH mNH Hosmaa\coHumoaU\OHau0OH HO ON OH O H mHmamH> OOHOOOOHO Aw. ON OH O e Ocaum pamecomoncH Am OO ON OH o Once OOH Ozone HO O O H H xaos OOH HOOUH>HOOH HO OO om Oe m mmaHo cH xuo3 amuuHuz Ah OOH Om on O aoHaaHumaosoo Hm mHmuoe OHHSB eaooom pmHHm convex OGHEOOOB oucmHom mwozumfi OOUOOHOO maHMaaH muoaomou mo Honfiaz mHooaom caHumHano aH maocoaoe Mo meonpoz coHuoaHumcH mocOHom poao>am mo moaoaaoam NO OHQOB 192 a total derived from ACE schools, which have an independent student program consisting of a series of questions and answers similar to a workbook. These combination texts/ workbooks are not programmed for individual abilities, nor do they provide self-teaching feedback loops. The writer believes that the manner in which this item was interpreted by certain respondents makes these particular data unre- liable. The writer suggests that the totals for the category "proqrammed instruction" be combined with those in the category "independent study" because it seems to have better descriptive qualities for this characteristic teaching method. Examination of textual materials claimed to be employed in science teaching in the Christian schools surveyed revealed no truly programmed materials among them. Some science teaching educators are concerned with what can be termed passive versus active learning in science. Their concerns are reflected in the use of "hands- on activities involving students' participation in handling manipulative materials as a regular part of science instruction. Educators are also concerned about the manner in which the other types of classroom activities are conducted with respect to a passive-active continuum for the student. If the assumption can be made that certain given teaching methods permit student passivity (demon- stration, projected visuals, lecture/question/answer), and the others facilitate more student activity, the data in Table 72 can be arranged as follows: 193 Table 73 Frequency of Favored Science Teaching Methods Restructed for Passive-Active Assumptions Concerning Student Involvement "Passive" "Active" Totals total total a) Demonstration 100 f) Projected visuals 26 g) Lecture/question/answer 141 287 b) Written work in class 90 c) Individual lab work 9 d) Group lab work 45 e) Independent study 23 h) Excursions or field trips 14 i) Programmed instruction 17 198 Two of the most frequently employed methods in science teaching (lecture/question/answer, demonstration) together with the use of projected visuals, constituted over 57% of teachers' preferred methods of teaching science. The six other methods constituted about 43% of the same teachers' teaching method choices. A solid case in favor of either active or passive methodology practices (or preferences) cannot be made from the data in the preceding two tables or from other data in this study. 194 SCIENCE TEACHING CONCERNS 19. The next item contains a list of teaching factors thought to have an effect on science teaching. Indicate with checkmarks how you believe each of these factors affects science teaching: teaching factors inhibits inhib'ts neu al enhances y somew at noefect somewhat great for SCIENCE: , great Room facilities for teachi i i science ze c enro in science stance a sc amount of time teach i amount of time to for science our t science or ce science traini or interest in sci s or ori In teachers' ratings of factors thought to affect science teaching, there seems to be a greater number of factors thought to enhance rather than inhibit science teaching. Teachers believed strongly that their own interest in science contributed to their efforts. Two additional "enhancers" reported were the teacher's own knowledge about science, and supplies and equipment for science. Inspection cf columns four and five together reveals that teachers' interest in and knowledge about science assist their science teaching. In addition, in- service training was thought to be helpful to respondents' teaching of science. Science teaching "inhibitors" of strongest degree (column 1) included supplies and equipment, room facilities, and teacher preparation time. Inspection of columns one and two together indicates the same relative 195 OOO.m ONO.H mmm.m NON Hm OHH OO OO O mchHmuu moH>HmmucH HOO.m HOH.H OOm.m OHm OO OOH Ow OO O moomHsocx mocoHom :30 OHH.m OHN.H OOH.m ONm Om mO OO OO ON mummonm on oEHu mo vasoE< OOO.m OOO.H OHH.m OHm HO «O OOH OO OH comma ou mEHu mo ucsosd .NOH.O Ohm. OON.O BON Om OO osH Om OH mHma ucmuHcmcoo mocoHom ONm.m mOO. OOm.m OHm Ov HO ONH OO O mNHm mmMHo OOO.~ OOO.H OOO.~ OHO OO OO Om OOH we ucmamHsOm O mmHHmmsm OOO.N OOH.H NOO.N ONm Om OO OOH NO ON moHuHHHomw Eoom OHummum umn3mfiom uommwm oc pan3m50m OHuamHO muouomm cmeoz .o.m cam: z mmocmccm mmocmscm Hmnuswz manHccH manHccH OchommB mocmHom mcoo O O m N H muouoam mchomoB mocoHom mo mOcHumm .mumcomoa Hoosom GMHumHucu VO GHQMB 196 OOHm mmm NOO ONO OOO OOH mHmuoe NNm.m OOO. OOm.m OHm ON mOH OOH OO O oucoHom H0O OuHHoHHm Hoocom OOH.O OOO.H HOO.m OHm ONH OHH OO ON O moawHom cH umonmucH G30 OHummHO umc3QEOm uommwm o: unnSmEom OHummHm mnouomm amHOmz .a.O cum: 2 moocmgcm mmocmncm Hmuusmz manHnaH mananH mcHnomme mocmHom 0600 O O m N H lomquucoov OO mHnme 197 priorities of mention for these three inhibiting factors. With respect to column three, "neutral/no effect," teachers reported most often that science consultant assistance on a regular basis either had no effect or teachers felt indifferent about it. When this notion is viewed in the perspective of Table 51, however, a more reasonable interpretation may be that a majority of teachers do not have regular science consultant assistance. Of 181 schools reporting, 109 (60%) of them stated that they had no one who acted as a science consultant to assist their teachers. It seems apparent that some of the respondents may have had some uncertainty regarding the way to answer this item since there are the fewest number (267) of responses to science consultant help (Table 74). "Neutral/no effect" responses were also given to school priority for science, class size, and room facilities. The meaning of these ratings seems unclear. Perhaps these factors tend to become accepted as "givens" in teaching. Teachers are least neutral concerning supplies and equipment for teaching science. One beneficial result of the information revealed in Table 74, teaching factors, relates to the perceptions teachers have concerning the factors that have an effect upon their teaching of science. Strong feelings about factors that enhance or inhibit teaching efforts must be heard in the development and implementation of science curriculum improvement efforts. Likewise, where there are 198 expressions of "neutral/no effect,’ especially in regard to priorities for science teaching in schools, evidence for change strategy may be found. 20, How satisfied are you with teaching elementary school science? Please check one response below: very dissatisfied , dissatisfied , neutral , satisfied , very satisfied . Only somewhat more than 12% of teachers report dissatis- faction with elementary school science teaching, whereas about 67% of teachers report satisfaction in this area (Table 75). About 21% report neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction in science teaching efforts. These results seem to correlate well with Table 74, where individual factors were rated by the same teachers. 2| . Please answer the following question from the viewpoint of a classroom teacher: "With the exception of 'more money', what would be the most acceptable and most effective means for improv- ing the quality of science teaching in the Christian Elementary School?" The frequency response Table 76 develOped below as a result of teachers' concerns for the improvement of the quality of science instruction reveals the teachers' regard for the importance of supplies and equipment. Also men- tioned with equal frequency in "first" suggestions is concern for audio-visual methodology including "hands-on" instruction in science. Perhaps "hands-on" instruction and supplies and equipment are related in the minds of respondents. The third most frequently stated improvement l99 OOH H.mH 0.0m 0.0N O.HH m. mumnommu mo unmoumm ONO mO OOH OO Om H mnmnommp mo HOQEHHZ mHmuoB pmflmmHumm pmwmmflumm Hmnusmz cmHmmHummmHo UmHmmHOMmme HOQMH Ouommpmu Ono> Onm> mocmflom mchommB cuHB coHuommmHumm .mumsomma moaoHom Hoocom cmflumHHcU mO OHQMB 200 OHm mO OOH OON mHmuoe ON O OH O mpsuwyum .coflumoOch .EmmHmscucm once pmoz ON O O OH coHunHmmmHm 00H>nmmimum umcommu cm>onmEH OF «H mm mm mmHnu =.:oumccms= .mOoznme >u< mac: OO O NH HN Hoocom cH mmmnm QMH .Eoon mocmflom OO OH OO OO coHumNHcmmuo .ucmEmHsvm a mmHHmmam who: OO O OH HO mmosmxuos .mucmuHSmcoo nOM Ommz OO O O OO mEmHnoum mHsponom .Ochommu How OEHu who: OO O OH NO aofluosuumcfl .EsHsownuso ©w>oHQEH OO O OH OO mHmHHmumE pmucwnm cam mxoonuxmu ©m>oumEH OO H OH OH mmHuHuoHnm mocmHom mo mmmcmumzm Hmumonw mHmuoa phase paoomm #mHHm Onomoumo coOummOOsm ucmsm>oumEH cwumum mums maoflummOOSm cows3 cw nmcno mcoflummmasm ucmEm>OHmEH ochommE mocwHom .mnmcomme Hoocom cmflumfinco OO OHQMB 201 suggestion related to needs for consultant and workshops assistance, but it was the suggestion given first most often. This concern was followed in order by "improved curriculum" and "improved textbooks." It may be that the distinctionbetween curriculum and textbooks for science had been artifically determined when the suggestions were categorized. If these two categories are not truly separate factors in the minds of the respondents, the combination of totals would make "curriculum/textbook" the most frequently cited area for science teaching improvement. Of 277 teachers who made 510 improvement suggestions in answers to this free response item, three areas were mentioned least often. These three areas were "improved teacher pre-service preparation," "teacher enthusiasm, dedication, attitude," and "greater awareness of science priorities." Inasmuch as teachers have indicated (Table 74) that "their own interest in" and "knowledge of science" enhance their teaching of science, it could not be expected that teachers would dis- count their pre-service preparation. Finally, as noted previously (Table 75), teachers seem to be fairly well satisfied with their efforts to teach science. Comparing the two tables (Table 76 and Table 57) for teachers and principals, it should be noted that both groups share minimal concern for a "greater awareness of science priorities." Other relationships can be seen more clearly as frequency response percentages by comparing 202 the "totals" columns of Table 57 and Table 76 and expres- sing each subtotal as a percentage of the total number of responses for principals (245) and for teachers (510) in the following new table (Table 77). Principals rank the need for science consultant assistance and workshops first, but teachers rate this third in priority of suggestions. Teachers ranked supplies and equipment first, and principals rated this third. The second most frequent suggestion by principals concerned the status of pre-service preparation of teachers. This focus was not shared by teachers. The writer is of the opinion that there is enough concensus among three or four primary concerns to provide the basis for c00peration among administration and faculty members for effective science teaching improvement activity. Discussion and Summary of Findings This survey of the science teaching practices in selected elementary Christian schools in the United States was conducted during 1980-1981 in order to develop a base of information to assist curriculum developers working with in—service, pre-service, and text-production efforts. The responses of 184 principals and 334 teachers are incor- porated in the findings reported in this chapter. This represents a 54.7% return of questionnaire sets from principals who had volunteered their participation in the study. In terms of the population from which the sample was drawn, the findings should be understood to be a 203 0.00 OHO 0.00 OON mHmuoa 0.0 ON 0.0 OH mwsufiuum .coflumoflomo .Emmflmscucm once pmmz N.O ON O.HN OO coflumnmmmnm m0H>Hmmlmum nmnommn Um>onmEH 0.0H OO 0.0 O mmHuu =.c01mpcm:= .mponums >I< OHOE N.O OO H.O OH Hoonom CH mmmnm QMH .Eoou wocmHom 0.0H OO 0.0H OO coHpmNOcmmno .ucmEmflsvw O mmHHQQSm who: O.NH OO 0.0~ OO mmonmxnoz .muamuHsmaoo mom Ommz 0.0 OO O.N O mEmHnoum «Havocom .mcflcomow now mEHu Ono: H.HH OO 0.0 OH :oHuosuumaH .EDHDOHHHDU ©m>onmEH 0.0H mm 0.0 OH mHmOHmumfi Umucflnm can mxoonnxmu pm>onmEH 0.0 OO 0.0 O mmaufluoflum mocmHom mo mmmcmumzm Hmummuw w z O z Onomwumo coaummmmsm ucmEm>onmEH mHmuoa .mnmcomme mHmuoe .mHmmwocOHm mcoflummmmsm unmEm>onmEH mcflaomme wocmflom .mnmnomme 0cm .mHmmHocHum Hoocom cmflumfluno mo ucmoumm On mmfiocmsvmum mo comflnmmfiov O OO OHQMB 204 composite of data from slightly more than three percent of 5,761 school listings. The reports of both general infor- mation and data related to specific science teaching prac- tices in elementary Christian schools provide knowledge previously unavailable. The following generalizations of the findings in this study, reported in Chapter 4, are organized for simi- lar treatment of the report of the findings in the litera- ture search discussed in Chapter 2. Area 1: School Organization for Teaching Science in Christian Schools A) B) C) D) E) F) G) About 40% of schools have guidelines for required minutes for instruction. There does not appear to be any consistent practice among schools regarding the amount of time actually spent in science instruction. About 22% of schools reported that some of their grades are departmentalized for science instruc- tion. Only one school reported that any of its primary grades were included in the departmentaliza- tion procedures. The frequency of science teaching in the schools showed the following distribution: about 75% of kindergartens, 95% of first grades, 98% of second grades, and 100% of grades 3, 4, 5, and 6. Science is taught with increasing frequency during the week as well as for an increasing number of weeks during the year as the students move through grades K-6. The most frequently reported pattern for science teaching in Christian schools was 60 minutes per week for 36 weeks. A pattern of devoting more time each week for science as children progress from grade 4 to grade 6 is evident. Science is most often taught on a Tuesday and/or Area 2: 205 a Thursday, but regardless of the day, the afternoon is preferred over the morning by 70% of teachers. School Facilities for Teaching Science andiEnroIlment in Christian Schools A) B) C) Area 3: Science is most often taught in a regular classroom without special facilities, but 20 to 33% of teachers report that their rooms have temporary or portable equipment. The average class size for teaching science was reported by teachers to be just above 20 students with 17 students as the most frequently given class enrollment. The average school size was determined to be slightly more than 160 students for the September, 1980, enrollments for grades K through 6. Science Textual and Teaching Resources in Christian Schools A) B) C) D) E) Examination of the adoption policies of Christian schools regarding science textbooks revealed that 92% of schools had adopted a single publisher's series. The common practice reported in Christian schools was to employ textbooks published by private, religious companies such as Abeka, Bob Jones Uni- versity Press, and Accelerated Christian Education. Varied selections of secular science textbooks were being used by about 20% of schools. About 3% or less of the respondents reported that their schools were using printed materials related to science curriculum improvement projects such as SCIS, SAPA, and E88. The topics of health, evolution/creation, and con— servation are recognized subject matter areas for inclusion in the Christian school science curriculum. Metric concepts are most often taught in the mathe- matics classes. The teaching of career information in science and drug abuse education are reported infrequently as part of the science curriculum of the majority of Christian schools. Forty-eight percent of the schools surveyed indi- cated that they are no further than 10 miles from 206 a public science facility such as a planetarium or museum. Area 4: Supplies and Equipment for Teaching Science in the Christian School A) Both the principals and teachers surveyed agreed that the availability of supplies and equipment for teaching science rated about 2.5 on a five-point scale from "completely lacking" to "very good"; that is, somewhere between "adequate" and "inadequate." B) Almost 19% of schools expected to spend no money on science supplies and equipment during the 1980- 1981 school year, and 48% indicated they would spend $100.00 or less. An additional 14% indicated their expenditures would include up to $200.00 for the current year. Five schools reported allocating over $2,000.00 in this area. It was calculated that average expenditures would be about $280.00 per school or approximately $1.75 per student enrolled. Area 5: Availability and Frequency_of Use of Methods & Tools for Science in Christian Schools A) The most preferred science teaching methods prac- ticed by teachers were (1) lecture/question/answer, (2) demonstration, and (3) in-class written work. B) All listed teaching tools were reported to be available and used to some extent by science teachers. Greatest use was reported to be science bulletin boards. The tools least frequently avail- able for science teaching were reported to be video and television equipment. Also infrequently avail- able were science picture sets and charts and models. C) About 25% of the teachers reported allocating between 25 and 50% of their annual science instruc- tion time for "hands-on" types of activities. Sixty-seven percent reported spending less than 25% of annual instructional time in this manner. Area 6: Characteristics of Science Teaching Personnel in Christian Schools A) Forty-five percent of Christian school teachers have taught science for four years or less, and 80% B) C) D) E) F) G) H) Area 7: 207 have taught science for ten years or less. Female teachers outnumber male teachers three to one in grades one through six. Ninety-seven per- cent of K-3 teachers are female, and 60% of teachers in grades 4-6 are female; Regarding the acquisition of college degrees, respondents reported the following: no degree, 5%; Bachelors degree, 77%; Masters degree, 13%; and miscellaneous theological degrees, 5%. Teachers reported having taken an average of about 10 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of science and science teaching methods in college. Principals of about 40% of Christian schools indi- cated that they had some form of science consul— tant help available to their teachers. The con- sultant task was handled most often by a high school teacher or an administrator. Less than 3% of elementary teachers reported performing a science consultant function. Fifty-four percent of respondent teachers said they had participated within the past five years in curriculum conferences, in-service training activi- ties, or in workshops where the primary purpose was to improve teachers' science teaching capa- bilities. Principals rated 1,204 teachers' pre-service science preparation as follows: superior, 10%; good, 45%; fair, 31%; poor, 5%; and unprepared, 9%. Sixty-seven percent of Christian school science teachers have state certification. About 15% of these certified teachers were currently employed in states other than the one for which they held certi- ficates. Attitudes of Christian School Personnel Toward Perceived Barriers to Effective Science Teaching A) B) Sixty-seven percent of teachers reported that they are "satisfied" with their science teaching efforts. Teachers most often mentioned the following bar- riers to science teaching: (1) supplies and C) Area 8: 208 equipment, (2) room facilities, and (3) science teaching preparation time. Teachers' science teaching improvement suggestions also included assistance from science consultants and provision of science workshops. Principals most often mentioned improvement sug- gestions relating to (l) provision of science con- sultant assistance, (2) supplies and equipment, and (3) the need for upgrading the pre-service preparation of teachers of science. Background and Miscellaneous Data Relating to Science Teaching in Christian Schools A) B) C) D) E) The length of operation of Christian schools was most often given as four years. Sixty-five per- cent of these schools indicated they had been operating for ten years or less, and 85% had been in operation for twenty years or less. Eight per- cent reported operating for thirty years or more, with two schools reporting histories of over ninety- nine years. One third of the schools indicated that there were at least four other Christian schools within a ten-mile radius. Seventeen percent of the schools reported that there was no other Christian school in the designated area. Christian elementary schools are found in a variety of sizes of demographic regions. Sampled schools reported their city populations as follows: 36% are in cities under 25,000; 33% in cities of from 25,000 to 100,000; and 30% in cities of over 100,000. About 18% of teachers surveyed reported they held certification in one or four national Christian school organizations. Sixty-one percent of Christian school teachers of science reported that they had graduated from a Christian college or university. The largest number (24%) indicated they had graduated from Bob Jones University located in Greenville, South Carolina. 209 Conclusion The findings summarized above represent an overview of the science teaching practices in selected Christian schools in the United States. The information gathered from voluntary participants included administrators and teachers who were employed in 184 schools serving 29,550 pupils in various grades kindergarten through six, seems to be fairly complete for these schools. Although it is believed that the data can be considered to be reasonably representative of the population of schools from which this sample was chosen, the confidence level is rather low because the desired number of schools (359) was not realized in the survey. Also, many of the smaller Christian schools are not represented in these findings. This is particularly true for many ACE schools located in Texas that declined to participate. The results of this study are discussed further in Chapter Five and viewed for their potential to provide meaningful information that would assist in develOping textbooks, pre-service programs, and in-service programs for Christian school science teachers. In addition, con- structive commentary will be made regarding certain similarities and differences that may be seen among trends in science teaching practices for public and Christian schools. Finally, limitations of this study will be given and suggestions for further study will be made. Chapter 5 Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations Summary This study is the result of a survey of science teaching practices in selected elementary fundamentalist Christian schools in the United States. The data generated from this effort represent the aggregate of responses from 184 school administrators and 334 teachers in grades kinder- garten through sixth and provide one source of information concerning the elementary science programs of the rapidly expanding Christian school movement. These data and the implications that may be drawn from them are viewed as an important part of the development of materials, in-service assistance, and pre-service programs relating to the popu- lation of Christian schools under consideration. The importance of the position of science as a vital concern of fundamentalist Christian educators was noted and the basic tenets of Fundamentalist beliefs in this area were given. Contrasts between secular humanism and fundamentalism were made, and evidence was presented to indicate that these differences as well as other factors have been a part of a back-to-the-basics emphasis that has resulted in the expansion of the fundamentalist 210 211 Christian school movement. The growth of the Christian schools has resulted in the production and development of specialized curriculum materials for science that demonstrate an infusion of religious philosophy in the sequential studies of the natural world. This development seemed to be reminiscent of an earlier period in the history of science education when religious teachings had incorporated a study of the natural world. An outline of the develOpments and trends in science teaching in the United States was given for the purposes of establishing appropriate and potentially productive survey procedures. Relevant literature was examined, and major national science surveys were reported for their usefulness in constructing the questionnaires employed in this descriptive research. The findings presented in Chapter 4 are intended to be of special interest to professionals who are con- cerned with the development, implementation, and administra- tion of programs of science education at varied levels. A brief account of the major findings is presented in the following eight categories. 1. School Organization for TeachingyScience There does not appear to be any consistent prac- tice among Christian schools in terms of the amount of time actually spent in science instruction. However, 212 science is taught for some part of the year at all grade levels. All schools reported that science was taught in grades three, four, five, and six. The most frequently reported time for science was sixty minutes per week for thirty-six weeks. The amount of time for science increased through the grade levels. The afternoon is preferred for science teaching, and Tuesday and/or Thursdays are most frequently scheduled for science classes. Departmentaliza- tion for science instruction is practiced by fewer than one fourth of sampled schools and seems to be restricted to grades five and six. 2. Class Size and School Facilities for Teaching‘Science Typical class sizes in elementary Christian schools may range between seventeen and twenty students in schools averaging 160 students, kindergarten through sixth. Science is most often taught in self-contained classrooms that do not have any special science teaching facilities. About one fifth to one third of teachers indicated that their classrooms have some temporary or portable equipment that is employed in their science teaching. 3. Science Textbooks and Resources for Teaching Science Over ninety percent of sampled schools revealed they had adOpted a single publisher's series for teaching science. The adOption of textbooks produced primarily for use in Christian schools was the norm and involved three 213 major publishers: Abeka, Bob Jones University Press, and Accelerated Christian Education. About twenty percent of schools were using texts produced by secular publishing houses. There was only a trace of science curriculum improvement programs (SCIP) employed in the sampled schools. Although the topics of health, creation, and conservation are rec0gnized in the content of Christian school science, education in drug abuse and careers are infrequently reported. Metric concepts seem to be utilized in mathe- matics classes rather than in science classes. The location of many Christian schools may make the utilization of public science facilities such as museums feasible in terms of time and distance. 4. Supplies and Equipment for Teaching Science Instructional resources for teaching science are not adequately provided for in the science programs of Christian schools in the survey, a point on which all participants seem to agree. An average expenditure of about $1.75 per student was derived from survey data, but this information must be tempered with the understanding that nearly one fifth of schools reported that nothing would be spent for science supplies and equipment during the 1981 school year. 5. Availability and Frequency of Use of Methods and Tools for Teaching Science Although there is some evidence of incorporation 214 of "hands-on" activities in the Christian school classrooms surveyed, the most preferred teaching methods reported were the lecture/question/answer, teacher demonstration, and in-class written work approaches. Most of the commonly employed teaching tools were reportedly available for teachers, but there were accounts of infrequent usage of television equipment, commercial charts and models, and science picture sets. Teachers reported high frequency of usage of bulletin boards. 6. Characteristics of Personnel Employed in Science Teaching About one half of teacher respondents indicated they had fewer than five years' experience in science teaching. Ninety-five percent of teachers reported the acquisition of at least a four-year college degree, and sixty-one percent had obtained their degrees from a Christian college or university. Sixty-seven percent of teachers claimed to hold state certification, and an addi- tional eighteen percent stated they held certification in a Christian school organization. The average total of college course hours in basic sciences and.science teaching methods was about ten semester hours. Principals of forty percent of schools reported the availability of some form of science consultant assistance, but fewer than three percent of elementary teachers performed this function. About half of teachers surveyed indicated they had attended a science-improvement seminar or workshop 215 within the past five years. 7. Attitudes of Personnel Toward Perceived BarrierS'to Effective Science Teaching Barriers most frequently mentioned by both teachers and administrators included supplies and equipment, lack of consultant help, inadequate room facilities, and inadequate pre-service teacher training for science. Sixty-seven per- cent of teachers reported their satisfaction with their own science teaching efforts. 8. Miscellaneous Factors Relating to Science Teaching Sixty-five percent of Christian schools in the sample had been in operation for less than ten years, but the most frequent figure for years of Operation was four years. Christian schools seem to be located in regions varying from under one thousand pOpulation to metropolitan areas of over one hundred thousand. Administrators in a majority of cases indicated the presence of from four to nine other Christian schools within a ten-mile radius, and only seventeen percent reported theirs was the only Christian school in the area. Conclusions One most interesting conclusion that can be made regarding the findings of this study is that there seems to be little difference between the science teaching practices of teachers in elementary Christian schools and 216 teachers in public schools in the samples reported for this study. The findings of this study are presented for com- parison to the most recent national survey of science teaching practices, the 1977 NSF report prepared by Ira weiss. l. Similarities are indicated as follows: The teaching of science is an accepted component of the elementary school curriculum, but science teaching has a low priority. Written guidelines for the amount of science instructional time are available in less than half of the schools included in these.studies. There seem to be no consistent practices regarding the amount of science taught to students in the elementary grades, but they vary from school to school and from teacher to teacher. The barriers to effective science teaching seem to be similar for all situations reported. These barriers include supplies and equipment, consultant help, room facilities, and improved pre-service preparation for teaching science. Teachers prefer teaching methods that seem to be teacher-centered and heavily dependent upon the employment of a single textbook as a means of information acquisition by students. Certain dissimilarities seem apparent between the study and the Weiss survey. 1. The average number of years of science teaching experience is greater for public elementary school teachers than for Christian school teachers. Public school teachers hold an average of twice as many advanced degrees. Public school teachers reported a greater average number of college credits in both the basic sciences and in science teaching methods. Christian schools seem to be employing science textbooks produced especially for Christian schools. These textbooks are supportive of par- ticular religious philosophies. 217 5. Christian schools seem to have a slightly greater percentage of male teachers in the intermediate grades four, five, and six than reported for public schools. 6. On the average, class sizes are smaller in Christian schools than in the public schools studied. Other factors remain inconclusive or untouched by findings reviewed for this research. 1. The science capabilities of elementary students in either public or Christian schools are not addressed. 2. The reasons for apparent low priorities for science instruction in the schools are unexplored. Recommendations Christian school educators ought to make the most of the strengths of their programs and remedy the perceived weaknesses of programs such as elementary science. The significance to decision makers of the apparent similarities between public school and Christian school science teaching practices may lie in the notion that the results of science education research in the public schools may be applied effectively to making desired changes in Christian school science programs. Research and curriculum develOpment for application to Christian schools should be conducted in the following three areas: (1) the continuing production of specialized science teaching materials, (2) the development of in-service programs that address recognized barriers to effective science teaching, and (3) the articulation of pre-service science programs to redress the problem of minimal standards for training elementary science teachers. 218 Based on the writer's background and the findings of this study, the following recommendations are suggested for further exploration by the varied community of Christian educators. l. Clarify and communicate to constituents the purposes for science teaching that incorporate effective teaching/learning strategies and that explicate the meaning of scientific literacy for students in fundamentalist Christian schools. 2. Design instructional media and methods that make the most productive uses of limited facilities, minimal expenditures, small class sizes, existing science teaching schedules, and the schools' proximity to public science facilities. 3. Organize science curriculum improvement workshops for Christian schools that may wish to supplement their own in-service and consultant efforts. 4. Attempt to verify and supplement the findings of this study particularly in regard to pre-service preparation of Christian school teachers. 5. Incorporate usable data in pre- service programs in order to anticipate and treat potential barriers to effective science teaching. As a stakeholder in the products of Christian education, the writer views with approval the production of textual materials that are consistent with Fundamentalist beliefs. Also acceptable as trends in the Christian school movement are practices of employing increasing numbers of male teachers in the elementary schools and maintaining small class sizes. In addition, the appearance of high proportions of certified (or certifiable) teachers in this study of Christian schools may provide some assurance to educators and Christian school constituents alike that many qualified teachers are found in fundamentalist elementary 219 Christian schools. In such a climate of concern for the em- ployment of qualified teachers, it may prove interesting to inquire whether Christian school administrators will seek to employ experienced teachers from a surplus created by public school teacher layoffs. On the other hand, the writer views with disdain the reports of minimal pre-service teachers' exposure to basic science and science teaching methods. If these reports are accurate, the continuation of such pre-service practices seems quite intolerable. When this information is considered in the context that over sixty percent of elementary Christian school teachers have graduated from Christian colleges, it seems clear that the responsibility for redress rests with decision makers in the Christian colleges. A final suggestion for inquiry involves the determin- ation of the status of Christian school students' competencies in science understandings, skills, and attitudes. Because the approach taken in this survey resulted in the identification of certain circumstances, conditions, and factors in science teaching rather than in an appraisal of student learning, there is still a need to evaluate the effectiveness of Christian school science programs. Evaluation of curriculum efforts can- not be addressed solely by input measures and program intentions. * static * * This study is an initial inquiry into the science teach- ing practices of elementary Christian schools of the United States. It should be remembered that these data and the impli- 220 cations drawn from them may be limited to the broad group of Christian schools and to fundamentalist schools in particular. The following reasons are presented in support of this belief: 1. there was limited participation of solicited schools; 2. there were disproportionately large numbers of Bob Jones University respondents; 3. there is an apparent uneven distribution of funda- mentalist Christian schools in the United States; 4. there was no regulation of the administrators' selection of the teacher respondents; and, 5. there is difficulty in making precise comparisons of teaching factors among the different schools represented in this study and research that was con- ducted over varied time periods. Nevertheless, the information provided in this report may be viewed for its usefulness in the development of a basis for decision making and for additional research. Appendix A EXAMPLES OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOL PUBLISHERS' SCIENCE TEXTBOOK MATERIALS "...the teaching of science is designed to help students see a religious purpose in the world..." (refer to p. 31) PLEASE NOTE: Copyrighted materials in this document have not been filmed at the request of the author. They are available for consultation, however, in the author’s university library. These consist of pages: 221-238 University Microfilms International 300 N Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106 (313) 761.4700 ENJOYING ms ANIMAL WORLD . 5] 221 God Gives the Animals Protection Animals have many enemies. If God had not given each animal some form of protection, many kinds of animals would be quickly killed. Enioying God's World; Grade 2 / A Beka Book Publications Box l8000 Pensacola, Florida 32523 Copyright 1977 A Beka Book Publ's. It) Reproduced with permission " A turtle moves slowly. He cannot run. His shell protects him. _‘ -. It's: -'. I '_ rm,- : 5". l t ' ‘ ' -—.;J fiy~w n—Lw‘e " r“. " K51.“ . '9 A baby deer is called a fawn. Fawns have spotted coats until ti}: they are big enough to outrun 2‘ their enemies. The spots help (rick them to hide in the bushes of the forest. Investigating God's World; Grade 5 A Beka Book Publications Box 18000 Pensacola, Florida 32523 Copyright 1977 A Beka Book Publ's. Reproduced with permission enough on the beach to avoid later high tides. Un- cannily, the grunion arrive about fifteen minutes after the high tide has beenreached. ' The eggs are deposited below the surface of the sand. and the fish flop back into the sea. Two weeks later when the high tide is again at its highest point, the eggs hatch. In fact,- it is the arrival of the waves which triggers the hatching process. The eggs pop open like popcorn as the water reaches them. Waves wash the tiny grunion into the sea. Who taught the grunion the schedule of the tides? How does this fish know when spring tides occur, and how does it know when the high point of the tide has passed? Is it possible for the grunion to have figured these details out for itself? Only God could have given such a wonderful biological clock or instinct to the grunion. Without this special instinct, the grunion would become extinct because it could not reproduce. How marvelous are the works of God’s hands! "——-—----" ‘LLm—r-me husk-Om... 223 have I have a ‘ Ear. " The Earth Moves God makes the earth move in two ways. One way God makes the earth turn. He makes it turn like a top. One way God makes the earth go around the sun We hdve learned the earth moves in two ways. One way it turns around. We have learned it turns around like a top. We have learned it turns. 1 ________ ‘ It turns around one time each day.\\“ One way it moves around the sun. We have learned the earth goes around the sun. We have learned it goes around the sun each SCIENCE l006 year 0 Accelerated Christian Education P.O. Box I438 Lewisville, TX 75067 I9 Copyright I978 ACE, Inc. Reproduced with permission SCIENCE I006 , Accelerated Christian Education Copyright 1978 PCE’ Inc... , P.O. Box 1438 Lewisville, TX 75067 Repmduced W'lh Pe'm'ss'” 224 . ‘ ‘ two . -__-.*-_‘__.—'__‘ ________ : - . : a _ one The earth moves ,_ : ‘v ." -.,.', . _ ways. four hep L . ,. __ ---------------------- top 'The a-rfltttrnsllk: a 'rnOp ffin rUn sUn The earth moves around the _ ,_ _ . 'J yéar ““““““““ tear hear move ““““““““““““ rndke GOCI makes the 8(3th , » - -_,_, ’ learn iéF9zszazeeégégahazaesusmsushebOyasesqseseaesds Thou shalt take thy rest in ~_ _-__1_ .”° Job II:I8 Correct mistakes. _ " -—* Score this -. ——~a:. p... F; 3 - ~ 5‘7: it“ >1 1'? ’\ _:' .- . . It" _ T if i. {2}“ v"- R! - if? ‘ i. ' 31.3 M “' ‘ 2. Acids make soil. Acids in rain water, streams, and rivers not only make caves underground, but they also provide new soil for plants above ground. Rivers and streams are fed by rain. As the water runs across the rocks on the sides of hills and mountains, the acids in the water dissolve tiny pieces of the rocks. These tiny pieces of rock are carried in the streams and rivers and are deposited on flat land. There the plants will have new soil in which to grow. This new soil is called sediment. Good soil will grow large, healthy, green plants. What makes good soil? Farmers know that good soil has to have acids. Farmers buy fertilizer and put it in the soil to make plants grow better. Most fertilizers are made from acids. Acid fertilizers in the soil cause the soil (1) Acids in rain water, streams, and rivers provide new (2) New soil is called (3) Good soil has to have (4) Most 225 to be richer. Acids in the soil do several things for plants. The acids dissolve minerals, such as iron, in the soil so that plants can ab- sorb the minerals as a liquid. Soils always have in them some remains of dead plants and animals which provide food for new plants. Acids in the sail help to dissolve the dead materials into a liquid form so that the plants can use them for food. Have you ever seen a tree growing up out of rocks? Perhaps you have seen streets cracked and broken up by the roots of plants. How is a root able to grow into a rock or into a concrete street? Plants have acid in their roots. As the roots make contact with rocks, the acid in the roots dissolves the rocks. The plant is able to break the rocks apart by dissolving the rocks and growing bigger. for plants above ground. are made from acids. (5) Acids dissolve the minerals as a (6) Plants have acid in their 13 such as iron, in the soil so that plants can SCIENCE I06l Accelerated Christian Education P.O. Box I433 Lewisville, TX 75007 Copyright I982 ACE, Inc. Reproduced with permission SCIENCE l06l Accelerated Christian Education P.O. Box I438 Lewisville, TX 75067 3. Acids aid digestion. People and animals also depend upon acids to live. Did you know that in your stomach you have one of the strongest acids known? Your body makes this acid to aid digestion. Just as plants have to have their food dis- solved in the soil, people and animals have to have their food dissolved in their stomachs. Since the acid in your stomach is so strong, why does it not dissolve your stomach? Your stomach has a protective lining which the acid cannot dissolve. God made your body to protect itself from harm. When the food has been dissolved by the acid, the food is ab- sorbed by your body. . . Stomach acids dissolve foods. You wouldn't drink on acid which is able to dissolve a piece of metal, but there are some acids which we may eat and drink. It is good for you to drink a iuice which contains an acid before eating a meal. Any liquid should be taken at least thirty minutes before a meal. The acid makes your mouth water, making your food easier to swallow. It also starts the digestive process for the food you eat. You should not drink liquids during a meal. A protein food such as meat or cheese should be the first food eaten at a meal in order to activate the acid in your stomach. Copyright I982 ACE, Inc;o RePl'Oduced with permission 226 4. Acids are used to prepare foods. If you look closely at a piece of bread, you will see little holes all through it. These holes were made by bubbles of gas in the bread dough. Baking soda and sour milk (on acid) combine to produce bubbles in the dough which make the bread rise. When the bread dough rises in the oven, it becomes light and fluffy. We call these breads "light," or "quick," breads. A common acid called vinegar is used to preserve vegetables such as cabbages. Tomatoes can be preserved in their own iuice because tomato iuice contains acids. Preserv- ed foods can be kept for a long time in cans and iars. Sour cream, another common acid, is used to make tangy sauces for fish, vegetables, and salads. Can you guess why it is sour? The acids in many kinds of foods are produced by bacteria. Bacteria are tiny plants which can be seen only through a microscope. Bacteria are added to milk to make it sour or thicken. Solids are formed in the milk, then are made into sour cream or cheese. .1— Acids really make a meal enioyable. Tangy dill pickles, sauces, and salad dressings which contain acids provide a mouth-watering treat when added to meals. 1.05 Both plants and people drink L) e.) l.06 The sun helps people to tall. 202 Scrence LIFEPAC Alpha Omega Publications 1.07 God made the sun to l.08 PeOple and plants are in many ways. I My score ____.._. Teacher check .. ’ Date P.O. Box 3153 Tempe, AZ 8528i .0 - Copyright I978 Alpha Omega Publ. Reproduced with permission ll. HOW PLANTS ARE THE SAME God has made many kinds of plants. Some plants look alike, but many plants look different. Plants are the same in many ways even if they look different. Most plants grow from seeds. Roots from the seeds go into the ground. Stems grow out of the ground from the seeds. Plants have leaves I that grow out from the stems. Plants can have flowers. ' K Flowers can make seeds. Then new plants can grow from the seeds. 6 (six) I You are going to study each part of a plant. 228 blossom bud main ripe root shiny stem sunshine toothpick tube vein WORDS TO STUDY (blos som) (shin y) (sun shine) (tooth pick) A flower. The part of a plant that has the new growth for next year. Most important. Ready to eat. The part of a plant that is in , the ground. Bright. The .part of a plant that holds up flowers or leaves. The light given off by the sun. A small, pointed wooden stick. Anything long and round with an empty inside. A tube used to carry something inside from one place to another. Ask your teacher to say these words with you. Teacher check Science LIFEPAC 202 Initial 7 (seven) Alpha Omega Publications °°'° P.O. Box 3153 Tempe, AZ 85281 Copyright I978 Alpha Omega Publ. Reproduced with permission Answer these questions. 1.18 What are the four large bodies that make up Ztiie solar system? a. c. b. d. 1.19 What are the smaller objects in the solar system called? a. c. b. 1.20 If a boy weighs 60 pounds on earth, how much would he weigh on the moon? _ Science LIFEPAC 410 Alpha Omega Publications P.O. Box 3I53 Tempe, AZ 8528i EARTH Copyright I978 Alpha Omega Publ. Plants, animals, and man depend on God's wonderful creation and each other for life. In this part of your LIFEPAC, you will review the structure of plants and how plants function. You will recall that the five important parts of plants are the roots, stems, leaves. flowers, and fruit. Animals, too, are an important part of God’s creation. You will recall how wonderfully animals are made. Animals can travel long distances by walking, running, flying, or swimming. Each animal is suited for living in the community where he has been placed. Animals eat and digest many different types of food. They breathe by means of lungs, gills, and pores. You will also review in this LIFEPAC something about the actions of mammals, fish, birds, and insects. You will also recall how Reproduced with permission animals are provided for and protected by God and man. Plants. When God created the earth, He created both nonliving and living things. Plants are living things. Like all of God’s creation, plants were made by design. They serve many purposes in the world. Individual plants have parts that make up their total structure. Those parts, the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit, are necessary for the plants to live, grow and reproduce. You remember that all living things need air, light, water, and food. Before God put plants on the earth, He placed all the necessary things on the earth to help plants grow. He made each part of the plant with something special to do. The roots of a plant reach into the earth’s soil to drink up the water and take up minerals. The water and minerals move up through the stem to feed the leaves, the buds, and the flowers. From the air the green leaves take carbon dioxide. Light from the sun shines upon the leaves. The carbon dioxide- gas combines with the water in the leaves. By the process of photosynthesis, the leaves put all these elements together to make food. Some plants, such as beets and carrots, store their food in their roots. Other plants store food in their stems (celery) or in their fruit (apple and orange trees). In addition to food, some plants are used for sfigllter and enjoyment. Plants also have another very important use. They breathe in some of the carbon dioxide that man and animals exhale. The plants then give off oxygen into the air. This process keeps both animals and humans alive. It keeps a balance of fresh air in our natural surroundings. Leaves drop to the ground and decay or rot. Decaying leaves put minerals back in the soil. The plant, the leaf, the wind, the animals, and decay all work together to keep life going. This process is called the decay cycle. Science LIFEPAC 4l0 Alpha Omega Publications _ Write true or false. P.O. Box 3I53 Tempe, AZ 8528] Copyright I978 Alpha Omega Publ. Reproduced with permission 1.21 Plants take only oxygen from the air to make food. 1.22 Plants need air, light, water, and food to grow. 1.23 The stems and leaves of carrots are store- houses for the food they make. 1.24 Plants take up minerals from the soil. 1.25 Each part of a plant has something special to do. Answer these questions. 1.26 What are the five important parts of a plant? a. d. b. e. c. 1.27 What are two important uses of plants? a. b. SCIENCE for Christian Schools: Grade2 Bob Jones University Press, Inc. Greenville, South Carolina 296l4 23]" Copyright I976 Bob Jones University Press, Inc. Reproduced with permission (3“ \fl)‘ \‘ . ‘\ -‘\‘. 46 - - 0". Something you can do Fill a glass of water and set it in a pan. Place a golf ball in the filled glass. Pour the overflowed water from the pan into another glass. Take the ball out of the glass. What do you observe? .5? SCIENCE for” Christian Schools: Grade2 Bob Jones University Press, Inc. 232 Greenville, South Carolina 296I4 Copyright I976 Bob Jones University Press, Inc. Reproduced with permission 119 The Bible tells us that God created life on the earth. All the living things that are now on the earth came from what God created in the beginning. J Science for Christian Schools: Grade 5 Bob Jones University Press, Inc. Greenville, South Carolina 296I4 233 Copyright I977 Bob Jones University Press, Inc. Reproduced with permission this as evidence that early man shuffled along, hunched over like the apes. More thorough examination of the Neanderthal man showed he suffered from arthritis. His stooped appearance was normal for a man ofhis age with this bone disease. The other fossil men have walked erect as we do, but. artists still favor the ape-like walk. small head At one time scientists thought that a person’s brain size indicated how smart he was. They have since learned this is usually not true. Because no one knows the actual brain size of most early men (usually only pieces of skull were found) artists have chosen to draw men with a small brain and large jaw—like an ape! In fact, some of the Cro-Magn on men have a larger brain capacity in their skull than does modern man. stupid look There is no evidence for this, only the ideas of the artist. We cannot tell what the muscles and skin looked like from the bones. live in a cave Fossil remains have been found in caves. This is not surprising since the Bible tells us that Lot lived in a cave (Genesis 19:30). David and his men lived in caves (I Samuel 22:1; 24:1-13). It was the custom in ancient times for people to bury their dead in caves. Abraham’s family was buried in a cave (Genesis 23:17- 20). Lazarus was buried in a cave (John 11:38). Throughout history and even today people have lived in caves. Because some people lived in caves, does that mean that everyone did? No, some people probably built their own shelter. huddle around a small fire Fire is spoken of as a sort of “magic” early man must. have accidentally found. We know from the Bible that long before Noah, Tubal-cain was a worker in metal (Genesis 4:22). He had to have a thorough knowledge of fire and know some chemistry to do this. Occasionally someone will find some object made of metal or pottery that is buried so far underground we conclude that it must date to these people who lived before the great Flood. Because fire is used in making metal and most pottery, we know that some early men knew a lot about fire. 71 Science for Christian Schools: Grade 5 Bob Jones University Press, Inc. Greenville, South Carolina 29614 234 Copyright 1977 Bob Jones University Press, Inc. Reproduced with permission Go back and reread Newton’s third law of motion. What was the action in the activities? What was the reaction? Drag Drag is a problem for aircraft designers. If an airplane has too much drag, a bigger engine will be needed for extra thrust. The bigger engine will weigh more and require extra lift. We have already learned that the more lift there is, the greater the drag will be. The best solution is to get rid of any unnecessary drag. ~-———-— p———.—v . .. .._.~ ..- a..- W cm l Activity 9: Get a large piece of stiff cardboard. Hold it in front of you and run into the wind. Get another piece of cardboard that can be bent and form it into a shape similar to the loop you made for the activity of page 171. Run into the wind holding this in front of yap. Do you notice any difference in the “drag” as you run? Repeat these. activities running at different speeds. Do you notice there is more drag 1 when you run faster? 178 ACTIVITY 5 X-tra X-ercise for X-ceptional X-perts 235 Pretend that you are Noah and you are keeping a diary about the events of the Flood. Below are some months and days on which the Bible says things happened. Some dates have stars in front of them. We don’t know exactly what happened on those days, but put down what may have hap- pened. We don’t know the names at the months so we will just call therr Month 1, Month 2, etc. Write down what you think Noah would have writ- ten in his daily diary. *Month 1 Day 30 Belieue. H‘ or not, I am nearlu '9anch with the. ark.I There have been dags I thought“ I’d never ggt done. But 'l‘odou I 91.41“ up the, 03¢ Month 2 Day 10 GOd SPOkei 030.171 +0d0¥. HQ gave. me. ”lg hi9 [Ellis Genes" “'5 and importan‘l‘ instruc+ions He, told me, to National Union of Christian Schools, —now Christian Schools International - Grand Rapids, Mich. 49508 Creation and Providence -Student activity booklet F-I _Copyright 1974 CSI Publications Reproduced with permission Month 2 Day 17 Well "' 'i‘odau l‘l‘ started! Genesis 7:11 I *Month2 Day 30 This is Something elsel For two weeks now it’s been minim. ooum‘nq. and crushing. J'j J J J I u. -0 I -‘ N‘. on 'O r- w-’ ' ‘ ’ ‘ -L'7...WW"‘ Month 3 Day 27 33' 5 been rammq 3%} 7.; «4:. regfnfind toda Genesis 7:12 H19; de "actual-lg ”3:97:33?“ 335% ”like, 'I'I10‘I' .. I IIvjflhuouwa-Pl-er thnq rain on ‘l‘hg: r6233“? «rye,» ‘- n'TI-Efii- su relsteemég... - "‘ . - 3. MW» <2 . "‘ c. ’ ~‘T%J' ." _ .o. ... , ..‘ .. . M “W’: ..— .. 'w M —-A. .. G, J" .. .. c - a n - ' fl ‘ ‘- ‘I-"q, "t‘.’ ."‘ . 6“ ’ . 5A " *Month 4 Day 27 Month 7 Day 17 Genesis 8:4 Month 10 Day 1 Month 2 Day 27 Genesis 8:14-19; 236 TOdOU I‘h’v'ed To catch up on some, work around here. Really, running this ark is no small task. Evem‘LdoluL I have to 'l’humloc/‘i‘ul - crunch I. Today, we +rulufisaw sorvnefi—hirlfaJ besides water. Genesis 8:5 Month 11 Day 11 Today I opened. a window! Fresh am! Did +hal‘ Genesis 8:6-9 ever 563.?“ 800C“ National Union of Christian Schools, now Christian Schools International — Creation and Providence — Grand Rapids, Mich. 49508 Student activity booklet F-l Month 11 Day 18 _' Copyright 1974 CSI Publications Genesus 8:10 R d d 'h . . and 11 epro uce wrt permussson Month 11 Day 25 We, learned Something excitm ‘l‘odau. Genesis 8:12 J I Month 1 Day 1 Genesis 8:13 . - W¢afilt'i:J-T--f_::fl> .‘ ' - ‘ _ . U .,. .1: :WW“‘M'~”'H~ , .- .0; Comparing how seeds travel. 237 Which seed would the wind move? a. acorn b. cherry c. maple d. walnut Trees; reading God's World A 52:6 E) a” @ CSI Publications 11 THE GREAT ESCAPE In Lesson 9 you listed the ways people use trees. God made trees for people.to use. Enough new trees should grow to take the place of the ones that die or are cut down. People can plant new trees, but trees must make the seeds to start new trees. God made all living things to reproduce, or make more of themselves. Trees reproduce by making seeds. But seeds must get to places with the right conditions in order to grow. They need good soil and the right amount of light and water. How do seeds travel to places with the proper conditions for growth? Different seeds travel in different ways. Some seeds are carried by the wind. Other seeds are carried on animals, people's clothing or in animals' mouths. Still others are eaten by birds and those seeds pass right through the animal's digestive system and can be dropped on the ground many miles from their tree. There are even seeds that are hollow inside and can float. \ 63 You can often tell how a seed gets away from its tree by looking \/ at it. Take out the seeds you collected in chapter 3. Spread the- out on the top of your desk. Look cloSely at each seed. Cut open the fruit to get its seeds. Decide how each seed escapes from its tree. Group the seeds according to the way they travel. CHE) Make a chart like this in your record book: By Wind By People or Animals By Water Outside Inside (Eaten) Draw each seed in the proper space. Leave some room below each drawing. National Union of Christian Schools, 32 now Christian Schools International Copyright 1977 CSI Publications Grand Rapids, MICI’“ 49503 Reproduced with permission Trees; reading God's World CSI Publications The Great Escape / 33 238 1. How are the seeds that travel by wind different from the others? 2. Write down other differences between the seeds. 3. Do you know what trees any of these seeds come from? Write the names of the trces in the space you left in your chart. Group the tree cards from the back of the book by the way their seeds travel. List those in each group. Trees reproduce in different ways. They 1%“: ’ écone. use different kinds of fruits and seeds. God allows each kind of tree to grow on :3 seed the earth. He glorify God by the way segdqu we use trees and carefor them. \JI A/ms SP‘IWI' .a M II 6 CATCHING ESCAPEES Dropped, eaten, blown away-—seeds escape from trees in strange ways. Some of the fruits they escape in are even stranger! Let's capture some of them. A fruit is not just something you eat. All the material around a seed is fruit. Collect as many different fruits as you can find. Fruit nan Keep your collection going. You can find different fruits at different times of the year. Some fruits drop in the spring. Others drop in the summer or fall. Some fruit may rot. A fruit like an apple or cherry will rot in a short time. Cut this kind of fruit in half. Then take out the seeds. Let them dry. Fruits like walnuts and acorns will not rot very quickly. Draw a picture of each fruit. Keep the fruit and the seeds in your collection. The fruit and the tree it comes from usually have the same name. Find the name of the fruit. Use your tree cards or other books to help you find its name. Write It ”me" Your dranng- National Union of Christian Schools, now Christian Schools International Grand Rapids, Mich. 49508 Reproduced with permission Copyright 1977 CSI Publications Appendix B SURVEY SOLICITATION EXAMPLES AND DATA ENCODING VARIABLES 239 Nov. 1, 1980 Dear Administrator, This is a request for your help in improving the quality of science teaching in Christian Schools. As a part of my doctoral studies, I will be sending to participating schools copies of a survey instrument designed to provide a basis for improving science text- books, developing effective science activities, and assisting classroom teachers. The survey will involve the elementary schoolprincipal and two teachers he will se- lect. Survey forms and information will be sent to participating schools in February, 1981. It is estimated that completing the survey forms will take less than one hour of your time. If you will assist me in this study, please return this sheet with the information requested below . Your assistance is appreciated, CW4 Charles A. Joss Professor at Scie ce Education Bob Jones University name of your school: school address: . # name of administrator: 240 February 5, 1981 Dear Christian School Administrator, A few weeks ago I received from your school a confirmation of your willingness to take part in a SURVEY OF SCIENCE TEACHING PRACTICES IN CHRISTIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. Thank you for saying "yes" to assisting me in this effort. This proiect will establish a data base of information concerning science curriculum and in- structional practices in Christian Schools. To the best of my knowledge a study of this type that involves a nation-wide geographic sampling of over 5300 Christian Schools has not been attempted before. (Please let me know if there is a similar study available.) The opportunity to develop im- proved curriculum materials and responsive teacher training programs will come as a result of the cooperation you and others provide in completing these questionnaires. The next few minutes of your time are very important to insure proper follow-through. HOW TO PROCEED WITH THE SURVEY FORMS: 1. Select a teacher of grades 1,2, or 3 and a different teacher of grades 4,5, or 6 who will be able to provide the most accurate information on the questionnaires. 2. Discuss with the teachers the importance of the information in relation to improving science teaching in the Christian Elementary School. Let them know that the in- formation is confidential and will be treated by normal statistical procedures that in- sure anonymity along with all the other schools participating in this study. ' 3. Set a reasonable deadline for the completion of their part (about one week or less) and collect the two questionnaires from the teachers. 4. Complete the Principal's form. 5. Mail the three forms in the stamped envelope provided for this purpose. The number appearing on the forms is the only identification required. I am looking forward to hearing from you as one very important part of this proiect. Upon the receipt of your school's three completed survey forms (before my data processing deadline on March 5) lwill send to you a copy of one of the Bob Jones University publications dealing with Christian Philosophy of Education or Teaching Methodology. Your exercise of good stewardship in making a prompt reply will avoid the expense of additional postage and data handling delays. Sincerely yours in His service, Charles A. J Professor of ience Education Bob Jones University 24]. Dear Christian School Administrator, This is a request for your help in improving the quality of Science teaching in Christian Schools. As a part of my Doctoral studies, I will be sending to participating schools a survey instrument designed to provide a basis for improving Science textbooks, Science activities, and assisting classroom teachers. The survey will involve the elementary school principal and two teachers whom he will select. Survey forms and information will be sent to participating schools in February, 1981. It is estimated that completing the survey forms will take about a half hour of your time. A gift pamphlet will be mailed upon receipt of the completed forms. If you will assist me in this important study, please sign and return the self- addressed portion of the post card. Your assistance is appreciated, Professor of Scieae Education Bob Jones University CHARLES A. JOSS 405 Collegiate Curve GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29609 (:9 uses 1er ‘63001‘3’ (ammufigs) °noK d|eq or one aq “qu l ’oN O °noA dgaq or ano aq IIIMI ’saA O © USPS 1978 242 Coding for Christian School Survey Data Variable label 3-9 10 Geographic area School identi- fication in area ReSpondent School organi- zation type Years in operation Enrollment of school by grades Number of other schools 10 miles 243 PRINCIPALS' RESPONSES Values Column 2=Great Lakes 1 3=Far West 4=New England 5=Mid East 6=Southwest 7=Rocky Mtns. 8=Plains 9=Southeast 2, 3 l=Principal 4 2=Superintendent 3=Pastor 4=Other ministerial 5=Teacher/Supervisor 6=Principal-Pastor comb. 7=Teacher/Administrator 8=Teacher l, 2, or 3 9=Teacher 4, 5, or 6 l=Part of local church 2=Several local churches, independent 3=Denominational affili- ation 4=Not church-related Kindergarten First grade Second grade Third grade Fourth grade Fifth grade Sixth grade 0=none l=l school, etc., through 8 9=9 or more schools within 10-mile radius 8,9 10,11 12,13 14,15 16,17 18,19 20,21 22 11 12 13-19 20426 27-32 Number of miles to public science facility (museum, planetarium, etc.) Papulation of school's city Grade levels teaching science Frequency of science teaching at specified grade level Number of min- utes of science instruction re- quired 0=less than 6 miles 1:6 to 10 miles 2=ll to 15 miles 3=16 to 20 miles 4:21 to 25 miles 5:26 to 30 miles 6=3l to 35 miles 7=36 to 40 miles 8=4l to 45 miles 9:46 or more miles l=under 1,000 2=l,001 to 5,000 3=5,00l to 25,000 4:25.001 to 50,000 5=S0,00l to 100,000 6=lO0,000 and up O=science is not taught at grade level l=science is taught at grade level O=l day per week for half year l=2 days per week for half year 2=3 days per week for half year 3=4 days per week for half year 4=5 days per week for half year 5=l day per week for full year 6=2 days per week for full year 7=3 days per week for full year 8=4 days per week for full year 9=5 days per week for full year 0=none 1:1 to 30 minutes 2=3l to 60 minutes 3:61 to 90 minutes 23 24 Grades K=25 l=26 2=27 3=28 4=29 5=30 6=31 Grades K=32 1=33 2=34 3=35 4=36 5=37 6=38 Grades 1:39 2:40 3=4l 4=42 244 ._._ 33 34-38 39 40 Pattern of departmentali- zation Number of teachers ranked SUPERIOR GOOD FAIR POOR NO PREPARATION TO TEACH SCI. Number of teachers on faculty K-6 Science consul- tant status 245 4=9l to 120 minutes 5=43 5:121 to 150 minutes 6:44 6=lSl to 180 minutes 7:181 to 210 minutes 8=le to 240 minutes 9=24l and up minutes 0=not departmentalized 45 for science instruction l=all grades are depart- mentalized 2=grades 2 through 6 are departmentalized 3=grades 3 through 6 are departmentalized 4=grades 4 through 6 are departmentalized 5=grades 5 through 6 are departmentalized 6=grade 6 is only grade departmentalized 7=selected upper elementary grades are departmentalized 8=selected lower elementary grades are departmentalized 9=departmentalization is carpricious (9=9 or more teachers) 46 ll 47 " 48 51,52 O=no consultant 53 l=teacher in grades K-6, formal 2=teacher in grades 7-12 formal 3=teacher in grades K-6, informal 4=principal, admini- strator, supervisor 5=someone outside organization 6=multiple responses 7=teacher in grades 7—12, informal 41-47 48 49-55 Science textbook adoption status Science textbook publishers Room type for science 246 Grades 0=no textbook series K=54 adOpted l=55 l=a single textbook 2:56 series is adopted 3=57 2=two or more textbook 4=58 series are adopted 5=59 - 6=60 l=Accelerated Christian 61,62 Education 2=Addison wesley 3=Alpha Omega 4=Benefic Press 5=Bob Jones Press 6=California State Series 7=Cambridge Press 8=Charles E. Merrill 9=Christian Schools International lO=D.C. Heath ll=Beka Books 12=Grolier Press l3=Harcourt-Brace-Jovanovich l4=Harper & Row lS=Holt, Rinehart & Winston l6=Houghton-Mifflin l7=Jack Huston 18=Laidlaw l9=MacMillan 20=Millikin 21=National Union of Christian Schools 22=Rand McNally 23=Rod and Staff 24=Scott Foresman 25=Silver Burdett 26=Steck-Vaughn 27=A.O.P. Science Series Grades 1=regular classroom, no K=63 facilities l=64 2=regu1ar classroom, 2=65 temporary/portable 3=66 facilities '4=67 3=regular classroom, 5=68 special facilities ~ 6:69 4=special room for science 5=other 56 57 58 59 60 61 247 Supplies for l=completely lacking 70 grades 1 to 3 2=inadequate (Administrator's 3=adequate opinion) 4=good 5=very good Supplies for (same code as 56) 71 grades 4 to 6 (Administrator's opinion) Eqiupment for (same code as 56) 72 grades 1 to 3 (Administrator's opinion) Equipment for (same code as 56) 73 grades 4 to 6 (Administrator's opinion) Dollar estimate four digit 74 through for science equip-(0=specified "none"; 77 ment and supplies blank = "not given") for school year '80-'81 Suggestions for O=awareness of priori- 78 improving the ties of science quality of science instruction instruction (Ad- ministrator's Opinion) First reason given l=text, reading materials 2=curriculum improvement 3=time for teaching or schedule problems 4=need for expert help and/or workshOps 5=equipment and/or supplies deficient or handled better 6=room for science, special lab area in school 7=audio-visual methods and materials incl. "hands-on," trips 8=teacher preparation in colleges and universities 9=affective areas incl. enthusiasm, dedication, need for science 62 63 Second reason given Third reason given (same code for first (same code for first 248 as above 79 reason) as above 80 reason) Coding for Christian School Survey Data Variable label Geoqraphic area School number in geographic area Respondent identification 1 Number of years teaching 2 Employment status 3 Degree attained (highest) 4 Sex 5 Number of semester hours science 6 Number of quarter hours science 7 Graduate of Christian school 8 Christian school identification 9 Status of state certifi- cation 249 TEACHERS' RESPONSES Values Column 2=Great Lakes 1 3=Far west =New England 5=Mid East 6=Southwest 7=Rocky Mtns. 8=Plains 9=Southeast 2,3 8=teacher of grades 4 l, 2, or 3 9=teacher of grades 4, 5, or 6 5,6 l=full time 7 2=part time 0=non-degree 8 l=BA/BS 2=MA/MS 3=PhD/EdD 4=a theological degree 5=honorary 6=other l=fema1e 9 2=male 10,11 12,13 0=no, 1=yes 14 (code list 1 15,16 through 99) 0=no, l=yes, 2=yes for 17 state of current employment 10 ll 12 13 14 15 16 17 State of current employment Status of Christian school certification 250 (alphabetical list 18,19 l-51, incl. D.C.) 0=no 20 1=American Assoc. of Christian Schools 2=American Christian Schools Inter- national C.E.A. .S.O. .C.E.A. .C.E. a local state assoc. of Christian schools 8=not specified (marked only "yes") 9=membership in more than one organization \Joun¢>u» II II II II II $‘Wt3 Number of students 21,22 enrolled in first class Grade level of l=first grade 23 class in variable 2=second grade 12 3=third grade 4=fourth grade 5=fifth grade 6=sixth grade 7=combination of lower and upper grades (1-6) 8=combination of lower grades (1, 2, 3) 9=combination of upper grades (4, 5, 6) Number of minutes of science/wk. for 24,25,26 class in variable 12 Number of weeks per year science for 27,28 class in variable 12 Grade level of class #2 specified in 29 variable 17 (code as in variable 13 above) Number of students enrolled in second 30,31 class empty column 32 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Science teaching schedule for Mon. Science teaching schedule for Tues. Science teaching schedule for wed. Science teaching schedule for Thurs. Science teaching schedule for Fri. Textbook(s) used for/by students Supplies' adequacy Equipment adequacy Percent annual instruction time for "hands-on" experiences for students Science tOpic: HEALTH CAREERS CREATION/EVOL. OUTDOOR ED. CONSERVATION SAFETY DRUG ABUSE METRIC SYSTEM Attendance at in-service event l=before lunch 33 2=after lunch 3=variab1e 34 4=before lunch and after lunch 35 36 37 (coded list same as 38,39 Principal's Survey) 1=completely lacking 40 2=inadequate 3=adequate 4=good 5=very good l=completely lacking 41 2=inadequate 3=adequate 4=good 5=very good 0=0% 42 l=25% or less 2:25 to 50% 3=50 to 75% 4=75% or more 1=is taught with own 43 science 44 2=is taught with other 45 subject by self 46 3=is taught at another 47 grade level by some- 48 one else 49 4=is not taught in 50 schooleurriculum 5=combination of responses 1 and 2 above 0=no, l=yes 51 251 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 Frequency of use of teaching tools MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR SLIDE PROJECTOR OVERHEAD PROJECTOR TAPE/RECORD PLAYER TV/VIDEO EQUIP. CHARTS/MODELS BULLETIN BOARDS FLANNEL BOARD MICROSCOPE SCIENCE PICTURE SET First choice teaching method Second choice teaching method Third choice teaching method Opinion scale of teaching factors 0=not available for 52 teacher's use =available but is 53 not used for science 54 2=used 1-2 times per 55 year for science 56 3=used 2-4 times per 57 semester for science 58 4=used 1-3 times per 59 month for science 60 5=used 1-2 times per 61 week for science 6=used more than twice per week for science l=science demon- 62 stration 2=in-c1ass written work 3=individual lab activities 4=group lab activites 5=individualized studies 6=projected visuals 7=1ecture/discussion/ question-answer 8=field trips 9=programmed instruction ROOM FACILITIES l=inhibits greatly 65 SUPPLIES/EQUIP. 2=inhibits somewhat 66 for science 3=neutral CLASS SIZE 4=enhances somewhat 67 SCIENCE CON- 5=enhances greatly 68 SULTANT TIME TO TEACH 69 PREPARATION TIME 70 KNOWLEDGE OF SCIENCE 71 IN-SERVICE/WORKSHOPS 72 OWN INTEREST IN 73 SCIENCE SCIENCE PRIORITY IN SCHOOL 74 TEACHER SATIS- l=very dissatisfied 75 2=dissatisfied 3=neutral FACTION SCALE 252 60 61 62 TEACHER SATIS- FACTION SCALE (continued) First suggestion to improve science Second suggestion to improve science Third suggestion to improve science 253 4=satisfied 5=very satisfied O=awareness of 76 priorities for science 77 1=textbook, reading materials 78 2=curriculum improvement 3=time for teaching or schedule problems 4=need for expert help and/or workshops 5=equip./supplies deficient or better organized 6=room for science, special lab area 7=AV methods/materials incl. "hand-on"; trips 8=teacher preparation in colleges 9=affective; enthusiasm, dedication, interest Appendix C IDENTIFICATION OF SOURCES FOR QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS r, 254 «m< mocmumflmmm macadamcoo mocmfiom mo muflaflnmaflm>m mo msumum .va + mocmflom nomou ou cofipmummmum .mumnomou mo coflumsam>o m>flumupmflcflficm .MH «m wocmflom comm» 0:3 mumsommu mo Hones: Hmuou .NH 4m mEflu puma .Hasw mix mnwnommu Eooummmao mo Hones: .HH HoocOmHmm chofiuosuumcH km *4 mcflnommu mocmfiom HOH cofiumNHHmpcmEuummwc .oa an cofluosuumcfl mocmflom HOH cmuflsvmu mwuscfls mo Hones: ESEHQHE .m «m «é unmdmu ma moswaom xmm3 mom mmmo can now» Hoosom mo sofluuomoum .m mocwflom mdwnomma How coHHMNacmmuo Hoozom 4O mmwnoom m.Hoonom ca muflo mo soflumHsmom mo mumEHumo .h + sumanomw mocoflom UHHQDQ ummumoc ou mmHflE mo Hogans mo oumEHumw Ab .m + msflomu mHHE Ioa aw maoosom cmflumwmzo moans mo Hones: mo mumeflamm Am .0 .o .m *a mum mmcmum an ucmsdaoucm Hoosom .m + :oflumummo ca Hoonom whom» .v + cofluflmom Hmcwnuooo mo coflumfiuflmmm .m + «m wufluonusm HmcoflumNflcmmHo Hoonom m0 @608 .m «< HoumHumHGHEQM mo :oflUHmom .H av km «N *H COHUMEHOMGH HMHOCOO «ABOHOQ @000 many mwnflmccowummso may co.m8mpH Hmnpfl>fich mmH¢ZZOHBmMDO m.qdeUZHmm mo coflum>fluoo map Ga ommoamsm moousom mo sodumofiwflpcmoH 255 moves: n 44 umsmflm\nonnm n 6* cmnmmem u m4 mama .mmflms u o* haawflusmumbsm oopoflnmoummm u m« Hema ..Hm um .mzom n mx :ouou CH ompmoom u ax Homa .Uoo3xomam u 4* + coflwosuumcfl mocmflom mo DamEm>oumEH How momma mo cofisflmo m.uowmnumflcflapo .om am *4 moamflom How unmEmqum can mmHHQQSm mo wufiaflbmHflm>m mo msumum .mH km «m cofiposuumcfl mocmflom u0m omwu Eoou mo mocmsvoum .bH *0 mosmflom now Hoonom CH coonQEo meOQonu wo nonmaabsm can mauflu .oa «ma mmofiuomum aoflumocm xoonuxou .ma *v «m «m «H mandamumz can mooHSOmmm mcfisomme mosmflom xowscflucoov mmHazonemmso m.q¢mHoszm 256 «m Amo wocmsqmuwv mocmflom CH coflummfiofluumm m0H>Hmmch .ma *0 *0 Empmmm Ufluums .coflumosoo mmsnm mono .mpmmmm .coflDSaHom\coHum>ummcoo .coflu Imosom Hoocuso .coflusao>m\cofiummuo .mummumo mosmfiom .namHms .vH MHDOAHHDO mocmflom ca usmome moaQOB popooamm + «U Hawk mom cofluosupmsfl woswwom CH mEHu conmocmn mo coflbuomonm mo mumaflumm .ma 40 am mocmflom Mow ucmfimflsqm can mmflammsm mo wuflaflbmHfim>m mo msuoum .NH 40m Hm>oH opmum MOM .pozmaabdm mumo .Hmnmfiabsm .oauflu xoonuxmu .HH mamflnmumz maflgomme + mabmfluo> .QOGDH nmumm .nocsa OHOMOQ «cosmeom mcflnommu Mom oafipmnom .0H «m mmmHo zoom mcflnommu mocmflom now now» Mom mxmw3 mo Hones: Aw .m «um mocoaom :H mmoao mcflnommu now xmmz Mom mouscfle mo Hones: A0 .m 49m m>onm mm* cw unmsmu mmmao mocmflom comm mo Hm>oa momma Ab .m h.Om unmsmu mmmao mocmflom comm How usaEHHouco mmmao mosmfiom Am .m + sofluooflwfluumo Hoosom coaumflnno mo msuwum .m + .QOHDmOAMMuHmo mcflnommu mumum mo magnum .5 + >uamu®>flcs .ommaaoo cmflumwuso mumsomnmnoocs mo coHDMOHMHpcmofl .o u4m muonbme mosmflom + mocmflom mmmaaoo mo Amusos Hmaumsv\umumm8mmv mnson mo MODES: .m *Um mama .mamfimm axon .v «om msumum mmummp .m *m mafia puma .HHDM "coonmEm manna .N «m «U mocmflummxm mcflcommu munch mo Hogan: .H «w hin «m «a coflumEH0mcH oasonmxomm mmHHUcH mo coflum>flumo mnu ca coonmEm mmousom mo coflumoHMHucmpH 257 muons: u 4* Hmrmfim\nonflm u a. omummom u m« heme .mmflmz u o* MHHMHucmquSm Umpmflumoummm n ma Hema ..Hm um .o30m n m« one» as omudomom u H4 Home .ooosxomam u <« + sofluosuamsfl mocmfiom mo usmfim>oumafl Mom magma mo.soflcflmo m.umnommu .HN km mocmflom mcflsomoy suHB :oflu08mmflumm Hmsommu wo coflsflmo .om «om «a msflcomme oocmflom cfl mnouomm mcflnommu mo uomwwo mo msmxcmu .ma mammocoo mcfinommelmocmflom *0 o>onm hH¢ CH pmamausmofl moonumE mcflnommu mocmflom cmuummmum mo mcflxcmu mocmsqmum .ma «m mcflnommp moswflom ca moonuma mo usmfimoamEm mo ucwuxm .ba «0 «m AmHmSmfl>loHodmv maoou mcflnomop mo mm: mo wocmsqmum cam muflaflbmaflm>o mo usmaxm .ma *v «m «N «a pcmsmflsqm poo mconumz mcflzommeloocmflom Aomscflncoov mmHazonemmoo m.mmmo