Study
Title, Author
 |
Strategy, Subjects, Results
|
Description of Strategy/Program
|
NSES, Science Topics, Grades, Rating
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Study:
Fleming and Malone
The relationship of student characteristics and student performance in science as viewed by meta-analysis research.
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science_meta_fleming
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Description of Strategy:
Meta-analysis looking at the relationships between 6 student characteristics
Subjects:
K-12 students
Results:
General ability, language ability, and mathematical ability have the strongest positive relationship to performance. These findings were consistent across all grade levels and science subjects. |
Description of Strategy:
Meta-analysis looking at the relationships between 6 student characteristics (general ability, language ability, mathematics ability, SES, gender, and race) and student performance as defined by three variables: science achievement, cognitive level, and science attitudes.
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Topics:
•
NSES:
Grade Levels:
9-12
Diverse learners
Rating:
NA
Meta-
analysis
|
Study:
Von Secker & Lissitz.
Estimating the impact of instructional practices on student achievement in science.
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science_9-12_20
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Strategy
Computer-assisted instruction
Subjects:
This study includes 7,642 students representing 79, 0810 students enrolled in 247 urban and suburban schools in the 30 largest metropolitan school districts . A sub-sample of 2,018 students was selected for this study.
2018 tenth graders were selected from 163 schools based on four measures: Science achievement data, student demographic data, teacher questionnaire data, and at least four students per school in data set.
Results:
The results indicate that moving away from teacher directed instruction does not necessarily mean that inequities across student populations will be removed. Replacing teacher centered instruction with more student centered practices will not necessarily result in more learning unless students have the basic vocabulary and scientific understanding essential for engaging in meaningful individual investigation and collaborative discussion. |
Description of Strategy:
This study examined the comparative effect of a teacher-centered and a student-centered approach to teaching about earth science concepts using computer-assisted instruction.
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Topics:
•
NSES:
Grade Levels:
9-12
Rating:
5
|
Study:
Webb, Nemer, & Zuniga.
Short circuits or superconductors? Effects of group composition on high-achieving students' science assessment performance.
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science_5-8_9
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Strategy:
Collaborative group work
Subjects:
9 classes - n = 83 students - these were the number of students involved in being tested. White (89%), with small number of black students (2%), Hispanic students (2%), and Asian students (6%). Study done in Los Angeles County.
Results:
Findings indicate that homogeneous groups were better than heterogeneous groups. Importantly, with heterogeneous groups the type of interactions, that is, good sharing and assistance, strongly influenced performance more than student ability or the overall ability composition of a group. |
Description of Strategy:
This study examined the performance of high ability students when placed in groups for collaborative group work.
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Topics
•
NSES:
Grade Level:
5-8
Rating:
5
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Study:
Dalton, Morocco, Tivan, and Mead
Supported inquiry science: Teaching for conceptual change in urban and suburban science classrooms.
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science_K-4_15
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Strategy:
Supported Inquiry Science (SIS) vs. Activity-based science (ABS
Subjects:
172 fourth grade students; ethnically and economically diverse; 33 of 172 with learning disabilities
Strategy:
Supported Inquiry Science (SIS) vs. Activity-based science (ABS)
Results:
LD and non LD students performed significantly better on measures of science concepts and science processes in the treatment group (SIS) than in the control group. The SIS approach included teacher guided processing for meaning with attention to the learners’ misconceptions. The ES for all students with SIS approach was 1.53 and ES for the LD students was 1.59. |
Description of Strategy:
A hands-on science program with a conceptual-change orientation was implemented
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Topics:
• Inquiry
• Program
• Conceptual Change
NSES: Science as Inquiry, Physical Science: Light, heat, electricity and magnetism
Grade Levels:
4
Diverse learners
Rating: 4
|
Study:
Klentschy, Garrison & Amaral.
Valle imperial project in science (VIPS). Four-year comparison of student achievement data, 1995-1999.
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science_k-4_2
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Strategy:
Kit-based science modules
Subjects:
The Valle Imperial Project in Science (VIPS) involved about 22,500 K-6 students, 1100 teachers and 14 school districts in Imperial County, California. Many residents in Imperial County live in extreme poverty. 81% are Hispanic, 5% African-American, 11% Caucasian, 1% Asian, and 1% Native American. More than 50% of the students are LEP, with 10% children of migrant workers. This study was limited to 630 grade 4 students and 638 grade 6 students from the El Centro Elementary School District, the largest district in Imperial County.
Results
This data indicated a strong relationship between achievement and the number of years of participation in the program. Students who participated in the kit-based program were required to journal their findings. These students scored significantly higher on a district writing proficiency test. |
Description of Strategy:
This study compared a kit-based science program with a science notebook/journal component with a traditional science textbook program. |
Topics:
• Programs
• Reading, writing, speaking in science
NSES:
Science as Inquiry, Life Science, Physical Science, Earth & Space Science
Grade Levels:
K-6
Rating: 4
|
Study:
Jahle, Meece, Scantlebury.
Urban African-American middle school science students: does standards-based teaching make a difference?
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science_5-8_4
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Strategy:
Subjects:
Schools with at least 30% minority students, had to have teachers who had receive Ohio statewide strategic initiative training and other teacher without such training. Schools were low performing based on Ohio data. There were 9 Ohio SSI teachers and 9 non-SSI teachers, 10 males 8 females. 3 of teachers are ethnic minorities.
Results:
Students in classrooms taught by teachers who participated on the SSI inquiry-based professional development performed better on the NAEP items that measured inquiry. The findings support the efficacy of high quality-professional development to change teaching practices and to enhance student learning.
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Description of Strategy:
The quasi-experimental study examined the effect on standardized NAEP items for minority students that occur as a result to the Ohio State Systemic Initiative (SSI). Inquiry.
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Topics
• Inquiry
•
NSES:
Grade Level:
5-8
Rating:
4
|
Study:
Romance & Vitale.
Implementing an in-depth expanded science model in elementary schools: multi-year findings, research issues, and policy implications.
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science_k-4_6
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Strategy:
IDEAS model
Subjects:
Multicultural urban school system - wide range of ability levels, ethnicity, parental income
Results
In each of the 4 years of implementation studies, greater improvement on reading scores were obtained fro treatment students – the IDEA program was able to improve scores for all students in each of the four years of implementation across a broad range of settings. |
Description of Strategy:
This paper is a research summary of research findings and policy implications over a 5-year period. The implementation of the IDEAS model focused on replacing the time allocated for traditional reading/language arts instruction with a daily 2-hour block dedicated to in depth science concept instruction (e.g. concept-focused teaching, hands-on activities, extensive utilization of science process skills, enhanced reading of trade science materials, concept map construction, journal writing). |
Topics:
• Reading, writing, speaking in science
NSES:
Science as Inquiry, Life Science, Physical Science, Earth & Space Science
Grade Levels:
elementary
Rating:
meta-analysis |
Study:
Scruggs, Mastropieri, Bakken, and Brigham
Reading versus doing: The relative effects of textbook-based and inquiry-oriented approaches to science learning in special education classrooms
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science_5-8_27
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Strategy:
Activity-based inquiry approach (Kit-based curriculum)
Subjects:
40 grade 7 & 8 LD students; intact special education classes; lower SES, mean IQ 88.8
Results:
Due to serious attendance issues in this school, results are based on the 26 students with perfect attendance during the study. Students scored significantly higher on two post tests, one immediately following the unit (ES: .42) and one delayed one week (ES: 49). The inquiry approach was strongly preferred by the students and reported that the inquiry approach would make them try harder and learn more.
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Description of Strategy:
|
Topics
• Inquiry
•
NSES:
Grade Level:
5-8
(Diverse learners)
Rating:
4
|
Study:
Shymansky and Matthews.
A comparative lab study of effects of two teaching patterns on certain aspects of behavior in fifth grade science.
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science_5-8_7
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Strategy:
Teacher Structured (Centered) Strategies (TS) vs. Student Structured (Centered) Strategies (SS)
Subjects:
Fifty-two 5th grade students in two classrooms at the Florida State University School
Results:
Students in the SS classrooms generally indicated stronger investigative skills. The difference was most dramatic with low ranking students.
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Description of Strategy:
This study looks at the effect of Teacher Structured (Centered) Strategies (TS) vs. Student Structured (Centered) Strategies (SS) on student activity in the classroom. In the TS classroom the teacher concentrated on exhibiting a directive behavior pattern by continually telling students what activity to do and/or how to do it, followed by some form of feedback. The pattern of teacher behavior in the SS classroom was established by allowing students to invent their own activities and, after observing, questioning individual students about their investigations. |
Topics
• Inquiry
NSES:
Grade Level:
5-8
Rating:
4
|
Study:
Boyd and George
The effect of science inquiry on the abstract categorization behavior of deaf children.
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science_5-8_23
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Strategy:
Use of manipulatives to learn categorization
Subjects:
26 deaf children aged 10-13
Results:
The sensory experiences with the manipulatives are critical in the development of categorization skills.
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Description of Strategy:
|
Topics
•
NSES:
Grade Level:
5-8
(Diverse learners)
Rating:
3 |
Study:
Linn, Hadary, Rosenberg, Haushalter
Science education for the deaf: comparison of ideal resource and mainstream settings.
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science_K-4_16
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Strategy:
Effect of mainstreaming on cognitive and social skills of deaf children
Subjects:
21 legally deaf students aged 10-13 in grades 1-4.
Results:
Cognitive results showed no significant differences between resource and mainstream classrooms.
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Description of Strategy:
This study looked at the effect on student learning when students were taught in a resource class with others who have the same cognitive limitations versus being taught with the general student population.
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Topics:
• Inquiry
NSES: Science as Inquiry
Grade Levels:
1-4
Diverse Learners
Rating: 3 |
Study:
Mastropieri, Scruggs, Boon, Carter
Correlates of inquiry learning in science: constructing concepts of density and buoyancy.
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science_5-8_25
|
Strategy:
Constructivist inquiry-based classroom environment and predictors of success
Subjects:
75 grades 1-6 students; 24 were normally achieving and 51 were identified as having high incidence disabilities
Results:
Preconceptions and achievement scores were not predictive of success in the inquiry activity. IQ and grade level were the strongest predictors of inquiry learning. |
Description of Strategy: |
Topics
• Inquiry
NSES:
Grade Level:
5-8
Also applies to K-4 level
(Diverse learners)
Rating:
3
|
Study:
Singer, Tai, and Wu
Students’ understanding of the particulate nature of matter
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science_5-8_28
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Strategy:
Project based science (PBS)
Subjects:
900 seventh grade students in inner city urban school; 90 % African-American
Results:
Results are based on data from 587 students due to high mobility rate in the district. Students’ understanding of basic concepts in PBS content (particulate nature of matter) increased and concepts was retained over time as measured on pre and post tests. (ES=.91) Project-based science incorporates promising curriculum design features that enable the teacher to differentiate for different learning styles and needs.
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Description of Strategy:
|
Topics
• Programs
NSES:
Grade Level:
5-8
(Diverse learners)
Rating:
3
|
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