ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD INQUIRY-

BASED SCIENCE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF

SCIENCE EDUCATION

Study by Emeline SwansonNew Visions Education (2010-2011)

WHAT ARE THE VIEWS OF ELEMENTARY TEACHERS TOWARD INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE? DO THEY FEEL

SCIENCE IS IMPORTANT TO THE CURRICULUM?

WHAT IS INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE?

A method of teaching science that encourages students to question, brainstorm, and through investigation learn science instead of having them listen to the teacher give the information.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

• to see where science stands in the elementary level curriculum

• identify the main factors limiting teachers from teaching science

• discover ways of improving science teaching

INCLUDED IN THE PRESENTATION:

Background information on the topic of inquiry science and it’s use in the classroom

Each step taken to conduct the research study

Result analysis and discussion

Why the topic is significant and useful for future elementary school teachers to know

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

SCIENCE IS EXPENSIVE

One reason why teachers struggle to teach science effectively is because they lack the materials necessary.

“The costly subject is causing many districts to push it away, leaving children without the ability to experiment at a young age”

(Benavente & Wagner, 2006).

Laboratory equipment, curricular packages, and computers are all very expensive.

Science is one of the most important aspects to proper cognitive development. Without it, children are unable to learn the conceptual foundations of science which is key in excelling in this area of education.

One solution, proposed by Paul A. Wagner and Lillian Benavente of the University of Houston, is to buy the game “Mastermind.” Students enjoy playing it while it enhances their cognitive development.

This is an easy alternative rather than spending hundreds of dollars on equipment that will eventually be replaced.

LACK OF CONFIDENCE

In order for students to learn the material, teachers must be able to present their knowledge well and use different methods. When teachers lack the confidence to teach science, the students will not be learning to their fullest potential.

Today, teachers show they are lacking in content

knowledge and visions of scientific practice.

TECHNOLOGY APPLIED TO SCIENCE

Stressing the use of technology in schools enhances students learning

Scientific games allows students to practice solving problems that occur in everyday scenarios

LACK OF TIME “It was always a subject that was...

tucked in if there was time” (Meyer, Tabachnick, Hewson, Lemberger, & Park, 1999).

“Lack of confidence in science results in less time teaching the subject: also, when it is taught, it will be taught poorly...” (Palmer, 2001).

Teachers mainly focus on mathematics, language arts, and social studies, leaving little room

for science in the curriculum. Teachers realize that science

takes a lot of time, but they are unable to find the extra time to teach it. They are overwhelmed

with their other duties and narrow their concentrations on preparing students for standardized testing.

METHODOLOGY

A letter was written to the administration at an elementary school asking for approval to use the staff in this study

A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 31 teachers at a suburban elementary school

The subjects’ teaching experience vary from 3-25 years

The questionnaire was developed to measure the depth of inquiry science used in the classroom. It contains a series of 5 questions:

1. Do you think science is an important part of the curriculum?

2. In your own elementary school years, did you learn science through an inquiry-based approach?

3. Are you confident in teaching science?

4. How often is inquiry-based science teaching used in your classroom?

5. What kind of assistance would you need in order to teach more inquiry science?

HYPOTHESISThe survey given out to 31

teachers will most likely show an expected lack of interest or confidence in the subject.

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

Less than half of the surveys were returned

Despite the low number of surveys received, the results were still interesting and informative.

A graph was created for every question aside from number 1.

100% of the surveys collected indicated that science is an important part of the curriculum.

Yes No Sometimes0

1

2

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4

5

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7

8

9

10

Question Responses

Elem

enta

ry T

each

ers

Did You Learn Science Through an Inquiry-Based Approach?

Are You Confident in Teaching the Subject of Science?

Very confident Somewhat confident Not at all confident0

1

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3

4

5

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7

8

Question Responses

Elem

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Very often (1x a day) Often (1x a week) Occasionally (1-2x a month)

Never0

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3

4

5

6

7

Question Responses

Elem

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ry T

each

ers

How Often is Inquiry-Based Science Used in Your

Classroom?

Professional De-velopment Workshops

More time to plan/research

Materials None N/A0

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7

Question Responses

Elem

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each

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What Kind of Assistance Would You Need in Order to Teach More

Inquiry Science?

It is clear that all of the teachers feel that science is an important subject in the curriculum. One teacher wrote, "It encourages children to question and test theories and they love it."

Another teacher wrote, “If you don't

understand science, you don't understand our world!" Children enjoy making connections to the world and finding answers to their questions.

The overall results from this particular school were positive. For the majority of the teachers, science appears to be a part of every school day here.

ERROR ANALYSIS Distributing surveys to more than one school

would be ideal

Observing teachers along with distributing questionnaires gives the researcher a better understanding of view look on inquiry science

More questions should be added to the survey to get a deeper look at a teacher's point of view

DISCUSSION

Studying elementary teachers' views toward inquiry science and the importance of science itself is crucial when it comes to improving the curriculum. This study was conducted in order to discover possible ways that could increase the amount of science taught in elementary schools.

At the particular school included in this study, lack of confidence did not seem to be an issue, according to the results. Lack of materials, lesson plans, and time, however, had a major affect on science teaching.Many of the teachers involved made note that professional development workshops and training would be incredibly helpful.

From the results seen, it can be concluded that science is an important aspect at the studied elementary school, but it is not an easy subject for many of the teachers to incorporate in the curriculum.

It is important for future teachers to understand how to teach science effectively and gain the confidence needed to teach it. Time management is something that many teachers need to work on.

REFERENCESBenavente, Lillian. Wagner, Paul. (2006). Masterminding science

education: Cost and pedagogical potency in science education. Electronic Journal of Science Education, 10. (4), 1-10.

Howes, E. (2002). Learning to teach science for all in the elementary grades: What do preservice teachers bring? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39. (9), 845-869.

Palmer, D. H. (2001). Factors contributing to attitude exchange amongst preservice elementary teachers. Science Teacher Education, doi: 10.1002

Meyer, H., Tabachnick, B. R., Hewson, P. W., Lemberger, J., & Park, H. (1999). Relationships between prospective elementary teachers' classroom practice and their conceptions of biology and of teaching science. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,

Wang, F., Kinzie, M.B., McGuire, P., & Pan, E. (2009). Applying technology to inquiry-based learning in early childhood education. Springer Science and Business Media, 37. doi: 10.1007/s10643-009-0364-6