A preliminary evaluation of the process-oriented Elementary Science Curriculum Project (ESCP) in Newfoundland schools

• Main Author: Goulding, Wallace Franklin
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1972
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/4981/; https://research.library.mun.ca/4981/1/Goulding_WallaceFranklin.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/4981/3/Goulding_WallaceFranklin.pdf

A comparison was made between two treatment groups in both grades five and six to determine the effectiveness of a process-oriented elementary science curriculum at teaching the processes of science. Experimental groups in both grades were taught the process-oriented science course and the control groups were given a content-oriented course. Control groups were given the alternate course to reduce the Hawethorne effect. -- The hypothesis investigated in this experiment related to: 1. The effect of taking a process-oriented science course on the ability of students to learn and apply in new situations scientific processes. This was measured using appropriate science process tests. -- Other aspects of the study was concerned with student and teacher attitudes towards the course. Student attitudes were elicited by means of a Q-sort instrument and teacher attitudes were evoked by means of a questionnaire. -- The experimental data was analyzed using multiple linear regression. Scores on the postest in both grades were examined in the presence of grouping, socio-economic ranking, sex, pretest results, a measure of science knowledge and aptitude (the STEP Science Test), and intelligence (the Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Tests). -- Student and teacher attitudes were analyzed by obtaining a percentage summary of responses and by analyzing these responses on various variables of each instrument in relation to different independent variables using either the t-test or one-way analysis of variance. -- It was found that there was a significant difference in treatment groups in grade five in favour of the experimental group. It was concluded that students exposed to a process-oriented science course do learn the scientific processes better than students who have not taken such a course. No significant difference was found between treatment groups in grade six, but because the testing situation appeared to have changed from pretest to postest and because of differences between the experimental and the control groups which the ...