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Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Science--Study and teaching (Elementary);

Abstract

It was the purpose of this investigation to: (1) determine the relative value of intelligence quotient, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills composite standard score, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills reading comprehension standard score, final sixth-grade science mark, and the Reed General Science Test score in predicting the life science mark; (2) present the findings that would provide the bast possible estimate of success in life science; and (3) compare the prediction equation for the enrichment group with the non-enrichment group's prediction equation. The study involved students of seventh-grade life science for the school years 1963 through 1968, who were enrolled in C. B. Vernon Junior High School, Marion Independent Schools, Marion, Iowa. The enrichment population involved 112 students who had completed the seventh-grade enrichment life science course. The non-enrichment group was randomly selected and involved 202 students. The means, standard deviations, Pearson Product-Moment coefficients of correlation, standard errors, intercorrelations, multiple R's, and regression equations for both groups were computed using the "within" and "stepregn" computer programs rented from the University Computer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

The major findings and conclusions of this study were: 1. The means for all variables for the enrichment group were higher than the means for the non-enrichment group.

2. The final sixth-grade science mark was the best single predictor of the life science mark for both groups. The enrichment group had a correlation of .47 and the non-enrichment group's correlation was .69.

3. For both groups, the Reed General Science Test score was the poorest single predictor for the seventh-grade life science mark with a correlation of .20 for the enrichment group and a correlation of .50 for the non-enrichment group.

4. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills composite standard score and the reading comprehension standard score were better single predictors of the life science mark for both groups than was the intelligence quotient score.

5. Correlations from this study were lower than the correlations expected for the intelligence score and for success in life science as shown by previous studies.

6. The multiple R involving all variables was .55 for the enrichment group and .75 for the non-enrichment group. By adding the other four variables, the multiple R for the enrichment group was increased by .08 and the non-enrichment group by .06 over the correlation between the final sixth-grade science mark and the seventh-grade life science mark.

7. The best multiple predictor of the life science mark for the enrichment group was the combination of the final sixth-grade science mark and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills composite standard score (R:.53). The best multiple predictor of the life science mark for the non-enrichment group was the combination of the final sixth-grade science mark, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills composite standard score, and the intelligence quotient score. B. The enrichment group's predicted life science mark correlated at .83 with the actual mark received in life science for the first semester of the 1968-1969 school year. The non-enrichment group correlated at .75 for the 1968-1969 first semester of life science.

Year of Submission

1969

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Biology

First Advisor

Daryl D. Smith

Second Advisor

Glen R. Hastings

Third Advisor

Clifford G. McCollum

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to scholarworks@uni.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Date Original

1969

Object Description

1 PDF file (85 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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