Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Science--Study and teaching (Elementary)--Iowa; Science teachers--Iowa; Science--Study and teaching (Elementary); Science teachers; Iowa;
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the high school and college science background of elementary teachers in Iowa and to relate this background to the amount of time these teachers spend teaching about science. The population from which this sample was drawn consisted of elementary school teachers in Iowa. A stratified random sample of schools based on school district size was used. Surveys were mailed to principals, who were asked to distribute the surveys to teachers. From the population surveyed, 475 teachers participated in the study. The chi square analysis was used to show relationships between data collected. The results of the study showed that there was a relationship between the number of high school science semesters taken by surveyed teachers and post high school science semester hours taken. As students, as the number of high school science semesters increased, so did the number of post high school science semester hours. The results also showed a relationship between the number of post high school science semester hours and self-perceived qualification to teach science. A relationship was shown to exist between the self-perceived qualification to teach about science and the number of minutes spent teaching about science. Also a relationship was shown between the teacher being endorsed to teach science and the amount of time spent teaching about science. A relationship also showed that the more recent the date of receiving an undergraduate degree, the greater the amount of time spent teaching about science. Finally statistics showed that as the number of years teaching experience increased, the amount of time spent teaching students about science decreased.
Year of Submission
1993
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Biology
First Advisor
David McCalley
Second Advisor
Robert Ward
Third Advisor
Jody Stone
Date Original
1993
Object Description
1 PDF file (62 leaves)
Copyright
©1993 Nancy Lynn Heiter
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Heiter, Nancy Lynn, "Impact of Elementary Teachers’ Science Backgrounds on the Teaching of Science in Iowa Elementary Classrooms" (1993). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2136.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2136
Comments
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