"Effective Strategies for the Teaching of Science to Secondary Students" by Jennifer Crane
 

Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to provide suggestions for specific curricular and instructional modifications in science in order to meet the special needs of secondary students with behavior disorders. The study was divided into two parts. The first portion of the study included an extensive literature review that focused on the teaching methods that are most appropriate for students with behavior disorders, achievement and retention under those teaching methods, and adaptations that are the most effective when teaching science to students with behavior disorders. The second portion of the study evaluated a secondary biology curriculum including a textbook and its supplementary aids. The purpose of such an evaluation was to determine how well one particular secondary curriculum met the needs of behavior disordered students according to the recommendations described in the literature review.

The results of the study indicate that an inquiry approach to science will achieve the best results in both learning and retention in behavior disordered secondary students. If a text-based curriculum is used, there are many modifications that can be made in order to make science more accessible to students with behavior disorders. These modifications include peer collaboration, clarity and structure in directions, training and practice with laboratory materials, the use of mnemonics, the use of graphic organizers, the addition of inquiry activities to support the text, and the use of illustrative examples to aid in the visualization of concepts. The results of the curriculum analysis indicate that it is not an ideal curriculum to be used with students with behavior disorders because of its heavy reliance on printed information rather than inquiry activities. Modifications of the text-based curriculum would need to be made in order to make it more accessible to students with behavior disorders.

Year of Submission

2001

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Science Education Program

Comments

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Date Original

6-2001

Object Description

1 PDF (66 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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