The purpose of this study is to determine if teaching authentic lessons to sixth grade students at Alexander Graham (A.G.) Middle School will improve their scores on the enjoyment of science lessons and their attitudes towards science by using the TOSRA (Test of Science-Related Attitudes).

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                ED 534

Running head: DO AUTHENTIC SCIENCE LESSONS

Do Authentic Science Lessons Change Students’

Attitudes Towards Science?

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine if teaching authentic lessons to sixth grade students at Alexander Graham (A.G.) Middle School will improve their scores on the enjoyment of science lessons and their attitudes towards science by using the TOSRA (Test of Science-Related Attitudes).  We will utilize a quantitative study by following a quasi-experimental design that will measure the attitudes of students at an urban school within a large district in North Carolina.  We believe that if students are able to participate in an authentic ecology unit, this will increase their attitude towards science classes.  This study will take place at A. G. Middle School in two sixth grade Academic Enrichment classes that have students with similar demographics, 5th grade EOG scores of level III and IV, and class size.  The researchers will have the experimental group complete the authentic ecology unit and the control group will complete the traditional instruction ecology unit with the same objectives.  This study will be conducted by two 6th grade science teachers, one of the researchers will be embedded in the process of conducting the study.  The results will show that students who participate in the authentic ecology unit will have a more positive attitude toward science and find it more enjoyable.  The two science classes that will participate in this study will both receive the same information within the same nine week quarter.  

Introduction

It can be challenging when teaching science to sixth grade middle school students who have little prior knowledge and lack of positive experiences.  This situation can lead to students struggling and deciding at an early age that science is too difficult and begin to find it irrelevant to their lives.  “For some time, science educators in many countries have expressed concerns that current provision in schools (especially at age 14-16 years) is all too often boring, irrelevant, and outdated; designed only to educate a minority of future scientist, rather than equipping the majority with the scientific understanding, reasoning, and literacy they require to engage as citizens in the twenty-first century (Braunda & Reiss, 2006).  The aim of this study is: Does teaching authentic lessons to sixth grade students at A. G. Middle School improve their scores on the enjoyment of science lessons and attitudes towards science using the TOSRA?

Middle school science teachers must become more effective in developing authentic lessons in order to increase students’ attitudes.  Authentic lessons are activities created in order for students to experience and investigate real world problems that are relevant within students’ community.  Real world problems are experiences that students encounter in their lives.  In science these encounters include runoff, urban sprawl, and soil testing. “Through authentic learning students become empowered through their new found knowledge as they explore their own questions and begin to see the impact of their decisions on student learning” (Elliott C., 2007).  This allows for the students to become more independent learners who become life-long learners.

Limitations and Delimitations

Only a set of thirty students will be able to participate in the authentic activities because of grant funding. Due to convenience the only students involved in the study are sixty students who received a level three or four on the fifth grade North Carolina End of Grades Test (EOG).  Upon completion of the authentic ecology unit, we hypothesize that the control group will show minimal increases in their attitudes towards science classes based on the TOSRA. Based on the TOSRA, participants in the experimental group will show a significant positive increase in their attitude towards science classes.  “Reviewed decades of research pertaining to attitudes, finding the attitudes of science students to be positively correlated with academic achievement and participation in advanced science courses: (Papanastasiou & Zembylas, 2004).  More longitudinal studies that document students attitudes over a period of time need to be done.

Literature Review

Based on available research, it is undeniable that if students are provided with authentic lessons opposed to traditional lessons they will develop a more positive attitude towards science. “Authentic instruction in the context of community events leads students to make natural connections between the content they are learning in the classroom and their service learning experiences” (Soslau &Yost, 2007).  This type of instruction creates environments where students are able to answer higher order thinking questions, formulate hypotheses, develop a deeper understanding of the topic, and apply learning to situations outside the classroom.  

Many teachers are still using the traditional style of instruction that involves teacher centered classrooms, which are text book driven.  Our study will help support the theories that using authentic activities in the classroom will not only improve students’ attitudes in science, but also increase student engagement.  Research supports the connection between active engagement (high participation) and the use of authentic activities in classrooms.  Students who perceive class work to be authentic show enhanced engagement during school.   With the 21st century curriculum being reformed to incorporate more authentic learning in the classroom students will become skilled workers (Certo, Cauley, & Chafin, 2003).    

Authentic lessons allow the teacher to go beyond the traditional teaching methods and promote and practice new learning habits (Harris & Katz, 2001).  “It motivates the students to think critically, challenges them to learn.  The students have to think in original ways to come up with solutions to these real world problems.  It helps with their creative thinking skills by showing that there are many ways to solve a problem.  Through the construction of personally-meaningful artifacts, learners represent what they’ve learned” (Harel & Papert, 1991 cited by Grant M., 2002).  “In addition, learners typically have more autonomy over what they learn, maintaining interest and motivating learners to take more responsibility for their learning” (Tassinari, 1996; Wolk, 1994; Worthy, 2000).  By increasing autonomy, learners will be able to “shape their projects to fit their own interests and abilities.”  “So, project-based learning and the construction of artifacts enable the expression of diversity in learners, such as interests, abilities and learning styles” (Faris, 2008).      

Authentic learning has been influential in the development of students’ positive attitudes towards science, teaching with authentic lessons increase students’ attitudes towards science lessons and willingness to learn new science material (Walker & Lofton, 2003).  According to the results of a study done in Richmond Virginia, students preferred instructional activities that were engaging, hands-on, and contained opportunities for debate and discussions.  Students perceived their best classes were often challenging, where they learned new things or had new experiences through real world activities or problem-solving.  From students’ perspectives, engaging teachers communicated, cared, and enthusiastically provided for active learning (Certo, Cauley, & Chafin, 2003).  

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Authentic learning can be best summarized by John Dewey, an educational psychologists, learning is most effective when students are doing and experiencing.

Method

This quantitative, Quasi experimental study will be conducted with two sixth grade science classes at A. G. Middle School.  This urban school is embedded within the students’ community.  There are a total of 1077 students that attend the school,  63.6% of these students are at or above grade level,  62% of the students that attend are white, 27% black and 11% is other.  In this Quasi experiment, the researchers will compare the two groups attitude ...

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