Rao, Sharadamba. (1988). EXPLORATIONS IN OPTMISING LEARNING SCIENCE IN SCHOOL. Unpublished. ERIC, Education
Objectives of the study:
To find out the extent to which children entering class VI have assimilated science content up to class V.
To develop achievement measures in science to cover the content up to class v, in its structural and functional aspects.
To develop scoring techniques to evaluate the degree of learning through achi8evement tests in science developed in three languages- English, Hindi and a non-hindi language (Kannada).
To develop entry behavior tests for evaluation of science learning.
To study the difference in the amount and content of learning of children from different socio-cultural background.
To study the science achievement of children with varying background support at home.
To study whether the type of school has any influence on the method and amount of science learning.
To find out whether instructional strategies used by the teacher influences the content and amount of learning.
To build tangible hypothesis for intervention programmes to optimize science learning.
Sample selected:
The population for entry behavior data was to be taken from three areas- Delhi, Bihar and Karnataka.
Tools Used:
Science Achievement Test
General Science Information Test
Scientific Skill Test
Design of the research design:
The research project is in three phases:
First Phase: Evaluation of entry behavior of children in class VI and to develop insights into optimizing science learning and construction of entry behavior tests in two forms for further studies.
Second Phase: Preparation of materials for intervention programmes.
Third Phase: Finding the efficacy of intervention programmes with different groups of children with experimental and control groups.
Statistical Techniques:
Mean, Standard Deviation, Kuder-Richardson Formula
Findings:
Science Achievement Tests in the area of Earth Science, Physical Science and Biological Science constructed from the content of textbooks of science which are used for Grades III, IV and V were administered to children studying in Grade VI of about 50 schools in the country with different learning environment.
The test items were evaluated from the point of view of learning processes identified, major concepts included in the test items and the grades to which they belong on the basis of the content of the textbook.
The schools with contrasting learning environment were compared with respect to learning process score, concept scores and Grade-wise scores and profiles were dawn to illustrate the contrasting differences in learning process scores.
The mean differences on learning process scores, concept scores and Grade wise scores are all significant beyond .01 level.
There is possibility of inferring poor concept scores as to due to poor learning process which characterize the science achievement of children studying in schools with poor learning environment.
The consistent gap between the scores of children form schools of contrasting learning environment in all the grade wise scores whether the content is Earth science, Physical Science or sociological science, point to the fact that children are unable to recall the scored information because the information is not stored after comprehension.
Evaluation of Achievement tests as detailed above points to the large learning gap in the case of the learner, particularly in those children studying in schools with poor learning environment.
It is suggested that instruction aimed at comprehension using behavior Analysis techniques could not only enhance the Science Achievement Scores in children studying in schools with poor learning environment, but also could possibly learn the children studying in schools with good learning environment to the goal of mastery learning.
The graphic analysis of the children's science achievement and parental achievement background points out that with increase in parental education al background children's science achievement scores improve.
There is indication from the evaluation of entry behavior of science achievement of items scores grade wise in the areas of Earth Science, Physical Science and Biological Science that irrespective of regional differences in the location of schools, the mean score in grade V items is consciously lower in physical science than the Grade III items whereas the reverse is true in earth science items.
Development of two forms each of the test after item analysis has shown that they are equivalent forms with comparable mean and distribution.
Keyword(s): Science Learning