HR: 1340h
AN: ED23B-1293    [Abstracts]
TI: At-Risk and Bilingual Fifth-Grade Students' On-Task Behavior and Conceptual Understanding in Earth Science-Related Topics during Inquiry-, Technology-, and Game-Based Activities
AU: * McNeal, K
EM: ksell@neo.tamu.edu
AF: Mississippi State Univeristy, Department of Geosciences P.O. Box 5448, Starkville, MS 39762, United States
AU: Vasquez, Y
EM: yvasquez@mail.chem.tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Chemistry, College Station, TX 77842,
AU: Avandano, C
EM: cavendano@mail.chem.tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Chemistry, College Station, TX 77842,
AU: Moreno, K
EM: kmoreno@mail.chem.tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Chemistry, College Station, TX 77842,
AU: Besinaiz, J
EM: jbesinaiz@mail.chem.tamu.edu
AF: Texas A&M University, Department of Chemistry, College Station, TX 77842,
AB: The Graduate K-12 (GK12) program has been developed by NSF to support the national effort to advance scientific knowledge through educational partnerships. This paper highlights research conducted during the 2006-2007 school year with the Texas A&M University GK12 project. Two elementary schools with very high numbers of at risk students - those who are poor, speak English as their second language, and have a history of failing state-mandated tests were identified to be the field site for the GK12 project. In these two, high-minority (97% and 40% African American and Hispanic) schools, 80% and 56% of the children have been identified by the state as at risk; 94% and 52% are classified as economically disadvantaged; and 46% and 2% are limited English proficient, respectively. In the past year, 30% and 73% of fifth grade students in these schools passed the science portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. Data collected during a three- week period where GK12 fellows taught the fifth graders Earth science-related topics is presented. During the implementation, students were engaged in technology-, inquiry-, and game-based activities. Students were divided into low-, medium-, and high-abilities in one school, and regular and bilingual groups in the other. Pre- post open-ended multiple choice tests indicated that all but the low performing students' conceptual understanding (CU) significantly (p < 0.05) improved during the IT activity. The low and high student groups' CU significantly improved during the inquiry activity, and the high and bilingual students' CU significantly improved for the game activities. Classroom observation assessments showed that there was a significant (p < 0.10) positive (0.347) correlation between on-task behavior and CU. Significant differences between student groups' CU and on-task behavior indicated that technology-based activities showed greatest differences between the low- ability learners and the other students, whereas, inquiry-based activities tended not to show such extremes. In the case of the bilingual and regular students however, technology-based instruction tended to increase their scores and decrease gaps with other groups. Using different pedagogical approaches (e.g., technology-, inquiry- and game-based methods) to teach Earth science is important to reach all elementary students. Earth science educators should not forget that there does not exist any one teaching and learning method that will be a ‘quick fix' for the masses. However, educational partnerships between universities and K-12 schools strengthen the efforts to increase scientific literacy among all students, including diverse and at risk populations.
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting