Date of Award
6-26-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Amany Saleh
Committee Members
Michael Wesolek; Steve Bounds
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2024 S35
Abstract
The longstanding call to prioritize science education has gained momentum, particularly with the noticeable changes aligned with reform-era practices. This quantitative study explored the relationship between policy, time allocation, and teacher practices in elementary science education, guided by constructive learning theory as the theoretical framework. The study utilized a quantitative survey to measure how much time elementary school teachers spend teaching science and understand how this impacts their teaching methods, specifically the reform-era vs. traditional teaching practices. Surveys were conducted electronically with K-5 teachers who are National Science Teacher Association members. Findings from the quantitative analysis via a series of Spearman correlations showed a significant positive correlation, suggesting that reform-era instructional practices tend to increase as the perception of reform-era standards increases. However, the data indicated no statistical significant difference between instructional time and teachers' use of traditional or reform-era practices. Despite the absence of statistical significant differences between instructional time and teachers' use of reform-era practices, the study's findings still provided valuable implications for further research. The science education community requires continued advocacy to prioritize science education, especially at the elementary level. Future research and evaluation are essential to explore the potential impact of time allocation on teachers' chosen instructional practices.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Sciarpelletti, Amanda, "Exploring the Relationships Between Policy, Instructional Time, and Instructional Practices in Elementary Science Classrooms" (2024). Student Theses and Dissertations. 88.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/88
