First Advisor

Nebel, Dale

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

8-1-1971

Abstract

The Problem The investigation was concerned with three questions: 1. Does a series of elementary science programs taught over the Wyoming VERB Network contribute any science content learning to the experimental group? 2. Does the grade level of the students affect the science content learning which might be attributed to VERB instruction? 3. Does community size affect the science content learning which might be attributed to VERB instruction? Procedure Classes from five different communities participated in the study. Fifth, sixth, and seventh grade classes were tested for science achievement in February, 1970. This sample had not been exposed to VERB science instruction and served as a control group. A series of fifteen elementary science programs was presented over the Wyoming VERB Network to fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in the spring of 1970. This was the experimental group. This group was tested for science content achievement in February of 1971 when the students reached the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. The means of the test scores of the control group tested in 1970 were compared to the means of the experimental group tested in 1971. Comparisons were made between the 1970 and 1971 samples for total group, communities over 5,000, communities under 1,000, fifth grade students, sixth grade students, and seventh grade students. The t test was used to test the significance of difference between means. The .05 level of confidence was selected as the basis for rejecting the null hypothesis. Results The means of the experimental group were found to be significantly greater than the means of the control group for the total sample for students from communities of over 5,000 population and for seventh grade students. No significant difference was found between the means of the fifth grades or sixth grades. The mean of the experimental group was significantly less than the mean of the control group in the scores of students from communities of less than 1,000 population. Conclusions 1. The VERB Elementary Science Program improved the science achievement test scores for the total experimental group. 2. The VERB Elementary Science Program improved the science achievement test scores for students who received VERB science instruction in the sixth grade. It did not improve the science achievement test scores significantly for students who received VERB science instruction in the fourth and fifth grades. 3. The VERB Elementary Science Program improved the science achievement test scores for students from communities of over 5,000 population. The students from communities of less than 1,000 population had significantly lower science achievement scores.

Abstract Format

html

Keywords

Teleconferencing in education; Science--Study and teaching (Elementary); Education, Elementary; Achievement tests

Extent

88 pages

Local Identifiers

Wiegand1971

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by author.

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