Graduate Project

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Blended Science Unit in a Rural, Single-Classroom Schoolhouse

ABSTRACT EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BLENDED SCIENCE UNIT IN A RURAL, SINGLE-CLASSROOM SCHOOLHOUSE by © Mikki Westbie 2010 Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies: Science Teaching California State University, Chico Summer 2010 This project consists of two parts: (1) the development of a blended science unit composed of interactive online and hands-on classroom curriculum and (2) a case study documenting the effects of this unit on a teacher's confidence and perception about teaching science; making future curricular decisions; and student learning. Data was collected using a mixed methods approach and included observations, interviews, journals, surveys, and pre/post content tests. Results were mixed: The teacher became more confident about her ability to teach science and had an increased interest in adding online and hands-on content. Yet she became less confident that her teaching would significantly impact student learning, and chose to return to a teacher-centered instructional approach for a large portion of the unit in response to persistent classroom challenges. Students had statistically significant gains in learning on a standardized test, but these gains were modest and consistent with superficial knowledge acquisition rather than deep conceptual understanding. The paper concludes with a discussion about how conflicting theoretical views about curriculum as “reference material,” held by the teacher, and curriculum as a “partnership” held by the researcher, led to unanticipated differences in the way the unit was implemented.

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