SYMPOSIUM ON RECENT RESEARCH IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

SYMPOSIUM ON RECENT RESEARCHIN SCIENCE EDUCATION

George G. Mallinson, Editor

The series of papers that follow constitutes the reports delivered atthe Research Symposium sponsored by the National Association forResearch in Science Teaching at the Seventh Washington Meetingof the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Thesymposium was held at 9:00 A.M., Foyer A, Shoreham Hotel, Satur-day, December 27, 1958.The reports consisted of reviews and implications of recent research

in science education at the elementary, secondary, and college levels.

REVIEW OF RESEARCH IN ELEMENTARYSCIENCE EDUCATION

Betty Lockwood WheelerMt. Pleasant, Michigan

Fifteen studies related to elementary science education are re-viewed in this report. Of these, six were classified as experimental,six as analytical, and three as synthetic (these categories were estab-lished for science education research by the National Association forResearch in Science Teaching).

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIESBixler (1) investigated the variables involved in pupil acquisition

of science information and science attitudes. He investigated fivevariables: (a) teacher attitude toward science, (b) teacher degree ofauthoritarianism, (c) teacher attitude toward desirable teacher-pupil relations, (d) intelligence of student, and (e) sex of student.Sixty-two intermediate grade-level teachers were involved in thetesting program and were administered the Edwards and Kilpatrick^sAttitude Toward Science Scale, the California F-Scale, and the Min-nesota Teachers Attitude Inventory. 1767 children took pre-testsand post-tests involving science information and science attitudes.The scores obtained by the children were then compared with thescores obtained by the teachers on the three tests administered theteachers, and also with the sex and intelligence of the children them-selves.The results indicated a definite relationship between the teachers

attitude toward science, and (1) the children^ informational testscores and (2) the scores obtained by the children on the attitudetests. Both science information and science attitudes were related to

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