Science interests of sixth grade students

Abstract

Authors of some research studies and other concerned citizens have questioned the relevance and appropriateness of the teaching of science as it is currently done for the transescents in the middle schools. Some suggest that teachers merely attempt to teach scientific facts without regard for students' characteristics, needs, interests, and input.

The premise that student input is desirable suggested the need for this investigation of the sixth grade science course. The purposes of this study were: 1. To determine the degree of interest expressed by students in ·topics and in specific items within topics, 2. To determine differences in the degrees of interest expressed by students of different teachers, 3. To determine differences in the degrees of interest expressed by male and female students in the topics taught, 4. To determine if student interest in science is related to achievement as indicated by final grade in science, and 5. To determine teachers' perceptions of their students' interests in topics and specific items within topics.

A survey was conducted with an instrument that listed all of the science topics covered in the sixth grade course. Beginning seventh grade students were asked to express their interest in each concept and indicate whether they thought they were taught or not taught in sixth grade. They rated each concept as definitely interesting, of some interest, or not interesting. Appropriate statistical procedures were used to analyze the data and the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Students were generally interested in the sixth grade science program„ However, for most of the concepts students indicated "some" interest as opposed to "definite" interest. 2. There were significant differences among the levels of interest of students taught by different teachers on five topics: Classifying Animals with Backbones; Classifying Animals without Backbones; Elements and Compounds; Sources of Energy; and Atmosphere, Climates of the World, and Natural Cycles. 3. There were significant differences in the levels of interest between male and female students only on two topics: Life Cycles, Heredity, and Living Things; and Sources of Energy. 4. Student achievement and interest were significantly related only on the topics of Classifying Animals without Backbones; Properties of Light; Sources of Energy; and Electricity and Magnetism. 5. Teachers perceived all the science items to be of "definite" or greater than "some" interest to the students.