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2004 NSF K-12 Math, Science, and Technology Curriculum Developers Conference

Summative Evaluation of the Biology: Exploring Life Curriculum

Alec M. Bodzin, Lehigh University
Ward Mitchell Cates, Lehigh University

This poster session will present our summative evaluation methods and findings of the field-testing of Biology: Exploring Life (ELife), a comprehensive biology program for ninth and tenth grade students. ELife consists of four main components:

1. a relatively short textbook,
2. the ELife Web site,
3. lab and field experiments, and
4. online and printed resources designed to help teachers make the program work in their classrooms.

The integration of these components should enable all students to explore biology content actively, instead of limiting them to passive exposure to that content. This biology program provides a rich set of resources that can be selectively integrated into the curriculum to accommodate a wide range of teacher and student needs. ELife uses a three-stage learning cycle model for each major concept:

1. Engage,
2. Explore/Explain, and
3. Evaluate.

The main goal of the funded project was to guide the development of the ELife biology program designed to improve high school biology students' understanding of fundamental biological concepts. Consistent with the National Science Education Standards, the project also sought to enhance students' self-confidence and skill i n scientific reasoning and inquiry, as well as their ability to apply biological knowledge and the methods of science to important social issues.

1. Objectives of the ELife curricular program included developing:
2. A general biology program focused on a few key concepts for each major topic (chapter).
3. Student-centered materials for active learning of biology.
4. Tools to support teachers as they tested out new ways to teach biology in the classrooms.
5. The aim of the summative evaluation was to measure the project's success in meeting its goals and objectives.

Sixteen biology teachers field-tested ELife materials with 1040 students during the third year of the grant implementation period. Six rural, 5 urban, and 5 suburban teachers were selected as field-testers from a sample of sixty-one participants who pilot-tested the ELife materials in their classrooms during the 2001-02 school year. Field-testing was conducted over an 18-week period from January 20 to May 23, 2003.

A battery of evaluative measures was used in the Year 3 evaluation. [Each instrument can be viewed at http://www.lehigh.edu/~inexlife/evaluation/.]

These included:

1. Biology content knowledge assessment [Pre-treatment/post-treatment student measure].
2. SAI II – Science Attitude Inventory [Pre-treatment/post-treatment student measure].
3. Integrated Process Skills Test II (TIPS II) [Pre-treatment/post-treatment student measure].
4. Science and Technology Attitudes and Belief Survey (STAB) [Pre-treatment/post-treatment student measure].
5. Curricular Implementation Surveys [Teacher measures].

1. Biology teacher implementation surveys.
2. Curricular Implementation Survey.
1. Site-based field observations [Implementation measures].
2. Teacher’s Usefulness of Technology Assessment instrument (TUTA) [Pre-treatment teacher measure].
3. Technology Teacher Adoption (TTA) [Pre-treatment teacher measure].
4. Exploring Life Reflective Survey [Post-treatment teacher measure].
5. Exploring Life Teacher Questionnaire [Pre-treatment teacher measure].
6. Biology: Exploring Life Materials Review Instrument/Expert review panel [Summative measure].

The poster session will present the major findings from the summative evaluation study. Each instrument developed and used will be available for conference participants to review.

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. ESI-0352345). Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.