Date
1-2019
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Jillian Wendt
Keywords
Science Specialist, Generalist, Instruction, Elementary Science, Science Achievement
Disciplines
Education | Elementary Education
Recommended Citation
Roach, Wesley Armstrong, "The Impact of Using Elementary Science Specialists on 5th Grade Science Achievement Scores" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 1961.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1961
Abstract
American students score significantly below several other countries in the area of science achievement. With threats such as epidemics and cyber terrorism facing modern society, it is important for schools to prepare students to succeed in science. Research has shown, however, that substandard science instruction at the elementary level leaves students ill-prepared for future success in science. And, even worse, low quality science instruction in elementary school is, for some students, correlated to the loss of interest in science altogether. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to examine the effect of using science specialists in elementary schools on science achievement scores. The author conducted an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to determine if there was a difference between science achievement scores in elementary schools that use science specialists as opposed to those that do not. The population consisted of 282 5th grade students in Georgia public schools. The researcher collected data for this study from four public elementary schools’ end-of-year state assessments.
