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Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching is recommended as an Exemplary science program.
Program Description. Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) is a sequence of three inquiry science courses designed specifically to address the developmental needs of students ages 12 to 15. The three courses are: (a) FAST 1, The Local Environment; (b) FAST 2, Matter & Energy in the Biosphere; and (c) FAST 3, Change over Time. In each course, content is organized into three strands called physical science, ecology, and relational study. Relational study focuses on the interrelationships of the science disciplines and the interactions of science and society. The goal of this comprehensive program is the development of a scientifically literate student who has (a) the background necessary for understanding environmental concerns arising in our technological society and (b) the foundational tools for further study in the sciences. The principal objectives of FAST are to develop knowledge of concepts that are foundational to modern science and to develop laboratory and thinking skills, such as using symbolic tools employed in science, engaging in scientific inquiry, and using scientific knowledge for making decisions. Special emphasis is placed on students communicating what they have learned through oral and written reports, graphing, etc.
Professional Development Resources and Program Costs. FAST is used by over 5000 teachers in 36 states, and 10 foreign countries. It has a support network of 14 universities and a cadre of 75 certified instructors. The program recommends that the local educational agency designate a local coordinator at the district/school level.
Teachers participate in a 10-day, 70-hour, on-site institute before teaching FAST. There are separate institutes for each of the three FAST courses. Each participant receives a full set of materials, including all teacher and student instructional guides. FAST provides preliminary outreach with school personnel and a commitment-building process that includes site visits and detailed implementation suggestions, supporting professional development and networking opportunities, follow-up coaching, and an implementation review process. First-year start-up costs are approximately $29 per pupil for instructional materials, supplies, and professional development (assuming the sharing of a classroom materials set by multiple classes with 75 students per teacher).
Program Quality. Reviewers found that the program's goals and objectives are clear and provide middle school students with a solid foundation for sound decision-making as adult citizens and in preparation for productive science-based careers. The goals are consistent with the constructivist approach to learning. Content is aligned with the program's learning goals and emphasizes several topics, which are covered in depth over the three-year length of the program. Each area of science is studied extensively and then brought together through study of the ecology of the local environment. The content reflects important scientific ideas, processes, and the nature of scientific inquiry.
The instructional approach enables students to incrementally build on their prior learning and experiences, by repeatedly using skills introduced early in the program in new contexts. Active engagement in laboratory exercises or field experiences consumes approximately 75% of class time. Remaining class time is spent on data collection, discussion, literature research, and report writing. FAST provides a variety of assessment instruments and methods and a detailed Evaluation Guide for each level of the program. Assessment is embedded in day-to-day instruction so that instruction can be calibrated frequently, and self-assessment by students is an integral part of the program.
Usefulness to Others. Reviewers concluded that the program provides ample training materials and support to ensure successful implementation. Intensive pre-implementation training and follow-up support are readily available at a reasonable cost.
Educational Significance. The program's learning goals reflect the vision promoted in the national standards, and an independent assessment determined that FAST was well-aligned with these standards. Reviewers noted that the goals are serious, significant, and well-developed. The program is of sufficient scope, duration, and importance to make a positive difference in student learning.
Program Effectiveness and Success. Reviewers found convincing evidence, stretching over nearly 25 years of the program and across numerous implementation sites, to conclude that FAST has a positive impact on student learning. Numerous well-designed evaluation studies revealed statistically significant improvement in student learning reported as (a) post-test differences between FAST and non-FAST student scores and (b) pre-post test student gain scores, more than would be expected over an academic year, for FAST students on standardized tests addressing understanding of science.
Post-test only, quasi-experimental control group studies using random selection of 7th grade FAST and non-FAST students showed that FAST students scored statistically significantly higher, at the p<.01 level, than non-FAST students on the CTBS test of general science knowledge. A pre-post test, actual vs. expected performance study of students, found grades 6 and 7 FAST students scoring statistically significantly higher, at the p<.05 level, than expected on the statewide CTBS post-test. In other post-test only studies using various measures of student performance, FAST students scored statistically significantly higher than expected while control students did not.
In several studies using performance assessments (e.g., a project-developed 24-item applied assessment of laboratory and desk problems and graph construction and interpretation), FAST students in grades 6 and 7 scored statistically significantly higher than non-FAST students in the same grades on science laboratory skills, process skills, and science achievement. A variety of evidence, including self-report and videotape data, attested to FAST's impact on knowledge, practices, and attitudes. In addition, shifts in teacher profiles toward the approaches called for by the National Science Education Standards (NSES) were documented. On the Self-Report About Teaching instrument, FAST teachers showed a statistically significant shift, at the p<.05 level, in their self-reports on teaching toward inquiry.
For Further Information Contact:
Donald B. Young
Curriculum Research & Development Group,
University of Hawaii
1776 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822
Telephone: (800) 799-8111 or (808) 956-4951
Fax: (808) 956-6730
E-mail: crdg@hawaii.edu
Web site: http://www.hawaii.edu/crdg
This page last modified January 5, 2001 (tca)