THE EFFECTS OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES ON SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS IN JAPAN: FINDINGS FROM THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY (TIMSS).

Several instructional design approaches have been developed to improve student learning in science. For instance, cooperative learning activities and active learning strategies have resulted in improved student interest and achievement in science. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between classroom instructional strategies and science achievement of elementary-school students in Japan. Students included in these analyses were from the TIMSS 1995 Population 1 (9-year-olds) International Sample. Several instructional practices were examined and variance estimation procedures for complex sampling designs were used. The dependent measure examined in this study was each students' score on the International Science assessment. There were a number of significant findings from this study. Students who indicated more frequent use of cooperative learning activities also showed higher science test scores. Students who reported that they more frequently did experiments in class also earned higher test scores. These results identify instructional practices that were positively associated with science achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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