Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education

Advisor

Robert Rose

Committee Member

Vanaja Nethi

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

elementary science, instructional design model, science achievement, science lessons, teacher perception

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine if the Instructional Design Model will improve science achievement. The study addressed the problem of low science achievement among 93 Grade 5 students. The theoretical framework that was applied to this study was developed by Ralph Tyler in 1949. The researcher believed that Tyler’s four-process curriculum planning approach guided teachers to look differently at teaching and learning. This model assisted teachers in developing lessons that used the Instructional Design Model and produced objectives that reflect their classroom goals, impacted curriculum, and increased the understanding of science concepts. The school administered a multiple choice, twenty-item pretest a unit of instruction to the Grade 5 students.

The teachers participated in a pre-interview, received professional development on the Instructional Design Model, attended common planning meetings to develop lessons, delivered the lessons, and participated in a post-interview. The teachers taught a four-week unit and each teacher was observed every other week for one class period. After the four-week period the teacher administered the posttest to the students; which, was the same test as the pretest to the Grade 5 students. A convergent mixed methods design was used; in order to collect data in this type of design, the qualitative and quantitative data were collected in a lateral fashion, analyzed separately, and then merged together. An analysis of the data revealed the degree to which the use of Tyler’s Instructional Design Model in Grade 5 science classes in the target district would affect student achievement in science. The results of the elementary school’s scores were compared to the pre and post assessment data and determined that use of the Instructional Design Model significantly impacted post-test results.

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