The effect of science specialists versus generalist teachers on achievement and attitudes of students in the elementary grades

The purpose of this study was to examine the problem of poor science attitudes and achievement among American students that appears to originate in the elementary school. The rationale includes the notion that the problem may begin with the teachers of these elementary students. The primary aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using a science specialist in the elementary schools as a technique for improving attitudes and achievement. The effectiveness of the specialist was based on the quantitative measurement of attitudes towards science via the Academic Perceptions Inventory (API) (Soares & Soares, 2000) and achievement with the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), Ninth Edition (Brace, 1996). The analysis compared 250 students and 15 teachers (ranging from 2nd through 6th grade) on science API and SAT scores, between the classrooms of specialists that were already established teachers within school districts and their generalist counterparts' classrooms.;A qualitative study was also conducted to analyze student and teacher attitudes, behaviors, and characteristics, based on the standards for these components as outlined in the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996).;In conclusion, the null was rejected on the variables of student attitudes and achievement. This suggests that there may be a difference between students taught by a general elementary teacher and those instructed by a teacher with a specialized degree in science. However, the decision was to fail to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is no difference in teacher attitudes with regards to science. While the test procedures were fairly liberal (alpha = .10), they suggest a link between teacher training and student achievement and attitudes, making the possibility of a specialization at the elementary school level tenable.;Minimal differences were discovered during the qualitative portion. The small differences that did exist, suggest that science specialists are more apt to utilize certain aspects of the National Science Education Standards. The data is somewhat promising, yet does not suggest that the standards are being implemented in the fashion conceptualized by the National Research Council. The implementation of a science specialist program is not wise until more conservative quantitative studies can be attained.