| The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes toward science of high school students who participated in a cross-age peer teaching model of science instruction. A mixed methodology was employed. The research tested the following hypotheses: (1) There is no significant difference in the attitude toward science after participation in the cross-age peer teaching model of science instruction. (2) Thereis no significant difference in the change of attitude toward science by males and females after participation in the cross-age peer-teaching model of science instruction. (3) There is no significant difference in the change in attitude toward science of students of regular education students and of special education students who participated in the cross-age peer teaching model of science instruction. (4) There is no significant difference in the change in attitude toward science of Caucasian and non-Caucasian students who participated in the cross-age peer teaching model of science instruction.;The research sought to answer the following research questions: (1) Does participation in a cross-age peer teaching model of instruction affect the attitude of high school science students toward science? and (2) Does the age of the tutees affect the attitude of the tutor toward science?;The setting for this study was a rural K--12 school in Alabama. The Attitude Toward Science Scale, a 20-item inventory developed by Francis and Greer, was administered as a pretest and posttest to 25 students who were participating in cross-age peer teaching as part of their regular environmental science curriculum. In addition, focus group interviews were conducted.;As a result of the analysis of data, this study concludes that the attitude toward science was not related to gender, type of student, or ethnicity. Analysis of the qualitative data confirms an improved attitude toward science. The improved attitudes were attributed to increased self-confidence and science self-efficacy, hands-on science, and other innovative science teaching methods, including cross-age peer teaching. |
