The Effects of Using Interactive Student Notebooks and Specific Written Feedback on Seventh Grade Students' Science Process Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the consistent use metacognitivestrategies imbedded in an Interactive Student Notebook (ISN) would impact theintegrated science process skills of 7th-grade students.  In addition, this study explored whetherspecific teacher written feedback, provided to students in the ISN, furtherenhanced the use of ISNs and resulted in greater gains in students’ scienceprocess skills.              A sample of convenience, 7th-gradestudents (n = 194) in two suburbanmiddle schools in the northeastern United States was utilized for thisstudy.  Students participated for 15weeks in one of three instructional programs: (a) a science  instructional program using ISNs embeddedwith metacognitive strategies and specific written feedback (treatment), (b) ascience instructional program using ISNs embedded with metacognitive strategiesonly (comparison), and (c) a traditional science program using regularclassroom instructional practices (control). Students’ science process skills were measured using Form A (pretest)and Form B (posttest) of the Diet Cola Test, and data were analyzed using ananalysis of variance (ANOVA) and a multiple linear regression.   Results revealed a significant maineffect for type of instruction.  Studentsin the comparison group (n = 67, M = 10.75, SD = 3.53) scored significantly higher (p = .026, d = .47,moderate) than students in the control group (n = 66, M = 9.10, SD = 3.50) on mean posttest scores ofScience Process Skills.  There were nosignificant differences between the remaining groups.  In addition, regression analysis suggestedthat the type of feedback that students received (Task-specific,Process-specific, or Metacognitive-specific) did not predict students’ scienceprocess posttest scores.  Implications for educators and researchers are suggested.