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Classroom Context: Curriculum/Coursetaking

 

As part of the 2009 science assessment, teachers of fourth- and eighth-graders were asked how much time they spend on different areas of science. The full text of the question, percentage of students whose teachers responded in each category, and scale scores of students for each response category are below.

In this class, about how much time do you spend on each of the following areas of science?

A. Life science
B. Earth and space sciences
C. Physical Science

Grade 4
Grade 8
Grade 12

 Eighth-grade students who had teachers who spent "a lot of time" teaching Earth and space sciences (153) had higher scores than students whose teachers spent a "little time" (150) or "some time" (148).

  Average score
Time spent None Little time Some time A lot of time
Earth and space science 152 150 148 153
Life science 153 153 149 149
Physical science 155 154 149 151

NOTE: The NAEP science scale ranges from 0 to 300. Some apparent differences between estimates may not be statistically significant. See complete data for Earth and Space Sciences, Life Science, and Physical Science.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009 Science Assessment.

Browse questionnaires for the NAEP assessments.