Improving Preservice Elementary Teachers' Attitudes and Knowledge Concerning the Use of Science as a Contest Vehicle for Language Arts Instruction.

This study was designed to measure preservice teachers' confidence concerning interdisciplinary strategy, competence in using science as a content vehicle for teaching Reading/Language Arts (R/LA), and knowledge of components critical for integrating science and R/LA instruction. Elementary and/or special education juniors and seniors from three separate science methods sections and one language arts methods section were used in the study. Subjects in Treatment 1 were given integrated science and language arts methods instruction; Treatment 2, science methods instruction which included two hours of instruction on science as a content vehicle for teaching R/LA; Treatment 3, science methods instruction only; Control, language arts methods instruction only. Results of this study indicated that, in all instances, subjects in Treatment 1 did perceptively better than any of the other three group on all variables measured. Treatment 1 appeared to be the most powerful in raising students' confidence levels for using science as a content vehicle for teaching R/LA skills which could be taught using science as a content vehicle, and developing lessons which could be used to expand the vocabulary of children. (Author/MA)