Teacher Education Instruments

Teacher/Faculty Surveys

Instrument 10: Demographic Survey

Project: Anonymous 1

Funding Source: NSF: Teacher Enhancement (ESIE)

Purpose: To collect demographic information on participating teachers and to assess a small number of basic attitudes toward science and teaching practices (integration of science and other disciplines)

Administered To: This survey was completed by 16 K-8 teachers who had participated in the first year of the project

Topics Covered:

• Comparisons: content coverage
• Instructional Practices: methods
• Instructional Preferences: content
• Self-Assessment (Teacher/Faculty): professional performance
• Background Characteristics & Activities (Teacher/Faculty): certification, current practice, education, experience
• Demographics (Teacher/Faculty): gender

Format/Length: 5 questions, 4 closed- and 1 open-ended, plus 4 demographic questions. The closed-ended items use 5-point Likert scales.

Last 4 Digits SSN# _____ _____ _____ _____
Cohort (year) ____________________________

Please complete the following information:

1. Grade level you are now teaching:

   K-2 ____

   3-4 ____

   5-6 ____

2. Gender:

   F ____

   M ____

3. Years teaching experience at elementary level: ______yrs

4. Highest degree earned:

   BA/BS ____

   MS/MA ____

   Specialist ____

   Doctorate ____

Please indicate your answer preference for the items below by circling the appropriate letters:

5. If you had your choice, would you choose to be the one to teach science to your students?
   1. Definitely no
   2. Probably no
   3. Not sure
   4. Probably yes
   5. Definitely yes

6. Compared to the minimum amount of time I should spend teaching science, I spend:
   1. A lot less
   2. A bit less
   3. That exact amount
   4. A bit more
   5. A lot more

7. The major portion of my time in science instruction is spent in:
   1. Textbook-based presentation only
   2. More textbook-based presentation than anything else
   3. An equal amount of textbook-based presentation and activity-based instruction
   4. More activity-based instruction than textbook-based presentation
   5. Activity based instruction only

8. Please rate how you view your own effectiveness as a teacher of elementary science:
   1. Superior - One of the most outstanding teachers of elementary science in the building; a master teacher of elementary science
   2. Above average
   3. Average - A typical teacher of elementary science
   4. Below average
   5. Low - One of the least effective teachers of elementary science, in need of professional improvement in this area

9. Number of College Science Courses (estimate the number of courses NOT
   credit hours): ____