Students\u27 Perceptions of Science Teaching and Attitudes toward Science Learning and Teachers\u27 Self-Report of Using Children\u27s Ideas, Applications of Science, and Use of Print Resources as Indicators of Interactive-Constructivist Teaching in Elementary Schools.

This paper describes a study that took place within the context of the Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature (Science PALs) project. Particularly, the study sought to determine answers to the following questions: (1) What are the internal consistencies and substantive, external, and structural validities of students\u27 perceptions, teachers\u27 self-reports, evaluations of videotaped classroom science teaching, and expert ratings? and (2) Can students\u27 perceptions and attitudes and teachers\u27 self-reports be used as acceptable surrogate measures for videotaped interactive constructivist science teaching? Findings suggest that instruments based on social constructivism do not completely and accurately document science teaching based on interactive-constructivist assumptions