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Section 4: Summary of Results for the Four Years of Pilot Implementation

This section presents an overview of the Hydroville evaluation for all four curriculum implementations. The Phase 1 evaluations provided a piloting basis for developing the instrumentation and methodology applied to Phase 2. Although the conceptual basis for the evaluation was generally unchanged from Phase 1 to Phase 2, significant revisions were made to instruments and administration procedures. The following two exhibits show evaluation outcomes in terms of patterns of significance for the scales in use at the time of each curriculum implementation. From this picture it is, perhaps, easier to see the general trends that emerged with respect to student outcomes.

During the Phase I evaluation schools were not groups according to an instructional model. Nonetheless, it is visible in Table 8, particularly from the all schools combined results, to see the general trend even early in the project toward gains in students’ comprehension of environmental science principles, the role of information seeking in problem solving, and more appropriate attitudes toward self protection. The Pesticide Spill (PS) curriculum implementation in Phase I placed emphasis on group work, which was evident from the evaluation results.

Table 8. Overview of Phase I Results By Curriculum and Implementation Site.

Pesticide Spill (PS) Curriculum
Site Scales with Significant Pre/Post Change Scores
Benson HS IntuiTox*
CorvallisHS IntuiToxa, Explain**, ImmedActiona, InfoSeek**
Gateway IntuiTox*
Reynolds HS PersInvolv**
Westview HS IntuiToxa, Explain*, PersInvolv*, ValueScia
All Schools Combined PersInvolv**

ap<.10, *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001

Mysterious Illness Outbreak (MIO) Curriculum
Site Scales with Significant Pre/Post Change Scores
Benson HS IntuiTox***, SelfPro**
AIM IntuiTox*, Explain**
Gateway LC IntuiTox*
Reynolds HS SelfPro**, Explain*, InfoSeek*, PersInvolv*
Westview HS SelfProa, InfoSeek**
Crescent Valley HS IntuiToxa, ValueSci**
La Grande Alt. HS InfoSeek*, PersInvolv**, ValueSci**
All Schools Combined Intuitox***, SelfPro***, Explain*, Infoseek**

ap<.10, *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001

Table 9 presents a summation of the IAQ and WQ curriculum evaluation results. Here again we see the strong trend toward student gains in a number of areas relating to the attainment of environmental science concepts, as well as an increase ability to work with others and to have confident in their personal ability take an active role in environmental problem solving. Taken across the entire four years of curriculum implementations, it is evident that the objectives of the HCP with respect to student outcomes have been affirmed in many key areas that promote environmental science as a basis for learning problem solving skills that have direct application to students’ lives, both as life-long learners and as part of a science-literate society.

Table 9.  Overview of Phase II Results By Curriculum and Implementation Site.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Curriculum

Program Type Scales with Significant Pre/Post Change Scores
Single Teacher SelfPro2*
Integrated Team PersInvolv***, ValueSci*, EnviroRisk**
All Schools Combined PersInvolv***, Explain*, SelfPro1*, EnviroRisk*,

*p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001

Water Quality (WQ) Curriculum
Program Type Scales with Significant Pre/Post Change Scores
Mainstream Schools Explain****, InfoSeek****, PersInvolv****, SelfPro1*, SelfPro2***, ValueSci****, PercRisk**, ChemRisk*, EnviroRisk***
Alternative Schools Explain***, InfoSeek**, PersInvolv****, ValueSci***
All Schools Combined Explain****, InfoSeek****, PersInvolv****, SelfPro2****, ValueSci****, PercRisk*, EnviroRisk***

p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001



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