National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: A Profile of American Eighth-GradeMathematics and Science Instruction

摘要

The report profiles the mathematics and science instruction received by eighthgraders in 1988. Data from both the student and the teacher surveys were used. The teacher component of the NELS:88 survey, however, does not constitute a nationally representative sample of eighth grade teachers. NELS:88 teachers were not independently selected and their inclusion in the sample depended upon their linkage to a student who was selcted for the survey. Therefore, in the study the student is the basic unit of analysis: the mathematics and science instruction characteristics were analyzed in relation to student-teacher pairs. Approximately half of the students surveyed had a math teacher surveyed (11,414), while the other half had a science teacher surveyed (10,868). Overall, approximately 91 percent of the students surveyed had either a meth or science teacher surveyed. The NELS:88 Base Year Survey provides a wealth of information concerning 1988 eighth grade mathematics and science instruction. Using these data the authors have been able to profile the experiences of eighth graders in their mathematics and science classes in relation to curricula, classroom characteristics, achievement, teacher qualifications, and student attitudes toward mathematics and science.