Engaging Disinterested Middle School Science Students

Abstract

Students are at many times not focused on certain areas of study. I hypothesized that there would be middle school-aged students who claim to be disinterested in their science class. Additionally, I thought that these disinterested students might best be engaged in scientific learning by the use of more physically active, fun classroom exercises to teach science concepts and skills. I used qualitative student surveys to assess self-perception of science interest, enjoyment, and success in science classes both before and after lessons uniquely-designed to either be more or less physically engaging. I show by these surveys and through quantitative assessment of student learning that 1.) there were students who self-identified as disinterested in science and 2.) overall test scores went up on average following one of two more active science lessons on human body systems. I show that student self-perception of enjoyment of their science class is closely associated with their interest in the class, and that students claimed to be more interested in the more physically engaging lessons in post-lesson surveys given following assessment. There is incentive to make science lessons physically engaging and thus more enjoyable and interesting to middle school science students, as this perception can bear academic fruit if lessons are designed appropriately.