Science Teacher Questionnaire – English

Instructions

Dear science teacher,

Thank you for participating in this study.

This questionnaire asks for information about:

• Background information
• Your initial education and professional development
• Your school
• Science teaching practices

This information will help illustrate the similarities and differences between groups of teachers in order to better establish the context for students’ test results. For example, the information provided may help to establish what effect the availability of resources may have on student achievement – both within and between countries.

The questionnaire should be completed by you only. It should take about 30 minutes to complete.

If you do not know an answer precisely, your best estimate will be adequate for the purpose of the study.

Please note that the forward button used to proceed to the next question is located at the bottom right hand corner of your screen. In some instances you may need to scroll down to the bottom of your screen to access this forward button.

Your answers will be combined with answers from other teachers to calculate totals and averages. All information (or responses) you provide may only be used for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law [Education Science Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002), 20 U.S. Code, Section 9573].

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this voluntary information collection is 1850-0755. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any suggestions for improving the form, or comments or concerns regarding the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or the status of your individual submission of this form, please write to: Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, N.W., Room 8122, Washington, D.C. 20006. O.M.B. No. 1850-0755, Approval Expires 08/31/2016

Background Information

Are you female or male?

(Please select one response.)

Female

Male

How old are you?

(Please move the slider to the appropriate number of years.)

What is your employment status as a teacher at this school?

(Please select one response.)

Permanent employment (an ongoing contract with no fixed end-point before the age of retirement)

Fixed-term contract for a period of more than 1 school year

Fixed-term contract for a period of 1 school year or less

What is your current employment status as a teacher?

(Please consider your employment status at this school and for all your teaching employments together.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Full-time (more than 90% of full-time hours)	Part-time (71-90% of full-time hours)	Part-time (50-70% of full-time hours)	Part-time (less than 50% of full-time hours)
My employment status at this school
All my teaching employments together

In how many schools have you worked in the course of your teaching career?

(Include all schools, even if you worked at several schools at once.)

(Please move the slider to the appropriate number of schools.)

How many years of work experience do you have?

(Please round up to whole years no matter whether you worked part-time or full-time and move the slider to the appropriate number of years. If any option does not apply to you select "0" (zero).)

Year(s) working as a teacher at this school

Year(s) working as a teacher in total

Your Initial Education and Professional Development

What is the highest level of formal education you have completed?

(Please select one response.)

High school and/or some college courses

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Doctoral or professional degree (e.g., PhD, M.D., J.D.)

After completing high school, was your goal to pursue a career in the teaching profession?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

Did you complete a teacher education or training program?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

How did you receive your teaching qualifications?

(Please select one response.)

I attended a standard teacher education or training program at an educational institution.

I attended an in-service teacher education or training program.

I attended a work based teacher education or training program.

I attended training in another pedagogical profession.

Other

Were any of the following included in your teacher education or training program or other professional qualification and do you teach them to the 10th grade in the current school year?

(Because this is an international survey, we had to categorize many of the actual subjects taught in schools into broad categories. If the exact name of one of your subjects is not listed, please mark the category you think best fits the subject.)

(If you need further explanation for terms used in this question, please use the help button.)

(Please select all that apply.)

Reading, writing and literature: reading and writing (and literature) in English, language arts, public speaking, literature, composition, communications, journalism

Mathematics: mathematics, mathematics with statistics, geometry, algebra, etc.

Science: natural science, physics, physical science, chemistry, biology, human biology, earth and space sciences, environmental science, agriculture/horticulture/forestry

Technology: orientation in technology, including information technology, computer studies, construction/surveying, engineering, electronics, graphics and design, keyboard skills, word processing, workshop technology/design technology

Social studies: social studies, community studies, contemporary studies, economics, environmental studies, geography, history, humanities, legal studies, American studies, social sciences, ethical thinking, philosophy

Modern foreign languages: languages different from the language of instruction

Ancient languages (e.g., Latin)

Arts: arts, music, visual arts, practical art, drama, performance music, photography, drawing, creative handicraft, creative needlework

Physical education: physical education, gymnastics, dance, health

Religion and/or ethics: religion, history of religions, religion culture, ethics

Practical and vocational skills: vocational skills (preparation for a specific occupation), technics, domestic science, accountancy, business studies, career education, clothing and textiles, driving, home economics, polytechnic courses, secretarial studies, tourism and hospitality, handicraft.

	Included in my teacher education or training program or other professional qualification	I teach it to the 10th grade in the current school year
Reading, writing and literature
Mathematics
Science
Technology
Social studies
Modern foreign languages
Ancient languages (e.g., Latin)
Arts
Physical education
Religion and/or ethics
Practical and vocational skills

What proportion of your teacher education or training program or other professional qualification was dedicated to each of the following areas?

(For each area please enter an approximate percentage, e.g., “20” in the first row to indicate 20% of initial education time used for science and technology content matter.)

(Note that the percentages must add up to 100.)

Science and technology content matter: knowledge and skills in any science discipline

Teaching and learning science: teaching methodology related to science, instructional skills (e.g., use of experiments), student misconceptions

General topics in education: e.g., teacher-student interaction, classroom management, school evaluation, special education

Other topics

During the last 12 months, did you participate in any of the following activities?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Degree program
Participation in a network of teachers formed specifically for the professional development of teachers
Individual or collaborative research on a topic of interest to you professionally
Mentoring and/or peer observation and coaching, as part of a formal school arrangement
Reading professional literature (e.g., journals, evidence-based papers, thesis papers)
Engaging in informal dialogue with your colleagues on how to improve your teaching

During the last 12 months, what proportion of your professional development activities was dedicated to each of the following areas?

(For each area please enter an approximate percentage, e.g., “20” in the first row to indicate 20% of professional development activity time used for science and technology content matter.)

(Note that the percentages must add up to 100.)

Science and technology content matter: knowledge and skills in any science discipline

Teaching and learning science: teaching methodology related to science, instructional skills (e.g., use of experiments), student misconceptions

General topics in education: e.g., teacher-student interaction, classroom management, school evaluation, special education

Other topics

Are you required to take part in professional development activities?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

Your School

Is your school's capacity to provide instruction hindered by any of the following issues?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not at all	Very little	To some extent	A lot
A lack of teaching staff
Inadequate or poorly qualified teaching staff
A lack of assisting staff
Inadequate or poorly qualified assisting staff
A lack of educational material (e.g., textbooks, IT equipment, library or laboratory material)
Inadequate or poor quality educational material (e.g., textbooks, IT equipment, library or laboratory material)
A lack of physical infrastructure (e.g., building, grounds, heating/cooling, lighting and PA system)
Inadequate or poor quality physical infrastructure (e.g., building, grounds, heating/cooling, lighting and PA system)

Is there any formal curriculum for science in 10th grade?

(Please consider national, state, regional, or school policies.)

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

How much emphasis is given to the following approaches and processes in the intended science curriculum for 10th grade?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	No emphasis	Very little emphasis	Some emphasis	A lot of emphasis
Knowing basic science facts and principles
Observing natural phenomena and describing what is seen
Providing explanations of what is being studied
Designing and planning experiments or investigations
Conducting experiments or investigations
Integrating science with other subjects
Relating what students are learning to their daily lives
Incorporating the experiences of different ethnic/cultural groups

Are parents informed about the availability and content of the science curriculum (e.g., in a parent-teacher conference or a newsletter)?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

To what extent do you disagree or agree with the following statements about regular cooperation among your fellow science teachers and yourself?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disgree	Disgree	Agree	Strongly Agree
We discuss the achievement requirements for science when setting tests.
It is natural for us to cooperate on what homework to give to our students.
We discuss the criteria we use to grade written tests.
We exchange lesson plans and homework that cover a range of different levels of difficulty.
I prepare a selection of teaching units with my fellow science teachers.
We discuss ways to teach learning strategies and techniques to our students.
My fellow science teachers benefit from my specific skills and interests.
We discuss ways to better identify students' individual strengths and weaknesses.

We would like to know how you generally feel about your job. How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disgree	Disgree	Agree	Strongly Agree
The advantages of being a teacher clearly outweigh the disadvantages.
If I could decide again, I would still choose to work as a teacher.
I regret that I decided to become a teacher.
I enjoy working at this school.
I wonder whether it would have been better to choose another profession.
I would recommend my school as a good place to work.
I am satisfied with my performance in this school.
All in all, I am satisfied with my job.

Science Teaching Practices

How often do these things happen in your science classes?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or almost never	Some classes	Many classes	Every class or almost every class
Students are asked to draw conclusions from an experiment they have conducted.
Students are given opportunities to explain their ideas.
I explain scientific ideas.
A small-group discussion between students takes place.
A whole-class discussion takes place in which I participate.
Current scientific issues are discussed.
Students make calculations using scientific formulas.
I use an interactive white board.
Students do their own scientific study and related research.
I discuss questions that students ask.
Students carry out practical work.
Students write up laboratory reports.
I demonstrate an idea.
I discuss questions of practical relevance.
Students read materials from a textbook.
Students take notes from the board.
Students discuss materials from a textbook.
Students watch videos.
Students use the internet.
The class corrects homework or a test.
Students fill out worksheets.
Students present something to the rest of the class.

To what extent can (or could) you do the following?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not at all	Very little	To some extent	To a large extent
Design experiments and hands-on activities for inquiry-based learning
Assign tailored tasks to the weakest as well as to the best students
Use a variety of assessment strategies
Facilitate a discussion among students on how to interpret experimental findings

To what extent can (or could) you do the following?

(If you need further explanation of the term my scientific discipline, please use the help button.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

Your scientific discipline refers to one specific science discipline your main science subject belongs to. If you teach the same number of hours for several science subjects, you should choose only one and relate your answer to it.

	Not at all	Very little	To some extent	To a large extent
Explain a complex scientific concept to a fellow teacher
State and defend an informed position on ethical problems relating to science
Read state-of-the art papers in my scientific discipline
Explain the links between biology, physics and chemistry

Thank you very much for your cooperation in completing this questionnaire!