The Unit Box Approach: A Novel Facet of Elementary School Science Teacher Preparation

Abstract

This paper is Part I of a two-part report. The purpose of the complete report is threefold: 1) To describe the origins, evolution, details of, and rationale for an innovation developed by the author over a five year period at Jersey City State College. The Unit Box Experience, which is the principal assignment and major project in the author's elementary school science methods course, involves the preparation of a multimedia, multisensory, and multilevel package of instructional materials and strategies to implement a classroom tested published unit. Each Unit Box is a custom made kit prepared, used, and owned by the apprentice teacher. 2) To report the findings of a followup study on the Unit Box Experience conducted over a four year period. The followup study entailed three facets: a) brief telephone interviews with 94 per cent of the 704 graduates who completed Unit Boxes in the author's course; b) in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 77 or one out of nine graduates; c) 627 classroom visits to and observations of student teachers and graduates who completed Unit Boxes in the course. The findings of the followup study will be reported in Part II of this article. 3) To report on four serendipitous and significant ramifications of the Unit Box study to be dealt with in Part II of the report, to be published in a future issue of this journal.