Field Test of an Epidemiology Curriculum for Middle School Students

Published:2007, American Journal of Health Education
Authors:Kaelin, MA, Huebner WW, Nicolich MJ, Kimbrough ML
Type:Project Generated
View Publication http://www.montclair.edu/Detectives/presentation/docs/FieldTest.ppt

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the effictiveness of a middle school epidemiology curriculum called Detectives in the Classroom. The curriculum presents epidemiology as the science of public health, using health-related issues that capture the interest of young students and help prepare them to make evidence-based health-related decisions. The curriculum was field tested among seventh-grade urban students using a quasi-experimental design. Analysis of covariance of pre- and post-test scores examined five outcomes, including students’ perceptions of their abilities in science as inquiry, scientific literacy, and knowledge about five enduring epidemiologic understanding; their self-reported interest in science, and assessment of students’ epidemiological reasoning ability.