ERIC Number: EJ775826
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 17
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-2379
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Preliminary Evaluation of the Effects of a Science Education Curriculum on Changes in Knowledge of Drugs in Youth
Holtz, Kristen D.; Twombly, Eric C.
Journal of Drug Education, v37 n3 p317-333 2007
Drug and alcohol use among youth remains pervasively high, but students are receiving less school-based prevention. Infusing health information into core curricula may be a valuable prevention approach. Therefore, behavior change theory was used to develop a science education curriculum on drugs for fourth- and fifth-grade students, which was then evaluated using a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design. Exposure to the curriculum was associated with a change in knowledge; other characteristics such as grade level played a role. More positive attitudes toward science at pretest predicted greater knowledge change, and students who knew less at the start showed a greater change in knowledge. Results of this evaluation may support the efficacy of the curriculum and the utility of combining behavior change theory with educational approaches. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Grade 5, Pretests Posttests, Prevention, Narcotics, Behavior Modification, Science Education, Quasiexperimental Design, Drinking, Behavior Change, Curriculum Development, Drug Use, Health Education, Knowledge Level, Teaching Methods, Student Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Grade 5
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A