Customer Reviews

Science: Contructed-Response Tests; Study Guide Practice & Review (Praxis Study Guides)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

ETS writes the test, so you might assume their book on the test is the best resource for preparing for it. WRONG! It's just another way for them to rip money from poor teaching students. If you can, get a cheap used copy, try to find it in the library, or share one book among your classmates.

I just completed a master's program for a M.Ed. in secondary science education. While most of my graduate program was excellent, the course on teaching science was seriously lacking. I used this book to help me prepare for the Physical Science constructed response ("pedagogy") test. This book was far too general and too slim to be useful. It includes information on all the science pedagogy tests, and since each one is construced and scored different, any one reader will only find a few pages useful. There's only one practice test, which is insufficient for real preparation. Now I've completed my master's program with a 4.0, I've completed student teaching, and I've written a lot of good lesson plans, and yet somehow I've managed to fail the science pedagogy test TWICE after using this book as a guide.

I highly recommend instead of ETS' books, using the National Science Teacher's Association "NSTA Pathways to the Science Standards: Guidelines for Moving the Vision into Practice" and NSTA's "Tips for the Science Teacher: Research-Based Strategies to Help Students Learn." Using these as a guide an resource, you can determine how to construct goals, lessons, and assessments that will meet the standards of the test. I'm taking the test for the third time next week, and I'm much more confident now. The books I recommended are available from Amazon and the NSTA website.

Like the other poster, I thought "Since ETS writes the test, surely their study guides must be worthwhile". WRONG!!! When I took my last test, I ordered the study guide and did very well on the test. So, when I registered to take this test (Biology Content Essays) I thought, "I should buy the study guide", and I did. What a rip-off! If you manage to make it through college and DON'T know how to write an essay, then the book is worthwhile. If you're looking at using the book to actually STUDY, then you may as well dust off your college textbooks and save your money. There are four sample questions in the first half of the book (the part of the book dealing with content essays--the other half deals with pedagogy and the book is only 156 pages including the appendices) covering general science, biology, chemistry, and physics (one question each). Why would I waste my time answering the chemistry question when I know it's NOT going to be on the BIOLOGY CONTENT ESSAYS test? I know how to write an essay, it's the content that I need. Save your money. I can tell you what the book says right here: They don't care what format you answer the question in as long as you answer the question thoroughly. The end.

This was a great purchase and I recommend it to all of those studying to take the Praxis