ics of soil, water, insects, trees, trash, paper, and recyclable items. Children were encouraged to discover environmental problems through experiments, art work, and literature-based activities and to become active participants in solving these problems. Of specific interest in the study was determining the effects of active learning on both students' knowledge of the subject matter and their attitudes about science.
Attitudes about science and learning were assessed through surveys of 19 students as well as interviews conducted with seven students before and after the intervention. Results indicated that positive attitudes toward science and toward learning about science significantly increased as a result of the active learning style of instruction.
Student interest in science also increased. Moreover, students were all said to have learned the subject matter to a level of mastery.
Another instructional style used to improve the learning of inner-city students is based on the Collaborative Consultation Model in which two or more teachers collaborate to provide instruction to students. An example of the use and effects of the Collaborative Consultation Model is provided by Levine (1992) who sought to improve the education of six learning-disabled and five at-risk ninth-grade students in English, science, and social studies classes, by implementing the model.
The implementation involved having individual teachers work collaboratively with a resource room teacher. Targeted students were given the O'Brien Learning Channel Reference Test. Collaborating teachers analyzed learning styles of target students, completed curriculum-based assessments, prioritized the skills needed by students, conducted strategy intervention teaching, reinforced the strategies, learned about and implemented behavioral interventions, and evaluated student progress. The project resulted in improved teaching and learning. It was stated that...