Phase I and II: Unsing Information Technologies to Support Urban Middle School Students in Scientific Inquiry

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9725927 Krajcik We propose to study the process of adapting and sustaining an innovation in urban middle schools in Detroit that highlights inquiry enabled by computational technology. The innovation includes technology (a suite of tools in the Investigator's Workshop), instruction (Project Based Science and instructional materials) and an approach to professional development. Our model of implementation stresses processes that include collaborating with teachers and administrators to adapt the innovation so that it is achieveable given the realities of the context of the school, community, and the district' s Urban Systemic Initiative. It also emphasizes coordination among the elements of the innovation and of policies at the school and district level so that in combination they support the innovation. The goal of the research is to understand how to build capacity in urban school systems necessary to cope with the complexities involved in adopting and sustaining technological and pedagogical change. Capacity includes a) infrastructure and policies that support the innovation, b) culture in which professionals embrace reform and work together to achieve it, and c) capability, teacher and administrator know how to mobilize energy and resources to initiate and sustain the innovation. We are already working jointly with middle schools in Detroit. The research plan has two phases. In phase 1, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, we will study the innovation implementation process, adaptations to the innovation as inquiry enabled by technology is introduced to seventh and eighth grade classrooms, and how the innovation affects students, classrooms and schools over a three year period. The focus of Phase 2 will be to explore whether what we learned in phase 1 about problems and potential solutions contributes to more effective and efficient innovation implementation in new, but similar, middle school settings. Our assumption is that by drawing on our experiences, schools and districts can be more proactive in anticipating difficulties, responding in ways that adapt the innovation to their situations and that increase capacity to sustain instructional and technological change. Products will include research reports and materials for use in educational change efforts. The knowledge gained will add to the literature on reform and enable educators and policy makers to improve the effectiveness of change efforts directed at engaging urban students in learning science through inquiry enabled by technology. NSF FORoU t358 (1/94)