Project C-CUESST: A College Curriculum for Elementary SchoolScience Teachers

本课题的目标是设计并实现一门面向职前K-8教师的基于探究的本科物理课程，该课程将科学内容知识与基于研究性的教与学科学知识相结合。研究证据表明，研究性课程、以学生为中心的教学方法（如合作学习和同伴教学）以及基于计算机的实验室教学是提高学生学习的有效策略。本项目将在面向未来K-8教师的入门课程《物理100》“物理概念”中实施和评估这些策略。特别值得关注的是针对不同种族学生群体的策略。“科学内容和语言扩展”等在其他学科中行之有效的教学策略和“合作教育”、“多元文化融合”等教学策略将在物理100课程中进行测试。物理学教授、教育学教授和当地学区的教师将合作设计物理100，并将其与教育学院的科学方法课程相结合。这一设计和整合过程将成为科学与教育部门合作的新范式，并为为职前教师建立协调的科学课程奠定基础，这反映了全国和全州K-12科学教育改革的努力。

The goal of this project is to design and implement an inquiry based undergraduate physics course for preservice K-8 teachers which integrates scientific content knowledge with research based knowledge about teaching and learning science. Research evidence has been building to support inquiry-based lessons, student centered pedagogy such as cooperative learning and peer teaching, and computer based laboratory instruction as effective strategies to improve student learning. This project will implement and evaluate these strategies in Physics 100, "Concepts in Physics", an introductory course for future K-8 teachers. Of special concern are strategies to address ethnically diverse student populations. Teaching strategies such as "Science Content And Language Expansion" and programs such as "Cooperative Education" and "Multicultural Infusion" that have been effective in other disciplines will be tested in Physics 100. A collaboration between a professor of physics, professor of education, and teacher from the local school district will design Physics 100 and integrate it with the science methods course in the School of Education. This design and integration process will become a new paradigm for collaborations between science and education departments and lay the foundation for establishing a coordinated science curriculum for pre-service teachers which reflects National and State wide reform efforts in K-12 Science Education.