Use of Research to Improve the Quality of Science Education in Urban High Schools

该项目正在纽约市的城市高中开展研究，涉及来自经济困难环境的学生和早期职业科学教师、为转行人士设计的替代认证项目的毕业生，以及科学及相关领域的毕业生。通过使用参与性研究形式，包括设计实验，该项目正在确定成功的科学课程中采用的有希望的做法，以及旨在促进研究的研究形式在多大程度上改变了课程。一个早期城市科学教师网络正在通过一个互动网站进行合作，在他们自己的教室里参与研究，并参加以科学前沿的科学和科学教育的发展为重点的座谈会。参加教师班的学生还被选为城市青年网络的成员，他们学习如何研究科学的教与学，并参加包括科学前沿话题的系列讨论会。还建立了一个大学科学教师和科学教师教育工作者网络，目的是让他们学习以探究式方法教授和学习大学科学，并在其大学科学课堂上开展研究。其目标是通过研究，在参与座谈、电子互动和进行设计性实验的背景下，提高大学科学的教学质量。该项目提供了一种在CUNY内部协调科学教师教育的手段，并改变了教授科学的方式，包括注入探究。本研究采用民族志、设计性实验和问卷调查等多种研究方法，对教师(大学科学教师和早期城市科学教师)、学生和外来者进行研究。对课堂上发生的事情的讨论，特别是与教师和学生角色有关的讨论，为课程改革设定了背景，根据参与者确定的证据做出改变。我们正在努力查明和解决矛盾，并建立集体责任，以确保按计划实施改革。一个主要目标是指导新的科学教育工作者，目前正在做出正式努力，创建一个基础设施，以支持有前途的非终身教职员工的学术成长，以便他们继续参与城市科学教育。从这个项目中学到的东西有可能改变科学教师候选人的教育方案、科学教师专业发展的方法以及与支持城市高中新教师所需结构有关的政策。该项目还有可能找到提高大学科学教学质量的新方法，特别是通过在科学教学中注入探究，并帮助大学教师在自己的课堂上进行研究。

The project is undertaking research in urban high schools in New York City, involving students from circumstances of economic challenge and early career science teachers, graduates from an alternative certification program designed for career changers and graduates in science and related fields. Through the use of participatory forms of research, including design experiments, the project is identifying promising practices that are adopted in successful science classes and the extent to which curricula are transformed by forms of research designed to be catalytic. A network of early career urban science teachers are collaborating through an interactive website, participating in research in their own classrooms, and attending colloquia in which science at the frontiers and developments in science education are foci. Students from the participating teachers' classes also are selected to comprise a network of urban youth who learn how to do research on the teaching and learning of science and participate in a colloquium series including topics on the frontiers of science. A network of college science teachers and science teacher educators also is being created with the goal of them learning about inquiry-oriented approaches to teaching and learning college science and undertaking research in their college science classes. The goal is to improve the quality of teaching and learning college science through research, in the contexts of participating in colloquia, interacting electronically and undertaking design experiments. The project is providing a means to coordinate science teacher education within CUNY and change the manner in which science is taught, including the infusion of inquiry. The research done in this project involves teachers (college science instructors and early career urban science teachers), students, and outsiders in multi-method research, using ethnography, design experiments and surveys. Discussions of what happened in class, especially pertaining to the roles of teachers and students, set a context for curriculum reform, making changes based on evidence identified by participants. We are endeavoring to identify and resolve contradictions and build collective responsibility for ensuring that changes are enacted as planned. A primary goal is to mentor new science educators and formal efforts are being made to create an infrastructure to support the scholarly growth of promising non-tenured faculty so that they remain involved in urban science education. What is learned from this project has the potential to change programs for the education of science teacher candidates, approaches to the professional development of science teachers, and policy relating to the structures needed to sustain new teachers in urban high schools. The project also has the potential to identify fresh approaches to improving the quality of college science teaching, especially by infusing inquiry into the teaching of science and assisting college instructors to undertake research in their own classroom.