Change Associated with Readiness, Education and Efficacy in Reform Science (CAREERS)

CAREERS研究汇集了来自教育，心理学和科学的研究人员和实践者，以研究一旦理解，可以在职前和在职教师的准备中解决的因素，以指导小学儿童进行探索性和探究性的科学课程。 总体目标是开发模型，描述关键结构之间的相互联系，以重新审视小学科学方法课程的内容，指导早期职业教师，教师的专业发展机会和辅导所有沿着教师专业连续体。 在这个为期五年的研究中，主要的兴趣结构是科学教学的信念，科学内容的知识，准备改变教学实践，教师在教学探究为基础的科学和转移和忠诚的专业发展要素的效能感。 CAREERS正在为300名职前教师和500名在职教师调查这些信念、态度和知识。 此外，在科学方法课程期间，正在对所有300名职前教师的科学教学实践进行审查，并通过学生教学对其中60名教师进行后续跟踪，并通过他们的头两年上岗培训对其中30名教师进行后续跟踪。 60名指导这些实习教师的职业中期合作教师的科学教学实践也在研究之中。 研究设计提供了一个教师发展的纵向视图，在关键的过渡点（即，从科学方法到学生教学和归纳），以及八个假设因素如何影响对基于探究的方法课程中教授的方法的忠诚度。一项随机研究探讨了合作教师导师的特点（他们的程度的经验，以探究为基础的指令）对学生教师在保持他们的探究教学方法的持续成功的影响。

The CAREERS study brings together researchers from education, psychology and the sciences and scholar-practitioners to examine the factors that, once understood, can be addressed in the preparation of both pre-service and in-service teachers to guide elementary children in exploratory and inquiry-based science lessons. The overarching goal is to develop models that describe the interconnections among key constructs in order to reexamine the content of elementary science methods courses, mentoring for early career teachers, and professional development opportunities and coaching for teachers all along the Teacher Professional Continuum. The main constructs of interest in this five-year study are beliefs about science teaching, science content knowledge, readiness to change teaching practice, teachers' sense of efficacy in teaching inquiry-based science and transfer and fidelity to elements of professional development. CAREERS is examining these beliefs, attitudes and knowledge for 300 pre-service teachers and 500 mid-career teachers. Additionally, science teaching practice is being examined for all 300 pre-service teachers during the science methods course with a follow-up on 60 of these teachers through student teaching and 30 through their first two induction years. The science teaching practice of the 60 mid-career cooperating teachers who supervise these student teachers is also being studied. The study design provides a longitudinal view of teacher development that examines teaching effectiveness at critical transition points (i.e., from science methods through student teaching and to induction) and how eight hypothesized factors influence fidelity to methods taught in an inquiry-based methods course. A randomized study examines the influence of characteristics of cooperating teacher mentors (their degree of experience with inquiry based instructions) on continued success on the student teachers in maintaining their inquiry approach to teaching.