Inquiry-Based Integrated Natural Sciences for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

跨学科（99）这个项目正在继续为德克萨斯大学所有职前基础教育专业的学生开发一个4学期的以探究为基础的综合自然科学课程。它正在支持该课程的剩余发展，重点是天文学和地球气候。这个4个学期的模式是建立在现有的自然科学内容综合课程模式的基础上的，因此是对过去模式的改进。该课程是跨学科的，特别强调在研究自然世界现象的同时，通过使用通用词汇、证据支持的推理和科学规律，在学科之间建立联系。这种细化的一个突出特征是形成性评估的广泛使用。课程包括经常测试职前学生对内容的掌握程度。它还包括经常测试他们在进行科学实验或与K-12学生进行动手活动时的自我效能感。该测试以当前关于在探究活动中使用形成性评估的研究为指导，旨在教职前教师如何在课堂上使用形成性评估。该项目还支持教师培训，使教师为提供这些基于探究的课程的必要的多个部分做好准备。新课程采用引导式探究法作为主要的教学形式。这种教学方法在大型大学的服务课程中并不常用。然而，实际操作的、基于探究的教学模式最终应该被在职教师所采用。该课程最初将每年为德克萨斯大学的400名职前小学教师提供服务。

Interdisciplinary (99)This project is continuing to develop a 4-semester inquiry-based integrated natural science curriculum for all pre-service elementary education majors at the University of Texas. It is supporting the remaining development of that curriculum, focusing on astronomy and earth climate. This 4-semester model has built on existing models of integrated natural science content courses and, as such, represents a refinement of past models. The curriculum is purposefully interdisciplinary and provides a special emphasis on making connections between the disciplines by using common vocabulary, evidence supported reasoning, and scientific laws while studying the phenomena of the natural world. A stand-out feature of this refinement is the extensive use of formative assessment. The curriculum includes frequent testing of the pre-service students' mastery of content. It also includes frequent testing of their self-efficacy in conducting scientific experiments or hands-on activities with K-12 students. This testing is guided by current research on using formative assessment during inquiry activities and aims to teach pre-service teachers how to use formative assessment in their classrooms. This project is also supporting faculty training to prepare instructors for offering the necessary multiple sections of these inquiry-based courses. The new curriculum uses the guided inquiry method as the primary form of instruction. This is a teaching approach not frequently employed in service courses at large universities. Nevertheless, hands-on, inquiry-based instruction is the model that should ultimately be employed by in-service teachers. This curriculum will initially serve 400 pre-service elementary teachers at the University of Texas each year.