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为期4个学期的基于探究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。这一为期4个学期的模式建立在现有的综合自然科学内容课程模式的基础上，因此代表了对过去模式的改进。该课程有目的地跨学科，特别强调在研究自然界现象的同时，通过使用共同的词汇、证据支持的推理和科学定律来在各学科之间建立联系。这种改进的一个突出特点是广泛使用形成性评估。课程包括对入职前学生的内容掌握情况进行频繁的测试。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。本次测试是以当前关于形成性评价在探究活动中的应用研究为指导的，旨在指导职前教师如何在课堂上使用形成性评价。该项目还支持教师培训，为提供这些以探究为基础的课程的必要的多个部分的讲师做准备。新课程以引导式探究教学为主要教学形式。这是一种在大型大学的服务课程中不经常使用的教学方法。然而，实践性、探究性教学是在职教师最终应该采用的模式。该课程最初每年将为德克萨斯大学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.