Collaborative Research: Further Development and Testing of the Target Inquiry Model for Middle and High School Science Teacher Professional Development

该项目对目标调查(TI)专业发展模式进行了扩展和进一步测试。TI模式包括三个核心体验：1)教师研究体验(RET)，2)材料适应(MA)，3)行动研究(AR)项目。最初的计划是在大谷州立大学(GVSU)的高中化学教师中实施的，结果表明，在教师对科学探究和教学质量的理解以及这些教师的学生的科学成就方面，显著提高了，效果显著。扩大规模和进一步测试将涉及在GVSU增加物理、生物和地质学，并在迈阿密大学(MU)与化学教师一起实施该项目。三个研究问题将被研究：1)三种国际贸易核心经验如何影响在职高中科学教师(I)对科学本质的理解；(Ii)对探究性教学的态度和信念；(Iii)在国际贸易模式的两个新应用中的课堂教学方法？2)教师在国际贸易模式的两个新应用中如何影响学生的过程技能(科学推理和元认知)和对科学的概念理解？3)在化学和其他地区的科学学科中实施国际贸易的挑战和解决方案是什么？研究设计是准实验和纵向的，将实施与研究相结合，并在设计研究框架中混合使用定量和定性方法。这项研究共招募了54名初中和高中科学教师。TI组正在完成TI计划(N=27个；GVSU为15个；MU为12个)，而对照组(大小和位置相同)没有完成。对照组根据个人特点和学校人口学特征进行匹配。所有教师和他们的学生都将接受为期4年的学习(课程前、RET后、MA后、AR/后课程)。包括暑期在内，理工学院的教师将在三年内选修15学分的研究生水平的科学课程。课程包括研究生研讨会，重点是为研究经验做准备，暑期在教员科学实验室的研究经验，将研究应用于教学，行动研究项目开发，以探究为中心的课程的适应和评估，以及对行动研究的课堂数据的解释和分析。来自专业发展提供者、其他教师和评估的一致反馈，包括与以前实施的比较，有助于采用基于设计的方法。被研究的教师因素包括对科学本质的信念、探究性教学的知识和信念、以及探究性教学的质量。被研究的学生因素包括科学推理；元认知、自我效能感和科学学习过程；以及内容知识和概念理解。目前只使用既定的定量和定性工具。定量分析包括以前测为协变量的后测按年分组比较，以及以教师水平为主要变化单位的学生嵌套在教师中、教师嵌套在站点中的多层次模型。正在检查治疗组和对照组之间随着时间的推移的趋势。该评估结合了前后因果比较量化措施和来自项目负责人、参与者以及对照组的相关定性数据，以提供形成性和终结性的评估输入。该项目的结果包括记录和理解教师在材料适应和行动研究的支持下的研究经验对科学教师教学和学生结果的影响，以及了解如何将模型扩展到不同的科学学科和不同的地点。该项目还制作了一个中学和中学科学教材网站。

This project scales and further tests the Target Inquiry (TI) professional development model. The TI model involves teachers in three core experiences: 1) a research experience for teachers (RET), 2) materials adaptation (MA), and 3) an action research (AR) project. The original program was implemented with high school chemistry teachers at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), and was shown to result in significant increases, with large effect sizes, in teachers' understanding of science inquiry and quality of instruction, and in science achievement of those teachers' students. The scale-up and further testing would involve adding physics, biology and geology at GVSU, and implementing the program at Miami University (MU) with chemistry teachers. Three research questions will be studied: 1) How do the three TI core experiences influence in-service high school science teachers' (i) understanding of the nature of science; (ii) attitudes and beliefs about inquiry instruction; and (iii) classroom instructional methods in two new applications of the TI model? 2) How does teacher participation in TI affect students' process skills (scientific reasoning and metacognition) and conceptual understanding of science in two new applications of the TI model? 3) What are the challenges and solutions related to implementing TI in science disciplines beyond chemistry and in other regions? The research design is quasi-experimental and longitudinal, incorporating implementation with research, and using quantitative and qualitative methods blended in a design research framework. A total of 54 middle and high school science teachers are being recruited for the study. The TI group is completing the TI program (N = 27; 15 at GVSU; 12 at MU) while the comparison group (same sizes and locations) is not. The comparison group is matched according to individual characteristics and school demographics. All teachers are being studied, along with their students, for 4 years (pre-program, post-RET, post-MA, post-AR/post-program). TI teachers are taking 15 credits of graduate level science courses over three years, including summers. Courses include a graduate seminar focused on preparing for the research experience, the research experience in a faculty member's science lab during the summer, application of research to teaching, action research project development, adaptation and evaluation of inquiry-focused curricula, and interpretation and analysis of classroom data from action research. Consistent feedback from professional development providers, other teachers, and evaluation, including comparison with the previous implementation, contributes to a design-based approach. Teacher factors being studied include beliefs about the nature of science, inquiry teaching knowledge and beliefs, and quality of inquiry instruction. Student factors being studied include scientific reasoning; metacognition, self-efficacy, and learning processes in science; and content knowledge and conceptual understanding. Only established quantitative and qualitative instruments are being used. Quantitative analysis includes between-group comparisons by year on post-tests, with pre-tests as covariates, and multi-level models with students nested within teachers, and teachers within sites, with the teacher level as the primary unit of change. Trends over time between the treatment and comparison groups are being examined. The evaluation is using a combination of pre/post causal comparative quantitative measures and relevant qualitative data from project leaders and participants, as well as from the comparison group, to provide formative and summative evaluation input.Outcomes of the project include documentation and understanding of the impacts on science teachers' instruction and student outcomes of research experiences for teachers when they are supported by materials adaptation and action research, and an understanding of what it takes to scale the model to different science disciplines and a different site. The project is also producing a website of instructional materials for middle and secondary science.