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

该项目的规模和进一步测试的目标查询（TI）专业发展模式。TI模式涉及教师的三个核心经验：1）教师的研究经验（RET），2）材料改编（MA），3）行动研究（AR）项目。最初的计划是实施与高中化学教师在大峡谷州立大学（GVSU），并被证明是导致显着增加，大的效果大小，在教师的理解科学探究和教学质量，并在科学成就的这些教师的学生。扩大规模和进一步的测试将涉及在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计划。本研究将探讨三个研究问题：1）三个TI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）对探究教学的态度和信念;（iii）在TI模式的两个新应用中的课堂教学方法？2)教师参与TI如何影响学生的过程技能（科学推理和元认知）和科学的概念理解在TI模型的两个新的应用？3)在化学以外的科学学科和其他地区实施技术创新方面有哪些挑战和解决办法？研究设计是准实验和纵向的，将实施与研究，并使用定量和定性的方法混合在一个设计研究框架。共有54名初中和高中科学教师被招募参加这项研究。TI组正在完成TI程序（N = 27; GVSU 15; MU 12），而对照组（相同尺寸和位置）未完成。对照组根据个人特征和学校人口统计数据进行匹配。所有教师都在接受研究，沿着他们的学生，为期4年（前程序，后RET，后MA，后AR/后程序）。TI的教师在三年内修读15个学分的研究生水平的科学课程，包括暑假。课程包括一个研究生研讨会，重点是准备研究经验，在夏季教师的科学实验室的研究经验，研究应用于教学，行动研究项目开发，适应和评估以探究为重点的课程，以及解释和分析行动研究的课堂数据。来自专业发展提供者、其他教师和评价的一致反馈，包括与以前实施的比较，有助于设计为基础的方法。教师因素包括对科学本质的信念、探究教学的知识和信念、探究教学的质量。正在研究的学生因素包括科学推理;元认知，自我效能和科学学习过程;内容知识和概念理解。目前只使用既定的定量和定性工具。定量分析包括组间比较按年后测试，与前测试作为协变量，和多层次的模型与嵌套在教师和教师网站内的学生，与教师水平的变化的主要单位。正在检查治疗组和对照组之间随时间推移的趋势。评价采用了前后因果比较定量措施和来自项目领导人和参与者以及对照组的相关定性数据，提供形成性和总结性的评价意见。该项目的成果包括记录和了解科学教师的教学和学生的研究经验的影响，为教师时，他们的支持下，材料的改编，行动研究，并了解如何将模型扩展到不同的科学学科和不同的地点。该项目还在制作一个初中和高中科学教材网站。

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.