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

该项目扩展并进一步测试了目标查询（TI）专业发展模型。TI模式让教师参与三个核心体验：1)教师研究体验（RET）， 2)材料适应（MA），以及3)行动研究（AR）项目。最初的项目是在大山谷州立大学（GVSU）的高中化学教师中实施的，结果显示，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，有了显著的提高，而且有很大的效应量。扩大规模和进一步的测试将包括在GVSU增加物理、生物和地质学，并在迈阿密大学（MU）的化学教师中实施该计划。本文将研究三个研究问题：1)三个TI核心体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；以及（iii）两种新应用TI模式的课堂教学方法？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）以及在TI模型的两种新应用中对科学的概念理解？3)在化学以外的科学学科和其他地区实施TI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使用定量和定性方法混合。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项目（27人，GVSU 15人，MU 12人），而对照组（相同规模和位置）则没有。对照组根据个人特点和学校人口统计进行匹配。所有的老师和他们的学生一起接受为期4年的研究（课程前、ret后、硕士后、ar后/课程后）。TI教师在三年的时间里修了15个学分的研究生水平的科学课程，包括暑假。课程包括研究生研讨会，重点是为研究经验做准备，暑期在教师科学实验室的研究经验，研究在教学中的应用，行动研究项目开发，以探究为重点的课程的适应和评估，以及行动研究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，有助于建立基于设计的方法。所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、自我效能感与科学学习过程以及内容知识和概念理解。目前只使用既定的数量和质量工具。定量分析包括按年对后测进行组间比较，将前测作为协变量，以及将学生嵌套在教师内部，将教师嵌套在站点内部，以教师水平作为变化的主要单位的多级模型。目前正在研究治疗组和对照组之间的长期趋势。评价是结合使用因果前后比较的定量措施和项目领导和参与者以及比较组的有关定性数据，以提供形成性和总结性评价投入。该项目的成果包括记录和理解在材料适应和行动研究的支持下，教师的研究经验对科学教师的教学和学生成果的影响，以及理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初中和初中科学教学材料网站。

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.