Professional Development Models and Outcomes for Science Teachers (PDMOST)

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The investigators propose to characterize the multitude of approaches currently employed in the professional development of K-12 teachers of science, and to measure the effectiveness of such approaches in increasing teacher knowledge in the sciences. The project will study 150 professional development programs for teachers of science in grades K-12. The sample will cover grade bands K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Subject matter will include life science (biology), physical science (physics, chemistry), earth and space science. Such programs are funded through competitive federal grants for local implementation (by universities, museums, schools, and others), by state and local governments, by private institutions, and conducted by many federal agencies. To date, there has not been a national inventory and study of the effectiveness of teacher professional development programs in science, using common outcome measures of teacher instructional practice. If successful, the findings from this research will allow professional development providers and policymakers to design more effective teacher professional development programs and should provide a national landscape of teacher professional development in science.In specific, the researchers will focus on assessing gains in teachers' subject matter knowledge and knowledge of student misconceptions, and will correlate these with professional development program design features. Teachers of students from underrepresented groups will be oversampled to ensure special analyses for this group are possible. Hierarchical linear modeling will be used in analyzing the results. The project will result in a website, conference presentations, and scholarly and professional publications.