An Efficacy Study of the Learning and Teaching Geometry Professional Development Materials: Examining Impact and Context-Based Adaptations

探索研究K-12计划（DRK-12）旨在通过研究和开发创新资源，模型和工具（RMT），显着提高学前班学生和教师的科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，这些研究和开发工作为拟议项目提供了理论和经验依据。有几个研究的例子，证明教师的知识和实践和学生学习的专业发展的因果关系的影响。本研究旨在探讨中学数学教师几何学与教专业发展对教师知识、课堂教学以及学生学习的影响。随着国家在教师专业发展方面投入大量资源以应对新课程和教学挑战，探索专业发展的功效对于了解如何最好地引导这些资源非常重要。该项目采用整群随机设计，将从28所初中和高中的132名教师（每种条件66名）中抽取样本，参加为期2年的LTG专业发展实施，由训练有素的促进者协助研究材料的有效性。该项目将使用专业开发会话记录工具和促进者访谈协议来监测LTG实施的灵活性。结果的措施包括教师的知识，教学实践和学生的几何学习的措施。分析将包括两个和三个层次的线性模型，以估计参与LTG的专业发展和增长随着时间的推移的影响。

The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools (RMTs). Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. There are few examples of research that demonstrates causal impacts of professional development on teachers' knowledge and practice and student learning. This study will examine the impact of the Learning and Teaching Geometry (LTG) professional development for secondary mathematics teachers on the teachers' knowledge and classroom instruction, as well as on their students' learning. As the nation invests vast resources in the professional development of teachers to meet new curriculum and instruction challenges, exploring the efficacy of professional development is important to understand how best to direct those resources. Using a cluster randomized design, the project will sample from 132 teachers (66 per condition) from 28 middle and high schools to participate in a 2-year implementation of the LTG professional development, facilitated by highly trained facilitators to study the efficacy of the materials. The project will monitor the fiedity of implementation of the LTG using a professional development session logging tool and Facilitator Interview Protocol. Outcome measures include measures of teacher knowledge, teaching practice, and student learning of geometry. Analyses will include two- and three-level hierarchical linear models to estimate the effects of participation in the LTG professional development and growth over time.