Supporting Chemistry Teachers to Assess and Foster Chemical Thinking

这是一项提交给探索研究PreK-12 （DRK-12）项目教学链的设计和开发研究；响应NSF 15-592项目征集。DRK-12项目旨在通过研究和开发STEM教育创新和方法，显著提高PreK-12学生和教师对科学、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，为拟议的项目提供了理论和实证依据。本项目的基本目的是开发、实施和研究一个专业发展（PD）模型，以改善化学教师的形成性评估实践，促进以化学思维为重点的教学。PD模式旨在重新关注和提高教师注意、解释和回应学生想法的能力。在之前开发化学思维框架的探索性工作的基础上，拟议的努力将与波士顿公立学校和新英格兰地区的8 -12年级教师合作，帮助他们(a)认识到在激发学生化学思维方面有用的工具，并调整或设计形成性评估；(b)透过形成性评核收集资料，引导学生思考，以了解学生的化学思维；(c)制定更好地促进化学学习的响应性行动战略。研究问题将是：(1)化学教师的评估推理如何通过参与以形成性评估为变革杠杆的PD而改变？(2)参与建议的PD活动如何影响教师在课堂上强调的思想和实践？为了解决研究问题，该项目将开发一个为期一年的PD模型，包括四组8 -12年级的教师，其中一组是来自新英格兰地区的教师，采用混合形式（面对面和在线）；每组有6名教师（N=24）。模型开发将分三个阶段进行。在第一阶段，研究团队将通过设计和测试概念化的活动，为PD项目制定详细的计划。在第二阶段，项目将与第1组和第2组教师一起研究该模型。第3阶段将侧重于定位模型，以便与第3和第4组进行扩展。此阶段将测试开发的资源，并进行比较以评估模型的可伸缩性。数据收集策略将包括：(a)焦点小组收集教师评估推理的数据，同时集体分析学生的书面作业和评估实践视频；(b)评估组合，收集有关教师评估推理和实践的个别数据；(c)评估快照，以记录个别教师与学生的互动；及(d)跟进课程，在年内观察及录下教师。数据解释策略将包括：(a)分析领域中性因素，以表征教师如何构建和方法评估学生理解的变化；(b)分析领域依赖因素，以表征教师根据化学思维框架对学生作业的学科思想的关注变化。该项目将包括一个外部评估者，以解决这一过程的形成性和总结性组成部分。拟议的工作范围的结果将是一个研究知情和实地测试的PD模型，重点是使用形成性评估来改善化学教与学。

This is a design and development study submitted to the teaching strand of the Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program; responsive to Program Solicitation NSF 15-592. The DRK-12 program 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 STEM education innovations and approaches. 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. The fundamental purpose of this project is to develop, implement, and study a professional development (PD) model for improving chemistry teachers' formative assessment practices to foster teaching focused on chemical thinking. The PD model seeks to refocus and enhance teachers' abilities to notice, interpret, and respond to students' ideas. Building on previous exploratory work through which a Chemical Thinking Framework was developed, the proposed effort will work with 8th-12th grade teachers in Boston Public Schools and the New England Region to assist them (a) to recognize tools that are useful in eliciting students' chemical thinking, and adapt or design formative assessments; (b) to make sense of students' chemical thinking based on data collected using formative assessments that elicit students' thinking; and (c) to strategize responsive actions that better foster learning chemistry. The research questions will be: (1) How does chemistry teachers' assessment reasoning change through engagement in PD that focuses on formative assessment as a transformative lever?; and (2) How does engagement in the proposed PD activities influence the ideas and practices that teachers emphasize in their classrooms?In order to address the research questions, the project will develop a yearlong PD model with four cohorts of 8th-12th grade teachers, including one cohort with teachers from the New England region in a hybrid format (face-to-face and online); each having six teachers (N=24). The model development will be conducted in three phases. In Phase 1, the research team will develop a detailed plan for the PD program by designing and testing conceptualized activities. During Phase 2, the project will study the model with Cohorts 1 and 2 teachers. Phase 3 will focus on positioning the model for scaling up purposes with Cohorts 3 and 4. This phase will test the resources developed, and make comparisons to assess the scalability of the model. Data gathering strategies will include: (a) focus groups to collect data on teachers' assessment reasoning while collectively analyzing students' written work and videos of assessment practice; (b) assessment portfolios to gather individual data on teacher assessment reasoning and practice; (c) assessment snapshots to capture individual teachers' interactions with students; and (d) follow-up sessions to observe and videotape teachers during the year. Data interpretation strategies will include: (a) analysis of domain-neutral factors to characterize changes in how teachers frame and approach assessment of student understanding; and (b) analysis of domain-dependent factors to characterize changes in teachers' attention to the disciplinary ideas of students' work according to the Chemical Thinking Framework. The project will include an external evaluator to address both formative and summative components of this process. The outcome of the proposed scope of work will be a research-informed and field-tested PD model focused on the use of formative assessment to improve chemistry teaching and learning.