Developing Teaching Assistants' Pedagogical Knowledge of Inquiry Science Teaching & Instructional Leadership Skills, and Assessing the Impact on Student Learning

为了提高学生在大学科学实验入门课程中的学习，有必要进行探究性教学，以促进与教学一致的理解和评估。然而，探究性教学在大学科学实验导论课程中的成功实施需要助教具备良好的探究性教学知识。因此，本研究旨在发展助教的教学知识，以教授以专案为导向的探究性科学实验室，并评估对学生学习和科学态度的影响。该项目的重要性在于，它将为助教探究科学教学的教学知识的发展，由此产生的教学实践，以及对学生学习和对科学态度的影响提供研究证据，并随后增加学生的科学学习。许多助教在没有接受过探究性科学教学培训的情况下开始教授大学科学实验导论，然而这种教学的成功很大程度上取决于他们在探究性科学教学中接受的培训类型。本计划的目标是发展、实施和评估专业发展培训，以发展助教在以专案为基础的探究性科学实验室的教学知识，并评估强化教学对学生学习和科学态度的影响。该项目将采用双队列集群随机试验，采用前后重复测量设计，其中入门化学，物理和生物实验课程作为集群水平。数据将通过若干手段收集，包括前/后测试、访谈和观察规程。本项目的一个重要方面是，它将提供经验证据，证明专业发展培训如何提高助教的探究教学知识、基于项目的指导性探究实验室开发技能、探究教学实践以及对学生参与科学活动的理解。

To improve student learning in introductory college science lab courses, there is need for inquiry instruction that promotes coherent understanding and assessments that are aligned with the instruction. However, successful enactment of inquiry instruction in introductory college science lab courses requires teaching assistants' sound pedagogical knowledge for inquiry science teaching. Therefore, this research-based project is developing teaching assistants' pedagogical knowledge for teaching project-based guided inquiry science labs, and assessing the impact on student learning and attitudes towards science. The importance of this project is that it will provide research evidence on the development of teaching assistants' pedagogical knowledge of inquiry science teaching, resulting instructional practices, and the impact on student learning and attitude towards science, and subsequently increase student learning in science.Many teaching assistants start teaching introductory college science labs without training in inquiry science teaching, yet the success of this instruction largely depends on the type of training they receive in inquiry science teaching. The goal of this project is to develop, implement and evaluate professional development training to develop teaching assistants' pedagogical knowledge for teaching project-based guided inquiry science labs and to assess the impact of the enhanced teaching on student learning and attitudes towards science. The project will employ a two-cohort cluster randomized trial with repeated measures design of pre- and post-measures, where introductory chemistry, physics and biology lab courses serve as the cluster level. Data will be collected through several instruments, including pre/posttests, interviews and observations protocols. A significant aspect of this project is that it will provide empirical evidence on how professional development training enhances teaching assistants' pedagogical knowledge for inquiry instruction, project-based guided inquiry lab development skills, inquiry instructional practices, and understanding of student engagement in science activities.