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室入门课程中的学习，需要进行探究教学，以促进与教学相一致的连贯理解和评估。然而，在大学科学实验入门课程中成功实施探究教学，需要助教具备良好的探究科学教学的教育学知识。因此，这个以研究为基础的项目正在开发教学助理的教学知识，以教授基于项目的引导探究科学实验室，并评估对学生学习和对科学的态度的影响。这个项目的重要性在于它将提供研究证据，说明教学助理的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的态度的影响，并随后增加学生在科学方面的学习。许多教学助理在没有接受探究科学教学培训的情况下就开始教授入门大学科学实验室，然而，这种教学的成功在很大程度上取决于他们在探究科学教学中接受的培训类型。该项目的目标是开发、实施和评估专业发展培训，以发展助教的教学知识，用于教学基于项目的指导探究科学实验室，并评估加强教学对学生学习和对科学态度的影响。该项目将采用两组群随机试验，采用前后测量的重复测量设计，其中介绍性化学，物理和生物实验室课程作为群集水平。将通过几种手段收集数据，包括前/后测试、访谈和观察协议。这个项目的一个重要方面是，它将提供经验证据，专业发展培训如何提高教学助理的教学知识的探究教学，基于项目的指导探究实验室开发技能，探究教学实践，并了解学生参与科学活动。

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.