Collaborative Research: Broadening Instructional Innovation in the Chemistry Laboratory through Excellence in Curriculum Development

该项目旨在通过提供专业发展计划，为化学教师和课程开发人员提供化学实验室课程中基于证据的教学实践，以服务于国家利益。目前，还没有大规模或全国性的专业发展机会集中在化学实验课程改革上。这项为期一年的综合专业发展计划将使化学教育工作者能够通过促进科学实践和培养归属感来加强学生在化学实验室的学习。此外，作为专业发展计划的一部分，参与者将创建和传播40多个新的探究式实验室项目，这些项目已被证明比传统的“食谱”式实验室体验对学生的学习更有效。将收集和分析数据，以扩大对这种专业发展对实验室课程开发人员的教学信念和教学实践的影响程度的理解。这一新知识将有可能影响未来教师专业发展计划的成功。总体而言，该项目将带来直接的教学支持，可使数千名化学本科生受益，并可能导致多达126名实验室课程开发人员的教学实践发生长期变化。这个机构和社区转型2级项目与NSF推进科学教育的使命相一致，通过提高学生的成功来服务于国家利益。化学教育工作者长期以来一直对传统的实验室方法感到不满，但许多人面临着阻碍他们采用新框架和循证实践的障碍。该项目旨在建立一个全国性的化学实验室课程开发人员社区，他们拥有实施有效教学改革的知识、技能和资源。指导本项目的三个工作主体包括：(1)克拉克和霍林斯沃斯的教师专业成长模型；(2)温格的实践社区框架；以及(3)AAC&A；U的在STEM逻辑模型中增加多样性和公平性的教学。来自不同背景和机构环境(包括为少数群体服务的机构和两年制机构)的42个机构小组的四个小组将合作创建和传播40多个基于调查的实验室项目。这些团队将参加为期一年的综合专业发展，在此期间他们将学习循证实践，包括(1)通过落后的设计进行课程改革，特别关注化学特有的教学方面(例如约翰斯通三角)；(2)通过培养归属感来缩小平等差距；以及(3)通过探究建立科学实践(NGSS框架)。通过建立这个由接受循证实践培训的全国实验室课程开发人员组成的社区(84-126名教师和42名助教)，该计划将对化学实验室教学实践产生革命性的影响。此外，通过对学生和教师的调查、教师的反思和访谈以及实验室人工制品的三角测量，该项目将产生关于实验室课程开发者的教学思维和实践的新知识，并将评估专业发展对实验室课程开发者的思维和实践进步的影响程度。NSF IUSE：EDU计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过机构和社区转型轨道，该计划支持高等教育机构和学科社区转变和改进STEM教育的努力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by offering a professional development program to equip chemistry instructors and curricula developers with evidence-based teaching practices in chemistry laboratory courses. Currently, there are no large-scale or nationwide professional development opportunities focused on reforming chemistry laboratory curricula. This comprehensive year-long professional development program will empower chemistry educators to enhance student learning in chemistry laboratories by promoting scientific practices and fostering a sense of belonging. Moreover, as part of the professional development program, participants will create and disseminate more than 40 new inquiry-based laboratory projects, which have been shown to be more effective for student learning than traditional “cookbook” style laboratory experiences. Data will be collected and analyzed to broaden understanding of the extent to which such professional development affects teaching beliefs and instructional practices of laboratory curricula developers. This new knowledge will have the potential to impact the success of future faculty professional development initiatives. Overall, this project will lead to direct instructional support that can benefit thousands of undergraduate chemistry students and may lead to long-term changes in the instructional practices of up to 126 laboratory curriculum developers. This Institutional and Community Transformation Level 2 project aligns with NSF's mission to advance science education, serving the national interest by improving student success.Chemistry educators have long been dissatisfied with traditional laboratory approaches, but many face barriers that prevent them from adopting new frameworks and evidence-based practices. This project aims to establish a nationwide community of chemistry laboratory curriculum developers equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources to implement effective instructional reforms. Three bodies of work comprise the theory of change guiding this project: (1) Clarke and Hollingsworth’s Model of Teacher Professional Growth; (2) Wenger’s Communities of Practice framework; and (3) AAC&U’s Teaching to Increase Diversity and Equity in STEM logic model. Four cohorts containing 42 institutional teams from varying contexts and institutional settings (including minority-serving and 2-year institutions) will collaborate to create and disseminate more than 40 inquiry-based laboratory projects. The teams will participate in a comprehensive yearlong professional development during which they will learn about evidence-based practices, including (1) curriculum reform through backward design with a specific focus on pedagogical aspects unique to chemistry (e.g., Johnstone’s triangle); (2) reducing equity gaps through fostering a sense of belonging; and (3) building scientific practices through inquiry (NGSS framework). By establishing this nationwide community of laboratory curriculum developers with training in evidence-based practices (84-126 instructors and 42 TAs), this program will have a transformative impact on chemistry laboratory instruction practices. Additionally, through triangulation of student and instructor surveys, instructors’ reflections and interviews, and laboratory artifacts, the project will generate new knowledge about the landscape of instructional thinking and practices of the laboratory curriculum developers and will evaluate the extent to which professional development impacts progressions in the thinking and practices of the laboratory curriculum developers. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Institutional and Community Transformation track, the program supports efforts to transform and improve STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.