Research Plan

Over five years, a longitudinal study involving comparisons between the participant and control groups as well as measures of participant change over time will investigate the nature of the impacts on teachers and their students. Data will be collected pre-program, after each core experience (RET, curriculum adaptation, and action research), end of program, and 1 and 2 years post-program. Quantitative instruments shown to be reliable and valid (ACS exam, STEBI, RTOP) will be used in addition to qualitative methods (interviews, classroom observations, artifacts). Data from these sources will be analyzed to the research questions.

Research Questions

1.       How do the three core experiences (chemistry research, materials adaptation, and action research) impact in-service high school chemistry teachers’ (i) content knowledge in chemistry; (ii) attitudes and beliefs about scientific inquiry and self-efficacy; and (iii) classroom instructional methods?

·         How do the core experiences build upon one another?

·         What connections do teachers make between the core experiences?

2.       How does teacher participation in TI affect student achievement?

3.       What impact does TI, a 3-year, coherent, inquiry-focused PD program continue to have on teachers’ classroom instructional practices and student achievement after program completion?

Methods and Instruments for Data Collection

References

ACS DivCHED (n.d.). Composite Norms: General Chemistry Exam 2001. Retrieved July 15, 2004, from University of Wisconsin – Madison web site: http://www3.uwm.edu/dept/chemexams/stats/norms/gc01.cfm.

Harwood, W.S.; Hansen, J.; Lotter, C. (2006). Measuring teacher beliefs about inquiry: A blended qualitative/quantitative instrument. Journal of Science Education & Technology, 17(1), 71-82.

Riggs, I. & Enochs, L. (1990). Towards the development of an elementary teacher’s science teaching efficacy belief instrument. Science Education, 74, 625-637.

Sawada, D., Piburn, M., Judson, E., Turley, J., Falconer, K., Russell, B., & Bloom, I. (2002). Measuring reform practices in science and mathematics classrooms: The reformed teaching observation protocol. School Science and Mathematics, 102(6), 245-253.