Students excel under chemistry education program

West Michigan high school chemistry teachers say their students are getting a "better grasp" on chemistry because of Target Inquiry (TI), a professional development program offered through Grand Valley.

The program, now in its third year, is designed to provide teachers with an authentic laboratory research experience and integrate content-rich scientific inquiry into the classroom. Project directors Deborah Herrington and Ellen Yezierski, both associate professors of chemistry, said high school teachers' practices are changing and student achievement has significantly increased.

"The literature tells us that most professional development does little to impact instruction and students," said Yezierski. "Our study has shown that the TI model is effective, however, it requires more effort, time and funding than other approaches. For TI to continue at Grand Valley, we need partners to invest in future TI teachers."

Kevin Conkel, who teaches chemistry at Hudsonville High School, said: "TI has changed my teaching in respect to the quality and understanding of chemistry students leave with. My teaching has become so enjoyable and the students are taking ownership of their learning."

West Ottawa High School teacher Brian VanZanten said, "I found out that small, but intentional changes to a lesson or lab can greatly impact the outcomes achieved by my students."

Herrington and Yezierski have given seven invited talks, nationally and internationally, on the TI model and its study. The TI directors, along with their research team and teachers, have given 38 TI-related presentations and posters at conferences since 2005. Yezierski and  Herrington are working with four colleges and universities in Virginia, Alabama, Missouri and Iowa, to implement the TI model on their campuses. They have also been invited to speak at the Gordon Research Conference on Chemical Education Research and Practice in June 2009.

Target Inquiry and its study are funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation 2005 Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences, and Grand Valley State University.