Periódico: International
Journal of Science Education
Publicação: Volume 34, Number 6, April 2012, pp. 855-877
Título do artigo: A Multi-Year Study of the Impact of the Rice
Model Teacher Professional Development on Elementary Science Teachers
Published online: 20 Dec 2011
Abstract
A teacher professional
development program for in-service elementary school science teachers, the Rice
Elementary Model Science Lab (REMSL), was developed for urban school districts
serving predominately high-poverty, high-minority students. Teachers with
diverse skills and science capacities came together in Professional Learning
Communities, one full day each week throughout an academic year, to create a
classroom culture for science instruction. Approximately 80 teachers each year
received professional development in science content and pedagogy using the
same inquiry-based constructivist methods that the teachers were expected to
use in their classrooms. During this four-year study, scientists and educators
worked with elementary teachers in a year-long model science lab environment to
provide science content and science pedagogy. The effectiveness of the program
was measured using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods that allowed
the researchers to triangulate the findings from quantitative measures, such as
content test and surveys, with the emerging themes from the qualitative
instruments, such as class observations and participant interviews. Results
showed that, in all four years, teachers from the REMSL Treatment group have
significantly increased their science content knowledge (p < 0.05).
During the last two years, their gains in science content knowledge, use of
inquiry-based instruction and leadership skills were significantly higher than
those of the Control group teachers' (p < 0.01, p < 0.001
and p < 0.05, respectively). Three themes resonated in the
interviews with participants: science content knowledge growth, constructivist
pedagogy and leadership skills.
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