Project Title: Investigating the Effects of Long-Term PD on Teacher Core Practices, STEM Integration, and Leadership
Research Team: Matt Kloser, Jessica Gottlieb, Gina Svarovsky, Patrick Kirkland, Matt Wilsey, Ellie Hoban
Funder & Grant Size: Trustey Family, Sweeney Family, Innovate Foundation $2,600,000
This five year study draws on data from the Trustey Family STEM Teaching Fellows and their longitudinal professional development. The multi-faceted, mixed-methods study investigates a variety of research questions including:
1. How do middle school science teachers’ conceptions of core science instructional practices (e.g. eliciting student thinking and facilitating discussion) change throughout an extended professional development on these core practices?
2. What is the relationship between quality of the core practice enactments and student outcomes, identity, interest, and learning?
3. How do teachers assume teacher leadership roles, either formally or informally, as a result of collaboratively developing and implementing a STEM impact plan?
4. How does teacher identity as a STEM teacher and STEM learner change as a result of professional development?
To address these questions, the research team is collecting teacher level data including surveys, yearly interviews, teacher models, and videos of teacher practice. At the student level, we are collecting interest, identity, and self-efficacy surveys as well as standardized assessments from NWEA.
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