Research Experiences For Teachers: Linking Research to Teacher
Practice and Student Achievement in Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract
Research identifies a national urgency to improve teacher performance and student achievement in science and engineering. This paper responds to this need and presents the results of a six year Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program funded by the National Science Foundation in which engineering faculty collaborate with middle and high school teachers and their students. RET is a comprehensive teacher professional development program in which middle and high school teachers participate in an intensive summer research experience in engineering labs, build curriculum based on the laboratory research content that they learn, participate in lesson study, and implement new curriculum in their middle or high school classrooms. The program has the combined intent of bringing innovative engineering research to middle and high school students and improving student achievement through scientific inquiry. Program design includes a summer intensive experience in which teachers fully participate in engineering laboratory research and engage in an inquiry focused content-to-pedagogy teacher professional development workshop, building curriculum from their lab research experience with foci on scientific experimentation and improving students’ science achievement and literacy. The program is aligned with Common Core Math Standards and Next Generation Science Standards and addresses the research question: What is the impact of an intensive research-based teacher professional development program on teacher and student performance?
Thirty-one middle and high school teachers and their 7,984 students have participated in the program. Assessment metrics used to measure the impact of the program are: a teacher instructional performance metric, the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument-revised, a science qualitative reading inventory, grade and content specific concept inventories, and a motivation for science questionnaire. Program results are: the teachers had a mean science teaching efficacy of 3.29 and the national average is 2.47. The mean score on teacher performance rating was 3.42 and the statewide average rating is 2.89. RET teachers had a 29.1 percent performance gain pre to post program. Results also indicate that students made significant gains during their curricular intervention resulting from their teachers’ participation in the RET program. Students gained knowledge (18.7% gain), increased their science interest and motivation (23.2% gain), and demonstrated gains in science literacy (34.9% gain) as well.
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3056-5494
University of Southern California
[biography]
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