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Research Component
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Studies
have shown the effectiveness of combining professional
development
with standards-based curricula (Weiss, Montgomery, Ridgway, & Bond 1998).
Although time is needed to affect change in teaching practices,
professional development that provides experiences with standards-based
curricula can be effective. In addition, recent studies have identified a
positive relationship between the use of standards-based teaching
practices and improved student learning (Cohen & Hill, 1998; Kahle, Meece,
& Scantlebury, 1999; Klein, Hamilton, McCaffrey, Stecher, Robyn, &
Burroughs, 1999). This project will investigate a combination of these
two areas; a study of the impact the summer professional development
Institutes has on teaching practices and the impact the change in teaching
practices has on student learning. The impact on student learning will
then inform the summer professional development Institutes. In effect,
the research will investigate a triangle impact between professional
development, teaching practices and student learning. In fact, as
outlined in the Assessment section, our main focus will be on student
learning and how this is impacted by the other two legs of this triangle.
This will be a longitudinal study that will span the five years of the
project. Data will be collected from all the participants prior to the
summer Institutes that will determine current teaching practices. Two
teachers from each of the three, annual Institutes will be chosen to
continue the study through the academic year. Case study methodology will
be employed for the data collection and analyses. This will make a total
of six case studies per year.
Baseline data for the case study participants will be collected on their
teaching practices from the previous year. These data will include
examples of the case study participants teaching practices such as lesson
plans, assignments, laboratory activities, projects, and related
activities. The teachers participating in the case studies will be
interviewed and observed during the summer Institutes and in the classroom
during the academic year. Samples (i.e. lesson plans, journal writings,
and/or special projects) of their summer work and their academic year work
will be collected. Analyzes of the data will be compared to the baseline
data to determine if there is a change in teaching practices.
For the teachers participating in the case studies, baseline data of
previous student learning will be collected. For example, samples of
student assessment (i.e. tests, journal writings, laboratory reports),
student projects (i.e. science fair projects), and student assignments
(i.e. homework) will be collected. During the academic year, samples of
student data will be collected to determine student learning. If there is
a change in teaching practices, analyzes of student learning will be
compared to the teacher data to determine the impact of change in teaching
practices on student learning. The student learning will inform the
project directors of areas that will need to be emphasized or
de-emphasized in the following summer Institutes.
The research project will be coordinated by Dr. Susan Ross and will serve
as a project for a post-doctoral student and/or graduate student. Data
collection will be completed by Dr. Ross and by graduate students trained
in qualitative methodology at the various sites. Analyzes will be
completed by Dr. Ross employing case study methodology and using constant
comparative analysis techniques.