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ADMIRE Panel Abstracts |
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Panel 1 |
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This presentation will focus on the post-participation survey, completed by approximately 44 participants at 7 RET sites in the summer of 2002. Additionally it will discuss the feedback from approximately 18 mentors who completed the “Mentor Survey.” Results of the teacher post-survey will be described in detail while the mentor responses will be briefly addressed. Data limitations prevent a more thorough evaluation, including a comparison between pre and post surveys and additional descriptive elements of the population of teachers responding to the survey. All in all, results show that the RET program is quite well-received by both its teacher and mentor participants. The vast majority of responses show an extremely positive experience and nearly all would do it again or recommend the program to others. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the benefits and limitations of surveys in general, contrasted with other methods (in-depth interviews, focus groups, quantitative indicators).
The Cornell
Center for Materials Research (CCMR) Educational Programs Office (EPO)
has offered a summer RET program for the past 5 years and an RET II program
for the past 3 years. During the RET program teachers spend five weeks
in CCMR's shared experimental facilities learning about and using the
various equipment and one week developing a classroom activity that incorporates
some aspect of materials science. The RET II program pairs up previous
RET teachers with professors to conduct more concentrated research in
the professor's area of study. To evaluate these programs, the CCMR EPO
is collaborating with the SUNY-Cortland Education Department. Pre- and
post-tests were given to the teachers to assess the scientific knowledge
gained at the shared research facilities. The teachers were also given
the Nature of Science Questionnaire to see if their perception of science
has changed as a result of the RET program. During the school year SUNY-Cortland
will be collecting logs from the teachers recording the types of hands-on
lessons and activities they are conducting in their classrooms. Assessment
of RET Programs at Johns Hopkins University This presentation will focus on the results of an RET evaluation of the programs conducted at the Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology at Johns Hopkins University in summer 2001 and 2002. The assessment was conducted to ascertain the quality of the experience for 26 middle school and high school teachers. In both years a post workshop evaluation was completed as well as a follow up phone call conducted 9 months after the conclusion of the summer setting. A rubric was created to accommodate both negative and positive responses. The results indicated that while they had suggestions for streamlining, the teachers overwhelmingly agreed that the program was refreshing |
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| Panel 2 | |
This qualitative study explores how the UCSB RET program helped seven secondary science teachers to grow professionally. The teachers’ views of research science, views shaped by their exposure to research science under the mentorship of a scientist participant were examined. Throughout their two-year experience, the teachers continually refined their images of scientists and built a professional community with their peers. During the second summer, the teachers developed curricula to take back to their K-12 classrooms. These curricula reflected the teachers’ views of the norms and practices of research science: collaborative efforts, use of technology, experimental methods, and images of scientists. The implications for future RET teachers, mentors, and program directors based on the experiences of these teachers and their scientist mentors will be discussed.
As a possible teacher outcome, Mr. Menelly will propose methods of portfolio development for teachers participating in RET Programs. He will outline a portfolio model used for science teaching certification purposes by the Connecticut State Department of Education Beginning Educator Support and Training Program (B.E.S.T.) and propose a modified version that could be used structure, share and measure teacher outcomes by the RET programs. He will examine a goal setting feature that could be added to the RET application process and then developed into a portfolio during and after a teachers participation in the Program. The mechanics and feasibility of a portfolio option may be considered in a post presentation discussion.
Kaye Storm of Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education will present the findings of an extensive Teacher Retention and Program Impact study of the IISME Summer Fellowship Program for teachers. This study by Dr. Kathryn Sloane Weisbaum and Danny Huang, published in 2001, collected data from program alumni who had held at least one of the 1,300 Summer Fellowships awarded prior to that year. The study found that IISME teacher retention was significantly higher than that of teachers in the state and nation. And of the 4% of IISME participants who had left teaching annually, half stayed in education, as principals, curriculum/technology specialists, and district administrators. The study also measured changes in teacher behavior and classroom practice. By disaggregating data according to the subject and grade level of the teachers, the study also provided insights about which teachers derive the most benefit from an eight-week Summer Fellowship and the benefits of participation multiple years. |
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Panel 1 |
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Can a CAT (Classroom Assessment Technique) be used to access the effectiveness of student-research to encourage them to study science in college? Through a previous Murdock research grant I worked with Dr. Schmidt at Montana State University growing non-integer crystals. The following year my Chemistry II class continued the crystal growth and research. The crystals were evaluated during the summer 2003 on the RET program. After seeing my students' interest I developed an evaluation survey to understand what did happen that year in chemistry. The survey will allow me to track that first year of research students and students in the future that continue to work with me to do science research. I will present information on how the crystals were grown and how I developed a "CAT"- as explained by Thomas Angelo & Patricia Cross in their book.
ChangeLeaders, Inc is the external evaluator for the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program, Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis at the University of Arizona Among the formative evaluation questions are: (1) What evidence is there that teachers transfer science knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs, and/or proficiencies to their science curriculum, instruction, and/or pedagogy? (2) In the case where it is demonstrated that teachers transfer science knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs, and/or proficiencies to their classrooms, what outcomes do their students demonstrate? Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were applied in this evaluation design. Students responded to pre- and post-measures to assess their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs related to the RET-based curriculum. In response to the evaluation questions, the evaluators: (1) conducted observations of RET teachers’ classroom instruction of the science unit/curriculum they developed in the summer RET program for delivery to their students; (2) reviewed/audited teachers’ syllabi and/or lesson plans to determine the nature and extent of their RET-related curriculum in their lessons; (3) reviewed/audited teachers’ curriculum materials to determine the extent to which these materials were based in and supported the RET-related curriculum; (4) examined teacher-generated assessments intended to demonstrate students’ acquisition of knowledge and skill performance in the RET-related curriculum; and (5) interviewed students to assess (a) the extent to which their teachers applied the RET-related curriculum in their day-to-day classroom interactions and (b) their attitudes toward and satisfaction with the curriculum content. ChangeLeaders will present the findings from our data analysis and present a suggested logic model of student impact and outcomes for further examination.
Science is a dynamic enterprise. As new scientific knowledge is constructed and new discoveries are made, students of science are introduced to the physical, chemical, and biological concepts inherent in these advances during their high school careers. Although current national and state science curriculum frameworks have outlined the content and performance-based objectives necessary to challenge and educate prospective science students, very rarely do opportunities present themselves that demonstrate the integration of these subjects as well as the manner by which real-life scientific inquiries are explored. Few prospective
students of science have the opportunity to participate in such a unique
experience and as a result, tend to view science as a strict and stagnant
discipline requiring tremendous memorization skills elicited through transmission
modes of teaching rather than metacognitive strategies. Unfortunately,
as students of science entering the field as undergraduates, this characterization
becomes even more apparent. Only when students of science are asked to
design and implement their own scientific investigations is the structure
of science revealed in its purest form. As a result of participation in
the RET program, it is possible that science can be presented from a real-world
perspective where results are not pre-determined, and where experiments
do not always result in the “right” answer. In this way, prospective
science students have the wherewithal to acquire a glimpse at how science
really works --- the failures, the successes, and the time constraints
associated with conducting scientific investigations and constructing
new scientific knowledge. In terms of student learning, the Independent
Study that evolved from the RET program has enabled an interested student
to learn and participate in the development and implementation of his
own scientific investigation. |
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| Panel 2 | |
Research experiences
for science teachers have been in existence for more than 25 years. Like
most RET programs, Columbia University’s Summer Research Program
for Science Teachers has anecdotal data through survey administration
indicating that the experience has a positive effect on teachers. While
surveys yield encouraging data, what had been missing is evidence that
teacher participation in a research program has a positive impact on their
students. As professional educators and evaluators can attest, such information
is very difficult to develop even in the best of circumstances (see for
example Ferguson [Harvard Journal on legislation 248:465-498, 1991] and
reports cited therein). Through partnerships forged with the New York
City Department of Education’s central administration, and with
schools and districts, Columbia’s program has obtained access to
such information. To date we’ve collected data on students in the
classrooms of program participants for nine academic years (1992-93 through
2000-01). Analyses of these data indicate that the program has a positive
effect on some parameters of student achievement and performance (standardized
test scores and pass rates, science club participation, Intel Science
Talent Projects). Mr. Dubner will present the current findings. Gladstone High School has worked in partnership with LIGO (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) to develop a project-oriented science & engineering research program at the school that has ties to LIGO science. This program began in the 1999-2000 school year. Currently we are attempting to assess the program's effectiveness by surveying students who have worked on projects over the past four years. Some students are still here at the high school but most are now in college. Fortunately we will be able to access many participants via email. A summary of the survey results along with Gladstone's vision for improving the program based on feedback from the survey will be presented.
The evaluation of scientific research programs for students involves planning, formative and summative processes—all of which need to be planned simultaneously. While not an easy task, Program Directors can create a timeline once specific questions about student goals are articulated. Even in informal, individual lab-guided programs, gathering usable data is possible. We know it is not enough to just “get the program going,” but how do we preserve time in the start-up mode for thoughtful evaluation discussions? This presentation will provide insights into evaluative planning, the identification of measurable student outcomes, creating an evaluation timeline, and making evaluation cost-effective for programs. Analysis and positioning of data will also be discussed. |
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