The Model - CASES

Current research and contemporary theory in professional development emphasize the need for a robust approach to teacher learning that integrates multiple approaches for providing ongoing support for teacher collaboration, mentoring, and coaching embedded within the school’s context. The LeTaS! professional development model includes five major components designed to facilitate collegiality and nurture a learning community among teacher participants, while simultaneously developing science content and pedagogical knowledge:

1. Content immersion – two weeklong summer and one three-day winter immersion experiences in science content and pedagogy.
2. Asynchronous collaboration – an interactive project website that includes teachers’ unit plans and lesson videos, links to useful content resources, and practical resources for developing inquiry-based lessons.
3. School structure – horizontal and vertical grade level structures to facilitate planning within grade level triad teams and across science disciplines (earth, space, life science, and physical sciences).
4. Evaluation – pre and post content knowledge exams, teacher interest and attitude surveys, classroom observations, video-taping of teachers’ science lessons, focus group interviews and individual teacher interviews.
5. Support  - significant teacher collaboration and administrative support, secondary science teachers as trainers, on-site classroom support, and regular videoconferencing sessions.

Data collection and analysis were guided by the following questions: To what extent do participating teachers demonstrate increased understanding of science concepts targeted by the project? Can elementary teachers develop the understanding and skills needed to implement inquiry-based science pedagogy?

Analysis of teacher performance on a pre-post science content knowledge exam, teacher surveys, individual and group interviews, prolonged video-taping and classroom observations, and teacher-produced artifacts indicate the professional development components successfully increased elementary teachers’ science content knowledge and their ability to implement inquiry-based science instruction. The comprehensive approach was responsive to the needs of teacher participants as they deepened their science content knowledge and developed inquiry-based pedagogy within a collaborative learning community. As a consequence of project activities, administrative support, and resources, teachers’ confidence in their ability to teach science improved significantly.

PROJECT RESULTS