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Eric.ed.gov – Can UTeach? Assessing the Relative Effectiveness of STEM Teachers. Working Paper 173

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: UTeach is a well-known, university-based program designed to increase the number of high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers in the workforce. The UTeach program was originally developed by faculty at the University of Texas at Austin but has rapidly spread and is now available at 44 universities in 21 states; it is expected to produce more than 9,000 math and science teachers by 2020. Despite substantial investment and rapid program diffusion, there is little evidence to date about the effectiveness of UTeach graduates. Using administrative data from the state of Texas, we measure UTeach impacts on student test scores in math and science in middle schools and high schools. We find that students taught by UTeach teachers perform significantly better on end-of-grade tests in math… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Teacher Incentive Fund STEM Grant in Houston ISD: A Human Capital Approach to Improving STEM Education. Research Educational Program Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The fourth cohort of the Teacher Incentive Fund federal grant competition (“TIF4”) included special consideration for projects that would identify, develop, and utilize master teachers as leaders of STEM education. In September 2012, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) was awarded a TIF4 grant for $15.9 million to implement a human capital approach to improving STEM education. The TIF4 project schools were among the HISD schools serving grades K-8 with the highest student economic disadvantage and the most risk factors for chronic absenteeism. A human capital approach to strengthening STEM education addressed the TIF4 project schools’ need for high-quality supports for student learning, and the systemic challenges to teacher retention, development, and recruitment in hard-to-staff subjects. This report overviews the performance-based compensation strategies implemented through the TIF4… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Study on Reflection as a Source of Teacher Development: Pre-Service and Experienced Teachers

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study traces evidence of reflection in teacher education and teaching practice by measuring reflection of preservice teachers and experienced teachers and clarifying reflection-oriented reactions to possible confusions or problematic situations considering whether or not they are reflective practitioners. The data were collected from 514 volunteer preservice teachers and 466 experienced teachers teaching science, math, English, Turkish, and primary classes. Teacher Reflection Scale (TRS) (Kayapinar and Erkus, 2009) was used to collect data. In order to analyze the data and obtain descriptive statistics for the item results, SPSS 16.0 was employed. Statistical analyses gave evidence that preservice primary teachers had a high mean of reflection. Under the light of the results gathered from data, experienced teachers did not attain higher reflection scores when compared to preservice teachers.… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Teachers Learning to Prepare Future Engineers: A Systemic Analysis Through Five Components of Development and Transfer

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study used a systemic perspective to examine a five-component experiential process of perceptual and developmental growth, and transfer-to-teaching. Nineteen secondary math and science teachers participated in a year-long, engineering immersion and support experience, with university faculty mentors. Teachers identified critical shifts in perceptions of engineering, and recognized appropriateness of engineering as a career option for their students. They transferred content learning and perceptions to students, through experiential narratives and instructional activities. Teachers reported that their secondary math and science students demonstrated observable change in knowledge, skill and beliefs about engineering, subject area score and skill improvement, class engagement, and engineering-related career aspirations. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – A Case Study of Coaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Professional Development

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A professional development experience for science and mathematics teachers that included coaches was provided for ten science and math teachers. This professional development experience had the teachers develop a lesson that utilized the engineering context to teach a science or mathematics concept through guided inquiry as an instructional methodology. Developing a guided inquiry lesson can be a difficult task for teachers. Science teachers have inquiry standards that they must meet and research indicates that teaching through guided inquiry is an effective method of teaching science content. Mathematics teachers are being asked to incorporate more active and cooperative instructional experiences in in their classrooms. Results of the professional development experience indicate that all but one of the teachers were successful in developing and implementing guided inquiry lessons within… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Inspiring Minds through a Professional Alliance of Community Teachers (IMPACT): Evaluation Results of the Cohort 1 Math and Science Apprentice Teachers. CRESST Report 826

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This evaluation reports findings from a study of a UCLA teacher education program called IMPACT, Inspiring Minds through a Professional Alliance of Community Teachers. To measure program quality and goal attainment, the evaluation team used a comprehensive, multiple measures approach which included instructional artifacts, classroom logs, measures of pedagogical content knowledge, performance assessments, and teaching attitudes and beliefs. The evaluation team found that math and science teacher apprentices who completed the IMPACT program generally had a positive opinion of the program and applied what they learned in the classroom to their teaching. However, the team also found that the program did not significantly increase the pedagogical content knowledge of teachers nor contribute to substantial changes in teacher instructional strategies across lessons. Differences found in the experience and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Outdoor Chemistry in Teacher Education — A Case Study about Finding Carbohydrates in Nature

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In this case study, we describe an inquiry-based approach to enhancing tuition in chemistry by taking student teachers out of the lab and into nature. We used video observation and interviews to gain insight into student teachers’ expectations and experiences of such fieldwork. Through thematic analysis, we found that the participants perceived the approach as individually relevant and worthy of integrating as a teaching method in future practice. Further, we discussed challenges presented by outdoor chemistry and ways to overcome these. Overall, we show that fieldwork in chemistry contributed to a better understanding of chemistry as an integral part of nature. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Math and Science Teacher Candidates’ Use of Technology to Facilitate Teaching and Learning during Student Teaching

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The goal of this study is to determine how effectively student teachers from a large comprehensive institution have used technology to complement their teaching in mathematics and science. The researchers reviewed the required Teacher Work Sample (TWS) capstone projects of student teachers. The TWS is an assessment instrument designed to guide student teachers in designing, implementing, reviewing, and adjusting instruction. Student teachers document in the TWS narratives their use of technology, and this use was compared to the “2008 U.S. Department of Education (USDE): Measures of Teacher and Student Technology Use.” Data gathered in the study revealed both strengths and weaknesses regarding the student teachers’ use of technology to enhance their teaching goals. Implications are derived about effective use of technology by mathematics and science teacher candidate… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Enhancing Collaboration among Math and Career and Technical Education Teachers: Is Technology the Answer?

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Teacher collaboration has been recognized as a vital component to student success. This project represents an evaluation of the researchers’ initial efforts toward providing in-service education for teachers focused on collaboration between math and CTE teachers. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe selected characteristics of secondary teachers of math and CTE, (2) describe their perceptions concerning the “value of” and their “willingness to implement” the instructional practices and activities presented during a professional development seminar, and (3) assess their views about the use of emerging technology for teacher collaboration. Survey responses indicated that using the Math-in-CTE Model was valued. Overall, respondents valued technology but seemed a bit reserved about the likelihood of implementing and using technology. Results imply that teachers with positive attitudes and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Professional Identity Development in Teachers of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Science and Math Education

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Much of the science education community has advocated for a new vision of instruction emphasizing inquiry-based teaching (National Research Council, 1996). Unfortunately, as Anderson (2002) notes, many science teachers are not adopting inquiry-based teaching practices for a variety of reasons such as that teachers commonly favor text-book approaches to instruction. To facilitate the adoption of reformed teaching, Luehmann (2007) argues that teacher education must address the development of one’s professional identity as a teacher. Unfortunately, little is known about the beliefs, values, experiences, and ways of acting and interacting that teachers in science and related fields use to form their professional teaching identity. Through repeated interviews with 18 graduate students who taught science and related disciplines, this study outlined generalizations defining the developmental trajectory of science educators’… Continue Reading