Abstract. 

Despite decades of research regarding best practices for the teaching and learning chemistry, as well as two sets of national reform documents for science education, classroom instruction in high school chemistry classroom remains mostly unchanged. One key reason for this continued gap between research and practice is a reliance on traditional professional development (PD) in place of PD that focus on changing teachers’ ideas and beliefs.

Research Experience for Teachers (RET) programs report benefits to teachers and students. RET programs aim to give teachers authentic science research experience based on the premises that these experiences will improve science instruction in their classrooms. As part of the RET experience, many programs require teachers to develop lessons and units to help translate the teachers’ research experience into classroom practice.

However, the design and implementation of activities incorporating proven, inquiry-based practices, called for in national science education reform documents, require that teachers also understand contemporary models of teaching and learning. Using valid and reliable lesson plan analysis instruments, the presentation will focus on a study that compares teacher-developed lessons from traditional RET programs with those developed in the Target inquiry Program (TI), a program that supplements research experience for teachers with material development experience. The primary focus of this comparison is the evaluation of inquiry-based practices in the teacher-designed lessons.

FEATURE: Chemical Education Research.

Reference:

1. Deborah G. Herrington, Karen Luxford and Ellen J. Yezierski: J.Chem. Educ,2012,89,442-448
2. Ellen J. Yezierski, Deborah G. Herrington: Chem. Educ.Res.Pract,2011,12,344-354
3. Deborah G. Herrington, Patrick L. Daubenmire :J.Chem.Educ,2016,93,1371-1376