How Does Leadership Matter? Developing and Teaching a Definition of Hands-On Science, a Prerequisite for Effective Inquiry Teaching

This descriptive case study describes leadership skills and planning for setting clear directions by program leaders for a statewide professional development initiative to extend improvement in science teaching and learning. For science teachers and leaders in Virginia, a critical part of setting clear goals that everyone can understand is defining key science terms. One of the four key terms, hands-on science, is defined here. Materials to develop teachers\u27 understanding of the term for effective implementation of classroom inquiry activities are shared, along with a rubric for evaluation by and for teachers. Understanding of the term hands-on science is necessary before inquiry-based science teaching can be fully implemented. Authentic science materials, when safe, are necessary for doing authentic, inquiry-based science teaching in a way similar to how a scientist investigates science

Teaching and Learning Seminar for Science and Mathematics Faculty

A yearlong seminar for science and mathematics faculty to investigate teaching and learning is in its second year at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. This article describes the seminar and preliminary findings from the first year

Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Nature of College Courses

The TIMSS report leads to some strong conclusions concerning the effectiveness of various approaches for teaching mathematics and science in grades K-8. This presentation will focus on a description of the findings of TlMSS concerning effective teaching. Although the TIMSS study and its findings relate directly to teaching prior to college, the findings do have a lot to say about effective teaching at the college level. At the very least, they describe the type of teaching and learning that future teachers must experience if they are to bring about this type of learning in their own courses

The Teacher Shortage: National Trends for Science and Mathematics Teachers

The shortage of science and mathematics teachers is a growing problem in the United States. This article looks at what research says about the causes for the growing teacher shortage and its effects on student achievement. As the teacher shortage worsens, teachers without a science or mathematics backgrounds are tasked to teach science and mathematics or underqualified teachers are being hired to fill the shortage. These underqualified teachers are not remaining in the profession, thus not solving the teacher shortage problem and creating an even higher turnover rate for teachers. In addition, experienced teachers are leaving the profession in greater numbers due to low salaries and job dissatisfaction. Research indicates that the initial preparation and support of teachers as they enter the profession is critical to surviving the beginning years and remaining in the profession. Additionally, well-prepared teachers have the largest impact on effective classroom practice and high student achievement

Maximizing the Impact of Professional Development for Earth Science Teachers

This study examines the extent to which follow-up sessions can provide support for earth science teachers as they apply what they learn from professional development coursework during the academic year with their own students. Data include direct observation of follow-up sessions of courses for teachers; interviews with course co-instructors and teacher participants; and, document analysis of teacher products with a focus on the lesson plans, laboratory/activity sheets for students, and virtual field trips that teacher participants submitted and shared during follow-up sessions. Strategies are recommended to assist earth science content faculty in increasing the impact of their work with teachers and hence, student instruction

Helping Provisionally Licensed Middle School Science Teachers

The New Science Teachers\u27 Support Network is a National Science Foundation-funded project that provides a multifaceted support system to provisionally licensed middle and high school science teachers.The teachers in this project were all hired to teach science, and had science degrees, but had little or no education coursework or background. Research is being conducted on the effectiveness of the support system we employed for these teachers, particularly on the factors that characterize the practice of new teachers, and on factors that lead to teacher success and teacher retention. In this paper, we describe the design of the study and the results from the one-year pilot study. We focus upon our observations and experiences with the middle school teachers in the group of participants; and, we close with preliminary recommendations for supporting provisionally licensed science teachers so they have the best chance of being successful and staying in the teaching profession

Science Leadership: Impact of the New Science Coordinators Academy

This article discusses the impact of the New Science Coordinators Academy (NSCA) on two cohorts of participants. The NSCA is one of four components of the Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA), a United States Department of Education (USED) science education reform grant. The NSCA is designed to support new school district science coordinators (with less than five years of experience) and to continue building the state science education infrastructure. Research in education leadership traditionally focuses on teacher leaders, principals, and district office personnel. Interestingly, research on district office personnel rarely distinguishes between the different roles of district personnel. This article seeks to inform the field by sharing the impact of an academy designed for new science coordinators on their learning, and to begin to understand their role and impact in their district. The five-day Academy engaged participants in a variety of experiences designed to facilitate the following: 1) build leadership skills; 2) build a common understanding and vision for hands-on science, inquiry, problem-based learning, and nature of science in the science classroom; 3) investigate data to improve student learning goals; 4) and, develop a science strategic plan. The data indicate that the NSCA was successful at meeting its goals to support the participants and to build a common language among these new coordinators. Initial data also support the variety of responsibilities of these participants and the positive impact of the Academy on their district work