Crystal Atlantique

Outreach to Teachers

Principal investigator: Leo MacDonald

Research focus:

Our research focus includes examining and evaluating different approaches to professional development of science teachers. Currently we are focusing on grade four and five teachers and high school physics teachers in two separate aspects of this project.

The purposes of this study are:

To develop and refine ways in which teacher professional development can be situated in the context of classrooms through the development of resources and workshops
To explore ways in which the science curriculum can be enhanced for students through action-rich experiences and ways in which teachers can be supported to develop these action-rich experiences.
To explore ways that principals can provide appropriate instructional leadership for upper elementary science
To examine ways teachers can become involved in adapting existing resources and developing and utilizing new classroom resources

Theoretical Framework:

Many pre-service teachers only meet the minimal entrance requirement for science courses when they enter their teacher education programs and this may affect their ability to teach science in elementary classrooms. Students also may enter teacher education with a wariness about the teaching of science, believing they do not have the content knowledge needed to teach elementary grades. In our work with in-service teachers (MacDonald & Sherman, 2007, 2006, 2001), which is supported by the research of King, Shumow and Lietz (2001), we have also found this to be the case.

Bianchini, Johnston, Oram and Cavazos (2003) describe challenges faced by first-year science teachers as they try to teach in contemporary and equitable ways. They note that poor experiences with science and/or a general lack of engaging science experiences, affects the belief system each pre-service teacher has about her/his own science teaching (Guillame, 1994; Bryan, 2003. This study addresses the need of elementary teachers who are needing more experience with science).

This study is also related to our other work on teacher support and constructivist teaching. Constructivist teaching, including choice, has been shown to aid in decision making and exploration is a key stage of the learning cycle in science classrooms. Constructivist approaches to teaching and learning (DeVries & Kohlberg, 1987; Kamii, 1991; Anning, 1991; Gatto, 1992; Driver & Bell, 1986; Cobb, 1994), and cooperative styles of instruction (Johnson & Johnson, 1976; Kohn, 1991, Goffin, 1987) are increasingly evident in schools. These approaches are being promoted as appropriate strategies for the teaching of science and mathematics (MacDonald & Sherman, 2001; O’Loughlin, 1992; Duit & Treagust, 1998; Duit, Treagust & Mansfield, 1996; Leikin & Zaslavski, 1997; Keys & Kennedy, 1999; Kass & MacDonald, 1999). In earlier work teachers requested specific support with resources and the ways resources could be incorporated into constructivist teaching. This project addresses these needs.

Rationale and Relevance:

Our research examines how teachers’ pedagogical perspectives toward science teaching-learning shapes the learning environments that they provide for children at this grade level. We reflect on the professional development aspects of this experience and develop ways to analyze the collaborative relationships between the teachers and ourselves. We examine whether or not this support of guidance, workshops and resources can enhance the quality of the learning experiences that are offered to the children. This study includes an examination of the teachers’ and principals’ knowledge and awareness of the science curriculum and of science in general, as well as discussions with the teacher about their own ways of knowing their students as learners, and discussions with the principals of their own ways knowing and supporting their teachers as learning professionals. The use of this knowledge as teachers and principals make decisions about the kinds of activities to be used will also be a facet of this study. Qualitative narratives of the teachers and principals in the context of learning science will be created from the data collected.

Activities and Accomplishments:

A teacher and a teacher-mentor have been engaged in this project and approval has been obtained from the university Research Ethics Board. School board consent has also been granted. Regular classroom visits have begun, journaling has started and the first on-line discussions have begun. Additional teachers have begun to participate. Four kits were developed for grade four classrooms and local teachers are using the kits and will be interviewed when they have completed the activities. One academic article has been accepted for publication from this project to date. Elementary school principals have begun to be interviewed about their instructional leadership practices.

Physics Teachers workshops have been held this year and discussion ensued about the type of research group and focus this group of teachers would like to be engaged in. An ethics review form has been completed and submitted and approved this year. A student has been hired to assist in the creation of a Physics Teachers web page for use in the dissemination of information and lesson documents. A physic lab instructor has been hired to create a kit for presentation to teachers and for use in the schools. This kit is a substantial piece of work and has been widely praised by teachers as something useful in the classroom.

A complete set of grade four kits have been created as well as a complete set of grade five kits. These kits cover all aspects of the Nova Scotia science curriculum and include equipment, resources and lesson plans. Duplicate sets of each grade have also been created. All kits are being utilized in schools regularly through a loan system. The local school board established a partnership with StFX to distribute these kits. A workshop for local grade four teachers, about using the kits, was successful. The science consultant for the local school board partners with us and has asked for our support in creating more duplicates of these kits. Grade four teachers have been interviewed about the use of these kits and surveyed about the workshop.

Another Physics Teachers workshop was held in the fall of 2007. Teachers attend from across the Northern part of the province. This is sponsored by the CRYSTAL grant, as well as the School board as the Dean of Science at StFX. All of the Physics professors at STFX also attend. A video is being produced to accompany the physics kit “Solar Furnace” and second kit, focusing on a new curriculum outcome, is under construction. The physics kits are elaborate and require a professional designer and machinist and so take some time to construct.

Outcomes of the research:

We have developed a strong relationship with the local School board and in particular, its science consultant. We have also gained access to all of the elementary schools and teachers in the district as well as all of the physics teachers in the this school board, as well as several others across the Northern area of the province. The developed kits are being well utilized meaning that hands-on science activities are occurring in grade four and five classrooms in this school board area. Teachers report back each time they use the kits and describe multiple successes with the activities in the kits.

Impact of the work:

The impact of the grade four and five kits has been substantial in that a large number of teachers are using the kits in their classrooms, a number attended the workshop and there have been many inquiries for support with regard to these kits. The interest of teachers is piqued by these kits and teachers are investigating ways to increase their personal knowledge of science content and science pedagogical content knowledge. We have a stronger relationship with these teachers because of this work and the interest of grade five and six teachers is also growing. School administrators are increasing their awareness of the need to provide strong support for teachers of upper elementary classrooms and an article related to this will be published this year. Teachers and administrators are talking about science and are able to describe successes in their classrooms in the area of science teaching.

Connections between CRYSTALs:

As an outcome of the last National CRYSTAL meeting in Edmonton in the fall of 2007, StFX established a Blackboard discussion site for all those involved in Outreach activities and we led the discussion at that meeting in the area of Outreach. The use of this site is an on-going form of sharing amongst the participants from the five CRYSTAL projects.

Future vision of the work:

These programs will continue to expand and grow as interest from teachers increases. We will advance to interviewing grade five teachers after the data collected from grade four teachers is complete. Teachers will be invited to suggest adaptation to the kits once they have used them in their classrooms.

The video for the Solar Furnace will be incorporated into the classroom kits related to this curriculum outcome and another kit related to astronomy is ready to be constructed. This kit will be able to be utilized in upper elementary classrooms, junior school classrooms as well as high school science classes.

Number of grants:

Small amount of funds have been received from the school board to support the production of kits and the workshops for teachers.

Partners:

Our local school board continues to be a strong supporter of this work. The school board is large, geographically, and includes schools from North Eastern Nova Scotia to Cape Breton. We also have developed a strong relationship with the Nova Scotia provincial Science Consultant, Marilyn Webster. We have also submitted a proposal to SSHRC to do research on grade four teacher professional development in a project that would like Nova Scotia and Alberta teachers.

List of publications:

Sherman, A. & MacDonald, A.L. (2008). Instructional Leadership in Elementary School Science, International Electronic Journal of Leadership and Learning, (in press).

List of refereed conference presentations:

June 2007 “Instructional Leadership in Elementary School Science”, a paper presented at the International Conference of History and Philosophy of Science Teaching, Calgary, Alberta.