The impact of inquiry-based instructional methods in improving pre-service K-5 teachers’ self-efficacy Cinzia Cervato and Charles Kerton Geological & Atmospheric Sciences, Physics & Astronomy

Outline  Science teaching self-efficacy  GEOL/ASTRO 106 and 106L: Earth & Space Science for elementary education majors  Instructional strategies to engage students  Conclusions and recommendations

Science teaching self-efficacy  Confidence in the ability to teach science  Pre-service elementary teachers have low science teaching self-efficacy and this attitude affects how science is taught in elementary grades  Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B)  Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE - max 50 points) - measure of student’s belief that they can teach science effectively: “I understand science concepts well enough to be effective in teaching elementary science”  Science Teaching Outcomes Expectancy (STOE - max 65 points) - measure of student’s belief of effect their teaching can have a positive effect: “Increased effort in science teaching produces little change in students’ science achievement”  23 statements with 5-point Likert scale

GEOLOGY/ASTRONOMY 106/106L  Twelve credits of science content and science method courses  Earth & Space Science  Physical science  Biology  Science methods  Designed for elementary education majors  Taught every semester since fall 2011  Online course and face-to-face two- hour lab  Enrollment growth from 48 to 132 students per semester

Online course  Solid foundation of ES&S content and confidence in teaching science  Content delivered through weekly modules and readings  Weekly quizzes and four proctored exams  Semester-long activities and projects  Geotours with Google Earth  Letter to the President on the importance of science teaching  Mini demonstrations on known children’s misconceptions

Inquiry lab  Two hours, one credit lab taught by TAs  TAs selected based on willingness to explore pedagogical approaches to engage students and as potential role models  Example of activity: modeling distances and sizes of planets in the Solar System

Semester-long projects  Letter to the President: draft and final letter submitted through Blackboard (F2012)  Letter to the President assignment moved to ThinkSpace (S S2014)  E-learning environment to scaffold and guide learning  Draft, feedback, final submission  Demonstrations and lesson plans on children’s misconceptions (F2014 and S2015)  No targeted activity (F2015 and S2016)

Make-up of course varied over time

Content learning  Slight change in number of questions and attempts account for differences in average exam scores  Average final grades are not affected by type of semester-long activity

Science teaching self-efficacy  Overall statistically significant increase only in PSTE scores, no change in STOE  Results consistent with other studies of inquiry-based science courses, but our course has larger number of students and online + inquiry lab delivery

Conclusions  Hybrid Earth and Space science course can effectively improve science teaching self-efficacy  Semester-long activities that we designed to engage students in the content had no measurable effect on self-efficacy or content learning  Inquiry-based lab is key component in improving science teaching self- efficacy

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