Research Experience for Teachers (RET) as Professional Development Dr. Fiona Goodchild Education Director, CNSI University of California Santa Barbara

Professional Development as significant factor Impact of teacher quality Teacher expertise explains 40% of difference in student achievement in writing and math in Texas (Ferguson) Difference in teacher qualifications accounted for 90% of student achievement in New York City (Armour Thomas)

NSF RET Program Guidelines Meaningful R&D activities that broaden and deepen scientific and technological knowledge. Activities include mechanisms for translating research to the classroom. Academic-year follow-up and continued dialogue among participants. Assessment of subsequent changes to classroom practices.

RET at UC Santa Barbara Teachers participate for two consecutive years in program Summer Year 1 - Teachers work on individual research projects Academic Year 1 - Teachers pilot-test investigative lab projects/curriculum Summer Year 2 - Teachers write up new curricula, develop student assessment Academic Year 2 - Teachers present their work to peers at county-wide annual workshops

RET Evaluation Studies survey of 11 RET sites in NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) graduate researc by Dr. Carol C. S. Johnson of impact of UCSB RET experience on teacher knowledge and professional practice

Emphasis of evaluation Self reporting by participants before and after the experience Evidence of impacts such as personal connections, new activities, classroom lessons and curriculum Evidence of changes in professional and pedagogical practice of RET teachers Evidence of improved student achievement in RET teacher classrooms

Professional Development Criteria Research by Judith Warren Little 1. Intellectual and social engagement 2. Matches teaching interest and context 3. Offers space for dissent and scrutiny 4. Creates teacher leadership role 5. Prepares teachers to introduce inquiry 6. Balances interests of individual and institution

Enthusiasm and Renewal “This kind of program keeps interest and enthusiasm alive for teachers, which reflects in their students” (Teresa, interview, ). “I would like to [participate in a program such as RET again] just for my own personal growth in science” (Molly, interview, ).

Program Impacts: Teachers as Scientists Teacher benefit by… Learning about current science research questions Learning how to use new technologies Developing real-life experimental skills; i.e. troubleshooting, data analysis, problem solving Displaying and communicating research results Gaining confidence in their ability to learn new science concepts “The best part was having so much time to become immersed in the project, being an integral part of the research team and talking science when the need arose. You don’t have the time nor energy to do this when you teach all day.” - High school teacher, Philadelphia

Case Study – Teacher Research Experience Melanie Pearlman, Physics Teacher, research project in “Crosstalk in Free Space Optical Interconnects” Melanie observed in the research lab…. Interaction and collaboration between colleagues Using data to guide design of new experiments Compared with traditional HS Physics lab… Students working to “get the right answer” Manipulating data to illustrate the “right” shaped curve

Case Study – Translating to the Classroom Melanie developed a series of new inter-collaborative labs Students work on different aspects of a problem with many variables Students share their results using measurable, graphable data Entire class uses data to construct a formula or explain relationships Example: The class recently used this approach to work out how the neighborhood coffee shop could design cups to keep their coffee hot as long a possible

Teacher interest/experience Duration of Summer program 6-8 weeks only Extend contact through the school year and following summer Teachers and mentor scientists discuss expectations and projects before summer Hold weekly meetings for teachers and mentor scientists during the summer Post teacher projects and teaching materials on RET web site RET participants attend NSTA conference and annual RETnetwork meeting

Student Modeling of Scientific Communication Writing assignments modeled after scientific journals Collaborating on experimental design Poster (or White Board) presentations showing: findings, drawings, graphs, mathematical relationships, and discussions Video productions Investigating and presenting science topics Using photographs or other artifacts from research science Using PowerPoint presentations Using computer discussion boards

WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER DISTRICT TEACHERS Collaborations between high schools and their feeder schools Collaborations within school site and/or districts Collaborative efforts for student assessments

RET vs. Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) What do they have in common? Lab project, experience in problem solving Individual mentorship with scientist Focus on current research topics What’s different?

Program Impacts: Scientists as Teachers Mentor Scientists benefit by… Developing supervisory and project management skills Improving ability to explain scientific concepts and research questions Learning how to develop k-12 science curriculum “Describing the work of science and the goals of our research tends to sharpen my own interest and give me a better idea of how I can present my work to others.” - Materials Researcher, Princeton

Impacts for Scientific Community “Teachers of science will be the representatives of the science community in their classes” National Science Standards “The exposure to a wide variety of research areas has improved my knowledge of current techniques and research interests – which provides me with an improved background and more confidence to advise students about current methods, research topics and career paths.” –Junior High teacher, Princeton