Discovery Experimentation. Efficacy of teachers' professional development in the form of a school professional development studio

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Armin Baur, since 12/2017
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 375137339

This study will compare efficacies of two professional development approaches to discovery experimentation. Experimentation, as a process-oriented and epistemic scientific method (i.e. inquiry), has been implemented firmly in science teaching at the lower secondary level. Current student performance data in this area of competence indicate for many students an achievement level below the expectations set by the national educational standards for the sciences. The PISA 2006 study could show that more open experimentation that is closely aligned with the epistemic process correlates more strongly with student performance than narrowly guided experimentation which, however, still dominates German science classes. An aimed development of science teaching appears to be in order, which might be facilitated by in-service professional development measures. Conventional, one-day workshops have not proved to be effective with regard to changing teaching practices, nor increasing student performance. Current theories of professional development suggest that measures in form of professional learning communities are more promising in this respect. Furthermore, it has been shown that measures encouraging teachers' co-construction are well suited for the task. The proposed study will, therefore, compare two measures of professional development with regard to their efficacy on teachers' professional knowledge, their beliefs and teaching practices as well as on student performance - each focusing on discovery experimentation at the lower secondary level. Findings from the study will inform the discussion on efficacy of professional development and will be based on quantitative data from performance- and attitude-surveys, which has rarely been done in the field of science teaching at secondary schools. Both professional development measures are designed for spanning 1.5 academic years (eight schools in two cycles) and will be administered to science teaching staff at individual schools (school internal professional development). The second of these measures - school professional development studios - will incorporate methods and exercises for furthering co-construction between participants. Concurrent surveys (pre, while, post) of performance and attitude data of teachers and students alike (partly from direct observation and videography) will yield a conclusive set of data with regard to essential areas of professional development efficacy allowing for deeper analyses of the interrelations between these areas. It is expected that both the professional development measures will prove to be effective with regard to these areas concerning discovery experimentation in science classes. Simultaneously, it is expected that school professional development studios will prove to be superior due to the embedding of co-constructive elements.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Markus Emden, until 11/2017