Creating Inquiry-Based
Science Educators
University of
Michigan- Dearborn
Richard H. Moyer Ed. D.
Professor of Science Education and
Natural Sciences
FASS Orlando; 4 May 2005
Science Education Team
Chris Burke, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor of Science Education
Paul Zitzewitz, Ph.D., Professor
of Physics
Susan Everett Ph.D. Assistant
Professor of Science Education
Charlotte Otto, PhD., Professor of
Chemistry
Gail Luera, Ph. D., Assistant
Professor of Science Education
Julie Henderleiter, Ph. D.,
Assistant Professor of Chemistry,
Grand Valley State University
FIPSE External Evaluator
Richard Moyer, Ed.D., Professor
of Science Education
John Devlin, Ph.D., Associate
Professor of Physics
Judy Nesmith, M.S., Senior
Lecturer, Biology
Cynthia Bida, M.S. Biology
Instructor, HFCC
Stewart Vining, M.S. Biology
Instructor, HFCC
UM-D
• One of 3 U of M campuses
• About 9,000 students enrolled
• About 800 students in elementary education
program
• Commuter campus
• Most students work 20+ hours/week
Student Demographics
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15% are of Arabic ancestry
50% are non-traditional (>25 years old)
4% are Hispanic
1.5% African American
95% of Alumni remain in Michigan
About half are transfer students, mostly from
HFCC which is next door
Context For Reform
• Previous science content classes
– students take one physical science,
one life science class
– traditional lecture/lab
• Guiding philosophy for new content courses is
idea that “teachers teach as they were taught”
• Reforms focus on elementary (K-8) program
– additional reforms being developed at secondary and
graduate level
All Elementary Education
Students Take Six Science
Courses
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Since F’02 all students must take six courses (17cr.)
Science for Elementary Teachers (3cr)
Learning by Inquiry: Physical Science (3 cr)
Learning by Inquiry: Earth/Space Science (3 cr)
Learning by Inquiry: Life Science (3 cr)
Science Methods (3 cr)
Capstone Course (2 cr)
Course syllabi available on SOE web site
Learning By Inquiry Courses
• These new courses reflect our commitment to model
inquiry pedagogy
• Courses developed by a team of scientists (content
specialists) and science educators
• Developed over a one year period meeting at least every
other week
• First time courses were co-taught by science educator and
scientist, thereafter by scientists
• Content guided by NSES and MCF
• Courses meet for 4 hours two times a week
• Class size limited to 24
All courses follow 5E Learning
Cycle Pedagogy
• Engage
– Focus on an explorable question
• Explore
– Attempt to experimentally answer
question(s)
• Explain
– Based on exploration
• Extend and Apply
– Relate to prior knowledge and experiences
• Evaluation
Introduction to Science
Education…
Science for Elementary
Teachers
Exps 220
An
introduction
to the nature
and processes
of science
EXPS 220
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Prerequisite course
Focuses on Nature of Science, process skills
Models learning/teaching by inquiry
Content limited
– density
– forms of energy
– circuits
• Students often comment, “this is so different from other
science classes I have had,” “maybe I can like science”
• Course culminates with designing, carrying out and
presenting a science experiment
Technology Integration
• Additional focus on modeling
technology integration
– use of probeware, laptops in courses
– course web page
– students develop assignments as web pages for SEP
Natural Science Sequence
Learning
by
Inquiry
Courses:
In Physical Science…
NatSci 231
Exploring
Powerful Ideas
Learning By Inquiry:
Physical Science
• Course integrates physics and chemistry
• Three major concepts:
– motion, light, and matter
• Students when confronted with fact that they
have to construct their own learning often start
out frustrated
– work through process and eventually see value of
learning by inquiry
Earth/Space Science…
NatSci 232
Focusing on key
concepts in
geology and
astronomy
Learning By Inquiry:
Earth/Space Science
• Focuses on geology and astronomy concepts that should
be taught at grades K-8
• Specifically teaches concepts that research has
demonstrated are often misunderstood
– why we have seasons
• Campus on Rouge River so students can directly see
concepts they are studying
• Visit planetarium at community college next door
And Life Science…
Building knowledge with
explorable questions
NatSci 233
Learning By Inquiry:
Life Science
• Course focuses on ecology and plant and animal biology
– ecosystems, plant and animal systems
– structures and functions
• Students often first believe that they know these life
science concepts already, only to be confronted with a
different scientifically correct concept
– i.e.,where do plants get their food?
Science Teaching Methods
Providing instruction
and practice in
developing and
teaching inquiry
lessons
EDD 485
• After students have been taught by inquiry method
this course brings the pedagogy to the forefront
through:
– discussions of constructivism
– current science education reform
movements
• Students peer teach inquiry lessons and then go into
schools and teach lessons
• Course focuses on issues like assessment, teaching
controversial issues, safety
• Time spent analyzing NSES and MCF-Science so
students see big picture
• Final project is developing a science unit that teaches
state science objectives using inquiry method
Capstone Course
Integrating the “big ideas” in
science and field experiences
Exps 420
Capstone Course Goals
• Students will deepen their understanding of and
recognize the importance of one of the “big
ideas” in science (from 2061)
– Energy, Scale and Structure, and Systems
• Students will conduct an action research project
that will identify their own or K-8 students’
misconceptions related to a big idea
• Students will participate in building a community
of learners of pre- and in-service teachers
Action Research
• Action Research (AR)
– Method of developing reflective
practitioners
– Teachers research practical problems
• UM-D students work with classroom
teachers (UM-D alumni) who have
practiced AR
– Students assess K-8 students’ prior
knowledge related to the term’s big idea
– Teach lessons to address K-8 students’
misconceptions related to big idea
– Reassess to determine current knowledge
Program Evaluation Priorities
• Teaching behavior (what pedagogy is used when alumni teach
science?)
– Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol
– self-assessments
– Lesson plans
• Science content knowledge
– High school MI Educational Assessment Program (MEAP)
released items
– MTTC
• Attitude toward teaching science and learning science content
– Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument
– self reflections
• Are faculty teaching behaviors in other courses changed to
incorporate inquiry-based methods?
Teaching Behavior
• Rtop scores of small sample of students in graduate
class (after inquiry courses) averaged 79/100.
• There is a significant correlation between science
content knowledge and the ability to create an inquiry
(5 E Learning Cycle) Lesson (r = .33, p < .001).
• Students who had not taken any of the Inquiry
Courses were, as a group, not as competent writing
inquiry lessons.
Science Content Knowledge
• There is a significant correlation (r = .188, p = .038)
between gains in overall content knowledge and the
number of inquiry courses
• There is no correlation between content knowledge
and self-report of:
– Minorty status
– Age
– Gender
Efficacy
• There is a significant correlation (r = .217, p = .024)
between efficacy and the number of inquiry courses
taken.
• Efficacy gain score is negative for minority students
• No significant differences in efficacy for age
• Male students were less likely to believe that their
science teaching would make a difference in student
understanding.
Statistically Significant
Findings
• Content knowledge (MEAP and MTTC)
increases
• Efficacy (Science Teaching Efficacy Belief
Instrument) increases
• Student’s confidence in teaching big ideas
increases
• Students who have completed inquiry sequence
are better able to write inquiry lessons
Resources
Related documents available on the web
• Course syllabi
http://www.soe.umd.umich.edu/soe/UMD_SOE_PR_2001/sep/pr_elemsci/index.
htm
• Science Electronic Portfolio
http://www.umd.umich.edu/sep
FIPSE grant web page
http://www.soe.umd.umich.edu/Scied/fipse.htm
• For updates on evaluation findings contact
Gail Luera grl@umich.edu
Richard Moyer rhmoyer@umich.edu