Modeling Instruction holds the potential for transforming science instruction and improving student achievement. Key to the success of Modeling Instruction, however, is the fidelity of implementation of its curriculum. This qualitative study examined the impact of Modeling Instruction professional development on participating teachers'…

This paper investigates the impact of a two-year professional development program on teacher self-efficacy for inquiry-based instruction. The program utilizes scientist-teacher partnerships to develop content knowledge, inquiry-based instruction, and leadership skills for in-service STEM teachers. Participating teachers are administered a survey…

Creativity continues to be an important goal for 21st century learning. However, teachers often have difficulties fostering creativity in their classrooms. Current creativity research suggests that the act of making can enhance the teaching of creativity. Hands-on engineering design lessons are ideal contexts for studying this effect. Through…

In this article, the authors offer a framework that identifies two critical problems in designing inquiry-based instruction and suggests three models for developing instruction that overcomes those problems. The Protocol Model overcomes the Getting on Board Problem by providing students an initial experience through clearly delineated steps with a…

This study describes data collected from undergraduate chemistry majors, high school chemistry teachers, and chemistry faculty in an effort to better understand how models and conceptions of scientific inquiry might change through time and experience as the teachers' views move toward those more universally held by practicing scientists. (Contains…

The authors describe a Modeling Instruction program that places an emphasis on the construction and application of conceptual models of physical phenomena as a central aspect of learning and doing science. (Contains 1 table.)

This article describes the outgrowth of a recently held invitational conference, supported by the National Science Foundation, to define, describe, and examine existing models for the use of elementary science specialists. The authors explore the educational, policy, and financial issues that affect the use of science specialists as well as offer…

The authors report an empirical pilot study of current models of elementary science instruction that utilize science specialists, and make a call for the participation of schools and districts that use a specialist model to assist in collecting the descriptive data needed to create the foundation for future research on the use and impact of…

This article offers a framework for supporting identifying and organizing the elements that comprise elementary science specialist models. With these first building blocks, it is the hope of the author to create a foundation for shared language, conceptual understanding and accumulating knowledge about how to bring high quality science education…

The Reaching for Excellence in Middle and High School Science Teaching and Learning Partnership Project at East Tennessee State University has a long history in the development of teacher leaders. This article describes the professional development model, the challenges addressed, and the impact on both teacher and student learning. (Contains 3…

An argument is made that teacher leadership at both the system and school level is an important part of the science systemic process intended in science education reform. This article describes the design of such a professional development program, the challenges addressed, and the impact on teacher leaders.

For decades the National Science Foundation has been funding the development of instructional materials whose design is based upon the recommendations of educational research. These recommendations include the idea that learning be sequenced and organized using an experiential learning cycle or an instructional model such as the Biological Science…

The author examines the museum as a valuable resource for providing professional development within informal learning environments, especially in the area of science instruction and curricular methods. (Contains 6 tables.)

This article describes the efforts of a combinatorial approach of Schools Around the World (SAW) and Understanding by Design (UbD) to create a foundation for lesson study efforts based on the Japanese model. UbD provides a framework for study units rich in essential content, assessment practices and well-crafted activities. SAW and lesson study…

In this article the authors present an analogy, "Apple Activity," designed to help science teachers and students reflect upon science instruction and learning at the three conceptual levels of scientific understanding--macroscopic level, sub-microscopic/particle level, and symbolic level. Analogies are useful instructional tools that improve…