ERIC Number: EJ1055415
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1541-5015
EISSN: N/A
Preparing Teachers to Use Problem-Centered, Inquiry-Based Science: Lessons from a Four-Year Professional Development Project
Lehman, James D.; George, Melissa; Buchanan, Peggy; Rush, Michael
Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, v1 n1 p76-99 Spr 2006
Calls for reform in science education stress the need for inquiry-based, integrative methods that provide students with opportunities to solve authentic problems. Project INSITE, a four-year professional development effort in Indiana, was designed to help teachers integrate problem-centered science methods in their classrooms. This approach was characterized by use of a meaningful driving question anchored in a real-world context; student-conducted investigations that resulted in the creation of products; collaboration among students, teachers, and the community; and use of technology as a tool for gathering and sharing information. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the project suggest that it was generally successful in promoting positive teacher perceptions, fostering learner-centered classroom approaches, and leading to implementation of inquiry-based science in many classrooms.
Descriptors: Science Education, Educational Change, Professional Development, Teacher Attitudes, Program Evaluation, Inquiry, Problem Based Learning, Scientific Methodology, Cooperative Learning, Science Activities, Qualitative Research, Questionnaires
Purdue University Press. Stewart Center Room 370, 504 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Tel: 800-247-6553; Fax: 419-281-6883; e-mail: pupress@purdue,edu; Web site: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/ijpbl/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A