Groups of 4 discussed the readings. My group discussed Heller:
Heller: Differential Effects of Three Professional Development Models on Teacher Knowledge and Student Achievement in Elementary Science
- Conceptual Framework
- 3 Phase of Research PD
- Quantitative and Qualitative Research mix
- Same content but differing methodologies
- PD Interventions/Conditions
- Conditions
- Teaching Cases
- Dilemmas of practice
- Focuses on student body diversity
- Looked at other teacher’s cases
- Cases were used as models – good for scalability
- Looking at Student Work
- Only intervention teachers were implementing the work in the classroom
- Assessments became more informative about student knowledge and misconceptions
- Metacognitive Analysis
- Control Groups
- Teaching Cases
- All had PCK embedded
- Conditions
- Research Questions
- What effects do the teacher courses have on teacher science content test scores?
- What effects do the teacher courses have on teacher written justifications?
- What effects do the teacher courses have on student science content test scores?
- What effects do the teacher courses have on student written justifications?
- What effects do the teacher courses have on English language learner science content test scores?
- What effects do the teacher courses have on English language learner written justifications?
- Research Methods
- (no time to complete)
- Results
- (no time to complete)
- Why it matters
- Better improvement for ELLs
- (no time to complete)
Joan I. Heller, the author, came in to reply to our questions! Here were ours:
- Only the “Looking at Student Work” group were teaching the content at the same time as the PD was being delivered – could this have affected/biased the results!?
- Implicitly they are looking at their own practice
- Control group with just the same content?
Then did a very informative PD simulation – lighting a lite bulb – by WestEd
