Introduction of Computer-based Analytic Methods to Teacher Education Programs for Future Middle School Science Teachers

Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and the City College of New York (CCNY) are collaborating on the development of workshops on the scientific method and data analysis skills to supplement methods courses for pre-service science teachers. The project goals are to incorporate computer-based data analysis into junior level methods courses for middle and high school pre-service teachers, to better prepare secondary school students for the STEM workforce via teacher preparation, to enable pre-service teachers to introduce current scientific research and data analysis in secondary school classrooms, and to increase the number of minority students pursuing careers in science teaching. The project supports a two-day jump start workshop, modified weekly seminars, bi-weekly professional development workshops, and a two-week summer program to train pre-service teachers to access and use online scientific databases. Pre-service teachers are mentored by in-service teachers as they learn to develop research questions and hypotheses, which are tested using publicly available databases in biology, genetics, bioinformatics, geology, and engineering. Virtual experiments are conducted using the University of Colorado's Virtual Chemistry Laboratory. Pre-service teachers next engage in an internship and fieldwork as they assist secondary students with the design of Science Exit Projects which are required for graduation. The project evaluation examines teacher preparation and training, as well as the application of on-line database resources in the classroom setting by measuring attitudes, behavior, and activities of students and teachers. Outcomes will be disseminated via journal publications, conference presentations, and websites on each partnering institution's webpage. Additional outreach targets education faculty at the other community colleges in the CUNY system. This two-year project will reach 129 science teachers (pre-service and in-service). The workshops and courses supported by this project prepare teachers for more challenging upper level courses, enhance pedagogical skills, and better prepare secondary students to succeed in technology fields as they address real-world problems using workforce applications.