Developing Teaching Assistants' Pedagogical Knowledge of Inquiry Science Teaching & Instructional Leadership Skills, and Assessing the Impact on Student Learning

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

To improve student learning in introductory college science lab courses, there is need for inquiry instruction that promotes coherent understanding and assessments that are aligned with the instruction. However, successful enactment of inquiry instruction in introductory college science lab courses requires teaching assistants' sound pedagogical knowledge for inquiry science teaching. Therefore, this research-based project is developing teaching assistants' pedagogical knowledge for teaching project-based guided inquiry science labs, and assessing the impact on student learning and attitudes towards science. The importance of this project is that it will provide research evidence on the development of teaching assistants' pedagogical knowledge of inquiry science teaching, resulting instructional practices, and the impact on student learning and attitude towards science, and subsequently increase student learning in science. Many teaching assistants start teaching introductory college science labs without training in inquiry science teaching, yet the success of this instruction largely depends on the type of training they receive in inquiry science teaching. The goal of this project is to develop, implement and evaluate professional development training to develop teaching assistants' pedagogical knowledge for teaching project-based guided inquiry science labs and to assess the impact of the enhanced teaching on student learning and attitudes towards science. The project will employ a two-cohort cluster randomized trial with repeated measures design of pre- and post-measures, where introductory chemistry, physics and biology lab courses serve as the cluster level. Data will be collected through several instruments, including pre/posttests, interviews and observations protocols. A significant aspect of this project is that it will provide empirical evidence on how professional development training enhances teaching assistants' pedagogical knowledge for inquiry instruction, project-based guided inquiry lab development skills, inquiry instructional practices, and understanding of student engagement in science activities.