BIORETS: BioInteractions

University Of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, San Juan PR

Investigators

Abstract

The Department of Biology at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus proposes a Resarch Experience for Teacher Program focused on the overarching theme of Biological & Biomolecular Interactions; hence BIORETS: BioInteractions. The long-term goal of BIORETS: Biointeractions is to improve middle and high school students’ scientific literacy and positive attitudes towards STEM. This will be achieved by engaging teachers in a professional development program that is focused on immersion in biological research and the development of standards-centered curriculum material based on their research experience. The program’s design will provide an ecosystem of support for teachers’ professional development where teachers are at the center of all the interactions within it. Teacher participants will engage in a broad range of research activities: from molecular biology to macroecology. In addition, teachers will participate in various seminars and workshops to ensure they successfully engage in their research projects and have the support to implement curricular materials of their design. These workshops fall into the following categories: scientific process, instructional design, and action research. Teachers will be encouraged to integrate elements of differentiated instruction in the design of the curricular materials to promote the inclusion of students with learning disabilities. The project has been conceptualized in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Education; thus, it inherently provides a broad impact to low-income, Hispanic students at under-performing schools. A manual with all the curricular materials produced by the project will be shared via the Internet and the Puerto Rico Department of Education. The need to provide research experiences to science teachers emerges from traditional science teacher preparation programs that lack apprenticeships in research. It has been shown that teachers that participate in research experiences increase the use of evidence-based practices in their classrooms and student achievement in science. In addition to research experiences, BIORETS: BioInteractions aims to foster teachers' use of action research as a means for critical reflection on their science teaching and empowerment. The project’s rationale is that if teachers receive a professional development experience that increases their STEM research and pedagogical skills, they will be empowered to make decisions that improve student STEM learning and student attitudes towards STEM. Hence, BIORETS: BioInteractions will investigate: 1) How do research experiences (scientific and/or action research) contribute to teacher empowerment to teach science in the classroom? and 2) Do students develop scientific literacy and is this reflected in a change in their attitudes towards math and science? Mixed methods following an explanatory sequential design will be used to address teacher empowerment. Surveys will be administered to measure teachers’ research/scientific literacy skills as well as teacher empowerment. A focus group will be conducted after teachers participate in the program and have answered pre/post survey questions. A quantitative correlation design will be used to address if students from teacher participants develop scientific literacy and change their attitudes towards math and science. Statistical correlation analysis will be used to explain the relationship between these scores. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.