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| SCIENCE TEACHERS LEARNING THROUGH LESSON ANALYSIS (STeLLA) The Science Teachers Learning Through Lesson Analysis Project is a five-year grant (2003-2008) funded by the The STeLLA project is developing and studying two professional development programs for elementary science teachers (grades three through six) in the greater San Gabriel Valley region of Southern California. Both programs focus on supporting teachers’ science content knowledge, student thinking about science, and teaching science for understanding by engaging them in inquiries embedded in their own practice. However, the programs vary in the amount and kind of structure provided to teachers in conducting their inquiries. What is unique about the STeLLA project is its focus on the teaching and learning of specific science content ideas related to the California Science Content Standards. Other unique features of the STeLLA project are: the links between the professional development and teachers’ own practice; the continuation of support throughout the school year; and the use of evidence in the form of video or student work samples to support discussions about teaching and learning. Research Design The central research questions guiding this project are (1) What are the comparative impacts of two practice-based professional development programs that vary in the amount and kinds of support and guidance they provide teachers? (2) How do teachers in the two groups change in terms of their knowledge of science content, their ability to analyze science teaching, and their science teaching practice? (3) How does teachers’ participation in these programs impact their students’ learning? These questions will be examined over a course of four years with two, separate cohorts of teachers (Cohort 1: 2004-2005 academic year; Cohort 2: 2006-2007 academic year). Teachers are assigned through stratified random sampling into one of two groups (or programs) that vary in the amount and kind of structure that guide their professional development. Both groups of teachers attend a three-week summer institute to learn about specific science content, as well as conduct analysis on videotaped lessons for that same science content. Teachers are videotaped teaching those identified science content areas in their own classrooms twice before the summer institute (pre) and twice afterwards (post). They attend monthly, facilitated, follow-up meetings with specifically designed activities and homework assignments. The primary sources of data for measuring the results of this study are: (1) teachers’ videotaped science lessons (pre and post), (2) teachers’ science content assessment tests (pre, middle, and post), (3) teachers’ lesson analysis tasks (pre, middle, and post), and (4) student achievement scores. Contact This project is being directed by Dr. Kathleen Roth and Dr. Catherine Chen are serving as Co-PIs. |
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