The Impact of the Urban Advantage Initiative on Middle School Science Teaching and Learning

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Autor/in	Slagus, Lauren M.
Titel	The Impact of the Urban Advantage Initiative on Middle School Science Teaching and Learning
Quelle	(2019), (140 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit Ph.D. Dissertation, State University of New York at Stony Brook
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	978-1-6879-8293-3
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Faculty Development; Middle School Teachers; Science Teachers; Secondary School Science; Program Effectiveness; Field Trips; Educational Resources; Networks; Teacher Collaboration; Teacher Attitudes; Administrator Attitudes; Science Instruction; Teacher Motivation; Value Judgment; Barriers; Learner Engagement; School Culture; Experiential Learning; Museums; Recreational Facilities; New York (New York) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Middle school; Middle schools; Teacher; Teachers; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Science; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Exkursion; Bildungsmittel; Lehrerkooperation; Lehrerverhalten; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Werturteil; Schulkultur; Schulleben; Experiental learning; Erfahrungsorientiertes Lernen; Museum; Museumswesen; Museen; Freizeiteinrichtung
Abstract	The goal of this study was to identify the impact that participation in the Urban Advantage Initiative, a professional development program designed for middle school science teachers in New York City, has had on science teaching and learning. Urban Advantage is a long-term situated learning model whereby teachers engaged in over 100 hours of training over five years, with an option to continue in select activities in subsequent years. Training was held at eight science institutions in the city, including: 1) the American Museum of Natural History (Manhattan), 2) the Bronx Zoo, 3) the New York Botanical Garden (Bronx), 4) the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 5) the New York Aquarium (Brooklyn), 6) the Queens Botanical Garden, 7) the New York Hall of Science (Queens), and 8) the Staten Island Zoo. Teachers received funding for field trips, vouchers for students visits with their families, and classroom resources. Their administrators attended networking events to promote collaboration and a whole-school focus. The study investigated the ways teachers translated program principles into their practice through interviews with teachers and administrators and the collection of student artifacts. The study sample consisted of nine teachers and three administrators with varying levels of experience. They were interviewed to discuss personal and professional experiences related to their participation in Urban Advantage. The study triangulated student artifacts and interview transcripts to make recommendations for future middle school science professional development programs as a way to improve student science learning, particularly for those who attend traditionally underserved schools. The data analysis of this qualitative observational study revealed five major themes with respect to the impact of the Urban Advantage program on teachers: 1) motivation, 2) pedagogical value, 3) complements to external demands, 4) student impacts, and 5) programmatic constraints. These themes were examined and integrated to create an emergent explanatory framework for future professional development design. This framework includes three major components: 1) facilitation of improved student engagement, 2) higher teacher motivation, and 3) mechanisms for transformed school science culture. In this context, Urban Advantage provided students with unique authentic science experiences that resulted in increased student engagement and excitement about science learning. Teacher motivation was heightened because of their situated learning experiences at informal science institutions, the positive changes to their science pedagogy, and their involvement in a professional community of like-minded science educators. As a result of this whole-school focused program that included specific roles for teachers, administrators, parent coordinators, students and families, Urban Advantage improved individual science teaching practices, and in some cases, facilitated transformed school science cultures. Programmatic innovations may be included in the future design of professional development programs for middle school science teachers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01