Teacher Satisfaction and Science Content Learning During Professional Development at an Informal Science Institution

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Scaffolding Informal Science Education Through Teacher Professional Development

Abstract

This study looked at a life science course for elementary and middle school teachers (n = 62) that was offered at and taught by education staff of a large Informal Science Institution (ISI). The curriculum, materials, and agendas for the course were developed by education staff and complemented a permanent life science exhibition. Overall, teacher responses on daily and final evaluations for the courses were extremely positive. However, teachers’ gains in science content knowledge were actually not as strong as perceived. The findings described here are generalizable to all developers of informal science professional development for elementary and middle school teachers that desire to incorporate inquiry, pedagogy, and science content, along with attitudinal objectives, into their teacher learning experiences.

Authors

• Gary M. Holliday, The University of Akron

• Judith S. Lederman, Illinois Institute of Technology

• Norman G. Lederman, Illinois Institute of Technology