Improving and Sustaining Elementary Teachers' Science Teaching Perceptions: Results After a Two-Year Professional Development Intervention

• In Event: 16.036 - Elementary Teacher Science Professional Development

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary teachers’ science teaching perceptions after two years of on-going, embedded professional development followed by one year of no intervention. Teacher data were collected one year after the professional development was completed and compared to the data previously collected during the two-year intervention. Comparisons were made between experimental and control groups across four different time points including: prior to the intervention, after one year of intervention, after two years of intervention, and one year after completion of the intervention. Results from quantitative data supported with qualitative interviews indicated that improvements in science teaching perceptions were observed after one year or 60 hours of intervention and held constant one year after the intervention.

Authors

• Deborah D. Dailey, University of Central Arkansas

• Ann E. Robinson, University of Arkansas at Little Rock