This study advances the understanding of providing effective professional development for elementary teachers in the field as the Pennsylvania STEELS standards require inquiry-based learning as a component of the science classroom. I sought out elementary teacher perceptions surrounding professional development as it pertained to their ability to…

There has been a declining interest in science by adolescents as they mature in the American school system (Anderman & Young, 1994). Inquiry-based teaching is a supported practice with the aim of shifting science teaching to better engage students. This study offers a qualitative analysis of teachers' perceptions and implementation of…

This study was an action research self-study that examined my role as a teacher educator supporting a resident teacher in learning how to design inquiry-based culturally responsive science lessons. I explored my own growth in understanding how to act as a teacher educator to provide appropriately scaffolded support to promote learning for a…

This qualitative case study investigated the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by sixth-grade teachers in diverse educational settings within the Central Valley of California. The research focused on identifying the practical successes and ongoing challenges faced by educators in elementary and middle school…

Project-based learning (PjBL) instruction is an inquiry-based method that is beneficial to student achievement and their exploration of 21st-century learning skills, but there is a gap in the literature about how Grades 6 to 8 teachers feel about PjBL and its implementation. The research problem was science teachers in the United States were not…

This Mixed-Method Action Research study aimed to implement an extended Project-Based Learning professional development series with middle school science teachers. The professional development series took place during the teachers' Communities of Practice, offering them high-quality support, active participation, and content-specific conversations.…

Teaching science through inquiry-based methodologies has been advocated by several governmental and professional organizations (National Research Council [NRC], 2000; NGSS Lead States, 2013); however, their use is not widespread. Why is this? What science teachers do in their classrooms is shaped by their beliefs, especially their beliefs about…

Georgia adopted science standards encouraging teachers to use inquiry-based instruction in science instruction in 2016 to improve science exam scores. The problem was a lack of improvement in science exam scores in middle school and high school students in a small rural school district in South Georgia since inquiry-based standards have been put…

School districts choose programs based on limited data, word of mouth, or cost-effectiveness. STEM-based schools often choose project-based learning (PBL) programs to deliver curricula through limited research and word of mouth effectiveness. This study evaluated one PBL program implementation in the context of a suburban Texas middle school by…

Scholars continue to propose that students develop scientific literacy and 21st century competencies through student-centered reform-based science instruction with the teacher as the main facilitator of learning (Maeng et al., 2018). The National Science Teaching Association (2018) called for high-quality science instruction that builds on…

The purpose of this research study was to investigate West Virginia middle school science teachers' perceptions regarding inquiry-based instruction.Teacher efficacy level, extent of use, and supports and obstacles in regard to inquiry-based instruction were considered. In addition, demographic relationships were explored in comparison with…

A need for current science education has emerged in enhancing students' deep involvement in scientific practices in core disciplines. Students are encouraged to improve crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas through authentic science practice through constructing theories about the real world, generating questions, conducting…

The effect of class size on student learning has numerous policy implications and has been a major subject of conversation and research for decades. Despite this, few studies have been done on class size in the context of university settings or physics courses. This dissertation helps address that gap in the literature by quantitatively analyzing…

The purpose of this mixed methods case study was threefold: (a) to describe 7th through 12th grade science teachers' efficacy beliefs, perceptions of support, and concerns about using inquiry-based instruction and examine how they are related to one another, (b) to explore how teachers reporting different levels of concerns demonstrate levels of…

The purpose of this explanatory case study was to elaborate on Desimone's professional development framework which holds that effective professional development should include five core features: content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation. It did so by investigating the perceptions, professional learning, and…