Two common goals of science teacher professional development (PD) are increased content knowledge (CK) and improved readiness to teach through inquiry. However, PD assessment challenges arise when the context is structured around inquiry-based, participant-driven learning, and when the content crosses scientific disciplines. This study extended…

The Teacher Academy in the Natural Sciences (TANS) provided middle school (U.S. Grades 6-8) teachers (N = 81) with intensive professional development (PD) in chemistry, geosciences, and physics, with teachers enrolled in one scientific discipline per year. Because some teachers were retained and rotated into different disciplines, the TANS program…

Informal science opportunities provide authentic experiences to stimulate students' interests in science and engineering and foster their curiosity through problem-based investigations. STEMulate Engineering Academy was designed to provide children (Grades 3-5) engineering opportunities and offer teachers a unique professional development…

This report is based on several evaluations of NSF-funded geoscience projects at Stony Brook University on Long Island, NY. The report reviews the status of K-12 geoscience education, identifying challenges posed by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the experiences of university faculty engaged in teacher preparation, state…

Inquiry-based instructional approaches are an effective means to actively engage students with science content and skills. This article examines the effects of an ongoing professional development program on middle and high school teachers' efficacy beliefs, confidence to teach research concepts and skills, and science content knowledge.…

The goal of this article is to present a description of a professional development program designed to immerse middle and high school teachers in an inquiry-based learning environment using a forensic science context and the consequent impact participating in this program had on teachers' pedagogy. Teachers participated in a year-long program…

This project's goal was to design a professional development model to improve the skills of elementary teachers in providing quality science instruction. Surveys have concluded that lack of training, time, and instructional materials are obstacles for elementary science teachers. Eight elementary schools in a mid-sized west central Texas school…

Discusses the characteristics and benefits of the Nebraska Operation Chemistry (NOC) summer workshops. Provides a brief overview of the workshops and the 11 instructional modules. (DDR)

Details the summer workshop experiences of a participant in the EPIcenter (Earth Processes Information Center for Teachers) Project. Describes the impact of the experience on the professional practices of the classroom teacher. (DDR)

Details the summer workshop experiences of a participant in the EPIcenter (Earth Processes Information Center for Teachers). Describes the impact of the experience on the professional practices of the classroom teacher. (DDR)

Focuses on the Science Training to Enhance Leadership and Learning through Accomplishments in Research (STELLAR) program, a six-week, hands-on science training program. Discusses various aspects of the program as well as its benefits. (DDR)

Reports on an expedition to the Galapagos Islands focusing on the flora and fauna of the environment. Examines evidence that supports the theory of evolution and related classroom activities. (DDR)

Describes a two-week summer experience for teachers and students on a dig in Colorado looking for fossil records of the plants and animals in the area. (DDR)

Presents Living in Water, an aquatic science curriculum for grades five through seven that includes 50 activities divided into six sections. Focuses on the nature of content of the related workshops. (DDR)

Describes a summer program for teachers in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in which teachers share in hands-on activities that demonstrate volcanic processes including volcanic hazards, plate tectonics, and earthquakes. (DDR)