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The Development of Elementary and Middle School Teacher Science Knowledge Instruments for the Evaluation of a Professional Development Program

Burgoon, Jacob Noal
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1209135789

Abstract Details

2008, Master of Science, University of Toledo, Biology (Cell-Molecular Biology).
Professional development programs are important in helping teachers to obtain the knowledge and skills that are necessary to overcome students lack of achievement in science. Effective measures of teachers science knowledge are essential for successfully evaluating the programs impact on teachers knowledge. This study explores the development of science knowledge instruments for elementary and middle school teachers participating in the second cohort of a professional development program called NWO-TEAMS (Teachers Enhancing Achievement in Mathematics and Science). The instruments that were used for cohort one of the program were found to be too easy and thus not able to assess the effectiveness of the program. New instruments were created to be more difficult by using Blooms taxonomy and increasing the effectiveness of the items distracters. The second year instruments included more items with effective distracters and more items that measured higher order cognitive abilities. As a result, the second year instruments were better able to separate teachers based on their science knowledge and every grade level in the second cohort demonstrated significant increases in science knowledge on the posttests. The development of the instruments in this study is presented as a model for the evaluation of professional development programs which seek to improve teachers science knowledge.
Patricia Komuniecki, PhD (Advisor)
Emilio Duran, PhD (Committee Member)
Christine Fox, PhD (Committee Member)
John Plenefisch, PhD (Committee Member)
77 p.
Education; Educational Evaluation; Science Education; Teacher Education
NWO-TEAMS; professional development; teacher science knowledge; science knowledge instruments; test development

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Burgoon, J. N. (2008). The Development of Elementary and Middle School Teacher Science Knowledge Instruments for the Evaluation of a Professional Development Program [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1209135789

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Burgoon, Jacob. The Development of Elementary and Middle School Teacher Science Knowledge Instruments for the Evaluation of a Professional Development Program. 2008. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1209135789.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Burgoon, Jacob. "The Development of Elementary and Middle School Teacher Science Knowledge Instruments for the Evaluation of a Professional Development Program." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1209135789

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1209135789
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© 2008, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.