Looking for PCK in All the Wrong Places?

Janet Carlson, BSCSJoseph A. Taylor, BSCS

NSF DRK12 PI MeetingNovember 2009

What are Your Experiences?

• Measuring PCK?

• What instruments?

• What successes?

• What challenges?

Project PRIME

• Promoting Reform through Instructional Materials that Educate

• Collaborative project with the Center for Research and Evaluation at BSCS and the Center for Science Teaching and Learning at NAU

• Funded by NSF in 2004 through the Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC) program

• Goal: Study PCK growth in teachers who implement highly educative curriculum materials with and without professional development. Correlate to student achievement.

PRIME Time Line

Time line for Cohort 1

Summer 05 (2 wks)

Spring 05

School Year 05-06

Summer 06 (3 wks)

School Year 06-07

Time line for Cohort 2

Summer 06 (2 wks)

Spring 06

School Year 06-07

Summer 07 (3 wks)

School Year 07-08

40 HS biology teachers in Arizona

PRIME Research Questions1.In what ways does Project PRIME influence participants’

development of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)?

2. In what ways does Project PRIME influence participants’• Content knowledge (CK)

• Subject matter, Inquiry, Nature of Science• Pedagogical knowledge (PK)

• Teaching strategies• Context knowledge (CxK)

• Student conceptions, diverse learners

3. Is the whole of PCK similar to or different from its parts (CK, PK, CxK)? If so, how?

Pedagogical

Content Context

PCK

PRIME Research Questions

4a. How does student learning change over time?

4b. What is the relationship between participants’ PCK and their students’ learning?

5. In what ways does Project PRIME influence the development and sustainability of a professional learning community?

Where’s the PCK?

• Given the structure of the project, what opportunities do you think exist for measuring PCK?

Measurements1. PCK Reflections (CK, PK, CxK, PCK)

2. Structured Interviews (CK, PK, CxK, PCK)

3. Videotapes of Classroom Instruction (CK, PK, CxK, PCK, Fidelity)

4. Major Field Test for Biology (ETS) (CK)

5. Reform Teaching Observation Protocol (CK, PK, CxK)

6. Student Achievement

7. Student Work

8. Professional Learning Community Rating Scale

Data Collection Schedule

1. Baseline, prior to program start

2. Following summer professional development

3. Following professional development and teaching the topic once or following teaching without professional development

4. Teaching followed by professional development in summer 2

5. Following professional development and teaching the topic twice or teaching in year 1, followed by professional development and teaching in year 2

Topics for PCK Reflections

Arizona Standard Reflection Topic

The Cell Transport mechanisms

Heredity Protein synthesis

Interdependence Carrying capacity

Evolution Natural selection

Matter, Energy, and Organization

Photosynthesis

Studying the Scoring Rubric

1. Review your assigned page of the rubric. Consider this question:– What evidence would you expect to

see in a video or written reflection to rate it “advanced”?

2. Share your thoughts with the large group.

Pedagogical

Content Context

PCK

Looking at the Evidence – Baseline

1. Read the baseline reflection on the yellow sheet.

2. Score it on the rubric by placing a “B-DR” in each appropriate box.

3. Discuss your scores with the others at your table.

4. Read the baseline reflection on the green sheet.

5. Score it on the rubric by placing a “B-DS” in each appropriate box.

6. Discuss your scores with the others at your table.

Context for Video

Looking at the Evidence – 1st Reflection Post Intervention (PD and teaching)

1. Watch the video of Dwight.

2. Score it on the rubric by placing a “PDT-DR” in each appropriate box.

3. Discuss your scores with your group.

4. Watch the video of Donna.

5. Score it on the rubric by placing a “PDT-DS” in each appropriate box.

6. Discuss your scores with your group.

Looking at the Evidence – Last Reflection

1. Read the last reflection on the yellow sheet.

2. Score it on the rubric by placing a “PDTT-DR” in each appropriate box.

3. Discuss results with your group.

4. Read the last reflection on the green sheet.

5. Score it on the rubric by placing a “PDTT-DS” in each appropriate box.

6. Discuss results with your group.

Discussion Questions

• What challenges did you find working with the data?

• What challenges did you find using the rubric?

• How did the data in the form of written reflection compare to seeing data in video format?

• What promises do you see for measuring PCK?

• What questions do you have now?

Thank you

• To contact us– Janet Carlson jcarlson@bscs.org– Joe Taylor jtaylor@bscs.org

• Slides are available at bscs.org/sessions (click on the link for “previous BSCS sessions”)

• Paper reviewing biology curriculum materials is available at http://www.bscs.org/pdf/prensentationhighschoolbiotext06.pdf

Beyer, C., Delgado, C., Davis, E.A., and Krajcik, J.S. (April, 2006). Investigating high school biology texts as educative curriculum materials: Curriculum review process. Report commissioned by Project PRIME