University of Colorado at Boulder

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A Longitudinal Study of Pedagogical Content
Knowledge Synthesizing Research in Content,
Pedagogy, and Practice
Valerie Otero and Steve Pollock
University of Colorado at Boulder
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Outline

• National problem in Math and Science Education
• Our solution The STEM Colorado Learning
  Assistant Model
• DR-K12 LA-TEST Research Project to evaluate
  impacts of the model

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Quiz
Science majors were asked What would your
professors in your major department say if you
told them you wanted to be a high school teacher?

• Professors at our university dont value teaching
  
• There is a lack of respect in departments for
  K-12 teaching
• It is not considered a full blown career
• Professors would be angry
• Professors would say, Youre wasting your
  talent
• Professors would say, Dont do it
• Professors would say, Do it when you retire
• K-12 teaching is not on the cutting edge of
  research

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Our Solution at CU Boulder
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Traditional Teaching ? Learning
traditional lecture
ltgaingt post-pre 100-pre
Take home message Students learn about 25 of
the most basic concepts (that they dont
already know).
R. Hake, A six-thousand-student survey AJP
66, 64-74 (98).
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Students learn more when courses are transformed
to be student-centered and interactive
red trad, blue interactive engagement
ltgaingt post-pre 100-pre
R. Hake, A six-thousand-student survey AJP
66, 64-74 (98).
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Teacher Recruitment Preparation
Discipline-Based Education Research
Transformation of Departmental Cultures
Undergraduate Course Transformation using LAs
NSF-DUE 0203022
Transforming Math and Science Teacher Preparation
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Large Scale Education Transformation
Large-enrollment, undergraduate course
transformation is the mechanism for accomplishing
these goals
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Course Transformation
These LAs make up the pool from which we recruit
new K-12 teachers
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The Learning Assistant Experience
Content Weekly planning sessions with science
faculty member who is teaching the course (3 to
10) LAs per faculty member)
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Timeline of LA experience

• NSF-Funded Noyce Fellowship
• Enrolled in CU-Teach
• Engaged in STEM
• Education Research

Applies to be a Learning Assistant Student in
transformed STEM course
Learning Assistant Math and Science Education
Course
Learning Assistant Begin taking School of
Education courses
LAs are fully engaged with STEM and Education
Faculty Members In Teaching and Research
Activities
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Noyce Fellows Present and Publish their Research
NSF-DUE 0434144
Colorado STEM/Noyce Fellowship Program
Klymkowsky, M. W., Gheen, R., Garvin-Doxas, K.
(2007). Avoiding reflex responses Strategies for
revealing students' conceptual understanding in
biology. In L. McCullough, J. Hsu P. Heron,
(Eds.), 2007 Physics Education Research
Conference Proceedings. Melville, NY AIP Press,
3-6. Otero, V., Jalovec, S., Her Many Horses,
I. (2006, July). Evolution of Students
model-building practices in an inquiry-based
physics course. Paper presented at the biannual
meeting of the American Association of Physics
Teachers, Syracuse, NY. Spooner, K., Geist, A.,
Curry, J., Dougherty, A., Nelson, M. (2007,
January). Learning Assistant research in the
Applied Mathematics department, Boulder,
Colorado. Paper presented at the Joint
Mathematics Meeting, New Orleans, LA. Nelson, M.
A., Geist, A., Venturo, A. (2008, January).
Noyce Fellows and Learning Assistants at CU,
Boulder. Presented at the Joint Mathematics
Meeting, San Diego, CA. McKagan, S. B., Handley,
W., Perkins, K. K., Wieman, C. E. (submitted).
A research-based curriculum for teaching the
photoelectric effect, American Journal of
Physics. Otero, V. Lyman, V. (2008, July).
Expanding Identities From Science Major to
Science Teacher. Presented at the bi-annual
meeting of the American Association of Physics
Teachers, Edmonton, Canada, July 2008.
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LA Program Impact on Recruitment
At 18 colleges and universities with 10,869
candidates, 385 science majors1 Chemistry just
became involved in Fall 2006
Many of the LAs report in interviews that they
had not seriously considered becoming a teacher
until participating as a Learning Assistant Two
most frequently stated reasons for making the
decision (1) Recognizing Teaching as a complex
endeavor (2) Encouragement and support by
participating Science Faculty
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Growth of the Program
335 LAs hired since Fall 2003 38 LAs enrolled
in certification programs
(17 in physics) 3.5 Average cumulative GPA
(3.7 in physics) Fall 2003 Fall
2008 7 faculty (4 departments) 48 faculty
(7 departments) 4 courses transformed 35 courses
transformed 28 LAs/semester 75
LAs/semester Impacts 400 stud/yr gt7000
students/year
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LA Program focuses on recruiting for the
Undergraduate Certification program
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But what about teacher quality?
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The DR-K12 Research Project
Learning Assistant Model for Teacher Preparation
in Science and Technology (LA-TEST) investigates
Content Knowledge DBER Team
Studies content knowledge and attitudes of LAs
and students enrolled in LA-supported courses
Pedagogical Knowledge CTL Team
Measures the effect of the LA Experience on
pedagogical knowledge
Practice K12 Team
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1120 BEMA LAs
DBER Impact on Content Knowledge
V. Otero, N.D. Finkelstein, S.J. Pollock and R.
McCray (2006). Science, 313, 445
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DBER Longitudinal Effects on Content Knowledge
Traditional
After completing Jr Level E/M (3310 or 3320) Only
students who took Phys 2 (1120) without Tutorials
Pollock, S. (2007)
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DBER Longitudinal Effects on Content Knowledge
Traditional
Red bins students who had taken Freshman
physics (1120) with Tutorials (2 years prior)
Pollock, S. (2007)
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DBER Longitudinal Effects on Content Knowledge
Traditional
Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA)
Pollock, S. (2007)
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FIG. 1. Pre/Post scores for students enrolled
compared to LAs. Dashed arrows show LA Pre/Post
scores for the first semester LAs were used.
Solid arrows show the LA Pre/Post scores averaged
over subsequent semesters.
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FIG. 2. BEMA scores of physics majors after
taking upper-division Electricity and Magnetism,
binned by semester and freshman (Physics II)
background.
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FIG. 3. Shifts by non-LA and LA students in
attitudes about learning physics and in their
personal interest in physics over one semester.
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CTL Team Impact on Pedagogical Knowledge

• Flexible Application of Student-Centered
  Instruction Instrument (FASCI)
• FA-Flexible Application of multiple instructional
  strategies
• SCI-Student-Centered Instruction
• Scenario-Based Items
• High reliability using simple scoring rubric on
  two dimensions (FA and SCI)

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CTL Team Impact on Pedagogical Knowledge
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K-12 Team Impact on Practice - RTOP
Nothing Significant Yet NnonLA4 and NLA8
Non-LA LA
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Large Scale Education Transformation
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Acknowledgements
http//stem.colorado.edu
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References
Borko, H., Stecher M. B., Alonzo, C. A., Moncure,
S., McClam, S. (2005). Artifact packages for
characterizing classroom practice A pilot study.
Educational Assessment, 10(2), 73-104. L. Ding,
R. Chabay, B. Sherwood, and R. Beichner,
Evaluating an electricity and magnetism
assessment tool Brief electricity and magnetism
assessment, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 2,
010105 (2006). V. Otero, N. Finkelstein, S.
Pollock, and R. McCray, Who is responsible for
preparing science teachers? Science, 313 (5786),
445 (2006). R. K. Thornton and D. R. Sokoloff,
Assessing student learning of Newton's laws The
Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation and the
Evaluation of Active Learning Laboratory and
Lecture Curricula, American Journal of Physics,
66 (4), 338 (1998). Sawada, D., Piburn, M.,
Judson, E., Turley, J., Falconer, K., Benford, R.
Bloom, I. (2002). Measuring reform practices in
science and mathematics classrooms The Reformed
Teaching Observation Protocol. School Science and
Mathematics, 102(6), 245-253.
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The Bottom Line LA
Program Cost and Benefit
Additional cost for recruiting 10 new teachers
per year
Free (?)
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Physics Teachers Education Coalition (PTEC) 110
Institutions LA Program Replicated at PhysTEC
sites
Seattle Pacific
U. of Minnesota
Cornell
Towson
U. of Arkansas
Cal Poly, San Louis Obispo
U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
U. of Arizona
Florida International