The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol RTOP in Physics Classes

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The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP)
in Physics Classes

• Daniel MacIsaac
• Kathleen Falconer
• SUNY-Buffalo State College

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RTOP

• Developed as
• a classroom observation instrument
• a standardized measure for evaluation
• reformed K-20 classroom instruction in
  mathematics or science
• NSF ACEPT

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SoWhat does reformed instruction look like?

• Hands on
• Student-centered
• Student dialog and discourse
• Reflection
• In QuickTime Player open ltrtsp//media1.buffalost
  ate.edu/physics/rtop4.movgt

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RTOP Instrument

• 25 Items with 0-4 point scale
• Lesson Design and Implementation.
• Content (Propositional Knowledge)
• Content (Procedural Knowledge)
• Classroom Culture (Communicative Interactions)
• Classroom Culture (Student-Teacher Relationships)

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RTOP draws on five major sources

• Horizon Research 1997-98 Local Systemic Change
  Revised Classroom Observation Protocol
• Standards" in science and mathematics education
• Principles of reform underlying the ACEPT project
• Work of ACEPT Co-Principle Investigators,
  particularly that of Tony Lawson and the ASU
  Mathematics Education group led by Marilyn
  Carlson
• Members of Evaluation Facilitation Group (EFG)

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RTOP

• RTOP is a highly reliable instrument
• Strong predictive validity
• Over 400 K-20 science and mathematics classrooms
• RTOP both operationally defines and assesses
  reformed teaching in the classroom.
• RTOP scores were found to strongly correlate with
  student conceptual gains (Figure 1) showing that
  reformed teaching is also effective teaching.

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Typical scores are

• traditional university lecture (passive) lt 20
• university lecture with demonstrations (some
  student participation) lt 30
• traditional high school physics lecture (with
  student questions) lt 45
• partial HS reform (some group work most
  discourse still with teacher) lt 55
• medium sized (100 gt n gt 50) university lectures
  with Mazur-like group-
• work (ConcepTests) and a student Personal
  Response System 65-75
• the authors modified (whiteboards etc) large
  (170 gt n gt 75) lectures 70-75
• modeling curriculum (varies with amount and
  quality of discourse) 65-99

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BSC Summer 2003Two week long Summer Courses
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• RTOP Websitelthttp//PhysicsEd.BuffaloState.edu/R
  TOPgt

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References

•  Adamson, A.E., Banks, D., Burtch, M., Cox III,
  F., Judson, E., Turley, J.B., Benford, R.
  Lawson, A.E. (2003). Reformed Undergraduate
  Instruction and Its Subsequent Impact on
  Secondary School Teaching Practice and Student
  Achievement. Journal of Research in Science
  Teaching 40(10), 939-958.
• Piburn, M., Sawada, D., Falconer, K., Turley, J.
  Benford, R., Bloom, I. (2000). Reformed Teaching
  Observation Protocol (RTOP). ACEPT IN-003. The
  RTOP rubric form, training manual and reference
  manual containing statistical analyses, are all
  available from
• lt http//PhysicsEd.BuffaloState.Edu/AZTEC/r
  top/RTOP_full/PDF /gt. IN-001 contains the RTOP
  rubric alone, IN-002 constains rubric and
  trainingmanual, IN-003 adds the statistical
  analyses.
• 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. M
• MacIsaac, D.L. Falconer, K.A. (2002, November).
  Reforming physics education via RTOP. The Physics
  Teacher 40(8), 479-485. Available from
• lt http//physicsed.buffalostate.edu/pubs/TP
  T/TPTNov02RTOP/ gt, describes physics-specific
  RTOP use.
• MacIsaac, D.L. FalconerK.A. (2001-3). Wxx
  RTOP Workshops for Physics Teachers. AAPT
  Announcer. One day (7 hour) workshops held yearly
  at the AAPT National Summer Meetings. See lt
  http//www.aapt.org/Events/ gt.