Kara Gray & Valerie Otero

1. Analysis of Former Learning Assistants’ Views of Cooperative Learning Kara Gray & Valerie Otero Previous Research University of Colorado Boulder Enrollment of Chemistry and Physics majors in the teacher certification program has risen dramatically since the LA program started. 4 3 Research Question Ave # enrolled per year Average enrollment per year 4 Participants 2 (Phys/Astr majors) 3 1 Do former LAs differ from a group of similar novice teachers in their use of and views toward cooperative learning or group work? • 10 First year science teachers • Control teachers are matched to former LAs • Teachers are interviewed 4 times over the semester • Baseline interview • 3 interviews following classroom observations Ave enrollment per year Ave # enrolled per year 2 0 (Chem/BioChem majors) 1 post launch of LA pre LA program 0 program in Phys (2000-2003) + = Shared Goals Cooperative Learning (2004-2009) The quantity of teachers has increased what about the quality of their teaching? LA Program pre LA program post launch of LA program in Chem (2000 - 2005) • LAs- undergraduates hired to assist in reformed introductory STEM courses • Implemented in 9 math, science, and engineering departments • Replicated at 6 colleges and universities • Approximately 15% of LAs enroll in a teacher certification program (2006-2009) Categories and Codes Goals of the STEM Colorado Learning Assistant Program • To recruit and prepare talented math and science majors for careers in teaching, • 2. To improve the quality of math and science education for all undergraduates, • 3. To engage math and science faculty in the recruitment and preparation of future teachers and in the transformation of undergraduate courses, and • 4. To transform cultures within the university math and science departments to value research-based teaching as a legitimate endeavor for ourselves and our students. Analysis All first year science teachers interviewed expressed concern over holding students accountable during group work LAs are more likely to talk about building a learning community NonLAs are more likely to see group work as necessitated by a lack of equipment NonLAs are more likely to express discomfort with using group work Category I Pitfalls of Group work The LA Experience A. Holding Students Accountable B. Individual Understanding While both LAs and NonLAs will at times use more advanced students to help struggling students, only LAs talked about coaching their students in how to help each other. C1. Role implicit in the classroom arrangement Category II Purposes of Group work C. Advanced Teach the Struggling C1. Role implicit in the classroom arrangement While both LAs and NonLAs see group work as building important skills, only LAs mentioned improving argumentation skills. C2. Role is explicit to students H. Teacher uncomfortable with some aspect of group work Practice: LAs lead learning teams D. Builds a learning community E. Builds skills A. Holding Students Accountable D. Builds a learning community C2. Role is explicit to students F. Necessitated by equipment F. Necessitated by equipment G. Students help each other B. Individual Understanding Future Work G. Students help each other Category III Teacher’s Attitudes E. Builds skills • We intend to • Expand this analysis to first year math teachers • Analyze interviews from future years of teaching to see how teachers’ views have changed over time • Investigate other differences between LAs and NonLAs (e.g. their views of assessment and their self-efficacy H. Teacher uncomfortable with some aspect of group work Content: Planning sessions with course instructor Pedagogy: education seminar Cooperative Learning Acknowledgements We would like to thank the current and former members of the LA-TEST K-12 research team for their help in the interviewing and coding: David Webb, Erin Allaman, Jeff Frykholm, Kim Geil, Danielle Harlow, Steve Iona, Heidi Iverson, May Lee, Michael Matassa, Deb Morrison, Mike Ross, Bud Talbot. • Creating this type of environment is not intuitive for most teachers • They must be taught why this is important and how to make it happen.