Efficacy of Casey County Partnership Enhancement Project: Perceptions of Casey County, KY Faculty

1. Efficacy of Casey County Partnership Enhancement Project: Perceptions of Casey County, KY Faculty Tim Bradshaw June 6, 2007

2. Casey County, KY • 16,290 people • High School Diploma: 57.4% • Median Household Income: $21,284 • Economy - Lumber, Crude Oil, Tourism

3. Casey County School District • 2,500 students in K-12 • Middle School • Focus on Bioscience/Physical Science • High School Science courses • 9th grade Biology/Honors Biology • Chemistry I/Honors Chemistry • Physics I • Earth/Space Science • Geology • Astronomy • Forensic Biology • Forensic Chemistry • Pre-College Diploma – 3 science courses Pre College Diploma requires Alg II, Geometry, Chem I, and Physics I

4. Rationale of Casey County PEP

5. Goal: Casey County PEP • Develop the capacity to deliver and assess inquiry-based activities consistent with core content standards of assessment in grades 5-12 science classes in Casey County schools through a rich partnership between this school district, EKU, and UK.

6. Casey County PEP Format • Summer 2006 • UK/EKU faculty instruct CC faculty on inquiry based science education, science core content, and infusing inquiry into the classroom • KY DOE reviews Core Content and DOK • 2006-07 Academic Year • Follow-up sessions (model open inquiry activities) • Physics: light, position and motion, energy transformations • Chemistry: heat and temperature, properties of materials • Biology – genetics, anaerobic respiration, physics of blood flow

7. Research Questions • Is the PEP improving Casey County science faculty core content knowledge in physics, chemistry, and biology? • Are Casey County science faculty being trained in inquiry such that they feel confident in designing and implementing inquiry pedagogy? • To what extent are Casey County science faculty implementing inquiry based curricula in their classrooms? Assessed by pre/post/retention science content test, teacher attitude survey, and classroom observation instruments.

9. Statements • I understand what inquiry based science education is about. • This workshop increased my knowledge about inquiry oriented teaching. • I am comfortable with teaching in an inquiry-based fashion. • This workshop increased my confidence in carrying out inquiry oriented teaching. • This workshop increased my confidence in teaching science.

10. Classroom Evaluation Data Data are shown as percent (%) of all responses

11. Summary • Teachers’ core content knowledge has increased in physics and biology • Teachers’ confidence in utilizing inquiry has increased • Teacher’s perceptions are that they understand inquiry as a pedagogical method of instruction • Classroom observations document minimal transition from the professional development opportunity to actual classroom instruction

12. Conclusions • The PEP achieved stated goals of improving teacher content knowledge and teacher confidence in inquiry based pedagogical instruction. • After only 1 year of professional development, additional partnership activities and work are required to transfer this type of instruction to classroom practice.

13. Acknowledgements • Dr. Jeffrey Osborn • Dr. Martin Brock • Dr. John Christopher • Jackie Allen • Debbie Owens • Casey County Faculty • NSF and the Appalachian Math Science Partnership