1. Preliminary Results of the Conference on Teacher Research Experiences April 2005 Hosted by the University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs Funded by the National Science Foundation Gail Scowcroft and Christopher Knowlton University of Rhode Island

2. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Overview Overview Key TRE Project Elements Key TRE Project Elements Impacts and Issues Impacts and Issues Outcomes Outcomes

3. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Conference Goals * to develop a community of professionals engaging in TREs * to develop a foundation of best practices for TREs * to establish connections/collaborations between projects * to provide opportunities for meeting individual project challenges * to review project designs, strategic visions, and initiatives

4. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences TRE Project Participants’ Experiences Laboratory Research 81% Field Research 75% Shipboard Research 44 % Shipboard Research 44 %

5. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Represented Disciplines from 30 Projects Atmospheric and Space Science ChemistryEcology Environmental Science Field Biology Genetics Geological Sciences Industrial Engineering Materials Engineering Medical Science Ocean Sciences Physical Sciences Polar Science Technology

6. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences 88% of participating teachers reported that their motivation to apply for a TRE was due to a desire to bring scientific research skills into their classrooms

7. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Scientists were involved in 75% of the teachers’ training and 84% of the projects provided pre- and/or post-TRE teacher training

8. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences

9. Greater Increase → Increase in scientific content knowledge

10. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences 96% of teachers who participated in a TRE reported feelings of increased science teaching competency

11. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Further Professional Development Activities Attended more workshops/institutes86% Attended more workshops/institutes86% Led workshops in school district83% Led workshops in school district83% Spoke at conferences/symposia76% Spoke at conferences/symposia76% Co-authored a scientific poster31% Co-authored a scientific poster31% Developed a website31% Developed a website31% Wrote an education related paper28% Wrote an education related paper28% Enrolled on graduate science course17% Enrolled on graduate science course17% Co-authored a scientific paper10% Co-authored a scientific paper10%

12. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Transfer to the Classroom Incorporated new scientific data into lessons88% Conducted more hands on activities81% Engaged K-12 students in research projects81% Created inquiry based curriculum72% Conducted field exercises with students47%

13. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Increase in students’ interest/enthusiasm for learning science

14. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences TRE impact on students’ test scores

15. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Average daily time scientist spent with teacher partner

16. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences 42% of projects require scientists to have continued contact with the teacher once the TRE has ended

17. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Continued to collaborate on research Talked/emailed a few times Reviewed the curriculum/ classroom activities developed Visited the classroom Students became involved in scientist’s research scientist’s research Teacher participated in additional (new) research 0 20 40 60 80 100% Scientist Post-TRE Contact

18. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Who is being mentored and how? 42% of participating teachers were mentored by a teacher with a previous TRE 33% of TRE participants are required to mentor after their TRE 18% of participating scientists participate in mentoring groups

19. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Project Teacher to Teacher Mentoring Requirements

20. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Conference Outcomes Identified TRE Community Needs Need to identify/develop tools and strategies for effective project evaluation Need to incorporate teachers into the scientific community (not just provide a research experience) Need for institutional buy-in: assists project sustainability, provides avenue for staffing, and facilitates community building Need for more inter-project collaborations

21. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Conference Outcomes Identified Best Practices Pre-research experience training Mentorship training Mentoring plan for project and follow-up activities Continued access to resources for teachers (i.e. materials on-line, network of colleagues, communication with scientists) Institutional buy-in (i.e. school districts, principals, science supervisors, etc.)

22. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Conference Outcomes Identified Best Practices Support for classroom transfer External evaluation and input from evaluator from the time of project design Partnerships of equality between scientists and teachers

23. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences Future Directions Building the TRE Community Create a means for future communication: List-serve, Web Discussion Board Resources for the community: Web Site (listing of projects, available resources, contacts, etc.), Conference Presentations and Reports, Conference Proceedings Future TRE community workshops: Evaluation and Mentoring

24. Conference on Teacher Research Experiences http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ctre cknowlto@gso.uri.edu gailscow@gso.uri.edu