STEM Teacher Development in the United States : Key Research Recommendations and Results from a Longitudinal Study of K-5 Science Teacher Development on Student Achievement

This paper examines recommendations by the National Research Council for a framework for Science Professional Developrnent along with other compilations of recommended strategies that emerged in the literature in the late 1990s, That research formed the basis for a successfu1 proposal to the National Science Foundation to work with five large school districts (85 K-5 schools) in the Pikes Peak region of Celorado on a long term systemic effort to impact K-5 teaching behaviors and consequent impact on student achievement. The paper summarizes two studies, the first that examined aspects of the prDfessional development model implemented by the project, Science [[bacher Enhancement PrQject unifying the Pikes Peak region (STEP-uP). Elfect sizes were low but significant on student achievernent in reading, writing and mathematics, The second study examined key elements of professional development along with levels of teachers' implementation of more active teaching strategies and student achievement in reading, writing, mathematics and science. We argue that sound professional development, followed with actual teacher implementation of active learning leads to substantial gains (up to 1.8 effect size in science) in student learning in fifth grade students when those students have been taught by teachers in grades 2-5 who participated in particular aspects of STEP-uR The paper cencludes with a discussion of emerging recommendations for professiona1 development that must be in place if we wish to impact student learning