Institution: Illinois State University PI/Co-PI: Cynthia Moore/Jennifer Grogg/William Hunter/Michael Plantholt Number of Fellows per year: 10 graduate, 4 undergraduate School District Partners: Bloomington District 87, McLean County Unit School District #5 (City of Normal), Gridley CUSD #10, Chenoa CUSD #9 Target audience: Grades 6-12 Setting: Rural and suburban NSF supported disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics
The Illinois State University PRISM (Partnerships for Research in Science and Math Education) Project trains and supports graduate students in science and mathematics to provide resources for middle and high school students and teachers. The project integrates research and teaching, and addresses issues of scientific literacy, equity, and attitudes toward science and math among middle and high school students. The goal is to increase the flow of science, math, and technology education information, by creating a learning web connecting all participants. Graduate Fellows and classroom teachers form school-based teams that identify and address science, mathematics, and technology needs. New elements introduced in this track 2 project include the addition of: undergraduate Fellows, partnerships with local businesses and agencies to provide scientific work experiences for teachers and Fellows, and emphasis on the application of teacher-initiated action research to document the classroom success of PRISM Project activities. Action research is the systematic study of classroom practices as they relate to educational objectives. Additional longitudinal research will examine the effects of the project on participants at all levels. The project is being systematically shifted into a self-sustaining entity at the university through institutional funding of Fellowships so that of the five year total of 53 graduate Fellows, at least 22 will have been supported by Illinois State University.
Intellectual Merit: Both Fellows and K-12 teachers participate in professional development activities that ensure the presentation of up-to-date content information in classrooms and promote long term partnerships. In addition to incorporating up-to-date science and mathematics into middle and high school classroom activities, PRISM is creating a new cohort of science and mathematics professionals (former Fellows) who are educated about and sensitized to the needs of secondary science education, and providing formal opportunities for these (and other) students to explore the relationships between their specialized research fields and public education and interests. The Fellows are developing a broader view of the relevance of their work to both their disciplines and society at large. The project also informs science and mathematics faculty about the processes of science and mathematics education and provides mechanisms for them to contribute effectively to K-12 education.
Broader Impact: The PRISM Project is exploring and evaluating, and will disseminate, successful mechanisms to create improved partnerships between universities and K-12 schools. Successful models of effective partnerships between universities and K-12 schools are essential to improve general science and mathematics literacy, and to help students make a smooth transition between high school and university studies. Studies documenting the roles that graduate students can play in K-12 classrooms will be published in peer-reviewed journals. The project encourages participation by underrepresented minorities, both in our expansion into the Peoria schools, and in the diversity of selected Fellows.
Results from Track 1: There have been concrete benefits to Fellows, teachers, and high school students. Participants are involved in on-going school-based collaborations to develop and present curriculum enhancement units, emphasizing inquiry-based activities. Continuous formative evaluation of the project confirms that Fellows and teachers are successfully working in teams at each school site. Fellows are taking lessons from one classroom and successfully presenting them in additional schools on a regular basis. There have been significant interactions among all participants in the project. Fellows are highly enthusiastic about their experiences in classrooms, and teachers find the interactions beneficial. Surveys administered to students suggest that long term retention of information is enhanced by hands-on activities. Professional growth of both Fellows and teachers is being analyzed and incorporated into manuscripts for publication. The first of these, An Exploration of the Content and Nature of Reflective Practices of Graduate Teaching Fellows in a School-University Partnership Project., Mumba F., Chabalengula, V. M., Moore, C.J., Grogg, J., and Hunter, W. J. F., has been accepted for publication in The Chemical Educator. This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Biological Sciences.
