This Type II project extends research and curriculum development performed in an NSF Phase I CCLI project conducted from 2007 to 2010. In Phase I, co-PIs produced Instructor and Student Guides for implementing discovery learning projects in introductory statistics courses at college and Advanced Placement (AP) secondary levels. They also developed and validated three instruments: a content knowledge test, a self-efficacy scale for statistical tasks, and a scale for perceived usefulness of statistics. Five college and AP secondary pilot instructors used the materials; student outcomes were measured using the 3 instruments and were compared to prior student outcomes for each instructor in a quasi-experimental control-vs.-treatment design. Results showed significant gains, particularly in student self beliefs and also in content knowledge. Results also showed variable effect among instructors, as well as interaction among three variables: instructor, student achievement level, and use of the materials.
In the Type II project, curriculum materials are revised to add flexibility. The control-treatment design is repeated using a geographically diverse nationwide group. In addition, the existing instruments are updated to more accurately measure student knowledge and attitude gains achieved by participating in the discovery projects. To measure teacher orientation toward facilitating these projects, a new instrument is created. Finally, the team introduces a qualitative component to the research design. The project goals are as follows: 1. Promote vertical integration and wider university utility of Discovery Project Curriculum Materials: Adapt project guides to early secondary curricula; make college guides more flexible. 2. Revise quantitative instruments from Phase I and use these to analyze student outcomes. 3. Use qualitative research to explore interactions among teachers, students and discovery projects. 4. Widely disseminate improved curricular materials and quantitative/qualitative research results.
