The Connecticut State Department of Education will carry out a project, funded through a SGER grant, which will research the feasibility and validity of using interactive video as a means of assessing new teachers' knowledge of laboratory safety. The number of demands and requirements placed on teachers regarding safe laboratory practice has increased greatly in the last few years. In response to these increased regulations, beginning teachers often avoid hands-on laboratory activities due to liability concerns and their lack of confidence in their ability to carry out the activities safely. The goal of the project is to develop an instrument which can assess whether a teacher can recognize unsafe laboratory practice in a real laboratory environment and to strengthen areas in which the teacher is weak. The project would be part of a new program of assessment of teacher competency for certification which is under development in Connecticut. The project will carry out research to determine whether this interactive mode of assessment provides more authentic, valid, and reliable data on teacher competency in lab safety than traditional pencil-and-paper instruments. The interactive video format can capture the ambiance of a real laboratory situation with its distractions, disturbances, confusion, and multiple activities, and the interactive video will be able to measure how well the teacher can cope with this environment in real time. The results of this assessment will indicate the areas in which a teacher needs additional work, and support will be provided so that the teacher will ultimately feel knowledgeable, competent, and confident in carrying out hands-on laboratory experiences. A group of experienced teachers has participated in identifying the most common and significant types of safety violations which should be included in the interactive video materials. Teachers will continue to be involved in the project in reviewing and field-testing the materials and in a mentorship program to support beginning teachers in following effective laboratory practices. The State of Connecticut's cost-sharing is 2.7 times greater than NSF's contribution.
