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Impact of the Understanding Science Professional Development Model on Science Achievement of English Language Learner StudentsImpact of the Understanding Science Professional Development Model on Science Achievement of English Language Learner Students

Regional need and study purpose

Teachers with strong knowledge in science content and in teaching science are more likely to ask their students higher level questions, encourage them to discuss the content and think about its applications, and foresee the difficulties they may encounter (Carlsen 1991, 1993; Druva and Anderson 1983; Hashweh 1987). In contrast, teachers with little science knowledge or experience teaching science content tend to depend more on direct instruction (Heller et al. 2004), to more often use inaccurate examples in their instruction, and to restrict classroom discourse to factual and simple recall questions (Carlsen 1991, 1993). It thus seems logical that teachers with greater knowledge in science content and in teaching science might be more effective at improving student science achievement than those without such knowledge.

This study is designed to examine whether one teacher professional development program in middle school physical science, WestEd's Understanding Science Program, improves teachers' content knowledge in the topic “force and motion,” their instructional strategies and confidence in teaching it, and in turn grade 8 students' content knowledge in force and motion and performance on California's standardized science test. Of particular interest in the study is the impact of the program on the performance of English language learner students—24.7 percent of the K–12 student population in California (California Department of Education 2009).

The program emphasizes inquiry-based instruction practices that depend less on English proficiency, textbook knowledge, and direct instruction. Its model emphasizes activities that provide opportunities for developing English and academic language proficiency. For example, collaborative, small-group work allows students to develop English proficiency through authentic communication about science knowledge (Lee 2002; Lee and Fradd 2001; Rosebery, Warren, and Conant 1992). Because the courses are designed to help teachers support discussion in science—to make sense of the content and help students develop academic language proficiency—the program might especially benefit the science performance of English language learner students.

Understanding Science has been evaluated using only quasi-experimental designs (Heller, Daehler, and Shinohara 2003; Heller and Kaskowitz 2004; Heller 2006). In earlier research, scores on tests of science content knowledge increased for elementary and middle school teachers who participated in the courses. Among elementary school students, students whose teachers participated in Understanding Science courses had statistically significant differences in content knowledge when compared with their control counterparts—and such differences were more pronounced for English language learner students. But because this previous nonexperimental research could not control for confounding factors when estimating the program's effects on teacher and student knowledge, it is difficult to determine whether the program alone caused these changes. This study tests similar outcomes, but using a rigorous experimental design.

The study examines the following research questions:

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