Summer Camps Aren’t Just for Kids; Programs Engage Science Teachers in Research

Summer camps focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are typically designed to spark youth interest and introduce students to career options in these critical areas. However, a vital component of these programs is exposure to scientific challenges that many classroom settings cannot provide. Recognizing this exposure as beneficial to both teachers and students, several programs are targeting educators with the goal of enhancing instructional methods in the classroom in order to increase student achievement in the STEM fields. The following are examples of professional development programs for science teachers from across the country offered over the summer months.
 
Kansas
Middle school science teachers in Kansas are moving out of the classrooms and into University of Kansas (KU) laboratories this summer to participate in university-level research with the goal of enhancing their content backgrounds and ability to apply research-based instruction. The Middle School Science Academy Research Experiences program is a three-year, multi-phase initiative funded by the Kansas Board of Regents that targets two school districts with students considered to be high-risk.
 
Because so few middle school teachers have had actual experience with university-level research, the initiative engages the teachers in hands-on practice with KU science and engineering faculty.
 
The first phase of the program wrapped up last month with participation from 20 teachers. During the four-week program, the research groups worked on projects involving high-end biotechnology and engineering concepts, including a field reserve study on endangered milkweed.
 
Next year, the same teachers will return for instruction on translation of research and how to teach fundamental science to middle school students. Teachers will again meet with faculty mentors to discuss project-based learning models to engage students in science. The final year focuses on implementing the model with students. Teachers will practice the new concepts with a group of volunteer students and will then be able to evaluate and modify the content for use in their own classroom.
 
Program administrators estimate that as a result of the initiative, approximately 3,000 middle school students will receive enhanced science instruction. For their part, the teachers are granted nine credit hours of university-level science. A press release detailing the program is available at: http://www.news.ku.edu/2008/june/16/science.shtml
 
Ohio
A collaborative partnership between three high-need school districts in northwest Ohio and Bowling Green State University, the Northwest Ohio Teachers Enhancing Achievement in Mathematics and Science is a summer institute program that provides enhanced science instruction and introduces teachers to community resources in order to make them leaders in science education.
 
Phase I of the program focuses on instruction, providing more than 100 hours of professional development training from university educators and scientists to approximately 100 teachers of grades 3-6. Participants are guided on how to teach specific areas of science and how to adopt teaching practices in their classrooms.
 
The second phase of the program exposes teachers to community resources, such as Fossil Park in northwest Ohio and the Toledo Zoo, and teaches educators how to best use these resources to enrich the content of their lesson plans. During the third phase, teachers return for a four-day follow-up and are guided through the execution of their instructional goals. 
 
Participating teachers receive stipends and are able to use science instructional kits in their classrooms for the following school year. Research findings from this program indicate statistically significant differences in fourth and sixth grade Ohio science proficiency scores for teachers who completed this program, according to the Ohio Department of Education.