NSF Org:	DRL Division Of Research On Learning
Recipient:	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
Initial Amendment Date:	April 26, 2022
Latest Amendment Date:	November 19, 2023
Award Number:	2201249
Award Instrument:	Continuing Grant
Program Manager:	Joan Walker jowalker@nsf.gov  (703)292-0000 DRL  Division Of Research On Learning EDU  Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date:	August 1, 2022
End Date:	July 31, 2026 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$2,955,381.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$1,467,932.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2022 = $1,467,932.00
History of Investigator:	Ryan Summers (Principal Investigator) ryan.summers@und.edu Ashley Iveland (Co-Principal Investigator) Cathy Ringstaff (Co-Principal Investigator) Rebekah Hammack (Co-Principal Investigator) Martha Inouye (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	University of North Dakota Main Campus 264 CENTENNIAL DR STOP 8371 GRAND FORKS ND  US  58202-8371 (701)777-4151
Sponsor Congressional District:	00
Primary Place of Performance:	University of North Dakota Main Campus 264 Centennial Dr Stop 7306 Grand Forks ND  US  58202-7306
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	00
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	RSWNKK6J8CF3
Parent UEI:	L4NWBKHV1J23
NSF Program(s):	Discovery Research K-12
Primary Program Source:	04002223DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s):
Program Element Code(s):	764500
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.076

ABSTRACT

This study will investigate factors influencing teacher change after professional learning (PL) experiences and will examine the extent to which modest supports for science and engineering teaching in grades 3-5 sustain PL outcomes over the long term. One hundred eighty elementary teachers situated in small, rural school districts will be recruited for the study, bringing together 45 teachers from four states: North Dakota, California, Montana, and Wyoming. The teachers will participate in intensive online PL over the span of 5 days. After completing the initial PL, teachers will engage in modest electronic supports including a half-day refresher session the year after the initial PL, virtual meetings, social media connections among participating teachers, and access to archived Webinars on a range of topics related to teaching elementary school science. Modest support for replacement of consumable supplies needed for hands-on classroom engineering tasks will also be provided. The project will examine the extent to which these modest supports individually and collectively foster the sustainability of PL outcomes in terms of increases in instructional time devoted to science, teacher self-efficacy in science, and teacher use of reform-oriented instructional strategies aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. The effects of contextual factors on sustainability of PL outcomes will also be investigated.

This longitudinal study will address four research objectives: (1) assessing the extent to which an intense 5-day science and engineering PL event impacts teachers? knowledge and self-efficacy in science; (2) observing the effectiveness of modest supports on teachers? self-efficacy in science and engineering, on teachers? use of inquiry-based instructional strategies, and on the sustainability of PL outcomes, including instructional time in science and engineering; (3) documenting the effectiveness of intense PL, followed by modest supports, on teachers? capacities to deliver engineering instruction, and specifically their integration of engineering practices; and (4) capturing the outcomes of science and engineering instruction delivered by teachers after intense PL and modest supports, as shown by student achievement. The three-year mixed-methods research design will collect quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources, including teacher surveys, teacher interviews, and classroom observations, plus measures of student learning. Quantitative data will be analyzed using hierarchical modeling to examine growth rates after the initial PL and the change in growth after the provision of modest supports. Qualitative data including instructional logs will be analyzed independently and together with the quantitative survey data for triangulation purposes. These data will be analyzed by individual teacher, by grade level, by school, by district, and by state. Together, these data will enable the project team to address the project's research objectives, which focus on the persistence of PL outcomes in science and engineering, the extent to which teachers make use of various supports and which supports are critical for attaining meaningful outcomes.

The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools (RMTs). Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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