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A CASE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF INQUIRY BASED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE USE OF A MENTOR ON AN ALTERNATIVELY CERTIFIED ELEMENTARY TEACHER'S SCIENCE TEACHING SELF-EFFICACY

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Date Issued:
2007
Abstract/Description:
One alternatively certified elementary teacher was the subject of this sixteen week research study on science teaching self-efficacy. The researcher taught inquiry based student level science lessons to the fourth grade teacher. The teacher participant, in turn, taught those same lessons to her class while the researcher observed and took field notes. The participant responded to specific open ended questions in a journal after each science experience and also completed three interviews with the researcher. Each sequential lesson from the researcher was then modified based on participant needs. The participant completed the STEBI (Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument) as a pre and post test to measure the effects of the above mentioned activities. The collected data from the STEBI was reported quantitatively. The collected data from the reflective journal entries and interviews were reported qualitatively. After careful analysis of the data gathered for this case study, the researcher came to the conclusion that inquiry based professional development through the use of a mentor affected the alternatively certified elementary teacher's science teaching self-efficacy. The subject maintained a positive attitude about the use of a mentor for the duration of the study and her Personal Science Teaching Efficacy increased or stayed the same on all of the STEBI questions. Limitations of the study as well as recommendations for further research were also discussed.
Title: A CASE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF INQUIRY BASED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE USE OF A MENTOR ON AN ALTERNATIVELY CERTIFIED ELEMENTARY TEACHER'S SCIENCE TEACHING SELF-EFFICACY.
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Name(s): Thrift, Michelle, Author
Jeanpierre, Bobby, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2007
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: One alternatively certified elementary teacher was the subject of this sixteen week research study on science teaching self-efficacy. The researcher taught inquiry based student level science lessons to the fourth grade teacher. The teacher participant, in turn, taught those same lessons to her class while the researcher observed and took field notes. The participant responded to specific open ended questions in a journal after each science experience and also completed three interviews with the researcher. Each sequential lesson from the researcher was then modified based on participant needs. The participant completed the STEBI (Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument) as a pre and post test to measure the effects of the above mentioned activities. The collected data from the STEBI was reported quantitatively. The collected data from the reflective journal entries and interviews were reported qualitatively. After careful analysis of the data gathered for this case study, the researcher came to the conclusion that inquiry based professional development through the use of a mentor affected the alternatively certified elementary teacher's science teaching self-efficacy. The subject maintained a positive attitude about the use of a mentor for the duration of the study and her Personal Science Teaching Efficacy increased or stayed the same on all of the STEBI questions. Limitations of the study as well as recommendations for further research were also discussed.
Identifier: CFE0001618 (IID), ucf:47189 (fedora)
Note(s): 2007-05-01
M.Ed.
Education, Department of Teaching and Learning Principles
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): self-efficacy
mentoring
inquiry based professional development
elementary science
alternative certification
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001618
Restrictions on Access: public
Host Institution: UCF

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