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Coding Teachers in Science Classrooms using the Inquiry Science Observation

Guide

Alice K. H. TaumCurriculum Research & Development Group

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

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Inquiry Science Observation Guide• Introduction and Overview

– FAST, SCUP Project, Purpose and Development of ISOG

• General coding guidelines• Descriptions for each of the six

Activities• Definitions of Activity details

• Code Sheet • Recording Sheet • Reconciling Recording Sheet

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Development of the Code Sheet

• 1.5 year process

• Collaborative efforts between researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Stanford University and Sonoma State University; FAST teachers; curriculum developers, and coders

• 36+ revisions

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Goal of the Code Sheet • Identify strings of activities/teacher

behaviors using the details in columns A, B, C and D. – questioning strategies used – level of engagement between teacher and

students– creating a profile of teachers implementation

of FAST in the classroom through science inquiry

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Design of the Code Sheet

• 6 activities.

• 66 possible activity details to plug into the 6 activities.

• Multiple variations between an activity and the activity details which describe an activity string of teachers pedagogical practices.

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Inquiry Science Observation Code Sheet (ISOCS)

Activity Activity details Activity

descriptors

1 - 6 A B C

D

1. Teacher directs student (s) ______A______ to ______B______ _______C______.

1A1. individually 1A2. in a small group

1B1. record 1B2. discuss 1B3. define 1B4. read materials to whole class

1C1. observations 1C2. predictions/ hypotheses 1C3. procedures 1C4. data 1C5. science (concept, vocab words, mechanics of science, etc…)

1D1. with evidence or examples 1D2. does not apply

2. Through ______A______, the teacher ______B_______ science ______C______.

2A1. direct instruction questioning: 2A2a. rhetorical 2A2b. interactive

2B1. introduces or provides an overview of 2B2. reviews/summarizes 2B3. demonstrates 2B4. collects 2B5. compares/contrasts 2B6. clarifies

2C1. concepts(idea) 2C2. procedures(activity) 2C3. tools/equipment 2C4. investigation (science experiment) 2C5. problem 2C6. goal 2C7. -related safety issues 2C8 data (unknown): 2C8a. differences in 2C8b. relationships between 2C8c. quality of 2C8d. analysis of 2C8e. synthesis of 2C8f. evaluation of 2C9. vocabulary words

2D1. new information 2D2. previously learned information 2D3. investigation 2D4. unit 2D5. does not apply

1. Teacher directs student(s)

_____A_______ to

_____B_____ _____C_____.

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1. Teacher directs student(s) individually (1A1) to discuss (1B2) procedures (1C3).

1. Teacher directs student(s) _____A_____ to _____B______ _____C_____.

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Inquiry Science Observation Recording Sheet

• Notes the start time of when the “broader” and “other activities” a teacher is engaged in begins

• Allows for comments to facilitate the reconciliation process

• Designed to record multiple activities occurring at the same time

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Broader and Other Activities– The broader activity captures the larger activity

occurring:Through interactive questioning (2A2b), the teacher introduces or provides an overview of (2B1) science investigation (2C4).

– The other activities capture the details occurring within the broader activity:Teacher questions students through clarifying (3A1a) questioning and responds to student comment (3B1) by repeating (3C2) the comment and probing further (3C6).

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Reconciling Codes• Two coders are paired to compare their

independent codings, identifying any differences between them.

• Differences are then discussed and each coder provides a rationale for his or her selected code.

• When necessary, a review of the DVD is conducted by the paired coders.

• Coding differences are discussed until consensus is reached between coders.

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Inquiry Science Observation Reconciling Code Sheet

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Challenges• greatest challenges:

– establishing universal definitions for terms and phrases

• What constitutes a “procedure”? • What is the difference between a science “term” and a

science “concept”?

– standardizing the recording of activity strings using the Recording Sheet

• broader verses other activities

– focusing on the teacher, rather than on the students

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What Next?• To date we have:

– videotaped 15 teachers;– 140 videotape cassettes have been digitized

to DVDs;– 116 have been quality-checked for audio

clarity and teacher visibility; and – 8 coders are trained and ready to begin

coding!