Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Heather Caldwell

Abstract

Middle school science teachers in a Northeastern urban school district incorporated an inquiry-based curriculum (IBC) using the full option science system (FOSS) to improve instruction; however, the teachers struggled to change their teaching practices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers’ experiences with and their changes in instructional practices using the FOSS curriculum. The concerns-based adoption model was the framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on identifying the levels of use, stages of concern, and experiences and needs teachers had using the FOSS curriculum. A purposeful sample of 14 middle school science teachers, who taught science for at least 3 years and taught 1 IBC unit from the FOSS curriculum, volunteered and participated in interviews and classroom observations. Data were analyzed through coding and theme development. Participants expressed confidence in integrating IBC instruction, focused their instruction on facilitating hands-on student learning, and desired consistent professional development to collaborate with colleagues to improve IBC teaching, align the curriculum to the state science standards, and share supplemental lessons related to the FOSS curriculum. Based on these findings, a 3-day professional development to train science teachers on aligning the FOSS curriculum with the state science standards and an ongoing professional learning community to increase collaboration among middle school science teachers in the district were developed. These endeavors may contribute to positive social change if the district science coordinator provides teachers with strategies to align FOSS with state standards and opportunities for teachers to collaborate and share IBC units to improve instruction.

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