Impact of the collaboratives for excellence in teacher preparation program
© 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 1348-1369, 2007
Frances Lawrenz 1 *, Douglas Huffman 2, Amy Gravely 1
1University of Minnesota
2University of Kansas
email: Frances Lawrenz (Lawrenz@umn.edu)
*Correspondence to Frances Lawrenz, University of Minnesota
Funded by:
National Science Foundation; Grant Number: DUE 9908902
Abstract
This study investigated the national impact of the Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation program (CETP). Impact of the program was examined in two different settings: institutions of higher education, and K-12 science and mathematics classrooms. The focus of this study was to determine the impact of the CETP program on the institutional culture and collaborations among faculty, and changes in instructional techniques used by higher education faculty and K-12 teachers. Data were gathered over a 3-year period from 12 different CETP projects. At the higher education level faculty reported more collaboration and a slight increase in the use of standard-based teaching. At the K-12 level, students of teachers who were prepared by the CETP program viewed classroom instruction as slightly more standards-based than comparable students of non-CETP prepared teachers. Additionally, external observers rated classes taught by teachers educated in CETP projects as more standards-based than classes taught by non-CETP teachers educated in other programs. Implications of the results for national large-scale reform of science and mathematics education are discussed.
