Teachers get a taste of real-world science—with impressive results

“We compared pass rates on Regents biology, chemistry, and earth science exams of 7,209 students of CUSRP teachers with those of 36,101 students who studied the same subject at the same time and in the same schools in classes of non-CUSRP teachers as a quantitative measure of the impact of teacher participation in CUSRP on student achievement,” Silverstein wrote in the Science article.

In CUSRP, 10 to 13 middle- and high-school science teachers are selected to partner with a Columbia faculty member who is working on an area of interest to that teacher. Teachers and faculty members spend one day each week for two summers on professional development exercises, including lab and field work.

“The teacher becomes a member of the faculty member’s research team,” Silverstein said. “He or she participates fully in the work of the lab.”

In the study, CUSRP teachers said the stresses they experienced in adapting to a research laboratory increased their appreciation of the students’ difficulties and prompted them to respond with more sympathy.

“Many teachers tell us that when they get back to their school, they stop saying, ‘That’s right,’ or, ‘That’s wrong,’ but instead ask the student, ‘Why do you think that?’” Silverstein said. “The program develops an inquiring mode of thinking.”

Melissa Diggins, a fifth-grade teacher at Anasazi Elementary in Arizona, participated in NASA’s space camp last summer, prompting her and another teacher to create their own space camp at Anasazi.

“I got a broader sense of understanding [science, technology, engineering, and math] and its importance,” she said. “So I was able to give students hands-on experience, as well as higher-level thinking skills.”

Diggins created an eight-week after-school program for fourth and fifth graders that was so successful, she is now looking at creating two sessions next year—one for kindergarten through second graders and another for third through fifth graders.

“I saw the students getting excited about science, and I was able to foster their love for science,” she said. “Many students came in without knowing how they felt about science and left wanting to pursue careers in STEM fields.”

Link:

Columbia University’s Summer Research Program

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