Science Teachers Learning through Lesson Analysis

  • Cohort 2 (July 2012 - May 2013) information
  • Professional development program supporting grade 4, 5, and 6 teachers
  • Teachers use two lenses to analyze videocases of science teaching and learning: the Student Thinking Lens and the Science Content Storyline Lens
  • Five-year research study to test effectiveness and scalability of program
  • Currently recruiting teachers in the Pikes Peak Region to participate in cohort two (2012-2013) of the research study
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation

Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis (STeLLA) is a professional development program that supports fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in teaching concepts in biology, physical science, and Earth science. In an earlier study with 48 teachers in California, the program had a positive impact on teachers’ learning, teachers’ practice, and their students’ learning. BSCS is now testing the scalability of this innovative professional development program. The five-year research study will test the effectiveness of the STeLLA professional development program when it is scaled to: (a) reach larger numbers of teachers and students in a wider array of settings, (b) include random assignment to two treatment groups, and (c) be delivered by professional development leaders who were not program developers.

The STeLLA program focuses on examining the following key, research-based ideas for teacher learning:

  • teachers can improve their science teaching effectiveness by developing two lenses for analyzing teaching: the Student Thinking Lens and the Science Content Storyline Lens; and
  • teachers will deepen their science content knowledge through the use of these two lenses through analyzing videocases of science teaching.

For more information, contact BSCS Senior Science Educators Kathy Roth or Nancy Landes.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-0918277. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.