Practicum-Based Professional Development
While field experiences and practice teaching have long been viewed as essential to preservice teacher educaiton, rarely have professional development programs offered teachers the opportunity to practice new pedagogies. Rather, teachers' first attempts to innovate occur in the high-stakes environment of their own classrooms, and are often done so in isolation. The QuEST program is unique in that it is a practicum-based professional development program. Participating teachers have opportunities to collaborate with colleagues to support one another in teaching new content and implementing new pedagogies with real students, prior to returning to their own classrooms.
Physical Science
Given physical science is typically elementary teachers' weakest area, the QuEST program focuses on physical science topics across the elementary curriculum. Project staff include faculty from education and physics.
Universal Design for Learning
US classrooms are increasingly diverse, and traditional approaches to instruction can create learning inequities. Universal Design for Learning is a framework that supports teachers in identifying potential barriers to learning, and being proactive in the planning process to reduce those barriers in order to meet the diverse needs, interests, and abilities of their students.
5E Learning Cycle
Over the years, multiple studies emphasize that the learning cycle model helps students make sense of scientific ideas, improve their scientific reasoning, and increase their engagement in science class (Lawson, 1995). Research shows that when exploration precedes concept introduction, as in the learning cycle, students exhibit greater achievement and retention of concepts (Abraham, 1998; Renner, Abraham & Birnie, 1988) particularly in comparison to other instructional models (Akar, 2005; Bishop, 1980; Bowyer, 1976; Nussbaum, 1979; Renner & Paske, 1977; Saunders & Shepardson, 1987; Schneider & Renner, 1980). The 5E Learning Cycle provides a useful framework for implementing a variety of curriculum materials and resources, and ensuing high quality science instruction.
Coherent Conceptual Storylines
While the 5E Learning Cycle provides important structural coherence to lessons, teachers must also work to ensure coherence in the underlying conceptual storyline of their lessons. They do this by focusing on a single concept or idea in-depth, versus many concepts addressed at a superficial level. They also attend to the link between the activities and ideas, and between the activities themselves within the lesson.
'Seamless' Assessment
Throughout instruction, teachers gather information to monitor students' learning and developing understanding of the concepts. Often, these opportunities for assessment are not easily distinguishable from the learning activities-- that is, they are a 'seamless' part of the lesson.