Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe the degree to which CSIN staff developers perceived that selected pedagogical strategies were important to the systemic reform effort in elementary science education. Further, the study sought to describe changes in historically underrepresented students' interest, engaged learning time, understanding, and improvement in performance in science. Also, studied were the effects of the CSIN professional development program in helping teachers gain an understanding of the needs of historically underrepresented students and selected adult learning strategies. The study was designed to describe changes in staff developer attitudes regarding their own abilities to attach science and the concept that "all students can learn" after participation in the CSIN professional development program in science education. Further, it sought to identify staff developer perceptions regarding the effectiveness of assessment processes to measure, evaluate, or reflect performance in science by historically underrepresented students. Methodology. The researcher used descriptive research. A questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale was utilized to collect data to answer seven research questions. The population consisted of 124 elementary teachers who had received specialized training to implement the inquiry-based California Science Implementation Network (CSIN). The data from the completed surveys were examined using the descriptive statistical procedures of frequency distribution, mean, percentages, and standard deviations. For each item on the questionnaire, descriptive statistics frequencies, means, and standard deviation scores were determined. Analysis of Variance and the Scheffe test of differences were used to determine significant differences among staff developers' responses and to analyze the effects of demographic variables further. Selected findings. The data show that all four components (teaching strategies, students' involvement and performance, professional development, and systemic reform efforts) of the CSIN initiative addressed in this study were perceived to be important strategies, concepts, or methodologies for the effective education of historically underrepresented students by staff developers. Selected conclusions. (1) The CSIN content which focuses on "big ideas," connections, and conceptual understanding was well received as important by staff developers and was supported by the literature. (2) Students seem to grasp concepts better when they are involved in collaborative inquiry study. (3) Collaboration among teaching professionals is highly valuable. (4) Systemic reform in science education takes time. (5) CSIN has created a safety net for elementary teachers to risk teaching science.