The Impact of the ESSEA On-Line Courses for Classroom Teachers on the Science Curricula in a Rural Ohio K-12 School District

In the last ten years Earth and Space science has become a critical element in the K-12 science curriculum in Ohio. It is now taught in every grade level from K-12 in Ohio and Earth and Space science questions form fully one-third of the science section of the Ohio Proficiency tests and new Ohio Graduation Test. However, Earth and Space science was not a required science topic in the pre-service educational preparation of most Ohio K-12 teachers. In addition, many K-12 teachers live in rural areas of the state far from professional development opportunities. Wright State University has teamed with one rural school district to deliver on-line Earth System science professional development to teachers and to assist in the development of a land laboratory on the school grounds that will be used by every grade level K-12 to explore Earth Systems science. In the fall of 2001 the first Coldwater teachers took the Earth Systems Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) on-line course for Middle School teachers. In the Winter 2002 quarter, several others took the ESSEA on-line K-4 course. Both of these courses asked participants to develop K-12 classroom Earth Systems science activities. These activities were integrated into the new land lab curriculum. The effort to provide in-service professional development for teachers in this rural district is on-going. Seven more Coldwater middle school teachers are taking the on-line ESSEA course this fall, and five more elementary teachers will take the K-4 on-line course during the winter 2003 quarter. Formative assessment of on-line course participants indicate that they have gained useful content knowledge, have a better understanding of inquiry-based science, and therefore feel more comfortable teaching science as a result of taking the ESSEA on-line courses. K-12 student assessments reflect an increase in both the affective and cognitive domains.