Exploring ATCP science teachers' inquiry-based and learner-centered practices through the lens of teacher, program, and school context configurations

Abstract

This study focused on the inquiry-based and learner-centered instructional practices of alternatively certified science teachers through the exploration of configurations of teacher, program, and school contextual characteristics that are believed to contribute to instructional decisions. Inquiry-based and learner-centered continuums were used to look at the level of teachers' instructional practices. Growth trends in inquiry-based and learner-centered practices were created, displayed, and discussed. Cluster analysis was used to determine how, if at all, teachers' group by teacher, program, and school context characteristics. All of these were used to summarize alternatively certified teachers' use of inquiry-based and learner-centered instructional practices seeking possible configurations associated with levels of outcomes. My study found that there were clusters of teachers present whose practices were associated with several different configurations consisting of the presence or absence of teacher, program, and school context characteristics.