The University and the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District in northern Delaware have received a $1.7 million National Science Foundation grant to improve science education in the district’s schools.

The proposal focuses on collaborative learning and co-teaching in biology, computer science, chemistry and biochemistry, engineering, Earth science and physics and astronomy.

Each year, nine UD graduate fellows will work one-on-one with nine district science teachers, according to George Watson, senior associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and principal investigator. He says he hopes the project eventually will serve as a national model for science education in vocational technical high schools.

Amelia Quillen, science specialist for the school district, will work with University personnel to coordinate and to implement the grant’s activities. Kathryn Scantlebury, UD associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, is a co-principal investigator and will serve as project manager.

“This project provides the opportunity for science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] graduate students to develop an understanding of the current issues impacting science education by working with high school science teachers and students,” Scantlebury says.

The project will extend ongoing elements of UD graduate education and partnerships with the district to develop a model program for STEM graduate students at the University.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our teachers to enhance instruction by working with people who possess great amounts of expertise in their fields,” Quillen says. “We’ll investigate which instructional technologies are most effective, for example, by assessing how well students transfer their learning and apply it in other settings.”

Watson says the project will focus on three main components: problem-based learning; co-teaching and lesson study; and quantitative reasoning skills in the sciences.

UD is a national leader in problem-based learning, a cooperative and creative learning experience in which students work in groups to seek solutions to real-world problems. In the project, UD fellows will collaborate with teachers to develop and teach problem-based learning activities that support student understanding of challenging, standards-based science concepts.

Co-teaching, in which fellows will join with classroom teachers in presenting lessons, will provide the graduate students the opportunity to develop an in-depth insight, understanding and appreciation for the complexities and nuances of teaching science in public schools. Lesson study creates a school-based community of learners focused on improving classroom practice using evidence of student understanding as a guide.

Also, fellows will work with teachers to implement curricula that aim to strengthen students’ abilities to use quantitative reasoning to make predictions and judgments in science-related applications.