Frontiers in Physiology Professional Development Programs Support and Develop Middle and High School Teachers Seeking to Implement Inquiry‐based Pedagogies
Authors: Johnson Kathryn M.S. , Stieben Margaret E. 
Published: April 2020

The American Physiological Society (APS) Frontiers in Physiology programs provide structured professional development opportunities for middle and high school teachers seeking to enhance their ability to develop and implement inquiry‐based pedagogy. A continually evolving program since 1990, the current iteration of Frontiers in Physiology was established in 2013 and involves a two‐tiered professional development experience. Teachers can first participate in a 10‐month Online Teacher (OT) Professional Development Program aligned directly with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the current state‐by‐state adapted national science standards for K‐12 education. OT participants complete nine online units. In addition to reading assignments, these units include participation in group discussions and submission of a peer‐reviewed traditional classroom activity transformed into an inquiry‐based laboratory project. After completion of the OT, teachers are eligible to apply for a Research & Community Leader (RCL) Fellowship. Working in the laboratories of current APS members, RCL fellows conduct a summer‐long research project to increase their understanding of the scientific process, further augmenting their ability to implement inquiry‐based teaching strategies in their classrooms. Here we present the findings of a grounded‐theory analysis of semi‐structured phone interviews with a representative sample of OT participants (n=18 of 44 meeting the inclusion criteria) and RCL fellows (n=7 of 27) which had completed their respective professional development experience between 6 months and 3.5 years prior to the interview. OT participants interviewed, which had not gone on to RCL fellowships, indicated that they were very satisfied with the OT program, especially the intentional alignment with NGSS. OT participants transformed a wide variety of laboratory activities into inquiry‐based student research projects. They valued examples provided by other teachers of how to implement inquiry‐based pedagogies. RCL fellows, all of whom had previously completed the OT program, expressed their time in the research laboratory was the most beneficial aspect of the Frontiers in Physiology programs. Conducting research was valuable to RCL fellows because it provided insight into the non‐linear nature of the scientific process, which they could then share with their students when conducting inquiry‐based research projects. OT participants and RCL fellows both commented on the unique and effective nature of long‐term professional development and highly recommended both programs. APS Frontiers in Physiology programs successfully develop middle and high school teachers striving to implement NGSS‐aligned inquiry‐based pedagogies, and therefore, serve as a model for the implementation of future K‐12 science teacher professional development programs.

Support or Funding Information

This work was supported by NIH funding (Project Number: 8R25GM129197‐05) awarded to American Physiological Society.