Teacher enactment of the Geospatial Inquiry cycle in classrooms following scaled up professional learning and development

ABSTRACT

The current study examined the effects of a nationally scaled up Professional Learning and Development (PLD) model on teachers’ classroom implementation of the Geospatial Inquiry instructional framework. Geospatial Inquiry is defined as: asking and answering a research question through the analysis and communication of data that is linked to a geographic location on, above, or near Earth. These data are often represented visually via maps and explored with geospatial technologies. It also examined the relationships between Geospatial Inquiry Teacher Workshop (GITW) implementation and teacher implementation of the Geospatial Inquiry Cycle. Situated cognition provided a theoretical framework for the design, development, and implementation of the GITWs and lessons. Surveys, technology assessments, lessons, and artifacts were analysed using a-priori coding, descriptive statistics, and a generalised linear modelling approach that included hierarchical analysis. Results indicated teachers implemented Geospatial Inquiry lessons with integrity to the principles of Geospatial Inquiry and utilised research-based pedagogical practices. Format of GITWs (e.g. face-to-face or blended) resulted in differences during teachers’ lesson implementation. In addition, whether GITWs were delivered by an individual facilitator or a team of facilitators impacted teachers’ lessons. The findings have several implications for the design and scaling of PLD.

KEYWORDS:

• Geospatial Inquiry
• professional learning
• teacher implementation
• geospatial technology
• GIS

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge colleagues at Horizon Research, Inc., as our evaluator on the project, the graduatestudents who worked on the project: Tia Raught, Megan Walker, and Kayla Arendt, and most of all the facilitators whoimplemented the workshops and the teachers and students around the country who contributed data.

Disclosure statement

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number (DRL 1513287). Anyopinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do notnecessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human Resources [grant number DRL 1513287].