An investigation into the effectiveness of the 'trainer of trainers' model for in-service science professional development programs for elementary teachers

The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the "Trainer of Trainers" model of professional development for elementary science teachers participating in the Mathematics and Science Education Cooperative (MSEC). In this professional development model, a core group of teachers (key and lead) received professional development sessions taught by science education professors. After the work sessions for the core group of teachers, training materials and equipment were distributed among the five elementary schools within the school district. Under the auspices of the "Trainer of Trainers" model, the core group of teachers were to share information, plan, and collaborate with their grade level team members. In the past, university team members of the MSEC program have been neither directly nor indirectly involved in the second phase of the program.;The target population of this study included approximately 200 teachers in the MSEC program who taught grades kindergarten through six in five different elementary schools. The school district is located in an unincorporated area near a southwestern metroplex. The district has a predominately low-income population and a high percentage of minority students that represent a diversity of ethnicities.;Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in data collection. Focus groups, interviews, observations, and survey instruments were the primary sources of data collection. Triangulation methods were used to establish validity and verification of data. Analysis was an on-going process that included several levels of affinity groups, interrelationship diagrams, path diagrams, and system influence diagrams. Interviews and feedback surveys were also used to evaluate the problem under investigation. Teachers considered the state-mandated assessment test to have the largest impact on the school curriculum and to be the primary reason that teachers could not find time for science teaching. Furthermore, they believed that the administration played a huge role in determining if science took a back seat at their respective schools.