Teaching for Transformative Experiences and Conceptual Change: A Case Study and Evaluation of a High School Biology Teacher's Experience

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Abstract
The Teaching for Transformative Experiences in Science (TTES) model is designed to foster transformative experiences (e.g., experiences with science content involving the application of that content in ways that expand perception and value in everyday experience). This study presents a case study of a high school biology teacher learning to implement the TTES model in conjunction with a conceptual change model and evaluates the impact of these models on students’ learning and engagement. In collaboration with the authors, the teacher created three instructional conditions: (a) control (2 classes, 40 students), (b) cognitive conflict (CC, 2 classes, 42 students), and (c) combined TTES and cognitive conflict (TE, 2 classes, 44 students). Descriptive data illustrate how the teacher implemented the models, particular challenges that arose, how the teacher's prior beliefs and goals shaped the implementation, and how experience with the models altered the teacher's beliefs and engagement with the content. Comparative analyses across conditions illustrate that students in the TE condition displayed more transformative engagement in class but did not report a greater level of independent transformative experiences. Regular-level students in the intervention conditions (CC, TE) displayed greater change in basic knowledge and regular-level students in the TE condition displayed more enduring transfer. Honors-level students in the intervention conditions (CC, TE) displayed greater conceptual change, but not greater transfer.

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