ITEST Instruments

Teacher/Faculty Focus Groups

Instrument 1: Focus Group Interview

Project: Urban Ecology, Information Technology, and Inquiry Science for Students and Teacher Project (ITEST)
Boston College

Funding Source: ITEST

Purpose: Provide feedback on Summer Institute

Administered To: Teachers who participate in Summer Institute

Topics Covered:

• Effectiveness
• Technology Comfort with Content and Pedagogy
• Strengths and Weaknesses
• Perceptions
• Plans and Expectations
• Additional Supports Desired

Format/Length: Contains 15 open-ended items

Focus Group Interview Protocol for Summer Institute 2007

Feedback on Specific Aspects of summer institute

1. What attracted you to participate in this summer institute?
   
   1a. Was the draw primarily to learn about Urban Ecology science content or learn about new technological tools you can use in your classroom, or how to conduct field-studies with your students?
   
   
2. What components of the Summer Institute do you think will most benefit your teaching practice? Why? (If they do not bring up working with students in response to this question, specifically ask them if they found working with students beneficial or not and why.)



3. Were there areas of the Summer Institute that you would like to see changed? Why?
   
   3a. Were there components that weren't helpful or informative?
   
   3b. Components that should be added or expanded?
   
   

4. After completing the four-week institute, how prepared are you to integrate the field-study
   curriculum in your classroom?

4a. How prepared do you feel to connect the urban ecology curriculum to other required Massachusetts frameworks and/or curriculum?



5. How comfortable are you with using the field-study technology you have learned with your students?
   


6. How comfortable are you with the urban ecology science content?

7. What type of support would you like to receive during the school year?
   (more support using technology, with urban ecology content, with supporting students in scientific inquiry)



8. In what format would you like to receive this support?
   (Saturday workshops, afternoon workshops during the week, online support, in class support)
   
   8a. Why did you choose that format?



9. Do you have any thoughts about your interest in creating a teacher community from the Summer Institute participants that would be maintained during the upcoming year?
   
   9a. What would that look like for you?
   (on-line chat, periodic meetings where you share information and lesson feedback)