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Staff members from a large university are collaborating with developers of a West Coast aquarium, which opened one year ago. One of the staff's most significant tasks is to evaluate a "Preview the Aquarium" curriculum packet intended to give students greater understanding of exhibit-related topics prior to their field trips to the aquarium. Aquarium scientists have developed several draft versions of the packet so that it is appropriate for the entire grade range of students, from elementary through high school. To that end, the staff wants to interview a number of local teachers from varying grade levels about their reactions to the curriculum packet. Staff members have created an interview protocol with a relatively low level of structure because they anticipate that teachers will generate and want to talk about a wide range of ideas. Administering this interview is viewed as the first step in a multiyear plan to pilot, expand, and disseminate educational resources at the aquarium. The staff anticipates that these same teachers will be asked to pilot test the curriculum packet with their students later in the year.
Seven school districts exist within a 15-mile radius of the aquarium site, and each has provided a list of teachers who are familiar with the aquarium, interested in aquarium-linked education, and willing to participate in formative activities. Your job is to plan and oversee the administration of this interview. You decide to interview 6 teachers from each school district, so that you end up with 22 elementary-level teachers and 10 teachers each from the middle and high school levels. In addition to yourself, you have two other staff members to help you conduct the interviews. There is funding to give each participating teacher a $100 gift certificate; there also is the expectation that these teachers will be called on for future involvement.
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