Effectiveness of Action Research and RTOP for Improving Physics Lessons

Author / Creator

AAPT SM21 (2021)

Conferences

AAPT SM21 PS.B-SA-09: PER: Student and Instructor Support & Professional Development, Program and Institutional Change I (2021)

Available as

Online

Summary

High-school teaching in Japan is traditionally known as teacher-driven. To improve the situation, the new Course of Study for high schools, which will be fully implemented in 2022, emphasizes the i...

High-school teaching in Japan is traditionally known as teacher-driven. To improve the situation, the new Course of Study for high schools, which will be fully implemented in 2022, emphasizes the importance of active learning and inquiry. This study examines the effectiveness of the use of action research and RTOP (Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol) for improving high-school physics lessons in Japan. Three action research sessions were conducted for a particular Basic Physics class in two months. The results indicate that the RTOP scores improved dramatically as action research progressed, especially in the areas of teacher's procedural knowledge and student-student interactions. The teacher's attitudes towards active learning and collaboration also showed an improvement. Discussions on the difficulties of helping teachers have student-centered views in physics teaching will be included in the presentation.

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