This study investigated the prevalence of transformative experiences, antecedents of transformative experience, and the relation between transformative experience and deep-level learning (conceptual change and transfer) for high school biology students (N = 166). Results suggested that the high school students in our sample typically engaged in low levels of transformative experience with respect to biology, but those students who strongly identified with science and who endorsed a mastery goal orientation were more likely to report engagement in higher levels of transformative experience. Furthermore, a higher level of engagement in transformative experience was positively associated with (a) conceptual change in understanding the concept of natural selection, but not inheritance, at the post-and follow-up assessments and (b) transfer at the follow-up assessment. According to Jackson (1986), there are two enduring outlooks in education, the mimetic, which focuses on transmitting predetermined and measurable information to students, and the transformative, which focuses on the transformation of qualities such as values, attitudes, and perceptions. Unfortunately, the majority of our efforts for educating children

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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. Downloaded by [Queensland University of Technology] at 15:36 13 October 2014 274 PUGH, LINNENBRINK-GARCIA, KOSKEY, STEWART, AND MANZEYAs our knowledge of instructional practices to support student learning advances, it becomes critically important to understand how teachers learn to implement these practices. Indeed, promising new instructional models are constantly being developed, and the efficacy of these approaches is significantly dependent on teachers' abilities to use them. Case studies of teachers' experiences with new theoretical perspectives are particularly useful for illustrating how teachers interpret and implement instruction based on new theoretical perspectives, the challenges teachers face in implementing such instruction, and the changes that occur in teachers' beliefs about learning and teaching as a result . To this end, the current study presents a case study of a teacher's experience implementing an emerging model of science instruction, the Teaching for Transformative Experiences in Science (TTES) model, and a more established model, the cognitive conflict model of conceptual change. In addition, the current study evaluates the effectiveness of these instructional models as implemented by the teacher in terms of student engagement (i.e., the degree to which learning was transformative) and deep-level learning (conceptual change, transfer).Briefly, the TTES model focuses on fostering engagement with content that extends beyond the immediate classroom experience (e.g., making scienc...

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Onwuegbuzie and colleagues proposed the Instrument Development and Construct Validation (IDCV) process as a mixed methods framework for creating and validating measures. Examples applying IDCV are lacking. We provide an illustrative case integrating the Rasch model and cognitive interviews applied to the development of the Transformative Experience Questionnaire (TEQ). TEQ measures student engagement with the content they are learning. IDCV process yielded a high degree of utility for informing the psychometric properties of the TEQ. The quantitative data yielded supportive content, construct, and concurrent-related validity evidence using a sample of middle (n = 115) and high school students (n = 81). The qualitative data revealed item rewording was needed. Moderate to strong test-retest reliability was found for both forms.