Using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a Framework for the Evaluation of a Professional Development Workshop

Abstract

This purpose of this study was to use a theoretical framework based on several decades of attitudinal research to assess the intentions of Microbial Discovery Workshop participants to incorporate the inquiry activities presented at the workshop into their curricula, to evaluate the participants actual use of these activities after the workshop, and to uncover the barriers and enablers the participants faced in doing so. As a framework, the theory of planned behavior was ascertained to be an appropriate means of assessment and it was revealed that participants' intention to use the workshop activities significantly correlated with their actual use. The participants' attitudes toward using the activities influenced their use more than the participants' perceptions of the social pressures that would influence their decision to use the activities or their belief as to how easy or difficult it would be to incorporate a given activity. The participants were found to be highly self-efficacious pertaining to their ability to implement the activities, but perceived self-efficacy was not a significant predictor of the participants' intentions to incorporate the activities into their teaching-learning repertoire. The study also uncovered other behaviors the participants displayed as a result of attending the workshop consistent with the goals and objectives of the workshop organizers.The Microbial Discovery Workshop (MDW) is part of an outreach program administered by the Committee on Precollege Education of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and funded by the Foundation for Microbiology, The Pfizer Foundation, Inc., and the ASM. It is a multifaceted program to demonstrate to educators at every level how to use microorganisms to stimulate interest in science and the microbial world. The hallmark of the program is hands-on, inquiry-based explorations featuring microbes that are designed to develop process, data analysis, and critical and creative thinking skills in students consistent with the National Science Education Standards (22). Components of the MDW program include national leadership workshops, regional workshops, planning grants for hosting a workshop, and a collection of appropriate curriculum materials.The national leadership workshops, following a train-thetrainer model, prepare teams for regional outreach activities. Each team consists of an ASM scientist, who is often a college educator, and a precollege teacher. The teacher and scientist must apply as a team, increasing the likelihood that they will work together to promote use of inquiry-based activities featuring microbes in future endeavors. Workshops have been held yearly since 1996. The purpose of this study was to evaluate certain aspects of two workshops held in the summer of 1999 within the framework of the theory of planned behavior.The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was employed as a means to measure the intentions of participants to implement the instructional strategies presented at the workshop and to uncover the perceived enablers an...

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