The AP Program has redesigned the AP Chemistry Curriculum AP Pre-College Program. This new approach focuses on student understanding of science and chemistry while simultaneously developing students’ analytical reasoning and inquiry-based skills. AP inquiry instruction incorporates any teaching method designed to encourage students to construct and to discover knowledge with an understanding of how scientists study the natural world. AP lab investigations align with best practices described in <i>America's Lab Report</i>, which promotes a student involvement, inquiry-based design.  AP Summer workshops are one way for teachers to become acquainted with guided-inquiry classroom and laboratory activities. This presentation will outline how a four-day workshop introduces science teachers to the Science Writing Heuristic and Process Oriented Guided Inquiry approaches to promote student learning.  Most teachers participating in these workshops were not aware of the SWH or POGIL approaches, nor have they had been exposed to other effective guided-inquiry experiences.  Short summer workshops by themselves are not sufficient to help traditional teachers transition to inquiry teaching.  The next steps for teachers will be outlined.

Challenges of introducing science teachers to effective guided-inquiry activities

251st National Meeting (2016)

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