Rising Above a Gathering Storm of Data: Triangulating Findings Through Formative and Summative Evaluation Methodologies
4. Results
We conclude that the SLPAI, which utilizes artifacts of teaching and learning as data
sources, is complementary but not redundant to other measures of teaching practice. The
SLPAI specifically addresses issues particular to the nature of the science classroom, and
is a more easily scalable method than direct observation. An added benefit of lesson plan
analysis is that it provides the researcher information about a larger unit of teaching
than a one-day observation, offering the researcher a more complete view of a teacher's
practices. However, lesson plan review does present some unavoidable sources of
imprecision as a measurement technique. A lesson plan, by definition, does not provide
information about lesson enactment, unless post-lesson information is also provided. We
have also found that evaluators are often more critical of a familiar lesson than one they
have not experienced. For this reason, we recommend that evaluators using the SLPAI have
classroom experience with the age level and science discipline being evaluated. With these
caveats in mind, the SLPAI is a unique and powerful tool for measuring teaching practices
over time, especially when used in concert with other measures.
