Curriculum‐based teacher professional development in middle school science: A comparison of training focused on cognitive science principles versus content knowledge

This study investigates, through a cluster‐randomized trial, the effectiveness of two approaches to increasing middle school students’ science learning using a traditional science curriculum. Ninety schools were randomly assigned into one of three arms: (a) a treatment arm in which the textbook curriculum was modified based on four principles of cognitive science coupled with teacher professional development (PD), (b) a second treatment arm in...