Dr. Micheal J. Kessner, an elementary science specialist at Lovejoy Independent School District in Allen, Texas, has received Recognition of Merit in the 2008-09 PDK International Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award program. Kessner received the award for her research on the impact of hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum on teaching and learning. Her dissertation was titled, “How does implementation of inquiry-based science instruction in a high-stakes testing environment affect fifth-grade student science achievement?”

“Research—discovering new and better ways for teachers to teach and students to learn—is central to PDK’s longstanding mission,” said PDK Executive Director Dr. William Bushaw. “We are thrilled to honor Dr. Kessner’s important work.”

PDK international is a global association of education professionals. The PDK Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award is designed to further research in education. It is given to the PDK member whose dissertation best meets the criteria of sound scholarship and shows the most promise for improving education. In addition to the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, three members received Recognition of Merit for their dissertations. PDK received about 50 submissions for the award. A panel of education researchers reviewed the submissions.

When Dr. Kessner was notified, she responded, "The dissertation process was long and rigorous but very fulfilling. I am deeply honored and privileged to be recognized."

In her research, Kessner conducted a study that combined qualitative and quantitative methods to compare three groups of fifth-grade students—one group was exposed to hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum for two years, one group was exposed to hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum for one year, and one group that was not exposed to hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum —to see how hands-on activities impacted students’ achievement on the science portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exam. Kessner also investigated how achievement differed by gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity among students exposed to the hands-on, inquiry-based instruction.

The study found that the group of students who utilized the hands-on science curriculum had higher mean scores on the science portion of the TAKS exam. Regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity, the average of all students’ scores increased. Additionally, the teachers who implemented the hands-on, inquiry-based curriculum reported that this type of instruction not only increased their own content knowledge, but it also increased their enjoyment of teaching science.

An announcement of Kessner’s award will be published in the June 2009 issue of Phi Delta Kappan, the nation’s leading journal on education policy and practice.