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This study describes the design and development of an observation protocol for science and engineering practices (SEPs) experienced by teachers working in research laboratories under the auspices of Research Experiences for Teachers (RET). Development has proceeded iteratively through two-cycles of use and refinement based upon the observation of K-5 teachers working in engineering research laboratories as part of an NSF-funded RET site (EEC-1711543). This protocol offers the potential for looking inside the blackbox of apprenticed professional practice in the context of a research laboratory, which for K-12 teacher participants, has been previously only described through self-report. Data derived from this method, which can be viewed holistically or chronologically, can be used to triangulate and enhance other forms of data, for defining new processes or explaining outcomes and ultimately for enhancing programmatic functions. 

This study advances our design and development goal of creating a valid and reliable observation protocol for science and engineering practices (SEPs) experienced by participants working in research laboratories under the auspices of RET. This protocol offers the potential for addressing persistent questions related to participant experience by looking inside the blackbox of apprenticed professional research practice. Framed by cognitive apprenticeship and situated in an engineering RET for K-5 teachers (EEC-1711543), we independently document the SEPs which were consistently experienced across contexts and thus define a generalized teacher experience. Further, we identify key associations among the teacher's perception of their work, an independent observation and that reported by their graduate student mentors. Findings indicate that perception of involvement with any particular practice and not actual experience was a more important predictor of confidence. Perhaps most striking was the negative relationship between teacher confidence when working with mentors (r=-.242), which is similarly described by the mentors for working with teachers (r=-.356). This implies a strong need for further work and support for helping these individuals to understand each other’s goals and perspectives and for finding a way to work together that generates mutual feelings of confidence and satisfaction.