Peter: A Case Study In Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Ongoing Teacher Training And Support
TalkDuring Special Topic: Evaluation
6th Shaw-IAU Workshop
Nayra Rodríguez Eugenio (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias)
PETeR, a project by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, empowers Spanish students to explore astronomy through guided research using robotic telescopes. Over 450 schools participate, spanning various educational levels.
To help teachers get the most out of PETeR, we offer training courses, follow-up support and doubt resolution sessions. By analyzing pre- and post-training surveys, teacher feedback and student outcomes, we assess the impact of these initiatives on student engagement, acquired STEM skills and overall learning experiences. Our findings highlight the potential of inquiry-based and project-based learning to enhance astronomy education, as well as the importance of ongoing teacher training.
About Nayra Rodríguez Eugenio
Nayra Rodríguez is coordinator of educational programs and science communicator at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). She studied Physics at the University of La Laguna (ULL), and completed her PhD in Astrophysics at the ULL-IAC.
Since 2011, she coordinates the Educational Project with Robotic Telescopes (PETeR). She organizes and delivers local, national and international teacher trainings on astronomy topics and the use of robotic telescopes in education.
She is also the coordinator of the “Talk to Them: Women in Astronomy” project and collaborates in several other initiatives aimed at creating female professional role models in science and technology and promoting interest in these areas among students, especially girls.
